Manila Standard - 2021 June 14 - Monday

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VOL. XXXV • NO. 119 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SOLIDARITY PATROL. Philippine Air Force jet fighters conduct "solidarity maritime patrol" over the Philippine Rise as part of the country's commemoration of the 123rd Independence Day and 5th anniversary of the renaming of the Philippine Rise, formerly Benham Rise. Both events aim to promote marine conservation and to assert the country’s sovereign rights on the feature once known as the Benham Rise, located approximately 250 kilometers east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela. An EADS CASA C-295 medium transport and two South Korean-made FA-50PH fighter jets took part in the activity which was organized by the PAF and its Tactical Operations Wing Northern LuzonAboard the transport aircraft was National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, also National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) chair and Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Burgos along with other ranking officials.Esperon was the guest-of-honor during Independence Day ceremonies at Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga. The event was highlighted by the escort mission conducted by two FA-50PH fighter jets led by PAF chief Lt. Gen. Allen T. Paredes over sovereignty buoys or markers in the Philippine Rise. (See story on A4)

Vax rollout way off target Treatment czar says only 2% inoculated, blames vax supply slack

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

O

NLY about 2 million people out of the Philippines' 109.48 million population have been fully inoculated against COVID-19, almost three months after the national government started its vaccination program, Health Undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega said Sunday.

"This will take a long time because we know that as of now, we have only fully vaccinated around 2 percent of our population. That's far before the end of the year on vaccinating 50 percent to 70 percent of (the population)," Vega said in a mix of Filipino and English during an interview on Dobol B TV. To hit that target, Vega said, the government would have to vaccinate 500,000 people daily.

But the inadequate supply of vaccines is a drag on the vaccination process, he Next page said.

TEACHERS' JAB. More than 800 teachers get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the People's Park Amphitheater in Valenzuela City. They have been categorized under the A4 priority list as basic education frontliners. Andrew Rabulan

PNP tightens border curbs even in low-risk areas PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday ordered police to impose tight border controls to prevent further Covid-19 transmission.

This, after the OCTA Research Group underscored the importance of

maintaining border controls in provinces or regions across the country amid possible easing of quarantine restrictions in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus.

“We guarantee that the PNP will maintain heightened measures on bor-

der control points so that the virus will no longer spread from one place to another,” Eleazar said in a statement.

Malacañang on June 10 said the NCR Plus, composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, would likely be placed

Shortage of nurses feared amid delays in pay, perks

HIGH RISK, DELAYED PAY. Several nurses prepare to swab a patient in this file photo. Medical workers iin government hospitals complain of delayed payment of hazard pay and risk allowance despite the nature of their job as front liners.

COVID-19 PH

Jabs an election AT A GLANCE issue for Rody's (AS OF 4 PM JUNE 13) 1,315,639 choice—analyst TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

7,302 59,865 NEW

ACTIVE

22,788

137

1,232,986

7,701

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

By Kristine Erika L. Agustin, Antoinette Victoria M. Capuz and Rio N. Araja

THE government's COVID-19 response may hold back public support for the presidential candidate that President Rodrigo Duterte, whose six-year term expires in June, will endorse in the 2022 elections, a political strategist said on Friday.

Next page

4th round of oil price hike looms

By Alena Mae S. Flores

world oil market.

"Expect fuel prices to go up next THE country's oil firms will raise pump week (June 15 - 21, 2021). Diesel will prices by around P0.60 per liter this week increase by P0.40 to P0.50 per liter. to reflect the movement of prices in the Next page

THE hazard pay and special risk allowance (SRA) for health workers from January to June 2021 are still being processed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Department of Health (DOH) said on Sunday.

"We are still asking the DBM to release the hazard pay and special risk allowance for January to June 2021.

It is still being processed,” Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said over

"Dobol B TV." More than a year into the pandemic, health workers at the forefront in the battle against COVID-19, are lamenting their low and delayed pay, he said.

They have not received their hazard pay beginning January this year.

Health workers are already resigning from their jobs, which Vega fears can cause understaffing in hospitals.

Next page

under “ordinary” general community quarantine (GCQ) after June 15.

“At present, our police continue to closely monitor the quarantine control points, especially since there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 Next page

Med-tech group seeks easing of deployment cap

By Willie Casas THE biggest group of medical technologists in the US is seeking a review of the Philippine cap on the deployment of health care workers to America, the Labor Department said Sunday.

Labor Attaché Angela Librado Trinidad Next page

PH ‘hate crime’ victim in NY recounts verbal abuse

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta A FILIPINO consular officer in New York was the latest victim in a series of hate crimes against Asians in the United States after she was verbally assaulted on

her way to work last Friday.

Consul General Elmer Cato said the victim was approached as soon as she stepped on board the train.

“Where’d you come from? Where’d you come from? We don’t need you here!

We don’t need you here! F— you! I hope you all die and everybody on this

train!” Cato posted in his Facebook account, quoting the suspect.

In Manila, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson backed calls for increased police presence to avert further incidents of anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States, stressing this was disturbing.

Next page

BRIDGE OF HOPE.

A group of local artists brings hope to Ilonggo's through Art street on June 13, 202.

The Baysulangpu Artists Society painted the Iloilo City bridge as Ilonggos face the pressure to be functional amid the pandemic fatigue. Iloilo City Government partnered with Boysen Paints and the 20-year-old art group to paint the Jalandoni Bridge that runs through the Iloilo River. Mayor Jerry Treñas unveiled the project on Saturday, saying that it will “send a message of hope that everything will get better.” Arnold Almacen/Iloilo City Mayor's Office

A2

News

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Footballer Absalon, uncle laid to rest

F

The two were buried at the Nursery Cemetery in Masbate City past 3 p.m.

The Absalons, along with Nolven's 16-year-old son, were riding their bikes along Barangay Anas on the morning of

June 6 when an improvised explosive went off and hit them.

The minor survived the incident, which the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said was a result of

"errors in the military action mounted by an NPA unit."

The Absalon family, who said the victims were also shot, cried for justice.

Kieth, 21, played for the Malaya Football Club and the Far Eastern University football team.

He was a standout for FEU's boys' football team, having been named Most Valuable Player of the juniors’ division in Season 78 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. He was also a part of the national team that competed in the 2018 AFF Under-19 Championship in Indonesia.

Vax...

posed need for an additional P25 billion to procure COVID-19 vaccines.

He warned that the P25 billion additional budget for COVID-19 vaccines could trigger an oversupply or worse, get lost to corruption.

The P25 billion plus the existing P82.5 billion appropriated would come to P107.5 billion—way too much to buy vaccines needed to achieve herd immunity, Lacson said.

The 2021 General Appropriations Act earmarked P72.5 billion for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

However, only P2.5 billion, out of the P72.5 billion, is funded. The remaining P70 billion is part of the unprogrammed funds.

Another P10 billion is allocated under the Bayanihan 2 law, bringing the total COVID-10 vaccine budget to P82.5 billion.

The government recently said it may need an additional P25 billion this year to buy more vaccines and another P55 billion next year for “booster shots.”

“We need the crucial information on the procurement side: what we’re buying, what brand, from whom, at what price and quantity,” Drilon said.

“The lack of transparency also contributes to the problem of vaccine hesitancy,” he added.

Drilon asked vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez to provide the Senate a consolidated report on vaccine procurement by the national government, local government units and the private sector.

The minority leader also said he hopes the government can speed up its vaccination program, which he criticized as slow.

An efficient vaccination program is key to the country’s economic recovery, Drilon said.

“If the vaccination is too slow, our economic recovery would be slow too,” he said. “If our economic recovery is slow, then those who lost their jobs will not be able to return to work.”

He noted that as of May 31, 2021, 5,248,358 doses have been administered.

Of these, 4,003,776 people received the first dose, while 1,244, 582 million completed the required two doses.

Drilon said the government should allow local government units and the private sector to buy the vaccines directly from the manufacturers to speed up the procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

He also advised the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to give incentives or rewards to barangays which are able to convince the residents to get the much-needed shots to address vaccine hesitancy.

The Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday the turnout of the elderly for COVID-19 vaccinations remains low because many of them have trouble getting to the sites.

Spokesperson and DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said senior citizens, who are at high risk of infection, still fear leaving their homes.

“One of the reasons we see is not just hesitancy to the vaccine itself--part of this is because they are afraid of going out or that they are already bedridden,” Vergeire said in Filipino, during a press briefing.

Around 5 percent of the country's 8 million senior citizens have already been vaccinated, she said.

Vergeire said one solution to this would be house-to-house vaccination visits by local government units.

Senior citizens who are considered “high-risk” for getting infected are listed as a second priority for vaccination, just behind medical frontliners in the country's COVID-19 vaccination program.

Vergeire acknowledged that some processes in the vaccination program need to be improved as essential workers or those in the A4 priority group begin to get their jabs against COVID-19.

Vergeire said among points for improvement in vaccination is imposing a scheduling policy to avoid crowding.

Another challenge is the supply, as more people express interest in getting

vaccinated, she said.

Long lines were seen around vaccination sites in Metro Manila as the government extended the national vaccination program to essential workers, or the A4 category last week.

Some LGUs outside Metro Manila have not started as they have not received sufficient supply to vaccinate people in these categories.

According to government records, some 98 percent of vaccines have already been distributed. The remainder are buffer stocks in case vaccines run short. However, Vergeire said these are "really very few."

"The overall challenge is the supply…

As much as we want to extend our vaccine drive, our supplies are not yet stable and definitely it's a challenge to all of us,” Vergeire said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Meanwhile, a virus expert said a longer interval between doses of COVID-19 vaccines would allow more time for antibodies to develop.

Vaccine Development Expert Panel head Dr. Nina Gloriani advised those who missed their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine need not worry about restarting the vaccine process.

Gloriani said that missing the second dose for a period of three months is no big deal.

“The longer the interval, the more time is afforded to antibodies to develop,” Gloriani said in an interview on state-run PTV. She said that if the second dose is given at a later time, one does not need to restart the vaccine process.

She noted that those who got infected with COVID-19 after receiving the first dose are still eligible for a second dose as long as the patient is fully recovered.

Earlier, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said that not getting the second dose on schedule does not negate the first dose.

But, Salvana said it is better to get the second dose on time to get the full protection provided by the vaccine.

hampered passage of vehicles carrying essential goods or those on important or essential travel.

Random inspections of vehicles are also conducted at the quarantine control points set up by the PNP in NCR Plus.

On Sunday, the League of Provinces of the Philippines said some provinces have asked the Department of Education for permission to use classrooms as temporary isolation facilities.

The organization’s president, Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr. said some provinces were running out of isolation facilities as borders have begun to open.

Velasco reminded LGUs to impose requirements for travelers to prevent an increase in infections.

The Philippines logged 7,302 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,315,639, as one laboratory was not able to submit its data on time, the DOH reported.

The DOH reported 137 new fatali-

ties, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 22,788.

The DOH also reported 7,701 patients who recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,232,986.

This left 59,865 active cases. Of the number, 91.2 percent were mild, 4.6 percent were asymptomatic, 1.3 percent were critical, 1.8 percent were severe, and 1.26 percent were moderate.

The DOH also reported that nationwide, 58 percent of the ICU beds, 48 percent of the isolation beds, 47 percent of the ward beds, and 36 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 46 percent of the ICU beds, 37 percent of the isolation beds, 32 percent of the ward beds, and 32 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

The OCTA Research Group said Sunday that quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila could be eased further as cases decline.

Metro Manila and nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, also

called “NCR Plus”, may shift to a looser general community quarantine status (GCQ) this week, as COVID-19 figures in the area improve, Malacañang earlier said.

Metro Manila now contributes only 27 percent of COVID-19 cases in the country's daily tally from 97 percent during its peak between March 29 to April 4, OCTA fellow Guido David said.

David said virus reproduction rate, or the number of people affected by a virus patient, in Metro Manila is at 0.72, while the positivity rate is down to 8 percent and hospitalization rate is at a "safe level" of 40 percent.

“We support this because at this time, the situation in NCR is getting better... We can take some risks in opening businesses. So far, we have not seen community transmission in establishments," David said in an interview on ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo. Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

“We care for our nurses as they are vital to our healthcare system; they are at the forefront. We are glad that finally, they will get what they deserve,” said Gordon.

However, Gordon said. they wanted to make sure but “we want to make sure that Malacañang’s memo will not be easily amended or retracted.”

“So we will file a bill that will make that regulation a law. This is one significant way of protecting our nurses,” stressed Gordon.

“I always say that our nurses should be compensated fairly so that they would no longer go overseas to work," said Gordon.

The Philippines, he added, is a major source in exporting nurses.

In the United States alone, about 150,000 nurses are Filipinos. Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta (See full story online at manilastandard. net)

Med-tech...

Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to make sure that the Philippines does not run out of medical professionals amid the persisting COVID-19 pandemic.

The Labor official said most of the job orders that the POLO receives are those in the healthcare industry. It is projected that in the next few years about 2.5 million nurses are needed due to a large number of retiring nurses in the US, she added.

In its jurisdiction, POLO Washington D.C. records 514,000 documented Filipino migrant workers in the eastern part of the US and 12,000 workers in Caribbean islands, with most of them located in the Cayman Islands.

Most of the job orders that the POLO receive in the eastern region are for health care workers while those in the Caribbean Islands are for service and tourism industry workers. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Gasoline will increase by P0.50 to P0.60 per liter," Unioil Petroleum Philippines, Inc. said in its weekly advisory.

This will be the fourth consecutive weekly oil price hike for gasoline and diesel, as the world economy slowly recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Oil prices have been going up due to prospects of strong demand as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies were able to reduce global oil inventories.

The successful vaccine programs around the world also helped to increase demand.

OPEC and its allies forecast a six million bpd (MMBD) increase in oil demand this year.

Domestically, oil companies implemented a price increase in domestic oil products on June 8.

The oil firms increased the price of gasoline by P0.20 per liter, diesel by P0.55 per liter and P0.60 per liter for kerosene.

These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P9.50/liter for gasoline, P8.15 per liter for diesel and P6.70 per liter for kerosene.

Meanwhile, oil player Cleanfuel recently opened its latest station in Marikina City located in the area of J.P. Rizal corner Narra Street in Barangay Nangka.

The latest Cleanfuel station provides better access to quality yet affordable fuel for Marikeños and nearby areas such as San Mateo, Montalban (Rizal), Batasan Hills, as well as Concepcion Uno and Parangin Marikina City.

that seeks to include others among those in opposition.

Robredo made the remarks after opposition coalition 1Sambayan announced on June 12 its initial list of nominees for presidency and vice presidency in next year's elections, which included her.

"When we talk about unity, we don't just talk about the same beliefs.

We give space for those who believe something else besides our own,” she said in her weekly radio show.

In related developments, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo

Eleazar directed the police to work closely with the military in preventing communist terrorists from collecting “permit-to-campaign” fees from politicians with less than a year left before the 2022 national and local elections.

This, after the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday said it would coordinate with the PNP and local government units to stop the illegal activities of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

OOTBALL player Kieth Absalon and his uncle Nolven were laid to rest in Masbate City on Sunday, a week after a blast from a land mine planted by communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed them.

From A1

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. had earlier apologized for the delays in the delivery of vaccines to some local government units (LGUs).

About 10 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 will be delivered in June and 11 million more will arrive in July, Galvez said.

At the onset of 2020, the Philippine population stood at 109.48 million, and is projected to hit 110.88 million by the end of 2021, based on government data.

Vega said that transportation and temperature concerns are among factors contributing to the delayed delivery of vaccines in some provinces.

Vega said AstraZeneca, Sinovac and other vaccine brands that are not sensitive to storage temperatures should be brought to far-flung areas in the country.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked the government to provide a full accounting of its P82.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine procurement budget before it asks for more funds.

He also urged the government to be more transparent about the pricing of vaccines to strengthen public confidence in the vaccination program.

“How many vaccines do we really need? How many have arrived so far?

How many of these are donated? How many did the national government buy and at what price?” Is it the correct price?”

Drilon asked.

In an interview over DZBB, Drilon said these are not small amounts.

"We need transparency in government spending. This is public money. We borrowed this,” Drilon said.

"It will also boost public confidence that public funds are spent correctly, especially as the election approaches," he said.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson also demanded transparency from the government's health authorities over the sup-

PNP...

From A1

cases in regions other than NCR. We are preventing the virus from spreading again even in areas that can be considered low-risk areas today,” he added.

Eleazar said the PNP will abide by the guidelines issued by the national government through the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) if there are any changes on border controls.

“We are only enforcing the rules laid down by the IATF so if there are any changes, in case the relaxation continues elsewhere, we will enforce it,” he said.

The PNP has been tasked to maintain quarantine control points to prevent unnecessary or non-essential travel, especially from areas under strict quarantine to the places with less strict quarantine.

Police manning these checkpoints have been instructed to allow the un-

Shortage...

From A1

Vega said they have opened 10,300 health worker positions all over the country to augment operations in health facilities in order to address the possible shortage problem.

Last week, the DOH assured the public that the government had enough funds to augment the health workforce amid a new surge in COVID-19 cases.

Earlier, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH had given hospitals enough funds to hire health workers directly.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon is set to file a measure that will legislate the just salary of nurses from entry-level to senior nurses with Malacañang’s reversal of a DBM circular on the adjusted salaries for Filipino nurses.

PH...

From A1

He supported Cato's calls for increased police presence especially in the subways; and for Filipinos to report hate crimes to the Consulate or via 911 if they witness or become victims themselves of such crimes "Based on accounts initially cited by Consul General to New York Elmer Cato, there have been at least 14 hate incidents involving members of the Filipino community so far this year, counting the latest

incident,"said Lacson, adding this should be stopped.

Cato admitted that the incident has been reported to the New York City Police Department.

The Consul General expressed apprehension over the incident as he cited previous hate attacks against Filipinos in the area.

“We are deeply disturbed by this incident which came a few days after a member of the Filipino Community sustained injuries after he was violently assaulted in a subway platform in New York City,” he bewailed. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

From A1

of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Washington D.C. said the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET) made the request in light of the many opportunities in the United States.

Trinidad told a virtual forum that PAMET cited an estimated demand for 110,000 medical technologists in the United States.

“We recently met with PAMET, which has chapters all over the US, to discuss their concern as their profession is included in the deployment cap. They want to know if the limit can be relaxed because they are interested in providing opportunities to their fellow medical technologists,” Trinidad said.

She said that the government respects the right of workers to labor mobility, but at the same time explained that the deployment limit was imposed by the Inter-

Jabs...

From A1

Dindo Manhit, founder and managing director of Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies, said in an interview on NET-25 the economic consequences of the pandemic, including the slow process of vaccination and long-running lockdowns, would challenge how the voters perceive the administration’s potential bet.

The commentary emerged as Vice President Leni Robredo called for unity

Absalon was a starter for the FEU men's football team in UAAP Season 82 before their campaign was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials and rights groups condemned the CPP-NPA's use of landmines, which they said violates the International Humanitarian Law. They also demanded those responsible for the blast should be turned over to the government.

The CPP-NPA had asked "the public to give the concerned NPA commandsand Party committees time and space to conduct" their investigation.

2 Chinese caught with P1-b shabu in separate raids TWO alleged Chinese nationals were arrested as authorities seized around 155 kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P1.053 billion in two separate drug busts on Sunday.

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) first seized 38 kilos of suspected shabu in an operation in the parking lot of a shopping center in Brgy. Baclaran, Parañaque City at around 3:30 p.m.

The suspected drugs were estimated to have a street value of P257.8 million.

Law enforcement agents later seized 117 kilos of suspected shabu in a drug bust around 4 p.m. in Villa Nicacia, Tanza Numa 6, Aguinaldo Highway in Imus, Cavite.

The estimated value of the drug haul was P795.6 million.

Several vehicles were also seized during the drug busts.

VP’s net worth jumps to P11.9m via inheritance

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo on Sunday credited the increase in her 2020 net worth to the estate of her late 83-year-old mother, Salvacion Gerona, who passed away in February 2020.

In 2020, Robredo’s net worth jumped to P11.9 million from P3.5 million in 2019, the highest increase in her assets since she assumed the vice presidency in 2016.

Her 2019 net worth was higher by P1.2 million from her declared net worth of P2.3 million in 2018.

Robredo, during her weekly radio program, said her 2020 net worth increase was due to the properties that were left behind by her late mother.

However, the Vice President said her net worth could still change since her siblings have yet to settle their share of their mother’s inheritance.

“I reported what is mine in my Statements of Assets and Liabilities Net Worth. I stated in my SALN that it is still subject to final settlement,” she clarified.

Based on her 2020 SALN, the Vice President’s wealth was P11,904,280, or P8.4 million bigger than her wealth in 2019 with her prepaid insurance’s increase from P655,000 to P705,000.

Meanwhile, Robredo said she wanted a lone standard-bearer for the opposition in the 2022 presidential elections (see related story on A1 – Editors).

4th...

From A1

News

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

ILO-Unicef: Child labor in PH prevalent, reaches 3.2 m

ALAN’S AYUDA BILL.

Former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano and Cavite’s 6th District congressman Luis “Jonjon” Ferrer IV distribute P10,000 in aid to each of the 500 beneficiaries of General Trias Cavite, to show direct assistance for the recovery of the Filipino family during the pandemic.

Cayetano espouses a bill seeking to provide indigents with P10,000 each in ‘ayuda’ or aid.

Norman Cruz

By Antoinette Capuz

CHILD labor remains prevalent in the Philippines along with the rest of South-Eastern Asia region, according to the International Labor Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund which on Thursday said that the worldwide tally has increased to 160 million amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

In the Philippines, 3.2 million children aged five to 17 years old have been engaged in child labor and 3 million of them were involved in hazardous work as recorded in 2018 by the United States Labor Department. South-Eastern Asia had 6.2% or 24.3 million children .

Despite the risks to their health, safety, and morals, the number of children aged five to 17 years old in hazardous work increased by 6.5 million to 7.9 million in 2016 and children aged five to 11 years old who were pushed to enter the workforce continuously increased worldwide.

The Covid-19 pandemic also threatens some progress to end child labor in regions such as Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean the ILO-Unicef study said.

The Child Labor: Global estimates 2020 stressed that the progress to end child labor has stagnated, reversing the downward trend that has once dropped by 94 million in between 2000 and 2016.

“The new estimates are a wakeup call. We cannot stand by while a new generation of children is put at risk,” ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told in an ILO report.

“Inclusive social protection allows families to keep their children in school even in the face of economic hardship.

Increased investment in rural development and decent work in agriculture is essential. We are at a pivotal moment and much depends on how we respond. This is a time for renewed commitment and energy, to turn the corner and break the cycle of poverty and child labor.”

With the ongoing pandemic, nine million additional children are at risk of being pushed into labor according to ILO and UNICEF. This number could increase up to 46 million by 2022 if children will not have access to critical social protection coverage.

Moreover, other regions such as the sub-Saharan Africa had an additional 16.6 million children forced into child labor because of an increasing population, poverty, and inadequate social protection coverage in the last four years.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic such as the additional economic shocks and school closures has worsened children’s conditions particularly those who are already in the workforce.

The current situation may lead more of these children to work longer hours to make ends meet while their families are experiencing job and income losses amid the pandemic.

House leader thrashes bid to scrap share-listing rules

By Rio N. Araja

S

URIGAO del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Sunday rejected calls for the scrapping of the statutory requirement for new power generation companies to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) of at least 15 percent of their common shares and list on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

“Repealing the obligation would be highly regressive. We must stress that Congress crafted the rule in accordance with the specific mandate of the 1987 Constitution to increase the number of Filipinos owning shares in private enterprises,” he said.

A senator earlier urged the House of Representatives to withdraw the condition to spur new investments in the power sector amid unease over rotating brownouts due to

the Luzon grid’s lack of supply.

As this developed, regulators said ower demand is returning to normalcy despite current issues plaguing the electricity supply system. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Agnes Devanadera said Sunday the lower demand for electricity was brought about by the cold weather amid the rainy season.

Devanadera warned that penalties would

be imposed on power plants that would fail to justify their unplanned outages.

Clarifying his position on IPOs, Pimentel cited Article 12, Section I of the 1987Constitution stating that “Private enterprises, including corporations, cooperatives and similar collective organizations, shall be encouraged to broaden their base of ownership.”

“The intention of the Constitution is clearly to distribute new economic opportunities – new income and wealth – to as many Filipinos as possible, including small local investors,” he raised.

“In fact, we compel beneficiaries of congressional franchises, such as airlines and telecommunications firms, to offer at least 10 percent of their shares to the public precisely to give more meaning to the Constitution,” he stressed.

JUNE 16 is the day owners of gymnasiums and sport fitness centers look forward to being able to resume business after several months of operational shutdown due to the pandemic.

Gym owner and instructor Arnel Loveria of Batasan Hills in Quezon City prepares to accept fitness enthusiasts at 20% capacity as the National Capital Region will be placed under less-restrictive general community quarantine.

Manny Palmero

27 Badjao trafficking victims remain under quarantine in QC facility

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking said the 27 members of the Badjao indigenous people who were among those rescued last June 4 would remain under a coronavirus disease quarantine facility in Quezon City until June 18.

HIGH VALUE SUSPECT.

A Chinese national Lijun Cao, a suspected big-time drug peddler in Cagayan region was arrested in a buy-bust operation on Wednesday, June 9.The Police Regional Office listed Cao, 38, as a Regional High Value Individual. Police caught him in the act of selling six sachets allegedly containing shabu to an undercover operative and also recovered from him 27 other pieces of suspected shabu amounting to P75,000 during the arrest.

He would be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Dave Leprozo

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Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Jinky Dedumo, executive director of the IACTA, stressed that those staying in the quarantine facility include four IPs who tested positive for COVID-19 and 23 of their family members who have been exposed to them.

Dedumo stressed that none of the 23 family members tested positive for

COVID-19 “Sufficient provisions and accommodation are provided and we will make sure that our IP brothers and sisters who can be more exposed to abuse will be protected,” the IACAT official said.

The 27 IPs are among the 303 Badjaos from Zamboanga who were rescued from trafficking by law enforcement

led by the Philippine National Police last June 4 at the Manila North Harbour Seaport.

“We look forward to their reintegration and perhaps return to Mindanao, and the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples) is also working closely with IACAT as regards this matter,” he said.

More housing units in store for CARP recipients URBAN Development on Sunday disclosed that there will be more housing projects for farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, following the signing of memoranda of understanding between the agency and the Department of Agrarian Reform, along with 19 local government units.

The agreement between Del Rosario and Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones for the BALAI agrarian reform beneficiaries/farmers housing program is meant to pave the way for the construction of decent and affordable housing communities for the farmers in various cities and municipalities across the country.

It also aims to uplift farmers’ morale and strengthen their emotional attachment to their farms, thus in turn will help empower the country’s overall agricultural industry.

Del Rosario stressed that their partnership with DAR is part of its mandate in capacitating the underprivileged, “in this case the farmers.”

He said the project is anchored on DHSUD’s BALAI concept or building adequate, livable, affordable and inclusive Filipino communities.

“When Secretary Castriciones first told me about this project, I immediately said ‘approved without thinking’ because I believe it is doable, supportable and achievable,” he cited.

“It is part of our responsibility to help informal settler families, especially the poorest of the poor, and capacitate them together with our key shelter agencies for them to be able to have a house of their own,” he said.

According to the housing czar, the project consists of three phases –availability or acquisition of land, land development and housing construction.

“This is a milestone. I hope we would be able to sustain this. I hope that in God’s grace, we will achieve our vision of uplifting the economic lives of our farmers. We must work hand in hand because in unity, there is strength,” Castriciones said.

“This is a convergent effort. We need the cooperation of LGUs and other government agencies,” he added. Rio Araja

P38-m smuggled cigarets seized

By Joel E. Zurbano

CUSTOMS agents seized in Manila North Harbor a shipment of smuggled cigarettes valued at P38-million from China.

The shipment contained 1,090 cases of cigarettes with brands such as Marvel, Mighty, and Astro, and was consigned to Green Nature Alliance Ventures.

Manila International Container Port Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (MICP-CIIS) chief Alvin Enciso said the shipment was placed under 100 percent physical examination after port district collector Romeo Allan Rosales issued a pre-lodgment control order (PLCO) last Friday.

“There was already derogatory information before the lodgement of goods declaration. That was the basis of the PLCO. We acted on it based on the information that we received,” he added.

Enciso explained that the agency started implementing the PLCO when Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero took the helm. He said it should be used as “an instrument or tool to ensure that the proper method of valuation of goods is being observed.”

Enciso assured that proper processing is also being observed as the physical examination of the shipment was witnessed by members of the bureau’s Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) and Formal Entry Division (FED).

PAF conducts ‘solidarity’ run over PH Rise

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

News

TITAN’S JUNK. Scavengers try to salvage junk materials from the fire-gutted MV Titan 8 that sank in the Pasig River near Delpan Bridge in Tondo, Manila on Sunday. At least six persons were injured after the MV Titan 8 and nearby MV Princess Christine caught fire early on June 12. Norman Cruz

Lawmaker backs lifting of ban on open-pit mining

By Rio N. Araja A LAWMAKER on Sunday backed a government plan to lift the ban on open-pit mining that is anchored on responsible and sustainable practices, given the need to create new jobs and revitalize rural economies as pillars of the government’s comprehensive postpandemic recovery program.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte said he is hoping Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, “under the guidance of the environmental activist President Rodrigo Duterte,” would ensure that operators of open-pit mines would strictly adhere to the rules set out by the government for them to start or resume their countryside projects on the back of responsible mining and sustainable development practices.

“The mining industry has the resources and job-generating potential to become a key driver of our postpandemic economic recovery. Our largely untapped metals and minerals deposits could help power our way out of the pandemic-induced economic crisis. More importantly, responsible mining will create new jobs and spur economic growth outside Metro Manila,” Villafuerte noted.

He reacted to a report quoting Mines and Geosciences Bureau director Wilfredo Moncano as saying that the ban on open-pit mining would soon be lifted.

The interagency Mining Industry Coordinating Council also held a meeting last June 9 to discuss the results of its review starting in 2018 of metallic mining operations in the country.

The CamSur lawmaker said responsible mining also leads to other productive activities, such as investments in rural infrastructure and utilities and the construction of schools and health facilities in its host-communities.

Villars inaugurate Cavitex portion of Zapote River Drive TO FURTHER ease traffic gridlock in Las Piñas and Bacoor cities, Senator Cynthia Villar together with Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar led the inauguration of the last stretch of Zapote River Drive downstream portion leading to Cavite Expressway (Cavitex), also known as Coastal Road-Bacoor.

With the building of more infrastructure, including this new river drive, Villar said she wanted to lessen the burden of people who have been caught in “bottlenecks on the roads.”

“We want to minimize if not totally eradicate heavy traffic, which confronts our motorists and commuters every day,” stressed Sen. Villar, who also served as congresswoman of Las Pinas.

With the road projects that will eventually help get rid of traffic jams, the senator said traveling would be much easier to and from Las Piñas and adjacent cities.

The new project, Villar said, will also help decongest Padre Diego Cera Street, another main road going to Bacoor City. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sawadjaan brod, 3 ASGs killed in Sulu

T

HE brother of Abu Sayyaf Group leader and bomber Mundi Sawadjaan and three others were killed in a clash in Jolo, Sulu early Sunday, the military said.

The terrorists fired upon authorities as they were about to serve an arrest warrant against Abu Sayyaf subleader Injam Yadah at around 2 a.m. Sunday, said Major Gen. William Gonzales, commander of Joint Task Force (JTF)Sulu and the Philippine Army’s 11th Infantry Division.

Al-al Sawadjaan, Mundi’s youngest brother, died on the spot along with

ready pledged as a suicide bomber, the military said.

Mujafal Sawadjaan, another brother of Mundi, was killed in Patikul, Sulu in April.

Mundi is suspected to be involved in the twin bombings in Jolo last August 24, 2020, which killed seven soldiers, a policeman, and six civilians, and injured 75 others.

Yadah was involved in the kidnapping of five Indonesian nationals in Malaysian waters last year. They were rescued in Tawi-Tawi earlier this year, according to Lt. Col. Wilfredo Borgonia, commander of the 35th Infantry Battalion.

Yadah and a follower identified as alias Raup, along with another unidentified ASG member.

“All of our forces under JTF-Sulu are doubling our efforts to also catch Mundi Sawadjaan. His brothers are now dead, and we are optimistic that he will also be neutralized,” Gonzales said.

Al-Al Sawadjaan allegedly had some knowledge in bomb making and had al-

HIGH HARVEST.

Police inspect an estimated P25.8 million worth of full-grown marijuana plants that were later uprooted and burned during ‘Oplan High Time’ by police in Kalinga Province over the weekend after an intelligence report revealed the large marijuana plantation next to streams in the mountains of Barangay Tulgao, Kalinga.

PNP-DEG-SOU CAR Photo

THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) conducted a “solidarity maritime patrol” over the Philippine Rise on Saturday.

PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano on Sunday said the activity was part of the country’s commemoration of the 123rd Independence Day and 5th anniversary of the renaming of the Philippine Rise.

The commemoration aimed to promote marine conservation and to assert the country’s sovereign rights on the feature, formerly known as the Benham Rise, located approximately 250 kilometers east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela.

Meanwhile, Sen. Leila De Lima slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for touting the “deep and abiding friendship” between the Philippines and China amid Beijing’s unrelenting incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

De Lima stressed that China is clearly taking advantage and bullying the Philippines as the former relentlessly refuses to recognize our sovereign rights in WPS and takes away the livelihood of Filipino people.

She said Duterte should stop dragging the entire country with this “socalled ‘deep and abiding friendship’” with China.

An EADS CASA C-295 medium transport and two South Korean-made FA-50PH fighter jets took part in the activity which was organized by the PAF and its Tactical Operations Wing Northern Luzon.

Aboard the transport aircraft was National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, also National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) chair and Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Burgos along with other ranking officials.

Esperon was the guest-of-honor during Independence Day ceremonies at Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga. Macon Ramos-Araneta

PCR tests first used on shrimp by research arm YEARS before travelers were required to quarantine or get polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19, a research center rigorously required the same for shrimp.

In a seaside town in Iloilo, a birthing center for tiger shrimp doubles as a quarantine and PCR testing facility in efforts to keep out viruses and other pathogens that continue to devastate shrimp farms worldwide to the tune of billions of dollars yearly.

Pathogens are disease-causing agents of which there are plenty for shrimp. After releasing their eggs, the mother shrimp, called spawners, are tested for the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), monodon baculovirus (MBV), infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), yellow head virus (YHV), acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), and the parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP).

Because pathogens can be passed on from spawners to eggs, all the eggs are disinfected before they are given entry to the highly biosecure tiger shrimp hatchery of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD).

Taguig beats target of jabbing 7k residents daily with zero dropout

THE City of Taguig has exceeded its target of vaccinating 7,000 people daily after it started inoculating those belong to the A4 category, or persons working outside their residences.

The local government noted in the last three days that it almost doubled and has hit 8,000, 10,000, and

11,000 vaccinations with ‘zero dropout’ rate.

It attributed the increased number of people who want to be vaccinated to the ease of booking and scheduling process, and to the hard work of the city’s healthcare personnel.

With the overwhelming response

in the vaccination efforts, city officials extended their apologies to residents and workers who underwent a longer waiting time than the expected 60 to 90 minute queueing for their vaccination.

Despite this, Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano assured that all those who are

scheduled for vaccination will receive their jabs on the day of their schedule.

He said the city government aimed to inoculate all A4 workers while still prioritizing A1, A2 and A3 categories which are healthcare workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities, respectively. Joel E. Zurbano

Group calls to scrap VFA, EDCA

THE group Makabansang Alyansa (Makabansa) on Sunday again called on the government to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), saying this would prove the Philippines’ real independence as the country celebrated its 123rd year as a nation on June 12.

“Philippine independence means no more VFA and EDCA,” the group’s secretary general Mati Songca said in a statement.

Makabansa also commemorated 30 years since the Philippines ended its military bases agreement with the United States by praising the 12 senators who voted to reject the renewal of the treaty in 1991.

“This year let us not forget the heroic deeds of the 12 magnificent senators who junked the US Military Bases Agreement of 1991. It’s been 30 years since 12 glorious and magnificent senators bravely challenged the US military presence in our country. Let their heroic deeds be remembered in our annals of history,” the group added.

They lauded then-Senator Joseph Estrada – who would later become President – and fellow lawmakers Jovito Salonga, Juan Ponce Enrile, Rene Saguisag, Lorenzo Tanada, Ernesto Maceda, Orly Mercado, Victor Ziga, Butz Aquino, Teofisto Guingona, and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. for voting to reject the renewal of the 1947 US bases treaty.

NO TO VFA, EDCA. Members of the group Makabansang Alyansa (Makabansa)

hold up a banner expressing their opposition to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States as they laid wreaths at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to commemorate the Philippines’ 123rd Independence Day.

Opinion Short shrift

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Real tribute

ternational panache (Christian DemocratsNAKED kuno). While he ruled from 1992 to 1998, THOUGHT most everyone joined FVR’s Lakas, either in coalition or as turncoat.

CHARLIE V. But Lakas fielded Jose de Venecia in 1998 who was trounced by PMP’s Erap Estrada, MANALO while piggy-backing on a coalition that included the once-dormant LDP, now presided by Sen. Edgardo Angara, and Danding THEY came in with a roar. The venerables Cojuangco’s Nationalist People’s Coalition, came to town to preside over the circus, but the itself plucked from the ribs of the weakened elephants along with the Lipizzaner horses they Nacionalista Party. Erap’s reign was however were trying to rein in trampled upon them. given short shrift by a conspiracy by THEfueled FIFTH Call it a systemic problem, because that is his own weaknesses, and in less than half what ails our politicalCROSSROADS system.

GOSPEL of his elected term, was deposed in another We don’t have political parties, mere flags Edsa conspiracy with Gloria Macapagal of convenience, temporary “barkadahan”. Arroyo ascending the throne. JUDE Our parties, be they yellowJ.A. or controlled by GMA gave new life to Lakas. ACIDRE Everyone and the DDS, have no ideologies, alone princi- his mother again turned from Erap’s loose coaliDELAletCRUZ ples with which to bind their members. tion called LAMMP back into the folds of LakWhat binds our political barkadahan is ac- as, and therein stayed for nine long years.

“Those who perished—our doccess to pork and other perks, such that the fulThen, in 2009, an ailing Corazon Aquino A monument to the tors, our nurses, our medical atcrum of power is always controlled by who- died of colon cancer, and from the ashes of tendants—will be honored.

Their ever is president of the benighted land we call death rose her son Noynoy and his Liberal fallen is a fitting symbol, a democracy. He is the fount of power, both Party, resurrected to power after hibernation names will be inscribed on that but tangible action on political and economic. Lesser politicians since 1965 for the next six years. wall... In the past year, they have bow before him with cup in hand, to partake By accident of fate, the then mayor of the City the plight of medical risked their own lives and sacrificed of the bountiful water that spouts from his al- of Davao, who neededOPEN an instant flag of convemost unlimited wellspring. nience at Comelec deadline, rode his presidenfrontliners would be their own comfort and security to It began with Pres. Diosdado Macapagal, tial quest upon theTHOUGHTS moribund PDP-Laban of the ensure that our society will contineven better.

Pimentel family. But President Duterte cared litue to function despite this crisis,” NAKED tle about his FOC,ORLANDO and in the mid-term elections What happens OXALES of 2019, his own daughter, Mayor Inday the President said.

SOSara THOUGHT formed her own political FOC called Hugpong. to 1Sambayan now?

Since the virus came to our shores came with coming to work, with SEEto Thus, the nominally huge PDP-Laban Iceased last year, medical frontliners—doc-CHARLIE having V. to wear personal protective be the center of political gravity, as most roads LITO who sundered the two-party system when he led to Davao, especially now that presidential tors, nurses and other health pro- MANALO equipment—if they were well-prohad only a minority of Liberals in the House elections are near.

BANAYO fessionals—have had their own vided to begin with—while on duty, of Representatives, by enticing Nacionalistas Now, from the ashes of the once-mighty substantial share of exposure to and taking precautions to avoid into hand over control of the chamber from Liberal Party and some civic-oriented groups Speaker Jose B. Laurel Jr. to Cornelio Villa- labelled “dilawan” by the DDS, some venerCOVID-19 resulting in prolonged fecting their families at home. real. That was the start of this devilish prac- ables, such as respected jurists and academiillnesses and even death. NoneTheir heroism and dedication to tice called turncoatism. cians, coalesced into another flag of conveTHE FIFTH theless, even as they saw their coltheir profession have always been The butterfly acts continued with Ferdi- nience with elements of the progressive Left, nand E. Marcos, who was himself a butterfly, and formed 1Sambayan.

GOSPEL leagues become infected with the acknowledged, but up to a certain CROSSROADS when in an act of sweet revenge against MaIn their self-declared mission of “saving” our virus, the rest of the frontliners carpoint, recognition can only do as JUDE capagal, the Laurels invited him to jump over democracy and our sovereignty from the poliJ.A. ried on despite the diffi culties that much. to the NP, and therefrom, win the convention cies of the China-friendly incumbent administraACIDRE of 1961 and seize the presidency thereafter. tion, they proceeded to invite prospective DELA“presCRUZ The Laurels did that in 1953 as well, getting identiables” to face them in what turned out to then LP Ramon Magsaysay to junk his po- be “revalidas” similar to a defense of one’s thesis litical patron Pres. Elpidio Quirino and turn before a panel of professors.

Nacionalista.

But the invitees, while honored by the Consolidating power during the long reign interest of the venerables, wondered at the of martial law, Marcos proceeded to create his whats and whys, the wherefores of the terms own party, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, get- by which they were being “united” by the DITO Telecommunity’s partner, state-owned ting every Liberal and every Nacionalista in- group calling themselves 1Sambayan.

OPEN China Telecommunications who owns a less side his big political tent. Those who resisted The 1Sambayan’s spokesperson started rethan a majority stake of 40 percent.

THOUGHTS either stayed in jail, or revived their challenge porting to media about the personages they were According to The United States Federal after Ninoy Aquino’s assassination. “weighing,”as if their coalition had the right to ORLANDO Communications Commission, the Chinese Cory Aquino conjoined Ninoy’s Laban decide whether one or the other was “tinimbang government and China’s Communist Party OXALES with Nene Pimentel’s PDP, but had to run ka nguni’t kulang.” These personages after all have “substantial control” of China Teleofficially under the bigger Unido during the had their own political parties, and more than com. Aside from Chinese military links, a Last Saturday, we celebrated an expectedly February 6, 1986 snap elections called by the that their own political gravitas, so how could muted celebration of our 123rd Independence U.S. Senate report said that the company is dictator. Due to a military mutiny against this new coalition of venerables presume to deDay, our second under pandemic conditions. one of the three biggest providers of wireline, the ailing Marcos, an event immortalized as cide their political fate on the basis of their own “people power” with Edsa as locus of fer- choosing processes?

Amidst the typical calls for national unity mobile telecommunications, and internet acment, Cory and Doy became president and from the President and other politicians, the cess in China. The New York Stock Exchange First to decline the “nomination” was Sen. vice-president.

Panfilo Lacson. Thereafter, it was Manila well said message of US President Joe Biden also announced the start of delisting proceedNo sooner had they warmed their seats, Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso. was, in my opinion, a conspicuously strong ings against China Telecom Corp Ltd. for its they quarreled, and Doy Laurel’s Unido was ties with the Chinese military.

And last Saturday, coinciding with the affirmation of alliance. given short shrift, with PDP-Laban emerging 123rd anniversary of the Independence, the President Biden’s greetings highlighted as the party in power. But Cory’s brother Pe- coalition announced the remaining choices: the deep bonds and history that founded ping Cojuangco, eminence grise of the HoR, Vice-Pres. Leni Robredo, who welcomed her How should we what he called the “strong alliance” between decided to divorce from PDP, and forthwith nomination, along with former Sen. Antonio the US and the Philippines. His reference to address this risk? formed the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipi- Trillanes. But the other nominees begged off. the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations no which then became the humongous LDP First was Sen. Grace Poe, followed by Rep. and the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Dethat fielded Speaker Ramon V. Mitra Jr. for the Vilma Santos-Recto, then Prof. Chel Diokno, fense Treaty also occurring this year and presidential elections in 1992. then Deputy Speaker Bro. Eddie Villanueva, The National Intelligence law of China then leading to his call to work together on Monching lost to Cory’s anointed, Fidel proxied by his son, Sen. Joel Villanueva. which mandates Chinese-owned compa“advancing the free and open Indo-Pacifi c Valdez Ramos, who formed a splinter group So what happens now?

NAKED region for all peoples” highlighted what I, nies to comply when ordered to disclose from the LDP after he lost the convention of 1Sambayan, born 18 March 2021. Shaftand I believe practically all Filipinos, is the any information to the state intelligence 1991, and called his original seven-member THOUGHTed 87 days later on 12 June 2021. serious threat of increasing Chinese aggres- services and the Chinese Data Security Law team Lakas, later merging with NUCD to How will it hereafter make itself relevant, a sion in the region, especially in our own ex- which requires on demand access to sensigive the new barkadahan semblance of in- V. hundred days or so before filing time?

CHARLIE clusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West tive network security information, even in MANALO Philippine Sea. A clear invitation to rally operations beyond Chinese borders, further reinforces the US’s urgency to crack down against Beijing’s expansionist agenda.

This was just the latest in a series of strong- on Chinese companies.

These developing dynamics of what ly worded verbalizations that has now escalated into impressive naval exercises of an looks like a web of state-instigated strateemerging intercontinental alliance at a scale gies is seen by some geopolitical thinkers to lord over them, the people would have to give up many of their freedoms. and with the most advanced military technol- as all in tune with China’s vision for a SiTHE FIFTH no-centric regional order. Given this conUnmoved by what Samuel said would ogy never before seen by the world.

GOSPEL happen to them if they had a king, the people Just recently, Biden issued two executive text, Philippine security, telecommunicaof Israel remained insistent, “Give us a king.” orders (EO) directly aimed at blocking the tions, and policy experts have raised serious JUDE So, God told Samuel to do as the people risks presented by China’s digital technol- concern on the pending Public Services Act pleased. Samuel then went to anoint Saul ACIDRE ogies that are potential cyber weapons for (PSA) proposing an amendment to limit the as Israel’s first king. However, soon enough compromising their national security. An definition of “public utilities” requiring the Saul was replaced by David, who in turn was EO last June increased the list of Chinese 60/40 Philippine majority rule only to waFOR centuries after their arrival in the Prom- succeeded by his son Solomon. But with the companies banned from American invest- ter distribution, and the transmission and ised Land, the ancient Hebrews were ruled rise of the Israelite monarchy came the bements from 31 to 59 because of these com- distribution of electricity. This will open by a succession of “judges” chosen by rep- ginning of the downfall of their nation. First, panies’ links to China’s military. The new up telecommunications to 100% foreign resentatives of the Israelite tribes to serve not with its division into the northern kingdom companies in the list have deployed surveil- ownership together with broadcasting and only as dispenser of justice and protector of of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. lance technologies being used to stifle and transportation which are to be classified as the people, but even as the nation’s mili- Second, with the exile of both kingdoms ceneven abet human rights abuses. One of the “public services.” tary leader. Whenever a crisis arose, the turies later—and the diaspora of the Israelite If this provision is not changed and passed OPENthe tribes would select nation that continues up to our time. companies listed in the ban developed the elders representing facial recognition software used in what is into law, and with China Telecommunicathe strongest and wisest among them and Even this biblical story seems to repeat itTHOUGHTS being called an ongoing genocidal persecu- tions’ financial resources, what’s to stop munominate him to the “judge” who will bring self. Despite decades of democracy - corruption of the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority in tually beneficial ownership flip of DITO that the nationORLANDO through the crisis. When it was all tion, poverty, war, crime and discontent has over, the “judge” would willingly relinquish slowly replaced the people’s faith in democthe Xinjiang Autonomous Region who are will give full control to a country that has been violating our sovereignty and wantonly his office. OXALES racy with cynicism, frustration and desperaclamoring for their own state. tion, closely echoing what the people asked Another company identified because of its exploiting and destroying vital marine reSamuel, “Give us a king.” role in China’s defense sector is third telco sources while the former owners feign about Sadly, our people seem to be too eager Pinning all our hopes to let go of their freedoms in exchange for on what our leaders can a “king” who could fight the crisis for them. not simply a question of who the leaders were be sustained by active citizenship.

It isn’t too surprising that in many countries but more importantly of the willingness of the Active citizenship is to understand that do and deliver simply today, strong populist leaders have emerged, people to have faith and accordingly, take a being part of this nation means more than all promising to make decisions that would stake in their nation’s future. enjoying our rights and liberties. Instead, it wouldn’t work. ensure a better future for their people.

For us who are citizens of a modern de- also entails willingly embracing the duties Except that in most cases, these populist mocracy, Samuel leaves us with an import- and responsibilities that come with it.

This is almost an ancient version of to- leaders would fail in the end. ant lesson—that in order to keep democracy A corrupt government will persist as long day’s modern representative democracy.

When Samuel disagreed with the peofunctioning, there is a need for faith, albeit as the people couldn’t care less about how The last of this line of judges was the ple’s demand for a king, it was not because of a more secular nature. Faith in represen- their country is run. Bad politics will last for prophet Samuel, and when he was nearing he believed that Israel was better off withtative government. Faith in dialogue and as long as the people will continue to choose the end of his life, the people of Israel came out a king. It was because he wanted the compromise. Faith in elections. Faith that people who are blinded by power and profit. to see him and demanded of him, “Give us a people to understand that if they wanted an our fellow citizens will abide by a social Only when the people start to care more king to lead us.” advanced, progressive and secure society, contract that includes both liberty and law, about their country, knowing that they have At first, Samuel was hesitant to accede what they needed was not a king, but for rights and responsibilities. an indispensable role to play in shaping its to the people’s demand. He reminded the the people to play their role in strengthenPinning all our hopes on what our leaders present and future and only then will democpeople of what the kings of neighboring na- ing their nation. can do and deliver simply wouldn’t work. racy grow and progress come. tions did to wield their authority. The men Samuel seemed to affirm that the people We cannot all plead, “Give us a king” and Change will not and will never happen by will be taken to war and the women will be will always get the leader that they deserve then fail to do our part as citizens. itself—we need to make it happen. conscripted to work for the king. The people —that if they allow money or might to influSimilarly, we cannot expect the governWhen the people understand their power will be asked to pay burdensome taxes, and ence their choice of a leader; in the end, that ment to do everything for us, because de- is greater than the people in power, it is then the king’s word will be the law of the land. leader could exploit his power and adversely mocracy is not built on a stable leadership when politics becomes a powerful platform In a way, Samuel explained that with a king force his rule on them. Nation building was alone, but for it to grow and flourish, it must for change.

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

B1

D

URING Saturday’s Independence Day celebration in Malolos City, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government would construct a monument—the “Wall of Heroes”—at the Libingan ng mga Bayani to remember the medical frontliners who died of COVID-19.

This week we heard that the hazard pay and special risk allowance for medical frontliners for the first six months of the year—we are halfway into the fi rst half—are still being processed by the Department of Budget and Management.

In an interview over Dobol B TV, Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega admitted that the much-needed allowance is yet to be released.

Health care workers are not strangers to low and delayed pay.

They have complained about this, while many have resigned or looked for employment outside the country, putting the already precarious health care system in greater peril and especially when we still have not seen an improvement in the number of new COVID cases.

Monuments to the fallen are good symbols. It is always good to be remembered for your sacrifices, albeit posthumously. While the government is at it, however, it should remember its swift action to compensate the living frontliners for their efforts would be a tangible, more meaningful tribute.

Shield our critical infrastructure from foreign states

‘Give us a king’

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the deal’s promising benefits to consumers?

If the US with all its might is already banning these Chinese companies from their ecosystem, then given all our military and technological vulnerabilities, shouldn’t our country be raising our shields and seeking help from our allies?

To address this risk, the Senate, in its version, is incorporating safeguard provisions by banning state-owned companies owning capital in “critical infrastructure” and for investments made after the PSA is amended by law, such as China Telecom’s, increasing ownership stake will be prohibited. This is another commendable demonstration of the Senate’s independence as a legislative body.

Except for this issue, we need the PSA to encourage foreign investments in these capital intensive industries to boost our competitiveness and hopefully regain the lost momentum from this deep recession.

We must all be vigilant of the developments of this bill. When you see strong objections to the safeguarding provisions of the Senate, you’re seeing the traitorous hand of powerful benefactors at work.

We must shield our critical infrastructure from foreign state control.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net) NAKED SO THOUGHT I SEE CHARLIE LITO V. MANALO BANAYO

Washing its hands of the issue CROSSROADS TO THE

POINT J.A. DELA CRUZ EMIL P. JURADO

The Philippines’ baselines law (Part 1)

The ‘Limasawa 6’ case: criminalizing research?

MAIL MATTERS

Lacson’s office reacts to Kapunan column

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher 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

B2

World

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Moscow calls ‘non-working week’ as COVID surges in Russian capital MOSCOW—Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday announced a “non-working” week in the Russian capital, with non-essential workers told to stay home, as Covid-19 cases hit a six-month high.

The decision marks a change of tone for Russian authorities, with President Vladimir Putin repeatedly insisting that Russia has handled the pandemic better than most countries.

“During the past week, the situation with the spread of the coronavirus infection has sharply deteriorated,” Sobyanin said on his website as the city registered 6,701 daily infections, the highest number since December last year.

Sobyanin added that “thousands” of hospital beds have been repurposed for coronavirus patients.

“We cannot not react to such a situation,” he said. “To stop the growth of

infections and to save people’s lives, today I signed a decree providing for nonworking days between June 15-19.”

The order affects all employees in the Russian capital, a city of 12 million, except for essential workers.

Non-essential workers are not required to work from home during the period but will still retain their salaries.

Together with the weekends and a public holiday on June 14, it means most Moscow workers will not return to their offices until June 20.

- More young patients The mayor also announced the closure of food courts and playgrounds while restaurants, bars and clubs will be banned from serving customers between 23:00 and 06:00.

Sobyanin also called on employers to transfer at least 30 percent of non-vaccinated employees to working from home after the week-long shutdown. AFP

Saudi allows 60k residents on hajj, bars foreigners RIYADH—Saudi Arabia announced Saturday it will allow 60,000 residents vaccinated against Covid to perform this year’s hajj, but Muslims from abroad will be barred for a second straight year.

The hajj -- a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives -- typically packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites and could be a major source of contagion amid the coronavirus pandemic.

This year it would be “open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims”, the hajj ministry said, quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The pilgrimage, scheduled to be held in July, would be limited to those who have been vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, it said.

Only up to 10,000 Muslims took part in last year’s hajj, a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated in the five-day annual pilgrimage in 2019 before the pandemic.

“In light of what the whole world is witnessing with the coronavirus pandemic... and the emergence of new variants, the relevant authorities have continued to monitor the global health situation,” the ministry said.

“Considering the large crowds that perform hajj, spending long periods of time in multiple and specific places... requires the highest levels of health precautions.”

Saudi Arabia said those wishing to perform the hajj would have to apply online, without specifying how many foreign residents would be among the 60,000 pilgrims.

In 2020, foreigners were 70 percent of the pilgrims, while Saudis made up the rest.

The kingdom said it had informed other countries of the decision not to allow pilgrims from abroad.

“There was great understanding,” deputy hajj minister, Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, told a news conference.

“Arrangements for this were based on the kingdom’s keenness on the pilgrims’ Manila health and the safety of their countries.”

Standard Pakistan’s government said it supported TODAY the decision but there was disappointment among those hoping to make the pilgrimage. AFP

NOTICE OF ADOPTION Notice is hereby given by Spouses Ramesh De Cabraal Wijetunge and Melanie Mabanes Sofista that they have filed a Petition for Adoption for Ivee Laine Sofista Duran with the Regional Trial Court, National Capital Region, Branch 225, Quezon City. Thru this notice, the petitioners are informing the biological father, Marvin Aguilar Duran of their on-going petition for adoption of Ivee Laine Sofista Duran.

(MStandard-June 14, 21 & 28, 2021)

SUPPLEMENT TO THE DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the share of the late RICARDO M. CARRION, in the estate of their late mother Adelaida Manas Carrion more particularly in that property covered

by TCT No. 215947 have been extra-judicially divided and settled by and among heirs on May 20, 2021 before notary public Atty. Christian E. Chan as per Doc. No. 255; Page No. 32; Book No.: 10; Series of 2021.

SURROUNDED. Riot police detain a demonstrator during a protest against the government of Colombian President Ivan Duque

in Bogota on June 12. Dozens of people have been killed in protests that erupted around the country on April 28, initially against a tax hike that would have mostly affected the middle classes, but which have morphed into a major anti-government movement. AFP

G7 to agree to conservation, climate targets at summit end C ARBIS BAY, United Kingdom —G7 leaders on Sunday will back new conservation and emission targets to curb climate change, and finalize collective action on several other fronts, as they wrap up a three-day summit aimed at showcasing revived Western unity.

The group of leading economies, holding their first in-person gathering in nearly two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, will agree to protect at least 30 percent of both land and ocean globally by the end of the decade.

The “Nature Compact” struck to try to halt and reverse biodiversity loss is also set to see them com-

mit to nearly halve their carbon emissions by 2030, relative to 2010.

It includes mandating the use of only so-called clean coal for power “as soon as possible”, ending most government support for the fossil fuel sector overseas and phasing out petrol and diesel cars.

Hailing the pact, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson—who is hosting the beachside summit in Cornwall, southwest England‚—said the G7 wanted to “drive a global Green Industrial Revolution to transform the way we live”.

“There is a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth,” he added, in remarks released ahead of the summit’s conclusion.

Climate change was a key G7 priority for his government, as it tries to lay the groundwork for hosting the UN COP26 environment summit in Glasgow in

Israel parliament poised to vote on ‘change’gov’t JERUSALEM—Israeli lawmakers are to vote Sunday on a “change” coalition government of bitter ideological rivals united by their determination to banish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power.

The crunch Knesset vote will either terminate the hawkish premier’s uninterrupted 12-year tenure or return Israel to a stalemate likely to trigger a fifth general election since 2019.

Netanyahu, who is battling a clutch of corruption charges in an ongoing trial he dismisses as a conspiracy, has pushed Israeli politics firmly to the right over the years.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW On Saturday night,BLACK around 2,000 protesters rallied outside the 71-yearold’s official residence to celebrate what they believe will be his departure from office.

“For us, this is a big night and tomorrow will be even a bigger day. I SUPPORT FOR HK. Demonstrators holding yellow umbrellas and a placard with Chinese President Xi Jinping take part in am almost crying. We fought peacea ‘Stand with Hong Kong’ rally to mark the 2nd anniversary of democracy rallies against the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment fully for this (Netanyahu’s departure) Bill, in Pasadena, California on June 12. AFP and the day has come,” said protester Ofir Robinski.

A fragile eight-party alliance, ranging from the right-wing Jewish nationalist Yamina party to Arab lawmakers, LONDON, Canada—Several hundred black pickup truck drove into them on is a testimony of the fact that the enwas early this month cobbled together people gathered in London, Ontario on purpose, according to authorities. tire Canadian nation stands with them,” by centrist politician Yair Lapid.

Saturday to pay homage to a Muslim A fifth family member, a nine-year- Pakistan’s ambassador to Canada, Raza On Friday, all coalition agreements family deliberately mowed down by the old boy, was seriously injured.

Bashir Tarar, told the crowd. had been signed and submitted to driver of a pick-up truck, in an attack that On Saturday, hundreds of people The ceremony, with brief remarks and the Knesset secretariat, Yamina anhas shocked Canadians and which Prime filled a large parking lot and a football prayers, was broadcast live on major Canounced, a moment party leader NafMinister Justin Trudeau denounced as field next to the London Islamic center, nadian networks. tali Bennett said brought “to an end “terrorist.” where a private ceremony was held, to “We are not alone in our grief,” said two and a half years of political crisis”.

Four members of the Afzaal fam- join in a public remembrance around the Ali Islam, an uncle of Madiha Salman, But the ever-combative Netanyahu ily —a man and his wife, their teenage family’s four caskets, each covered with one of the victims. He stressed that has tried to peel off defectors that daughter, and his mother—were out for a Canadian flag. the outpouring of support “has been would deprive the nascent coalition of a walk in their London neighborhood “The very fact that their coffins are the first step towards finding a way to its wafer thin legislative majority. AFP Sunday when a 20-year-old man in a draped in the beautiful Canadian flag heal.” AFP

Canada pays final homage to family slain in truck attack

Biden eyes club as national memorial

(MStandard-May 31, Jun. 7 & 14, 2021)

NOTICE OF LOSS OF STOCK CERTIFICATE Notice is given to the public that Tomasian Fastfood Corporation, a corporation duly organized and existing under Philippine laws (the “Corporation”) and with registered address at 1531 A.H. Lacson Cor. Dapitan Streets, Sampaloc, Manila, issued stock certificates of unknown number,in favor of the following stockholders which were declared lost in their respective Affidavits of Loss:1) Mr. Tommy Y. King for ten thousand common shares;2) Mr. William Tan Untiong for ten thousand common shares; 3) Mr. Ernesto Tanmantiong for ten thousand common shares; 4) Mr. Jessie F. Tan for one common share; 5) Winall Holding Corporation for nineteen thousand nine hundred and ninety eight common shares; and 6) Atty. Jon Michael P. Alamis for one common share as per Doc. Nos. 168-172 and 173 in Page Nos. 37-39 of Book No. 1, Series of 2021 before Notary Public Atty. Chiles Megan M. Areño. If no adverse claim regarding any of the above certificate of stocks is presented to the Corporate Secretary within one year from the last publication of this Notice, the right to make such claim shall forever be barred and the Corporation shall cancel in its books the above certificate of stock and issue a new certificate in lieu thereof.

(MS-JUN 14, 21, 29, 2021)

November.

But before the pledges had even been formally adopted, environmental campaigners blasted them as lacking enforcement and the necessary scope.

“Despite the green soundbites, Boris Johnson has simply reheated old promises and peppered his plan with hypocrisy, rather than taking real action to tackle the climate and nature emergency,” said Greenpeace UK’s executive director John Sauven.

He also noted wealthy nations had a “dismal track record” over the last decade honoring international climate finance commitments.

- Ties renewed The G7—Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and United States—were eager to hold their first physical summit since August 2019 to renew ties after the discord of Donald Trump’s four years in power. AFP

TUNISIAN PROTEST. A firework goes off as protesters block a street in the Sidi Hassine suburb on the northwestern outskirts of Tunis on June 12 amid outrage against policing practices following the death of a youth. AFP

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden on Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of a mass shooting in a gay nightclub in Florida, taking the rare step of saying he would designate the club as a national memorial.

“In the coming days, I will sign a bill designating Pulse Nightclub as a national memorial, enshrining in law what has been true since that terrible day five years ago: Pulse Nightclub is hallowed ground,” the US president said in a statement released as he continued a European tour.

On June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire inside the Orlando club, killing 49 people, many of them Latinos, and

wounding more than 50 others in what was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

The shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, held police at bay for hours until they stormed the building and killed him.

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis called the shooting “one of the darkest days in our state’s history” and declared June 12 Pulse Remembrance Day. Biden’s declaration came a day after two of his senior advisors held a virtual meeting with gay and lesbian leaders to mark the Pulse anniversary and promise action on gay rights and gun violence. AFP

Business Airline sector sees long-term recovery, but stays bullish PARIS, France—After flying into the financial turbulence of the COVID pandemic, the airline sector expects passenger traffic to take off despite concerns about the industry’s impact on climate change.

In its latest look at trends for the sector, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it doesn’t expect world air traffic to resume to its prepandemic level before 2023.

But over 20 years, air traffic should almost double, from 4.5 billion passengers in 2019 to 8.5 billion in 2039.

That is, however, a drop of one billion passengers from IATA’s pre-crisis forecast.

Nevertheless that will be good news for aircraft manufacturers, who slowed down production during the crisis as airlines canceled orders to stay financially afloat.

Airbus has already announced it plans to step up the manufacturing cadence of its best-selling A320 singleaisle aircraft and should reach a record level already in 2023.

Boeing, for its part, forecasts that airlines will need 43,110 new aircraft through 2039, which will result in a near doubling of the global fleet. Asia alone will account for 40 percent of that demand.

As with the September 11 attacks or the global financial crisis of 20072009, “the industry will prove resilient again,” Darren Hulst, vice president of marketing at Boeing, said last year.

Marc Ivaldi, research director at the Paris-based School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, noted that only one percent of the population currently uses air travel.

“With the simple demographic rise and the fact that people become richer there will be rising demand for air travel and thus for aircraft,” he told AFP. If the biggest aircraft fleets are currently in the United States and Europe, the biggest increases are expected in Asia and the Middle East, the consulting firm Oliver Wyman said in a recent study.

Airbus delivered 19 percent of its planes to China, more than the United States, and this trend is not expected to change.

In many emerging countries where the middle class is expanding air travel is becoming possible for more and more people. AFP

Stocks set to re-test 7,000 points TOP GAINERS S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to re-test the 7,000-point level over the near-term period amid optimism on the government’s vaccination rollout program.

Analysts said the equities market might go into higher territory this week on improving economic outlook as more people are being inoculated with the arrival of additional vaccines.

The government’s move to start the vaccination of economic workers is also a positive step toward the further reopening of the domestic economy.

“With the market seeming to have priced in most of the negatives on the

ous week’s average of P10.87 billion.

Weekly to price gainers were GMA Network Inc., which climbed 19.6 percent to P11.40, Eagle Cement Corp., which advanced 8.8 percent to P14.52, and LBC Express Holdings Inc., which rose 7.1 percent to P18.

Weekly top price losers included Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., which declined 3.7 percent to P51.05, Alliance Global Group Inc., which fell 3.6 percent to P10.22 and DITO CME Holdings Corp., which dipped 3 percent to P9.60.

European stock markets, meanwhile, closed the week in a bullish mood Friday, while the S&P 500 edged to a second straight record as investors weighed US consumer confidence and inflation data.

Equity markets in Paris and Frankfurt cheered a day after the European Central Bank adopted a dovish policy posture even as it raised its growth forecast. With AFP

People watch a performance during a pop up event in Times Square on June 11, 2021 in New York City.

Many restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus have been lifted, and New York state governor Andrew Cuomo said that most of the remaining measures would be eliminated once 70 percent vaccination is achieved. AFP

PSEi June 11, 2021

WASHINGTON—Even in the face of rising inflation, the lackluster progress on restoring jobs lost during the pandemic means the US Federal Reserve is unlikely to budge on monetary policy when it meets next week.

Central bank chief Jerome Powell has made it clear the Fed will hold the line on its massive bond buying program and rock-bottom lending rates until data reflect lasting improvement in employment across all economic strata.

But the recent surge in inflation in the world’s largest economy is ramping up the pressure on policymakers to begin to pull back on stimulus programs.

Hints of whether central bankers will

buckle may be seen next week when the Fed’s policy-setting Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) holds its twoday policy meeting.

“No good deed goes unpunished and that is the case with the rapid reopening of the economy,” economist Joel Naroff said in an analysis.

“The upside is that growth is soaring.

The downside is that consumer inflation is surging, and labor problems are pressuring businesses.”

With widespread vaccinations in recent months and massive government aid, the US economy has come roaring back from the COVID-19 crisis as businesses rushed to reopen.

But the process has been bumpy and other countries have not kept pace, creating a shortage of supplies and workers.

That in turn has sent prices surging, with the consumer price index hitting a 13-year high of five percent in May compared to the same month in 2020.

While Fed officials have repeatedly offered reassurances that the increase is mostly due to temporary issues—used car prices alone make up the bulk of the rise—some financial market players have begun to sound the alarm, as have Republicans opposed to President Joe Biden’s spending plans. AFP

% CHANGE CHANGE

BH BHI

1350 0.135

449 0.02

49.83% 17.39%

3 4

GSMI OPM

81.5 0.013

6.7 0.001

8.96% 8.33%

5 6

MG CNVRG

0.31 21.45

0.02 1.3

6.90% 6.45%

7 8

DIZ SFI

7.05 0.144

0.4 0.008

6.02% 5.88%

9 10

MJIC BC

1.64 5.35

0.09 0.29

5.81% 5.73%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

BKR EVER

1.27 0.385

-0.12 -0.035

-8.63% -8.33%

3 4 5 6

ECP MAHB SPM PHA

5.94 2.3 2.11 1.7

-0.44 -0.1 -0.09 -0.07

-6.90% -4.17% -4.09% -3.95%

7 8 9 10

VVT SSI RRHI LCB

14.52 1.25 51.05 0.165

-0.52 -0.04 -1.55 -0.005

-3.46% -3.10% -2.95% -2.94%

MOST ACTIVE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

GLO CNVRG ALI DNL BHI ICT ACEN BDO BPI SMPH

VOLUME 189270 13175300 7137000 32735700 1898820000 1374560 24132900 1713540 2132920 4640900

VALUE (PHP) 345901615 277901430 271313920 261249687 243207400 207502306 189370625 187690912 183065974 171219880

Of Spilled Teas, Dirty Linens, and… HR? NOWADAYS, COVID-19 is not the only ward the Gen Z’s who are set to conquer thing that spreads like wildfire. The once the labor market soon.

BAI CHARITY neighborhood-wide gossips now also Their hyper-connectivity to the digital travel 10 megabits per second thanks world is quite apparent—hourly Twitter PANDITA and Facebook status and daily Tiktok vidvid to social media. With the pandemic and travel restrictions that come with it, more eos and Zoom classes. My profession has allowed me to observe first-hand these people find themselves virtually logged in all day and all night. digital natives, and I would say that some of them hardly recThe Gen Z’s are now using the slang word “teas” for gos- ognize a person-of-authority when they digitally communicate. sips, and most people swamp on pages that serve them often I have encountered some who write e-mails with a tone that is as a form of entertainment. Dirty secrets are casually aired in either commanding or extremely informal. The worst were the public as a result of emotional whims. What was once limited ones who do not even know how to use punctuations, let alone by geography and space is now available to anyone all around proper grammar but would dare use “audacity,” misogyny” and the world. “aesthetic” in their Facebook captions.

There seems to be no limit to what strangers can access into For this reason, I believe that in addition to providing awareone’s personal teas from cheating scandals, wild lifestyles, po- ness about the dangers of impulsive social media posts to one’s litical exposes, family dramas, and even piling personal debts. career, we should also revisit the need to embed digital comWhile laws exist to prevent fake news from spreading, I would munication etiquette in the lens of HR and employability as a like to take the direction of employability. Should these people, General Education Course. If this is not possible, then maybe who are the source of teas or involved in publicly washed dirty we should prioritize activities that would promote these. laundries, be dropped if they seek employment?

I remember being sold to the whole idea of additional school Recruiting and hiring is one of the essential roles of HR pro- years and revamping the academic curriculum when I learned fessionals. Choosing a person to fill a job in a company is like that the K to 12 transition aims to reduce job mismatch and inselecting the food that would sustain the body. It is natural for crease employment rates.

HR professionals and business owners to stay away from the Apparently, some college graduates are unemployed because stale and the rotten. For this reason, it is not surprising for them they were over-qualified for actual available jobs. This, thereto conduct background checks. fore, justifies the need to prepare students as early as senior high In an article released by The Manifest, a survey in 2020 re- school for employability that is fit for the demands of the current vealed that 90 percent of future employers check the social times. We must not only prepare them for local employment, but media of their job candidates. What is surprising is that a stag- also for global, borderless and technologically demanding job gering 79 percent of these employers have rejected a potential opportunities. applicant if the result of the social media background check is McKeon (2020) posited that while there is still a need to polnegative. ish one’s resume and pitching skills, it has become imperative The same survey revealed that a candidate’s employment op- to pay attention to online employment profiles and personal portunity would be gravely affected if they found contents like websites. The same article stated that ensuring that profiles are drug use, heavy partying, hate or discriminatory speech, and Search Engine Optimized (SEO) may help in career success even very poor grammar. Not so surprisingly, former employees since 43 percent of employers use Google to know more about who bad-mouth their previous employers or divulge confiden- a candidate. tial information do not help one’s employability at all, too.

Undoubtedly, SEO is never heard of in traditional HR classes Further, a 2018 study by Rosen et al. suggested using Twitter but is now a necessary skill in the world of digital repositories. profiles to evaluate an individual’s personality and employabili- Indeed, acknowledging the changes in the labor landscape is the ty. The study mimicked “other-raters” such as HR professionals first step in finding newer, better and more effective solutions. and how they would assess a candidate. They found that consci- As Bill Gates once said, “Success today requires the agility and entiousness and agreeableness are some of the personalities that drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate, react, and reinvent.” It highly correlate to employability. Meaning, the personality tests is a reminder that adaptability to the changes happening around that job applicants once took in assessment centers may now be us is key to survival, even in employability. done through social media.

Now that we have established how teas could affect one’s The author is a full-time finance professor of Ateneo de employability, what should be done? I believe that there is a Davao University and is currently a Doctor of Business Adcompelling need to increase awareness of the impact of our so- ministration student at the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of cial media posts on our current careers and future opportunities. Business-De La Salle University. You may contact her at bai_ Perhaps the main target of this awareness drive should be the pandita@dlsu.edu.ph. new players in the workforce, the Millennials and the Gen Z’s.

While we millennials only served as ushers to the digital The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necesworld, the Gen Z’s are the real “digital natives” born, cradled and raised in technology. Since the last of the millennials have sarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its probably finished college by now, the attention has shifted to- administrators.

Green LiGht

revenues slumped from $5.8 billion in 2019 to $1 billion last year, according to government figures.

Since Petra reopened in May, tourist numbers have been slow to rebound.

Only some 200 visitors a day come to Petra, compared to more than 3,000 before the pandemic hit, said Suleiman Farajat, heading the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority.

Farajat said some 200 guides used as many as 800 animals—including horses, camels and mules as well as donkeys— for tourist rides across the desert site.

The economic ripple effect of tourism was widespread.

“Before the crisis, 80 percent of the inhabitants of the region depended directly or indirectly on tourism,” Farajat said.

“With the pandemic, not only working animal owners were affected, but also hotels, restaurants, those with souvenir shops or stores, and hundreds of employees have lost their jobs.”

Many donkey owners are turning to a clinic supported by the animal rights group PETA, where vets treat maltreated and malnourished donkeys for free.

“Before coronavirus, my family and I owned seven donkeys working in Petra,” said Mohammad al-Badoul, 23, waiting with four other donkey owners to fill a sack with animal feed.

“We had to sell them for lack of income. Now we only have one, and I can barely feed it.” AFP

LAST PRICE

1 2

US Fed expected to stand its ground despite inflation

Tourists ride donkeys and horses as they visit Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, on May 27, 2021, after it reopened following closure due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Herds of hard-working donkeys once carried hordes of tourists on the rocky paths of Jordan’s Petra, but visitor numbers crashed amid coronavirus and the loyal animals now face the chop. AFP

PETRA, Jordan—Herds of hard-working donkeys once carried hordes of tourists on the rocky paths of Jordan’s Petra, but visitor numbers crashed amid the pandemic and the loyal animals are left without a job.

“Before coronavirus, we all had work,” said Abdulrahman Ali, a 15-year-old donkey owner at the ancient rock-carved desert city, where the sure-footed animals carry tourists up steep paths in the blazing sun.

“The Bedouins of Petra made a living and fed their animals,” he said, sitting waiting for a handout of fodder from a charity, explaining that many owners today are struggling to meet the cost of feeding them.

In 2019, the number of visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage site topped a million for the first time.

But in March 2020, the famous tourist destination was closed, and the crucial income from the tourists dried up.

Dependent on tourism “When tourism stopped, nobody could buy fodder or medicine anymore,” said Ali, who could earn as much as $280 on a good day, supporting his mother and two brothers.

“Anyone who has a little amount of money now spends it on his own food, not his animal.”

Before the pandemic, tourism made up more than a tenth of Jordan’s GDP, but

macroeconomic front (GDP downgrades, weak labor market, among others), gyrations moving forward will likely be tied to the reopening story, heading into an election year,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

Market expectations that the current monetary policy will be maintained to help with the restart of the economy is also boosting investor confidence.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index posted its straight weekly gains, gaining 1.6 percent at 6,907/79, while the boarder All Shares Index rose 1.6 percent to 4,174.65.

All counters posted week-on-week gains led by industrial, which rose 2.3 percent, property which went up 2.1 percent and holdings firms which advanced 1.5 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers by P865.5 million, while the average daily value traded dropped to P6 billion from previ-

LENIENT IN NEW YORK.

Work dries up for Jordan’s donkeys as coronavirus immobilizes tourism

By Mussa Hattar

B3

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

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

B4

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, June 11, 2021

32.08 PTS. 6,907.79

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES

4,130,446,607 98,152 5,764,515,090.19 118

DECLINES UNCHANGED

90 50

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.7280

Japan

Yen

0.009146

0.4365

UK

Pound

1.417700

67.6640

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128868

6.1506

Switzerland

Franc

1.117943

53.3572

Canada

Dollar

0.827061

39.4740

Singapore

Dollar

0.755515

36.0592

Australia

Dollar

0.775300

37.0035

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655831

126.7575

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.7275

Brunei

Dollar

0.752672

35.9235

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032082

1.5312

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.9950

Euro

Euro

1.217500

58.1088

Korea

Won

0.000899

0.0429

China

Yuan

0.156426

7.4659

India

Rupee

0.013686

0.6532

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242807

11.5887

New Zealand

Dollar

0.719400

34.3355

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036134

1.7246 Source: BSP

Cebu Pacific bringing back ‘piso’ fare to induce travel

By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Pacific said over the weekend it is bringing back its “piso” fare to all domestic and international destinations to entice more passengers to travel amid the global pandemic.

“We want to keep doing what we can to support the recovery of our country’s travel and tourism industry.

We look forward to enabling more Juans to travel to their favorite places again,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and customer experience.

The budget carrier said passengers from June 12 to June 14 could enjoy base fares as low as P1 to over 30 domestic routes and 16 international routes. The travel period is from Nov. 1 to March 26, 2022.

Passengers can also travel conveniently for less and get 25 percent off with CEB Fare Bundles – GoEasy when they have pre-booked your CEB Prepaid Baggage for that guaranteed hassle-free experience, or GoFlexi with the new and improved CEB Flexi that gives the benefit of converting to a travel fund if they wish to postpone the trip.

The airline permanently removed change fees to allow passengers to avail of unlimited rebooking, providing that much-needed flexibility during this time.

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

These include contactless procedures, thorough cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, mandatory wearing of masks and face shields for both passengers and crew, as well as Antigen testing for CEB frontliners before duty.

The aircraft is also equipped with hospital-grade HEPA filters with 99.99-percent efficacy, keeping viruses at bay.

Cebu Pacific flies to 32 domestic destinations from its Manila and Cebu hubs, on top of six international destinations from Manila, namely Dubai, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Narita, Seoul and Singapore.

Business LTO MILESTONE

Land Transportation Office Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante (left) recognizes Laguna resident Samantha Marie Lagrada as the one millionth client of the Land Transportation Management System that leading German technology provider Dermalog built for the government agency. LTMS allows clients to conduct transactions online via portal.lto.gov.ph.

Galvante says LTMS is a cornerstone of the LTO’s five-year IT modernization program to make the agency more efficient and give clients all the convenience of online service.

By Julito G. Rada

HE labor situation may improve in the coming months but it will depend on the pace of the COVID-19 vaccination program by the government, a bank said in a report over the weekend.

important milestone that could fast-track the recovery of the labor market,” it said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported last week that unemployment rate in April declined to 8.7 percent from a record high of 17.6 percent a year ago.

This was, however, higher compared to the 7.1 percent jobless rate reported in March 2021.

Data showed the unemployment rate in April was about the same as the rate reported in October 2020 (8.7 percent),

might disappoint the markets even with the low base from last year.

“Consumer spending probably suffered in the second quarter given the jobs lost due to ECQ/MECQ,” the bank said.

Gross domestic product in the first quarter contracted by 4.2 percent, deeper than the 0.7-percent decline a year ago amid the lingering impact of the pandemic.

The first-quarter print was an improvement from the 8.3-percent contraction in the fourth-quarter of 2020. GDP last year contracted by a record 9.6 percent, the worst since the end of World War 2, due to the pandemic.

Economic managers expect GDP to grow this year by 6 percent to 7 percent, driven by the rollout of vaccination program, gradual easing of restrictions and reopening of the economy.

Pampanga II Electric Cooperative and La Pampanga Energy Corp. sign a 15-year power supply agreement that will provide grid stability and energy security in the franchise area of PELCO II. At the signing ceremony are (from left) Philreca Party-list Rep. Presley de Jesus, Anton Katigbak of Gigawatt Power Inc., Emil Andre Garcia of Vivant Energy, PELCO II general manager Amador Guevarra, Dennis Uy of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and National Electrification Administration administrator Ed Masongsong.

Pampanga electric cooperative, Vivant-led group sign supply deal

By Alena Mae S. Flores PAMPANGA II Electric Cooperative and a consortium led by Vivant Energy Corp. signed a 15-year power supply agreement to maintain grid stability and security in the franchise area of the distribution utility.

Under the deal, La Pampanga Energy Corp., a consortium of Vivant Energy, its wholly-owned subsidiary Amberdust Holding Corp. and Gigawatt Power Inc., will construct and operate a power generation facility with total dependable capacity of 15 megawatts of peaking supply with ancillary service capability.

“Vivant Corp. was given notice by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Vivant Energy, that a 15-year power supply

agreement with PELCO II was signed

by LPEC,” Vivant said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday.

The 3 x 5.76-MW diesel-fueled power plant of LPEC will be built in Porac, Pampanga and will ensure grid stability and security in the franchise area of PELCO II. “We look forward to becoming part of the recovery and growth of the province of Pampanga by providing stable and reliable power to PELCO 2,” said Vivant Energy executive vice president and chief operating officer Emil Andre Garcia.

“As we expand our power generation portfolio, we remain committed to provide adaptable and forwardlooking solutions, not just to the elec-

tric cooperatives that are our customers, but also with the communities they serve. To fulfill that commitment, we choose partners who share our core values,” Garcia said in a separate statement.

Vivant Energy and Gigawatt Power are partners in providing stable and reliable power in Puerto Princesa, Culion and Busuanga in Palawan and are constructing a 23-MW power plant in Bantayan Island, Cebu.

Vivant Energy holds Vivant’s interests in the electric power generation business. As of end 2019, Vivant had a portfolio of both renewable and nonrenewable power generation plants with total attributable capacity of about 356 MW.

Filinvest Land expects resilience of BPO sector to drive demand for its REIT offering in July

By Jenniffer B. Austria FILINVEST Land Inc. said over the weekend it expects the resilience and growth of the business process outsourcing sector to drive the success of its maiden office real estate investment trust offering next month.

FLI said in a statement prime multinational business process outsourcing companies accounted for 88.4 percent of the occupied gross leasable area of its planned 17-building real estate investment trust portfolio as of endMarch, while online gaming tenants oc-

cupied 2.8 percent.

Non-BPO offices and retail tenants comprised the balance.

Filinvest REIT Corp. will own and operate a portfolio of 16 office buildings clustered in the 18.7-hectare Northgate Cyberzone, one of the first Philippine Economic Zone Authorityaccredited IT parks.

It will also own and operate an office tower with a retail component in Cebu Cyberzone, also a PEZA-registered economic zone in the gateway to Cebu IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City.

These properties have a total GLA of

PCC to intensify industry monitoring THE Philippine Competition Commission said it will continue to strictly monitor sectors that are prone to or might be exercising anti-competitive activities amid the health crisis.

Several sectors and industries that thrived during the pandemic were included in the PCC’s monitoring list.

“In 2021, our initiatives focus on e-commerce, health and pharmaceuticals, insurance, logistics and shipping, energy and electricity, water supply and distribution, real estate, and food― essential sectors that have become even more relevant due to the ongoing pandemic,” said PCC chairman Arsenio Balisacan in a webinar organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

“The commission is keeping its eyes trained on particular sectors that hold strategic value, focusing our enforcement and advocacy resources on them. We identify these sectors based on a careful and strategic assessment of their impact on consumers, the probability of enforcement success, and legislative priorities,” he said. Othel V. Campos

Globe upgrades broadband plans

Job generation to depend on the pace of vaccination T “The labor situation in the country might improve in the coming months given the easing of restrictions, particularly in NCR. However, it might take the country some time to return to pre-pandemic unemployment levels,” Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, said.

“This would depend on the speed of vaccinating the working population. The recent launch of the vaccination drive for economic frontliners is definitely an

IN BRIEF

301,362 square meters.

Filinvest REIT Corp. plans to conduct a P14.9-billion initial public offering in July to unlock the value of its office assets.

Based on the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Filinvest REIT will sell up to 1.6 billion common shares with an over allotment option for another 163.418 million shares at an offer price of P8.30 each.

The offer shares represent 36.74 percent of the company’s total issued outstanding capital stock.

“REIT is a new financial platform

to monetize our investment assets as they mature and provide funding to fuel future growth. The fair market value of all our investment projects both existing and under construction is P190 billion based on the appraisals of third parties,” said FLI president and chief executive Josephine Gotianun-Yap said.

As one of the pioneers in providing offices to the BPO sector, FLI benefited from the resilience of the IT-BPO sector which gave the company’s office leasing business a steady cashflow amid the pandemic.

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said over the weekend it is upgrading the speed of home broadband plans without any additional cost to subscribers “Globe At Home started increasing the broadband speeds of eligible customers and rightsizing or upgrading older plans to the new portfolio, without additional fees,” the telecom unit of the Ayala Group said.

“These kinds of services have been done for about 50 percent of Globe At Home postpaid base already,” it said.

Globe At Home’s unlimited broadband plans 1699 and 1899 were upgraded to 25 Mbps and 35 Mbps, respectively so that families can do more online and enjoy a faster shared connect1ion.

“This is how much we value our customers and how much they matter to us. We want to ensure we proactively service our customers without them asking for it to stay ahead and never get left behind,” said Darius Delgado, Globe vice president and head of broadband business. Darwin G. Amojelar

EO 130 spurs growth of offshore mining THE Offshore Mining Chamber of the Philippines said over the weekend it received many expressions of interest from major world players in offshore mining to explore opportunities in the country following President Rodrigo Duterte’s issuance of Executive Order No. 130 to revitalize the sector.

Among them are Primetals Technologies of Austria; Duro Felguera of Spain; funders from Switzerland; international JORC and VALMIN professional practitioners from Singapore, Indonesia, Europe and Australia; and other offshore mining-related companies from Indonesia, Malta, Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. Among the Japanese companies are Nakanishi Shipbuilding, Kurimoto Iron Works, Kansai Design Company and JTrade Company.

The OMCP urged the government to approve offshore mining tenement applications only from legitimate offshore mining companies, with adequate capital, proven technical expertise and demonstrated capability to engage and deploy offshore equipment for proper exploration, seabed scientific research, and sea bottom profiling facilities.

OMCP chairman Gary Olivar said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources should start a review of mine tenement ownership systems and processes, with a view towards delisting inactive tenement claims.

Citicore unit eyes P3-b hydropower project in Isabela RIO Norte Hydropower Corp., a subsidiary of Citicore Power Inc., is spending about P3 billion for the proposed 19.7-megawatt run-of-river Ilaguen hydropower project in Isabela province.

The company said in a report to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources it was planning to start the construction of the project this year, or once all permits and clearances were secured.

RNHC said energy demand was growing, particularly in Region 2, where development was accelerating at an unprecedented pace.

“It is projected that there will be a need for additional power-generating facilities for the coming years, not only in the province of Isabela but in the whole region as well,” it said.

RNHC said the Philippines has abundant indigenous resources that can be harnessed for power generation such as wind, geothermal and hydro.

“The development of the country’s hydropower resources is essential in meeting the energy demand over the succeeding years,” it said.

The Ilaguen hydro project is located in Barangay San Miguel, Echague, Isabela and covers a total area of 54.56 hectares.

The project is a combination of a run-off-river and weir type hydropower plant with capacity of 19.7 MW and can produce 111 million kilowatthours of power annually.

The hydro project will supply power to the cities of Cauayan and Santiago including the municipalities of Alicia, Angadanan, Cabatuan, Cordon, Echague, Jones, Luna, Ramon, Reina Mercedes, San Agustin, San Guillermo, San Isidro and San Mateo.

RNHC earlier tapped Xian Electric Engineering Co. Ltd., China’s biggest power transmission and distribution engineering company as the engineering, construction and procurement contractor of the hydro project eyed for completion by October 2024.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Sports

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

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

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Yuka Saso: Built to win

By Riera U. Mallari

E

FREN “Bata” Reyes put the Philippines in the annals of billiards’ lore. Paeng Nepomuceno became a legendary Hall of Famer in bowling.

Manny Pacquiao did it in boxing.

Yuka Saso is mobbed by Filipino fans at The Olympic Club. AFP

The list of Filipino sporting greats known the world over is long and impressive—from Bata, Paeng and Manny all the way to Felicisimo Ampon in tennis, Caloy Loyzaga in basketball and Lydia de Vega in athletics.

But none of them was able to clinch the ultimate prize—an Olympic gold medal.

This year, the Philippines’ newest sports darling in Yuka Saso will try to achieve no other Filipino has ever done before—win sports’ greatest accolade.

From the moment she held a golf club when she was eight years old, it was love at first swing.

Some may say it’s unfair to put such pressure on the shoulders of a 19-year-old teenager.

But after the Filipino-Japanese sensation became the first and only athlete from the Philippines to win a golf major following her stunning victory in the Women’s US Open last week, Yuka may have casually added her name to the list of favorites to win the country’s first Olympic gold. Although she has yet to formally nail a berth to the quadrennial games, her being in the Top 10 of the Olympic rankings, where the best 60 will qualify, has virtually assured her of a slot.

The signs are definitely there.

Victory at every stage—Yuka has won on almost all levels of her career, from local tournaments hosted by her sports godfather Enrique K. Razon and the International Container Terminals Services, Inc., to the World Junior Golf, the Asian Games, the LPGA Japan Tour and the LPGA. Familiarity of the battlefield is half the battle won—The Fil-Japanese has made a killing at the Japanese Tour, where she is currently fourth on the money list with earnings of ¥97,721,942 (P42 million) even though she has left the tour for the more lucrative LPGA. And it helps that the Olympics will be held in Japan, Yuka’s other “home.”

It’s like playing before your home crowd at a venue you know like the palm of your hand.

“I actually already played there, the golf course was really good. They changed everything, and it’s all in good condition,” said Yuka, referring to the Olympic golf venue the Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Feeling superstitious—This is kind of a reach, but hear me out. The venue of the Women’s US Open, where Yuka achieved the biggest win of her career so far, is called—the ‘Olympic’ Club.

Sign from above? Probably.

Biggest win

Yuka has been flying under the radar in the international scene the past several months, but it was only at the Women’s US Open that she went full jetfighter mode.

The reigning Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year shook off two early double bogeys and bounced back with late birdies at 16 and 17 in a two-over 73 to put herself into a playoff battle against Japanese Nasa Hataoka with a four-under total of 280 for 72 holes.

The venue of the Women’s US Open, where Yuka achieved the biggest win of her career so far, is called— the ‘Olympic’ Club. Sign from above? Probably.

Hataoka fired a final-round 68, but after both she and Saso parred both holes of the two-hole aggregate playoff, it was the latter who came up with a birdie at the sudden-death third hole to clinch the win.

Yuka matched South Korean Park In-bee as the youngest winners in the championship’s history at 19 years, 11 months and 17 days, and earned her LPGA tour membership.

“I don’t know what’s happening in the Philippines right now, but I’m just thankful that there’s so many people in the Philippines cheering for me,” said Yuka, whose professional resume included two Japan LPGA victories but no wins on the US LPGA tour. “I don’t know how to thank them. They gave me so much energy. I want to say thank you to everyone.”

Yuka Saso of the Philippines is doused with water after winning the 76th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. AFP

Yuka was the pace-setter in the first two days and trailed new leader Lexi Thompson entering the final round. It appeared that her bid was falling apart with double bogeys at the second and third, but she nicely recovered with a two-under the rest of the way to force the playoff. Talk

about nerves of steel.

“I was actually upset,” she said. “My caddie talked to me, said there’s still many holes to go—just keep doing what I was doing the last few days and trust the process.”

Athlete of the Year

Yuka’s biggest triumph was four months

removed from her being named the 2020 Philippine Sportswriters Association’s Athlete of the Year. The award was considered special as it was achieved during a pandemic year.

It was Yuka’s second Athlete of the Year honor in the last three years, but the Turn to C2

Kasumigaseki Country Club, site of the Tokyo Olympics golf competitions

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Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

PH beach spikers off to Thailand for Continental Cup

Baldwin back as Gilas PH head coach

By Lyka Jazmin dela Cruz COACH Tab Baldwin has been appointed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as Gilas Pilipinas’ head coach in the Clark window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Baldwin coached the national team in the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup in Changsha, China, where it finished runner-up and the 2015 Jones Cup in Taiwan, w h i c h produced another silver.

He also handled the Gilas team in the highly competitive 2016 F I B A O l y m p i c Tab Baldwin Qualifying Tournament.

Prior to the coaching appointment, Baldwin was project director of the Gilas team being groomed to join the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which the Philippines is co-hosting with Japan and Indonesia.

In a Facebook post, the SBP announced the return of Baldwin as Gilas coach, assuring him of support throughout the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

“A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life. Coach Tab Baldwin will call the shots for Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Congratulations, Coach Tab! We will be with you on this journey!,” the SBP said.

Baldwin will be the national team’s third mentor for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers after Marc Dickel and Jong Uichico coached the team during the first two windows.

Since January, Gilas Pilipinas has been training for the qualifiers, slated from June 16 to 20 in Clark, Pampanga.

Gilas Pilipinas will face South Korea on June 16 and 20, and takes on Indonesia on the 18th.

CLIPPERS BOUNCE BACK. Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz is guarded by Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers during the second half of their Western Conference NBA semifinal game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points as the Clippers showed they still have some fight left, beating the Utah Jazz 132-106 in Game 3 of their NBA playoff series. Leonard finished with 34 points and 12 assists and George had 31 for the Clippers, who lost the series’ first two games before bouncing back in the third. AFP

POC chief sees 9 more PH athletes to reach Olympics

By Peter Atencio

N

INE more Filipino athletes are expected to make qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.

The list will most likely be padded further after Cebuana weightlifter Elreen Ando joined four-time Olympian Hidilyn Diaz in formally earning a weightlifting slot to the quadrennial games.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said this after he got a formal confirmation on the status of Ando and Diaz from the International Weightlifting Federation.

Tolentino, who is also the congressman representing the 8th district of Cavite, said he is waiting for official word from the International Golf Federation on the official status of newly crowned Women’s US Open champion Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan.

“Malaki ang chance ni Yuka Saso.

Paglalaruan lang niya ang mga kalaban niya Olympics. May home advantage siya sa Japan. Iyung mga nakalaban niya sa US Open, ay iyun din ang kalaban niya,” said Tolentino.

Aside from the three golfers, Tolentino said two Filipino swimmers are seen to earn qualification slots, with FilipinoAmerican sprinter Kristina Knott, and three others in karatedo and judo also making a strong bid to catch up as well.

Ando made qualification after claiming three medals in the Asian Weightlifting Championships last April in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her participation and podium finishes allowed her snare a continental allocation slot.

Diaz, who is on her fourth stint to the Olympiad, formally earned her seat by merely joining the Tashkent event.

Ando is currently ranked no. 33 in the IWF Olympic rankings of the women’s 64 kg. class, while Diaz is at 22nd place in the 55-kg category.

There are now 11 official qualifiers to the Olympics from the Philippines, namely pole vaulter EJ Obiena, world champion

gymnast Carlos Yulo, boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, skateboarder Margielyn Didal and weighlifters Diaz and Ando.

Pagunsan will surely make the cut to the games after winning the 2021 Mizuno Open championship two weeks ago, according to National Golf Association of the Philippines secretary general Bones Floro.

Pagunsan, Saso and Pagdanganan, according to Floro, will make the list of qualifiers because they are currently in the top 60 of the IGF’s Olympic rankings for men and women.

“I can safely say na malayo na silang matanggal. Sure na ‘yan,” said Floro.

The 19-year-old Saso went up to no. 9 this week, while the 23-yearold Pagdanganan is currently ranked no. 42, down by a notch in the women’s side.

Pagunsan is now at ranked no. 51 in the men’s division rankings that was updated this week.

Confirmation on the status of the three golfers will be known by June 22.

THE Philippine beach volleyball team left to Thailand yesterday (Sunday) to compete in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Continental Cup, an Olympic qualifying event that offers two slots—top men and women finishers—in Tokyo.

The two-day competition is the second phase of the continental tournament. It is set on Friday in Nakhon Pathom province.

This will be the country’s first international competition for a national volleyball team since the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and also the first for the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) since its establishment in January.

“We are hoping for a strong finish for our men and women beach volleyball teams in this Olympic qualifier,” PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said. “Our athletes are adequately prepared for the competition, having set up a training camp in Pagudpud since last month.”

Making up the two women’s teams are the pairs of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons and Dij Rodriguez and Babylove Barbon. Mer Jauculan and Gen Eslapor as reserves.

The men’s squads are the Jaron Requinton and James Buytrago tandem and Jude Garcia and Anthony Arbasto duo. Ranran Abdilla and Philip Bagalay are alternates.

Rondina, a veteran of the 2014 Continental Cup, along with Pons and Rodriguez clinched a bronze medal in the 2019 SEA Games. Dzi Gervacio was part of that team but won’t be going to Thailand because of a left knee injury.

The PNVF thanked the Philippine Sports Commission under chairman William Ramirez for the training and partitipation of the team in the Thai tournament, as well as Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc for supporting the athletes’ training camp in Saud Beach in Pagudpud.

Sisi Rondina

Krejcikova hails mentor Novotna: At the end of her life, I had to be there PARIS—Newly-crowned French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova hailed her mentor and former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna who died in 2017, saying: “At the end of her life, I had to be there.”

Krejcikova defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in Saturday’s final at the conclusion of only her fifth appearance in a Grand Slam singles main draw.

After the final, the 25-year-old said she owed her success to Novotna who lost her battle with cancer at the age of just 49.

“When I was 18, I actually finished juniors, I didn’t really know what to do. I went to her house with my parents. She was always very nice. We just had a really special bond,” recalled Krejcikova.

“When I found out that she was sick, and when I found out it’s not going to end up really well, I just felt like she was giving me so much of her experience, so much of her power, of her attitude.

“She taught me so many things that I just felt at the end of her life I have to be there. I just have to really support her.

“I wasn’t really handling the situation well. My parents were telling me not to go, because they’ve seen how it’s actually ruining me. But I just felt like I have to go and I have to support her.”

Yuka...

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first time as an individual awardee as she previously shared the accolade with fellow golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go, along with weightlifer Hidilyn Diaz during the 2018 edition of the annual event following their gold-medal romp in the Jakarta Asian Games.

After turning pro in 2020 following a brilliant amateur career, Yuka was winning again, this time in the rich Japan LPGA, where she racked up back-to-back wins in the NEC Karuizawa Championship and the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament.

Before the year ended, Yuka showed she belongs with the world’s best following a strong 13th-place finish right on her rookie year in the Women’s US Open won

by South Korea’s Kim A-Lim. Entering 2021, Yuka ranked 45th in the world. After only five months, she is now in the Top 10.

Money List, Olympic Rankings

Yuka is now no. 1 on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Official Money List following her Women’s US Open triumph that netted her the whopping $1 million top prize.

She jumped 31 places from no. 40 into the Top 10 at no. 9 in the women’s world

Novotna won 24 singles titles in her career with the 1998 Wimbledon trophy the highlight.

The new champion said she learned many life and sport lessons from the world number two whose own best run in Paris ended in semi-final losses in 1990 and 1996.

“She told me like, I have a court on Thursday in this club at this time. If you want to come, you can come, we can look at you, have a hit,” said Krejcikova.

“I was sick for one month so I don’t know if I can actually hold the racquet. She was like, It doesn’t matter. If you feel like it, just show up.

‘Mow the lawn’

she has yet to play at Wimbledon and the US Open.

That will be rectified now as her ranking, which was outside the top 100 when the delayed 2020 French Open took place in October, is about to shoot up to 15 in the world.

On her way to the Saturday’s final, she saw off fifth seeded Elina Svitolina and saved a match point in the semi-final against Maria Sakkari.

In the last-16 against Sloane Stephens, she admitted she was so paralysed by stress that she sought refuge in the physio’s office where she wept.

Despite her success, however, Krejcikova said fame will not change her with her immediate plans involving “sewing and mowing the lawn”.

Pavlyuchenkova, meanwhile, bidding for her first major at the 52nd attempt, needed her left thigh taped after a medical timeout towards the end of the second set.

The 29-year-old admitted she had been carrying the injury since her third round win over number three Aryna Sabalenka.

“I was actually in a really bad shape physically. I don’t know how I even won that match because I also had a medical treatment there, I had to wrap my leg,” said the Russian. AFP

Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova celebrates with the Suzanne Lenglen Cup after winning the women’s singles final tennis match against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova during the trophy ceremony on Day 14 of The Roland Garros 2021 French Open tennis tournament in Paris. AFP

“If you cannot hit, we can talk, it’s nice. The club is good. You are just going to enjoy.”

Krejcikova has now won Grand Slam titles across the board.

She has two women’s doubles titles with Katerina Siniakova from Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2018.

They could add a third together on Sunday when they take on Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Swiatek.

Krejcikova also has three Australian Open mixed doubles titles won in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

She is still a relative rookie as a singles player—

golf rankings.

Yuka is also guaranteed exemptions in the next 10 US Women’s Open tournaments, five AIG Women’s British Opens, KPMG Women’s PGA Championships, ANA Inspirations, and Amundi Evian Championships.

Beginnings, training

All of Yuka’s victories and accolades are a product of years of hard work.

Born in San Ildefonso, Bulacan to a Filipino mother Fritzie and Japanese father Masakazu, Yuka acquired her love for golf from her dad.

The family left the Philippines when she was four, but after living in Japan for four years, Yuka, who also likes BlackPink and Daniel Padilla, pleaded her parents to allow her to play golf.

From the moment she held a golf club when she was eight years old, it was love at first swing.

Thinking that she can excel better in the Philippines, her parents came back to the country, where she was homeschooled until she graduated from high school.

Because she was winning against older jungolfers in the Philippines, Yuka tried to level-up and competed in the 2011 US Kids golf tournament. After competing in the world junior for years, something triggered the young Yuka when she noticed how 17-year-olds would outdrive her by some 50 yards. Feeling the need to ramp up her preparation to become a world-class

golfer, she pleaded her father to give her an arduous training procedure that could whip her into her best fighting form. In turn, her father made Yuka sign a pledge not to hold a grudge against him for all the hardships that may come in training.

Japanese media outlet Kyodo News revealed in detail Yuka’s rigorous regimen.

The training? Daily runs at 5:30 a.m.; 10 sets of 50-meter and 100-meter sprints while carrying two-kilogram weights; side steps that would go on forever; endless golf swings interlaced with baseball crosstraining and bat-swinging; squats with a 30-kilogram barbell and shadow boxing.

These days, Yuka also tries to imitate the golf swing of her golf idol, Rory McIlroy.

It helps that Yuka has a benefactor in ICTSI that constantly supports her every step of the way. Golf, after all, is an expensive sport to play.

“The ICTSI congratulates Ms. Yuka Saso for winning and being the first Filipino to win in a major golf championship that is probably one of the hardest to win —the recently concluded 76th U.S. Women’s Open golf championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. Her ICTSI family thanks Yuka for the pride and joy she gives the country. We likewise commend her for her hard work, perseverance and dedication to training, and most especially for remaining humble despite her recent successes. She is and will continue to be a role model for the golfing community. May she also serve as an inspiration to our Filipino athletes in breaking through internationally.

ICTSI will continue supporting Yuka in her golfing career, and we look forward to more victories,” the ICTSI press statement said.

The biggest stage beckons

Yuka is expected to clinch a seat in the coming Tokyo Olympics, alongside fellow Asian Games gold medalist Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan This is because the three are currently listed inside the Top 60 of the Olympic golf rankings, managed by the International Golf Federation.

According to qualification rules, 60

players in each of the men’s and women’s events will make it to the list of Olympic qualifiers by June 21 for the men’s side and June 28 for the women’s.

Her 23-year-old friend Bianca, who was on the sidelines cheering her on as she made history in the US Open, is currently ranked no. 42.

And while pundits have installed Philippine sports’ newest queen as a favorite to win it all in Tokyo, alongside other favorites Carlos Yulo of gymnastics and Eumir Marcial of boxing, and even EJ Obiena of athletics and Diaz of weightlifting, Yuka has toned down all expectations from an adoring nation.

“Of course I want to be a world no.1, and it would be my dream, too, to win an Olympic gold medal. But this (US Open) does not mean that I can win the gold in the Olympics,” Yuka said. “I still have to work on it.”

Work means daily runs at 5:30 a.m.; 50and 100-meter sprints while carrying twokilogram weights; baseball-bat swings, squats with a 30-kilogram barbell, shadow boxing and swinging that TaylorMade SIM2 Max driver ala-Rory.

She will put in the work and we will watch in awe.

Yuka has been winning hearts and golf trophies ever since she burst into the scene.

Let’s hope she wins the ultimate one soon.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

C3

Marian Rivera renews ties with Beautéderm Home

The screen star with Beautederm’s Rhea Anicoche Tan.

THE partnership between Beautéderm and Marian Rivera-Dantes remains solid as the brand renews the contract of GMA-7’s primetime queen as its official ambassador for the 4th straight year.

Marian is the face of Reverie, the home line of the beauty and lifestyle brand.

Reverie is a play of words between Marian’s maiden name, the name of Beautéderm Corporation’s President and CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan, and the concept of the brand’s desired effect to its users – “to drift away, dream, and relax while basking in the extraordinary, sweet, and beautiful scents of love of Beautederm Home.”

“Marian and I developed a very close friendship over the years since she first joined the family as brand ambassador of Beautéderm Home,” says Tan. “Our relationship transcends business as we consider each other as sisters. We regularly talk to each other not just about

work but about updates in our personal lives as well.”

Marian, on the other hand, is equally ecstatic with her continued partnership with Beautéderm Home, “We are really like family. Rei has been a very good and supportive friend to me and I value our loving relationship very much. Beautéderm Home has been part of my daily essentials in maintaining a refreshing and relaxing ambiance at home that I could really relax in with my husband and my children.”

Tan and the screen star are currently collaborating in developing new products under the Beautéderm Home line that is expected to be launched within the year now that the brand is gearing up with the celebration of its 12h anniversary in the business.

“This is truly an exciting year not only for me but for Beautéderm Home as well,” says Marian. “I am looking forward to the many projects and collaborations that I will

‘American Idol’ star

VERY WANG

David Archuleta comes out of closet

American Idol star David Archuleta opened up about his sexuality as well as his struggle with religion.

By Amira Danica Pasion AMERICAN singer David Archuleta has revealed his gender identity as a part of the LGBTQIA+ and gave his perspective about the circumstances that people like him have experienced.

David took to Instagram to affirm his being involved in the LGBTQIA+ community coming out as an asexual individual.

“I came out in 2014 as gay to my

family. But then I had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual. Then I also have learned I don’t have too much sexual desires and urges as most people,” he elaborated.

The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) clarified through their official website that an asexual person is an individual who does not experience any sexual attraction or desires towards the opposite or same-sex.

In addition, AVEN also stated that asexual people still have the possibility to feel romantic, aesthetic, and sensual attraction to others but they would not lead to having sexual desires.

Other than David’s revelation, the singer also disclosed in his social media post that he struggled to question his identity in accordance with his religious faith for almost 20 years. “[I] realized God made me how I am for a purpose. And instead of hating what I have considered wrong I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality,” David explained.

The 30-year-old singer and occasional actor did not only speak up for himself but also for the individuals included in the LGBTQIA+ community who encounter the same struggle as him. Read full story on manilastadard.net

Being ‘Inn Love’ REMEMBER that scene in Marriage Story, when Adam Driver, as Charlie Barber, burst into a song after he heard a few bars coming from the piano?

Driver stood up and sang the most popular anthem from Stephen Sondheim’s The Company complete with all the feelings of a man who experienced the ecstasies and agonies of being in and out of love.

And boy, when you watch and hear him interpret the song, something inside you would want to scream.

This pushing and pulling of feelings is the current preoccupation of those who watch the latest boy’s love offering, Inn Love, written by MJ Diaz and directed by Rodel Mercado.

The first two episodes, as of this writing, received cumulative views of 80 thousand in just two weeks of being on their channel. The third installment, it is safe to say, is set to garner a substantial amount of love and support as well.

With its successful debut, it made me ask what does Inn Love the series possess that arouses curiosity of the most cynical and jaded audiences who are alien to the givens of the BL genre. With

the engagement and views that it achieved and clocked so far, BL aficionados are ALWIN obviously smitten and IGNACIO wanting more.

“Inn Love the Series is the finest sampling of an authentic concept of love which resonates to all,” answers director Mercado when asked to comment about the curiosity of many to the BL. “It is fun to watch two people who are slowly but surely discovering romantic feelings for each other and I believe that we are able to show the importance of a community in providing emotional support, acceptance, and respect of ’ freedom of choice, especially in the matter of love and romance.”

Mercado is glad for the positive reception the BL series gets.

“To those who do not like it, I still am grateful for their taking time to watch it.

I know my BL is far from being perfect but the fact that our views are growing steadily, we are receiving enthusiastic comments from the majority, ang sarap sa pakiramdam. I think we must be doing something good.” Read full story on manilastandard.net

ARIAS

do with the brand and I am very grateful for the wonderful friendship that Rei and I share with each other. It’s really a blessing to find true and lasting friendship in this industry and I will always be happy to call her sister and I am honored to represent Beautéderm Home.”

The variation of Reverie line of Beautederm Home includes Into The Woods (Bamboo Scent), Smells Like Candy (Cherry Scent), Time To Bloom (Fresh Rose Scent), Something Minty (Eucalyptus Scent), and Rest & Relaxation (Lavender Scent) as well as two brand new scents namely Matcha To Love and Take Me Away – all created from formulation to individual packaging in very close collaboration with Marian.

For more information on Reverie by Beautederm Home and exciting updates on Marian Rivera-Dantes, follow @ beautedermcorporation on Instagram, like Beautederm on Facebook, and subscribe to Beautéderm TV on YouTube.

S

NICKIE WANG

HOWBIZ scion Jayda Avanzado is in a class of her own.

She just recently turned 18 but she eloquently speaks like an old soul. She is smart, strong-minded, innovative, artistic, and most of all, she’s very open to any possibilities that the entertainment business has to offer.

In a recent virtual junket, where Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado’s princess was formally introduced as an official talent of Rise Artists Studio and Star Magic, Jayda told Manila Standard Entertainment that with the newest development in her career, she only wishes to have more blessings -- more opportunity in all aspect of her career and personal life.

“With me joining the management teams, we will work together to exploring new dimensions. Apart from joining ASAP Natin’to, I will soon be part of the upcoming projects of ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Films,” Jayda said.

“I see this as a new phase of my career.

For the longest time, people knew me as a singer and songwriter. Acting is a new territory that I would like to explore.

Siguro for starters, I'd like to do romcoms.

It would be a dream for me,” she said noting that she idolizes Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, and Aga Muhlach, and she would be delighted to share the screen with them.

As one of the country’s new breed of OPM singer-songwriters, Jayda is set to stage her first-ever major concert on June 26 (Saturday) with a re-run on June 27 (Sunday) via KTX.ph, iWanTTFC, and TFC IPTV. “People will see a different side of Jayda in this concert, as an all-around artist, and as a person as well. I’d like to think that I've grown a lot since then and I think people will get to see that full-circle moment in my concert,” the young artist affirmed.

As for her birthday wish, “I know it’s a wish of many, sana mayos na ang mundo, in a way, for us to get to have that sense of normalcy so we can get to pursue our passion and the things that we love.”

Jayda releases new single ‘M.U.’ “M.U.” is a colloquial acronym that stands for ‘MalabongUsapan,’ and is the focal point of the song which addresses the importance of asserting security in a romantic relationship.

SNAPSHOT

VJ Mendoza and Migo de Vera headline ‘Inn Love,’ a Pinoy BL series written by MJ Diaz and directed by Rodel Mercado.

FANS worldwide had a virtual party on Sunday to celebrate the world’s biggest boy band’s 8th anniversary in the business. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, collectively known as BTS, was formed in 2010 but officially launched in 2013.

The ARMY celebrate this special day with endearing messages thanking the Bangtan Boys for impacting their lives for the better.

On June 13, 2013 the band debuted with its single album 2 Cool 4 Skool, which features singles including "No More Dream" and "We Are Bulletproof pt. 2."

Meanwhile, in line with the celebration, BTS’s local partner Smart Communications unveiled exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the group’s endorsement shoot for the telco.

“Eight years of music, inspiration,

Kapuso primetime queen Marian Rivera is still the face of Reverie by Beautederm Home.

JAYDA AVANZADO rises up

Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado's 'little princess' is ready to conquer the concert scene with her first major gig titled 'Jayda in Concert.'

Jayda makes a bold statement against lack of label in relationships in her latest single “M.U.,” released under Star Music.

“M.U.” is a colloquial acronym that stands for ‘MalabongUsapan,’ and is the focal point of the song which addresses the importance of asserting security in a romantic relationship. “’M.U.’ is about knowing what you want, what you deserve, knowing your worth, and what you don’t want in a relationship. It’s all about wanting clarity,” Jayda stressed.

The pop-infused track is a new writing collaboration between the Kapamilya singer-songwriter and her father Dingdong Avanzado, whom she also worked with

for her “Paano Kung Naging Tayo?” single released last February. She also coproduced “M.U.” with ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo.

Meanwhile, the music video for the self-empowering track featuring Francine Diaz was released last May 17, which Jayda co-directed with Edrex Clyde Sanchez. The multifaceted artist previously made her directorial debut for the music video of “Paano Kung Naging Tayo?” which featured former Pinoy Big Brother: Otso housemate Rhys Miguel.

Tickets to Jayda in Concert are available on KTX.ph, iWanTTFC, and TFC IPTV for only P499.

Smart celebrates BTS 8th anniversary with exclusive content

and passion. Share your love and support for #SmartBTS on this special day. To celebrate #BTS8thAnniversary, we added new behind-the-scenes photos at http://smartbts.com.ph. #8YearsToInfinityWithBTS,” Smart

noted in a social media post.

The Smart + BTS page is available to all Smart Prepaid, Postpaid, Infinity, Bro, TNT, and PLDT Prepaid Home Wifi subscribers in the Philippines.

Nickie Wang

Life

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

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McDonald’s Philippines’ strawless lids will replace the flat lids used for cold beverages.

FOOD

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

FATHER’S DAY FEAST:

Dine out or order in

By Monica Sanchez

W

HETHER dad and the gang – and by gang, we mean the family – prefer to celebrate outdoors or indoors, there are a few sumptuous options available in Metro Manila’s premier hotels.

Home, it seems, is where the family bond over good food.

Unlimited steaks and oysters

Dine out: It’s a surf and turf Father’s Day celebration at Marriott Café in Marriott Manila as it brings back its Meat Overload spread on June 19-20. The spread includes Australian beef rump and whole turkey roast, Oceans Harvest with jumbo tiger prawns and whole apahap, mud crab, and French Legris oysters with classic mignonette and citrus salsa, and more.

The buffet is available on June 19 dinner and June 20 brunch and dinner for P2,380++ per person. Call 0917584-9560 to reserve a seat.

Now in select Metro Manila branches: McDonald’s launches ‘strawless’ lids IN A bid to reduce waste, fast food giant McDonald’s Philippines replaces its flat lids for cold beverages with spout lids.

The lids, now used in select stores in Metro Manila, allows customers to drink their soft drink, juice, iced tea, or iced coffee sans straw.

“By testing these strawless lids, we aim to continue our journey to reduce waste. Through this change, we will be able make strides in our waste reduction strategy, while ensuring that

RECIPE FILES

Order in: The hotel’s good-for-four Father’s Day Feast comes with a whole slab of pork baby back ribs, four pieces U.S. certified Angus strip loin steak (180g), four pieces grilled homemade veal bratwurst, four pieces grilled barbecue chicken leg quarters, four crafted sides, and a six-inch dark chocolate Moustache Cake. It is priced at Steaks, French oysters, tiger prawns, and more are served at Marriott Café’s Father’s Day buffet.

P4,100++ and can be ordered through 0917-859-9521.

Wow dad with dinner THE way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, they say. For those who prefer to treat the man of the house to a home-cooked meal, here are two classic recipes packed with flavors.

The star of Sheraton’s The King’s Feast is a 4-kilogram roasted lechon belly.

Roasted pork belly

Dine out: Sheraton’s bubble pod, Vubble is serving a fourcourse menu from June 18 to 20 for P6,000++ per guest. Call (02) 7902-1800 to reserve a seat.

Order in: The hotel’s home feast is a feast truly fit for a king. The King’s Feast consists of a 4-kilogram roasted pork belly (Cebuchon), chorizo rice, vegetable ginataan, liver sauce, and an eight-inch The King’s Cake. The package is good for six to eight persons at P4,000 nett, and is available for takeaway, pick up, and delivery from June 18 to 20. Call (02) 7902-1808 to order.

Richmonde’s special all-meat hotbox platter allows diners to reheat and serve.

Meat in a hotbox

Order in: For fathers who like to indulge in a meaty treat, Richmonde Hotel Ortigas offers a special Father’s Day Hotbox Platter. Good for three to four persons, the self-heating box comes with a variety of meaty dishes like Sangiovesebraised beef short ribs, duxelles-stuffed pork tenderloin, kielbasa, and brats. Add P500 for a bottle of Gallo Merlot.

It is priced at P2,800 nett and is available for pick and delivery today until end of June. Call (02) 8638-7777 or 0917-5344352 to order.

French multi-course dinner

The Al Fresco Dining by the pool of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel is available Friday to Sunday.

Barbecue by the pool

Dine out: Enjoy a breezy, barbecue lunch or dinner with dad at Edsa Shangri-La’s Al Fresco Dining by the pool. It is available on Fridays, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Rate starts at P1,750 net for the barbecue set. Call (02) 8633-8888 for inquiries about the hotel’s al fresco and other dining offers.

Order in: Edsa Shangri-La Hotel’s Gourmet On the Move Father’s Day Set Menu for five persons includes arroz a la valencia, pancit sotanghon guisado, kalderetang baka, lechon belly stuffed with laing, banana heart in coconut cream, steamed rice, Brazo de Mercedes, and bibingka cheesecake.

It is available at P3,700 net and can be ordered for the whole month of June.

Order in: Discovery Primea brings a French bistro-inspired feasts to every home with its Father’s Day meal kit.

Prepared by its culinary team, the goodfor-five meal starts with Deviled Eggs, Smoked Salmon Rillettes with crostini, Bistro Marinated Olives, Seared Calamari and Arugula Salad, and Baked Mussels Mornay.

Main course is a mouthwatering serving of U.S. Angus Beef Petite Roast with a selection of sides. The meal ends with Tarte Discovery Primea’s French bistroinspired meal kit comes with appetizers, au Chocolate with va- entrée, and dessert. nilla English cream. A box of Brown Butter and Whisky Madeleines is made specially for dads.

The meal kit is priced at P5,000 nett and is available on June 18-20. Complement the meal with a bottle of Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village for an additional P1,800 nett. Call (02) 7955-8888 to order.

BITES

Jollibee introduces sweet chili chicken JOLLIBEE now serves its version of sweet chili chicken for a limited time only.

For this new offering, launched first in Metro Manila stores on June 12, the fast food chain coats its fried chicken with a sweet chili glaze to bring together savory, sweet, and spicy in one bite.

“Our new Jollibee Sweet Chili Chicken is sure to hit the right spot for Filipinos’ sweet and spicy chicken cravings,” said Cathleen Capati, as-

our consumers are able to enjoy their iced cold drinks along with their favorite McDonald’s meals, one less straw at a time,” said Adi Hernandez, corporate communications head of McDonald’s Philippines The shift in packaging follows the change in McDonald’s policy on straws, which started as early as 2018, that limited the distribution to select cold beverages only, namely the McFloat, Coffee Float, Milk Tea, and McFreeze.

sistant vice president for Jollibee’s bestsellers category.

The new chicken variant will be served in the rest of the country starting July 2.

The one-piece Sweet Chili Chicken with rice is priced at P89, the fourpiece box is P320, and the six-piece box is P475. It is available for dine in, takeout, drive-thru, and delivery via Jollibee delivery channels (app, JollibeeDelivery.com, #87000), GrabFood, or foodpanda.

Ingredients: 1 pc.

2 ounces 2 pcs.

1 jar (16 oz.)

2 ounces 1/4 cup

Chicken Parmigiana egg, beaten dry bread crumbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into halves spaghetti sauce shredded mozzarella cheese grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

2. Pour egg into a small shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then into the bread crumbs.

3. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

4. Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce into a 7x11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Ingredients: 1-1/2 lbs.

1 pack 2 cans (10 oz. each) 1 can (16 oz.)

2 cups 1/4 cup 1 tsp.

12 pcs.

Beef Tacos ground beef taco seasoning diced tomatoes and green chilies, divided refried beans shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided chopped fresh cilantro hot pepper sauce (optional) taco shells chopped green onions

Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and 1 can of undrained tomatoes; heat through.

2. In a bowl, mix beans, 1/2 cup cheese, cilantro, 1 can of undrained tomatoes, and, if desired, pepper sauce. Spread onto the bottom of a greased 13x9inch baking dish.

3. Stand taco shells upright over bean mixture. Fill each with 1 tablespoon cheese and about 1/3 cup beef mixture. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes.

4. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted and shells are lightly browned. Sprinkle with green onions.

Jollibee Sweet Chili Chicken

(Recipes courtesy of La Germania)