Manila Standard - 2021 June 5 - Saturday

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Outage threat persists—DOE ‘Insufficient reserves’ reason to raise red alert, House hearing told

By Maricel V. Cruz, Alena Mae Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta

TRICOLORS GALORE.

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A row of Philippine flags on the center island of the main road along Dasmarinas, Cavite june 4, 2021 makes for a visual feast as the nation prepares to celebrate the 123rd Philippine Independence Day on June 12, 2021 for the second year under the virus pandemic. JR Josue

HE Luzon grid will continue to suffer an insufficient supply of power until July 1, with rotating brownouts likely to persist until June 10, the Department of Energy (DOE) told a congressional hearing Friday.

"At the end of this week until next week, we see no power plant coming in, so we will remain below the red line,” said the director of the DOE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, Mario Marasigan. “There are still insufficient reserves, so a red alert will still be raised.”

Marasigan said about 2,000 megawatts of capacity were offline when the red and yellow alerts were raised last week as most power plants were on extended forced shutdowns.

But Marasigan told the committee on energy headed by Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo of Pampanga that the department

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Davao City, GenSan go for tighter lockdown

By Wilie Casas and Rio N. Araja

DAVAO City will be placed under a more restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), while General Santos City will be put under a general community quarantine (GCQ) starting Saturday (June 5) to cope with rising COVID-19 infections, Malacañang announced Friday.

This developed after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATFEID) approved the appeals of local officials from Davao and General Santos cities to impose stricter quarantine protocols within their localities due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque

Most adults fear ‘worst yet to come‘ —SWS poll

VOL. XXXV • NO. 110 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Vito Barcelo

DANTE'S AFTERMATH. Heavy rains induced by tropical storm Dante, which has re-entered the Philippine Area of Responsiblity after hitting land 11 times, leave tons of garbage washing ashore at the Baseco portion of Manila Bay. Maintenance workers are quick to collect the trash. (Full story on page 4.) Norman Cruz

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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 4)

1,255,337 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

7,450 60,794 NEW

ACTIVE

21,537

181

1,173,006

2,382

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

US to give PH doses of ‘significant numbers’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas THE White House has officially named the Philippines as one of the recipients of its vaccine donation, with the delivery expected soon, according to the United States Embassy in Manila.

"The President's been very clear on the US commitment to help countries

US DENOUNCES New, improved CHINESE FLIGHTS VFA version up WORLD / B2 for Duterte OK

By Rey E. Requejo Pag-IBIG MP2, home loans hit record high PAG-IBIG Fund's home loans and modified voluntary savings program have hit record-high levels from January to April despite the ongoing health crisis.

For the first four months of the year, members’ savings under the voluntary Modified Pag-IBIG 2 (MP2) Savings program reached P8.65 billion. On the other hand, home loans released during the period hit P27.39 billion, helping 27,041 members realize their dream of homeownership.

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PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez on Friday said an improved and “strengthened" version of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US that allows Filipino and American soldiers to conduct military training and exercises was awaiting approval by President Rodrigo Duterte more than a year after he ordered its termination.

Romualdez said President Duterte would decide anytime on whether Manila would renew the VFA following weeks of negotiation with Washington officials.

"I know there has been improvement, a lot of time spent by both our countries, our panels on some of the things they want to improve in that agreement. It's now in the Office of the President and I Next page

throughout the world on this. We're going to be seeing vaccines in significant numbers arriving in the Philippines and countries all around the world," Embassy Chargé d'Affaires John Law said in a virtual briefing Friday.

Law expects Manila's portion to be delivered "soon" but he did not provide a specific date, citing the logistical aspects that the White House

needs to sort out first.

"The White House is currently looking at not only the logistical aspects but also, of course, each country may have different regulatory aspects, we're talking about different as well, so I think the White House needs a little bit of time to sort those out but I would expect the announcement very soon," he said.

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ALMOST 90 percent of adult Filipinos are worried that they may catch the deadly COVID-19, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

In its latest report, the SWS also found that more people believed "the worst is yet to come" compared to late 2020.

In November 2020, 91 percent of survey respondents said they were worried about catching COVID-19.

Compared to past SWS surveys, worry about catching COVID-19 is much greater than worries about catching other viruses such as Ebola, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The survey said that more Filipinos this year fear the pandemic will worsen.

"We found a worsening outlook on the COVID-19 crisis as those fearing 'the worst is yet to come' with the COVID-19 crisis rose from 31 percent in November 2020 to 49 percent in May 2021. This is the highest since the 57 percent in July 2020," the pollster said.

"Conversely, those saying 'the worst is behind us' fell from 69 percent in November 2020 to 50 percent in May 2021."

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Razon acquires dominant stake in Manila Water

By Jenniffer B. Austria PORTS and gaming tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. has completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in water utility firm Manila Water Co. Inc. from conglomerate Ayala Corp.

During Manila Water’s special

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AMERICAN-MADE. Vaccine brands such as Moderna and Pfizer are shown

in this file photo but the US Embassy in Manila did not say whether or not these two would comprise the first batch of donation via the Covax facility.

House, Senate adjourn on high note

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz AMID the COVID-19 pandemic, Senate and House officials went on a high note following the 18th Congress as both chambers claimed passing important measures that would help Filipinos and the economy

recover from the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri noted the Senate achieved an “outstanding performance" by passing an “astounding” 72 bills enacted into laws, many of which are coronavirus response measures.

The House of Representatives itself Next page

ENRIQUE RAZON JR.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Fauci asks China for lab records T

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The percentage of those fearing “the worst is yet to come” rose from 31 percent in November 2020 to 50 percent in May 2021 among those who were worried about catching the virus.

The Department of Health said the SWS results show that there is an opportunity to encourage more people to get inoculated.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, during a virtual press briefing, said the DOH would view the survey results in a “positive light.”

Vergeire said vaccination and adherence to health protocols will help contain the transmission of COVID-19.

“We encourage the public to get vaccinated if they are already eligible,” she said in Filipino.

Currently, the Philippines’ vaccination campaign is focused on the top priority groups—health workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and essential workers.

More than 3.9 million individuals have been vaccinated since the launch of the vaccination campaign in March this year.

Another SWS poll also found that 35 percent of Filipinos remain unsure about getting inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine due to reports of fatalities, distrust of the vaccines, and co-morbidities.

The "lab leak" theory has gained increasing traction, fueled by reports that six miners fell ill in 2012 and three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick in 2019 after visiting a bat cave in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan.

In an interview with The Financial

Times on Thursday, US President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor said the records could answer critical questions over the contested origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, where a pandemic that has killed over 3.6 million people worldwide began.

"I would like to see the medical records of the three people who are reported to

have got sick in 2019," Fauci said. "Did they really get sick, and if so, what did they get sick with?

"The same with the miners who got ill years ago... What do the medical records of those people say?" he asked.

"It is entirely conceivable that the origins of Sars-Cov-2 was in that cave and either started spreading naturally or went through the lab."

Fauci has previously said he believes COVID-19 was a natural occurrence, though he has admitted to not being "100 percent" certain.

China wholly rejects the lab leak theory, and has instead accused the US of peddling conspiracies and politicising the

Outage...

ment has set a fixed price on power, he said.

Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Agnes Devanadera said the current tightness of power supply is due to a "confluence of events."

"There is an increase in demand due to the summer season, something that is a perennial problem during this time and also there is a decrease in available supply primarily due to the planned, unplanned and derating of power plants," Devanadera said.

She said most plants in Luzon are 16 years old and can no longer be as efficient as they were before.

She said the ERC is continuing with its own investigation into the power outages that have exceeded the annual limit.

At the same hearing, officials from the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said their customers still experienced brownouts, even though the company has sufficient contracts with power suppliers.

They said the supply from power producers with which they have contracts still need to pass through the Luzon grid.

Once the Luzon grid experiences yellow and red alerts and plunges into deficiency levels, it would then be up to the system operator, the NGCP, to equitably allot the remaining supply of electricity to

other areas in Luzon. It is also the NGCP that determines which areas will experience rotating brownouts.

At present, 90 percent of Meralco’s power supply comes from bilateral contracts and power supply agreements, while the remaining 10 percent is sourced from the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM).

“From a Meralco franchise perspective, we do have ample supply for our customers. Having said that though, the power supply situation in Luzon affects us as well because we are part of the Luzon grid,” said Meralco President and Chief Executive Officer Ray C. Espinosa.

“Once the supply shortage affects the entire Luzon Grid the system operator in consultation with the DOE is forced to undertake manual load dropping. It means even if we are amply covered by our supply contracts, we will have to share in the burden of reducing the supply shortage otherwise significant issues and grid security will be affected,” he added.

The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, assured the public that vaccination sites have contingency measures to deal with possible power outages or heavy rains.

DOH spokesperson and Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said

big vaccination centers have backup generators, which will also be used to power smaller sites in case of a brownout. “[They] are ready for these kinds of disasters,” she said.

Regional health authorities were ordered to inspect vaccination sites and storage facilities in their locality to prepare for rotational brownouts and the rainy season, she said.

The Department of Energy has advised authorities to monitor vaccines in storage facilities amid the brownouts.

But Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on energy, raised concern over what outages could do to the vaccine supply, and how they would affect people who work or study from home.

"We have unstable internet connections and now we have unstable power supply,” Gatchalian said.

He said the Senate conducted similar hearings on power shortages in 2016 and 2019.

He said it is crucial for the DOE to provide long-term solutions to this problem and a specific timeline for these plans, to include the hastening of the build out of new power plants, aggressively utilizing energy efficiency and conservation, and contracting sufficient ancillary reserves.

der MECQ starting today (Saturday) has 2,214 active cases.

COVID-19 infections have been on the rise in the Davao region for the month of May due to the clustering of cases where people convened like in workplaces and gatherings, data from the Department of Health’s regional office showed About 783 Covid-19 cases were recorded in the region in the first week of May, 754 cases in the second week, 961 cases in the third week, and 1,772 cases in the fourth week.

An alarming rise in COVID-19 cases was also evident in General Santos City.

The General Santos City Health Office has noted that the average testing positivity rate in the area is currently at 23.39 percent, higher than the 5 percent threshold set by the World Health Organization.

Other areas under MECQ until June 15 include the City of Santiago and Cagayan, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo City, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga

Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, Butuan City, and Agusan del Sur in Caraga.

GCQ is imposed in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Abra, Baguio City, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Cotabato City until June 30.

The rest of the country stays under a modified GCQ until the end of the month.

The Philippines logged 7,450 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total 1,255,337, as five laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the DOH reported.

This marked the second straight day where more than 7,000 cases were recorded and the 10th day where more than 5,000 cases were reported.

The DOH reported 181 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 21,537.

The DOH also reported 2,382 newlyrecovered persons, bringing the total re-

coveries to 1,173,006.

In other developments: • At least 73 people tested positive for COVID-19 after the food distribution program initiated by Councilor Franz Pumaren in Barangay Old Balara, Quezon City.

“The earlier we find them, the [bette],” said the chief of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Dr. Rolando Cruz.

The city government was able to swab 792 persons out of the 6,000 people who queued the long line in Pumaren’s food distribution. Some 14 individuals are waiting for the results of their swab test. Mayor Joy Belmonte said the event was a super spreader of COVID-19.

• The DOH said the average number of daily new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines during the past week was higher than numbers reported at the start of May. According to DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Dr. Alethea De Guzman, the Philippines averaged 6,691 daily new infections from May 27 to June 2.

mualdez, representative of Leyte's first district and chairman of the House committee on rules, for giving importance and priority to their advocacies during the second regular session of the 18th Congress.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to the Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez for being true to his words that as a tradition in the House, the minority is always the priority. Thank you for that sir,” Paduano said during late Wednesday night's session shortly before the House of Representatives adjourned sine die.

Velasco also credited the hard-working Romualdez for shepherding the passage of pro-people priority legislations under the Duterte administration that cater to the needs of the welfare of the people especially in these challenging and difficult times.

At the Senate, Zubiri said 21 more bills were enrolled for the President’s signature; three more bills were lined up for bicameral conference committee; and 34 bills were approved on third reading.

"There is obviously more to be done, and of course, we will continue to hold hearings on urgent and important measures even as the plenary sessions adjourn," said the Senate Leader.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate was committed to a legislative policy of shepherding government programs and resources to fight COVID-19.

New,...

ing a news conference said, replying to a question, “I’m quite confident that between the Government of the Philippines and the State Department from the United States, we’ll get to some agreement in the future.”

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the United Kingdom's Carrier Strike Group's upcoming visit to Manila would demonstrate freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Lorenzana made this comment in an online conference with British Ambassador Daniel Pruce where several issues of mutual concern were discussed, Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement Friday.

"Secretary Lorenzana welcomed the CSG as well as the port visit to Manila of its component vessel, which will demonstrate freedom of navigation in the SCS and promote closer bilateral relations between the Philippines and the UK," he added.

The UK's CSG is composed of the Royal Navy's brand-new aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, two Type 45 destroyers, HMS Diamond and HMS Defender, Type 23 frigates HMS Kent and HMS Richmond, and an Astute-class submarine along with two replenishment ships.

Pruce reiterated the UK’s position on the SCS issue with an emphasis that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea must take precedence, as well as the UK’s readiness to provide support in related capacity-building efforts.

"Secretary Lorenzana and Ambassador Pruce also took up other matters concerning Philippines-UK defense cooperation, such as acquisition projects, counter-terrorism, and the establishment of a resident defense attaché post in the territory of the other," Andolong said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson described as a "gesture of friendship" the inclusion of the Philippines in the list of of the United States government's recipients of the first 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be shared.

He thanked the United States for making the Philippines one of the first beneficiaries of its COVID vaccine-sharing strategy.

But he also suggested that this be done bilaterally if possible to make sure Filipinos get the vaccines sooner, even as he pushed for greater efforts by our government to enhance people's trust in the vaccines.

"Thank you. We won’t forget this gesture of friendship. Unless World Health Organization protocols are too strict on vaccine donations, it would be better if it’s done bilaterally instead of through COVAX. Our people need the vaccines ASAP," said Lacson on his Twitter account.

The US is donating about 80 million doses of US-made coronavirus vaccine worldwide by the end of the month.

Last June 3, it announced that the initial 19 million doses would be shared through COVAX Facility while approximately six million doses will be sent directly to countries in immediate need or those experiencing surges.

To be coursed through COVAX Facility, approximately seven million doses will be donated to Asia, including the Philippines, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands.

Its direct donation, meanwhile, will be targeted toward regional priorities and partner recipients, including Mexico, Canada, and the Republic of Korea, West Bank and Gaza, Ukraine, Kosovo, Haiti, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, India, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as for United Nations frontline workers.

In other developments: • Pending loans from the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the President's Contingent Fund would be used for the payment of around 4 million doses of vaccines and its logistical costs for the upcoming June 2021 deliveries, said Senator Christopher Go. He commended President Rodrigo Duterte for approving a proposal that would allow the National Task Force Against COVID-19 access to the fund. "This will ensure a continuous and steady supply of vaccines. The move will also ensure that vaccine manufacturers are paid within the month of June, securing the country’s vaccine allocation which is important in the unhampered rollout of the national vaccination program," said Go. • The Department of Health sees no issue with individuals getting inoculated in areas that they are not residents of. This, after two former government officials got their COVID-19 vaccine in Davao City.

“We also need to allow some portability where you can get vaccinated if you go to an area because you are temporarily staying there or what,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. Former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and former Camarines Sur Representative Rolando Andaya Jr. got their COVID-19 jab in Davao City on Wednesday during a visit to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Some netizens have questioned whether Teodoro and Andaya were Davao residents.

nila Water.

Manila Water, in a disclosure to the stock exchange, said Razon’s take over of Manila Water was completed after his company Trident Water Co. Holdings Inc. completed the tender offer conducted for the minority shares of Manila Water.

In 2020, Razon-led Prime Metroline Holdings Inc., on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Trident, entered into

a subscription agreement with Manila Water for the acquisition of 820 million common shares in the company at subscription price of P13 per share. This is equivalent to 11.91 percent stake in the company.

Last February Trident also purchased 2.69 billion preferred shares in Manila Water for P4.8 billion. The purchase of preferred shares boosted Trident’s stake in Manila Water to 51 percent.

OP US scientist Anthony Fauci has urged China to release the medical records of nine people who fell sick with a coronavirus-like illness prior to the outbreak, saying they could provide insights into whether the pandemic came from a lab.

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is hoping the situation will improve in the next few weeks, as more plants that were shut down would go online and as electrical consumption declines.

Arroyo's committee conducted an investigation after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) warned of a looming power crisis and placed the entire Luzon grid under red alert due to insufficient power supply.

The NGCP said the current available capacity in the Luzon grid is at 11,729 megawatts while the daily demand peak reached as high as 11,514 megawatts in the past seven days.

The DOE earlier said it is considering filing charges of economic sabotage against power plants and gathering evidence on those that violated a policy that bans them from conducting preventive maintenance from April to June, when demand for electricity is high.

Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella has said lead lawyers in the Energy Department are gathering evidence.

It was unlikely, however, that power plants colluded to cause a shortage in the supply of electricity because the govern-

Davao...

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said Davao City will be under MECQ until June 20, while General Santos City will be under GCQ until June 30.

Davao City and General Santos City are currently placed under GCQ and modified GCQ, respectively.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte asked the IATF-EID on Wednesday to place the city under MECQ from June 5 to 30 as a “circuit breaker in the surge of patients inside hospitals.”

The Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City said its COVID-19 ICU beds have reached full capacity.

"Our ICU beds are full, all 87 beds -100 percent. Our isolation ward for COVID is also at a very critical level," SPMC medical chief Dr. Ricardo Audan said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.

The city, which has been placed un-

House,...

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said the second regular session in the 18th Congress said it passed vital measures that would help the country's economy stand up from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers will return to the Batasang Pambansa on July 26 for the opening of the third regular session and the final State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

This developed as Speaker Lord Allan Velasco expressed optimism that the reforms and measures enacted by the 18th Congress have “significantly contributed to securing our people’s health and welfare and to hastening our nation’s economic recovery.”

These laws to ease the burden of Filipino who grappled with the difficulties and the challenges of life with the emergence of a novel virus were passed from July 27, 2020 to June 3, 2021.

For his part, Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano has expressed gratitude to Majority Leader Martin Romualdez for allowing them to effectively perform their mandate as fiscalizers of the House of Representatives.

Paduano of Abang Lingkod thanked Ro-

Pag-IBIG...

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"We are happy to report that we were able to achieve two ‘highest-ever’ numbers early on in 2021. The strong showing of our MP2 and housing loan programs is a testament to the trust of Filipino workers in Pag-IBIG Fund,” said Housing Sec. Eduardo del Rosario who also heads the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees.

“Our members are assured that we will continue doing our best so that we can provide them high earnings on their savings while maintaining the low interest on our loans. These are our contributions to the national government’s efforts towards economic recovery under the lead of President Duterte," he added.

In 2020, members saved P13.3 billion in MP2, growing 11 percent from the previous year and setting the record for the highest amount saved in one year.

Pag-IBIG Fund’s home loans also reached a record-high in December last year when the agency released P12.11 billion, the highest amount disbursed in a single month.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti expressed optimism that the agency’s strong performance will continue throughout the year, especially as community quarantine restrictions are being eased to help the economy.

He said the phenomenal performance of its MP2 last year and the increasing amount of home loans released in the last quarter of 2020 continued until the beginning months of 2021.

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expect it to come out anytime now," Romualdez said in a media briefing.

"We are very confident that it will go through," the envoy added.

Duterte last year ordered the abrogation of the VFA after the US, a long-time Philippine defense and treaty ally, revoked the visa of his close ally and former national police chief and now senator Ronald Dela Rosa.

US officials did not cite a specific reason why Dela Rosa's visa was cancelled, but many speculated it was due to his involvement in Duterte's violent war on drugs.

Manila sent an official letter of termination of the VFA to the US on Feb. 11, 2020.

In November 2020, the President suspended the termination of the agreement amid lingering tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. For his part, US Embassy Chargè d' Affaires John Law said there were very specific proposals on how to clarify and strengthen the VFA's implementation that were discussed by both sides.

"Over a series of weeks we had very productive, very good conversations between representatives from both governments," he said.

According to Law, the VFA was a fundamental part to making the MDT successful.

"We are committed to the success of our alliance with the Philippines and that commitment is going to remain strong," he said.

US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Commander, General Kenneth Wilsbach, dur-

Razon...

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board meeting Thursday, Razon was elected chairman, president and chief executive of the water utility firm.

Meanwhile, Fernando Zobel de Ayala stepped down as chairman while Jose Rene Gregory Almendras also resigned as president and chief executive of Ma-

pandemic to divert attention from the high death rates there. Evidence to support the hypothesis is also scant.

UK regulator approves Pfizer for 12 to 15-year-olds Britain's medicines regulator said Friday the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is safe for adolescents aged 12 to 15 after a "rigorous review," following similar assessments in the European Union and United States.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the two-shot jab following clinical trials among younger age groups, saying the vaccine had met the "expected standards" of safety, quality and effectiveness. AFP

Most...

US...

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News

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Kalibo airport gets fresh, new look T

By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Transportation department and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines inaugurated on Friday the newly rehabilitated passenger terminal building of Kalibo International Airport in Aklan, which was rebuilt to accommodate more passengers and provide a safer and more secured travel.

The P48.4 million project covers the expansion and improvement of the terminal building, re-blocking of apron pavement, and the improvement of rescue and firefighting shed, and administration building.

“The important thing is the revitalization and the credibility of our President’s mandate—make the Filipino life comfortable and convenient, safe,” said Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade.

CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco said the terminal building was expanded from 1,584 sqm. to 2,633 sqm. and its its

capacity increased from 344 to 406 passengers, providing additional spaces for the operation of the Bureau of Customs, Immigration, pre-screening, and check-in areas, and additional exterior and interior waiting and queue areas for passengers.

“CAAP has always aimed to provide the best services to its airports’ patrons.

From the reported extreme congestion, dilapidation, and failure in standards and expectations, KIA thrived and befriended the time given by the closure of Boracay Island and this pandemic.

Realizing that a long-term solution is

needed to develop this aged structure, CAAP, with the staunch direction of DOTr, launched the project to rehabilitate KIA’s grandeur,” he said.

The re-blocking of KIA’s apron will help eliminate the potential hazard for aircraft parked at the old apron. While the overall repair and restoration of KIA has improved and restored KIA’s look and facilities as a whole.

CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the inauguration was originally scheduled on June 3. However, due to inclement weather brought by tropical storm Dante, it was rescheduled the following day.

The facility serves the general area of Kalibo, the capital of Aklan province, and is one of two airports serving the island of Boracay, the other being Caticlan Airport in the municipality of Malay.

“With the influx of passengers transiting in the airport, the development project was completed to cater to more passengers at a given time, and to provide a more

Safety Seal Certifications and were labeled compliant.

The awardees were part of the 158 establishments in the Bonifacio High Street east block, SM Aura, and Serendra that were inspected for compliance to safety protocols. The remaining 54, the official said, are now being evaluated.

The use of the safety seal is in line with Joint Memorandum Circular No. 21-01 Series of 2021 jointly issued by the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Health, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Tourism, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

The memorandum was based on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 87, which aims for such an inspection and certification mechanism for business establishments and major public places in particular.

The resolution came as the national government further eased restrictions in some parts of the country, including Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Joel Zurbano

Manila

Standard

(l)

newly expanded passenger seats at the terminal and the airport facade are among the vast refinements made at the Kalibo International Airport.

“Shore Excursion” refers to a tourism activity conducted in conjunction with a cruise, whereby Cruise Passengers are allowed to disembark from a cruise docked in a port of call, and undertake off-site sightseeing activities.

(m)

“Shore Excursion Program” refers to Shore Excursion packages sold by cruise lines or TourOperators to Cruise Passengers.

(n)

“Shore Excursion Handlers” refers to the Tour Operators and agencies responsible for the Shore Excursion Programs or tours during disembarkation during a cruise call.

(o)

“Shore Excursion Suppliers” refers to accommodation establishments, supplier of food and beverage, souvenirs, health and sanitation equipment, transport providers local Tour Operators, and Tour Guides involved in the conduct of the Shore Excursion Programs.

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES GOVERNING THE OPERATIONS OFSHORE EXCURSION PROGRAMS UNDER THE NEW NORMAL

(p)

“Tour Guide” refers to an individual who guides tourists, both foreign and domestic, for a fee,commission, or any other form of lawful remuneration.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009, the DOT is mandated to promulgate rules and regulations governing the operation and activities of all tourism enterprises;

(q)

“Tour Operator” refers to any person or entity engaged in the business of inbound and/or local tour operation such as organizing and/or conducting tours as well as making online reservations, arranging and booking for transportation and accommodation for a fee,commission, or any form of remuneration

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2021- _0_0_5__

WHEREAS, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines defines the “New Normal” as emerging behaviors, situations, and minimum public health standardsthat will be institutionalized in common or routine practices and remain even after the pandemic while the disease is not totally eradicated through means such as widespread immunization; WHEREAS, there is a need to provide guidelines to institutionalize health and safety protocols in theoperations of Shore Excursion Programs in the New Normal Scenario; NOW, THEREFORE, based on the foregoing, these Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Operations of Shore Excursion Programs under the New Normal are hereby issued: I.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Short Title. This Circular shall be known as the “New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for the Operations of Shore Excursion Programs”.

Section 2.

Definition of Terms. For purposes of these Guidelines, the term:

(a)

“Community Quarantine” refers to the restriction of movement within, into, or out of the area of quarantine of individuals, large groups of people, or communities designed to reduce thelikelihood of transmission of COVID-19 among persons in and to persons outside the affected area (IATF Omnibus Guidelines).

(b)

“Confirmed COVID-19 case” refers to a person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms (DOH DM No. 2020-0439).

(c)

“Contact Tracing” refers to the identification, listing, assessment, and monitoring of persons who may have come into close contact with a Confirmed COVID-19 case. Contact tracing is an important component in containing outbreaks of infectious diseases. (DOH DM No. 2020-0439).

(d)

“Contact Tracing Form” refers to the form a person must fill out to provide contactinformation whether through a mobile application or other contactless means, substantially following the template in Annex A-2 of the DTI-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20- 04-A.

(e)

“Cruise Passengers” refer to sea passengers making a journey on a cruise ship for tourismpurposes.

(f)

“Free and Easy Tours” or “Do-It-Yourself Tours” refer to flexible tours wherein Cruise Passengers make their own itineraries upon disembarkation and book their desired services such as, but not limited to, activities, transportation, or tour guide on-site.

(g)

“Health Declaration Form” refers to a form that a person must fill-up, whether through a mobile application or other contactless means, to declare his or her current health condition and travel history for the past fourteen (14) days substantially following the template in Annex A-1 of the DTI-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A.

(h)

(i)

“Minimum Public Health Standards” refers to guidelines set by the DOH under Administrative Order No. 2020-0015, as well as sector-relevant guidelines issued by national government agencies as authorized by the IATF, to aid all sectors in all settings to implement non- pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), which refer to public health measures that do not involve vaccines, medications or other pharmaceutical interventions, which individuals and communities can carry out in order to reduce transmission rates, contact rates, and the duration of infectiousness of individuals in the population to mitigate COVID-19. For this purpose, the Department of Tourism and Department of Public Works and Highways are recognized as the sectorrelevant agencies with respect to tourism and construction, respectively.

(IATF Omnibus Guidelines) “New Normal” refers to the emerging behaviors, situations, and minimum public health standards that will be institutionalized in common or routine practices and remain even afterthe pandemic while the disease is not totally eradicated through means such as widespreadimmunization. These include actions that will become second nature to the general public as well as policies such as bans on large gatherings that will continue to remain in force. (IATF Omnibus Guidelines).

(j)

“Personal Protective Equipment” or PPE refers to protective garments or equipment worn by individuals to increase personal safety from infectious agent. (DOH DM No. 2020-0439).

(k)

“Physical Distancing” or “Social Distancing” refers to the strict maintenance of a distance ofat least one (1) meter radius between persons (Memorandum

Section 3. Scope and Application. This Circular shall apply to all Shore Excursion Handlersand Suppliers who will be offering Shore Excursion Programs in the Philippines in areas where a Community Quarantine is no longer in place.

II.

PRE-EXCURSION POLICY

Section 4. Shore Excursion Itinerary. The Shore Excursion Itinerary must include only destinations that are low risk or with zero or minimal cases of COVID-19 as identified by the Inter- Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATFEID).

Section 5.

Coordination with Local Authorities. Shore Excursion Handlers shall coordinate with local government units (LGUs), tourism officers, and local health authorities at least one (1) month prior to the arrival at the port of call. Local protocols on tour group handling, travel advisories, airport and seaport announcements and other related ordinances and circulars shall be considered in planning the activities before finalizing the itineraries. Digital copies of said documents must be made available for all the members of the operations team of the Shore Excursion Handlers.

Section 6. Shore Excursion Suppliers. All Shore Excursion Suppliers must be DOT- Accredited, and/or are compliant with the guidelines set by DOT, the IATF-EID or other relevant agencies for their respective businesses or nature of operation. All Shore Excursion Suppliers shall provide a database for all their staff involved in every Shore Excursion operation for possible contacttracing purposes.

Section 7. Coordination Between Handlers and Suppliers. Shore Excursion Handlers shall closely coordinate with all Shore Excursion Suppliers or service providers in the entire value chain to implement strict observance of enhanced cleaning protocols, Physical Distancing, and other Minimum Public Health Standards during the Shore Excursion.

III.

BOOKING POLICY

Section 8.

Booking Requirement. All tours and other services shall be booked prior to arrival at the port of call. Free and Easy Tours and Do-It-Yourself Tours booked on site or upon arrival shallnot be allowed.

Section 9. Cashless Payment. Cashless methods of payment, online transactions and other options for contactless transactions (e.g. e-itineraries, e-tickets, etc.) that promote minimal physicalcontact is mandatory.

Section 10. Undertaking. The Shore Excursion Handler/s shall secure an undertaking from the Cruise Passengers, stating that they will comply with the terms and conditions of their booking, and they understand that they will not be allowed to join the tour if they are not cleared under the Mandatory Testing or Screening or start to feel unwell before or during the tour.

Section 11. Medical or Travel Insurance. The inclusion of a medical or travel insurance coveringCOVID-19 related risks such as hospitalization, travel disruption, and repatriation, is highly encouraged.

IV. PRE-DISEMBARKATION Section 12. Passenger Arrival Handling A.

Mandatory Screening

1.

All Cruise Passengers joining the Shore Excursion Program shall be screened through body temperature check using a thermal scanner or thermometer gun prior to disembarkation. Health assessment of Cruise Passengers shall be supervised by medical doctors.

Symptomatic Cruise Passengers or those with body temperature exceeding 37.5 degrees Celsius or those exhibiting flu-like symptoms shall not be allowed to disembark and join the tour through the non-issuance of shore pass and shall be transferred to quarantine/isolationfacilities in the port.

2.

3.

All Cruise Passengers joining the Shore Excursion Program shall complete a Health Declaration and Contact Tracing Form using a mobile application or other contactless means. Accomplished Health Declaration and Contact Tracing Forms shall be handled andprocessed with confidentiality and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act, and shall be disposed of after thirty (30) days from the date of accomplishment, unless a longer period is required by the authorities.

B.

Passenger Arrival

1.

Arrival receptions, such as cultural or musical performances, donning of leis, and distribution of souvenirs, shall be prohibited to maintain Physical Distancing.

2.

Disembarking Cruise Passengers shall be required to wear the proper PPE such as face masks and face shields. Children with ages between two (2) to eight (8) years old must use facemasks under adult supervision to ensure that they can breathe safely and avoid suffocation.

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Agrarian Reform has awarded a 236.83-hectare government-owned land to 252 farmers in Davao de Oro. Secretary John Castriciones lauded DAR’s provincial office for personally handing out land titles to 252 farmer-occupants of the Davao National Agricultural School-Technical Education and Skills Authority (DNAS-TESDA) in Barangay Prosperidad, Montevista.

The 350 certificates of land ownership award covering 236.83 hectares of agricultural lands were personally delivered to the homes of the farmer-occupants who were identified as qualified as agrarian reform beneficiaries of the 250-hectare government-owned land in the town of Montevista.

The delivery of land titles was done through the “Serbisyong DAR to DOOR,” one of the flagship programs of Castricioned amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have learned that these ARBs have been tilling these lands, planted with bananas, cacao and falcata trees for 30 years, and we have thought of rewarding their noble deeds by giving them these properties by personally delivering the CLOAs right at their doorsteps,” the DAR chief said.

The lands were distributed through Executive Order No. 75, which was issued by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in February 2019.

“This is the first governmentowned land in Davao Region under EO 75 and we were able to facilitate the speedy acquisition and distribution of the land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP),” assistant regional director Melchor Jamora said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

WORLD CLASS. The

from the Executive Secretarydated 13 March 2020).

TODAY

Land titles awarded to 252 farmers in Davao Oro

safe, secured, and convenient travel,” said Apolonio.

The government was pushing to have more improved commercial airports before President Duterte ends his six-year term.

CAAP also aimed to complete the night-rating of at least 13 airports in the country next year.

At present, the country has at least 22 airports with night-rating capability out of a total of 42 nationwide.

These include the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Clark International Airport, Davao International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, Laoag International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Puerto Princesa International Airport, General Santos International Airport, Zamboanga International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, Bacolod-Silay Airport, Butuan Airport, Laguindingan Airport, Tacloban Airport, Roxas Airport, Dumaguete Airport, Caticlan Airport, and Legazpi Airport.

Taguig businesses get safety seal TAGUIG City has award special citations to at least 100 business establishments that were found to be compliant with minimum public health standards amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano led the Safety Seal Certification award ceremony to recognize establishments practicing the health and safety protocols imposed by the government to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

Cayetano said through the Safety Seal program, “citizens are further empowered to continue their livelihood, go to their workplaces, and do so with joy knowing that establishments in the city comply with minimum public health standards.”

The SM Aura and other establishments situated in Bonifacio High Street were among the recipients of the Safety Seal Certification during the event attended by local government and national government officials including Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Laarni Cayetano, among others.

Lawyer Clarence Santos, head of the Safe City Task Force, said a total of 104 establishments already received their

A3

3.

The Shore Excursion Handler shall ensure that Physical Distancing is observed by maintaining at least one (1) meter distance among passengers.

4.

Cruise Passengers shall be provided with sanitation kits, which should include 70% solution alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizers, wet wipes, and disposable tissue paper.

C.

Cruise Passenger Briefing

1.

Cruise Passengers shall be briefed on the health and safety protocols, such as the proper wearing of face masks, respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene, Physical Distancing, proper disposal of wastes and other relevant guidelines imposed in areas included in the itinerary in the transport vehicle before the start of the tour.

2.

Cruise Passengers shall be provided with: a.

Official up-to-date information about travel to and from countries and/ or other areas, including local destinations, that are identified by the Department of Health (DOH) as high-risk in spreading the virus or disease; and

b.

Emergency contact numbers of public health authorities, nearest hospital or medicalcenter, and the DOH Assistance Center.

3.

Cruise Passengers shall be provided with refillable water bottles in the transport vehicle before the start of the tour. Shore Excursion Handlers shall ensure that water refilling stations are available in the attractions included in the itinerary.

4.

Signage and visuals, through bulletins or TV screens, shall be available at the ports with terminal buildings showing sanitation and good hygiene reminders, emergency contact numbers, and other “must-do” tips.

Section 13. Contactless Transaction A.

Contactless processes with the Cruise Passengers and Shore Excursion Handlers or Suppliers shall be strictly observed.

B.

The use of technology such as QR codes, virtual or downloadable maps, or other digital pass/ tickets, to monitor passenger participation or entry and exit in itinerary destinations, that promote minimal physical contact with Cruise Passengers is highly encouraged.

V.

TRANSPORTATION AND CONDUCT OF TOURS

Section 14. Transportation. When transporting Cruise Passengers through land transport, Shore Excursion Handlers shall ensure that the health and safety protocols under DOT Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2020-003 or The New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for Tourist Land Transport Services, or any of its subsequent amendments, are observed.

Section 15. Conduct of Tours. In the conduct of tours, Shore Excursion Handlers shall ensure that the health and safety protocols under DOT MC No. 2020-008 or The New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for Travel and Tour Agencies and Tour Guides, or any of its subsequentamendments, are observed.

VI.

OTHER PROVISIONS

Section 16. Reportorial Requirement. Shore Excursion Handlers shall report to the DOT Regional Office with jurisdiction over their area the following information not more than seven (7) working days after the Shore Excursion Program: List and Number of Cruise Passengers who joined the Shore Excursion Program; Number of Cruise Passengers who have developed the symptoms of the illness, if any; and Number of Cruise Passengers who were transferred to the appropriate facility, if any.

Section 17. Suppletory Application. DOT MC No. 2020-003, DOT MC No. 2020008, and otherrelevant IATF-EITD, DOT, DTI, or DOH issuances on health and safety standards for the New Normal, as well as rules and regulations imposed by the LGU having jurisdiction over the Shore Excursion Handlers, or in the case of Boracay Island, the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), shall apply to these Guidelines in a suppletory character.

Section 18. Penalties. Any violation of these Guidelines may subject the Shore Excursion Handler and Suppliers to the appropriate fines and penalties, including revocation of its DOT Accreditation, in accordance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations.

Section 19. Separability Clause. If any portion or provision of this Circular is declared void or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in force and in effect.

Section 20. Repealing Clause. All issuances, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof whichare inconsistent with the provision of this Circular are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 21. Effectivity. This Circular shall take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette and upon filing with the university of the Philippines – Office of the National Administrative Register (UPONAR) and shall remain effective until otherwise superseded, amended, or repealed accordingly.

For guidance and strict compliance.

23 March 2021 BERNADETTE ROMULO-PUYAT Secretary

(MS-JUNE 5, 2021)

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News

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

Gov’t positions not ‘inherited’, says Domagoso

By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja GOVERNMENT positions are not inherited in a democracy, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said on Friday, as he and two other “presidentiables” clarified their plans for next year’s national elections.

In a television program, Domagoso was commenting on reports President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, was running for the highest office in the 2022 polls.

Vice President Leni Robredo, meanwhile, said she is still open to a presidential run while not closing the door on a campaign for governor of her home province Camarines Sur. Also, former Speaker and TaguigPateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano was also considering running for President, three years after losing to Robredo as President Duterte’s running mate.

Domagoso, in an interview on Headstart, was asked if he believes another Duterte as leader in the next six years would be good for the country.

“I don’t want to preempt the people in choosing their leader, but I hope they will not be called stupid later on.” said Domagoso.

He said there is a “clear presence of political dynasty” in such a scenario.

“I don’t believe in that and I am not gonna vote for that as a voter and I disagree as a citizen of this country,” he said.

“I don’t believe that positions in government are inherited in a democratic government. In a democracy, the people choose; relatives cannot be forced to replace him after he’s done,” said Domagoso.

The Manila mayor’s name has appeared in surveys among preferred presidential candidates for 2022.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said Thursday the President has several times named his daughter and four others as among his possible successors. The list includes Domagoso.

‘Dante’ re-enters PAR, storm death toll climbs to 6 CYCLONE Dante veered back into the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and weakened into a Tropical Depression on Friday as it left six people dead, local disaster officials said.

In its 5pm bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the center of Dante was spotted 210km west northwest of Basco, Batanes.

The cyclone (international name Choiwan) carried maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center with gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

It was moving northeastward at 20 km/h and forecast to move outside the PAR anew at 2pm Saturday as it continued to climb toward Taiwan.

The death toll in the onslaught of Tropical Storm Dante has reached six, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Friday.

In its update, the agency said deaths from the storm include one from Western Visayas, one from Central Visayas, two from Davao Region, and two from Soccsksargen.

Meanwhile, the number of injured was placed at two, both reported in the Davao Region.

Three were reported missing—two in Eastern Visayas and one in Davao Region.

The NDRRMC added that search-and-rescue operations are still ongoing for three missing persons.Rio N. Araja

‘Comply with safety standards before running own vax sites’

SAND SWEEPER.

A worker at a resort on Boracay Island sweeps the white sand in front of their establishment on Friday.

The Department of Tourism wants 40,000 workers on Boracay vaccinated against Covid-19 to increase confidence in travel among Filipinos.

By Joel E. Zurbano

Shorter quarantine set for fully-jabbed Pinoys R

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

ETURNING Filipinos from abroad who have received two coronavirus vaccine shots will have a shorter quarantine period, Malacanang said Friday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government’s COVID 19 task force has shortened the quarantine period to seven day facility based period instead of 14 days for individuals considered fully vaccinated two or more weeks after receiving their second dose, or two or more weeks after receiving a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine.

The new rule was contained in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Dis-

eases’ (IATF-EID) latest guidelines on inbound international travel to any port of the Philippines of all fully vaccinated individuals, Roque said in a press statement.

This developed as the Department of Health (DOH) said it is studying the possibility of opening “green lanes” in ports and airports in the country where fully vaccinated travelers may pass, when the country reaches certain inoculation targets.

DOH experts also recommended at least 30 percent of the population must be inoculated against COVID-19 before restrictions are relaxed for fully vaccinated individuals.

“An individual shall be considered as having been fully vaccinated two or more weeks after receiving the second dose in a 2-dose series, or two or more weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccine,” Roque in a statement.

Fully vaccinated individuals must

also carry their vaccination cards to be verified by the Bureau of Quarantine and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Instead of spending 10 days in an isolation facility and another four-day home quarantine, the fully vaccinated individuals who wish to return to the country will just undergo a seven-day facility-based quarantine upon arrival.

An RT-PCR or swab test will only be conducted when the individual manifests COVID-19 symptoms within the seven-day quarantine.

However, Roque said for foreign nationals, they will still be required to quarantine for 10 days and another four days in their respective homes.

He said reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing will only be done, in case the fully vaccinated individual manifests Covid-19 symptoms within the seven-day quarantine.

LAST LOOK.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar conducts a final inspection of the Bonifacio Global CityOrtigas Link Bridge on Friday. The bridge will be opened to the public on June 12, 2021.

Norman Cruz

QC, Pasig, Manila mayors still on top of latest survey

DOT wants full jabs for Boracay, Bohol tourism workers

By Othel V. Campos and Joel E. Zurbano THE Department of Tourism is seeking to advance full vaccination of 40,000 tourism workers in the island of Boracay and some 70,000 tourism stakeholders from Bohol to immediately reignite interest to travel among Filipinos.

During a forum Friday organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC), Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat said

the request is still pending before the InterAgency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

“We’ve asked Secretary (Charlie) Galvez if they can allow Boracay and Bohol tourism workers to be vaccinated ahead of others. Anyway, we are already starting with A4, do that we could also accept fully vaccinated (visitors) without vaccine,” she said.

At the same forum, Puyat said the government cannot predict when the tourism industry return to the pre-pandemic levels.

“We can’t answer that because of the volatility of the situation, especially with the new variant. We can’t predict when,” she said.

For Boracay, the request was 80,000 doses for 40,000 workers while Bohol has requested for 800,000 doses with the current supply, it has to manage with about 70,000 workers for a double dose of 140,000.

Puyat said Crimson Hotel has already donated 5,000 doses for Boracay workers and hopes for more donations to trickle in from stakeholders in the island.

Villar calls for stronger local milk production

WAIT FOR PFIZER. Residents of Las Pinas wait for their turn to be vaccinated

with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 on Friday, June 4, 2021, at a cinema mall lounge in the city. Danny Pata

THE Makati City government will require private sectors to comply with the safety standard set by the Department of Health before operating or putting up their own vaccination sites.

Mayor Abigail Binay said her administration will require the registration of vaccination sites to be put up by private firms in the coming months to ensure that these facilities will meet the government’s standards.

This developed shortly after members of the City Council approved and signed City Ordinance No. 2021-094 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Site Standardization Protocol and Registration Process.

“We anticipate the private sector to put up their own vaccination sites for employees with the imminent arrival of vaccines they purchased. As early as now, we have laid down the guidelines to make sure that these facilities will meet the standards set by the national government,” said Binay.

The city chief executive said the new ordinance has adopted the provisions of the Philippine National COVID-19 Deployment and Vaccination Plan spearheaded by the DOH in collaboration with the National Task Force (NTF) and other government agencies.

Provisions of the ordinance will be posted on the city’s Facebook account, My Makati.

“We call on our friends from the private sector to work with us in achieving our goal of vaccinating all Makatizens, including employees and workers who live elsewhere. We want to make sure that everyone in the city is fully protected and safe against the COVID-19 virus in the months and years to come,” said Binay.

Under the ordinance, private entities who wish to apply for their vaccination site registration must submit the requirements to the Office of the City Administrator together with their contact information.

The Makati COVID-19 Vaccination Site Quality Assurance Team will then review the submitted documents and recommend the approval of the application, or present its findings and request for other requirements from the applicant.

Meanwhile, Mayor Binay announced that the city will soon open the registration of private businesses in Makati for the employees’ vaccination under Category 4A, through the website makatibusiness.safemakati.com.

NOTING that dairy production in the Philippines is only at 1% of the demand and that 99% of milk is imported, Senator Cynthia Villar renewed her call to accelerate milk production in the country as she joined the World Milk Day celebration.

She also urged the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to boost the country’s dairy industry through policy direction and program implementation.

Since June 1, 2000, the United NationsFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been celebrating World Milk Day to highlight the importance of milk products as a global food.

But for this year, no major global events have been set due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the website of World Milk Day urged event organisers around the

world to shift to social media campaigns and programs.

According to Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, “once we increase our dairy production, we can already make milk affordable and accessible to our children.”

However, with the country’s dependence on imported milk, she said: “It’s no wonder many Filipino children were being deprived of drinking milk, an excellent source of many nutrients.

“Poor families cannot afford to give their children milk that will greatly help in their proper nutrition and academic performance in school,” said Villar, adding that “foreign dairy is too expensive for the masses.”

A developed dairy industry will provide livelihood opportunities to earn more for farmers in farming communities, she said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE mayors of Quezon City, Pasig and Manila scored the highest approval ratings among Metro Manila mayors for their overall performance in 2021, a recent survey has shown.

Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte obtained the top approval rating of 89%, followed by Pasig City Mayor Victor Maria Regis “Vico” Sotto (86%) and Manila Mayor Franciso “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (83%).

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian at 77% and Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro at 76% both tied for the fourth spot. Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco ranked fifth with 73% result.

Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay was rated at 70%, Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano at 62%, Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita Abalos at 60%, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora at 56%, and Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi at 53%.

The survey was conducted by RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMDinc) through face-to-face interviews of 3,500 respondents. They were asked to rate their respective mayors based on their over-all job performance.

“Amongst 17 NCR Mayors only 13 are rated positively. Top NCR Mayors are doing an excellent job— not only that they were able to maintain their rankings, but performance approval ratings also went up,” said Dr. Paul Martinez of RPMDInc. Remarkably, Martinez said Belmonte of Quezon City remained as the top performing NCR Mayor. Mayor Tiangco has the highest rating at (+8 percentage) compared from the previous survey which positioned him on the 5th spot. Mayor Malapitan (51%) and Mayor Ponce (50%) who had stumbled down in the last survey are now being rated positively.

Opinion Gearing for the 2022 elections ELECTION fever has started in the middle of this pandemic. In less than one year, the Filipino electorate will choose a new set of public servants to steer our country, hopefully, to recovery. Recovery from the disaster brought about by COVID-19, and recovery from an administration that wreaks havoc by knowingly and willfully killing tens of thousands of Filipinos in the name of “war on drugs,” and nonchalantly giving away our territories to its friend, China.

I do not envy the good people who will run for elections intent to right the wrongs we now face. Their work is cut out for them.

It will be very tough. Poverty is all over and this is the kind that we have never seen since after World War 2. Millions are jobless and families are going hungry. Many businesses have closed down and those that have not have suffered serious losses. Job generation is a real challenge.

Let this be our rebirth.

Many of those who used to run micro-livelihood activities have also stopped and their small capital has been used for family needs. Many did not receive “ayuda” from government. Those who did are one in saying that what they received could not be enough for the more than one year that they have been without work.

Our local and foreign debt has skyrocketed. The next administration will have to find ways to pay up, and hopefully, not by incurring more debt.

This early, the ones that we hear eyeing the presidency are mainly those allied with this administration. PDP, Duterte’s political party even went as far as floating the idea of a Duterte-Duterte ticket. Gone are the days when PDP was considered as a progressive political party. That PDP officials would even think of doing this betrays how they belittle the Filipino voters. This is the height of nepotism and must never be tolerated no matter who are involved. We are, after all, a democracy and no family should be treated like royalty. To me, this combination is mainly an attempt to prevent the prosecution of Digong after his term.

Political maneuverings are now being done. It is possible that more definite announcements from the administration side will be coming during or after Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. This SONA is important not for what Duterte will say regarding the country’s status but for pronouncements relevant to the coming elections.

After this SONA Duterte will likely become a lameduck president. We may

see more politicians begin posturing as independents. Some may even go as far as acting like opposition especially because of how this administration is mishandling the pandemic.

It will be interesting how Manny Pacquiao and Bongbong Marcos will position themselves should a Duterte-Duterte combination be firmed up. It appears that both are also bent on running. Pacquiao, of late, has been posturing as some sort of an “independent.”

Meanwhile, there are ongoing barangay-level organizing initiatives for BBM. On the other hand, 1Sambayan (pronounced as “isambayan”), the opposition aggrupation organized and led by former officials Justice Antonio Carpio, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is also gearing up for the elections. 1Sambayan follows a more grassroots-and-non-government-organizations-based approach because it has among its members people’s and sectoral groups, NGOs, progressive movements, and political parties.

They are going full-blast in local chapter organizing in various areas. Simultaneous with the organizing are the sectoral consultations and town hall meetings that are developing 1Sambayan’s platform of government. Said platform will be presented to the candidates of the opposition. This ensures that issues important to the marginalized sectors and groups are prioritized. Moreover, the manner by which candidates will be chosen will be presented on June 12, coinciding with the country’s Declaration of Independence celebrations.

The differences between the administration’s and 1Sambayan’s processes are glaring. The former is arbitrary and personality-based while the latter is more consultative and builds consensus. The administration is personality driven while 1Sambayan is more concerned with real people’s issues.

These differences alone tell us which group is more concerned about people’s problems.

While prospective candidates are now busy preparing for the elections, the same should be done by us, the voters. A lot rests on the elections. The kind of life we will all have in the next six years will be heavily dependent on who will be in Malacanang. The defense of our country’s sovereignty rests on who we will choose as president. We cannot afford to sit this one out. We need to be involved and we must choose well.

We need to encourage people to register so they can vote. New voters should know how important the elections are for their own future. Registering with the COMELEC is the first and most crucial step if we are to change the direction of our country. Our young people’s future will be affected by the next six years and it is our responsibility to make sure that those we elect will do right by them.

Those wanting to run for the election are now preparing, so must we. We should be ready to change the country’s course beginning May 2022. Let this be our rebirth as a nation. @bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Abuzz with jueteng rumors THIS one can potentially be a litmus test for newly appointed Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

Eleazar’s sincerity, credibility, integrity, and honesty as the top law enforcer of the land is on the line here as gambling lords are reportedly poised to heighten their jueteng operations in light of the May 2022 local and national elections.

Eleazar, who took over the reins of the PNP only last May 6, has gained the moniker “darling of the press” because he had been hogging the headlines for his accomplishments as a police official.

Well, I’ve got news for him. Rumors are rife right within the National Capital Region Police Office in Taguig City that a massive fund-raising drive for a senatorial wannabe will roll out in the coming months, with a ranking police official based at Campo NCRPO at the driver’s seat.

Rewind to the jueteng conspiracy theory.

The buzz going around in Campo NCRPO is an unholy alliance between certain police officials and a politician eyeing a seat in the Senate are hell bent on intensifying their jueteng operations to rack up money for the campaign.

The alleged sinister project is simply dubbed as “Oplan Fund-raising.”

At first blush, the scheme looks legal and noble, and I have nothing against that. We live in a democracy, and this is still a free

country, albeit there are laws that govern our behavior.

For law enforcers to engage in illegal activities is deplorable, to say the least. What they are about to do is not a matter of the end justifying the means. Never mind if it is against the law.

Gen. Eleazar, sir, I believe—and I strongly recommend it—that you should nip this shenanigan in the bud, because it may explode in your face, irreparably damaging your good reputation as a no-nonsense police official.

Have we really become a nation of gamblers?

Under your command as NCRPO chief, the facility was a shining example of integrity in the uniformed public service, and that includes the armed forces.

It’s been said that no illegal gambling let alone jueteng could flourish without the blessings of equally corrupt policemen in cahoots with crooked local government officials.

In the gambler’s parlance, the pay-off or bribe is called “intelligentsia” which comes in no small amounts.

Many a police chief, and presidents for that matter, have solemnly vowed to weed out illegal gambling as a cornerstone of their administration. With jueteng and other forms of unlawful gambling still alive and kicking, so to speak, it goes without saying that none of the promises was kept.

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EDITORIAL

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Wake up, take action

HE Philippines joins other countries in celebrating World Environment Day today, and hopes good things that underline the importance of nature and the environment will happen for the rest of the year.

It’s World Environment Day. under General Community Quarantine, and some areas like Metro Manila and nearby provinces under heightened restrictions, there has been a substantial reduction in carbon emissions which has helped restore the ecological system.

But we agree with experts and health authorities that the disposal of medical waste like disinfectants, masks, gloves and the burden of untreated waste has also increased largely during the pandemic At the same time, once the situation bounces back to normal, the environment may start suffering again. And long-term goals and proper implementation of strategies and policies are the need of the hour for global environmental sustainability.

World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year to remind people about the importance of nature. It is celebrated across the globe to tell people that nature should not be taken

Authorities have said it crisply that this span—the year 2021 and the succeeding years—is “our moment to reimagine, recreate and restore” with the persuasive suggestion that we are properly the generation that can make peace with nature.

But as we attempt to go at f ull throttle with the theme Ecosystem Restoration, we are hobbled by the coronavir us pandemic which has sans doubt affected human lives and daily activities although, a gleam on the plus side, it has improved the air quality and reduced water pollution.

With much of the countr y

for granted and must be respected for its values.

With the coronavirus outbreak and people being confined indoors, the environment and mother earth seem to have benefitted slightly. In the absence of human activities amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, nature is getting time to clean itself and reclaim its space.

Organized by the United Nations to generate awareness about the significance of nature and greenery, the UN Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972, the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the human environment.

In 1974, it was celebrated with the theme “Only One Earth.” Since then, various host countries have been celebrating it, and the idea for rotating the center of these activities started.

World Environment Day was first observed in 1974 in the US.This year is Pakistan’s turn.

We agree with American environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio when he said, pretty much to the point, “Our planet’s alarm is going off, and it is time to wake up and take action!”

AMLA: Servicing the US dollar BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN Part III WHEN the US abandoned the gold standard, technically it converted the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. It was a coup in international finance that only the oligarchs and their managers anticipated.

Some say the creation of the World Trade Organization was expected to precisely allow China to keep the supply chain moving, in which the US remains deeply immersed through outsourcing.

But when it realized that China was metamorphosing to manufacture items produced by the West, the US soon began to spruce up its diminishing revenue like imposing charges on whatever financial transaction and management services on banks it controls.

From an unofficial reserve currency, the US Congress proceeded to impose on the central banks of the world the role as guardian, purser and custodian of its overseas currency. After all, the US dollar became the unofficial currency most countries recognize.

As a medium of exchange, credit cards issued by American-controlled banks collected charges, fees, fines and penalties for the slightest violation of its rules.

The US made a monopoly and a killing in the use of credit cards and made sure all are tied up to big corporations to be assured of stable income. In fact, the US is the only country in the world to punish people for bringing out their own money without permission from their own And isn’t it odd that ranking police officials in Campo NCRPO have an inkling of what’s going to happen as the next elections draw nearer?

Will they just sit back and watch the events unfold? Or will they preempt the gambling lords and render honest-to-goodness service where decent service is due?

Will Gen. Eleazar simply look the other way as the rest of his deputies and lieutenants would likely do?

At the moment, questions fly thick on what Eleazar will do as a police chief. For the time being, it’s a wait and see mode for the entire Filipino citizenry.

If memory serves, Congress legislated lotto as a tool to effectively eliminate jueteng, predicated on the idiotic logic that goes this way; “If we cannot lick them, let us join them.”

Truth be told. Over the years since lotto gained foothold in the Philippines, jueteng

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

government. US control and monopoly in banking and commercial transactions led to its pressuring of countries to enact their anti-money laundering law. First, the US dollar was acknowledged as the universal medium of exchange. Second, most of the world’s transactions were carried out in US dollars. Third, it perilously continues to tread on the policy of printing money so as not to disrupt world trade. Fourth, to allow it to continue its clout of imposing sanctions on countries that refuse to obey its unilateral banking rules often against the mandate of the WTO.

The US dollar has become the unofficial currency most countries recognize.

Notably, people use the US dollar as a consequence to the high value of the currency.

Often, restrictions are made to advance US policy like prohibiting or limiting the use of the currency to purchase goods classified as inimical and/or dangerous to US interest.

All countries that have their respective anti-money laundering laws are under obligation to protect the dollar, which strictly speaking, represents or symbolizes the sovereignty of another state. The AMLA law makes it illegal to bring out dollars without permit and authority of the country even if it rightfully owns them.

Maybe there are valid reasons for restricting the use of the US dollar as currency like preventing the purchase of illegal drugs, preventing financing terrorist activities, from supporting violent organihas been giving the state-sponsored gambling a run for its money.

Hence, the government-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office which operates the lotto decided to take a bolder step.

Taking the bull by the horn, so to speak, the PCSO subsequently launched the smalltown lottery that is akin in all aspects to jueteng. Regrettably, the STL likewise failed miserably to combat the inscrutable jueteng.

Now, how do you solve a problem like Maria? In the case at hand, how do you solve a problem like jueteng?

As the legendary Sherlock Holmes is fond of saying; “Elementary, my dear Watson.”

In jueteng’s case, it is as elementary as honest-to-goodness law enforcement. Know what I mean?

By the way, the online sabong is also taking the country by storm. Have we really become a nation of gamblers?

You bet we are.

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World Environment Day and the ongoing virtual climate talks

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zations, or in procuring arms intended to overthrow the government. But to regulate and control the flow of the dollar outside its jurisdiction is tantamount to inferring into the internal affairs of a sovereign state. It is the use of the dollar that now dictates the policy of a given state.

Of course, we do not deny that there has to be some regulations in the use of the currency. Yet, to this day nobody has asked why people are being punished for bringing out of the country foreign currency they own. Notably, the anti-money laundering law is intended to: 1) To protect the dollar, it having been converted into a universal currency; 2) as a source of revenue in the form of fees, charges, and penalties for using the dollar as currency exchange. 3) To assure the world the US dollar will continue to be the universal medium of exchange even if it has lost much of its intrinsic value.

The drawback to this is that holders of dollar account now become the target of scrutiny if perceived to be anti-American.

Taking this into account, it seems that the exercise of authority to safeguard and protect the dollar appears to be out of the country’s jurisdiction and without limitation. The currency is now used to harass and blackmail political leaders. Often local authorities carry out this obligation without remuneration but only in the name of diplomatic reciprocity.

Lest we forget, the only enforceable laws in the Philippines are those enacted here, and apply to Filipinos on any subject owned by the Republic of the Philippines. The proprietary ownership of foreign currency belongs to the owner of that currency. It is our approval of the anti-money laundering law that complicated the situation.

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

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US condemns ‘escalatory’ Chinese military flights

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HE US Air Force’s Pacific commander condemned Chinese military flights off Malaysia and Taiwan, describing them on Friday as “escalatory” and “destabilizing.”

This week, 16 Chinese military aircraft flew over hotly contested waters off of Borneo prompting Malaysia’s air force to scramble its jets.

General Kenneth Wilsbach said these activities and an increased number of incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone “adds to the list” of Chinese “destabilizing activities and also escalatory

activities” in the region.

“We set ourselves up for miscalculations around the region when we have some of these activities when we’re getting into people’s airspace that we shouldn’t,” said Wilsbach.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China and has said the aircraft that appeared off Borneo over the South China

Sea were on routine training and did not enter Malaysia’s territorial airspace.

Beijing has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over nearly all of the South China Sea to be without basis.

There is growing concern in the West that China’s ever-more-powerful military may try to retake Taiwan by force.

In recent months, the tempo of Chinese flights across the strait has increased dramatically, straining Taiwan’s air defence capabilities.

“I believe this is a strategy by China to invoke cost for the Taiwan air force,” Wilsbach said, by forcing the Taiwanese air force to re-

IN BRIEF Sokor air force chief resigns over suicide of sex assault victim

act each time an incursion occurs.

Faced with dramatically improved Chinese military capabilities, Wilsbach also said the US Air Force was looking to cycle assets around the region and away from large bases, to make them more difficult to target.

“We’ve pretty much looked at every piece of concrete in the region and we’ve analysed it and assessed it for possible use as a place to operate to and a place to operate from,” he said.

“We have a significant database of information about every single airfield, a lot of them are not suitable for our needs, but a lot of them are.” AFP

Hong Kong democracy site taken down ‘by mistake’ ISRAEL-BASED web host Wix made an error in pulling a Hong Kong democracy website from its servers following a takedown request by the Chinese financial hub’s police, the company said Friday.

The removal is the first known case of Hong Kong police using a sweeping new national security law to demand overseas websites censor content.

Nathan Law, a former student leader and Hong Kong legislator who fled to Britain last year, tweeted on Thursday that Wix had removed www.2021HKCharter.com, a website set up by overseas activists calling for democracy in the city.

He shared a letter Hong Kong police wrote to Wix demanding the website be pulled because it contained messages “likely to constitute offences endangering national security.”

Employees of Wix, the letter warned, could face a fine and six months in prison if they refused.

The website was taken down on Monday but reappeared soon after Law went public.

“The website was removed by mistake,” a Wix spokesperson told AFP by email on Friday.

“We are also reviewing our screening process in order to improve and make sure that mistakes such as this do not repeat in the future.”

The takedown order comes as China’s campaign to silence dissent in semi-autonomous Hong Kong rattles tech brands.

Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the city after huge and often violent democracy protests in 2019. AFP

SOUTH Korea’s air force chief resigned Friday over the suicide of a woman master sergeant who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a colleague only to have her complaints ignored.

The incident has caused an outcry in the South, which maintains a conscript army to defend itself against the nucleararmed North and remains deeply patriarchal despite its economic and technological advances.

The master sergeant, identified only by her surname Lee, is said to have been assaulted by her colleague in a vehicle in March, according to the defense ministry.

She filed a complaint, but her family says she was pressured by her superiors to drop the case and sign a settlement.

She was then transferred to a different base at her own request and found dead at her quarters late last month.

Her family says she left footage of her death on her phone, and her mother told a local broadcaster: “How can you protect a country when you can’t even protect a member of your own military? How could you make her feel this lonely? How could you make her feel there was no one there for her and she had to make such an extreme choice?” AFP

Japan births hit new record low

ICONIC BLOOMS. Guests attend Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience VIP Preview Party on June 03, 2021 in New York City. AFP

THE number of babies born in Japan hit a new record low last year, official data showed, highlighting concern over the pandemic’s impact on one of the world’s lowest fertility rates.

In 2020, the greying country saw 840,832 births, according to data released Thursday by the health and labor ministry.

Politicians have expressed concern that the population of the world’s thirdlargest economy is shrinking faster than ever, with couples hesitant to reproduce as the pandemic fuels financial instability and fears over hospital trips.

A declining number of births is a common trend among rich nations, and Japan has long been searching for ways to encourage a baby boom.

Its giant neighbour China this week announced it will allow couples to have three children after a census showed its population is also rapidly ageing.

Japan’s net decline in population, 531,816, was a record high while the birth rate – the average number of children a woman has – declined to 1.34, the data showed.

The number of marriages, 525,490, also hit a low not seen since the end of World War II, while the number of divorces also declined. AFP

No evidence mystery UFOs are alien spacecraft, report finds THERE is no evidence that unexplained aerial phenomena spotted in recent years

by US military personnel are aliens, an upcoming government report quoted by The New York Times Thursday said, but officials still can’t explain the mysterious aircraft.

The newspaper, which cited senior administration officials briefed on the findings of the highly anticipated report, said they were able to confirm the unusual vessels were not the product of secret Pentagon technology.

But the review of more than 120 incidents over the past two decades was unable to explain the mysterious movements of the craft, which include unusual acceleration, direction changes and the ability to rapidly submerge.

And while senior officials told the Times the lack of clear findings means that while there’s no evidence of alien technology behind the phenomena, it’s also impossible to rule out.

One senior official briefed on the report said intelligence and military offi-

cials increasingly worry the phenomena could be China or Russia experimenting with hypersonic technology.

The upcoming report – expected to be released to Congress by June 25 – will have a classified annex, officials told the Times, which will likely fuel speculation that aliens are actually behind the encounters.

The Pentagon last year released videos taken by US Navy pilots showing in-flight encounters with the unusual aircraft.

And the mystery was further drummed up by former officials with access to classified intelligence.

“What is true – and I’m actually being serious here – is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,” former president Barack Obama told “The Late Late Show” last month.

The US military no longer describes them as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, instead using the term “unidentified aerial phenomena.” AFP

Sister of disappeared Thai activist demands answers

SNAPSHOT. Cars pass by Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on June 4, 2021, the 32nd anniversary of the deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests. AFP

THE sister of a Thai political activist who vanished in Phnom Penh a year ago on Friday demanded answers from the authorities, after 12 months without any progress in the case.

Wanchalearm Satsaksit, who was wanted by Thai police for running an acerbic anti-government Facebook page, was dragged into a car in broad daylight in the Cambodian capital.

There has been no trace of him since, and on Friday his sister Sitanun handed documents to the justice ministry in Bangkok demanding a proper investigation.

“I’m here today to ask what the Ministry of Justice has done after a year,” Sitanun told reporters.

“Thai and Cambodian authorities should have an answer by now after a year has passed. We want sincerity from both authorities on this case.”

Rights group Amnesty International called on Thailand to launch an independent probe into the disappearance, saying the Cambodian authorities had failed in their duty.

Cambodian toxic hooch kills 31 in less than a month Manila

Standard TOXIC home-brewed rice wine has killed more

TODAY than 30 Cambodian villagers in three separate incidents in less than a month, NOTICE OF ADDENDUM authorities said Friday.

TO THE EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Seven women died and Notice is hereby given to the nearly 100 people were hospublic that the Addendum to the Extrajudicial Settlement of pitalized in the latest poisonEstate of the Late Vicente C. Villegas, Sr. has been executed ing, after drinking hooch by and among his heirs, namely: Adelfa V. Garcia, Corazon V. contaminated with up to 15 Espano, Adelina V. Sydiongco, Josefina V. Potestas, Vicente M. percent methanol.

Villegas, Jr., Tracy M. Villegas, Bernardo M. Villegas, and The This followed 14 deaths Estate of the Late Sofia M. Villegas, as per Doc. No. 620, and 10 deaths at two sepaPage No. 120, Book No. XXII, Series of 2021 of the Notarial rate funerals in May. Register of Atty. Gomeriano V. Amurao, Notary Public for and in In all three incidents, the the City of Pasay. home-brewed rice wine (MS-MAY 29, JUNE 5 & 12, 2021)

contained methanol, which unlike ethanol – the usual form of alcohol found in drinks—is highly toxic, and can cause blindness even in very small doses.

At least 15 rice wine brewers and sellers have been arrested, according to Cambodian police, while the health ministry has renewed calls for people to avoid drinking contaminated beverages.

Cambodia is one of Asia’s poorest countries and health and safety standards are virtually non-existent outside major cities.

Home-made rice wine is popular in rural areas at wedding parties, village festivals and funerals as a cheap alternative to commercially produced drinks. AFP

“This negligent investigation is at a standstill. The past year has been marked by foot-dragging, finger-pointing and the absence of any credible effort to examine what really happened to Wanchalearm,” Amnesty International’s Ming Yu Hah said in a statement.

Wanchalearm was living in Cambodia after fleeing Thailand in the wake of the 2014 coup that brought Prayut Chan-O-Cha – then army chief and now prime minister – to power.

The 37-year-old was wanted for sedition and breaching Thailand’s Computer Crimes Act – broad legislation that rights groups say is abused to silence critics.

Cambodian police say they have made no headway in the case, but Thanakrit Chitarirat, secretary to the Thai justice minister, insisted there would be “progress this month.”

But Thai investigators say that because the disappearance happened in Cambodia, the onus is on police there to lead the inquiry. AFP

MASKED

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOWPROTEST. BLACK

South Korean environmental activists wearing gas masks and a mask of Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga perform during a protest against Japan’s decision to discharge Fukushima wastewater into the sea, near the Japanese embassy in Seoul on June 4, 2021 a day before World Environment Day. AFP

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Biden expands list of Chinese firms off-limits to US investors

PSEi June 4, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

CSB BKR

8.45 1.4

1.56 0.15

22.64% 12.00%

3

NI

1.57

0.16

11.35%

4 5

EVER I

0.196 1.42

0.016 0.11

8.89% 8.40%

6

OPMB

0.013

0.001

8.33%

7

2GO

8.8

0.62

7.58%

8

MAC

5.61

0.33

6.25%

9 10

ION FOOD

1.12 0.64

0.06 0.03

5.66% 4.92%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

TCB2A OV

0.86 0.011

-0.12 -0.001

-12.24% -8.33%

3

IPO

7.4

-0.45

-5.73%

4

BC

4.12

-0.23

-5.29%

5 6

MBC LAND

10 1.87

-0.5 -0.07

-4.76% -3.61%

7

AUB

43.1

-1.55

-3.47%

8 9 10

FRUIT MJIC PRC

1.43 1.55 5.82

-0.05 -0.05 -0.18

-3.38% -3.13% -3.00%

MOST ACTIVE 1

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VOLUME 25675400

VALUE (PHP) 945120860

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ACEN ALI

56791900 11151600

439369838 405654170

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BDO MONDE

3421830 22601300

366555583 301505780

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SM ICT

229220 940540

229069585 139834216

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74505 5321100

137000280 122040215

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AC

146770

118064815

AUSTRALIA REBOUND. A Singapore AirLines (left) aircraft lands next to a Jet star aircraft taking flight at Sydney International Airport on June 4, 2021, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the country’s economy in the year’s first quarter has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. AFP

Stock market ends flat; Monde Nissin advances

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HE stock market closed nearly flat Friday in narrow range trading as investors digested another set of bumper US economic data that reinforced recovery optimism.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 4.47 points, or 0.1 percent, to 6,796.34 on a value turnover of P5.9 billion.

Gainers beat losers, 110 to 88, with 48 issues unchanged.

AC Energy Corp., a unit of Ayala Corp., climbed 3.2 percent to P7.78, while instant noodles and biscuit maker Monde Nissin Corp. rose 2.3 percent to P13.40.

Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. advanced 3 percent to P20.35, but SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group fell 1.1 percent to P37.

The rest of Asian equity markets fluctuated Friday after a a rosy US economic data added fuel to concerns that the Federal Reserve will be forced to tighten its ultra-loose monetary policies sooner than expected.

Wary traders were also keeping tabs on China-US relations after Joe Biden almost doubled the number of firms included on an investment blacklist, in the latest move to show he has

no intention of easing pressure on Beijing.

Asia was mixed. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai and Jakarta all fell but Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington and Bangkok rose.

Closely watched figures Thursday showed the US created almost a million new private-sector jobs in May, far more than forecast, while claims for unemployment benefits last week fell below 400,000 for the first time since the pandemic started.

On top of that, a gauge of the crucial US services sector expanded for the 12th straight month and hit a record high.

The readings come after a string of strong reports on the world’s top economy and reinforced the view that the recovery is motoring along.

However, while the rebound is good news, it compounded growing concerns on trading floors that inflation will skyrocket, forcing the Fed to taper its vast bond-buying program or even lift interest rates to prevent overheating.

The highly accommodative monetary policies of the Fed and other central banks have been a key driver of the blockbuster rally in world equities from their April 2020 troughs.

Eyes will be firmly on the release later in the day of official jobs figures, with warnings that a big miss to the upside could spark a market sell-off. With AFP In this file photo taken on July 1, 2020, people use a barrier tape to set a secure social distance space as they sunbathe at the Nord Beach in Gandia, near Valencia.

Spain, the second world tourist destination before 2020, will open its borders on June 7, 2021 to all tourists who arrive vaccinated against COVID-19.

AFP

Corporate tax deal ‘in sight’ as G7 meets LONDON—Group of Seven finance ministers are set to kick off talks on Friday, with Europeans optimistic the world’s wealthiest countries will support US-backed plans for a minimum global level of corporate tax.

British finance minister Rishi Sunak will host the meeting—which is being held in person after an easing of COVID restrictions—with counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

The talks will prepare the ground for a broader summit of G7 leaders in Cornwall, southwest England starting on June 11, which will be attended by US President Joe Biden on his first foreign tour since taking office in January.

According to a draft communique seen by AFP, the finance chiefs and central bankers of the world’s seven richest nations will express “strong support” and a “high level of ambition” over a global minimum corporate tax.

They then hope to reach broader agreement at a G20 finance meeting scheduled for July.

Ministers also plan to commit to “sustain policy support,” or stimulus, for “as long as necessary” to nurture economic recovery, while addressing climate change and inequalities in society, according to the document.

Furthermore, they will urge “equitable, safe and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines” everywhere in order to fully overcome the deadly pandemic.

And the thorny topic of the regulation of digital currencies such as bitcoin will also be on the agenda.

Biden has called for a unified minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent in negotiations with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and G20.

His proposal has so far won broad support from countries such as France and Germany, as well as the International Monetary Fund.

A deal on a minimum corporate tax rate is “within sight,” finance ministers from France, Germany, Italy and non-G7 member Spain declared on Friday. AFP

Spain’s Costa del Sol braces for return of travelers

By Diego Urdaneta TORREMOLINOS, SPAIN—The beach at Torremolinos is nearly empty but this southern Spanish resort is gearing up for what it hopes will be a busy summer and a return of “normality.”

Spain will on Monday reopen its borders to travelers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and all along the city’s promenade, hotels and restaurants are reopening or racing to refurbish in anticipation.

“We are already seeing something of a recovery with national clients,” said Orlando Perez, assistant manager of the seafront Melia Costa del Sol hotel which opened its doors on Tuesday after being closed for nine months.

With bookings on the rise, this 540-room hotel will next week see its occupancy rate rising to 35 percent.

It’s a long way from the 90-percent occupancy rate of the summer before the pandemic, but like other Spanish hoteliers, Perez is betting the numbers will soar as vaccination programs in key markets take hold and travel restrictions are further eased.

And the fact that the EU’s vaccine passport will be in place

by July 1, further freeing up travel within the bloc, has added to the sense of optimism.

As the world’s second-most popular tourist destination, Spain is expecting to welcome 45 million foreign tourists this year—more than twice the 19 million who visited in 2020 when the global tourism sector was battered by the pandemic.

For Spain, it was the lowest figure since the late 1960s.

And the impact can be clearly seen in neighborhoods further from the beachfront where it’s easier to find boardedup shops and hotels.

‘A lot of uncertainty’ As the “tourist hub” of Spain’s southern Costa del Sol, Torremolinos “totally depends on the sector,” city mayor Jose Ortiz told AFP. Although the pandemic delivered the “harshest blow the city has ever experienced,” Ortiz is hoping tourism activity

could reach half of its pre-pandemic levels in June and July.

Domestic tourists have already started coming back since the state of emergency which restricted inter-regional travel was lifted in early May. Before the pandemic, Spaniards accounted for half of the million or so annual visitors to Torremolinos, a city of around 68,000 people.

But one key reason for concern remains.

Tourists from Britain, who normally make up a third of visitors to Torremolinos, are still required to quarantine and take PCR tests on their return home from visiting Spain, which puts many off.

“For some hotels, the British market accounts for 70 percent of all international tourists,” said Javier Hernandez, vice-president of the Costa del Sol’s Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty.”

And Britain’s decision on Thursday to keep Spain off its ‘green list’ of safe countries has caused further angst, with the Exceltur tourism association describing it as “bad news.”

The UK travel list is up for review in another three weeks’ time.

‘Security above all’ Even so, there is optimism on the seafront among those working in the tourism sector.

“Things are starting to move again,” said Cristian Martin, 24, who started as a waiter at Pizza Mare three weeks ago.

“We’re hoping that by mid-June and July things will start getting back to normal a bit more,” he smiled.

At the Eden Beach Club, groups of people are relaxing in hammocks, sipping mojitos.

“There are very good prospects for the summer, we have been closed but it looks like it’s going to be a good one,” said club owner Antonio Dominguez, quickly reminding a customer to put on his face mask to go to the bathroom.

The venue has also reduced capacity and ensured tables are far apart under its virus protocol. AFP

WASHINGTON—US President Joe Biden on Thursday expanded a blacklist of Chinese firms that are off-limits to American investors over their links to Beijing’s “military-industrial complex,” in a sign of Washington’s continued pressure campaign against the Asian power.

Former president Donald Trump in November issued a list of 31 Chinese companies that were deemed to be supplying or supporting China’s military and security apparatus, later adding even more firms.

But after legal challenges put the sanctions in doubt, Biden’s team reviewed the blacklist, removing some names and ultimately expanding it to 59 firms that Americans are prohibited from having a stake in. Many are subsidiaries of companies already included.

The sanctions target companies involved in Chinese surveillance technology used to “facilitate repression or serious human rights abuses,” which “undermine the security or democratic values of the United States and our allies,” according to a White House statement.

The initial list published under Trump included major telecoms, construction and technology firms such as China Mobile, China Telecom, video surveillance firm Hikvision, and China Railway Construction Corp.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) was added in January—causing S&P to remove the company from its stock index—and remains on Biden’s list.

The investment ban takes effect August 2 and current shareholders have a year to divest.

The move was among a series of measures by the White House aimed at the Asian power that have left ties between the two countries severely strained.

Earlier in the day before the Biden order was released, Beijing repeated its outrage at the Trump-era blacklist and vowed to protect the rights of Chinese companies, saying the measure was “politically motivated” and “ignores the facts and actual situation” of the firms involved.

The ban “severely undermines normal market rules and order” and “damages... the interests of global investors, including US investors,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a routine briefing. AFP

Cruise ship docks at Venice for the 1st time in 17 months VENICE, Italy—A cruise ship arrived in Venice for the first time in 17 months Thursday, signaling the return of tourists after the coronavirus pandemic but enraging those who decry the impact of the giant floating hotels on the world heritage site.

The MSC Orchestra arrived empty from the Greek port of Piraeus and will pick up about 650 passengers on Saturday, before heading south to sample the delights of Bari, Corfu, Mykonos and Dubrovnik.

The numbers on board are limited

by COVID-19 restrictions to a fraction of the ship’s usual 3,000 capacity, while all passengers must show negative tests before joining the cruise.

However, their presence in Venice is proving no less controversial than it was before the pandemic, with two demonstrations planned for Saturday—one in support of the cruise ship, one against.

Environmental protesters warn the large waves caused by the cruise ships are eroding the foundations of the buildings in Venice, which with its lagoon are designated a UNESCO heritage site.

Celebrities and cultural figures including Mick Jagger, Francis Ford Coppola and Richard Armstrong, director of the New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, this week called for an end to the passage of large ships through the lagoon.

In an open letter to the Italian government calling for a range of measures to better protect the city, they warned the historic site risked being “swept away” by the ships.

Compiled by the Venetian Heritage Foundation, the letter also urged an end to mass tourism that “wears it out.” AFP

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

B4

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, June 4, 2021

4.47 PTS. 6,796.34

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,535,668,937 88,182 5,918,133,978.44 110 88 48

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.8060

Japan

Yen

0.009067

0.4335

UK

Pound

1.410600

67.4351

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128896

6.1620

Switzerland

Franc

1.106807

52.9120

Canada

Dollar

0.826105

39.4928

Singapore

Dollar

0.753296

36.0121

Australia

Dollar

0.765900

36.6146

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655478

126.9478

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

12.7486

Brunei

Dollar

0.750469

35.8769

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032113

1.5352

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0162

Euro

Euro

1.212800

57.9791

Korea

Won

0.000896

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.156152

7.4650

India

Rupee

0.013691

0.6545

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242718

11.6034

New Zealand

Dollar

0.714600

34.1622

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036123

1.7269 Source: BSP

Cebu Pacific offers domestic seat sale after travel allowed

Business May inflation steady at 4.5% but meat prices remain high

By Julito G. Rada

I

NFLATION stayed at 4.5 percent for the third consecutive month in May, as meat prices remain high, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority on Friday show.

The inflation in May was faster than 2.1 percent registered in the same month last year. The PSA said the inflation rate averaged 4.5 percent in the first five months of 2021, above the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the May figure was within the BSP’s forecast range of 4.0 percent to 4.8 percent for the month.

“The latest outturn is consistent with expectations that inflation could remain above the high-end of the target range during the quarter as meat and oil prices remain elevated,” Diokno said.

“Nonetheless, the BSP expects inflation to decelerate to within the target

range by the second half of 2021 to 2022 as domestic supply bottlenecks are addressed,” he said.

Diokno said the implementation of the temporary reduction in tariffs on imported pork was expected to address supply constraints and ease price pressures on meat products going forward.

He said the projected decline of inflation would depend on the timely arrival of pork to help stabilize domestic prices.

“Meanwhile, the BSP is of the view that risks to the inflation outlook are broadly balanced. The risks relate to the arrival of pork imports at lower tariffs, the successful reopening of the domestic economy, and the pace of the global economic recovery,” he said.

He said the Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the BSP, would consider the latest price developments during its meeting on June 24, 2021.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said May marked the fifth successive month that inflation stayed above the target range.

“Above-target inflation constrains Diokno from cutting policy rates further while the disappointing first-quarter GDP reading is likely enough to convince Diokno that rates should stay where they are for now.

With bank lending in negative territory for five months and counting, it’s clear that the banking sector is still in need of stimulus from monetary authorities,” Mapa said.

Mapa said inflation would likely decelerate in the coming months as supply conditions ease with inflation set to return within target by as early as July.

“We expect BSP to extend its pause for the balance of the year while penciling a possible rate hike by third quarter 2022 as economic conditions improve considerably,” Mapa said.

By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Pacific said Friday it is offering a special all-domestic seat sale for immediate travel following the government’s announcement that allows travel for leisure.

“We welcome this development and hope that this will continue as we all look forward to safely restart domestic tourism again. We are especially happy to resume our daily flights to Boracay, which solely cater to tourists,” sad Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and customer experience.

The airline said that for as low as P88 one-way base fare, passengers could book until June 11, 2021 their much-anticipated vacation to any domestic destination on sale, with travel period until March 26, 2022.

Beginning June 4, the airline will begin flying twice daily between Manila and Boracay. Apart from this route, CEB also operates regular flights to Bacolod, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and more local destinations across its widest domestic network.

Passengers can also book worryfree as CEB permanently removed change fees in March, allowing passengers to rebook whenever and as many times as they need to. Those with existing travel Funds may also make use of these to book new flights with Cebu Pacific.

“We encourage everyJuan to take advantage of our ongoing promo and book that much-needed getaway,” said Iyog.

CEB was rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards.

These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, antigen testing before duty for all frontliners and crew members and contactless flight procedures.

Aircraft are also equipped with hospital-grade HEPA air filters which have been proven to make inflight transmission of COVID-19 low or virtually non-existent.

French gov’t agrees to fund 4.5-km cable car system in Pasig THE French government is willing to fund the first urban cable car system in the country, which will also be the first in Asia, the Department of Finance said Friday.

The Finance Department said in a statement Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and French Ambassador to the Philippines Michèle Boccoz met virtually recently to discuss several projects for possible funding by France, including the first urban cable car system in the Philippines that will serve as an environment-friendly means of mass transportation to help ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

Boccoz said France was keen to provide financing support through a “highly concessional loan” for the proposed cable car system.

Dominguez said the project was up for approval by the Investment Coordination Committee which he chairs.

The proposed $100-million (P4.8billion) Manila Urban Car Cable Project of the Department of Transportation initially involves the construction of a cable-propelled mass transport system spanning about 4.5 kilometers along the Santolan-Eastwood-Pasig corridor.

The government of France extended a grant for the feasibility study on the project in 2018.

Dominguez and Boccoz also discussed the proposal to acquire 40 units of 24-meter fast patrol boats for the Philippine Coast Guard, along with two additional 84-meter offshore patrol vessels and two coastal patrol boats from French shipbuilder OCEA. Boccoz confirmed to Dominguez that the French Treasury was eager to provide support for this acquisition of maritime vessels.

France earlier delivered to the Philippines an offshore patrol vessel christened the Gabriela Silang to the PCG in 2019 and four fast patrol boats in 2018.Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF

BSP: Debt servicing poses financial risks

NEW LANDBANK SITE. Land Bank of the Philippines’ Buendia branch transfers to the ground floor of the NAPOLCOM-NCR Building at 371 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City. Located near the intersection of Makati Ave. and Senator Gil Puyat Ave., the LandBank Buendia Branch caters to the banking needs of major government and private clients within the bustling central business district of Makati.

Business group wants regulatory relief provisions included in Bayanihan Act 3

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country’s largest business organization, asked the Senate to include an environmental regulatory relief provision in the proposed Bayanihan Act 3 to help businesses cope with the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to extend to three years, without penalties, the grace period for the enforcement of Department Administrative Order 2016-08: Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standard from its effectivity on June 18, 2021.

DAO 2016-08 covers all businesses, including micro and small, commercial establishments, offices and institutions.

Non-compliance will be imposed with penalties for a minimum of P10,000 daily, provided for under Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act and its implementing rules and regulations.

PCCI president Bendicto Yujuico said in a letter to Senate President Vicente Sotto III that compliance with standards imposed under the DAO 2016-08 would entail substantial capital investment, operational and maintenance expenses which may hamper the recovery of business from the devastating impact of the pandemic.

“Given the present situation, we appeal to our government to reconsider the implementation of this DAO 201608, at least to give businesses a grace period of three years. We cannot afford at this time to add burden, especially to MSMEs that are trying to recover from this pandemic,” Yujuico said.

He said all businesses were facing many difficulties particularly in trying to fulfill the Compliance Action Plan required under the DAO, which include among others, travel restrictions, reduced manpower deployment, lack of technology and limited financial resources.

BRIDGE OPENING.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar announces that all systems go for the June 12 opening to vehicular traffic of the Sta. MonicaLawton Bridge Project, the new bridge across Pasig River and a major component of the BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project.

With the bridge, Bonifacio Global City will be connected to Pasig City and Mandaluyong City by a travel time of 12 minutes.

Globe activates voice over LTE in over 25 provinces GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Friday it activated and optimized its voice over LTE service in more than 25 provinces all over the country.

The telecom unit of Ayala Group said the developments made it possible for more postpaid customers to access the service, improving voice call experience.

These provinces include Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Rizal, Tarlac and Zambales in Luzon.

VoLTE is also now 100-percent available in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor in the Visayas and in Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Guimaras and Misamis Oriental in Mindanao.

“VoLTE is one of the better solutions and technologies that will greatly improve the mobile experience of our postpaid customers as they face the challenges of dealing with this pandemic,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu. VoLTE is the standard high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones using 4G LTE instead of the traditional voice networks being used by 2G and 3G. VoLTE has three times more voice capacity than in 3G and up to six times more compared to 2G calls. It also provides customers with better call quality at a shorter setup time compared with regular voice calls.

VoLTE allows customers to stay connected in LTE while on call. This feature is very useful for people who are avid gamers or are fond of posting and streaming videos on the Internet.

Globe’s aggressive builds and network expansion made it possible for customers to elevate their call, SMS and data browsing experience.

Darwin G. Amojelar

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Friday servicing debts and credit-related risks are the primary concerns in the financial market amid the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diokno issued the statement on the state of financial stability in the country in behalf of the Financial Stability Coordination Council which he chairs. The statement followed the May 18 meeting of the FSCC. Diokno said six of the 11 risk areas being monitored were classified as under control.

These include risks to monetary policy, risks to fiscal policy, contagion risk, concentration risk, liquidity risk and geo-political risk.

“However, servicing debts and credit-related risks are the primary concerns in the financial market today,” Diokno said in an online briefing.

“COVID-19 has created similar problems throughout the world and the loss of incomes is the most common scar from this pandemiccum-recession,” he said.

“This has left borrowers vulnerable because their capacity to service their debts has been put at risk,” Diokno said. Julito G. Rada

Bayer pilots PPE project for farmers BAYER Crop Science Philippines said Friday it will pilot a project to safeguard the wellbeing of farmers as they go about their crop protection routines by introducing the use of personal protective equipment while at work.

The company said Filipino farmers were not usually wearing PPE when applying pesticides and germicides to crops, making them vulnerable to chemicals and to the diseases associated with them.

The project offers the use of a safety kit. It will pilot in vegetable-producing municipalities of Buguias and La Trinidad in Benguet and the rice areas of Bayambang, Pangasinan and Concepcion, Tarlac. The kit will include 2 filter face masks, a pair of nitrile gloves,= and goggles.

Based on a survey conducted by Bayer, only 6 of 10 farmers wear a face mask when preparing and applying crop protection products.

Most of the farmers use the surgical mask type, which is not recommended as it does not offer full protection from potential inhalation of the product. Othel V. Campos

Japan pharma firms eye PH investments JAPANESE pharmaceutical companies are actively exploring the Philippines for possible investments after the conduct of a webinar detailing opportunities in the country.

The webinar was organized by the Board of Investments and the Foreign Trade Service Corps, together with the Kansai Pharmaceutical Industries Association on May 20.

“As we work to ‘Build Back a Better Philippines’, we recognize the importance of our international partners like Japan. With the developments in health insurance schemes, health systems and increasing investments in public health, the Philippines can serve as Japan’s market for pharmaceutical products,” said BOI managing head and Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo.

“As our country prepares the local environment and standards through the implementation of ASEAN harmonization and other initiatives for Good Manufacturing Practice, the Philippines can be a good production base for Japanese companies’ pharmaceutical exports.

Not to mention, the Philippines is Japan’s closest ASEAN country in terms of geographical proximity,” said Rodolfo. Othel V. Campos

Sports

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

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

Davis: Injuries doomed LA Lakers’ bid to keep crown

Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns dribbles as Dennis Schroderof the Los Angeles Lakers reaches for the ball in the third quarter during game six of the Western Conference first round series at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP Tokyo Olympics-bound rower Cris Nievarez takes his first dose of the Sinovac vaccine as POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno look on.

Japan backed into corner on Olympics, says committee exec TOKYO—Japan has been backed into a corner over the Tokyo Games, a member of the country’s Olympic committee said Friday, arguing the virus-postponed event has “lost meaning” but it is too late to cancel.

Public opposition to holding the Olympics this summer remains high, but organisers insist they will go ahead safely under strict Covid-19 countermeasures and with most athletes and officials vaccinated.

In an opinion article for Kyodo News, Japan Olympic Committee member Kaori Yamaguchi, who won judo bronze in Seoul in 1988, described “anxiety and distrust” between the public and the government over the Games.

“What will these Olympics be for and for whom? The Games have already lost meaning and are being held just for the sake of them,” she wrote.

“We have been cornered into a situation where we cannot even stop now.

We are damned if we do, and damned if we do not,” added Yamaguchi, who has previously voiced unease over the Games and called for their postponement last year.

Yamaguchi also hit out at the International Olympic Committee, which has repeatedly asserted that the mega-event will go ahead despite the pandemic.

“The IOC also seems to think that public opinion in Japan is not important,” she said, citing shock over comments by vice-president John Coates.

When asked in May if the Games could be held even during a virus state of emergency, Coates had said “the answer is absolutely yes”.

Japan has seen a comparatively small outbreak overall but several areas including Tokyo are currently under emergency measures, less strict than blanket lockdowns, to tackle a fourth wave of cases.

The country’s slow-moving vaccine rollout has started to pick up in recent days, with around three percent of the population fully vaccinated so far.

The government’s top medical adviser, Shigeru Omi, told lawmakers on Friday that the Games should not go ahead if the emergency measures are extended past their current enddate of June 20. AFP

Former squash chief Ribano dies FORMER Squash Racquets Association of the Philippines president Romeo Ribano passed away Thursday after a bout with pneumonia.

Ribano, 85, who used to head the organization for more than a decade, was cremated Friday.

An accountant by profession, Ribano was also a board member of the Philippine Olympic Committee until 2012.

He is survived by wife Zenaida and three children Francesca Sofia, Christine and Teresa.

Bob Bachmann now heads the SRAP and was recently reelected as its president.

Filipino surfers kiss Olympic bids goodbye

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Philippines’ Nilbie Blancada got into a showdown with one of the world’s best surfers and lost on points during her final run in the women’s division’s fourth repechage round on Day 5 of the 2021 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games at El Sunzal beach.

The experience of Sally Fitzgibbons proved too much for Blancada as the world’s no. 2 surfer got the points and went on to advance to the fifth round with Japanese surfer Amuro Tsuzuki.

Blancada eventually bowed out of contention with fellow Filipino bet John Mark Tokong.

The 29-year-old Blancada was able to make two turns along frothy swells, which reached heights of more than 10 feet that day as she came up with scores of 5.23 and 4.23 for a total of 9.46.

But Fitzgibbons, who already secured an Olympic slot via the 2019 World Surfing League Championship Tour, put on standout performances with her smooth ride down one of the big waves that came in during repechage rounds of Thursday.

Fitzgibbon’s heat total of 17.5 proved to be the highest of the day in the women’s side.

Before Fitzgibbons came up with a good score of 6.1, Blancada saw her chances of reaching the next round fade when Tsuzuki submitted a second good score of 5.83 to move up to no. 2 with her tally of 10.43.

After that, Blancada tried to find another good wave to ride on and get a better

second score.

Unfortunately, there were no more big waves during her turn, after French surfer Canelle Bullard was given a priority on the last good swell that came up.

“Nilbie had a great heat. She led all throughout, until Sally Fitzgibbons, an Olympic bet and already qualified, got a 6.1 and moved Nilbie to no. 2. Another surfer got the priority on the final wave,”

C1

said national coach Ian Saguan in a message to the Manila Standard.

Blancada emerged as the last Filipino surfer to survive the tough search for an Olympic qualifying slot for Asia, after making her way past the fourth repechage.

She earned the top honors in the fourth repechage with 10.17 as she reached the fifth with Canadian Paige Alms, who had an 8.74.

Meanwhile, Tokong also had a tough day in his confrontation with world no.

17 Matt Givillray of South Africa, Israel’s best Yoni Klein and Europe’s no. 2 Dylan Groen of Germany.

The 24-year-old Tokong had an opportunity score big after riding and turning twice while negotiating a 10-foot swell.

John Mark Tokong tries to maintain his balance. (ISA photographer Pablo Jimenez)

LOS ANGELES—Anthony Davis limped out of the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, a sight that the star forward and teammate LeBron James said summed up their season.

“I think health played a big part in the position we were in,” Davis said after the Suns beat the Lakers 113-100 to wrap up a 4-2 triumph in their bestof-seven Western conference firstround playoff series.

“Me missing 30 games, Bron missing an extensive amount of games... we just weren’t healthy. We were very healthy last year, it just wasn’t the same this year. And we couldn’t have our full product on the floor.”

Davis missed half of the 72-game regular season because of a string of injuries.

He was already nursing a sore knee when he suffered a groin strain in game four against Phoenix, sitting out the second half and all of game five before trying to return.

He lasted less than six scoreless minutes, while Suns guard Devin Booker scored 22 points in the first quarter as Phoenix seized control on the way to a wire-to-wire victory.

Booker would finish with 47 points and James, who missed more than 20 games this season with a high right ankle sprain, couldn’t counter.

James said it wouldn’t be Thursday’s defeat—or even losing the last three games of the series against the Suns— that he’d look back on with regret.

“The one thing that bothers me more than anything is we never got an opportunity to see our full team,” James said.

“We could never fully get into a rhythm, we could never see the full potential of what we were capable of.”

After their Finals triumph over the Miami Heat in the NBA’s quarantine bubble last season, the Lakers knew a repeat would be a daunting task.

Every team has dealt with the league’s ongoing coronavirus protocols, with constant testing and contact tracing that has led to players missing time on court.

“From the moment we entered the bubble to today it’s been draining,” James said. “Mentally, spiritually, emotionally draining.

“Every team has to deal with it, obviously, but with us and Miami going long-haul in the bubble and coming back on short notice, it’s been very draining,” he said. AFP

Eala sets sights on French Open girls’ title

Alex Eala wants to improve on her semifinal finish.

FILIPINA tennis star Alex Eala is looking to improve on her semifinal finish when she competes in the girls’ singles competition of the 2021 French Open Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France.

The long-time Globe ambassador and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) no. 3 ranked juniors player has been set as the second seed in the tournament, which kicks off on Sunday, June 6. Eala will have some tough competition in front of her with the presence of ITF no. 2 ranked juniors player Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, who is the top seed in this year’s French Open.

Also vying for the title are the third-seeded Polina Kudermetova and the fourth-seeded Diana Shnaider.

American netter Robin Montgomery, who is the fifth seed, is also expected to be in the mix. One player who will be missing in the girls’ field is the no. 1 ranked ITF juniors player in the world, Elsa Jacquemot, who opted to compete in the women’s singles competition. It was Jacquemot who gave Eala the boot from the semifinals of the French Open last year with a 4-6, 3-6 victory.

The big difference this year, though, is that Eala will be heading

The Apprentice finalist Sangalang to reach out to cancer patients REACHING out to cancer patients is something that Louie Sangalang looks forward to.

Sangalang expressed his desire to be of help to cancer survivors after he recently made it to the finals of The Apprentice:ONE Championship Edition.

The 43-year-old Sangalang signed up to help out with LOVE, NILS, an international organization that supports children with cancer and their caregivers.

The other finalist, Venezuelan sales director Jessica Ramella helped

Sangalang in developing a mobile application that will help children with cancer through LOVE, NILS. The two developed a chatbot using Twilio technology to provide emotional and social support to the patients and their families and also interact with prospective donors.

Twilio is an American cloud communications platform that facilitates communication functions across various channels.

“What amazed me about the business challenge is the fact that when Jessica and I created the product, it

allows a cancer patient to be able to reach out directly to a care counselor, which LOVE, NILS provides.

And that to me is such an immediate response in this situation, right?

Kids are scared that adoptive parents or other people would want to reach out to someone and you know, it’s amazing how technology just gets us connected together,” said Sangalang.

The chatbot will help the patients and parents connect with each other and the donors themselves.

Peter Atencio

to battle armed with plenty of experience, thanks to her stints in nine professional competitions so far this year, which included a championship run in the W15 Manacor in January.

She also had a second-place finish in the doubles competition of the W25 Platja D’Aro last month.

She will also compete in the doubles competition with partner Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia.

Eala is seeking her second grand slam win after she captured the 2020 Australian Open girls’ doubles title with Priska Madelyn Nugroho of Indonesia.

Louie Sangalang

C2

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Globe revives community livelihood in Verde Island amid isolation, pandemic G

LOBE'S inclusive goal of bringing its services to locations or areas where connectivity is needed most has enabled a community to survive isolation exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Globe’s recent network rollouts and site expansion in Batangas have made it possible for residents of Verde Island to make the most of the challenges despite its location and constant fear of the global health crisis literally reaching its shores. Their story is another #KwentoNgTagumpay.

“Most of the time, we take for granted our access to the internet but to some of our kababayans, having a signal is nothing short of a miracle especially if you are on an island where travel is almost non-existent. Opportunities are limited due to health protocols and leaving the island is not always an option. But we can give them something that will level their odds because we care for our customers,” said Joel Agustin, Globe Senior Vice President for Program Delivery, Network Technical Group.

Verde Island is located between the islands of Luzon and Mindoro. It will take at least an hour and a half by boat or 20 minutes by a ferry boat to reach the island from Batangas City port.

The island has six barangays and is known for its many dive spots for tourists until the pandemic brought a halt to its primary source of income.

Reef Picks founder Gela Petines

Since last year Globe has installed a significant number of new cell towers and has completed several site upgrades in the whole province. These efforts have resulted in improved services even in Verde Island.

Gela Petines, founder of Reef Picks, says the connectivity brought by Globe made it possible for her kababayans to survive the closure of the island to tourists and scuba divers due to the pandemic.

“Mas humirap ang buhay at naramdaman ko na hindi dapat basta pabayaan na lamang ang mga kabayan ko. Kailangan gumawa ng paraan. Bale kinausap ko sila at kung ano pwede namin gawin.

Naisip namin 'yung paggawa ng tampipi boxes kasi marunong sila na mag-weaving nun,” she recounted.

After coming up with the products, Petines then used the power of the internet to look for potential buyers and partners to promote and support their crafts.

“Kailangan mayroon kaming mga buyer kaya naisip ko pumunta online at ibenta mga produkto nila at siyempre kanila ang kita. Ngayong pandemic maraming taong online.

This is a powerful tool to help other people and I think yung nakikita nating pagbangon ng Verde Island is a

Industry experts shared how entrepreneurs can maximize tools on e-commerce platformsto thrive in the new normal

E-commerce ready: Shopee U Summit equips MSMEs to succeed in digital space SHOPEE, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, successfully wrapped up its inaugural Shopee University Summit in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, AdSpark, Facebook, and brands such as HP, Messy Bessy, and Globe myBusiness.

Current and aspiring entrepreneurs learned about the e-commerce landscape, understood the importance of marketing tools and strategies, and heard success stories from accomplished online sellers on Shopee.

“Shopee is proud to have launched our first-ever Shopee University Summit last May 27. With the steady growth of e-commerce, it’s essential that we support our sellers as they transition online. Shopee

will amplify our efforts in providing accessible training and seminars to help Filipino entrepreneurs rise up, succeed, and achieve continuous business growth amidst the ongoing pandemic,” said Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines.

Asec. Jean Pacheco from the Department of Trade and Industry was present to share the various initiatives to help MSMEs go digital. Representatives from different industries such as Marty Buragay from Facebook, talked about the new purchasing habits and expectations in the new normal, and Joey Flores from digital agency, AdSpark, discussed the significance of an effective ad and the importance of strategic planning. Industry leaders from top brands like HP also shared insights on how

GMA Network subsidiary powers website for Crate and Barrel PH GMA New Media, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of GMA Network, has recently launched its latest project, an E-commerce website for home furniture and houseware brand, Crate and Barrel Philippines. This was done through NMI’s newest business unit, NMI Solutions.

NMI Solutions aims to be the preferred service provider for companies, small to medium enterprises in particular, in the process of digital transformation. Their latest project collaborated with Crate and Barrel Philippines (https://crateandbarrel.com.ph/) allows users to browse and shop through a curated selection of timeless and classic pieces with ease. Offering delivery services and easy payment schemes, Crate and Barrel Philippines is able to provide a convenient shopping experience for their customers that’s as easy as just one click away.

Utilizing their extensive knowledge of E-commerce, the NMI Solutions team has developed Shopkit, a quick-deploy proprietary software-as-a-service (SAAS) solution, with a robust backend hosted in Amazon Web Services (AWS).

NMI has been a registered partner of AWS since 2015. Shopkit enables MSMEs to expand their reach by bringing their products online.

Apart from web and app development, NMI Solutions also specializes in systems integration, data analytics, managed IT services, and technocreative solutions. Some notable projects in the roster are online shops for Toy Kingdom (www.toykingdom. com.ph), Pet Express (www.petexpress.com.ph), and SM Flash Sale.

For more information on how NMI can help bring your businesses online, contact them through solutions@gmanmi.com.

For more updates on GMA Network, visit www.gmanetwork.com. (30)

living testament,” Petines said.

While life in Verde Island remains challenging, Petines believes they have a fighting chance now with technology helping her and her community. “Parating may paraan para matulungan ang sarili, gayundin parating may paraan para makatulong sa iba,” she added.

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) particularly UN SDG No. 9 that highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.

To know more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

e-commerce can help MSMEs grow their businesses.

The pandemic brought about challenges to a majority of Filipino entrepreneurs. For some, it was about learning to shift to an online model overnight or enabling a remote workforce. For others, it was about optimizing their processes or finances to keep the business running.

At the Shopee University Summit, HP shared how the existing tools, programs, and platforms can support small business owners in their journey to recovery and, eventually, thrive in the new normal.

Christian Edmond Reyes, Philippines and Pakistan Managing Director at HP Inc., said, “At HP, we are committed to our broader strategy of bringing about digital transformation to the retail experience in collaboration with partners such as Shopee. We look forward to working more closely with and sharing the passion and hard work of many Filipino businesses to build a sustainable, secure, and connected economy.”

Aside from brands and industry experts, two Shopee Marketplace sellers also shared their experience in ecommerce. Jennalyn Indigado, owner of Small Wonders, said that while her e-commerce journey on Shopee started as an accident, her business grew bigger when she joined Shopee and now ships approximately 800 orders daily. Meanwhile, Nikka Solomon of ClosetByNikka2600, a former banker-turned-online-seller, doubled her orders when she started using Shopee Live to promote her fashion items, especially during big campaigns.

Missed the Shopee University Summit? Watch the full video on Shopee’s official Youtube page or click this link https://youtu.be/ABjYvEtWQD0. To learn about the onboarding process or if you’ve decided to start your e-commerce journey with Shopee, sign-up at bit.ly/ShopeeUniOnboarding.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

continues to innovate services LAUNCHED in 2004, Ventaja International Corporation began operations as a PEZA-registered IT company. The company developed platforms to serve the huge demand for long distance calls by exporting telecom prepaid cards from the Philippines to Filipino migrant workers based overseas.

In 2007, the company achieved another milestone. Ventaja was the first company to collect SSS contributions and loan payments electronically from OFWs. Prior to Ventaja, it would take 6 months for SSS to record paperbased contributions from OFWs. Ventaja made it possible for all payments to be posted within a couple of business days.

In 2009 and 2011, Ventaja started accepting payments for Pag-IBIG and Philhealth, respectively. And in 2015, Ventaja made it possible for OFWs to shop online and pay with cash at remittance centers across the world. Ventaja’s online merchant partners include Cebu Pacific and Goldilock’s.

Over the years, Ventaja strived to expand its network of collection agents in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. As this network grew, so did collection volumes. Ventaja has been the largest collection partner for the Philippine government for many years now, and has received several awards in the process. Ventaja is in SSS’ Hall of Fame for consistently being the Best OFW Collecting Partner. Pag-IBIG recognized Ventaja as their Top Performer in 2019; while Philhealth gave Ventaja an Exemplary Performance Award in 2018.

“We are committed to making government payments accessible to all OFWs. We want to empower OFWs; to make it possible for them buy homes and save for retirement,” says Mr. Vincent Grey, founder and CEO of Ventaja International Corp.

Ventaja continues to grow and innovate. The company is overhauling its entire software platform to make it easier for other fintechs to integrate Ventaja’s services, and to onboard new billers and merchants. In terms of reach, Ventaja will not stop until all OFWs can pay their SSS contributions or Pag IBIG amortizations from wherever they are.

For more information, visit www.ventaja.com.ph

Empowering customers with innovations at SAPPHIRE NOW WALLDORF, Germany -- At its global SAPPHIRE NOW® conference, SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) unveiled SAP® Business Network, the first step in its bold vision to create new business communities able to improve business outcomes, better navigate changing economic and geopolitical conditions and enhance sustainability contributions.

The company also announced a number of new innovations to help customers transform business processes, drive improved performance and run their best. Highlights of these planned innovations include: Business Process Intelligence Solutions Now Offer SAP Process Insights As part of the business process intelligence (BPI) portfolio, the SAP Process Insights solution enables organizations to analyze and improve their real-world business processes. EY, Deloitte and Infosys Limited are the initial strategic partners working with the BPI portfolio from SAP to help organizations transform. To learn more, read “SAP Announces New SAP Process Insights Solution for Quick and Easy Understanding of How Well Processes Perform.”

Verify, a New SAP Concur® Feature, Uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Simplify Expense Auditing The Verify service, a new feature of SAP Concur® solutions, uses AI and machine learning to automatically identify potential expense report issues and anomalies. The AI models are built from analysis of more than US$1 trillion in spend and tens of millions of expenses and receipts. Verify can approve expense reports that have no issues while flagging anomalies for auditors to review.

This AI-powered experience means auditors don’t waste time reviewing compliant expense reports, but can detect issues of compliance or fraud. To learn more, read “Verify Applies Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Simplify Expense Auditing.”

SAP Upscale Commerce Is a No-Code Solution Enabling Direct-to-Consumer Engagement The SAP Upscale Commerce solution is an online commerce, no-code solution that lets midmarket retailers create an omnichannel shopping experiences in minutes. With built-in AI, retailers can provide personalized offerings based on a 360-degree view of their customer from social sentiment and purchase data. With a headless API architecture, retailers can provide customers real-time information about their purchase and delivery through any channel. SAP Upscale Commerce is integrated with SAP S/4HANA® to help ensure customer-facing experiences work with backend finance, logistics and fulfilment systems to deliver a smooth customer experience. To learn more, read “SAP Upscale Commerce Offers Midmarket Brands No-Code, Maintenance-Free Path to Direct-to-Consumer Engagement.”

A Trio of New SAP Business Technology Platform Capabilities Surface Insights from Data The SAP Analytics Cloud solution now offers operational workforce analytics and planning capabilities and integration with SAP SuccessFactors® solutions.

These capabilities link operational, financial and people data

to give organizations more comprehensive insights into their workforce. To learn more, read “Enabling Human-Centric & Data-Driven Workforce Planning.” The new data marketplace for the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud solution lets customers and partners connect to data providers across industries and lines of business to gain insights for better decisionmaking. SAP is also expanding its low-code/ no-code offering: SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation services can now capture and automate user interactions and integrate with SAP Process Insights to identify high-impact automation opportunities.

SAP CEO Christian Klein during the panel session

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

(MS-JUNE 5, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021

Motoring

WHY HYBRID? It’s the ride to a sustainable future

S

USTAINABLE lifestyle is the catchphrase these days.

As the effects of global warming hit close to home, more people are recycling, reducing waste and using eco-friendly products. In the Philippines, a study conducted

by Kantar revealed that 75 percent of Filipinos are actively seeking alternative solutions to help save the environment.

Fortunately, technological developments in the auto industry make it possible to own a car nowadays while still being kind to the environment.

Driving with a better purpose Knowing the importance of a more environmentally sustainable mode of transportation, Toyota has long been working on new and innovative ideas and technologies and in 2015, announced its long-term initiative, the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, which

aims to achieve zero CO2 emissions and a net positive environmental impact. The six challenges initiated encompass Toyota’s entire operations, from the manufacture of new vehicles to plant emission, entire vehicle life cycle, water usage optimization, recycling technologies and systems, and connecting nature conservation activities.

Toyota’s global vision of reducing adverse environmental impacts aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate

Isuzu, Shell fortify team-up on the road ISUZU Philippines Corporation has entered into a two-year partnership agreement with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation. Though the conventional contract signing ceremony did not take place, the fortified relationship between the two organizations signifies a joint commitment to help Filipinos safely adapt to the new normal on and off the road.

“We are very pleased to again be working side by side with Pilipinas Shell in fulfilling our mission to become ‘responsible partners’ in service of Filipino motorists. At IPC, we value progressive thinking and engineering when it comes to our commercial and light commercial vehicles, so we are glad to be working closely with them who are considered industry pioneers when it comes to

sustainability and modernization,” according to Koso, president of IPC. PSP represented by Randy Del Valle, Vice President and General Manager for Mobility, expressed excitement in continuing an even stronger partnership with the country’s leading automotive and truck brand when it comes to diesel engine. Del Valle says “With the renewal of the partnership of IPC and Shell that has started since 2018, we would be able to continue to give value to new Isuzu drivers by providing access to quality fuels, lubricants and convenience retail items through the Shell Go+ Platform. We believe that this partnership is mutually beneficial for both Shell and IPC as both are in the forefront of innovation in their respective fields.”

Action, Clean Water and Sanitation and Responsible Consumption and Production.

Toyota envisions a sustainable world where automobiles and the environment are in harmony.

As it continues to strive to become the leading innovator of mobility, Toyota provides consumers with an alternative mobility solution through its hybrid cars.

Mindful performance The Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid offers many benefits to both users and the environment.

Hybrid cars aren’t a new innovation. In fact, Toyota launched Toyota Prius in Japan in 1997 – the first mass-produced hybrid car in the world. It gained more popularity when it was introduced in the United States in 2000 attracting the interest of A-list celebrities. The Toyota Corolla Altis is one of Toyota Motor Philippines’ latest generation of cars utilizing the hybrid system, which also comes at an

affordable price.

Powered by a 16-valve 1.8L engine and an electric motor and delivering a maximum output of 97hp at 5,200rpm and a maximum torque of 142Nm at 3,600rpm, the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid automatically switches between driving modes seamlessly: conventional engine only, electric engine only, or combination of the two, depending on the road and driving conditions. The Continuously Variable transmission (CVT) complements the 1.8L engine to improve responsiveness and ensure a smoother and quieter ride.

The Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid’s electric motor is ideal for city driving.

When the battery is sufficiently charged, it automatically powers the vehicle to save fuel. During acceleration in an uphill driving, both the engine and battery supply power for optimum performance.

The motor generator recovers the kinetic

energy from braking, which recharges the hybrid battery.

Design-wise, the Toyota Corolla Altis is sleek and classy. It has a clean-cut look on the outside and an elegant feel on the inside. The compact sedan’s cabin is spacious, and features upgraded driving ergonomics that put emphasis on both functionality and comfort to make the ride more enjoyable. Developed under the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) program, the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid is part of a family of vehicles that are made ever better. This innovative car-making approach changes the basic architecture of cars for an enhanced basic performance and overall product appeal. With optimized manufacturing and smart collaboration with suppliers and production sites, this initiative leads to a reduction in development resources and reinvestment of reserves.

Toyota’s latest hybrid offering also has the built-in Toyota Safety Sense – a proprietary safety feature designed to help protect drivers and passengers while on the road. The advanced features include PreCollision System, Automatic High Beams, Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control functions to keep passengers safe.

The greener advantage Fuel-efficient cars help the environment by reducing pollution and smog. The Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid stands out with its dual-power ability, offering a greener advantage than the most fuel-efficient traditional or electricpowered vehicle.

With the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid’s self-charging electric battery, there’s no need to worry about the car running out of power or getting stranded. When the car’s battery runs low, it automatically switches to gas motor and goes on to charge the battery without needing to be plugged into an outlet. This makes for an added environmental benefit as there’s less need to charge and consume electricity. Plus, the hybrid battery comes with a 5-year warranty.

SMC tollways waive P230-m fees TOLLWAYS owned by the expansionary conglomerate San Miguel Corporation have waived P230 million in toll fees for the benefit of medical frontliners.

SMC says its no-toll campaign is part of its support for front liners against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The free toll program, which regularly benefits more than 10,000 medical front liners, has been in effect at the STAR Tollway, South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and Tarlac-PangasinanLa Union Expressway (TPLEX), since March 2020, the company said.

Among those who benefit from the tollfree program are doctors, nurses, medical and laboratory technicians residing in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“We started this program last year, to show our appreciation and support for our hero medical workers who risk their lives everyday to save others, despite the threat of COVID-19. More than one year has passed and they have accomplished so much in the fight against the pandemic. With most of them now vaccinated, we are honored to have stayed with them and supported them all this time, through this gesture of free toll,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang. “To all our healthcare professionals, we applaud your dedication to serve. Through this program, I hope you feel our gratitude,” he added.

File photo shows SMC president Ramon Ang and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar officially opening the Quirino Southbound exit ramp on May 24, 2021. The exit ramp is part of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, a project that will help decongest EDSA and other major roads. Skyway is among the SMC--owned tollways that have waived fees in favor of medical frontliners since the pandemic hit.

SMC is the only toll operator that continues to implement the “no toll fee” policy for medical front liners at all its tollways, even as the country’s vaccination program has begun.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, SMC has been at the forefront of private sector response to support medical front liners and the country’s healthcare system.

Recently, the company shifted its focus from pandemic response to recovery. It is spending some P1 billion to vaccinate for free around 70,000 in its nationwide workforce.

It has also started hiring and deploying doctors and nurses to help local government units accelerate their vaccination programs, to protect more Filipinos and boost economic recovery.