Manila Standard - 2021 May 26 - Wednesday

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Cops out to stop mass events Barangay execs in Norzagaray, QC face raps over 'superspreader' parties

By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja

OLICE have been ordered to keep a tight watch on parties and other mass gatherings that may trigger the spread of COVID-19 in their areas of responsibility.

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VOL. XXXV • NO. 100 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Are seniors spreaders?

Binay: Yes; Villar: No

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

“I am reminding all our police commanders to be on alert and strictly monitor your areas of responsibility to prevent mass gatherings and ensure the observance of minimum public health safety standards,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Tuesday.

“No superspreader events should go unnoticed in your areas of responsibility,” he said.

This developed as the Philippines logged 3,972 new COVID-19 cases on

INSISTING that elders can spark "superspreader events" of COVID-19, Sen. Nancy Binay on Tuesday countered the hardline stance of Sen. Cynthia Villar that "seniors" should be allowed to go outside their homes once fully vaccinated.

In Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Economic Affairs committee, Binay stressed senior citizens could be spreaders of the coronavirus. "You can still get the virus, asymptomatic, but it's spreading."

But Villar said everyone, regardless of age, could also be considered spreaders.

"All of us are spreaders… why would you single out senior citizens from going out?" asked Villar.

Binay said the seniors were prioritized to get the COVID-19 jabs since they were more vulnerable to get infected with the coronavirus and more prone to severe cases.

"They were vaccinated first because they are the ones who could die when they get the virus," said Binay.

She also said senior citizens could trigger a collapse of our healthsystem since they can easily get sick with Next page COVID-19.

Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

CLASH OF IDEAS. Senior citizens of Barangay 463 in Sampaloc in Manila, receive their 2nd dose of Astra Zeneca vaccines at a city government vaccination site, on May 25. Two schools of thought are in conflict over whether to allow them to go out or keep then inside their homes because of their potential to infect others. Norman Cruz

LGUs told to pass laws imposing penalties on vaccine slot sale selling COVID-19 vaccination slots.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the call after reports said slots were being sold for as high as P15,000 per dose in Metro Manila, deMALACAÑANG on Tuesday urged lo- pending on the brand of vaccine. cal government units (LGUs) to pass or“Our call to the local government dinances imposing penalties on persons units is if they could pass an ordinance

By Vito Barcelo, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo and Joel E. Zurbano

imposing penalties on those selling slots… we could have a clear legal basis to punish persons doing this,” Roque said in a press briefing.

He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) are now investigating the alleged vaccines for sale.

Meanwhile, Roque said people who

refuse to take available COVID-19 vaccines will move back to the end of the line and lose their priority slot in the inoculation drive.

He said only health workers, the top vaccination priority, were given the opportunity to use the vaccines they prefer.

Next page

(AS OF 4 PM MAY 25)

1,188,672 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

3,972 48,201 NEW

ACTIVE

20,019

36

1,120,452

4,659

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

WHO declares world ‘at war’ vs. COVID

LONE WOLF. A lone taxi cab is seen navigating the the

usually busy Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Paranaque City, which seems like a ghost town on Tuesday, May 25, with only a few passengers allowed to travel in and out of the country due to pandemic. Danny Pata

THE United Nations declared on Monday the world was "at war" against COVID-19, as India's death toll passed 300,000 and Japan opened its first mass vaccination centers.

But just two months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the United States on Monday advised its citizens against travelling there.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged governments to apply wartime logic to stark inequalities in the

response to the pandemic.

Despite rapidly advancing vaccination rollouts in wealthy parts of the world, the crisis was far from over, he warned.

"Unless we act now, we face a situation in which rich countries vaccinate the majority of their people and open their economies, while the virus continues to cause deep suffering by circling and mutating in the poorest countries."

Next page

FLOWERS OF MAY.

Palace positive of PH recovery from pandemic MALACAÑANG expressed confidence on Tuesday that the Philippine economy will recover despite the recent stricter quarantine measures in Metro Manila and its nearby provinces due to the spike in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections.

“We can still recover,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press conference. “We are confident Next page that we can catch up.”

Senate to probe Malampaya deal THE Senate Committee on Energy will look into Royal Dutch Shell's sale of its stake in the Malampaya natural gas field off the Philippines to Udenna Corporation, its chairman said Tuesday.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, in a previous hearing, said the Dennis Uy-led firm had no known technical expertise to operate the multibillion-dollar deep water gas-to-power project.

"We will definitely call on the DOE (Department of Energy). In the first hearing we conducted, their statement was that they were still in the process of evaluation. It has to be very clear to the public what the criteria are and if

the new company is competent based on that list," he told ANC's Headstart Tuesday.

"Government needs to assure the public that the next operator is competent and financially strong... Government through the DOE needs to evaluate if the transaction is legally, financially, and technically compliant," Gatchalian said.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the government did not intervene in the $380 million (P18.29 billion) deal between Shell Petroleum N.V. and Malampaya Energy XP Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary Next page

A week- long event in Baguio City' Burnham Park that runs until May 30, dubbed as Flowers of May has mannequins with colorful and artistic floral designs offering a big draw for tourists and frequent visitors who cool their heels and spend some downtime in the “Summer Capital.” It brings to mind the annual Panagbenga which has been canceled for two straight years now to avoid a possible super spreader event.

Dave Leprozo

A2

News

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Up to DFA to file more WPS protests’ This was after a Washington-based geospatial imagery and data analysis firm Simularity reported Monday that Chinese ships still remain in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in WPS.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in an online presser, said the National Task Force (NTF) on WPS has yet to release a report validating the authenticity of Simularity’s claim about China’s continued incursions into the

Philippine waters.

“First and foremost, I don’t know if that is true because our practice is the National Task Force on West Philippine Sea is giving us situation reports on West Philippine Sea. I have yet to receive its report,” he said.

The NTF-WPS, which releases statements and photos of Chinese ships, is covered by Duterte’s directive not to issue public statements on WPS disputes between the Philippines and China.

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday warned of increasing Chinese incursions once 100 percent

Cops...

to Feliciano dela Cruz, the captain of Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon, after reports reaching her office indicated that a three-day fiesta was held in the village from May 9 to 11.

Belmonte also wants the president of a homeowners’ association in Nagkaisang Nayon to be held liable for failure to monitor and stop the two “superspreader” parties – the first a drinking and videoke session among residents on Mother’s Day (May 9) and on the feast of their patron saint, San Isidro de Labrador (May 11).

Meanwhile, local officials said 16 more guests of the Gubat sa Ciudad resort in Caloocan City tested positive for COVID-19.

A total of 20 guests have so far tested positive for the respiratory disease, the Caloocan COVID-19 Command Center said.

Eleazar also advised police commanders to closely coordinate with local government units, particularly village officials, regarding the measure.

The call came in the wake of a pool party and drinking session in Novaliches, Quezon City, earlier this month where more than 50 people contracted COVID-19.

Eleazar said the public should not be complacent despite a decrease in COVID-19 infections in Metro Manila.

“Those found to have violated our guidelines and ordinances, especially those who joined the gatherings, got closer to one another, and held drinking and karaoke sessions shall be issued ordinance violation receipt and could be charged with violation of Republic Act 11332,” Belmonte said.

RA 11332 is the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act. She directed the city’s legal officer to pursue a case and issue a show-cause order on village chief dela Cruz why he should not be held liable for the untoward incidents.

At least 610 residents have gone through a swab test, as the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit said another resident has yet to be swabbed.

Attendees even posted themselves live on Facebook while enjoying the separate celebrations without observing social distancing and wearing a face mask.

Belmonte ordered a lockdown in the neighborhood on May 14.

According to CESU, another resident tested positive for the coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total to 55. It is still awaiting the results of 18 other attendees.

Caloocan’s Gubat sa Ciudad was permanently shut down on May 10 after authorities discovered on May 9 that the resort was operating despite prevailing quarantine restrictions at the time.

Cases have been filed against officers of the resort as well as the chairperson of Barangay 171, which has jurisdiction over Gubat sa Ciudad.

Meanwhile, the DOH reported 4,659 newly recovered COVID-19 patients, bringing the total recoveries to 1,120,452.

This left 48,201 active cases, of which 92.7 percent were mild, 2.1 percent of which were asymptomatic, 1.6 percent of which were critical, 2.1 percent of which were severe, and 1.42 percent of which were moderate.

The DOH also reported that, nationwide, 59 percent of the ICU beds, 46 percent of the isolation beds, 47 percent of the ward beds, and 41 percent of the ventilators were in use.

In Metro Manila, 58 percent of the ICU beds, 41 percent of the isolation beds, 40 percent of the ward beds, and 41 percent of the ventilators were in use.

understand why those 65 and beyond 65 could not go out even though they were fully vaccinated.

They already face little risk. "They can only suffer from flu, not death or serious COVID illness."

At his point, Binay said vaccinated seniors could still infect other people.

In the hearing of the hard-hit industries during the pandemic chaired

by Sen. Imee Marcos, Villar initially inquired into the reasons to continue keeping already inoculated elderly locked down in their houses.

She said the seniors should at least be

allowed to dine outside.

“They’re vaccinated already. Why did you vaccinate them if you will not allow them to get out?” she said.

Villar pointed out it was ironic that “you give priority to them (to be jabbed) and then, you will not allow them to go out… They might become crazy in their homes," she said.

“Everybody is like that. I pity our senior citizens."

Marcos agreed with Villar and said prohibiting senior citizens to go out, even if they already received their COVID-19 vaccine “defies logic.”

"It would be hard to explain that to our señioritas at señioritos," she added.

According to Marcos, she was very confused with the Department of Health not allowing seniors to dine out when they could travel, take public transport and walk around malls, but for some reason, they were not allowed to dine.

She also quoted the DOH's justification that "dining is a prime venue for infection."

Binay retorted that service workers in restaurants were yet to be inoculated, the reason why the DOH doesn't allow them to dine here.

tigating. The leads provided to us consisted of excerpts from certain online communications between the transacting parties,” he said.

The Philippine National Police is conducting its own separate probe into the alleged sale of vaccines and vaccination slots reportedly being done through social media.

The Taguig City government on Tuesday urged the public to report anyone found selling COVID-19 vaccines and slots for inoculation, saying it will not hesitate to prosecute these unscrupulous individuals.

In a statement, members of the city's Vaccine Task Force condemned the COVID-19 vaccination-for-a-fee scam in some areas in Metro Manila.

"We urge the public to report anyone who charges a fee for vaccine shots or slots to the Taguig Vaccination Hotlines at *09617044001* from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.," the Task Force said.

"These are heartless individuals, plain and simple. The Taguig City Vaccine Task Force will file charges against anyone who solicits money or any favors for registration or scheduling. They will be prosecuted and will face the full wrath of the law," it added.

City officials said all brands of vaccines are available for free to all residents.

Taguig City Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano said every Filipino has the right to be inoculated for protection against the deadly virus that has led to the loss of more than 20,000 lives.

"This is why Taguig continues with its round-the-clock free vaccination program for Taguigeños while strictly following the priority list set by the national government," he said.

WHO...

However, Hong Kong warned Tuesday it might soon have to throw away coronavirus vaccine doses because they were approaching their expiry date and not enough people have signed up for the jabs.

Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world fortunate enough to have secured more than enough doses to inoculate its entire population of 7.5 million people.

But swirling distrust of the government as it stamps out dissent – combined with online misinformation and a lack of urgency in the comparatively virus-free city -- has led to entrenched vaccine hesitancy and a dismal inoculation drive.

Health workers pay 'ultimate price' Speaking alongside Guterres at the World Health Organization's main annual assembly in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he wanted 10 percent of every country's population vaccinated by September.

He paid tribute to the estimated 115,000 health and care workers who have died from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

"They have saved countless lives and fought for others who, despite their best efforts, slipped away," he said. Medical workers lost to the pandemic had paid "the ultimate price in the service of others."

Many medics have felt "frustrated, helpless and unprotected, with a lack of access to personal protective equipment and vaccines," he added.

If the vaccine had been distributed equitably, there would have been enough for all health workers and vulnerable, older people, he argued.

But more than 75 percent of all COVID vaccines have gone to just 10 countries.

Israel's health ministry meanwhile, which has overseen one of the fastest vaccination rollouts, said Sunday that it had proposed lifting all virus restrictions on June 1, except for travelers arriving from abroad.

Deadly outbreaks in India, Brazil and elsewhere have pushed the global death toll past 3.4 million people, even as vaccination programmes in rich countries such as the United States, Britain and Israel have allowed them to ease restrictions.

India has witnessed horrific scenes in recent weeks with severe shortages of oxygen at hospitals and crematoriums overwhelmed, although the number of new daily infections has fallen in big cities.

But experts say the real numbers of deaths and infections in India—fueled by a new coronavirus variant and "superspreader" events such as religious festivals—are probably far higher than the official figures.

"We are seeing the bodies along the river Ganges, which don't seem to be recorded as Covid deaths but are very likely to be Covid deaths," Ashoka University biology professor Gautam Menon told AFP. India has administered close to 200 million vaccine shots, but experts say the programme needs to be ramped up significantly to bring the virus under control. AFP

having earlier bought out the 45 percent stake of US oil giant Chevron in 2019.

On Thursday, Dutch petroleum giant Shell disclosed that it signed a share purchase agreement with Uy’s Malampaya Energy for the sale of its 100 percent shareholding in Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX), which holds a 45-percent operating interest in Service Contract 38 or the Malampaya gas field.

With the sale of Shell’s stake to Malampaya Energy, Uy’s company will now hold nearly full control of the gas field in offshore Palawan.

Before Uy's planned takeover, the

Malampaya Consortium was composed of SPEX, Chevron, and the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation, which still holds a 10-percent interest in the gas field.

“The transfer of participating interest in SC38 Malampaya Consortium is governed by the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement entered into by the members. Under the JOA, all parties must first consent to a sale of any or all participating interests,” Cusi said.

The Shell-Uy transaction, which is subject to partner and regulatory approval, is targeted to be completed by the end of 2021.

Cusi noted that once the transaction had been completed at the consortium level, it would still be submitted to the DOE for its review and approval in accordance with Presidential Decree 87, also known as the Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972.

In a separate statement, Gatchalian urged the DOE to divulge its plans and programs on Malampaya in light of the divestment of Shell and the nearing expiration of the Malampaya project to ensure the future of its operations and the continuous supply of energy in the country.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

M

ALACAÑANG on Tuesday said it will let the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) decide on the lingering presence of Chinese vessels in the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS).

From A1

Tuesday, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 1,188,672.

Thirty-six new fatalities pushed the COVID-19 death toll to 20,019, marking a grim new milestone for the country under the 2-year-long pandemic.

In Bulacan, Norzagaray town officials ordered the leaders of Barangay Matictic to explain why they did not control the surge of over 2,000 tourists that picnicked and swam in the Bakas River on Sunday, as most did not observe minimum health protocols.

The barangay captain and councilors could face administrative and criminal liabilities for allowing the event to go uncontrolled and for not answering the municipality’s show-cause order, Norzagaray legal officer Jhorola Andres told ABS-CBN. The municipal government is waiting for the health office’s recommendation on possible swab tests for the persons who went swimming in Bakas River, Andres added.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte likewise issued a show-cause order

Are...

From A1

However, Villar countered that seniors were already protected from severe cases of COVID-19 once fully vaccinated.

“If you are vaccinated, the assurance of the vaccination is that you don’t have to go to the hospital. If at all, it should just be a slight flu, but never death and never serious COVID illnesses.

That's the assurance of 100 percent vaccination," said Villar.

According to Villar, she could not

LGUs...

From A1

However, Roque said the government will not force the next top priority groups– the elderly and those with co-morbidities– to use available COVID-19 shots.

“But their prioritization will end. In other words, it will be back to the end of the line for them,” he added.

Rep. Manuel Lopez of Manila, chairman of the committee on Metro Manila development, cited the need for Congress to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the vaccines for sale to exact accountability from individuals who take advantage of the pandemic.

The investigation is also intended for Congress to determine if there is a need to draft a law to address the issue as well as to prevent the repeat of such in the future.

"Any agency that deviates from this should be penalized and sanctioned," Lopez said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) submit its initial findings on its probe of the alleged sale of vaccines and vaccination slots next week.

The DOJ chief directed the NBI to file appropriate charges against those found responsible for the unlawful acts after Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos requested the investigation.

“MMDA Chair Benhur Abalos reported these incidents to me last Friday, May 21,” he said.

“So, I immediately instructed NBI Acting Chief Eric Distor to start inves-

Senate...

From A1

of Uy’s Udenna Corp., for the sale of a controlling stake in the Malampaya gasto-power facility.

Shell earlier said a subsidiary of the oil and shipping firm Udenna would pay $380 million for its 45 percent operating interest in the gas field, plus up to $80 million between 2022 and 2024 "contingent on asset performance and commodity prices."

The transaction brings Udenna's total shares in Malampaya to 90 percent,

From A1

foreign ownership of utilities is allowed.

She noted that amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA), which will allow 100 percent foreign ownership of public utilities, will make way for China to own crucial infrastructure in the Philippines.

She said China could use this as leverage against the Philippines when it comes to territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea. "They're already getting our natural resources in our waters. Let us not allow China to lord over our industries in our land," she said. “What will be left for the Philippines?”

Heart doctors: Work out 1 min. to fight COVID

By Rio N. Araja HEART doctors are advocating a oneminute exercise “anytime, anywhere” for a healthy heart that can help fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

At a Facebook PHA’s Usapang Puso” media briefing, Dr. Nanette Rey, former Philippine Heart Association president, introduced the FitHeart Minute (FhM) to encourage people to do the one-minute exercise every hour, saying it is good for the heart.

“To dedicate one minute of your time every waking hour to pocket workouts sounds sensible,” Rey told reporters.

She said an exercise could be done “subtly,” and “not too pushy.”

“It is a practical alternative for people who are not capable of walking 10,000 steps a day as what the ‘Sneakers Friday’ (exercise) requires,” she noted.

“One-minute exercise for every hour or two hours is very helpful,” she said.

“The FitHeart Minute campaign is aimed to jumpstart people to move or exercise. Even standing up and sitting down 10 times is an exercise without you realizing or intending that you are exercising,” she said.

In-person school rites still banned amid pandemic IN-PERSON graduation and other endof-school-year (EOSY) rites in basic education are still banned due to the continued threat of COVID-19, the Department of Education said.

But the department said public schools nationwide can conduct their graduation and moving up rites in July.

Meantime, private schools may implement their graduation and moving up rites following the schedule in their school calendars.

"To ensure the protection of the health and safety of learners, teachers and personnel, as well as parents and other stakeholders, any face-to-face ceremony is not allowed," the DepEd said in a memorandum issued Monday and signed by Secretary Leonor Briones.

Schools and community learning centers (CLCs) can instead hold virtual EOSY rites "that will run in less than two hours to consider the internet connectivity that will be consumed," the agency said.

The virtual rites must be attended by the students, parents or guardians, teachers, and school administrators only.

Palace...

From A1

Roque issued the statement a day after Moody’s Analytics forecast that the Philippines may return to its pre-pandemic level by end of 2022, making its status as a “regional laggard” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Moody’s Analytics also slashed its gross domestic product projection for the Philippines to 5.3 percent from its previous forecast of 6.3 percent annual growth for 2021.

Roque acknowledged the slow pace of the country’s economic growth during the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and more relaxed modified ECQ (MECQ) in National Capital Region (NCR) Plus composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

“We admit that it is saddening because we had to resort to MECQ because of the new variants, prompting 60 percent of our economy in Metro Manila Plus to shut down,” he said.

Roque, however, remained optimistic about the country’s economic revival.

“I hope that [the forecast] won’t happen,” he said, noting that the National Economic and Development Authority has projected that the Philippine economy could grow to 6 to 7 percent this year despite lockdowns.

NCR Plus was placed under ECQ from March 29 to April 11. The quarantine status was later downgraded to MECQ from April 12 to May 14.

To reopen more sectors despite the threat posed by COVID-19, NCR Plus was put under the less restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) from May 15 to 31 but with “heightened restrictions.”

Due to the imposition of ECQ in NCR Plus and the threat of newer COVID-19 variants, the country’s economic team has downscaled their economic growth target range to 6 to 7 percent from the previous 6.5 to 7.5 percent. Vito Barcelo

News

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

LOCAL ROUNDUP

NCR Plus 8 to receive bulk of COVID jabs MORE than half of the total vaccine supply that the Philippines will get this year will be distributed in the NCR Plus 8 areas to hasten achieving herd immunity.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the goal is to inoculate 58 million Filipinos nationwide before the end of the year.

“In truth, the majority of the cases are in Metro Manila Plus. This is why even as half of the vaccine supply will be distributed across the country, more or less half will also be concentrated in Metro Manila Plus, Cebu and Davao,” Roque said.

According to the Department of Health, the NCR Plus 8 area is composed of Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.

Based on the DOH’s latest data, 67 percent of the vaccine supply is distributed to the areas.

Meanwhile, at least five companies are planning to build COVID-19 vaccine facilities in the country while three others want to locate here to produce other vaccines, Science Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said.

“One is targeting to start a fill and finish facility by the end of the year,” she said without disclosing the company.

Guevarra said at least two companies that have partnered with Chinese and German pharmaceuticals are already in talks with the Department of Trade and Industry.

“We are going to pursue vaccine manufacturing as an industry. We need to provide a policy environment that will be favorable,” she added.

Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

Priests to fast, do penitential walk on June 1 PRIESTS from the Archdiocese of Manila are urged to join a penitential walk on June 1 for the needs of the country and the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a pastoral instruction issued on Tuesday, Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo asked priests to join the religious gathering at the Quiapo Church and Sta. Cruz Church.

“I invite you all to join in a day during which we implore God’s mercy on us. It will be on June 1, the beginning of the month of the Sacred Heart, and for us in the Archdiocese, the month that we will receive our new archbishop,” he said.

The Catholic prelate also invited the faithful to join the event online.

“I invite all to join in a day of prayer and fasting. We can all do these in our homes and even in our offices and places of work.

Because of the health protocols, we cannot externally manifest this desire to humble ourselves. Let the priests, the spiritual leaders of your parishes, schools, and ministries, do this on behalf of the people while you join us online,” he said.

The event will start at 8:30 a.m., where the priests will gather in Quiapo Church for a communal penitential service during which they can confess their sins to one another.

“We are sorry. We express this sorrow with a penitential walk from Quiapo Church to Sta. Cruz Church where we will together celebrate the Eucharist, praying for you, our people, for the needs of the country and the world in this time of pandemic,” Pabillo said.

He urged all priests to join the event for the sake of the faithful.

“In the afternoon, all the parishes will celebrate Mass with the people pleading for forgiveness and healing of our land,” he added.

Meanwhile, a legislator called on the religious sector to continue praying for the country’s healing due to the effects of the pandemic.

Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano made the appeal as he spoke at the Chaplaincy Induction Ceremony on Monday organized by the Values Formation and Spiritual Transformation Council International Inc (VFSTCII). Maricel Cruz

NCR high-risk area no more THE National Capital Region is now classified as a moderate-risk area for COVID-19 infections, the OCTA Research Group said Tuesday.

From being a high-risk area that led to the reimposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine in March, Metro Manila’s reproduction rate has gone down to 0.57 while its positivity rate is now at 10 percent.

NCR, which is now under General Community Quarantine with heightened restrictions, logged a lower seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases at 1,100 per day.

“NCR is now a moderate-risk area. The top 10 cities in terms of number of cases include five from NCR and five from outside the NCR Plus bubble—Davao City, Puerto Princesa City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City and Cagayan de Oro City,” OCTA fellow Guido David said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“The indication is good and we expect easing of restrictions, but we don’t recommend easing of all restrictions all at once,” he added.

DOT: Reduce quarantine days

JAB AT THE CINEMA. A health worker inoculates a senior citizen with her first dose of AztraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine inside a cinema of the Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig City on May 25, 2021. Cinemas have remained closed for more than a year now since the pandemic began in March last year. Danny Pata

THE Department of Tourism is pushing for a shortened quarantine period for returning Filipinos who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in Thailand, quarantine for fully-vaccinated travelers has been reduced to only 17 days.

Overseas Filipino workers and balikbayans are currently required to stay in quarantine facilities for 10 days, with the swab test scheduled on the 7th day of arrival.

“We’re still proposing to shorten the quarantine days to encourage them to come home,” Romulo-Puyat said.

The DOT will meet with the Department of Health, Department of Foreign Affairs, and other government agencies, including the health experts, today (Wednesday) to discuss the proposed shortened quarantine period.

Puyat said the verification system for proof of travelers’ vaccination will be included in the discussion.

Let a thousand opposition presidentiables run—Palace

By Vito Barcelo

M

ALACAÑANG on Tuesday challenged the opposition to field a thousand candidates against whoever will be the administration’s standard bearer in the 2022 presidential elections.

“May there be a thousand candidates for the opposition,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Roque issued the statement in response to the call of Vice President Leni Robredo for a single opposition candidate in next year’s national polls to increase his or her chances of winning against President Rodrigo Duterte’s anointed one.

Robredo, chairperson of the Liberal Party, said fielding several candidates

will be impractical since Duterte is “very popular” among Filipinos.

Duterte earlier raised the possibility of fielding Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, his former long-time aide, for the presidential race.

The President has repeatedly dissuaded his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, from listening to groups urging her to gun for the highest position.

A “Duterte Pa Rin Movement”—led

by former Presidential Communications Operations Office undersecretary Bonito Padilla—was recently launched to convince Duterte-Carpio to seek the presidency.

Roque, however, denied the Palace had a hand in the movement.

“He is a former PCOO official. Meaning, he is now a private citizen. Malacañang is not behind that,” Roque said.

Duterte-Carpio has been consistently leading pre-elections surveys for possible presidential candidates in the 2022 polls.

But the President said the thankless job of leading the country was not fit for a woman, and that he wants to spare his daughter from the hardship and constant criticisms that come with the highest government post.

PH Virology Institute to rise in Tarlac THE Department of Science and Technology said discussion has begun on the plan to construct a building for the Virology Institute of the Philippines in Tarlac in the next 2 years.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority has allotted five hectares of land for the institute site.

The VIP facility will be equipped with biosafety laboratories with “the maximum containment level,” DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra said. Willie Casas

‘Spend Bayanihan 2 funds quickly’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

FOR HEAVENLY BODIES. Mario Raymundo, head of the Astronomical Observation and Time Service Unit of the state weather bureau PAGASA, checks the eyepieces of the 45cm Goto telescope at the Astronomical Observatory inside the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. The observatory will livestream the viewing of the supermoon and total lunar eclipse today (Wednesday) on their Facebook and Youtube accounts. Manny Palmero

WITH a little over a month to go before the expiration of the Bayanihan 2 funds, Sen. Grace Poe yesterday reminded agencies to act expeditiously and utilize their respective allocation aimed at helping Filipinos cope with the impact of the pandemic.

Congress extended the validity of the unspent money under the P140billion Bayanihan 2 funds up to June 30 this year.

The unused amount of around P110 billion under the 2020 General Appropriations Act will also remain accessible until Dec. 31, 2021.

“Failure to fully utilize these funds by the deadlines will revert the money to the National Treasury,” said Poe. “The cash aid and bag of groceries are needed, but will never be enough

PNP to cooperate in NBI probe into teen’s death THE Philippine National Police on Tuesday vowed to cooperate with an independent investigation on the death of a teenager in an anti-illegal cockfighting operation in Valenzuela City over the weekend.

“We respect their choice of a National Bureau of Investigation probe and we want to assure our full cooperation with the investigation,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement.

This came after Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian confirmed that the NBI will meet with the family of the

victim, identified as Edwin Arnigo, to discuss a separate probe on the incident.

Eleazar also extended his condolences to the family of Arnigo.

He said the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) will continue its own probe on the incident.

“I have also directed the IAS to conduct a thorough and impartial probe on the incident to determine if there were operational lapses committed by the Valenzuela City police personnel and to come up with results at the soonest possible time,” Eleazar said.

According to the local police, Arnigo allegedly grabbed the service firearm of one of the responding policemen during the raid on Sunday which resulted in a scuffle.

The service firearm went off and hit Arnigo. The police immediately brought him to the Valenzuela Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival.

The involved cop with the rank of senior master sergeant has already been placed under restrictive custody and disarmed as a matter of investigative procedure.

Customs seizes P30m smuggled cigarettes in Misamis Oriental THE Bureau of Customs seized some P30 million worth of smuggled cigarettes declared as personal effects at the Tagoloan port in Misamis Oriental.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) - CDO Field

A3

Station Chief IO1 Oliver Valiente said they received information from national intelligence agencies about the said shipment, prompting them to request an alert order from District Collector John Simon.

The shipment from China arrived

at the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in Tagoloan and was declared as personal effects.

However, upon examination, it was discovered the shipment contained P30 million worth of smuggled cigarettes.

The shipment was consigned to a cer-

tain Lorna Oftana from General Santos City, who is now being investigated for violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Last year, BOC seized an estimated P110 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Mindanao. Vito Barcelo

to sustain our people. Government programs must make opportunities for them to be productive and earn income again,” she added.

She said the national budget and the Bayanihan funds should act as stimulus funds for economic recovery.

“They should be felt by the people, especially in areas badly-hit by the pandemic,” the senator said.

“Every peso correctly allocated to a program means opportunities for people to go back to work, to earn income and to spend for their families. This is what the country’s economic resilience should mean.”

The senator pressed concerned government agencies to accelerate spending to stir economic activity and create jobs to shore up the economy crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manila

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Standard

TODAY COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (CA) for its consent on the nominations of the following senior officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), namely: 1. GREG T. ALMEROL 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

to the rank of LIEUTENANT GENERAL, PA STEPHEN P. PARREÑO to the rank of MAJOR GENERAL, PAF MAC RAUL B. RACACHO to the rank of COMMODORE, PN ALEXANDER G. ABILO to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN (Res.) DAVID RICHARD G. SARIGA to the rank of COLONEL, PAF (Res.) JUDE P. EJERCITO to the rank of COLONEL, PAF (Res.)

7. ABRAHAM C. BAYAN

to the rank of COLONEL, MC (Res.)

8. LORELIE R. SUAREZ

to the rank of COLONEL, PA (Res.) to the rank of COLONEL, PA (Res.)

9. ALEX H. GAGULA 10. RIZALDO N. LAURENA

to the rank of COLONEL, PA (Res.)

The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions to the above nominations in six (6) copies to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 8834-2713, 88311824, 8831-0527, 8832-9830, 8834-2706 and 8551-1989.

25 May 2021.

(MS-MAY 26, 2021)

HECTOR A. VILLACORTA Secretary

Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion L LearningAnoth curv Lea pinion Opinion T TtheTO

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Indeed their own, respectively—educators are try- execuof the manifestations o una enough othe keepexpert, ao ob and pHultquist, against Democratic rival, hackformer US done subvertas political An expert, John Hultquist, senior problems rocking UCPB, which has which seen s debe ng a race bIn dOne o gove no o he p ov nce s time, and quincentennial histocorruption in government would have been good, but to o una e enough o keep a ob and p An John senior execuproblems rocking UCPB, which has seen One of the clearest manifestations science and the will of its leaders to reach Luna, the death of the Bonifacio brothers aga ns h s Democ a c va o me US ng ope a ons a e done o subve po ca time, and where they as wha eve s e o surprisingly, an eventual disconand thrown tons of garbage then Presraised alarm bells over the at Russian hackers “...Not any event, this heist should serveUS as vide their children their learning tools. case, of abusirequest ismay m One of the clearest manifestations ferent.

Children against his Democratic rival, former ing operations are of done to Hillary subvertvice political er is left of it, for ing make with available technology to or One resident of Las Pinas City narratthe mass gatherings make for good Secretary State Clinton’s dermine societies.

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And this sensitive services.

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Sure, theyi REALITY on the story story of globalization; thereafter, the exchange teller has his or her own “construct” a trove of accounts, written or otherwise, cou d be e eased he o c a o h s o ic process.. as this hacking group has been cratic challenger Joe Biden’s side given the After all, activities that seek to comproon y w ce h s yea ly—to their respective peoples. and found wanting.

It is not the only lengthy track record.

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Unfortunate ing make dohees with available technology to time.” the Trump administration. “gotcha” have become such luport in their children.

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Samar duringona ident They are here weeks he s ua on cou d be s a k y nect in the narrative surrounding Spanish Marcos and those who noting that while multiple cyber-espionage even own espec ve y—educa o s y dents, whether personal or historical rests Quezon City, a pool party held May 11 reOmbudsman s e d nves ga on o ce come om p ospe ous am o beg n reminding people that the vaccine is free tonio the Italian scholar who even decades, anddeca the terly useless as these guys are saying they and educate others that restrictions or functioning equipment.

The home Wha s em nen y c ea a h s po n time to perfect his argument If these latest hacking attempts on othIn case of the Russian operations for reach out to their students and enable them to crative, even highly sought and developed for this, so complainin If these latest hacking attempts on othIn the case of the Russian operations for crative, even highly sought and developed and with connectivity, or they could also al race in the planet, using as they do the Microsoft itself is that Russian military hacking operations can be activated in no o seek s because she he se appea s o be aPhilippines sed over aHuman a mdeveloped beRussian s Rights oveas each he Russ anheavily hacke smake hwar, s he sname shou d sethe ve asover chilling onerwise the day itloosened began.”

He wants In s2019 the Watch reetoen en Ch d en may noaleast have adequa e the raised alarm bells the hackers ould as TWO confirmed cases.

At this writing, the ng opast make do w hechno ava ab e Trump’s echno ogy o COVID toserve a few, actors have targeted organizations associarrival in theshe thestay country’s fate during those years e en Ch d may no have adequa e on the story teller.

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Like in may not be an ideal place to focus and to altogether new way o sulted in the infection of at and that they should not fall for such ofing of lifestyle checks for gov learn, notwithstanding the great challenges howeve ha canno un o Cam secure organizations in US soil have been not because it is already re-election, the reports coming out undertakings in the few years.

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

Hackmost sophisticated methods available, it is hackers have targeted 200 US organizations timethat at all.

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Parents could “Wealth does translat posed by untested methods.

IN A previous column I talked about PresiThey could havecritc gove no because she does no mee involve the most hotly contested electornot of the security but of ers are lurking just around the corner and 54.

In Norzagaray, Bulacan, more than fers.

Indeed, there those who member that one using the only available medium of instrucnot farfetched to think that the same (political parties, think tanks, consultants safe to go out and we will achieve herd of everyday life. involve the most hotly contested electornot just of the security establishment but of ers are lurking just around the and A s ab a he p es dency nex yea canno ac o s have a ge ed o gan za ons assoc s gove nmen agenc es pertspoints are “most concerned that of the ent’s corner. this more as well as the And eventual actors have targeted organizations associment agencies tional identities. the practice ofdnational of view, of actualwith accounts may no an p ace oomost ocus and othe while events thereafter an article written by ea nand winactivated hs and ng he gbe ea cha enges c aea sto mus pno esen afundraising aMicrosoft zed ca ed SALN—assum ng we can ssieged by natives inin Cebu attemptcountry was at that were missons ious about where the next meal may come may no betime, an dea pbe ace odea ocus and he said before lawmakers at The teachers themselves are having aorefuse difnSALN no wthemselves hsDemocratic ng he gno ea cha enges with he ernment-backed equ s What es omakes e In gwthese bparamilitaries acco ng ocontinue al race using as some they do the Microsoft itself isthere that Russian military and communities diff hacking operations can be in no done at any time and against and with connectivi and even the main activities dangerous tion for crimes, to reimposed for to tion.

11-nation ASEAN with ananywhere total of 265,888 casal race in the planet, usingplanet, asbe they doPresthe itself ishe that Russian military 2,000 individuals are being investigated hacking can be activated no get vaccinated out immunity soon.

Rather, activity isand for dent Duterte’s achievements.

Now, beand u ed ou Aswhat VP transpired and military L beduring a Pa y cha aRodrigo ed h yhe upcom ngthe e ec on he ex nessential es do ng essen a and Russian intelligence are joined by Chinese cluded in the shortlist Otherwise the expedition’s remaining ated with the upcoming election, ex-operations myth making, historical events are pethat period unit..which contraRaisa Mabayo, our Third Secretary and e e o au ho y om he owne o he have access o hem— hen we can ve y ea n new h ngs Pa en s cou d be anx ing to help Rajah Humabon, a recently takes and low points but there were high posed by hese un es ed me hods from, even if they did not have to worry Tuesday.

In fact, he empath said ficult time adjusting to the new demands of ea n new h ngs Pa en s cou d be anx any perceived adversary.

Given such an platform) for cyber attacks.

Microsoft vice is when these are done in such a brazen posed by hese un es ed me hods find it be ditN improve our ou undamen a aw most sophisticated methods available, it is hackers have targeted 200 US organizations time at all.

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

Indeed, they have become part for swimming in the river. of a fear of the unknown, there are also she s he second h ghes o fic a o he and TO THE drug crimes. harass threaten arbitrarily arrest and in permitted because we need some economic poses the greatest threat to the democratrs presumably in Demope s a e “mos conce ned w h ha o he es.

It is No. 21 in the world.

The Philippines ncumben p es den s co ne And h s The nc den em nds Duterte imposed one of the earliest lockSpain under Magelhere are his failures: rused, selected for exclusion or inclusion vening their ‘construct’ have been com“most concerned withhappened that of the dent reminds incumbent president’s corner. And thisTheperts Vice-Consul inBurt charge of Cultural SALN g anTom ng hesThe eques No eques s points we app ecaabou adparties, e some con ex ident legally appoint you asothers memCatholicized local ruler demands convert and celebratory ones as well. ous abou whe ecannot he nex mea may come about aeache COVID-19 infection. lifestyle checks isDa illo eache s ahemse ves e(political hav ng their work.

Sure, they may be teaching the security and stability of has been quoted as sayandare wayward asRepub what to from short-sightedness.

In ous whe econsultants he nex mea may come 1987 Cons u manner on and cof the much-changed ofaschoolwork.

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MaBut that be another story.

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Given such antwoHe Meanw platform) for cyber attacks.

Microsoft vice ishas when these are done inSu such a in Meanwhile, studenh oppos chaochallenger ge aga he ano n cyber edJoe orgetting otherwise, crespective pthis ocess as hgroup sthose hack ng g2020, oup has been cfound anscaggressive cha enge B den ssde gall ven eswritten ha seek o on comp ly—to their and wanting.

It iscand not thesthe only fresh perspective on how we should view We we e hop ha Ombudsman Ma es no a anc u e m bu a s a emen o ac ic process.. as hacking been frustrated with restrictions and now want cratic Joe Biden’s side given ek to compronity to get jabbed as soon as they could. would be enough to accomplish those celebrations as posted in The Diplomat: of note can indeed be easily undermined by the Russian hackers via phishing attacks goods and services such as in food There is an unspoken understanding Under ment.

Students will learn their lessons, yond one’s means” and ins work in the same manner for many years, sis is finallythe over.

Th Today they have to use technology to subEve ybody so allies yenvironment, ng hmade s answer o environment, heitthebes o the he com o o he homes bu he e s de gove no 1 he o she mus be a eg s e ed time.” stration. the security and stability of president Tom Burt has been quoted as sayand wayward manner as what happened to Eve ybody s y ng h s he bes handily into the Senate elecers and journalists ” security and stability of president Tom Burt has been quoted as sayand wayward manner as what happened to he com o o he homes bu he e s de Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez says much failed to contain the pandemic Thus the to question of the much-changed da e o Rod go Du e e desp e ea y su veys pine economy slumped to its lowest ever in h every narrative. “...One such example thisandis the espons binof e then oofsome oprovocahe mos pand ovoca sanc ons and writers hbashing gh p and o eresponsible bash ng es even en e sys emsstory to tell.

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(Univers the interactions and experiences they If these latest hacking attempts on othe Russian operations for vo e o he p ov nce o a eas a yea mme s be ab e o ea n n h s new env on n e y no h ng com o ab e abou do ng you nations and societies as well as the integrity ing that the initial failed attempt on Biden’s UCPB which can unhinge the banking sysnations and societies as well as the integrity ing that the initial failed attempt on Biden’s UCPB which can unhinge the banking syss be ab e o ea n n h s new env on eanay no hgenerations. nglearn com ab e they abou do ngmemorate you They ma show ngas she way be ow have vo ecoun sbeen p esaying e getting ences ure thens beast, wep satwo They may have grow marked difference incyber thehistory retelling of the the tions which solidified Duterte’s power Duterte has vowed to continue his “war ve and agg ess ve cybe ope ahow ons hese woimposed es havelately, been ge soil ng om athe eof ga ocoming usthese nacademics decisive (lockdown) helped us avertwhether antheoge the this Mabayo Ten days before Duterte the lockor not the appointment ofmore Gierran bnfact aoyounger y congoes aga“the nso Inhe avowed gh come andthe a 500th o he anniversary evenue aken he calculation of enemy forces, ledbit by Lapu of tive and aggressive operations of all countries have been from or just plain the country’s -a 16.5-percent parents will how best can supties.”

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The Then again, itmost incomprehensible how TWO confirmed cases At this writing the whe echilling he o ou she wan sjournal o be eofec edevents cautious as we can.

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In the case of Army commanders. a oge he new way o each ng kept a detailed the of the would want everybody to believe.

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Hacksophisticated methods available, is s ha Rob edo a s on bo h coun s ed 200 US organizations InoHAVE requested tosInhtices repeat reaafter aIt’s year.

Perhaps the pretty some individuals can think of duping 2019, Human Rights Watch reedition andand subsequent incidents, “unspoken” may be overratspearheaded the “drug death penalty banned under the Constituhehealth ch deden No hwho ng p initially epa ed usfrom voyage, wrote of how Magellan wasyelectorbedistress and as the can lockdown us to reinforce our Philippines isRobredo the pandemic epicenter in the oub w he oo smore than even counterpoint as far historical “Wea ho does ans acou ebeen odas co upenabled on ” e oo buys mu pthe emy houses on aNo m sa a basic yed po he chpo d than en hconng pRosa, epa us Spanish ships retreated Cebu.

2020, theavailable -percent growth drop “...To the Philippines, that first They cou d They have oub ehave w hfamilies hetheir nvo ve he16.5 mos ho con es ed e ec no ushas o conflict he secusituations y es ab shmen bu ter ousing sthink acorner ound he co not ne andall member that one crisis affects We know that non-ex-o many gove the only medium of GDP instrucnot farfetched to think that thebut same tanks, consultants involve the most contested just of the security establishment of he two because unde he einhotly oCebu Cane yattemptwh ch ported security govan article written by by natives picnickers fact were country was at that time, there were misfellowmen time of crisis. sons the appointment be better to Rosa shout words o of hyathe sforces so comp awar,” nthey noelected he *ed; *p *it tomight sa and dand be he ocommunities eespecially awmake sat ayconnec budge hea ngod up ha has nodh“State sas gn can nc eased ove hepw and for wsystem vbuild ythat cou so othat sothought comp nwideng wandthat no heng achaplanet, ace n Naga he while pto us ng the as he hey do M caoso seRussian s 888 hamilitary Russ antion msieged ameans yin differently.

This should sDemocratic can beinacno vaASEAN ed n no be were the Senate.

Dela done anywhere at any time and against w hwith connec vahamy o belief hey cou ahey soour fundraising for most crimes be reimposed for tion. and capacity to do 11-nation with total 265 casal race the using as they do Microsoft itself is thatof ctivated the country is now in recession This m ernment-backed paramilitaries continue to s an ndependen componen c y o Cama ur Third Secretary and choices. ing ons to help Rajahsoph Humabon, a me recently and low points but there were high in the shortlist. yea sengvesounas as the ed agouan as Or po nperhaps acformer hend saodbe hae cu hething gov outdoors mitigated risk.

Another are the nd ng s earlier denamed s bes ocaution anyhacke adversary.

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From just esof have ItMicrosoft is become Noashackers 21 the perceived world The Philippines THE harass, threaten, arbitrarily arrest, andwas inArmy first semester drop in economic output of 9 Duterte imposed one of the earliest locknes Su s es den s a e no qua fied o Cultural Army commanders. point Gie commanders.

Catholicized local ruler convert others points and celebratory ones as well. ident cannot legally ap e n ng es y e checks s og ca and ha he e on whe e o ook mo e c ose y environment, the security and stability of targe has been quotedDiplosayNow, the lockdowns will make half of short-sightedness.

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MaBut that would another story.

In 2019, the Human Rights Watch re-in POINT Ite ec isanywhe the recession inon hisand societies asn well as thea Back integrity n ends oour ask essStill, o also amend How d tests cu attack sper hand sand concep o g yes asp? failed attempt the people poor. cope, butCong we on should pick out theactual les- tivists, They may have grown up with technology, commun d e en y Th s d e aand any me and aga ns and even hebe ma Democ c und adone s percent. ng esedislodged ac v es dange ous nations and commun es d e en Th s shou d be anywhere at any time against and even the main Democratic fundraising es dangerous environmentalists, community lead-ported world’s longest strictest, lockdown officer oflast PhilHealth isaghas illegalo heacapacity thehese wake of sothat many jobless people asof aforces reREALITY nteresting insight andbelow awhatoand as gove no“drugs Abelieved esany den Naga C and y sa mus gellan that display of force notes the quincentennial ported that “State security gov-more as presiden security forces and govofocompanies and targeted akes ssueexecutive wand h he ph asethe vthe ng be amp eMarch, wohy dsthe and war.” the war ”cehis In May 2019 top Remittances—a mainstay the andmuch Anyway keep ng po caon obse s institutions sons will come handy when ducted of 23a brazen 000 cases No Italy 288 761 but mostly foro recreation socialization. pe ved adve y Gantwo venHe such anthat tory. pstanding acyber o20m cybe ave acks M c oso vperceived ce especifically done n such aplatform) b by azen sMabayo’s mp oveha empa and co“State ec ou any adversary.

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Microsoft vice uch ove empa hyou and co ec ou“drug and journalists.”

Meanwh eUnder s uden s ae ein so this ad ng o ad failed to contain the pandemic.

Thus, EMIL on should view fi s ans e h s o he es dence o a oca would be enough to accomplish those celebrations as posted The Diplomat: ofbo note can indeed bein easily undermined by rs how via we phishing attacks Section 1 of Republic Act 11223 ernment-backed paramilitaries continue to the answer ernment-backed paramilitaries continue to sult of the COVID-19 pandemic yond one s means” and ns s s ha a pe son a e be ng u e ed by he ve y o c a economy because that is the one that sis is finally over.

That wisdom would be no bew ched bu he ed and bew de ed by Today they have to use technology to subenv onmen he secu ythe and s ab ymuch o is before pCarlos esBurt denhas Tom Buquoted has been quo ed as say nne as whaschools o Tom Failure the communist inallies made itthe into theCmisSenate elecenvironment, thehandily security and stability ofeconomy president been as saytaign’s happened tohappened has vowed to continue his “war sho s gh edness n4.bes do ngo ou to bescontain o Secretary Dominguez says he Duterte much changed demands schoo wo k edness Ten days imposedo the lock-wookDuterte whether or not the app sho squarter gh n do ng ouperhe changed demands schoo For whole of 2020, exstory inFinance our and a click of a finger Grabe. communications tasks.

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(Universal Healthcare upon the rectheons interactions experiences edoing s he The Department andseparatist Employand soc eand es asintegrity we as they he nThey eg ngence hafailed he nattempt ausa avert ed Biden’s a emp onnations B denstitute sand na unh ngeInRob he bank ng sysamb onhimposed drugs” which will be earliest “as down onymay March 15,g may 2020, there only societies well as the that the va initial on banking syscope bu we dpera he so fuels pesckand ou of he Labor es T They gwere up Act) w echno ogy cope bu we d a and sonmen pshou ck9and ou have own up w hown echno ogy Muslim move- acwhich solidified Duterte’s power “the decisive (lockdown) helped an rations. this Mabayo of forces,

by Lapu the 500th pected toscompanies decline by 10 percent.

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Still, even ifStill, it ment was the She ecen yamemorate d scwas osed“...specifically ha she s“anniversary acspec ua y caof in that shortlist for the chilling on day itcome Heby wants TWO cases.

At this writing, the ommendation of the Board Trustees of Philand and ng o compan es and ns u ons campa gn was y a ge ed by an es p ov d ng essen will deny for sure but a survey and standing of and institutions campaign targeted by ding essential sons ha w come handy when h s c bu mos y o ec ea on and soc a za on sons ha w handy when h s c bu mos y o ec ea on and soc a za on eated note—history is Lapu, resulted in Magellan’s death. arrival of Europeans in the Philippines.

Without a vaccine cent in the first half.

We are having the o he p ov nce We ag ee ha wea h does no neces a e much a a med ove M Ma es ment base Longtime aide Christopher Go and tivists, environmentalists, community leadtivists, environmentalists, community leadis equivalent to losing $1.4 billion of estimated 1 3 to 3 5 million infections accordworld’s longest and strictest, the lockdown world’s longest and strictest, the lockdown I HAVE been requested to repeat my reaestimates GDP contraction thebywhole mo e a the ac a h she po n o an oca pos sons death penalty,the banned REALITY REALITY isHealth the pandemic epicenter in the IN Acan previous I talked about o noincolumn ethe caneasily ndeed beMactan eas yPresiunde mPhilippines ned v aattacks ph shtongofaHe acks es suchinas hose n ed ood indeed be undermined by safor Russian hackers viahacke phishing those food clear President agens under s history. nathe ywConstituTha wyour sdom wou d be showed thatand almost half of the theappointment country sof It’s pretty basic. hey have o ogy use oto s recession sthe shsub na ysove Tha sdom wou be ctors—which has been hey have use echno oechno was struck the face by adency It is sa nab dayRuss that means different worst in our yToday equa eASEAN o Today co upoathe on Ma esshall dcontain sappoint oogy nk ng Because sove ou for axes AsDavao’s o note he equ edDuterte’s one yea es nNow, for myand belief that dollar income. ers, journalists.” ers, journalists.” ** failed tosub pandemic. failed contain the tion fored most crimes, to pandemic. be reimposed “Mu aagainst ko he na open ako sas things 11-nation with totalM of 265,888 casThedsons killings of political activists and alchief Ronaldo dela dent achievements. ing togets researchers from our universities The a cbe ck opolice ascimitar. nge G abepercent aga ns campa gn commun ons npeople, powe and u as yea esdifferent could as large as 30 -assuming a a ca click ofRodrigo aformer finger Grabe. the campaign’s communications utilities Army commanders. stand a better p ce ess s u e he n e ac ons and expe ences hey warrior using a local After, the p ce ess countries and their peoples. for general use, the cy’s president and CEO from the Board’s s u e he n e ac ons and expe ences hey About 75 percent of the economy was adult force ofNational 60 are jobless former Bureau of Investigation shou ake p nos o The s mp e ons and ou wedays bebefore ngimposed haDuterte a e athe simposed ake labor he etheDuterte In anbo earlier column he p ov nce oareCama nes Su he house n Is there hopemillion in that bleak scenario? has vowed to continue his “war Duterte has vowed to continue hisna“war drugbefore crimes.

Ten days Duterte lockTen lockes.dItno is No. 21 Fin the world.

Philippines aha ngenabled op ons Aus ano yung op Human ons na yun? herewho hisinitially failures: who we e suspec ed o no be ng u a n mocracy” became “under a régime of justice, the l In 2019, the Rights Watch releged NPA leaders have failed to dent the Rosa spearheaded the “drug lockdown to reinforce our health point as far as historical loss of retreated P1.5s—acco trillion for month lockSpanish ships from Cebu.

TONY LOPEZ the Philippines, that first Ba con-angay TONY LOPEZ chief Dante Gierran as president chief consumption, President should creat We dislodged knowof ha many gove nmen o is down cbarely a s onsshut ve y down. much ouHousehold bus ness Ca angcang ng each o Well, Lift the which But the people love the2020, President for non-ex-officio members on drugs” which will be “aslockdowns relentless and onyes. drugs” which be and “as relentless Germany yesterday and Santa they are the new poor!

March 15, 2020, there were onlyBanana down on March 15, there were only 1.

The Philippines’ greatest ddepression Tumakbo ako ng“...To pangu o “State govesecurity no con now appea swill a baby ound a the heand doo sofepso many jo liberty, and equality.” ported that forces and govexecutive officer of PhilHealth is illegal. wake recession could rage providing three-fourths of GDP, fell by 52-year old communist insurgency.

Muslim war ” were elected to the Senate Dela Rosa system and build up our capacity to do widehave proved senseless and produced the the “drugs war.”

In May 2019, two top Gu e ez—s be ng bu wh ch means 23,000 below No.means 20, Italy, that 288,761. down.

Thisquarter lockdown thePhiliplongest andcases severchillingthe on chilling theo day it ch began.” wants on theRepublic itdoo began.” wants the second of 2020,–the TWO President confirmed cases. this writing, thewriting, TWO confirmed cases.

At The this g essman mayo O h nd na akoparamilitaries umakbo a continue to In This cannot apnewest of the “new are ernment-backed a chu oday anyHe s11223 ep oHeha ma e COVID-19 s So there,inAtsovereignty, democracy, and Under Section 1The ofpoor” Actsome ofMARCOS the cluded inSecretary the shortlist.

Otherwise, thethe Pres- allies 15.5 percent Q2 for 7.8-percent made it handily into the aSenate elecopposite effect. lockdowns were Finance Carlos Dominguez says HAVE been reques AS hatep nowas ye pine vab ein and canno bethe de edA acommittee I HAVE economy slumped tocons its lowest ever in seven death penalty, banned under theupon Constituterrorists are on the warpath marked byIsult aThe named tomy head Senate death penalty, banned under the ConstituPhilippines is the pandemic epicenter inepicenter the Philippines isofthe pandemic in the spread testing ingusour communities From justs and IN previous column I point talked about Presioharass, ng mga anak ko ” Rob earrest, TO THE threaten, arbitrarily in IN A previous column I talked about Presiest the world – has run for months.

THE delegates to the 1971 Constitutional d one of athe—yun earliestang lockna u a bo n equality—the 1973 Preamble defined the na(Universal Healthcare Act), the recDepartment of A commande s Gierran unless he is a member the Army commanders. ident cannot legally appoint you as a mem119 000 to 140 000 retrenched teachers well into 2021.

Now, the lockdowns will make half of PRESIDENT decline in H1 2020, according to MaDuterte has extended tions which solidified Duterte’s power “the decisive (lockdown) helped us avert an supposed to save 4,000 people from sons for my belief th dark days of Martial sons for the country’s history -a 16.5-percent conhome o abode a h s unc u e tion for most crimes, to be reimposed for Board toghbeof 11-nation ASEAN with a totalinof 11-nation ASEAN with a totalcasof 265,888 cas- tion fornof most instances and kill political charged ac- In This dent Rodrigo Duterte’s achievements.

Now, ld. Still, even it nwas the do sa1ifd282 heactual weeksome yPCR ad o ptests og attack am y condent Rodrigo Duterte’s achievements.

Now, ommendation the Board Trustees Philwere young (average age was base. ment deny this,offom newout phenomenon—suicide The with police matters hethan Bcrimes, o700 Rbombers. s reimposed eedom oforwill abode tion’s greatness a 265,888 60-word sweep. ber ofe the Board of Trustees ofyear PhilHealth, around perecen day ninvestigating 2019 heofPOINT Human R gh s Convention Wa ch 2019, the Human Rights Watch remeans half the economic production the people poor. nila-based Asian Development Bank. the state of calamity for one until Longtime aide, Christopher Go, and and staff of the more private estimated 1.3 to 3.5 million infections accorddying, people who would die anyway, former National Bur traction in economic production.

On top of 21, they went on the former hough he cons uc on o he house canare hisbetween drug crimes. tivists, environmentalists, communityAleaddrug crimes. es.

It is No. 21 in the world.

The Philippines nd strictest, Rob the lockdown Health, the President shall appoint the agenes.

It is No. 21 in the world.

The Philippines showed that almost h here failures: edo s a eg s e ed vo e n Naga much more as president and CEO. here are his failures: the Board 35 and 37), idealistic, reform-mindwhorits chnosha no be mpa edbudget, ncchief udesDante be yGierran N The 1935police Constitution limited Philippine po by ed ha aforces secu o the ces and gov ported that “State security and govPNP has tripled anti-insurgency and the “drug war ” “S former chief, Ronaldo dela Remittances—a mainstay of Unemployment more than tripled, Sept, 21, 2021.

Please note: That is upThe to Davao’s ing to researchers from our universities. ducted in the last week of March our capacity the 0.7-percent contraction ineenthe firsty quarlockdown lockdown, because is gone now.

That cannot be recovered in chiefofDan portraying Marcos as schools which will remain closed These be an nd ca on o Rob edo s n on o ers, and journalists.” cy’s president and CEO from the Board’s But the people love the President for he pandemic. adult labor force 60a But the people love the President for dislodged Germany yesterday and is barely Thus, the answer to the question of dislodged Germany yesterday and is barely 1.one The Philippines’ greatest depression C y n CamSu Specu a on ha she s p e 1.

The Philippines’ greatest depression EMIL ed, and represented the intellectual, economic o ave bu adds excep ons—”excep upon territory to that ceded to the United States by e nmen backed pa am a es con nue o ernment-backed paramilitaries continue to the Presid Rosa, who initially spearheaded the “drug lockdown enabled us to reinforce our health economy because that is the that from 5.1 percent in April 2019 to 17.7 eight months just before the May 2022 Judicial basis terFailure 2020, the -percent GDP drop executive ofare P most of them had fatal dis- two csho uded heFund, showthe shave O “drugs he he PIn esalready executive c• The uded n 20, heDevelopment sn 20, O he se he Pnon-ex-officio esw seincome But didofficer not Shakes a288,761. worrying sign.

4es to ncontain thegrowth communist inmembers.

Duterte vowed to continue his they has grown to23,000 about 32,000 average daily tests ans“war eperdence ha16.5 en on needs o bethe Duterte imposed lockwhether or not the appointment of Gierran the war.” two top four months. below No. Italy, 288,761. the “drugs war.”

In May 2019, topBanana, schools lost lack 23,000 cases No. Italy, quarter ofelections 2020, the Philippa ng the o un n heinimposed gube naehas oone amposed ace s a2020, ed o bylockInpolitical the second quarter of 2020, the Philipand elite ofup the country, iftonot the bestcases u because oMay de o2019, heof cou o of when Santa necessa ySection Spain two treaties—the Treaty Paris theDu first of 16.5 TO THE war,” were elected to the Senate.

Dela Rosa TO THE ha assarbitrarily ea en arecession bbyaIn a second es and n depends harass, threaten, arrest, and in system and build our capacity do wideequarter one he eaand esmeans ock Duterte of the JURADO fuels consumption—fell 4.2ywith perpercent inunder Aprilbelow 2020 “when lockdowns presidential when we choose of the benefits the judiciary; the country ish now in Under 1 of Thus, eases than COVID. But several den canno y as appo nsays you other as aaw mem Under denfinancial canno ega yof appo nega you aofCoddling mem that donlives after This means that the President cannot apThemen newest of the “ onand drugs” which willacqu be earliest “as relentless iseconomy legal on whether his name was 15, 2020, othere werewhen only ans a ed n o ac ua p esence n he new The reasons are allies made it handily into the Senate elecFinance Secretary Carlos Dominguez says allies made it handily into the Senate elec5. of the police and the military surgency and the Muslim separatist moveFinance Secretary Carlos Dominguez pine economy slumped to its lowest ever in this (August).” su ace she he s b ngs ed pine slumped to its lowest ever in ofDuterte’s the Filipino race. enrollees he n hepeople esheoisare na ona or secu c sa with etoyHealthcare Finance Carlos Dominguez was tohehead the committee cent in on thenthe second quarter, by 9 perV RTUAL downs UAL spread in our just nsinSecretary ances a ack and kof ca actesting some instances attack and kill political ac-9po insome the first half.

That 4.2 percent firstcent semester drop economic output downs heday wo even was he the world.

Still, even ifS it and was the werenamed widespread their most successor.

• The Amusement and (Universal point unless a member ofwill they pub 119,000 140,000 thousands more dying be ooSenate he Boa dan Ttions usHea ees Ph Hea be o Philippine Boa dand Tatus ees ooGaming Ph ho Gierran (Universa interred their bon in that shortlist forcommunities. the Board ofFrom Trustees. it dbegan.”

Hees wants cases. At this writing, the inchilling POINT POINT President dence oca on o a eas one yea mme which solidified Duterte’s power “the decisive (lockdown) helped us avert tions which solidified Duterte’s power “the decisive (lockdown) helped usgroup avert anrepresenting country’s history -- aelected 16.5-percent cona p Without ece oworld’s and nlongest Maga ao Cama nes Su country’s history --an a tests 16.5-percent con- charged with police They were election thatcontoday vaccine cent in the first half.

We are having the around 1,282 actual PCR per day pub c hea h ”more n e ecgenerals, ostaff, abode Duterte haso of employed ment percent.

It isvthe recession insbillion histivists, environmentalists, community leads that s worst env onmen a the sour commun yAnother Adds Dominguez: “Without the equivalent to losing $1.4 ofthe strict,” says ADB. Exports declined by year ofin state of calamity Corporation, provides an additional The these teachers strictest, the woa dand s onges and s lockdown c esConstituockdown andThis outommenda of the Iis to repeat my reaommendation ofme the m B It’sead pretty basic. “no much money much moinvestigating ewhich as plockdown, es den and CEO much mo eaccordas pmatters es den and CEO die because hunger, malnutrition, andeedom penalty, banned under the brings to LITY REAL TY inmo pandemic epicenter the death spelled out in d a he e y be o explains e HAVE he pobeen s onrequested May 9 matter 2022 o how base.

Longtime aide, Christopher Go,esand be first ap estimated 1.3 topercent 3.5 million base.

Longtime aide, Christopher and estimated 1.3 toinfections 3.5 million infections accordtraction in of economic production.

On top of the “drug war.” a e he failed he tion Saafor vac on Ge passed ducted in the lastclearly week of March, our traction economic production.

On top of and remains the cleanest and fairest incapacity history. worst recession inn our history. and ave cou dpolice, be c ed Go, as has the been tory. schools which will res sons for my belief that the appointment your dollar income. ers, and journalists.”

21.4 in the first half. means continuing restrictions and regue s and ou na s s ” source of revenue to fund the miscellaneous * * * The interest and Health, President the ed o pandemic. con aona he pandem c Thus he answe o he ques on o most crimes, to be reimposed for Thus he answe o he ques on o Health, th diseases spawned by the lockdowns. with a total of 265,888 cas-to contain Marcos a heel or a her from the military and the than any The killings of political activists and aland staff claim that the P500 million allothe rate of infections and deaths could have EMIL EMIL countries pump into their economies, their he o mee he es dency equ emen Davao’s former police chief, Ronaldo dela ing to researchers from our universities.

The Davao’s former police chief, Ronaldo dela 4.

Failure to contain the communist ining to researchers from our universities.

The the 0.7-percent contraction in the first quarfor general use, the away n Feb ua y as yea About 75 percent economy was For thethere whole of the economy is exthe incommodities, the first The andcontraction future of the nation were the activities ofcy’s Truste schools have lost former National Bureau of Investigation done unde he cu en pandem ccy’s nItpresident he 1987 In anPrices earlier column, I suggested thatquarthe Is hope that bleak scenario? lations. of prime government; has vowed to continue his “war and C Du e 2020, ein has vowed o con nue h 0.7-percent sinterest “wa drug crimes.

Ten days before Duterte lockTen days be oimposed eof Duthe e the e mposed heDuterte ock whe heof otheno he n men othem G nepresident an whe heappo o cated no heto appo men oacting G ebefore an pres the world. The Philippines Said Economic Planning Secdepends.

Ifincom you the law. is not enough other More than 45 Rob edo he se has saby dLift she has on yter gone leged NPA leaders have failed to dent the The reasons are been worse. latest data suggest that Rosa, who initially spearheaded the “drug surgency and the Muslim separatist lockdown enabled us to reinforce our health future ofega the nation who spearheaded the “drug JURADO GDP would have shrunk massively, anyway.

JURADO LOPEZ enrollees.

TONY LOPEZ lockdown enabled us to reinforce chief Dante as president and chief to decline 10 percent.

16.5 -percent GDP growth drop nand a news epo Robdown. s Household spokesman consumption, President should create a much “jobs policy” primordial consideration. terespecially 2020, the 16.5 -percent GDP growth drop Cons uinitially onhim. eedom o abode and ave a enon-ex-of Well, yes. the lockdowns which rice, corn, and fish, will bein The •sThe Export Processing Authority to at-health non-ex-officio membe But theedo people love President for onpected drugs” which will be “as relentless and on d Gierran ugs” wh ch wBizNewsAsia be2020, “as ethe en ess and ny yesterday is down barely ega depends on whe he movehons our name wash s Rosa, What i s depends whe he name was on shut March 15, 2020, there were only retary Karl Kendrick Chua: down on Ma ch 15the2020 he e we e on y ble achievements and Without a vaccine home ce It his s yea whsenseless ch p oves ha he ment war,” were to the Rosa The a group executive officer of isthe illegal. system build upand our capacity to do widethe wake of many jobless people aspercent awith re-and the GDP contraction for the whole could rage war,” were elected toDela the Senate.

Rosa The jobs policy President Duterte system build our capacity do wideproviding three-fourths byestimates means the ismission: infact, recession occupy cabinet civil52-year old communist insurgency Muslim Gu e ez confi med “They aof e AGDP, little over 1laws, ofn foreign all COVID-19 cases Their Craft a new Constitution means the country is anow inwith recession clearly spelled out in have proved and produced the wo sepa aSenate. e that gh sthe bu a and e eaDela ed unde s Gierran nbe represen the “drugs war.”

In this May 2019, two topw controlled.

Inso under current This means the tract investments; w No.recession 20, Ba Italy,y288,761. the size of stimulus package ha sho he Boa dostar-rank oto T us ees chilling onnot the day it PhilHealth began.”

He wants ns up haoprimordial sho s and he Boa dofficers oelected T that usanticipated ees This m ch ngsheer on heRepublic day began ” country He wan s now “No one COVID TWO confirmed cases.

At writing, he would athat hero.

TWO con med cases hthe sfell w ngog he were the c The killings of political activists aland staff claim that th Under Section 1 of Act 11223 house n p ess n Maga ao s defin e y no sult of the COVID-19 pandemic. was named to head the Senate committee could be as large as 30 percent -assuming a Mr. President, lift spread testing in our communities.

From just was named to head the Senate committee 15.5 percent in Q2 for a 7.8-percent first semester drop economic output of 9epea spread From just ng a Philippines house buallies The pu chase o Senate made it handily into the for general use, the will cut the country’s cord first semester drop inhaters economic output of 9ea opposite effect.

The lockdowns were unless h the price of anything, and its can ry about Carlosahav Dominguez says has to ian adopt right away should an point • my The Movie and Television and HAVE been eques edumbilical o supply, my g ewill sec government. on Sec not on AS MARCOS remembered “the HAVE been eques ed oto epea ea sor p testing eleaders y basin csour pOur ecommunities. ymorbas creview point Gie death penalty, banned under the Constitupandemic [strike] the6 be global positions in the terrorists are on the warpath marked by a dea h ega pena y but banned unde hethat Cons uin whoGierran envy his ingenu ison the epicenter theelecin the country are severe critical.

Ph pppandemic nes s he pandem cinhe ep cen eabode nthat he ed Presiumn ked abou P es matters now also whether it is actualthe law. cated to them is not en leged NPA have failed to dent the (Universal Healthcare Act), upon the recThe Department of Labor and Employthe Board new ye The equ emen o loss of P1.5 trillion for each month of lockwell into with investigating around 1,282 tests per con-per decline inwith 2020, to265 MaDuterte has extended charged investigating Duterte’s percent. is the worst recession in our hisaround 1,282 actual PCR tests conhe p us ope was ations am y dec ssolidified on ” of kdown) helped avert an 2021. consideration. supposed tooofsave 4,000 people from be controlled by the government during its colonial of 450 years, establish rules sons my beworst e oof ha he appo nof men o52-year Classification percent. ispast the recession our his-appo dark days of Martial Law,” on sons my be e inSeptember ha he n actual men oPCRunless * *day *emergency n with he vpolice ege omatters habeas pus * charged *day * employment the lockdowns.

They economy.

In the firstpthree months ofpolice the comatters tion for mostlockdown crimes, toBoard be reimposed sight, and those who Board Trustees PhilHealth and on mos clongest mes ohebe eItofmposed oItowill 11-nation ASEAN a total 265,888 casscheme For sure 11 which na onH1 ASEAN waccording h a o acand opower 888 cas Now, recession could rage The wh jobsch policy tha evements. e s for ach evemen s yNow ommendation the Trustees offor Philold communist insurgency.

Muslim ment deny this, for sure, but aducted survey Despite the overwhelming dominance of new bombers The tality ratio, on the other hand, isBoard; at 2.5 people down.

This –o the and severdacy sphenomenon—suicide hasaving n apeople ans ewho es dence ly the productive parts the economy. and the “drug war.” the last of March, our capacity nila-based Asian Bank. one base.

Longtime aide, Christopher Go, and Section and the “drug war.”

5mity million infections tory. ducted in the last week of March, our capacity Theyear Vaccordceuntil P is esNo. den adm edDevelopment dying, would die anyway, o21, meand ona obefit nves gaoin on aorder state of Na calamity.

InNa aeau major election, • The Philippine Coconut Authority toha they went on Bu the usual bashing spree, nweek anon ea e warpath co umn sugges ed he oalmost me ona Bu eau nves ga of governance that the Philtory. nto an eamarked e co umn sugges ed ha he sha no be suspended an add ona excep quarantine, we prioritized saving lives definitely a heel. drug crimes. d ug c mes es.

It 21has in sthe The Philippines has to adopt right aw Health, the President shall appoint the agenes Noworld.

21 nha heshe wo d new ThepPNP Ph pp nes showed that half of the country's terrorists are on the by a s the Board recommended his appointment the ranks of the unemployed can only worsestmus in the world – has run for seven months. make no sense. ace be an ac ua pe manen es generals, the Duterte administration has not has tripled its anti-insurgency budget Davao’s former police chief, Ronaldo dela 4.

Failure to contain the communist inwell into 2021.

Unemployment more than tripled, Please note: That is up to from our universities.

The per a hundred thousand.”

4.cy” Failure toused contain the communist in- o ance ch ethe Gofas e2020, an es and ch enewdevelop For the ofsystemic 2020, economy exlockdown or and no CEO lockdown, because This is because the problem isP whole not aportraying the price andethe supply of bellwether goods hasdepress on y gone Naga CGey many w ceand h sise day and enhance P esch den c coconut eabombers. eshou a “production poe cy” n ofpo ch Dan episG e den an as es den and e shou Marcos as the devil-incarnate.

P esd den dobs cThe ea a Board “ obs ippines’ stature Asia’s first Republic, Act o For whole the economy isp exon s nmade— mm dange op nemploymen against COVID. We thisnen time to on Trustees of PhilHealth, and unless emergency cy’s the Board’s But the people the from President for adult labor force of 60as million are jobless.

Bu he peop ove he es den oDan dislodged Germany yesterday barely phenomenon—suicide dos who odged yes and17.7 sThis ba emeans yuspresident depression es grea es on home oflove the economic production President dence and nonon-ex-officio ohalf vaca on o e esu epected Rosa, initially the “drug poverty problem the country for usbefore to reinforce our health from 5.1 percent insdaily April 2019 to st the May 2022 surgency and separatist execu ve othe ce o are Ph Hea hopoor! sPh ega surgency and the separatist movemost of them already had fatal dislike rice, corn, fish, fuel, even school he wake oits so many essthe peop eobin asess athe epeop to decline by 10 percent.

BizNewsAsia efforts; execu ve ofor ce Hea sand ega But did not Shakespeare “The evil yea She has no changed he vo20, e spearheaded eg s 20 Board recommended his appointment toon any he wake oen so many ethe as Muslim ahealth eof proven itself any competent nor a288 worrying sign the ranksThe ofdirector the reas unempT and lay the foundation asay: robust fu-hPNP members. pected to decline by 10 percent.

BizNewsAsia improve our system capacity.”

Santa Banana, they the new vas onmore nsu ecMuslim on omoveebe He notes that per 100,000, the EU member has grown to about 32 000 average tests inhas 1898 and the Treaty ofob Washington 1900. the “drugs war.”

In May 2019, two top tripled anti-insurgency budget, contraction or a cyclical bust.

Simply, neces23,000 cases below No. Italy, 288,761. he “d ugs wa ” n May 2019 wo op s 23 000 cases be ow No a y 761 020, the Philipis gone by now.

That cannot be recovered in ua e o 2020 he Ph p were to the Senate.

Rosa up our capacity to she do wideMo eove eases ac uaother physthan ca the p esence mus Without vaccine percent inelected Aprilshe 2020 “when lockdowns ctions when we choose on 1 democratic, o“new Repub care 11223 Thus before can be appointed as apandem vaccine theexPresident.

COVID. several su oWithout heaCOV D cless supplies, medicines, and PPEs, cruUnde Sec on 1daily oAc Repub Ac 11223 the du poverty problem many to come • The The Philippine Tourism Authority asment one men do lives after them.

The good is oft This that President apestimates the GDP contraction for the whole su o 19 he COV Dyears 19 pandem c ment The newest of the poor” are some as on sa d np war,” ecSecretary seF ynance because no osDela ture—independent, socially “By the models of UP and uAteneo, estimates the GDP contraction forGierran the whole The 1973 Cons on de nesenclearly he esspelle 1973 Constitution enormously a cworrying sign. has grown toSec about 32,000 average tests allies made handily into the Senate elecDominguez says aitmeans esof made hand yBut ncannot othe hemilitary Sena ethat eUnde ec corrupt than past administrations. months.

5four Coddling the police and clear Sec ethe ahas ySenate Ca Dom nguez says states average 31 deaths, UK 70, Spain 61, lowest in From thisoever (August) ”Finance mped owes eve from a sh sary mobility restrictions hamper aggregate was named toCarlos head committee ur communities. just be demons a ed n he supposed new pe ma were widespread and at their most sor.

Thus, before Gierran can be appointed as The killings of political activists and almany years to come.

Un ve sa Hea hca e Ac upon he ec point Gierran unless he is a member of the The Depa men oa source Labo Emp oy toPresident 140,000 teachers thousands more people or Un ve saretrenched Heaand hca efor Ac upon ecPhilippine especially in-battleground regions, of thehe engines serve asterritory oftoand revenue; interred with their bones.”

The Depa men o the Labo and Emp oyzens The killings ofh political and alcould bewill large as 30 percent assuming made a cen dec scon on abou unn ngveo helped wha eve we averted some 59,000 to 171,000 economically inclusive, proud and of of PhilHealth he 5.

Coddling of to themust police and theWhile military be as large as 30 percent --aCEO assuming ageneral o cmay snational was noactivists ncapital’s he 1935 cha e Is he a h panded include the President have signed into this119,000 (August).” tions which solidified Duterte’s power use, the Secretary Carlos Dominguez “the decisive (lockdown) uspolice avert an us ons wh soare d dying ed Du easand ecould scial, powe ““Without he dec he ped aveFinance an for general the o5-percent yofPCR a tests 16con5per pecalamity charged with matters ual day conWhen of the Duterte has employed more generals and CEO ofrates PhilHealth, hefrom must Sweden 57, and the Adds Dominguez: theockdown lockdown While the President strict,” sayss investigating ADB. Exports declined state the Commiss nen es by dence nbecause CamSu ohunger, ach eas one yeamoney and staff, out of the more 700 ommenda on oembodies he Boa dthan Tthe us ees olockdemand.” leged NPA have failed to dent men whit deny h “with suse, odeny sugenerals, ethe bu ao asusuPresident vey die of malnutrition, andits ommenda onlockothe he Boa dPh T usUS ees oLaws Ph the la Hardest was island and especially, when highest • 52. onemployed socialized housing through This brings me to my gulay—Is menLuzon w hwhich sislands e the buleaders achief suNPA vey leged leaders have failed to dent the law. loss ofsand P1.5 trillion for each month ofask, deaths.

Our death posof onOn nestimated 2022 Duterte has more Adds Dominguez: “Without lockdown, heritage that the best of the loss ofmost P1.5 trillion for each month ofprivate These du es ncreduced ude o the entire archipelago all and explains that “no matter how much base.

Longtime aide, Christopher Go, be first appointed as a member of the Board 1.3 to 3.5 million infections accordbase Long me a de Ch ophe Go and law Bayanihan 2 the billions allotted for his es ma ed 1 3 o 3 5 m on n ec ons acco d ion.

On top of and the “drug war.” week of March, our capacity m c p oduc on op o be first appointed as a member of the Board law Bayanihan 2, theCo bi schools which will remain closed.

These hero?

21.4 percent in the first half. g restrictions and reguHea h he P es den sha appo n he agen mmed a e y be o e he e ec on whe e she recession could rage showed ha a mos ha o he coun y s 52-year old communist insurgency.

Muslim Hea h he P es den sha appo n he agen diseases spawned by the lockdowns. produces 70 percent of total economic post of the land is at stake. series of legal issuances from the funding, showed ha a mos ha o he coun y s Marcos a heel or a hero? police force was caught on social media from the military and the police than any recession could rage 3.

Unprecedented human rights violations from the military and the police, than any trolled the rate of infections and deaths could have 52-year old communist insurgency.

Muslim down.

This lockdown – the longest and severa high of 17 percent to just 1.6 percent the rate of infections and deaths could have Acco d ng o he same news epo Rob edo Government economists earlier projected West and the East. countries pump into their economies, their — Be oya o he Repub c and o hono down.

This lockdown – the longest and severwaters embraced therein, and all the other Davao’s former police chief, Ronaldo dela ing to researchers from our universities.

The Davao s o me po ce ch e Rona do de a 4.

Failure to contain the communist inng o esea che s om ou un ve s es The ofess Trustees. first project are only stop-g nthe ac on quarncommodities, he s qua offor Trustees schools have lost income because of lack ofom project are only stop-gap measures toaverted alleof prime cy smuch pdepends. es den and CEO om he Boa d other s mortgage adu o home cehim. o abo 60 m on a45 eofob w other un oGDP gove noacting cy sIf pyou es den and CEO he Boaadabo s belonging Said Economic Planning Secproduction and is to 50 percent What is not controlled during a state terrorists are on the warpath marked by a and collection of loans; adu o ce o 60 m on a e ob ess It look at his remarkapresident before More than been worse.

The latest data suggest that or around 4,000 deaths.

We terrorists are on the warpath marked by a est in the world – has run seven months. would have shrunk massively, anyway. eg s e ed he se on he Ph pp ne den fica The 1973 Constitution has “Mission Achaving a breakfast birthday party with more he Ph pp ne ag o de end he S a e and president before him More than 45 est in the world – has run for seven months. territories to the Philippines by Under The reasons are What has made Duterte strong president, been much worse The latest data suggest that Rosa, who spearheaded theto“drug well into 2021. and Muslim What is/are the legal requirements before Board lockdown enabled us the to reinforce viate the people’s need Rosa who a ycho spea headed henon “d in ug oGDP aretary recovery of 7npercent 8 percent enrollees. ockdown enab ed usseparatist ooure health n omoveceha ou h initially DP dropg ow well into 2021. pegrowth cenand GDP h dbeop surgency corn, of P ex ohow membe sgood San athe Banana hey a e viate heand new poo What is/are the legal requirements before non exthe oeconomic cCOVID-19 o membe sdissIthea he case Rob edo has wo ces Karl Kendrick Chua: thehistoric population. of calamity iscpercent the needs San Banana hey anew epeople’s hephenomenon—suicide new poo • Allofficers specialty hospitals—the Philipstar-rank occupy cabinet civilble achievements and performance, The a little over 1splashed of allgovernment cases some 1.3 to phenomenon—suicide 3.5appointed million cases, ofopmen which is not theelected sheer size the package This means half of the economic production new bombers.

TheaofeisTrustees onfish, Syswill em Ph Sys n em Maga ao ead up e ou htocases sdo over it.

The 1971 ut alittle vaccine con bu e strict o bombers. sasdeve we oBoard ofan Gierran can be alockdown member ofand This means half of the production right oro alegal title, including the ment What essential were tooccupy the Senate.

Rosa The group representing these teachers build upand our capacity widewa ”anticipated we eof e2021. ec stimulus ed oDela he Sena e complished” De athe Rosa pointed b sys bu capac yde owar,” do wngrowth de than 50 guests (despite prorecession star-rank officers cabinet and civilthe vicious illegal drugs campaign, has also over 1 percent of all COVID-19 s anow nwith ecess system on w hand clearly spelled out in the Board recommend act, under current laws, Th s means ha he P es den canno ap rate in That is now overly optiThe newes he “new poo ” a e some Th s means ha he P es den canno ap ian positions in the government.

“No one that the COVID The newes o he “new poo ” a e some the Board Investments contracted by 53.5 perpenses money.

The incumbent President To o o he sunse a e he e m ends pine Heart Center, Lunch Center, National he would be a hero.

For those, however, in country are severe or critical.

Our morPNP has tripled its anti-insurgency budget, that matters now but also whether it is actual68,000 would be severe and critical Gierran can be appointed as a member of me quote to Justi What is essential and urgent is ua on longishegone bye Constitutional now.

That cannot bethat recovered inrecovered PNP has its anti-insurgency budget, thethe Board of Trustees? mon ead otesting nThe Naga Cescommunities. yof anpolitical termLet policy pr Convention produced the alloPhilkillings activists and al-Fwas and staff claim the P500 million upho dtripled he Cons and obey hejobs aws sea, the 000 air space, the subsoil, is gone by now.

That cannot be inhe territorial named toin head the Senate committee Mr. President, spread in our Fromlift just was named o head Sena comm ee mic output of 9houns sp ead ng nndepen ou commun esyea om us al the the President. phing, nuse, econom csupply, pu o 9severe po n G e an un ess he s a membe o and its can Board of 119 000 o 140 e enched eache s Despite the overwhelming dominance of po n G e an un ess he s a membe o he hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in tality ratio, on the other hand, is at 2.5 people pandemic will [strike] the global ian positions the government 119 000 o 140 000 e enched eache s the Presid cent in the second quarter and by 36.6 can get all the money he wants to have Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine who envy his ingenuity, vision and forenex and ve a qu e am y e w h he given him one of his major failures—massive in theden country are or critical Our morly saving thelaw. productive parts of thefour economy. athe worrying sign. cases on the peak day, overhaswithgrown tohas about 32,000 average daily tests mistic.

Without a nves vaccine for general use, the Lazaro, who the Section 13 of 10149 Governthe lem of poverty. months. atoworrying sign. cated them isConstitution, not enough.

NPA 1leaders have failed toescondent componen c leged y oa ound CamSu grown to about 32,000 average daily tests ippines’ free drafted the Board ofit Trustees? and oRA coope abigger e(GOCC w will h probhe du y cons u ed au was sea-bed, the insular shelves, and other four months. term jobs prevent a which charged with investigating police matters around actual PCR tests day cha ged wfirst h three ga ng cehis ma etruly stoand ion our his282 ac ua per PCR s dpethe con Thus, before Gierrabt thes in government wo ecess on nduring ou h s 1,282 and the s athe ou oadministration he mo 700 ppolicy va eAct Duterte has not per ahands hundred thousand.” the lockdowns.

They and she a “Private oue ohan he mo5. eCoddling han 700 pCoddling vapolice e time), Thus, economy.

In months ofpotheout percent in first half. investon and deploy to whoever Children’s Medical Center; sight, those who desire revenge, he is generals, isybecause thethe problem isa not ch enday oThis de he odds and make bo dadominance bsystemic dinto ance of5.

2011) mandates that an appointing included whelm our healthcare sector.” ofho the and the military My gulay, ifduring there’s rate Counsel could rage this (August).”

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

Muslim one place at the same Duterte refused Despite the overwhelming of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez of the police and thepmilitary human rights violations.

Critics say killed Rob edo was epo ed o have ob a ned he tality ratio on the other hand is at 2 5 people this (August).” the influence for the first time of a foreign es n he a a nmen and ese va on o recession could rage well 2021. submarine areas over which the Philippines Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and the “drug war.” ducted in the last week of March, our capacity Section 13 of RA 10149 (GOCC Governand he “d ug wa ” lem of poverty President and CEO o duc ed n he as week o Ma ch ou capac y proven itselffirst any any ity. In a major election, terrorists are on the warpath marked s“Without wh ch ema cfor osed These He notes that per 100,000, the EU member schoo s lockdown, wh chnnor win ema n “What c osed These we cho prioritized saving lives cyclical bust. necesmentschoo slumped inmore Q2wcompetent with outlays inand wherever wants tomoney send •Adds The nuclear power plant Southdirector shall be appointed by six the President it’s definitely a he heel. an urgent and o un p esquarantine, den or sa he ce Simply, has to adopt right away should not be an we find in last months, Duterte has more generals, beneficiaries of thelasti Fe by ao contraction Adds Dominguez: the explains that “no matter how much byPresident the GC make Duterte has employed ba angay goods c ea ance one emen s Dominguez: “Without the lockdown, power and enough toit. thwart anin aemployed us and othe de ythesoc e ymore generals, has sovereignty orncome jurisdiction.

The waexplains thataudacious “no matter how much money to fire the erring general. generals the Duterte administration has not 4. Failure to contain the communist in2021. more than 27,000 the guise of eliminating per ahe thousand ”o henoequsense. be first appointed as 4 Fa ure o con a n he commun s n less corrupt than past administrations. economy ishundred exWhen the President came to power in schoo s have os because o ack o pply of bellwether states average 31 deaths, UK 70, Spain 61, from a short-list prepared by Governance ance Act of 2011) mandates that an appointing 2020 economy s ex new phenomenon—suicide sary mobility restrictions hamper aggregate schoo s have os ncome because o ack o be first ap ta Banana, I foresee aa against COVID. We used this time to Board of Trustees of PhilHealth, and unless My gulay if there’s one element missing dustrial machinery and transport equipCombine those powers—control of the east Asia; emergency employment scheme.

For sure, is that the lower quarantine restriction talany event of time, pla fromhave the military andExe the any b than theabout rateare of When infections and deaths could have countries pump into 57, their economies, their from the military police, o even he ssuance o a Ph Sys o Na ona Dbombers. The the rate of infections andand deaths could impending domestic tyranny, to bring The reasons are — cpolice, se and gh than sthe espons y of and w h due ters between, connecting the countries pump into their economies, their dent cann surgency and the Muslim separatist moveThe reasons the chief of the national capital’s Trustees.

Sweden and the US 52. surgency and he m separa sgreatest move en oaround, ees Commission for Government-owned or-Conschool BizNewsAsia Philippines without ans the Board recommended hisMus appointment to demand.” proven itself any more competent nor any the ranks of the unemployed can only worsen o ees of Trustee y.fish, 10 pefuel, cennotes B zNewsAs a PNP improve our health system capacity.” the pervasive illegal drugs curse. ment 62.1 percent lower and for private price and supply of any commodity or conHe that per 100 000 the EU member • A geothermal power plant, one of the July 2016, he stumbled into the and has tripled its anti-insurgency budget, has actually opened more sectors of the director shall be appointed by the President Ema ernh @ yahoo com have fashioned and it’s an urgent and lasting jobs policy Sanother president before him.

More than 45 been much worse.

The latest data suggest that GDP wouldaGDP have shrunk massively, anyway. other president More 45 get om Ba angay Without Ca angcang Maga aoa vaccine been much worse.

The suggest thatof nation that isredirecting sovereign, democratic, and police ega d s o(GCG). hebefore gh s him. o o he s than islands the archipelago, irrespective an vaccine would have shrunk massively, anyway. force was caught onglatest social media mentGovernment What is/are the 3.clearly Unprecedented human rights ple can employed Without The gworld, oup ep esen ngdata hese eache s Corporations the“By President. and PPEs, are en the poverty problem of the violations country for economists men ber of lega the nnes, forstates the whole The oup ep esen ngtrolled hese eache What the models of earlier UP andprojected Ateneo, construction percent says sumer goods, taxpayers money first in theof as an source acaverage onaverage o daily he cruwho a worryingUK sign. 70 Spain spelled out in t con 32,000 tests economy and helped bring back jobs.” barrage ofm adverse pui biznewsasia@gmail.com corrupt than past administrations clearly spelled out in star-rank cabinet and Human Rights Watch says many ofalternative the 31e deaths 61 lessaThe a50th little over percent of46.8 all COVID-19 cases from aofshort-list prepared by the Governance longest economic expansion in the country’s isca not the sheer size ofsheer the stimulus package talower,” Banana Icases foresee aoccupy bleak future the star-rank officers occupy cabinet civil-eends! a1their little over 1construction percent of all COVID-19 equal.

June 1, this year marks the anhaving aPublic breakfast birthday party with more — Engage ncan ga nfor ucivilwo kand oGierran assu hcan this law, Gierran only be apUnder breadth and dimensions, form part ofofficers finally It isand not the size the package What has made Duterte a stimulus strong president, Thus, before Gierran can beIt appointed as be appoic killings of political activists and almany years to come. and s a c a m ha he P500 m on a o recovery of 7 percent to 8 percent in GDP battleground regions, The k ngs o po ac v s s a tsn-assuming and s a c a m ha he P500 m on a o Gierran we averted some 59,000 to 171,000 ADB. slipped by a to anyone or anywhere, and the restrictions of energy; 5.

Coddling of the police and the military 30 pe cen a assum ng a a PhilHea Mr. President, lift the lockdowns. for general use, the ident Marcos from Is he a heel or a ian positions in the government. for general use the in the country are severe or critical.

Our morthat matters now but also whether it is actualWhen the chief of the national capital’s pointed by the President as a member of the ian positions in the government. * *th than 50 guests (despite strict lockdown proPresident and CEO of PhilHealth, he must 27,000 are “vigilante-style killings perpetratoflaw. the historic 1971 Constitutional in are severe orinPhilippines.” critical.

Our without morSweden 57 and the US 52 has the vicious illegal drugs campaign, has also While the President may have into marginal the se no and h s am y a peoe wo hy human Commission for Government-owned or-ContheoBoard ofthe Trustees? the internal waters of the that matters now but also whether itsigned is actualPhilippines any assurance that growth rateleaders in 2021.

Thateade is now overly history—70 consecutive quarters of growth. ca edcountry o hem sed no enough leged NPA have failed to dent the the law Hardest hit employed was Luzon island which ially, when the ca oQ2. hem s no enough Board eged NPA sreduced have aoptied niversary o on den heof month of lockdeaths.

Our death rates from more generals, 0.9 percent inat flow goods and people under atality lock•the Exploration and drilling Malampaya; ez: the lockdown, n o“Without each mon hhighest o ock Duterte Theythe make sense.

I think They pursued what n Take Despite overwhelming dominance of ratio, on the other hand, is 2.5 people Board of Trustees of PhilHealth if heeven was I don’t know whoe beforce first appointed asinsurgency. a for member ofMuslim the Board ly saving the productive parts of the economy. hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in law Bayanihan 2, billions allotted for his given him one of his major failures—massive Despite the overwhelming dominance of hero?

Convention. tality ratio, on the other hand, is at 2.5 people Section 13 of RA 1n mistic.

Without a vaccine general use, the d gn y That means Sabah (“historic right or lerecession could rage The obs po cy ha P es den Du e e ly saving the productive parts of the economy.

52-year old communist produces 70 percent of total economic s at stake. police was caught on social media recession could rage The obs po cy ha P es den Du e e Section ed by policeper officers themselves or killers 3deaths Unprecedented human rights the military andviolations the police, than any trolled Corporations (GCG) 52 yeapercent o d commun gencydown Mus mwhatever gest–and and severa high of 17 to just s1.6 percent pleof get when this you pandemic Duterte may notby it can butnation; he employed form or acronym—and ons could •thousand.”

Laws on culture in know the life the Duterte himself added 14nsu quarters of of growth wn he onges and have seve from without thethelockdowns, can win easing ardnot Maitland sharply included in list prepared and submitted the one-meter so generals, the Duterte administration has not of Trustees. project are only stop-gap measures to allea hundred one place at the same time), Duterte refused human rights violations.

Critics say he killed This is because the problem is not a systemic clude you generals, the Duterte administration has recession could rage well into 2021. ance Act of 2011) mand With 12,875 words, the 1973 revision is per a hundred thousand.” has o adop gh away shou d no be an — Reg s e and cas h s vo e gal title”), the Kalayaan Island Group, and This isby because the problem is to not a systemic production andbefore is home 50 percent of ora breakfast ontrolled during amon state areeono the warpath marked by other president him.toMore thanhaving 45terrorists has oemployment adop gh ends! away shou dGCG no be an President. But the Presi- tocol ance Act o The latest suggest thaths Duterte around 4,000 We averted achieved almost full durDuterte pick his successor—without • the The Cultural Center offinally the Philippines sthe s birthday alegal edeaths. onrequirements he wainpa h ama ked acanpeople’s seven months. anitself election. party with more has un odata seven tial matter of history this law Gierran can only be apUnder linked the authorities.”

What has made a strong president by the to the well into 2021. in public transp What is/are before viate the needs. before it went negative the first quarter of proven any more competent nor any to fire erring general. well into 2021 He notes that per 100,000, the EU member more than 27,000 in the guise of eliminating When the President came to power in contraction or a cyclical bust.

Simply, necesdirector shall be appo Boa d o T us ees o Ph Hea h and un ess any any used eme gency emp oymen scheme Fo su e proven 52.3 longer than the 8,449-word 1935 He notes that per 100,000, theoymen EUEconomic member The m o more oGierran cecompetent oa memhe Ph nor pp sovereign in theunprecedented Exclusive the population. ow dis-on star-rank Boa d othat T us eesisoisaPh Hea ing h and and un ess rights officers occupy cabinet and civil-new phenomenon—suicide ment as sa contraction awhether cyclical bust.

Simply, necesThe eme gency emp scheme Fo legally suitself e eappoint director enthethe of allgovernment COVID-19 cases some 1.3 to phenomenon—su 3.5appointed millionbombers. cases, his presidency, an regard as or to guy the Philippine International Convenmic production new cofdewhich bombe spercent The dent cannot butnes what wrote worsen thepeople problem.

Gierran can be alockdown member econom c p oduc What essential and urgent angenilongby the President as ato of the the pervasive illegal drugs curse. less corrupt than past *yo*corrupt * sadministrations.

50 guests (despite strict prostates average 31 deaths, UK 70,during Spain 61, July 2016, he stumbled theasgreatest and of admit 7,000 deaths the illegal drugs campaign has also than from a short-list prepar sary mobility restrictions hamper aggregate he dispointed ecommended h s appo men oachievement. he anks he unemp oyed can on yoyed wo sof the 2020. less than administrations. version.

In this case, the verbiage isor worth states average 31 deaths, UK 70,when Spain 61, ian positions in the government. be xTrustees, yea past s unde he 1935 Cons u my on he aBoa dAuthorities ecommended h sit. appo nmember men o oEconomists herecovered incumbent President Zone (EEZ).

In effect, the 1971 Convensevere orvicious critical.

Our morhe anks osay hethat unemp can on wo from a the sh sary mobility restrictions hamper aggregate PNP has tripled its anti-insurgency budget, 68,000 would bepinto severe and critical us, a Boa technocrat, nincompoop, even tion Center.

Let me quote Justice Manuel “Lolong” ber Board of much more as be PNP has ed s an nsu gency budge of Philhe Mark words, the Board of Trustees? biznewsasia@gmail.com term jobs policy to prevent a bigger probLazaro also said ha canno beinecove ed n Investments contracted by 53.5 perbiznewsasia@gmail.com Human Rights Watch says many of the When chief thehad national capital’s longestgatherings economic expansion inorthe country’s Sweden 57, and the US 52.

Commission for Gover he Pof esapoverty. den demand.” en he ywas p5he ob em oIypracticalheobcoun ohethecoun Board ofno Trustees of PhilHealth ifpove he know whoever the idea of capital’s Despite the overwhelming dominance ofa worrying When chief ofmythe hibiting ofsday, tenthe more people in Indog. verbosity though, constitution (perother hand, is at 2.5 people hewas P es den ing the second quarter and by 36.6 money he wants tohas have Sweden 57, and the US 52.

Thpresident/CEO, amended o national accommoda e Manue en pove pdon’t em oya PhilHealth ysofwas othe the campaign.

Any numbers above that are Commissi tion future-proofed Philippine territory, given him one of hiscent major failures—massive demand.” sign. the peak which willGovernovergulay! unemployment hits percent, a So today, the people must already grown to about 32,000 average daily tests Insofar as Martial law is concerned, it is Begun in 1999, expansion meant 4.2COVID-19 cases in th Lazaro, who the Government Corpo13 of RA 10149 (GOCC lem a wo y ng gn ministrations have us has own o abou 32 000 ave age da history—70 y cases esSection s on line claim over the entire South China Sea. mine wh 27,000 are be “vigilante-style perpetratconsecutive quarters ofGovernment growth. haps police force was caught on the social 3. human rights violations Corporations (G oeconomists eduring G e beat an can appo n“The edbe aslyappo many s territorial othat come generals, the Duterte administration hasinvestnot 5. economists projected usand.”

Thus be oearlier e be GDuterte, elist an can nUnprecedented edyea asneeding force was caught social media percent in the first half.

“Private it rights to whoever inThus the world) can the 1987 Philipmany yea s oits 3. human rights violations trolled Co Takepolice note that before can in-h strolled Quezon s distancing des e GCG o media exon end ethis m— oudestroy including its sea.

The 1971 Conof nonsense. ance Act of5of2011) mandates that anmilitary appointing included inkillings the prepared and submitted whelm our healthcare sector.” easing one-meter social proCoddling the police the My gulay, ifearlier there’s one element missing, Government projected everyone awithout job has acome job.the It’s they want more of orUnprecedented needless to say proclamarate Counsel the Marcos era. thisnguez (August).” one place at the same time) Duterte refused sda deploy Dominguez VERYMAN Codd ng oand he po ce and hedecide—do mPby ary classified as “homicides under investigation.” human violations Critics say he killed sought to or h s Augus ” But in truth, the government has not ed police officers themselves or by killers fold increase in the size of Philippine econoy Ca os Dom Duterte himself added 14 quarters of growth having a breakfast birthday party with more this law, Under esoran den and CEO otoin Ph Hea howhich he mus office.

What made Duterte Wh eantedated Pa strong es den may have gned nline o your proven itself “Without anyinmore norfor anyin-Duterte erwants 100,000, the EU recovery ofless, 7 it’s percent percent GDP name in appointes den and CEO Ph Hea hvention he mus They say the ideaGiw mentAdds slumped Q2 competent with outlays tomoney send it.member director shall be byaoyed the President Wh e president, he esnine-dash den mayclude have shaving gned o the asn breakfast birthday party with oblivion, more Under pine Constitution or current version ishas urgent and lasting policy.

SanWhat has made Duterte aPstrong president, yea w h shortlist eeme ec on the 2009 “What we in the last six months, like having a he factory running at 95 perall? tion, the Philippines could now be has employed more generals, beneficiaries of the February 1986 accidenrecovery ofto 7at8Ppercent 8jobs percent inPresident GDP Adds Dominguez: the“W lockdown, wma much by the GCG to the But the Presinotwithstand Du efind eappointed has emp mo gene ato snone tocol inosunder public transport To itfor would linked the authorities.”

Domof nguez hou heto ockdown been remiss in filing one diplomatic protest before it(from went negative inbillion the first quarter of eato e how much fire the erring general Aside from the drugs war killings, the more 27ofmoney 000 the guise eliminating pointed by the Preside be s appo n ed as a membe o he Boa d less corrupt than past administrations. than 50 guests (despite strict lockdown proaw Bayan han 2 he b ons a ed o h s my $72.2 in 1998 $304.9 bildeaths, UKthan 70, Spain 61, in the vicious illegal drugs campaign, has also ment as a member of the Board of Trustees and drivers of public from a short-list prepared by the Governance growth rate in 2021.

That is now overly optibe s appo n ed as a membe o he Boa d ta Banana, I foresee a bleak future for the dustrial machinery and transport equipeonomies, powers—control the aw Bayan han 2 he b ons a o ed o h s My gu pointed bu than 50 guests (despite strict lockdown prolong—68 percent longer than cent the vicious rule. drugs has also The 1973 Cons u on es o ed edented he s x yea is the quarantine restriction submission by China to campaign, the United Nations capacity.

Duterte has imposed longest and communist The communists were talany event of time, and personalities, from thethat military and than anyce21,660-word growth rate in 2021.

That isthe now overly optithe rate infections and deaths could have achievements Authorities admit toplace 7,000 deaths during their es om lower hethan mthe apolice, y and he or-Conpo han 2020. he athe e ochief n ec onsnational and dea hs cou d have against the other—more 80, in mistic. fact, nof he econom he of dent legally appoint Gierran aeillegal memworsen the Board ofLocal Trustees of When of lower the capital’s oin T usfashioned ees of the GCG needs to more deterpof oin ec aover on ymap. smore op gap measu es oproblem a ePhilhealth, eoUS 52. rior and Govern hibiting gatherings of ten or first more people in hepeople Commission for Government-owned Philippines without any assurance that peogiven him one his major failures—massive oaAny T cannot us ees Human Rights Watch has also noted the Without a vaccine for general use, the pervasive illegal drugs curse p o ec a e on y s op gap measu es o a e ment 62.1 percent and for private any commodity or conBoard of By JV L. Arcena hibiting gatherings of ten or in 1973’s and 1.2x longer than the 1935 Conlion in 2016), a dramatic reduction poverty, has actually opened more sectors of the But April 2020, than 7.3 milmost strict lockdown in the world—for given him one of his major failures—massive p es den a e m nc eased m n mum age already all the country—in the parliaof its territorial have and sustained a litany and other president before him.

More than 45 ident can mistic.

Without vaccine for general use, the been much worse.

The latest data suggest that the campaign. numbers above that are nation and its people. sively, Begun inCorporations o1999, he office—against pthe esexpansion den be omeant e the h ma 4.2Mo e han 45 get beenforce much wocaught sepercent Theon asocial es since damedia a sugges haassumed Duterte sh unk anyway. mass veviolations y money anyway police was mineatwhether youwill to hold of this included ardo Añoin said that th the listifpr Wha sthe a employed ecase he ega equ emen s equ bethe orights elion ed human rights trolled (GCG). vviolations. abe emedia, peop needs ple can when this pandemic one place thethere same Duterte refused ber ofwell the of Trustees much more Mark my words be atime), surge human Critics say he killed Wha snow aBoard e investigation.” he ega emen sThe ohe elost vof ae as eshis he peop edefined seven needs construction says irecting taxpayers included recession could rage well into 2021. atare thequalified same Duterte economy helped bring back jobs.” stitution.

Inaswith of the 1987 people their jobs—“largely in more six months from March ment, academe, labor and the barrage of adverse publicity to charter, efface Presoplace 50 time), om 40 unde he 1935 refused and se he human rights violations.

Critics say he killed biznewsasia@gmail com 1973 Constitution for the one classified “homicides under star-rank officers occupy cabinet and civilpolitically motivated detention most Secretary for Global Media Human Rights Watch says many ofalower,” the recession could rage into 2021. apackage little over of46.8 all cases Imore could well repeat fold increase inand the size of Philippine econoand middle-income status for Filipinos, mulus package Health p s athis ank o Gierran ce sthe occupy cab and ce vthan a1 percent ebreakfast ove 1construction peCOVID-19 cen oparty COV D 19 office. presence ofcases Chinese vessels in add jeepneys, bu having aPublic birthday with more law, canWest only bene apUnder finally ends! ze o and he sstrong us Duterte aAssistant president, by the GCG to the Pre G an can be appo n ed as a membe o Wha s essen a and u gen s a ong to fire the erring general.

G e an can be appo n ed as a membe o more than 27,000 in the guise of eliminating Wha s essen a and u gen s a ong ADB. slipped by a where, themu restrictions by the GC When the President came to power in a PhilHealth president/CEO my gulay!

COVID-19 cases infire result Mr.$72.2 President, theato lockdowns. services—mainly trade, ac15, 2020.

Andthe what wekillings, get after clergy.

The what Supreme Court recognized thiswho result of verbiage has sometimes confuto the general. ident Marcos from tapestry of history.

Aside from drugs war theinSenator sthe a it’s ocountry hlong s heprocess! eas m aoThe noon o June 30 more than 27,000 in the transport, guise of eliminating first time iscy natural born—”one is gulay, positions in pos the government. (from billion 1998 $304.9 bilWhen came tobeen power that “good d inacthe country are severe morMy aerring Presitsoiscampaign, actualofeloquently transportation—not and Public Affairs, pointed by the President member of the an onsinlift n as he gove nmen * *the *do than guests (despite strict lockdown pro-ian prominent critic, de Lima, the 000 are “vigilante-style killings n50PCOO he coun yora critical. e perpetratseve eOur o cPhilippine ca Oumy mo Sea. drugs has also dent cannotmanent legally apC he Boathe d oPresident Tthe us ees? uher a27 whe he ua e mitLeila obs po oofpMarcos even a enterbo gge ob their per capita income exceeding $3,000. he Boa dnote obasic T us ees? efavor m obs po cyinsofar p even a b gge pjust obpick the pervasive drugs curse. cann marginal 0.9 percent inatQ2. and people under astality lockhe stumbled greatest and They make noe of sense.

I July think commodation, restaurants, and giving up most ofwhoever our liberties? when ruled in as pwithThey pursued what notable poet Sir RichHuman Rights Watch has also noted the sion and conflict.

1987anybody Cons to u be on Philes o es he othe d Board 40 lion in 2016), a dramatic reduction inbepoverty, the pervasive illegal drugs curse. a illegal citizen ofcan the Philippines from birth Take that before the GCG inDespite the overwhelming dominance of beneficial todent the nation of this nonsense ident cannot The July 2016, heinto stumbled into the greatest and ratio, on the other hand, is 2.5 people tancing protocol.

Board of Trustees PhilHealth if2016, heeven was I don’t know had the idea of of the economy. hibiting gatherings of ten or more people in his major failures—massive Desp he ove whe m ng dom nance o And while the frosty relationship ber of of Tr a y a o on he o he hand s a 2 5 peop e Sec on 13 o RA 10149 GOCC Gove n em o pove y cr form ve pa s o he economy Sec oncountry’s 13basic oandof RA 10149 GOCC Gove n Rights removal in May 2018 of Chief Justice Maed by policeper officers themselves killers biznewsasia@gmail.com em oin pove berexpunge of say the Duterte may or notbyknow it but generals, heand included or acronym—and ex-officio Human Rights Watch says many ofyact themany Today, Duterte presides over worst ecolongest economic in the politically motivated detention his most without thethe lockdowns, you can winthe tainment—but industry, espeWell, nothing—but misery poverty. ardexpansion Maitland sharply observed: ‘The essenMartial Law was concerned. middle-income status for Inance its Preamble, the 1973 law declares biznewsasia@gmail.com president and CEO. mwas n mum age oThe p three es denper-unde he 1935 Health experts out having toalso perform any to acquire oridea Human Watch says of Health the in submitted effaced or easing the one-meter social distancing prothegene Duterte administration has not economic expansion in the country’s a hundred thousand.” place at the ed same time), Duterte refusedManila ations.

Critics sayahesys killed not asuccessor—without systemic clude your name in the for IFs YOU think President Duterte is” tween They the help operators a slist heprepared Du eFilipinos, eand adm nwith s a longest onprominent has no a be PhilHealth presiden Ac ocritic, 2011 manda es ha an appo nshortlist ngan“vigilante-style and Beijing has thawed with My gu ay he e sperpetratone e emen m ng pe a Rodrigo hund housand phisob em no em c one ance Ac oisgrowth.

2011 manda es appo nrevocation ngappointMy gu ay he e perpetratssay onessmanent eThis emen mCons ss ng utoon athe PhilHea achieved almost full employment dur27,000 are killings Senator Leila deme Lima, theha anper election. history—70 consecutive quarters ofpeople cially manufacturing.

Lowerincome The Philippines today is the epicenter tial matter of history not what happened I sincerely believe that in time, Marcos will their capita income exceeding $3,000.

Commissions of GCG and the two (www.manilastandard.net) ria Lourdes Sereno, the of amWhat can happen here linked to the authorities ” Carlos by the GCG to the President.

But the Presirightly that the Filipino are sovereign, tocol in public transport.

To it would (www.manilastandard.net) The 1971 de ega es p obab y triumphs in end.

MD perfect his Philippine citizenship.” nomic performance of the Philippines ever.

27,000 are “vigilante-style killings proven itself any more competent nor any to fire the erring general. history—70 consecutive quarters of growth.

He notes that per 100,000, the EU member in the guise of eliminating Simply, necesTake note that d ecany o insha appo nChief edbebyJustice heednof PMaesthe den issue over the no country’s p ovenpresides se any e compe en removal no sesan uthemselves gen and as ng obs po cy San administration taking a mo friendly He es ha peloss 100ofunprecedented 000the heDuterte EU membe ment ain member Board of Trustees c ca that busmaking S mp y genineces and drivers of public utility vehicles Inted be ec1935 oasof sha appo ed by and he P den s definition. ana or u gen and as ngin obs po cy San 50 Takebef ing his presidency, an ether guy is aan May 2018 by police officers by killers ex-officio members (Secretary of oFinance we Marcos have ga Duterte over the worstaecosemi-skilled workers, most ofisor them of COVID pandemic the whole of dent cannot legally appoint Gierran membut what people wrote or said about it.’”

Duterte himself added 14 quarters growth be vindicated.

He was visionary, ahead worsen the problem. aDuterte reference to the Constitution being isosecure.

The hough s he age ma u clude yeverything a p es is(now anBanana important Itborn also the ed by police officers themselves by killers al drugs curse. less nToday, corrupt than past administrations.

Budget Snl states average 31 deaths, UK 70,during Spain 61, himself added 14 quarters of growth nesty given Senator retired) Antonio Authorities admit to 7 000 deaths your name in the om a sho s p epa ed by he Gove nance mper aggregate a o esee a b eak u u e o he The slump is also the worst in ASEAN. The the Scarborough Shoal only now, a quick ess co up han pas adm n s a ons and pragmatic stance, recognizing the ims a es ave age 31 dea hs UK 70 Spa 61 om a sho s p epa ed by he Gove nance c ons hampe agg ega e a Banana o esee a b eak u u e o he clude you achievement.

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

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

Generations free from the blemish before it went negative in the first quarter of biznewsasia@gmail.com are embedd inwent character.

“Blessings ofIV independsays manysearch of thewill den a cand daSO e As happens fita us.

70 yea 1987 Constitution. linked to the When the chief of the national Sweden andyou the that US 52. before it negative inon the quarter ofowned asThey a member Comm ss on o Gove nmen owned o Con Pho Con pp nesauthorities.” w hou any assu ance peoanceSecretary Google tell even have to When he ch einalso omycapital’s he onacolonial cap agiven sworst portance of dialogue innaThe Sweden 57 above and US Trillanes who led in 2002 and campaign Any57, numbers that52are Comm ss ofirst Gove nmen Ph pp nesardo w hou anyha assu peoWendel Budget Avisado) will also ment ment asofavt Thecontinue ban of going nesty Senator (now retired) amutual PhilHealth gulay! unemployment hitshe 5before percent, practical-The thethe people mustperpetratalready economic collapse makes him the COVID-19 cases in the3,000 country asAntonio aare result slump isrespect alsopresident/CEO, theand worst ASEAN. Authorities admit to 7,000 deaths during because few had the option to work from Bangladesh.

With over cases daily, used laws even as they of pmutinies hate andhold revenge will look more kindly on 2020. mine whether you qualified to this nte-style killings and to govern Año said that ifha we should ence” became “blessings of democracy.” o this dwhether coucisd true sto include be a chyou d orOnot a mo on In succeeding Philippine presidential elecAuthorities admit to 7,000 deaths during police force was caught onany social media of Philhealth, the GCG 3.

Unprecedented human rights violations oministrations edaCo po aohave ons GCG 2020. e can ge emp oyed when h s pandem ch tos pandem arlier projected SO I SEE he assumed office in 2016, he already compo ce o ce was caugh on soc a med have vote resolving conflicts, it has not lost terri“Undas” or All Saints’ 3 Unpreceden ed human r gh s v o a ons ed Co po a ons GCG Take note that before the GCG can inTrillanes IV who led mutinies in 2002 and p e can ge emp oyed when of this nonsense. of Philhea onom s s ea e p o ec ed ly everyone needing a job has a job.

It’s want more of Duterte, or in the economic collapse also makes him the worst notes ADB. we sough are reaching 300,000 will 2007, and the passage of ayquestions new Anti-Terror classified under investigation ” sought to destroy consign Marcos to the campaign.

Any numbers above that are him, and acknowledge his achievements and ohoffice des oy oore cons gn and Ma cos o home,” Begun in“Under 1999, the expansion meant acases 4.2ers themselves or as by “homicides killers president ever in shortlist terms ofmore economic Marcos’ vision andsho fo aperforrégime of justice, liberty, and deMo e and a e other means mine tions, were raised of candidates the campaign.

Any above that are I numbers SEE whether you are having a breakfast birthday party with s aw G an can on y be ap Unde na ends add more jeepneys buses What has made Duterte a strong president, Begun in 1999, the expansion meant a 4.2in the shortlist. percent in GDP Day is no problem for clude your name in the for appointmitted to hold accountable those whose acThey say the idea was to help operators hav ng a b eak as b hday pa y w h mo e 2007, and the passage of a new Anti-Terror h s aw G e an can on y be ap Unde tory to China —not a single inch. na y ends Wha has made Du e e a s ong p es den mine whe president ever in terms of economic perforl?cen o 8 pe cen n GDP like having a factory running at 95 perIronically, had rescued six be No. in number of total COVID LITO oblivion, notwithstanding solid unprectoDuterte the nation. ob v 20 on no wP hs and ng hhis s membe so dclassified unp ec heascontribution “homicides under investigation.”

The G orities.” fold increase inpo the size of Philippine econoforForgovernance arewe ric Act (ATA).

Aside from the drugs war killings the office. n ed by he es den as a o LITO classified as “homicides under investigation.” * * * than 50 guests (despite strict lockdown promance.

The GCG is akin to the Judicial and Bar many years, the vicious illegal drugs campaign, has also fold increase in the size of Philippine economent as a member of the Board of Trustees and drivers of public utility vehicles.

Inteow overly optiAct (ATA). led control shoal.

My it’s a long process!

The Prespoevemen n among edgulay by Phe es den asthe a membe ofrom he poverty—defined transportation—not ease the social dishan 50 gues s desp began e s c ockdown pino ed mance. office. le “Not administration hecapacity. v cover ous theega d ugs campa gn once has asince so this mposed the longest and 1 Tha stions now ovetoduring yChina’s op cent BANAYO as*he*an*deaCouncil. cases the 220 countries. edented achievements for the *BANAYO *whoeve * ofwar eden ach sPh ohe good oof he mit to 7,000 deaths Aside fromAside the drugs war killings, thekillings, varied andCouncil. numerous my (from $72.2 billion 1998 tohave $304.9 bilMy gulay, a gu lon Boa dbiggest o in Tworld us ees ooinRecently, Hea he wasmillion onit’s those t don know had o he Before of Philhealth, GCG first to mo deterfrom the drugs the rior Local Government Secretary Eduhibiting gatherings ofga or more people insecond given him one ofin his (from $72.2 billion 1998 to $304.9 bilRecently, there been sensational there been Human Rights Watch has also the general the Boa din T us ees oh pick Ph Hea hhave heWatch was thath an isbthat all due to the second Nine after the national elections, theothan don know whoeve had dea oyou can be appointed as cemeteries My ngthe he ngs oneeds enbiggest othe emy peop e and nwe And isten all due to 2016 thatAnd we lost island to China,” said But 2020, mildown world—for g ven hApril mmajor one ofailures—massive hnoted smore ma ain u7.3 es—mass ve ident cannot just anybody to be vacc neinuse, othegene adays useare he tancing protocol y numbers above that income of $2 a Philday.

He was going tong In fact, will be 15, dislodging nation its people.

Santa Banana, Isensational cannot believe that this is member na on and s that peop epTop Human Rights has also noted the If only to show an lion in 2016), a dramatic reduction in poverty, of the Board to any GOCC, Philother days.

What mine whether you are qualified to hold this ident cannot justmatte pick ardo Año said if this is true, we should nc uded n he s epa ed and subm ed eas ng he one me e soc a d s anc p o shou d Ch na s a d ng o o n he Human Rights Watch has also noted the one p ace a he same me Du e e e used killings of known political activists, human human rights violations.

Critics say he killed member lion in 2016), a dramatic reduction in poverty, minish or abandon.

We firmly reject attempts crimination against Women, helped the Ramos failure. nc uded n he s p epa ed and subm ed 2021. eas ng he one me e soc a d s anc ng p o ident can then presumptive President-elect already one p ace a he same me Du e e e used National Security Adviser Hermogenes Eslion people lost their jobs—“largely in onths now from March gh s vof o ahis ons most C cs say he kfailure. ed killings of known political activists, human icides under politically detention Opportunities ge we n o investigation.”

2021 motivatedhuman bring down poverty toanspo an unheard of 12experts even Bangladesh.

Lungs and Imore could well repeat Lazaro saidPCEO so coming from the Philippine National Police politically motivated detention of his most Health president and The three perHealth included, you must pass through the Health andand foresight of Marco Health say this isbubbles dangerous ber pray for our l and middle-income status for Filipinos, with add jeepneys, buses, and means president and by he GCG o and he P eswhat den BuPPeople’s es Bu oco pub ccrafting me wou Wes Ph ne Sea rights defenders, alleged Opportunities o na he ise also gene ae ng gene politically motivated of hisCharter, most 2.eoffice.

Pandemic more 27,000 infrom the of eliminating to and undermine it,” the President said. middle-income status for Filipinos, with by he GCG oNew heother eshe he PHe esnsaid administration in the ASEAN oco ndetention pub cTo anspo Todme of wouGCG, d pp Health pr eewhat to power promised toafter seek an answer the adminHealth in services—mainly transport, dowar wein ong mismanagement ethe heachairman athe person Jr., who of drugs killings, thethan mo e Leila han 27guise 000trade, n he guthe se o e acm ng percent by 2022, from 30s in the 2000s.

The economy collapsed by 0.7 percent that deeds, especially those den came oget powe nSenator chief. that National Capital Region oquen ymanent ha “good deeds espec aprominent yaden hose wringer the and you must behingone ahead of us.apply My gulay, it’s long process!

The Presofeeloquently transportation—not ease the social discritic, Senator Leila de Lima, the suances that still a rights defenders, and alleged New People’s prominent critic de Lima their per capita income exceeding $3,000. manent Commissions den canno ega y appo n G e an mem wo sen he p ob em 2.

Pandemic mismanagement Commissions of GCG and the two What can happen here is that we could lose Su e y h s o y w bea m ou P es den prominent critic, Senator Leila de Lima, the drugs curse. den canno ega y$3,000. appo ntheG e in anparticular a mem wo sen pthe obsetting em Mr. tancing Duterte’s statement is, according their per capita exceeding Article 114he onGeneral up of the manent Co heofed greatest andgliberties? ofthe hispervasive predecessor to how and why commodation, restaurants, and our basic Watch has also noted the National Force for just the pick Westanybody Philippine heillegal peas vas ve ega d ugs cu se enter-Task beneficial to the nation the people, cannot Office chief, Major Debold bene che a Boa oincome hedna he peop e to canno ident cannot to be Philmb n oistration he ea es and wringer protocol. removal in Police May 2018 of Chief Justice ex-officio members ( be osupreme o on T and us ees much mo e as Today, Duterte presides over the worst ecoMa kas my wo ds he eChief wMabe a suewe ge ohave Du e e desp e accusa ons o bend ng ove removal in May 2018 of Chief Justice Mab znewsas a@gma com removal in May 2018 of Justice Mabe o he Boa d o T us ees much mo e ex-officio members (Secretary of Finance Ma k my wo ds he w be a su ge o Human Rights Watch says many of the ex-officio everything gained DFA, “the expression of foreign policy human rights body in the regional bloc.

Today, Duterte presides over the worst econ the country’s ted detention of his most tainment—but also in industry, espebut misery and poverty. the Philippines lost the shoal to China.

Seamany (NTF-WPS). znewsasand a@gma com CEO. The threeperformance per- a be Health experts say CEO this ismy dangerous.

Human R gh s Wa ch says o Health he bpresident expunged, survives deserves a promotion because has eeffaced aced expunged Good su vria ves and Sinas, expans on n he coun y s Lourdes Sereno, the revocation am-ynheashe Carlos Dominguez Ph Hea hoorpPhilippines es Sea den gu ay COV Dwas 19Sereno, cases nPhilippine he of coun a coun esu nomic of the ever. ds o appease Be ng G.has p o ec edCarlos D Rolando Estabillo Publisher Ph Hea p es den gu ay COV D 19 cases y asbackwa ria Lourdes the revocation am-(www.manilastandard.net) 27,000 are “vigilante-style Senator Leila Lima, the onnomic the What West Philippine issue.”

“That just panelof handperformance of the Philippines ever. ters of qua growth. cially manufacturing. income es is the Commissions of GCG and net the two www man astandard “Iedecan allhthe insults, the and ria Lourdes the revocation of amcan happen here ishecos that we could lose Carlos Dominguez Department ofanew *a* esu * (www.manilastandard.net) man astandard net) triumphs in end.

Marcos’ in in training recruits. umphs neathe he end Ma pplace ace n CEO hhistory s and ogiven ynmyexperience 27 000 a emuck “v gkillings an egarsLoweryperpetrate k ngs pe pemanent a (www cu today ve s epicenter o take gSereno ow Budget Secretary Wen Take no ha be o he GCG can nesty Senator (now retired) Antonio o h s nonsense The slump is also the worst in ASEAN. The Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser and con nues o p o ec eve y s ng e nch oBlanco Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Take no e ha be o e he GCG can n oSinas h swho nonsense Budget Se 2018 of in Chief Justice Manesty given Senator (now retired) Antonio ManilaStandard ed by police officers themselves or by killers ex-officio members (Secretary of Finance Now, whether the UN ruling can be eneverything we have gained. picking the people will then render the The slump also the worst in ASEAN. The and semi-skilled workers, most of them demic the whole of rters growth ManilaStandard canis beThe accessed at: Honor Cabie bage that is part of the territory of politics, but Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor can be accessed at: is secure.

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eve Former y h ngChief we have ga ned S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser es des ove he wo s eco Reynato ria Lourdes the revocation amManilaStandard osas Publisher Dom and Depa men ocan * * * Justice arbitration defined under thenguez UN Charter, the backburner. hilippines ever. be men accessed 16th visit, we haveSereno, Scarborough Former Adviser Ramonchito L. Tome In on contrast, China seized Scarborough Rolando G.Ca Estabillo a lost Louthe des Se eno he ofevoca o am(www.manilastandard.net) Canguez os Dom and Depa oat: be accessed at: * *Chief * Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher www man as andard ne ManilaStandard e o he the Ph pp nes eve can Ramon manilastandard.net F.ng Grefal Treasury Manager Budge Secvoluntary. eBudge a y Wende Av sado w Av a so Thea manilastandard.net ban ofact go ng othat ceme engesAnita du nesty given Senator (now retired) ONLINE which is always “The very that decision was n he ASEAN. The Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno Board Member &Antonio Chief Shoal.

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administration lost aSandy ficult—next to impossible, even—to enforce The Na ona Assoc on Cay in 2017, similar to howpp Scarborough Shoal it, he has upheld it before the 75th United Na- arbitration panel that is not even an arbitration Set this aside first and at the proper time, we o Ph ne Newspape s was lost in 2012. panel,” said Ambassador Rosario Manalo,Rolando one can bring Publisher it up,” said.Emer tus Ed tor a Board Em G. PEstabillo Jurado Chashe rman They take their accusations a ludicrous step tions General Assembly last year.

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

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To heal a nation

Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor L no M San os Ch e Pho og aphe oyce Pangco Paña es New Ed o Adelle Chua Opinion Editor Ade e Chua Op n on Ed o

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

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher CROSSROADS Board Member LegalChairman Adviser Emeritus, Editorial Board Emil & P. Chief Jurado Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Em P u ado Ramonchito Cha man Eme u Ed o a Boa d Treasury Manager JA Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Head—Ad Solutions Lino M. SantosDELA ChiefCRUZ Photographer Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Circulation Manager Emil P. Jurado

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

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KL train crash probe begins; over 200 hurt KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian authorities on Tuesday were investigating a collision between metro trains in Kuala Lumpur that injured more than 200 people, as dramatic accounts emerged of the crash.

The accident happened in an underground tunnel close to the landmark Petronas Twin Towers at around 8:45 pm (1245 GMT) Monday, when a packed train collided with another that was empty and heading in the opposite direction on the same track.

Passengers were left battered and bruised after being thrown across carriages during the crash, with many evacuated on stretchers.

Most suffered minor injuries but 64 were taken to hospital, and six were in critical condition Tuesday, authorities said.

One passenger, Lim Mahfudz, described the moment the trains collided.

“This resulted in all seated passengers being thrown... and standing passengers being thrown,” he wrote on Twitter, adding people were injured as glass flew around the carriage.

It was a “real nightmare”, he said.

“The impact was so strong that I suffered injuries to my head, left leg and chest,” another passenger, Afiq Luqman Mohd Baharudin, told official news agency Bernama.

Shaken passengers had to be evacuated by emergency workers from the tunnel and brought up to the surface.

The empty train had a driver at the controls and was being tested after repairs, while the full train was driverless.

Authorities say there was no sign of foul play and suspect the accident was caused by a miscommunication between the driver and the network’s command centre.

The accident happened close to a station under the Twin Towers, which is one of the busiest on the network. The affected line resumed services early Tuesday.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has described the crash as “serious” and urged authorities and the train operator to “conduct an in-depth probe”. AFP

EU cuts Belarus air links to Europe

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RUSSELS—European Union leaders cut Europe’s air links with Belarus on Monday, as strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s regime paraded a dissident journalist arrested after his flight was forced to land in Minsk.

Lukashenko sparked international outrage by dispatching a fighter jet Sunday to intercept a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius carrying wanted reporter Roman Protasevich, 26, and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega.

European leaders meeting in Brussels called for the release of the pair and hit back at Minsk by agreeing to ban Belarusian airlines from the bloc and urging EUbased carriers not to fly over its airspace.

The leaders also warned they would adopt further “targeted economic sanctions” against the Belarusian authorities to add to the 88 regime figures and seven companies already on a blacklist over a crackdown on opposition.

The move came as Belarusian state television broadcast a 30-second video of Protasevich, who had been living between Lithuania and Poland, confirming that he was in prison in Minsk and “confessing” to charges of organizing mass unrest.

The footage showed Protasevich—who could face 15 years in jail—with dark markings visible on his forehead, saying he was being treated “according to the law”.

US President Joe Biden slammed the forced diversion of the plane and arrest of Protasevich as “a direct affront to international norms” and said the video appeared to have been made “under duress”.

“I welcome the news that the European Union has called for targeted economic

sanctions and other measures and have asked my team to develop appropriate options to hold accountable those responsible,” Biden said, in a White House statement.

‘Outrageous behaviour’ The forced landing of an airliner flying between EU nations has refocused attention on the festering political crisis in Belarus, where Lukashenko has unleashed waves of brutal repression to cling to power.

Western leaders accused Belarusian authorities of essentially hijacking a European plane, while Minsk claimed it had reacted to secure the flight after receiving a bomb threat.

“We will not tolerate any attempt to play Russian roulette with the lives of innocent civilians,” EU chief Charles Michel said.

The EU’s push to punish Minsk followed announcements from some nations and airlines that they were cutting links to Belarus.

London also said it had issued instructions for British aircraft to avoid

Blinken arrival seen to solidify ceasefire deal

GAME FACE. Charles Michel, President of the European

Council, arrives for the second day of the EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels on May 25. European Union leaders take part in a two day in-person meeting to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, climate, and Russia. AFP

Myanmar detains American editor trying to leave country YANGON—An American editor of a Myanmar-based news outlet was detained by authorities in Yangon Monday as he attempted to board a flight out of the coup-hit country, his employers said.

United States citizen and managing editor of Frontier Myanmar Danny Fenster was detained at Yangon International Airport, the outlet said in a statement on its verified Twitter account.

The US State Department said it was “aware of reports” of the arrest.

“We take seriously our responsibility to assist US citizens abroad, and are monitoring the situation,” a spokesman said, while declining to provide further details for privacy reasons.

Myanmar has been in uproar since the military seized power in a February 1 coup, with near-daily protests and a nationwide civil disobedience movement.

More than 800 people have been killed by the military, according to a local monitoring group.

Belarusian airspace.

Ukraine said it would halt direct flights between the two countries and over Belarus, while Scandinavian airline SAS, Germany’s Lufthansa and Latvia-based regional airline Air Baltic said they would be avoiding Belarusian airspace.

‘Completely implausible’ Belarus has insisted it acted legally over the grounding of the Ryanair jet, accusing the West of making “unfounded accusations” for political reasons.

Its air force chief said the plane’s captain had decided to land in Belarus “without outside interference” and that the pilot could have chosen to go to Ukraine or Poland.

A senior Belarusian transport official said the authorities received a letter claiming to be from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas threatening to blow up the plane over Vilnius unless the EU renounced support for Israel. AFP

The press has been caught in the crackdown as the junta tries to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licenses of local media outlets.

“We do not know why Danny was detained and have not been able to contact him since this morning. We are concerned for his wellbeing and call for his immediate release,” Frontier said in a tweet.

“Our priorities right now are to make sure he is safe and to provide him with whatever assistance he needs.”

Fenster, 37, had been working for the outlet for around a year and was heading home to see his family, Frontier’s chief editor Thomas Kean told AFP. The outlet had learned at around 10 am that Fenster had not been allowed to board his flight from Yangon, he added.

In a message shared with AFP, Fenster’s brother Bryan said the family was “stunned and extremely confused” by the detention. AFP

MARATHON HERO. This photo taken on May 24 shows shepherd Zhu

Keming, hailed as a hero in China for rescuing six ultramarathon runners when extreme weather hit the area leaving at least 20 dead, showing a thermal insulation blanket in the cave dwelling where he sheltered the stricken athletes near the city of Baiyin, in China’s northwestern Gansu province. AFP

TEL AVIV—US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, days after an Egypt-brokered truce halted fighting between the Jewish state and the Gaza Strip’s Islamist rulers Hamas.

Blinken, who said earlier his trip would aim to support “efforts to solidify a ceasefire”, was set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, though he was not to meet Hamas.

He will then travel on to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.

US President Joe Biden said Blinken would meet “with Israeli leaders about our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security,” as well as seeking to rebuild ties with the Palestinians.

Blinken on Sunday reaffirmed US support for a two-state solution as the only way to provide hope to Israelis and Palestinians that they can live “with equal measures of security, of peace and dignity.”

His remarks about “equal measures” for Israelis and Palestinians seemed to shift the tone from Donald Trump’s administration, which cut aid to the Palestinian Authority and unveiled a Middle East peace plan with strong Israeli backing but no support from Palestinians.

Israeli air strikes and artillery fire on Gaza killed 253 Palestinians, including 66 children, and wounded over 1,900 people in 11 days of conflict from May 10, the health ministry in Gaza says.

Rocket and other fire from Gaza claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child and an Arab-Israeli teenager, an Israeli soldier, one Indian and two Thais, medics say. Some 357 people in Israel have been wounded.

Mass arrests Blinken’s visit comes as the ceasefire holds, but tensions simmer in Israel and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israeli police said an attacker stabbed two young Israeli men in Jerusalem on Monday before police shot him dead. The army said one of those wounded was a soldier.

Palestinian news agency WAFA identified the casualty as a 17-year-old Palestinian high school student from annexed east Jerusalem. AFP

Biden hosts Floyd family on eve of death anniversary ERRORS & NOTICE is hereby given that a Deed of OMISSIONS Extrajudicial Settlement of the Intestate Estate In Classified Ads section of Alberto A. Rivera consisting of shares of must be brought to our stocks & motor vehicle was executed on May attention the very day the 24, 2021 per Doc. No. advertisement is published.

499; Page No. 101; Book of LXVIII; Series We will not be responsible of 2021 of Notary Public Manila Atty. Carlos M. Carlos of for any incorrect ads not Standard Parañaque City Metro TODAY Manila. reported to us immediately.

NOTICE

(MS-MAY 26, JUN 2 & 9, 2021)

AUCTION SALE ACME PAWNSHOPS INC. Auction sale on June 05, 2021, 10:00 a.m. MJ Holding Bldg., Almanza, Las Piñas; 2:00 p.m.

G/F Majalco Bldg., Benavidez St., Legaspi Village, Makati and L&R Bldg., 1018 Pasay Road, Makati and 4:00 pm Circle C G14, 17 Congressional Ave. Bahay Toro Di, Quezon City. All items pawned October 01 - December 31, 2020.

(MS-MAY 26, 2021)

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden marks the anniversary Tuesday of the police murder of George Floyd by hosting the African American man’s family—but without being able to celebrate hoped-for national police reform.

Floyd’s daughter Gianna, his mother, sister, and brothers will be among those attending private talks with Biden at the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

“The courage and grace of his family, and especially his daughter Gianna, has really stuck with the president,” she told reporters. “He’s eager to listen to their perspectives.”

The choking to death of Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 last year and subsequent conviction of the officer, Derek Chauvin, who had knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, were seen as seminal moments in the long US struggle for racial equality.

After the killing during Floyd’s arrest outside a store, protests and riots erupted across a country already crackling with tension from the election battle between Biden and then President Donald Trump.

In the wake of the verdict this April against Chauvin, who faces sentencing next month, Biden sought to build

on political momentum by urging Congress to pass a farreaching police reform bill in time for the first anniversary.

Americans must confront the “systemic racism” revealed

by Floyd’s killing “head on,” he declared.

However, the ambitious deadline comes with only the House having passed the bill, known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, while the Senate continues to wrangle over key details.

The bill seeks to reform what critics say have become ever more violent and unaccountable police forces around the country. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CONGO VOLCANO. Smoldering ashes are seen early morning

in Goma in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 23 following the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo. Thousands have fled a THE volcanic eruption, with lava reaching Goma city early Sunday. AFP

Australia to shut embassy in Afghanistan over security fears (MS-MAY 19, 26 & JUNE 2, 2021)

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of ROQUE L. BARRANDA, who died intestate on May 14, 2020, in the City of Manila; leaving among others a parcel of land covered by TCT No. 254472; also shares of stock in Rockwell Land Corporation (766 shares); Manila Electric Company (272 shares); and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (360 shares) were settled via Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate with Waiver and Renunciation of Rights/Shares were executed by the legal heirs before Notary Public Atty. Janrurik Padiernos and recorded into his Notarial Registry as Doc. No. 90; Page No. 19; Book No. 7; Series of 2021.

(MStandard-May 19, 26 & Jun. 2, 2021)

KABUL—Australia on Tuesday abruptly announced it will shutter its embassy in Afghanistan this week, expressing fears over the “increasingly uncertain security environment” in Kabul as foreign troops withdraw.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the facility would close as an “interim measure” on May 28—in just three days— “in light of the imminent international military withdrawal from Afghanistan”.

The United States and allied forces are in the final stages of withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest-ever war but heralding an uncertain future for a nation in the tightening grip of Taliban militants.

The elected government in Kabul and the Afghan security services remain fragile despite two decades of foreign capacity building, and their success is far from clear without continued US military support.

Western diplomats and military officials have been scrambling to work out how to provide security for their future civilian presence in Afghanistan amid fears of a Taliban comeback.

“The only incentive for foreign embassies to remain is the humanitarian work that they are involved in, but if their personnel are endangered then there is no point in remaining here,” a foreign defence official based in Kabul told AFP.

“Several other embassies will follow Australia in the coming weeks or months.”

In recent weeks, violence in the country has soared and Afghan forces have clashed with Taliban fighters not far to the east and west of Kabul.

US President Joe Biden said all US troops will leave by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the Al-Qaeda attacks that sparked the US-led invasion of Afghanistan that toppled the Taliban. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Gov’t revenue collection surged 55% in April PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, May 25, 2021

31.82 PTS. 6,196.71

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,164,405,372 84,102 6,017,511,856.03 98 88 58

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.0190

Japan

Yen

0.009195

0.4415

UK

Pound

1.415600

67.9757

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128800

6.1848

Switzerland

Franc

1.115698

53.5747

Canada

Dollar

0.830151

39.8630

Singapore

Dollar

0.753352

36.1752

Australia

Dollar

0.775100

37.2195

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655760

127.5269

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266688

12.8061

Brunei

Dollar

0.750525

36.0395

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031898

1.5317

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0742

Euro

Euro

1.221900

58.6744

Korea

Won

0.000890

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.155763

7.4796

India

Rupee

0.013731

0.6593

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.241313

11.5876

New Zealand

Dollar

0.721300

34.6361

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035682

1.7134

April revenues reached P291.9 billion, up P104.1 billion from the same month last year when the first enhanced HE government’s community quarantine was in effect. budget deficit The Treasury said the figure brought narrowed 83.8 percent total collections in the four-month period to P988.4 billion, or 3.95 percent higher in April to P44.4 billion than the previous year, with tax revenues from a year ago, on the back growing 20.45 percent and accounting for of a 55.46-percent growth in 91 percent of total collections.

It said the Bureau of Internal Revrevenues and 27.14-percent enue contributed the bulk of the growth for the month with actual collections of decrease in expenditures, billion, more than double last the Bureau of the Treasury P219.0 year’s P90.5 billion. said Tuesday.

“The positive outturn for the period can be attributed to the timing of payData, however, showed the cumulative budget deficit as of end-April rose 1.63 ment of income taxes. With its April percent to P365.9 billion from a gap of performance, BIR’s cumulative revenue also improved to P688.7 billion, 23.14 P360 billion in the same period last year.

percent better than the January-April 2020 comparable outturn,” it said.

Collections by the Bureau of Customs amounting to P51.8 billion topped last year’s revenue by 50.42 percent, driven by the continued improvement in importation volume.

The Bureau of Customs collected P201.0 billion from January to April, surpassing the P179.7 billion achieved in the first four months of 2020 by 11.81 percent or P21.2 billion.

Income raised by the Bureau of the Treasury declined by 84.50 percent in April to P9.0 billion, coming from the high base effect of last year’s remittances in compliance with Republic Act No. 11469 or Bayanihan I. The decline in income from government services and dividends on shares of stocks held by the government was

By Julito G. Rada

T

Meralco says sales in April rose 3% after lax ECQ rules

Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Benguet tripled profit to P381.4m in 2020 PUBLICLY-LISTED Benguet Corp., the oldest mining company in the country, registered a consolidated net income of P381.4 million in 2020, more than triple the profit of P115.7 million in 2019.

Combined revenues sourced mainly from nickel, gold and lime sales jumped 100 percent to P1.6 billion from P802 million in 2019.

Following the resumption of mining operation of its nickel project in Zambales province in October last year, a wholly-owned subsidiary, BenguetCorp Nickel Mines. Inc., took full advantage of the upbeat market for low/ mid grades at higher prices The gold output of its Acupan mine, meanwhile, benefited from the higher average gold price. The strong performance of the company despite effects of the pandemic is also attributable to lower operating cost and efficient mine production under stringent ISO standards.

NLEX Corp.’s income fell 17% in 3 months NLEX Corp. said net income dropped 17 percent in the first three months of the year due to manpower reduction program and expenses related to installation of RFID to all vehicles as mandated by the government.

The operator of NLEX and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) said net income amounted to P1.1 billion in the January-toMarch period from P1.26 billion in the same period last year.

NLEX blamed the decline in net income to the higher financing and amortization costs relating to the recent opening of expansion projects combined with one-time charges relating to the employee separation program and the RFID program.

The company’s toll revenues amounted to P3.41 billion, up 1 percent from P3.37 billion, as traffic figures gradually recovered since the imposition of quarantine measures in March 2020.

Traffic exceeded 2019 figures in he first three months of the year. SCTEX traffic while trending upward, however, still lags behind the first quarter 2020 figures.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Investment pledges in storage sector up THE transportation and storage sector saw a nine-fold increase in investment pledges to P37.5 billion in 2020 due to increased demand for cold storage for wholesale and retail, and vaccine delivery.

According to a logistics report released by leading real estate consultancy firm KMC Savills, the industry outlook is looking up with the increased need for warehouses, distribution centers, and industrial lots that can support different business operations in the country and in the global scale.

Total investment pledges across sectors monitored by the firm amounted to 107.35 billion, with transportation and storage as one of the biggest investments next to manufacturing at P37.6 billion.

The report noted that demand for highlyspecialized cold storage for pharmaceuticals, particularly vaccines, is expected to drive the growth in the sector.

The transportation and storage sectors, according to the Philippine Cold Chain Roadmap 2021-2023, is expected to grow 10 percent to 15 percent in annual capacity increase from the current 400,000 to 500,000 pallets.

Industry revenues are also seen to increase to P20 billion over the next three years to 2023. Othel V. Campos

partially offset by the higher income from interest on advances from government-owned and –controlled corporations and government deposits.

Four-month collection by the BTr was also lower by 71.46 percent year-on-year because of the same factors and lower national government share from PAGCOR income and interest on advances.

Revenue from other offices (other nontax collections including privatization proceeds and fees and charges) rose to P10.8 billion, exceeding last year’s collection

by P6.3 billion. The growth was partly propelled by the remittance of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority of the disposition proceeds amounting to P2.7 billion and the eased restrictions on the operations of government collecting offices versus last year.

YOUNG FARMER. Young agripreneur Daryl Gumacal (left) delivers his winning pitch during the Agribusiness Pitch Challenge, one of the highlights of the Department of Agriculture’s 1st Youth in Agriculture Summit. The Agribusiness Pitch Challenge is a business pitching competition, which aims to encourage the youth to engage in agriculture, fishery and agribusiness ventures. The initiative also aims to ensure the continuous creation of investible ideas and start-up originators that will contribute to enhancing the DA’s food security objectives.

Insurance firms, HMOs pay P3.9-b COVID-linked claims THE combined COVID-19-related claims paid by life and non-life insurers, mutual benefit associations and health maintenance organizations reached P3.89 billion in 2020, according to the results of the third COVID19-related claims survey released by the Insurance Commission Tuesday.

The survey was conducted to assess the financial impact of COVID-19 on the regulated entities.

Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa said life insurers paid P1.46 billion in COVID-19-related claims in 2020, accounting for 38 percent of the whole amount.

“Meanwhile, MBAs paid P354.90 million [9 percent] and non-life insurers paid P160.20 million [4 percent],” Funa said.

He said the aggregate COVID-19-related

claims paid by the HMO sector per the three surveys accounted for 49 percent of the amount, or about P1.91 billion.

Twenty-four life insurance companies, 43 non-life insurance companies, 27 MBAs and 17 HMOs participated in the third survey, or a total of 111 regulated entities. The respondents constituted 75.51 percent of the total 147 licensed life and non-life insurers, MBAs and HMOs. The IC said of the 111 respondents, 69 reported to have received COVID-19-related claims from October to December 2020, including 22 life insurers, 15 nonlife insurers, 18 MBAs and 14 HMOs. “It will be recalled that the first survey covered the months of March to April 2020; and the second survey covered the

months of May to September 2020. The third survey, the results of which were recently released, covered the months of October to December 2020,” Funa said.

Death benefit claims constituted the highest paid COVID-19-related claims, amounting to P1.22 billion in 2020. This was followed by COVID-19-related claims for in-patient benefits amounting to P1.18 billion and out-patient benefits amounting to P933.7 million.

Per the third survey, life insurers paid a total of P646.84 million in COVID-19-related claims from October to December 2020, which was 12.57 percent less than P739.83 million reported in the second survey covering the months of May to September 2020. Julito G. Rada

Megawide stockholders okay plan to sell preferred shares

By Jenniffer B. Austria MEGAWIDE Construction Corp. said Tuesday stockholders approved a plan to raise fresh capital through the issuance of preferred shares.

Megawide said in a disclosure to the stock exchange shareholders approved during their recent meeting the increase in authorized capital stock by 26 million preferred shares to 150 million in cumulative, non-voting, non-participating, non-convertible and perpetual preferred shares.

TVI HELP. A child

whose family was displaced by the recent typhoon in Zamboanga del Sur province receives foodstuff, medicine and soaps provided

by TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. at ground zero. The company mobilized its personnel and resources at the height of tropical storm Crising to bring immediate relief to affected communities.

House clears vaporized nicotine product bill on final reading THE House of Representatives on Monday approved with an overwhelming 192 affirmative votes, 34 negative and four abstentions on third and final reading a bill that seeks to regulate the manufacture, use, sale, packaging, distribution and communication of electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems, or electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, in the Philippines.

Consumer groups and tobacco harm reduction advocates Vapers PH, Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines, Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates and Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association welcomed the passage of the landmark regulation as it will provide adults with a chance to choose less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.

House Bill No. 9007, a consolidation of 23 bills authored by 154 representatives, seeks to establish a clear and effec-

The planned capital raising activity is expected to be completed by the third quarter this year.

Megawide’s subsidiary GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., the operator of Mactan-Cebu International Airport, also executed a debt rebalancing program which was unanimously approved by a group of seven lenders to free-up about P4.5 billion in cash, including the temporary relaxation of debt covenants and servicing ratios, during the airport’s recovery period from 2021 to 2023.

It said the initiative is part of its financial management program to provide flexibility in the capital base, spread maturity towers in the medium-term and beef up balance sheet over the longterm.

The company announced in March plans to raise up to P4 billion from issuance of up to 40 million in preferred shares at a price of P100 apiece. Net proceeds from the preferred shares offering will be used primarily to refinance outstanding obligations and for general corporate purposes.

tive law and regulation, including product standards to govern the vaporized nicotine products, which are considered non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes.

Clarisse Virgino, the Philippine representative to CAPHRA, said in a statement “the proposed Act will legitimize the market of vaporized nicotine products which means that consumers will have better protection. We hope that the Senate will also support this bill to provide millions of Filipino smokers with less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarettes.”

“The passage of House Bill No. 9007 is a win for Filipino consumers who have been long fighting for our voices to be heard. We laud the House of Representatives for finally recognizing our rights to choose less harmful products such as ecigarettes and HTPs,” said Joey Dulay, president of PECIA.

MANILA Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, posted a threepercent increase in sales in April, reflecting a recovery from demand year-on-year.

Meralco attributed the higher April sales to “mainly due to less strict lockdown measures this April 2021, businesses returning to normal operations, especially industrial, the economy recovering this year, and residential consumption also going up, as compared to April 2020 when the pandemic just began... ,” said Meralco vice president and spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga.

Meralco’s franchise area was placed under very strict enhanced community quarantine or lockdown rules in April last year, severely limiting customers’ activities and affecting major businesses’ operations.

“First few months of the year show evidence of recovery and healthy growth. Through April 2021, energy sales grew 3 percent and NSI (net system input) by 2 percent compared with the same period last year,” Meralco president Ray Espinosa said during the virtual annual stockholders’ meeting.

Meralco recorded a four percent decline in consolidated energy sales volume to 10,473 gigawatt-hours in the first quarter.

“Likewise, we continue to energize more customers as shown by YTD customer count growth rate of four percent,” Espinosa said.

Meralco’s overall customer count rose by 4 percent to 7.2 million for a total year-on-year addition of 249, 000 net new accounts in the first quarter.

Espinosa assured Meralco would continue to deliver value to stakeholders through the firm’s strategic thrusts in 2021 and beyond.

“We will heighten revenue enhancement and expansion. For DU (distribution utility), we will accelerate the energization of project covered applications and ordinary service applications while ensuring zero leakage and zero unbilled volumes,” he said.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of AXELUM RESOURCES CORP. (the “Company”) will be held on 24 June 2021 at 1:00 PM, to be conducted, and participation will only be, by remote communication through WEBEX platform using the following link: https://axelumresources.webex.com/axelumresources/j.php?MTID=mcd6c76759088 d6f57e2e40b5d62ee05f, with the following agenda: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Call to Order Proof of Notice of the Meeting and Determination of Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Previous Annual Meeting Annual Report of Management and approval of the Audited Financial Statements Ratification of the acts of the Board of Directors and its committees, officers and management Appointment of External Auditor Election of Directors Other matters Adjournment

Stockholders of record as of 05 May 2021 will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

To conform with the government’s regulation on social distancing and prohibition on mass gatherings, the Company decided to hold the Annual Meeting via remote communication, and allow the stockholders to cast their votes by remote communication or in absentia, or by proxy.

To participate in the Annual Meeting, stockholders must register from 9:00 AM of 28 May 2021 until 5:00 PM of 08 June 2021. The procedure for participation via remote communication and in absentia are contained in the Information Statement.

Stockholders who wish to appoint proxies may submit proxy instruments until 5:00 PM of 08 June 2021 by email to asm2021@axelum.com.ph. Validation of proxies shall be held on 09 June 2021. A sample proxy form will be enclosed in the Information Statement for your convenience.

We are not soliciting your proxies.

Makati City, Philippines, 20 May 2021.

PRECIOSA D. CASTILLO Corporate Secretary

(MS-MAY 26 & 27, 2021)

Sports

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

Trevor Ariza of the Miami Heat falls on Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks during Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ariza was called for a flagrant foul. AFP

Marcial told: Focus on Olympics

By Peter Atencio BOXER Eumir Marcial needs to concentrate on his preparations and training for the Tokyo Olympics.

This was the advice of Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino as he took note of Marcial’s gripes and sentiments on social media two weeks ago.

“I’m trying to reach out with those athletes like Marcial. Ganu’n talaga ang message ko. Focus muna tayo sa Olympics. Saka na natin pag-usapan (financial issues) after the Olympics,” said Tolentino during Tuesday’s weekly online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

Two weeks ago, Marcial aired on Facebook his sentiments about the lack of financial support being received by national athletes. He felt that his monthly allowance from the Philippine Sports Commission is not enough to cover his campaign for the Tokyo Olympics.

Marcial, who spent a month training in Zamboanga City, left last Saturday to join Team Philippines in the Asian Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships, which began Tuesday in Dubai.

Seven other boxers will see action in the 27-nation event, originally set May 21 in New Delhi, which had to beg off from hosting the tournament due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in India.

Marcial, who is listed in the middleweight division, is now with teammates former world champion Josie Gabuco, Maricel dela Torre, Mark Lester Durens, Marvon Tabamo, Junmilardo Ogayre, Jere Samuel Dela Cruz and John Paul Panuayan.

Since airing his gripes, Marcial got the help of Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascarinas, who pledged to support to his Olympic medal quest. Basketball player Thirdy Ravena, who recently renewed his contract with the San-en NeoPhoenix team in the Japan B. League, also pitched in his aid by sending Marcial vitamins and supplements, plus a new pair of training shoes.

The 25-year-old Marcial went to his hometown on April 24, after making a successful debut as a pro against Andrew Whitfield last December 16.

Marcial visited his ailing father in Barangay Lunzuran, where he also trained.

Gerson Nietes, the designated coach of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, also assisted Marcial in Zamboanga City.

Vaccination of Filipino athletes begins Friday V

ACCINATION of Filipino athletes bound for both the Tokyo Olympics and the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam will start on Friday.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino announced the news on Tuesday during the online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, saying the inoculation will be held at the Manila Prince Hotel, along San Marcelino St. in Manila.

The proceedings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to be witnessed by Secretary Carlito Galvez, Chief Implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19, Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Secretary Vince Dizon, the country’s COVID-19 testing czar.

“Alam po natin na inaprubahan na ‘yung prioritization ng vaccination ng Tolentino Olympic-bound at SEAGames-bound delegates ng IATF (InterAgency Task Force). At ang good news po ngayon ay inaprubahan na rin ang ating vaccination day on Friday, exclusive

PSC gets P2.1M remittance from PCSO A TOTAL of P2,145,110.47 million was remitted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to the Philippine Sports Commission in a simple ceremony at the PCSO Main Office in Mandaluyong City, Tuesday.

PCSO Private Secretary 2 Marie Louise Serojales and Account Specialist Joseph Porto formally turned over the cheque to PSC Cashier Marini Negado.

It was PCSO’s the first remittance to the PSC this year.

“Ang PCSO ay kaagapay ng gobyerno para magbigay tulong sa buong Pilipinas. Despite the pandemic, we are mandated to give our contributions, especially to the PSC,” said Serojales.

Under Section 26 of the Republic Act 6847, the PCSO is mandated by law to remit thirty percent (30%) of its charity fund and proceeds of six

Whatever it takes THE LINK REY JOBLE JUST how much sacrifice do PBA players and coaches need to give to convince the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow the league’s return to action this season?

All 12 teams are currently training outside the NCR Plus bubble and had to find areas with lesser community quarantine restrictions. Nine teams are currently holding scrimmages in Batangas City—

for Olympic-bound delegates and SEA Games-bound delegates,” said Tolentino in the weekly Forum. “Rollout begins on Friday. Magpa-bakuna na po tayo.”

The development couldn’t have come at a better time for national team members During the SEA Games Federation meeting last week, the Hanoi Organizing Committee announced a ‘No vaccine, No participation’ policy for all athletes and officials seeing action in the Nov. 21 to Dec. 2 biennial meet.

The rule prompted Tolentino to write a letter to the IATF last May 18 asking for the prioritization of athletes and coaches to be vaccinated. Two days later, the request of the POC was given an approval.

Meanwhile, vaccination is not required in the Tokyo Olympics as reiterated by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.

Nonetheless, the POC chief encour-

aged all members of the Philippine team qualified in both international meets, including para athletes, to have themselves inoculated with whatever brand may be administered, especially those who are currently in Manila.

“Sa nangyayaring surge sa India, in the entire world, ngayon nga nag-uunahan nang magpa-bakuna. Palagay ko wala nang agam-agam at wala nang pilian ‘yan kung anong brand,” said the representative of the 8th district of Cavite in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Tolentino, also head of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (Philcycling), understands the hesitancy of some, but stressed that refusing to do so would also mean forfeiting their respective slots to compete in the SEA Games.

“Wala kaming magagawa, hindi ka makakasama sa list kung talagang ayaw mong magpa-bakuna. Hindi naman natin puwedeng puwersahin,” he added in the same forum powered by Smart and Upstream Media as official webcast partner.

“So didisisyunan ng sports nila na mapapalitan ka kung ayaw mong magpa-bakuna. Hindi nga papapasukin (sa Vietnam), bakit pa natin ilalagay sa listahan?”

arangay Ginebra, San Miguel Beer, Magnolia, NorthPort, Blackwater, Terrafirma, Alaska, Rain or Shine and Phoenix Super LPG. These teams alternated training at the Batangas City Coliseum and Lyceum and had to go through a gruelling process of traveling from home to venue and vice versa over the past week.

The rest of the teams decided to train up north—TNT, Meralco and NLEX. TNT and Meralco are currently training under a bubble setup in Ilocos Norte, while NLEX put up a camp at the St. Paul American School in Clark City.

The players and the coaches knew that the only way to convince the IATF is to come up with well-organized scrimmages, where strict health protocols are properly observed.

The teams are practically on their toes, as

PCSO Private Secretary 2 Marie Louise Serojales and Account Specialist Joseph Porto turn over the PCSO cheque to PSC Cashier Marini Negado.

even just one positive COVID test, will hamper the league’s chances of requesting for the start of the season next month.

The PBA delegations training in Southern and Northern Luzon are doing whatever it takes not to breach these protocols, knowing that all eyes are on them. They want to make a good impression similar to what they achieved in last year’s bubble tournament in Clark City, which served as a model for the International Basketball Federation.

Because of the PBA’s successful hosting of its bubble tournament, FIBA preferred Clark City to become its venue for the last window of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers to be held in June.

The PBA was able to do it last year and the league is confident it can do it again this year with its proposed circuit bubble tournament.

When one talks about sacrifice, the PBA has made a huge effort in sacrificing

its resources. Reportedly, the league spent P50 million last year and Asia’s pioneering professional basketball league cannot afford to host another one. That’s why players, coaches and all members of the delegation are starting to get used to the long travels and shifting of schedules.

Never mind if some of them are spending long hours travelling, costly expenses in fuel and toll fees and the exhausting phase of these routines just to make everything work. It’s the prize they have to pay for the lives they’ve chosen.

By May 30, the PBA awaits the government’s decision, upon IATF’s recommendation, on whether to downgrade the General Community Quarantine under heightened restrictions or keep the status quo. A downgraded community quarantine will allow the teams to train in Metro Manila and that will put the league on target for a possible start of the season in late June.

And if COVID-19 cases in the NCR

Bucks maul Heat for 2-0 lead; Nuggets bounce back LOS ANGELES—The Milwaukee Bucks produced an exhibition of three-point shooting in a crushing victory over the Miami Heat to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first round playoff series on Monday.

Bryn Forbes erupted for five threes in the first half, and Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points to give the Bucks a resounding 132-98 win over last year’s NBA Finals runners-up.

Overall, the Bucks made 22 of 53 three-point attempts, Antetokounmpo kicking off the rout with a 28-foot pullup from outside the arc for the first points of the game.

After an overtime thriller in game one on Saturday, the Bucks were in no mood to leave anything to chance in game two, erupting for 46 points in the first quarter alone.

The Bucks made 15 of 29 threepoint attempts in the first half, and surged into leads of more than 30 points at various stages of a one-sided encounter.

They maintained a healthy cushion throughout, with the Heat unable to get within 20 points of the Bucks after briefly clawing their way back to a 19-point deficit early in the second quarter.

Antetokounmpo added 13 rebounds and six assists, while Forbes finished with 22 points off the bench.

Khris Middleton added 17 points including three three-pointers as six Bucks players made double-digit totals.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team would need to make a big improvement for game three in Miami on Thursday.

In Denver, Nuggets ace Nikola Jokic served up a 38-point display as the third seeds overpowered the Portland Trail Blazers by 128-109.

Jokic made 15 of 20 from the field with eight rebounds and five assists as Denver battled back to level the series at 1-1 after being jolted by the Blazers in Saturday’s opener.

Portland talisman Damian Lillard led the scoring with 42 points but it was not enough against a rugged Denver defense.

Six Denver players cracked double figures, with Jokic receiving scoring support from Michael Porter with 18 points and Paul Millsap with 15.

Aaron Gordon finished with 13 points while Facundo Campazzo and Monte Morris chipped in with 12 apiece.

“The difference tonight was we created open shots,” Serbian star Jokic said afterwards.

“In game one we didn’t create open shots. It was a tough night for us. But today our bench was good, everybody contributed.

“It was a real team effort.”

Jokic said Denver will need to produce a stronger defensive effort as the series moves to Portland for game three on Thursday.

“They’re a talented team, a dangerous team, but we can fight at least,” said Jokic, who was encouraged by Denver’s aggressive approach against Portland. AFP sweepstakes lottery draw per year to the sports agency which will be used for the latter’s sports development programs.

“We are grateful for the unending support of PCSO to our sports programs. Our vision won’t be possible without support from agencies like them. Malaking tulong po ito para lalo naming mapagbuti ang aming mga programa. Maraming salamat po,” said PSC chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez.

Among the grassroots programs of the PSC are Batang Pinoy, Philippine National Games, Children’s Games, Indigenous Peoples Games, among others.

The charity agency also sends their well wishes to members of Team Philippines seeing action at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games from July 23 to August 8, and the 31st Southeast Asian Games from November 21 until December 2 to be staged in Hanoi, Vietnam. would continue with its downward trend, the PBA might open shop right on its projected date.

It takes more sacrifice to salvage the game we love and these players, coaches and every member of each squad are doing it. Whatever it takes. *** I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the Manila Standard sports section, headed by Riera Mallari, for providing me the platform as I continued what I started here seven years ago. The Link would also like to thank the readers, both of this prestigious paper and this column. The Manila Standard set a big path in my 23-year profession and I will be forever indebted to this institution. As for this column, the journey never stops as you’ll find it in another platform soon.

This profession taught us to write, write until you write 30.

Thank you and see you in my next voyage.

LGU 5th Anniversary issue

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SUPPORTING PANTRIES. The Alagang Kapatid Foundation, together with PLDT,

have organized a community-pantry-on-wheels in Tondo and Navotas (left photo), while employees of MVP group’s Maynilad mobilize resources to support the five-day pantry of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). See story on C4

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High-density barangays record more COVID-19 cases: PopCom

HEN it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, the battle is truly local – and thus local government units (LGUs) are in the direct line of fire.

Evidence of this is a study recently released by the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom), which showed highpopulation density villages have the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

PopCom said 1,272 villages averaged 137 cases monthly from

September 2020 to April 15, 2021.

They were classified by PopCom as high-population density (HD) with population ranging from 201 to 999 per hectare. It is above the average of 200 persons per hectare.

Villages with lower caseloads had populations below 200 per hectare and were labeled as lowpopulation density (LD) and medium-population density (MD) communities.

The study covered 35,149 barangays, or 83 percent of all villages nationwide.

Over the same period in 20,889 barangays, PopCom noted that

15,252 remained COVID-free.

Barangay 73 in Caloocan City, with a population of 19,506 inside a hectare, has the highest density among communities nationwide.

PopCom chief Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III said that while there were more deaths in LD and MD villages, this is diluted by the number of barangays with deaths.

In Luzon outside the National Capital Region bubble (Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal), 1,111 LDs produced 1,645 deaths (1.48 deaths per barangay) while 72 HDs produced 115 deaths for an average of 1.59.

The average is higher for HDs but remarkably close to data from LD and MD communities.

“We surmise that HD barangays are usually in urban areas where people have access to hospitals, particularly higher-level hospitals.

Those living in LD barangays are usually in rural areas with large distances to travel before you get to hospitals and there are fewer health workers in LDs,” Perez explained.

Based on the data of the Department of Health (DOH) which covered more than 60 percent of barangay tallies on deaths due to the virus, LD and MD communities

nationwide had 3,348 and 6,186 casualties, respectively, or an average of 1.84 casualties.

Inside HDs, there were 1,941 who succumbed, or 3.38 casualties — an average almost twice as much in less-densely populated barangays.

Perez said the study is “merely descriptive” and cannot explain a correlation of highly populated areas and areas with high COVID-19 cases.

However, he underscored it will offer insights to the DOH and local government units as basis for vaccination rollouts.

LGUs get lion’s share of jabs Marcventures supports home gardens from AstraZeneca via COVAX for food security LOCAL government units have received the lion’s share of AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, as the United Nations pledged more to come under the COVAX facility, the international partnership established to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

Nearly 100 percent of the AstraZeneca vaccines delivered last March have been provided to LGUs, the UN office in the Philippines said in a statement.

As of May 2, out of the AstraZeneca 525,600 doses, 525,337 have been administered to health workers, the elderly, and persons with underlying health conditions.

This new shipment of vaccines will provide second doses to those who have already been administered the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccines, as well as other target populations.

UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez welcomed the recent delivery of more than 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility.

The shipment is in addition to half a million doses delivered in March and is part of the 4.5 million total doses committed to the Philippines from COVAX. “These 2 million doses represent a lifeline for so many Filipinos who have been waiting for relief from the suffering and the fear that this virus has brought upon all of us. Looking at these vials, I see hope and relief for Filipinos who need it most,” Gonzalez said.

The UN is providing logistics equipment like Mobile Storage Units, generators, and prefab offices and transport support to move medical supplies. It is supporting LGUs with technical assistance to help ensure equity and inclusion in the vaccination programme.

In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the UN is supplying cold chain manage-

ment equipment including specialized cold chain vehicles, biosafety refrigerators, and ultra-low temperature freezers, among others.

The UN is also providing training to healthcare workers on cold chain management and COVID-19 testing and is addressing misconceptions about vaccination through intensive and nationwide information campaigns.

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as well as the World Bank, civil society organizations, manufacturers, and others.

Joined by Health Secretary Franciso Duque III and country representatives of the WHO and UNICEF at a ceremony at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Gonzalez said: “COVAX is a demonstration of multilateralism in action and its success depends on global collaboration – from the scientists and manufacturers over public health officials, and policy and decision makers, to the medical practitioners and the communities who will eventually benefit from the vaccines. It is the result of this global collaboration we see here today.”

In addition to the support being provided by UNICEF and WHO through the COVAX Facility, Gonzalez said that all UN agencies in the Philippines have been mobilized to pool capacities, technologies, and resources in support of a successful vaccination campaign.

Committed to leave no one behind, the UN is coordinating with the DOH and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to advocate for the inclusion of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, especially those belonging to priority vaccination groups, in the national vaccination programme.

MARCVENTURES Mining and Development Corporation (MMDC) distributed vegetable seeds to the residents of Carrascal to ease the difficulties in food supply during the quarantine. The initiative was in support of “Gulayan sa Panimalay” a project of the Department of Agriculture.

The vegetable seeds encouraged families to grow their own greens, save on food expenses during the pandemic, while enjoying a steady supply of fresh produce from their own backyard. Having a garden not only supplemented the daily food requirement, it also helped nurture family ties since every member can take part in growing all kinds of vegetables.

their growth and development inspires us to work harder in order to fulfill our goals,” explained Senior Vice President and Officer-In-Charge Rolando Santos.

Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation operates a nickel mine the municipalities of Cantillan and Carrascal in Surigao del Sur.

MMDC continues to give support and assistance to its host communities. Aside from supporting their home gardens, the company assisted local farmer by supplying rice seeds, organic fertilizers and even gave carabaos to some farmers to help them plow lands and yield more crops for higher income. Seed capitals were also given to members of cooperative associations to help them start income generating businesses.

“The members of the communities are our partners. We support their livelihood, because

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LGU 5th Anniversary issue

Bacolod picked as COVID-19 study site for Visayas region

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ACOLOD City has been chosen as the only COVID-19 study site in the Visayas region, Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia announced in a Facebook post.

“In the midst of this health crisis, we are somehow placated that our city was chosen among the only four in the country for the case study to capacitate local government units in addressing the COVID-19 crisis and coping with the new normal,” Leonardia said.

The project, dubbed “Planning for Greater Resiliency, Addressing Pandemics/ Biohazards and Public Health Emergencies and Its Impacts to Most At-Risk Populations,” is a joint project of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of

By Rio N. Araja

Bacolod Mayor Evelio ‘Bing’ Leonardia (right) visits vaccination sites across the city, the only metropolis in Visayas picked for a multilateral COVID-19 study.

Health (DOH), and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

“We are happy because the expertise of these institutions in this particular field will surely redound to the benefit of our constituents in Bacolod. It should put us ahead in this race against the pandemic,” Mayor Bing said.

The Planning and Development Re-

search Foundation will also be conducting case studies to provide index coping of experiences, sectors, resources, capacity issues, and innovations will be in the fore view of LGU roles.

The four cities were chosen on the basis of the four major geographical regions: Muntinlupa for National Capital Region, Baguio City for Luzon, Iligan

City for Mindanao, and Bacolod City representing the whole Visayas.

“We are proud to belong to this select group, especially so that the World Bank has also recently designated us among the few pilot cities in its Technical Assistance Program on Green and Resilient Development in Select Secondary Cities in the Philippines project,” Leonardia said.

CDC cites 2020 tourism feats despite COVID CLARK FREEPORT—The locators belonging to the tourism and hospitality industry of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), despite being one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, have managed to maintain an outstanding performance last year.

This was reflected in the stateowned firm’s Annual Report 2020, gaining a total of P6,746,062 revenues from CDC managed facilities and advertising spaces.

Aside from revenues, CDC’s Tourism Promotions Division (TPD) also recorded a total of 1,247,862 visitor arrivals in Clark last year, based on TPD’s accomplishment report for the year 2020.

CDC obtained an overall total of 79,755 visitor points from January to December 2020, exceeding the target of 75,000 visitor points – the performance target set by the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG).

The figures were extracted from the number of CDC-initiated and assisted projects, including events held at the Clark Museum as well as various open spaces here.

Special events were also conducted in this Freeport, bringing a total of 70,056 visitors who attended 97 events in Clark last year.

These accomplishments have gained confidence in CDC’s vision to make Clark as a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism destination in the AsiaPacific region.

To prove this, a total of 4,351 participants in 177 MICE events have been recorded as of January 14, 2021.

Meanwhile, Clark’s accommodation facilities did not only contribute to supporting tourism in this Freeport.

More importantly, it played a key role in assisting returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in our country.

LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM FOR VENDORS. Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (right) thanks Tingog Party List Rep. Yedda Marie

K. Romualdez and the Department of Social Welfare and Development for helping 100 vendors of Barangay Manggahan in Pasig City during the launching of the Tingog Party List Sustainable Livelihood Program for vendors on Tuesday. Miko Noveno

SM ramps up support for San Pablo City in fight against COVID-19 SM FOUNDATION Inc. (SMFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM Group of Companies, remains committed to reaching more COVID-19 frontliners by providing them with much-needed medical supplies.

In its recent social good effort mobilization on the ground, SMFI turned over boxes of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to San Pablo City General Hospital (SPCGH), which was represented by SPCGH Chief of Clinics Dr. Lucy Celino.

This marked the third batch of medical supplies donations to the hospital.

SM SAVP for Mall Operations South Regions, Engr. John Jason Terrenal, said: “SM is here to serve, help, and support Filipino communities and the medical front liners. We are thankful and salute all those who are tirelessly working with us during this time of crisis.”

Dr. Celino expressed her gratitude to SM. “Words cannot describe how truly grateful they are to SM for keeping front liners protected during these unprecedented times,” she said.

Aside from extending support for the frontliners, SM, through its malls all over the country, also provides a convenient, safe, and accessible venues for the community to be vaccinated.

Through this social good effort, SM enables the local government units (LGUs) to maximize the number of people that can be inoculated per day.

This setup, wherein a large portion of the most vulnerable people can be inoculated, helps a community achieve herd immunity.

To ensure the safety of the community while at the SM COVID-19 vaccination hub, SM practices round the clock sanitation in areas with heavy contact and deployed safety protocol officers to reinforce the mall’s safety measures as a way to reduce the transmission of the virus.

In San Pablo City, around 500 senior citizens and adults with controlled comorbidities were already inoculated as the SM City San Pablo repurposed its cinema hallway to a vaccination area, following the standards set by the Department of Health (DOH) and City

Health Office.

“Prioritization has benefits because people differ in at least two key ways -their risk of infection and the likelihood of serious consequences from infection.

We are thankful to SM for making it easy for our elderlies to get here,” San Pablo COVID-19 Task force Assistant City Health Officer Dr. Mercydina Caponpon said.

Last year, SM Foundation constructed seven insulated emergency quarantine facilities (EQFs) in Pasay and Quezon City to house and treat patients affected by (COVID-19).

In addition, SM also established a COVID-19 mega swabbing facility at the Mall of Asia Complex, in cooperation with the DOH, Philippine Red Cross, the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, Philippine National Police Medical Corps, and other private sector partners.

To date, SM has donated over P300 million in essential medical supplies, equipment, RT-PCR testing, and assistance to other national efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

DAR-Bicol office builds its own ‘Buhay sa Gulay’ garden for workers’ benefit LEGAZPI CITY—The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Bicol region is taking a proactive step by establishing a vegetable garden in its office grounds, adopting the ‘Buhay sa Gulay’, an urban vegetable farming program initiated by DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones, which is now being implemented in towns and cities across the country.

“The art and science of growing one’s own food have been gradually lost among government workers and agencies. We at DAR can carry the social influence needed to promote it once again, especially during this pandemic,” said DAR Bicol Regional Director Rodrigo Realubit.

He said the project aims to produce approximately 3,000 kilograms of various leafy greens regularly, which will be sold to DAR regional office employees, walk-in clients, and passers-by. Its accumulated income will serve as a source of funding to support some of the employees’ financial needs.

The regional office, according to Realubit, will provide growing space around the agency’s premises in Bgy. Gogon and at the CARP Development Center (CDC) compound in Bgy. Rawis. Garden tools, facilities, and equipment will

QC revives plastic ‘Trash to Cashback’ trade program

be provided to get the garden started.

“We will convert every unused corner of our premises into productive greeneries. In doing this, we hope to influence other people and the community around us into planting vegetables,” he said.

On May 21, 20 regional office em-

ployees completed a one-day hands-on and theoretical training on good practices for organic vegetable growing. Agriculturist Francisco Obina of the Albay Provincial Agriculture Office (APAO) at the DAR Regional Office in Legazpi City conducted the training.

“We are taking advantage of this year’s summer season by offering gardening basic training to our employees so they can begin planting and harvesting their bounty at work or even at their own homes,” Realubit said.

DAR Regional chief for support ser-

PCSO WITH MAYORS. Mayors from several towns in Eastern Visayas join PCSO General Manager Royina Garma as they discuss the ill effects of illegal gambling in the region.

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte is bringing back the plastic waste trading program, Trash to Cashback, to intensify segregation and introduce the concept of recycling and a circular economy for a more sustainable lifestyle.

The program is part of the city’s campaign to reduce plastic waste, following the implementation of the plastic bag ban in March, she said.

Belmonte disclosed that singleuse plastics/disposable materials for dine-in transactions would be prohibited starting on July 1.

Under the Trash to Cashback program, not only metal, paper, and PET bottles are accepted but also single-use plastics, such as shampoo sachets, coffee packs and even online shopping plastic packages, would also be accepted in the dropoff points.

“Together with our partner, Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies (BEST), we are bringing this project down to our barangays to make it more accessible and convenient to our residents who are willing to trade their recyclables into groceries. Hopefully, we can launch it by June in celebration of environment month,” Belmonte said.

The program was first launched in in March, giving the residents the opportunity to trade their recyclables into “environmental points” (EPs) in exchange for basic commodities, such as rice, eggs, vegetables, and other essential grocery items.

“The single-use plastics that we usually disregard, like sachets and online shopping packaging, are also included on the list of the recyclables that can be exchanged with EPs. This is part of our campaign to reduce plastic waste,” Belmonte said.

The city’s 142 villages have been tasked to identify a drop-off point within their community, where residents could bring their recyclables in exchange for environmental points.

Once at the drop-off point, residents can choose whether they will keep the EPs for themselves or donate it to beneficiaries identified by the barangay from various sectors.

Andrea Villaroman, Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department chief, said the barangay’s chosen beneficiaries would receive groceries or incentive bag from BEST in exchange of the accumulated environmental points donated by the residents from their recyclables.

“The incentive bag will include rice, vegetables from our urban farms, and other necessities. We will ensure that these food packages and groceries will be given and distributed to those in need, especially the most vulnerable sectors of the city,” she noted.

Belmonte said they have plans to introduce the program to various establishments, such as in malls, hotels, and restaurants.

PCSO urges mayors to back STL PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Vice Chairperson and General Manager Royina M. Garma recently urged Region 8 (Easter Visayas) mayors to combine forces with the agency in confronting the ill effects of illegal gambling in the region.

The PCSO GM reminded the local officials that the funds donated by the agency to local government units nationwide are the fruits of PCSO’s ticket sales derived from its “Mga Larong may Puso.”

Every Lotto, Digit game, Small Town Lottery (STL) and Scratch It tickets purchased, raises funds for PCSO’s charity projects, Garma noted.

These include Patient Transport Vehicle (PTV) Donation Program, Medical Access Program (MAP), and the agency’s funding support for the Universal Health Care among others.

“We don’t want to make things complicated. We want it to be simple so that you can access PCSO services,” Garma said in encouraging the officials to support the state-run STL. “Every centavo that goes to illegal gambling is a centavo taken away from charity,” GM Garma added in emphasizing the importance of supporting the PCSO games.

LGU 5th Anniversary issue

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Firm’s ER 1-94 remittances help build lab in Iloilo City GLOBAL Business Power Corporation (GBP), through subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) and Panay Power Corporation (PPC), has supported Iloilo City and its efforts to fight COVID-19 through Energy Regulations 1-94 (ER 1-94) funds.

Recently, the Iloilo City government was able to accommodate the development of the Uswag Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory in Molo district, with a total budget of P53 million, using Iloilo City and Barangay Ingore’s ER 1-94 fund share out of PEDC and PPC’s electricity sales.

The molecular lab in Molo can process as much as 600 samples daily with a turnaround time of 24 hours.

With the development of the said lab, residents of Barangay Ingore now have access to COVID-19 PCR tests and other lab services.

“Beyond the provision of stable power supply, GBP is committed to

helping Iloilo City in its response against COVID-19. We hope that this molecular laboratory will enable faster release of reliable results and in effect, mitigate the spread of the virus,” shared GBP President Jaime T. Azurin.

The ER 1-94 program stipulates

that host communities are entitled to financial benefits of one-centavo for every kilowatt-hour (P0.01/ kWh) of the total electricity sales of generating companies to finance electrification, livelihood, and development projects.

Pursuant to the Department of

Energy’s Department Circular No. 2020-04-0008, ER 1-94 funds can be used to help local government units in their fight against the pandemic.

True to its commitment of enlightening lives and empowering progress, GBP is a dedicated partner

of the nation in raising the quality of life of the Filipino and fueling economic development.

GBP, with a total gross capacity of 1,091 MW, has diversified power generation facilities that are capable of supplying base, intermediate, peak load, and ancillary support.

“Faced with different challenges today, we need to level up our skills. We should take advantage of technology to improve our farming process,” acknowledged Elvira Bequilla, a farmer from Agusan del Norte.

The DFP has conducted 48 trainings in 47 municipalities for more than 1,200 farmers and youth, including 52 officers from the different DA-ATI offices. In the time of the pandemic, the program has produced 16 self-paced microlearning videos on basic ICT skills for farmers.

IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY Apart from DFP, Smart has also teamed up with the DA-ATI to launch Kalye Mabunga, an online information and awareness campaign that guided households and communities in growing their own food. The online magazine show helped families and communities become food secure. The show also gave families additional or alternative income opportunities by selling their produce.

“Kalye Mabunga has become an avenue for recreation among families. It has provided a breath of fresh air now that most people are working from home. It recreated the boundaries of work and home by incorporating the practice of gardening in our lifestyle,” said Antonietta J. Arceo, Chief, Information Services Division, DA-ATI. The pilot season aired 10 episodes

featuring 15 partners and speakers. The show was a hit with the public averaging around 33,000 views for each video.

Smart has also thrown its support behind the DA-ATI’s on its AgriTalk learning series.

Now on its second season, ‘AgriTalk: 2 Easy Learning’ features easy to digest two-minute videos that offer comprehensive guides on urban farming, organic fertilizers and pesticides and fast crop production to promote homegrown food among city dwellers.

All these advocacies are under the framework of Technology for Development that aims to narrow down the digital divide.

These programs are also aligned with the commitment of PLDT and Smart to support the 17 Sustainable Goals of the United Nations, particularly No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 18). [END] approximately 96% of the country’s cities and municipalities with its combined 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G network*, providing mobile communications services, highspeed internet connectivity, and access to digital services and content to over 71.8 million Filipinos*, supporting the country’s growing digital economy, and providing the best customer experience for an increasingly digital Filipino lifestyle.

NEW LAB. The Uswag Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory in Molo can process as much as 600 samples daily with a turnaround time of 24 hours.

FROM #BUYLOCAL TO DFP TO KALYE MABUNGA

PLDT, Smart uplift farmers in the pandemic with innovative tools AS the Philippines celebrates the Farmers and Fisherfolk Month this May, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart broaden the reach of their combined digital solutions to help farmers find a sure market for their produce, increasing their source of income.

So far, #BuyLocal has generated more than 2 million pesos in revenues from the sale of more than 36,000 kilos of rice, benefiting almost a thousand farmers. The campaign has also raised P180,000 for the Buy Local sustainability fund intended to provide capital to small-scale farmers, which Smart will be turning over P100,000 to 20 farmer beneficiaries in Mindoro Occidental.

Six other companies led by PLDT Chairman, President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan have also adopted the campaign.

In Pangasinan, 52-year-old Patricio Castillo and 50-year-old Rufo Sarmiento, Jr. are just two of the hundreds of beneficiaries of these digital solutions. Castillo has been growing rice for over 20 years in three hectares of farmland in San Joaquin, Balungao, while Sarmiento, Jr. farms some 15 hectares of land in the same area.

“Things were very different, then. Farming was more physically demanding because everything was done manually. Now, we benefit from farm machines and tools to lighten the load,” said Castillo, who plants twice a year to maximize his earnings. On average, he yields around P60,000 to P80,000 in revenues per hectare. To boost his income, he also grows vegetables alongside his main crop.

For Sarmiento, Jr., rice farming is not only labor intensive but capital intensive as well, “For every hundred cavans that you harvest per hectare, expenses amount to 40 cavans.”

To augment his income, Sarmiento, Jr. rents out farm machines to his colleagues.

While technology has unloaded some of the physical burden, the agriculture sector remains one of the poorest in the country, despite the

industry employing more than a fifth of the national total work force. Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), three in ten farmers live in poverty.

In a bid to help improve farmers’ lot, Smart, together with its parent firm PLDT, has partnered with social enterprise and e-commerce platform Cropital for its #BuyLocal campaign. Under the program, PLDT and Smart employees in Metro Manila can buy rice directly from small-scale farmers through the Cropital platform. This helps provide sure markets for the farmers’ produce through employee purchases, thus increasing farmers’ source of income.

“We’re grateful to PLDT and Smart for coming up with this program. This gives us the platform to sell our harvest at a fair price,” said Sarmiento, Jr. FARMING GETS SMARTER The #BuyLocal campaign is an offshoot of the Digital Farmers Program (DFP), a project of Smart with the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) that seeks to empower Filipino farmers by providing access to digital tools and technologies that can help boost efficiency, productivity, and marketability.

These tools are most relevant since Filipino farmers face a lot of uncertainties. In the last quarter of 2020 alone, Typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses left more than 12 billion pesos in damaged agriculture.

“Typhoons are a risk we constantly face.

I’ve had my crops damaged by severe weather as well. But you have to move on.

You need to get up and try to find ways to recoup what you have lost,” said Castillo.

The DFP taps the technology-savvy youth to help farmers access the digital space and establish a channel where they can exchange ideas.

Don Karl Cutamora, who is a farmer’s son in Butuan City, appreciated the different software he learned during the DFP training,

“The different applications they shared with us will help farmers, like my father, improve their harvest particularly the mobile app that detects different weather conditions.”

“The basic DFP trainings are particularly useful to small-holder farmers who are unable to tap the vast resources of agriculture apps due to lack of basic digital knowledge. With the coronavirus pandemic creating a new normal, we need to empower our farmers with innovations that will help them live smarter for a better world,” said Stephanie Orlino, Smart Assistant Vice President for Community Relations.

To further expand the reach of the program, Smart and DA-ATI made the DFP 101 eLearning course available at the DAATI e-Extension portal. This free certificateearning self-paced course is composed of bite-sized videos and knowledge and skills assessment tests on the DFP 101 topics.

PLDT, Smart ramp up mental health efforts nationwide, partners with LGUs, youth groups AMID difficult times, a person’s mental health has faced the severe impacts of the global pandemic. With the surge in cases and lockdowns in place, more people are finding their own means of coping.

PLDT and Smart, through its Better Today initiative, reinforce its commitment to champion mental health awareness nationwide. Recognizing the vital role that mental health plays in a person’s well-being, Better Today, a collaborative platform for changemaking in the digital space, has partnered with local government units (LGUs) and youth groups.

“Through our #BetterToday collaborative platform, we carry out PLDT and Smart’s vision and mission to enable Filipinos with access to the life-enhancing promise of the Internet and digital technology,” PLDT and Smart FVP and Group Corporate Communications Head Cathy Yap-Yang said.

“Our [Better Today] Time Capsule Project champions wellness and changemaking

in the digital space. We believe that digital technology has the power to enhance human connections, not diminish them. This holds true, especially now as we face the world’s longest lockdown in a global pandemic.”

Some of these youth groups include the Sangguniang Kabataan and Youth Affairs and Development Office (YADO) in General Santos (GenSan) City.

According to Sahara Jho Enriquez Cabreros, who serves as the Head of YADO, mental health is just as important as physical health. “As a mother, wife, daughter, student, government worker, the roles that I undertake can be overwhelming and challenging at the same time. [This is why I need] to have stable mental health to process and understand all these things better,” Cabreros said.

Cabreros considers her work in the City Government as an enabling factor to ignite a culture of cooperation and support to the City’s Youth and Development programs and initiatives. While the pandemic has impeded

some of its services in terms of executing programs and causes, YADO has still built plans that will empower the youth within their community.

“In YADO, we are promoting YOUTHBUILDGENSAN as one of our pioneering principles. We believe that the youth greatly contributes in building the City of Gensan. In YOUTHBUILDGENSAN, we have three-fold principles. These include Youth Building Oneself; Youth Building Fellow Youth; and Youth Building the Community.

With these virtues, we hope to build a culture of empathy by building oneself, others and community,” Cabreros said.

“I truly believe that the youth is our future, agents of change and bearers of hope.

Through relentless pursuit and dedication to equip our young people, we will be able to help them in building a better tomorrow,” Cabreros said.

Meanwhile, John Salvador D. Demdam, who is currently serving as the Panglungsod

na Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan President of GenSan and one of the city councilors, considers mental health to be an essential part of his life. “As a young adult, it is important to know how to handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices,” Demdam said.

The Sangguniang Kabataan organizes and conducts seminars, trainings, and online forums that teach participants to share and understand emotions. According to Demdam, the Sangguniang Kabataan organizes programs that ensure the holistic health of the youth – as health is one of the centers of participation stated in the Philippine Youth Development Plan of the National Youth Commission.

In creating a more empathic culture, Demdam shared that is important to meaningfully engage with others. “Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions. It is important, especially during this pandemic when we are in isolation, that we become more empathic to build social

connectedness,” Demdam said.

“It is important to be aware of other people’s needs and to be kind to others and ourselves. Through the programs of the Sangguniang Kabataan, we will continue to provide programs to the youth to instill empathy within them,” Demdam added.

The youth community building efforts of YADO and GenSan’s Sangguniang Kabataan are very much aligned with PLDT and Smart’s Better Today initiative where it inspires passion and purpose, resilience, empathy and hope.

PLDT and Smart, through its Better Today initiative, reinforces their commitment to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDG), particularly UN SDG #3 on Good Health and Well-Being.

To know more about the Time Capsule Project and the details on how to join the art festival, please follow Better Today PH at (@bettertodayph) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

LGU 5th Anniversary issue MVP Group supports groups, GOCCs sustaining community pantries in MM T C4

|| WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 advertise@manilastandard.net

HE companies and employees of the MVP Group have come together to support the countrywide movement of community pantries.

Aid in the form of rice, produce, and other dried goods were mobilized by the group to initially benefit over 8,000 individuals and their families through select pantries that have been set-up across Metro Manila.

As the MVP group aimed to reach more families and communities across the country, community leaders and organizers have helped build a support system to make the community pantry efforts more sustainable.

Speaking for one of the communities assisted by the MVP group, Punong Barangay Captain Joseph “Jojo” Mahusay from Barangay Pansol, Quezon City shared the story of their bayanihan efforts that assisted 10 community pantries organized by various religious groups, socio civic-groups and government owned and controlled corporations (GOCC).

According to Mahusay, around 5,000 families have already benefitted from these 10 community pantries near Barangay Pansol. He shared that the barangay assists the organizers of community pantries in terms of handling crowd control to ensure that health protocols are being followed.

“Most of the people lining up in community pantries are Barangay Pansol residents. We have also noticed that in some

community pantries, residents from neighboring barangays such as Barangay Loyola Heights, Barangay Krus na Ligas and Barangay UP Campus also joined the line,” he said.

According to Mahusay, the barangay periodically does food pack distribution to underserved communities.

“At the onset of the pandemic last year, the barangay distributed relief packs to all of our constituents, followed by the City Government,” he said.

Over at Balara, Quezon City, employees of MVP group’s Maynilad mobilized resources to support the five-day pantry of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the government agency in charge of water privatization in Metro Manila in the Philippines.

“Nakatulong din po [ang community pantry] kahit papaano (The community pantry has helped us somehow),” said Barangay Pansol resident Elena Medina.

Meanwhile, the Alagang Kapatid Foundation, together with PLDT, organized a community pantry on wheels at Tondo and Navotas, providing fresh vegetables, cleaning solutions, overthe-counter medicines, school supplies and toys to members of the community.

At the LRT-1 Monumento Station, the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) set-up an LRT-1 community pantry containing canned goods, vegetables, dry goods, and face shields.

Initial donations came from LRMC employees and friends, which eventually increased with the support of passengers and other partners.

QUEZON-MADE. Chocolate products under the ‘Tangerine’ brand of the Four K

Kakao Farm, made by cacao farmers in Quezon and members of the Kakao Integrated Development for Livelihood and Transformation or KIDLAT.

‘Tangerine’ chocolate products showcased in ‘Kalakal Quezon’ “TANGERINE” of the Four K Kakao Farm in the province of Quezon, an emerging powerhouse for cacao production in the country, will showcase its recently launched range of chocolate products through the Department of Trade and Industry’s “Kalakal Quezon” featuring cacao at SM City Lucena, Mall Atrium from May 25 to 31.

Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan has spearheaded the development of cacao farming in Quezon Province, which was piloted in the nine towns in the 4th District of the province -- Atimonan, Plaridel, Lopez, Gumaca, Perez, Calauag, Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, and Quezon.

Tan’s efforts paved the way for the inauguration of the Department of Agriculture (DA) cacao facility in Gumaca, Quezon on November 30, 2020, led by Agriculture Secretary William Dar and DA Region 4A Director Arnel de Mesa.

Secretary Dar has lauded the ingenuity and hard work of cacao farmers who work tirelessly to ensure the success of the “Tangerine” brand.

“Tangerine” is dark chocolate made by cacao farmers in Quezon and members of the Kakao Integrated Development for Livelihood and Transformation or KIDLAT, an organization of marginalized farmers that Tan, who is already known in Quezon as the “Chocolate Queen of Luzon,” has organized.

The Kalakal Quezon is an annual event organized by the DTI-Quezon to promote the products of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by showcasing the province’s products under the theme “Support Lokal, Shop at Kalakal.”

This year’s event will feature the best cacaobased products to continually promote and strengthen the cacao industry in Calabarzon, especially in Quezon.

Tawi-Tawi’s farthest town is now online

ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte made history as the first chief executive of the country to directly address the people of Turtle Islands municipality, the farthest town of the province of Tawi-Tawi.

In a Facebook post, Emmanuel Piñol, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson, said this was made possible through the very small-aperture terminal (VSAT) that the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) installed in March in the municipality.

Piñol said the residents “danced and celebrated” on May 23, the Green Sea Turtles Day, with tens of thousands watching them live on Facebook and via Zoom as they listened to President Duterte in a pre-recorded message beamed via VSAT. Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go provided a wide-screen television set that was used in projecting the message of President Duterte to the residents.

Piñol said that the VSAT connected the people of the remote islands -- who used to get cellular signals from Malaysian telcos -- to the rest of the Philippines and they could now send text messages and even call relatives and friends in the country.

The municipality of Turtle Islands is a 5th class town in the province of Tawi-Tawi with a population of 4,724 as of the 2015 census.

The municipality is located within the Sulu Sea at the southwestern tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia.

“The establishment of the VSAT was a commitment I made to the people of the islands when I went there in March 2020 to become only the second Cabinet-level official to get there, Piñol said.