Manila Standard - 2021 May 11 - Tuesday

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PH embassy staff in India dies

VOL. XXXV • NO. 85 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A STAFFER of the Philippine Embassy in India has died of COVID-19, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.

The DFA said the fatality was a Filipino career personnel working at the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi.

DFA Office of Strategic Communication and Research Executive Director Ivy Banzon-Abalos said no details or

statement regarding the incident would be issued for now.

The department announced the fatality after the South Asian nation reported more than 4,000 new deaths over the weekend.

According to the Philippines’ envoy to India Ramon Bagatsing, two Filipinos in India had died from COVID-19.

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Palace sees NCR shift to GCQ Hope springs from declining cases, even as 3 provinces revert to MECQ

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

M

ETRO Manila and four nearby provinces are likely to be shifted to the less restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) after May 14, the Palace said Monday.

In a virtual press briefing, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said it is the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) that would decide whether to shift to GCQ or extend the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), but said he was hopeful the task force would ease quarantine restrictions amid a decline in new COVID-19 cases.

Roque, who is also a spokesman for the IATF, said a shift to a GCQ is likely based on a formula that takes into account the rate of health care utilization, the daily attack rate and the reproduction number.

“Health care utilization in the National Capital Region has been downgraded to the moderate risk category, the attack rate is decreasing and the reproduction number is less than 1 already,” he said.

“What is important is that we achieve total health because if we only focus on preventing COVID-19 transmission, many people will suffer because of poverty while

MORE JABS.

Government officials and Pfizer executives flash the fist sign as the Philippines welcomed the arrival of 193,050 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines via DHL Plane Flight LD457 at NAIA Terminal 2 in Pasay City on Monday. The Pfizer jab is the 4th available vaccine brand in the country.

PCOO Photo

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193k Pfizer shots Duterte: I’m not afraid of debates, I just forgot [Carpio] isn’t President Pangco Pañares, arrive, set for MM, ByVitoJoyce Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo Davao, Cebu cities terte defended his decision to back out from his own challenge to engage in a debate with retired Supreme Court As“I AM not afraid of you…I just forgot sociate Justice Antonio Carpio over the that I am the President, and you are not.” West Philippine Sea issue.

Duterte said whatever he says durThis was how President Rodrigo Du-

By Joel E. Zurbano and Willie Casas

ing the debate will be construed as state policy, that is why he chose the safer option of backing out from his dare.

“I might bind future actions of the government when it comes to the West Philippine Sea. Du’n ako sa kahon [I

NEW REQUIREMENT.

A BATCH of 193,050 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in the Philippines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on Monday night before 9 p.m.

A total of 132,210 shots from this shipment will be allocated to Metro Manila. Cebu City and Davao City will each receive 15 percent of the shipment or 29,250 doses each.

The preferred storage for the vaccine is in ultra-low temperature freezers between -80ºC to -60ºC, but it can be stored “for five days at refrigerated 2-8°C conditions,” Pfizer said.

It is due to this requirement that vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. previously said its distribution would be limited to Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Davao City.

However, Quirino Province will now receive 1,710 doses, while the remaining 1,710 doses will serve as

Families walk through Burnham Park in Baguio City on Monday, as the city government enforced its new Face Mask and Face Shield Ordinance of 2021. Approved on final reading by the city council last April 5, Ordinance No. 49 amended sections of Ordinance No. 45-2020 by incorporating the face shield requirement.

Dave Leprozo

will not take that risk.] It’s not because I’m afraid of debates,” he said.

“I am not afraid of you. The problem is I really forgot you are not a President,” the commander-in-chief added.

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Eleazar to cops: Accost, arrest mask violators THE Philippine National Police will “accost” persons who wear their face masks improperly, its chief said Monday.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the police had coordinated with local governments to identify detention facilities for health protocol violators following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order.

The PNP will “accost violators” based on local ordinances, Eleazar told ANC’s Headstart.

He added: “We can give them face masks but we will still arrest them...

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DOH: No authority to buy remdesivir

By Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

West Philippine sea (WPS), saying the President did not give up any single territory of the Philippines to China.

Presidential spokesperson Harry MALACAÑANG dared critics to file an impeachment complaint against Presi- Roque made the challenge after former Next page dent Rodrigo Duterte over the issue on

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM MAY 10)

1,108,826 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

6,846 59,897 NEW

ACTIVE

18,562

90

1,030,367

8,193

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

Eight Abu Sayyaf leaders, members nabbed in Sabah EIGHT alleged Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leaders and their supporters were arrested by Malaysian troops early Saturday at Jalan Taman Sri Arjuna, Beaufort, Sabah, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Monday.

They were allegedly behind the kidJoint Task Force Sulu commander Maj. Gen. William Gonzales said in a state- napping of several local and foreign nament that ASG sub-leaders Sansibar tionals in the Philippines.

“The intensified intelligence operaBensio and Mabar Binda were arrested by troops from Malaysia’s Eastern Sabah tions and the support of the community Next page Southern Command (ESSCOM).

Panay SM scholars, alumni share stories of gratitude, triumph THROUGH the SM College Scholarship Program, SM Foundation (SMFI) offers equal education opportunities for students in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. From free tuition to enrichment activities, from job opportunities during semestral breaks to exclusive job offers upon graduation, SMFI got that covered.

In the Visayas region, one of the covered areas of the program is Panay, which comprises Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo Next page

REUNION. Photo shows some SM scholars in Iloilo City and Roxas City. Inset shows SM scholar alumna Glenda Tayongtong.

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News

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cooperate on vax site, Nayon told nancial assistance fund under the government’s Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the number of beneficiaries had been reached with 215,000 more applications still being processed by regional offices.

In an advisory, Bello said “Effective 5:00 pm, 10 May 2021, the Department of Labor and Employment in coordination with the Department of Tourism, shall cease to accept online applications for the P5,000.00 financial assistance under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) for the Tourism Sector.”

Based on the record as of May 9, 2021, the labor department has approved the application of 503,616 workers from 17,607 establishments, organizations, and associations nationwide, while 17,408 workers in the tourism sector who have applied individually have also been identified as beneficiaries.

urged the administration to make COVID-19 testing for returning Overseas Filipino Workers “as comfortable as possible.”

Taguig City Rep Alan Peter Cayetano, the bloc’s leader, said the Department of Health’s proposal to the COVID-19 InterAgency Task Force to require returning OFWs to undergo a COVID-19 testing six to seven days after their arrival was a reasonable proposal but might be viewed as an inconvenience.

“We want to protect our OFWs and help them come home, and that is also the President’s order, but the OFWs also don’t want their families to get sick,” Cayetano said.

“The testing may be a hassle but it is for the protection of all,” Cayetano said.

fied GCQ. The Philippines logged on Monday registered 6,846 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections since the pandemic began to 1,108,826, as five laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The number of new cases is the lowest in four days, or since May 6 when 6,637 additional infections were announced.

The DOH reported 90 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 18,562, which is 1.67 percent of the total cases.

The department also reported 8,193 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 1,030,367, which is 92.9 percent of the total.

The DOH reported 59,897 active cases, which is 5.4 percent of the total. Of the active cases, 93.7 percent were mild, 2.2 percent were asymptomatic, 1.3 percent were critical, 1.7 percent were severe, and 1.1 percent were moderate.

The number is the lowest in nearly two months, or since March 16 when 57,404 active infections were recorded.

The DOH also reported that, nationwide, 61 percent of the ICU beds, 43 percent of the isolation beds, 49 percent of the ward beds, and 40 percent of the ventilators were in use.

In Metro Manila, 67 percent of the ICU beds, 47 percent of the isolation beds, 51 percent of the ward beds, and 47 percent of the ventilators were in use.

The OCTA Research Group, which

has been tracking the pandemic, on Monday urged the government to remain cautious in deciding on new quarantine classifications come May 15 to sustain the fruits of the strict community quarantine in NCR Plus.

OCTA Research fellow Prof. Ranjit Rye said their group would support the government whether it extends the MECQ for one to two more weeks in the region or shift it under the more relaxed GCQ but with modifications and stricter monitoring of minimum public health standards.

“What we’re suggesting is a calibrated slow exit strategy so that we can sustain the trends,” Rye said.

Noting that only a few industries are closed to prevent infection transmission, Rye said the NCR is “almost in the GCQ status.”

“If they comply with minimum public health standards, if they have the engineering to prevent transmission within their business establishments, and if their employees are vaccinated, I think we can slowly open up. The key here is to have a gradual exit,” he added.

While the reproduction number in the region is down to 0.67, Rye noted the average daily attack rate and positivity rate of COVID-19 cases remain high.

The attack rate is the proportion of people who become ill with (or who die from) a disease in a population initially free of the disease. The positivity rate is the percentage of tests for the coronavirus that come back positive.

buffer stock.

Galvez, chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19, is confident the Philippines can handle, store and distribute the Pfizer vaccines.

The Pfizer vaccines will be brought directly to the cold storage facility of PharmaServ Express in San Roque, Marikina.

Galvez said the country’s “world class” cold storage facilities are well prepared for the influx of different COVID-19 vaccines that require vari-

ous storage temperatures in the coming days and weeks.

He pointed to how PharmaServ handled the distribution of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccines to different local government units in Metro Manila last week.

Galvez said the firm has “the capability to accept vaccines that need different storage temperature requirements, from Sinovac and AstraZeneca’s positive 2 to 8 degrees to the negative 18 degrees Celsius required by Gamaleya and even the negative 80 to negative 25 degrees Celsius temperature requirement of Moderna.”

“We are prepared for it. Our supply

chain is well prepared,” he said.

The vaccine czar was also informed by the management of Pharmaserv that the vaccines won’t be spoiled even if left for three days in the freezer “because they are well-preserved due to its accurate temperature.”

For the past few months, PharamaServ said it has been distributing the COVID-19 vaccines without a temperature breach and has reached the intended local government units.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao only, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday. With AFP

Six other members of the kidnapfor-ransom group apprehended were identified as Muayyar Binda, a certain Sansis, and a certain Firdaus, all under sub-leader Mabar Binda; ASG member Alim Sukarno under ASG sub-leader Sansibar Bensio; ASG member Lugah Sanchez under late ASGSL Juhurim Hussein (Patikul based); and ASG member Bonijar Samsula under late ASG sub-leader Juhurim Hussein.

“These ASG personalities have

moved to Sabah around March this year. We have been closely monitoring the activities of this Eastern Sulu kidnap-for-ransom group as it is highly possible that they intend to make Sabah their staging point for their kidnapping activities,” the PH military said.

“They know that it will be very difficult for them to launch atrocities in Sulu due to the persistent military operations in the area,” they added.

The task force said the ASG leader led

the kidnapping of several foreigners.

“To note, Bensio was part of the KFRG who took foreign nationals Lorenzo Vinciguerra (Swiss), Elwold Horn (Dutch), Samiun Bin Maneu, Maharudin Bin Lunani, and Muhammad Farhan (Indonesians)and Filipinos Ronnie Sandagon, Jerel T Pepito, Eddie Reubal, Marcial España, Arvin Sabaduquia, Rufino Bustillo, Joseph Bani, Hajan Terong, Joshua Bani and Michelle Tolentino Panes,” the military said.

When we arrest them meaning to say we are accosting them. It’s just a technical word. We will then bring them to the police station depending on the existing ordinance.”

Vice President Leni Robredo earlier said the public should instead be taught how to properly use face masks or be given a warning first before they would be arrested.

Observers said 14 months after the country came under various stages of lockdown, people should already know the proper wearing of masks.

Quarantine violators should also not be punished with exercise, Eleazar said as he warned abusive police officers.

Some 17,000 aspiring policemen are being recruited this year, Eleazar added as he said the PNP would no longer entertain the “padrino” system.

In a related development, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto in a statement said police should heed Eleazar’s no-jail order Any rush to arrest mandatory mask violators without setting up the “holding and booking” infrastructure would worsen jail congestion and the clogging of court dockets, Recto said.

With 182,556 inmates, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has a congestion rate of 434 percent, one of the world’s highest, the senator noted. Macon Ramos-Araneta

economic status of their families.

SM scholar alumna Glenda Galino Tayongtong finished a degree in Commerce Major in Management Accounting in 2002 from the Central Philippine University (CPU). With the minimal earnings of her parents as farmers, there was no way they could send her to college, especially in a private University.

“Central Philippine University is one of

the best schools in our area. If it wasn’t for my SM scholarship, my parents couldn’t really afford to send me to this school,” she said. It was fortunate that her sister, who was then working as a sales clerk at SM Delgado, saw a poster announcing the SM scholarship program. “Graduating as Top10 of my class was a plus factor, one of the requirements called for,” Glenda recalled.

“It is really bad here. Two Filipinos died, and they died within three days, April 23 to 26. It was very fast. The virus is a traitor. They call it double mutant strain,” Bagatsing said during the Laging Handa online briefing.

“Those who died are of managerial level. I cannot give further details to give due respect to the family,”

he added.

Bagatsing said 20 other Filipinos in India are also infected with COVID-19.

“They are confined, isolated,” he said. “We are doing everything we can to help them given the situation.”

India has been posting record-high coronavirus cases and deaths, with 366,161 new infections and 3,754 deaths on Monday.

By Vito Barcelo, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo

M

ALACAÑANG has urged the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) not to hinder the government’s COVID 19 vaccination program after officials of the NPF opposed the construction of a mega vaccination site in the area.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque called on officials of the government-owned and controlled corporation to cooperate with the government in its CoVID 19 vaccination drive to end the pandemic which has claimed more than 17,000 lives due to the deadly disease.

The Palace official hoped their decisions would not hinder the important mission to care for the lives of the Filipino people.

Roque said the construction of a mega vaccination facility at Nayong Pilipino was pursuant to the President’s police power and is meant to safeguard people’s right to healthcare.

The construction of a mega vaccination site would require cutting of nearly 500 trees, killing the existing ecosystem in the area.

Earlier, vaccine czar and National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr said there was the “urgency” to build the facility, seen to help hit the target of nationwide herd immunity from COVID-19 within the year.

“We would like to emphasize that the government deeply cares for the environment,” he said.

“But as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the lives of our people and our economy, we have to make the choice.

‘Green and open spaces’ will be useless if there will be no one to visit them.”

Duterte:...

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Palace...

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Last week, Duterte challenged Carpio to a debate on the decision of the previous administration to withdraw the country’s Navy ships from Scarborough Shoal during a 2012 standoff with China.

Duterte accused then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario of giving the order to withdraw without clearing the directive from then President Benigno Aquino III. The President offered to resign if his claim is proven false.

Carpio, who was part of the legal team that secured the 2016 arbitral ruling from the United Nations that invalidated China’s massive claims over the South China Sea, accepted the challenge.

Duterte, however, was advised by his Cabinet not to push through with the debate, and presidential spokesman Harry Roque was designated as proxy instead.

On Monday evening, days after calling the arbitral ruling a mere scrap of paper that he would throw in a wastebasket, the President said he was only joking when he made his campaign promise to ride a jetski to the West Philippine Sea and tell Beijing that it belonged to Manila.

“That was during the campaign period. It was a joke. We call it bravado.

My bravado was a pure campaign joke, and if you believed it, I would say that you are really stupid,” he said.

The President also asked Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to shed light on the issue.

“The question really is who lost possession of that reef? I have been very hard on the Americans, blaming them.

Because when there was a confrontation between a Philippine ship and a Chinese ship, the interference, the participation of the US was to try to stop people from attacking each other so they said stand down and so they both stood down,” Locsin said.

“If you believe that it is yours, why will you withdraw? If I have UNCLOS

our economy is shut [due to a lockdown],” Roque said.

President Rodrigo Duterte will make the announcement on new quarantine classifications before May 15.

The IATF, meanwhile, has placed Cagayan, Apayao, and Benguet under an MECQ from May 10 to 23. The provinces had previously been under the less stringent GCQ. The province of Apayao already announced on its official Facebook page Sunday its MECQ status for 14 days to prevent coronavirus infections from spreading.

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had 3,065 active COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, while Apayao had 85 and Benguet, 529.

Cagayan had the most active cases in Region 2 – 1,893 of the total 4,939 – also as of Sunday’s data.

Also under MECQ until May 14 are the National Capital Region Plus (Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal) and Ifugao, and until May 31 Quirino and Abra provinces and Santiago City in Isabela.

Baguio City, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Puerto Princesa City are under general community quarantine (GCQ) also until May 31.

The rest of the country is under modi-

Eight...

From A1 coupled with the constant coordination between the AFP and the ESSCOM contributed to the successful neutralization of the ASG sub-leaders and their cohorts. The arrest of these terrorists is a big blow to the ASG,” said Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Western Mindanao Command chief.

DOH:...

From A1 Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio said the President has betrayed the public trust and the national interest over his stance on the maritime conflict.

The retired SC justice earlier claimed that Duterte’s actions on the West Philippine Sea could be considered an impeachable offense.

“Why betrayal of public trust? Was there a territory lost under the administration of President Duterte? None.

Did he give territory to China? None,” Roque said.

“You know a political newbie will say everything to get attention and this is yet another instance of Justice Carpio saying things just for the attention,” Roque said.

Roque said President Duterte’s poli-

House, Palace talk on sources for Bayanihan 3

Displaced workers

The Department of Labor and Employment said more than 520,000 displaced workers in the tourism sector would benefit from the P3.1 billion fi-

193k...

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cy of pursuing other areas of cooperation with China such as trade and investments pending the resolution of the territorial conflict was not an impeachable offense.

The Palace official said if his critics think the President violated any law with regards to the WPS issue, they can bring the matter to the Supreme Court.

He said since Carpio is now an ordinary citizen, he can file a complaint before the Supreme Court.

“The truth is it is not just because it is a numbers game. It is because it is utterly bereft of merit because the President is the sole architect, primary architect of foreign policy,” he added.

Duterte faced an impeachment complaint in 2017 over drug war killings, alleged corruption, and supposed failure to defend the country’s sovereign rights and territorial sea claims but the case did not prosper.

Care unit

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has established an Emergency Care Unit at its compound in Manila which will temporarily accommodate and house the employees of the SC and third level courts OFW testing afflicted with COVID-19 and are awaitThe leader of the Independent Bloc at ing hospital confinement or referral to the House of Representatives on Monday appropriate quarantine facilities.

Panay...

From A1 and the sixth-largest and fourth mostpopulous island in the Philippines.

During a kumustahan session with the program beneficiaries, some SM scholar alumni from the region shared how the social good program changed the

PH...

From A1 Bagatsing said the two were diagnosed with COVID-19 last April 23 and died three days later, as India battles a raging COVID-19 surge which saw over a million new COVID-19 cases recorded this week alone.

By Maricel V. Cruz THE leadership of the House of Representatives and the President’s economic managers on Wednesday to agree on funding sources for the proposed Bayanihan 3 or the P405.6-billion COVID-19 relief package to aid struggling Filipinos and revive the country’s pandemic-ravaged economy.

Thus said Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chair of the House committee on ways and means, saying, “the concern is not current funding but fiscal sustainability. That is why we are trying to create new funding sources.”

Salceda said Congress proposes to finance the package using “new revenue streams.” “We already took into account that whatever existing sources there are must have already been used for the regular budget.

In fact, this is the premise of the proposed revenue sources in the package.”

The meeting on Wednesday, Salceda said, is intended for the legislators and the economic managers to agree on a specific amount.

“On May 12, the House leadership and the President’s economic team will meet again to iron out some differences in both the spending side and the revenue side,” Salceda said. “We will have to meet at some figure, but the responsibility of Congress is to present the needs of the people first, and then adjust our response based on the availability of new or existing funding.”

On the P5,000 to 10,000 assistance as provided in the bill, Salceda said this will be targeted, based on the poorest segments of the population.

“So, this is not universal. But there will be a universal basic income component to ensure nobody falls through the cracks. The P5-10k is a top-up. But we will have to see what the government can afford,” Salceda said.

He suggested that “Bayanihan 3 can be annuitized to some number of years, through gaming taxes on POGOs and e-sabong, for example.”

Eleazar...

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News

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

Joma master ‘red-tagger’ – Esperon NATIONAL Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. yesterday branded Jose Ma. “Joma” Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) leader as the real “master red-tagger”, which was rejected outright by a party-list nominee in Congress.

Esperon, in a virtual press conference, presented old and latest video presentations by Sison where he identified or “red-tagged” all 18 “underground organizations” linked to leftist legal fronts.

“Joma’s statement during the 53rd anniversary of their communist’ movement last April 24, enumerated their underground mass organizations (UGMO) and their link to the league of people’s organizations. Sison affirmed that their revolution is an armed struggle posed for general uprising led by NPA ,” Esperon explained.

He added that the blatant admission of Sison ran contrary to claims by leftist groups that it has been government, through the National Task Force-Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), that has been “red-tagging” activists and CPP-allied organizations.

Esperon, also Vice Chairman of NTF-ELCAC, said these groups have long conspired to topple and seize power from the goverment.

“It is Sison himself who has been red-tagging. We have a saying that ‘ang isda ay nahuhuli sa bibig’ and we at NTF-ELCAC is just truthtagging them,” Esperon further explained.

Citing how Sison red-tagged the women’s partylist group Gabriela as an example. Esperon said Gabriela is controlled by the Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan which is one of the CPP’s UGMO. “Joma red-tagged (in his anniversary statement) them (Gabriela). You will know how they are connected.

They are very well-organized movement, simply want to overthrow a democratically elected goverment,” Esperon said.

Meanwhile, Esperon said just like the CPP-NPA which is multi-faceted and layered organization, NTF-ELCAC has to act and revitalize itself by forming its own media bureau with eight spokepersons “to cover everything” and every concerns, as the task force is composed of interagencies working for the implementation of the Barangay Development Program (BDP) aimed at developing 822 barangays that were previously cleared from the CPP-NPA-NDF. Apart from Usec. Lorraine Badoy and Lt.Gen. Antonio Parlade, the NTF-ELCAC “thematic” pool of spokespersons include Usec. Joel Sy Egco, a former CPP-NPA cadre, DILG Usec. Jonathan Malaya, Usec.

Severo Catura, MMDA Asec. Celine Pialago, lawyer Marlon Bosantog and Gaye Florendo.The move provoked a reaction from House Deputy Minority leader Carlos Isagani Zarate who said NTF-ELCAC inreased the number of spokespersons “ so that there will be an overdrive in its red-tagging activities and spreading of disinformation and fake news. Worse, this may even lead to more trumped-up charges and EJKs.” “Increasing its spokespersons is also a means for the ovebudgeted agency to just defuse the criticisms that Parlade and Badoy-Partosa are taking for their continued lies,” said Zarate, nominee of Bayan Muna party-list group.

“As it is though even if they increase their spokespersons to a hundred, mouthing statements that would not stand in court, then they are just further wasting taxpayers money and earning more condemnation,” he added.

Zarate also warned “red tagging is very dangerous and targets the lives of individuals.”

“We should stop this agency from spreading more lies and harassment. Those who continue to do this should be held accountable because they are targetting everyone from the ordinary citizen, progressives, lawyers, media, church people and even elected officials.”

With Joel Zurbano, Maricel

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42 Cagayan farmers get land titles— DAR

By Rio N. Araja

RIGODON. PNP Chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar yesterday announced the results of the top-brass reshuffle, designating command group chief for operations P/Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz, Deputy for operations P/Lt. Gen. Ephraim Dickson and P/Lt. Gen. Dionardo Carlos, chief of directorial staff during the first flag raising ceremony at Camp Crame.

Airlines draw immigration red-flag on erring foreigners

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Bureau of Immigration has reminded the different airlines to ensure that only foreigners currently allowed to enter the country are permitted to board their flights bound for the Philippines.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente stressed it is the responsibility of the airlines to ensure that foreign passengers boarding their Philippine-bound flights are eligible to enter the country under the latest resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

“We reiterate that only foreigners with valid and existing visas are allowed to enter the country. The entry of foreign tourists is still temporarily restricted,” Morente said.

He warned the airlines that foreigners currently banned from entering the country will be excluded upon arriving at the airport and booked on the first available flight back to their port origin. Airlines likewise face fines and sanctions for allowing improperly documented aliens to board.

“Our Port Operations Division immediately circulates to the airlines updates on current travel restrictions. We are thankful that they have been very supportive, and understands that the IATF deems these actions necessary to

curb the further spread of COVID-19 and its variants in our country,” he added.

Port Operations Division Chief Carlos Capulong stated that the ban on the entry of all travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka remains effective until May 14.

Capulong also explained that only aliens with valid and existing immigrant, non-immigrant, and special visas issued by the BI and other government agencies are allowed to enter the country.

However, those who have a 9(a) Temporary Visitors’ Visa, as well as those holding Special Resident Retiree’s Visa, regardless of purpose, may only enter upon the presentation of an entry exemption document from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Capulong made the clarification upon queries of family members of Filipinos that wish to visit their loved ones in the country.

Fund lack hampers move to repatriate overseas Filipinos

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is looking for funds for the repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) so that it will not be touching the funds set aside for the Overseas Workers Welfare Fund.

This was revealed by Cabinet Sec. Karlo Nograles and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III during Monday’s hearing on the proposed Department of Overseas Filipino Workers.

During their last IATF meeting, Bello said the DBM clearly recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the budgetary allocation for repatriation in the amount of P5.2 billion as additional repatriation expense.

Bello also said OWWA asked for an

additional P9.2 billion budget to Repatriatethe OFWs. However, the labor secretary related that the P5.2 billion budget from the DBM would be enough as the quarantine days of returning OFWs were shortened.

Senator Imee Marcos questioned why can’t the unused funds of the government be used for the OWWA repatriation so that the funds of the agency would not be depleted.

“As I recall in the last Senate hearing, the DBM Director also said that there was P13 billion contingent fund,” she said.

“We may use this. Why the need to hide billions and I think that’s the reason why we are deeply concerned about the status of OWWA trust fund.

There’s so many deductions that have been made,” she said.

Lingkud Bayanihan Caravan launched AMID the renewed lockdowns, due to the spiked COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, the private sector have stepped up to help fight hunger in Metro Manila.

A humanitarian food and relief goods distribution campaign dubbed Lingküd Bayanihan Caravan was launched starting at the Hospicio de San Jose, a homeless shelter in Quiapo, Manila recently. This was followed by a series of more house to house food drives in Manila, Quezon City and other parts in the National Capital Region (NCR) to feed the underprivileged residents of the metropolis most of whom lost their source of livelihood because of the stricter community quarantine imposed by government.

The participants in the Lingküd Bayanihan Caravan included the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Clean Air Philippines Movement, Inc ( CAPMI),

TSA-BU.

Policemen check the personal belongings of the two suspects killed in a shootout with members of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group in Pasig City on Sunday. They seized P149.6 million worth of suspected shabu hidden in Chinese tea bags from the suspects. Norman Cruz

Vegetable Importers Exporters Vendors Association (VIEVA), Confederate Sentinels of God (CSG), Beta Sigma Fraternity Medical Group (BSFMG) , and the League of Data-privacy and Cybersecurity Advocates of the Philippines (LeaDCAP). They were joined by the Philippine National Police (PNP), some NCR local government units (LGUs) and even the barangays. ““LINGKOD meaning service and BAYANIHAN that also means working together, are two traditions deeply embedded in every Filipino blood. Let us awaken these spirits inside all of us now so we can truly help our suffering people as we fight this common enemy called COVID-19,” CAPMI president Leo O. Olarte, M.D. declared, as he asked for more support to their noble cause to feed the suffering and hungry people of Metro Manila.

THE Department of Agrarian Reform has distributed land titles involving 62.85 hectares of agricultural land to 42 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Cagayan to help them improve their lives.

Agrarian Secretary John Castriones said the certificates of land ownership award have been distributed to the farmer-beneficiaries in three barangays in the town of Solano.

The covered lands from barangays Padul and Pattaya, with a total of 46.95 hectares have been distributed under a mango tree, while those in Barangay Furagui with 15.90 hectares have been awarded in the municipal office.

Melvida Camayang, municipal agrarian reform program officer, they were able to distribute the land titles in a very simple ceremony “because what really matters to them is how the agrarian reform beneficiaries would use them to change their lives for the better.”

“We handed them the land titles under the tree because it is our way of emulating the good leadership of DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones in administering the agency’s DARto-Door program,” he said.

Under the program, Brother the DAR chief would personally deliver the CLOAs right in front of the farmers’ doorsteps or farms to bring the government’s services in their communities.

According to Camayang, the beneficiaries became more inspired by the program “because they can feel the farmers’ brighter hope for the future after seeing the government’s effort to bring their land titles in their communities.”

TOURISM BUBBLE.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and San Fernando City acting Mayor Alfredo Pablo Ortega sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a Summit and Sea Technical Working Group to draft a Summit and Sea Tourism Bubble.

Dave Leprozo

IN BRIEF

Summit and sea tourism bubble

BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and San Fernando City acting Mayor Alfredo Pablo Ortega signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a Summit and Sea Technical Working Group (TWG) to draft a Summit and Sea Tourism Bubble. The TWG is composed of representatives from the administration, tourism, police, and health offices of both Local Government Units (LGU).

The two LGU agreed to mutually work closely in implementing the Summit and Sea Baguio – San Fernando Tourism Bubble.

Mayor Magalong said that “Baguio City and San Fernando City are now venturing further to spark the momentum towards economic recovery through a smaller tourism bubble.”

Magalong assured that reviving tourism will be done safely, surely, and steadily to make sure that no one – tourists and residents alike – gets into harm’s way.

Mayor Alfredo Pablo Ortega said the MOU is like a marriage between the two cities. He said the MOU is a partnership that will make both cities thrive again despite the challenges because of both areas’ natural resources - the mountains and trees of Baguio and the beautiful beaches of San Fernando.

Manila doles out food boxes

THE city of Manila has begun distributing the fourth tranche of food box assistance under the COVID-19 Food Security Program (FSP) for at least 700,000 families living in the nation’s capital, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said.

Domagoso said distribution of the fourth tranche of food assistance began on May 8.

As of 5:00 pm on Sunday, May 9, about 139,000 food boxes have already been distributed to 122 barangays in District 1.

The distribution was made through the joint effort of the Department of Public Services, Department of Engineering and Public Works, and the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau.

Domagoso said the food assistance is the local government’s response to ease the public’s economic burden amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

About P3 billion has already been allocated for the implementation of the program wherein three kilos of rice, 16 pieces of canned goods and eight sachets of coffee will be packaged and distributed to Manila residents.Willie Casas

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

‘Hike budget for body cams’

By Maricel Cruz and Rey Requejo

T

HE Philippine National Police has asked lawmakers to provide additional funds for the procurement of more body cameras.

“We are calling on our lawmakers to consider adding funds for the procurement of more body cameras,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said.

The national police earlier this year acquired 2,696 body-worn cameras equipped with SIM cards that will be used to feed videos to the PNP Command Center.

Each major police station will be given 16 body cameras, eight of which will be used by patrolling operatives while

the remaining eight will be reserved for other operations.

The body cameras are waterproof and can record video for up to eight hours. The officers wearing them cannot interfere with its configuration and they cannot turn those off while on duty.

Eleazar said the PNP has also discussed with Supreme Court justices the proposal to allow the use of body cameras during the conduct of search warrants.

“We are studying the use of body cameras during the conduct of search warrants,” he said.

The PNP is waiting for the Supreme Court to approve the protocols that will guide law enforcers on the proper use of body-worn cameras.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo on Monday said the Supreme Court is giving priority on the promulgation of the rules on the use of body cameras by cops in serving search and arrest warrants.

The use of body cameras was one of the courses of action the SC adopted to address the threats and killings of lawyers in the country.

The renewed call for the use of body cameras during police operations was triggered as well by the killing of nine

activists on March 7 in Southern Luzon during the joint police and military operations in serving search warrants for persons with alleged links to communist groups.

Meanwhile, a House leader urged Eleazar to start the rollout of body-worn cameras in police operations.

“Appropriate body cam use in law enforcement can protect the innocent and law enforcers and help mete out justice on those who choose to violate the law with impunity,” said Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera, nominee of Bagong Henerasyon party-list group.

“Mandatory wearing of body cameras by police officers can somehow regain the trust of Filipinos in the police force,” she added.

Voting period to be extended by 2 to 3 hrs AMID the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing measures, the voting period for next year’s national and local polls will likely be extended by as much as three hours, the Commission on Elections said Monday.

“The direction we are going is to hold it in a day with extended voting hours.

That is almost sure,” said Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho Jr. “Eight hours won’t cut it. It could run 10 or even 12 hours, depending also on the capacity of the teachers.

Most probably, there will be additional two or three hours,” added.

Going beyond one day, however, is unlikely since election laws only provide for a one day period.

“We might need Congress for that [to amend the law.] If we extend by more than a day, and someone goes to the Supreme Court to question the outcome of the elections, it will be a disaster,” he said.

Kho said the poll body is planning to buy 10,000 more Vote Counting Machines for the 2022 elections.

“We have 97,000 VCMs, but of course, some of them need to be repaired, refurbished and we don’t expect them to be all okay. So we are looking at buying 10,000 more VCMs to comply with the 800 per precinct ratio,” he said.

Based on Comelec records, there are at least 61 million registered voters for next year’s electoral exercise.

From 1,000 votes per precinct in 2019 polls, the poll body is looking to bring it down to the 2016 level of 800 voters per precinct to be able to observe social distancing.

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 sectoral groups have banded together to call on the government to COVIDproof the national polls next year.

BILLOWS OF SMOKE. Firefighters try to put out a fire at a residential area in Mabagos St. in Tondo, Manila on Monday, May 10, 2021. One of the houses affected by the fire that reached the third alarm is the ancestral home of the late Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. Norman Cruz

Oil firms hike gasoline prices by P0.75/li

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms raised pump prices by P0.75 per liter for gasoline and P0.70 per liter for diesel and kerosene effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

“Petron will implement the following price increases effective 6 a.m. on May 11: P0.75/li for gasoline; P0.70/li for diesel; and P0.70/li for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” said Petron Corp., the country’s biggest oil firm said.

Aside from Petron, PTT Philip-

pines, Seaoil Philippines, Cleanfuel, PetroGazz and Chevron Philippines also increased pump prices.

Unioil Philippines announced over the weekend that oil prices will likely go by as much as P0.70 per liter this week, the fourth consecutive weekly oil price hike.

World oil prices have been going up amid optimism of a global economic recovery resulting from the eased restrictions in the US and Europe.

However, this has been tempered by the surge in cases in India.

On May 4, oil companies raised the price of gasoline by P0.20 per liter while both diesel and kerosene

increased P0.35 per liter.

These resulted in year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P7.80 per liter for gasoline, P6.05 per liter for diesel and P5.30 per liter for kerosene.

Data from the Department of Energy showed that total petroleum demand declined in 2020 to 22,581 million liters from 27,319 million liters in 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Demand for gasoline dropped to 5,936 million liters in 2020 from 6,973 million liters in 2019. Similarly diesel demand also declined to 9,786 million liters from 11,534 million liters year-on-year.

‘Tidy up precincts or face relief’

ART IMITATES LIFE. A mural of cyclists is seen on the wall of the Araneta

Avenue underpass in Quezon City on Monday, May 10, 2021. Bicycles have become an alternate mode of transportation due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jess M. Escaros Jr.

POLICE commanders will be held liable if their stations will be found untidy during inspections, the country’s top cop said on Monday.

In his first press briefing as chief of the Philippine National Police, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said he has instructed the Internal Affairs Service to focus on the cleanliness in all PNP precincts, stations, and offices under its “Intensified Cleanliness Policy” (ICP).

“I told our IAS Inspector General, Atty. Alfegar Triambulo, to give focus on the cleanliness of the offices and if needed, recommend those PCP commanders who should be relieved,” Eleazar said.

He added that keeping police precincts and stations clean and

presentable will help the institution gain the public’s trust and respect.

“Our IAS conducts regular inspections everyday and I saw in their report that they have already inspected at least 1,000 police units,” he said.

Eleazar said he will also conduct surprise inspections of police stations.

“Expect that all other commanders from the regional directors down to the chiefs of police will do their own inspection. We will have our time. I am giving them the chance to clean up and as I have heard from other officers, there are also those who are starting renovations and cleaning,” he said.

Eleazar first introduced the ICP when he was chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.

Senate urged: Give chance to economic Charter change

By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader has appealed to the Senate to give economic Charter Change a chance.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, principal sponsor of the proposed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 2 that seeks to amend the economic restrictions of the 1987 Constitution, made the appeal as Congress will commence deliberations on the proposal once session resumes on May 17.

“The House will do its part. That is for certain. But we hope the Senate begins deliberating soon. The timing is efficient, since we could have the plebiscite along with the 2022 elections,” said Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means.

Salceda at the same time reassured the public that the House has no intention of introducing political provisions to the proposed revisions.

“RBH 2 is pure economic reform.

We know and understand that any political charter change will be dead on arrival,” Salceda added.

Salceda also called on the country’s lawmakers to “simply do what already worked for our neighbors” in Southeast Asia, citing the success of foreign investment liberalization reforms undertaken by Vietnam.

“Vietnam began to overtake us in FDI-to-GDP by 1990, just 3 years after Doi Moi and the 1987 Constitution. Due to this underperformance, the average Vietnamese will be wealthier than the average Filipino over the next decade,” Salceda said.

“You have to remember, this country began poorer than us, had more conflict that we ever had, was nearly completely bombed, and had to rebuild almost from scratch. And yet, they have leapfrogged us. The simple difference: they opened their economy to the world. We didn’t,” Salceda said.

Salceda said that the 1987 Constitution “hardcoded paranoia” and “limited the progress of future generations with the fears of the past.”

Corruption, political noise pause sought SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Monday called for a much-needed and longoverdue break from corruption and bickering amid the myriad problems the country is facing made worse by the pandemic.

He said those who continue to make a profit from the pandemic should realize that the country will sink or swim based on its people’s capacity to unite.

“All of us Filipinos should think of the national interest and unite to promote it,” he said.

He cited information reaching him on corruption in the procurement of testing kits and machines, face masks, face shields, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other items needed for the government’s COVID-19 response.

“Can they at least forget about their greed during the pandemic?” he said.

Lacson said while he is not saying that corrupt ways can resume once the pandemic is over, “they should pause if they cannot stop” while the country’s is still facing a raging health crisis.

He also appealed to Filipinos to set aside their “political colors” when it comes to protecting the national interest, adding that public discourse should not degenerate into personal attacks and insults.

“The conflict or our divisiness is already too deep,” he said.

“We have only one country and the national interest must come first. The national interest is for all Filipinos, not just for certain groups or parties,” he added.

SC ruling on plea bargain for drug suspects opposed

By Rio N. Araja THE Public Attorney’s Office on Monday rejected a Supreme Court’s decision denying the grant of a plea bargain for drug suspects without the consent of a prosecutor.

At a media briefing, PAO chief Persida Acosta said the High Court’s Second Division issued a seven-page decision annulling an Aug. 24, 2018 order of the Naga City Regional Trial Court granting the motion of drug suspect Edwin Reafor to plea bargain due to the

opposition of the prosecution.

“We are filing today (May 10) an Omnibus motion to ask the Supreme Court en banc to hear the instant case, and that after referral to the en banc, oral arguments be heard,” she told reporters.

The Reafor decision is unconstitutional for violation of the clauses of equal protection and due process of the 1987 Constitution, independence of the judiciary and rule-making power of the Supreme Court, and supremacy of the Constitution, Acosta said.

“Why should plea bargaining be under the full control of the (trial or state) prosecutor?” she asked. “The judge will be subservient to the prosecution.”

Acosta said if the prohibition is not reversed, prisons and detention facilities could face congestion.

Those accused of murder, rape, car theft and other heinous crimes are allowed to enter plea bargain but violators of the Dangerous Drugs Act, especially the small-time drug pushers and users, are prohibited from doing so, she said.

CONTAINMENT. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard provide perimeter security

MV Athens Bridge docked at Sangley Point in Cavite. Twelve of its 21 all-Filipino crew tested positive for COVID-19. JR Josue

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World

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Britain set to ease lockdown; Huge India outbreak persists

L

ONDON ― Britain on Monday was set to announce a further easing of its coronavirus lockdown, joining several European nations in gradually reopening their economies, but India remained in the grip of a devastating outbreak.

Rapid vaccination programmes have allowed a number of wealthy nations to start taking steps towards normality, but the virus is still surging in many countries and concerns are growing about global vaccine inequality.

The pandemic has claimed close to 3.3 million lives worldwide and Britain has the highest death toll in Europe, but

its successful vaccination programme has allowed the authorities to start relaxing curbs.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was due to announce the latest measures -- effective May 17 -- in a press conference on Monday, including the reopening of indoor seating in pubs and restaurants.

When asked during a BBC interview

Sunday if hugging would be allowed, senior minister Michael Gove said: “Without prejudice to a broader review of social distancing... friendly contact, intimate contact between friends and family is something that we want to see restored.”

Cinemas are also expected to reopen, as well as some large indoor venues after the government held several pilot events —including a rock concert—to test safety measures.

This follows Spain’s lifting of a state of emergency in place since October, allowing people to travel between regions.

“It’s like New Year’s,” said 28-yearold Oriol Corbella in Barcelona, where the end of the curfew was met with shouts, applause and music.

In Germany, people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 were exempt from many restrictions from Sunday after the government passed new legislation.

And Cyprus on Monday will exit a third partial lockdown with a new coronavirus “safety pass” system to allow people to move freely.

India, suffering from one of the worst outbreaks in the world, reported nearly 370,000 fresh infections and more than 3,700 new deaths on Monday.

The devastating wave has overwhelmed India’s healthcare system, and experts have said the official figures for cases and fatalities are much lower than the actual numbers. AFP

Hundreds hurt in Jerusalem clashes; 50 hospitalized

IN BRIEF Gunman kills six at birthday party WASHINGTON ― A gunman opened fire at a birthday party in Colorado, killing six people in the early hours of Sunday before taking his own life, US police said.

Colorado Springs police responded shortly after midnight to an emergency call at a mobile home park, where they found six adults shot dead and one adult male who was seriously injured.

He was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Preliminary investigations revealed that families had gathered for a birthday party inside one of the trailers when the shooting occurred.

“The suspect, a boyfriend of one of the female victims, drove to the residence, walked inside and began shooting people at the party before taking his own life,” the police said in a statement.

“We are still investigating to determine a motive.”

None of the children at the party were injured in the attack, according to the police, and they were being cared for by family members. The victims have not been publicly identified.

“From the officers who responded to the shooting to the investigators still on scene, we are all left incredibly shaken,” said Colorado Springs police chief Vince Niski.

“This is something you hope never happens in your own community.” AFP

Iraqi reporter shot in head after riots

JERUSALEM―Hundreds were wounded in new clashes Monday between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in Jerusalem as a planned march marking Israel’s 1967 takeover of the holy city threatened to further inflame tensions.

Palestinians hurled projectiles at Israeli officers in riot gear who fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas, an AFP correspondent at the scene said, following a night of sporadic clashes.

“There are hundreds of people injured from the clashes” and about 50 were hospitalised, the Palestinian Red Crescent said about the latest unrest since violence escalated following the last Friday prayers of the holy Muslim RIOT OUTCOME. Palestinian medics walk near the Dome of the Rock as they evacuate on a stretcher a wounded protester from month of Ramadan. the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 10, amidst clashes with Israeli security forces, as another Palestinian argues The clashes were the latest in days with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem’s Old City (inset), ahead of a planned march to commemorate Israel’s takeover of Jerusalem in of the worst such disturbances in Jeru- the 1967 Six-Day War. AFP salem since 2017, fuelled by a yearslong bid by Jewish settlers to take over nearby Palestinian homes in Israeliannexed east Jerusalem.

A key court hearing scheduled for Monday on Sheikh Jarrah, the flashYANGON―One hundred days after the those who try to kill themselves. trol widespread opposition to its rule. point east Jerusalem neighbourhood at military seized power in Myanmar, the “With the consequences of the CovAround 780 civilians have been the centre of the property dispute, has nun who pleaded for protesters on her id-19 pandemic and brutal actions of the killed, according to a local monitoring been postponed. knees in the street says the coup has cast military, there are more people who feel group, as security forces have sought to a pall of fear and depression over the depressed and want to commit suicide,” suppress near-daily protests with brutal There were fears of further violence country. she told AFP. crackdowns and live rounds. in the city ahead of a planned march The image of Sister Ann Rose Nu “People are living in fear and they feel While praised for her bravery months ago, Monday by Israelis to commemorate Tawng kneeling in the dust, arms hopeless.”

Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng said she thinks Israel’s takeover of Jerusalem in the spread, begging police not to shoot “the On Tuesday, 100 days will have instead of the youths who are still fighting.

1967 Six-Day War, an anniversary children” went viral in March as an up- passed since the generals made their “They are sacrificing their lives for known as “Jerusalem Day” in the Jewrising swelled in Myanmar. lightning power grab in the early morn- their future.” ish state.

Today, the 45-year-old nun works in a ing of February 1, ousting and detaining Night after night, soldiers and police Israeli police had, as of Sunday, apclinic in Myanmar’s northernmost Kachin civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. raid homes to arrest suspected activists proved the march, which was schedstate, tending to patients injured by secuThe period has seen Myanmar plunge -- both protesters and those taking part uled to start around 4:00 pm (1300 rity forces, sickened from stress, and even into chaos as the army struggles to con- in the civil disobedience movement that GMT). AFP

KARBALA, Iraq ― An Iraqi journalist was in intensive care after being shot in the head early Monday, doctors said, only 24 hours after a leading anti-government activist was killed.

Anti-corruption campaigner Ihab al-Wazni was shot dead early Sunday in Karbala, sending protest movement supporters onto the streets to demand an end to such bloodshed and official impunity.

Wazni had led protests in the Shiite shrine city of Karbala, where pro-Tehran armed groups hold major sway.

He was shot overnight outside his home by men on motorbikes using a gun equipped with a silencer, in an ambush caught on surveillance cameras. His death was confirmed by security forces and activists.

Hours after his death, reporter Ahmed Hassan was in intensive care after receiving “two bullets in the head and one in the shoulder,” a doctor told AFP. “He was targeted as he got out of his car to go home,” in Diwaniya in the south of the country, according to a witness.

Wazni had narrowly escaped death in December 2019, when men on motorbikes used silenced weapons to kill fellow activist Fahem al-Tai as he was dropping him home in Karbala. AFP

100 days on, Myanmar counts cost of coup amid ‘pall of fear’ has crippled the state’s ability to function.

Despite the dangers, the movement persists, fuelled by a young generation who came of age since democracy dawned and the country began opening up a decade ago.

“We want to stand on the right side of history,” said a protester in Myanmar’s former capital Yangon.

The bloody intensity of the crackdowns has ebbed in recent weeks -partly as demonstrators have switched to flashmob tactics to avoid the risk of being shot. AFP

Suu Kyi ordered to appear in court May 24 after weeks of case delays

CHINA’S FUTURE.

This picture taken during a government organised media tour shows schoolchildren visiting the Yangjialing Revolutionary Site in Yan’an, the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party from 1936 to 1947, in Shaanxi province on May 10, ahead of the 100th year of the party’s founding in July. AFP

YANGON ― A judge on Monday ordered Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to appear in person in court for the first time on May 24, her lawyer said, after weeks of delays in her case.

The Nobel laureate has not been publicly seen since she was detained in a February 1 coup, when the military ousted her from power and re-installed its rule.

She was subsequently hit with a series of charges, and her legal team has faced an uphill battle to get a private audience with their client.

Multiple court hearings in the capital Naypyidaw have seen Suu Kyi -- who attended via video conferencing from

under house arrest -- express frustration at the pace of the proceedings.

During the latest hearing Monday, a judge ordered for her cases to be heard with her present in a special courtroom near her residence.

“She will appear in person in court on May 24,” lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told AFP. However, he cautioned that the outstanding issue of not being able to meet privately with her still remains.

“The problem is not solved yet because the police did not answer on whether they can arrange our meeting,” he said, adding that private counsel is “the right of the defendant”. AFP

Taliban call Eid holiday ceasefire; Afghan violence soars KABUL—The Taliban on Monday declared a three-day ceasefire for this week’s Eid al-Fitr holiday, following a sharp spike in violence as Washington goes about withdrawing its remaining troops from Afghanistan.

Violence has soared since May 1 -the deadline missed by the United States to withdraw the last of its troops -- and while the Taliban have avoided engaging American forces, attacks against government and civilian targets have not stopped.

In the latest, the interior ministry said Monday that at least 11 people were killed by a bomb that struck a bus overnight in southeastern Zabul province.

That followed Saturday’s carnage outside a school in the capital Kabul when a series of bombs killed at least 50 people and wounded over 100 -- most of them young girls.

Early Monday, the Taliban instructed fighters “to halt all offensive operations against the enemy countrywide from the first till the third day of Eid”.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and the holiday begins according to the sighting of the new moon.

- Permanent ceasefire needed The Taliban declared similar ceasefires last year to mark Islamic holidays.

The government usually reciprocates,

but Afghan peace council chief Abdullah Abdullah said Monday what the country needs is a permanent ceasefire.

“We believe the best solution to get out of the country’s crisis is expediting peace talks, declaration of lasting ceasefire and ending the fighting forever,” he said in a statement.

On Saturday, a series of bombs detonated outside a girls’ school in Dashte-Barchi, a suburb of the capital largely populated by the Shiite Hazara community which is often targeted by extremist Sunni Islamist militants.

It was the deadliest attack in more than a year and came as residents were shopping ahead of the Eid holiday. AFP

HOT ASH. This aerial photo taken on May 10, shows Mount Sinabung spewing hot ash and smoke into the sky, seen from Karo, North Sumatra. AFP

Business Climate change to crush Kenya’s tea production PARIS―Climate change is set to devastate Kenya’s tea production as the world’s largest exporter faces rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and insect infestations, according to analysis released on Monday.

Tea is the world’s most consumed drink after water and disruption in supply from the east African nation is predicted to have a global impact.

A report from the charity Christian Aid outlined the various threats Kenya faces to its key black tea crop, as well as the dangers that other countries are likely to encounter as the planet continues to warm.

Citing a peer-reviewed study, the report said that the quadruple threat of rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts and new insect infestations are forecast to destroy 26.2 percent of the country’s optimal tea growing areas by 2050.

And climate change is expected to reduce the areas with medium quality growing conditions by nearly 40 percent in the same time frame.

“For generations we have carefully cultivated our tea farms and we are proud that the tea that we grow here is the best in the world,” said Richard Koskei, a tea farmer from Kenya’s western highlands.

“But climate change poses a real threat to us. We cannot predict seasons anymore, temperatures are rising, and rainfall is more erratic.”

Karimi Kinoti, head of Christian Aid’s Africa division, said tea was just another example of how people living in countries least responsible for the climate crisis are bearing the heaviest burden.

“Africans make up 17 percent of the world’s population but we generate just four percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that have caused the climate crisis,” she said.

“And yet it is we who are suffering the brunt of the impacts of climate change.”

The report warned that the livelihoods of more than three million people in Kenya’s tea industry would come under threat in the next two decades.

Britain, the biggest per capita tea consumer, is set to host crunch UN climate talks in Glasgow in November.

Mohamed Adow, director of the Power Shift Africa climate and energy think tank, said the COP26 negotiations presented a vital opportunity for richer nations to provide proper support for poorer ones already having to adapt to climate change. AFP

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market ends six-day slump S TOP GAINERS TOCKS rose Monday to end a six-day slump on bargain hunting and an improving trade outlook.

The Philippine Stock Exchange added 58.70 points, or 0.9 percent, to 6,317.41 on a value turnover of P4.6 billion.

Gainers beat losers, 116 to 97, with 46 issues unchanged.

International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator and owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., advanced 4.3 percent to P141.20, while Robinsons Land Corp. of the Gokongwei Group climbed 4.7 percent to P17.28.

AC Energy Corp., a unit of Ayala Corp., increased 3.8 percent to P7.18, while PLDT Inc., the largest telecommunications firm, rose 2.6 percent to P1,235.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed in Asia on Monday following a record close on Wall Street as a well-belowforecast US jobs report eased inflation concerns, while oil prices rose after a crucial US pipeline was put out of action by a cyber attack.

Investors have for months been fretting the surge in activity expected in the second half of the year as economies reopen will send prices rocketing, forcing central banks―particularly the Federal Reserve –to wind back their ultra-loose monetary policies.

But Friday’s big miss on jobs last month―266,000 created compared with a forecast one million―soothed those worries, with analysts saying the easy money measures including recordlow interest rates will remain in place for some time.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the data “underscores the long-haul

climb back to recovery” but added that she was still confident the country would return to full employment next year.

Despite the broadly optimistic view, Asian investors struggled to maintain momentum after an early rally on Monday.

Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta all rose but Hong Kong, Singapore, Wellington and Taipei dropped.

Sydney closed at a record, with mining firms rallying on the back of a surge in iron ore futures to all-time highs above $220 a tonne, thanks to a boost in demand as economies reopen, particularly China. BHP shares piled on more than three percent and Rio Tinto more than four percent, while Fortescue soared nearly eight percent. Copper also hit a new peak of $10,500 a tonne.

The Dow and S&P 500 finished at all-time highs, while the Nasdaq gained nearly one percent. With AFP

PSEi May 10, 2021

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

IPO CEU

7.9 7.3

1.5 0.79

23.44% 12.14%

3 4

JOH MJC

5.49 2.14

0.57 0.14

11.59% 7.00%

5 6

GTCAP BSC

528 0.82

27 0.04

5.39% 5.13%

7 8

ALHI HI

8 3.57

0.39 0.17

5.12% 5.00%

9 10

RLC LODE

17.28 0.93

0.78 0.04

4.73% 4.49%

TOP LOSERS

View of vineyards at Valle de la Concepcion community, some 30 km from Tarija, Bolivia on March 27, 2021. Between 1,600 and 2,000 meters above the sea level and with a temperate climate in the south of the country, Bolivian companies collect a tradition of hundreds of years of the Jesuitic Missions to produce High Altitude Wines, which now dream of reaching international markets. AFP

with intense sunshine during the day and humidity at night, with the region protected from strong winds from the north.

“The altitude means that we have less ozone layer filtering the rays, which means there’s more ultraviolet rays at higher altitudes ... which produces a response from the plant,” said oenologist Nelson Sfarcich.

That in turn produces thicker grape skins and a higher content of resveratrol, a chemical that is believed to jelp protect against cancer and heart disease.

Maria Jose Granier, owner of the artisanal Jardin Oculto vineyard, says that “the altitude allows the vines to enter dormancy in winter, sprout in summer

and have a better reproductive cycle.”

Climate to ravage Kenya’s tea production Bolivian wine production is mostly concentrated between 21 and 23 degrees latitude at 1,600 to 2,000 meters altitude.

But there are some crops in hot Andean areas up to 3,000 meters.

Helmuth Kohlberg, a wine-grower, says that wines from vineyards at altitude “are very different” to others due to “an interesting concentration of aromas” and unique color.

“The tannins mature very smoothly and we end up with grapes that have very ripe and soft tannin seeds. It’s really quite striking.” AFP

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

PSB SPM

59.15 2.05

-17.85 -0.34

-23.18% -14.23%

3 4 5 6

IMP EVER KPH MAHB

1.6 0.169 5 2.11

-0.2 -0.018 -0.52 -0.19

-11.11% -9.63% -9.42% -8.26%

7 8 9 10

PBC GEO LOTO WIN

22 0.35 2.1 0.245

-1 -0.015 -0.09 -0.01

-4.35% -4.11% -4.11% -3.92%

MOST ACTIVE

Bolivian wine-growers banking on altitude flavor

TARIJA, Bolivia―At almost 2,000-meters above sea level, Bolivian winegrowers are continuing a centuries-old tradition started by Jesuit missionaries in a bid to capture a niche market with their unique product.

In the southern Tarija department in the foothills of the Andes mountain range, the little known Bolivian vineyards find themselves dwarfed between the two regional wine-growing giants: Argentina and Chile.

Those two countries are respectively the seventh and eighth largest wine producers in the world and share 200,000 hectares of vineyards.

The 5,000 hectares of vineyards in Tarija benefit from a temperate climate

LAST PRICE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ALI ICT SM ACEN TEL BDO MBT GREEN CNVRG SMPH

VOLUME 19485800 3251280 236940 26634900 136050 1403160 2887100 31798000 5933300 2721100

VALUE (PHP) 628100125 456363368 220438550 188252987 170267925 147216021 127747755 127532900 112554802 92302875

Organizational Justice in the Workplace WHILE reading a journal article for my side of our company to our clients. I Strategic Human Resource class, I enbelieve that our HR provides propcountered the term “Organizational Juser justice management that makes JAMESBETH tice.” This is the first time I heard this our people proud. Our company is ARAÑA expression, but it is not the first time I known for its outstanding leadership applied it to my organization. team and consequently, our customI have been in business for the past 15 ers patronize our products for the years, heading my trading company. From the moment I had good brands and our people’s just treatment. Our competito get the first people to work in my firm, I have considered tors indeed find it very hard to match our sales personnel’s justness in choosing and appointing them to their respective eagerness to serve our customers well. positions.

In our company, we never had any pay cuts, layoffs, nor First to hire were the sales representatives, then the techni- retrenchments. We believe that a person will work hard to cians, and then the accounting staff, and last but not least, increase their welfare, not for its decrease. In this way, HR and the most critical of all, were the human resources people. effectively manages all employees, even if some are not perWhy do I say the most critical? For me, HR helped and forming well. This scenario is the challenging part of the job. guided me in giving fair and just management to our em- But we can handle it effectively as the employees see the big ployees. Why? Because my HR team and I closely moni- gap between their shortcomings and the many benefits they tored all our employees’ “distributive justice,” most espe- are receiving from the company even though some of their cially on their compensations. We thought that some people performances are not satisfactory. were overpaid, and still, others underpaid. But we were cauAs the head of the company, I acted both as a judge and tious not to distort salaries based on their positions because an arbitrator on many issues that come across our daily opwe believe that a slight sense of injustice might lead to work erations. I see to it that my decisions are fair and just, and I stress. do not offend anyone. In this, I salute my HR team for their Since my company started, I have been giving merit pay reasonable arbitration to our people. They have carried out to my sales team. There was a time that I want to discontinue my mandate to be completely neutral–they are both on the it as my costs were now uncontrollable due to this practice. I management and the employee sides. In this way, we have asked my HR team if ever we removed the additional incen- seen improvements in settling disputes between people and tives, what they think would happen? They said that employ- organizations in our firm. ees are now used to this kind of merit pay, so it’s better to We see our employees staying with the company for a continue it. I believed then that HR gave me good advice in longer time, longer than in their previous jobs. In this conproviding organizational justice to our employees. tinuing COVID-9 pandemic, our people have remained loyal I consider all my people equal in our organization. This and motivated, ensuring the company’s continuous survival. interactional justice is the way I treat my people fairly. I see Even after the pandemic, these people will still be working them as my family―no discrimination on religious affilia- hard, for they are truly dedicated to the management. And tion, political stance, or even sexual orientation. Anyone can I think it is because we have given excellent justice to the come to my office and state his or her concerns. In this way, people who trust us.

I can build the responsible attitude that I want my people to have.

The author is a Doctor of Business Administration stuI have seen solid interpersonal relationships from this kind of dent of the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business, fairness that we demonstrated to our people, from the top man- De La Salle University. He is a registered chemical engiagement to the bottom ranks. I saw their good behaviors and neer and a master entrepreneur. He and his wife founded their right attitude at work. Their commitment to the company a hospital equipment trading company 15 years ago and extended beyond the work hours, whether they have to stay had some other businesses after that. He now adds a cofovertime or even overnight to finish their tasks. Nevertheless, fee business to his ventures, serving coffee drinks and sellon those extended times, I provided them food and transporta- ing roasted coffee beans and espresso machines. He can be tion, and most importantly, overtime pay, plus the usual com- reached at jamesbeth_arana@dlsu.edu.ph. missions when the company gets to win the sales.

Our HR team builds up the good behaviors of our people.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not We see them resonating their work commitment to our cus- necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, tomers. The employees themselves are promoting the good and its administrators.

Green LiGht

Customers eat out on a terrace in Brussels, on May 8, 2021, as the Belgium government eased the restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. AFP

Thirsty Belgians brave rain to return to outdoor tables

BRUSSELS, Belgium―After almost seven months of a second national lockdown, a thirsty Belgium, heartland of European beer, returned gingerly to outside tables on Saturday.

The wet weather was not promising as the first hardy souls began to gather at café terraces in Brussels, hoping to take a step towards a return to normal life.

In Chatelain, a popular bar and restaurant district of the capital, early arrivals huddled in winter coats under awnings, but were delighted to support their local businesses.

“Typical Brussels weather,” grinned 42-year-old American expat Amy Marshall, returning to a favorite brunch spot―the Poz Café―near her home.

Belgium was one of the hardest hit countries in the first wave of the epidemic last year, and locked down harder than some when the later surges hit.

Now a national vaccination campaign has begun to make progress, infection numbers are down and the government has begun a phased return to business as usual.

For long-standing bar owners and restauranteurs it’s a relief, for new entrants in the market it’s a moment of hope―and of some tension.

“I picked my moment, it’s ideal!” joked 31-year-old Thomas Mamakis as he opened up L’Altitude, which he hopes will become the bar of the moment in Forest, a southern Brussels district.

The welded joints on the steel cladding in the kitchen are still warm from the heat of their installation, but the chef was in the kitchen knocking together dough for tacos and the tables are out.

While the 50-square-meter terrace is in use, with the tables spaced one and a half meters apart under the drizzling rain, the larger interior area was closed to customers.

Mamakis’ frustration at the slow opening reflects that of veteran rivals, who insist that the industry has enough experience of distancing to protect its clientele.

“Putting 15 people in an office or an Ikea is possible, but for small businesses it’s not?” he asks, ironically.

“We have 100 square meters here, they could let us have ten people.”

Just a tea?

At the Supra Bailly, a pub-style café popular with beer drinkers that while empty had been festooned with flyers protesting the lockdown, 35-year-old JeanClaude Heraals was having to restrain his enthusiasm. AFP

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

B4

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, May 10, 2021

58.70 PTS. 6,317.41

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

2,051,712,310 84,397 4,571,004,301.64 116 97 46

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.9000

Japan

Yen

0.009207

0.4410

UK

Pound

1.400400

67.0792

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128766

6.1679

Switzerland

Franc

1.110494

53.1927

Canada

Dollar

0.824538

39.4954

Singapore

Dollar

0.755002

36.1646

Australia

Dollar

0.784700

37.5871

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655549

127.2008

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.7733

Brunei

Dollar

0.752162

36.0286

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.032092

1.5372

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.0425

Euro

Euro

1.216900

58.2895

Korea

Won

0.000900

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.155502

7.4485

India

Rupee

0.013652

0.6539

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.243309

11.6545

New Zealand

Dollar

0.727700

34.8568

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035967

1.7228 Source: BSP

Bloomberry swung to P771-m net loss in the first quarter

Business Economic zones’ exports grew 15.6% in first quarter E

By Othel V. Campos

XPORTS from the country’s economic zones grew 15.6 percent in the first quarter to $12.91 billion from $14.92 billion in the same period last year as more companies resumed operations despite the lingering impact of the pandemic, data from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority show.

PEZA said in a report Monday employment in economic zones also increased 2.9 percent to 1.58 million workers as of end-March from 1.53 million workers a year ago.

PEZA said that based on the economic zones’ monthly performance report, locators and registered companies started coming back, with at least 116 more companies resuming operations while others brought fresh investments.

It said operating companies inside the economic zones reached 3,596 in the first three months of 2021, up 3.2 percent from 3,480 companies in the first quarter of 2020.

PEZA said it was still finalizing the value of new investments in the first quarter. It said that in January, it approved 24 projects with investments of P11.3 billion that are expect-

ed to generate 5,601 jobs.

“This is a 139-percent increase from the P4.72-billion investments PEZA generated last year in January 2020,” PEZA director-general Charito Plaza said.

She said the continued investments showcased that the Philippines is indeed an investment haven and PEZA’s brand of excellence is chosen by many investors.

The PEZA board approved in December 2020 the adoption of the new 10-point programs and special projects called “PEZA’s Transformational Roadmap” for the next 25 years.

Plaza described roadmap as “a blueprint that is a legacy and continued guideline to unlock the potentials of Philippine industries, of enhancing human capital and natural resources of our country towards full, sustainable, and green industrialization.”

PEZA will collaborate with other government bodies to address efficiency factors that expanding multinational companies are considering in coming up with investment decisions, she said.

She said this was in line with Administrative Order No. 18 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte which mandated government agencies to develop and support ecozone creations in the countryside.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that merchandise exports jumped 31.6 percent in March, led by strong demand for electronics amid the global economic recovery arising from the COVID-19 vaccinations.

By Jenniffer B. Austria GAMING company Bloomberry Resorts Corp. said Monday it posted a net loss of P771 million in the first quarter, a reversal of the P1.37-billion net income it booked in the same period last year as business operations remained limited because of the pandemic.

The company said the net loss on a quarter-on-quarter basis narrowed 68 percent compared to a net loss of P2.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Total gross gaming revenues at Solaire Resorts & Casino amounted to P6.9 billion, down 44 percent from P12.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020.

Gaming revenues at Solaire improved 29 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2020 as domestic patron confidence improved prior to the return to ECQ at the end of March.

“Despite the challenges, the company generated solid results in the first three months of 2021 with gaming revenues, EBITDA and the bottom line improving from the previous quarter. Our performance highlights our management team’s commitment to return to profitability as well as the dedication of our team members to creating unparalleled entertainment experiences for our returning guests,” said Bloomberry chairman and chief executive Enrique Razon Jr. “Unfortunately, Solaire’s momentum, which was fueled by improving domestic patron confidence, has been cut short as it is faced with another closure for the duration of the MECQ [moderate enhanced community quarantine]. As expected, the road to recovery is not easy,” he said.

Revenues from Solaire’s VIP, mass table and electronic gaming machines GGR in the first quarter were P1.9 billion, P2.5 billion and P2.4 billion, representing year-over-year declines of 59 percent, 36 percent, and 32 percent, respectively.

Non-gaming revenues at Solaire dropped 49 percent to P872.1 million. Hotel occupancy was 21.5 percent, compared 67.3 percent in the first quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, Bloomberry’s casino operation in Jeju, South Korean remained closed since March last year due to the pandemic.

Cebu Pacific still in the red as revenues fell in three months

By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Air Inc., the operator of Cebu Pacific and Cebgo, said Monday net loss widened by 517 percent in the first quarter because of the impact of COVID-19 crisis.

The airline unit of the Gokongwei Group said net loss amounted to P7.29 billion from January to March, up from P1.18 billion in the same period last year.

Revenues fell 83 percent to P2.71 billion in the first quarter from P15.91 billion a year ago.

“The overall decline in revenues was brought about by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak which started with cancellation of flights to China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea in varying periods in early 2020 due to the imposition of travel restrictions,” CEB said in a statement.

“With the rapid escalation of the situation surrounding COVID-19, the Philippine government implemented a community quarantine which then prompted the Group to suspend all its scheduled flights beginning March 19, 2020,” it said.

Passenger revenues fell 92.2 percent to P887.4 billion from P11.38 billion it earned last year. This was due to the 87.5-percent decrease in passenger volume from 4.4 million to 0.5 million on 75.8-percent decrease in flights and the 28.2-percentage-point decline in seat load factor from 81.3 percent to 53.2 percent.

The company incurred operating expenses of P9.493 billion in the three-month period, lower by 42.8 percent compared to the P16.607billion operating expenses recorded last year.

This was mostly driven by the suspension of the group’s operations due to the global pandemic as a material portion of its expenses were based on flights and flight hours.

IN BRIEF

Alliance Global’s profit dips to P10.3b

BINONDO TOWER. Anchor Land Holdings Inc. executives lead the topping-off ceremony for Anchor Grandsuites, a 63-story luxury residence considered as the tallest tower in Manila Chinatown in Binondo, Manila. Attending the ceremony are (from left) BLG principal Benedicto Limjap Gavino, PROMPT manager Shannen May Malabuyoc, Anchor Land area manager JP Carrillo, Anchor Land assistant vice president Honorio Alvarez Jr., Anchor Land president Elizabeth Ventura, chief executive Steve Li, director Jason Li, senior project manager Oscar Develos Jr., AYSA senior project manager Allan Chua, Anchor Land senior project architect Lindy Go and Sy^2 senior associate Janice Marquez.

Foreign direct investments recorded $608-m net inflows in February—BSP

By Julito G. Rada NET inflows of foreign direct investments declined 2.2 percent in February to $608 million from $621 million in the same month last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

The BSP said in a statement the slight decline came from the 88.3-percent drop in non-residents’ net investments in equity capital to $20 million in February from $175 million a year ago.

Equity capital placements decreased by 62.1 percent to $89 million from $236 million while withdrawals rose 13.6 percent to $69 million from $61 million.

Equity capital placements in February came mostly from Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Singapore. These were invested in manufacturing; real estate; wholesale and retail trade; financial and insurance; and electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply industries.

Meanwhile, the 36.1-percent increase

in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments to $515 million in February from $378 million in the same month last year tempered the decline in FDI. Reinvestment of earnings rose 6.1 percent to $72 million from $68 million in February 2020.

Data showed that in the first two months, FDI net inflows increased by 20.6 percent to $1.6 billion from $1.3-billion net inflows reported in the same period in 2020.

“This was due mainly to the 67.7-percent expansion in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments to $1.1 billion from $626 million,” the BSP said.

Non-residents’ net investments in equity capital in the two-month period were lower at $372 million from $525 million in the same period last year.

This was due to the contraction in equity capital placements to $451 million from $610 million, which more than offset the drop in withdrawals to $79 million from $85 million.

ILOILO OFFICE MARKET. Megaworld Corp., the largest office lessor in the country, is now dominating the office leasing market in Iloilo City, with a 70-percent market share based on an internal study conducted in April. The company said the company as of end-April this year has a total leasable office portfolio of 100,000 square meters in nine completed office towers inside the 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park, the company’s premier township development in the city. All office towers to date are 100-percent occupied by mostly business process outsourcing companies, which Megaworld helped bring to Iloilo for the first time.

Vista Land’s profit drops 14% to P2.1b on lower revenues PROPERTY developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. said Monday first-quarter net income declined 14 percent to P2.1 billion from a year ago on higher interest expenses and lower revenues.

Vista Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter revenues fell 12 percent to P8.7 billion. Real estate revenues in the first three months reached P6.3 billion, down 13 percent from a year earlier while leasing income dropped 9 percent to P2 billion.

“We continue to navigate through these still challenging times brought about by the pandemic but with a more optimistic outlook this year especially as the vaccination rollout ramps up. In addition, indicators such as overseas Filipinos demand remains to be resilient with an upward trend as the host countries of our OFs are on their way to achieving herd immunity,” said Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr. “The projected growth of OF remittances this year also bodes well for the Company since approximately 55 percent to 60 percent of our sales are OF sales,” he said.

The company continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic as first-quarter reservation sales reached P16.1 billion, up 4 percent from the same period last year.

Vista Land president and chief executive Manuel Paolo Villar said the company would maintain its stance on minimal land acquisition to enable it to maximize its existing land bank.

He said the company would be conservative in terms of leasing space expansion program. “However, the company has the capacity to fast track construction and to launch projects when opportunities present themselves,” Villar said.

Vista Land will also continue to be proactive in its liability management policy and will look at forming a real estate investment trust for office space. Jenniffer B. Austria

ALLIANCE Global Group Inc., the holding company of businessman Andrew Tan, saw its net income decline 62 percent in 2020 to P10.3 billion from P27.1 billion in 2019 as the pandemic affected core businesses.

AGI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues dropped 28 percent to P129 billion from the previous year’s P180 billion. It said it re-calibrated its strategies, particularly on market focus of various companies to achieve a “more balanced” portfolio in adapting to the new business environment and consumer behavior.

“This pandemic really taught us so many lessons as a group and we see this as a perfect opportunity to strengthen our resolve to have a more diversified portfolio that could provide a balanced stream of earnings in a post-pandemic scenario,” AGI chief executive Kevin Tan said.

AGI is primarily engaged in real estate, gaming, liqour and quick service restaurant.

Last year, Emperador Inc. and Megaworld Corp. benefitted strongly from such deliberate diversification strategies designed to solidify their revenue and earnings base.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Ali Mall taps clean power from First Gen

ARANETA Group, one of the country’s oldest and diversified conglomerates, tapped energy provider First Gen Corp. of the Lopez Group to supply renewable energy to Ali Mall in Quezon City.

Araneta City Inc., the Araneta Group’s property arm, reached an agreement with First Gen subsidiary Bacman Geothermal Inc. to supply Ali Mall with 2.1 megawatts of power.

“We at First Gen are happy that the Araneta Group has accepted our offer to be a partner in the task—even if daunting—of reducing the buildup of more heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said First Gen Vice president for marketing Carlo Vega.

BGI, a licensed retail electricity supplier, will provide Ali Mall with power from the 132-MW Pantabangan-Masiway hydroelectric power plant in Nueva Ecija. First Gen Hydro Power Corp., another subsidiary of First Gen, owns and operates the hydro plant.

“We commend the Araneta Group at the same time for their support in adopting renewable energy,” Vega said. Alena Mae S. Flores

WorldRemit, BDO expand partnership

WORLDREMIT, a leading global cross-border payments company, expanded its long-standing tieup with BDO Remit, the remittance service brand of BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s biggest lender in terms of assets led by the Sy family.

Through the strengthened partnership, recipients of money transfers in the Philippines can now receive payment straight to their US dollar account with BDO Unibank or for US dollar cash pick-up at BDO Unibank branches, BDO Remit counters inside the branches of The SM Store and SM Business Services and Villarica Pawnshops.

“Customers can now send money through the WorldRemit app or website directly to BDO Unibank US dollar accounts in real-time or for cash payout through our branches. This will also make it easy for our customers with US dollar accounts to top-up their savings,” said Genie Gloria, senior vice president and head of BDO Remit. BDO Remit has been in partnership with WorldRemit since 2014.

Earl Melivo, country director for the Philippines at WorldRemit, said the global firm was delighted to broaden its partnership with such a reputable brand and payout network as BDO to offer a comprehensive payout service.

Julito G. Rada

Win streak of Mandaue coach Reyes continues ALCANTARA, CEBU—Two years, two championships. That is what KCS Computer Specialist-Mandaue and Southwestern University head coach Mike Reyes had accomplished in that span.

Eighteen months after SWU-PHINMA dethroned University of Visayas in the 2019 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. tournament, Reyes steered a pro team to the top, guiding KCS-Mandaue to the 2021 Chooksto-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Visayas championship.

Five years ago, however, Mike, the younger brother of current TNT head coach Chot, had one flaw that he needed to work on. He did not have the gift of tongue his brother had.

“Tinuruan ko sarili ko,” quipped Coach Mike about communicating better with his players.

Safe to say, he thought himself well.

Up against powerhouse MJAS Zenith-Talisay in the best-of-three finals, Coach Mike knew that he cannot match the Aquastars man for man—a team that averaged a league-leading 90.0 points scored per game during their 10game sweep of the elimination round.

KCS-Mandaue though had one ace up their sleeve—their tenacious defense.

And Coach Mike made sure to borrow one of Coach Chot’s famous lines before every game of the series. “’Yun naman pinag-usapan namin, ‘Let’s try to make history. Unang-una ‘to!’” he said. “Sabi ko lang sa players, ‘Let’s give them 40 minutes of hell!’”

All throughout the three days they faced MJAS-Talisay, KCSMandaue played with a pitbull-like mentality, playing a pressing style for 40 minutes.

All in all, the best offense in the league was limited to just 68.0 points in the series with their highest output being the 75 points they had in their 14-point loss in the winner-take-all game.

Now with two championships under his belt, Coach Mike firmly believes that he has outgrown the “flaw” that hindered him in the past.

After all, players take on their coach’s identity.

“Of course, talagang it’s really satisfying. I’m getting the hearts of the players and that is why they responded,” said Mike, who celebrated his 55th birthday last Thursday.

“That is what I am truly believing in, that I captured their hearts.”

Sports

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

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

C1

Coach Mike Reyes gets the traditional victory ride.

PH rower Nievarez th 8 Tokyo Olympian

By Peter Atencio

R

OWER Cris Nievarez became eighth Filipino athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

After finishing 5th in the semifinals of the Asia Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Japan on Friday, Nievarez placed ninth in the overall rankings, but still clinched a seat to the Olympics as some rowers ahead of him were already qualified in the games.

Officials of the Philippine Rowing Association got the confirmation yesterday from organizers of the rowing qualifier in Japan.

“Five (5) Olympic slots were given the Men’s Single Sculls (M1x). Nievarez was no. 9 after placing 3rd in the Final B race. As per World Rowing Qualification System, for the Continental Qualification regattas like the Asia/ Oceania qualifying held in Tokyo last week, only one boat per NOC will qualify,” PRA president Patrick Gregorio told the Manila Standard.

Nievarez reached the Group B

finals, with Indonesia’s Memo and Hong Kong’s Chan Chi Fung taking the gold and silver with times of 7:26:42 and 7:30.49.

But since Hong Kong and Indonesia have already made qualification in other categories, Nievarez claimed a seat in the men’s singles sculls.

“If more than one boat qualifies, the highest-ranking crew will qualify. So in the case of M1x, some of the crews from 1 to 8 already qualified in other events. So they are out of the M1x. Cris was able to get one of the 5 slots,” added Patrick Gregorio.

Nievarez is the first and only rower to claim a berth in the coming Tokyo Olympics, joining early qualifiers weightlifter and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, and boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam, and 2019 AIBA Women’s world champion Nesthy Petecio.

Nievarez is also the third Filipino rower in history to make it to the Olympics, following Benjamin Tolentino in 2000 (Sydney) and Ed Maerina in 1988 (Seoul) “In my book, any athlete who

Cris Nievarez

through his actions inspires—whether one small child or a whole generation to become better—is already a champion. And this is what our athletes are to our people. They stand as beacons of hope. An inspiration to keep fighting and to never give up,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez on his thoughts on Nievarez’s qualification.

Lopez banking on 4-month training

Pauline Lopez

SPENDING four months in bubble training has kept the taekwondo jin Pauline Lopez sharp and ready.

“The training has been good because we had planned for it. And, of course, there were so many uncertainties because of the situation,” said Lopez, one of four members of the national taekwondo team now training under a bubble in Calamba, Laguna since January.

Lopez feels that she and her teammates are all set to do a mission that they have preparing for the last five months.

“We have to adjust to manage our bodies, our minds and our training to

the best of our abilities,” said Lopez.

The 24-year-old Lopez will join Rio Olympics veteran Kirstie Elaine Alora, the most experienced of her teammates who are in the final stages of their preparations. They will soon leave the bubble in the coming days to fly to Amman, Jordan, where they will see action in the 2021 Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament.

Also joining them are their other teammates Kurt Barbosa and Arven Alcantara.

The tournament slated May 21 and 22 serves as Asian qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.

The 31-year-old Alora will be seeking her second stint in the Olympics and is entered in the women’s +67 kg category. Alora is no. 73 in the Olympic rankings with 29.43 points.

During the 2019 SEA Games, Alora settled for silver in the heavier +73 kg class, while Lopez claimed the gold in the -57 kg.

Lopez, a two-time gold medallist in the SEA Games, is at no. 51 in the Olympic rankings with 8.45 points.

Meanwhile, Alcantara is no. 69 in the Olympic rankings of the men’s +68 kg class, and Barbosa holds the no. 154 rank in men’s -58 kg categor y. Peter Atencio

Agra tackles legislation in National Sports Summit 2021 SPORTS legislation in the Philippines takes centerstage in the National Sports Summit 2021’s 13th session with Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation president and Philippine Reclamation Authority Chairman of the Governing Board Atty.

Alberto C. Agra this Wednesday, May 12.

The sports leader and decorated lawyer, who also heads the Obstacle Sports Federation Asia Pacific and serves as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Philippine Reclamation Authority, puts law and sports into focus as the nationwide online sports-fora opens its fourth batch.

“The sphere of sports legislation in our country is a muchneeded area of discussion and sports educators, athletes, coaches, and local government units should take an active role on. We are beyond privileged to have the POSF leader and PRA chair of the governing board himself to guide us through,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez.

Atty. Agra is also the Deputy Chef de Mission of the national team for the upcoming 2021 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games.

The National Sports Summit 2021 has featured both local and international sports figures including United States Sports Academy President Dr. T.J. Rosandich, International Basketball Federation Medical Commission member Dr. Raul Canlas, swimming icon and Philippine Olympians Association head Akiki Thomson-Guevara, and 2000 Sydney Paralympics medalist Adeline Dumapong- Ancheta among others.

Kentucky Derby winner tests positive for banned substance WASHINGTON—Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit has tested positive for a banned substance, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday, and could ultimately be disqualified from the US flat racing Triple Crown victory.

Baffert told reporters at a Sunday news conference at the famed track in Louisville, Kentucky, that post-race testing showed Medina Spirit was positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid medication not allowed to be used within 14 days of competition.

Churchill Downs announced Sunday it has banned Baffert from entering any horses at the racetrack while it awaits the conclusion of an investigation by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

Baffert denied treating the colt with the medication and said he will investigate the test result to determine how the substance got into the horse’s system following the race.

“I got the biggest gut punch in racing for

something I didn’t do,” Baffert said. “It’s disturbing. It’s a complete injustice to the horse.”

It would take a second positive test result from a split sample for the horse to be disqualified, but if it comes back positive as well, Medina Spirit’s results would be invalidated and runner-up Mandaloun will be declared the winner, Churchill Downs said Sunday.

“Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate. Churchill Downs will not tolerate it,” the racetrack said in a statement.

“Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack.

“We will await the conclusion of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s investiga-

tion before taking further steps.”

Baffert vowed to challenge the finding as far as he could.

“I’m going to fight it tooth and nail,” Baffert said. “I owe it to the horse, I owe it to the owner and I owe it to our industry. Our industry needs to step up and we need to do a better job in racing.”

Baffert set a record for the most wins by any trainer in the Derby’s 147-race history on May 1 when 12-1 Medina Spirit won under jockey John Velazquez at Churchill Downs to give Baffert his seventh career Derby title. AFP Baffert said he still plans to run Medina Spirit in the Preakness next Saturday at Pimlico in Baltimore in the second leg of US flat racing’s Triple Crown, which concludes with June’s Belmont Stakes in New York.

Apart from last year, when the three races were conducted out of their usual order due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Baffert’s Derby winners are unbeaten in Preakness runs.

Medina Spirit, ridden by jockey John Velazquez, crosses the finish line to win the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Medina Spirit has tested positive for a banned substance, trainer Bob Baffert said on and could ultimately be disqualified from the US flat racing Triple Crown victory. AFP

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Sports

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

Mercedes masterstroke in Spain helps Hamilton deny Verstappen B

ARCELONA— Lewis Hamilton claimed his fifth successive Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after a Mercedes pit-stop masterstroke.

Hamilton moved on to 98 career wins after a surprise second change of tyres hoodwinked Red Bull to lift him 14 points clear of Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.

“It was a really great strategy by the team. What a day!” beamed Hamilton, who was quick to acknowledge the smattering of fans allowed in to watch, a rare occurence in the time of coronavirus.

“It is great to see. I saw a British flag out there which I haven’t seen for a long, long time. I feel great after this. I feel like I could go again.”

Hamilton had set off from pole for the 100th time but was beaten to the first corner by Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc for Ferrari dishing out the same treatment on Valtteri Bottas on turn two.

On lap eight Yuki Tsunoda’s Sunday drive in Catalonia suffered a premature end when his AlphaTauri came to a grinding halt.

“Engine stop” the Japanese rookie lamented as the safety car emerged briefly to remove the immobile obstacle.

Verstappen held off Hamilton comfortably on the restart on lap 11, with Leclerc continuing to split the two Mercedes.

With a third of the race completed the first round of pit stops began, with all eyes on which of the front two with less than a second between them would blink first.

Verstappen it was who came in on lap 25, but the pit stop was slow by a couple of seconds in another minor but potentially critical

Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix race at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo on the outskirts of Barcelona. AFP

error by the Red Bull title pretenders.

‘Sitting duck’ The Mercedes pit wall pulled Hamilton in for a lightning stop a few laps later as they pinned their hopes on fresher medium tyres making the difference towards the finish.

At the midway point Hamilton set the fastest lap to go less than two and a half seconds behind his Dutch rival. The gap was less than a second shortly after.

On lap 43 Mercedes played their ace card.

Hamilton, half a second off the lead, came into the pits for a second new set of mediums.

He reemerged with under 23sec to make up on Verstappen, who with tyre wear was in danger of becoming what he would describe afterwards as “a sitting duck” for the man in pursuit of a record eighth drivers’ title.

Hamilton asked his pit wall: “How far

have I got to catch up?”

“Currently 22 seconds... we’ve done it before...” came back the reply.

There was a note of desperation on Red Bull’s radio with Verstappen suggesting “I don’t know how we are going to make it to the end”.

Hamilton moved into second but there was no hint of team orders with Bottas forcing his teammate into full overtaking mode. AFP

Rory says injury scare nearly scuppered Wells Fargo bid WASHINGTON—Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy celebrated his first victory in 18 months on Sunday, then revealed a neck injury nearly prevented him from teeing it up at Quail Hollow.

“I didn’t even think I was going to tee off in this tournament Wednesday night,” said the Northern Ireland star, who came into the week ranked 15th in the world.

“If I had had a morning tee time on Thursday, I probably would have pulled out because I hurt my neck on Wednesday afternoon and couldn’t make a backswing.”

McIlroy, who won his first US PGA Tour title at Quail Hollow in 2010 and added another there at 2015, shot an unprepossessing one-over 72 on Thursday and was outside the projected cut line after the first round.

But he followed up with a five-under 66 to put himself in the hunt and shot back-to-back 68s on the weekend to win the Wells Fargo Championship by one stroke over Mexico’s Abraham Ancer.

“This place has been good to me,” McIlroy said.

“Ever since I first set eyes on this golf course, I loved it from the first time I played it, and that love has sort of been reciprocated back.”

Adding to the emotion was the buzz provided by crowds as close to pre-pandemic levels as the

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates with the trophy alongside his wife Erica and daughter Poppy after winning during the final round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. AFP

US tour has seen.

McIlroy acknowledged during the tournament that he had missed the energy provided by fans more than he realized he would.

“I’m certainly glad that the crowds were back and I’m glad that I was able to get the job done in an atmosphere like that today,” he said.

“And I’m excited going forward now that we get to play in front of crowds like that. It was just an awesome experience to feel that again over the weekend.”

But it still wasn’t easy to get over the line for the first time since winning the WGC HSBC Champions at Shanghai in November of 2019.

He arrived at 18 with a two-shot lead, took a penalty after driving into rough near a water hazard and closed with a bogey for the win.

He said the emotion was a combination of relief and satisfaction.

“It’s such a funny week, knowing that my game was pretty good coming in here and then have my neck completely lock up on me on the range on Wednesday afternoon, not even thinking I was going to play on Thursday, and then I’m sitting here on Sunday night with a trophy.

“Just glad that I got through it and played some really good golf over the weekend.” AFP

Emotional Mother’s Day win for Wolves’ Towns LOS ANGELES— Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 128-96 rout of Orlando, then lifted the lid on how emotional it is for him to play on Mother’s Day. “I been emotional all day,” Towns said.

“I told my dad it will be very difficult to come out here. But my family, my memories and this team gives me strength to come out here and play the game.

“It is difficult, but to all the mothers out (there) that hold the house down, and all mothers not here anymore... today is for you. Happy Mother’s Day. There is no bigger job in the world than a mother.”

The two-time all-star Towns lost his mother, Jacqueline Towns, to Covid-19 last April. He spent the day with his father KarlAnthony Towns Sr, and the two shared a touching embrace at courtside before Sunday’s victory in Florida.

“It’ll be emotional. But it’ll be rewarding because she’ll be happy to know we’re still doing the stuff that she would want us to do,” Towns Sr told USA Today.

Towns not only lost his mother, but also six other family members over the last year to the coronavirus. Then, he tested positive in January. The NBA season was on pause last spring when Towns’ mother died.

Towns and D’Angelo Russell both finished with 27 points as the Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak.

Towns also had nine rebounds and four assists, and Russell chipped in eight assists and six rebounds.

Doncic ejected Elsewhere, Tim Hardaway scored 25

points and drained seven threes as red-hot Dallas overcame the ejection of their top scorer Luka Doncic to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-97.

Dallas won their fourth consecutive contest in the second game of a homeand-home series to improve to 40-28 on the season. The Mavericks are in fifth place in the Western Conference with four games left in the regular season.

Doncic was ejected just under two minutes into the third quarter for fouling Cavaliers’ Collin Sexton as the two tussled under the basket. Sexton appeared to push Doncic, who swung his arm backwards, striking Sexton near the groin area.

Dallas was already playing without Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed six straight games and nine of the past 10 with a sore right knee.

Josh Richardson added 20 points for the Mavericks, Jalen Brunson hit for 13 points and Dwight Powell scored 12.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks showed why they are headed to the postseason as Derrick Rose scored 25 points in a 106-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Knicks used a combination of wellexecuted perimeter shooting and solid defense to break down Los Angeles and bust the game open in the second quarter before holding on in the fourth for their third win on a six-game road swing.

The Knicks also have two losses on the road trip, which closes Tuesday against the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Rose came off the bench to deliver eight assists, while Reggie Bullock scored 24

Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. AFP

points and made five threes for the Knicks, who have five games left in the season and all against clubs headed to the postseason.

RJ Barrett added 18 points, and Julius Randle chipped in 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Knicks went a perfect ninefor-nine from the free-throw line. ‘’He’s sort of the unsung hero. Every night he’s guarding a tough opponent, he never stops working on the defensive end,’’ Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said

of Bullock. ‘’He’s got to continue to do that for us, it opens up so many things.’’

The Clippers came into the game as the league’s top three-point shooting team, but New York had a plan for that, holding them to 12-of-35, or just 34 percent from long distance.

Clippers top scorer Kawhi Leonard was kept off his game, making just nine of 26 shots from the floor to finish with 29 points. AFP

Osaka wants discussion on Olympics amid virus surge ROME—Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said Sunday she favoured a “discussion” taking place over the Olympic Games taking place as Tokyo reels from a new coronavirus surge.

A virus state of emergency in Japan’s capital city and other parts of the country was extended on Friday, less than three months before the delayed Games are due to begin.

There has been increasing pressure from the Japanese public to cancel the Olympics, which have already been postponed once from its original dates last summer due to the pandemic.

“For me, I feel like if it’s putting people at risk and if it’s making people very uncomfortable, then it definitely should be a discussion, which I think it is as of right now,” the four-time Grand Slam winner said ahead of the Rome WTA tournament.

“Of course I would say I want the Olympics to happen, because I’m an athlete and that’s sort of what I have been waiting for my entire life.

“But I think that there is so much important stuff going on, and especially the past year, I think a lot of unexpected things have happened.

“At the end of the day I’m just an athlete, and there is a whole pandemic going on.”

More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries and regions are set to travel to Tokyo for the Games, with a decision on how many domestic fans—if any—can attend to be taken in June.

More than 300,000 people have signed an online petition titled “Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives”, launched Wednesday by a lawyer and former Tokyo gubernatorial candidate.

Japan’s has recorded just over 10,500 deaths from COVID-19, much lower than in many other countries, but its vaccine rollout is moving slowly and some areas have seen record cases as more infectious variants drive fresh waves of contagion.

Australian Open champion Osaka confirmed that she had been vaccinated.

“I have gotten vaccinated, so I think that at the end of the day you can’t force anyone to be vaccinated, but I think if you’re going into the Olympics and whatever makes the host country happy,” she continued.

“For me I feel like whatever makes everyone more comfortable and more safe, and I think that, you know, there is going to be a lot of people entering the country so they definitely have to make the right decisions on that.” AFP

Loaded PSA online forum IT’S a loaded Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday as matters concerning rowing, boxing and the coming new season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League will be discussed in the virtual public sports program.

MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes will talk about preparations being done by the league about its coming season tentatively to fire off on June 12, while Philippine Rowing Association President Patrick Gregorio will be with paddler Cris Nievarez, who is fresh from becoming the latest Filipino to clinch a berth in the Tokyo Olympics.

Capping off a busy session presented

by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, is the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, led by Secretary-General Ed Picson, who will discuss the national team’s campaign in the ASBC Asian Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Dubai.

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

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

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Grooving to KZ, BGYO’s ‘Feel Good Pilipinas’ Singer KZ Tandingan and P-Pop group BGYO collaborate for a dance video to premiere in ‘ASAP Natin ‘To’ this weekend.

SINGER KZ Tandingan and rising P-Pop boy group BGYO composed of Mikki Claver, JL Toreliza, Akira Morishita, Nate Porcalla and Gelo Rivera are joining forces to encourage Filipinos to spread light to all through ABS-CBN’s “Feel Good Pilipinas” dance video and music video.

First revealed on May 7 on various ABS-CBN platforms, the two releases of “Feel Good Pilipinas” videos hope to inspire Filipinos to find ways to be

happy and connect with each other despite the challenges we are facing in this pandemic.

The dance video will premiere in ASAP Natin ‘To on May 16 and everyone is encouraged to join the fun dance challenge that aims to people of all ages grooving. There will also be a longer version to be aired hopefully before the end of the month, which will feature inspiring stories of hope.

The lyric of “Feel Good Pilipinas” was penned by Lawrence Arvin Sibug and Robert Labayen of ABSCBN Creative Communication Management (CCM) while the music was composed by Thyro Alfaro and Francis Salazar. Maria Lourdes Parawan, also of CCM, provided the English translation.

The dance challenge, on the other hand, was choreographed by Pinoy Big Brother alumnus Mickey Perz.

David-Julie tandem in ‘Heartful Café’ gets warm reception Sine Kabataan awards P100K film grants to 10 finalists

BREWING ROMANCE. Julie Anne San Jose and David Licauco’s screen pairing receives a warm reception from TV viewers.

A

CTOR David Licauco didn’t really expect that his screen partnership with Julie Ann San Jose in GMA’s new primetime offering Heartful Café would get a warm reception from the viewing public.

“Yes, it just surprised me,” the chinito star avers.

“When the show started, I was amazed by the attention people gave our program. I must admit that I’ve never experienced that before. I thought Julie’s fans are just like that to any of her leading men. I even asked her if it

were the case. She said that it’s the first time that her followers are tickled pink watching her with me as screen partner,” the occasional model and entrepreneur carries on.

David admits that he’s amazed by Julie’s fans and the way they expect a post about him and his screen partner.

“Every day, they would ask me if I have something to post about Julie.

They follow my everyday activities. It feels good that I am able to make them happy,” he says.

It’s a fact that previously, he also got paired with other female stars. His screen pairing with Julie, on the other hand, is something special simply because of the kind of artist Julie is.

“Personally, it’s a big honor and blessing for me to work with Julie. A lot of young actors like to work with her.

Apart from the fact that she’s so talented, she’s so driven and passionate with her craft. You can see that she enjoys what she’s doing, be it singing or act-

ing,” he states.

“She does a lot of things every day.

Julie is very industrious, a real gogetter. And she doesn’t complain. I can very well remember that when I was just starting in the ‘biz, I was asked who among GMA’s female leads would I want to be partnered with, I picked her right away,” he adds.

David doesn’t deny that even before, he’s got a crush on Julie, the reason why he felt awkward when they began taping for Heartful Café.

“Actually, it all started there. I met her and saw her Instagram posts. I found her pretty. So when our taping commenced, I really felt awkward which I think is just normal especially if you just met and it was your first time to talk to each other. But eventually, my awkwardness vanished. I became more at ease with Julie. It’s because she’s different as a co-worker. She’s very professional,” David comes clean. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Elon Musk says he is first SNL host with Asperger’s syndrome ELON Musk kicked off his Saturday Night Live debut by declaring himself to be the first person with Asperger›s syndrome to host the US comedy sketch show.

“Or at least, the first person to admit it,” he said.

In his opening monologue, the eccentric tech entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX offered an explanation for some of his past eyebrow-raising behavior.

“Look, I know I say or post strange things but that’s just how my brain works. To anyone I´ve offended I just want to say, I reinvented electric cars and I´m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship,” he said. “Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?”

Musk has previously drawn criticism for moves

like publicly mocking the US Securities and Exchange Commission and calling a cave diver who rescued boys trapped in Thailand a “pedo guy.”

But on SNL, the billionaire took swipes at his own expense. He joked about his tweets, his son’s unusual name -- X Æ A-12 -- and that time he smoked weed on Joe Rogan’s podcast.

And of course, as a big booster of cryptocurrencies, he once again enumerated the benefits of dogecoin.

Pressed on what exactly dogecoin is, Musk called the cryptocurrency -- which now has a market value of around $72 billion -- “an unstoppable vehicle that’s going to take over the world.” AFP

SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk cracked jokes at his own expense while hosting US sketch comedy show ‘Saturday Night Live.’

Alex Gonzaga is face of leading e-commerce site’s new promo TV HOST and YouTube personality Alex Gonzaga has something big up her sleeve this month as she is introduced as the newest endorser for shopping app Shopee Payday Sale.

The actress, dubbed the new Shopee Princess, will act as Filipinos’ payday shopping buddy as she shares the best money-saving deals to enjoy at Shopee’s Payday Sales.

Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing at Shopee Philippines, said, “We’re excited to kick off our 5.15 Payday Sale with Alex Gonzaga, who is one of the most beloved TV and social media personalities of her generation. With her quirky, vibrant character and ability to connect with Filipinos, we believe Alex is the perfect person to guide shoppers as they try to spend their money

Actress and Youtube star Alex Gonzaga is the new face of Shopee. wisely by looking for all the best deals on the platform.”

“We hope Filipinos will be able to maximize their money’s worth this akinse with all the discounts and rewards Shopee has to offer at the 5.15 Payday Sale,” Tao added.

Fans can watch Alex Gonzaga’s Shopee Payday Sale commercial on TV and on Shopee’s official Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube accounts.

Shopee 5.15 Payday Sale on May 15 is a free shipping promotion, with no minimum spend required. There will also be P15 flash deals for health, home, and workfrom-home must-haves: for example, one will be able to buy an iCare Digital Blood Pressure Monitor, originally priced at P813, for only P15; a TP-Link Home Security Camera, originally priced at P1,850, and a

A TOTAL of ten young filmmakers have been selected as finalists in the 4th edition of the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition and will each receive a P100,000 grant as fund to use in the production of their respective short films.

Organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and as an accompanying youth film competition with its banner Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), Sine Kabataan gives a platform to all aspiring young filmmakers aged 18 to 30 and provides an opportunity to expose their fresh talents. This serves to encourage the youth to develop their creativity and originality in storytelling, touching on important issues of today as perceived by the youth.

After the Sine Kabataan Online Pitch Showcase held last March 20, the Selection Committee composed of filmmakers Alemberg Ang and JP Habac, and FDCP Executive Director Ria Anne Rubia picked 10 finalists among the pool of over 200 outstanding projects with a shortlist of 18 story concepts.

The 18 filmmakers went through an intensive online Story Development Lab last year focusing on their scripts, and attended a Pitching Lab to master how to effectively pitch their projects to possible co-producers and financiers. The top 10 finalists will undergo the Safe Filming Lab and Editing Lab before their final exhibition at PPP 2021.

The 10 official finalists of Sine Kabataan 4 Short Film Competition are: Abot Kamay Ang Langit by Brian Spencer B. Reyes; Ang Bunga sa Tiyan ni

Adam by Ella Louise B. Salomon; Jombi by Angela Francesca V. Andres; Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan by Demetrio E. Celestino III; Reconnected by Judd Bradley Avelino; Love in the Ungodly Hour by Bradley Jason Pantajo; Si Jet at ang Dark Lord ng Dol Gurskul by Terence Giourdan Gonzalves; Ang Alamat ng Prinsipe at Mandirigma by Jacob Mikhail U. Collado; Ang Balay ni Conrad by Ardinian Jaq Sanque; and Jeremy Supot by James Allen Fajardo.

Established in 2017, Sine Kabataan is conducted alongside the PPP wherein the finalists’ short films are screened nationwide during the PPP duration, with one short film shown before an official PPP entry.

“We are truly proud that Sine Kabataan this year is able to provide funding support for the production of short films of very promising filmmakers all over the country.

Let us continue to nurture our young filmmakers by giving them platforms to tackle issues relevant to the youth. This is the goal of Sine Kabataan and we commend the finalists for bravely covering themes such as the impact of technology to society, poverty, social divide, bullying, family, HIV, teenage pregnancy, LGBT, and mental health,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

In September 2020, filmmakers of the shortlisted projects were also given access to masterclasses in FDCP’s Film Industry Conference and Workshop Series Online.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/SineKabataan.

Magazine show ‘Pusong Pinoy Sa Amerika’ now on GTV THE number of Filipinos migrating to restrictions, and expectations on settling the United States has increased dramati- down in the land of the free.

The program has been cally over the decades. airing on GMA Pinoy TV Despite the ongoing since 2006 and has eduCOVID-19 battle globcated many Filipino imally, Filipino labor mimigrants on the right way gration has grown modof processing their visas. estly as some seek better For the past years, it has job opportunities or want been globally recognized to reunite with their miby some prestigious grant family members award-giving bodies inand friends in the USA. cluding the Telly Awards, To educate our fellow NAMIC Vision Award, countrymen on migraand MAM Awards by the tion policies, GMA Pinoy TV has premiered the ‘Pusong Pinoy Sa Amerika’ host Commission on Overmagazine program Pusong Atty. Lou Tancinco (right) with seas Filipinos.

“Samahan ninyo kami Pinoy sa Amerika in the director Eric Quizon. sa ating season 16 at Philippines on GTV. On their pilot episode last May 2, renowned ating talakayin ang mga bagong poliimmigration lawyer Atty. Lou Tancin- cies sa administrasyon ni Pangulong Joe co talked about US President Joe Biden’s Biden na makakatulong sa mga kababaynew immigration policies and how these can an natin na nais manatili at manirahan sa Amerika,” Atty. Tancinco announced. affect future immigrants.

Catch Pusong Pinoy sa AmeriFurthermore, on its 16th season, Pusong Pinoy sa Amerika offers information ka Season 16 in the Philippines every on labor policies, temporary working visa Sunday, 11:30 p.m. on GTV. Viewers applications, path to naturalization, travel abroad can watch it on GMA Pinoy T V.

Mobile Phone Ring Light, originally priced at P3,973, will also be available for P15.

There will also be cashback rewards at Shopee’s Payday Sale, with 20 percent cashback when the shopper checks out from midnight to 2 a.m., and 15percent cashback for the rest of the day. Some Shopee Mall brands are offering discounts of up to 90 percent, including Tecno, SC Johnson, Huawei, Issy & Co., Nature’s Spring, SM Store, Betadine, Del Monte, and more.

Through ShopeePay, the shopping platform’s online wallet, new users get 25 percent cashback when they use it to pay their bills, while existing users get 15percent cashback. New users can also enjoy deals such as P10 worth of data for only P1, inclu-

sive of free access to Facebook, YouTube, and more. There will also be P1 deals on snacks from brands such as McDonald’s, Jollibee, Red Ribbon, and Big Guys Pizza.

There will be Payday Sale segments on the TV shows Tutok to Win, It’s Showtime, Lunch Out Loud, and Eat Bulaga from May 10 to 15 where viewers will have a chance to win prizes. Shopee will also hold its first Payday Sale TV Special on GMA 7 on May 15, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.. Viewers can claim over P4 million in cash, ShopeePay credits, merchandise, and more by playing the games Shopee Shake, Shopee Milyonaryo, and Watch and Win. For more information, visit https://shopee.ph/m/payday-sale.

Life

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

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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021

SUPERFOOD FOR SUPERMOMS. A functional medicine practitioner recommends Moringa oleifera or malunggay not just to lactating mothers but to working moms and women past childbearing years as well.

Functional medicine practitioner on the best superfood for moms

“T

HIS hardy plant native to tropical and subtropical regions is a galactagogue,” says Dr. Eca Lorenzo, an internal medicine specialist and functional medicine practitioner, referring to the superfood perfect for mothers.

Galactagogue, she adds, “is the term used to describe something that increases the flow of mother’s milk”. Dr. Lorenzo is talking about Moringa oleifera or malunggay.

Local studies show that Filipino mothers who consumed malunggay while breastfeeding produced more breast milk and had babies who gained more weight.

According to Dr. Lorenzo, the nutrient-dense leafy green is not just beneficial for lactating women, “but in other milestones of motherhood” as well.

Moringa boasts a higher content of vitamins and minerals typically associated with more popular foods: On a gram-per-

gram basis of its dried leaves, its has 10 times the vitamin A of carrots, seven times the vitamin C of oranges, 17 times the calcium of milk, 15 times the potassium of bananas, 25 times the iron of spinach, and nine times the protein of yogurt.

It is packed with over 90 nutrients, 46 antioxidants, and a slew of amino acids.

For pregnant women, Dr. Lorenzo says moringa “can meet the daily iron requirements of pregnant women,” while its generous supply of vitamins and minerals also covers the daily nutritional needs of those trying to conceive or already on their way to build a family.

Working moms, on the other hand, can

“Moringa’s vitamin C strengthens your immune system, its amino acids Isoleucine and Leucine boost energy levels, and its phytochemicals can help regulate blood sugar, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Moringa’s leaves also contain antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and neuroprotectant properties,” says Dr. Lorenzo.

Moringa’s calcium and phosphorus content, meanwhile, can help “ensure strong, healthy bones” of women past their childbearing years. The doctor adds, the superfood’s anti-inflammatory properties may soothe pain associMalunggay leaves are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. ated with osteoarthritis, and even con(Inset) Sekaya offers Organic Moringa food tribute to the healing of joints. supplement made with 100 percent locally Dr. Lorenzo says the plant’s antioxisourced pure and organic Moringa oleifera. dants protect the heart, which becomes vulnerable to disease once a woman benefit from, among others, the immune- reaches menopause. Its high fiber and boosting vitamin C in the leafy green. vitamin B content promotes digestion,

A cup of wellness and balance A FAVORITE tea company unveils a new look, highlighting the beauty and power of Mother Earth’s organic gardens and its commitment to support the community and the environment.

English Tea Shop products, with their new mandala labels, highlight the value of wellness and balance. To the UK company, the mandala represents the virtuous support system it aims to build between small businesses, society, and the environment at large.

Additionally, to make it even more appealing to the wellness-conscious audience, the word “organic” is now front and center to emphasize English Tea Shop’s commitment to being 100 percent free from synthetic chemicals.

The company recently received the SGS COVID-19 Control Program Certification, affirming that its warehouse and production faEnglish Tea Shop’s cilities adhere to the highest standards of safety warehouse and while protecting their employees and products. production facilities English Tea Shop’s range of teas include received the SGS Chamomile, Perfect Peppermint, English COVID-19 Control Breakfast, Turmeric Ginger Lemongrass, Program Certification. The Slim Me, and Sleepy Me, among others. They UK tea brand highlights support to the community are available at Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, and Shopwise stores nationwide, and environment in its and via GoRobinsons.ph and MetroMart. refreshed packaging.

Filipino speech therapy app for cleft patients and families launched A CLEFT charity recently launched a Filipino mobile speech application in a bid to address the current disrupted access to speech therapy services for cleft-affected patients and their families.

Smile Train Philippines’ app boasts kid-friendly features and lively graphics, and offers a wide array of educational videos and speech therapy sessions in Filipino.

The Smile Train app also serves as a platform for patients and families affected with cleft to connect with healthcare professionals to ensure that they can continue to receive comprehensive cleft care with minimal disruptions.

Since the start of the pandemic, Smile Train’s speech telehealth program in the Philippines has treated over 200 patients, providing them with more than 1,000 cleft care-related sessions – including speech therapy, nutritional support, breastfeeding guidance for mothers of babies with clefts, presurgical consultations, and psychosocial care.

“Technology has allowed us at Smile Train to deliver the speech therapy needs of children with cleft throughout this pandemic. Safety is our foremost priority, and I am glad that this app allows us to safely serve the needs of these kids in the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Smile Train Southeast Asia director Kimmy Flaviano.

The app also addresses a glaring gap in reaching kids with cleft. “With the app, distance is no longer a problem. Kids

The Smile Train app features kid-friendly educational videos and speech therapy sessions in Filipino.

may start their speech therapy sessions which they otherwise would not have started without the app,” said Veronica Yu, a speech pathologist and the lead content creator of the app.

The app is now available on the App Store and Google Play Store.

while its diuretic properties help reduce water retention.

“Moringa also elevates energy levels and keeps mood swings at bay with its tryptophan, an amino acid needed to make serotonin, the hormone responsible for stabilizing mood and memory,” adds Dr. Lorenzo.

Experts say moringa, particularly its leaves, is safe to consume daily and is a versatile ingredient in various food items. Sekaya, from Unilab’s Synnovate Pharma Corporation, offers Organic Moringa food supplement made with 100 percent locally sourced pure and organic Moringa oleifera. Daily recommended intake is one to three capsules daily, or as advised by a healthcare professional. It is available in Babymama, BioBalance, The Diabetes Store, The Allganic Store, WeNourish.ph, Orange and Peach, Lazada, and Shopee.

Plant enthusiasts suggest cultivating herbs and vegetables at home.

‘Plantitos’ and ‘halamoms’ share indoor gardening tips YOU cannot keep a plant alive for more Start small than a week, let alone grow it. Or maybe, On discussing the importance of you think growing indoor plants is not life with nature for city dwellers, Dr. possible in the space you have. These Joanne Blanco shares plant experts, enthusithat since she lives in asts, and self-avowed a condo unit, she opts plantitos and halamoms for small plants such believe if there’s a will, as cacti and succuthere’s a way. lents. Not only do they fit limited spaces, but Utilize vertical they are also relatively Gia Mirabueno spaces or tables cheaper and build conPlant parent Gia fidence among growMirabueno says those ers when they sprout. who do not have the luxury of space can Join a plant lift smaller and lighter community plants from the floor Solo homemaker and hang them from Cooky Araneta urges Kai Cruz ceilings or settle them her fellow plantitas to on unused spaces on get into a plant comwall shelves or study munity and socialize tables. with other plant owners to get more inforPut plants in the mation about growing, bathroom taking care, and using Balcony and livplants to decorate a Dr. Joanne Blanco ing room are not the space. only places which can be spruced up by plants. Interior stylist and vlogger Kai Start cultivating herbs Palileo-Cruz says putting plants that love and vegetables water in the bathroom is a good practice Aside from filling the house with big, because bathrooms have high humidity leafy, aesthetically pleasing greens, where plants could easily thrive. these plant lovers advise cultivating herbs and vegetables, too. Seed Starter Install grow lights MNL offers Salad (basil, tomato, kale, Plant dad Earl Moreno underscores lettuce), Herb (basil, chives, parsley, the importance of grow lights to make arugula), or Sunflower seedlings, as homes – especially those lacking in natu- well as coco pots, soil, seeding tray, ral light – more suitable and livable for plant box, label sticks, mini tools, and plants. Different plants have different a booklet guide. Go to www.seedstartneeds, he says, some indoor plants spe- ermnl.com or @seedstartermnl on Facifically need grow lights to survive. cebook and Instagram to know more.