Manila Standard - 2021 April 20 - Tuesday

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Duterte bows to Congress on pork tariff issue Admits lawmakers’ primary jurisdiction on import duties

Rody: Withdrawal of military support an ‘outrageous tale’

By Vito Barcelo MALACAÑANG on Monday dismissed reports that a group of retired and active military generals are withdrawing support from President Rodrigo Duterte for his apathy toward Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea. “It’s nothing but an outrageous tale.

We believe that all the military respect the Constitution and you know, it’s already time for politics. It’s just 12 months... before elections,” Roque said in a press briefing.

The Palace official made the statement after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana dismissed a supposed statement of retired and active military officers withdraw-

ing their support from Duterte due to his weak stance against China.

“There is no reason for the military to forcibly remove the President from office. The military respects the Constitution. If the President were indeed useless, he would have been ousted by the military a long time ago,” Roque said.

Roque said concerned government agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense have already repeatedly called on the Chinese vessels to leave the West Philippine Sea and there was no need for the President to speak.

“The utterances of the alter-egos are the official utterances of the President, unless they are renounced by the President,” Roque said.

Next page

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

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will bow to the wishes of lawmakers if they decide to revoke the executive order he issued to increase the minimum access volume and lower tariffs on imported pork products, which Congress thinks will kill the local hog industry.

“We can always withdraw the EO that weekly televised late-night address.

I signed. Madali naman ‘yan (That’s Duterte said he understands the point easy). It’s just a temporary measure to of senators who were concerned about bring down the prices but the senators his EO No. 128 lowering tariffs on imsee it in a different light,” he said in his Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 64 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

AstraZeneca use for people below 60 now resumed THE administering of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to people younger than 60 will resume after experts gave the go-signal, the Department of Health said Monday.

Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH will draft updated guidelines on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of rare blood clots on some recipients abroad.

“We need to remember that only a small percentage of the population was affected by these kinds of adverse events for AstraZeneca,” Vergeire said in Filipino.

The DOH said no such adverse events have been reported in the Philippines.

Only 63% of health workers vaccinated ONLY 63 percent of health workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday.

Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO country representative to the Philippines, appealed for immediate vaccination of health workers under the government’s COVID-19 Next page

Hong Kong bans entry of Filipino labor for 2 weeks

By Willie Casas, Maricel V. Cruz and Othel V. Campos

FOR PEOPLE AND PETS TOO.

Community pantries have multiplied across the country , offering food, necessities, other items and even services for people and pets alike. This composite shows the ‘BARKyanihan Project’ of the Animal Kingdom Foundation, as well as ‘kindness stations’ for people in (clockwise from upper right) Sampaloc, Manila; Sorsogon; Maginhawa in Quezon City; and in Tarlac via Caritas. Norman Cruz and Joey Razon

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM APRIL 19)

945,745 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

9,628 141,375 ACTIVE NEW

16,048 DEATHS

88 NEW

788,322 9,266 NEW RECOVERIES

Community pantries explode all over, even for pets

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

distribution of cash to help low-income earners cope with tightened COVID-19 restrictions.

The Maginhawa Community Pantry initiated by Ana THE Palace and lawmakers on Monday lauded the Patricia Non in Quezon City has inspired many neighborexplosion of community pantries across villages and hoods all over the country to organize their own comneighborhoods in the country, describing them as munity pantries.

Made of makeshift shelves placed along streets, “bayanihan in action.”

This developed as Malacañang asked the public these pantries are not just stocked with food and other for patience over complications in the government’s Next page

SOME 1,300 overseas Filipino workers will be barred from entering Hong Kong after the special administrative region’s government suspended travel from the Philippines, India, and Pakistan for two weeks due to a COVID-19 strain, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said Monday.

During a Department of Labor and Employment press briefing, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said about half of 2,600 workers bound for Hong Kong would be affected by the travel restriction.

Hong Kong authorities have been urging residents to get vaccinated for coronavirus with only around 9 percent of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents vaccinated so far.

The government last week widened the Next page

Lack of nurses prevents hospitals to hike capacity

By Willie Casas WHILE the Department of Health (DOH) warned private hospitals to increase their COVID-19 capacity to 30 amid a surge of the coronavirus cases, a private hospitals’ group said their hospitals could only allot 20 percent of their total bed allocation for virus patients because of a lack of nurses.

Dr. Jose Rene De Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association Philippines (PHAPi), said one nurse could previously handle five to Next page

ERAP MARKS 84TH IN REGULAR HOSPITAL ROOM

Story on A2

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TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

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Vanuatu locks down over Pinoy’s corpse P ORT VILA, Vanuatu—Vanuatu slapped travel restrictions on its most populous island Monday after tests confirmed a body that washed ashore on the largely coronavirus-free Pacific nation was infected with COVID-19.

that the family will receive all the benefits due to the family of the deceased,” he added.

The man’s crewmates and police officers who retrieved the body had all tested negative for the virus, said the sources, who wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

It was not clear how or where the man died, or how his body ended up in the sea.

The Pacific island nation has recorded only three coronavirus cases, all in arriving travelers, and the National Disaster Management Office said it was taking steps to ensure there was no transmission among the population of 200,000.

It ordered a three-day ban starting Monday on all outward domestic and international travel from Efete, the island where Port Vila and a large part of the population are located. “(The) public are strongly advised to remain calm and maintain safe and healthy hygiene practices at all times,” it said.

The Philippine Embassy in Australia is closely monitoring the investigation on the case, the DFA official said.

“The embassy in Australia stands ready to provide the appropriate assistance on the repatriation of the remains,” Abalos said. Rey E. Requejo with AFP

Government sources said the deceased was a Filipino sailor whose vessel had left Port Vila a day before his body was found washed up near a village about five kilometres (3.1 miles) outside the city on Sunday 11 April.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed the report.

DFA Executive Director for Strategic Communications Ivy Banzon-Abalos revealed that the Philippine Embassy in

Australia through the Philippine Consulate General in Vanuatu has been in touch with the manning agency and has informed the seaman’s family.

“It was in the local news there that a Filipino crew member was discovered missing from the foreign vessel as it left Vanuatu. Shortly, the body was found on the beach,” Abalos said.

“Under Philippine laws, the local manning agency is mandated to ensure

AstraZeneca...

From A1

ARTA pushes faster permits for vax makers

vaccination program.

“At least 1.125 million doses have been administered and 63 percent of them are health workers. We need to still prioritize and ensure full coverage of medical frontliners,” Abeyasinghe said at a briefing.

“We are still short of protecting all frontline health care workers, and the current surge demonstrates that medical workers have to be fully protected so that they can work to care for the sick,” he added.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said they hope to finish vaccinating health workers, senior citizens and persons with co-morbidities by mid-May or June.

Jabs for teachers eyed

THE Department of Education said the vaccination of some 790,000 public school teachers and personnel against COVID-19 may begin by June, because by then enrollment would have begun and school activities will pick up.

Initially, more than 1 million teachers and support staff were up for vaccination against COVID-19.

That number has fallen, however, as some teachers also belong to other priority groups.

1.4M doses already in arms

More than 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Philippines as of April 17, over a month since the start of its inoculation program, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said a total of 1,456,793 doses have been administered in 3,155 vaccination sites across the country.

A total of 1,264,811 Filipinos have received their first dose, 960,191 of whom are health workers, 128,018 are senior citizens, and 176,305 are persons with co-morbidities.

Some 191,982 health workers are now fully vaccinated after getting two doses.

The Philippines has received 3,025,600 doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccines.

Inclusion of teachers hailed

An opposition leader in the House of Representatives on Monday welcomed the inclusion of frontline personnel in basic education and higher education institutions and agencies to the A4 priority of the vaccine roll-out. Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz

Hong Kong...

From A1 city’s vaccine scheme to include those aged between 16 to 29 years old for the first time, as they aim to boost lackluster demand for inoculations amongst residents.

Airlines impacted by Hong Kong’s ban on travelers from India, Pakistan and the Philippines include carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Vistara and Cebu Pacific.

Olalia said: “With the temporary suspension in deployment, half of the 2,600 workers can’t leave so more or less 1,300 workers will be affected.”

But he said the processing and issu-

Lack...

From A1 eight virus patients with mild symptoms, and one to three patients with moderate to severe symptoms.

“We said it would depend, we will try as much as possible. But what can we do if we can’t get additional nurses to attend to additional beds?” he said.

“Majority of hospitals said they have received a written warning that they need to follow this Bayanihan 2 directive. They said what can they do if there’s no additional number of nurses.

Private hospitals are doing the best they can,” said De Grano.

They had earlier appealed to the gov-

He called on the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to help thresh out the streamlining processes.

“This effort to streamline processes is an attempt on our part to attract more local manufacturers to have their own facilities for vaccine manufacturing in the country,” he said.

He added that ARTA’s move is in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s

directive to set up a green lane for local vaccine manufacturers in a bid to help the country produce its own jabs against COVID-19.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said that the green lane will accelerate the resolution of permit applications of local vaccine manufacturers provided they have submitted all necessary requirements to concerned agencies.

Given this premise, Belgica vowed to reduce red tape not only for vaccine efforts but also on all products essential to curb the spread of COVID-19.

ported pork meat.

“No choice but to follow. Delegated lang ang tariff fixing to President (Duterte). Primarily legislative,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also told the Standard via text message Monday.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar, who presented to Duterte, said the government was not killing the local hog industry, but was just trying to import the shortfall in pork the country needed this year.

“EO 128 was a result of a painstaking process. That’s why it will really lower pork prices in the market,” he said.

He also revealed that the Department of Agriculture was talking with its United States counterpart to test a potential vaccine against African Swine Fever, which decimated local hogs and led to the pork crisis.

NEDA Acting Secretary Karl Chua also told the President that food inflation, from February to March, increased to 6% this year, which can be attributed to the increase in pork prices.

Earlier, Roque said at a Palace briefing that Congress was free to revoke the executive order.

“The Constitution provides that Congress has the primary jurisdiction of tariffs. If the Senate and the House of Representatives move to revoke the EO, that is within their authority,” Roque said in Filipino. “The President will respect that.”

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III pressed the Department of Agriculture (DA) Monday to identify the brains behind the government’s move to allow pork imports to flood the market.

“I want to know whose bright idea it was to hike the import ceiling and lower import taxes on pork. Who suggested this from the DA?” Sotto asked Agriculture Secretary William Dar. “Why do they want us to import beyond what is required and at the same time lower the tariff? What’s the logical explanation for this?” Sotto asked.

Sotto said the executive order increasing the minimum access volume (MAV) while lowering tariffs on imported pork products ran counter to President Duterte’s guarantee that the prices of pork and other food products would remain accessible to the people.

“I believe that the President intended the EO to assure our people that the government is in control and that the welfare of our hog raisers, fishermen and farmers will always be the priority,” he said.

He said he believed the President would not have signed the order if he knew its negative impact on the hog raising industry.

Dar said the President’s Executive Order No. 128, which lowers the tariff rate for pork imports, is already in effect.

“The EO 128 is now in effect and that continues to be implemented by us. Whatever are needed in terms of say import clearances being requested by importers, the Bureau of Animal Industry is now issuing said import clearances,” Dar said at the joint meeting of the House committees on agriculture and food and the trade and industry.

Dar said the arrival of pork imports would be “properly managed” and that they would not kill the local hog industry.

“Our ultimate goal is really the imports will lower the prices of pork in the market and tame inflation,” Dar said.

Earlier, the Senate adopted a resolu-

tion urging the President to reverse his executive order.

In the House, 39 lawmakers also supported terminating the EO. Executive Order 128 reduces the tariff on imported pork to between 5 percent and 10 percent. Pork importers currently pay 20 percent to 30 percent.

The order also increases the total volume of pork that may be imported to 350,000 metric tons, up from the current volume of 54,000 metric tons.

Duterte issued the order amid the spike in pork prices as the local hog industry continued to suffer from the African Swine Fever outbreak, which has killed millions of pigs nationwide since 2019.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. on Monday proposed that a price ceiling on imported pork be imposed in light of the lowering of tariff rates.

The group’s president, Danilo Fausto broached the idea to legislators at a congressional hearing Monday conducted by the House committees on agriculture and food, and the trade and industry.

He said this would pass the benefit of the lower tariff on to consumers.

The joint committee conducted the hearing in response to a resolution earlier filed by Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina calling for a congressional inquiry into the rising pork prices, which reached about P400 per kilo.

Quimbo noted in her resolution that the year-on-year inflation rate for meat rose to 9.95 percent in December 2020 from 8.15 percent in November 2020.

At the hearing Monday, Dar said he would study the PCAF recommendation.

Twenty-two lawmakers from the House of Representative expressed support over the joint resolution seeking to terminate EO 128.

ance of Overseas Employment Certifications would continue despite the travel ban in other countries.

Before the pandemic, Olalia said an average 13,000 Filipinos would go to work in Hong Kong every month. It decreased to 2,600 a month due to lockdown restrictions from the pandemic.

Olalia noted that Hong Kong is the fourth top destination for Filipinos looking for more job opportunities abroad.

For OFWs with canceled flights due to the Hong Kong travel ban, Olalia said they could coordinate their concerns with their concerned private recruitment agencies.

He added: “There is a private recruitment agency, they will coordinate with stranded OFWs. We have rules in 2016,

which we amended, and extended mon- of this pandemic in any way it can. We itoring and assistance to OFWs, includ- are guided by our Bayanihan spirit, which ing those who are stranded.” has strengthened us since the on-set of the pandemic, in working together with the More hotels converted private and public sectors towards our naAt least 21 hotels in the National tion’s recovery,” said Puyat.

Capital Region (NCR) and Region 4A She stressed that together with the hotel that were converted into isolation fa- industry, the DOT commits to support the cilities adding as much as 2,222 more national efforts in prioritizing the health rooms to the country’s health capac- and safety of the general public. ity, the Department of Tourism (DOT) Two more AEs in Quezon City will add announced Monday. another 184 rooms on standby, according Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat to the Oplan Kalinga secretariat. commended the hotel industry’s continued support in repurposing their New variants accommodation establishments (AEs) World Health Organization experts into isolation and quarantine facilities. are still assessing the extent of the “The DOT is one with the entire tour- transmission of new coronavirus variism industry to help mitigate the effects ants in the Philippines.

By Othel V. Campos

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is working on streamlining government processes in relation to the issuance of permits for local vaccine manufacturers, particularly against the coronavirus.

ARTA director general Jeremiah Belgica has called for a meeting with concerned agencies to discuss the establishment of a green lane for faster processing of permit applications of local vaccine manufacturers.

Duterte...

From A1

ernment to augment private hospitals’ workforce as COVID-19 cases continued to surge in the Metro Manila area.

Meanwhile, St. Luke’s Medical Center chief medical officer said the twoweek strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed in Metro Manila and nearby provinces from March 29 to April 11 was not enough to address the COVID-19, as the surge still overwhelmed the hospitals.

“It’s a warning for everyone that even if we had two weeks of ECQ, considering this unexpected surge since I think Friday night and the whole Saturday and Sunday, puro ICU-able eh,” Dr. Benjamin Campomanes Jr. said in an interview on “24 Oras Weekend.”

Community...

From A1 necessities from big-hearted souls and cause-oriented groups -- with anyone free to get or put back whatever amount they needed -- but now also offer items and services for people and pets alike.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has put up its own version, the “Community Paw-ntry” at the PAWS headquarters along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City, whether to provide or get free food and supplies for animals.

PAWS also encouraged the public to do similar initiatives in their area to help those affected by the pandemic.

The Animal Kingdom Foundation also launched its “BARKyanihan Project” with “pet ayuda stations” in the cities of Pasay, Valenzuela, and Mandaluyong in Metro Manila, Sta. Rosa and Binan in Laguna, and Tarlac City, offering treats for dogs and cats alike.

Meanwhile, Malacañang told critics Monday to stop “politicking,” as it rejected criticism that government incompetence spawned the community pantries across the country, where private citizens mobilized to help others weather the COVID-19 crisis.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said authorities had distributed P4 billion out of the P22.9 billion budget for aid distribution.

But unlike pre-pandemic aid distribu-

Erap marks 84th b’day in regular hospital room FORMER President Joseph Estrada celebrated his 84th birthday in a hospital on Monday as he was transferred to a regular room from intensive care following a bout with pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

Ex-senator Jinggoy Estrada, the former leader’s son, said “Erap” was doing well and was brought to a regular room at around noon.

“All his vital signs are already normal; his oxygen flow is already normal. His blood pressure has already been stabilized. That’s why the doctor says he can be transferred to a regular room today,” Jinggoy said in an interview on ANC. Jinggoy, a former actor and mayor like the elder Estrada, said he would visit his father to bring a birthday cake and greet him. A video and photo grab from his Facebook account later proved this.

Last week, Estrada was brought back to the intensive care unit after his physicians found a superimposed bacterial lung infection.

On April 13, Estrada already tested negative for COVID-19.

Rody:...

From A1 The UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued a ruling in July 2016 rejecting China’s claim of sovereignty in the entire South China Sea. Th ruling, which stemmed from a case filed by the Philippines against China in 2013 during the Aquino administration, also ruled that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Beijing, however, has refused to recognize the Philippines’ victory, and Chinese vessels, including warships, continue to be spotted in the West Philippine Sea. Meanwhile, an online petition calling for Duterte to resign over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his alleged subservience to China gathered more than 50,000 signatures days after it was launched.

“This statement will attest that people are no longer satisfied. If he doesn’t step down, then at least, the positive effect of this is it has made more people aware, made more people to be able to stand up and speak up,” Dr. Edelina De La Paz, chairperson of Health Alliance for Democracy, told ANC. The Change.org petition titled “Save the Nation! Duterte Resign!” was initially signed by some 500 medical workers, lawyers, businessmen, members of the academe, media workers and civic leaders.

De La Paz said that for her, the petition is not a political statement but an authentic call for the President to step down.

Also on Monday, the University of the Philippines Vanguard urged the government to protect what is rightfully ours.”

“The UP Vanguard Inc. expresses its grave concern over the continued presence of Chinese militia vessels along the Julian Felipe Reef and its utmost support to the positions of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. for the Chinese militia’s immediate withdrawal from Philippine waters,” the group said in a statement.

“The West Philippine Sea is recognized as one of the most important waterways in the world as it is used by the international community to navigate trade. The freedom to navigate these waters is also of international concern. tions, beneficiaries now have to observe physical distancing and cannot flock to a venue all at once to get the assistance, he said in a press briefing.

Roque said: “We ask for patience because there really is a delay. But in the time of a pandemic, we cannot avoid being careful because we may be able to distribute the aid, but the public could also get COVID-19.”

Each beneficiary is entitled to P1,000 aid in cash or in kind. Up to P4,000 may be availed of by a family, whether the family has less than four or more than four members.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said these were “born out of desperation” and a “selfless” act of people, who “unwitting they may be, are telling government to do better.”

News

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SEC, PSE set to get revised nat’l mineral reporting code THE Philippine Mineral Reporting Code Committee, as the National Reporting Organization, is spearheading the advancement of the mineral reporting code in the Philippines to have a reporting standard abreast of other internationally recognized reporting codes.

Referred to simply in the mining industry as the Code, the PMRC, as adopted by the Securities & Exchange Commission and The Philippine Stock Exchange, sets minimum standards, recommendations and guidelines for the Public Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves for solid mineral raw materials.

The PMRC Committee has led the process of revising and upgrading the Code. On Monday, the first draft of the PMRC 2020 Code, an advanced upgrade of its 2007 Edition, is ready for industry and public exposure.

“Simply put, the new ‘Code’, once adopted by the SEC and the PSE, sets out the highest standards, recommendations and guidelines for Public Reporting that will help elevate the level of trust and confidence we need for the mining industry” said Ciceron Angeles Jr., PMRC Committee chairman.

The PMRC Committee, composed of the Philippine Society of Mining Engineers, the Geological Society of the Philippines and the Society of the Metallurgical Engineers of the Philippines, together with the PSE and other minerals industry-related organizations, since 2019 has led the process of revising and upgrading the Code.

“The upgrade and the evolution of the PMRC Code couldn’t have come at a better time when, now more than ever, we need investor confidence and public trust towards mining in the Philippines” said Angeles.

The Code was formulated with the intent of setting minimum standards for public reporting that are compatible with global standards. Its original version was compatible with the Australasian Joint Ore Reserves Committee Code 2004) and the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards International Reporting Template (2006). To date, the CRIRSCO Template is now on its 2019 edition while the JORC Code’s is on its 2012 edition and will soon be upgraded to conform with the CRIRSCO Template 2019.

IN BRIEF QC dad: Turn over lots to squatters

BRIDGE INSPECTION. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, DPWH Usec. Emil Sadain, DPWH project manager Ben Bautista and DPWH Chair of the Build Build Build Committee Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo inspect the Binondo-Intramuros bridge on Monday. The twolane bridge with a total length of 678.992 meters is targeted to open in September. Norman Cruz

‘Serious dishonesty’ rules for gov’t workers revised

G

OVERNMENT employees who misrepresent education, experience, training and eligibility qualifications to qualify for a particular position will be charged with serious dishonesty.

This was stressed by the Civil Service Commission as it issued Resolution 2100079 or the Revised Rules on the Administrative Offense of Dishonesty. The new resolution aims to further clarify and define the parameters of the classifications of dishonesty to aid disciplining authorities in charging the proper offense.

Dishonesty refers to the “concealment or distortion of truth, which shows lack of integrity or a disposition to defraud, cheat, deceive or betray and an intent to violate the truth.”

Along with misrepresenting qualifications, the submission of fake and/or spurious credentials relative to one’s employment is also considered serious dishonesty under the resolution.

The rules on dishonesty can serve as a deterrent for corruption. It considers Serious Dishonesty such acts that involve grave abuse of authority and those where the respondent is an accountable officer and which involves property, accountable

forms or money with the intent to commit material gain, graft and corruption.

The other circumstances constituting the administrative offense of Serious Dishonesty include acts causing serious damage and grave prejudice to the government, such as when the integrity of the office is tarnished or its operations are affected; those exhibiting moral depravity regardless of whether the act is in connection with the performance of duties or not; and those involving civil service examination irregularity or fake civil service eligibility.

Serious Dishonesty is punishable by dismissal from the service, which carries with it cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, a prohibition from taking civil service examinations and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

Falling under the offense of Less Serious Dishonesty are acts causing less serious damage and prejudice to the government; those involving sums of money or

Malls to assist Taguig in jabs for 1m citizens Seniors, people next in line

By Joel E. Zurbano

SHOPPING mall owners and op-

erators in Taguig City have agreed to assist the local government in its vaccination program to inoculate one million residents to protect them from the coronavirus disease.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano on Monday announced the city’s partnership with Vista Mall, Megaworld, SM and Ayala and thanked the business sector’s participation in boosting the local government’s vaccine rollout.

The city government made its mall giants agree to house and establish vaccination centers within their premises.

The development comes as the city continues its COVID-19 vaccination drive that has seen thousands of medical workers, senior citizens and people with comorbidities, among others, already vaccinated.

“I take it as a sign of trust in the local government that our big stakeholders have all reached out to help with our community vaccination,” Cayetano said.

Taguig City has the lowest COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in Metro Manila, and this was attributed to the local government’s strong partnerships with its citizens and business community.

Aside from having the largest network of barangay health workers, the city also boasts 10,000 designated COVID-19 safety officers who assist in the city’s extensive disease surveillance and in establishing strict health and safety protocols.

Taguig also prides itself in its 34 testing centers and network of disease surveillance officers from the private and public sector.

“Vaccination will be key to moving faster towards the new future,” said Cayetano, adding that Taguig wants to lead that transition with a whole of society approach.

“Relying on the strengths of various individuals and institutions, we believe we can make 2021 the year we bounce back and recover,” he said.

A3

government property where the respondent is not an accountable officer; taking advantage of one’s position in committing the dishonest act but not for personal gain or benefit; or taking advantage of one’s position in committing the dishonest act but nonetheless benefiting from it.

Less Serious Dishonesty is punishable by suspension from the government service for a period of six months and one day to one year for the first offense and dismissal from the service for the second offense.

The circumstances constituting Simple Dishonesty include those that have no direct relation to or do not involve the duties or responsibilities of the respondent and did not cause damage or prejudice to the government; or falsification of any official document where the act did not cause damage or prejudice to the government or the information falsified is not related to one’s employment. If the respondent did not take advantage of his/her position in committing the dishonest act, and the act did not result in any personal gain or benefit or caused damage and prejudice to the government, it may also be considered as Simple Dishonesty.

A QUEZON City councilor is battling for the turnover of a one-hectare area in Barangay Bagong Silangan to the squatter families occupying the area following the approval of Ordinance SP-3006 on March 15.

District 2 Councilor Mikey Belmonte introduced the measure declaring a 10,766-square-meter lot in Sitio Kumunoy as a socialized housing site that would be given to qualified squatters living in the area under the direct sale program.

“One priority of the Quezon City government is to provide affordable and decent housing that is still within the city to thousands of informal settler families. We’re expanding the number of communities under our socialized housing project to accommodate more residents who live here with their families and who work here,” he said.

The private property was forfeited through an auction sale in favor of the city government and will now be subjected to staff work by the executive branch, particularly the Housing Community Development and Resettlement Department.

Under the direct sale program, the HCDRD will plan and develop the site, orient prospective beneficiaries, select those who are qualified and help them process loans to pay for their respective lots.

“The city would guide them through every step of the way to ensure that they can secure their individual titles upon payment,” Belmonte said.

“We hope to do the same for other ISFs in the city through programs that are favorable to all stakeholders: residents, property owners and the city government. After all, security in housing is part of the city’s mandate to pave the way for inclusive growth,” he said. Rio N. Araja

Angeles hands out kids’ internet cards ANGELES CITY—Learners in public schools were relieved after government officials on Monday distributed internet access cards to be used during online classes.

Each internet card can be used for a maximum of three years, allowing students to have a better and stable WI-FI access, said Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. during the ceremonial distribution of the cards at the city hall grounds.

Lazatin says the free internet card is part of the city government’s educational program to provide assistance to students from Grade 4 to12 in this time of pandemic.

“Sa pamamagitan ng mga internet learning cards na ito, magkakaroon sila ng dedicated access sa libre internet, para mas maging stable ang connection nila kapag meron silang online classes at mas mapadali ang kanilang pag-aaral,” Lazatin said.

The city government was able to distribute 5,404 internet cards during its initial distribution: 1,782 for the City College of Angeles, 493 for the Marisol Bliss Elementary School, 1,036 for the Santa Teresita Elementary School and 2,093 for the Malabanias Integrated School.

Each internet card can be used for a maximum of three years, allowing students to have a better and more stable internet access. Jess Malabanan

for vaccine urged to register

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Health department in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon on Monday called on all senior citizens and people with comorbidities to register now to avail themselves of the free COVID-19 vaccine.

“We urge all senior citizens and persons with comorbidities to participate and register in our government’s Covid-19 vaccination program to ensure added protection against the Covid virus. The registration is voluntary and the vaccine is free,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said.

Once registered, he says, an individual will undergo careful evaluation of his/ her health status and exposure risk. Only after due assessment can a person be vaccinated at their respective LGUs. The online registration of priority

groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (people with comorbidities) is essential to ensure a smooth rollout of COVID-19 vaccines among the target population.

“Considering the limited supply of available vaccines, we also need to provide protection to our elderly due to the rising cases of Covid in the country,” Janairo said.

As of April 15, 2021, a total of 106,513 individuals have already received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the region.

A total of 7,313 senior citizens and 8,428 people with comorbidities have already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

All target groups are advised to register online through the Facebook page of their respective LGUs. After registering, wait for the text message or call from health workers for the next instruction.

MARIJUANA HAUL. Police in Tabuk City, Kalinga present a vehicle loaded with 311 kilos of marijuana bricks, which evaded a checkpoint in Barangay Lacnog on Sunday. The haul is worth P37.3 million, Kalinga Police Provincial Director PCol. Davy Vicente Limmong said, but the driver of the vehicle, a certain Sabado Guimba, escaped arrest. Dave Leprozo (Story on A4)

Caloocan, Valenzuela also build pantries

By Jun David

FOOD FOR TRUCKERS. Coast Guard personnel of the PCG SubStation in Allen, Northern Samar distribute food packs to all passengers and truck drivers stranded by Typhoon ‘Bising’ at the Balwhartico, Dapdap, and Santa Clara ports on Sunday. Recilyn Lobos/PCG Photo

INSPIRED by the Maginhawa Community Pantry, several communities have also built community pantries for residents in need in Caloocan and Valenzuela.

Some of the communities that have also built a Community Pantry in Caloocan City are in Morning Breeze Subdivision, Saranay Road, Bagumbong and Barangay 175.

The Diocese of Caloocan also participated in building a community pantry in front of the San Roque Church along A. Mabini.

Anyone can take enough according to their need and can also give according to their ability.

“We are glad that we are with our countrymen in the goal of making each other’s lives easier through community pantries. As we always say, this is not something the government can

do alone; we need each other, we need a modern bayanihan in the midst of a pandemic, “said Mayor Oca Malapitan.

Several community pantries also popped up in Valenzuela City in Tagalag, Lingunan, Dalandanan and Malanday, where basic goods can also be donated to help fellow citizens in need amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Currently, there are many established community pantries across the country that are continuously supported through cash and in-kind donations.

It only shows the solidarity of the residents in the midst of the crisis now facing the entire country, as well as the self-discipline in getting enough they need to benefit others as well.

It is also an example of the struggle and cooperation between citizens and finding a solution to alleviate hardship through collective action and mutual trust.

A4

News

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Speaker to FDA: SLOW-MOVING TYPHOON DUMPS MORE RAINS Expedite local drug production

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Lord Allan Velasco on Monday appealed to the Food and Drug Administration to hasten its procedures, specifically concerning the applications of local pharmaceutical companies for Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) and Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) permits.

Velasco said the local pharmaceutical industry “plays a vital role in helping provide much-needed medicines for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.”

“While we understand the need for thorough study of drugs and medicines, we need to balance it out by making compliance easier for local pharmaceutical firms by cutting out unnecessary red tape and redundant requirements,” the Speaker said.

“There are countless reports of local drug manufacturers whose products have been stuck in regulatory limbo for years. These bureaucratic impediments are something that we need to eliminate, especially during a public health crisis,” he added.

Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera echoed Velasco’s view.

“The spectrum of medical therapies to treat COVID-19 is growing and evolving rapidly, and the FDA has actually allowed some of these therapies to be used for emergencies,” she said.

“Sadly, while they can be prescribed by doctors, these medicines are often impossible to obtain. Local manufacturers are ready, willing, and able to produce them, but it takes the FDA an inordinately long time to process and approve their requests.”

Based on computations from the current FDA checklist, Herrera said it will take a company a minimum of eight months to complete the requirements needed for the issuance of a CPR. According to business insiders, however, CPRs usually take far longer than that, if they are even issued at all.

“Even from a trade and industry perspective, it is alarming that a number of local pharma producers have actually been forced to close, simply because they could no longer afford to wait for the FDA to grant them their permits,” Herrera said.

1 dead, over 100,000 evacuated A

By Rio N. Araja

79-year-old man died after getting hit by a fallen coconut tree during the onslaught of Typhoon Bising, which left more than 100,000 people evacuated in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions.

An aerial shot of cargo trucks bound for the Visayas and Mindanao islands line up along a highway in Daraga town, Albay province on April 18, 2021 after authorities stopped the ferry service between Luzon and Samar islands due to Typhoon Bising as it moves over the eastern seaboard of the country. (Inset) Low-lying portions of the city of Jipadpad, Eastern Samar were inundated by massive flooding, leaving roads and the bridge shown in this photo not passable to motorists.

Vax registration for court staff until April 22

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has instructed all trial court judges and their personnel who would like to avail of COVID-19 vaccines to register online not later than April 22.

In a circular, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez stressed that enlistment with the SC’s Office of the Court Administrator can be done through https://tinyurl.com/6y3xnbnw.

“If the city or municipality of their place of residence is not included in the drop down of the link, they can choose

the nearest city or municipality from their residence where they intend to register and be inoculated, considering that the inoculation is residence-based,” Marquez said.

The SC explained that the information relayed to OCA will be shared with the National Task Force against COVID-19 to assure sufficient supply of vaccines.

During his first online town hall meeting with all trial court judges and court personnel on April 13, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo vowed to address all their concerns on COVID-19.

“We assure you that the Court en banc

will study the issues that you raised and will pass and approve appropriate issuances in due time,” Gesmundo said.

About 30,000 officials and employees of the judiciary have been included by the NTF in the priority population group A4 of the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines.

Last April 5, the SC wrote the NTF for the inclusion of all judiciary officials and employees in the priority population group A4.

Vaccinations for category A4 are scheduled to start in May.

Bising, the second storm to enter the country that was originally classified as a super typhoon, did not make landfall but triggered massive flooding in lowerlying communities.

State weather bureau Pagasa said Bising maintained its strength while moving slowly north-northwestward east of Camarines Norte.

The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 240 km/h.

Tropical cyclone signal no. 2 remained hoisted over Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, the eastern portion of Albay, the eastern and central portions of Sorsogon, Northern Samar, the northern portion of Samar, and the northern portion of Eastern Samar.

Signal no. 1 was in effect over the eastern portion of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, the northern and central portions of Aurora, the eastern portion of Quezon, including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, the rest of Sorsogon, Masbate, including Burias and Ticao Islands, the rest of Samar, the rest of Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and the northern portion of Cebu.

According to the Eastern Visayas Office of Civil Defense, the fatality, Alberto Wales, suffered severe head injury and was declared dead on arrival at the Anahawan District Hospital in Southern Leyte.

In San Jose, Northern Samar, a 40-year-old man identified as Louie Din, was reported missing after he ventured into the sea to get his livestock on a nearby island. He was identified by authorities as Louie Din.

2 girls rescued from human traffickers

By Vito Barcelo

ROAD MISHAP. An ambulance and carousel bus collided on the EDSA Busway in Caloocan City Monday morning. Two passengers of the bus and two from the ambulance, including the patient being transported who has just recovered from COVID-19, were injured in the collision. Manny Palmero

Cops told: enforce Overcharging airport taxi driver arrested transport rules vs. overloading

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Philippine National Police has ordered the Highway Patrol Group and local police units to strictly enforce land transportation regulations against overloading and other violations.

PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas issued the order following Sunday’s accident involving a sports utility vehicle that plunged into a swollen irrigation canal in Tabuk City, Kalinga, killing 13 out of 15 passengers, including the driver.

Sinas underscored the need to “strictly observe load limits and maximum passenger capacity of motor vehicles, as well as the required physical distancing protocol inside public and private conveyances.”

“I extend my deepest sympathy to the family of these victims. May their souls be at peace and I hope that our Creator brings you the much-needed peace during these trying times,” Sinas said.

The Ford Everest was driven by Soy Lope Agtulao, an employee of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology assigned in Bontoc, Mt. Province and a resident of Tadian town.

Initial investigation showed the group was on their way home from a trip to Bulo Lake, a known tourist destination in Tabuk, when the accident happened.

A TAXI driver was arrested for overcharging a returning seafarer from Samar last month, the Manila International Airport Authority said Sunday.

The victim, Earl Buna, was forced to fork out P1,200 for the trip from Andrews Avenue in front of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 3 to Makati City on March 28.

Buna said the suspect, Ramon Go, did not flag down the taximeter and instead charged him initially P1,350 for the ride, before agreeing to bring it down to P1,200.

The victim then filed a complaint before the MIAA-Police Intelligence and Investigation Division.

On Thursday, MIAA-PIID operatives pounced on the suspect whose vehicle they spotted along Andrews Avenue.

Go, during the interrogation, admit-

ted overcharging his passenger.

“We all know that not all taxi drivers are bad. There are some who are living right and dignified. Let us follow their example and exemplify their diligence and perseverance,” said MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal.

The MIAA management had removed the designated queuing space for white taxis following the recurrence of abuse and other irregularities committed by taxi drivers against air travelers.

Among other infractions committed by the non-accredited taxi drivers were reckless driving, refusal to convey passengers, contracting, arrogance, no proper queuing and death threat to their clients.

The airport authority has accredited transport services ranging from car rentals to metered taxis. Except for car rentals, all MIAA transport service rates are approved by the LTFRB.

THE Bureau of Immigration warned the public against the activities of syndicates engaged in trafficking underage overseas Filipino workers following the interception of two female minors who tried to leave the country.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said immigration personnel at the international airports in Pampanga and Manila intercepted two OFWs who presented falsified travel documents to appear older and be able to work abroad.

The passengers, who both hail from the southern part of the country, were recruited to work as household helpers in Saudi Arabia.

Both were stopped from leaving by members of the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU).

Alias “Ria” was intercepted at the Clark International Airport while alias “Lea” was rescued at the Ni-

noy Aquino International Airport.

According to Morente, the victims falsified their birthdates to make it appear that they meet the age requirements for domestic helpers eligible to work in Saudi Arabia.

When interviewed, however, the two passengers had major inconsistencies to basic questions about their age and background, reinforcing suspicions they were lying about their real age.

“We commend the efforts of primary inspector officers and the TCEU officers that prevented the departure of these victims.

Their vigilance again saved two of our kababayan from being victimized by unscrupulous recruiters who prey on our youth,” Morente said.

Both victims were later turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in filing of complaints against their recruiters.

WELCOMING LIGHTS. The welcome arc in Barangay 384 in Quiapo, Manila is decorated with lights to mark the holy month of Ramadan. Norman Cruz

Abandoned vehicle yields P37.3m worth of marijuana in Tabuk Barangay Lacnog, Tabuk Sunday. that suddenly swerved toward an irrigaKalinga Police Provincial Director tion access road.

The suspect then fled on foot, promptA SUSPECTED drug dealer abandoned his Col. Davy Vicente Limmong said those manning the checkpoint saw an aping policemen to give chase. car loaded with at least P37.3 million worth proaching black Mitsubishi Adventure While the driver was able to escape, of marijuana to avoid a police checkpoint in

By Dave Leprozo

policemen recovered around 311 kilograms of marijuana bricks inside the abandoned vehicle.

Authorities identified the driver as a certain Sabado Guimba.

B2

World

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US hits big vaccination milestone W ASHINGTON—The hardhit United States has passed a hopeful milestone as half its adults have had at least one Covid vaccine dose and from Monday all its over 18s will be eligible to get their shot.

tallied Sunday, with health workers bracing for further surges as millions of pilgrims attend a religious festival and ongoing state elections draw huge rallies.

The coronavirus has killed more than 3 million people and infected at least 140 million, devastating the world economy and upending daily life since emerging in China in December 2019.

Roughly 130 million Americans aged 18 and over have now received a shot, representing 50.4 percent of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday.

The US is a world leader in vaccinations, but a recent surge in new daily infections prompted top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci to warn Sunday that the country remains in a “precarious position.”

White House efforts to speed up vaccinations hit a snag when health authorities reported six cases of young women developing a clotting disorder after taking the Johnson & Johnson shot.

But Fauci predicted the J&J jab would soon return

The positive news from America—the world’s hardest-hit country—comes amid easing restrictions for several European nations and the launch of a quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand.

But in India authorities were scrambling to free up hospital beds and secure additional supplies of oxygen and treatment drugs as the vast nation reported a record daily caseload.

More than a quarter of a million new infections were

Standard

to circulation, albeit possibly with some restrictions or warnings on its use. ‘ Cry, hug, kiss’ Australia and New Zealand got a glimpse of normal life Monday, as a long-awaited quarantine-free travel bubble opened across the Tasman Sea. Family members tearfully reunited at Sydney’s airport, while others readied for their first outbound flights in more than a year after New Zealand closed its doors in response to the pandemic. “(I’ll) yell, scream cry, hug, kiss, (feel) happy -- all of these emotions at once,” Denise O’Donoghue, 63, told AFP as she prepared to board her plane.

The opening received saturation coverage from media in both countries, with live television reporting from airports providing regular updates on the progress of flights.

On a grass embankment at the foot of Wellington Airport’s runway, the words ‘WELCOME WHANAU’ (family) were spelled out in giant letters. AFP

Manila

Manila Republic of the Philippines NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION Quezon City, Metro Manila TODAY BRANCH 223

Standard

TODAY

CASTRO’S BALLOT. This

AN ONAROSA commonly known as “AN ONAROSA IMBUIDO”.

Petitioner, -versus-

grab from Cuban TV handout footage shows Raul Castro, the First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, holding a ballot for the election of the next First Secretary at the Convention Palace in Havana on April 18. The 8th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party will end over six decades of the government of Fidel and Raul Castro, giving way to a new generation, with results due Monday. AFP

SPEC. PRO. CASE NO. R-QZN-21-01421-SP PETITION FOR CANCELLATION AND OR CORRECTION OF ENTRIES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH

CITY CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA) ANALISA O. IMBUIDO, AND ALL PERSONS WHO HAVE OR CLAIM ANY INTEREST AFFECTED THEREBY. Respondent. x--------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER This is a verified petition for Cancellation and or Correction of Entries in the Certificate of Live Birth dated February 8, 2021, and filed before the Court on February 11, 2021.

The petitioner alleges that as indicated in her Certificate of Live Birth with Registry No. 98-31688, her name is An Onarosa and she was born on August 12, 1991; that she has been using An Onarosa Imbuido as her name in all her private and public records since she was in grade school and even up to the time prior to the preparation of the Petition to be filed before the Court; that in 2011, petitioner tried to get a copy of her birth certificate as a requirement for her former school, that however, upon request for a certificate of live birth from the Local Civil Registry of Quezon City, she was instead instructed to secure the requirement needed to be submitted to the National Statistics Office (NSO), now PSA, to request a copy of her birth certificate thereat: that upon said instructions she went to then NSO to apply for a copy of her birth certificate: that however, the then NSO issued the Feedback Form stating that the application for copy of issuance of her birth document could not be made available stating that her father, Albino Adonis R. Imbuido, had a previous existing marriage with another woman who is not her biological mother: that it was then that she found out that the name appearing in her Certificate of Live Birth is “An Onarosa” without a middle name, that her father had a previous marriage to a certain Lorna P. Pizarra based on the marriage contract issued by the PSA and that the marriage was celebrated on March 25, 1986, prior to her birth; that her father passed away on December 30, 2001: that she asked her biological mother, Analisa O. Imbuido, who is her only surviving parent about why her name was registered as “An Onarosa” and not “An Onarosa Imbuido”; that she was informed that after her birth, her biological father and mother got married on March 11, 1998 and that an application for legitimation that her parents registered before the Local Civil Registry in 2003 under Leg. No. 2003-1708 in the Book of Register of Legal Instruments of the City Civil Registry of Quezon City, although registered, was not approved because a legal impediment is existing during that time insofar as her biological father is concerned: that he was then married to Analisa O. Imbuido: that to verify if an affidavit of legitimation was indeed recorded with the Local Civil Registry of Quezon City, she requested for a copy of the affidavit of legitimation and certification that said legitimation was registered and recorded with the registry: that she was then issued certified copy of the Joint Affidavit of Legitimation executed by her parents which was recorded with the Local Civil Registry of Quezon City under the Leg. No. 2003-1708 and the Legitimation recorded under Registry Number 19-4218 as annotated in the Certified Transcription of Birth with Registry No. 98-31688, appearing from the Register of Births of the Civil Registry: that in view of the said circumstances, there is a need to cancel the registered “Legitimation” of the petitioner with the City Civil Registry of Quezon City, Metro Manila which was registered in the Book of Register of Legal Instruments with the latter under Leg. No. 20031708 to cancel the erroneous entry in her Certificate of Live Birth and for her to use her father’s surname: that considering that she was born on August 12, 1991, the administrative remedy provided under RA 9255 which took effect only on March 19, 2004 is not applicable to her, that is, to correct the entries in her Certificate of Live Birth and use the surname of the father by filing an affidavit to use father’s surname: that instead, she may adopt and or use the surname of the father because she had been acknowledged by her biological father who had admitted his paternity as evidenced in the former’s certificate of live birth: that thus, there is a need to correct the name of the petitioner in her Certificate of Live Birth and express therein her true and correct name of “An Onarosa Imbuido” instead of “An Onarosa” that her middle name is that of her biological mother’s surname. Onarosa, and that her surname is of her biological father’s Imbuido, that surname which she has been using in all her records since grade school and to date: that she relies her petition for correction on the ground that she has been using An Onarosa Imbuido as her name since she was in grade school and even up to the time prior to the preparation of the Petition to be filed before the Court: that furthermore the names “An Onarosa Imbuido” and “An Onarosa” refer to one and the same person hence, the instant petition will correctly reflect the facts in her documents and will avoid confusion as she has continuously used and has been known since childhood as An Onarosa Imbuido by her family, friends and in her private and official dealings with the society. Onarosa being her middle name and Imbuido as her surname and lastly, that she grounds her petition for the cancellation and correction of the entries in her Certificate of Live Birth since there is no showing that the desired cancellation and correction is for a fraudulent purpose or that the change of name would prejudice public interest, the government not any third part.

Petitioner prayed to this Honorable Court to Order the City Civil Registrar of Quezon City to cancel the registered entry of affidavit of legitimation under Registry Number 98-4218 to delete the entry annotation of legitimation appearing in petitioner’s Certificate of Live Birth with Registry No. 98-31688; and to the City Civil Registrar of Quezon City and the Philippine Statistics Authority to correct the name of the petitioner from “An Onarosa” in her Certificate of Live Birth with Registry No. 98-31688, in the following manner:

Manila

Standard

TODAY

(MStandard - Apr. 20, 27 & May 4, 2021)

Concerns over Navalny’s health have mounted against the background of a spike in tensions between Moscow and the West over a litany of issues, including Russia’s troop build-up on Ukraine’s border, interference in US elections and other perceived hostile activities.

On Sunday US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Kremlin had been warned “that there will be consequences if Mr. Navalny dies.”

The 44-year-old critic was arrested in Russia in January after returning from a near-fatal poisoning he says was carried out

by Moscow—accusations denied by Putin’s administration.

Sentenced to two and a half years in prison for embezzlement, he began a hunger strike on March 31 demanding medical treatment for back pain and numbness to his hands and legs. AFP

DEFENSE CLASS. Members of New York’s Asian American community attend a self-

defense class organized by the Public Safety Patrol, a civil patrol team started in response to the spike in attacks against Asian Americans since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, at the Glow community center in Flushing, Queens, New York on April 18. New York City is home to more than a million people of Asian descent. AFP

11 police hostages freed after Pakistani protests

SO ORDERED. Given in Chambers.

Quezon City, Philippines, February 22, 2021 (Sgd.) HON. KRISTINE JOY M. MEÑEZ-MACALALAD Assisting Judge CC.: Office of the City Prosecutor DOJ Building, Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma Hall Quezon City Hall Complex, Diliman Office of the Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City Office of the Local Civil Registrar Quezon City Hall Compound, Quezon City Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office) East Avenue, Quezon City An Onarosa, Commonly known as “An Onarosa Imbuido” Petitioner 902 Instruccion St., Sampaloc, Manila, Metro Manila Atty. John Thomas S. Alferos III e-mail:jtsalferosiiilaw@yahoo.com jtsalferosiiilaw@gmail.com Atty. Jose Paolo C. Armas e-mail: paolo.armas@gmail.com Atty. Wilmamae Lenore M. Reboja e-mail: wmreboja@gmail.com ALFEROS ARMAS & ASSOCIATES Law Office Unit K No. 1143 San Francisco Del Monte Ave., Brgy. Paltok 1105 Quezon City Analisa O. Imbuido Respondent Montview Subd., Tacloban City

YANGON—Japan has urged Myanmar authorities to release a Japanese journalist in custody at a Yangon prison, one of at least 65 reporters arrested during the junta’s crackdown on anticoup protests.

The military has ramped up its attempts to crush dissent following mass demonstrations against its ousting of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with at least 737 civilians killed and the press increasingly under attack.

Freelance reporter Yuki Kitazumi was detained on Sunday, and a Japanese embassy spokesman confirmed that he was transferred overnight from a police watchhouse to the Insein prison.

Kitazumi has not been charged yet and diplomats are seeking permission to visit him in jail, the spokesman told AFP on Monday.

Insein is notorious for holding political prisoners.

“We are asking Myanmar for the person’s early release. We will do our utmost to protect the Japanese national,” Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

“As far as reasons for his arrest and detention, the Japanese embassy is working to learn those details.”

It is the second time Kitazumi has been detained since the coup.

In February, he was beaten up and briefly held in custody during a crackdown on protesters but was later released.

The press has been caught in the junta’s crackdown as the military attempts to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licenses of fiveCYAN M local media outlets. AFP

EU ministers to meet on Navalny’s health BRUSSELS—European Union foreign ministers are set to meet virtually Monday for talks on the health of dissident Alexei Navalny, as the United States warned Moscow of “consequences” if the Kremlin critic dies in prison and tensions soared over a Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s border.

Doctors warned over the weekend that Navalny -- currently on hunger strike in a penal colony east of Moscow -- could die “any minute”, with his supporters calling for massive protests across Russia on Wednesday evening, just hours after President Vladimir Putin delivers his state-of-the-nation address.

The European Union’s top diplomats will discuss the situation on Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement, calling for the Kremlin critic to be granted “immediate access to medical professionals he trusts”.

a. Enter her middle name as “Onarosa,” and b. Enter her surname as “Imbuido.”

WHEREFORE, finding the Petition sufficient in form and substance, the same is given due course. Set the hearing of this case on June 1, 2021 at 2:00 in the afternoon on which date and time, any interested person may appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published once a week for three consecutive weeks, a newspaper of daily circulation in the Philippines before the hearing, to be selected by raffle pursuant to PD 1079, at the expense of the petitioner. Let also copies of this Order be posted at the lobby of (1) Quezon City Justice Hall, (2) Quezon City Hall and (3) Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, at least twenty (20) days prior to the scheduled hearing.

Let copies of this Order be furnished to the petitioner’s address at 902 Instruccion St., Sampaloc, Manila, Metro Manila; to the respondent at Montview Subd., Tacloban City; the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City; the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office); the Office of the Solicitor General; and the Office of the City Prosecutor, together with copies of the Petition and its annexes.

Japan urges release of journo jailed in Myanmar

(MS-JAPRIL 20, 2021)

LAHORE, Pakistan—Eleven Pakistani police officers seized by supporters of a radical Islamist group as part of their campaign to get the French ambassador expelled have been released, officials said Monday.

The officers were grabbed as hostages Manila Standard Sunday by supporters of the Tehreek-e-LabTODAY baik Pakistan (TLP) during violent protests in Lahore.

Video circulating on social media—and confirmed unofficially by police as genuine —showed some of them AUCTION SALE ACME PAWNSHOPS INC. bloodied and bruised, with bandages around Auction sale on April 30, 2021, 10:00 a.m.- MJ their heads.

Holding Bldg., Almanza, Interior Minister Las Piñas; 2:00 p.m.

G/F Majalco Bldg., Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Benavidez St., Legaspi said the police had been Village, Makati and released early Monday L&R Bldg., 1018 Pasay “negotiations” Road, Makati and 4:00 after p.m. Circle C G14, # with the TLP, which the 17 Congressional Ave., Bahay Toro D1, Quezon government banned last City. All items pawned week after effectively January 1-September labelling it a terrorist or30, 2020. ganisation.

(MS-APRIL 20, 2021)

The officers had been held at a TLP mosque stronghold in Lahore, which is now packed with supporters and surrounded by police.

“Negotiations have been started with TLP; the first round completed successfully,” said Rashid in a video on Twitter.

“They have released 11 policemen who were made hostages.”

He said a second round of negotiations would take place later Monday, although it is not clear what they will discuss.

Previously the TLP had set an April 20 deadline for the expulsion of the French ambassador.

The group has been behind an antiFrance campaign for months since President Emmanuel Macron defended the right of Charlie Hebdo magazine to republish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad—an act deemed blasphemous by many Muslims.

Last week the embassy in Pakistan advised its nationals to leave the country—a call that appears to have gone largely unheeded.AFP

Business

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TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Canada to allot huge funds for wages and other pandemic plans

PSEi April 19, 2021

TOP GAINERS 1 2

MA LAND

LAST PRICE 0.013 2.3

% CHANGE CHANGE 0.002 18.18% 0.27 13.30%

3

BHI

0.103

0.012

13.19%

4 5 6

IPO ACE MAB

7.5 1.87 0.013

0.64 0.15 0.001

9.33% 8.72% 8.33%

7

PHES

0.73

0.05

7.35%

8 9 10

SGI EVER CHP

1.32 0.133 1.28

0.09 0.008 0.07

7.32% 6.40% 5.79%

TOP LOSERS 1 2

MAHB GMA7

LAST PRICE 2.39 7.82

% CHANGE CHANGE -0.42 -14.95% -1.14 -12.72%

3

GMAP

7.55

-0.95

-11.18%

4 5 6

FPI VUL OV

0.26 2.25 0.012

-0.03 -0.22 -0.001

-10.34% -8.91% -7.69%

7 8 9 10

OPMB APC APO ATNB

0.012 0.385 0.67 0.73

-0.001 -0.03 -0.05 -0.05

-7.69% -7.23% -6.94% -6.41%

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

ICT MEG ALI BDO SMPH URC BHI BPI GMA7 APL

VOLUME 3384050 78616000 7610500 2024810 4799600 1192970 1487530000 1774410 15650100 507030000

VALUE (PHP) 436120728 257838630 253796530 212632735 170354400 151023160 147997410 147806225.5 122147744 113914190

CHINA AUTO SHOW. A Zeekr 001 car is seen during the 19th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Shanghai on April 19, 2021. AFP

Market slips; Megaworld, GMA Network lead losers

T

HE stock market retreated Monday on thin trading, with the COVID-19 spike continuing to weigh on investor sentiment.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 35.05 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,459.76 on a value turnover of P4.9 billion. Losers beat gainers, 119 to 81, with 47 issues unchanged.

Megaworld Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, declined 4.4 percent to P3.23, while GMA Network Inc., the biggest broadcasting firm, slumped 12.7 percent to P7.82.

Security Bank Corp., the eighth largest lender in terms of assets, dropped 3.2 percent to P115, but AC Energy Corp., a unit of Ayala Corp., rose 4 percent to P7.49.

The rest of Asian markets rose on Monday after recovery hopes for the coronavirus-battered US economy fueled another round of record highs on Wall Street to close last week’s trade.

Both the Dow and S&P finished at new peaks on Friday and also posted their fourth consecutive weekly gains, following on the heels of strong data for American housing starts, employment and retail sales.

Investors are banking on accelerated US pandemic containment efforts marking a step toward economic normalcy, with half of all adults in the country now having had at least one vaccine dose.

The easing of restrictions in Europe has also boosted optimism even as analysts keep a wary eye on alarming outbreaks prompted by new strains of the virus elsewhere in the world.

“Stocks will kick off the week at record highs, with investors digesting what appears to be an optimistic recovery despite mounting concerns about new COVID-19 variants,” said Stephen Innes of Axi. With less economic data on the calendar in the days ahead and the Fed in a communications blackout ahead of its April 28 rates meeting, “it might be a week for spring housekeeping in the markets,” he added.

Shanghai finished 1.5 percent up and Hong Kong ended 0.5 percent higher, despite China’s first-quarter economic growth data skating under market expectations at the end of last week.

Tokyo finished the day flat after a lackluster session, with investors searching for new purchase cues.

Market sentiment in Japan has been hamstrung by a slow-moving vaccination program, though Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hinted Monday that the country should have enough vaccines for all citizens over 16 by September.

“The market remained cautious as we can’t be optimistic about the latest situation of infections at home and overseas,” Yoshihiro Okumura of Chibagin Asset Management told AFP. Mumbai shed more than two percent after officials announced a snap lockdown in India’s capital New Delhi.

Indian authorities have been scrambling to free up hospital beds and secure additional supplies of oxygen and treatment drugs after another record daily caseload. With AFP

In dust and heat, Chadian women beat gravel to feed family

OTTAWA, Canada—Canada is expected to channel funds into childcare, wage subsidies and other pandemic recovery measures as the government presents its new budget Monday ahead of possible snap elections.

The 2021 budget is the first full fiscal plan from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to outline Canada’s recovery as virus infections surge.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has promised Ottawa “will continue to do whatever it takes” to fight the spread of the coronavirus and support the economy as it emerges from a recession.

“We have a plan for jobs and robust growth,” she told parliament last month.

Canada entered the pandemic in a strong fiscal position relative to other G7 nations after decades of belt-tightening, she said, allowing it to dole out hundreds of billions of dollars in COVID-19 emergency aid.

Critics have warned against piling on too much debt, after Ottawa’s budget deficit exploded over the past year to an estimated Can$382 billion (US$305 billion), according to an update issued in November.

Spending on health care, as well as on support for households, firms and vulnerable groups through cash transfers, already soared to record levels, amounting to almost 15 percent of GDP. Now, the government is keen to remake the economy with a further cash outlay.

Freeland has signaled she would earmark funds for a national childcare program to help women—who have suffered significant pandemic job losses—get back to work.

Funding is also expected to be set aside for a “green new deal,” pinning Canada’s recovery on renewable energy investments.

Canadian media has reported that the government intends to set aside funds to extend wage and rent subsidies through the fall. AFP

ABN Amro agrees to settle 480-m euro criminal probe THE HAGUE, Netherlands— The Netherlands’ third-largest bank ABN Amro is to pay a 480-million-euro ($575 milManila lion) settlement to prosecutors Standard followingTODAY a money-laundering probe, the bank announced on Monday.

The announcement follows a 2019 investigation by prosecutors who said the Amsterdambased bank failed to sufficiently monitor bank accounts and did not report “unusual transactions” or reported them too late.

“Between 2014 to 2020, ABN Amro... failed to fulfill its role as gatekeeper with a view to combating money laundering,” ABN

Habiba (third from right), a gravel crusher who thinks she is between 50 and 60 years old, and Idjele (center), 38, choose slabs of stones from a cart near the Cite International des Affaires in N’Djamena, on April 12, 2021. In the heart of N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, dozens of women surrounded by a swarm of ragged and often skeletal children, along a road or on a huge adjacent vacant lot, without a single shaded point, crush concrete, cement or brick blocks twelve hours a day. AFP

Amro admitted in a statement.

The bank “has accepted a transaction of 480 million euros offered by the Public Prosecution Service,” it added.

Prosecutors focused on ABN Amro after its supervisor, the Dutch Central Bank (DNB), ordered it in August 2019 to audit all five million of its private clients.

Two former top ABN Amro officials, former manager Chris Vogelzang and former chief executive Gerrit Zalm, announced Monday they were resigning from their current jobs at Denmark’s Danske Bank as a result of the findings. AFP

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

By Emmanuelle Giroud N’DJAMENA, Chad—In one hand Idjele grips a heavy hammer, in the other a block of concrete that she smashes into pieces with heavy blows that narrowly miss her fingers, her gaze towards the horizon.

She has been crushing gravel for so long that the gestures of the job have become second nature.

In the heart of N’Djamena dozens of women spend up to 12 hours a day bent over this work, pulverizing concrete, cement or brick chunks while children hover around them in the dust and heat of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

The women work on piles of debris along roads and in vacant lots at the foot of the modern buildings that make up the Chadian capital’s business district.

The United Nations ranks Chad as the third least-developed country in the world and these women are at the heart of a side industry re-using building materials.

Men buy blocks from demolition sites and sell them to the gravel crushers, who break them down and re-sell them to those who cannot afford concrete.

Mixed with mud or a little plaster, the gravel will serve as building material for new homes.

‘All I could find’ Idjele is only 38 but like the women around her she bears the marks of gruelling work, her face smudged with dust that reddens her eyes,

her lips cracked and swollen and fingers raw from constant contact with grit as she sifts sand for even the smallest stone.

Her 80-year-old aunt did the same work until she went blind. Now she sits behind Idjele, a mother of six who was widowed three years ago, keeping her niece company and serving her tea.

“I’ve been doing this since my husband died,” Idjele says between hammer strikes, adding that her eldest children work with her.

“My husband was a soldier and after his death I wasn’t able to receive his pension. I had nothing left so this is all I could find to feed my kids,” she says.

Nearby, a tiny boy naked from the waist down clambers over a pile of dusty blocks.

Mamadou Youssouf, 42, arrives pushing a makeshift wheelbarrow heavy with 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of stone he bought for 1,000 CFA francs—1.50 euros—and will sell to the stone-crusher women for twice the price.

Idjele fills bags with stones she sells for 500-600 CFA francs each to men who come to load their pickup trucks.

In one day she may take home 500 to 600 CFA francs—between 70 and 90 euro cents.

Children squeal with delight as Youssouf dumps his load of stone near their mothers sending up a cloud of dust. Their hair has a rusty color, which could come from the powder of broken bricks or be a symptom

of malnutrition.

One out of five children born in Chad dies before the age of five and 40 percent suffer from delayed growth according to the World Bank, which estimates that 42 percent of the population live below the poverty line.

‘I am free’ A quick internet search reveals the dangers of inhaling cement dust, including irritation of the eyes and sinuses, lung problems and even cancer.

In Europe workers on construction sites are required to wear FFP2 masks and gloves—but these women barely cover their noses with their shawls.

Habiba has been doing this for eight years.

“I used to be a cleaning woman but as I got older I couldn’t work as well and my bosses yelled at me, insulted me, fired me,” she says, her eyes red. “I could no longer feed my seven children.

She isn’t sure how old she is—“between 50 and 60” she guesses.

“Now I work 12 hours a day but at least no one gets angry with me and I can feed my kids and send them to public school,” she says before adding with a wide smile, “I am free.”

Haoua Mahamat says a sense of freedom unites all the women here, transcending differences of tribe, ethnicity or religion that are often the root of conflict in this vast country. AFP

MAY 14, 2021 Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of ROBINSONS RETAIL HOLDINGS, INC. (RRHI) shall be held via remote communication at https://bit.ly/ RRHI2021ASM on May 14, 2021 at 9:30 A.M. The Agenda for the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders is as follows: 1. Call to Order and Certification of Notice and Quorum 2. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders held on May 14, 2020 3. Presentation of the Annual Report and Approval of the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 4. Election of the Board of Directors 5. Appointment of the External Auditor 6. Ratification of the acts of the Board of Directors and its committees, officers and management 7. Other Matters 8. Adjournment Record Date Only shareholders of record as of April 7, 2021 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders.

Attendance and Registration Due to current conditions and in support of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, shareholders may only attend the meeting via remote communication. Shareholders who intend to participate in the Annual Meeting should notify the Corporate Secretary by registering at https://bit.ly/RRHI2021_ShareholderRegistration no later than May 3, 2021 in order to be considered as present.

Quorum For purposes of quorum, the following shareholders shall be deemed present: (1) shareholders who notify the Corporate Secretary by registering no later than May 3, 2021; (2) shareholders who register and vote in absentia by May 3, 2021; and (3) shareholders who submit duly accomplished proxy forms.

Voting Shareholders may vote through the following: (1) by voting in absentia (digital ballot) or (2) by appointing the Chairman of the Annual Meeting as their proxy. To vote in absentia, please register at https://bit.ly/RRHI2021_ShareholderRegistration no later than May 3, 2021. Once the registration is successfully validated, a digital ballot shall be generated for the shareholder who may then proceed to fill out the ballot. To vote by proxy, please submit the duly accomplished proxy forms on or before May 3, 2021 either by electronic mail to corpsec@robinsonsretail.com.ph or by sending a hard copy to the Office of the Corporate Secretary, 4th Floor, Robinsons Retail Head Office, 110 E. Rodriguez Jr., Avenue, Libis, Quezon City. We are not soliciting proxies.

The procedure for attending the meeting via remote communication, registration, voting in absentia and voting by proxy are explained in the Information Statement.

Visual and Audio Recording In accordance with SEC guidelines, please be informed that there will be a visual and audio recording of the Annual Meeting.

Electronic Copies An electronic copy of the Information Statement, Management Report, SEC Form 17-A and other related documents are available at www. robinsonsretailholdings.com.ph and at PSE Edge.

Atty. Rosalinda F. Rivera Corporate Secretary (MS-APRIL 20 & 21, 2021)

Business PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, April 19, 2021

-35.05 PTS. 6,459.76

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

6,256,164,683 85,666 4,892,739,973.24 81 119 47

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.3930

Japan

Yen

0.009195

0.4450

UK

Pound

1.383400

66.9469

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128685

6.2275

Switzerland

Franc

1.087429

52.6240

Canada

Dollar

0.799552

38.6927

Singapore

Dollar

0.749064

36.2495

Australia

Dollar

0.772500

37.3836

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655549

128.5100

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

12.9041

Brunei

Dollar

0.746269

36.1142

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032000

1.5486

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1761

Euro

Euro

1.197600

57.9555

Korea

Won

0.000897

0.0434

China

Yuan

0.153346

7.4209

India

Rupee

0.013417

0.6493

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242483

11.7345

New Zealand

Dollar

0.713100

34.5090

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035384

1.7123 Source: BSP

Cebu Landmasters breaks ground on new hotel, building

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

B1

Dominguez pledges enough money to address pandemic T

By Julito G. Rada

HE government vowed to ensure ample financial resources to fund the protracted battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and parallel efforts to reinvigorate the economy, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Monday.

Dominguez, speaking during the DOF’s 124th anniversary, said there should be a continued effort to push for the passage of the remaining tax reform packages to raise funds for the government.

He said with the DOF’s bigger task of putting in place the necessary measures to help the nation recover from the pandemic, he was expecting “continuous innovation and excellence from this agency that has proven time and again its ability to bring about positive change.”

Dominguez cited a few of the agency’s accomplishments last year, including the hard work of engaging with the Congress in crafting fiscally responsible economic stimulus packages, its lead role in implementing the Small Business Wage Subsidy program and its strong advocacy of infusing additional capital in government financial institutions to broaden

lending to pandemic-hit enterprises.

The department also worked hard to raise revenues for the national effort to defeat the pandemic, seek international funding to reinforce the healthcare system, purchase the needed medical equipment and vaccines and fund the government’s economic recovery program, Dominguez said.

“The essential role we played benefited from the fiscal discipline we maintained and the reform measures we won over the last five years of this administration,” Dominguez said.

“We entered 2020 with a strong fiscal position and a manageable debt profile. We had won the highest credit ratings ever. Our series of tax reforms provided the country a reliable revenue flow. Our record of fiscal discipline eased access to urgent financing as we battled the pandemic,” he said.

He said that even with the pandemic, the DOF was able to accomplish its goal of continuing to reform the tax system as proven by the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, “which makes our Comprehensive Tax Reform Program nearly complete.”

“Passing this measure was particularly hard during the prepandemic times, but pushing for its enactment at the height of a crisis was even more difficult,” he said.

Dominguez cited the administrative reforms achieved by the DOF-attached revenue agencies—the Bureaus of Internal Revenue and of Customs—particularly the rapid digitalization of their systems and processes, which anticipated the broader shift to contactless transactions during the pandemic.

By Jenniffer B. Austria CEBU Landmasters Inc. said Monday it broke ground on a new hotel, office and retail development in Cebu City in joint venture with the Archdiocese of Cebu.

CLI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday the new mixed-use development would offer 4,320 square meters of food, dining and entertainment spaces and 4,400 sq. m. of offices for leasing.

The 182-room Mercure Cebu Downtown will be constructed and is expected to be completed by 2024.

The project is located on the 6,670sq. m. Patria de Cebu property owned by the Archdiocese of Cebu.

“The final design of Patria de Cebu is a result of a collaboration between the Archdiocese of Cebu, CLI and key stakeholders. It is a celebration of Cebuano history and culture in today’s setting,” CLI chief executive Jose Soberano III said.

CLI and the Archdiocese of Cebu, with the approval of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to retain the main Patria building in its final design, agreed to preserve the historic edifice.

CLI said the new structure would be integrated while preserving the heritage of the main Patria building that would have dining, entertainment and office hub, while showcasing a large central interior plaza for cultural and other gatherings.

The Mercure Cebu Downtown’s ballroom and meeting rooms will host social and business gatherings.

It will also have a restaurant, executive floor lounge, swimming pool and rooftop bar.

The hotel will be operated by Accor, the largest hospitality company in Europe and CLI’s partner in another landmark project at the Cebu Business Park—the five-star Sofitel Cebu City.

The groundbreaking of the mixeduse complex was timed to also celebrate the 500th year of Christianity in Cebu.

The company earlier said it would spend P900 million to complete the whole project.

CLI’s share price rose 1.25 percent Monday to close at P5.67.

Cebu Air issues $250-m worth of convertible bonds to IFC and Indigo

By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Air Inc., the operator of Cebu Pacific and Cebgo, said Monday it raised $250 million from a private offering of convertible bonds to fund its operations amid the global pandemic.

The airline unit of the Gokongwei group said it signed an agreement with International Finance Corp., the IFC Emerging Asia Fund and Indigo Philippines LLC, an affiliate of Indigo Partners LLC, for the private placement of $250 million in convertible bonds.

The transaction was approved by Cebu Pacific’s board of directors at a special meeting on April 16. The number of underlying shares for the convertible bonds is 318,750,000 common shares with P38 conversion price.

“Transaction closing is subject to post-signing deliverables, which the parties expect to complete over the succeeding weeks,” CEB said.

Cebu Pacific earlier raised $250-million convertible preferred shares and P16 billion loans from local banks.

The airline is raising the capital as part of its multi-pronged approach to working with capital providers, creditors, suppliers and other stakeholders, especially its employees, to further strengthen its financial position amid the crisis.

The capital raising exercise will provide the airline with the needed runway to withstand the financial challenges it faces as it slowly goes back to pre-COVID business levels and settles into the “new normal.”

Cebu Pacific reported a net loss of P22.2 billion in 2020, a reversal of the P9.12-billion net income in 2019.

Revenues amounted to P22.6 billion in 2020, or 73 percent lower than in 2019. The airline carried 5 million passengers last year, down by 78 percent compared to 2019.

IN BRIEF Citi profitable, keeps commitment to PH

HSBC ORTIGAS OFFICE. HSBC Philippines re-opens its new home in Ortigas at the Shangri-La Plaza mall. Through a virtual opening ceremony, guests are given a glimpse of the branch’s upgraded facilities and are invited to be part of an unveiling rite, a chocolate piñata smash, to symbolize the opening of exciting opportunities with HSBC. Leading the unveiling rite are HSBC head of wealth and personal banking Peter Faulhaber and HSBC Ortigas branch head Mia Villegas.

Actor teams up with Multisys to launch Ayala’s drilling unit Dingdong delivery, e-commerce service to seek DOE’s nod on Palawan drilling

ACTOR Jose Sixto “Dingdong” Dantes III on Monday launched a new technology company in partnership with software enterprise solutions company Multisys Technologies Corp. led by David Almirol Jr. to provide a platform that unifies the online marketplace with logistics.

Dantes said the delivery service is one of the three products offered by Dingdong by Doorbell Technologies Inc.—a local technology solutions company that aims to empower and enable individuals, businesses and communities. The two other services under the brand are electronic commerce and marketplace, which use Multipay—the payment solution developed by Multisys.

“We have already onboarded close to 100 riders under the pilot stage,” said Dantes, who serves as chief executive of Dingdong and chairman of YesPinoy Foundation.

“When the pandemic happened, we realized that the time is ripe to open

new doors,” he said. “We started working with riders from the entertainment industry who were the most affected.

We saw opportunities in the delivery service.”

“There’s an opportunity here to fill the business gaps that I myself as a businessman has experienced. And Dingdong can play a big role in filling those gaps,” he said.

Among the partners and executives of Dingdong are chief operating officer Raffy Maramag, chief marketing officer Sid Maderazo, chief revenue officer ranvel rufino, senior adviser Joey Gurango and senior business development manager Vicki Dantes.

Dantes did not specify the capital infused in the venture, but said, “we have a sufficient amount of investment that can generate us throughout the next couple of years. That is the reason why it is important for us to sustain growth.

Together with the growth is our capacity and capability to partner with more people,” he said. Roderick T. dela Cruz

MORE CEB VACCINE DELIVERIES.

Cebu Pacific flies another batch of COVID-19 vaccines to Tuguegarao and Puerto Princesa on April 16, 2021. The shipment of 35,080 doses is the fourth for Tuguegarao, while Puerto Princesa’s delivery of 6,400 doses, is the second one flown

by CEB.

By Alena Mae S. Flores ACE Enexor Inc., controlled by the Ayala Group, is preparing a proposal to drill an exploratory well in Service Sontract 55 in southwest Palawan, a top executive said Monday.

“Notwithstanding the continuing mobility and other restrictions ushered in by the pandemic, our company remains focused on its commitment to drill a deepwater well in SC 55 block in 2022,” ACE Enexor chairman Eric Francia said in the annual stockholders’ meeting.

Francia said the technical and preliminary studies on SC 55 were completed in 2020.

“And barring any unforeseen events, Enexor will undertake definite drilling planning in the second quarter of 2021,” he said.

ACE Enexor president Raymundo Reyes said preparations for the drilling proposal for the exploratory well were underway.

“This is a comprehensive technical document that details the plan for constructing the borehole and evaluating the rock formations and fluids that will encountered in the subsurface,” Reyes said.

Once completed, the proposal will be submitted to the Department of Energy for approval.

Palawan55 Exploration & Production Corp., ACE Enexor subsidiary, owns a 75-percent interest and is the consortium operator in SC 55, while Pryce Gases Inc. owns the remaining 25 percent.

“Following the DOE’s go ahead, Palawan55 will commence tendering process for the required drilling rig, major equipment and supplies and oil field services,” Reyes said.

Reyes said the company filed for a one-year force majeure request with the DOE related to the delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The application is pending with the DOE.

CITI Philippines on Monday assured customers that business operations and offices will continue to operate normally despite announcements that Citi will exit from consumer franchises in 13 markets, including the Philippines.

“We would like to convey to all credit card, bank account holders and our customers in investments and loans that all our existing products and services will continue normally and there will be no change in our high level of service,” said Citi Philippines consumer business head Manoj Varma.

All branches, ATMs, call centers and offices, will continue to operate and customers can continue to conduct transactions or service inquiries through the Citi mobile app, Citibank Online and Citiphone, the bank said.

“This will remain the case until we notify customers of any changes,” it said.

“There is no immediate change to our operations, and no immediate impact to our colleagues as a result of this announcement. We will continue to serve our clients with the same dedication and focus on service excellence as we do today,” said Citi Philippines chief executive Aftab Ahmed.

Citibank in the Philippines remains profitable and well capitalized, with capital ratios exceeding required regulatory requirements, it said.

World Bank sees PH growing 5.5%

THE World Bank said Monday it expects the Philippines to grow 5.5 percent this year, after contracting by 9.6 percent in 2020 amid the pandemic.

It said growth would be faster at 6.3 percent in 2022 and 6.2 percent in 2023.

The bank said the Philippines experienced the sharpest contraction of output among the largest economies of the region, reflecting an uncontrolled COVID-19 outbreak, combined with strict nationwide lockdowns and mobility restrictions, a succession of natural disasters, and delays in budget execution which weighed on public investment.

“The pandemic is likely to increase inequality in both the short and longer terms.

In the Philippines, where containing the virus remains a challenge, households in the richest quintile are less likely to report earnings declines and those who do, report lower losses than their poorer counterparts,” it said.

The World Bank said that in the Philippines, GDP was still significantly below pre-pandemic levels, with earning and employment losses accounting for close to 8 percent of the gross domestic income.

Security Bank-MUFG deal is credit positive

MOODY’S Investors Service said the cash management deal between Security Bank Corp. and Tokyo-based MUFG Bank Ltd. is credit positive for the local bank.

Moody’s said the expanded partnership between the two banks “will encourage increased business flow and help Security Bank broaden its corporate client base to MUFG’s customers while credit demand in the Philippines is subdued.”

Moody’s said the cash management initiative with MUFG “will increase Security Bank’s low-cost corporate deposits, which will reduce its funding costs.”

Security Bank could also benefit from fee income through ancillary services such as overseas transfers and settlements. The partnership provides opportunities for Security Bank to expand its client base for cross-selling to MUFG’s corporate clients, according to Moody’s. Julito G. Rada

Petecio won’t allow Olympic opportunity to go to waste

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

C1

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Nesthy Petecio vowed to work hard and train even harder to win an Olympic medal.

By Peter Atencio

N

ESTHY Petecio will no longer let her chance to win a medal in the Tokyo Olympics slip away.

The 29-year-old Petecio vowed to work hard and train even harder to make this happen.

“Sabi ko sa coaches ko, si Lord na ang bahala kung ibibigay niya sa akin ito. Hindi ko na kasi pakakawalan ito,” said Petecio.

Petecio talked about her Olympic dreams recently on “Power and Play” while in Thailand, preparing for the Olympics with other members of the national boxing team.

Last month, the International Olympic Committee-Boxing Task Force confirmed to the Philippine Olympic Committee that Petecio and Carlo Paalam have gained slots through their world rankings.

Petecio and Paalam joined fellow boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno, who booked tickets through the AsiaOceania Olympic Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan in March, 2020.

Their qualification, together with the formal entry of powerlifter Hidilyn Diaz to the Olympic Games on Sunday night, makes it a total of seven Filipinos

to the quadrennial meet. The two others are pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo.

Now in Thailand, Petecio and Paalam are doing their workouts with the help of their coaches Nolito Velasco, Reynaldo Galido and Don Abnett.

The 5’2” Petecio, who fights in the women’s 57 kgs, said her qualification through her rankings was a wakeup call for her do even better.

“Nu’ng sinabi ni coach na qualify ako sa rankings, nahimasmasan ako,” stated Petecio.

Both Petecio and Paalam qualified by virtue of their highest standing in their respective weight categories.

The POC is still awaiting for confirmation of more entries, with women’s golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan in the reserve list.

Saso has risen in the Olympic golf rankings at no. 22, while Pangdanganan is listed at no. 43.

Macrohon, Ando seek Tokyo slots at Asian tourney AFTER breaking two of three national records that she owns when she qualified for her fourth Olympic stint on Monday, Tokyo-bound Hidilyn Diaz now waits for the possible qualification of two more teammates in Kristel Macrohon and Elreen Ando.

The 30-year-old Diaz shattered the two marks that she set two years ago in the clean and jerk and with her total in claiming fourth place in the women’s 55-kg of the ongoing Asian Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Rio Olympics silver medalist qualified for the Tokyo games after completing the International Weightlifting Federation's requirement of competing in five tournaments.

As Diaz waits for the end of the competitions, Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Macrohon and

Ando could end getting slots to Tokyo as well.

A sixth place in their respective events will allow Macrohon and Ando to join Diaz in the Olympiad in the women’s 71 kgs and the 64 kg events, respectively.

Diaz, who won’t be returning to the country anytime soon, first smashed the national mark with her 118-kg lift in the clean and jerk, surpassing her 115kg effort during the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China in April 2019.

With her 94-kg lift in the snatch, Diaz totalled 212 kgs to settle for fourth place behind two Asian record holders from China.

She went on eclipse her 209-kg total during the Ningbo meet two years ago.

“Mission accomplished. Just to qualify, not necessarily to win,” said Samahang Weightlifting ng

Pilipinas chief Monico Puentevella, following her discussions with Diaz, who missed the bronze by just 3 kgs.

Puentevella believes that the two Chinese medallists will be among Diaz's major challenges during the Olympics.

Diaz, according to Puentevella, will head straight for Kuala Lumpur after the Asian Championships is over. Going back to Zamboanga or Manila is out of the question, given the situation concerning the coronavirus pandemic.

Staying in Malaysia for three months until the Tokyo Games will allow her to focus on her preparations.

Diaz's entry in the Asian weightlifting meet will give her a fourth straight Olympic stint. She is currently ranked no. 5 in the IWF rankings in the women's 55 kilogram. Peter Atencio

Hunt continues for Cray, Knott FILIPINO-AMERICAN aspirants Kristina Knott and Eric Cray will continue their hunt for Olympic qualifying slots within the next three weeks.

After seeing action two weeks ago in another star-studded race in the 2021 Miramar Invitational Athletics meet, Knott will now prepare for a bigger event this May. The 25-year-old Knott will fly to Europe to be in the Meeting International Citta Di Savona on May 13.

The Meeting International Citta Di Savona is the first scheduled European outdoor meet this summer and the best athletes in the region are expected to join.

On the other hand, Cray, who just join the Michael Johnson Invitational the other day, will be in his next campaign on April 22 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 32-year-old Cray, who will try to hit the Olympic time in nine more events, will next go to the Don Kirby Tailwind Open.

At the MJ invitationals in Waco, Tex-

as, Cray in clocked in at 51.61 seconds for third place in the men’s 400-meter hurdles behind Moitalel Mpoke, who topped the event in 50.53 seconds and Pablo Ibanez, who placed second in 51.32 seconds.

Cray’s time is off the Olympic qualifying standard of 48.90 seconds and his own Philippine national mark of 48.98 secs.

Two years ago, Cray took the 2019 SEA Games gold in 50.21 seconds.

Two weeks ago, Knott, a double gold medallist in the SEA Games, continued to show a consistent time in the 11.3-second range, when she clocked 11.35 seconds in the women’s 100-meter dash during the Miramar Invitationals.

Knott, who placed fourth in the heat and seventh in the finals, ran against an elite field, which included Sha’Carri Richardson, a 21-year-old track star from the Louisiana State University.

After the race, Richardson distinguished herself with her gold-winning

Eric Cray

Kristina Knott

feat of 10.72 seconds, which went past the Olympic qualification standard of 11.15 seconds.

Second placer Javianne Oliver, who is from the University of Kentucky, also achieved personal bests in the heat

at 11.05 seconds and 11.07 seconds to bag the silver, and also breach the Olympic qualifying mark.

Jamaican sprinter Natalla Whyte settled for the bronze, also with her season’s best 11.6 seconds. Peter Atencio

PLDT, Smart support Tokyo Olympics-bound Hidilyn Diaz THE Philippines’ largest integrated telco PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. congratulate Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz as she qualified for a spot in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

This, after Diaz finished fourth in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Diaz is a beneficiary of the MVP Sports Foundation, chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan, who is also head of PLDT. The MVP Sports Foundation is an organization that supports Filipino athletes as they train to bring honor to the Philippines in their respective sports.

“We have always believed in the importance of sports in nation-building, and Hidilyn has given us another reason to be proud as Filipinos. We are continuously supporting her in her journey to the Olympics, as she joins the roster of Filipino athletes who will be representing the country in this much-awaited sporting event,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart Communications President and CEO and PLDT Chief Revenue Officer. Panlilio is First Vice President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, and also sits as the President and Trustee of the MVPSF. Diaz has successfully completed six qualifying tournaments to ensure her slot in the Tokyo Olympics. Recall that the Zamboangueña bagged the Olympic silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games, and another gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

She also bagged three gold medals in the 2020 Weightlifting World Cup in Rome last year.

Olympic bronze medalist Serantes battles COVID-19

By Randy M. Caluag

Leopoldo Serantes vows to win his battle against the coronavirus.

OLYMPIC Games boxing bronze medalist Leopoldo Serantes, who has long been suffering from a chronic pulmonary disease, is fighting another big battle.

He is now confined at the Veterans Hospital in Quezon City, taking on the dangerous coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Hanggang ngayon ay nandito pa ako sa loob ng ICU lumalaban sa COVID. Ang hirap pabagsakin pero malapit na. Maraming salamat po sa walang sawang suporta na binibigay nyo sa akin. Mabuhay po kayong lahat and God bless us all (Until now I am confined in the ICU, fighting COVID. It’s tough, but I’m getting there. Thanks for all your endless support. Long live and God bless us all),” Serantes posted on Facebook.

Without fanfare, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympians Association immediately sent financial assistance to Serantes, now a widower af-

ter his wife passed away in 2019 due to an illness.

“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa ating butihing chairman William Ramirez ng PSC, na nagbibigay tulong at suporta sa aking mga kailangan dito sa Veterans Hospital at sa board members at sa lahat ng staff ng Philippine Sports Commission, ganoon din po kay Ma’m Akiko (Thompson of POA) at sa kanyang mga kasamahan,” added Serantes.

The POA, headed by former swimmer and PSC commissioner Akiko Thompson, is an organization of former Filipino athletes who have competed in the Olympics, including Serantes’ former teammate Roehl Velasco, 1992 Olympic bronze medalist and Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, the 1996 Atlanta silver medalist.

He also thanked the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, former teammate Roehl Velasco, former boxing chief and now congressman Manny Lopez for their financial assistance.

“Lahat ng iyan ay napunta sa caregiver at sa aking pangangailangan dito sa ICU,” he said.

The PSC has been helping Serantes in providing his medical needs in recent years. He was afflicted with a serious pulmonary and heart condition and has since been in and out of the hospital.

Serantes, now 59, bagged a bronze medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics following a loss to Bulgarian Ivailo Khristov in boxing’s light-flyweight semifinals. He defeated three boxers from Egypt, Liberia and Morocco before losing in the round of 32.

It was a highly celebrated medal as it came 24 years after the Philippines grabbed a silver, courtesy of another boxer Anthony Villanueva at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Bowler Arianne Cerdena won a gold in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but because bowling was just a demonstration sport, her medal was not counted in the official medal tally.

Serantes is one of 10 Filipino athletes to win a medal in the Olympics.

With three silvers and seven bronze medals under its belt, the Philippines has yet to win an Olympic gold.

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Sports

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Verstappen wins chaotic Imola classic I MOLA, Italy—Max Verstappen kept his cool to claim a chaotic rain-hit Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday as seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton recovered from a rare mistake to sneak in second.

Red Bull driver Verstappen muscled past pole sitter Hamilton on the first corner at Imola to set up his impressive first win of the season.

“I surprised myself. We worked really hard to make that better. In these tricky conditions we did a great job,” the delighted Dutch driver said.

Lando Norris in a McLaren took third ahead of Charles Leclerc for Ferrari at the F1’ giant’s ‘home’ track close to their Marrenello HQ. The outcome of a compelling second

leg of the Formula One season confirmed Verstappen’s stature as a formidable obstacle to Hamilton’s quest for an unprecedented eighth drivers’ crown.

After winning the season-opener in Bahrain and putting in the fastest lap on Sunday Hamilton leads Verstappen by a mere point - 44 to 43 - ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix next time out.

Drama in the race itself had been on the cards as rain drenched the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the run up to lights out, sparking mayhem.

Aston Martin mechanics had to scramble to douse flames on the rear brakes of Lance Stroll’s car, their counterparts at Mercedes got to work repairing a puncture on Valtteri Bottas’ car, as Fernando Alonso’s Alpine underwent a nose job after the two-time former champion hit a wall.

Drivers then stood under umbrellas during a passionate rendition of the Italian national anthem. As the last note faded, the Italian AirForce’s Arrows squadron executed an immaculate and deafening flyby over the circuit.

Once racing got underway Verstappen’s silky smooth getaway proved decisive, the Dutchman leading out of the first corner, more or less untouched from here to the chequered flag by the may-

Winner Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (center) is congratulated by his team after the Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari race track in Imola, Italy. AFP

hem in his wake.

A high-speed crash concerning Bottas and George Russell in a Williams forced the race to be red-flagged as debris was cleared off the old Imola circuit.

Red flags The pair collided at over 300kmh on lap 34, both drivers shaken as their wrecked cars were lifted off the track.

Russell was furious, remonstrating with Bottas before the Finn had even got out of his car, slapping his helmet.

The air was filled with four-letter expletives as the pair let off steam.

Once back in the pits Russell tweeted: “Thanks for all the messages. I’m fine, just disappointed.”

The red flags appeared a lap after an uncharacteristic slip-up from Hamilton saw the Mercedes world champion hurtle off the circuit into a gravel pit when placed second on a treacherous rain-hit track.

Half an hour after the suspension, a rolling re-start saw Verstappen set off in front of Leclerc and Norris. Hamilton, his car repaired, had work to do from ninth.

As Verstappen calmly reeled in his 11th career victory, but first in Italy, Hamilton weaved his way up to sit third, and then second after passing Norris with three laps remaining.

“On my side it wasn’t the greatest of days. First time I’ve made a mistake in a long time, but I’m grateful I could bring he car home,” said a relieved Hamilton.

He more than anyone had benefitted from the red flag intervention as his runoff had left him with a damaged car and one lap behind.

“I was just trying to get over the gutting feeling when you make a mistake and moving on from it and learning from it - then get back into racing spirit and we still had some really fun battles with the guys,” he reflected.

With Norris in third this was the first time two Britons had climbed the podium since 2012.

“It is nice to be fighting these guys. Nice to be here on merit,” said Norris. AFP

Kingad weighs in on McLaren vs Wakamatsu SECOND-RANKED ONE Championship flyweight contender Danny “The King” Kingad is patiently awaiting the next time he can step into the Circle. But before he can don the 4oz. gloves once again, the Team Lakay stalwart and former World Title challenger will be keeping a close eye on two former foes.

No. 5-ranked contender Reece “Lightning” McLaren will face no. 4-ranked contender Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in the co-main event of “ONE on TNT III,” a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore which airs this Wed., April 21 (Thu., April 22 in Asia).

Kingad recently weighed in on his thoughts on the matchup, having faced and defeated both men in the past.

“I think the Reece McLaren versus Yuya Wakamatsu fight is going to steal the show at ‘ONE on TNT III.’ It’s an interesting fight between a very dangerous grappler and a powerful striker. I think fans are excited to see this one,” said Kingad.

“Having fought both guys in the

Circle, I know how talented each one is, and kind of have an idea how this fight is going to play out.”

Kingad took care of business against Wakamatsu in 2018, dominating the Japanese fighter to win by threeround unanimous decision. He faced McLaren almost a year later, scraping by via split decision in a more competitive bout.

“The King” has a good feel for both guys and has an idea who will emerge victorious in this highly rated flyweight affair.

“Reece is such a talented grappler and I know how tricky he is in certain situations. Once he gets you on the ground, it’s his world, and if you don’t have the experience, he’s going to put you in a rough spot,” said Kingad.

“Yuya, on the other hand, is a very different fighter. He has the advantage in striking, obviously. He has that one punch knockout power and is very fast. I think this fight will really just come down to who executes on their strengths more.”

“ONE on TNT III” is the third of a four-part event series broadcast from

Yuya Wakamatsu against Kim Kyu Sung during ONE’s Inside The-Matrix

the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the main event, #1-ranked bantamweight contender John “Hands of Stone” Lineker faces Troy “Pretty Boy” Worthen.

The “ONE on TNT” series airs every Wednesday in the United States for four weeks.

Each week will include a lead card

digitally streamed exclusively on Bleacher Report, B/R App, B/R MMA Twitter, B/R Live YouTube, and B/R Live, followed by main card fights televised exclusively on Bleacher Report and the B/R app. More information on how to watch can be found at https:// www.onefc.com/news/how-to-watchone-on-tnt-iii/

Mascariñas laments GAB decision to suspend Mindanao leg CHOOKS-TO-GO president Ronald Mascariñas on Monday agreed with the decision of the Games and Amusement Board of acting “strongly, and swiftly, against the painfully laughable lack of professionalism on display in the basketball match between the Siquijor Mystics and Lapu Lapu Heroes last April 14, during the Visayas leg of the VisMin Super Cup.” The controversial game was marred by air-balled free throws, botched fastbreak attempts and mind-boggling turnovers. Both squads also attempted and missed an unusual number of free throws as Siquijor missed all 10 of their free-throw attempts, while allowing Lapu-Lapu to attempt 19 in 20 minutes of action.

This prompted the league to slap the entire Siquijor Mystics’ team, from coaching staff to the players, with a lifetime ban.

The GAB followed suit by suspending the entire Mindanao leg of the Super Cup pending further observation of the ongoing games in Visayas.

However, Mascariñas said the decision to suspend the Mindanao leg “is not just simply going overboard;

Ronald Mascariñas

it is going berserk.”

“The Mindanao leg, composed of different sets of management teams and players, and different sets of games, has not even started yet. The only way to justify such better-safethan-sorry preemptive action is to suspect the entire Mindanao leg of serious copycat tendencies, or worst, possible

agreement to commit the same April 14 infamy,” Mascariñas said.

He continued: “In law and ordinary logic, the only way to attribute an act of one as an act of all is to prove conspiracy—a meeting of the minds to commit a wrong. GAB did not even bother to offer any ground acceptable to a reasonable mind exercising ordinary judgment as remotely sufficient to justify its action.

It beggars belief that GAB could be acting, in this case, out of an abundance of caution, because the Visayas leg, where the shocking parody of professionalism in basketball was played, was not even suspended at all. It was allowed to go on, ostensibly, under ‘further observation.’”

Mascariñas asked that if wrongful acts committed in a single match in Cebu, and not by any means attributable to all the teams playing in the Visayas leg, did not stop the games there, “by what contorted stretch of logic or the imagination did it justify the wholesale suspension of the games in Mindanao?”

The investigations in Cebu have not even been completed yet.

“By suspending the Mindanao leg, the GAB went all over itself by introducing, in effect, a novel double presumption—that teams there are presumed to be presumed guilty of wrongful tendencies for acts committed elsewhere, and by strangers. It is as if the time-honored presumption of innocence, and the basic elements of due process, and finding probable cause, or basic logic, are mere logical, legal, or ethical niceties it can fully dispense with, anytime,” Mascariñas said.

He added: “Justice is not justice if it punishes the innocent with the guilty, however temporarily. Players are being deprived of livelihoods and fans of a boost to morales. In these difficult times, these may never be fully recovered, if at all. Worst, and even more profound, by suspending the Mindanao leg wholely, it allows the right to be held hostage by wrong, the many who are innocent, to be hijacked by the few.”

As a parting word, Mascariñas hopes that GAB reconsiders its decision to suspend the Mindanao leg of the Super Cup.

Dy to Amir: I can give you real fight SEEF DISTRICT—Filipino superstar Rolando “The Incredible” Dy is feeling the itch to compete once again after going through a war with Kyrgyz lightweight contender Abdisalam “Omok” Kubanychbek in Bahrain this past March.

With the goal to redeem himself in the eyes of the mixed martial arts world, the 29-year-old son of Filipino boxing legend Rolando Navarrete already has an opponent in mind. He threw down the gauntlet to Ahmed “The Butcher” Amir and promised to give the Egyptian bruiser “a real fight.”

Dy initially took to social media to call out Amir, but the latter seemingly brushed off the challenge. The power-punching Pinoy is doubling down, making it known that he is dead serious about the idea of locking himself up with the Giza, Egypt native inside the cage.

“I called out Amir on social media because he is acting like a clown. In my opinion, he doesn’t deserve the title shot, yet it was given to him. I respect that, but the thing is that he backed out in his fight for the title. Then he showed up at the event, acting tough and acting like the champ,” he said.

“I lost my respect for him that night, and I want to test if he is really tough like he said he is. I am here. I can give you a real fight,” Dy added.

Amir was supposed to take on Amin Ayoub for the BRAVE CF Lightweight World Championship at the recently-concluded BRAVE CF 50. However, a shoulder and neck injury forced him to pull out of the five-round title tiff.

As a result, Mashrabjon Ruziboev took his place and faced Ayoub in a non-title, 74-kilogram catchweight contest, where the French champion came out triumphant via a clear-cut unanimous decision.

Ayoub’s celebration was cut short as Amir made a surprise appearance at cageside, barging past security to engage in a heated verbal exchange with the Frenchman.

Dy, who is no stranger to talking smack outside the cage, questioned the legitimacy of Amir’s injury that caused his withdrawal from the scheduled championship clash versus Ayoub.

“He (Amir) was booked to fight for the title, but he chose to back out one week before the fight. I don’t like that. If he believes he’s strong and not pretending, prove it to me,” he dared.

Tolentino graces online PSA Forum PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino talks about the country’s campaigns in the Tokyo Olympics and the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, respectively, with vaccines for COVID-19 coming its way when he appears as special guest in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum online edition.

The incumbent representative of Cavite’s 8th district and president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines will further discuss the POC’s purchase of the vaccines through the $40,000 subsi- Tolentino dy it would receive from the Olympic Council of Asia for use of the Philippine contingent to the SEA Games from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2.

Meanwhile, port magnate Enrique Razon also earmarked to donate vaccines for the consumption of the country’s bets to the Tokyo Olympics.

Rio De Janeiro Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz is the latest Filipino to clinch a berth in the Tokyo Games following her stint in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The 10:30 a.m. public sports program is presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Powered by Smart and Upstream Media as the official webcast partner, the weekly Forum is being livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page f b.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and also shared by Radyo Pilipinas 2 Facebook page.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

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‘Dito at Doon’ goes global F

ILM aficionados outside the Philippines will get the chance to see Dito at Doon (Here and There) via the international premium videoon-demand service.

Filipinos and cinephiles abroad can sit back and enjoy the must-watch movie of the year “Dito at Doon (Here and There) through TBA Play starting on May 1.

The most talked-about movie in the Philippines right now, Dito at Doon (Here and There) has been receiving rave reviews from critics and public alike since its domestic online release on March 31, with the film being called a “touching and timely romantic tale” with “stellar performances from its lead cast Janine Gutierrez and JC Santos.”

“Tellingly, Dito at Doon (Here and There) is both a time capsule and a tribute to the Filipinos who continue to survive the pandemic. It is a story that needs to be told and be seen by Filipinos wherever they are in the world,” said Eduardo A. Rocha, TBA Studios, CEO and Executive Producer.

“With TBA Play, Filipinos living abroad will no longer feel left behind in seeing our world-class films like Dito

JC Santos and Janine Gutierrez in a scene from the much-talked-about film ‘Dito at Doon.’

at Doon (Here and There) that not only entertain but also reveal the Filipino experience,” he added.

TBA Play is a premium video-ondemand service catering to millions of Filipinos abroad yearning to connect with their friends and families back home. Through this platform, viewers can now catch the best and the latest Pinoy movies anytime, anywhere with no ad interruptions. TBA Play houses a catalog of award-winning and wellloved films featuring some of the brightest stars in the Philippine entertainment scene.

TBA Play is currently available in

over 60 countries, including USA, Canada, and select territories in Middle East, and North Africa. TBA Play is also partnered with international distribution and sales company, TVCO to bring TBA Play contents to key markets in Europe.

TBA Studios also shares that the public can expect more exciting news in the coming months as TBA Play continues to beef up its programming line up and add new countries to its list.

Dito at Doon (Here and There) is exclusive on TBA Play for a limited time only in USA, Canada, and select territories in Europe, Middle East, and North

It’s a smooth sailing relationship for Barbie and Diego

TV actor Diego Loyzaga believes that there’s no secret when it comes to keeping his romantic relationship strong and intact. For him, his current smooth-sailing relationship with his ladylove Barbie Imperial is all about never-ending compromises, just like how other couples make their relationship work.

“You have your own differences.

There are things which you don’t agree upon. But you also have numerous likes about each other. So, really, there’s no secret. It simply works,” the 25-year-old actor says.

Diego and Barbie have been together for just a couple of months but the actor announces that his intentions for Barbie are serious.

“Well, a relationship eventually leads to marriage, right? Building a family, have kids, things like that. That’s exactly how I look at my relationship with Barbie and I guess she looks at it the same way.

We understand each other,” he shares.

“Expectedly, just like any relationship, not every day is a good day. But it is during these times that we understand each other even more. So you see, it’s not a secret but it’s also easier said than done,” he adds.

Diego lists Barbie being a maternal person as one of the qualities that endear her to him.

“But at the same time, she’s like a baby as well. And that’s what I like. I treat her as my baby. I also like it when I’m the one who’s taking care of her.

I like how she can bring out the best

Diego Loyzaga posts another romantic snap with girlfriend Barbie Imperial.

in me and take care of me at the same time. If she wants to be babied, she asks it from me and I generously give in,” Diego reveals.

Diego will be celebrating his 26th birthday on May 21 and this is his first celebration where he and Barbie are sweethearts. What’s his wish on his special day?

“Actually, it’s not personal. It’s for the

whole nation. I really wish that the COVID-19 pandemic will already end. Many people are suffering. There are lots who want to be with their family and friends but are restricted. Here in our industry, many are affected. Not everybody can work on a movie project or soap opera.

It’s just sad. I hope all these will come to an end,” ends Diego. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Sky Fiber upgrades plans for benefit of remote workers REMOTE workers and online entrepreneurs will be able to heighten their productivity and efficiency as they achieve their daily goals when they equip themselves with SKY Fiber’s leveled-up super speed plans.

SKY Fiber offers various plans suited to different remote work needs, which

SKY Fiber offers various plans suited to different remote work needs.

includes its best value plan 40Mbps at only P1,499/month, which is perfect for emails, some video conferencing, and browsing. It also offers a highspeed plan of 200Mbps at only P3,499/month, which can be used for heavy and multiple online activities such as regular and prolonged video conferences, maintaining a website

and social media, and more.

“With the continuous shift to digital platforms in the workplace, we have decided to increase our speeds with the same affordable rates so that they can practically invest in a reliable internet connection that will help them upgrade their work set-up,” Alan Supnet, SKY’s head for Consumer Broadband Products said.

Supnet added that, for professionals, having access to faster speeds can essentially help them save time and accomplish more tasks as they have smoother collaboration with colleagues via video conferencing platforms and quicker access to cloud-based apps and documents.

If there are multiple internet users at home, they will not have to worry about a bogged down connection since an increased speed supports several individuals and devices working online at the same time.

Meanwhile, online entrepreneurs will be able to increase their sales and provide better service as faster speeds enable them to respond to customer inquiries promptly and manage logistics in a timely manner.

The leveled-up SKY Fiber Super Speed plans up to 200mbps are now available in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Davao. While Baguio, Gensan, and Zamboanga can experience fiber-fast speeds of up to 80Mbps.

Africa starting May 1. Viewers can watch their film of choice starting at USD7.99 / EUR7.99 while Dito at Doon will have an early bird rate of USD8.99 / EUR8.99

until April 30. For a full list of countries and updates on availability in other regions, tba.ph and follow https://www. facebook.com/tbaplaymovies

‘Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels’ continues to touch Filipino lives GMA Regional TV remains committed government and private sectors as we to providing unparalleled community face these difficult times because of the service to Filipinos in Luzon, Visayas, COVID pandemic,” he added.

Just recently, the “Kapuso Baranand Mindanao via its ”Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels,” which to date, has gayan” on Wheels won an Excellence Award in Communication Management benefitted 11,850 families.

The Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels under the Corporate Social Responwas launched in May 2020 as a mobile sibility Division 1 category at the 18th version of GMA RTV’s Kapuso Baran- Philippine Quill Awards. The Philippine gayan, which was originally a community Quill is considered one of the country’s activity held in different barangays across most prestigious awards programs in the the regions. With the community quar- field of business communications. It also antine, GMA RTV introduced “Kapuso received a Special Citation merit at the Barangayan on Wheels” to reach more 42nd Catholic Mass Media Awards in the Best TV Adcommunities and Public Service directly provide category. residents the asGMA RTV sistance they urhas already gently need. The rolled out three areas covered inlegs of the clude North Censaid regional tral Luzon, South initiative. The Luzon, Central first wave was and Eastern held from May Visayas, Western to August in Visayas, North2020 with a total ern Mindanao, GMA Regional TV Central and Eastern Visayas and Southern team distributes food packs at Brgy. Poblacion, of 2,610 family beneficiarMindanao.

Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. ies. This was “It has been followed by the almost a year since we transformed our Kapuso Ba- second Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels rangayan into a mobile activity to ben- which saw 4,200 families gaining assisefit our fellow Filipinos during this tance from August to December. From pandemic,” said GMA Regional TV December 2020 to March 2021, a total and Synergy First Vice President and of 5,040 families were served by Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels. The fourth leg is Head Oliver Victor Amoroso.

“No one has been spared and many set to be conducted this April.

In North Central Luzon, 2,120 families families are still struggling to cope— most especially our Kapuso in the re- benefited from the Kapuso Barangayan gions who have lost their sources of on Wheels during the first three legs that income during the pandemic. Nanana- were rolled out. One of the recipients is tiling kasama po ninyo ang GMA Re- Sonia Delfin, a sidewalk coconut vendor gional TV. We thank our partners in the who was affected by community quarlocal government and private sectors for antine caused by the COVID-19 Panjoining us in this regional initiative. We demic. She is grateful that GMA RTV are now on our fourth leg and we will reached her barangay. Read full story continue to work hand in hand with the on manilastandard.net

Oscars filmmakers hail disability progress British actor Riz Ahmed stars as a drummer who loses his hearing in ‘Sound of Metal,’ one of several Oscar-nominated films tackling disability.

THIS year, the Oscars will feature a best picture contender about a drummer with hearing loss, a nominated documentary exploring a hippie camp for disabled youths, and a nod for the first film ever to star a deafblind actor.

It’s a step forward for disability representation in Hollywood, nominated filmmakers told AFP -- but one that must be built on to prevent progress slipping away from our screens yet again.

Until now, Tinseltown producers “haven’t done a very good job -- but they know that, we’re making them aware of that,” said Sound of Metal supporting actor nominee Paul

Raci, who was raised by deaf parents.

“I’m one of the guys who has got to be in the forefront of not dropping the ball... keeping them aware of all the deaf artists that we have, all the disabled artists, all the genius that’s out there, all the untold stories,” Raci told AFP. The wariness is understandable.

This is a road Hollywood has attempted to travel down before.

In 1948, Jane Wyman, a hearing actress, won an Oscar for playing a deafmute woman in Johnny Belinda -- a miscasting Raci likens to “nails on a chalkboard.” AFP, read full story on manilastandard.net

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

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TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Life

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Don’t delay

children’s

immunization, expert urges

I

ASK THE EXPERTS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on-time vaccination throughout childhood helps provide children much-needed immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases. Pediatricians can help parents ensure timely immunization of their children and address concerns regarding vaccines.

T IS the parents’ (or guardians’) responsibility to call the shots when it comes to vaccinating their children following the childhood immunization schedule.

“[Pediatricians] always want to give ippine Foundation for Vaccination the vaccines at the earliest time,” says Dr. “So parents, don’t delay! We don’t Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Phil- know when [your child] could be ex-

Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination

The 2021 Childhood Immunization Schedule presents recommendations for immunization for children and adolescents.

posed to any disease,” she emphasizes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention likewise reminds parents that on-time vaccination throughout childhood helps provide their children much-needed immunity.

Dr. Bravo advises parents looking to have their im kids immunized this year to follow the Sched 2021 Childhood Immunization Schedule. “Vaccines are dynamic, depending on the situation, the environment, and what threats are present. This is why the country’s [certified] pediatricians come together every year to make the necessary guidelines and recommendations,” she explained.

According to the 2021 Childhood Immunization Schedule, the Bacillus Calmette– Guérin or the BCG vaccine used primarily against tuberculosis must be given at the “earliest possible age after birth,” preferably within the first two months of life. While the first dose of Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) must be administered to all newborns within 24 hours of life.

The latest immunization schedule covers children’s age from birth to 18 years old. Go to www.philvaccine.org/ education/childhood-immunizationschedule to see the timeline.

For those who have missed a vaccine due

to the pandemic or other reasons, Dr. Bravo suggests parents ask about catch-up vaccinations, urging them to go back to health centers and carry on with their kids’ vaccination as soon as it is safe. “Call your health center and ask if it is open, and talk to your pediatrician,” she states, adding that setting appointments and a s k i ng about health center safety protocols will also help make visits easier.

At the end of the day, experts say the most important ally a parent can rely on regarding their child’s health including meeting the immunization timeline and other vaccine concerns is their pediatrician.

“If a mother is worried about the vaccines [administered to] her first baby, she really need to ask her doctor,” says Dr. Bravo. “Your pediatrician should give you the most accurate recommendations for your child’s vaccine. You can read from the newspapers, the Internet, or social media, but some resources don’t really build confidence or give correct information.”

“Make sure your pediatrician is certified by the Philippine Pediatric Society,” she adds. “The Philippines is not lacking in experts! There are over 6,000 certified pediatricians, and we are all working hard in order to make sure that kids are safe from many of today’s vaccine-preventable diseases.”

HEALTH BULLETIN

EARTH DAY

Small steps to help save Mother Earth

Botanical infusions, like Sekaya Botanic Infusions, contain leaves, barks, roots, seeds, flowers, and fruits of different plants traditionally used to address various health concerns.

Botanical blends for wellness “SCIENTIFIC research has been able Containing leaves, barks, roots, to confirm the traditional uses of many seeds, flowers, and fruits of plants that plants,” Dr. Eca Lorenzo, an internal are valued for their therapeutic propermedicine doctor and functional medities, botanical infusions have a long cine practitioner, pointed out. history that dates back to anShe noted some herbs cient China and Egypt where used to treat infections like they were served as drinks coughs and colds have for both enjoyment and been proven to possess medicinal purposes. antiviral or antibacterial Filipino plant-based properties, highlightbrand Sekaya, under ing the value of herbal UNILAB’s Synnovate Dr. Eca Lorenzo, medicines.

Pharma Corporation, internal medicine For instance, a 2012 offers a range of bodoctor and study found the “admintanical blends made with functional medicine istration of oral maoto ingredients that complepractitioner granules (traditionally prement each other to promote scribed to patients with influhealth and wellness. enza in Japan) to healthy adults According to the brand, bowith seasonal influenza was associated tanical infusions can be made from one with equivalent clinical and virological plant part, multiple parts of one plant, or efficacy to neurominadase inhibitors.” a blend of different plant types. BotaniMeanwhile, a 2004 study involving cal blends in particular, combine dif60 patients showed elderberry extract ferent plants based on their traditional (used to treat influenza, colds, and si- uses, keeping in mind how these bennusitis), “seems to offer an efficient, efits can complement each other to adsafe, and cost-effective treatment for dress a certain health concern. influenza.”

Take chamomile flowers, licorice “Such findings from research allows root, and cinnamon bark as examples: us to combine different herbs and plants Chamomile flowers are known to help into synergistic blends to address spe- relax the digestive muscles, licorice cific needs or goals. These studies also root has been traditionally used to calm help confirm the safety and tolerability an upset stomach, while cinnamon bark of such plants or herbs for human con- helps reduce gassiness and bloating. sumption,” said Dr. Lorenzo.

Sekaya says it makes sense to put these One of the ways to take herbal medi- three botanicals together to create a cine is brewing and drinking it. Botani- “synergized infusion” that can help alcal infusions, unlike tea which is made leviate stomach discomfort. only from the leaves of Camellia sinenThe plant-based brand’s botanisis, are made from different parts of dif- cal blends are available on its website ferent plants. (www.sekaya.com.ph) and on Lazada.

IN CELEBRATION of Earth Day Use eco-friendly on April 22, e-commerce platform household products Shopee offers tips for making betMany of daily essentials such as ter and sustainable choices that toothbrushes, shampoos, and cleaning can help reduce each individual’s materials are made with toxic chemicarbon footprint. cals that harm the environment. To help address this issue, several brands Eat low on the food chain have developed sustainable products Red meat is one of the biggest as alternatives. contributors to har mful emisCheck out: Colgate Natural Bamboo sions. Once in a while, tr y swap- Charcoal Toothbrush (P133), EPSA Orping out red meat and processed ganic Shampoo (P108), Messy Bessy food for plant-based alter natives. Natural Dish Cleaner (P162) Even better, opt for f ish, fr uits, and vegetables.

Plant your own garden Check out these products availGrowing an urban garden and eatable on the platform: KM’s Organ- ing your own vegetables can help get ic Quinoa in Resealable Pouches rid of toxic air released by furniture (P66), Organic Coconut Sugar and electronics and reduce the impact (P299), Organic Virgin Coconut of transporting produce, which takes Oil (P129) up a lot of energy.

Check out: 4 Liters Rice Hull (P9), Shopleaf Organic Neem Oil (P249), Coco Log Orchid Planter (P36)

Reduce consumption of single-use plastics

Disposable utensils, straws, and plastic water bottles are convenient when you’re on the go, but they’re bad for the environment. As much as possible, avoid using the aforementioned or use substitutes that can be reused multiple times.

Check out: Klean Kanteen Classic Insulated Tumbler (P1,755), Just Green PH’s Set of 5 Glass Straw (P180), Shoulder Tote Eco Shopping Bag (P20) As part of its Shop Green campaign, Shopee offers exclusive deals and discounts up to 25 percent off on select sustainable and eco-friendly products until April 25.

Shopee celebrates Earth Day with weeklong deals and discounts on select sustainable and eco-friendly products.

*** Buy plant-based food, plant a tree

Every purchase of Coco Mama, Vita Coco, and unMeat bundle comes with a guarantee that one tree will be planted on behalf of the customer.

Food manufacturer Century Pacific Food, Inc. partners with non-profit HOPE for its Earth Week campaign where each purchase of its products will go to planting a coconut tree.

To join and support the Shop and Save Our Planet project, consumers simply need to purchase bundles of Coco Mama, Vita Coco, and unMeat at Century Pacific’s food stores on Shopee and Lazada today until April 25.

Each bundle comes with a guarantee that one tree will be planted on behalf of the customer. Proceeds from the promo will go to the coconut farmers of Sarangani.

According to CNPF, the bundle offerings are in line with its broader sustainability program, specifically a long-term commitment to provide Philippine farmers 100,000 free coconut seedlings every year, over the next five to eight years.