Manila Standard - 2021 June 4 - Friday

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ISLAND-HOPPING STORM DANTE DESTROYS P286-M CROPS, INFRA

By Vito Barcelo, Darwin Amojelar and Joel E. Zurbano

many parts of Visayas and Mindanao, has destroyed at least P268.52 million worth of infrastructure damage to the country, the Department of TROPICAL storm Dante, which Public Works and Highways said. brought heavy rains that flooded Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 109 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Infection rate quickening’ DOH: Mindanao outpaces NCR, Central Luzon; cases spike in Davao, Zambo

By Willie Casas

A

CTIVE COVID-19 infections in Mindanao have surpassed those in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

As of June 2, there were 11,391 active COVID-19 cases in Mindanao, against 10,174 cases in Metro Manila, the DOH said.

Cagayan and Central Luzon "have the highest cases and fastest incline," but a spike

in new cases was also observed in Davao City and the Zamboanga region, which is most likely due to more contagious foreign variants in the country and the non-observance of basic health protocols like the Next page

SOS. A topless man on the roof of his flooded house shouts for help amid rampaging flood water while a woman is rescued by a joint team of firemen and police in Odiongan, Romblon – one of several provinces that bore the brunt of island-hopping tropical storm Dante. PIA-Romblon

MANNY PACQUIAO

CHRISTOPHER 'BONG' GO

SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO

FERDINAND MARCOS JR.

ISKO MORENO

US to push out Duterte eyes possible successors, prefers Sara not to run 80m vax doses to certain allies sidering five possible successors— his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senators Christopher Go and Manny Pacquiao, and Manila Mayor Isko PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is con- Moreno -- the Palace said Thursday.

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

UNITED States President Joe Biden will announce within days the details of a plan to export 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to other countries "without any political strings attached," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 3)

1,247,899 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

7,217 55,790 NEW

ACTIVE

21,357

199

1,170,752

3,483

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

RIZAL IN ONTARIO.

File photo shows Filipinos posing beside a monument of national hero Jose P. Rizal in Ontario, Canada. Soon, another Rizal monument measuring 3 feet tall will be erected this time at a park in Alberta, Canada, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Outage ‘collusion’ under scrutiny

By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Alena Mae Flores THE Department of Justice and both houses of Congress have announced separate investigations into the recent power outages, with Justice Secretary

Menardo Guevarra vowing to look into the possible collusion by power generating companies.

Guevarra said while he has yet to receive a formal directive from Malacañang to conduct an investigation, he is ready to instruct the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the allegations.

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Deployment to Israel still a no-go

By Vito Barcelo DEPLOYMENT of Filipino workers to Israel remains suspended until the safety of Filipino workers is assured

by Israel government despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said the President is still not in favor of his daughter running for President in 2022, so he prefers the four others, who are close allies.

“In the end, should Sara decide

not to run, or Bong Go, because he will only run for president if the President runs for vice president, the President will have to choose who has the numbers,” Roque said.

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MOTION APPROVED.

House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez delivers his speech during the sine die adjournment at the plenary of the House of Representatives. Romualdez said House Speaker Lord Alan Velasco approves his motion to allow all standing and special committees to hold hearings during the congressional recess this month until resumption in July 26 for the opening of the Third Regular Session and the final State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte. Ver Noveno

11 days of fighting, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

Bello issued the statement after the Israeli government reportedly sought out the Philippine government to lift the deployment ban for overseas Filipino Next page

2nd Rizal monument to rise in Canada—DFA

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday a 3-foot monument of national hero Jose Rizal will be installed in a park in Alberta, Canada.

Next page

House reso commends Speaker

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives adopted on Wednesday night a resolution commending Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s competent, constructive, and decisive leadership during the Second Regular Session of the 18th Congress, which House

Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said had led the chamber in passing laws responsive to the unprecedented times.

Acting on the request of his colleagues during the House Committee on Rules’ regular meeting last Tuesday and upon approval by Velasco, Next page

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News

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pirates abduct Pinoy, 4 Koreans

P

IRATES kidnapped four Koreans and one Filipino crew member from a tuna-fishing vessel close to Benin in the Gulf of Guinea earlier this week, Ghanaian police said.

The Gulf of Guinea, a key shipping route extending from Senegal to Angola, accounted for the vast majority of maritime crew abductions last year, with pirates targeting commercial vessels.

The Ghana-registered boat was attacked on Monday although the Ghana

navy recovered the vessel and rescued some crew members, Felix Charles Asare, crime officer for the Marine Police Unit told AFP late on Wednesday.

"Efforts are under way to rescue the abducted crew members," he said.

"Information we've gathered from

the crew members indicate that the pirates took away five other members made up of four Koreans and a Filipino."

He said Ghana's navy had been on the alert in the country's territorial waters as pirates intensified attacks.

Armed pirates kidnapped five other seamen two weeks ago, stealing valuables after holding the crew for six hours before releasing them, he said.

Major international shipping and maritime companies last month called for a coalition to combat piracy in the

‘Infection...

but mobility restriction isn’t the only answer,” she said.

"We can decrease the contact rate by not being part of super spreader events.

We want to lessen the duration by which one person could continually infect others," she said.

The DOH has advised local government units to impose granular lockdowns in villages or areas where there are a lot of symptomatic patients, and to immediately quarantine those who are showing symptoms of the disease.

"If we can reduce to five days the time of detection to the time of isolation, we can reduce by a third the number of cases," De Guzman said.

Davao City earlier said it would ban non-essential government events in the highly-urbanized economic hub in Mindanao as active COVID-19 cases breached the 1,000 mark last week.

Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas reported 276 new coronavirus infections, the region’s highest daily tally since the pandemic began, official data showed Thursday.

Confirmed cases there had risen to 21,452, with 324 deaths.

The DOH said Leyte province logged the highest number of new infections at 96, followed by Northern Samar with 27 new COVID-19 cases, and Southern Leyte and Samar, each recording 21.

Among cities, Tacloban recorded 44 new confirmed cases while Ormoc had 32, the DOH said.

The DOH expressed alarm at the uptick in cases and attributed it to complacency in following minimum health

standards.

"Please avoid super-spreader events.

We observe in social media posts that there are a lot of people almost everywhere. This is not the time to go out," said Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, director of DOH-Region 8.

"Please protect your families. We don’t know what’s behind us. Many are asymptomatic carriers in the region. Our positivity rate is high,” Sabalberino said.

The DOH also confirmed the presence of "variants of concern" in Eastern Visayas, such as the B.1.1.7 or UK variant.

Amid the spike in COVID-19 cases, the major COVID-19 referral hospitals in the region have reached their full capacity.

The Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center can no longer accommodate COVID-19 patients.

As of June 1, there were 40 pending referrals in the hospital.

The Philippines on Thursday logged 7,217 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,247,899, as four laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the DOH said.

This marks the ninth consecutive day where more than 5,000 cases were recorded.

The COVID-19 death toll rose to 21,357 with 199 new fatalities.

The DOH also announced that total recoveries climbed to 1,170,752 with 3,483 new ones.

The number of active cases in the country increased to 55,790. Of these, 93.6 percent were mild, 2 percent were

asymptomatic, 1.8 percent were severe, 1.4 percent were critical, and 1.27 percent were moderate.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said it was not time yet to lift the policy requiring the wearing of face shields in public areas, after Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso renewed appeals for the national government to stop requiring their use.

“Mayor Isko’s proposal would be okay if we had a wide vaccination coverage,” Duque told GMA News. “We can’t drop the face shield policy for now when our two-dose vaccination coverage is a little over 2 percent due to still inadequate vaccine supply.”

Duque has repeatedly stressed that the use of face shields is backed by science, citing a study published in leading international medical journal The Lancet.

“There are many scientific studies showing that face shields in combination with face masks and more than 1 meter social distancing provide a greater than 95 percent protection,” he said.

The Philippines has only vaccinated over 3.9 million people as of May 30, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 58 million individuals in COVID-19 hotspots by November.

The inter-agency COVID-19 task force made the use of face shields mandatory only in December last year.

Both local and international experts have advised against the use of face shields as a substitute for face masks. A US study showed that shields alone cannot prevent the spread of the virus.

pandemic at the moment.

Meanwhile, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said a Duterte-Duterte tandem in the 2022 national elections is not viable because of age issues.

Salceda said he does not see DuterteCarpio running as president and her father running for vice president, as some in the PDP-Laban want.

"It is more reasonable that there will be a Duterte and somebody else team...

I don't see [a] Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022," he added.

Salceda also cited the need for a geographical balance.

He also noted that usually, the vice president is younger than the president."

On Monday, the ruling PDP-Laban approved a resolution to convince President Duterte to run for vice president and to

choose his running mate in the 2022 elections during the party's National Council meeting in Cebu City that was boycotted

by Pacquiao.

Salceda, the chairman of the House ways and means committee, earlier said he would support Duterte-Carpio should she decide to run for president.

Salceda pointed to her “humanity” when she punched a court sheriff who was enforcing an eviction order on squatters.

Mayor Sara topped the latest Pulse Asia conducted between Feb. 22 and March 3, with 27 percent of 2,400 respondents said they would vote for the Davao city mayor above 13 other suggested candidates.

It was the second successive time she topped Pulse Asia's survey on pre-

ferred presidential candidates for the next elections.

Having nown and served the family of President Duterte for more than two decades Go on Thursday committed to rally behind any member of the family who will run in the 2022 elections.

“I will give my full support to the Duterte family. I will support whoever Duterte family members will run in the 2022 elections regardless of their positions,” Go said.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa said DuterteCarpio was the presidential candidate to beat, based on surveys. He said he felt she would seek the presidency.

Go, on the other hand, has repeatedly insisted he is not interested in running for president, saying he knows how difficult the job is.

DOE in ensuring the quality, reliability, security, and affordability of electricity.

“This is a critical situation and I would like to request the Department of Energy to get all hands on deck especially in the next coming days because from the forecast that I am seeing, there will be a problem of load dropping in the next eight days,” said Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate energy committee.

He stressed that it is crucial to hold DOE to account for its failure to address power supply shortages since 2016 and provide long-term solutions to this problem.

“Considering that the issue has been a recurring problem in the past five years, it’s high time that long-term solutions be finally put in place,” he said.

Gatchalian noted 339,000 households from 90 barangays in 16 LGUs lost their electricity on June 1, including two vaccination centers in Valenzuela.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon slammed the DOE for shifting blame to private power companies for its failure to avert power outages.

“Blame-shifting won’t solve the power crisis,” Drilon told the DOE as he aired his support for a Senate investigation.

Drilon said the DOE is planning to file charges of economic sabotage against private power companies for allegedly conducting preventive maintenance from April to June that resulted in power outages in several parts of Luzon including Metro Manila. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

House...

relative to the fight against the pandemic,” said Romualdez.

In his sponsorship speech of House Resolution 1838, Romualdez emphasized Velasco’s “exemplary display of management with compassion” as he strongly ensures the health and safety of House members and employees from the threat of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) by implementing a quarterly real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and bi-weekly antigen (AG) tests for all members and employees of the chamber, taken at the beginning of their work shift, including official guests who enter the house premises.

Romualdez added that Velasco also made sure that COVID-19 vaccines were available to House members and employees, including their dependents.

The resolution was co-authored by House Minority Leader and ABANG LINGKOD party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano.

Among the other measures prioritized by Velasco were RA 11519 or the “Bayanihan To Recover As One Act,” and RA 11520 which extended the availability of last year's national budget until Dec. 31, 2021.

From A1

proper wearing of face masks and frequent hand washing, said DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea De Guzman.

“If we are talking about the speed in the rise in cases, the Mindanao cases as a whole are higher than the cases we are seeing now in Luzon and NCR,” De Guzman said in Filipino.

In Davao City, Mayor Sarah Duterte asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to place the city under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Failure to adhere to health standards was behind the rise in cases, De Guzman said.

“Some people think it’s tiring. It’s been a year, do I still want to wear a face mask?” she added. “Do I still want to wear a face shield?”

Earlier this week, at least 40 employees from various departments of the Davao City Hall and Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) tested positive for the coronavirus.

Most of them worked on the first floor of the building.

De Guzman said despite the rise in cases, the DOH was not recommending a regional lockdown.

"We need to be rational in our imposition of heightened community restrictions... Mobility restriction limits contact

Duterte...

From A1

Among the five, only Pacquiao and Go are members of the ruling PDP-Laban party that Duterte chairs, where he sits as acting president.

Marcos is a member of the Nacionalista Party, Moreno is with the National Unity Party, and Duterte-Carpio heads her own regional party, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago. Marcos met with Duerte-Carpio in Davao City this week.

Roque said the President has not made a decision yet, but talked about his options.

But he added that the President is still focused on addressing the COVID-19

Outage...

From A1

Guevarra issued the statement after the Department of Energy presented the power outlook to the Cabinet Assistance System.

The DOE said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles has instructed the DOJ, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to coordinate with the Energy department for case build up and the possible filing of economic sabotage charges.

The DOE earlier said power generation companies that reported prolonged outages in their plants could face charges of anti-competitive behavior and economic sabotage for violating government-enforced laws and policies.

Those likely to be investigated are power generating companies whose facilities are on extended shutdown – including those that performed unplanned maintenance that led to rotational brownouts in Luzon.

The DOJ noted that power plants violated the DOE ban on the conduct of preventive maintenance in the second quarter of the year due to a spike in electricity demand during that period.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, called for a Senate inquiry to find a long-term solution to electricity supply shortages, especially during summer.

In filing Senate Resolution No. 740, Gatchalian underscored the role of the

2nd...

From A1

The DFA said the bust by Sulu-born Filipino sculptor Toym Abdulmari Imao would be installed in Nose Creek Regional Park in Airdrie -- a popular venue for Filipino community events -as a tribute to Filipinos in Alberta.

“The Rizal Monument will be a tribute to all the hardworking Filipinos in Alberta, which hosts the second-largest Filipino population in Canada, and will be a source of pride for the whole Filipino community,” Philippine Consul General

Zaldy Patron said, in a statement.

The DFA said that Patron first proposed the monument to Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown in June 2019.

It was then approved by the Airdrie City Council in its March 1 and April 6 sessions.

“We are very proud and pleased to announce our support for a community project that recognizes and celebrates Airdrie’s unique Filipino heritage,” Brown said.

“The monument will make a welcome addition to our already beloved Nose Creek Regional Park,” he added.

The monument is expected to be completed in October 2021.

From A1

the plenary also adopted Romualdez’s motion to allow all standing and special committees to hold hearings during the congressional recess this month until resumption in July.

Romualdez, chairman of the House Committee on Rules and representative of Leyte's first district, said the conduct of committee hearings even during the Congress recess will allow lawmakers to continue performing their mandate of conducting public hearings or inquiries in aid of legislation.

“The sine die adjournment will not stop the House from working under the Velasco-led leadership,” Romualdez said.

He said allowing House panels to hold meetings was aimed at producing noteworthy and meaningful proposed legislations even on recess.

“We will not be distracted and we will not lose track on shepherding priority legislation that will answer and cater to the needs of the welfare of the people especially in this challenging and difficult time. We must work doubly hard to craft and put into fruition the passage of the priority measures, including bills

Deployment...

From A1

workers as it needs 5,000 health and hotel workers.

“The moment our OFWs are safe, I will immediately issue the order deploying them and they are very much needed,” Bello said.

On May 20, the Department of Labor and Employment temporarily stopped sending Filipinos to work in Israel because of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Malacañang expressed hope Thursday that the Philippines’ vote favoring the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) investigation into alleged human rights violations and abuses in Gaza would not hurt the country’s “excellent” bilateral ties with Israel.

“The vote at the UN Human Rights

Gulf of Guinea, includingsignatories from Europe, Japan, China and India.

Several EU nations often have naval vessels in the area, but pirate gangs, mostly Nigerians, are increasingly attacking beyond Nigeria's coastal waters, where they know ships are more vulnerable.

The Gulf of Guinea accounted for more than 95 percent of global maritime kidnappings last year – 130 out of 135 cases, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors security at sea. AFP

Council does not in any way or should not in any way affect our excellent bilateral relations with Israel,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque issued the statement after the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned Philippine Ambassador to Tel Aviv Macairog Alberto to clarify the vote.

On May 27, the UNHRC adopted a resolution establishing an investigation into alleged violations surrounding the latest Gaza violence and the “systematic” abuses in the Palestinian territories and inside Israel.

The Philippines is among the 24 UNHRC state-members that voted in favor of the investigation that prompts an unprecedented level of scrutiny on abuses and their “root causes” in the decades-long Middle East conflict. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Island-hopping...

From A1

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said that 270 equipment assets and 1,569 workers were deployed for the on-going clearing activities.

In an update on Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said two deaths were reported in Davao Region while two other fatalities were from Soccsksargen.

Meanwhile, two were injured while seven are missing -- four in Western Visayas, two in Eastern Visayas, and one in Davao Region.

In Region 7 alone, partial cost of damage is at P106.2 million from P95 Million damaged roads and P11.2 Million damaged flood-control structures while in Region 12, partial cost of damage to infrastructure has reached P162.32 Million from flood-control structures.

According to Villar, the department is still clearing three impassable national road sections identified in Cebu, Eastern Samar, and Agusan del Sur Provinces.

In Cebu, the Dalaguete-MantalongonBadian Road in Brgy. Ablayan, Dalaguete remains flooded.

A section of the Wright-Taft-Borongan Road in Barangay Binaloan, Taft, Eastern Samar has been closed due to possible landslides.

The Butuan City-Talacogon-LoretoVeruela-Sta. Josefa Road is also impassable, specifically the Adgawan Bridge in La Paz, Agusan del Sur. The NDRRMC also reported that affected families are placed at 9,831 or 45,456 individuals residing in 89 barangays in Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.

Of this number, around 3,090 families or 12,071 persons are being sheltered in 104 evacuation centers while the rest are being aided outside.

The onslaught of Dante has also affected 11 roads and three bridges in Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.

Of this, two roads and three bridges in Central Visayas, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen are still not passable.

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority is now preparing proactive measures to protect the people from the threat of massive flooding during rainy days.

On Wednesday, MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. inspected the biggest pumping station the Tripa de Gallina in Pasay City and revetment wall at Provident Village in Marikina City.

Abalos gave assurances the Tripa de Gallina pumping station, which is also the oldest in Metro Manila, and all other pumping stations operated by the MMDA were fully operational, with necessary power and fuel in place.

Aside from the regular maintenance of the pumping stations, desilting and dredging of rivers are also regularly conducted to prevent flooding.

Abalos said they were considering putting up garbage nets along rivers and tributaries in Pasay so that trash will not end up at the pumping stations to prevent damage on the pumps.

He also appealed to the public to properly dispose of garbage which usually causes flooding woes.

“Discipline in segregating garbage and proper disposal are keys to fully address the problems brought by floods. We also urge the local government units to strictly enforce the anti-littering ordinances and encourage recycling among residents to lessen the volume of garbage,” Abalos said.

US...

From A1

"In a few short days, in fact possibly as early as tomorrow, the president is going to announce in more detail the plan that he put together to push out 80 million vaccines around the world," Blinken said at the US embassy in San Jose on his last day of a Latin American visit.

"We're going to do that in coordination with COVAX... based on science and needs... without any political strings attached," the top US diplomat said, referring to the global vaccine-sharing program.

As of Thursday, more than two billion COVID-19 vaccines have been given across the world, according to an AFP tally drawn from official sources.

The milestone comes six months after the first vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 began.

Israel, which has led the race from the start, is still out in front, with nearly six in 10 people there fully vaccinated.

It is followed by Canada (59 percent of the population have had at least one jab), the United Kingdom (58.3 percent), Chile (56.6 percent) and the United States (51 percent).

Six out of 10 of the injections have been administered in the world's three most populous countries – China (704.8 million doses), the US (296.9 million) and India (221 million).

Nearly four out of 10 people in the European Union have had at least one shot, with Germany leading with 43.6 percent, followed by Italy (40 percent) and France and Spain on 39.4 percent.

Only six countries in the world have not yet started vaccinating – North Korea, Haiti, Tanzania, Chad, Burundi and Eritrea. AFP

News Tons of vet drugs passed off as gloves THE Bureau of Customs confiscated 2.5 tons of illegally imported veterinary medicines misdeclared as latex gloves at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

The seized shipment valued at P5 million came from India.

However, customs examiners found discrepancies in the declaration manifest, prompting them to conduct a 100 percent examination which turned out to be medicines for animals.

A warrant of seizure detention was issued against the shipment and is under further investigation for possible violation of Section 1113 in relation to Section 1400 of RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

The bureau reminds importers that medicines whether for human consumption or otherwise must be brought in with all the necessary permits from regulators.

The BOC also warns against the use of smuggled medicines as these may have adverse effects to users.

Vito Barcelo

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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3 more luxury cars worth P20m seized as Customs steps up drive G

By Joel E. Zurbano

OVERNMENT agents seized in Manila International Container Port another shipment of smuggled luxury cars worth P20 million from Japan.

The seized vehicles include a white Ferrari 430, a gray Mercedes Benz E220, and a blue Mercedes Benz SLK 55.

The shipment is consigned to JLFDM Consumer Goods Trading, the same consignee of the P10 million worth of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Toyota sports cars intercepted by operatives of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service last month.

MICP-CIIS chief Alvin Enciso said they are conducting series of operations in line with the agency’s “Coplan Tsekot”, a campaign aimed at stopping the entry of imported smuggled vehicles.

“We’ve been on the lookout for containers consigned to that particular company. Prior to the arrival, we already knew the same modus of hiding the vehicles behind bales of ukay-

ukay clothing. We had monitored the shipment before it left the port of origin,” Enciso said.

At least 33 bales of used clothing were placed at the threshold of the container. Customs inspectors found plywoods behind the bales of used clothing to hold and secure it from falling into the motor vehicles hidden at the far end of the container.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero warned smugglers that his agency wouldn’t relent on its “border security and intelligence gathering activities.”

“This is the second time that we discovered the same modus. We are going to hit hard on these smugglers for

not stopping their illegal activities,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero formed the Coplan Tsekot late last year and directed the MICPCIIS team to go after unscrupulous traders behind the smuggling of vehicles, especially luxury cars.

The campaign started following the seizure of a P33 million worth of McLaren 620R supercar at the Manila South Harbor in August.

The shipment was consigned to Llorin Trading and arrived at the Port of Manila on July 16, 2020. It was misdeclared as brand new Porsche Cayman sports car in an attempt to avoid the payment of the appropriate duties and taxes.

Bayanihan cited as ‘best practice ‘ in response to virus pandemic

By Maricel V. Cruz AN INTERNATIONAL good governance watch dog has hailed the the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) as one of the “best practices” worldwide by any government as a response to the ongoing Coronavirus Disease-2019 pandemic.

The International Budget Partnership in a report, praised the Philippines’ efforts in its passage of Bayanihan 1, specifically its provisions “ensuring weekly reports on COVID-19 response actions” to oversee the landmark bill’s implementation.

The IBP is an independent watchdog advocating transparent, inclusive, and accountable government budget processes.

The report, that was release last month, said that only four countries, including the Philippines, were rated as “having an adequate level of accountability” in early COVID fiscal policy responses. The other countries were Australia, Norway, and Peru.

Passed under the leadership of then Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Bayanihan 1 was the country’s first economic recovery plan to help curb the effects of the pandemic.

Bayanihan 1 allowed the national government to reallocate, realign, and reprogram P275 billion from the annual budget in response to the pandemic.

The passage of Bayanihan 1 likewise provided for the purchase of testing kits and medical supplies, as well as the building of quarantine facilities and isolation centers for those suspected to have contracted the virus.

Together with the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, it formed the backbone of Cayetano’s efforts to bring the country into the better normal.

HOT CARS. Customs “CoplanTsekot” leads to the capture of 3 smuggled luxury vehicles : Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG and Mercedes Benz E220, with an estimated value amounting to P20 million.

QC residents warned: Creeks clogged with tons of garbage

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday urged city residents to practice proper waste management as the city government continues to collect tons upon tons of waste in the city’s waterways.

Based on the report of the City’s Task Force on Solid Waste Management from January to April 2021, the city was able to collect over 810,000 kilos of garbage from the 20 creeks traversing the city.

“We have been able to implement major improvements to our city’s waste

management system even during this pandemic. Let us continue to support this effort. Isa pa, huwag po natin payagan ang pagtatapon ng kahit anung dumi o basura sa ating mga waterways.” Belmonte said.

She stressed that proper waste management serves as a preemptive measure to prevent flooding with the onset of the rainy season.

Clogged drainage lines and obstructed waterways often result in unexpected flooding in various roads and barangays in the city as rainwater from a heavy downpour cannot pass freely

and quickly to larger bodies of water, she noted.

“Right from the start, we want to ensure that the city and its (142) barangaya are segregating their wastes properly. Success stories, such as those being implemented in Barangay Lagro, Barangays Blue Ridge A and B as well as many other barangays in our city demonstrate how well our system can work. Let us help one another to implement the proper waste management,” she said.

According to Belmonte,the TFSWM and the City Engineering Department have been regularly conducting cleanup

and dredging activities respectively to declog the city’s creeks and rivers.

Richard Santuile, action officer, said the city’s waterway cleanup activities are also part of the city’s compliance with the ongoing Supreme Court mandamus on the Manila Bay rehabilitation.

“We started our cleanup activities in January this year and this will continue throughout the year,” he said.

Quezon City is also part of the San Juan River rehabilitation project serving as a complementary effort to the Manila Bay mandamus.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Virus-proof May ‘22 polls sought

By Macon Ramos Araneta SENATOR Imee Marcos, chairperson of the committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, yesterday urged the government to make every effort to COVID-proof our elections.

She presided over a virtual hearing on Senate Resolution No. 716 inquiring into the necessary laws to be enacted in order for the Commission on Elections to hold orderly elections for the May 2022 national, local, and BARRM elections with the proper health and safety protocols against COVID-19.

While many elections have been cancelled or postponed throughout the world, Marcos said there were also elections successfully undertaken amid the pandemic.

She cited the case of Palawan wherein residents went to the polling places last March 13 to vote on whether to approve or reject the move to divide the province into three.

For her part, Senator Cynthia Villar underscored the need for the Comelec to purchase additional vote counting machines in order to allow the poll body to increase the number of polling precincts.

Without additional polling places, Villar said the additional health protocols that would be observed during the elections could further slow down the voting process and “It is unlikely for the Comelec to finish it in one day.”

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino asked Comelec officials if an election could be conducted in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in May 2022 even without an electoral code.

Comelec Director Teopisto Elnas opined that local elections could be conducted in BARMM but they would have difficulty in conducting parliamentary elections because they have operational and administrative issues on the matter.

AFTER THE STORM. A resort maintenance worker removes garbage washed ashore after a night of intermittent rains in Noveleta Cavite on Thursday, June 3, 2021, brought about by tropical storm Dante. Danny Pata

Health workers assured of daily allowance in QC

CAPACITY EXPANDED. Local tourists enjoy swimming at a beach resort in Cavite on June 3, 2021, despite scattered rains and strong waves spawned by Tropical Storm Dante (international name Choi wan). Starting June 1, resorts in areas under a general community quarantine have been allowed to operate at 30% capacity. Norman Cruz

AN ORDINANCE granting daily allowance to volunteer health workers in vaccination sites has just been approved by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.

The city mayor signed a measure granting volunteers a daily allowance of up to P2,500, to provide proper compensation to medical professionals who would help augment Quezon City’s medical workforce and inoculate the residents.

Starting June 1, anyone who would sign up as a volunteer would be remunerated per day based on the following categories: P2,500

for medical doctors, P1,400 for dentists and nurses, P1,300 for post-graduate interns, P1,000 for other allied medical professionals, and P800 for midwives.

“It is only right and just that we give them a daily allowance so they won’t be spending their personal funds for transportation and food, for example,” she said.

“This could be a big help for their services, especially we lack medical staff, such as doctors and nurses who are qualified to vaccinate,” she added.

Under Ordinance No. SP-3024 or An Ordinance Granting Daily

Allowance to the COVID-19 Vaccination Volunteer Medical Staff, the city government would pay for food, transportation and other necessities of the volunteer medical staff serving at any of the city’s COVID-19 vaccination sites.

Starting June 1, anyone who would sign up as a volunteer would be remunerated per day based on the following categories: P2,500 for medical doctors, P1,400 for dentists and nurses, P1,300 for post-graduate interns, P1,000 for other allied medical professionals, and P800 for midwives.

Rio N. Araja

A4

News

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

Año to PNP: Tighten rein on cops, get regular neuropsychiatric tests Probe sought on ‘untimely’ PPA biddings

By Maricel V. Cruz A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Thursday sought a congressional inquiry on what he has described as the untimely conduct of public biddings on government ports, sea terminals, and ports facilities by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) under its new terminal leasing and management rules and regulations.

In filing House Resolution 1822, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Alfonso Umali Jr., vice chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Committee, asked the House Committees on Good Governance and Public Accountability and on Transportation, to conduct the congressional inquiry in aid of legislation.

Umali said in his resolution that the biddings have been “marred by corruption” and that the activities are “grossly disadvantageous to the government amid this lingering COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic.”

The resolution identified five government ports as allegedly being awarded by PPA officials “to a favored corporate entity.”

The ports are Puerto Princesa Port, Ormoc Port, Tabaco Port, Legaspi Port, and Calapan Port.

The common allegation from Umali regarding the five ports is that the Philippine government had been deprived of huge sums of money due to the PPA’s choice of bidder, which usually did not even offer the highest bid for the projects.

“The officials of the PPA, taking advantage of their position and influence, have given unwarranted benefits, advantage, and preference to a single corporate entity through manifest partiality, collusion, and evident bad faith,” the solon said in HR No.1822.

He pegged the amount lost by the Philippine government through these projects at P1.2 billion, because the winning contractor “posted only a minimum bid despite the fact that there [were] other qualified bidders who posted higher bids.”

Without naming any entity in particular, Umali said: “These so-called ‘chosen few’ big companies are primarily focused on the PPA bidding with an intention to monopolize the management of the ports.”

I

NTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday said he has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to tighten measures that will instill discipline among its ranks in the wake of cops shooting civilians to death, including two incidents caught on video that went viral on social media in a span of six months.

“My guidance is for the PNP leadership and chain-of-command to strictly supervise their men and instill discipline in the ranks,” Año said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.

“Review the SOP (Standard Operating Procedures)/Protocols on police officers who are off duty. Fast-track/ expedite resolution of pending cases and continuously account personnel with cases who are stationed at holding units,” he added.

Año also instructed the PNP to conduct periodic neuropsychiatric tests as

well as necessary counseling programs for concerned police officers in all units.

PNP Chief General Guillermo Eleazar acknowledged the need for regular neuropsychiatric tests for all police personnel amid growing reports of incidents of violence involving police officers.

In a statement, Eleazar said the PNP is “seriously considering” the tests given the nature of duty of the police while underscoring its limited resources for these tests.

“The PNP will study this recommendation of subjecting our personnel

to regular psychiatric assessments or tests… However, I would also have to admit the limitations, at present, in our healthcare capacities and services,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights on Thursday said it regretted the new position of the Palace preventing the full and unqualified access to cases involving alleged extrajudicial killings, most by the police, linked to the government’s drug campaign.

“The new statement from the government is a setback just when the Philippine National Police has already agreed to open around 7,000 cases to the Department of Justice for investigations.

The recent developments made by DOJ and PNP would have been a start in demonstrating a functional justice system if not for this new roadblock,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said. Rio N. Araja

MONUMENT WORK. Workers from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines polish the Dr. Jose Rizal bronze statue at the Rizal monument in Luneta on Thursday in preparation for the 123rd Philippine Independence Day on June 12, 2021. Danny Pata

Cash-to-goods tack barred under Bayanihan 2—solon THE Department of Health and several government hospitals may be violating the Bayanihan 2 law on the payment of cash incentives Congress has granted health workers, a party-list lawmaker said.

Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said Thursday he has received complaints that instead of cash, specialty hospitals in Quezon City are giving the incentives in the form of food items.

The solon, who formerly represented Quezon City in Congress, said health

workers in these hospitals expected to receive up to P40,000 in additional emolument last week, but were told they would get it in the form of rice and groceries.

“Because of the pandemic, the Bayanihan 2 law grants our health personnel a special monthly risk allowance on top of their hazard pay and other benefits. As far as I could remember, the mandate is to give these benefits in cash,” Defensor added.

He lamented that the payment of the

additional compensation has already been delayed by several months and would now be given in kind.

“That deprives our health workers of spending flexibility. Since June is school enrollment period, they might want to spend their money on their children’s tuition or school supplies,” Defensor stressed.

He warned health and hospital officials they would be open to suspicion if they proceeded to covert funds for cash incentives into food items. Maricel V. Cruz

DOH-Calabarzon seeks better hygiene as 68 typhoid cases listed in 5 months

SAFETY SEAL. Three SM shopping malls in

Cavite -- including SM Imus and SM Dasmarinas (inset) – were awarded a Safety Seal by their local governments, certifying that the establishments follow health protocols implemented by the IATF for the safety of shoppers against COVID-19.

Norman Cruz and JR Josue

A TOTAL of 68 cases of typhoid fever were recorded in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region from January 1 to May 29 this year as the Department of Health (DOH) regional office continued to remind residents to practice personal hygiene.

Laguna province recorded the highest incidence of typhoid fever with 30 cases, followed by Cavite with 26, Rizal with 6, and Batangas with 1.

Although there is a significant decrease in cases compared to the same period last year -- with 191 cases recorded by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) – the health department said there is a need to be cautious to avoid the life-threatening illness.

DOH-Calabarzon Regional Medi-

cal Technologist Kimberly B. Cu said typhoid fever is common in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation and lack of safe drinking water sources.

“If you are unsure of the quality of the water, which is untreated, especially those taken from deep wells, it is best to boil it for at least 2 minutes to kill bacteria,” Cu said.

“Also avoid eating unsanitary streetvended food, as they are commonly exposed to insects and various environmental elements,” she added.

When eating raw fruit and vegetables, Cu reminded the public to wash them thoroughly with clean water.

“Essentially, wash hands properly with soap and water before and after eating and also after using the toilet, as it is the best way to control infection,” Cu noted. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Rotary Manila names 29th TOWER awardees THE TOWER (The Outstanding Workers of the Republic) Awards founded by the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) has announced its 29th batch of winners following a recent meeting.

Selected to receive the prestigious TOWER Awards are Lyka A. Castillo of Nestle Philippines Inc., Nell D. Pagkalinawan of OpenText (Philippines) Inc., Danilo M. Nazareno of Philippines Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation, Marven M. Rosario of Energy Development Corp (EDC), Mark Dennis D. Josol of Ibiden Philippines Inc., and Moises I. Bandong of JTEKT Philippines Corporation.

This year’s project committee is led by RCM PPJesus M. Pineda Jr., as Chairman of TOWER Awards 2021, with RCM Foundation Inc. chair Herminio S. Esguerra as Co-Chairman and Robert Lim Joseph, President of Rotary Club Manila for year 2020-2021.

RCM launched this annual search for outstanding blue collar workers of the country nearly three decades ago, and eventually included in its coverage white collar (non-supervisory) workers.

It aims to recognize the contributions to economic de-

velopment of the legions of skilled workers who constitute the backbone of our country’s manpower capacity.

The awards program transcended the confines of a club’s concern because of its nationwide reach and significance in uplifting the Filipino workers morale and social statues leading to greater prestige at the workplace—to the entrepreneur/employer and colleagues, to the family and the community, while enhancing individual career opportunities and promoting industrial peace.

The RCM Tower Awards is a legacy project and the first in Asia.

RCM project partnerships are with People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Palawan Express, and Herma Group.

A Board of Judges, composed of different business sector leaders, carefully interviewed the six finalists, and assessed carefully how these exemplar workers, whose initiative and interest in their craft, were deserving of this national recognition.

TOWER AWARDEES. Selected to receive the prestigious TOWER

Awards are (clockwise from top left) Lyka A. Castillo of Nestle Philippines Inc., Nell D. Pagkalinawan of OpenText (Philippines) Inc., Danilo M. Nazareno of Philippines Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation, Marven M. Rosario of Energy Development Corp (EDC), Mark Dennis D. Josol of Ibiden Philippines Inc., and Moises I. Bandong of JTEKT Philippines Corporation.

T3 biz coalition backs expanded vax rollout to A4 priority list

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta A PRIVATE sector coalition organized to consolidate the business community’s COVID- 19 response efforts fully supports the government’s decision to expand the vaccination rollout to the A4 priority sector starting June 7.

Guillermo “Bill” Luz, Taskforce T3 proponent and Chief Resilience Officer of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, said Thursday the inclusion of A4, majority of whom represent the economic frontliners, will help the private sector greatly in the reopening of their businesses.

“The private sector believes in vaccinating as many people in the soonest possible time so that we may safely reopen the economy. Thus, we support the expansion of the administration of vaccines to the A4 priority sector this June and thank the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) and the national government for this decision,” Luz said.

The group acknowledges that in the 40-59 year-old age group among A4 may be given preference in the implementation, as well as continued priority to be given to A1 to A3, he added.

Meanwhile, only 9 percent of COVID-19 vaccine recipients have missed their schedule for the second dose, contrary to an expert’s earlier statement that half of inoculated individuals missed their second shot, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Thursday.

Filipinos can still get the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine even after missing their schedule by one or two weeks, an epidemiology and data analytics expert working with government also said In other developments: • Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday urged the IATF and the Department of Health (DOH) to remove the 14-day quarantine on fully vaccinated persons entering the Philippines.

• Phase 1 of a study that will look into the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in a “real-world setting” will be conducted in the UP-Philippine General Hospital, its project leader said Thursday.

National Task Force for Covid-19 (NTF) Deputy Implementer Secretary Vivencio Dizon clarified during yesterday’s Task Force T3 monthly update meeting that even with the opening of vaccination to the A4 sector, A1 to A3 will still be prioritized through dedicated special lanes in all vaccination facilities.

Suspect in Clark robbery falls, 2 others hunted

By Jess Malabanan CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—Government agents arrested one of the alleged suspects in a robbery at the well-guarded Clark Hills Subdivision in the Clark Freeport Zone on Wednesday.

Lt. Colonel Soledad Elifanio, chief of the Mabalacat City police, said pursuing cops failed to recover the stolen cash and other items totaling P7.5 million.

She identified the arrested suspect as Richard Dangayan, a former driver of the victim.

Dangayan pointed to his cohorts as Reynaldo Casiao Beatriz and a certain “Migs” who remained at large as of press time.

Clark Hills is a gated subdivision mostly occupied by Koreans and situated at the northern part of Clark Freeport.

Soledad said the incident took place at the house occupied by Koreans on the night of May 31. The suspects led by Dangayan barged inside the house and at gunpoint herded all the occupants in one corner.

The victims were Ghun Lee and Seongjun Park, both Korean tourists, and their Filipina escort Karen Rose Maninggo.

Soledad said the suspects carted away all valuables and cash found inside the victims’ room.

According to the police, the suspects took P25,000 in cash; P1,900; 5 million Korean Won (about P214,000); a gold Rolex Submariner wristwatch worth P1 million; a Tiffany gold bracelet worth P500,000; and a Samsung Thom Browne cellular phone worth P180,000.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

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FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 TODAY mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Biden eyes Russia retaliation over cyberattack US PRESIDENT Joe Biden said he is “looking” at possible retaliation after the White House linked Russia to a cyberattack against global meat processing giant JBS. Asked by a reporter if he would take action against President Vladimir Putin, whom he will meet for a summit in Geneva later this month, Biden said: “We’re looking closely at that issue.”

The ransomware attack on a US subsidiary of Brazilianowned JBS has again prompted accusations that Russia is at least harboring cybercriminals.

Similar suspicions were raised after ransomware hackers forced the temporary shutdown of the huge Colonial fuel pipeline in the eastern United States last month.

Asked if Putin is testing him ahead of their summit, Biden

said “no.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday attributed the attack to “REvil and Sodinokibi,” which experts have said are two names for the same hacking group with ties to Russia, and said it was “working diligently to bring the threat actors to justice.”

“We continue to focus our efforts on imposing risk and consequences and holding the responsible cyber actors accountable,” the FBI said in a statement.

The White House says Biden will bring up US concerns during the summit on June 16, as well as at earlier summits with allies in the G7 group, the European Union and NATO. “We expect this to be an issue of discussion throughout the president’s trip,” Press Secretary

Jen Psaki told reporters.

“Harboring criminal entities that are intending to do harm, that are doing harm to the critical infrastructure in the United States, is not acceptable,” she said.

“We’re not going to stand by that. We will raise that and we’re not going to take options off the table.”

The White House has not blamed the Kremlin directly, only suggesting that criminal groups are operating from inside Russia. However, Psaki said “responsible states do not harbor” cybercriminals.

“President Biden certainly thinks that President Putin and the Russian government has a role to play in stopping and preventing these attacks. Hence, it will be a topic of discussion when they meet,” she said. AFP

NO LAUGHING MATTER. Social worker volunteer Ashok Kurmi, dressed as a clown, interacts with

children while he teaches them how to follow COVID-19 safety protocols inside a slum area in Mumbai, India.

The pandemic has left over 3.68 million dead worldwide. India accounts for almost 10 percent of the global death toll. AFP

AMID COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, RIGHTS GROUP WARNS:

Kids risk ‘generational catastrophe’ Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM ADJUDICATION BOARD Region III OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ADJUDICATOR Dinalupihan, Bataan -----------------------------------paradbataan03@gmail.com / (047) 240-5205 IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OR ANNULMENT OF DEED OF CONVEYANCE OVER LOT COVERED

BY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE/CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD NOS.8341/00446476, ALL SITUATED IN BRGY. AGLAMOMA, (NOW BIAAN), MARIVELES, BATAAN GEOVANNI E. ABRIZ, Petitioners, -vs-

R-0301-0029-2021

CANDIDO N. BANTUGAN, JR. PACIENCIANA I. ABELLANOSA AND RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION, Respondents, THE PARPO OF DAR-BATAAN AND THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF BALANGA CITY, BATAAN, Nominal Parties. x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x

T

he coronavirus pandemic has severely affected children’s rights worldwide, with young people risking a “generational catastrophe” if governments do not act, a rights group said in an annual survey Thursday.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the late GLENN G. SARNE consisting of a conjugal condominium unit located at Fountain Breeze Condominium Units High Rise Building 7, covered by Condominium Certificate of Title No. 0102018003990, of the Registry of Deeds of Parañaque City, has been Self-Adjudicated by his lone surviving heir, his lawful wife, DONNA MARIE VILLABLANCA, before the Notary Public Atty.

Rogelio J. Bolivar as per Doc. No. 94; Page No. 10; Book No. IV; Series of 2021.

(MStandard-May 21, 28 & Jun. 4, 2021)

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM ADJUDICATION BOARD Region III OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ADJUDICATOR Dinalupihan, Bataan -----------------------------------paradbataan03@gmail.com / (047) 240-5205

TO : RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION Unit 1403 A, Ritz Towers, Ayala Avenue, Makati City PACIENCIANA I. ABELLANOSA 42-14TH Street New Manila, Quezon City GREETINGS: You are hereby summoned and directed to file your verified answer to the complaint / petition, copy of which is herewith served upon you, within a non-extendible period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof pursuant to Section 1, Rule 7 of the 2009 DARAB Rules of Procedure, attaching therewith the affidavits of witness/es and documentary evidence, if, any.

Both parties are hereby directed to attend the preliminary conference of the case on July 13, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

Dinalupihan, Bataan, May 18, 2121.

HON. NOEL L. PAREL Provincial Adjudicator For the Adjudicator EMILY CRYSTAL M. NACIN Clerk to the Adjudicator

(MS-MAY 21, 28, JUNE 4, 2021)

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM ADJUDICATION BOARD Region III OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ADJUDICATOR Dinalupihan, Bataan -----------------------------------paradbataan03@gmail.com / (047) 240-5205 IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OR ANNULMENT OF DEED OF CONVEYANCE OVER LOT COVERED

BY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE/CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD NOS.8340/00446475, ALL SITUATED IN BRGY. AGLAMOMA, (NOW BIAAN), MARIVELES, BATAAN

IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OR ANNULMENT OF DEED OF CONVEYANCE OVER LOT COVERED BY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE/CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD NOS.8445/00446496, AND 8444/00446495 ALL SITUATED IN BRGY. AGLAMOMA, (NOW BIAAN), MARIVELES, BATAAN LORD BYRON E. ABRIZ AND ROLANDO A. ABRIZ, Petitioners, -vs-

THE PARPO OF DAR-BATAAN AND THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF BALANGA CITY, BATAAN, Nominal Parties. x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING TO : JUANCHO T. BORBOR Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan ARTURO D. PARAS Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan ARTURO D. PARAS Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION Unit 1403 A. Ritz Towers, Ayala Avenue, Makati City

GEOVANNI E. ABRIZ, Petitioners, -vs-

R-0301-0028-2021

CANDIDO N. BANTUGAN, SR. MANUEL C. CUBACUB AND RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION, Respondents, THE PARPO OF DAR-BATAAN AND THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF BALANGA CITY, BATAAN, Nominal Parties. x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING TO : RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION Unit 1403 A, Ritz Towers, Ayala Avenue, Makati City

GREETINGS: You are hereby summoned and directed to file your verified answer to the complaint / petition, copy of which is herewith served upon you, within a non-extendible period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof pursuant to Section 1, Rule 7 of the 2009 DARAB Rules of Procedure, attaching therewith the affidavits of witness/es and documentary evidence, if, any.

Both parties are hereby directed to attend the preliminary conference of the case on July 13, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

Dinalupihan, Bataan, May 18, 2121.

HON. NOEL L. PAREL Provincial Adjudicator

MANUEL C. CUBACUB 502 Mabolo Street, CEMBO, Fort Bonifacio, Makati City

For the Adjudicator

GREETINGS: You are hereby summoned and directed to file your verified answer to the complaint / petition, copy of which is herewith served upon you, within a non-extendible period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof pursuant to Section 1, Rule 7 of the 2009 DARAB Rules of Procedure, attaching therewith the affidavits of witness/es and documentary evidence, if, any.

EMILY CRYSTAL M. NACIN Clerk to the Adjudicator (MS-MAY 21, 28, JUNE 4, 2021)

Both parties are hereby directed to attend the preliminary conference of the case on July 13, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM ADJUDICATION BOARD Region III OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ADJUDICATOR Dinalupihan, Bataan -----------------------------------paradbataan03@gmail.com / (047) 240-5205

Dinalupihan, Bataan, May 18, 2121.

HON. NOEL L. PAREL Provincial Adjudicator For the Adjudicator EMILY CRYSTAL M. NACIN Clerk to the Adjudicator

(MS-MAY 21, 28, JUNE 4, 2021)

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM ADJUDICATION BOARD Region III OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ADJUDICATOR Dinalupihan, Bataan -----------------------------------paradbataan03@gmail.com / (047) 240-5205 IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OR ANNULMENT OF DEED OF CONVEYANCE OVER LOT COVERED

BY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE/CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD NOS.8342/00446477, ALL SITUATED IN BRGY. AGLAMOMA, (NOW BIAAN), MARIVELES, BATAAN GEOVANNI E. ABRIZ, Petitioners, -vs-

IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OR ANNULMENT OF DEED OF CONVEYANCE OVER LOT COVERED BY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE/ CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD NOS.8314/00 446441,8346/00446481, AND 8348/00446483 ALL SITUATED IN BRGY. AGLAMOMA, (NOW BIAAN), MARIVELES, BATAAN LORD BYRON E. ABRIZ AND ROLANDO A. ABRIZ, Petitioners, -vs-

THE PARPO OF DAR-BATAAN AND THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF BALANGA CITY, BATAAN, Nominal Parties. x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING TO : RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION Unit 1403 A, Ritz Towers, Ayala Avenue, Makati City

R-0301-0024-0026-2021

CELSO RAMENTO JR., GUILLERMO MARTINEZ, HELEN CRUZ PIODO AND RANCHO ANA LIZA RESORTS, INC, Respondents, THE PARPO OF DAR-BATAAN AND THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF BALANGA CITY, BATAAN, Nominal Parties. x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING

R-0301-0030-2021

TORIBIO P. MENDIGORIN, BERNARDO C. TALAMO AND RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION, Respondents,

TO : CELSO RAMENTO JR. Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan GUILLERMO MARTINEZ Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan HELEN CRUZ PIODO Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION Unit 1403 A. Ritz Towers, Ayala Avenue, Makati City GREETINGS:

BERNARDO C. TALAMO 42-14TH Street, Brgy. Mariana, Quezon City GREETINGS: You are hereby summoned and directed to file your verified answer to the complaint/petition, copy of which is herewith served upon you, within a non-extendible period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof pursuant to Section 1, Rule 7 of the 2009 DARAB Rules of Procedure, attaching therewith the affidavits of witness/es and documentary evidence, if, any.

Both parties are hereby directed to attend the preliminary conference of the case on July 13, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

You are hereby summoned and directed to file your verified answer to the complaint / petition, copy of which is herewith served upon you, within a non-extendible period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof pursuant to Section 1, Rule 7 of the 2009 DARAB Rules of Procedure, attaching therewith the affidavits of witness/es and documentary evidence, if, any.

Both parties are hereby directed to attend the preliminary conference of the case on July 13, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

Dinalupihan, Bataan, May 18, 2121.

Dinalupihan, Bataan, May 18, 2121.

HON. NOEL L. PAREL Provincial Adjudicator

HON. NOEL L. PAREL Provincial Adjudicator

For the Adjudicator

For the Adjudicator

(MS-MAY 21, 28, JUNE 4, 2021)

R-0301-0022-0023-2021

JUANCHO T. BORBOR, ARTURO D. PARAS, AND RANCHO GUAY RESORTS CORPORATION Respondents,

EMILY CRYSTAL M. NACIN Clerk to the Adjudicator

EMILY CRYSTAL M. NACIN Clerk to the Adjudicator (MS-MAY 21, 28, JUNE 4, 2021)

Millions of children have missed out on education because of COVID-19 restrictions while there will be a long term impact in terms of their physical and mental health, Dutch NGO KidsRights said as it launched its annual ranking.

The survey ranks Iceland, Switzerland and Finland as best for children’s rights and Chad, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone as the worst, out of a total of 182 countries.

Marc Dulleart, founder and chairman of KidsRights, said that the effects of the pandemic on children had “unfortunately exceeded our predictions at the outset last year.”

“Apart from patients of the coronavirus, children have been hardest hit, not directly by the virus itself, but fundamentally failed through the deferred actions of governments around the world,” he said.

“Educational recovery is the key to avoiding generational catastrophe,” Dulleart added.

The group said schools for more than 168 million children have been closed for almost a full year, with one in three children worldwide unable to access remote learning while their schools were shut.

An additional 142 million kids fell into material poverty as the global economy was hit by the pandemic, while 370 million kids missed out on school meals.

KidsRights paid tribute to Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford for his campaign to extend free school meals.

It also hailed Bangladesh for taking over a national TV channel for home schooling and praised Belgium and Sweden for trying to keep schools open.

Meanwhile 80 million children under the age of one could miss out on routine vaccination for other diseases because of disruption to healthcare systems, it said. AFP

Gunmen kidnap 136 kids from Islamic seminary GUNMEN seized 136 children from an Islamic seminary in central Nigeria over the weekend, the state government said, the latest in a string of such incidents plaguing Africa’s most populous nation.

The Niger state government first reported the raid on the school in the town of Tegina on Monday, but did not indicate the number of children seized.

Armed gangs are terrorising inhabitants in northwest and central Nigeria by looting villages, stealing cattle, and taking people hostage.

More than 700 children and students have already been kidnapped by gunmen for ransom since December.

“Niger State Government has confirmed the number of students abducted by bandits at the Salihu Tanko Islamic School, Tegina... to be 136,” the local government wrote on Twitter late on Wednesday.

The state deputy governor Alh Ahmed Mohammed Ketso said that security agencies were “doing their best but don’t have enough logistics,” adding that more help was needed to equip them to confront the criminals.

The attackers did release 11 of the pupils who were “too small and couldn’t walk” very far, the authorities previously said.

The Niger state government said it did not pay ransoms.

“We are trying to negotiate to see how we can bring them back safely,” the deputy governor said. AFP

US military admits killing 23 civilians worldwide last year THE US military took responsibility for unintentionally killing 23 civilians in foreign war zones in 2020, a death toll far below figures compiled by NGOs. The tally included civilian fatalities in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria, according to the Pentagon report.

The US Department of Defense “assesses that there were approximately 23 civilians killed and approximately 10 civilians injured during 2020 as a result of US military operations,” reads in part the document, an annual report required

by Congress since 2018 – even though parts of it remain secret.

Most of the civilian casualties were in Afghanistan, where the Pentagon said it was responsible for 20 deaths, according to the public section of the report.

One civilian was killed in Somalia in February 2020 and another in Iraq in March. The document released to the public does not specify when or where the 23rd victim was killed.

The document says that although Congress allocated $3 million to the Pentagon in 2020 for financial compensation to the families of civilian victims, no such compensation has been paid.

NGOs regularly publish much higher civilian death tolls in areas where the US military is active around the world.

The NGO Airwars, which lists civilian victims of air strikes, said that their most conservative estimates show that 102 civilians were killed in US operations around the world – five times higher than the official Pentagon figures.

The United Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) counted 89 dead and 31 wounded in operations by US-led coalition forces, Airwars said.

In Somalia, where the Pentagon recognizes only one civilian death, Airwars and other NGOs estimate the death toll at 7, while in Syria and Iraq local sources report 6 dead, the NGO said. AFP

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Business

Manila

Standard

TODAY

B3

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market retreats on profit taking; DITO slips

S

TOCKS Fell Thursday on profit taking as investors weigh rising oil prices in the world market ahead of the release of key US jobs data.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 49.82 points, or 0.7 percent, to 6,791.87 on a value turnover of P18.8 billion. Gainers, however, outnumbered losers, 114 to 86, with 51 issues unchanged.

DITO CME Holdings Corp., the the third major mobile phone company, shed 3.1 percent to P9.75, while Monde Nissin Corp. declined 2.8 percent to

P13.10.

Aboitiz Power Corp. of the Aboitiz Group was down 2.1 percent to P22.90, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group slipped 1.7 percent to P37.40.

Most Asian markets rose Thursday, with focus on the upcoming release of key US jobs data, while traders were also trying to gauge when the Federal Reserve will begin reconsidering its ultra-loose monetary policies in light of a robust economic recovery.

Oil prices also extended gains, fueled by growing optimism that the re-openings and coronavirus vaccine rollouts will lead to a surge in activity over the coming months and ramp up demand.

Friday’s non-farm US payroll figures will provide the most recent snapshot of the world’s top economy, with expectations for a big jump as businesses restart and people return to some semblance of normality.

In Asia, the mood remained broadly upbeat though early momentum was lost through the day.

Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai, Jakarta and Taipei rose, though Hong Kong was weighed by a drop in property firms. There were also losses in Shanghai and Wellington.

Observers pointed out that the recovery in the jobs market is not as smooth as hoped as some choose not to return to work yet owing to a number of issues including lingering virus fears and the

handouts in President Joe Biden’s stimulus earlier this year.

And they added that increased demand for labor is adding to upward pressure on inflation—as wages rise and some companies offer cash incentives—which is already being fired along by supply shortages and high energy costs.

This in turn is causing a headache for the Fed, which has pledged to keep its accommodative monetary policy in place for the foreseeable future but also has to make sure price spikes do not get out of control.

The ultra-loose policies, including record-low interest rates, have been a key driver of a surge in equities from their nadir in April 2020. With AFP

Manila

Standard

European air travel groups expect chaos at airports PARIS—A year after the coronavirus pandemic emptied airports, air travel associations fear chaos during Europe’s summer holiday season as travelers could wait hours before boarding planes due to health checks.

Strict controls are still in place at most European airports even though vaccination campaigns are making progress and infection rates are falling.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported last week that on average, people traveling at peak times now stay twice as long at airports—three hours—compared with 2019.

That time is generally spent checking in, passing security and immigration controls, picking up checked bags and making it through customs.

And there’s the new reality: Airlines having to check passengers’ COVID tests, temperature and other health documents.

The wait time has increased even though the volume of traffic is “only about 30 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels,” an IATA statement said.

The sector lobby group warned that time spent in airports could swell to five hours and 30 minutes if traffic rebounds to 75 percent of its pre-pandemic level, and even longer “without process improvements.”

If traffic fully returns to normal, the IATA estimates people could spend up to eight hours getting to their planes and back out at their destinations. AFP

TODAY

Cust 1603 via V Agrik Mea Quo

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING OF ALLIED CARE EXPERTS (ACE) MEDICAL CENTER-GENSAN INC. DEAR STOCKHOLDERS: Please take notice that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Allied Care Experts (ACE) Medical Center -Gensan Inc. will be held on June 17, 2021, Thursday, at 1:00 in the afternoon; the meeting will be conducted via Zoom Webinar. Kindly confirm your presence for the meeting by registering on or before June 14, 2021.

To register for the meeting, click the link below: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtce2gpjgrHdVzl7a805TuAwSFzZf6CXkJ

Inter usin gov. pres

Forc tariff

The link will provide you the process for the registration. You will receive a confirmation email once you have successfully registered in the platform, including the details and procedures in the conduct of the meeting. Voting will be done via the online tool which you can access once you have logged in to the zoom meeting. The host will launch the following voting link during the meeting, where participants will be prompted to cast their votes. https://acegensanvote.app/

CRUISING The MSC Orchestra cruise ship sails across St. Mark’s basin past St. Mark’s Basilica as it arrives on June 3, 2021 in Venice, Italy, to dock at the city’s Santa Chiara maritime port. Before the coronavirus pandemic brought the industry to a halt, cruise ship traffic boomed in Venice, bringing millions of extra visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage city. But to critics, giant tourist vessels were an eyesore and potential safety hazard, passing exceptionally close to Venice’s historic buildings, as well as a threat to the fragile ecosystem of its lagoon. AFP

Oil builds on gains on bullish demand hopes NEW YORK—Oil prices extended their rally Wednesday on growing expectations for demand as the global economy recovers, while equities rose in Europe and edged higher in the United States.

Crude futures in New York closed at $68.83 a barrel, their highest level since October 2018, while futures in London climbed to their highest level since May 2019.

The rally comes a day after the so-called OPEC+ group confirmed its production plan amid optimism of increased consumption in a reopening global economy.

On Tuesday, OPEC+ agreed to continue lifting output in July, having started slowly doing so in early May. “The demand picture has shown clear signs of improvement,” said Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

But not everyone is sold yet on this bullish demand picture.

“The jury is still very much out on just how fast

oil demand will recover,” said a note from Louise Dickson, oil market analyst at Rystad Energy.

“The prevailing market expectation is that oil consumption will outpace supply by summer, but the demand euphoria is still receiving daily doses of reality as COVID-19 cases are boundlessly spreading in India and other parts of Asia.

The bump in oil has given a fillip to energy firms, though broader US stock markets have struggled to advance much.

Major US indices eked out gains, with energy equities the biggest winner, while health, industrial and materials sectors all pulled back.

Investors have been torn between optimism over the recovering economy and worries over higher inflation.

“We’re in a bit of a holding pattern, where the major indices remain just below all-time highs but the momentum hasn’t been there for a test of those levels,” TD Ameritrade market strategist JJ Kinahan said in a trading note. AFP

Please note the following voting procedure:

2. Use the input box to cast votes on preferred candidate/s. You may indicate the desired number of votes in the input box for each candidate or you may cast all your avail-able votes on a single candidate.

3. Review your preferred list of candidate/s. A pop-up box will show your chosen candidate/s. Kindly review.

4. Click “Submit” to confirm your votes.

5. Click “Export PDF” for your voting receipt. This will let you download a PDF of your voting receipt. This is optional.

20, 30 or more on some flights.

Manila Standard The relegation has Fil-Ams up in arms.

TODAY Local Filipino leaders in the LA area have written in protest to the city and to LAWA. Communities are decrying the move, which NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING was announced during Asian American OF CAREof EXPERTS (ACE) MEDICAL CENTER-GENSAN INC. Heritage month in May. AdultALLIED children older Fil-Ams make it a DEAR pointSTOCKHOLDERS: to ensure that act decisively to put a stop to this madness. their parents travel comfortably—they Please take noticeare that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Allied Care Experts (ACE) Mayor Garcetti recently Medical Center -Gensan Inc. willLA be held on JuneEric 17, 2021, Thursday, at 1:00 in thedeclared afternoon; up in arms over the situation. the meeting will be conducted via Zoom Webinar. Kindly confirm your presence for the meeting his office stands with the Asian American by registering on or before June 14, 2021.

Discrimination? community, particularly To register for the meeting,Pacific click the linkIslander below: Social media is abuzz with comments. in the wake of recent racist assaults on https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtce2gpjgrHdVzl7a805TuAwSFzZf6CXkJ Bella Cristobal wrote, “We are in our 70s Filipino-Americans and Asians in [and] we may have to reconsider flyingyou the process for the registration. You willother The link our will provide receive a confirmation email once you have successfullyCalifornia registered in the platform, including the details and procedures and around the US preferences. We don’t want toconduct be stressed out Voting will be done via the online tool which you can access once in the of the meeting. you have logged in to the zoom meeting. host will launch of the following voting linkto during the On The other issues importance Asian before we even leave.” Joel Ellen Angeles meeting, where participants will be prompted to cast their votes. communities, to Fil-Ams in particular, the also wrote: “That’s very bad news for senior https://acegensanvote.app/ citizens like us, short of saying we’re not mayor should stand firmly with these very Please note the following voting procedure: welcome.” Chris Asuncion asked: “Is it a important fellow Americans.

1. Log in using the link and voting codeis provided ACE. Voting will bethis gen-erated This notby the firstcodes time has matter of discrimination by onthethe partwhich of LAX system will be given to the election committee once the list of voters are final. The codes will be provided to the respective voters by the election committee via email or SMS happened.

For several months back in officials?” through the email address or mobile number that you have submitted to the corporation.

2018, LAWA required most PAL flights to Discrimination or neglect?2. Use Fil-Ams the input tend box to cast votes on preferred candidate/s. You may indicate the desired use a very remote in a distant part of number of votes in the input box for each candidate or you gate may cast all your avail-able votes to be the forgotten community in the US, on a single candidate. maybe because they are not usually the the airfield, accessible only by bus. The 3. Review your preferred list of candidate/s. A pop-up box will show your chosen candidate/s.

Kindly review. most vocal. But Fil-Ams have made great rationale was that PAL departure times had bevotes. moved to a later time so that flights 4. Click “Submit” to confirmto your contributions to American society. could in Manila after the NAIA Americans as well as Europeans and for your votingarrive 5. Click “Export PDF” receipt. This will let you download a PDF of your voting receipt. This is optional. runway reopened (NAIA closed down the Middle Eastern peoples are well served The meeting shall be recorded (visual and for futurehours reference. foraudio) several every night to

by Filipino medical front-liners, and runway The Agenda: undertake repairs and resurfacing).

Once their heroism during the pandemic is I. Call to Order the runway repairs were completed in unquestioned.

II. Invocation 2018, PAL flights moved back to the main III. Determination of Quorum Filipinos served in the US IV. armed forces— Welcome Message from the Chairman of the Board Bradley terminal at LAX,Meeting to the Reading and ApprovalTom of the Minutes of the Y2020 Annual Stockholders’ veterans of several warsV. and military VI. Annual Financial Report relief of passengers.

VII. President’s Report campaigns. Many older travelers are retired VIII. Ratification of the Acts and Proceedings of the Board of Directors, Officers, and So what’s the reason for the forced Management of the Corporation servicemen, wanting to go home to the IX. Election of the Board transfer of Directors to MSC now? LAWA cannot blame Philippines to reunite with families, but are X. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2021 XI. Adjournment forced to wait for the worst of the pandemic runway repairs at NAIA. They can’t even Only stockholders of recordpoint at the close of business on at MayLAX 28, 2021 (Record Date) why shall to congestion (the reason to recede. Now that they can travel, be entitled to notice ofthey and to vote at the meeting. If you cannot personally attend the meeting, you may opt to send your proxy to attend in yourwas behalf.

Kindly submit your duly executed proxy the MSC built) because the pandemic face a new obstacle. form with the undersigned, via email, at compliance.acemcgensan@gmail.com not later than 14, 2021, to enable your proxy to register in the Zoom Webinar.

A sampleand of thelower proxy has led to many flight cutbacks Fil-Ams deserve betterJune than beingatexiled form is available the Corporation’s website for your reference. [NOTE: Management is not soliciting proxies] travel volumes, so there are lots of available to the MSC. PAL is fighting for more than The Information Statementgates and Management SEC Form 17-A will be available at the Report TomandBradley main terminal. its own interest—as a atflag carrier must. the Corporation’s website at http://acemcgensan.com/.

The other major Asian airlines, though, are The airline is also fighting You for may thecontact welfare the undersigned via email at compliance.acemcgensan@gmail.com, or through telephone number: (083) 553-3595 , ifput you have inquiries or concerns regarding the meeting. staying at Tom Bradley. of fellow Filipinos who are its most valued Very truly yours, passengers.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or LA City intervention RHODORA G. GAGWIS Secretary The Los Angeles city Corporate government should extrastory2000@gmail.com

(MS-JUNE 4, 2021)

IN ANN

BY T OWN 8348 BIAA

LOR

The meeting shall be recorded (visual and audio) for future reference.

The Agenda: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI.

Call to Order Invocation Determination of Quorum Welcome Message from the Chairman of the Board Reading and Approval of the Minutes of the Y2020 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting Annual Financial Report President’s Report Ratification of the Acts and Proceedings of the Board of Directors, Officers, and Management of the Corporation Election of the Board of Directors Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2021 Adjournment

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on May 28, 2021 (Record Date) shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting. If you cannot personally attend the meeting, you may opt to send your proxy to attend in your behalf. Kindly submit your duly executed proxy form with the undersigned, via email, at compliance.acemcgensan@gmail.com not later than June 14, 2021, to enable your proxy to register in the Zoom Webinar. A sample of the proxy form is available at the Corporation’s website for your reference. [NOTE: Management is not soliciting proxies] The Information Statement and Management Report and SEC Form 17-A will be available at the Corporation’s website at http://acemcgensan.com/.

CEL PIOD

x----

TO :

GRE

copy rece there

at 1:

You may contact the undersigned via email at compliance.acemcgensan@gmail.com, or through telephone number: (083) 553-3595 , if you have inquiries or concerns regarding the meeting.

Very truly yours, RHODORA G. GAGWIS Corporate Secretary (MS-JUNE 4, 2021)

LA airport offers vexing gate option to PAL and Fil-Ams FILIPINO-AMERICANS in Los Angeles, California may soon experience an inconvenient trip right from the start when they begin their journey to the Philippines.

The City of Los Angeles, and its subentity the Los Angeles World Airports or LAWA (the authority that runs Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), will require Philippine Airlines starting June 15 to move its planes to a distant boarding gate area known as the Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC), a newly-built boondoggle that cost the Los Angeles over $1.7 billion to develop.

The city’s largest Asian-American community—the Filipino-Americans—and their older and frailer members will be the most effected by the gate change. PAL, the only airline offering the direct flight (five times a week during this pandemic, but up to 18 or 20 times a week during normal times), will also suffer from the incomprehensible decision. PAL is favored by Fil-Ams in southern California, who want to fly nonstop to Manila to visit their families in the ancestral homeland.

The move, scheduled on June 15, will require PAL flyers to walk an additional 20 minutes through a tunnel burrowed under the tarmac and aircraft taxiway, using a series of escalators/mobile walkways and long walking stretches to get to the remote gate area. The tunnel is the only connection between the main Tom Bradley terminal area, where PAL’s passengers check in for their flights, and the MSC, which is only a boarding area.

PAL naturally protested the move, calling it “forced,” citing the impact on its largely Filipino or Filipino-American customers.

Most affected, of course, are the elderly and less physically-abled FilipinoAmericans who specifically choose to fly on PAL because of the convenience of nonstop flights, convenience being one of the things they prize. Try flying on a transpacific flight to the Philippines, and count the wheelchairs lined up at the gate for elderly Filipinos—10,

(MS-JU

1. Log in using the link and voting code provided by ACE. Voting codes will be gen-erated by the system which will be given to the election committee once the list of voters are final. The codes will be provided to the respective voters by the election committee via email or SMS through the email address or mobile number that you have submitted to the corporation.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to Section 1608 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and in relation to Section 1603 (b) and 1603 (h) of same, the Tariff Commission (Commission) will conduct a Public Hearing via Videoconferencing (PHV) on the petition filed by the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) to increase the Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) rates of duty on Meat of Swine, Fresh, Chilled, or Frozen (AHTN 2017 subheading 02.03) to 40% (InQuota) and 44% (Out-Quota) [TCI (TM) No. MFN-2021-Meat of Swine-2].

The PHV will be held on 25 June 2021, at 10:00 a.m., using Microsoft Teams.

Interested parties are required to register their participation on or before 23 June 2021 using the registration link posted on the Commission’s website http://tariffcommission. gov.ph/. Parties who intend to make presentations are also required to submit their presentation slides to the Commission on or before 23 June 2021.

For inquiries and other details, Director Ma. Lourdes M. Saluta, Head of the Task Force for this case, may be reached at the following email addresses: TC.Assist@mail. tariffcommission.gov.ph or Records@tariffcommission.gov.ph.

Issued this 2nd day of June 2021, at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson (MS-JUNE 4, 2021)

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM ADJUDICATION BOARD Region III OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ADJUDICATOR Dinalupihan, Bataan -----------------------------------paradbataan03@gmail.com / (047) 240-5205 IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OR ANNULMENT OF DEED OF CONVEYANCE OVER LOT COVERED

BY TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE/CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD NOS.8314/00446441, 8346/00446481, AND 8348/00446483 ALL SITUATED IN BRGY. AGLAMOMA, (NOW BIAAN), MARIVELES, BATAAN LORD BYRON E. ABRIZ AND ROLANDO A. ABRIZ, Petitioners, -vs-

R-0301-0024-0026-2021

CELSO RAMENTO JR., GUILLERMO MARTINEZ, HELEN CRUZ PIODO AND RANCHO ANA LIZA RESORTS, INC., Respondents, x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING TO : CELSO RAMENTO JR. Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan HELEN CRUZ PIODO Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan

GUILLERMO MARTINEZ Brgy. Biaan, Mariveles, Bataan RANCHO ANA LIZA RESORTS, INC. Unit 1403, Ritz Tower, Ayala Avenue Makati City

GREETINGS: You are hereby summoned and directed to file your verified answer to the complaint / petition, copy of which is herewith served upon you, within a non-extendible period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof pursuant to Section 1, Rule 7 of the 2009 DARAB Rules of Procedure, attaching therewith the affidavits of witness/es and documentary evidence, if, any.

Both parties are hereby directed to attend the preliminary conference of the case on July 13, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

Dinalupihan, Bataan, May 18, 2121.

HON. NOEL L. PAREL Provincial Adjudicator For the Adjudicator EMILY CRYSTAL M. NACIN Clerk to the Adjudicator (MS-JUNE 4/11/18, 2021)

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(MS-JU

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

B4 FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

World Bank lending $300m to strengthen gov’t buildings

By Julito G. Rada THE World Bank said Thursday it approved a $300-million (roughly P14.35-billion) loan for a new project designed to enhance the safety and seismic resilience of selected public buildings in Metro Manila and strengthen the capacity of the Department of Public Works and Highways to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

“Metro Manila or the National Capital Region is the seat of government and the country’s population, economic, and cultural center. Enhancing the safety of its buildings and structures while boosting institutional response to disasters will help protect the lives and safety of more than 12 million residents, including the poor and most vulnerable,” said Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand in a statement.

He said the project would also provide much-needed economic resilience for the country.

The Philippines Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project will upgrade about 425 structures including school buildings and health centers to reduce damage from natural hazards such as earthquakes and other climate-related events. This will reduce risks for 300,000 teachers, students, doctors, patients and staff who are the users of these facilities.

It also aims to improve the capability of the DPWH to systematically prepare for and respond to potential overlapping hazards including typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions, and pandemics, particularly in line with its mandate under the different national emergency response plans for multiple hazards.

The project will finance DPWH’s essential equipment to upgrade its capability for communications and restoration of mobility and transport in Metro Manila after a major earthquake. It will also improve core capacities and capabilities to organize operations and coordinate resources to respond to other emergencies.

SMIC completes takeover of 2GO with 52.85% stake

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. said Thursday it completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in transportation and logistics firm 2Go Group Inc. SMIC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it acquired 550.558 million common shares in 2GO from Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp. of businessman Dennis Uy. The shares are equivalent to a 22.36-percent additional stake in 2Go, boosting SMIC’s stake in the company to 52.85 percent from 30.53 percent. The transaction was worth P4.68 billion.

“Following this transaction, 2Go is now a subsidiary of SMIC,” the conglomerate said. It said the additional investment in 2Go is part of its plan to expand its logistics business.

Meanwhile, Chelsea Logistics reported that it completed the sale of additional 230.563 million common shares in 2GO to Trident Investments Holdings Pte. Ltd. The sale was transacted via special block sales through the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. Trident is an entity directly controlled and majority owned by Archipelago Asia Focus Fund II Pte Ltd, a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Singapore and is indirectly controlled by Archipelago Capital Partners Pte. Ltd. Archipelago is a Singapore-based private equity firm that is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to invest across Southeast Asia.

After the sale transactions, 2Go ceased to be an affiliate of Chelsea Logistics.

2Go is the country’s largest integrated supply chain operator whose businesses include shipping, freight forwarding, warehousing and express delivery services. It widened its net loss in the first quarter to P291 million from P108.9 million in the same period last year amid the economic slowdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business Banks approve standstill loan pact with ABS-CBN A

By Darwin G. Amojelar

BS-CBN Corp. said Thursday its lenders approved a standstill agreement effective May 31 this year that will prevent a loan default or legal remedies.

A standstill agreement preserves the status quo and aims to delay any action by lenders which might otherwise take place.

The broadcast network of the Lopez Group did not provide more details, but said it agreed to the banks’ condition about placing certain assets of the company under mortgage.

“The existing lenders of the company today agreed to make its standstill agreement with the company effective, i.e. not to declare any event of default or to exercise any rights or remedies under existing loan agreements, after compliance by the company with the lenders’ condition of the creation of a mortgage

and security interest over certain assets of the company,” ABS-CBN said.

Based on its 2020 annual report, ABS-CBN’s outstanding term loans amounted to more than P27 billion. Major lenders include Union Bank of the Philippines, Bank of the Philippine Islands and other local banks.

The company, which lost its congressional franchise to operate Channel 2, recorded a net loss of P7.22 billion in the first nine months of 2020, compared to a P2.59-billion net profit it booked in the same period last year.

Consolidated revenues tumbled to P17.03 billion in the nine-month period from P32.02 billion a year earlier.

ABS-CBN said about 11,000 workers lost jobs as a result of the closure of Channel 2, its main channel. ABS-CBN continues to air some of its programs through content partnerships with TV5 and Channel 11.

The National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease-and-desist order against company on May 5, 2020, prohibiting it from continuing broadcast

operations.

The House committee on legislative franchises also passed a resolution denying the franchise application of the company.

Among the issues cited by the House committee for rejecting ABS-CBN’s bid for a new 25-year franchise were the alleged dual citizenship of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez III, the possible violation of the constitutional limits on foreign ownership, reported labor and tax violations and other violations of the terms of its franchise.

President Rodrigo Duterte, himself, asked the NTC not to allow the broadcast network to resume operations unless the embattled media firm settles its tax deficiencies. The Lopez Group, however, denied having outstanding loans with the state-owned DBP. Several lawmakers, however, filed bills to provide the broadcast network with a new 25-year franchise. These include the measures filed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Batangas 6th District Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, June 3, 2021

-49.82 PTS. 6,791.87

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

3,707,538,383 104,113 18,783,383,562.33 114 86 51

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.8210

Japan

Yen

0.009128

0.4365

UK

Pound

1.417500

67.7863

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128888

6.1636

Switzerland

Franc

1.113834

53.2647

Canada

Dollar

0.830910

39.7349

Singapore

Dollar

0.756315

36.1677

Australia

Dollar

0.775000

37.0613

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655478

126.9876

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

12.7526

Brunei

Dollar

0.753466

36.0315

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032113

1.5357

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0203

Euro

Euro

1.221300

58.4038

Korea

Won

0.000900

0.0430

China

Yuan

0.156703

7.4937

India

Rupee

0.013708

0.6555

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242542

11.5986

New Zealand

Dollar

0.723500

34.5985

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036015

1.7223 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

Marcventures’ profit increased 220% in 2020 MARCVENTURES Mining and Development Corp. said Thursday it closed 2020 on a high note with a 220.7-percent increase in net income.

It said from a positive stand point of P165 million in 2019, net income further rose to P530 million in 2020 as gross revenues doubled (100.8 percent) from P1.43 billion in 2019 to P2.87 billion in 2020.

MMDC’s nickel ore shipments increased by 21.2 percent from 1.42 million wet metric tons in 2019 to 1.732 million WMT of saprolite ore in 2020, reflecting a leap to 32 shipments from 26 vessels in 2019.

MMDC said this year, it is looking at shipping 2,035 million WMT of both saprolite and limonite ore, supported by a capital expenditure programmed at P27.64 million.

The company said the solid financial performance is strengthened by its commitment to preserve the environment and support host communities. The company continues to provide livelihood opportunities, educational and health assistance to all 42 communities in the municipalities Cantillan, Carrascal and Madrid in Surigao del Sur.

Gov’t debt reached nearly P11t in April

BIKE FOR LIVELIHOOD. Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, along with the MVP Group of Companies, teams up with Gretchen Ho’s Donate A Bike, Save A Job program to celebrate First Pacific Co. Ltd.’s 40th anniversary, the International Bicycle Day and Manuel Pangilinan’s upcoming 75th birthday. The ‘Bike for Livelihood’ program will distribute more than 500 bicycles to beneficiaries across the country. Attending the ceremony are (front row, from left) DABSAJ founder Gretchen Ho, PNP chief for administration Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Interior Undersecretary Nestor Quinsay Jr., (second row) PLDT Inc. chief revenue officer and Smart president Al Panlilio, MVP Group chairman Manuel Pangilinan, MPIC president Jose Ma. Lim, (third row) OMF president Jeff Tarayao, PSF president Esther Santos and MPIF president Melody del Rosario.

Blueleaf Energy, SunAsia to build 1,250-MW solar plants

By Alena Mae S. Flores BLUELEAF Energy, a portfolio company of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, and local renewable energy firm SunAsia signed a partnership agreement to develop 1,250 megawatts of solar projects in Luzon.

The partnership signed this week coincides with the growth forecast for the Philippine solar energy market.

“We are pleased to partner with SunAsia to drive forward Philippines’ green energy transition. This marks another milestone as we partner with reliable, strategic local developers to expand the solar industry across Asia,” Sol Proops, interim chief executive of Blueleaf Energy, said in a statement

Thursday.

The Philippines is increasingly focused on renewable energy, and targets the delivery of an additional 10,000 MW of solar energy by 2030, which would be in excess of 20 percent of the energy mix.

Blueleaf Energy is a leading solar energy company dedicated to developing high-quality projects. Over the past 20 years, Blueleaf has developed, built and operated almost 2,000 MW (2GW) of solar capacity across the globe, including over 500 MW in the Asia Pacific region and 250 MW in the Philippines.

The partnership brings together Blueleaf’s financial and deep in-house technical capabilities and SunAsia’s

local development experience. The collaboration is poised to significantly contribute to the achievement of Philippines’ renewable energy goals.

“With BlueLeaf Energy as our partner, we are in a stronger position today in helping the industry attain the renewable energy targets set by the implementation of the country’s Renewable Portfolio Standards,” SunAsia chief executive Tetchi Capellan said.

“This cooperation raises the bar of project development work in the country as the partnership offers the renewable energy market innovative solar solutions that are both viable and appropriate to local conditions,” Capellan said.

THE total outstanding debt of the national government reached P10.991 trillion as of end-April, up by P217.49 billion or 2 percent from the end-March 2021 level because of the net availment of both local and external financing, the Bureau of the Treasury said in a statement Thursday.

It said that of the total debt stock, 28.9 percent was sourced externally while 71.1 percent was domestic borrowings.

Domestic debt amounted to P7.812 trillion, P67.78 billion or 0.9 percent higher than the end-March 2021 level following the the net issuance of government securities.

From the end-December 2020 level, outstanding domestic debt increased by P1.117 trillion or 16.7 percent.

External debt hit P3.178 trillion, P149.71 billion or 4.9 percent higher from the previous month. “For April, the increment to external debt was due to the net availment of foreign loans amounting to P163.01 billion including P146.16 billion from the issuance of global bonds,” the Treasury said.

Julito G. Rada

Converge ICT buys 40% of Digital Crossing CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. said Thursday it acquired a 40-percent stake in an operator of cable landing stations in the Philippines for $4.84 million.

The fiber optic broadband operator said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it signed an agreement with Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. to buy 10 million common shares in Digitel Crossing Inc. for $0.484 apiece or a total price of $4.84 million.

Converge ICT said the full purchase price was paid in cash upon the signing of the deed of absolute sale. “Acquiring DCI will promote synergies in the telecommunications business of Converge and is meant to implement the joint venture between Converge , DCI and Pacnet Network [Philippines] Inc.,” it said.

“Bringing DCI into CNVRG will promote the strategic imperative of CNVRG to expand its capabilities in telecommunications since it acquires interest in entities involve in providing, operating and maintaining the cable landing stations of EAC and C2C international cables,” Converge ICT said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Consumer advocates to confront ‘lies’ on vaping A LIVE panel discussion of vaping advocates and experts vowed to tackle a fresh round of “mistruths” about vaping in the media on Sunday.

The Advocates Voice, or TAV, has a growing following among tobacco harm reduction supporters and the public. Sunday’s episode will be simulcast on the Facebook page of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates. Questions from viewers to the panel are encouraged.

Hosted by CAPHRA, TAV’s sixth episode will premiere at 12 p.m. Hong Kong time or 4 p.m. New Zealand time. It will include a panel discussion on the World Health Organization’s latest Tobacco Product Regulation report and its guidance for harm reduced products which CAPHRA described as deeply disturbing.

“WHO’s negative and obstructive approach towards safer nicotine vaping products continues to impact smoking cessation rates, costing lives globally.

WHO continues to treat smoking and nic-

otine vaping as the same and ignores all the science,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of CAPHRA. “We will discuss TobReg [tobacco product regulation] and the action that advocates can take, and what consumers and the public need to do to protect their rights to make informed choices for their health,” she said.

TAV is keen to confront a recent avalanche of mistruths and myths about vaping which the media seems determined to publicize, according to CAPHRA. “The ‘youth vaping epidemic’ seems to have made a comeback as a media favorite, but we have some very solid empirical data which quashes any emotion some are trying to drum up. Some media now also suggest that vape flavors might be dangerous to inhale. Then we have other ridiculous claims such as the one by SPCA New Zealand that nicotine vaping is harmful to pets! TAV will deal to all these, plus any other baseless beat ups, in its typically full and frank format,” Loucas said.

CENTURY PACIFIC HOUSING. Pacifica Homes Development Corp., the real estate arm of Century Pacific Food Inc., launches its first affordable residential project—the Hamana Homes in Magalang, Pampanga. Hamana Homes is a 15-hectare residential project that has been well-planned because upon entry, commercial areas are planned together with a transport terminal to cater to the resident’s needs. Leading the capsule laying ceremony for Pamana Homes is Pacifica Homes president and chief executive Oscar Pobre (left) and the PHDC management team.

Tokong, Blancada stay alive in world surfing JOHN Mark Tokong thrived in the long period swells off La Bocana beach and got good scores out of it in the fourth day of competition of the 2021 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games.

The 25-year-old multi-titled local surfer from General Luna in Siargao made the right moves in the second round of the repechage heats as he collected enough points with his timely maneuvers to reach the third round.

His big efforts on both rounds allowed Tokong to reach the fourth round on Day 5, where he will go up against a tougher field, led by world no. 17 Matt Givillray of South Africa and Europe’s no. 2 Dylan Groen of Germany.

In Round 2, Tokong managed to weave his way inside a long swell twice before dropping down during the first of two attempts, giving him 5.5 points for a total of 9.03 points.

Tokong qualified to the third round with South America’s no. 16-ranked Leandro Usuna, who had a 9.1 point tally.

“Mark had the priority on the last wave. And he made use of his priority in the last wave so his opponents won’t be able to pass him. And he scored 5.73 points,” said national coaching staff member Adam Dufner in a message to the Manila Standard.

Tokong took a commanding lead after getting on top of one of the first waves that were coming in during a moment when there were long-period swells as the wave that he rode in moved faster than the ones that came behind it.

Southeast Asian Games gold medallist Nilbie Blancada joined Tokong in reaching the third round of the repechage in the women’s division over at El Sunzal.

The 29-year-old Blancada, who struggled and bowed out of contention in Round 3 of the regular round, will be up against Argentina’s Omella Pellizari, Canada’s Paige Alms and Gida Legatti of Italy in Round 4.

Eighteen-year-old Vea Estrellado and Daisy Valdez who had tough moments, were among the Filipino bets who finally fell out of contention, with Estrellado getting 7.36 points in fourth place in Heat 84.

Estrellado was bunched into an elite field, led by British surfer and world no.

25 bet Lucy Campbell, who advanced to Round 3 at the end of women’s action in El Sunzal with 9.9 points, and with Indonesia’s Kailani Johnson following behind with 8.77 points.

Valdez was in the same group with provisionally qualified Olympian Shino Matsuda of Japan, who earned the day’s highest heat total with 17.07 points, including an excellent 9.07-point ride in one of her two attempts. Peter Atencio

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

Sports

Philippine surfer Vea Estrellado (front) tries to tame the waves, with Pablo Franco behind.

Obiena stuns Olympic champ, bags gold in Sweden tourney

By Peter Atencio

E

RNEST John “EJ” Obiena showed why he is among the Top 10 pole vaulters in the world.

The 25-year-old Obiena cleared 5.7 meters on his first attempt to earn the gold medal in the men’s action of the Göteborg Friidrott Grand Prix 2021, the first in the Folksam Grand Prix series in Sweden.

He could have done better as Obiena tried the height of 5.8 meters.

But he missed all his three attempts after Obiena was not able to make the proper adjustments with his approach.

“I could have done better. I could have gone to 5.8 meters. Kailangan ko pang mag-adjust,” said Obiena to his supporters in the Philippines after his event.

Obiena was encouraged to make an attempt at 5.8 meters after his training partner Thiago Braz of Brazil made an effort to go for 5.75 meters.

Unfortunately, Braz, who is the 2016 Rio de Janeiro gold medallist, also fell short on his bid.

Braz instead settled for the silver medal with his 5.65 meter effort.

Paul Haugen Lillefosse of Norway took the bronze medal with hid 5.6-meter performance.

It was the first outdoor competition for Obiena, who is set to see action in The Netherlands and in Germany in the coming days.

Obiena has moved up in the rankings over the last six months and is now con- Ernest John Obiena: I could have done sidered as among the Top 10 pole vaulters better seeing action in the Tokyo Olympics.

According to current Olympic Obiena’s ranking got a big boost rankings listed by World Athletics, with his best showing this year back Obiena is tied with Timur Morgunov in February. of Russia and Torben Blech of That was when Obiena broke the naGermany at 10th position. tional record for the second time in Torun,

Tokyo ‘20 chief: Olympics 100 percent on TOKYO—The Tokyo Olympics are “100 percent” certain to go ahead, the chief organizer said Thursday, but warned that a major coronavirus outbreak mid-Games could slam the door shut on fans.

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto made the comments exactly 50 days before the pandemic-postponed Olympics, which remain plagued by public opposition.

“I believe that the possibility of these Games going on is 100 percent that we will do this,” Hashimoto told BBC Sport, adding that fans could be locked out during the Games.

“The biggest challenge will be how we can control and manage the flow of people,” she said.

“If an outbreak should happen during the Games times that amounts to a crisis or an emergency situation then I believe we must be prepared to have these Games without any spectators.”

Overseas fans have already been barred, and a decision on whether to allow domestic spectators is expected after Tokyo’s coronavirus state of emergency ends on June 20.

Despite the lingering uncertainty,

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Models present the medals along with the podium and music to be used for the medal ceremonies at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games during an event to mark 50 days to the opening ceremony, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. AFP

organisers marked 50 days to the July cluding podiums made with recycled 23 opening ceremony by revealing plastic. They also released the victory details of the medal ceremonies, in- music for the gold-medallists.

“We have 50 days left. I feel like I can hear the sound of the athletes’ footsteps heading to Tokyo,” Hashimoto said at the ceremony in the Ariake arena, a Games venue.

“We’re fully ready and prepared with infection prevention measures, so please feel safe and reassured coming to Japan,” she added.

“And for Japan to feel safe in welcoming you, I ask you, all the athletes, to be responsible with your actions, to follow the rules.”

10,000 volunteers quit Japan has seen a smaller Covid-19 outbreak than many countries, with just over 13,000 deaths. Around three percent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

But organizers face persistent domestic opposition, with around 80 percent of people in national polls backing a further delay or cancellation.

Hashimoto earlier told Japan’s Nikkan Sports daily that postponement was not an option, and a cancellation was virtually inconceivable.

“If various countries around the world experience very serious situations, and delegations from most countries can’t come, then we wouldn’t be able to hold it,” she said.

“But conversely, unless such a situation emerges, the Games will not be cancelled.” AFP

Didal seeks podium finish at world tourney in Rome FRESH from the 2021 Dew Tour in Des Moines, Iowa, Margielyn Didal is now at the Street Skateboarding World Championships in Rome, Italy.

Didal, who advanced to Friday’s semifinals, is aiming for a podium finish that will secure her a spot at the Tokyo Olympics in July.

The World Championships is the final qualifier for the street event of the inaugural Olympic skateboarding competition. An estimated 200 athletes from more than 40 countries are competing in Rome, where the top three podium finishers in the men’s and women’s events qualify directly for the Olympics.

World ranking points will also be awarded at the event.

The women’s skateboarding competition at the Olympics will feature 20 athletes - the top three finishers at the World Championships, the top 16 from world rankings and one from the host country, Japan.

Didal, currently ranked 14th in the World Skate rankings, is on track to move up the ranks as she continues her stellar performance at the Championships this weekend.

“Being able to compete against the best of the world is definitely helping raise my own level,” said Didal. “I’m really excited to have qualified for the semifinals and hope to make it to the finals.”

The men’s and women’s semifinals and finals at the World Championships can be watched live on Red Bull TV, an official broadcast partner of the competition.

Event schedule (Philippine Standard Time): Friday | June 4, 2021 -- Women’s Semifinals Heat 1: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM; Heat 2: 8:10 PM – 9:40 PM; Heat 3: 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM Saturday | June 5, 2021 -- Men’s Semifinals Heat 1: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM; Heat 2: 8:10 PM – 9:40 PM; Heat 3: 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM Sunday | June 6, 2021—Women’s Final: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM; Men’s Final: 9:40 PM – 11:10 PM Finals: www.redbull.com/int-en/live/world-skatechampionships-rome-finals-2021 For more updates, follow Red Bull Skateboarding (@redbullskateboarding | @redbulls-

kate) and Red Bull Philippines (@redbullph) on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

where he cleared a height of 5.86 meters to earn the silver medal during the Orlen Cup 2021 Indoor Athletics meeting.

Obiena’s performance was regarded as the best by an Asian athlete since 2005 when action ended at the Atlas Arena in Łódź, Poland.

Before that, he settled for the bronze medal in another showdown with world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States and seasoned veteran Piotr Lisek of Poland in the men’s pole vault event of the Copernicus Cup 2021 indoor athletics meet in Torun, Poland.

Obiena cleared the same height of 5.80 meters with Kendricks and Lisek, making a clean attempt of his third try for third place.

So far, Armand Duplantis of Francis, whose best effort was at 6.18 meters last year, is ranked no. 1, with Kendricks following in second, and Renaud Lavillenie of France in third.

Lisek is fourth, with American KC Lightfoot in fifth.

Cui Yuanpu (Formula1)

Mercedes adds 13-year-old Chinese to junior F1 squad SHANGHAI—Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team have added a 13-year-old from China to their junior squad, with Formula One yet to produce a driver from the world’s most populous nation.

Cui Yuanpu, who has been karting since the age of six, joins several other potential F1 stars of the future in Mercedes’ young driver programme.

“He’s the top karting talent from China and there hasn’t been a Chinese F1 driver yet so we’re looking forward to seeing how Yuanpu progresses and helping him move up the racing ranks,” said Mercedes driver development advisor Gwen Lagrue.

China held the country’s first grand prix in 2004 at its Shanghai circuit, and also has ambitions to stage a street race.

But there has never been a Formula One driver from China, which is seen as critical for developing the sport’s ambitions there.

Formula Two driver Zhou Guanyu, who is top of this season’s standings, is in pole position to change that.

“I would say definitely I’m the closest ever to get into Formula One as a Chinese driver,” the 22-year-old told AFP earlier this year, cautioning that “the last step is the hardest”.

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Sports

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

Serena survives scare; Tsitsipas, Medvedev make final 32

Baffert gets 2-year ban at Kentucky Derby over doping

PARIS—Serena Williams survived a French Open scare to extend her latest bid for an elusive 24th Grand Slam singles title with a three-set victory over Mihaela Buzarnescu on Wednesday, while men’s fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and world number two Daniil Medvedev also reached the third round.

The 39-year-old Williams, who has been one short of Margaret Court’s alltime record of most major trophies since 2017, brushed off a second-set blip to win 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

The American, seeded seventh, will play compatriot Danielle Collins for a last-16 berth as she looks for a fourth French Open crown, but first since 2015.

“It was good competition, she was playing well and I was playing well,” said the former world number one, who has withdrawn injured mid-tournament on two of her last three visits to Roland Garros.

Williams has already seen two of her likeliest title rivals either fail to start the tournament or pull out in unprecedented circumstances.

World number three Simona Halep, who defeated Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final, withdrew before the event with injury.

The biggest story of the week so far has been world number two Naomi Osaka’s shock withdrawal after a press boycott, saying she has been suffering with “bouts of depression” since her breakthrough triumph over Williams in the controversial 2018 US Open showpiece match.

Williams started well on Wednesday with a comfortable opening set, but paid for missing seven of eight break points in the second as world number 174 Buzarnescu forced a decider.

But she double-faulted on break point in the first game of the third set and Williams cruised to the finish line.

Tsitsipas lays down early marker Tsitsipas, regarded as the favourite to reach the final from his half of the draw, put in a strong display to dispose of Spaniard Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

The Greek, who lost an epic semifinal to Novak Djokovic last year, next faces big-serving American John Isner.

“We’re here at a Grand Slam and it’s a big opportunity... But of course it’s going to be a challenge,” said the 22-yearold Tsitsipas, who has never reached a major final. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Legendary US trainer Bob Baffert was banned from the Kentucky Derby for two years on Wednesday, hours after confirmation of a positive drugs test against his winning horse Medina Spirit in this year’s race.

A statement from Churchill Downs Inc, which operates the Kentucky Derby, said Baffert would be barred from entering horses at the track until the end of the 2023 Spring Meet.

It means Baffert—one of the most successful trainers in US racing history—will not be allowed to enter the Kentucky Derby until the 2024 season.

Baffert, 68, has been at the centre of a doping scandal after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned steroid after powering to victory in last month’s Derby.

It marked the fifth time in the past year that a horse trained by Baffert has failed a doping test.

In its statement announcing Baffert’s suspension, Churchill Downs said the ban was necessary to preserve confidence in the integrity of the sport.

“Reckless practices and substance violations that jeopardize the safety of our equine and human athletes or compromise the integrity of our sport are not acceptable and as a company we must take measures to demonstrate that they will not be tolerated,” said Churchill Downs chief executive Bill Carstanjen.

“Mr Baffert’s record of testing failures threatens public confidence in thoroughbred racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby.

“Given these repeated failures over the last year, including the increasingly extraordinary explanations, we firmly believe that asserting our rights to impose these measures is our duty and responsibility.”

Churchill Downs added that it could extend Baffert’s suspension if he was found to have committed any additional violations in any other racing jurisdiction. AFP

Danny Green and Mike Scott of the Philadelphia 76ers fight Robin Lopez of the Washington Wizards for the rebound during Round 1, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP

Sixers, Hawks, Jazz advance; Mavs win L

OS ANGELES—The Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz powered into the conference semi-finals of the NBA playoffs on Wednesday as an electrifying display from Luka Doncic took the Dallas Mavericks to the brink of a series victory.

Seth Curry’s 30-point display helped the Sixers shrug off the injury absence of Joel Embiid as the top seeds completed a 4-1 playoff series win over the Washington Wizards with a 129-112 win in Philadelphia.

The fifth-seeded Hawks brought the New York Knicks’ season to an end with a 103-89 victory at Madison Square Garden to clinch the best-of-seven series 4-1 after a bruising contest.

The Sixers and Hawks will now meet for a place in the Eastern Conference finals.

In the Western Conference, top seeds Utah outclassed the Memphis Grizzlies 126-110 to wrap up a 4-1 win in the best-of-seven series, with Donovan Mitchell’s 30-point haul steering the Jazz into the next round.

But the individual performance of the night came at the Staples Center, where Slovenian prodigy Doncic erupted for 42 points to help the Mavericks to a 105-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

It was the fifth straight road victory of a roller coaster series, and leaves the Mavericks 3-2 ahead with two games to play.

“I played terrible at the end but we got a win and that’s all that matters,” said Doncic, who wants Dallas to replicate their away form in game six in Texas.

“We’ve got to play like we play on the road,” he said.

‘Team win’ Tim Hardaway Jr was the only other player to crack double figures for Dallas with 20 points.

The Clippers meanwhile were left

ruing a costly late missed layup by Nicolas Batum with less than 10 seconds remaining which would have given them a 102-101 lead.

Instead the Mavs defence held firm to leave the Clippers needing to win their final two games to stay alive.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Philadelphia shrugged off the news of Joel Embiid’s knee injury to dispatch Washington.

“It was a great team win,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said afterwards. “I just love how we played. We got down early, but no panic set in.

“They really believed they were the better team today. They played with that kind of confidence. It was what you would call an all hands in, team win for sure.”

After a tight first half, Philadelphia pulled clear in the third period, outscoring the Wizards 38-31.

Another burst of scoring midway through the fourth period sealed the contest, with Curry, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris scoring six unanswered points to put Philadelphia 118-100 ahead with just under six minutes to play. AFP

5 reasons to start biking this World Bike Day 2021 JUNE 3 is World Bike Day! Whether you haven’t graduated from training wheels or can easily tell a band clamp from a braze-on derailleur, there’s always a reason to enjoy bike rides. Most people know it keeps them active and healthy, saves money, and reduces traffic and pollution.

This World Bike Day, experts weigh in on the often unsung benefits of cycling based on experiences in their different organizations and from riding countless hours in the saddle. From the big to the small, here are five not-so obvious reasons to hop on a bicycle today: 1. It helps the economy Cycling drives economic growth. Not only does it get people to work on time at little to no cost, it also creates jobs in bike tourism, repair shops, and courier services, among others.

“Cycling hits so many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said National Bicycle Organization head Benedict Camara. In fact, a study shows that it can positively impact the world’s future by helping save nearly USD $6 trillion glob-

ally over the next decade.

2. It fosters a sense of community When Ekong Caruncho and friends started biking to work, it led them to form what would become Bike to Work Philippines. “We were still curious about how to repair our bikes, what routes to take, etc. This curiosity prompted us to create a group, a small one at least, to learn from others.

By word of mouth, the small group began to grow exponentially,” he said.

Aldrin Pelicano of MNL Moves shared a similar experience when people found his Facebook page: “Followers became friends along the way and sharing the same vision of a walking and cycling Metro

Manila has helped grow my personal advocacy into a community.”

3. It promotes equality On the road, all bikes are equal. Moreover, cycling advocates that everyone, regardless of gender or economic status, should be equal.

“Cycling presents opportunities for a better life in helping people get to work, school, and markets. It is also a gateway to gender equality, especially in societies where females are kept from driving motorized vehicles. Safe infrastructures can encourage more women and girls to use bikes,” said Camara.

4. It teaches everyone to be kind Cycling can help people adopt a more compassionate worldview. “Biking everywhere helped me experience what is lacking in terms of policy and infrastructure for the majority of commuters who travel outside of motor vehicles,” said Pelicano.

At the same time, non-bikers are urged to share the road, respect bike lanes, and be cautious around bikers. “Adapt and be kind. Biking is new for most of us, so if some of us are slow and uneasy, it means that we’re learning as we go,” said Caruncho.

List of teams getting shorter in NBA THE BOTTOM LINE LITO CINCO I WROTE this piece early Tuesday morning, by which time all the 16 teams left in the NBA playoffs have played four games each with varying results.

Earlier, I mentioned that all of these teams, on a good night, are capable of beating one another, due to the depth and talent of their line-ups, especially the top-ranked ones, capable too of sweeping their opponents. I was confident that all the teams will have at least a win each for the losing teams. This came true except for one match up.

And so now, there are teams that are just a game away to extend their NBA season just as there are teams, their opponents, who are just a game away from playing their last game of the season. Two teams have made it into a best-of-three series after ending

up even, and one team has already finished its assignment with a sweep of its opponent.

So let us go to the details. The mighty Bucks of Milwaukee surprisingly swept their series against the Miami Cold, sorry, Miami Heat, who ironically made it to the finals against the Lakers last year. What is good for the Bucks is the fact that its MVP player Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have to overexert himself to try and win all the games by himself like last year when they missed the trip to the semis.

He has been getting his teammates more involved in the scoring and in turn has been getting more rest for the more important closing minutes of the game.

The question is if they can get past their probable opponents, the mightier Brooklyn Nets of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, who between the three of them can win a game by themselves.

One of the teams enjoying a 3-1 lead over its opponents, the Nets have only allowed the Boston Celtics to take one game out of four. The Celtics, minus

Jaylen Brown and now Kemba Walker (unless he returns for duty in Game 5), simply cannot match up with the Nets, period.

The Philadelphia 76ers had the same story, having their way with the Washington Wizards for a similar 3-1 lead and I do not think the Wizards can come up with a magic formula to win the next three games against the 76ers. Just like in the case of Giannis, Philadelphia’s big man Joel Embiid is enjoying an MVP level season, but he has been getting very good support from teammates Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, throw in the maturing Seth Curry.

Embiid only played 11 minutes in their last game and I am not sure if there is a minor injury or the 76ers are simply resting him for the next phase of their campaign. Again, can the Wizards win three straight games? Possible, but in all probabilities, the players cannot and will end up watching the next phase from the comfort of their homes.

But give Washington a couple more of All-Star caliber players to go with Russel Westbrook and Bradley Heal, and

5. It transforms our cities for the better “Who would have ever imagined segregated, protected bike lanes on EDSA?” cited Sunny Sevilla of the Move as One Coalition. “It’s starting to happen!”

The pandemic became a tipping point for the government to address its transport problem. With limited public transit options over the past year, they focused on the capital’s growing number of cyclists. Recently, San Juan and Manila both partnered with Allianz PNB Life to launch the country’s first solar-powered bike pit stop and themed bike racks and art installations.

Together with these local governments and biking organizations, the major life insurer advocates for bike-friendly and sustainable cities, starting with Metro Manila.

“Allianz PNB Life promotes bike safety and education with the Ride Safe campaign. Through our various partnerships, we are able to widen and enrich our advocacy to empower more Filipinos,” said Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer Gino Riola.

The ultimate goal is not for cycling to be considered an alternative, but rather a mainstream mode of transportation.

“At Allianz, cycling is not just a way to get through the pandemic. It is a long-term investment towards a healthier, more progressive Philippines too,” said Riola.

the Wizards will be a contender next season.

Utah Jazz allowed Memphis to take Game 1 in an upset of sorts, then simply overwhelmed Ja Morant and the rest of the Grizzlies in the next three games for a 3-1 lead. And once they get past Memphis, their next opponents will not be patsies—either the Clippers or the Mavericks, currently tied up at 2-2 after the first four games. Problem for Dallas is if Luka Doncic can play at 100% in the next games because of a minor injury. Without him, the Mavericks might as well kiss their title aspirations goodbye.

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks have taken the measure of the New York Knicks with a 3-1 lead and what was evident was that Julius Randle has not been consistent at all in the series and it is former MVP Derrick Rose and RJ Barrett, who have been carrying more the load for the Knicks. Biggest factor right now is the confidence level and the Hawks have plenty of that after seeing themselves reach this level.

The Lakers-Suns’ match up, tied at 2-2, is not easy to predict but with a healthy Anthony Davis, I will give the

edge to the Lakers. Unfortunately, Davis suffered a groin injury in Game 4 and if he does not play, it’s goodbye to Los Angeles’ dream of winning back to back titles.

Denver against Portland is, for me, the harder prediction to make, as it is now down to a best-of-three series, with the two teams alternating wins and are equally matched. The team which will have the bigger motivation and play more consistently will be able to extend its season.

Please do not ask me for my semifinals prediction, and even if I do, please do not bet on it.

P.S. Just an update, the Eastern Conference has already finished with Philadelphia advancing to the next phase at the expense of Washington, 4-1.

Brooklyn likewise ousted Boston with same score, 4-1; Atlanta ended New York’s dreams with a 4- 1 score in their series, while Milwaukee was way ahead with a 4-0 sweep of Miami. The Western side had Utah eliminating Memphis, Dallas taking a 3-2 lead over the Clippers, and Phoenix and Denver only needing to win their next games against the Lakers and the Trailblazers, respectively to advance.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

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Catriona Gray reacts to pageant ‘copycats’

By Nickie Wang PAGEANT critics believe that since winning the Miss Universe crown in 2018, Catriona Gray has become the inspiration of pageant title wannabes “copying” her stage performance from her trending slowmo turn to her sultry walk, and from her hairstyle to her lava gown.

But Catriona sees it differently, or should we say, sees it “with a silver lining.”

In a virtual event held early this week, Catriona was asked by vlogger Albert Abelido of Chikkaness Ave. to give a reaction to pageant contestants who are tagged by pageant fans as “copycats.”

“I understand the resemblance perhaps with my brand because I was very consistent -- the ear cuff, the turn, the slit in the dress -from my national pageant to Miss Universe.

I understand the resemblance maybe in silhouette but I don't think I can take ownership of the side part, the dress, and the era cuff,” Catriona, who is promoting her

singe “R.Y.F.,” said.

“In your journey in representing your country in pageantry, it is all about the girl wanting to feel her most beautiful and her most empowered. So if that’s the style that makes you feel that way, then own it. It doesn't necessarily put them at a disadvantage. People may have the recall but each girl has her own journey and how they wish to portray themselves,” she added.

In speaking of her own journey, Catriona revealed that her “R.Y.F.” single speaks of her coming full circle in her journey as a beauty queen-turned-recording artist as well as her ‘call to action’ towards uplifting lives. “’R.Y.F.’ is an anthem for me. The song is very much a reflection of my journey.

There is no better way to kick off my career in music than by singing this song,” shared Catriona.

“In a way, the role of lending my voice to ‘R.Y.F’ is very similar to being Miss Universe because the song has a message that I believe in,” she added.

Catriona explained that “R.Y.F” goes

beyond its message of patriotism towards standing up for someone or something and advocating causes that matter amid challenging times.

“It’s about raising your voice for something you believe in,” she said. “I know that it’s very trying for us because there are so many surmounting challenges, so it really is just trying to see how you can be of help to someone even in the smallest of ways.”

The new “Raise Your Flag” rendition, with lyrics tweaked by Catriona herself, is a collaboration of ABS-CBN’s Star Music and CS Music. It was released on May 28 and has been included in Spotify’s New Music Friday Philippines playlist.

The empowering single was originally written by Trisha Denise and ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo inspired by the beauty queen’s memorable statements from her Miss Universe journey.

First recorded by singer KZ Tandingan and rapper Kritiko, the song is meant to raise awareness, advocate social movements, and bring inspiration.

Catriona Gray records her own version of ‘Raise Your Flag,’ called ‘RYF,’ the single speaks of her coming full circle in her journey as a beauty queen-turnedrecording artist.

‘Centerstage’ concludes with the FDCP calls on film, audiovisual companies to apply grandest, most exciting finale for income tax holiday incentives

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HE journey of the aspiring Bida Kids reaches its end as GMA Network’s singing competition Centerstage airs the second part of its much-awaited Grand Finals this Sunday, June 6.

The four grand finalists - the heart-warming 12-year-old from Caloocan, Rain Barquin; the future Broadway star from Las Piñas, Colline Salazar; the young social media celebrity from Albay, Vianna Ricafranca; and the newest and youngest Grand Finalist from Bulacan, Oxy Dolorito - return on the virtual stage for the final stretch of the competition.

After keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats in their 4-way battle last Sunday, the second part of the finale features the final one-on-one battle between the Top 2 Finalists to impress the Bida Voters and the Centerstage Judges - Aicelle Santos, Mel Villena, and Pops Fernandez.

Presented by the Centerstage host Alden Richards, together with Side Stage host Betong Sumaya, join the four finalists, alongside their parents, as they tune in live from their respective homes awaiting the big decision.

Who among the four amazing grand finalists will take home the exciting prize package awaiting the Grand Winner? And who will be crowned as first Centerstage Grand Champion?

Every kid is out to prove that they are the one that deserves the title. Watch out for the grandest and most exciting finale of Centerstage, airing on June 6, Sunday, 7:40 p.m. after Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko. Viewers abroad can also catch the program via GMA's flagship international channel, GMA Pinoy TV. For more stories about the Kapuso Network, visit www.GMANetwork.com.

‘Centerstage,’ hosted by Alden Richards, with Betong Sumaya and Aicelle Santos, Pops Fernandez, and Mel Villain as judges, airs its explosive finale on Sunday.

Globe Studios fills Pinoy appetite for socially-relevant content GLOBE, through its entertainment production arm, endeavors to create a more inclusive world by connecting its customers and bringing them together with socially-relevant content.

In “Philippines in View”, the latest virtual conference held by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), the webinar tackled the huge increase in production and consumption of LGBTQ+-friendly content in the country.

Globe Studios Head of Creative Development Kren Yap, one of the panelists during the “Social Change as Media Industry Driver” session, said that while the pandemic has caused mobility restrictions because of the lockdown, it has provided opportunities for the creative industry to develop and introduce new content.

“Our current situation has definitely opened doors and windows for more stories to come out. It has widened the

LGBT-themed series ‘Gaya Sa Pelikula’ is one of the socially-relevant films produced by Globe Studios.

diversification of content we see on online platforms and hopefully soon on television also,” Yap said.

Yap shared that while it is risky to make content such as Boys Love and other LGBTQ+-centered stories in a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines, Globe Studios still gambled on and created the BL series “Gaya sa Pelikula''

which premiered on YouTube last year.

“One thing that I am really happy about with all the BL series that we’ve produced, is to hear people realize that it's not taboo and it’s not so bad after all. We want to be able to change their perspectives and to enlighten them about the humanity behind our stories,” said Yap. Globe Studios also produced other socially-relevant films such as Birdshot, Goyo, Hintayan ng Langit, and Dead Kids (as the first Netflix Filipino Original Film).

“We’d like to believe that we’re starting to make waves, not just for Globe Studios but for all the production studios in the Philippines. We have a lot of stories, series, and movies that are getting across in our neighboring countries in Southeast Asia and also beyond the neighboring countries,” Yap said.

To learn more about Globe Studios, visit https://globestudios.ph/

THE Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is calling on film and audiovisual (AV) companies to apply for the 2020 Investments Priorities Plan (IPP), a tax incentive offered through the Department of Industry – Board of Investments (DTI-BOI).

Signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Nov. 18, the 2020 IPP is a list of preferred investment areas that may be given investment incentives to boost and modernize the Philippine Economy, generate massive levels of decent jobs nationwide, and help solve societal issues on employment, among others.

These investment areas include services that involve original content such as animation and film (motion picture production) wherein approved projects may be entitled to an Income Tax Holiday (ITH) for a maximum of four years with a validity of three years (2020 to 2023) and subject to annual review to accommodate any changes.

Income from sales, advertisements, tickets/box office returns, royalties including publication rights, and rentals for special showing within the incentive period may also be entitled to ITH. “As a heavily affected industry especially by the pandemic, we are grateful to the national government for heeding our plight by including the film and audiovisual industry in the IPP priority sectors. The tax incentives from the DTI-BOI will greatly help our film and audiovisual companies as they continue to keep the industry afloat during these trying times,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

“We hope our companies that invest in their projects will look into applying for the program for a much-needed

incentive,” Diño added.

In an Advisory issued on June 1, the FDCP encouraged film and audiovisual companies to apply to the 2020 IPP for a chance to receive fiscal incentives. “The FDCP enjoins all production companies to apply for the 2020 IPP Incentives and commits to assist stakeholders during the application process,” Diño stated.

According to the DTI-BOI, film and audiovisual companies may apply their film projects under the 2020 IPP subject to the following: • The applicant must be a producer (of film, TV, and other AV content) that has financially invested in a project.

• The project must be applied prior to its commercial release (on any platform).

• One application must be lodged per project.

• All projected financial expenses must be submitted.

As the concerned national film agency, the FDCP may provide an endorsement if required by the DTI-BOI. The endorsement will be on a per-project basis. The FDCP together with the DTI-BOI will also conduct an orientation on the IPP tax incentives and application process.

Applications for the 2020 IPP must be lodged through the DTI-BOI. The requirements for the application are as follows: • BOI Form 501 for projects with PHP 15 million and above budget • BOI Form 001 for projects with PHP 3 million and below budget • BOI Form 002 for projects between PHP 3 million to PHP 15 million • Checklist of attachments For more information, contact the BOI Project Evaluation and Registration Division at 8683-3538 or mddingayan@ boi.gov.ph.

FDCP encouraged film and audiovisual companies to apply to the 2020 IPP for a chance to receive fiscal incentives.

Dani Barretto’s ‘strong skin story’ highlights true strength in forgiveness SOFT-HEARTED people are the strongest. On the last episode of Physiogel’s FB Live Series last May 15, the brand celebrated one strong but soft woman, Dani Barretto.

Before Dani had her daughter Millie, she describes herself as someone who lets emotions get the best of her. Now with Millie looking up to her, she discovered how to change for the better. Leading by example, she teaches her daughter to be more careful of her words and actions – especially when dealing with people who hurt her.

This kind of strength came from her grandmother Hershey, whom she

fondly calls “Momsy”. Dani describes her as a selfless woman who strives to see the good in people who have hurt her in the past. According to Dani, her Momsy taught her that “anger will just make the heart weaker” and that to forgive is to be strong. Her strength in softness inspired Dani to build peace within herself so she’ll be capable of letting go of grudges and resentment.

Since then, Dani decided to not let life’s struggles hold her back. Growing up, she felt insecure because of eczema.

But like how she let go of negative Dani Barretto, with daughter Millie, seen in a recent FB emotions, she learned to be at peace Live that streamed on Physiogel’s official Facebook Page.

with her skin condition by taking care of it with Physiogel. Her must-haves are Physiogel’s Daily Moisture Therapy Dermo-Cleanser and Calming Relief AI Cream. These feature Biomimic Technology that not only helps her gain strong and soft skin but also helped lessen her skin sensitivities thus, helping her gain her confidence back.

Physiogel’s skin-caring products are also her picks when it comes to taking care of Millie’s sensitive skin, keeping it strong and away from nasty irritants.

Choosing to be soft-hearted when you are hurting is such an admirable

display of strength. That's why Dani’s Strong Skin Story proves that the strongest people are capable of forgiveness, whether it’s for other people or yourself. Just like her, take active steps to bring out that softness within you – in the way you deal with people, or even in the way you take care of yourself. Only then can you truly embrace your strength in softness.

Missed Physiogel’s FB Live Series? Watch all three episodes by visiting Physiogel’s official Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ PhysiogelPH

Life

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

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TRAVEL & LEISURE

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

San Agustin Church in Manila, built during the Spanish colonial period, is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

SPAIN REMAINS:

The major Spanish influences in the Philippines

By Virgilio A. Reyes Jr.

T

HE year 1521 was significant in Europe, which was shaken by Martin Luther’s challenge to both the Emperor (concurrently, Spanish King Charles V) and the Roman Catholic Church, headed by Pope Leo X. This was also the year of conquest of Mexico, almost three decades after Christopher Columbus had landed in what would be called the Americas. In the 16th century, the Philippines would be envisioned as a base from which Spain could conquer Asia, just as it was beginning to do in Latin America.

A Portuguese recalcitrant navigator, Ferdinand Magellan, was commissioned by the King of Spain to explore a transAtlantic and Pacific route to Asia, to rival that of the Portuguese.

These unprecedented events in human history were to be followed in March 1521 by the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in Samar and Leyte, and martial encounter with native chieftain Lapu-Lapu on the island of Mactan off Cebu.

An attempt by Magellan to intervene in a local conflict resulted in his death in combat and the beginning of Spanish influence in what would be known as the Philippine Islands. This fatal trip would continue and end in the first circumnavigation of the world captained

by Sebastian Elcano with the survivors of Magellan’s original crew, who landed back in their point of Spain in 1522.

The chronicle written by Antonio de Pigafetta was the first written record of the history and culture of the Filipinos on Magellan’s arrival. The Boxer Codex gives us today the first images of these Filipinos from the 16th century.

From the perspective of 500 years, what would we consider as the main effects of that first historic encounter between the Philippines and Spain, countries which lie at nearly opposite sides of the globe?

Spanish presence in the Philippines may be circumscribed by 333 years of Spanish rule, from 1565 (the conquest of Cebu and Manila) to 1898 (the end of the Philippine Revolution and the cession

by Spain of the Philippines to the United States). The conquest of the Philippines was led by Miguel López de Legazpi and Fray Andrés de Urdaneta, who succeeded in subjugating Manila and laying the foundation of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.

When the Spanish arrived, there had been small potentates established throughout the islands such as in Manila, Cebu, Butuan, Sulu, and Jolo. These had had connections to larger kingdoms and empires based in Java and Sumatra, and traded with China and other Southeast Asian kingdoms. The Philippines had been rich in gold and had many local products sought after in the Chinese mainland. But no local power had yet envisioned unifying the islands or establishing a super-power to reign over all the small barangays.

The following may be deemed to be the principal effects of Spanish influence of 333 years: (1) The definition of the geographical and political configuration of the Philippines corresponding to the area falling under Spanish rule for 333 years. The roughly triangular shape of the Philippines with around 7,107 islands and 300,000 square kilometers emerged from this period of Spanish rule. This has remained constant through the Philippine Revolution, American domination, Japanese invasion, and the independence of the Philippines in 1946 to the present.

This was named the Philippine Islands and subsequently, the Philippines, in honor of then Prince of Asturias (and later King) Philip.

(2) The conversion of the majority of inhabitants of the archipelago to Christianity with an important Muslim minority (principally in Mindanao) and animists in remote areas. Christianity in the Philippines incorporated beliefs and practices from these earlier religions. The Roman Catholic Church still plays a major role in the Philippines, with Protestant and evangelical sects coming into play. This is not surprising since the friar orders including the Dominicans, Franciscans, Recollects, Augustinians, Capuchins, and the Jesuits played a major role in the evangelization of the Philippines.

(3) The transformation of Manila into the central Asian node of the Galleon Trade between Mexico and the Philippines (which was the entrepôt gathering products from Asia for export to Latin America and Europe) for 250 years. The Philippines was thus a pioneer in globalization and became a significant regional economic point in this period.

Spain established the oldest Asian university, Santo Tomas, in the Philippines in 1611 and introduced the first Asian public school system beginning 1863. Among these was the Jesuit Ateneo Municipal, the alma mater of many Filipino heroes and eventually a university. Correspondingly, surrounding nations such as China noticed the importance of the Philippines resulting in significant Chinese migration and intermarriage with Filipinos. Manila was one of the most cosmopolitan cities of Asia in this era.

(4) The awakening of nationalism and awareness of the Filipinos as a separate political entity, as led by Dr. Jose P. Rizal and fellow members of the Propaganda movement of intellectuals and activists in Spain and the Katipunan secret society in the Philippines. This event was inspired by the Constitution of Cádiz and the liberal movements that shook Spain in the 19th

Images of Old Manila and the Philippine Revolution used as book covers.

Gold ornaments from Surigao illustrate preHispanic artistry from the 13th century.

century. Filipino youth from the principalia studying in Spain led in this movement.

The execution of Rizal on December 30, 1896 triggered the Philippine Revolution, which was led by local nationalists such as Andres Bonifacio as well as patriots from the elite and middle class, such as the Luna brothers, Gregorio del Pilar, and Martin Tinio. Philippine independence from Spain was declared in Kawit, Cavite by General (and later President) Emilio Aguinaldo. The Filipinos sought an alliance with the United States of America, not aware of the latter’s plan to establish itself among the Western colonial powers.

(5) Though Spanish was the official language of the Philippines for more than three centuries, it did not survive the American occupation and the postwar years, where English and the national language Filipino (based on Tagalog) replaced it. Eight major languages plus over a hundred more are spoken in the Philippines currently. The various Philippine languages today incorporate many words of Spanish origin in their lexicon. A mixed Spanish-Filipino language called Chavacano has prevailed in Zamboanga City.

(6) Spanish influence is evident today

The Boxer Codex depicts a Filipino couple in red garb and adorned with gold ornaments.

in law, religion, education, language, family names, architecture, the arts, music, cuisine, and customs which have been adopted and blended into the presentday Philippine culture. Flora and fauna from Latin America (primarily Mexico) were introduced to the Philippines via the Spanish trade route here.

There is now a movement by the Philippine government to preserve and maintain heritage sites, while heritage groups and young Filipinos seek to revitalize aspects of Fil-Hispanic literature and language and Fil-Hispanic culture through its built heritage.

The Philippines and Spain have become closer in the modern era, with many reciprocal visits of their heads of state to each other’s countries. The reconstruction of Fort Santiago and Intramuros, as well as the survival of many monuments from the Spanish past, including several in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, have ensured that the shared history of the Philippines and Spain will not be forgotten. It is a coincidence that a King Felipe reigns once more in Spain at this historic time.

Moreover, 2021 represents the 75th year of emancipation of the Philippines from its last foreign ruler.

Adventure travel JUST last week, the biggest tourism organization in the world, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), chose our country to be the venue of the 2021 Adventure Travel Conference and Mart, Asia Pacific’s leading travel trade exhibition dedicated to the adventure travel industry.

The hybrid event, hosted by the Department of Tourism, had its physical activities centered in Clark, where international tourism experts presented evolving trends, opportunities, and issues in the industry, while the latest unique and sustainable adventure products were showcased for two days.

A total of 14 global tourism experts spoke on a variety of interesting topics, including “Delivering What The Next Generation of Adventure Travelers Want”, “Resiliency Is The New Sustainability”, and “Quick Fire Presentations on Culinary, Heritage, Wellness, and Ecotourism”. I am deeply honored and privileged to have been chosen as one of the speakers, with the topic, “Recalibrating Tourism Standards Towards Restoring Travel Confidence”.

The two-day session was attended by several hundred buyers and sellers from all over the world. It had very interesting key takeaways related to various sectors of, and issues in, the industry: Adventure tourism is now being recognized as a global tourism trend, and tourists will now be shifting their attention to new destinations and experiences. Younger generations will be the ones to lead the recovery of adventure travel because, once vaccines make it safe for travel to resume, these young travelers will finally satisfy their pent up craving for travel.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat delivering her welcome remarks.

One of the many colorful booths at the 2021 Adventure Travel Conference and Mart.

Young travelers will lead the recovery of adventure travel.

Our country learned from the six-month closure of Boracay that our tourism industry should pay more attention to destination management instead of destination promotion. The overtourism in Boracay led to its downfall.

Our island attractions should be wary of their carrying capacities, especially now that we have created circuits in different provinces, connecting attractions that highlight local cuisines and culinary heritage. Also, instead of creating food guides and directories to attract culinary travelers, it is more effective to focus on the destination’s unique selling propositions, such as the faces behind the places, and seek sustainable partners to help sell the memories and stories of local food.

What was clear through the various talks during the event is that 65 percent of travelers want to see physical changes that make them feel safer before they start traveling again. Therefore, destinations and travel brands should transparently share with customers the efforts they have made towards this goal.

Giving importance to woman power, the consensus of the event’s participants was to keep women at top of mind, by ensuring their retraining, upskilling,

improving their digital engagement, and providing them leadership opportunities, thus making way for a more equal recovery for all of us involved in the industry.

The segment deemed to be “quality tourists” comes with the highest price to local communities, which will see more benefits by offering these visitors many interesting facets of the place. This is very important because many of our small island destinations have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Many have done well from a health perspective because of border closures, but this came at the cost of losing their small domestic tourism markets.

As to how other countries affect our recovery, the trend of growing disposable income among the younger generation in China will lead to a rise in adventure tourism because it is their new way to show off wealth and status. Since the pandemic, destinations have been seeing growth in adventure products that were not domestically in demand, which implies that there will be a significant desire for these experiences internationally.

In Malaysia, the general segment of adventure travelers will be looking for soft adventures, such as camping and hiking. However, travel brands must

keep in mind that price will be a significant barrier because of high global exchange rates.

Tourists from India may be more hesitant to participate in adventure travel because of concerns from family members, but factors like higher incomes and the ‘‘Bollywood effect’’ (young Indian travelers are influenced by what they see in their movies) have helped relax this barrier.

Most importantly, those of us in the industry must change our attitude and shift from thinking in the short term to planning for the long term. We must keep conservation as the compass of the destination, as this will influence the kinds of plans, decisions, and developments that we make. If we can adopt this view alongside creativity, we will see great outcomes.

This is why I always look forward to international tourism events like this one. The lessons I take home further strengthen my grasp of the industry that has nurtured me since I got my college diploma.

YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE I could never have a romantic relationship with a tennis player. LOVE means NOTHING to them.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com