Manila Standard - 2021 April 28 - Wednesday

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China to PH: Stop marine drills in SCS Says move escalates dispute, demands respect for its rights

By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Jess Malabanan

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HINA has urged the Philippines to stop its maritime exercises in the disputed territory in the South China Sea, warning it would escalate the dispute there.

In his regular press conference on April 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reasserted China's claims over the Nansha Islands or Spratly Islands, despite the 2016 arbitral ruling rendered in 2016 by Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating its expansive 9-dash line claims over the disputed waterways and upheld the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea. China has refused to recognize the arbitral court ruling.

"China enjoys sovereignty over Nansha Islands including Zhongye Island and Zhongsha Islands including Huangyan Island and their adjacent waters, and exercises jurisdiction in relevant waters," Wenbin said, when sought for comment on the Philippine Coast Guard’s maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea. "We urge the relevant side to respect China's sovereignty and rights and interests, and stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes," Wenbin said.

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VOL. XXXV • NO. 72 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

INDIAN PYRES. Family members and ambulance workers wearing PPEs carry the bodies of patients who died of COVID-19 at a cremation ground in New Delhi on April 27. Meanwhile, a worker pushes a trolley that carried the body of patient who died of the coronavirus into a furnace at an electric crematorium in Allahabad also on Tuesday. AFP

Think tank group calls for extended MECQ

By Willie Casas THE modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces called NCR Plus bubble should be extended for at least one more week to rein in the spread of COVID-19, a group of experts said Tuesday.

"In agreement with the Department

of Health and the medical community, we would like to recommend to the national government to extend the MECQ for at least 1 more week," Fr. Nicanor Austriaco of OCTA Research Team told ANC. The MECQ, the third strictest of four lockdown levels, is set to end on Friday, April 30, but Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also said

it should be extended for at least another week.

Austriaco said the decreasing number of coronavirus cases in the NCR Plus bubble was still "unstable".

"What I mean by that is that the decrease in cases is not comparable across all the LGUs (local government units) of the NCR Plus bubble," he Next page said.

Travel ban on India set April 29

By Willie Casas, Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz THE Philippines has imposed a ban on all travelers from India amid the deadly resurgence of the COVID-19 in the South Asian country, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Tuesday.

Also prohibited from entering the country are those who have traveled to India over the last 14 days. The ban will begin on April 29 and will last until May 14.

The restriction will cover Filipinos, Roque added in a video message.

The ban exempts passengers already in transit from India or with recent travel history to the country, who arrive in the Philippines "before 0001H (12:01 a.m.) of April 29, 2021," said Roque.

However, they are required to quarantine for 14 days at a facility "notwithstanding a negative Reverse Transcription -Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) result," he said.

"Restrictions as to travelers coming from other countries that report the new strain may be imposed by the Office of the President upon the joint recommendation Next page

DOJ seeks law to define red-tagging

By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz PANTRIES ABOUND.

Community pantries are still going strong across Metro Manila on Tuesday, as (clockwise from upper left) residents line up to get free grocery items from the ‘Barangayanihan’ set up by the Manila Police District Station 3 in Barangay 378, Sta. Cruz; People in Tatalon, Quezon City queue for the Rainbow Jump pantry by the roadside; and residents of Rolling Hills Subdivision in QC and Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City are sorted by volunteers before they get free vegetables and other daily needs.

Norman Cruz and Manny Palmero

COVID-19 PH

‘Lower pork tariff to rein in inflation’

By Julito Rada FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Tuesday that allowing more

AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM APRIL 27)

1,013,618 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

7,204 71,675 NEW

ACTIVE

16,916

63

DEATHS

NEW

925,027 10,109 NEW RECOVERIES

JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said Congress should pass a law that clearly defines and expressly penalizes “what is loosely called” redtagging.

“If the Congress is minded to criminalize red-tagging, it should enact the appropriate legislation,” Guevarra said, in a text message to reporters.

“Right now, complaints may revolve around defamation, harassment, coercion, unjust vexation, or violation of privacy laws, but not for an offense called ‘red-tagging,’” he added.

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pork imports at lower tariffs for a temporary period is an immediate and practicable response to protect Filipino consumers from price spirals that could result in higher inflation and undermine the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Senate hearing, Dominguez said the spike in meat prices this year has unduly jacked up food inflation, thus exacerbating the problems of unemployment, Next page

SC asked to junk pleas vs. terror law

By Rey E. Requejo SOLICITOR General Jose Calida on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to immediately dismiss the 37 petitions seeking to declare as constitutional the controversial Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, saying the

government is not the enemy.

During the continuation of the oral arguments on cases challenging the constitutionality of the anti-terrorism law which the SC conducted online, Calida laid down the grounds on why the petitions against ATA should be dismissed.

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SOLAR ARTWORK. To mark 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, the Liter of Light group and SM light up the largest Sto. Niño de Cebu solar artwork at Seaside City Cebu. Each of over 3,500 hand-built solar lights that make up the installation, which pays homage to the patron saint of Cebu, were built by thousands of participants who signed on to Liter of Light’s ‘Light It Forward’ Challenge. The lights will be turned over to communities without power after the event.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Frontliners will get full hazard pay’ Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the assurance after several medical workers expressed frustration for cuts and delays in receiving their hazard pay, while others reported they haven’t been paid in months.

Roque said he had asked the Department of Health to ensure the urgent grant of hazard allowance to nurses and other frontline health workers.

He said that President Duterte’s order on the additional benefit for these front-

liners remained in effect.

“The hazard pay has not been reduced because hazard pay is based on an order issued by the President,” he said in an online press briefing.

November last year, President Duterte signed administrative Order 35 that grants active hazard duty pay of up to P3,000 per month to all human resources for health such as medical, allied medical staff and other personnel in the public sector serving in the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic.

The grant will be exempted from income tax and will come in addition to any other similar benefits under existing law, issuances, and rules and regulations.

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“The more that we consistently amplify our voices, the more that China will be forced to finally rethink her actions,” Hontiveros said.

“We cannot shirk our collective responsibility to defend the Philippines.

China’s overreaching ambitions should never be at the expense of any country, and therefore, her moves that endanger any nation should be blocked at every turn,” Hontiveros said.

Meanwhile, maritime exercises of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the West Philippine Sea are currently underway.

In a Facebook post over the weekend, the Coast Guard said crew members of their participating vessels, as well as PCG-manned BFAR vessels “have started their intensified training on navigation, small boat operations, maintenance, and logistical operations” as part of efforts to safeguard Philippine waters.

PCG Spokesperson Commodore Armando Balilo said the maritime exercises are necessary to train both the PCG and BFAR's personnel since their mandate includes performing maritime law enforcement.

The exercises meant that the Philippines, this time, is serious in asserting its rights, according to Collin Koh of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

"The PCG drill in the area wouldn't come across as anything more than just a small nuisance to Beijing and won't have any salutary effect that would change China's behavior," Koh told ABS-CBN News.

"At best, the exercise along with the ramped-up Philippine presence in the Spratlys would signal to Beijing that Manila this time means business following

the unprecedentedly robust response after the Whitsun Reef (Julian Felipe Reef) revelation last month," he added.

These, however, will not amount "much to a challenge" to what he described as Beijing's "effective control" of the Scarborough Shoal since 2012.

The Senate resolution asserts that China’s activities are in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines. It makes clear that China refusing to play by international rules “must be firmly resisted and denounced.”

The resolution also states that “neither close diplomatic and political ties nor promise of donations, aids or loans, whether they actually materialize or not, should be mistaken as acceptance of China’s creeping hegemony over our region and country.”

Hontiveros said the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia, as well as Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia have pushed back against China’s recent actions in the South China Sea. “I am one with my colleagues in the Senate in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, China’s incessant activities in the WPS. We are united in our call for China to uphold the rule of law and to respect our country’s sovereignty," she said Gordon on Tuesday called on Filipinos to adapt the mind-set of the Filipino warrior chieftain Lapu-Lapu when it comes to opposing foreign intrusion in the West Philippine Sea. “Filipinos are never push-overs when it comes to defending our freedom and territory. We have a long and glorious history of being warriors against foreign intrusion and invasion, stretching from 1521 to the

Second World War," Gordon said.

Malacañang said it respects the position of the senators on China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea, even though the resolution is a departure from the administration’s non-confrontational policies.

Also on Tuesday, the commander of the US 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade (5SFAB) said American military advisers would train with Philippine Army troopers in the next few days at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

“We are very excited to train with our Philippine partners,” said Capt. Oleg Sheynfeld, commander of the 5SFAB in the country.

Sheynfeld added that they will conduct subject matter expert exchanges to increase interoperability between American and Filipino forces across the spectrum of military operations.

US soldiers will learn and train alongside Philippine partners, sharing best practices and collaborating on areas of mutual interest, and laying the groundwork for future exercises between the two nations.

“The Philippine Army and US Army bilateral training aims to enhance the capabilities and interoperability of both forces in conventional, joint and combined operations as it promotes solidarity in the global fight against terror in all its forms,” said Philippine Army spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala.

At full capacity, the 5th SFAB operates with 820 professional advisors specially selected, trained, and equipped to advise, support, liaise, and assess with conventional partner security forces from the battalion to corps levels to build capacity in support of regional security. When called upon, the unit can employ up to 61 advisor teams to integrate with conventional foreign partner security forces.

far died from the disease.

Duque said Monday he also favored extending the MECQ as the health systems capacity in NCR Plus had yet to improve.

The Philippines logged on Tuesday 7,204 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, bringing the total to 1,013,618, the Department of Health reported.

According to the DOH, the relatively low number of new COVID-19 cases was because two laboratories were not operational on April 25, 2021, while 22 laboratories were not able to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System on time.

Active cases were recorded at 71,675, which is 7.1 percent of the total number of cases.

The DOH also reported that 10,109 patients recovered recently, bringing the total recoveries to 925,027, which is 91.3 percent of the total.

The DOH also reported 63 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 16,916, which is 1.67 percent of the total.

The DOH also reported that, nationwide, 63 percent of the ICU beds, 47 percent of the isolation beds, 53 percent of the ward beds, and 46 percent of the ventilators were utilized.

According to the OCTA Research Group, the COVID-19 reproduction number in the National Capital Region (NCR) decreased to 0.93 after almost a month since the government imposed a stricter lockdown.

The group earlier recommended a one-week extension of the modified en-

hanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the NCR, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, also called the “NCR Plus” bubble.

The growth of daily infections has slowed down in the past two weeks due to stricter lockdown restrictions in the "NCR Plus" bubble, but some hospitals remained in full capacity.

Because of this, experts and government officials have recommended the extension of the modified enhanced community quarantine in the bubble, to decongest hospitals still grappling with the disease.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce new quarantine classifications on Wednesday for the month of May, as lockdown levels are set to expire

by Friday.

The senators also questioned the appointment of Parlade as spokesperson of the government’s anti-insurgency task force, saying this violated the Constitution.

“It should be emphasized that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines should always remain apolitical while in active service, otherwise, it threatens the democratic principle of civilian supremacy over the military,” the senators said in their resolution.

Apart from Sotto, the other senators who co-authored the resolution include Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri and Senators Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Grace Poe, Sherwin Gatchalian, Leila de Lima, Richard Gordon, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel IV, and Joel Villanueva.

“The Senators’ reprimand of Lt. Gen. Parlade is justified and scrutiny of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s use of its budget is warranted, in light of the deplorable acts and pronouncements of Lt. Gen. Parlade as NTF-ELCAC spokesperson,” they said in the resolution.

“Instead of engaging in a constructive debate, Lt. Gen. Parlade has chosen to demean and disparage the senators, through statements that display his limited grasp of Congress’ role in the budget process and show his lack of respect not just for the Senators as duly-elected representatives of the people but also for the Senate as an institution,” they said The 15 senators also defended the rise of community pantries, which were subjected to red-tagging by NTF-ELCAC, as they stressed that that “progressive thinking is not communism.”

‘Lower...

shortfall in the country resulting from the prolonged outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF).

Long-term solutions are necessary to deal in the long run with the current situation triggered mainly by the ASF outbreak, and these are already being initiated by the Department of Agriculture, said Dominguez, hence the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 128 to provide an instant, albeit temporary, answer to the current supply and price problems.

EO 128 temporarily cut the tariff rate on pork imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) quota to 5 percent, from the current rate of 30 percent, for the first three months upon the effectivity of the presidential directive. The reduced rate will go up to 10 percent for the next nine months thereafter.

It also increases the MAV quota for pork from 54,210 metric tons (MT) to 404,210 MT. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

M

ALACAñANG has given assurances of a full hazard pay to all health workers to allay fears that the government has supposedly cut the benefits for nurses and other health frontliners battling the coronavirus pandemic.

From A1

Over the weekend, eight capital ships of Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources conducted sovereignty patrols at the West Philippine Sea despite the presence of several Chinese ships.

Reports indicated that more maritime drills will also be held at Batanes Group of Islands, Benham Rise, and the southern areas of the Philippines.

Recent reports also showed that 14 Chinese militia vessels of the more than 200 ships earlier sighted moored at the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea were still there.

The Philippines has filed numerous diplomatic protests against China over the continued presence of its ships within the West Philippine Sea. Meanwhile, four more senators—Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Aquilino Pimentel III, and Pia Cayetano—signed a resolution condemning the illegal activities of the People’s Republic of China in the country’s EEZ and other parts of the West Philippine Sea. The resolution was authored by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and coauthored by Senator President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, and Senators Nancy Binay, Leila De Lima, Richard Gordon, Risa Hontiveros, Lito Lapid, Francis Pangilinan, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva, and Bong Revilla.

Hontiveros said the government should keep on defending the country’s sovereignty and protecting the Filipino people by continuously asserting the Philippine victory at Hague.

Think...

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"So, the concern is that if we prematurely enter into GCQ, then the cases in 1 LGU, which are unstable, will trigger a spike in adjacent LGUs and we will resurge again,” he said.

Extending the quarantine measure will also help decongest hospitals from COVID-19 admission, Austriaco said.

"In support of DOH and other hospital groups, we are saying, 'Let's do what we have to do now so we don't have to worry about it later,'" he said.

The Philippines on Monday breached the 1-million mark in COVID-19 cases, among the worst outbreaks in Asia. Nearly 17,000 have so

DOJ...

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If the law is enacted, the Justice Secretary said it “may help reduce the problem of reckless endangerment.”

“It’s really something for the Congress to ponder,” he said.

Guevarra made the statement after House of Representatives’ Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed a resolution asking the Commission on Human Rights and the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the red-tagging and profiling activities that forced the closure of several community pantries.

Guevarra said he would study the possibility of a probe.

“I will discuss the matter with the NBI ASAP,” he said.

In filing a resolution, Rodriguez said one community pantry in Barangay Kauswagan in Cagayan de Oro City was closed after its organizer was “red-tagged and systematically harassed with leaflets being circulated and posted everywhere.”

He said a restaurateur had also complained of being approached and “profiled” by individuals who introduced themselves as police officers.

Meanwhile, 15 senators led by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon filed on Tuesday Senate Resolution No. 709, which censures Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., for his disrespectful, derogatory and demeaning statements against senators, calling them "stupid."

"I have been in the Senate for almost 24 years. This is the first time I hear of a member of the armed forces who called the senators stupid," Drilon said.

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hunger and reduced or lost incomes for many Filipinos that have led "people to line up at community pantries at dawn."

Dominguez said that although the presidential directive to ease the pork supply shortage appeared to be a painful solution as it would lead to a revenue loss of P13.68 billion for the government, this would actually slash pork prices to a level estimated to save Filipino consumers a whopping P67.38 billion.

"The gains of consumers reeling from the economic shock of the pandemic dwarf the foregone revenues by P53.7 billion, which is clearly a tradeoff beneficial to the entire country,” Dominguez said during the resumption of the Senate's Committee of the Whole inquiry into the current pork supply

SC...

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Calida cited several grounds for the dismissal of the petitions such as supervening events, insisting that political questions are beyond the jurisdiction of the high court.

According to the chief state lawyer, ATA is essential to the Philippine’s compliance to its international obligations.

The chief state lawyer cited among the supervening events include the filing of charges against two Aetas – Junior Ramos and Jasper Gurung – before the Regional Trial Court of Olongapo City; three cases against three individuals in Negros occidental; the filing of four criminal cases in Jolo, Sulu against 13 individuals and several unidentified persons led by Mudzrimar “Mundi” Sawadjaan

In another AO, Duterte approved the grant of a special risk allowance not exceeding P5,000 per month to public and private health workers directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients.

Roque said he already relayed the concerns of. Health workers to the DOH and were looking into the report on the reduction on hazard pay.

At the same time, health workers demand full hazard pay even for those quarantined.

Nurses are demanding from the government to give the health workers their hazard pay in full even if they had to be quarantined amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

for violation of Sections 4 (a) and 4 (d) of the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the August 24, 2020 Jolo bombings.

He also mentioned the case that is pending before the RTC of Gubat, Sorsogon for violation of Section 4 (d).

Calida also cited as supervening event the recent decision of the Anti-Terrorism Council to designate the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as terrorist organizations.

“It is the duty of petitioners to demonstrate actual cases and controversy worthy of judicial resolution. Despite the braggadocio of the petitions, they did not do it. The persons now facing charges for violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act are now before this Honorable Court,” Calida told SC magistrates led by newlyinstalled Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

11 men in Dacera case cleared of rape, homicide PROSECUTORS have cleared 11 men of rape and homicide complaints in the case of the death of 23-year-old flight attendant Christine Dacera, who was found unresponsive in a hotel bathtub in Makati on January 1 after a party gone wrong.

In a 19-page resolution issued on Tuesday, the Makati prosecutors said they found no probable cause to charge the 11 individuals of rape.

Those cleared of rape with homicide are John Pascual dela Serna III, Rommel Galido, John Paul Halili, Gregorio Angelo Rafel De Guzman, Jezreel Rapinan, Alain Chen, Mark Anthony Rosales, Reymar Englis, Louie Delima, Jamyr Orris Cunanan, and Eduard Pangilinan III. The resolution was signed by Assistant City Prosecutor Joan Bolina-Santillan and approved by Deputy City Prosecutor Henry Salazar and City Prosecutor Dindo Venturanza.

The complainant, Dacera's mother Sharon, had submitted a medico-legal report supposedly showing "deep healed lacerations" in the young woman's genital area.

But the prosecutors said the report "is insufficient to prove that penile penetration or carnal knowledge was committed immediately prior to examination."

They said the analysis showed there was "no mixed DNA observed" in Dacera's underwear.

‘Lapu-Lapu win vs. invaders still in Pinoy heroes’

By Vito Barcelo LAPU-LAPU's victory against Spanish invaders is a reminder that Filipinos will defend their territory against any foreign intruders, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said as the country marked the 500th anniversary victory of Mactan.

In an online press briefing, Roque said the Filipino victory against Spanish forces in the Battle of Mactan 500 years ago should serve as "warning" to foreign powers that seek to occupy Philippine territory.

However, Roque did not mention any particular issue in his statement, saying the Filipino people would stand up against colonizers.

Filipinos remember how Lapu Lapu, the datu (leader) of the island of Mactan, inspired a force of Indigenous warriors to defeat Magellan’s crew — and the Spanish threat to their sovereignty — on April 27, 1521.

Travel...

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of the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs," said the spokesman.

The Department of Foreign Affairs had recommended a travel ban to and from India, where two Filipinos died this week from COVID-19 as a surge in infections overwhelmed the country’s health care system, Philippine Ambassador to New Delhi Ramon Bagatsing Jr. said Tuesday.

In a televised briefing, Bagatsing said India hosts about 2,000 Filipinos, 80 percent of whom are housewives. Fewer than 70 are workers at the managerial level, he added.

“About 20” of them caught COVID-19 and were in isolation. The Philippine embassy tries to deliver supplies to them,” he said.

“Unfortunately, these last 48 hours, we received news that two of our managerial level people passed away,” Bagatsing said in a mix of English and Filipino. “It’s really bad here.”

He said they were doing all they could to bring home the remains.

Flights between India and the Philippines connect through the United Arab Emirates.

But the Middle East has suspended the transit of travelers from India, he said.

India has ordered its armed forces to help tackle the COVID-19 crisis, as nations including Britain, Germany and the United States pledged urgent medical aid to try to contain an emergency overwhelming the country's hospitals.

On Monday, India reported more than 352,000 new COVID-19 cases, a global record for the rise in daily cases for the fifth straight day, eclipsing even the United States at the height of its pandemic last year.

More than 2,800 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours, an all-time high. Crowded hospitals are running out of oxygen supplies and beds.

The DFA recommended to the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases that the Philippines impose a temporary ban on travelers from India.

News

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

DRUG BUSTS. Officers of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency label 10 kilos of shabu and P1 million in boodle money taken from suspect Michael Abdul Lucas (left, seated) alias Boy Muslim after a buy-bust operation in Dasmarinas, Cavite on Monday. Meanwhile, youths from Marikina City stand meekly (inset) as they were arrested by PDEA Mountain Province operatives with 8,250 grams of marijuana worth nearly P1 million at a checkpoint in Sadanga, Mountain Province also on April 26. JR Josue and Dave Leprozo

RCEF working for rice farmers, says Sen. Villar

By Macon Ramos-Araneta IN THE second year of the Rice Tariffication Law, Senator Cynthia A. Villar said the implementing agencies of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund continue to deliver their commitment to insure the availability of affordable and quality rice to consumers.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, said Tuesday this resulted in an increase in the productivity and incomes of rice farmers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RTL or Republic Act 11203, signed in 2019, liberalized rice imports and imposed a tariff of 35 percent on imports from Southeast Asia.

Villar said the law also provides capital for RCEF amounting to P10 billion annually for the next six years.

The RCEF, the senator said, should be allocated and disbursed as follows: Mechanization Program – P5 billion; Rice seed development, propagation, and promotion - P3 billion; Credit assistance - P1 billion; and Rice extension services - P1 billion.

Villar said RCEF covers the 42 inbred rice-producing provinces across the country, covering 656 municipalities.

The 2020 palay harvest is 19.4 million metric tons (MMT) or 3.3% more than the 18.81-MMT output in 2019 and surpasses the previous high of 19.27 MMT in 2017.

This is a rice adequacy level of 90 percent; average harvest per hectare is 4.09 MT of palay.

MWSS: New agreement with Maynilad inked soon

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ETROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System Chairman and Acting Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco is optimistic that a new concession agreement will be reached soon by the government and Maynilad Water Services, Inc.

Velasco’s optimism stems from the recent approval and signing of the revised concession agreement between the government and Manila Water Services Inc. The concession agreement with Maynilad is undergoing review by a government panel.

The MWSS Chief expects the new concession agreement will be similar to that of Manila Water’s, a win-win solution to the consumers, government and concessionaire.

The existing concession agreement was entered into in 1997 during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos between the government and the partnership of

Benpres and Lyonnaise des Eaux of France and covers the west zone of the concession area.

In 2007 during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, it was re-privatized, and the west zone was placed under the consortium of DMCI and MPIC. The west zone concession area is composed of the cities of Manila (certain areas), Quezon City (certain areas), Makati (certain areas), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon—all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosa-

rio—all in Cavite Province.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevara in previous reports said that the government panel “will be proposing essentially the same terms and conditions as those that were contained in the revised agreement with Manila Water.”

The Manila Water new concession agreement is patterned after the New Clark City Water and Wastewater JVA of the Bases conversion Development Authority that was developed with the advice of the Asian Development Bank. The agreement protects the interest of Government and retains the economic viability of the concession.

“But of course, we recognize the fact Maynilad is differently situated compared to Manila Water so there will be probably a lot of discussions also with respect to possible modification of the terms and conditions,” Guevara said.

SUBSIDY HANDOUT.

Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Rep. Lani Cayetano (seated) lead the distribution of cash and food subsidy for marginalized farmers and fisherfolk at Food Hall Mercado Del Lago, Lakeshore, Taguig City on Tuesday.

Norman Cruz

Collect P2.56b from Next Mobile, Ridon tells NTC

By Rey E. Requejo A PUBLIC policy think tank has prodded the National Telecommunications Commission to seek an early resolution by the Supreme Court of its bid to collect over P126 million from a telecommunications firm, citing the urgency of raising public funds to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former Representative Terry Ridon, convenor of Infrawatch PH, said the amount to be collected from the Next Mobile INc., previous corporate name of NOW Telecom Company Inc., has already ballooned to over P2.56 billion, citing a Commission on Audit report.

Ridon, a lawyer, advised the NTC to immediately file before the SC a Motion for Early Resolution of the pending petition of NOW Telecoms for a reversal of a Court of Appeals decision on the collection issue that the CA resolved over ten years ago.

The former lawmaker, a former member of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, said the appellate court had affirmed NTC’s letter-assessments for the payment of supervision and regulation fees and spectrum user’s fees that has reached P126,094,195.67 andP9,6574,190.00, respectively NOW Telecoms.

He noted that in 2019, COA’s annual report for NTC brought up the collection issue, saying that the agency’s “protested” receivables had amounted over P3.304 billion, of which only four cases comprise P3.216 billion or 97.3 percent of the entire amount.

Cayetano, allies to call for Bayanihan funds probe

By Maricel V. Cruz

TAGUIG City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday he will file a resolution calling for a congressional investigation on how the funds appropriated under Bayanihan 1 and 2 had been used.

Cayetano, a former Speaker, said he and the other members of his Independ-

ent Bloc will file the resolution anytime this week.

“Today, latest tomorrow, we’re going to file a resolution... Basically, we want to inquire into Bayanihan 1 and 2 and use that inquiry also in the discussion of the Bayanihan 3,” Cayetano said at a news conference.

“In other words, what is right in Bay-

anihan 1 and 2 should be included in Bayanihan 3. If there were mistakes, those should be corrected. The government must answer if there are funds that have not yet been released.”

Cayetano said a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation was necessary to assess which programs under the Bayanihan 1 and 2 were effective or not.

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IN BRIEF PCUP asks SolGen aid in Carmel land dispute THE Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor is asking the Office of the Solicitor General to step into the annulment of the titles and reversion case against Carmel Development Inc. in a disputed property in Barangay Pangarap, North Caloocan City being occupied by ex-Malacañang employees and groups of informal settlers.

“We approach your good office knowing that it is the OSG that shall represent the government in all land registration and related proceedings, and institute actions for the reversion to the government of lands of the public domain and improvements thereon, as well as lands held in violation of the Constitution,” chairman and chief executive officer Alvin Feliciano told Solicitor General Jose Calida in an April 19 letter.

Residents of the Malacañang Homeowners Association occupying the place said they fear for their safety due to harassment, and ongoing demolition and eviction. Rio N. Araja

Army to patrol Bulacan forests vs. illegal loggers CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Army troopers will be patrolling the forested areas of Bulacan to prevent any activities of illegal loggers and protect the remaining forest from further exploitation by enterprising individuals.

This after the Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesCentral Luzon and the Philippine Army First Scout Ranger Regiment stationed at Camp Tecon in San Rafael, Bulacan, forged a memorandum of agreement calling for the protection and development of the remaining forest in the province.

Army Lt. Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr., Commanding General of the PA vowed to strengthen the forest protection efforts and further develop portions of the area under the greening program of the government. Jess Malabanan

PAGCOR grants PNP P2.5m for virus response AS COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation responded to the call of the Philippine National Police in augmenting their pandemic response for PNP personnel who contracted the virus.

On April 26, 2021, PAGCOR formally turned over its P2.5 million grant to the PNP for the procurement of medical supplies to be used in PNP’s hospitals and health facilities, where over 1,300 infected PNP personnel are undergoing treatment.

The turnover of PAGCOR’s donation coincided with the unveiling of PNP’s newest all-recycled-metal statue of the first Filipino hero Lapu-Lapu within the PNP headquarters.

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo, who led the turn-over of the agency’s grant, said that the funding will specifically help sustain the operations of PNP’s quarantine and health facilities in Bicutan, Kiangan Hall in Camp Crame, and in different police district isolation facilities.

“We will always support the law enforcement agencies. This is our own little way of showing our gratitude and recognizing your sacrifices for the country,” she said.

To date, PNP has already lost a total of 36 personnel – including three senior officers and a pregnant officer – to COVID-19, while responding to the call of duty.

Frontliners: Defend PH patrimony AMID the COVID-19 pandemic, a frontliners’ group on Tuesday backed President Rodrigo Duterte if war is inevitable against any aggressor to protect the country’s patrimony, interest, valuable resources and dignity.

Lawyer Leo Olarte, Lingkud Bayanihan Frontliners Movement president and ex-Philippine Medical Association president, emphasized that all Filipinos should decisively rally behind the President should he decide to take the final option and declare war against to protect the country’s sovereignty at the disputed West Philippine Sea. “We fervently pray that the fluid situation at the West Philippine Sea will never ever lead into a shooting war in

the region. Nobody here wants to go to war unless inevitable. Although we always rely on diplomacy to settle international disputes, sometimes diplomacy also has its limits,” he said.

Olarte said every Filipino must prepare for such a possibility. “The West Philippine Sea is clearly ours.

The Hague Decision on the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Seas favoring the Philippines is final,” he maintained.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague unanimously ruled in favor of the Philippines and rejected China’s sweeping claims over virtually the entire sea areas falling within the “nine-dash line.”

GETTING READY. Workers at the Ospital ng Sampaloc in Manila clear the driveway

to set up additional tents to accommodate COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, as the country marked 1 million cases since the start of the pandemic. Norman Cruz

A4

News

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

FDA allows 2 more hospitals to administer ivermectin

By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz TWO more hospitals were granted compassionate special permits for the use of ivermectin on COVID-19 patients, the Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

FDA chief Eric Domingo said there are now five hospitals that have been issued a CSP for ivermectin.

While the CSP is not a marketing authorization – which means ivermectin cannot be sold commercially yet – two party-list lawmakers said they will begin distributing the anti-parasitic drug on Thursday.

Rep. Rodante Marcoleta of Sagip and Rep. Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan dubbed their initiative as “ivermectin pan-three” where they will provide each beneficiary with at least three ivermectin pills for free.

“This grave public health emergency caused by the pandemic is technically a war that needs to be decisively confronted. In war, people protect themselves with anything in order to survive,” the two lawmakers said in a joint statement late Tuesday.

The civil society group Concerned Doctors and Citizens PH (CDC-PH) will assist the lawmakers during the distribution at the Matandang Balara Hall Park.

“We need to cross the line and break the glass ceilings, if we must, one way or the other. We cannot, in good conscience, sit idly at the excuse of inflexible bureaucracy to deny our people, especially the underprivileged, their pharmaceutically-assisted moments as they struggle to breathe their last,” the lawmakers added.

Marcoleta and Defensor said they would continue their Ivermectin distribution drive to the poor sector, such as those in Barangays New Era, Commonwealth and Holy Spirit in Quezon City.

Air Force pilot dies in chopper crash in Bohol THE Philippine Air Force confirmed that the pilot of the McDonnell Douglas MD-520 “Defender” attack helicopter died from Tuesday morning’s crash in the town of Getafe in Bohol.

“He is the pilot-in-command,” PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said.

The name of the fatality, however, was withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

The co-pilot and two other crew members survived the mishap and are undergoing treatment in a medical facility in Talibon town.

“Members of the PAF 505 Search and Rescue Group, the 47IB (Infantry Battalion), and the Bohol PDRRMO (Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office) rushed to the crash site to immediately rescue members of the aircrew who were brought to the nearest hospital for proper medical attention,” Mariano said.

The ill-fated aircraft with tail number 410 is from the PAF’s 15th Strike Wing.

The accident happened around 9:30 a.m. while the crew was on an engineering flight.

Mariano said the PAF has ordered the grounding of the entire MD-520 attack helicopter fleet.

ONE MAN’S TREASURE. Residents of Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City bring recycled plastic sachets or wrappers – a minimum of kilos – in exchange for a set of groceries and vegetables under the ‘Palit Basura Para Sa Pagkain Sa Mesa’ project. Manny Palmero

Palace: Pantries not curfew exempt

By Vito Barcelo

L

INING up for community pantries is not an excuse to violate curfew hours being implemented in the so-called NCR Plus area which is under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

The Palace official issued the statement after several people were issued tickets for lining up early to get donated food in a community pantry in Quezon City.

“Falling in line to a pantry won’t exempt anyone from the curfew,” Roque said in a press briefing.

“The curfew is uniform in the National Capital Region and the nearby provinces. Waiting in line in pantries is not a reason to be exempted from the curfew,” he added.

He said local and barangay officials will continue to issue tickets and impose a fine on those who would go out of their residences during curfew hours just to line up early in community pantries.

Roque also called on community pantry organizers to coordinate their efforts with barangay and local officials as he appealed to the public to observe health protocols to stop the spread of the virus.

For her part, Mayor Joy Belmonte said the Quezon City government will not hes-

itate to close down community pantries that will cause a COVID-19 outbreak.

“If, after we released the guidelines (on Friday), after the reminders, we still are unable to enforce the rules and regulations of the city and of the IATF, then we will not be an effective government. We still have to do our job and that is to enforce the rules and regulation of our city and of the national government,” she said.

Last week, a 67-year-old male vendor collapsed and died after lining up for hours in a pantry organized by actress Angel Locsin in Barangay Holy Spirit.

“I want to make it clear that first, we were not lacking in reminding the public that we will enforce the rules. Second, pantry organizers already know these rules,” Belmonte added.

Solon seeks passage of Balik Probinsya bill

By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWMAKER from the Bicol region on Tuesday pushed for a bill designed to boost investments, create jobs and drive strong growth outside the metropolis.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, author of the proposed “Balik Probinsya Act of 2020,” said the measure will put flesh into the BP2 (Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pagasa) program that President Rodrigo Duterte established last year in the hope of stimulating economic activity and creating quality jobs in the provinces.

Villafuerte said the enactment of his bill will provide a “genuine and vibrant countryside or rural development.”

“On top of finally decongesting Metro Manila and neighboring urban centers, putting President Duterte’s Balik Probinsya (BP2) program on the fast track via Housse Bill 6970 will encourage investors to set up shop in, or expand their present businesses in Greater Manila to, the regions,” he added.

Villafuerte earlier urged Malacañang to certify HB No. 6970 as urgent.

The country’s largest business organization – with a membership of 35,000 small, medium and large enterprises nationwide – has given its full backing to the President’s BP2 initiative as it endorsed Villafuerte’s bill.

In a letter sent to President Duterte, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico and former GMA-7 president-CEO Menardo Jimenez, who chairs the PCCI’s Balik Probinsya program, underscored the need to make the program sustainable.

INTEROPERABILITY. Filipino soldiers and their American counterparts from the US 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade hold their partner training rotation in Fort Magsaysay.

By Joel E. Zurbano

instant noodles to fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc during the sidelines of its maritime exercise with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman has absolved several officers of the Manila Police District in the criminal and administrative complaints filed by the Commission on Human Rights over an alleged secret detention facility in Tondo for arrested suspects.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices Cyril Ramos, in a Dec. 22, 2020 resolution, said the CHR failed to prove that the policemen detained the suspects in the cramped, hidden cell “in bad faith.”

“Since the burden of proof lies with the CHR, it was incumbent upon said office to prove that there was another available confinement area which is better than the one where said detainees were locked up, but that respondents intentionally and maliciously refused to accord them such,” the nine-page resolution read.

The Ombudsman cleared Supt. Robert Domingo, PO2 Dylan Verdan, and PO1 Berly Apolonio, among others, of arbitrary detention, grave threats, delay in the delivery of persons to the proper judicial authorities, grave coercion, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

De-escalate Myanmar tension–PH

Sync road diggings—MMDA

BAYANIHAN AT SEA. Coast Guard personnel distribute canned goods, rice and

Ombudsman junks case over Tondo ‘secret detention cell’

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has asked private utility companies to synchronize their road diggings to ease traffic in Metro Manila, particularly along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

On Tuesday, MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. met with representatives of utility firms to streamline road diggings and excavation works on major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region.

“The conduct of road diggings, excavations and other similar works should be done harmoniously,“ said Abalos.

“The utility companies should conduct works on a particular area syn-

chronously so that road diggings are not done repeatedly, except for emergency repairs,” he added.

The MMDA asked the private firms to submit an inventory of their respective projects as well as the length of time of construction to ensure that road works in Metro Manila are managed efficiently.

They were also required to secure a permit from the concerned Metro Manila local government unit and submit a traffic management plan before starting any road work project to ensure minimal impact on traffic flow.

“We need to work together. If we can do our projects simultaneously in a certain area, we will execute a single traffic management plan,” Abalos told the private firms.

THE Philippines has called for the deescalation of tension and for the holding of a dialogue among concerned parties in Myanmar.

“With Myanmar as lead, let us launch a process towards reconciliation. Towards this, a commitment to end violence on all sides and to de-escalate tension and unrest is vital. Reason cannot be heard above the shouting and shooting; the provocation and reaction,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. during the recently-concluded Asean Leaders’ meeting in Jakarta.

The top Filipino diplomat urged security forces in Myanmar to exercise restraint and refrain from using excessive force against unarmed citizens and demonstrators, especially against the children.

Locsin emphasized the need to return to dialogue as he reiterated his previous calls for the release of the political prisoners in the coup d’etat.

“We urge a return to dialogue. The release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other political detainees sets a conducive environment for this,” he said.

“We are cognizant of the Army’s role in preserving Myanmar’s territorial integrity and national security, ever under threat from those who wish to break her apart and feast on her dismembered parts. But even so, we equally recognize the unifying role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in her country’s history and its destiny,” he added.

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Herd immunity occurs when enough fortunate enough to keep a job and proorders its release in tive of the cybersecurity firm FireEye, has its officials resigning en masse. and communities differently This should tial race favor of then candidate Still, worst and insidious hackdone anywhere any against justice even the Democratic fundraising They are here to weeks, situa tion their own, respectively—educators are tryof the clearest manifestations nity this year.

Given the numbers, we for una ekeep enough keepexpert, a ob John andexpert, proagainst his Democratic rival, former USscience andaga political An Johnsenior Hultquist, senior time, execu-and where problems rocking UCPB, which has which seenand would time ntennial asm histocorruption inof government have been but toothe fortunate tothen a job and proAn Hultquist, execuproblems UCPB, which has seen One the clearest the will of leaders reach Luna, the death ofclearest the Bonifacio brothers ns this sits Democra cserve former US ng are opera ons o subver po ca asubvert ever ef of Heagainst was In noany opposed oh ASEAN pto ay ngr va aUS “...Not surprisingly, an eventual disconthrown tons of enough garbage at PresoThe gan zed by he of Assoc on done o Sou h camraised alarm bells over thegood, Russian hackers event, heist should as rocking vide their children their learning tools. manifestations case, or of70a Children request One of the manifestations ferent. his Democratic former ing operations done toa are subvert political ft it, sfor ing to make with available technology to least Secretary State Hillary Clinton’s e of societies. commanders. would need to fully vaccinate at of acampopulation has protection against an infection that itArmy stops any perceived adversary Given such an form) cyber attacks Microsoft vice vare de he rpresided ch dren he rofin earn ng oo sthe improve our empathy and correct our tive ofdo cybersecurity firm FireEye, has its top officials resigning en masse.

Meanwhile students are also adjusting to stay. of that change isrival, in the education al of Europeans They here to thei previously unknown lands and recreate tive the cybersecurity firm FireEye, has its top officials resigning en masse. vide their children their learning tools. and the mass murders in Samar during cons uc ve o e o an ASEAN de ega on They are here to Secre ary of S a e H ary C n on’s processes and underm ne soc e es The nect the narrative surrounding Spanish ha we shou d pu ident Marcos and those who noting that while multiple cyber-espionage a wake-up call not only for banks.

This is their own, respe eas As an Na ons ASEAN n Jaka a on fi ght against corruption which is downright bad.

Ombudsman’s field ofthisthat change is in as the education or functioning processespaign.” and undermine societies. The Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s camreach raised out to their students and them to uld put interferRussian that change isserve inshould the education million Filipinos toasenable get to this level. alarm bells over the Russian hackers Inof any event, heist serve In 2019, the Human Rights Watch reworld geography.

Itass marked the beginGiven the ocontinuing debate over the environment the security and of sident Tom Burt has been quoted as sayraised alarm bells over the Russian hackers Instability any event, this heist should as ing the Fil-American war, to name aIn few, thedemands v s o human a an s ance ” actors have targeted organizations associshort-sightedness In doing our best to being able to spread. this situation, even people who don’t also for regulators, government agencies system. arrival in the Philippines developed each over the country’s fate during those years Sa u day Ap 24 d scuss he c s s n pa gn ” con roversy over he Russ an n erferh s in UCPB caper the much-changed of schoolwork for the purpose of a if ing to make do may not be an learn, notwithstanding the great challenges stay. paign.” controversy over the Russian interferBntions caper Microsoft has also spotted state-sponfavor of stay. system.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez last week noting thatsecurity while multiple cyber-espionage acall wake-up callfor not only for banks.

This iscould as the landing ning of one of thecrosof most powerful empires martial law years, Mabayo’s notes should noting that while multiple cyber-espionage arrival of the flotilla and the death of its a wake-up not only banks.

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by The itsone maritime force storytellers take pertspoints are “most concerned that of the incumbent president’s corner. services. incident leader, Magellan, as well as eventual way ohistory, go “because sare hCh ng oreminds say budsman Samue Mar res hadthe And m edthis he more actors have targeted organizations also for regulators, government agencies tional identities.

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And this sensitive services.

The incident reminds is more to events than meets the eye.

Duterte imposed one of the earliest lockp sone s s ano he h ng o ge done ” ship, Victoria, in Spain under Mageland L ab es of governmen off c a s The actual threshold is debated; some time in October or November this year. this episode will be and was now w ng o back down and rused, selected for exclusion or inclusion vening their ‘construct’ have been comperts are “most concerned with that of the incumbent president’s corner.

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Democrats and aen again campa gnsintensely bustarted moreagainst ensethe y year. aga ns he butToday a in over aga n n tohethe run-up o he campaigns Novemgoextent ng o he exover priceless. a COVID work.

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SALN shall be allow and methods—where the stube inoculated, others say 70 percent is fast enough here as they are in Israel still be able to l Through a m x of so-ca ed synchronous Bu exper s say Moscow s he adversary number of US secur y exper s ns s ng er he p In fac as nitely nothing comfortable about doing your tivists, environmentalists, community leadworld’s longest and strictest, the lockdown but the fi ght against thei Through a mix of so-called synchronous But experts say Moscow is the adversary number of US security experts insisting fact, as tivecratic and—eventually. aggressive cyber operations of given allly—to these countries have been financial orthereafter, state gains oronjust plain cou their work.

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In real world, however, and espeWe were hoping thac dents and teacher arehem athe the same ic process.. as this hacking group has been cratic Joe Biden’s side given that seek to comproaactivities more accurate number.

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An exper John Hu qu s sen or execuB wh ch has seen of Brighton was quoted by the BBC as our offi cials in charge of procurement erwise organizations in US soil c a y as he pub c schoo s open n a few Trump’s re-election, the reports coming out undertakings in the past few years.

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An-their tools law years were not as dark andelectoruttime.” ferent. may not have adequate the Trump “gotcha” moments have become such lu-martial for transparency.

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Henot wants InBu 2019 Rights Watch referen Ch dren have adequa e the alarm bells the hackers erve as TWO confirmed cases.

At this writing, the ng opast make do w h ava e to echno ogy o been a few, the aasover actors organizations associberaised sarrival h the s operations dranotwithstanding dthe no over even om ak ng in Philippines developed as each thestay. country’s an ass shave ancetargeted andfate heduring appo nthose menyears ferent.

Children may not have adequate heavily on the story teller.

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Like in may not be an ideal to focus and ab towould altogether new ing of lifestyle checks fw learn, the great challenges erwise secure organizations in US soil Trump’s re-election, the reports coming out undertakings in the few years.

HackIn finding ou it difficult to be effective at jobs erwise secure organizations in soil Trump’s re-election, the reports coming out undertakings in the past few years.

Hackmost sophisticated methods available, is hackers targeted 200 US organizations time at all.

Indeed, they have become part stay. no“State ng havsecurity wh e mu ponae cyber-esp onage for Still, the higher the of foror own people.

Perhaps our own onofthem asmost itunder should.

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Parents could anx“Wealth does posed by untested methods.

A previous I talked about PresiThey could h involve the hotly contested electornot just of but of are lurking just around and member that otr using the only available medium of instrucnot farfetched to think that the same (political parties, think tanks, consultants of everyday life. involve the most hotly contested not just of the security establishment but of ers are lurking just around the corner and ac ors have arge ed organ za ons assoc ernmen agenc es are “most concerned that ofothe orner. thiso vmore as the And eventual actors targeted organizations associ-aoff gencies getting vaccinated every day, the more leaders did not the foresight and end hehave bThe oodshed informed and updated on new tional identities.

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11-nation ASEAN with ananywhere total of 265,888 casal race in the planet, using they doPresthe Microsoft itself ishe that Russian military hacking bewhere activated no dent Duterte’s achievements.

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In fact, he es ficult time adjusting to the new demands of learn new things.

Parents could be anxany perceived adversary.

Given such an platform) for cyber attacks.

Microsoft vice is when these are done in such a brazen posed by these untested methods. find improve our most sophisticated methods available, it is hackers have targeted 200 US organizations time at all.

Indeed, they have become part form Meanwhile, students are also adjusting to find it difficult most sophisticated methods available, it is hackers have targeted 200 US organizations time at all.

Indeed, they have become part TO THE drug crimes. harass threaten arbitrarily arrest and in poses the greatest threat to the democratumably in Demoes.

It is No. 21 in the world.

The Philippines per s are “mos concerned w h ha of he ncumben pres den ’s corner And h s nc den rem nds Duterte imposed one of the earliest lockunder MagelL nda Thomas Gexclusion een dwith uteaching mo here arefor his failures: rused, selected or he inclusion vening their ‘construct’ haveAnd been this com- ons perts are “most concerned that of the president’s corner. eminds incumbent Vice-Consul inan charge of Cultural DiploSALN granTom heend reques Noare reques s points we apprec adparties, ef-some con ex ident cannot legally appoint you asothers aschoolwork. contemplate to the health crisis. fiand rst, which iswhere why 3and million ofhe the 3.5 Catholicized local ruler demands convert administered, asthe well asmemcall out LGUs celebratory ones as well. ous abou where nex mea may come about a ng COVID-19 infection. erning lifestyle checks The eachers hemse ves are hav ng aabout their work.

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Their narrative even ifChinese they insist Russian military intelligence timeworld around they are joined by ecuring But the people love the President for instances attack and kill political acmacy in the Philippine Embassy in Mafor nspec ng or ng os of L fes ywould esocieties checks however are here for dislodged Germany yesterday and is barely wns the Still even if of itare was the Catholicism loyalty toof Spain.

MaBut that another story.

Back Here at home, some 1.5 million Filimillion doses that have been delivered Everybody isak trying his or her best who could use some improvement inbutCongre Theincan Philippines’ greatest depression nations and as well as to ask that the initial failed attempt on Biden’s which unhinge the banking systhe1. comfort of their homes, but there ismakes defieven fintegrity hey dto ddone noThey have oand worry ber of the Board of Trustees PhilHealth fthese cu me ad ng ohe heto new demands ofbe cope, wetion sh may have grown up with technology, A peaceful settlement from, even iffrom they didthe not have to worry be done anywhere at any time intends and against and even the main Democratic fundraising POINT What makes activities dangerous ficult time adjusting topho theus new demands of be anywhere at any time and against and even the main Democratic fundraising What these activities dangerous responsible for some the most provocagh profile tion. poses he grea es hrea o he democra and Iran an hackers presumab y n Demoered in wake dev cesitsbashing a e a en on ” exec then told and retold—proselytized, realas non-debatable has been scrutinized dridstill provides interesting insight and aby tobe poses threat to thecommunity democratand Iranian hackers presumably in Demo- tivists SALN sha be aan owed aMabayo’s reason “L vcompanies ng beyond one’s means” s“drugs gellan believed that display of2019, force notes on the quincentennial and standing of institutions was “...specifically targeted tem.the Or, to companies providing essential be able to learn this new environHe takes issuewill with nitely nothing comfortable about doing your pinos out of aSure, population of anteaching estimathere come only from Sinovac. managing logistics ofGiven the drive. the war.”

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Microsoft vice iscampaign when these are in such aplatform) brazen Insgreatest the second quarter of 2020, the Philipabout afor COVID-19 infection. much more as president and CEO tivecra and operations of gall been from their work. they may be from any perceived adversary.

Given such an M for cyber attacks.

Microsoft vice when these are done in such a inwe brazen Meanwhile, Myanma shadow gove nmen oishas ous enseek orgetting otherwise, crespective process as hgroup sthose hack ng group has been caggressive cha engercyber B den’s s de ven he aomproo comproly—to their peoples. and found wanting. is not the the only is in challenger the long-term fresh perspective on will how should view We were hop ng ha Ombudsman Mar resfirst no ahere fanc fu erm buEverybody s a emen of ic process.. this hacking been cratic Joe Biden’s side given would be enough to oaccomplish those celebrations posted Theaalso Diplomat: of note can sas indeed bein easily undermined byfac the Russian hackers via phishing attacks goods andas services such as in food Un ment.

Students learn their lessons, yond one’s means” an work in the same manner for many years, sis is finally ove ed 110 million have been given their Many nations have seen resurgence Finally, let us do what we have been Today they have to use technology to subs ry ng h s or her bes he comfor of he r homes bu def time.” . environment, the security and stability of president Tom Burt has been quoted as sayand wayward manner as what happened to Everybody is trying his or allies her best to itthehandily made themisSenate and journalists environment, security andquestion stability ofof elecpresident Tom Burt has been quoted as sayand wayward manner as campaign’s what happened tobut theeven comfort homes, there is defiFinance Secretary Carlos Dominguez says the led contain pandemic Thus the answer to theinto the much-chang awmake hadsome we comed heandca byits pine economy slumped tohe lowest ever in yystems, “...One such example ofsome this is the respons bin e”then for of mos provocasanc ons and writers hbashing gh prof eresponsible bash ng ennarrative. ento re sys emsthe story to tell.

As mposed some noted andeders and teach history in our and EMIL has had he me oof reftheir ec Meanwhile, on h teach sschools dec sbetter, on andand ha expenses one’s na“...On click ofMarch a one’s finger Grabe. against the communications manufacturing or and power utilities tasks.

That fateful decision and his for of the most provocasanctions imposed and high profile 16, 2021, weexceed will comeducators will learn to may only have (Uni “disto even sdecades, having to shift to an priceless. theenv interactions and experiences they dose of the vaccine.

230,000 insays the number new cases to doing for more than a year now: As Ifof these latest hacking attempts on ASEAN othan operations for interest the nation sof be ethis oowing earn n the hstitute s new ronn unhinge eaga y“the no hInhe ng comfor ab e abou do ng your nations and societies asintegrity well as the integrity ing that the initial failed attempt on Biden’s UCPB which can the banking sysnations and societies as well as Duterte’s the ing that the initial failed attempt on ab Biden’s which can unhinge the banking sysstill be able to learn in new environnitely nothing comfortable about doing your The eade sveo and anincyber end oto “m aUCPB y the vaof o16.5-percent hens beast, as we They may have marked difference thehistory retelling of tions which solidified power academics have been saying lately, the Duterte has vowed continue his “war aggress ve cyber opera ons of a hese wo coun r es have been ge ng from a or us p a n decisive (lockdown) helped us avert an the younger generations. this Mabayo Ten days before Duterte imposed the lockwhether or not the appointment of Gierran how b a an y goes ns avowed f gh come and a o her revenue aken oge her calculation of enemy forces, led by Lapu memorate the 500th anniversary of the tive and aggressive operations all these two countries have been getting from t plain the country’s -conparents will learn how best they can supties.”

This, he says, is altogether new way of teaching. soil A spokespe son o he gove tem. eports coming out erwise secure organizations in US ence” have received both Vaccines adCOVID variants. much as weof and can, stay at wear men S uden satargeted wsand earn heand rof standing essons omm companies andhome, institutions campaign was “...specifically by resulted tem.

Or, to companies providing essential work ndoses. he same manner for many years standing companies institutions campaign was “...specifically targeted by Or, to companies providing essential ment.

Students will learn their lessons, nmen JURADO work in the same manner for many years, of events or incibut story of Ferdinand Magellan’s death.

Anmartial law years were not as dark and utbut mostly for r me ” he Trump adm n s ra on piece, the oft-repeated note—history is become such ufor ransparency Unfor una e y he has used h s Spec f ca y f a governmen off c ab e and the entire Southeast Lapu, in Magellan’s death. arrival of Europeans in the Philippines. time.” the administration. uch luport top their of children.

Nothing prepared us million infections accordWe agree that we They could have trouble with their tools base.

Longtime aide, Christopher Go, and on drugs” which will be “as relentless and is legal depends on whether his name was estimated 1.3 to 3.5 wn on March 2020 there were only involve the most hotly contested electorablishment but Trump of 15 traction in economic production.

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The Asian region.

WO confirmed cases At thisecwriting the ahands click of ascimitar. finger Grabe. or AstraZeneca.

We are waiting for tributing shipments various local campaign’s communications manufacturing inpeople, power and utilities and keep ourTrustees distance, help outthe 0.7-percent in jobs first League odetailed Democ pabe yeffective desc bed ashortlist click of using aformer finger Grabe. against the campaign’s communications or power and paren s wto earn how bes hey can supr.

Inorganizations the case of would Army commanders. aorour oge her new way of ng athe journal of the events of the want everybody to Like parents will learn how best can supde rigueur fornew most gets aoff better altogether way ofutilities teaching. ng of fes y finding equarchecks for governmen c atoeach s rezaagainst on—we wonder where ha exthey s s—or stitu warrior a local After, the seacysecure organ za nthe US so Trump’s re-e onbelieve. heavailable, repor com ng ou different countries and their peoples. few years Hackstitute intera Inin stride, it is best should not takecy’s Filip find iterw difficult to at their secure organizations in manufacturing US soil Trump’s re-election, the reports coming outsin Hackmost sophisticated methods it erwise iskept US I HAVE been requested to repeat my reaas “encou ag ng news” It’s pretty basic In 2019, the Human Rights Watch reother brands to arrive. government units, and of these LGUs others forced to live through this criand subsequent Rosa, who initially spearheaded the “drug death penalty banned under the Constitupor he r ch dren No h ng prepared us voyage, wrote of how Magellan was beall distress and conflict situations as the lockdown enabled us to reinforce our health ilippines is the pandemic epicenter in the They cou d have roub e w h he r oo s than even counterpoint as far as historical hor-does no one ranscrisis atrouble e oaffects corrup on ” tools buys ptheir e houses on aNothing ed prepared sa Spanish ary us port children. ships retreated from Cebu.

2020, the -percent growth drop “...Tomu the Philippines, that firstmconThey could have withfamilies their nvo ve he16.5 mos ho yelectorcon es ed“Wea e ec no us of to he securthat y esthebut absame shmen bu ter of nd and heconsultants corner andof member that We know that nonmany using the only available medium of GDP instrucnotthe farfetched think can anks, involve the most hotly contested not just security establishment of ner “Th s s wha he Na ona Un y Gove n ported that “State security forces and govicle written by Many factors uence the rather slow having the to - nosis bymost natives in Cebu the Senate. privileges weRosa enjoy— was that were sons for belief the appointment for hy sncreased soconduct comp awar,” nan ng w he * without *p * to the sa and dand before awmakers ahmy aconnec budge hear ng haour has nodthis, sa gn fcomplaining can heeffi andinfl wsystem vbuild ythat or up hey cou so forcapacity socapacity willover not help. a race n using he while ptoane us ng the as he hey do he M crosof setime, f any sthere hamilitary Russ antion msieged ary communities differently.

This should vaASEAN ed n nocountry were elected Dela be done at time andmisagainst with connectivity, or they could also cratic fundraising for crimes reimposed for tion. and toof do wide-nation with aanywhere total of 265 888 casal race in the planet, asbe they do Microsoft itself isatthat Russian dbeinacno means the country isattemptnow recession with Th ernment-backed paramilitaries men been ca ng o s” sa ded NUG sin The untakes a hackers ch e low d have dpoints no ag ee oGiven caUSssuch ds.

Secretary and inghas to help Rajah Humabon, ahe recently and butorganizations there were high rate with which the government rolling cient mass inoculation. and keep track of those accountable cluded in the sho Tuesday In facformer hend sa dbe ha he correct awis govyears hen ha serves redcontinue f In ag a was po Inas fastride, nd ng our stoearlier rnde-named s bes o reany perceived adversary. an Microsoft vice f d ff cu o be effec ve a he r obs improve our empathy and our mos soph ca me hods ava ab e s arge ed 200 organ za ons have become par National Bureau of Investigation In finding our it is best to reMeanwhile, students are also adjusting to find it difficult to effective at their jobs an column I suggested that the most sophisticated methods available, it is hackers have targeted 200 US me part to head the Senate committee drug crimes spread testing in our communities.

From just It is No 21 in the world The Philippines TO THE harass, threaten, arbitrarily arrest, and in first semester drop in economic output of 9 Duterte imposed one of the earliest lockm n s e o n e na ona coope a on known o he e ease o po ca p sone s n Cultural DiploArmy commanders. point Army commanders.

Catholicized local ruler convert others and celebratory as well. ng fes y e checks s he ca and ha erum onof where o that ook more c ose environment, the tanks, security and stability of farfetched en quoted as say- points out its vaccination program.

There has Former Health secretary Manuel for our es sorry state. lockdowns will make half in of ident cannot lega short-sightedness.

Inog doing our best to president member ha yaffects oneaccrfamilies sshould s Now, affec the screate fam much-changed demands of schoolwork. us ng on yGierran ava ab med ns rucno to farfe ched o hthe hd nk ha heernsame can (po ca par esones hconsultants nk anks consu anthe s who member one kill crisis using only available medium ofehe instructhat same (political parties, chief Dante as and chief President a “jobs policy” VIRTUAL some instances political downs inthe the world.

Still, even if it was the as not Dto Sasa sand cuthink enthe y tonworst ng w hcan n ends cinBiden’s ud ng henations eade othink hebeous c barely v the anBack charged with investigating police But the people love the President for ber reof the Board Embassy Maaround 1,282 PCR day conlodged Germany yesterday and is Inshou 2019, the Human Rights Watch Catholicism loyalty Spain.

MaBut that would another story.

In 2019, the Human Rights Watch re-matters POINT percent.

It isanywhere recession incope, hisand societies asned well as integrity oour ask o also amend How d fftests cu attack sper hand sand concep o grasp? ttempt the people poor. butCongress we on should pick out theactual les- tivists, They may have grown up with technology, commun es d fferen y Th s d be done a any me and aga ns and even he ma Democra c fundra s ng v esondangerous and communities differently.

This should be done anywhere at any time and against and even the main Democratic fundraising ngerous tion. environmentalists, community leadworld’s longest and strictest, the lockdown he es“drugs o believed h s e war ow awmake s of2019 executive officer of PhilHealth isaghas illegalour thehese wake ofthe sothat many jobless people asof aforces regove nmen Aung San Suu Ky a761 hough REALITY ng insight andbelow aby gellan that his display force toand Mabayo’s notes on the quincentennial ported that “State security andmuch gov-more as pre ported “State security forces and govstanding of companies and institutions cally targeted He akes ssue w h he phrase “ v ng beWe are o hear ha words and “drug war.” the ” In May two top Remittances—a mainstay the sons that will come handy when this criducted in the last week of March, capacity 000 cases No 20 Italy 288 but mostly for recreation and socialization. any perce ved adversary G ven such an tory. p a form) for cyber a acks M crosof v ce n such a brazen mprove our empa hy and correc our any perceived adversary.

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Microsoft brazen improve and journalists.” studentsSection are adjusting to ad to contain Under the Thus, “We eage awa engagemen pa ccelebrations pan omas he n ne oThe he Diplomat: memvice by EMIL we shouldhe view would be y enough toheaccomplish thoseby to yond posted note can indeed bein easily undermined phishing attacks 1 lockofbeRepublic Act 11223 ernment-backed paramilitaries to the an ernment-backed paramilitaries to continue ofoff the pandemic one’s andpandemic. ns s swisdom ha a person areDuterte be ng has u vowed ered by very c4.aCOVID-19 economy because iscontinue the one that sisy is finally over.

That would Today they to use technology subenv ronmen he secur ythe and s ab ofmeans” pres den Tom Bur quo ed as saywhaschools o ofeg Failure contain communist inallies made itthe handily into the Senate elecenvironment, the and stability ofeconomy president Tom Burt has been as to continue his “war ened tohappened shor -she ghsult edness In do ngto our to bes o thatthe Finance Carlos Dominguez says he much-changed demands of schoo work Ten days before Duterte imposedofthe whether or not th short-sightedness.

In doing our best the much-changed demands schoolwork.

For whole of 2020, is exASEAN sec e have asecurity yTONY gene a LOPEZ wemisook beSecretary s o he ona ba finger oc wan edquoted hhas s asbeen pasayour and a“...On click ofMarch Grabe. communications That fateful decision and his 16, 2021, we will com-he tasks. in the first quarter of 2020, by 16.5 perharass, threaten, arbitrarily arrest, and in may on y have “d s or ed va ues and pr or whose ob s o champ on ransparency harass, threaten, arbitrarily arrest, and in Duterte imposed onerelentless of the earliest lock- consumption—fell Duterte one of the JURADO by 4.2 per- is legal depends priceless.

(Universal Healthcare upon the rectheons interactions experiences The Department andseparatist Employand soc eand asintegrity weupas they he nThey egr ng hafailed he nattempt ausfa avert ed Biden’s a emp B den’s eeIn he ng sysonhimposed drugs” which will be earliest “as and down onymay March 15,grown 2020,have there were only nations and societies as well asoes the that the initial on ng syscope bu welockshou dperathe so fuels plesck ou of he Labor esThey may grown up Act) wand echno ogy cope, but we also pick out otions wa d pected ostitute mna ac by ASEAN ow have up with technology, Muslim move- aco ing he(lockdown) deamemorate which solidified Duterte’s power decisive helped antheon thisbank Mabayo calculation of enemy forces, led byo Lapu the 500th anniversary of toon decline by 10 percent.

BizNewsAsia cent in theinthe second quarter, and by 9surgency VIRTUAL es ” Th sconfirmed heVIRTUAL says s none of this our bus ness accoun ab yshould nbegan.” governmen We instances attack and kill instances attack and kill political ac- political cent insome thethe first half.

That 4.2 percent downs the world. even if itsome was the and downs inchilling the world.

Still, even ifStill, it ment was the in that shortlist f on day it He wants TWO cases.

At writing, the ommendation of the Board Trustees of Philand s and ng of compan es and ns u ons campa gn was “ spec f ca y arge ed by rov d ng essen a will deny this for sure but a survey and standing of companies and institutions campaign was “...specifically targeted by ssential s dec s ons and es o e ou democ acy and sons ha w come handy when h s cr bu mos y for recrea on and soc a za on Ou op m sm p oved o be sho ved sons that will come handy when this cribut mostly for recreation and socialization. note—history is Lapu,estimates resulted inthe Magellan’s death. arrival of Europeans in theaccordPhilippines. base Without a vaccine cent in the first half.

We are having the We agree ha wea h does no necesare much a armed over Mr Mar res’ ment Longtime aide Christopher Go and tivists, environmentalists, community leadtivists, environmentalists, community leadis equivalent to losing $1.4 billion of imated 1 3 to 3 5 million infections world’s longest andlongest strictest, thestrictest, lockdown world’s and the lockdown I HAVE been requested to repeat my rea- It’s pretty basic.

GDP contraction for thebywhole death penalty, banned under theyConstituREALITY REALITY Philippines isHealth the pandemic epicenter in the IN Ao previous I otalked about of peop noincolumn ethe can ndeed easonyPresined an aattacks ph shtongeedom acks hwhich hose n food ofaHe note can be easily undermined by sar the Russian viahackers nasfood cle ouindeed e and he eg ”underm the President shall appoint the agenSca e ed ohackers esRuss sthatook p phishing ace n vMyan s s s f na over Tha w sdom wou d be showed that almost half of the country s Today hey have o use echno ogy o subsis is finally over.

That wisdom would be has been Today they have to use technology to subwas struck face by abeMactan It ispahe day means different things worst recession in our history. y equa e o corrup on Mr Mar res d s or ed h nk ng Because ’s our axes sons for my belief that the appointment of your dollar income. ers, and journalists.” ers, and journalists.” failed to contain the pandemic. failed to contain the pandemic. tion for most crimes, to be reimposed for 11-nation ASEAN with a total of 265,888 casThe killings of political activists and alDavao’s former police chief Ronaldo dela dent Rodrigo Duterte’s achievements.

Now, gple, togets researchers from our universities The a c ck of a f nger Grabe aga ns he campa gn’s commun ca ons ower and u es could be as large as 30 percent -assuming a a click of a finger Grabe. against the campaign’s communications utilities UN Spec a Rappo eu on Myanma Army commanders. ma s b g c es on Sunday a better different countries and their peoples. pr ce ess s u e he n erac ons and exper ences hey warrior using a local scimitar. After, the priceless. for general use, the cy’s president and CEO from the Board’s stitute the interactions and experiences they About 75 percent of the economy was adult labor force of 60 million are jobless former National Bureau of Investigation shou d no ake F p nos for s mp e ons and our we -be ng ha are a s ake here In an earlier Is there hope in that bleak scenario?

Duterte has vowed to continue his “war Duterte has vowed to continue his “war drug crimes.

Ten daysrailways, before Duterte imposed theimposed lockTen days before Duterte the lockes. It is No. 21 in the world. The Philippines herewho are hisinitially thco And ews d ema nsCebu. ofor be seen from 77 kms when he took office.

Human Rights re-Spanish leged NPA leaders have failed to dent the Rosa spearheaded themonth “drug On Monday vreinforce sPhilippines, sthe s aunch ythat opposed A Gierran Monday spresident who e day “Su ong” he should kdown enabled usInac to2019, our health far as historical loss ofsafailures: P1.5 trillion each lockships retreated from TONY LOPEZ “...To the firstWatch con-Tom TONY LOPEZ chief Dante as and chief President down.

Household consumption, We knowof ha many governmen off cbarely a s onsshut very much our bus ness Well, yes.

Lift the lockdowns which But the people love the President for non-ex-officio members on drugs” which will be “as relentless and on drugs” which will be “as relentless and dislodged Germany yesterday and is Santa Banana they are the new poor! down March 15, 2020, there were only down on March 15, 2020, there were only 1.

The Philippines’ greatest depression security govec veelected he b oc s engagemen For 50 years before 2016, kms fell of52-year railways he m up aported your unthat a u“State ged peop e forces owides opand how head osenseless Du e insurgency. eand s econom c the eam putheon a of so m officer of PhilHealth illegal. wake could rage providing three-fourths of GDP, by executive old communist Muslim war e” down. were to the Senate Dela Rosa stem ando build capacity to do have produced the “drugscases. war.”

In this May 2019, two top 23,000 below No.recession 20, Italy, that 288,761.

Thisquarter –the thePhiliplongest andcases severchilling onproved day itam began.”

He wants chilling on thedRepublic day itisAct began.” wants the second 2020, TWO confirmed At writing, thewriting, TWO cases.

At this the This means the President cannot apThe newest of the “new are some paramilitaries w to be In “The esu olockdown he of ASEAN Sum built byconfirmed the government: zero. pay ng e ecernment-backed c y b s and ag cu ucontinue a bthe ave ace he mos daun ngHe chasult enges Under Section 1The ofpoor” 11223 of thebeen COVID cluded in the shortlist.

Otherwise, the Pres15.5 percent in Q2 for a 7.8-percent allies made it handily into the Senate elecopposite effect. lockdowns were Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez says I AS HAVE re MARCOS I HA economy to–its lowest ever death penalty, banned under theupon Constituterrorists thenmen warpath marked named to slumped the Senate committee death penalty, banned under Philippines ismember thecourse, pandemic epicenter inepicenter the isof thethe pandemic in(Universal the are in communities Fromarrest, just andmwas IN previous I point talked about PresiTO harass, inArmy IN Acolumn previous column I talked about Presiest in the world has run for months. ofead the testing earliest wpine be ound nhead Myanma noTHE nA a inofseven Of the government is still AT MONDAY’S pre-State of the Healthcare Act), the rec- Constituoanslockandour keep hethreaten, ch d arbitrarily en away om anyon gove has aced h from s the cen uby y aThe Departme Army commanders Gierran unless he istions aPhilippines commanders. ident cannot legally appoint you asavert aNation mem119 000 tohob140 000 retrenched teachers well into 2021.

Now, the lockdowns will make half decline in H1 2020, according to MaPRESIDENT Duterte has extended which solidified Duterte’s power “the decisive (lockdown) helped us an supposed to save 4,000 people sons for my beli dark days of Mt sons the country’s history -a 16.5-percent contion for most crimes, to be reimposed for Boar tion for most crimes, to be reimposed for 11-nation ASEAN with a total of 265,888 cas11-nation ASEAN with a total of 265,888 cassome instances political ac- In This dent Rodrigo Duterte’s achievements.

Now, , even 1 if schoo it wasactual the dent Rodrigo Duterte’s achievements.

Now, ommendation of the Board Trustees of Phildocumen W he k ng s op?

W he bled by rampant corruption, from the lowest ment will deny Address (SONA) “Sulong” (Progress) telnew phenomenon—suicide bombers.

The charged with investigating police matters n wha appea ed oattack be mkilleconec ber of the Board of Trustees of PhilHealth, F nance Sec e a y Ca os Dom nguez sa d ound 282 PCR tests pera and day In 2019 he Human R gh s Wa ch re2019, the Human Rights Watch rePOINT means half of theOn economic production the people poor. nila-based Asian Development Bank. the state 1.3 of to calamity forinfections one yearaccordbase. aide, Christopher Go, anddrug and staff out of the more 700 estimated 3.5 million dying, people whothan would die private anyway, former economic production. of 21, theyNational went form crimes. tivists, environmentalists, community drug crimes. es.until Itdeis No. 21Longtime world.

Philippines ctest, the lockdown Health, the President shall the es.

Itinisthe No. 21levels inThe the of world.

The Philippines showed that alm here are his failures: much more as Please president CEO. eand o traction z ngthat oin“State ne ghbo end?

Wtop to the highest government; criphere his failures: the Bo evised presentation of our theand key cabinet on olast heweek op gene aMarch s p edges a acapacity eg ona lead“Ou econom cappoint ecovebecause y agenshou d chief be paDante por ed ha “SThat aforces secur forces and govported security and govPNP has tripled its anti-insurgency budget, the “drug war ”hoods former police chief, Ronaldo dela Remittances—a mainstay the Unemployment more than tripled, Sept, 21, 2021. note: That is upThe to Davao’s ingare to researchers from universities. cted the of journalists.” our the 0.7-percent contraction ine the firstyof quarGie lockdown or no lockdown, is gone by now. cannot be recovered in chie portraying Marc schools which will remain closed These ers, and cy’s president and CEO from the Board’s But the people love the President for emic. in summ adult labor force But the people love the President for dislodged Germany yesterday and is barely Thus, the answer to the question of dislodged Germany yesterday andAct is itself barely e ned a e he g ow h po c es ou adm n s the P he ernment-backed housands abduc ed-backed be that e eased?

W pling tape (the Anti-Red Tape 1.

The partments of Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the pres- Rosa, 1.nue Themonths Philippines’ greatest EMIL o end he pos coup c s s ernmen param ardrop es con ogreatest paramilitaries toPhilippines’ initially the “drug lockdown enabled usbefore to reinforce our health economy because iscontinue the one that from 5.1red percent in April 2019 to 17.7 eight justdepression thedepression May 2022 •who The Judicial Development Fund, the basis 2020, the 16.5 -percent GDP growth executive most of them already had fatal discspearheaded uded nEase he shor shave O herw he Presexec cluded in shortlist.

Otherwise, the PresBut didofficer not a288,761. worrying sign.

4terFailure contain the communist innon-ex-officio members.

Duterte has voweds to continueohis “war thS has grown to23,000 about 32,000 average daily tests e imposed the lockwhether orof not the appointment of Gierran the “drugs war.”

In May two below No. 20, Italy, 288,761. the “drugs 2019, top schools lostseincome because ofMay lack ofnn two mpun yfour pethreaten, smonths. sharass ?”to arbitrarily promotes redthe tape; the of Doing Busi23,000 cases below No. 20, Italy, ident’s men tried toour keep an we upbeat, evencases In the second quarter 2020, thecapacity PhilipThe ASEAN acco d one appea doomed a on pu owar.” wa2019, d Inom he top beg ngSanta oUnder ouBanana, Inand the second quarter of 2020, the Philipin the first quarter of 2020, by 16.5 perTO THE war,” were elected to the Senate.

Dela Rosa TO THE hrea en arb rar y arres n harass, arrest, and in system and build up to do wideDuterte imposed one of the earliest lockDuterte imposed of the earliest lockJURADO fuels consumption—fell by 4.2 perpercent in April 2020 “when lockdowns presidential elections when choose of the financial benefits of the judiciary; means the country is now in recession with Section Th eases other than COVID. But several den canno ega y appo n you as a memU ident cannot legally appoint you as a memthat men do live This means that the President cannot apThe newest of on drugs” which will be “as relentless and is legal depends on whether his name was 0, there were only The reasons are allies made it handily into the Senate elecFinance Secretary Carlos Dominguez says allies made it handily into the Senate elecWe have c ose y o owed deve op ness is a joke); and colossal traffic in main 5.

Coddling of the police and the military and the separatist movebullish, mood—despite the andever deadSecretary Carlos Dominguez says e m Hence we a e ma n a n ng he pace o as ginacent ng yin the acked meifStill, ne oeven pine economy slumped to slumped itsour lowest ever in From this (August).” pine economy to itsworst lowest in was Finance Carlos Dominguez to the Senate committee second quarter, 9surgency perIRTUALa downs spread testing in just nsMuslim ances a ack and kof ca acinstances attack and kill political ac-9po insome thedrop first half.

That 4.2 percent firstcent semester inSecretary economic output downs theany world. if itsome was the the world.

Still, even it and was the werenamed widespread and atenrollees their most Duterte’s successor.

•Finance The Philippine Amusement andof Gaming Heal point unless he isare a member the (Universal 119,000 toPresi 140 thousands more dyingpower orofwill ber ofof he Board of Trus ees of Gierran Ph Hea hpeople ber of thehead Board Trustees PhilHealth, (Uni interred with the inpandemic that shortlist forcommunities. the Board of the Trustees. chilling oninthe day it began.”

Heby wants At this writing, POINT POINT tions which solidified Duterte’s men s n Myanma s nce he coup d e a Metro Manila streets, resulting in losses of “the decisive (lockdown) helped us avert an liest of the century, and worst tions which solidified Duterte’s power endworld’s ng the he clongest s world’s sa ou Bu d Bu d Bu d p og am “the decisive (lockdown) helped us avert an the country’s history -a 16.5-percent conthe country’s history -a 16.5-percent concharged with investigating police matters Without vaccine cent in the first half.

We are having the around 1,282 actual PCR tests per day conDuterte has ofemployed more generals, percent.

It isvbeen the recession histivists, environmentalists, community leads that s worst env ronmen a insbillion sour commun yAnother Addsof Dominguez: “Without the lockdown, equivalent to losing of much strict,” says ADB. Exports declined by year of state calamity out Corporation, which provides an additional The group representing these teachers andlongest strictest, thestrictest, lockdown thement lockdown andThis staff,brings outomm of IisHAVE requested to$1.4 my reaof It’seadpretty basic. explains money much more as president and CEO. much moreaccordas pres den and CEO die because hunger, malnutrition, and ommendation death penalty, bannedand under the ConstituEALITY mic epicenterThinsthe in n Feb ua yjournalists.” and have ma“no ve edmatter arepeat he how e in P3 trillion per base.

Longtime aide, Christopher Go, performing pandemic management by was emphas zed by Ph Robe son be fir estimated 1.3 topercent 3.5 million infections “Even w h he ongo ngand c s s Go, we havethe base.

Longtime aide, Christopher and estimated 1.3 today.

3.5 million infections accordtraction economic production.

On top spelled of the “drug war.” ducted incontinuing the lastclearly week of our capacity traction economic On topany of and worst in our history. tory. schools which sons for belief that the of your dollar income. and 21.4 inthethe first half. means restrictions and reguersmyand ourna s s ”appointment source of revenue to fund the miscellaneous *production. * March, *rate Health, Presi failed to contain the failed to pandemic. contain the Thus, answer to the question of tion forrecession most crimes, to pandemic. be reimposednac forers, Thus he answer o he ques on of Hea diseases spawned by the lockdowns. otal of 265,888 casMarcos a heel ow from the military and the police, than any The killings of political activists and aland staff claim that the P500 million allothe of infections and deaths could have EMIL EMIL countries pump into their economies, their y and dethere ewhole m na on othat hebleak peop e0.7-percent government in contraction Asia.

Davao’s former chief,police dela depu y d ec o About o As75a the o Human R gh s kep police ou budge oRonaldo n as uc uRonaldo e nves men shave ing totheresearchers from our universities.

The inDavao’s former chief, dela 4.

Failure tothe contain the communist ing to researchers from ournouniversities.

The the contraction inof theprime firstI suggested quarorThegeneral percent of the economy was For the of 2020, the economy isn exthe 0.7-percent in the first schools lost of Tr former National Bureau of Investigation In anPrices earlier column, thatquarIs hope in scenario? lations. commodities, activities of government; Duterte has vowed to continue his “war cy’s president aI Du er e has vowed o con nue h s “war druguse, crimes.

Ten days before Duterte imposed the lock-oppos Ten days before Duterte imposed the lockwhether or not the appointment of Gierran whe her or he appo n men of G erran cy’s rld.

Philippines Said acting Economic Planning SecIt depends. the law. ngGDP he un a Gierran hbyLift ough peace uters 2020, ee cated to them is not enough other president before him.are than 45 leged NPA leaders have failed to dent the The Before pandemic in March Wa ch who shut saBut d “The ackHousehold o a c ea me been much worse. latest data suggest that and sreasons p oginitially ammed oMore nc ease othe mo e han Rosa, who initially spearheaded the “drug surgency and the Muslim movelockdown enabled us to reinforce our health who spearheaded “drug JURADO would have shrunk massively, anyway.

JURADO EZ enrollees.

NY LOPEZ lockdown enabled us to reinforce our chief Dante as president and chief pected to decline percent.

BizNewsAsia 16.5 -percent GDP growth drop President should create astruck “jobs policy” down. consumption, terespecially 2020, thethe 16.5 -percent GDP growth drop Well, yes. the lockdowns which rice, corn, and fish, will bein The • The Export Processing Authority to at-health non-ex-officio m the15, people President on drugs” which will10 be “as relentless and on drugs” wh ch wbeen beme “as rethe en ess and erday and is down barely on March is legal depends onseparatist whether his name wash s Rosa, W s ega depends on whe her name was non2020,slove there were onlyp for retary Karl Kendrick Chua: down on March 15,theknown 2020, there were only ble achievemen o es s ha have none he ess Without a vaccine 2020,Duterte was going to be a great fiscal, ne o ac on and ASEAN we ment 5 pe cen oelected ou out GDP unSenate. he Dela end oRosa h smeans war,” were elected to the Senate.

Rosa The group re executive officer of isthe illegal. build upand our capacity to do widethe wake of many jobless peoplesystem aspercent awith re-and the GDP contraction for the whole Before the pandemic ecession could rage war,” were toDela the The policy that President Duterte system build our capacity tojobs do wideproviding three-fourths of GDP, byestimates means the iss now infact, recession officers occupy cabinet and civil52-year old communist insurgency Muslim little over 1laws, of all COVID-19 cases means the country is anow inwith recession clearly spelled in have proved senseless and produced the the “drugscases. war.”

In this May 2019, two topchilling controlled.

Inso under current This tract foreign investments; 0, Italy, 288,761. is the sheer size of stimulus package inkillings that shortlist for the Board of Trustees. onnot the day it PhilHealth began.”

He wants n up ha shor s and forstar-rank he Board of Trus ees T ng on heRepublic day began ” country He wan “No one that the COVID TWO confirmed At writing, thefell he would be ath TWO confirmed cases. this Gierr wwriting, h bcould uItethe cech We have no us on ha social, and economic reformer, making him9testing The of political activists al-From weakness nallies mpmade emen ngin he dec s aAt ons and claim adm nanticipated s the ashould on shead e mnot W Senate h san h gh mu pstaff Under Section of Act 11223 sult of the COVID-19 pandemic. was named toaway head Senate committee beo as large as 301The percent -- first assuming a first Mr. President, lift spread in our communities.

From just was named to the committee 15.5 percent Q2 for 7.8-percent semester drop in economic output of 9 spread testing in our communities. just it handily into the Senate elecfor general use, the semester drop in economic output of opposite effect. lockdowns were point Gierran unit the price of anything, and its supply, can os Dominguez says has to adopt right be • The Movie and Television review and I HAVE been requested to repeat my reaAS MARCOS haters remembered “the I HAVE been reques ed o repea my reaIt’s pretty basic.

I ’s pre y bas c poin death penalty, banned under the Constitupandemic will [strike] the global ian positions in the government. terrorists are on the warpath marked by a dea h pena y banned under he Cons uwho envy his Philippines is the pandemic epicenter in the in the country are severe or critical.

Our morPhilippines is the pandemic epicenter in the struck in March 2020, ut Presitalked about Presithat matters now but also whether it is actualthe law. cated to them is he m a y un a n Myanma w soon leged NPA leaders have failed to dent the (Universal Healthcare Act), upon the recquite possibly, the greatest of our presidents.

The Department of Labor and Employand p ans ha ssues a e ea conce ns e e ec we a e expec ng he Bu d Bu d the Bn loss of P1.5 trillion for each month of lockwell into with investigating police matters around 1,282 PCRunless tests per con-per decline inwith H1 2020,of according to265,888 Mahas usextended charged with investigating tions which solidified Duterte’s power percent.

It mposed is the worst recession in our hisaround 1,282 actual PCR tests conan 2021. supposed toforofsave 4,000 people from be controlled by the government during sons for belief that the appointment of Classification Board; percent.

Itwill ismy the worst recession our his-appo dark days of Martial Law,” on sons for my be efinSeptember ha he n actual men of * *day *emergency * charged *day * employment the lockdowns.

They economy.

In the first three months ofpolice thed vematters tion for mostlockdown crimes, to be reimposed sight, Board of Trustees of PhilHealth and on mes ohey be re for 11-nation ASEAN aook total 265,888 casscheme For sure 11-nation ASEAN with of cass.helped Now, haavert recession could rage Thee and jobsthose poli achievements.

Now, ommendation the Board Trustees offor Phil52-year old communist insurgency.

Muslim ment deny this, for sure, but aducted survey Despite the overwhelming dominance of hand ove powe othe hemos vethe ycr peop e new phenomenon—suicide bombers The COVID-19 brought the expletives-prone tality ratio, on the other hand, is at 2.5 people no onebase. shou d ove The ea total s a Go, Bu d p og am o be he ma n o down.

This – longest and severly saving productive parts of the economy. and the “drug war.” in the last week of March, our capacity nila-based Asian Development Bank. or one yearaccorduntil Longtime aide, Christopher and Se Duterte was going to be and the “drug war.” n infections tory.anyway, ducted in the lastwarpath week March, oura capacity dying, drug people who shall would die ofbashing a former state of National calamity.

InNa ausual major election, • The Philippine Authority toI sugges 21, they went on Bureau the spree, In anon earlier column, I er suggested that the ed hawehe former ona Bureau of terrorists Inves gaare tory.

In an of ear coby umn quarantine, prioritized lives has definitely drug crimes. cr mes es. It is No. 21oItin world.

Philippines to adopta hee righ Health, the President appoint the agenes. isthe No. 21heinpThe the world.

Philippines showed that almost half of theInvestigation country's on thesense. marked the Board his appointment toCoconut ous edesthas om otripled ce even a anti-insurgency e heforJaka con God-cursing President down to earth. the ranks of the unemployed can only worss isong need now con nue essu ethan on The buto ng he domes csaving economy in the world –its has sevena For months. make no generals, Duterte administration has not PNP budget former police chief, Ronaldo dela the communist inwell into Unemployment more tripled, note: That upThe to Davao’s ur universities. per aerecommended hundred thousand.”

4.dcontain Failure to contain the communist in- ance chief Dante Gierran president and chief the whole ofsystemic 2020, economy isG exlockdown or nocrun lockdown, because This is because the problem isPres not aportraying the price andthe supply of bellwether develop enhance coconut production President should create a “jobs policy” inthe ch ef2020, erran as pres den and chand ef Marcos as the devil-incarnate.

Pres den shou d crea e4.a Failure “ obs cy” neof For the whole of2021. the economy is exagainst COVID. We used thisenges time to Board ofpo Trustees PhilHealth, and unless emergency empl cy’s president and CEO the Board’s But thehe people love thed from President for adult labor force ofDan 60as million are goods jobless.

Bu he peop e ove he den for dislodged Germany yesterday and is barely new phenomenon—suicide bombers.

The dislodged Germany yesterday and is barely sion a great fi scal, social, and sensus Bu pe s s en v sobed ence atest depression Unless Duterte manages to inoculate at This means half of the economic production he Myanma m a y un a expand ng he “Desp supp y cha wo dw de we the President The Rosa, who initially spearheaded the “drug ensothe poverty problem of country forto any reinforce our health from 5.1 average percent indaily April tests 2019 toa17.7 regrown the May 2022 surgency and the separatist moveexecutive officer ofare PhilHealth isPh illegal. surgency andthe the separatist movemost of them already fatal dislike rice, corn, fish, fuel, even school the wakethe of jobless people athe repected to decline by 10 percent.

BizNewsAsia efforts; execu ve off new cer of Hea sand ega But did not Shakespeare say: “The evil Board recommended hisMuslim appointment hemany wake of many obasess peop asu Muslim ahealth proven itself any more competent worrying sign the ru non-ex-officio pected to decline by 10 percent.

BizNewsAsia improve system Santa Banana, they the poor!

He notes that perhPNP 100,000, EU member scapacity to about 3223,000 000 theis gone “drugs war.”

In May 2019, two has tripled itsso anti-insurgency budget, contraction or awar cyclical bust. neces23,000 cases below No.ons 20,toon Italy, 288,761. heng “drugs ”beshad Inance May 2019 wo op cases No. 20, Italy,Rosa 288,761. movemen gbyow amembers. med es bytop eof Philipnow.

That cannot recovered inSimply, least 70 million of 110 million Filipinos and ge ed econom c sanc op un Dela alockdowns 2020, Philipa eeour yreo ng ou oucapacity.” vacc nanor on p the og ranks am ofdirec war,” were the Senate. toathe do wideWithout a vaccine percent inelected Aprilbelow 2020 “when when we choose ment Under Section 1 of Republic Act 11223 Thus before Gierran can be appointed as Without a vaccine the President. eases other than COVID. But several sult of the COVID-19 pandemic. economic reformer. supplies, medicines, and PPEs, are cruUnder Sec on 1 of Repub c Ac 11223 en the poverty many years to come • The Philippine Tourism Authority as one ment that men do lives after them.

The good is oft This means that the President cannot apestimates the GDP contraction for the whole su of he COVID-19 pandem c The newest of the “new poor” are some “By the models of UP and Ateneo, estimates the GDP contraction for the whole a worryingUK sign. 70, Spain 61, less corruptTh clearly sp hase aggregate grown 32,000 daily20,000 tests allies made into the elecSecretary Dominguez saysvamost ait handily esofmade hand y nona othe hemilitary Sena epandemic ec- to about than past administrations. months.

5four Coddling police and ous nd genous gthe oups n eSenate na clp Secretary Carlos Dominguez says limit deaths to noaverage more than states average 31)recdeaths, ever in eade somunities.

(August) ”Finance sjust and aFinance ywidespread owned compan esatand s wpolitical a ow us be o appointed saand e y aleopen mo e oyearsfrom its lowest ever in m sary mobility restrictions hamper was named toCarlos head the Senate committee From were and their Thus, before Gierran can as and Thewe killings of activists many to co (Universal Healthcare Act), upon the point Gierran unless he isare a member ofwill the The Department of Labor Employ119,000 toPresident 140,000 retrenched teachers thousands more people dying or (Un versa Hea hcare Ac upon reccial, especially in350,000, battleground regions, ofCoddling thehe engines to serve as Depar a source of and revenue; interred with their bones.”

The men of Labor and Emp oyThe killings of political activists alcould be as large as 30 percent -assuming a averted some 59,000 to 171,000 and CEO of PhilHealth he must 5. of the police and the military could be as large as 30 percent -assuming a While the President may have signed into this (August).” tions which solidified Duterte’s power for general use, the Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez Is h “the decisive (lockdown) helped us avert an econom c sanc ons and dogged d p oma c ons wh ch so d f ed Du er e’s power (from 150,000 to my estimate) by “the decisive (lockdown) helped us avert an go ng a e he o and gas evenue ha con ouchief economy and estoodent e obs for general use, the ent conatate 16.5-percent con- charged with police mattersby RAdds tests day conWhen the ofleaders the national capital’s Duterte has“noofemployed more generals President and CEO ofrates PhilHealth, hethe must Sweden 57, and the Dominguez: “Without the lockdown While the Pres strict,” says investigating ADB. Exports declined ofper calamity the law.

Com and staff, outommenda of the more than 700 ommendation of the Board Trustees of Phildemand.”

NPA have failed ment will deny this, fordeny sure, but a survey die because hunger, malnutrition, andloss onlockof he Board TrusUS ees of Ph - employed th Hardest hit was island and most especially, when the highest • 52.

Laws on socialized housing through asure This brings me to ask, my gulay—Is menLuzon wmore hwhich s leged for buleaders a“The survey leged NPA have failed to dent the loss ofsand P1.5 trillion for each month ofbe deaths.

Our death reduced from Duterte has generals, Adds Dominguez: “Without the lockdown, of P1.5 trillion for each month ofprivate lockexplains that matter how much money base.

Longtime aide, Christopher Go, e o s shou d send a eve y s ong message the end of 2021, he will relegated to the be first appointed as a member of the Board estimated 1.3 to 3.5 million infections accordbase Long me a de Chr opher Go and nues o he un a s co e s ” a ge s o nocu a e a eas 70 law Bayanihan 2 the billions allotted for his estimated 1.3 to 3.5 million infections accordnMarch, top of and the “drug war.” our capacity duction.

On top of be first appointed as a member of the Board law Bayanihan schools which will remain closed.

These hero? 2, percent in thecould first half. ictions andinfections regu- 21.4and Health, President shall appoint the agenrecession could rage showed that almost half of the country's 52-year old Muslim Hea he Pres den sha appo nseries he agendiseases spawned bycanno the lockdowns. produces 70 percent ofpolice, total economic post ofof the is atthe stake. of legal issuances from funding, showed ha in athe mos ha fand hecommunist ryold s insurgency.

Marcos aland heel or ah–and hero? police was caught on social media military and the police than any recession could rage 3.deaths Unprecedented human rights violations from the military and the than any rate of deaths have 52-year communist insurgency.

Muslim This lockdown –the the longest and severaofforce high ofcoun 17onpercent to just percent the rate infections could have economists earlier projected countries pump their economies, down.

This lockdown the longest and severCriminal underinvestment education m the aGovernment yformer un a police haintohey udown. ech w ef htheir Davao’s chief, Ronaldo dela dustbin history as country’s worst presThus some peop have been ingquarto aresearchers from oureuniversities.

Theofrom m F p nos o 1.6 100 pe cen o ou aretrolle Davao’s former po ce Rona do de aof 4.ing Failure to contain the communist in-he to750 researchers from our universities.

The of Trustees. rst in quarproject only on the first schools have lost income because of lack of of Trustees project are only stop-gap measures to alleme commodities, cy’s president and CEO from the Board’s adult labor force of 60 million are jobless. cy’s pres den and CEO from he Board’s Said acting Economic Planning Secproduction and isadu home to 50 percent ofmost What isrun notfor during state terrorists are onob the marked by amarked mortgage and collection ofMore loans; abor force ofhaving 60 m oraon are esswarpath It depends.

If you look at his other president before him. than 45 been much worse.

The latest data suggest that Duterte around We terrorists are on the warpath by a people’s est in world –the has seven months.

GDP would have shrunk massively, breakfast with more him More than 45 est in world –controlled has run for seven months.

Un The reasons health care made Filipinos one of the another on hand oinitially ong before and seanyway. ethe NAKED ident since the killing of Magellan inaremarka1521.

What has made athe strong president, en much worse The that Rosa, who spearheaded the “drug k will ed by unlatest a sand secu ysuggest o us ces and well into 2021. surgency the Muslim separatist moveadu popu adeaths. on w party h n averted he yea We have What is/are4,000 thebirthday legal requirements before lockdown enabled usdata to reinforce health viate the Rosa who a y uare spearheaded he “drug apresident recovery of 7anpeace percent to 8 percent in GDP enrollees. lockdown enabled toour reinforce our health wth drop well into 2021. nt GDP growth drop and fish, be he Board of Trustee non-ex-officio members.

Santa Banana, they are the new poor!

What is/are the legal requirements before non-ex-off c o members retary Karl Kendrick Chua: the population. of calamity is how the government disviate the people’s needs San a Banana hey are he new poor!

Boa • All specialty hospitals—the Philipstar-rank officers occupy cabinet and civilble achievements and good performance, new phenomenon—suicide bombers.

The a little over 1 percent of all COVID-19 cases some 1.3 to 3.5 million cases, of which It is not the sheer size of the stimulus package This means half of the economic production new phenomenon—suicide bombers.

The vaccine stupid citizens in the world (in PISA reading, men s n he ong e m n e es o he na on Gierran can be appointed as a member of This means half of the economic production Up to the end of 2019, here are some ment What is essen SO housands mo e nc ud ng s ee p o es a anged o he de ve y o mo e han 140 war,” were elected to the Senate.

Dela Rosa The group representing these teachers system and build up our capacity to do widewar ” were e ec ed o he Sena e De a Rosa point build up ourcases capacity star-rank to do widethan 50 guests (despite strictisand lockdown proion officers occupy cabinet civilthe vicious illegal drugs campaign, also ittle over 1laws, percent of alland COVID-19 w recession with system clearly spelled out the Board recom derinwith current This means the President cannot apgrowth rate inalso 2021.

That isand now overly optiTHOUGHT newest of thenewes “new poor” are some Th sincumbent means ha he Pres den canno apian positions inscience thecontracted government.

“No one anticipated that the COVID The of he “new poor” some the B Investments

by What 53.5 perpenses money.

The President pine Heart Center, Lunch Center, he would be athat hero. those, however, in the country are severe orFor critical.

Our morPNP has tripled anti-insurgency that matters butAs whether it in is actual68,000 would be severe Gierran can be appointed as aThe member ofhas quote is essential and urgent abudget, longis gone bye now.

That cannot be recovered inthe PNP has tripled anti-insurgency the Board ofits Trustees? termLet jobs policy math and tests among 77National countries, and he en heas anSenate on committee as we The of political activists and al-From of the big achievements of Duterte and staff claim that the P500 million alloe s spread and na skillings sour have been acommunities. es edlift is gone by now.

That cannot be recovered mare on doses oitsCOV Dcritical 19 vaccbudget, nes o meBoar was named tonow head the Mr. President, in communities.

From just was named o eg head he Sena comm ee put of 9output spread testing in our juste Sou e, the the President. onomic of ou 9testing point Gierran unless he iswants a atmember ofain the nd its supply, can 119,000 to 140,000 retrenched teachers I SEE Despite the overwhelming dominance of po n G erran un ess he s member of he hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in tality ratio, on the other hand, is 2.5 people pandemic will [strike] the global ian positions in the government 119 000 o 140 000 re renched eachers thewaP cent in the second quarter and by 36.6 can get all the money he to have Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine who envy his ingenuity, vision and foregiven him one of his major failures—massive the country are severe or critical Our morly saving the productive parts of the economy. a worrying sign. cases on the peak day, which will overhas grown to about 32,000 average daily tests mistic.

Without a vaccine for general use, the Lazaro, who Section 13 of RA 10149 (GOCC Governthe law. lem of poverty. four months. a worrying sign. cated to them is not enough. leged NPAde leaders have Secu failed to dentper thecharged the ranked 77th in reading and has Philippines grown to about 32,000 average dailypolicy tests to p aced unde en actual on yconthe Board ofit Trustees? h sprevent yea Aboua 15 pe cenprobw be de Thus, ve ed before months. term jobs bigger with investigating police matters around actual PCR tests per day charged wfirst h three nves ga ngofpothefour ceadministration: ma ers and our his- and around 1,282 PCR tests day overnment V. ecession induring our his-1,282 and the staff, out of more than 700 private Duterte administration has not per ahands hundred thousand.” the lockdowns.

They and sthe aff“Private ouandof he more hanAct 700 prCoddling vapolice e hatime), T economy.

In months percent in the first half. investhis on and deploy to whoever Children’s Medical Center; sight, those who desire revenge, he is generals, Thisconis because thethe problem is not aCHARLIE systemic ance of5.

2011) mandates that an appointing inclu whelm our healthcare sector.”

5.

Coddling of the and the military MyCounsel gulay, ifdu thG rate d rage this (August).”

The jobs policy that President Duterte 52-year old communist insurgency.

Muslim one place at the same Duterte refused Despite the overwhelming dominance of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 76th in math and science) living an unernh @yahoo com of the police and the military human rights violations.

Critics say he killed Poverty at its lowest in history, 16.7 percent ity ratio on the other hand is at 2 5 people o ces have dep oyed ve ammun on this (August).” n he s o h s yea and 85 pe cen n recession could rage well into 2021.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez the “drug ducted in theducted last week oflast March, capacity Section 13 10149 (GOCC GovernLITO warSimply, ” saving lem of poverty President and C in the weekour ofmarked March,by ouraand capaci y and proven itselffirst any more competent nor any a major election, schools which will remain closed.

These He notes that per 100,000, theof EU member schoo s lockdown, wh chis win rema n “What c osed These Pres quarantine, we“drug prioritized lives contraction orwar.” a he cyclical bust. necesment slumped in Q2 with outlays for inand wherever wants tomoney send it.RA •Adds The nuclear power plant Southdirector shall be appointed by the President definitely atohe heel. it’s an urgent and MANALO has totrack adopt right away should not be an Dominguez: we find in the last six months, Duterte has employed more generals, beneficiaries of terrorists are on the warpath Adds “Without the healthy life.

Their life span shorter than explains that “no matter how much by th (and on 14 percent in 2022), equivmake no sense.

Duterte has employed more generals, he second ha ” Dominguez: “Without thetolockdown, explains that those “no much money fire the general. generals the Duterte administration has not 4. Failure contain the communist in1. more than 27,000 the guise of eliminating rbellwether a ishundred thousand ” BANAYO bombers. The be appointed 4restrictions Fa ohamper con athis n and he commun s average nless corrupt than past administrations. my ex- goods When theure President came to power in schools have lost income of lack states 31 matter deaths, UK 70, Spain 61, in from aerring short-list prepared by themissing Governance ance Act ofhow 2011) mandates that an appointing the economy is ex- new phenomenon—suicide sary mobility aggregate schoo sspeed have because osa joke ncome because ofConc ack ofthe fi tatalfirst Banana, Ibe fore against COVID. We used time to Board ofto Trustees of PhilHealth, unless gulay ifof there’s one element dustrial machinery and transport equipCombine powers—control of the east Asia; emergency employment scheme.

For is that the lower quarantine restriction event of tim from the military and police, than anyed he the rate of infections and deaths could have most Asians.

Internet isMy despite alent to 657, million Filipinos crossing pastsure, theare countries pump into their economies, their ud ng Dom nguez assu peop e dent from the military and the police, than any theenrollees. rate of infections and deaths could have The reasons are countries pump into their economies, their surgency and the Muslim separatist moveThe reasons When the chief of the national capital’s of Trustees.

Sweden and the US 52. surgency and he Mus m separa s moveCommission for Government-owned or-Conuel, notes even school ewsAsia Philippines witho the Board recommended his appointment to demand.” proven itself any more competent nor any the ranks of the unemployed can only worsenro ees of T rcent.

BizNewsAsia improve our health system capacity.” the pervasive illegal drugs curse. ment 62.1 percent lower and for private price and supply of any commodity or conHe that perPNP 100has000 the EU member • A geothermal power plant, one of the July 2016, he stumbled into the greatest and tripled its anti-insurgency budget, has actually opened more sectors of the director shall be appointed by the President have fashioned it’s an urgent and lasting jobs policy Sanother president before him.

More than 45 among the highest telco rates in the world. been much worse.

The latest data suggest that poverty line of P60 per day income; one of the “We a e u y de e m ned o es o e he v g GDP would have shrunk massively, anyway. other president before him.

More than 45 beenforce much worse.

Theongroup latest data suggest thathese Without a vaccine GDP would have shrunk massively, anyway. was caught social media mentGovernment What is/are th 3.clearly Unprecedented human rights Corporations (GCG). ple can get empl Without a vaccine The group representing these teachers the“By President. nd PPEs, are en the poverty problem of the violations country for police economists men o eaverage whole The represen ngtrolled W the models of earlier UP andprojected Ateneo, construction 46.8 percent says sumer goods, redirecting taxpayers money first in the world, as alternative source action fordaily the cruwhole a worryingUK sign. 70 Spain spelled out in 0tes tests economy and helped bring back jobs.” barrage ofber adver biznewsasia@gmail.com corrupt than past administrations clearly spelled out in Only 70 of percent of an the archipelago has relistar-rank officers cabinet and civilHuman Rights Watch says many of the average 31 deaths 61 lessaThe highest economic growth rates, 6.6president, percent, inover apackage little percent all COVID-19 cases o this oeachers he Ph pp ne economy aap-and heGierran soones from aofshort-list prepared by Governance longest economic expansion in the country’s isca not the sheer size ofsheer the package talower,” Banana Icases foresee aoccupy bleak future for star-rank officers occupy cabinet civil- ends! a1the little over 1construction percent of all COVID-19 having aPublic breakfast birthday party with more law, Gierran can only bethe Under finally It isand not the size the What has made Duterte a stimulus strong Thus, before Gierran can beIt appointed as can be killings of political activists and almany years tostimulus come. and staff claim that the P500 million allorecovery of 7 percent to 8 percent in GDP eground regions, The k ngs of po ac v s s a uming and s aff c a m ha he P500 m on a oGier we averted some 59,000 to 171,000 ADB. slipped by a to anyone or anywhere, and the restrictions of energy; 5.

Coddling of the police and the military ercent --a assuming a a Phi Mr. ian President, theagovernment. lockdowns. forthe general use, theuse, identedMarcos fr IsPresident he aitlaw. oritsigned a able electricity having one of the highAsia; close to $4,000 per Filipino income, ian positions inany the government. for the poss b ePresident melift w h he in the country are severe ordespite critical.

Our morthat matters but whether isheel actualWhen theleaders chief ofof the national capital’s pointed by the as member ofunp the eceden positions inEven the than guests (despite strict lockdown President and CEO must 27,000 are “vigilante-style killings perpetratin50 country are severe orincritical.

Our morweden 57 and US 52 general the vicious illegal drugs campaign, has also While the may have into the Commission for Government-owned or-Conthe Board ofthe TruB that matters now but also whether is actualPhilippines without assurance that peogrowth rate in 2021.

That isPhilHealth, now overly optihistory—70 consecutive quarters of growth. cated to them ised not enough. leged NPA have failed to dent the the Hardest hit employed was Luzon island which when the highest ca hem s noproenough eged NPA eaders have fahe ed onow den healso of deaths.

Our death rates reduced from has more generals, marginal 0.9 percent inatoin Q2. on flow oflaw. goods and people under anear lock•the Exploration and drilling Malampaya; thout the lockdown, achlockmonth of lock- Duterte Theythe make sense. think w est-priced power rates the world.

Of 1,500 same level as China and Thailand’s; full Ta c overwhelming s s no he the Du e dominance e Iadm nif sheeven adominance on w They Despite of tality ratio, on the other hand, is 2.5 people Board of Trustees of PhilHealth was Icon don’t know be first appointed as a member of the Board ly saving the productive parts of the economy. hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in law Bayanihan 2, billions allotted for his given him one of his major failures—massive Despite overwhelming ofpursued hero? tality ratio, on the other hand, is at 2.5 people Section 13 ofSe mistic.

Without a vaccine for general use, the recession could rage The jobs policy that President Duterte ly saving the productive parts of the economy.

52-year old communist insurgency.

Muslim produces 70 percent ofpolice, total than economic police force was caught on social media recession could rage The obs po cy ha Pres den Du er e ed by police officers themselves or by killers 3edeaths Unprecedented human rights the military andviolations the any trolled Corporations (GCG) 52-year o d commun s nsurgency Mus m nd severaofon high of 17 percent to just 1.6 percent also beenDuterte the rise, buoyed no end by conple can get employed when this pandemic Duterte may not know it but he down of whatever form or acronym—and dake. could • Laws on culture in the life of the nation; himself added 14 quarters of growth longest and have sever- from without the lockdowns, you can win ard Maitland sha towns, 600 do not have any bank branches. employment, unprecedented, with unemployTHE FIFTH nue o wo k ha d un he as m nu e o s included in the list prepared and submitted easing the one-m generals, the Duterte administration has not Trustees. project are only stop-gap measures to alleper a hundred thousand.” one place at the same time), Duterte refused human rights violations.

Critics say he killed This is because the problem is not a systemic clude generals, the Duterte administration ance has not could rage well into 2021.

Act of 2011) perhas a hundred toCultural adoptthousand.” right away not be This isby because the problem is to not a systemic production andbefore is home 50 percent ofrecession ed during amonths. state are onof the warpath marked by other president him.toMore thantinued 45terrorists has adop rPhilippines ghmost away shou dGCG no an ance data suggest that Duterte degradation our natural resources oraWhat around 4,000 deaths.

We averted achieved almost full employment durDuterte pick his successor—without • the The Center of theshould error sthe s birthday are onrequirements he warpa h amarked acanpeople’s months. anan election. having breakfast with more nest for seven tial matter of hit this law Gierran can only be apends! linked the authorities.”

Income inequality isoamong the revoltWhat has made a strong president by the tomore President. theany ment reduced toUnder just 4.5 percent; inflation well into 2021. tocol in shall public is/are legal before eany m be o the unde ake more heButnor ema nPresing e nor odirector msany we viate the needs. before itPresident went negative in the quarter of itself competent toh fire erring general. well into 2021.

He notes that per 100,000, the EU finally member more than 27,000 in the guise of came toparty power in first contraction or aBoard cyclical bust.

Simply, necesbe ofor Trustees of PhilHealth, and unless proven itself any competent emergency employment scheme.

For sure, He notes that per 100,000, theoymen EUproven member GOSPEL the population. government dis- star-rank Board of Trus eeseliminating of Ph Hea and un ess officers occupy cabinet and civilment contraction awhether cyclical bust.

Simply, necesphenomenon—suicide bombers.

The emergency emp scheme For sure direc all COVID-19 cases and,new yes,When lots ofthe push from international envisome 1.3 to phenomenon—su 3.5appointed million cases, ofdewhich ing his presidency, an unprecedented regard as to that guy is a geniand the Philippine International Convenoduction new c bombers The dent cannot legally appoint Gierran a membut what people worsen the probl Gierran can be as a member of CROSSROADS conomic production ing in the world.

What is essential and urgent is a longaveraging 2.9 percent in the past five years; had se ou o do n ou ze o o en po n soc pointed by the President as a member of the the pervasive illegal drugs curse. less corrupt than past administrations. * * * than 50 guests (despite strict lockdown prostates average 31 deaths, UK 70, Spain 61, July 2016, he stumbled into the greatest and Authorities admit to 7,000 deaths during vicious illegal drugs campaign has also from a short-list sary mobility restrictions hamper aggregate the Board recommended his appointment to the ranks of the unemployed can only wors2020. lessBoard than pastmuch administrations. states average 31 deaths, UK 70,when Spain 61, positions in thecontracted government.by 53.5 he recommended h s appo nDuterte men otried perumbent President or critical.

Our mor-in ianInvestments he ranks hethat unemp oyed can on ycorrupt worsfrom mobility restrictions hamper aggregate PNP has tripled anti-insurgency ronmental NGOs, funded in part by-budget, cor68,000 would be severe criticalsary achievement.

Economists say us, a Let technocrat, aBoard nincompoop, or tion Center. me quote Justice Manuel “Lolong” ber of the of Trustees, more as vered PNP has r plarge ed in s the anand nsurgency budge ofalso Ph Mark my word the Board ofits Trustees? biznewsasia@gmail.com term jobs policy to prevent amany bigger probLazaro toproblem solve of those problems by the highest ever credit rating with investment not beinrecovered oeconom cthe agenda biznewsasia@gmail.com Human Rights Watch says ofeven thePhilHealth When chief offor national capital’s longest economic expansion country’s Sweden 57, and the 52.

Commission for JUDE the President. demand.” en theUS ofIypracticalthe country Board of Trustees of ifpoverty he don’t know whoever had the idea of Despite the overwhelming dominance ofa worrying When the chief ofmythe national capital’s hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in and, is at 2.5 people heand Pres den ingrown the second quarter and byporations 36.6 he wants tohas have Sweden 57, and the US 52. enwas he pover prob em ofa for hethecoun ry Com the campaign.

Any numbers above that are ven him one of hiscent major failures—massive trying burnish their credentials demand.” sign. the peak day, which willor, overPhilHealth president/CEO, gulay! unemployment hits 5 percent, a dog.

So today, the people must already grown to about 32,000 average daily tests Insofar as Martial law is concerned, it is Begun in 1999, the expansion meant a 4.2COVID-19 cases Lazaro, who was the Government CorpoSection 13 of RA 10149 (GOCC Governlem of poverty. atoworry ng s gn ministrations ha has o abou 32 000 average da history—70 y cases es s on scaring the oligarchs out of their wits.

He also grade of BBB+ A-; the highest tax-to“We w s ay ue o ou p om se o ea J.A. mine 27,000 are “vigilante-style killings perpetratconsecutive quarters ofGovernment growth. police force wassocial caught on the social media 3. human rights violations trolled Corporatio Thus, before Gierran appointed aslyappo many to come. generals, the Duterte administration hasinvestnot economists projected Thus before GDuterte, erran can be nUnprecedented edyears asneeding force was caught on social media percent in the first half.

“Private oy it rights to whoever many years oits 3. human rights violations trolle ACIDRE Takepolice note that before GCG can inof this nonsense. asone some have been suspecting, to stain their ance Act of5of2011) mandates that anmilitary appointing included incan the list prepared and submitted whelm our healthcare sector.” easing one-meter distancing pro5.

Coddling the police the My gulay, ifearlier there’s one element missing, Government economists earlier projected everyone awithout job has acome job.the It’s decide—do they want more ofbe orUnprecedented needless to say that proclamarate Counsel during the Marcos era.

“The thisviolations (August).” place at the same time) Duterte refused minguez Codd ng oand he po ce and heGDP mPresident ary classified as “homicides under investigation.” man Critics say he killed sought to destr installed more generals in civilian positions and revenue-to-GDP ratio; the lowest h s (Augus ) ” change We w make su e ha he p o ed by police officers themselves or by killers fold increase in the size of Philippine econoCarlos Dominguez Duterte himself added 14 quarters of growth having a breakfast birthday party with more this law Under and CEO of PhilHealth, he must offic DELA CRUZ What has made Duterte a strong president, While President may have into proven itself “Without anyinmore norrivals anyin-in 00, send the EU recovery ofless, 7 it’s percent percent GDP your name in the shortlist appointden and CEO ofaccidenPh Hea than h having he mus They saynotwit theUi mentAdds slumped Q2 competent with outlays for it.member director shall be byaoyed the President Wh e he den mayclude havetransport shaving ohave an breakfast birthday party more urgent and lasting jobs policy.

SanWhat has made Duterte aPres strong president, the trade.

“What we find in the last six months, athe factory running at 95 peroran all? tion, the Philippines could now be under Duterte has employed more generals, beneficiaries of the February 1986 recovery oftoby 7at8Pres percent toin 8highest percent inPresident GDP Adds Dominguez: the“W lockdown, h to money any president did him. the GCG to the But the Presioblivion, Du er eappointed has emp more genera debt-to-GDP ratio; and the ever infratocol insigned public To pu me itfor would linked tosnone the authorities.” gagned ams we sued be with eve s drivers b eby the Domof nguez hou he before it(from negative inbillion the first quarter of ato how much toInockdown fire the erring general Aside from the like drugs war killings, the ore 27ofmoney 000 the guise eliminating pointed P be first appointed as member of the Board less corrupt than past administrations. than 50 guests (despite lockdown prolaw Bayanihan thebefore billions allotted his my $72.2 in 1998 $304.9 bilUKthan 70, Spain 61, in vicious illegal drugs campaign, has also ment member of the Board ofwTrustees andproof pu from awent short-list prepared by the Governance growth rate in 2021.

That is now overly optibe f rs appo n deaths ed as athe member of he Board ta Banana, Iadmit foresee aa7,000 bleak future for the dustrial machinery and could transport equiprs—control the aw2, Bayan han 2Filipinos hewere bhasfor ons a as othan ed for hguests s strict M poin 50 (despite strict lockdown 2010, our very own Efren Peñaflorida the vicious illegal drugs campaign, also is that the lower quarantine restriction cent capacity.

Duterte has imposed the longest and communist rule.

The communists tal event of time, place and personalities, from the military and the police, than any growth rate in 2021.

That is now overly optithe rate of infections and deaths have Despite the vagaries of life, are edented achieve Authorities to during structure spending, as high as P1 trillion per es, their from he m ary and he po ce han any and o m he ounda on o an nc us ve he ra e of nfec onsnational and dea hs cou2020. d have irpervasive economies, theirhelping dent cannot legally appoint Gierran a 2020, memworsen the Board ofLocal Truste When the chief of lower the capital’s of Trustees. of Philhealth, the GCG needs to more deterproject are only stop-gap measures toproblem alle2. rior and G hibiting gatherings ofgatherings ten or first more people in people Commission for Government-owned or-ConPhilippines without any assurance that peogiven him one of his major failures—massive FAMILIES families.

Neighbors helpof Trus ees Human Rights Watch has also noted the mistic.

Without a vaccine for general use, the illegal drugs curse pro ec are on y s op-gap measures o a ement 62.1 percent and for private commodity or conBoa was voted CNN “Hero of the Year” for his hibiting of ten or in lion in 2016), a dramatic reduction in poverty, has actually opened more sectors of the But in April more than 7.3 milmost strict lockdown in the world—for given him one of his major failures—massive already all over the country—in the parliahave fashioned and sustained a litany and other president before him.

More than 45 ident mistic.

Without a vaccine for general use, the been much worse.

Thewas latest data suggest that the campaign.

Any numbers above that are among the happiest inneeds. the world and they give nation and its pel or overget 5 percent of GDP inthis 2019. anyway. susthere a nab eareand nves men econo Begun the expansion meant o1999, her pres den before h ma 4.2Moreyear han 45 beenforce much worse The asocial es da a sugges ha inCorporations massively, anyway. police caught on media mineatwhether youtime), qualified to hold dof thisvenincluded ardo Año said tha in the What is/are the legal requirements before an rights ing violations trolled (GCG). viate the people’s ple can employed when pandemic one place the same Duterte refused ber of the Board of Trustees much more as Mark my words will be a surge human rights violations.

Critics say he killed neighbors.

Communities helping commuWha s are he ega requ remen s before v a e he peop e’s needs construction 46.8 percent lower,” says gHuman taxpayers money inclu recession could rage well into 2021.

Pushcart Classroom project.

Through this, he one time), economy helped bring back jobs.” people lost their jobs—“largely in more six months now from March ment, media, academe, labor and even thekilled barrage of adverse publicity to efface human rights violations.

Critics say he biznewsasia@gmail com classified as “homicides under investigation.” star-rank officers occupy cabinet and civilpolitically motivated detention of his most Rights Watch says many ofa the recession rage well into 2021. the highest approval and trust ratings to apackage little over of1all COVID-19 cases Imore could well Twenty years ago, infra spending wasPresjust oflion fold increase inand the size of Philippine economy place o heatFthepsame no peop e ”Duterte refused and middle-income status for Filipinos, with package Heal s ar-rank off cers occupy cab and c vthan -could a1 percent ebreakfast over percen COVID-19 cases office. addthe jeepney having aPublic birthday party with more this law, Gierran canprovide only bene apUnder finally ends! ehe a stimulus strong president, by GCG to th Gierran can be appointed asinappo a member What isjob essential and urgent is afire longto the erring general. nities.

Nations helping nations.

Acts ofof kindG erran can be nafter ed as a 27,000 member of more in the guise of eliminating Wha stransport, essen and urgen s fire athe ongADB. construction slipped byian a positions and the restrictions by and his fellow initiated When theP100 President came to power aPresident PhilHealth president/CEO my gulay!

COVID-19 cases in as aThe result Mr.volunteers President, theto lockdowns. services—mainly trade, ac15, 2020.

And what do we clergy.

The Supreme Court recognized this to thecountry erring general. ident Marcos from the tapestry of history.

Aside from the drugs war killings, thethan more than 27,000 in the guise ofathe eliminating any leader since Adam and Eve ate forbidin pos the government. my (from $72.2 billion inlift 1998 to $304.9 bilbillion per year or 2came percent ofpower GDP. When the toget inSenator eloquently that “th inactualthe country are severe orare critical.

Our morMy gulay, it’s a long process!

Presscampaign, actualof transportation pointed by the President as a member of the an ons n he governmen * * * than 50 guests (despite strict lockdown proprominent critic, Leila de Lima, the 000 are “vigilante-style killings perpetratn he coun ry severe or cr ca Our morhas also dent cannot lega the Board of Trustees? whether it is term jobs policy to prevent a bigger probtheir per capita income exceeding $3,000. mane ness, of charity, of humanity happen every youthslion he Board of Trus ees? erm obs po cy o preven a b gger probthe pervasive illegal drugs curse. dent marginal 0.9 percent in Q2. ople under atality lockan alternative frm gang induction, The July 2016, he stumbled into the greatest and They make no sense.

I think even commodation, restaurants, and entergiving up most of our basic liberties? when it ruled in favor of Marcos insofar as They pursued what notable poet Sir RichHuman Rights Watch has also noted the the pervasive illegal drugs curse. in 2016), a dramatic reduction in poverty, den apple, a whopping 91 percent for Duterte.

In five years, Duterte built 1,200 kms of Take note that before the GCG can inDespite the overwhelming dominance of beneficial to the n of this nonsense b znewsas a@gma com ident cannot just pick anybody to be PhilJuly 2016, he stumbled into the greatest and ratio, on the other hand, is at 2.5 people tancing protocol.

Board of Trustees of PhilHealth if he was I don’t know whoever had the idea of conomy. hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in rarts failures—massive Desp e he overwhe m ng dom nance of a around y ra omay onworld. he hand a 2 he 5 peop e ber of the Board Sectioneco13 of RA 10149 (GOCC Governlem of poverty. of the economy. minute of the day the Acts likeit sbut Sec on 13 of RA 10149 (GOCC Governremoval in May 2018 of Chief Justice Maby police officers themselves or killers biznewsasia@gmail.com em of pover berexo Duterte notobyher know or acronym—and Human Rights Watch says many ofy themany pushcart (kariton) had books, magazines and Today, Duterte presides over worst longest economic in the country’s politically motivated detention of his most without the lockdowns, you can winthe tainment—but also in industry, espeWell, nothing—but misery and poverty. ardexpansion Maitland sharply observed: ‘The essenMartial Law was concerned. and included middle-income status for Filipinos, with biznewsasia@gmail.com president and CEO. The three per- a be Health expert Human Rights Watch says of Health the idea in the list prepared and submitted effacedex-of or easing the one-meter social distancing pro-shortlist generals, thegenera Duterte administration has not longest economic expansion in the country’s per a hundred thousand.” one place at the same time), Duterte refused Critics saythese hesystemic killed systemic clude your name in the for appointThey say the was to help operators s he Du er e adm n s ra on has no PhilHealth pre ance Act of 2011) mandates that an appointing My gulay, if there’s one element missing, per a hundred housand ” em is not a big andachieved small,” as almost the songfull goes, are as other ance Ac 2011) manda es an“vigilante-style appo nrevocation ng believe My ay fMarcos here’s one manent e emen m ss ng athePhe employment dur-their uccessor—without reading materials plus a blackboard are killings prominent critic, Senator Leila deme Lima, theha anper election. history—70 consecutive quarters ofof cially manufacturing. income The today is the epicenter tial Philippines matter of history isgrowth. not what I sincerely thatgu inperpetrattime, will capita income exceeding $3,000.

Commissions of GCG and the two What (www.manilastandard.net) ria Lourdes Sereno, the ofLoweramhappen ked to the authorities Carlo by the GCG tomore the theany Presitocol public transport.

To it27,000 would (www.manilastandard.net) triumphs in nomic performance ofBut the Philippines 27,000 are “vigilante-style killings perpetratitself any competent nor to fire the erring history—70 consecutive ofhappened growth.

He notes that per 100,000, the100 EU000 member guise of eliminating y, necesTakecannote tha director shall appointed the President proven sePresident. f any more compe en nor anyininever. it’s an urgent and jobs policy.

SanHe no es general. ha per hewhich EUproven member ment asofsha aquarters member the Board of Trustees bust.

Simply, necesolda as time. and drivers utility vehiclesof Finance Inte- everything d be rec or bebyJustice appo nof ed by and he Pres den ’s analasting urgen and as ng of obspublic po cy San- (Secretary Ta ing his presidency, an unprecedented hat guy is genithey used inOPEN teaching and engaging out removal May 2018 Chief Maed by police officers themselves or by killers ex-officio members we ha Today, Duterte presides over the worst ecosemi-skilled workers, most of them of COVID pandemic in the whole of dent cannot legally appoint Gierran a membut what people wrote or said about it.’”

Duterte himself added 14 quarters growth be vindicated.

He was visionary, born ahead worsen the problem. is secure.

The M ed by police officers themselves or by killers sAuthorities curse. less corrupt than past administrations.

Budg states average 31 deaths, UK 70, Spain 61, Duterte himself added 14 quarters of growth nesty given Senator (now retired) Antonio admit to 7 000 deaths during clude your name from a short-list prepared by the Governance ggregate ta Banana, I foresee a bleak future for the The slump is also the worst in ASEAN. The ess corrup han pas adm n s ra ons s a es average 31 dea hs UK 70 Spa n 61 sharing” operations in Metro Manila and elseFootages of fire or typhoon or even accineighbors-helping-neighbors ethos.

That it from a shor s prepared by he Governance scompoop, hamper or aggregate a Banana I foresee a b eak fu ure for he clud of school youth n street children in reading n achievement.

Economists say that when even ria Lourdes Sereno, the revocation of amCarlos Dominguez and Department of (www.manilastandard.net) ber of the Board Trustees, much more as of Philhealth the GCG first needs to deternomic performance of the Philippines ever.

Mark my words, there will be a surge of THOUGHTS linked to the authorities.” rior and Local Government Secretary Edubiznewsasia@gmail.com employed only informally, were hit hard Asia, outside of India, Pakistan, and Lazaro also said that succeeding adof his time.

Generations free from the blemish before it went negative in the first quarter of biznewsasia@gmail.com fit us.

They are e says many Sweden of the 57, Sweden linked to the authorities.”

When the chief of the national capital’s and the US 52. before it went negative inonthe quarter of-owned asban a memb Commission for El Government-owned or-ConSO Philippines without any assurance that peo- Secretary have he ch ef ofmy he naThe onahim cap agiven ’s 57 above and he where.

Others like Shaddai, Jesus Is Lord, dent victims getting some kind help52one was being revisited by anes young person possiTrillanes IV who led mutinies in 2002 and Comm ss forfirst Governmen or-Concampaign Anyunemployment numbers that arepracticalPh pp w hou any assurance hathis peo-Wendel Budget Avisado) will also ment men Thecontinue of go nesty Senator (now retired) basic The learning rudiments. project became aslump PhilHealth gulay! hitsof 5 US percent, ople must already economic collapse makes the worst COVID-19 cases in the3,000 country asAntonio aare result is When alsopresident/CEO, theThe worst inalso ASEAN. Authorities admit to 7,000 deaths during because few had the option to work from Bangladesh.

With over cases daily, ministrations have used laws even as they of ple hate and revenge will look more kindly on 2020. mine whether you qualified to hold this erojected killings perpetratand to g ardo Año said that if is true we should Authorities admit to 7,000 deaths during police force was caught on social media of Philhealth, th 3.

Unprecedented human rights violations trolled Corporations (GCG).

2020. can get employed when this I SEE you or not “Undas” orinAll po cethat force caugh on soc awe med anonsense. haveh to vote whether Dating Daan/UNTV and Pastor way or the are seen regularly on TV.has Wer”agh bly worried no end the fateare of herpandemic neigh3 under Unpreceden ed s vIt’s oaeconomic asuccess onsTakethat ro 300,000 ed Corpora ons (GCG) note before the can in-1999, ORLANDO Trillanes IVto who led mutinies in Quiboloy’s 2002 and pAnti-Terror e about canSO emp oyed when s pandem c to include of this ofthe PSa such no less 50 such pushts earlier projected ly everyone needing a human job job. more of or Duterte, or other collapse alsothan makes himGCG the worst notes ADB. are reaching and 2007, and the passage of a acknowledge new ssified as “homicides investigation sought destroy consign Marcos to thewill campaign.

Any numbers above that him, and hisge achievements and sough ooffice des oy oor cons gn Ma cos o home,” Begun in theperforexpansion meant acases 4.2mselves by killers president ever inwas terms ofmore economic Marcos’ vision the campaign.

Any numbers above that are I SEE mine whether yo having a breakfast birthday party with this law, Gierran can only be apUnder finally ends! add more jeepneys buses and other means What has made Duterte a strong president, Begun in 1999, the expansion meant a 4.2in the shortlist. in GDP Day is no problem clude your name in the shortlist for appointbrethren have been doing their own share of They say the idea was to help operators also have scenes of feeding stations espebors made things even more heart rending.

It hav ng a breakfas b r hday par y w h more 2007, and the passage of a new Anti-Terror h s aw G erran can on y be apUnder f na y had ends!rescued six Wha has made Du er e a satrong pres den ever mine cartperclassrooms(Learning on Wheels) projects president in terms of economic perfora factory running 95 o 8 percent in GDP like having Ironically, be No.size in number COVID LITO OXALES oblivion, notwithstanding solid unprectoDuterte the nation. ob v 20 on no wPresident hsAct andof ng hhis s member so dclassified unp ascontribution “homicides under investigation.”

Th fold increase inpointed the of Philippine econoforForgovernance (ATA).

Aside from the drugs war killings thealso by astotal avehicles. ofecathe LITO classified “homicides investigation.” * had *under *ofonce 50 guests strict lockdown mance.

The GCG is ease akin tothe the Judicial Bar office. many offic year theand vicious illegal fold increase inthe the of Philippine ment as han a (despite member of sthe Board and drivers of public utility Inteopti“caring and giving”through these times.

Given Act (ATA). cially inoptiinformal settler areascampaign, giving outhas hot was an idea time again My it’s a econolong process!

The Prespo nsize edgulay by he Pres den as member offrom heaswhose transportation—not socialand dis* *ancome. * 50 gues (desp e sofr Trustees cproockdown promance. hecapacity. v c drugs ous ega drugs campa gn than has a so cent drly longest isthe now overly BANAYO million poverty—defined as cases in the world among 220 countries. edented achievements for the of the * * * eden ed ach evemen s o he good o he ,000 deaths during Aside from the drugs war killings, the BANAYO varied and nume my (from $72.2 billion in 1998 to $304.9 bilCoun My gulay, Council.

Board ofLocal Trustees of PhilHealth ifPh he was hhave th I don’t whoever hadwhoever thethe idea of he Before ofve Philhealth, the GCG first needs to more deterAside from the drugs war killings, the rior Government Secretary Eduhibiting gatherings ofga or more people insecond given him one of his failures—massive my (from $72.2 billion in 1998 to $304.9 bilRecently, there have been sensational the limitations and protocols under panRecently, there been meals with some groups going even mobile Rights Watch has also the problem iscannot this initiative, use, the Board of Trus ees ofthis Hea fThe he was And thath isbthat allng due to the second Ialso don’ know had dea ofyou can be appointed as cemeteries onit’s M her ngs of enbiggest or peop e and nwe And isten all due to the biggest But in 2020, 7.3 milnman thegeneral world—for g ven hApril mmajor one of hnoted smore ma orthan fa ures—mass ident cannot just pick anybody to beknow for use,are the tancing protocol bers above that income of $2 a Philday.

Henoted was going tois reIn fact, will be in Top 15, dislodging nation its people.

Santa Banana, Isensational believe thatifthis na on and s that peop eprepared Human Rights Watch has the If cannot only mem to sho lion in 2016), a dramatic reduction in poverty, member of theproBoard to any GOCC, Phil- ident other days.

What mine whether you are qualified to hold this jus ardo Año said if this is true, we should included in the list and submitted easing the one-meter social distancing proHuman Rights Watch has also noted the one place at the same time), Duterte refused killings of known political activists, human human rights violations.

Critics say he killed lion in 2016), a dramatic reduction in poverty, demic, these initiatives are on top of their regformotivated street kidslion and the homeless. ports are true, became a platform for things nc uded n he s prepared and subm ed eas ng he one-me er soc a d s anc ng iden one p ace a he same me) Du er e refused people their jobs—“largely infailure. now from March human r ghlost s vof o ahis ons Cr cs say he kSome ed killings of known political activists, human nder litically detention most Opportunities into investigation.”

2021. bring down poverty to an unheard of 12 even Bangladesh.

Lungs and bubbles initiatives had I could well repeat what Lazaro said so coming from the Philippine National Police failure. politically motivated detention ofdetention his Health most Health president and CEO The three perHealth included, you must through the ber andand foresight of M say this is pass dangerous pray for and middle-income status for Filipinos, with add more jeepneys, buses, and means president by the GCG to and the President.

But the Presitocol in transport. me it experts would rights defenders, alleged People’s the erring general. politically motivated ofcharity. his most 2.office.

Pandemic mismanagement more than 27,000 in the guise of eliminating ular daily Kalinga (help) operations for Some have even taken other than show of kindness and It me Opportunities and middle-income status forby Filipinos, with by he GCG oNew heother Pres den Bu he Pres -apublic oco n pub cTo ranspor To wouGCG, d and you must be in- Health Hea Heal services—mainly trade, transport, acdowarwein after o f re heaerr ngprocess! genera sower killings, thegroups more han 27 000to ncollecting he guthe se of e to mfire na ng percent by 2022, from 30s in the The economy collapsed 0.7 percent that deeds, especially those came toget power inSenator chief.

He said that National Capital Region oquen ymanent ha “good deeds espec aprominent ymemhose wringer of the gone ahead of usa My gulay, it’s long The Presofeeloquently transportation—not ease the social discritic, Senator Leila de Lima, the2000s. suances that still rights defenders, and alleged New People’s ominent critic Leila de Lima their per capita income exceeding $3,000. manent Commis dent cannot legally appoint Gierran a memworsen the problem.

2.

Pandemic mismanagement Commissions of GCG and the two What can happen here is that we could lose the effect of shaming prominent critic, Senator Leila de Lima, the bers and communities within their churches. (buying even) fresh vegetables and fruits, resturned out to be more than a neighbors-helpthe pervasive illegal drugs curse. den canno ega y appo n G erran a memworsen he prob em their per capita income exceeding $3,000. man atest andgreatest and enter- ident cannot just pick anybody to be Phil- tancing r basic liberties? has also noted the he pervas ve restaurants, ega drugs curse beneficial to nation the people, cannotasin Police Office chief, Major General Debold bene cprotocol. a Board o the he na on and ecohe peop e more canno nto the and commodation, wrin (www.manilastandard.net) removal May 2018 of Chief Justice Maex-officio memb ber of the of Trustees, much Today, Duterte presides over the worst Mark my words, there will be a surge of moval May of Chief Justice MaWhile a good number ofthe such neighcuing them2018 from spoilage after regular market ing-neighbors project.

That itChief had the effect of have biznewsasia@gmail.com removal inFinance May 2018 ofeverything Justice Maber of he Board of Trus ees more ex-officio members (Secretary ofas Mark my words w be a surge of Human Rights Watch says many of themany ex-o we gained Duterte presides over worst ecoountry’s ention ofin his most tainment—but also in industry, espesery and poverty. the administration forThe itsthreeperformance znewsasand a@gma com Health CEO. per- Today, Health experts say this ismy dangerous.

Human R gh s Wa ch says of he bpresident expunged, survives Sinas, deserves a promotion because hehere has eeffaced oor expunged Good su vria ves and much ion in the country’s Lourdes Sereno, theadministration revocation amDoming a be PhilHealth president/CEO, gulay!

COVID-19 cases inthe the of country a coun result nomic ofaced the Philippines ever. bors-helping-neighbors initiatives eventually tothegive to neighbors and communities the for its inability to (www.manilastandard.net) Rolando G.Carlos Estabillo Publisher athe Phend Hea hcos pres den CEO myshaming gu ay!

COVID-19 cases n asheof ry as*a*resu ria Lourdes Sereno, revocation amCarl 27,000 are “vigilante-style (www.manilastandard.net) Leila dehours Lima, nomic performance of the Philippines ever. growth. cially manufacturing. income yquarters is the epicenter manent Commissions of GCG and net) the two (www man astandard Lourdes Sereno the revocation ofLoweramWhat can happen here is that we could lose Carlos Dominguez and Department of * (www man astandard net) triumphs in end.

Marcos’ place in history experience in training new recruits. umphs n he Ma p ace n h s o y 27 000 are “v gkillings an e-s yperpetrate k ngs perpe ra of growth.

Budget Secretary Take note that before the GCG can innesty given Senator (now retired) ofcan this nonsense. inability to members provide aid The and slump isfaded also the worst in ASEAN. The Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member &Antonio Chief Legal after the last fire or typhoon victim got in need.

Giving out old clothes and household provide aid and hope toopenly those suffering during MemberManaging & ChiefSO Legal Adviser Former ChiefAdviser Justice Reynato S. Puno L.Board Take no e ha before he GCG nof h s nonsense BudL nesty given Senator (now retired) Antonio Chief Justice MaManilaStandard ed by police officers themselves or by killers ex-officio (Secretary of Finance everything we have gained.

The slump is also the worst in ASEAN. The and semi-skilled workers, most of them in the whole of f growth ManilaStandard can be accessed at: Honor Blanco Ramonchito Tomeldan Editor can be accessed at: is secure.

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04.9 bilmanilastandard.net Council Before you can be appointed as MEMBER manilastandard.net My gulay, it’s a long process!

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World

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

European Parliament to ratify contentious Brexit trade deal BRUSSELS—The European Parliament will vote to ratify the EU trade deal with Britain Tuesday, turning the page on a difficult Brexit chapter but with little hope of smoothing relations with London.

The 705-member Brussels chamber is expected to overwhelmingly back the bare bones trade deal that was sealed last Christmas Eve after nine months of bad tempered negotiation.

The zero-tariffs, zero-quotas arrangement has been provisionally applied since January 1 when an elevenmonth post-Brexit transition period ended.

But MEPs demanded extra time to vet the pact, which also includes a deal on fishing that was especially difficult to clinch with EU fishing crews losing much of their access to bountiful UK waters.

The European Parliament further delayed its vote in part to protest unilateral delays by London in implementing customs checks in Northern Ireland,

one of the most contentious issues in the divorce.

Brussels has launched legal action against London over the Irish problem, while a major row over the supply of UK-based AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has also embittered cross-Channel relations.

But, despite the acrimony, the European Commission, which handles ties with the UK for the Europeans, has asked MEPs to greenlight the pact, arguing that it will better help keep Britain in check.

The UK, meanwhile, had made it clear that it would not approve any further delays, exposing the risk of the whole deal being annulled if the MEPs did not vote by April 30.

“I assume that the agreement will be ratified almost unanimously,” said German MEP Bernd Lange, who heads the parliament’s trade committee.

But, he added, “as in sailing, I assume that there will not only be good weather but stormy times as well.” AFP

EVENING PRAYERS. This picture taken late on April 26 shows an aerial view of Shiite Muslim worshippers (women in black and men in white) reading from the Holy Koran at the Grand Mosque of Kufa near the central shrine city of Najaf, some 160 kilometres south of Iraq’s capital, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP

Foreign aid arrives in COVID-hit India N

EW DELHI -- The first emergency medical supplies trickled into COVID-stricken India on Tuesday as part of a global campaign to staunch a catastrophic wave in the latest pandemic hotspot, with the United States also pledging to export millions of AstraZeneca vaccines.

India’s infection and death rates are growing exponentially, overwhelming hospitals, in contrast to some wealthier Western nations that are starting to ease restrictions.

The virus has now killed over 3.1 million people worldwide, with India driving the latest surge in global case numbers, recording more than 2,800 deaths on Monday.

Crates of ventilators and oxygen concentrators from the UK were unloaded at a Delhi airport early Tuesday, the first emergency medical supplies to arrive in the country.

“International cooperation at work,” foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted alongside photos of the crates.

Elsewhere in the capital, AFP images showed the bodies of COVID victims burning on funeral pyres set up in rows, the earth between them scorched by embers and littered with ash.

“So many people are dying because

Nigerian troops suffer big losses against jihadists KANO, Nigeria—At least 31 Nigerian soldiers were killed when jihadists ambushed a military convoy escorting weapons and overran a base in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state at the weekend, two military officers said on Monday.

The army later issued an official statement confirming there had been hours of intense battles on Sunday that also saw warplanes deployed but that its forces had suffered a lower toll of six soldiers and one officer killed.

Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the convoy with rocketpropelled grenades on Sunday in the town of Mainok outside the regional capital Maiduguri before storming the nearby base, two military officers told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“We lost 31 soldiers, including their commander who was a lieutenant colonel, in the ambush by the terrorists,” one officer said about the attack which happened around 1100 GMT on Sunday.

The convoy was transporting weapons to Maiduguri when it came under attack, said a second officer who gave a similar toll.

“The terrorists came in several trucks, including four MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) and engaged the convoy in a fierce battle,” the second officer said.

The militants overwhelmed soldiers, leading to the “colossal loss” of troops, he said. AFP Manila

Standard EXTRA-JUDICIAL TODAY

SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late GREGORIO L. VENTURANZA has been extra-judicially settled among his heirs with waiver of rights, as per Doc. No. 137; Page No. 29; Book No. I; Series of 2021 before Notary Public ATTY. CORAZON R. ROMANO. (MS-APRIL 14, 21 & 28, 2021)

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the late MRS. AMEURFINA M. HERRERA has been extra-judicially settled among her heirs, as per Doc. No. 185; Page No. 38; Book No. IX; Series of 2021 before Notary Public ATTY. FELIPPE MART E. CLOSA. (MS-APRIL 21, 28 & May 5, 2021)

EU-UK DEAL.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the debate on EUUK trade and cooperation agreement during the second day of a plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels, on April 27 (see story above).

AFP

they are unable to get the most basic services,” Vinod Kumar told AFP outside a Delhi hospital as he tried to buy medication for a sick family member.

“This government has failed us so much.”

The United States, France, Germany, Canada and the World Health Organization have all promised over recent days to rush supplies to India.

US President Joe Biden announced on Monday the United States would send up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine abroad. AFP

ADIEU, STEPHANIE. A man

with a French national flag on his shoulders stands in front of flowers laid in tribute to Stephanie Monferme, a local police employee, near the police station where she was killed, on the sidelines of a remembrance gathering on April 26 in Rambouillet, a suburb southwest of Paris.

A Tunisian man who stabbed Monferme to death had watched jihadist propaganda videos just before the attack, France’s anti-terror prosecutor said, adding that a fifth person was detained for questioning. AFP

IN BRIEF Israel committing apartheid—HRW JERUSALEM—Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that Israel is committing the crime of “apartheid” by seeking to maintain Jewish “domination” over Palestinians and its own Arab population, an explosive allegation fiercely denounced

by Israel.

Currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, Israel blasted HRW’s accusations as “preposterous and false”, accusing the New York-based group of having “a long-standing anti-Israeli agenda”.

HRW said its finding that Israel is “committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution” against Palestinians was based on robust sourcing including government planning materials and statements by public officials.

The 213-page report finds that the Israeli government is the “single authority” with primary control “over the area between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea”.

Within that territory, there is “an overarching Israeli government policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians,” HRW said. AFP

Chad junta names interim premier

N’DJAMENA, Chad—Chad’s new military junta on Monday appointed a transitional prime minister, who called for a nationwide effort to speed the return to civilian rule, suspended after the shock battlefield death of veteran leader Idriss Deby Itno.

The so-called Transitional Military Council (TMC) led by Deby’s 37-yearold son Mahamat named Albert Pahimi structive suggestions made by ASEAN Padacke, a distant runner-up in April 11 leaders when the situation returns to stapresidential polls, as prime minister. bility in the country”.

He was the last premier under Deby, and heads a government whose members The statement also said its neighwill be named or revoked by the younger bours’ suggestions would be “positively Deby, according to a 95-article “Transiconsidered if it (ASEAN) would facilition Charter” published last Wednesday tate the implementation” of the junta’s that supersedes the constitution. five-step roadmap.

“I call on the entire Chadian populaJunta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told tion to join in a sacred union to save our AFP the regime was “satisfied” with nation,” Pahimi Padacke said in an interthe trip, saying they had been able to view with AFP. explain the “real situation” to ASEAN “I call on all Chadians... to not delay, leaders. to not lose time, to join together right away... to lay the groundwork for free But ASEAN is not known for its dipand transparent elections within the timelomatic clout and observers have questable,” he said, referring to the 18 months tioned how effectively it can influence pledged by the junta. the crisis.

The United States voiced cautious opThe former US ambassador to Myantimism over his appointment, with Robert mar, Scot Marciel, warned that the miliGodec, the acting top US diplomat for Aftary’s response to the Jakarta summit rica, calling it “potentially a positive first showed signs of backsliding already. AFP step”. AFP YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA

Myanmar junta: ‘Stability’ before heeding pleas YANGON—Myanmar’s junta said Tuesday it will heed regional pleas to stop violence only when the coup-hit country “returns to stability”, as fresh fighting erupted with a major ethnic rebel group along its eastern border.

The junta also postponed court proceedings again against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, her lawyers said, as they fight for permission to visit her 12 weeks after she was detained.

Former US president Barack Obama on Monday urged Myanmar’s neighbours to “recognise that a murderous regime rejected by the people will only bring greater instability, humanitarian crisis, and the risk of a failed state”.

The nation has been in turmoil since the military ousted Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup, triggering an uprising that

has seen security forces mount deadly crackdowns against protesters.

The violence -- in which more than 750 people have been killed by security forces, according to a local monitoring group -- has raised alarm among regional neighbours.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended a weekend meeting on the crisis with the leaders of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- his first overseas trip since he seized power.

The leaders issued a “five-point consensus” statement that called for the “immediate cessation of violence” and a visit to Myanmar by a regional special envoy.

On Tuesday, Myanmar’s State Administrative Council -- as the junta dubs itself -- said it would consider the “con-

17 migrants found dead off Canary Islands MADRID—Seventeen people were found dead Monday on a boat drifting off El Hierro in Spain’s Canary Islands, officials said, as migrant arrivals to the archipelago surge despite the deadly dangers of the crossing.

A Spanish military helicopter airlifted three survivors—two men and a woman—to a hospital on the island of Tenerife, local emergency services said in a tweet.

One of the men was in serious condition with “severe dehydration”, it added.

A Spanish air force plane first spotted the boat some 265 nautical miles southeast of El Hierro on Monday morning and a search and rescue vessel was deployed to the area, a spokeswoman for Spain’s maritime rescue service said.

The migrants on the boat were all sub-Saharan Africans, she added.

It was not immediately clear where the boat had embarked from.

Earlier this month four people were found dead in a makeshift boat that was found south of El Hierro, with 23 migrants on board.

At its shortest, the sea crossing to the Atlantic islands from the Moroccan coast is around 100 kilometres (60 miles), but it is a notoriously dangerous route because of strong currents. Vessels are also typically overcrowded and in poor condition.

Migrant arrivals on the archipelago surged after increased patrols along Europe’s southern coast dramatically reduced crossings to the continent via the Mediterranean.

Some 3,400 people arrived in the Canaries between January 1 and March 31 this year, compared with less than half that number over the same period in 2020. AFP

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Nomura confirms losses of $2.3b linked to Archegos’ stock debacle TOKYO—Japanese financial group Nomura Holdings on Tuesday confirmed losses of $2.3 billion for fiscal 2020-2021 linked to the sudden liquidation of holdings by US hedge fund Archegos.

Shockwaves rippled through global financial markets and institutions last month when the fund sold at least $20 billion in stocks as it sought to cover obligations to its lenders.

The debacle hit firms including Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and several leading Japanese banks.

Nomura had already estimated it faced losses of around $2 billion linked to its exposure.

It has not directly named Archegos, saying only that the losses were linked to “transactions with a US client.”

In a statement issued alongside its earnings Tuesday, it announced it had “booked a loss of 245.7 billion yen ($2.3 billion) in its consolidated financial results for the year ended March 31, 2021.”

It also announced it expects additional losses of approximately $570 million for the fiscal year ending March 2022.

“Nomura has unwound over 97 percent of its outstanding positions related to this

event,” it added.

US family-owned hedge fund Archegos, run by former Tiger Asia director Bill Hwang, had taken huge bets on a few stocks with money borrowed from banks.

When several important positions reversed and Archegos could not respond to margin calls, it triggered one of the biggest sudden losses in Wall Street history.

The scale of Nomura’s losses show “the magnitude of the company’s risk concentration,” said Shunsaki Sato, vice presidentsenior credit officer at Moody’s Japan, in a note.

The additional losses realized in April “will drag down Nomura’s earnings in fiscal 2021,” he added.

For the last fiscal year, Nomura reported net income fell 29 percent to 153.1 billion yen.

On Monday, Nomura appointed a new CEO at the US subsidiary involved in the losses.

The firm also said Tuesday it had launched a “wide-ranging investigation of facts” surrounding the debacle and various reviews of its outstanding exposure and risk-management processes. AFP

Policy Myopia: How wishful thinking, perverse incentives lead to disaster

AT FIRST blush, the two tales seem to have little in common. The collapse of global supply chain finance firm, Greensill Capital, and India’s second COVID-19 surge seem to be worlds apart. And yet they are both about the irrational exuberance, poor judgment calls, and risky behavior brought on by victory, and the disasters they can create.

It is a question that keeps cropping up. How can so many intelligent human beings allow these tragedies to happen? This week, our discussion turns to the challenges of decisionmaking in situations where incentives exist for risk taking.

Collapse of a Unicorn As late as December 2020, Greensill Capital was still headed towards an initial public offering with valuation estimates ranging from US$7 to US$40 billion. By March of 2021, the company had filed for bankruptcy. Greensill’s closure threaten the existence of companies who availed of Greensill’s more exotic financing products, the largest among them Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, an international group of companies, which owns, among others, Liberty Steel. Credit Suisse, which had been associated with both Greensill and GFG, has sustained heavy reputation damage and executive heads are rolling as a result.

Greensill Capital was founded in 2011 by Lex Greensill. It began convincing the UK government to use supply chain finance (SCF) for most of its contracts. For those of you in business, SCF is essentially receivables rediscounting. Banks or other financial institutions provide loans to suppliers against its receivables. The supplier gains liquidity which allows it to mobilize more quickly which in turn benefits the client. Provided the customer is creditworthy, the bank makes money on interest and recoups its principal once the customer pays. In the early days of Greensill, the customer was the UK government, which is extremely creditworthy. This meant that the interest rate charged to the supplier companies taking out loans were very low making it attractive for the supplier.

Now, SCF is not a newfangled tool. It has been around for a long time. What did Greensill do differently? The funds Greensill loaned out came from Greensill Bank, a bank within the Greensill group. And here lies the twist.

Greensill Bank sold the loans to other companies and investors, typically in the form of bonds. In finance terms, Greensill securitized the supply chain loans. This allowed Greensill to then take the money gained from selling the loans to lend to other suppliers. Thus able to keep renewing its cash, Greensill began to expand business to other suppliers, those with customers not as creditworthy as the UK government. Greensill continued to securitize its loans by purchasing credit insurance to cover credit losses on these receivables.

Greensill’s official corporate communication was that it owned state-of-the-art credit analysis technology that allowed it to maintain the quality of its loan portfolio–technology which would later turn out to be non-existent. In 2019, Greensill won a US$1.5-billion investment from Softbanks’s Vision Fund, a US$100-billion fund dedicated to making investments in disruptive technology.

Along the way, Greensill began to take more and more risk. In one headline-grabbing situation, Greensill lent US$780 million to US coal miner Bluestone on the strength of what it called future receivables, essentially receivables which did not as yet exist.

This risky behavior was no doubt fueled both by the seemingly unending flow of cash gained from Greensill’s securitizing activities, and the profit and growth imperative that always lie at the heart of any business enterprise. Under normal circumstances, this risky behavior would have been stemmed by good corporate governance. Unfortunately, in a company that

claims to have technology it does not have, it is likely that conservatism would take a backseat to aggressiveness.

Insurers eventually woke up to the numerous red flags that began popping up and declined to renew Greensill’s credit insurance, This caused Greensill’s creditors, among them Credit Suisse, to freeze involvement with Greensill. By early March, failing in its plea for a government bailout, Greensill filed for bankruptcy.

Festivals and Politics Now on to India’s COVID-19 story. A little over a year ago, in mid-March of 2020, India’s daily new COVID-19 cases was at 20. This did not last long. Following the pattern of many countries with dense populations, India’s COVID-19 cases began to rise. After hitting a peak of over 97,000 in mid-September of 2020, India’s daily new cases slowly dropped until, in the second half of January, daily new cases dropped below 15,000 and stayed there. Encouraged by the low numbers and the fact that India is home to one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world, the government declared victory over COVID-19 in midFebruary. The mass euphoria was shared by government, media and citizens alike.

What do Greensill Capital’s bankruptcy and India’s second Covid-19 surge have in common?

India began to allow mass gathering and gather people did, in many cases in very large numbers, with little to no physical distancing, and with no required personal protection.

Cricket matches filled stadiums and the shores of the Ganges in Haridwar in Uttarakhand were filled by people bathing for the festival of Khumb Mela. The country held elections in five states and did nothing to prevent crowded electoral rallies. By the beginning of March, India’s 7-day average of new cases had topped 16,000 ending at over 59 ,000 by end March.

By the 25th of April, India’s new cases had topped 350,000, breaking the global record for daily new cases.

As the world watches in horror, India’s second wave is overwhelming India’s health care system. Patients are dying in the streets waiting for hospital beds. Crematoriums are overwhelmed and skies are lit by mass funeral pyres. Experts do not expect the current wave to peak until mid-May, at which point daily new cases are expected to reach 500,000.

Contemporary Foolishness Conemporary American Stupidity, an article

by James Welles, was published in May of 2020.

In it, Welles explores the systemic incentives and disincentives that reinforce what can be thought of as systemic foolishness. Essentially, if incentives exist to push decisions or policy a certain way and no disincentives are strong enough to push it back, then a cycle of foolish behavior prevails.

In both companies and countries, what we have learned is that good news can turn into irrational exuberance. It is especially dangerous and tempting when people have been in a state of frustration or languishing. Foolish behavior can often be tempting.

Clearly, check and balance cannot just be built into written policies and processes. In the end, they must come from people. A government that has a strong two-party system. A free, intelligent and brave media. Engaged and reasoning citizens.

The battle for our country is ultimately fought in our own minds and in our own homes, in how we think and how we engage. We cannot afford to be seduced by fool’s gold.

Readers can email Maya at integrations_ manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http:// integrations.tumblr.com.

MILAN REOPENS. People having a drink bar terraces and walk down the Navigli in downtown Milan on April 26, 2021 as bars, restaurants, cinemas and concert halls partially reopen across Italy in a boost for coronavirus-hit businesses, as parliament debates the government’s 220-billion-euro ($266-billion) EU-funded recovery plan. After months of stopstart restrictions imposed to manage its second and third waves of COVID-19, Italy hopes this latest easing will mark the start of something like a normal summer.AFP

Market down slightly; Atlas, URC buck trend

T

HE stock market slipped Tuesday ahead of government’s decision today to either keep or ease the lockdown restrictions in the capital region and the nearby provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 32.91 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,356.47 on a value turnover of P4.6 billion. Losers beat gainers, 119 to 83, with 51 issues unchanged.

Bloomberry Resorts Corp., a casino and hotel resort company owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., dropped 3.6 percent to P6.17, while Aboitiz Power Corp. declined 2.4

percent to P22.20.

Atlas Consolidated Mining & Development Corp., however, advanced 4.4 percent to P8.48, while Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, rose 2.4 percent to P135.10.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday ahead of a big week of key events including the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting, Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and earnings from tech titans.

While trading floors are geared up for a rocket-fueled surge in economic activity in the second half of the year and into the next, thanks to vaccinations and the easing of lockdowns, investors are in wait-and-see mode for now.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both ended Monday at record highs. But Asia struggled to follow suit with most markets swinging in and out of positive territory. Tokyo, Hong

Kong, Sydney, Seoul and Jakarta were all in the red but Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok edged up. Shanghai was marginally higher.

The Fed’s gathering, which concludes Wednesday, is broadly expected to see it reassert its pledge to maintain ultra-loose policy until its goals on unemployment and inflation are met, though its statement will be parsed for an idea about the state of the US economy.

The central bank’s meetings are a crucial focus of investor interest as they continue to fret that the expected strong recovery will send prices soaring and force policymakers to raise the record low interest rates that have been a pillar of the global rally.

“From what I can tell, the Fed is very close to meeting its objectives, but remains committed to keeping key short-term interest rates at or near zero through 2023,” said markets strategist Louis Navellier. With AFP

Manila

Standard

TODAY

NOTICE OF 2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of FIRST GEN CORPORATION will be conducted virtually at https://conveneagm.com/ph/fgen_asm2021 at 10am on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Following is the agenda1 of the meeting: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the July 29, 2020 Annual General Meeting Annual Report and Audited Consolidated Financial Statements Ratification of the Acts of the Board of Directors and Management Election of Directors (Including Independent Directors) Election of External Auditor Other Matters Adjournment

Only stockholders of record as of March 1, 2021 are entitled to notice of, and vote at, the meeting.

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting by remote communication are required to register by 6pm on May 10, 2021 at https://conveneagm.com/ph/fgen_asm2021. Stockholders who have successfully registered will receive an email with instructions on how to access a secure online portal which will allow them to participate and vote at the meeting, either by voting electronically or through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. A stockholder who participates by remote communication or votes in absentia shall be deemed present for purposes of quorum. The procedure for participating in the meeting through remote communication and casting of votes in absentia are set forth in Annex “A” of the Information Statement (Requirements and Procedure for Voting and Participating in the 2021 Annual General Meeting).

Duly accomplished proxy forms should be submitted on or before May 10, 2021 to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at the 6th Floor Rockwell Business Center Tower 3, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City, or by email to 2021asm_info@firstgen.com.ph.

Pursuant to the March 16, 2021 Notice of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Information Statement and its attachments, minutes of the previous meeting of stockholders, and other documents related to the meeting, can be accessed through the company website www.firstgen.com.ph.

The meeting proceedings will be recorded in audio and video format.

Should you have any questions about the conduct of the meeting, you may send an email to 2021asm_ info@firstgen.com.ph. For technical concerns, you may contact support@conveneagm.com.

Pasig City, April 27, 2021.

By Order of the Board of Directors: (Sgd.) RACHEL R. HERNANDEZ Vice President and Corporate Secretary 1

Please refer to the Definitive Information Statement in www.firstgen.com.ph (MS-APRIL 27 & 28, 2021)

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, April 27, 2021

-32.91 PTS. 6,356.47

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,875,725,928 77,417 4,611,851,104.74 83 119 51

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.3470

Japan

Yen

0.009251

0.4473

UK

Pound

1.390000

67.2023

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128864

6.2302

Switzerland

Franc

1.094331

52.9076

Canada

Dollar

0.806972

39.0147

Singapore

Dollar

0.754603

36.4828

Australia

Dollar

0.780000

37.7107

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655549

128.3878

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.8922

Brunei

Dollar

0.751767

36.3457

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.031837

1.5392

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1635

Euro

Euro

1.209000

58.4515

Korea

Won

0.000901

0.0436

China

Yuan

0.154166

7.4535

India

Rupee

0.013382

0.6470

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.244141

11.8035

New Zealand

Dollar

0.723500

34.9791

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035940

1.7376 Source: BSP

Budget deficit widened 273% to P321b in 1st three months

By Julito G. Rada THE government incurred a budget deficit of P191.4 billion in March, or 167 percent higher than the P71.6billion shortfall a year ago, as government expenditures rose 22.33 percent while revenue generation declined 17.37 percent, the Bureau of the Treasury said Tuesday.

This resulted in a 273-percent increase in budget deficit in the first quarter to P321.5 billion from the P86.2-billion shortfall in the same period last year.

“Total revenue for the month narrowed to P216.2 billion, 17.37 percent below last year’s performance due to the high base effect of dividend remittances in 2020. Eightyeight percent of the total collection came from taxes while the remaining 12 percent was generated through non-tax revenue,” the Treasury said.

The P696.5-billion collection in the first quarter also slipped by 8.73 percent or P66.6 billion from P763.1 billion in the equivalent period last year.

Collection by the Bureau of Internal Revenue inched up by 1.28 percent in March to P133.4 billion, net of P830 million for tax refunds. The agency’s cumulative three-month collection of P469.7 billion was also slightly above last year’s outturn of P468.8 billion.

Customs collection reached P54.7 billion in March, up 22.57 percent from a year earlier on improved valuation and intensified collection efforts. This increased BOC’s aggregate revenue from January to March to P149.2 billion, or 2.66 percent higher over the previous year’s take.

The Bureau of the Treasury’s income declined to P16.1 billion in March from P77.0 billion it earned in the same month last year.

“The drop was attributed to dividend remittances which declined by P51 billion relative to last year’s influx due to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Other factors included the lower collection of interest on advances from GOCCs [governmentowned and controlled corporations] and national government share from PAGCOR [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.] income. These same factors reduced BTr’s cumulative collection to P39.3 billion, 64.63 percent slower than the end-March 2020 income,” it said.

Lamudi to raise staff in PH expansion goal REAL estate platform Lamudi said it plans to double its team in the Philippines to better serve the country’s recovering and growing real estate market amid the pandemic.

Lamudi Philippines chief executive Kenneth Stern said he was seeing fresh opportunities to achieve unprecedented growth amid the crisis. Stern joined Lamudi Philippines in September 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

“We set new aggressive targets that will continue to raise the bar for what is possible,” he said.

Stern said Lamudi Philippines would focus on the “right people, right leaders, and the right culture” as the company moves to augment its workforce and business operations.

Lamudi’s new parent company offers a stable backing for its expansion plans. It was announced in May last year that EMPG, one of the leading digital classifieds groups in the Middle East-North America, South Asia and Southeast Asia regions, acquired Lamudi Global, covering ventures in the Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico.

Othel V. Campos

Aboitiz InfraCapital allots P2.5b for towers

DTI INSPECTION. Right after a courtesy call on Cabuyao City Mayor Rommel Gecolea at the City Hall, officials of the Department of Trade and Industry-Laguna Provincial Office, along with the City Cooperative and Livelihood Officer, check the compliance of business establishments with the minimum health and safety protocols in a mall. Twenty establishments were randomly checked including five food establishments and 15 retailers, with a compliance rate of 70 percent.

Redondo Peninsula drops 660-MW Subic coal project

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

HE consortium behind Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. pulled out of the planned 660-megawatt coal-fired facility in Zambales province.

RP Energy is a joint venture among Meralco PowerGen Corp., a unit of Manila Electric Co., Therma Power Inc. of the Aboitiz Group and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp.

Aboitiz Power Corp. president Emmanuel Rubio said the company was now looking at the site as a possible gas project in the future.

“We are partners with Meralco and RP Energy and since we have communicated with RP Energy, we will not be building coal anymore, that we are actually reserving that site for possible gas option to supply as CSP [competi-

tive selection process] by Meralco or any other DU [distribution utility] that we have a CSP say for mid-merit and even for an NGCP [National Grid Corp. of the Philippines] provider for ancillary services,” Rubio said.

Meralco PowerGen president Rogelio Singson agreed with Aboitiz Power’s position for RP Energy to move away from coal.

“The site for Redondo may not be for baseload, so maybe for mid-merit LNG which we’re studying with our partners,” Singson said The development of the RP Energy project was put on hold since 2019 over geological concerns arising from the “instability in one of the slopes” that could affect construction.

It was also delayed by the issuance of a writ of Kalikasan against the project, which was eventually resolved.

Rubio said that for baseload power plants or those that could run 24/7, Aboitiz Power was always looking at the gas option.

“In fact, as we speak we already have

a team looking at our gas option. We are doing, on a very early stage, feasibility studies for gas on at least two locations,” he said.

Rubio said Aboitiz Power would later come up with a definitive position on coal.

“DOE came up with a coal moratorium policy and still allowing brownfield coal in certain categories especially super-critical coal moving forward and those with permits to proceed,” he said.

“I think in certain areas in the Philippines, there will be specific niches where coal will remain to be competitive and at the end of the day it, will be still be market forces that will decide that. Will we participate? It’s something that we will continue to look at, but the option that we are really considering particularly in Luzon would be gas,” he said.

Aboitiz Power aspires for a 50-50 share of renewable energy and coal in 10 years, with the aim of bringing renewable capacity to 3,900 MW by year 2029 or 2030.

ABOITIZ InfraCapital Inc. said Tuesday it is spending P2.5 billion this year to build more telco towers nationwide.

“For 2021, we’ve allocated around P2.5 billion for capex [capital expenditures] to build telco towers, and we’re currently negotiating and finalizing technical and commercial designs with the telcos,” InfraCapital president and chief executive Cosette Canilao said in a virtual briefing.

Aboitiz Infra secured separate deals with Globe Telecom Inc. and DITO Telecommunity Corp. for the deployment of small cell sites to boost network capacity and coverage. Under separate lease agreements, the two telcos deployed small cells across Aboitiz InfraCapital’s pole network in Cebu and Davao.

A small cell network is a series of small low-powered, short-ranged antennas that provide coverage and capacity, meant to work in conjunction with macro cell towers.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PhilWeb registered P7.2-m profit in Q1 GAMING company PhilWeb Corp. said Tuesday net income surged by 567percent in the first quarter to P7.2 million from a net loss of P1.5 million in the same period last year, boosted by higher revenues.

PhilWeb said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter revenues climbed 8.4 percent in the first quarter to P136.9 million from P127.2 million a year earlier.

It said the improvement in revenues was mainly due to higher number of operating sites and the impact of the acquisition of two e-Bingo machine suppliers and 16 e-Bingo sites. Costs and expenses also decreased by 1.5 percent to P121.6 million.

“These remarkable results were brought about by the revenue contribution of 19 additional eGames sites that converted back to PhilWeb’s Electronic Gaming System, as well as the acquisition of 16 eBingo venues and 2 accredited eBingo machine providers,” PhilWeb said.

“These developments, in addition to the increase in the activities of the eGames and eBingo outlets to pre-quarantine levels, allowed PhilWeb to sustain its positive EBITDA and net income for the second consecutive quarter, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020,” it said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Phinma Education signs P88-m deal to acquire Union College of Laguna

By Jenniffer B. Austria

URC’S AWARDS. Filipino-owned Universal Robina Corp. receives three prestigious sustainability awards for efficient waste management process at its production plants in Thailand. URC Thailand general manager Tanant Suwanraks receives the 3Rs, 3Rs+ and Zero Waste Achievement Awards from Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry, for the company’s efforts to cut yearly wastes and costs at its factories. The efforts have proven effective at conserving natural resources, landfill space and energy.

63-MW Zambales solar farm starts operations AC ENERGY Corp. on Tuesday announced that the 63-megawatt GigaSol Palauig solar farm it built in Zambales province at a cost of P2.39 billion has began operations.

The company said despite the challenges in construction amid the pandemic, Gigasol Palauig began generating power for the Luzon grid.

The solar project will generate over 90 million kilowatt-hours of clean power to support the country’s demand.

AC Energy said it also started the construction of its next solar farm in ArayatMexico, Pampanga. The 72-MW solar project is a 50-50 joint venture with Citicore Solar Energy Corp.

The project is estimated to cost P2.75 billion and will be ready to begin opera-

IN BRIEF

tions and supply power to the Luzon grid by the summer of 2022.

“The Palauig solar farm is the first of AC Energy’s five new plants to begin operating in 2021, making it quite an exciting year for the company’s Philippine operations,” AC Energy chief development officer Jose Maria Zabaleta said in a statement.

“This is all the more important as these new plants can help offset some supply shortfalls in recent months, and help to reduce the elevated prices seen in the market caused by these shortages,” Zabaleta said.

Zabaleta said the company was also very excited about the Arayat-Mexico project, its first venture with CREC. Alena Mae S. Flores

PHINMA Education Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of the Phinma Corp., said Tuesday it is taking control of Union College of Laguna Inc. Phinma said in a disclosure to the stock exchange PEHI signed a share purchase agreement for a 65.67-percent stake in the Laguna-based school for P88.17 million.

The transaction will be closed on April 30, 2021, subject to accomplishment of certain conditions.

Phinma said the acquisition would strengthen PEHI’s position in the education industry, particularly in Laguna where Union College of Laguna is the second school in a planned network in the province.

Union College of Laguna offers kindergarten, elementary, junior high school and the academic track and technical vocational track for senior high school.

It also offers undergraduate courses

in Education, Economics, Public Administration, Accountancy, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Criminology, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Psychology, Political Science, English, Communication and Secretarial Administration and graduate courses in Public Administration and Education.

The deal will add to PEHI’s network of colleges and universities which includes PHINMA-Araullo University, PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College, PHINMA-University of Iloilo, PHINMA-University of Pangasinan and PHINMA UPANG College of Urdaneta, PHINMA-Saint Jude College, PHINMA-Republican College, PHINMA-Rizal College of Laguna and Southwestern University-PHINMA. PEHI piloted two remote learning models, Flex Learning and Remote and Distance Learning, to respond to the needs of different sectors during the pandemic.

Converge ICT has most consistent fixed Internet—Ookla

By Darwin G. Amojelar CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. said it has the most consistent fixed internet performance in five regions in the country, based on Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data for the first quarter.

The Ookla analysis shows that the average download speed of Converge is at 42.93 megabits per second in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Ilocos and the Cordillera Administrative Region, representing the actual plans subscribed to by its subscribers.

“Our network performance in the first quarter reflects our focus in providing reliable high-speed internet services to our customers in their standard packages,

which subscribers of other providers only enjoy on a promotional basis via their speed boosts,” said Converge ICT chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy. Converge ICT garnered a consistency score of 72.78 percent in the Ookla analysis. Consistency score measures what percentage of a provider’s samples equals or exceeds both a download and upload fixed threshold of 25 mbps download and 3 mbps upload.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom said its 4G coverage, speed and video experience were consistently improving amid the aggressive cell site builds.

Based on the April 2021 report of international analyst firm, Opensignal, Globe’s 4G availability scored 82.6 percent, up 2.2

percentage points, causing Smart’s lead to drop by nearly 30 percent from 5 percentage points to 3.6 percentage points.

Globe’s video experience score also advanced by an impressive 15.4 points, reducing Smart’s lead by more than half compared to the last report. The report noted the company’s download speed experience improvement of 16.4 percent from 7.4 mbps to 8.6 mbps.

“Our continuously improving performance in mobile and data services shows our strong commitment to deliver on our promise of a first-world network. The steady improvements significantly reduced the gaps in speed such that, from a user standpoint it is hardly noticeable,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu.

Mandaue nails semis berth in Super Cup ALCANTARA—KCS Computer Specialist-Mandaue City put the clamps on Tubigon Bohol in a record rout, 80-50, to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup, Tuesday at the Civic Center here in Cebu.

Still smarting from its 73-81 loss to the MJAS Zenith-Talisay City Aquastars last Saturday, KCS vented their ire on Bohol and limited the Mariners to a combined 17 points in the middle periods to eventually come away with their sixth victory in eight games.

KCS was so sharp on defense that they held Bohol to the lowest number of points scored in the league, breaking the 53-point output of Tabogon in its 53-86 loss to this very same KCS squad last April 16.

After leading by seven, 22-15, after the first period, the wards of head coach Mike Reyes dug in on defense and made life tough for Bohol’s top guns Pari Llagas and Joseph Marquez.

With the Mariners’ reserves also unable to get into a rhythm, KCS took advantage and scored a combined 34 points in the second and third periods to open up a huge 56-32 lead heading to the last canto.

Former CESAFI MVP Shaq Imperial came off the bench and led the team with 15 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and two steals while fellow guard Gileant Delator had 13 points and five dimes.

Big man Michole Solera contributed 10 markers, seven boards, two assists, a steal, and a block.

Afterwards, head coach Mike Reyes said he is pleased to see his team embrace their identity as a defensiveminded squad.

“That’s getting to be our identity as a team sa VisMin Cup, limiting our opponents and playing good defense. Kung hindi din ako nagkakamali, kami din ang nakapagbigay din ng lowest outpost of Talisay,” said Reyes.

“Thats what I said before, na we need to find out our identity as a team and that is playing great defense.”

After snatching their first win of the tournament—a convincing 92-77 victory over Tabogon—last Saturday, Bohol was brought back down to earth and fell to 1-7 (win-loss) for the season. Llagas led the way for the Mariners with 18 points and 20 rebounds while Marquez, who is the league’s leading scorer, finished with just 12.

KCS-Mandaue looks to get win no. 7 tomorrow when it takes on versus Tabogon at 3 p.m. Tubigon, on the other hand, looks to get back on track later in the day against Dumaguete at 7 p.m.

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Pro league execs seek Palace green light for Season 46 start P HILIPPINE Basketball Association commissioner Willie Marcial is scheduled to have a crucial meeting at Malacañang on Wednesday in the hopes of securing a possible go-signal to finally kick off its 46th season.

Marcial will be accompanied by Barangay Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua when they visit the Palace and talk with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senator Bong Go. The league chief hopes to have a clearer picture on how the season will unravel once Marcial gets to lay everything on the table during their talk with the top two government executives.

“Siguro after naming mag-usap sa Malacañang, after one or two days may kaunting liwanag na kung saan ang direksyon natin,” said Marcial in his appearance in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association online Forum on Tuesday.

Marcial will emphasize during the meeting how Asia’s pioneering pro league was able to mount a successful

bubble season last year in Clark where it restarted the Philippine Cup. “Ipapakita namin at ie-explain namin na successful ang bubble, nagawa natin. And walang bulilyaso na nangyari (sa bubble), so sana ma-reward tayo sa ginawa natin,” added the commissioner in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The PBA remains firm in its approach to have all players, coaches, and staff be vaccinated before starting the season, although holding another bubble remains an option as a last recourse.

Marcial said in the Forum powered by Smart and Upstream Media as official webcast partner that Ilocos Norte and Antipolo are among those being considered to be the

training bubble and out of their comfort zones.

“The other NSAs (national sports associations) can study this,” Puentevella told the online version of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

Under this setup, the SWP produced the medals in the tough Asian Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where young weightlifters Vanessa Sarno won two golds and one silver, Erleen Ando took three silvers and Mary Flor Diaz had three silvers.

Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz failed to land on the podium in Tashkent but managed to formalize her entry to the Tokyo Olympics in July. It

Monico Puentevella

will be her fourth Olympics.

The 17-year-old Sarno hails from Bohol, while the 22-year-old Ando is from Cebu. The other Diaz, 21, is a relative of the Olympic medalist from Zamboanga.

“That’s why dito na muna kami sa probinsya while they train during the

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial

bubble venue, along with another Local Government Unit, which he refused to name at the moment.

If finally allowed to play by the InterAgency Task Force, the league is bound to implement an even stricter list of protocols compared to the one it had last year.

“Sigurado mahigpit ang protocols natin lalo na kung wala pa tayong vaccines,” Marcial said, adding hopefully the vaccines ordered by the league in its tie-up with Philippine Red Cross will arrive in either May or June in time for the season opener.

pandemic,” Puentevella told the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation .

The 30-year-old Diaz has been training in Kuala Lumpur for a year now. From Tashkent, she returned to the Malaysian capital to continue training all the way to the Tokyo Games in July.

Puentevella, who is confident that the new breed of weightlifters will make it to the 2024 Paris Olympics or beyond, also stressed in the session powered by Smart and with Upstream Media as official webcast partner that those who won medals in Tashkent trained under Filipino coaches.

“I also admire foreign coaches.

They are good and they can help. But we cannot belittle the talent of our local coaches. And that was proven in Uzbekistan,” said the former chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Catantan eyes ’24 Paris games

Volleyball, beach volley get going in Subic COACHES will put premium on skills, height and ethic in the selection of members of the national volleyball and beach volleyball teams as tryouts kick off in a bubble environment on Wednesday at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Volleyball coaches Odjie Mamon (women) and Dante Alinsunurin (men) set specific policies, guidelines and parameters when they pick from the 40 women and men aspirants who arrived in Subic on board quarantined buses and vans on Wedesday morning.

“We are looking at specific qualities for specific positions, and not the individual, but the aspirant’s qualities himself or herself,” Mamon said.

“We will be focusing on basic skills on offense and defense, as well as height, tactics or strategy, attitude, leadership and championship experience,” Alinsunurin said.

Beach volleyball coaches Paul Jan Doloiras (women) and Rhovyl Verayo (men) set the same policies

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

Big man Michole Solera contributed 10 markers, seven boards, two assists, a steal, and a block for Mandaue City.

Puentevella: Different training approach pays off for PH lifters SAMAHANG Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella is looking at a different approach as his athletes continue to deliver and excel in the international arena.

“It has been proven,” said the former congressman from Bacolod City, referring to his decision to let members of the national team train in their respective provinces or areas.

“What we did was the Philippine Sports Commission sent the equipment to our weightlifters in Cebu, Bohol and Zamboanga,” said Puentevella.

That way, the athletes were able to focus more on their training during the pandemic and stay with their respective families than bring them in some

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

National team mainstay Aby Maraño gets her RT-PCR test.

and parameters in the selection of national athletes who will be focusing on the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games in November.

The volleyball tryouts will be on Wednesday and Thursday at the Subic Gym, while the beach volleyball tryouts will be on Friday at the Subic Tennis Courts.

Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said everyone is clear to travel to Subic for the tryouts after the results of the RT-PCR tests conducted on Monday and Tuesday at the mega swabbing center at the Mall of Asia Arena were released to the participants.

The swab tests were made possible through the PNVF’s local government unit partner Taguig City under Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Among those who were swab tested were national team mainstays Aby Maraño and Majoy Baron, along with invitees from colleges and universities.

By Peter Atencio SAMANTHA Catantan vowed to be better and stronger the next time she joins an Olympic qualifier.

Making it to the 2024 Paris Olympics will be the 19-year-old Catantan’s next biggest goal as she promised to prepare very early for this.

“Siyempre, malungkot ako kinapos po ako. Pero mas na-motivate pa ako na magtraining pang lalo,” said Catantan in an interview with the Manila Standard.

Catantan, who is one of 10 Penn State fencers given All-American honors after the US NCAA Division 1 championships last month, talked about her experiences a few hours after she made it to the women’s foil semifinals of the 2021 Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifiers in fencing.

After looking at how she fared during the three-day meet in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Catantan said she now has enough time to get ready in pursuit of her Olympic dream in the next three years.

“Nakita ko na kahit papaano, nagimprove ang game. Sabi ni coach Amat (Canlas), naging mas OK ang laro,” said Catantan over new goals after her talks with national coach Amatov Canlas.

Catantan had a shot at a slot to the Tokyo Olympics. But this ended for Catantan when her top-seeded foe 27-year old Yana Alborova of Uzbekistan took the lead early and prevailed, 15-10, to advance to the championship round.

The match was close and Alborova was slightly ahead, 5-3. From there, Alborova picked up the pace and eventually led by a big margin.

“Ipu-push through ko ito. Mag-start na po a ko ngayon pa la ng pa ra sa goal ko for t he Pa r is Oly mpics,” added Catantan, who spent hours reflecting on her performance on Sunday when she returned to her hotel room.

Catantan, after getting her bronze medal during the brief awarding ceremony, spent part of her evening studying for online assignments that her teachers at Penn State University gave her while she was still in Tashkent.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

Japan’s host towns pull out over pandemic

Preparation is key for Folayang

By Peter Atencio FOR Edward “The Landslide” Folayang, he will have to make more adjustments when he deals with Shinya Aoki, an opponent he has beaten already.

His fight against Aoki was worked out on short notice and Folayang’s showdown with him during one of the undercard in ONE on TNT IV was not supposed to happen.

Aoki was schedule to fight Japanese-Korean mixed martial art fighter Yushihiro Akiyama, who however, sustained a hip injury. The replacement, American bet Sage Northcutt had to back out after contracting COVID-19, with Folayang coming in as a last-minute substitute.

This time, Folayang knows he will be dealing with a ground-andpound fighter when he clashes with Aoki.

“I need to be prepared. It’s going to be a tight fight and he’s more of a ground fighter,” added Folayang.

“It’s a matter of who can get his game plan out.”

Folayang will be back in the cage after six months.

It will be his chance at redemption from his two straight setbacks.

Folayang suffered a split decision loss to Peter Buist via split decision in January last year.

After that, Folayang bowed to Antonio Caruso via unanimous decision last October.

While Aoki’s striking and wrestling have shown big changes over time, many fighters are fearful of his submission skills.

But Folayang is not intimidated by his style, after having been beaten Aoki already.

The Team Lakay stalwart defeated Aoki during the ONE: Defending Honor on November 11, 2016, before the Japanese got his revenge on his home soil during ONE: A New Era via a first-round submission on March 31, 2019.

Unmindful of the rising COVID-19 cases in Japan, Park In-bee (left) and Lydia Ko said they were not worried about playing in the coming Tokyo Olympics. AFP

Olympic medal winners Ko, Park unfazed by virus surge

S

INGAPORE—Olympic gold and silver medallists Park In-bee and Lydia Ko said Tuesday they were not worried about playing at the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games despite a surge in infections in Japan.

A new virus state of emergency in Tokyo and several other regions was announced last week just three months before the Games begin, although officials and organizers insist they will go ahead.

The HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, which tees off Thursday, is shaping up as a warm-up for the Games as it features all the women’s medallists from Rio 2016.

Ahead of the tournament, South Korea’s reigning Olympic champion Park said she was not reconsidering her plans to play in Tokyo.

“I want to go to the Olympics again,” she told a virtual press conference.

“Obviously, there are lots of people who are still very worried but from an athlete’s point of view, I just think it’s great the Olympics is happening.

“We’ve been waiting for it for four years, and it has been five years now.”

The Olympics were originally due to take place last year but were delayed until 2021 due to the pandemic.

New Zealand’s Ko, who won silver in Rio, added she was confident organisers would put in place stringent safety measures.

“I believe the IOC and everybody involved alongside Japan are going to make the right decisions in the lead-up to the Games,” she said.

“The 2016 Rio Olympics was one of the best memories I’ve had—on and off the golf course.

“Being part of the history where golf had not been played in the Olympics for over a hundred years was great, and I would love to be there again.”

Rio marked the return of the sport to the

Games after a 112-year absence. China’s Feng Shanshan, who is also in the field this week, won the bronze medal.

Former number one Ko goes into the Singapore tournament—the first LPGA event in Asia for almost 18 months because of the pandemic— with huge confidence after ending a three-year title drought with a dominant seven-shot victory in Hawaii a fortnight ago.

“Winning in Hawaii definitely built that confidence for me to say that, hey, you know, I can be back in the winner’s circle. It’s great to be in that kind of a position again,” she said.

The tournament, cancelled last year due to the virus, features six of the world’s top 10 women golfers in the 69-player field, including world number one Ko Jin-young and defending champion Park Sung-hyun.

It is the first event on any international golf tour to take place on the world’s most populous continent since the Asian Tour’s Malaysian Open in March last year.

Sangalang shines in The Apprentice, carries Team Valor CONFIDENCE is one thing. Execution is another.

For Louie Sangalang, though, he didn’t just have the former but also aced the latter as he steered Team Valor to another win in the business task and kept them fighting for another day in The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.

From the get-go, the Filipino candidate did not hesitate stepping up to the role of the project manager as the teams were tasked to create a travel advertisement for Everise, a leading customer experience solutions and technology company, with Everise CEO Sudhir Agarwal challenging them to revolutionize customer experiences in the travel industry.

“The travel industry is actually something I’m quite familiar with in my role as the head of procurement. My company actually was in charge of putting in corporate travel,” Sangalang testified, which was a no brainer for Team Valor to elect him as the captain of the ship.

But this isn’t like any challenge, especially with Agarwal emphasizing how difficult the situation is for the travel industry today and all the more in the post-pandemic world.

“More than 50-percent of our business is actually healthcare in the US. What you can look at is which are the industries that have still not adapted technology and disrupt it,” he said. “We will make your customer experience better—that is the main pitch. You got to bring it out of the box, it should be practical, and most importantly, it should be profitable.”

Even Team Valor teammate Monica Millington noted how difficult this task was, saying, “This business challenge is very complex. We’re talking about

Louie Sangalang

the future of the travel industry, which nobody knows what that is right now.”

On top of creating their pitch deck, Sangalang also faced another hurdle: keeping Eugene Chung in

check as the 23-year-old digital marketer from the United States seemed to be at a loss many times in the planning stages.

“When it came to concept development, the four of us were on the same page and Eugene was a little bit derailing from our direction,” admitted Irina Chadsey inside the Boardroom.

Millington added, “Those disagreements were [Chung] trying to understand the product, I felt like it was a lot of having to explain and manage those conversations instead of just moving forward with our time constraints.”

And even Sangalang would profess: “It’s been difficult to manage Eugene.”

“I think Eugene cannot seem to see the perspective of team effort,” he continued. “When you stand down and not really understand the product, I think there is something deliberately wrong there. So what I would have appreciated if he took the time to actually educate himself regarding the subject matter.”

The situation, as calm as Team Valor was in their war room, even left ONE Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy Niharika Singh with her own set of reservations.

“Louie seems to be pretty much in control, but the proof of the pudding is in the execution. And a lot transpires during the night, when people are under those stressful conditions,” she said.

Still, Sangalang found a way to maximize Chung to the benefit of the rest of the team, tapping on his technological strengths in Team Valor’s travel insurance proposal Xpedition.

Watch out for Castro-Williams duo THE LINK REY JOBLE IN the history of the PBA, there were several guard combos that became endeared to PBA fans.

Old-time PBA fans will never forget the dynamic duo of Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz, who could alternately bring the ball up and set the tone for their team, Toyota, where they won nine championships together.

Hector Calma and Ricardo Brown formed a deadly backcourt tandem at San Miguel Beer and together, they became a part of the 1989 grand-slam team of the Beermen.

Through the years, there had been many more backcourt duos, composed of two players who can play alternately the point guard role for their team and act as floor general.

Probably the latest backcourt tandem that had much success was the partnership of Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro, who teamed up for five of the seven championships won by the TNT franchise.

A young, explosive player, Castro

was taken into the wings of Alapag, TNT’s court general then, and together, they helped the franchise establish a dynasty from 2009 to 2012.

Their partnership spilled over all the way to the national team, where Alapag skippered Gilas Pilipinas, while allowing Castro to f lourish in the backcourt and watch him become the best point guard in Asia in 2013.

More importantly, the Alapag-Castro tandem helped carry the Philippines back in the world basketball circuit when they helped Gilas Pilipinas bag a silver medal and earn a berth back to the World Cup for the first

TOKYO—Hundreds of Japanese towns and cities have been forced to rethink plans to host Olympic teams because the coronavirus will prevent public appearances and require costly safety measures.

The western town of Okuizumo spent more than $5 million preparing to welcome India’s hockey team for a preGames training camp, only to scrap the visit because of Covid-19.

After sinking money into upgrading sports facilities, Okuizomo balked when it became clear it would have to provide bubble-like biosecurity measures with regular virus tests and medical care.

“We wanted to have one of the world’s top tier teams visit our town and show their skills to local children,” town official Katsumi Nagase told AFP. “But that seems impossible now.”

More than 500 municipalities signed up to host athletes and officials in a scheme aimed at broadening the Olympics’ benefits beyond Tokyo.

Some, like Okuizumo, have already scrapped plans to host overseas athletes, while others are devising careful programmes they hope will keep everyone safe.

Instead of giving residents the chance to meet elite athletes and try out new sports, towns will have to ditch any physical contact, school visits and public training sessions.

Kurihara city in northern Miyagi prefecture was planning to host South Africa’s hockey team, but decided the expense was no longer worth it given the limitations imposed by virus measures.

“It’s a project that will use our tax resources,” Hidenori Sasaki, an official with the local board of education, told A FP. “If it becomes just athletes holding a training camp without any exchanges with local residents, local citizens won’t enjoy the benefits.”

In some cases, Olympic teams have cancelled, worried about the risk of infection before the Games.

Australia’s swimming team ditched its plan to train in Niigata’s Nagaoka city, its mayor told media in March.

And Canada’s table tennis team will no longer go to Nagano’s Okaya city, which instead plans to put posters of athletes around town, said Tomoko Hirose of the city’s planning division.

“Our cheering may become a oneway engagement, without physical exchanges, but given the situation, we just have to move on,” she told AFP. AFP

Standard columnist Ochosa passes away MANILA Standard columnist and popular boxing analyst Michael "Mike" Ochosa passed away on Monday due to a heart attack.

He was 55 years old.

A graduate of De La Salle University, Ochosa wrote for various broadsheets and online publications providing his thoughts and insights on various sports.

He was a freelance TV boxing analyst, having sat ringside in 14 of Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s fights and for various international sports networks as well.

Mike Ochosa Ochosa, who became president of Viva Sports Management from 2013 to 2016, was also President of Punchout Boxing Club and head and Program Director of Philippine Habagat Baseball.

Ochosa was also a sports columnist for the Manila Standard, with his last piece “Sports news is good news” coming out on Monday, the same day he died.

time in 40 years.

The Alapag-Castro tandem is all but part of history now.

This year, TNT is out to repeat history and bound to produce another potential great tandem in the backcourt.

Now the acknowledged veteran, Castro will be the one playing the role as mentor to newcomer Mikey Williams, an explosive guard carrying an impressive resume.

The 6’2” Williams had a stint playing in the NBA D-League for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and also saw action in the US NCAA Division 1.

When he burst into local basketball scene, he took the MPBL by storm and quickly turned General Santos City Warriors to a playoff contender.

His stint with Mighty Sports playing

in the William Jones Cup and Dubai International tournament was likewise impressive that he immediately became a potential top overall pick days before the PBA Rookie Draft.

Williams didn’t end up No.1, but as fourth overall pick, he’ll be a welcome addition for a TNT team that is looking for an immediate impact player, who’ll fill the void left by disgruntled player Ray Parks.

In TNT’s new era, expect the Castro-Williams tandem to display their explosiveness. It won’t be surprising if they do much of the damage on the opposition. Both players can shoot, slash their way to the basket and keep a hold on their team.

TNT’s backcourt has been reloaded and is determined to provide an uninterrupted signal for the squad.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

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BGYO makes listeners fall in love with ‘He’s Into Her’ track

BGYO, composed of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate, has been a consistent trending topic on all social media platforms and is considered one of the country's rising stars in the P-Pop music landscape.

P-POP group BGYO adds a heady dose of kilig to the upcoming generational series He's Into Her starring Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan as the group released the show’s theme song on Spotify last April 23.

The song was composed, written, and produced by Jonathan Manalo and Gabriel Tagadtad and will be part of a soundtrack that will be released soon.

The series He's Into Her is based on a popular Wattpad series of the same title.

It is about a provincial lass who struggles

Oscars viewership hit all-time low THIS year's Oscars audience plummeted by more than half to a record low 9.85 million viewers, broadcaster ABC said Monday—a staggering if widely expected drop for a ceremony that many viewers found short on humor and star power.

The whopping 58 percent tumble from last year's previous 23.6 million nadir had been anticipated for Hollywood's biggest night, after other award shows held during the pandemic also suffered precipitous declines.

With movie theaters shut for most of the year, many viewers had not seen or even heard of nominees such as Chloe Zhao's Nomadland, which was the night's big winner with three prizes but which has taken just over $2 million at the domestic box office.

Several blockbuster films whose stars

Veteran actor Anthony Hopkins, 83, became the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar for his heart-wrenching performance as a man with dementia in 'The Father.’

could have drawn interest at this year's Oscars saw their release dates shunted to next year due to the pandemic, from Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and the mega-budget sci-fi Dune to an array of popular superhero titles.

That exodus left an unfamiliar crop of nominees competing at Sunday's ceremony, with Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-jung winning the supporting acting Oscars a year after Brad Pitt and Laura Dern prevailed.

One big name who did win—but was in bed sleeping some 5,000 miles away in Wales—was Anthony Hopkins, who was unexpectedly named best actor for The Father in what was the night's final prize.

The Oscars typically end with best picture, but producers decided to reorganize the categories—and the lack of an acceptance speech at the show's grand finale was criticized by many viewers as anti-climactic.

"At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award, I really didn't," said Hopkins in video posted to his Instagram page from Wales on Monday morning.

"I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman who was taken from us far too early," he added, referring to the late Black Panther star who had been expected to win best actor for his final role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

The Oscars drew more than 43 million viewers as recently as 2014, but audiences have become increasingly fragmented in the streaming era.

The 9.85 million viewing figure is based on early Nielson data ordered by ABC. AFP

#JabWellDone Online campaign encourages Filipinos to get vaccinated USING social media as a powerful tool, GMA Public Affairs launches “#JabWellDone,” an online advocacy campaign that encourages more Filipinos to get vaccinated against the coronavirus and helps curb its spread through informed choices.

Unveiled this April, the campaign is a two-pronged communication initiative that seeks to address the public’s hesitancy in getting inoculated against the coronavirus. First, it provides answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Second, it features the narratives of Filipinos all over the world who have already received the vaccine—especially the seniors, medical frontliners, and persons with co-morbidities—as a way of allaying the doubts of Filipinos still reluctant to receive the vaccine by sharing real stories they can resonate with.

With over 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines administered as of April 20, based on the Department of Health’s report, the Philippines aims to achieve herd immunity against the virus that caused the pandemic. Yet aside from the limited doses available in the country, the end of the pandemic remains elusive due to Filipinos' plummeting vaccine confidence. Amid the rise of

‘Born To Be Wild’ host Doc Ferds Recio gets his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine.

News reporter Tina Panganiban-Perez in Quezon City’s vaccination center.

COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, six out of 10 Filipinos are still hesitant to get vaccinated, a recent survey from Pulse Asia revealed. "#JabWellDone" has since earned praises and positive feedback from netizens. During the first week of the campaign, GMA Public Affairs’ social media initiative organically reached over eight million users on Facebook alone.

The team behind the campaign also received hundreds of testimonials from Filipinos around the world who shared their experience before, during, and after getting the vaccine using the official hashtag "#JabWellDone."

On the home front, various GMA News and Public Affairs personalities eagerly showed their support to the campaign by sharing their own #JabWellDone experience on their personal social media accounts. Some of them were Born To Be Wild host Doc Ferds Recio and reporters Saleema Refran and Tina PanganibanPerez.

For more information on the “#JabWellDone” campaign, follow GMA Public Affairs’ social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

VERY WANG

I

NICKIE WANG

T’S easier to make music these days.

And with numerous platforms available, singers and composers are given more avenues to introduce their songs to the public.

Thus, competition has become more stiff because music consumers are becoming more picky.

For Noela Amparo, a new singer who hopes to make it big in the music business is trying to learn the ropes of the trade, one song at a time.

Last week, she unveiled the official music video for her debut single “Sandalan.” It premiered during her first virtual press conference.

The slick music video features a mansion for a setting that complements the look and aura of the virginal beauty with Asian eyes. Dressed in white and then in black, Noela showcases her allure and pours out her emotions throughout the clip created by a team of videographers directed by Ramie Seron. It was shot on location in the province of Tarlac by following pandemic protocols.

In the video, Noela is romantically partnered with a long-haired, dashing debonair, and seen performing with her backup Apat Band, which played on the record as well.

“It may look like a big production but it only took half a day for us to complete the whole shoot. I was lucky that I was with an efficient team that’s why we were able to finish the entire shoot in a short period of time,” Noela told Manila Standard Entertainment.

“I had my creative input but the director had a better vision for the music video. I feel glad that I trusted our director who created a storyline that complements the song,” she added.

Apart from singing, Noela has other creative endeavors and passions. A dig into her personal routine, she reveals that she hosts a live streaming channel called Apat TV, posts panoramic shots of her travels, and sings classic songs with her musically inclined father.

Her recording of “Sandalan” was produced by Pinoy talent advocate Pat Achas who hired her initially to be a host for the aforementioned channel.

It was recorded at Apat Studio and mixed-mastered by Mark Anthony Zoleta of Forgiven Music Studio.

Noela was first introduced to the tune, written by author-musician Yugel Losorata, when she and the composer met for a musical project many years back. Her recording dropped in digital stores in late 2020 was picked by Spotify editors for its New Music Friday playlist.

"I feel that 'Sandalan' is a representation of a strong, brave, and dependable woman who will and can do anything for someone she loves, whether it’s a person, her passion, and

to fit in a new school. There, she meets the alpha of their academy, Deib Lohr, played by Donny, who will make her school life difficult until he develops an affection for her.

BGYO is one of the country's rising stars in the P-Pop music landscape. Composed of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate, BGYO has been a consistent trending topic on all social media platforms.

“The song will make listeners fall in love again,” Gelo said.

Prior to recording the series' theme

song, BGYO debut single "The Light" garnered more than three million views on YouTube and Facebook since it was released last Jan. 29.

Since their debut, the group has been a mainstay in ASAP Natin ‘To and regularly goes on livestreams on kumu.

The song has generated excitement among followers of BGYO who have been continuously sharing their sentiments on the single, which has been constantly landing as a trending topic on social media.

A song NOELA AMPARO calls her own

Scenes from the music video for ‘Sandalan,’ Noela Amparo’s debut single.

her dream. It is a reflection of what I can do as a woman and it is a song of power and bravery," shared the Pinay beauty who hails from Bacoor, Cavite.

For a time, Noela went abroad to work as a singer. She continuously supports her four siblings Miko, Nicole, Paul, and Heart.

Growing up she was exposed to fiesta parties and karaoke challenges. She joined a contest in Eat Bulaga called Pambato ng Videoke and won P15,000. Three years later she was adjudged champion in a corporate-sponsored competition.

She expressed, "My friends always support and encourage me to pursue my singing career and I owe it to them that I kept trying. I am totally happy, fulfilled, and proud of my career choices."

She shared she has always listened to pop music, in particular the music of Britney Spears. She remembers having a copy of the pop star's debut album when she was four years old. She also studied songs by Aegis and Regine Velasquez while being exposed to country music since her father likes to listen to it.

Noela finished a degree in public relations at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Watch Noela’s music video here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=IxqNSuNhNJ0

***

Sara’s portrait The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lord Allan Velasco, who currently represents the lone district of the province of Marinduque, gifted the First Daughter and Mayor of Davao City, Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, a magnificent commissioned portrait by Kristine S. Lim, an artist on a mission.

Lim is the Director of Culture and Arts for Sustainable PH and VicePresident for External Affairs of Christian+Collective. Both are NGOs or non-governmental organizations that aim to uplift the mindset of our countrymen in terms of Christianity, patriotism, and sustainability.

Speaker Velasco and Mayor Duterte are close friends, which is why the former (together with the Gentlemen of Sara, a group he formed and leads composed of his friends from different sectors of society), came up with the idea of giving her a portrait. The gift was meant to show her their love and full support, no matter what her future political plans may be. It was paid for by the many friends and supporters of the speaker and the mayor.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (right) holds the commissioned portrait of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio by artist Kristine Lim (left).

Life

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

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Vanessa Kirby

The Best Actress nominee rocked a lovely custom Gucci pale-rose silk gazar strapless column gown with box pleat dramatic train and cutout detail at the waist — a beautiful contrast to her dark red lips and darkcolored nails.

FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

Hits and misses

at the 2021 Oscars

By Bernadette Lunas

S

TARS once again descended on the red (or was it fuchsia?) carpet during the in-person Academy Awards 2021, a sorely missed affair after a couple of virtuallyheld awarding ceremonies.

Carey Mulligan

We saw gold dresses more than once on this red carpet, but it was Mulligan’s two-piece Valentino Haute Couture gown that snatched our attention. The British actress looked stunning in the matching gold bandeau top and high-waisted full skirt.

Viola Davis

Textures, textures, textures. The award-winning star was a vision in white custom Alexander McQueen with thistle appliqué and floor-length skirt. Davis finished her look with diamond accessories from Forevermark and a pristine white Jimmy Choo clutch.

Seeing the nominees and presenters together, albeit in an intimate ceremony, at Union Station in Los Angeles, California felt like we were back to normal. And we were definitely excited to see glitz and glamour outside the living room.

Photos courtesy of AFP/Getty Images

Margot Robbie

There was something charming yet edgy in Robbie’s silver floral number — a custom Chanel sheath dress in ennobled metallic lace with thin straps which she accessorized with a pair of drop pearl earrings, also from the French luxury house.

Colman Domingo

We love a guy who wears pink well. Example: the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star in hot pink Atelier Versace suit in all its 4,500 Swarovski crystals and sequins glory.

Laura Dern

The Oscar de la Renta dress she wore on the red carpet did not give justice to her talent.

Dern looked like she was emerging from an asymmetrical feathered skirt wearing a black mock neck top. It was just confusing.

Filipino fashion brands join Indonesian expo HOMEGROWN fashion brands fair, offer a valuable opportunity to prohoused on FAME+ are part of an on- mote world-class Filipino products to the going Indonesian virtual Indonesian market. While trade fair . the pandemic limited ofThe 10 participants in fline interactions, online the Fashion Online Expo, trade fairs allow us to suswhich began on April 21 tain our promotion efforts and runs until April 30, and target the new breed include Agsam Fashion of tech-savvy Indonesian Fern, Aranaz, Beatriz, Filconsumers,” said Jeremiah ip + Inna, Joanique, Ken Reyes, commercial attaché Samudio, Maco Custodio, at the PTIC in Jakarta.

Mele + Marie, Vesti, and All participating brands Zacarias 1925. are exhibitors at FAME+, A piece The Center for Internathe digital trade and comby Ken Samudio tional Trade Expositions munity platform launched and Missions (CITEM), in

by CITEM late last year to partnership with the Philippine Trade respond to the increasingly digital deand Investment Center (PTIC) - Jakar- mands of trade. ta, is leading the country’s first partici“We’re very excited to be taking an pation in the Indonesian online expo active part in the digital facilitation of dedicated to fashion. trade,” said CITEM executive direcCarrying the theme “Fashioned from tor Pauline Suaco-Juan. “Before the Nature,” the brands offer export-ready pandemic, CITEM has already been in and contemporary pieces ranging from the process of digitalizing the ways in apparel to accessories inspired by the which we promote our exports, and we varied flora and fauna of the Philippines. are also glad that it’s paying dividends “Virtual events, such as this online for our stakeholders.”

Reese Witherspoon

Here’s another star we love, but, oh, that look was definitely a choice. The red Dior dress with asymmetrical neckline and pleated design would have been okay on its own. Ditch the black belt, Reese!

Just jeans

The Authentic Jeans collection includes (from left) boyfriend jeans, curvy fit jeans, high-rise skinny jeans, and mid-rise skinny jeans.

GLOBAL brand Forever 21 expands its denim assortment with the launch of the Authentic Jeans collection.

The line promises new styles, better fits, and updated stretch fabric that is made of 100 percent cotton for that soft, second-skin feel.

Forever 21’s Authentic Jeans collection consists of Boyfriend Fit Jeans (loose fitting, slouchy, relaxed, and at times heavily distressed), Curvy Fit Jeans (for curvy women with small waists and voluptuous hips), and Skinny Jeans (simple, flattering, and classic silhouette). Each pair’s wash, the brand says, “fades naturally over time,” and “the way it breaks in” it adds, “makes it a pair that is uniquely yours.”

The jeans start at P1,495 a pair, and can be ordered through Forever 21’s call to deliver service (Viber or SMS 0917-811-4777), or Facebook Messenger. The collection is also available at stores nationwide.

Janine Gutierrez spills 5 makeup secrets BEAUTY shouldn’t be complicated; it should be simple but pretty. Actor, host, and model Janine Gutierrez swears by these five makeup secrets to achieve that simply pretty look.

BB cream if you’re in a rush

No time for the whole primer-concealer-foundation shebang? Go for a multi-benefit BB cream that provides coverage and moisturizes skin. If you’re opting for multi-use, Janine suggests taking it a notch higher by using a 2-in-1 product like Avon’s BB Cream and Blush Duo, which packs a BB cream and a blush in one tube.

Keep brows tamed and full

It’s not enough to choose just one from the two, do them both—tame and fill. Simply Pretty Brow Gel Mascara tames unruly brow hairs while also filling them with tint for that fuller look.

Hate smudge? Use a spoon!

Janine Gutierrez is sharing makeup secrets on April 30 during a livestream on Avon’s Facebook page.

‘X’ marks the spot

Mascara is usually applied last when doing eye makeup. So On your lips, that is. To get a to avoid smudging your already shaded eyelids, take a spoon fuller look, draw an X on your Cuand hold it over your lids while putting on Simply Pretty Full pid’s Bow using a lip pencil (Simply Pretty Lip Defining PenLash Mascara. cil). From there, fill in the rest with a lipstick (Simply Pretty Lipstick Duo) of the same shade.

Start with dots when lining eyes

Bags and accessories from (clockwise) Maco Custodio, Beatriz, Zacarias 1925, and Mele+Marie.

Drawing a perfect line on the eyes is a challenge, even for Bonus tip those who do it frequently. One trick to get a consistent width Want more beauty secrets? Avon Simply Pretty ambasis starting out with a few dots (or dash lines), then connect sador Janine Gutierrez and celebrity makeup artist Anthea everything. For this trick, Janine uses Simply Pretty Eye De- Bueno are spilling them on Avon Philippines Facebook page fining Pencil. on April 30 at 6:00 p.m.