Manila Standard - 2021 June 19 - Saturday

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LIKE RIZAL, 98 FRONTLINERS DIED FOR A NOBLE CAUSE

By Christine Cortez

A LITTLE over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 98 medical frontliners have died battling an invisible enemy – modern-day Jose Rizals all, as President Rodrigo Duterte

described the fallen heroes and their colleagues who continue to serve the nation and save lives.

“Crises test people and during a pandemic, we need heroes and want heroism to be relevant. But not in the old fashion sense like being shot in the

back like Rizal,” said renowned Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo in a television interview Thursday.

“Heroes and heroism are not a thing of the past. They are in our midst in a different form or shape – like our medical frontliners,” he added.

Dr. Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero whose 160th birth anniversary is commemorated today (June 19), was a practicing physician who trained in ophthalmology.

And in 1888, he himself Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 124 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PNP: Face shields must use Top cop sticks to IATF policy on wearing of protective gear

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

OLICE will continue to enforce the mandatory wearing of face shields in line with the latest guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Friday.

DEMOLITION MAN. Fancy cars are lined up for destruction in Manila as they are found too hot to handle, being smuggled in by unscrupulous traders.

Customs Commissioner Rey Guerrero leads the demolition of these precious haul of 21 autos valued at P58.5 million. In Cagayan de Oro, another batch of 14 hot cars are simultaneously destroyed in a twin move that Customs says will send a strong message that the government is relentless in its campaign to stop smuggling at the ports. Last February, the Customs destroyed a total of 17 smuggled vehicles.

Eleazar issued the statement in the wake of a Palace announcement that it was now official policy to require the wearing of face shields only in hospitals, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the slow pace of vaccinations.

The IATF recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte that the wearing of face shields remain mandatory.

“The latest recommendation of the IATF to the President is to continue making mandatory the wearing of face shields in enclosed spaces, commercial areas, public transport, terminals, and even places of worship,” Eleazar said.

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Bicol demand for ICU beds at critical level; NCR low risk—DOH, OCTA

By Willie Casas INTENSIVE care unit (ICU) beds in the Bicol region are filling up fast even as their usage in Metro Manila has declined, treatment czar and Health Undersecretary

Leopoldo Vega said Friday.

In an interview on TeleRadyo, Vega said Metro Manila is now at a low risk position as its total health care utilization has gone down to 48 percent, even though there were pockets where the

coronavirus was still spreading.

“The rate is low if you count the isolation beds, ICU, ventilators and COVID wards. If you disaggregate the ICU, that rate is lower at 51 percent. We’re in a lowrisk position, so Metro Manila is freeing

up more beds. Two months ago, ICUs were in critical and high-risk positions,” said Vega, even as the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila reported that its ICU was 90 percent filled.

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CHR probes killing of teener

lice officers were serving a warrant for a drug case in Biñan, Laguna.

“We shall be conducting our own THE Commission on Human Rights on independent probe on this incident to Friday raised deep concern over the news pursue the truth behind the incident of another death of a minor, a 16-year old and, more importantly, in pursuit of Next page boy who allegedly fought back when po-

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 18)

1,346,276 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

6,833 61,776 NEW

ACTIVE

23,385

110

1,261,115

3,441

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

Task force won’t shorten quarantine period just yet

By Vito Barcelo

Lakas-CMD Party President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (left) has baref the forthcoming decision of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats to renew its alliance with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) to strengthen the partnership of two political parties in the May 2022 presidential elections. Ver Noveno

Arroyo, Defensor: Romualdez ‘very qualified’ to run for Veep

By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER President Gloria Arroyo welcomed the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte that he will support House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez should he decide to run for vice president in the 2022 national polls.

“I am happy for Martin. Indeed, he is very qualified,” Arroyo, president-emer-

itus of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), said in a statement.

Arroyo earlier this week hosted a lunch meeting with Romualdez, Senator Imee Marcos, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.

Meanwhile, a colleague in Congress said Duterte endorsed Romualdez as Next page

THE government task force on COVID-19 has deferred the implementation of a shorter seven-day quarantine period for fully-vaccinated Filipinos returning from abroad to June 22, the Palace said Friday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque

implemented until Tuesday next week.

“The IATF reiterates the strict enforcement of current testing and quarantine protocols duly approved and issued by the IATF for inbound international travelers in all ports of the country regardless of any specific protocols that may be issued to the local governNext page

Health workers’ deployment cap raised to 6,500 THE ceiling on the annual overseas deployment of health care workers (HCWs) has been raised to 6,500 from the current 5,000, Malacañang announced Friday.

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BIR corrects ‘error’ on school tax, lawmaker says

tional institutions, Deputy Speaker Ru- randum Circular 76-2021 issued Friday fus Rodriguez said Friday. last week,” Rodriguez of Cagayan de “We thank Commissioner Caesar Oro City said.

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) RMC 76-2021 amends RMC 5-2021, has corrected itself on the imposition of Dulay for recognizing the error early a 25-percent tax on proprietary educa- and for rectifying it in Revenue MemoNext page

By Maricel V. Cruz

issued the statement based on the resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which says that inbound passengers must undergo a 10-day stay in a governmentapproved quarantine facility upon arrival.

The shorter quarantine period should have taken effect June 16, but will not be

PSA-SM MOU. The Philippine Statistics Authority and SM Supermalls have entered into a memorandum of understanding which calls for the nationwide participation of SM Supermalls in the PhilSys registration services to create easy access to the mall-going public. At the SM Aura, BGC, Taguig City, the MOU was signed by National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa -PhD, and Assistant Secretary Rosalinda P. Bautista of the Philsys Registry Office. SM Supermalls was represented by its President, Steven T. Tan and Senior Vice-President, Bein C. Mateo. Through the joint initiative of SM and PSA, all citizens and foreign permanent residents can now easily register for the official national identity card that can be used in both public and private transactions.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021

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PNP:...

From A1 “If there are any changes, the PNP will wait for the amended guidelines so that we can implement them. For now, it’s the status quo and we first follow what the guidelines say to avoid confusing the public,” he said in Filipino.

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Duterte has agreed that the public should only be required to wear a face shield when they go to hospitals.

Sotto, during a Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday, noted that the Philippines is the only country in the world requiring the use of face shields in public spaces.

On Thursday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said it was policy to no longer require face shields except in hospitals, because that is what the President said. However, he said this

would change if the IATF appealed Duterte’s decision.

An expert on infectious diseases urged the public to continue wearing face shields, even in areas where these are no longer required, to avoid more infectious COVID-19 variants.

The Delta COVID-19 variant that originated in India is 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant first detected in the United Kingdom, said Dr. Edsel Salvana of the Department of Health (DOH) Technical Advisory Group.

There are 13 known cases of the Delta variant in the Philippines.

Face shields could serve as an extra layer of protection against these variants, Salvana said in a televised public briefing.

“For me, even if they say that face shields are no longer required, I will continue to use them, especially with the threat of this variant,” Salvana said.

With some 1.3 million coronavirus

infections and around 23,000 deaths, the Philippines has the second highest COVID-19 tally in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.

The Philippines earlier detected cases of the Alpha variant and the Beta variant first monitored in South Africa, as well as a homegrown P.3 variant.

The pushback against the mandatory use of face shields, however, remained strong in Congress.

Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said she “couldn’t agree more” with the President that face shields should only be worn in hospitals.

“It is about time we do away with face shields because [making them mandatory] is anti-poor and an unnecessary expense for the Filipino people,” the Bagong Henerasyon lawmaker said.

She also noted that the Philippines is the only country in the world that requires the wearing of face shields as an added protection against COVID-19.

Herrera expressed hope that Health

Secretary Francisco Duque would immediately act on the President’s remark.

“I sincerely hope Secretary Duque will act on this accordingly and swiftly,” she said.

Herrera joined several politicians in urging the IATF to scrap the mandatory wearing of face shields in public areas.

Senator Nancy Binay sought for the justification behind the compulsory use of face shields.

Earlier, Senator Ramon Revilla, Jr. urged the government to drop the mandatory use of face shields.

Instead, he said the public should continue to practice proven minimum health standards--- proper wearing of face masks; social distancing; and washing of hands and proper hygiene--which have been the most effective means of preventing COVID-19 infection.

Duque has said that while wearing of face shields is mandatory, there is no penalty for not wearing one.

CHR...

From A1

Bicol...

From A1

justice should it be proven that a human rights violation was perpetrated by the police,” spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.

Based on the official report of the Philippine National Police in Calabarzon, victims Johndy Maglinte, 16, and his companion Antonio Dalit exchanged shots with the Laguna police when they were serving a warrant for the latter, which led to their death.

Maglinte’s live-in partner, also a minor, recounted in several media interviews how Dalit was killed first and, since Johndy witnessed the alleged killing, the police reportedly shot him, too, handcuffed with his face down in the mud.

“As such, we strongly urge the government to speed up their investigations on cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, especially those linked to the government’s drug campaign. Notably, there was already an observation from the United Nations Human Rights Office on the ‘widespread and systematic killing of thousands of alleged drug suspects’ and the persistent impunity in the country that urgently needs to be addressed,” De Guia said.

“We hope that commitments to uphold human rights translate to delivering justice to the aggrieved and improvements on government programmes and policies, including reviewing the conduct of State agents in implementing them,” she said.

“Our government has the primary obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of all. It is to the best interest of the government as well to demonstrate that lapses are firmly and urgently addressed and that reforms are also underway to allay concerns of the international community on the effectiveness of our domestic justice and accountability mechanisms,” she added.

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said she would file a Senate resolution for a probe on the “unabated” killings during police operations.

The senator noted these police operations had claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos, including children and teenagers. She did not mention the exact figures.

Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, believed Maglinte’s death was no longer an isolated case.

She related that many other cases of police brutality had led to the death of helpless teenagers. In 2018, Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman.

She said they were all teenagers killed during a so-called “One Time, Big Time” operation of the Caloocan City police.

“In the middle of a pandemic, no less, this administration continues to inflict nationwide emotional trauma on Filipinos,” she said.

Meanwhile, a former law dean said Malacañang’s decision not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe in the drug war was the correct approach.

Amado Valdez, former University of the East (UE) law dean, said the jurisdiction of the ICC applies only to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

“Malacañang is doing the right thing. I do not see any situation like these [genocide, etc.] in the Philippines,” he said in an interview with NET-25’s Balitalakayan.

Valdez also reiterated the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in March 2019.

“In terms of the ICC jurisdiction, the prosecutor’s (Fatou Bensouda) action is already invalid. In the first place, we have already withdrawn from the International Criminal Court since 2019,” he said, The Philippine National Police, for its part, reiterated that the country’s justice system was working and there is no need for international bodies to intervene. With Nijel Aquino and James Gomez

Bicol’s hospital utilization rate, meanwhile, remains critical due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the area, Vega said.

“There’s a surge in Bicol now. We’ve been talking to Congressman [Joey] Salceda about what they need there and what strategy we need to employ to slow down the surge. Naga and Legazpi, there’s a surge that’s why testing, contact-tracing and isolating the infected have been aggressive. Those have to be done to stem the increase,” Vega said in Filipino.

Vega said Bicol has two government hospitals that can expand beds for COVID-19 patients.

But he also said that of the more than 3,000 positions they opened for doctors, nurses and medical technology workers, about 700 remain unfilled.

Bicol medical experts have appealed to the government pandemic task force to place the region under stricter quarantine measures due to the increasing COVID-19 cases.

The region, except for Naga, is under a modified general community quarantine.

As of June 14, Bicol has logged more than 15,000 COVID-19 cases, of which 488 have died from the disease. The region currently has more than 5,000 active cases or patients deemed infectious.

Meanwhile independent researchers tracking the pandemic said the ICU utilization rate in Davao City has reached a critical level.

The OCTA Research Group said Davao City has an ICU utilization rate of 91 percent while its hospital

bed utilization rate was 67 percent (moderate risk).

The city also reported 482 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest since the start of the pandemic in March last year, OCTA said.

Davao had a one-week growth rate of 26 percent and a positivity rate of 14 percent over an average of 3,000 RT-PCR tests each day. The cities of Tagum, Digos, San Pablo, Cebu, and Baguio also reported a rise in new cases.

Also on Friday, the PGH said the number of its COVID-19 patients has plateaued but has not gone down.

In an interview on ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, PGH spokesman Dr. Jonas Del Rosario said the hospital’s ICU was still 90 percent full.

“COVID is still here. There are pockets of spread so we have to be very careful. We are seeing the surge in Bicol and some parts of Visayas. It’s really a reminder that it can happen anytime,” he said.

OCTA on Friday said the National Capital Region (NCR)’s average number of new COVID-19 cases per day dropped to 758 over the last seven days.

Its latest monitoring report showed the figure accounts for an 18 percent decrease for the period of June 11 to 17 compared to the previous week.

From June 4 to 10, NCR’s average of new Covid-19 cases per day is 924.

“This corresponds to an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 5.49 per 100,000, which classifies it as moderate risk,” OCTA said.

NCR’s reproduction number over the same period was 0.71.

Its positivity rate was 7 percent with 35 percent hospital bed occupancy, 46 percent intensive care unit (ICU) bed

occupancy, and 31 percent mechanical ventilator occupancy.

The group also reported that six local government units in the region had an ADAR below 5 – classifying them as moderate-low risk.

These were Malabon, Navotas, Caloocan, Marikina, Manila, and Quezon City.

Pateros, Navotas, Malabon, and San Juan had the lowest number of new cases per day over the past week with less than 20 new cases per day.

In terms of health care utilization rates, Pateros logged above 70 percent hospital bed utilization.

Meanwhile, Parañaque and San Juan had an ICU bed utilization rate higher than 70 percent.

The Philippines logged 6,833 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,346,276, as five laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the DOH said.

The DOH reported 110 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 23,385.

The DOH also reported 3,441 patients who recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,261,115.

The DOH also reported 61,776 active cases, of which 92.2 percent weremild, 3.7 percent were asymptomatic, 1.2 percent were critical, 1.7 percent were severe, and 1.22 percent were moderate.

Nationwide, 59 percent of the ICU beds, 46 percent of the isolation beds, 47 percent of the ward beds, and 37 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 46 percent of the ICU beds, 36 percent of the isolation beds, 33 percent of the ward beds, and 32 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

justifying the existing quarantine protocol requiring a 14-day quarantine for returning travelers to the Philippines.

Of the quarantine period spanning 14 days, 10 days are spent in a government facility while the remaining four days can be finished at home, he said.

“Based on our studies and that of US Center for Disease Control, an individual who is infected with COVID-19 during the travel period, when tested upon arrival...there will be zero chance that the person will test positive because the individual just got infected,” Salvana said.

That person would remain infectious for 10 days, he added.

Salvana noted that the level of COVID-19 virus on the said individual goes down to 2.4 percent by the 10th day. He said this decreases the chance of the person infecting others.

“That is why it is recommended to maintain the 10-day government facility quarantine and four days of quarantine at home unless the person is fully vaccinated,” Salvana said.

“The travel ban helps but we still need to implement stringent minimum public health standards, including the 14-day quarantine protocol,” he said.

Cebu province has been initially testing incoming travelers from overseas upon arrival, prompting the national government to divert the flights bound to Cebu to Manila from May 29 to June 12.

On June 14, President Rodrigo Du-

terte ordered the Cebu government to follow the national government’s quarantine protocol, which tests incoming travelers for COVID-19 infection on the seventh day of quarantine.

Also on Friday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) temporarily suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Oman.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) issued a resolution ordering the suspension of the deployment after a recent Oman government travel advisory banning the entry of all workers and travelers from the Philippines.

TheLlabor chief said the order was issued based on the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) after Oman banned entry of travelers from the Philippines.

However, Bello did not mention the specific reason why the government suspended the deployment to Oman and how long the suspension would last.

Bello said the governing board of the POEA had an emergency meeting last Monday and decided to follow the recommendation of the DFA to “temporarily suspend and not a ban” the deployment of Filipino workers to Oman.

The Philippines deployed an average of 25,000 Filipino workers to Oman annually before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, most of them household service workers.

HCWs falling under MCS with perfected contracts as of May 31, 2021, will form part of the adjusted ceiling, Roque said.

HCWs under government-to-government labor agreements, Roque said, are exempted from the new deployment cap.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has ordered the temporary suspension on the processing and issuance of overseas employment certificates of new medical workers overseas after the 5,000 annual cap was reached on June 1.

On June 7, Labor Secretary Silves-

tre Bello III sought to increase the cap on the overseas deployment of HCWs to 10,000 from the current 5,000.

The deployment cap was merely temporary to ensure that the country has a sufficient number of HCWs amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

The country has a total of 695,928 physicians and nurses, according to the data from the Professional Regulation Commission and the Department of Health’s Human Resource Information System.

Around 250,000 of the 695,298 registered nurses and physicians are

Task force...

From A1 ment units to the contrary,” Roque said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) said it has recommended the scrapping of the COVID-19 testing requirement for inbound Filipinos who were fully vaccinated abroad.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, however, said nothing is settled yet as the authorities must agree on how to verify the vaccination status of inbound travelers.

The government earlier shortened the mandatory quarantine period and removed the COVID-19 testing requirement for fully vaccinated individuals who got their shots in the Philippines.

Under the revised guidelines, fully vaccinated incoming travelers will only need to quarantine for seven days and will only be required to take a COVID-19 test if they manifest symptoms.

“That is also our recommendation for those Filipinos vaccinated abroad who will return to the country, but that has not been finalized yet,” Vergeire said in a briefing.

An infectious disease doctor with the DOH said on Friday that testing a traveler newly infected with COVID-19 upon his or her arrival in the Philippines will not show a COVID-19 positive result.

Dr. Edsel Salvana, of the DOH Technical Advisory group, made the warning in

Health...

From A1 This developed after members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) agreed Thursday to increase the annual deployment cap of new hire HCWs, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

“The Inter-Agency Task Force on (June 17) increased the annual deployment ceiling of new hire healthcare workers (HCWs) for Mission Critical Skills to 6,500,” Roque said.

Arroyo,...

From A1 his vice presidential candidate because of the House leader’s proven competence and leadership skills in shepherding the passage of pro-people legislation designed to ensure a sustained campaign to defeat COVID-19.

Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, who served as Malacañang Chief of Staff during the Arroyo administration, said Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), “has the experience and leadership advantage compared to other potential vice presidential candidates.”

Defensor said Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), was also a consensus-builder and the most acceptable to the overwhelming majority of their colleagues and Cabinet members of President Duterte.

“The President’s statement of support for Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez is a recognition of his proven competence and his consensus building leadership,” said Defensor.

“The country will greatly benefit with Majority Leader Martin as Vice President in conjunction with the services he will render to whoever will be President of the Republic,” said Defensor.

Defensor said Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules, was the most qualified candidate for the country’s second highest position of the land given his track record in public service, apart from the fact that he is a lawyer and a banker.

Earlier, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., Lakas-CMD chairman, lauded President Duterte for endorsing Romualdez being one of the most competent congressional leaders, if not the most in this 18th Congress.

“Lakas-CMD expresses our gratitude to the President for expressing his support to our Party President, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, if he decides to run for Vice President,” Revilla said in a statement.

BIR...

From A1 issued last April 8, which implements the CREATE Law. In his new issuance, Dulay corrected the tax rates that were “inadvertently written” in the “illustrative examples” he made in his April circular on how to compute income tax of affected corporations.

He said in the case of a proprietary educational institution with net taxable income of P10 million, the “correct amount” of tax should be P100,000 or one percent, instead of P1 million.

Dulay’s new circular states that the one-percent tax rate for schools “shall be imposed only for the period July 1, 2020 until June 30, 2023,” after which the rate “shall revert to 10 percent” beginning July 1, 2023.

Rodriguez said Congress did not intend to impose a higher tax on schools under the corporate tax reform law it recently passed.

“The prompt correction by Commissioner Dulay will prevent the closure of more colleges and universities and other educational institutions, which are already suffering from lower enrollment and financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Like Rizal...

From A1 experienced quarantine for six days upon arriving in San Francisco aboard the SS Belgic at a time when the fifth cholera epidemic was wreaking havoc across the globe, including the United States.

“Nos pusieron en cuarentena (They quarantined us),” Rizal wrote in his diary.

He described his quarantine experience as “greatly troubling,” adding that the boredom was getting on his nerves – much like the way people are reacting to the quarantine protocols today due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duterte earlier lauded COVID-19 frontliners who, like Rizal, are displaying heroism and love for the nation.

known to be practicing in health facilities in the country, while around 90,000 have been tagged as having unspecified practices.

The 90,000 deemed as having unspecified practices are either unemployed, practicing in other fields, undocumented migrants, or not captured by existing registries.

As of April 2021, the country needs 303,080 nurses nationwide.

However, only 183,491 are currently practicing their profession resulting in a 120,000 gap between supply and demand, according to the data from the Labor department’s Bureau of Employment.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SC nominees’ list sent to Palace

By Rey Requejo

T

HE Judicial and Bar Council on Friday transmitted to President Rodrigo Duterte a shortlist of nine nominees for the Supreme Court’s associate justice post that was left vacant following the promotion of Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo as Chief Justice last April 5.

The 7-member JBC concurrently chaired by Gesmundo shortlisted the following aspirants to the SC post, namely: Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotage Tang, former Ateneo de Manila University law dean Sedfrey Candelaria, Court of Appeals Associate Justices Ramon Cruz and Japar Dimaampao, Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Geraldine Faith Econg and Rafael Lagos, Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez, CA Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, and Deputy Court Administrator Raul Villanueva.

Under the constitution, the President has 90 days from April 5 to name his appointee.

On July 1, there would be another vacancy in the high court with the early retirement of Associate Justice Edgardo Delos Santos for health reasons.

The JBC, the constitutional body that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments to the judiciary, has opened the applications or recommendations to Delos Santos’ post.

Meanwhile seven aspirants have applied for the position of Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices.

The JBC said the applicants include Regional Trial Court Judges Divinagracia Bustos-Ongkeko, Rodney Magbanua, and Mario Duaves, as well as Assistant Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. and Ombudsman Director Beda Epres.

Lawyers Camilo Correa and Voltaire San Pedro have also applied to replace retired Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos.

Ongkeko, Magbanua, Correa, and San Pedro will undergo a public interview by the JBC on June 23. The previous interviews of Balmeo, Duaves, and Epres are still valid, the screening body said.

The public may submit to the JBC a sworn complaint, report, or opposition against any of the candidates until June 21.

SHIELDS DOWN.

Devotees, many of them not wearing face shields, prepare to enter the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila during Friday’s mass.

The Inter-Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has recommended to President Duterte the mandatory use of face shields in enclosed and indoor spaces such as hospitals, schools, workplaces, and commercial establishments.

Norman Cruz

Soaring metal prices exact toll on builders—solon Tobacco curbs bring citations to DOH, FDA

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE government was urged to look into the plight of local construction firms affected by the rapid increase of metal prices in the global and Philippine markets amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Over the past months, metal prices have surged nearly 200 percent and this sharp uptick is mainly attributed to China limiting its export, and high prices of steel and iron ore products in the global market,” House Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said on Friday.

“Projections of such elevated price scenario will remain at the high side in the coming months or maybe up to 2022,” the lawmaker said.

Herrera lamented that soaring metal prices have taken a heavy toll on domestic construction firms, especially those involved in the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration.

“This situation has proved difficult for the construction sector that is still suffering from disrupted or reduced operations and financial constraints brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” she pointed out.

Herrera asked the government to intervene as the costs of sheet piles, steel bars and other construction materials have dramatically increased.

Taking up the cudgels for the construction sector, Herrera recently wrote a letter to the Department of Trade and

Industry (DTI) asking it to consider the possibility of imposing price adjustments in government construction contracts due to high metal prices and COVID-19.

In response, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said it is the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), not the DTI, which determines contract price adjustments or escalations pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. Lopez, however, endorsed Herrera’s letter to NEDA, Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) under the Department of Budget and Management, and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for appropriate action.

TOO LATE?.

Firemen respond to a fire that has consumed several houses in a residential area at Riverside Street in Barangay San Rafael Village SRV, Navotas City in the morning of June 18, 2021.

The fire reaches second alarm but the details on damage, death toll have yet to be determined as of press time.

Norman Cruz

Willie Casas

15 Chinese nationals arrested for working in Cavite warehouse IMMIGRATION authorities arrested 15 Chinese nationals who were caught illegally working as warehouse workers.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Chinese were arrested at a business center in Barangay Niog II, Bacoor Cavite.

The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Police Re-

gional Office 4-A. “Our operatives saw 15 foreigners working in different warehouses in the area. Upon verification of their documents, it was found that 10 of them had working visas petitioned by a different company. That is a clear violation of immigration laws, hence they will be subjected to deportation proceedings,” he said A report from the BI Intelligence

Division showed that the foreigners were caught working as office staff and stock managers in the said warehouses.

The BI clarified that work visas are company and activity-specific, and may not be used to engage in other types of work for another company.

“Despite the pandemic, our intelligence teams are actively in-

vestigating reports of illegal aliens staying in our country. We urge foreign nationals to legitimize their stay here in the country, lest they face expulsion and blacklisting,” he warned.

The 15 will undergo RT-PCR testing and quarantine, and will temporarily be detained at the BI’s Warden Facility in Bicutan, Taguig pending deportation. Vito Barcelo

NBI: 3 Korean fugitives dealt in KFR

COMPLIANT. San Mateo Mayor Tina Diaz puts up the safety seal at the main

entrance to SM City San Mateo after the LGU has found the mall to have complied with the mandated minimum health protocols. The mall is the first establishment in the municipality to receive the certification. Diaz is joined by SM Supermalls Regional Operations Manager Dennis Martel and SM City San Mateo Assistant Mall Manager Sean Arroyo. Manny Palmero

THE World Health Organization (WHO) has given recognition to the Department of Health and the Philippine Food and Drug Administration for their shared achievements in enforcing and advancing tobacco control measures in the country.

Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to the Philippines, accorded the recognition to both Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and FDA Director-General Rolando Enrique Domingo who led policy changes to regulate tobacco products and ecigarettes while implementing a nationwide campaigns to help tobacco users quit.

Abeyasinghe also lauded the joint efforts of the DOH and FDA in continuously improving tobacco control in the country, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those cited were: (1) the revised policies on taxation of tobacco and other sin products, which helped create additional funding for the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC); (2) the requirement of graphic health warnings on electronic nicotine delivery systems and heated tobacco products; (3) the support of additional protocols imposed to ban smoking in public places; (4) the creation of designated smoking areas while enforcing the health protocols required during the pandemic; (5) the initiative to make the national quit line toll-free; and (6) the scaling up of virtual cessation training modules.

The DOH and the FDA expressed their commitment to continue advancing policies and interventions on tobacco control.

THE National Bureau of Investigation on Friday announced the arrest of three Korean fugitives by agents of NBI-Special Action Unit during an operation in Senta Tower, Legazpi Village, Makati City.

NBI Officer-In-Charge Director Eric Distor identified the suspects as Changjoo Cho, Dawon Beom, and Changwoo Hong.

Distor said that the operation stemmed from information received by the NBISAU regarding said Korean nationals Park Joo Hwan, Dawon Beom, Changwoo Hong and Changjoo Cho who were allegedly engaged in kidnap-for-ransom operating in Manila and Makati City.

The syndicate is reportedly in possession of unlicensed high-powered firearms, which they use in their illegal activities.

NBI-SAU verified the records of the subject Korean nationals with the Bureau of Immigration and it was revealed that

the three fled South Korea where they were wanted for prosecution with outstanding warrants for their arrest.

Records showed that the three were charged with violations of Article 26 of the Korean National Sports Promotion Act with maximum penalties up to seven years. Meanwhile, Park Joo Hwan has a derogatory record for alleged kidnap-forransom.

On June 15, 2021, joint operatives of NBI-SAU and BI-Fugitive Search Unit, proceeded to a unit in Senta Tower in Legazpi Village Makati City where the Koreans were residing.

Upon entering the premises the joint operatives found four Koreans.

Soohwan Park, who was also in the company of the three fugitives, was cleared of any derogatory record but was invited to the SAU office for proper identification and documentation. Willie Casas

Housing czar signs shelter deals in Cebu

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has sealed more housing deals in the province of Cebu.

Housing czar Eduardo del Rosario yesterday spearheaded the groundbreaking for BALAI (Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable and Inclusive Filipino Communities) shelter project in Barangay Lorega, and signed a memorandum of agreement with Cebu City Vice Mayor Mike Rama, along with representatives of a local real-estate developer.

The project to be established in a 1,350-square-meter property is intended for families living in hazard areas, such as creeks and riverbanks, across the city.

Other beneficiaries include designated recipients pursuant to the guidelines under Republic Act No. 7279.

Some 100 units are slated to be constructed under the scheme—each unit equipped with a kitchen, toilet, living room and dining room.

The project will likewise feature parking lots with ramps and a multipurpose hall.

Del Rosario attended another MOAsigning activity with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and officials from another local real-estate developer involving a total land area of 73,955 square meters, Barangay Tungkil in Minglanilla. Rio Araja

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News

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021

‘Sinovac, jabs still effective despite cases in Indonesia’

By Willie Casas

NEW MISSION. Officers and staff assemble on the deck of BRP Gabriela Silang before it sails to participate in the third phase of maritime exercises under the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Training Task Force on Friday. The PCG said this will be followed by a massive humanitarian mission to one of the most remote coastal communities in the Philippines. PCG Photo

Binay to gov’t: Speak with one voice on policy

By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday urged government officials to speak with one voice regarding health protocol regulations.

Binay made the appeal after the public was left puzzled by recent pronouncements made by President Rodrigo Duterte and other government officials regarding the use of face shields.

“Government changed its policy on face shields at least three times in a single day. All they needed to do was coordinate. But that’s all, it wasn’t done. So, I’ll repeat my question then: don’t they have a group chat?” said Binay.

“It would be nice if the face shields were free. But we are obliged, under pain of being penalized, to wear one. The money that ordinary Filipinos have spent on face shields could have been used to buy food and other basic needs,” he added.

President Duterte earlier said face shields need only be worn in hospitals, which was confirmed by his spokesman Harry Roque.

“The President did say that the wearing of face shields should only be in hospitals. All I’m confirming is the President said that and of course what the President said becomes a presidential policy,” said Roque.

But members of the Inter-Agency Task Force recommended to the Chief Executive the continued mandatory wearing of face shields in enclosed and indoor spaces, including hospitals, schools, workplaces, and commercial establishments.

‘LIFE-OR-DEATH’ DECISION, SAYS SALCEDA

‘Extend Bayanihan 2 thru special session’

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

T

HE House of Representatives should call for a special session of Congress to approve an extension of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, the validity of which expires on June 30, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means recommended Friday.

Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, the panel’s chairman, said funding for the contracts of contact tracers and human resources for health (HRH) hired under the package will also lapse with the law’s expiration.

The funding for health workers’ benefits is the most important consideration in passing the Bayanihan 3 law, Senate President Pro Tempore

Ralph Recto said.

“If we would be passing this possible budgetary requirement, this would be the most important to begin with. You cannot solve the economic problem unless you solve the health problem as well,” Recto emphasized.

In a letter to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Salceda warned:

‘SONA’ SIMULATION.

Members of the Quezon City Police District engage in a mock shootout with ‘evil drug pushing suspects’ during a simulation exercise at Brgy. Batasan Hills on Friday in preparation for the forthcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 26.

Manny Palmero

Makati opens new vax center at Power Plant THE Makati City government on Thursday opened its new vaccination center in Power Plant Mall to inoculate some 15,000 residents, employees, and service providers.

Mayor Abigail Binay thanked the Rockwell Land Corp. for providing the facility and its personnel inside the commercial establishment for the joint project.

“We applaud the management of Rockwell Land Corporation for taking part in this strategic collaboration, which has resulted in the rapid setup of a vaccination site for their residents and employees right inside the mall. With safer and more convenient access, they are confident Rockwell can achieve 100 percent vaccination rate in no time,” said Binay.

She said the local government has provided the vaccines and logistics, including needed medical supplies and cold chain storage.

Rockwell has provided the vaccination team through its healthcare provider, Reliance United, along with the venue and tables, chairs, and other equipment.

Binay reiterated her call to businesses in the city to register their employees for vaccination under Category 4A through the website makatibusiness. safemakati.com. The requirements include the company’s Business ID and a complete list of employees to be vaccinated, among others. Joel E. Zurbano

“Without such extension, provinces potentially face a situation of having their contact tracing and healthcare response capacities drastically reduced for at least 26 days (from the June 30 expiry of contracts to July 26, the opening of session) during a period of COVID-19 case surges.”

“Local response teams and civil society groups have requested Congress to pass a bill providing for an extension of the appropriations and capacity to obligate and disburse funds until December 31, 2021,” he said.

“The extension is a matter of life and death in many communities, as contact tracers and augmented human resources for health (HRH) were hired under Bayanihan 2 contracts that will also expire

by June 30,” Salceda wrote.

Pacquiao, senators call on Cusi to hasten energy work

By Macon Ramos-Araneta INSISTING he has nothing personal against Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao enjoined him Friday to act on the country’s power supply problem.

“To Secretary Cusi, nothing personal, but I hope we could avoid the occurrence of brownouts not only in Metro Manila but also in the rest of the country. The President appointed you as Secretary of Energy because he believes in you,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao warned foreigners will not

invest in a country with power supply problems. He added that consumers are already affected, especially the students attending online classes.

Cusi committed that the Department of Energy (DOE) will face the challenge wholeheartedly.

THE Department of Health (DOH) has assured the public on Friday that COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe infection and hospitalization against the disease, after vaccinated health workers in Indonesia reportedly got infected.

In particular, the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac – which the Indonesian health workers were inoculated with -- remains effective in preventing the severe symptoms or virus-related deaths, the DOH added.

Another DOH health expert said the more than 350 Indonesian medical workers may have caught COVID-19 despite being vaccinated because they have a higher risk of exposure to the virus due to their occupation.

Dr. Rontgene Solante, in an interview with Teleradyo, said the widespread presence of Delta coronavirus variant in Indonesia may have also caused the infection.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the assurance and said real-world studies show that COVID-19 vaccines available in the Philippines are effective.

“Let’s get the vaccine, let us not be doubtful... Vaccines are one of the keys to fight the pandemic,” she said in a briefing.

On Monday, dozens of the 350 Indonesian health workers who got Sinovac were hospitalized.

However, Vergeire urged caution in interpreting the report.

“We cannot deny that there really are breakthrough infections,” she said, referring to COVID-19 cases after vaccination. “But we need to get all the data so we can analyze it thoroughly,” she said.

If Indonesia has 5,000 health workers, then 350 is just 7 percent, so the Sinovac jab is still 93 percent effective, Vergeire said.

Customs starts jabbing NAIA frontliners too THE Bureau of Customs has started vaccinating front line workers detailed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to protect them from the deadly coronavirus disease.

Also included in the first batch of Customs-NAIA employees to be inoculated today are those belong to A4 category or persons working outside their residences.

The program dubbed “Resbakuna sa Bureau of Customs NAIA” will be made in partnership with the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Department of Health.

The Port of NAIA has been in the forefront of the government’s campaign for the immediate release of COVID-19 related importations since the start of lockdown last March.

“The agency also continued to work 24/7 to man the port against the illegal entry of contraband despite the threat of the deadly disease,” said NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan.

She said with the vaccination program now in place, Port of NAIA employees will continue to perform their essential duties. As of June 18, the Port of NAIA has facilitated the clearance of 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 20 shipments, and 10,000 shipments of personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies.

In October last year, the bureau built a medical facility to serve its employees, especially the frontline workers assigned at the airport.

The facility, situated at the NAIA Customshouse building in Pasay City, will serve as the lead health response unit of the Port of NAIA to support and observe health protocols, and cater to the health needs of the Customs NAIA employees.

Joel E. Zurbano

Manila launches E-BOSS system for permits APPLYING for and renewing business permits, paying, and getting the permit itself will be totally at one’s fingertips and can be done in a matter of a few minutes as the processes will now be done virtually, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said Friday.

Domagoso conducted a walkthrough of the system with Bureau of Permits chief Levi Facundo and Electronic Data Processing Department Head Fortune Palileo on how the innovative system works.

It is aimed at totally eliminating human interaction and intervention, which is the usual source of delays and even corruption, which paves the way for fixers to come in, the mayor said.

With the virtual application and renewal processes called E-BOSS (electronic business one-stop shop), Domagoso said jokingly that business owners in Manila can transact even inside their comfort rooms and save on time and money spent on fare or gas when they go all the way to City Hall just to transact.

Facundo said the E-BOSS, formally launched on Thursday with City Treasurer Jasmin Talegon also in attendance along with City Engineer Armand Andres and Assistant Secretary Letlet Zarcal, “ushers in a new era for proud Manileños with regards to the City’s revenue generating efforts and its drive to provide a hassle-free online business permit processing scheme for its taxpayers.” Willie Casas

ONLINE CLEARANCE. NBI Director Ferdinand M. Lavin (left) and NBI deputy for information and communication technology service Jose Justo S. Yap explain the NBI Clearance Online Renewal Pick-up and Delivery Service at the NBI headquarters in Quezon City. People can now renew their NBI clearance online and choose if they want to pick up the document at the NBI office or have courier services deliver it to their own homes or offices. Manny Palmero

Opinion Robredo for president means a united opposition IF the opposition is to be united, Vice-President Leni Robredo should run as its standard bearer for the 2022 elections.

The launch of 1Sambayan’s selection process for opposition candidates last June 12 did not create the big bang that I was excitedly expecting and hoping for. While possible administration or administration–allied wannabe candidates have been trying hard to be in the limelight, the opposition, represented by 1Sambayan has been relatively quiet. Quiet but not idle.

The coalition has conducted town hall meetings of the basic sectors as part of its consultation mechanisms toward the development of a unified platform of government. I participated in the meeting on women’s health as well as the town hall meeting on women’s issues. The consultative processes that 1Sambayan embarked on is commendable as it symbolizes it’s desire to listen to, and push for the agenda of the marginalized sectors.

Only she can do it.

When 1Sambayan started, it floated a list consisting of several names from which it said the candidates for president and vice-president will be chosen from. It included VP Robredo; Senators Grace Poe, Panfilo Lacson, and Nancy Binay; Representatives Vilma Santos-Recto and Eddie Villanueva; Manila Mayor Isko Moreno; former Senator Antonio Trillanes; and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno. Even before the June 12 event, Binay, Lacson, and Moreno already begged off from being in the list.

During the event, 1Sambayan was repeatedly asked if those who were still in the roster consented to their inclusion. These questions were answered by one of the convenors saying that they have talked with everyone and not only did they agree to being listed, but everyone committed to respecting the process. I thought that this was an important statement because at last, there will be an open process of selection that will be respected by the personalities involved.

However, the event was still ongoing when Poe and Santos-Recto issued statements essentially saying “thank you, but no.” It is worth noting that the 1Sambayan event was “invaded” by supporters of Villanueva. The chat box was flooded by pro-Villanueva comments to the point that it needed to be disabled by the hosts. The Poe and Santos-Recto statements dampened the otherwise high spirits of many observers. A friend said that the statements “torpedoed the event.”

Essentially, 1Sambayan nomination was rejected by the big majority of those it wanted to

include as options for candidates. It was not a good start for the opposition coalition. Something must have gone wrong and they should learn from this debacle. 1Sambayan should be able to bounce back in a big way.

Soon after June 12, Sen. Joel Villanueva, son of Rep. Villanueva said that he thought that his father would not run for president because of the tragedy that their family faced last year. If he is correct, then the only ones left are VP Robredo, Trillanes, and Diokno. I highly doubt if Diokno will run for president. Diokno has the makings of a good leader but surely, he knows that this is not his time. He first has to be known to the general population. I personally would like him to run for Vice-President.

I am familiar with most, if not all of the organizations in 1Sambayan. Even if Villanueva runs, it will be difficult for women’s groups to support him because of his anti-reproductive health, anti-divorce, and anti-adolescent access to contraception. His stance on women’s rights issues is problematic and women’s organizations are looking for pro-women’s rights candidates and many of the known feminist leaders are in the coalition.

So it’s a toss between Robredo and Trillanes.

The VP said she has yet to decide. Trillanes on the other hand, has repeatedly expressed his desire to run for president (although adding that he will respect the decision if VP Robredo will run). However, at one point he intimated that Robredo will not run for president as she was preparing to be a gubernatorial bet for her province. Trillanes’ statement prompted the VP to fire back and say that the former senator should not speak for her.

Trillanes’ claim to fame besides being a former senator is the fact that he has been at loggerheads with President Duterte. However, he is also known to have authoritarian tendencies. His rightist leanings do not sit well with human rights groups and there are many in 1Sambayan. Therefore, it will be very challenging for them to support him if he gets chosen to be the opposition’s presidential candidate.

Truth be said, only VP Leni Robredo can truly unite the opposition groups. All the organizations under 1Sambayan will support her. Other groups are just waiting for Leni to decide and those I have spoken with said that they will vigorously campaign for her. She just needs to say the word.

If the administration fields Duterte’s daughter, it will be a contest between two strong women. It will be an exciting fight especially since soon, Duterte will be a lameduck president. His words will not carry as much weight. Politicians will be “free” to express their views and support whoever they want. This will mean more, not less support for Robredo. With the recent development in the International Criminal Court (ICC), the older Duterte will probably be dragged into more controversies and the opposition can very well benefit from this.

The push for Robredo to run should be stronger. Only she can unite the opposition. @bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Long overdue THE other day, House Committee on Public Accounts chair and Probinsyano Ako Representative Jose “Bonito” Singson bared his panel is mulling the imposition of penalties against persons behind the publication and distribution of school books, learning materials and self-learning modules containing errors or misleading information, whether intentional or not.

This was in reaction to the sexual contents discovered in one of the learning modules being distributed in Mabalacat in Pampanga.

Presiding over June 14 hearing on House Resolution 1670 that directed the House panel to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the Commission on Audit findings on numerous errors in the learning materials and modules that DepEd approved, published or distributed to basic and secondary education students, Singson averred that while “the Mabalacat learning module that contained vulgarity is very alarming, it is rather unfortunate that Department of Education officials have yet to punish the one behind the obscene entry in the module even as these officials have boasted that they have already corrected the error.

Singson was referring to the report of educator Antonio Calipjo-Go who revealed that the vulgar Filipino word for sexual intercourse was used in describing “aswang” in the self-learning module dis-

tributed to students by the DepEd division in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

But while DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali admitted that while they have acted on the issue as early as February 2021, Singson said the DepEd official admitted the person who purposely put the vulgar word in the SLM has yet to be identified and punished.

“What he or she did was intentional, glaringly malicious and utterly despicable.

Like the numerous errors found by COA in DepEd learning materials, it will be difficult for our students to unlearn what their teachers asked them to digest,” Singson said.

This is not the first time ‘errors’ were found in our children’s textbooks.

To address the issue, Singson said the public accounts panel will determine whether or not there is a need to impose penalties against persons involved in the publication and distribution of books and learning materials for students in basic and secondary education.

I totally agree with Congressman Singson on this matter – penalizing whoever the culprit is behind the malicious incident. Actually, I believe it’s long overdue as this is not the first time this has happened.

I could accept it to be a simple error if it involves typographical, historical or a bit of factual discrepancies. But this one has obviously been done on purpose. In fact, I am inclined to believe this is part of an advocacy.

ManilaStandard

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EDITORIAL

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Provider and protector

OMORROW, many on blinders will celebrate Father’s Day, the second consecutive year under the pandemic, in the Philippines, still reeling from infections and deaths, recoveries despite, from the cruel coronavirus.

We go beyond giving fathers expensive gifts. again which is celebrated to date.

In the years that followed the proclamation, there had been a commercial focus—how to treat the father in posh restaurants, gift him with expensive materials, to name a few.

But assume that Father’s Day has a sparkle for celebration, we should look at the father’s role in caring for the next generation, his small part in strengthening close family ties and his quintessential character as both provider and protector.

This year’s celebration, as it was last year, will be unique in terms of restrictions in places where there is still General Community Quarantine with heightened re-

There will be as many ways to mark this day, glossed over in the 364 other days of the year to honor the man, traditionally seen as provider and protector.

We wonder how the father—biological, adoptive, surrogate or plain father figure—was looked up to before 1998, when a presidential proclamation copied Father’s Day from overseas for the Philippines, interrupted briefly and then returned to the third Sunday

G-7 nostalgia of countries that once ruled the world

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN THE vice to dominate is something oppressors cannot easily forget. The Group of 7 represents the richest countries in the world.

If one is to ask how they became so rich while 90 percent of humanity continues to wallow in poverty, this club of filthy rich could not probably answer. And, if we are to excavate the past using the old ideological diatribe of their global pillage, conquest through colonialism and imperialism, many may think G-7 is still living in the past.

Today, man remains saddled with the age-old problems of hunger, poverty, unemployment, and disease although the scale has proportionately increased alongside with the strides in progress such as the pandemic we are now reeling, climate change that is rapidly melting our ice caps, the threat of war brought about by the imposition of economic embargo and sanction, the ambitious race to construct infrastructure, hoping to outdo China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a bid to restore the international order in its favor.

The G-7 meeting was hastily organized without the members identifying what they wanted to achieve. The US is competing against Russia and China using its economic ties with G-7 viz. alliance with NATO, to solidify its hold on the Western bloc. Many are confused whether Biden has his focus on Russia while half his feet deeply mired in the South China Sea unable to understand what he wants from that country.

Surprisingly, the US president focused his attention on UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging the UK to return to the EU for a stronger European solidarity. The suggestion that was seconded by French President Emmanuel Macron touched the nerve of Johnson, insisting that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom. For Johnson to accede could lead to the downfall of the Tory government exposing the artificial solidarity of G-7 and invariably of the EU. It seems there is more in the club a seeth-

ing contradiction among themselves, and this is exacerbated by the US which cannot give a definitive assessment of Russia as a threat to European security. Some believe the US is getting indigestion due to overwhelming problems confronting it both domestically and abroad. G-7 is at a loss because among themselves, they do not know how to tackle the problem based on their strategic interests.

I once attended a small discussion regarding the inclusion of sex education in the curriculum with some proponents advocating the use of Filipino as a medium. The argument is that if it is not vulgar to talk about sex if it is in English, why then would it be vulgar if is in Filipino?

While I may agree with that line of argument, I find the Mabalacat incident to be in bad taste. Pilit na pilit, maipasok lang yung Filipino word for sexual intercourse.

I also grew up in the streets. Dati din akong tambay sa tindahan sa kanto, thus, I have not only been exposed to street lingos, but I am also quite adept in using them. And nang-aaswang in street lingo, for the longest time, refers to flirting and not sexual intercourse.

And this is not the only deliberate “error” that can be found in learning materials. There are these so-called “politically correct terms” being peddled by some advocates.

Reviewing my children’s books one time, I discovered entries like “aspin” and “puspin” for asong pinoy and pusang pinoy respectively, in reference to stray dogs and cats.

I immediately called the attention of the principal of my kids’ school who assured me they will not resort to using those terms. Why? Because they are very wrong.

Not only have they yet to be approved by

the DepEd, but they are also technically erroneous as there are no purebred Philippine dogs and cats. Are these people telling us to call stray cats and dogs by the countries they are in, i.e. amcat, amdog, japdog, japcat, chindog, chincat, etc.?

We haven’t even convinced other countries to accept Filipino domestic helpers as their housemates even as we have institutionalized the word kasambahay to refer to household help. Take note, my wife and my kids are also my housemates, but they are not in any way, my household help.

Then, there is also this issue of referring to inmates as persons deprived of liberty as if they have been unjustly put behind bars.

So, what do we call their victims, deprived of lives, properties, dignities, etc.?

If they are really for political correctness, then why not refer to them as persons deprived of liberty as penalty for depriving other people of their lives, properties, dignities, etc.?

But no. These people are bent on pushing their advocacies even if they have to riddle those learning materials with deliberate errors.

That’s why I agree with Congressman Bonito one hundred percent that they be penalized. They just cannot impose their will on anyone.

And to fail them in their sinister endeavor, Singson is calling on government officials and personnel, particularly from the

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

The meeting was hastily organized without the members identifying what they wanted to achieve.

Notably, Germany’s interest is strategic, much that Nord Stream 2 could supply Germany with cheap natural gas from Russia bypassing Ukraine. The threat of spoiling Nord Stream 2 could spill to cause a breakage in the North Atlantic alliance and even among the G-7 club members.

Germany’s posturing against China is understandable considering it is the biggest trading EU partner and sells more cars in China than in Germany itself.

The same can be said of Japan’s dealing with China. Every time the US suffers a slide in its economy, it readily finds a scapegoat to escape the ire from its own incompetence.

For years, the US has projected itself as superior and invincible and its ideology about democracy and freedom sacrosanct to any other political beliefs. The racial slur against countries whose rise is seen as co-existential to its economic dominance is punished with all sorts of economic sanctions in violation of the international trade rules.

The hysteria orchestrated against Japanese-made cars in the 1980s saw the commission of vandalism, and the muzzling of its currency to offset the huge trade deficit. That resulted in a decade-long recession that lingers on to this day. Trump applied the wrong formula of imposing tariff that instead backfired to balloon its trade deficit.

The US is trying to apply the old strategy of wanting to browbeat its allies to give in to its demands. The US to this day could not delineate its relations with countries that pose a threat to its national security interest, or widen its relations in the spirit of multilateralism. The decision by Japan to join China’s expanded economic projects came as a shocker to G-7. Japan’s ratification of RCEP was as one of calculated assessment on what would serve Japan in the years to come. This was followed by South Korea that set aside its differences with Japan in favor of what will be good for their country.

US policy makers have never learned their lesson that economic interest will always predominate political alliance amplified by Germany’s decision to go ahead with the construction of Nord Stream 2. It was the transit fee imposed for the passage of natural gas through Ukraine that caused the disaster, that today the country which the US instigated to be on its side stands as a pauper in the elitist club.

In a narrower perspective, the US is confronted with the same contradiction whether to give priority in rehabilitating its aging and crumbling infrastructure just to compete with China with its grandiose plan dubbed as Build Back Better World (B3W) plan. It has become an indefatigable obsession to outdo what China is doing; to promise the world what it can do when its cities are being transformed to slums and dwelling for thousands of homeless Americans.

Full version on www.manilastandard.net DepEd, on top of authors and writers, to assist in editing, proofreading, examining and approving errant books for publication and distribution should also be penalized.

“Unlike our students who are minors and are gullible to assimilate what is taught them in school, I believe it is now time to teach those who committed mistakes, whether intentional or not, a lesson,” Singson stresses.

Rightfully said.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net)

The joy of conforming to the will of God

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Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

strictions or some such—making it difficult for some parents to see their children in a face-to-face meeting or vice versa.

Reunion between children and their respective fathers, given the different rungs of lockdown, might compound the sadness and isolation.

It is best to prepare for Sunday without firm expectations of what will occur.

But we have one marble of a thought, more than giving the father a feeling of joy tomorrow—as he must have on other days of the year—by saluting him for loving the mother of his children.

That acknowledgment is the best children can give to their fathers, properly the trust boosters, symbol of self-confidence, a man who honors his promises, delivers excellent results, and is a symbol of outstanding integrity.

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

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World

Pandemic worsened war, crises displacement D

ESPITE the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people fleeing war and persecution continued rising last year, with global displacement climbing to over 82 million – double the figure a decade ago, the UN said Friday.

A fresh report from the UN refugee agency showed global displacement figures swelled by around three million in 2020 after an already record-breaking year in 2019, leaving a full one percent of humanity uprooted and displaced.

The report highlighted how drawn-out crises like those in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen were continuing to force people to flee, while eruptions of violence in places like Ethiopia and Mozambique were causing surging displacement.

The fact that the numbers rose for the ninth straight year was all the more devastating because COVID-19 restrictions had been expected to limit displacement.

During the pandemic, “everything else has stopped, including the economies, but wars and conflict and violence and discrimination and persecution, all the factors that pushed these people to flee, have continued,”

UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi told AFP. The UN agency found that by the end of 2020, a record 82.4 million people were living as refugees or asylum seekers, or in so-called internal displacement within their own countries, up from some 40 million in 2011.

A full 42 percent of the world’s displaced are girls and boys under the age of 18.

“The tragedy of so many children being born into exile should be reason enough to make far greater efforts to prevent and end conflict and violence,” Grandi said.

Some 26.4 million people were living as refugees at the end of 2020, including 5.7 million Palestinians.

Some 3.9 million Venezuelans were also displaced beyond their borders without being considered refugees, while 4.1 million people were registered worldwide as asylum seekers. AFP

Employees compile different sections of freshly printed papers in the printing facility of the Apple Daily newspaper offices in Hong Kong early on June 18, 2021, after police arrested the chief editor and four executives of the pro-democracy newspaper the previous morning, raiding its newsroom for a second time in the latest blow to the outspoken tabloid. AFP

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

Sale of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) shall be through competitive public bidding.

2.

Acceptance of Purchase Offers shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

3.

Dropping of bid envelopes will be on the date of bidding from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM only. Opening of Bids will immediately follow. Late bid envelopes will not be accepted.

4.

The sale IP-RUs is on an “As-Is, Where-is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale. “As-Is, Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail-unit being purchased.

5.

Strictly, “One bidder, One specific property” only, which means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each to as many properties as he/she wants to buy, as long as, he/she posts the required 10% bid deposit of the total bid price for each property. The bidder must present valid government IDs upon registration on the date of public bidding.

6.

Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 10963 or the Tax Reform Act for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, the selling price of GSIS properties above PhP2 million shall be subject to twelve percent (12%) Value-Added Tax (VAT).

7.

Purchase offers are only accepted in CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK/S payable within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of bidding, without privilege of extension.

8.

A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data: A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Date of Bidding Name of the bidder Exact address of property you are interested to bid Transfer Certificate of Title No. Mode of Payment Amount of bid (in numbers and in words) Signature of the bidder/representative

9.

Bid proposal shall be written in words and in figures and must not be lower than the Minimum Acceptable Offer of the property. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and in figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

10.

Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer plus the 12% VAT, if applicable, shall be in the form of a MANAGER’S CHECK payable to the Government Service Insurance System.

11.

ALL participating bidders shall insert the following documents in a bid envelope: 1)

Properly accomplished bid form;

2)

Manager’s Check payable to Government Service Insurance System representing deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT, if applicable.

3)

Special Power of Attorney (SPA), if the bidder is being represented by another person.

4)

Two (2) proofs of occupancy, if the bidders is the occupant of the subject property: a. b.

12.

13.

Barangay certificate that the bidder is occupying or residing in the subject property; and Valid Government Issued ID with an address showing that the bidder is currently residing in the subject property, or c.

Latest Billing Statement under the Bidder’s Name that shows he/she is currently residing in the subject property.

The following information shall be clearly written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope).

The existing tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided: A. B.

If the occupant will exercise his/her Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she shall adjust his/her initial deposit based on the bid amount of the declared highest bidder. He/she must also pay the adjusted deposit on the day of bidding.

15.

The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within fourteen (14) calendar days of the actual bidding, the following documents:

B.

Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located If the winning bidder is a cooperative, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Cooperative Development Authority Registration or any proof of such registration c. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located

16.

A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued to the highest/winning bidder on the day of bidding. The Bidder’s deposit of the other non-winning bidder/s shall be returned immediately.

17.

The deposit equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT shall be paid not later than 3:00 PM on the day of bidding. The 90% balance of the bid amount plus 12% VAT shall be paid either in cash or in manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

Sample Computation: Bid Amount is PhP2,610,000.00

Deposit - (10% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP 261,000.00 + 31,320.00 = PhP292,320.00 Balance - (90% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP2,349,000.00 + 281,880.00 = PhP2,630,880.00

18.

Non-compliance with the terms and conditions stated in the NOAS will result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s total deposit.

19.

In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the said NOAS shall be deemed automatically revoked and the highest/winning bidder shall be informed in writing. The second highest bidder, if any, shall be informed in writing if he/she is still interested to acquire the property. If still interested, he/she must remit the required non-refundable 10% deposit within three (3) working days after receipt of notice from GSIS.

20.

GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received. The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

21.

For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396 or send an email at mbgonda@gsis.gov.ph, chplogdat@gsis.gov.ph, mmmagbanua@gsis.gov.ph, amqjulian@gsis.gov.ph, or jsvicaldo@gsis.gov.ph.

1.

Only the participating bidder shall enter the bidding room.

2.

The bidder must properly wear a facemask and face shield any time.

3.

Social distancing must be strictly observed.

4.

Bringing of ballpen is encouraged.

HEALTH PROTOCOLS UNDER NEW NORMAL

5.

Please follow the health and safety protocols before entering the GSIS Building.

6.

Additional health and safety measures shall be published on the GSIS website page once the IATF issues additional or new guidelines.

GUIDE FOR BIDDERS

1.

Register at the RPAMD Secretariat/Registration table.

2.

Present the sealed Bid Envelope enclosing eligibility documents between 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM to the RPAMD Secretariat.

•

Ensure to read and follow the General Guidelines;

•

Ensure that the downloadable Bid form is properly accomplished; and

•

Ensure that the Bid form contained in the sealed envelope;

3.

Make sure to final check the content of the sealed bid envelope before proceeding to the Bid Box.

4.

Only participating Bidders will proceed to the Bid Box to drop the sealed Bid Envelope (ask assistance of RPAMD Secretariat/Personnel only).

5.

Once the sealed envelope is inside the Bid Box, we are refrained from retrieving the envelope.

6.

Opening of Bids will immediately follow.

He/she participated in actual bidding and Inserted the two (2) proofs of occupancy inside his/her bid envelope as indicated in Number 9 of these guidelines

14.

A.

d.

C.

If the winning bidder is an individual, a. duly accomplished Personal Profile (with attached recent two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures of the winning bidder) b. photocopies of two (2) valid IDs (at least one should be a government-issued ID) If the winning bidder is a corporate entity or partnership, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Registration Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) c. Articles of Incorporation (if corporation), Articles of Partnership (if partnership), General Information Sheet, and By-Laws duly certified by the SEC

(MS-JUNE 17/18/19, 2021)

HK pro-democracy paper runs defiant edition a day after raid HONG KONG’S pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper hit the stands Friday a day after police raided its newsroom, with an extra-large print run and a characteristic message of defiance emblazoned on its front that read: “We must press on.”

The tabloid and its jailed owner Jimmy Lai have long been a thorn in Beijing’s side with unapologetic support for the financial hub’s pro-democracy movement and scathing criticism of China’s authoritarian leaders.

Those same leaders are now determined to see it silenced as they crack down on dissent in Hong Kong.

More than 500 police offi-

cers raided the paper’s newsroom on Thursday in an operation that authorities said was sparked by articles that allegedly appealed for sanctions against China.

Five executives, including chief editor Ryan Law and CEO Cheung Kim-hung, were arrested under Hong Kong’s new national security law on charges of collusion.

Staff returned to a newsroom gutted of many computers and hard drives which had been carted away in police evidence bags.

But they pushed on throughout the night to get the next day’s edition out, as they have for the last 26 years. AFP

Battle on to save rare Dead Sea carp JORDAN is racing against time to save a tiny rare fish from extinction as falling water levels partly triggered by global warming threaten to dry up its last habitat.

The Dead Sea toothcarp – scientific name Aphanius dispar richardsoni – has been on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2014.

The IUCN warns that the “exploitation of spring waters and climate change” are major threats facing the four-centimetre-long, silver-colored fish.

“This fish is threatened with extinction at the global level.

It is endemic here and does not exist elsewhere,” said Ibrahim Mahasneh, the manager of the

fish’s last home, the Fifa Nature Reserve.

Lying some 140 kilometers southwest of Amman in the Jordan Rift Valley and 60 kilometers south of the Dead Sea, the area is the lowest wet reserve on Earth.

Established in 2011, the nature park consists of some 20 square kilometres. It is located some 426 metres (1,400 feet) below sea level and is managed by an independent body, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Even though the Hashemite kingdom is primarily desert, this area of wetlands is criss-crossed by streams and is home to a variety of plant and wildlife species including birds. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

(MS-JUNE 19, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

B4

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, June 18, 2021

-36.54 PTS. 6,851.38

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

2,248,874,442 103,384 9,797,532,230.63 98 106 46

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.3680

Japan

Yen

0.009071

0.4387

UK

Pound

1.392800

67.3670

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128788

6.2292

Switzerland

Franc

1.090275

52.7344

Canada

Dollar

0.809520

39.1549

Singapore

Dollar

0.745045

36.0363

Australia

Dollar

0.755100

36.5227

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655760

128.4538

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.8978

Brunei

Dollar

0.742280

35.9026

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031847

1.5404

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1693

Euro

Euro

1.190900

57.6015

Korea

Won

0.000882

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.155063

7.5001

India

Rupee

0.013484

0.6522

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.241663

11.6888

New Zealand

Dollar

0.700000

33.8576

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036061

1.7442 Source: BSP

Bulacan airport to break ground August—DOTR

Business Alaska Milk, laid-off workers approve remuneration terms

By Othel V. Campos

A

LASKA Milk Corp. said Friday the management and the employee union agreed on a remuneration package for about 200 employees at its San Pedro, Laguna plant who will be retrenched as part of the company’s organizational transformation.

The company assured affected employees of a support package that would include severance pay that is almost double of what is mandated by the law, an added gratuity pay and continued health coverage for employees and their dependents.

“We thank the unions in AMC for their openness to dialogue, which resulted in a suitable package for the affected employees. Both management and the unions have always had the welfare of our workers in mind as the most important aspect in this transition,” said AMC corporate affairs director Maria Angela Esquivel.

AMC announced earlier it would terminate the employment of about

200 workers at its plant in line with the directive of parent company Royal FrieslandCampina’s to optimize business operations.

Royal FrieslandCampina, a Dutch dairy producer, acquired AMC from the Uytengsu family in 2012.

Esquivel said AMC teamed up with global outplacement service Lee Hecht Harrison to help affected workers in transitioning to future employment.

“Proper job transition support must also include practical help, which is why we facilitated business and resume building seminars, as well as job fairs for the affected employees of AMC,”the outplacement agency said in a statement.

“Especially with our current climate, it’s great that companies like AMC are taking a proactive approach to employee care when they plan their restructuring,” the agency said.

AMC’s directive to optimize business operations led to the management’s decision to undergo an organizational transformation that will affect about 200 workers starting July 1, 2021.

LHH offered the affected employees workshops on job search strategies, personal finance, psychological support and business planning.

AMC, through LHH, also organized a job fair that allowed the workers to submit their resumés to potential employers, including Unilever, Monde Nissin, Rebisco and PhilAm Life.

“AMC understands the difficulty of this transition for our employees, which is why this care package was part of our plans from the very beginning. We will continue to empower the employees so that they can take the proper next steps as they look towards their future,” said Esquivel.

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Friday it expects the ground breaking of the P740-billion Manila International Airport project in Bulacan by August this year.

“There’s no reason to doubt that the ground breaking will happen in the next 45 to 60 days,” Transport Secretary Art Tugade said in Filipino during a virtual press conference.

Tugade said San Miguel Corp. was arranging financing as well as acquiring right of way and other ground works for the Bulacan airport.

San Miguel earlier tapped Dutch firm Royal Boskalis , through its wholly-owned subsidiary Boskalis Philippines Inc., to do land development works on the airport project.

The company also tapped the services of global firms Groupe ADPi, Meinhardt Group and Jacobs Engineering to design and build the New Manila International Airport.

All three companies were involved in building world-class airports, including Changi Airport in Singapore, Atlanta Airport in the US and Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.

The initial designs, some of which were released earlier, envision a futureready airport focusing on overall passenger experience and sustainable technologies consistent with the needs of the environment and the local communities of Bulacan and nearby provinces.

San Miguel is also engaging a worldclass airport operator to help manage the country’s future premier gateway.

The company said it would build the project on a 2,500-hectare property in Bulakan town, about 30 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila at no cost to the government.

The airport is projected to accommodate 100 million to 200 million passengers annually. San Miguel has secured a 50-year franchise to build and operate the Bulacan airport.

SMC’s Manila International Airport project, dubbed the largest investment in the Philippines, is seen as a “game-changer” for the Philippine economy. A long-awaited solution to Manila’s air traffic congestion woes, it is seen to make the country a more viable and competitive tourist and investment destination in the region.

SB CORP. DIRECTOR.

Small Business Corp. chairman and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez swears in new board director Voltaire Magpayo as a national government representative. A seasoned entrepreneur, a Go Negosyo mentor and a certified franchise executive, Magpayo is a graduate of San Beda University and a holder of master’s degree from the University of Asia and the Pacific. Beside him is his spouse Cholly Magpayo.

Petron set to reopen oil refinery this month—Ang

By Alena Mae S. Flores PETRON Corp. is restarting its refinery in Bataan as the economy slowly reopens and vaccinations start, four months after shutting down the facility for economic and maintenance reasons in February.

“Yes, starting up refinery,” Petron president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang said Friday.

Petron owns the country’s lone oil refinery with an output of 180,000 barrels per day after rival Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. shuttered its own in Batangas last year amid the COVID pandemic. Shell’s refinery is capable of refining 110,000 barrels a day.

“Unlike Shell, Petron is a modern refinery which we have upgraded only about five years ago. And the refinery is very competitive and we see no reason for us to shut down the refinery. In fact we are set to restart the refinery this coming June, unless, there is a hard lockdown and the volume drops down tremendously the refinery is a very viable business,” Ang said earlier.

“With the country’s vaccination program gaining more ground, we feel confident about our prospects and have, in fact, scheduled the resumption of our refining operations this June,” Ang said.

Ang had expressed optimism of the company’s financial performance after posting a net income of P1.73 billion in the first quarter, a reversal of the P4.9-billion net loss in the same period last year.

Petron attributed the recovery to the recent improvement in international oil prices and the implementation of cost cutting measures.

“We certainly believe it will continue to deliver good performance unless there is a strict lockdown again,” Ang said, referring to the income trend this year.

IN BRIEF World Bank okays P13.5-b rural loan

AYALA VACCINATION. Ayala Corp.’s employees in the A4 (economic frontliners) vaccination category receive their first jab of COVID-19 vaccine at the UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub, the first of the four vaccination sites that Ayala is opening with local government units from June 14 to 30 to help ramp up the country’s vaccination program. Ayala aims to administer 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year. Ayala’s medical arm, AC Health, in partnership with various LGUs, will continue to administer jabs to Ayala’s A4 employees in vaccination sites in the Makati Stock Exchange in Makati City, BGC Parkade 3 in Taguig City and Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque.

Gov’t committee vows to ensure proper management of P75-b coconut levy fund

By Julito G. Rada A GOVERNMENT committee agreed to ensure the proper management of the coconut levy trust fund of about P75 billion, which the Duterte administration promised to return to its true owners, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Friday.

The interagency Trust Fund Management Committee created under the law to oversee and set the investment strategy of the newly-created Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund convened Thursday for its inaugural meeting.

Under Section 10 of Republic Act 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, the committee is composed of representatives from the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Justice.

Dominguez was elected as TFMC chairman, Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko as the manager of the

Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund and National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon as head of the TFMC Secretariat.

The TFMC also includes Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra as members.

“After many years of intense political debate, it was only during the Duterte administration that the Coco Levy law was finally enacted. This marks a promise fulfilled by the President who, in his 2019 SONA, vowed to return these funds taken arbitrarily from the pockets of Filipinos back to its true owner,” Dominguez said during the meeting.

“It is now the task of the Trust Fund Management Committee to properly manage the coconut levy trust fund, which is estimated at P75 billion, so that it serves our strategic development goals,” he said.

“As we plan out the next steps to be undertaken by the committee, we must ensure that we perform our functions with transparency, accountability and prudence,” said Dominguez.

AC Energy opts to quit from three biomass plants AC ENERGY Corp. said Friday it is divesting from three new biomassfired power plants in Visayas to focus on solar and wind power projects.

ACEN said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Negros Island Biomass Holdings Inc., its joint venture with the Zabaleta Group, signed binding agreements to divest shareholdings in the 20-megawatt San Carlos BioPower, the 25-MW North Negros BioPower and the 25-MW South Negros BioPower.

NIBH will sell its equity stake to its partner, Singapore-based ThomasLloyd CTI Asia Holdings Pte Ltd., which indirectly owns over 90 percent of the biomass-fired power plants, subject to certain conditions precedent. ACEN did not disclose more terms of the sale.

“The divestment of its indirect minority interest allows AC Energy to focus on the expansion of its core solar and wind businesses as it moves towards its goals of reaching 5 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2025 and becoming the largest listed renewable energy platform in Southeast Asia,” ACEN said.

The Zabaleta group continues to be invested in the solar and wind sectors and operates Bronzeoak Clean Energy in the bioenergy sector.

Bronzeoak Clean Energy provides management services to ThomasLloyd for the three plants and continues as a bioenergy development and management company.

ACEN said the acquisition would allow ThomasLloyd to fully consolidate and further expand the biopower business, moving beyond just the power business and into complementary and ancillary businesses.

ThomasLloyd has full control of the three plants.

Alena Mae S. Flores

THE World Bank approved a US$280-million (P13.5-billion) additional financing and 18.3 million euro (P1.054-billion) grant to the Philippine Rural Development Project that will support 267 climate-resilient rural infrastructure and 287 enterprise development sub-projects to boost rural incomes.

The Washington-based multilateral lender said in a statement Friday more than 300,000 rural residents would directly benefit from the fresh rounds of fundings.

The additional financing aims to address climate vulnerability in agriculture through a range of investments, including rural roads designed to withstand adverse weather events to ensure uninterrupted connectivity and access to markets.

The assistance will also fund communal irrigation sub-projects to address water scarcity and avoid the risk of large-scale crop failure.

Other programmed investments include warehouse facilities and solar dryers to prevent post-harvest crop losses, and greenhouses to protect selected crops from extreme heat and support improved water management.

Julito G. Rada

PSALM eyes auction of Casecnan hydro

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. will next auction 150-megawatt Casecnan hydro plant following the successful sale of the 650-megawatt Malaya Thermal Power Plant and its land.

“We are studying Casecnan and we are also working on a lot of real property assets for priva(tization) this year,” PSALM president Irene Garcia said.

PSALM worked with the Asian Development Bank for the conduct of a study on the possible privatization options and structures of the Casecnan hydro power plant.

Garcia said the experts recommended a “straight out sale, as is where is” of the Casecnan power project.

She said PSALM was ironing out some issues with the National Irrigation Administration, which owns 40 percent of the power plant.

PSALM controls 60 percent.

Garcia said the privatization of Casecnan might spill over to early 2022. The 150-MW Casecnan project was built following the signing of a build-operate-transfer contract between the NIA and California Energy Casecnan Water and Energy Company Inc. in 1994.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Megaworld to finish 21 new projects in 5 years

MEGAWORLD Corp. plans to complete 21 new office and commercial projects over the next five years.

Megaworld said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday funding for the completion of the projects, located across 11 township projects, would come from the proceeds of the planned P27.3-billion initial public offering of its newly formed real estate investment trust company called MREIT Inc. “The office sector is indeed quite resilient.

We continue to be optimistic prime office business Megaworld chief strategy officer Kevin Andrew Tan said during the annual stockholders’ meeting.

Megaworld plans to lease out 315,000 square meters of office this year after renting out 78,000 sq m. in the first quarter Tan said the planned new projects would help in full recovery in our economy, and the return of consumer confidence to normalcy.

“All of these new developments will spruce up our new townships, and at the same time, further expand our rental income portfolio.

More than 70 percent of these new projects are office developments,” he said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

HAPPY FATHER’S DAYSpecial Issue

By: Jessica Asprer, Ellicia Del Mundo, and Meggie Carpio

F

ATHER’S Day is coming up and we’re celebrating all kinds of fathers, uncles, grandfathers, dads-to-be, brothers, fathers-in-law, single dads, and those we consider father figures. Here are some gift ideas to help you say “Thank you for your love, guidance, and unrelenting dad jokes.”

C1

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 advertise@manilastandard.net

10 FATHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS

for all kinds of dads

1. ICEBOX CAKES. Say more with these IG-worthy icebox cakes from MLbytheML. Nothing says “I love you” like gifts that are edible and these picturesque, luscious desserts are a perfect treat for the summer heat or something sugary to go with your movie night with dad.

Blueberry Cheesecake, Maltesers, and S’mores Chilled Cakes are their bestsellers. But if you know your dad’s the foodie type who’d love an adventurous flavor profile, the Oreo Lemon Icebox Cake has a lemony-sour kick.

Prices for icebox cakes and chilled cakes start at P240. You can also buy a set of three if you want to treat the whole fam.

These decadent delights also come with free love notes; just send them your message and they’ll be printed out in a chic card attached to your order in a pretty ribbon.

2. SUCCULENTS AND POTTED FOLIAGE. Some fathers can be quite the workaholic. Lowmaintenance potted greens make the perfect desk buddy and are a great way to liven up a dreary workspace. You can choose from a wide, glorious array of lush greens at Nest Plant Studio. They have pots designed just for your dearest papa. Here’s a plus: you can customize them! View the full catalogue here.

3. CUSTOM STAR MAPS. It’s simply a creative way of marking special dates and places that remind you of your favorite moments with your father.

Whether it’s dad’s birthday, the day he taught you how to ride a bike, your first outof-town trip together, your favorite movie date, or the moment he walked you up that stage on graduation day, constellations will be your memento. Astronomia Star Maps can help plot those dates with handmade illustrations of the night sky in museum grade fine art paper for high resolution. If your dad’s a little more techy, you can opt for a star map phone case.

4. VACUUM TUMBLER. Double-walled vacuum insulated tumblers are a great idea for practical and sporty dads. You can find one that can hold up to 32oz at Hydrofied. These spill-proof and leak-proof tumblers can keep drinks ice-cold for up to 24 hours and

Next page

C2 || SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021

H A P P Y FAT H E R ’S DAYSpecial

advertise@manilastandard.net

This IMG Recliner is perfect for your dad’s special space where he can enjoy his quiet time with a good book or his favorite show.

Compliment it with Our Home’s modern contemporary tables and home accessories.

Give your dad a treat and get him this Gabriello Recliner where he can lounge in comfort after a long productive day at work.

It has a rich leather finish and warm neutral hues that invites one to sit, recline and relax.

Issue

Edcel III Bar Set with straight lines and gentle curves.

Decanters and glassware for your dad’s bar corner.

Hallie Bar Set in white and wood finish.

A

Dad’s special space from our home

FTER a long day at work and family time at home, Dad craves to have his own special space where he can recharge, rethink, relax and be himself. He longs for a quiet retreat where he can plunk down on a sofa, chill out with a drink, and unwind.

This me-time, after all, can make him a better husband and father which will eventually benefit the whole family.

After all, what is more pleasant than a man who is relaxed, happy, and stressfree.

This Father’s Day, help Dad create this special space – others call it a man cave – with a little help from Our Home.

There are cozy recliners where he

10 Father’s....

From C1

can sit, recline, and relax. Bar tables, chairs and other bar essentials complete the fun. If he must work at home, there are writing desks as well as ergonomic chairs to bring comfort to WFH corner.

Visit Our Home stores nationwide at select SM Supermalls for more Father’s Day gift ideas. Customers who prefer to shop online can expect the same great shopping experience through www. ourhome.ph. In addition, Our Home has introduced Contactless Shopping Options for customers who prefer to stay in their homes. Customers can Call & Deliver – call 0917 8315260, pay online, and have their items delivered.

They can Shop Live where a personal shopper takes them on a virtual tour of the store via video call. Curbside Pickup is also available.

This Harper II 3-Seater Recliner is upholstered in leather that is luxuriously soft, it brings a whole new dimension to movie night or tv binge watching.

Center and side tables with great designs and great prices.

Our Home’s Gavin Desk and Hermione Chair are sleek and efficient, just like your dad.

Trevor shelving and other accessories like lamps and wall art to compliment.

affordable brand of headphones for your dads, visit JBL Quantum Official Store on Lazada.

steaming-hot for up to 12 hours. You can also customize with ac9. TEA GIFT SET. Celestea Ph is a local brand known for its locessories like a paracord handle, mouth-wide straw lid, and silicone cally grown and imported tea and tisanes. On various occasions such boot. as weddings, birthdays, or other holidays, they made affordable tea gift sets.

5. WATCH CASE. To celebrate our Dads, Papas, and Tatay, it offers a Father’s Day Some dads like to stay special gift box loaded with a mug that says the “best dad ever,” two on trend when it comes white handkerchiefs, a glass tube infuser, 125ML raw honey, 125ML to fashion. This leather oolong tea, and a wooden dipper. watch case can carry The gift box is priced at P849 with a free artisan wood toaster. In up to 3 watches. Get it addition, they also have a free note card for you to write your special from Lazada before the messages for your father.

Father’s Day sale ends.

It would be a great companion for his business trips. And leather? It never goes out of style.

6.

GRAZING BOX WITH LIQUOR. Every dad would not miss a glass of wine or bottle of beer, especially on his special day. If you have a dad who enjoys their booze with 10. FUN FATHER’S DAY AT HOME. While gifts are much apsnacks, treat him preciated for Father’s Day and are for keeps, quality time is always with a grazing box. The Table Spread Co is offering a Father’s Day the ultimate foolproof collection gift box with a price starting at P1,550. They added a free gift. As the pandemic note card for every purchase to personalize the gift box. halts recreational acEach kit includes liquor of your choice, cold cuts, cocktail sausagtivities that can be best es, assorted biscuits, nuts, premium cheese, chocolate marbles, and experienced outside, fresh fruits. This is also perfect for a mini feast good for two to five there are ways in which family members to celebrate Father’s Day at home. They have limFather’s Day can still ited boxes, so reserve yours now before you run out of slots. Check be celebrated and made them out on Facebook and Instagram. memorable.

Watching Movies 7. MOFT STAND. Having a movie marWe all know how dads athon with the breadlike to work hard for winner of the family their families. Help can be a pleasant way your dad with his workof hanging out. Setting at-home set up with out a possible white this Moft stand that sheet as screen, the proprops up laptops, tabjector, and building a lets, or smartphones. pillow fort for comfort Its sleek, lightweight, can create a restful amand portable design bience. Don’t forget to makes a good tool for prepare the food that better ergonomics. sums up movie night.

Staying at home and 8. GAMING HEADSET. For avid gamer dads, a good pair of watching movies is a gaming headset is essential to be at the top of their game. Compared great way to save monto a regular headset, this provides a clear and high-quality sound that ey from buying a ticket enhances one’s gaming experience. at the theaters.

Gamer dads would be delighted if they will receive a pair of gaming headphones with a mic. Apart from gaming purposes, this will Playing Games also be a perfect use when attending virtual meetings and press conGames are also a fun way to spend time with mi padre. Games such ferences for a work-at-home setup. Those who are looking for an as UNO, Jenga, Snake & Ladders but with a twist can surely light up the night with laughter and excitement. If boards or card games aren’t enough of the fun, getting creative juices in the way may be able to help in coming up with new games.

Learning A Thing or Two in the Kitchen What more can good bonding be without learning a new recipe?

Or a family specialty? Having to connect with your old man through cooking is a special bond that can be created as food can bring the family closer together. Sharing the food cooked to the other family members is also a treat in doing a job well done.

But as these great ways of celebrating Father’s Day are memorable and fun, may we never forget to appreciate the very presence of each and every father in every family which is enough reason to celebrate.

Lounge in style with this sleek and supple black leather Lexus Sofa.

Celebrate Father’s Day at SM

JUNE is the month when we celebrate Father’s Day to honor the first man in our lives. And in these new times, we don’t have to limit the celebration to our biological dads—a super dad could our grandfather, godfather, uncle or even a family friend who has given you guidance, cheered you on or inspired you to do better.

And why limit treats to moms?

We say it’s just as important to give the ‘dads’ in your life a day to remember—whether it’s a fun, safe visit to the mall, a bonding date with your “bubble” or a musthave gift. And for any or all of these, SM has it all.

Sunday fun day. Which dad doesn’t love his ride? Take them to the Knight Drivers event, a highly anticipated car and bike show, at participating SM malls on June 20. Fur Fur dads will love an outdoor treat at the Paw Parks in select SM malls Then drop by a Dad’s month bazaar from June 13 to 20 and buy dad his perfect gift.

Dining deals for dad. Got a foodie dad? Indulge in exclusive dinner promos! SM partners with Foodpanda to give dads a special treat. For a minimum of P499 for delivery or pick-up from Foodpanda restaurants in select SM malls, you can get P100 off by using the code DADSDAYATSM from June 14 to 20.

Join the fun to win cool prizes.

If your dad has the moves, have him join #SuperDadsRuleAtSM Tiktok challenge (link: https://www. smsupermalls.com/letsplaynowatsm/ superdadsruleatsm-tiktok-dancechallenge/) for a chance to win gift certificates.

Want more GCs? Get a Dad’s Day Sodexo Premium Pass and give dad a well-deserved shopping spree! It’s a win-win because with each gift pass purchase, you get a free gift for every P500. Shopping for Sodexo gift passes has never been more easy or convenient. You can order them for delivery or pick up at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, or SM Mall of Asia by downloading the SM Malls Online App: https:// gosm.link/SMOSodexo. You can also order them for pick up at other select malls nationwide by messaging SM Customer Care on Viber at 09228761111.

WeTV and SM also partner this June 13 to July 13. Just show any receipt worth P1000 and get 1 WeTV voucher for a month’s subscription.

Lots in store for the King of the Home this June so go tell Queen Mom that if only for this month, Dads rule, and if not at home, then at SM Supermalls!

For more information, visit www. smsupermalls.com.

To get the latest updates, follow SM Supermalls on all social media platforms: @smsupermalls.

Sports

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021

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

PH size advantage too much for foes

By Peter Atencio

G

ILAS Pilipinas used its height advantage to the hilt to maul Indonesia, 76-51, in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on Friday at Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center in Angeles, Pampanga.

Fresh off a pulsating 81-78 win over Korea, their tormentor for eight years, the nationals began pulling away in the third quarter at 42-31 en route to the 25-point win, their fifth in as many games in the qualifiers.

So dominant were the Filipinos that they had an enormous 27 rebounding advantage following a total of 58 boards to the visitors' 31.

Power forward Justine Baltazar led Gilas with 11 points and 9 rebounds,

Ange Kouame had 11 and 5, while shooting guard Dwight Ramos scored 10 and hauled 18 boards. Kai Sotto had 7 and 7.

Naturalized Indonesian Lester Prosper led all scorers with 22 points and 8 rebounds.

The Philippines clinched a seat in the FIBA Asia Cup tournament proper by virtue of its win over Korea, while Indonesia are likewise in the August cagefest as hosts.

Gilas Pilipinas meets Korea again on Sunday, with nothing but pride at stake.

Meanwhile, Japanese-American pro

Gail Edwards top-scored with 21 points for Japan as it thrashed Chinese Taipei, 98-61 in the other game.

The 6’9" Edwards led a hot Japanese start with back-to-back layups and charity shot in the last 9:04, allowing Japan to move away on a 14-0 run.

With Japan on top, 25-16, at the end of the first period, it had little trouble establishing a 52-38 edge at halfime.

Makoto Hiejima added 15 points, while Kosuke Kanamaru fired 14 for the Japanese.

With their second victory, Japan improved its record in Group B at 2-1.

Bucks turn back Nets, force decisive Game 7 LOS ANGELES—Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 68 points as the host Milwaukee Bucks led wire-to-wire on Thursday to beat the Brooklyn Nets 104-89 in game six of their NBA playoff series.

Middleton had a playoff career high 38 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Bucks, who evened the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final at 3-3.

The Bucks changed up their defensive strategy and Middleton had the hot hand while shooting from the perimeter to push the series to a decisive game seven.

"We were solid all night," said Middleton. "We just tried to make it tough on (Kevin) Durant and (James) Harden and we were able to do that.

"The playoffs are about adjusting.

We had a little lead at the half and we were able to keep it and extend it in the fourth quarter."

Game seven is Saturday night in Brooklyn, where the Nets have won all three games at the Barclays Center.

Middleton shot 11-for-16 from the floor, five-for-eight from three-point range and 11-of-12 at the free throw line.

After rallying behind a monster performance by Durant for a game five victory on Tuesday, the Nets failed to win in the first potential close out game of the series.

"We didn't do well tonight offensively," said Nets coach Steve Nash. "We were out of rhythm and out of sync for the entire game.

"Defensively we weren't great either. Just not a great game from us, and now we got a game seven on our home court."

Milwaukee's win not only keeps their season alive but also the streak of the home team winning every game of the series so far.

"It will be win or go home. That is what the players and fans love about it," said Middleton.

Brooklyn had often-injured James Harden for game six but lost all-star guard Kyrie Irving during the game four loss. Irving did not travel with the team to Wisconsin due to the sprained right ankle he suffered in-game last Sunday.

Harden struggled in his first full game of the series in game five after sitting out with a sore hamstring.

After making just one basket in game five and finishing with five points, he improved in game six scoring 16 points—still well below his average of 24.6 points.

Durant, who was coming off a remarkable 49 point performance while playing

C3

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots over Jeff Green of the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks defeated the Nets 104-89. AFP

every minute of game five, finished with 32 the entire game, this time he logged 40 points and 11 rebounds. Instead of playing minutes of floor time. AFP

Tech & Gadgets

Perasol remains UP coach BO Perasol remains as coach of the University of the Philippines men’s basketball team.

UP College of Human Kinetics Dean Francisco “Kiko” Diaz said this to clarify reports that Perasol’s contract was not renewed by the school when it expired last June 10.

“UP has formal processes in selecting varsity coaches.

Right now, coach Bo is still the UPMBT head coach and he has not resigned,” said Diaz in a statement.

Word was out that the school was working on giving Perasol a managerial position once his contract is finished.

Perasol has been calling the shots for the Fighting Maroons since 2016.

With Perasol calling the shots, the Fighting Maroons experienced their best season in 2018 and 2019.

UP placed third in the eliminations with their 9-5 win-loss record in 2019 The Fighting Maroons then made it to the Final Four, before bowing to the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

In 2018, UP reached the finals and fought the Ateneo Blue Eagles, who won the crown following a 3-0 sweep of the Maroons.

Perasol is currently with his family and mourning the death of his mother due to COVID-19.

“Lastly, the entire UP community (officials, varsity program, UP MBT and the alumni) is bereaving with Coach Bo on the recent passing of his mother due to COVID-19,” added Diaz.

Peter Atencio

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Google launches Android Earthquake Alerts System in PH

G

OOGLE launched the Android Earthquake Alerts System in the Philippines. It is a free, helpful Android feature that detects earthquakes around the world and alerts people.

The system uses accelerometers in active Android smartphones to detect seismic activities. It alerts people in two ways — via Search and directly on the Android mobile device itself.

The system provides near-instant information to Google Search. When people look up “earthquake” or “earthquake near me,” they will find relevant results, along with helpful resources on what to do after an earthquake.

On the other hand, the Android device notification provides an early warning alert when accelerometers detect an earthquake in an area. It sends a signal to Google’s earthquake detection server, along with a coarse location of where the shaking occurred. The server then takes this information from many phones to analyze if an earthquake is

happening, where it is, and its corresponding magnitude. People who do not wish to receive these alerts can turn it off in device settings.

On mobile devices, the Android Earthquake Alerts System displays two types of alerts, depending on the magnitude and intensity of the earthquake.

Be Aware alerts people when earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 occur, or an intensity level of 3 or 4 on the MMI scale. The notification is sent along with the distance of the earthquake's epicenter. The alert uses the phone’s current volume, vibration, and Do Not Disturb settings.

Take Action is a full-screen alert for earthquakes with a magnitude higher than 4.5, or an intensity level of 5 and above on the MMI scale. To help people

prepare for potential heavy shaking, full-screen instructions are shown and the phone plays a loud sound.

"Launching the Android Earthquake Alerts System in the Philippines is part of our mission to bring helpful products and services to Filipinos. Our country,

being located in the pacific ring of fire, is prone to natural calamities and this update will play an important role in disaster preparedness and risk reduction," said Bernadette Nacario, Google Philippines Country Director.

“Our smartphones are indispens-

able in moments of crisis. We believe Android devices can help people be prepared and stay connected in times of need. We will continue to partner with the government, public safety officials, and leading crisis response experts to better surface relevant information in times of adversities,” Nacario added.

The Android Earthquake Alerts System was first introduced in New Zealand and Greece. It is available now in more countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Philippines, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

To check on your Android device if the alerts are on, simply go to Settings > Location > Advanced > Earthquake Alerts.

For more information, watch this YouTube video https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=1_9PeG6Icpg or read this https://blog.google/products/android/new-features-summer-2021/

Air Intellipure air cleaners: Perfect home buddy SURROUNDED by family and the comforts of our own familiar space, home is where we feel most secured and protected. But is the house really safe?

Not so, according to the American Lung Association.

When dust and other visible dirt settles in, we know it’s time to wipe the furniture or sweep the floor. But knowing when to clean the air in our home is much more complicated because the naked eye cannot detect the presence of free radicals, pathogens, and pollutants in the air.

Clearly, an air purifier to remove pollutants and pathogens should be a basic safety procedure to keep air clean and pure in indoor premises. In buying an air purifier, consider one that has proven to effectively clean the air in homes, schools, and hospitals: Intellipure Air Cleaners.

Cleaning the Air Intelligently Inside every Intellipure is the revolutionary DFS (Disinfecting Filtration System) Technology, which was developed using a US Military grant to combat germ warfare. The DFS technology

can inactivate a proxy virus for SARS-CoV-2 in 10 minutes with zero regrowth within 24 hours.

The patented technology is capable of removing 99.99% of harmful viruses, mold, and bacteria passing through the system.

And unlike conventional air filtration systems, the DFS can also shut in these microorganisms and inhibit the microorganism’s growth through a process called microbiostatic condition. Once deactivated, these pathogens will be unable to multiply in the filter—which helps in extending filter life.

Intellipure air purifiers have undergone tests by third party laboratories attesting that they can capture particles down to .007 to a 99.99% effectiveness (better than HEPA efficiency). Portable models received Zero Ozone Certification from Intertek, having passed one of the most stringent ozone emission standards available in the USA. Used widely in US hospitals, government and military buildings, Intellipure is an energy efficient air cleaner. The Intellipure Compact uses 9 watts per

hour on low, the Ultrafine 468 just 5 watts, same energy needed by a small light bulb.

Studies have shown that the presence of harmful microorganisms and pollutants in indoor air plays a considerable role in the development of skin problems. Living in an environment with contaminated air also means breathing in high levels of harmful pollutants that can cause a wideranging variety of respiratory conditions. Intellipure effectively inactivates these harmful elements to give air that’s pure and healthy.

Intellipure air purifiers are readily available in the Philippines with units designed in the US to be compatible with the standard electrical output of 220V. Each unit comes with a 5-year warranty on the fan/motor. Air Intellipure is now available nationwide with its head office located at Makati City.

For more information on where to purchase an Intellipure Air Purification System and the recommended model for your home, please visit www.air-

Inside every Air Intellipure air cleaner is the revolutionary DFS technology.

intellipure.com or contact ask@airintellipure.com +63917 322 PURE (7873).

Motoring

Ramon L. Tomeldan Editor

C4

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021

DOUBLE-BARRELED VICTORY

GAC Motor repeats dominance at 12-hr Endurance Challenge C

LARK, PAMPANGA—GAC Motor Racing Team once again proved GA4’s durability and outstanding performance following a dominant showing at the recently concluded 2021 Petron Kalayaan Cup 12hour Endurance Challenge.

Bannered by drivers Andre Tan, Milo Rivera, Kody Ng, Patrick Mendoza, and Brennan Lim, the GAC Motor Racing Team bagged the 2021 Kagitingan Cup 6-hour race Championship and the 2021 Kalayaan Cup 4-hour race Championship both in Open B Category, aside from earning runner-up honors in the premier 12-hour race.

Driving a GAC GA4 1.5 MT, the GAC team, with the four drivers alternately taking turns at the wheel, performed flawlessly and managed to climb up from 11th place to 2nd place in the 12hour race.

With over two hours left on the clock, Rivera kept the GAC team’s 4-lap lead over Mike Potenciano of Mark Young Racing Cars all the way to the finish.

“We knew they had a faster car, and had a faster pace. They were really pushing to catch up to us since they were a few laps behind. When Mike was approaching, the plan was to try to delay his charge as much as possible, and buy us more time especially with the race on its closing stages. He used his power and the car’s power to take advantage of it, but the objective was attained, that was to buy us some time, and give, I guess, people

something to enjoy for quite a while,” said Milo Rivera.

Apart from earning the 2nd spot at the 12-hour race, GAC Motor Racing Team also bagged the 2021 Kagitingan Cup 6-hour race Championship and the 2021 Kalayaan Cup 4-hour race Championship Title both in Open B Category. “ T h i s year’s race has a lot of s a fe t y risks a n d c h a l lenges due to the pandemic. It’s a new car that we’ve raced in a 12-hour endurance challenge, so basically, i t

is a whole new experience for us. Through hard work and dedication, we were able to overcome these challenges and managed to win 1st in our class, and 2nd overall champion,” said Brennan Lim, branch head of GAC Motor

Touting the Number 2 for two straight wins, members of GAC Motoring racing team celebrate their feat.

Metrowalk, Pasig.

GA4’s durability, fuel efficiency: keys to GAC Motor Racing Team’s success For a 12-hour endurance race, it was a crisscross of race positions and a battle of strategy, but it was the reliability of the GA4 that ultimately made GAC Motor Racing Team dominate in the 2021 Kalayaan Cup Endurance Challenge. The GA4 1.5 MT made it through the checkered flag without any mechanical issues and pitted only for refueling, tire and driver changes.

“Going into the race, we knew we had a car that has much less power compared to everyevery body else on the field, probably, a car that has the least power at that,” lead driver Milo RiRi vera shares. “The car made us maximize our stints, not just by how fuel efficient it was, but by how reliable it was. It is sturdy, it was still even in tip-top condition even though we’re down at the late stages of the race. It felt like it was an hour one,” Rivera added.

GAC Motor Racing Team will return to Batangas Racing Circuit for the 2021 BoniBoni facio Cup 8-hour Endurance Race this NoNo vember.

The GAC Motor Race Team is slowly turning endurance races into its own playground. Two years ago, the team bagged four championships in the 2019 Kalayaan Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class), the 2019 Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance ChampionChampion ship (Manufacturer’s Class), the 2019 Bonifacio Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Manufac(Manufac turer’s Class) and the 2019 Bonifacio Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Open Category).

Nissan LEAF electrifies Vatican journey to net zero ROME:On World Environment Day, Nissan has delivered a 100%-electric Nissan LEAF to the Vatican, a symbol of the two organisations’ shared goal of carbon neutrality.

The zero-emissions LEAF, the world’s-first mass-market electric vehicle (EV), was received by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State and President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

The donation follows the launch of the Vatican’s Laudato si’ Action Platform to make Catholic institutions environmentally

sustainable within seven years, which takes its name from the pope’s landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment.

Managing Director for Nissan in Italy, Marco Toro, who handed over the keys to the white LEAF during a special ceremony at the Vatican, said: “I am honoured, on behalf of Nissan, to support the Holy See on the path towards the decarbonisation of its operations, a goal which Nissan shares.

“We are working towards 75% of our sales in Europe being electrified by 2023, with a fully electrified range in the 2030s. This builds on the heritage

Managing Director for Nissan in Italy, Marco Toro hands over the keys to the white LEAF to Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello during a special ceremony at the Vatican.

HONDA’S automobile business unit in the Philippines held its groundbreaking for the new location of Honda Cars Fairview last May 27.

Reopened last December 2020 under the business group of Gatewayfairview Motors Corporation, Honda Cars Fairview is currently located in Don Mariano Marcos Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. HCFR provides sales and after-sales services such as preventive maintenance and general repairs.

Set to officially open by the 2nd quarter of 2022, the new site will have a total lot size of 3,660 square meters, and will be strategically located in Mindanao Avenue corner Regalado St., Fairview, Quezon City, along the main highway and nearby commercial areas. HCFR will offer Honda’s latest product line-up and complete vehicle service facilities for general repair, preventive maintenance, and body-and-paint.

Nakamura, Executive Vice President, Ryohei Adachi, Dealer Business Division Head, Noel Barachina, Sales Division Head, lawyer Louie Soriano, and Customer Service Head, Delfin De Guzman. From Honda Cars Fairview,

of the Nissan LEAF as the world’s first mass-market EV, with 530,000 cars on the road having saved more than 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 worldwide.”1 Available with two battery sizes and with technology including Nissan’s e-Pedal, for single-pedal driving, the Nissan LEAF is manufactured for European markets in Sunderland, UK. Nissan recently announced plans to triple the plant’s on-site renewable energy generation to 20% of the factory needs – enough to manufacture every LEAF sold in Europe.

Ben Greenwood, UK Consul General in Milan and Director of the Department for International Trade in Italy, said: “As part of our Clean Growth campaign and in the run up to COP26 in Glasgow and the Milan Pre-COP this year, DIT Italy is proud to be supporting Nissan Europe in its journey towards an entirely sustainable mobility model that will see all its vehicles electrified by early 2030s.

“Today’s event is testament to our desire to collaborate with the Holy See to help them reach their sustainability goals and their commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This is part of Pope Francis’ wider effort to protect the environment, as outlined in 2015 in his Laudato si’ Encyclical on Care for our Common Home and announced at the Climate Ambition Summit in December 2020.”

Honda Fairview moves to bigger site Present at the groundbreaking for the new site of Honda Faireview are (from L) Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. Dealer Business Division General Manager Noel Barachina, HCPI Customer Service Division General Manager Delfin De Guzman, HCPI Executive Vice President Ryohei Adachi, HCPI President Masahiko Nakamura, Gateway Group Vice President Business Development Rommel Samadan, Gateway Group Vice President Legal and Compliance Cesar Bruan, Honda Cars Fairview General Manager Rachele Diyco and HCPI Sales Division General Manager Louie Sorriano

present in the event were Gatewayfairview Motors Corp. principals Rommel Samadan and lawyer Cesar Bruan.

“We would like to congratulate Honda Cars Fairview on the groundbreaking of their new location. Their relocation to

this upcoming new dealership site will surely cater to the needs of customers residing in Fairview, Novaliches, and other neighboring areas.” said president of Masahiko Nakamura, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.

Panoramic moonroof and Apple Carplay are two of the well-liked features.

Five things Ford Territory owners love in their SUV TODAY’S car consumers have become more discerning and sophisticated when it comes to their preferences. The SUV has become a popular choice for Filipino buyers over the years, thanks to its versatility, practicality, driving performance, and value for money.Launched last year, the Ford Territory made its presence felt in the small SUV category as a featurepacked vehicle that combines design, technology and functionality to offer a new driving experience to young professionals and starting families. Since then, the Ford Territory has garnered an impressive following among SUV buyers, which led to the formation of an online community composed of customers, enthusiasts, and fans – the Ford Territory Club Philippines or FTCP. Founded in July 2020, the FTCP is a Facebook group composed of over 11,000 members, many of whom are owners of the Ford Territory. The online group allows members to share their experiences in buying, owning, and driving a Territory. One of the most discussed group topics is #Carflex, where members post photos of their Ford Territory. Group admins also introduce various contests with prizes up for grabs, as well as upload polls for members to answer, to create and sustain engagement.

In a recent poll, FTCP members were asked about their five (5) favorite Ford Territory features. These 5 features are as follows:

Panoramic Moonroof

The Panoramic Moonroof is a nifty feature that takes the driver and passenger experience to the next level. It allows natural light into the cabin with the simple press of a button and can be accessed whether you’re sitting up front or in the back.

360-Degree Around View Monitor

Gain complete visibility on your surroundings with the Territory’s 360-Degree Around View Monitor. This is a true gamechanger when driving at low speed or backing up, offering a safer and more convenient driving experience.

Blind Spot Information System

Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) alerts the driver when a vehicle is detected alongside and difficult to see in a blind spot. When a vehicle is detected, drivers are alerted with an indicator light found in the side view mirror.

10-inch Infotainment System

The Territory is equipped with an intuitive 10-inch in-vehicle infotainment system that lets you control the vehicle’s audio, air conditioning system, ambient lightning, settings, and many more with ease and convenience.

Apple Carplay and Android Auto Compatibility

Drivers can effortlessly connect and display their smartphone information on the Territory’s touchscreen through its Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility. Simply connect via Bluetooth and gain easy access to your favorite apps.

“Whether it’s your daily commute, essential travels, work or personal errands, or a leisure trip with the family, you can definitely own every driving moment with the Ford Territory with features that make it a comfortable and fun to drive SUV,” says Patrick Manigbas, marketing director, Ford Philippines.