Manila Standard - 2021 June 21 - Monday

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PH buys 40-m Pfizer doses Galvez: Single biggest deal so far; vaccine slated for August delivery

By Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja

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HE government has made the biggest vaccine procurement for 2021 with the signing of a supply agreement for 40 million doses of PfizerBioNTech vaccines, with deliveries expected to start in August.

“We are very happy to report that the government and the management of Pfizer have finally concluded our negotiations,” said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. “(Health) Secretary (Francisco) Duque and I signed yesterday (Saturday) the supply agreement for the biggest and most decisive deal we had for 2021.”

“The vaccine demand has begun to ease up for many big and rich countries, as most of them have already acquired more than enough vaccines for their population and have vaccinated many of their citizens. This has allowed the manufacturer to commit to us that deliveries, though still to be made in tranches, will be in bulk,” he said.

The procurement of the 40 million vaccine doses will be financed through a multilateral loan with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Galvez said loan funds from multilateral partners such as the ADB follow a direct disbursement scheme in which payments are made directly by the fund manager to the vaccine manufacturer.

He said this would ensure that vaccine

STREET LOVE. A street mural adorns a portion of Gen. Luna Street in Intramuros, Manila depicting a healthy community where one of the new requirements nowadays is to have a jab of a vaccine against COVID-19. The mural is painted

by Manila Street Love, a non-government organization, a first mobile outreach program for the homeless, and those staying in temporary shelters due to sickness or rehabilitation in Manila. Norman Cruz

Robredo junks ‘one size, fits all’ COVID approach

By Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo VICE President Leni Robredo on Sunday said the government must provide appropriate policies for its COVID-19 response.

Observing that many of the policies are “pre-pandemic,” Robredo said the government must review existing rules and guidelines and retrofit them based on the current situation to help businesses survive the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“To me, it must not be one-size-fits-all.

Most of the time, we need to shift our existing policies. We have many policies that are Next page

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COVID-19 PH

VOL. XXXV • NO. 126 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Hospitals in Bicol, other regions see critical use

By Willie Casas and Ronald O. Reyes HOSPITALS outside Metro Manila continued to see spikes in COVID-19 cases, as intensive care utilization rates reached a critical level in Davao City and oneweek growth rates climbed in other urban areas.

This developed as Vice President Leni

Robredo on Sunday called on the Duterte administration to help provinces reeling from increasing COVID-19 cases, as the Department of Health last week flagged 36 areas with "high or moderate risk" number of coronavirus infections.

As her home region of Bicol experiences a coronavirus spike, Robredo said the area’s medical community was worried there were not enough hospital beds to address the surge.

“Medical groups in Bicol said they had fewer hospital beds compared to Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao," said Robredo on her radio program this week.

In addition, doctors in the province have asked local governments to impose stricter lockdowns, as they feared they might experience difficulties similar to what India went through.

Officials of the Department of Health Next page

HEALTHCARE workers will get their allowances in cash after the allotment was "repurposed" to other COVID-19-related responses, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire has vowed.

"We were informed that hospitals were unable to use the money for health workers' transportation, meals and accommodation,” Vergeire said during the weekend Laging Handa public briefing.

FORMER Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Sunday described House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez as a “diligent” and “compassionate” public official, making him a very credible vice presidential candidate in the 2022

national elections.

Cayetano, who ran for vice president as President Rodrigo Duterte’s running mate in 2016, said Romualdez is a humble public servant who respects the people he interacts with.

“Hindi po ako nagbabago sa sinabi ko Next page

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,803 57,679 NEW

ACTIVE

23,621

84

1,277,715

7,652

NEW

DEATHS

NEW

SPORTS / C1

OLYMPICS’ PUBLIC VIEW SITES NIXED JAB PROMO. A restaurant inside a shopping mall in Pasig City offers "buy one, take one" promotion for customers with a fully vaccinated card. Incentives such as discounts will hopefully encourage more to get inoculated and help the government achieve herd immunity. Other promos launched by LGUs range from rice sack and bikes to cellphones and house and lot package. Joey Razon

PNP on ICC: We follow the ‘chain of command’

NEWS / A2

Oil price hike's 5th round in the offing

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday it will follow the chain of command if the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeks its cooperation with its investigation of extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs.

In an interview with ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo, PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar DILIGENT. Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (left) has described House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep Martin Romualdez as a diligent and said the PNP is an organization with a chain compassionate public official, making him a very credible vice presidential candidate. of command, and it would adhere to it. file photo by Ver Noveno

1,359,015

YOUNG GILAS BEATS KOREA FOR SWEEP

More than a year into the pandemic, health workers at the forefront in the battle against COVID-19 still lament their low and delayed pay.

Health workers have not received their hazard pay since January this year, their groups said.

Vergeire also said hospitals could not use the budget due to certain rules in the procurement and fund utilization. Other hospitals have been giving the benefits in kind like food and grocery items, leading to criticisms from lawmakers, who said that is not what the law provides.

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Ex-Speaker endorses Romualdez

By Rio N. Araja

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 20)

RECOVERIES

DOH: Frontliners to be paid in cash

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

AT A GLANCE

Next page

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PATERNAL BONDING. Father

teaches his son how to ride a bike, a simple gesture and celebration of paternal bond and love. It's a heart warming moment that will be cherished for a lifetime. Manny Palmero

PUMP prices will likely go up anew this week by as much as P0.80 per liter, triggering a fifth consecutive week of oil price hikes for both gasoline and diesel products.

"Expect fuel prices to go up next week (June 22 - 28, 2021). Diesel will increase by P0.70 to P0.80 per liter. Gasoline will increase by P0.70 to P0.80 per liter," Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. said in its media advisory.

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News

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

MMC wants 5,000 contact tracers T The MMC, which presides over the National Capital Region, is prioritizing aggressive contact tracing and testing to prevent the further spread of the virus.

“We must be able to take action against COVID-19 cases in our localities. We see a slight increase, we immediately take action," Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said in a “24 Oras”

report on Sunday.

“We can immediately go into a lockdown, or immediately report the matter.

And of course, swabbing, testing, and isolation are continuous. We have to be prepared for this, and not get surprised,” he added.

The MMC also asked the national government to maintain strict border controls to dampen threats of the Delta variant.

The government has enforced a travel ban on passengers coming from India and six other countries, which was extended until June 30, 2021.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Filipinos who are included in the government's repatriation programs are not covered by the travel restrictions imposed for inbound travelers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

Filipinos in these countries may enter the Philippines despite a travel ban covering their host countries, Malacañang said Sunday.

"Let it be clear, however, that Fili-

PH... procurement is transparent and free of corruption, as the funds will not pass through any government official or agency.

With the latest supply agreement, the Philippines has now secured the delivery of 113 million doses from five manufacturers namely, Sinovac with 26 million doses, Sputnik V with 10 million doses, Moderna with 20 million doses, AstraZeneca with 17 million doses, and Pfizer, with 40 million doses.

The COVAX Facility under the World Health Organization has also committed to deliver a total of 44 million doses this year, bringing the total number of doses secured by the Philippines to 157 million.

Meanwhile, about 16 million doses from Novavax and Johnson & Johnson are still under negotiation.

The Philippines last week started its programme to vaccinate 35 million people working outside their homes, while continuing to inoculate priority sectors such as healthcare workers and elderly citizens, hoping to achieve herd immunity this year.

More than 8 million doses have been administered, of which about 6 million were for the first dose, suggesting a slow vaccine rollout that puts the government's target to vaccinate up to 70 million people this year in doubt.

Vaccine supply around the capital Manila remains limited, while COVID-19 cases in several provinces have surged, complicating efforts to ramp up the immunization drive in a country with some of Asia's largest numbers of infections and deaths.

“The vaccines from Pfizer will significantly boost our national immunization program and will enable us to realize our goal of achieving herd immunity by yearend. This is another positive development that will give a happy and better Christmas for all Filipinos,” Galvez said.

Galvez reiterated that preparedness on the part of local government units (LGUs) is imperative with the confirmed procured supply from Pfizer.

“We don’t want any vaccine to be wasted because of spoilage and mishandling,” Galvez said.

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have storage temperature requirements of minus 80 to minus 60 degrees centigrade while Moderna and Sputnik require minus 20.

Galvez said the government will deploy the procured Pfizer doses to all provinces and regions.

“We intend to deploy the Pfizer, Sput-

nik V, and Moderna vaccines as soon as possible and distribute it even to rural areas and communities. However, this will not be possible if the receiving LGU is not ready to handle these types of vaccines,” said Galvez.

He said the scheduled delivery of Pfizer and Moderna will coincide with the opening of the national immunization program to the general population, including those under the 12-to-15 age bracket.

However, the National Task Force against COVID-19 clarified that the adult population and the vulnerable sector will still be given priority in the vaccination program.

Galvez said the vaccination of 12-to15-year-olds may be conducted in the latter part of the year, as the country increases its vaccine inventory and completes the inoculation of the priority sectors.

The Philippines logged o 5,803 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,359,015, as two laboratories were unable to submit their data on time, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The DOH reported 84 new fatalities, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 23,621.

The DOH also reported 7,652 newly recovered persons, bringing the total recoveries to 1,277,715.

Active cases stood at 57,679, of which 91.9 percent were mild, 3.7 percent were asymptomatic, 1.3 percent were critical, 1.8 percent were severe, and 1.29 percent were moderate.

Nationwide, 57 percent of ICU beds, 47 percent of isolation beds, 46 percent of ward beds, and 36 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 38 percent of isolation beds, 32 percent of ward beds, and 32 percent of ventilators, were in use.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the P57.3 billion in loans already secured by the government can cover the P25 billion required to vaccinate minors.

Lacson cited updated figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicating only P30.462 billion may be needed to inoculate 68.2 million adult Filipinos this year.

"Figures from the PSA as of March 28 this year show the Philippines' midyear population will reach 110,198,654 by July 1. Of this, 62 percent or 68.323 million are adults. If we multiply this by P446 per dose, including logistical costs, we will need about P30.472 billion to inoculate adult Filipinos," Lacson said.

The difference of P26.83 billion is

more than enough to cover the P25 billion requirement to procure the vaccines for minors, he said.

Based on these figures, Lacson said, the government need not look for an additional P25 billion since it is amply covered by the excess from its borrowings.

He noted that even if the government were to inoculate 83.8 million adults based on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF)'s figures, at P446 per dose including logistical requirements, it would only need P37.374 billion -- still way below the P57.3 billion in borrowings.

On the other hand, he pointed out that Galvez had stated that the country will have 68 million free doses of vaccines, including 44 million from the COVAX facility and 24 million from two brands.

"Every peso counts and must be accounted for, especially during these difficult times. That said, the IATF and DOF (Department of Finance) should further clarify the figures that they presented during last Tuesday's Committee of the Whole hearing," Lacson said.

During the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the government's vaccination program last June 15, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said that of the P88.6 billion budget to procure vaccines, P57.3 billion had been sourced through concessional loans from multilateral institutions such as the ADB. Also, during the hearing, Lacson and Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III agreed that with more than enough funds to achieve herd immunity for this year, the government should focus more on ensuring the efficient rollout of the vaccines.

Lacson said the Senate will scrutinize agencies' requests for additional budgets against the pandemic, including an additional P66 billion being requested by the Department of Health for pandemic response.

"First, they will have to account for P660.1 billion which, according to the Department of Budget and Management, has been released to the agencies concerned for the overall COVID-19 response over the last 15 months or so," he said.

"During these times when the country is almost neck-deep in debt with an unprecedented P11 trillion in foreign and domestic borrowings, not to mention an alarmingly low revenue collection, every peso that comes from the treasury should count and made sure to be put to good use, he added.

Lacson also said the government should all the more do a better job of promoting trust in the vaccination process and

maximize limited resources to do so, after Australia's commitment to provide P480.2 million to procure additional COVID-19 vaccine jabs.

Data from the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) showed that as of June 18, a total of 8,050,711 jabs have been administered nationwide.

Of the total, 5,953,810 were given as the first dose.

Galvez said there will be no letup in the national vaccination campaign.

“All sectors of society are working together so that we can start to move on from this pandemic, bring back a greater sense to our lives, and further open up our economy,” he said in a statement.

To date, 94.24 percent or 1,053,373 health care workers (A1) have been inoculated while in the senior citizens (A2) group, 1,939,599 have received their first dose and 536,476 are fully vaccinated.

For adults with comorbidities (A3), 2,005,206 have been given their first jabs while 498,925 have received both shots.

For the economic front-liners (A4), 452,600 were administered their first dose, while 8,127 are already fully vaccinated.

The vaccination of the A4 category began on June 7 but is limited to the National Capital Region (NCR), Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal where there are a significant number of Covid-19 cases.

At least 23,826 indigent residents were also given their first dose in select LGUs in NCR. Also on Sunday, Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo said the US donation of COVID-19 shots could boost vaccine confidence among Filipinos, who favor jabs made by Western companies.

But she called on people to "take the vaccine that is available because that is our best protection against COVID-19.”

She also urged vigilance, even among those who have been fully vaccinated.

“The latest data from Indonesia shows that even those fully vaccinated can get the virus and be hospitalized. So let us continue to be vigilant, to continue wearing face masks and face shields, to always be on guard against getting infected, or if we are infected, against infecting others,” she said.

Over 300 Indonesian health workers got the virus despite taking two doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, she said.

The Department of Health, however, assured the public that Sinovac remains effective against death and hospitalization from COVID-19.

Robredo...

DOH:...

Ex-Speaker...

PNP...

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still pre-pandemic. There are situations that have been taken into consideration. They have yet to take into account the situation right now,” she said.

As an example, she cited a new regulation by the Bureau of Internal Revenue to impose higher taxes on private schools from 10 percent to 25 percent, which is not timely since the education sector was among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

She said there are many opportunities in helping the people who have lost their jobs.

Meanwhile, National Task Force against COVID-19 spokesman Restituto Padilla said the agency opposed the scrapping of the mandatory requirement of wearing face shields on top of face masks, saying it's still too early to do so.

His statement came in response to an announcement from Palace spokesman Harry Roque last week that President Duterte's statement on requiring face shields only in hospitals is considered policy.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), however, recommended to the President that face shields continue to be mandatory in enclosed spaces.

Also on Sunday, Senator Panfilo Lacson called on the authorities to speed up the setting of standard quarantine protocols for vaccinated people to benefit not just returning Filipino workers from overseas, but also the economy.

"Please make it sooner, not later. Mind the economy for a change," he said.

He threw his support behind the National Task Force Against COVID-19's move to draw up standard quarantine protocols for Filipinos vaccinated here and abroad, saying economic recovery cannot afford to wait. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Because of this, the Department of Health decided to retrieve the allocation.

"We will return it to the quick response fund," Vergeire said, adding that the money should not be put on hold as the year will soon be over.

Vergeire said upon the return of the allowance, the DOH used it for responses related to COVID-19, including the purchase of test kits.

But Malacañang directed the DOH to monetize the free accommodation and meals intended for health workers.

"I want to assure our healthcare workers that we are looking for the fund sources and this will be given to you in cash.

We ask for your patience,” she said.

Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega had said the hazard pay and special risk allowance for health frontline workers from January to June this year are still being processed by the Department of Budget and Management.

Meanwhile, to intensify COVID-19 vaccination, the government needs to obligate the P173 billion for Bayanihan 2 before the end of the law’s effectivity on June 30, said Sen. Francis Pangilinan.

He said this would eventually help the government recover from the lockdowncaused economic slump.

Noting the spikes in COVID cases in the provinces, the senator also said the government needs a lot of catching up to do to achieve its promised herd immunity of 70 million Filipinos inoculated by the end of the year.

"We have doubts because right now, we are only (averaging) 100,000 jabs a day. Our projection before the year is at 70 million jabs. If we are to compute, we need 700,000 vaccine jabs a day,” he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

na si Martin Romualdez po ay masarap katrabaho. Very diligent at mabait na tao.

Works well and respects [his colleagues] sa short time na nagka-trabaho kami together,” he said at a news conference on his “Sampung Libong Pag-asa” program, in which he distributed P10,000 in financial “ayuda” to over 500 beneficiaries in Batangas.

Romualdez—who Duterte said last week he would support as VP should the lawmaker decide to run for the post—promotes a culture of openness and collaboration in his style of leadership, the former Speaker and ex-Foreign Secretary added.

Cayetano and Romualdez worked together in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress since July 2019 to pass the priority bills of President Duterte, especially measures that helped mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country, including the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws.

He said Romualdez’s possible bid for the vice presidency deserves support.

“All things being equal, he deserves support, but habang lumalapit [ang filing ng CoC] hindi pa talaga natin alam kung sino ang magta-tandem,” he stressed.

Cayetano believes Romualdez would be focusing first in passing the remaining priority bills of the Duterte administration before thinking on any possible national post.

“Knowing Martin, gusto niya trabaho lang muna, iyun lang kasi nabanggit siya ng ating Pangulo [as VP presidential candidate niya],” he said.

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo earlier said Romualdez was very much qualified to be the next vice president. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

The President has said he will never cooperate with the ICC investigation.

“This is an international issue, and the Department of Foreign Affairs is on it,” Eleazar said in Filipino. “The police will concentrate on our jobs... If there's a violation, we have our own mechanism to penalize erring policemen.”

Eleazar said the government does not sanction state-sponsored killings.

“We have no policy to kill or hurt others if not based on self-defense. That's our policy and law that if we violate, we would have to be accountable. We don't tolerate this,” he said.

The PNP has reported more than 7,000 people have been killed in the drug war, but human rights groups believe there could be thousands more, many of them summary executions.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), too, said it would follow the President's orders not to participate in the ICC investigation.

“First and foremost, I want to let all know that PDEA is open to all investigations and as far as those killed during anti-drug operations conducted

by PDEA [are concerned]. However, our President has spoken.

What he said was that he would not allow any investigation. I see his reason and where he is coming from,” PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva told Dobol B TV. Retired ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda earlier sought the authority for the ICC to conduct a full investigation of the Philippines' anti-drug campaign.

A preliminary investigation, she said, showed there was reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in the government’s anti-drug operations. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

HE Metro Manila Council asked for 5,000 more contact tracers in case the more transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 enters the capital region.

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pinos covered by the repatriation programs of the government and repatriation activities of manning/recruitment agencies cleared by the Bureau of Quarantine are not prohibited from entering the Philippines," Roque said in a statement.

"They can enter the country, subject to testing and quarantine protocols."

The World Health Organization has classified the Delta variant, first identified in India, as a variant of global concern.

India's death toll more than doubled to more than 330,000, according to official figures. Many experts suspect the true toll is over a million. Willie Casas

Tokyo scraps Olympics public viewing sites TOKYO—Tokyo will cancel all public Olympics viewing events in an effort to reduce the risk of coronavirus infections, the city governor said Saturday.

Having postponed the Games for a year because of the pandemic, Japan has already banned overseas spectators—in an Olympics first—while reducing the number of participants, volunteers, and guests.

However, officials are forging ahead with hosting the Games from July 23.

"We have decided to cancel these live viewing sites that gather people," Yuriko Koike told reporters, after meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

"On the other hand, we will make greater use of the web to create exciting atmospheres for the Games and to disseminate various cultural information."

There had been six planned viewing sites, across the Japanese capital.

The announcement came as Koike and Suga prepare to meet Olympics and Paralympics officials Monday for a key consultation during which they are expected to finalize whether to allow domestic spectators inside Games venues.

Politicians and organisers are pushing for some spectators to be allowed. AFP

Hospitals...

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(DOH) in Eastern Visayas also warned the public not to trade “momentary feelings of happiness in social gatherings” over the infections and deaths brought by the deadly disease following the trend of record-breaking daily cases in the region in the past two weeks.

“The fleeting joy and celebration that the public is hopeful about when they meet in social gatherings may cause a dreadful ending for others, especially the vulnerable groups,” said the DOH in Eastern Visayas.

The OCTA Research team said Sunday Davao City led the list of local government units outside the National Capital Region with the greatest number of new COVID-19 cases from June 13 to 19.

In its June 20 report, the team said Davao City averaged 252 new infections per day, which is higher than the 177 daily average cases from the previous week.

Davao had a one-week growth rate of 42% and an average daily attack rate of 13.88%.

The city also has an intensive care unit utilization rate of 95% (critical), while its hospital bed utilization rate was at 67% (moderate).

Aside from Davao City, Valencia in Bukidnon, Cebu City, and Polomolok in South Cotabato had significant one-week growth rates of 80%, 45%, and 32%, respectively.

The group also said Iloilo City, Koronadal in South Cotabato, and Bacoor City have reached 100% ICU utilization.

Other areas nearing full capacity in their ICUs are Tuguegarao at 98%, Cotabato City at 94%, General Santos and San Pablo in Laguna at 86%, and Tagum and Naga City with 85%.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infections in the capital region continued to decrease with 750 new cases, lower than the 842 cases the previous week.

The NCR’s ICU utilization rate is at 44%, while its hospital bed occupancy is at 35%.

On Sunday, Eastern Visayas marked a continuous increase with the highest number COVID-19 cases at 712 since the pandemic started in 2020. Tacloban City, the region’s capital, recorded 106 cases in just a day.

The region listed 282 hotspot barangays or those with a total of three or more cases for the last two morbidity weeks, according to the regional DOH. See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Oil...

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On June 15, the oil companies raised prices in domestic oil products.

Gasoline increased by P0.50 per liter, diesel by P0.40 per liter and P0.30 per liter for kerosene.

These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P10 per liter for gasoline, P8.55 per liter for diesel and P7 per liter for kerosene.

World oil prices trended in the past weeks higher due to confidence of strong demand outlook and accelerating vaccinations allowing for more mobility, according to the Department of Energy.

DOE cited the report of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) monthly oil market report that global oil demand is set to rise by 3.1 million barrels per day and return to pre- pandemic levels by the fourth quarter next year.

Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies are scheduled to meet online July 1 to assess market conditions and review plans to bring more output online which could impact on the movement of oil prices.

News PNP commends ‘babysitter-cops’ POLICEMEN in Benguet and Catanduanes have been commended by Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar for going beyond their duties, like their babysitting initiatives. Personnel from the Mankayan Municipal Police Station and the Women and Children’s Protection Desk not just helped a woman who went to the police station regarding her personal concern, but they also assisted her tending to her child.

The real policeman does not choose the time or place when, where and how he can help.

Many of our police officers are also parents so they know and understand the difficulty and they know when to help),” Eleazar said in a statement.

Corporal Ghrills Linnum and Patrolman Aileen De Los Reyes took care of the woman’s baby so she could focus on talking to authorities over her concerns. The police officers even lulled the infant to sleep.

Meanwhile, M/Sgt. Catherine Surban of the Virac, Catanduanes police, did not hesitate to breastfeed a baby when she heard that the infant was crying while with his father at the police station. The father went there to seek police assistance as the mother of the child supposedly abandoned them.

What they showed was an example personnel who is faithful to his or her sworn duty will never hesitate to help others to the best of his or her ability),” Eleazar said.

He said the action of these police personnel showed what genuine police service means.

“This is actually part of the basic concept of our Intensified Cleanliness Policy. Our police stations serve as the window to the PNP. If only the police stations are clean and orderly, we can show the people that the police are on their side and really reliable in times of need,” Eleazar said.

Eleazar said he would see to it that the police officers will be given due recognition for their good deeds.

PCUP warns vs. inhumane demolitions

By Rio N. Araja

THE Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor on Sunday raised concern over incidence of demolitions and evictions in Metro Manila and other parts of the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and warned local government units that would fail to provide relocation or financial assistance to affected informal settler families.

Undersecretary Alvin Feliciano, PCUP chairperson and chief executive officer, cautioned that failure to provide relocation or financial assistance

by LGUs to families affected by demolition and eviction is contrary to the provisions of Section 28 of Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 for a just and humane demolition.

The law clearly states that if the occupants of a lot or land are considered “underprivileged and homeless” who need to be demolished or evicted, it is only appropriate for the LGU to give the affected families the relocation or the provision of financial assistance first before proceeding the demolition, he stressed.

He lmented that there are still LGUs that do not follow the stipulations of the law.

The PCUP is determined to file a lawsuit against any erring local governments.

“The PCUP will file appropriate cases against the LGUs that do not provide relocation or financial assistance to the families affected by the demolition and evictions,” Feliciano said.

SHARING. Katrina P.

Ocampo, 39 years old, opens a community pantry to distribute goods to her neighbors in Barangay 753 and 754 during her 39th birthday celebration held along Arellano Avenue in Manila, on June 20, 2021. Ocampo shares that her family traditionally gives a donation to different institutions every birthday. In the time of the coronavirus pandemic, she has decided to help her neighbors by setting up a community pantry, so that she can share her blessings with them.

Norman Cruz

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

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AYUDA BILL. Continuing the successful campaign for “ Sampung Libong Pag-asa”,

former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano and Batangas Rep. Ranie Abu distribute P10,000 in aid to each of the 525 beneficiaries of San Pascual, Batangas City to show direct assistance works for the recovery of the Filipino family during the pandemic. Cayetano espouses a bill seeking to provide indigents with P10,000 each in ‘ayuda’ or aid. Norman Cruz

Only local chief execs can hire job order workers—CA

T

HE Court of Appeals has granted a petition filed by Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba over the power of the local chief executive to hire job order personnel and appoint officials and employees. In a 23-page decision dated June 14, 2021 and written

by Associate Justice Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr., the CA Special Sixth Division set aside the ruling of the Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10 on the legal standoff between Mamba and Vice Governor Melvin Vargas Jr. over job order employees hired in the Office of the Vice Governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

In June 2019, Mamba issued a memorandum which stated that the provincial governor had the sole authority to sign and execute job order contracts and consequently declared as void all job order contracts signed and entered into

by Vargas. Vargas then wrote a letter to the Department of Budget Management to clarify the governor’s memoranda.

DBM Regional Director Alice Trinidad opined that the authority of the provincial governor to appoint employees does not extend to the employees of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan because such authority belonged to the vice governor.

In his response, Mamba reiterated his position that the LCE has the exclusive authority to hire job order employees, prompting

Vargas and affected job order employees to file a petition before the lower court to assail the governor’s decision.

They argued that the vice governor has the authority to appoint casual and job order employees of the Office of the Vice-Governor and Sangguniang Panlalawigan as long as the budget was derived from the appropriation of the said local legislature.

Since the salaries of the job order employees were to be sourced from the appropriation for the office of the vice-governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, it is the vice-governor that had the authority to enter into contracts with them, they stated.

In ruling in favor of the governor, however, the CA distinguished appointed officials and the power to enter into contracts to procure services, including the hiring of job order employees.

Caloocan set to build P50-m evacuation hub ANOTHER major project will begin its construction in Caloocan City under the administration of Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan.

This is after the city andPAGCOR held the groundbreaking and timecapsule laying rites for the two-storey Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center in Phase 1 Barangay 171, Caloocan, funded with P50 million.

This is the first ever PAGCOR MultiPurpose Rescue Building to be built in the whole of Metro Manila. Malapitan thanked PAGCOR for choosing Caloocan City to be the beneficiary of this project.

“Caloocan City is blessed because this will definitely help our Disaster Management and Rescue Operations which will serve as a safe haven for our people in times of need,” said Malapitan.

According to the mayor, Disaster Management and Rescue Operations is one of his priorities since taking office as mayor of Caloocan, including the establishment of a 24/7 command center, construction of the Rescue Building and purchase of equipment for rescue operations.

“On behalf of the Caloocan City Government, we thank PAGCOR for choosing our city as the first city in NCR to build this magnificent project.

Please expect that we will appreciate it and use it for the benefit of the people of Caloocan, “the mayor said.

SAFETY COMPLIANT. SM City Ortigas

displays prominently its safety seal after the LGU has found the mall to have complied with the mandated health protocols. SM Supermalls Regional Operations Manager Cid Victoria, SM City East Ortigas Mall Manager Tyrone Tan and Pasig City Administrator Jeronimo Manzanero have jointly installed the safety seal for every mall visitor to be assured of safe and healthy practices inside the mall.Norman Cruz

Watchdog wary of Chinese investments in telecom, other areas A SELF-STYLED watchdog on Sunday warned that China’s investment in the Philippines can be used for espionage.

Bencyrus Ellorin, Pinoy Aksyon for Governance and the Environment convenor, raised alarm that the investments of China in the Philippines, including in telecommunications, could be used for surveillance and espionage.

In the past years, China has put emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) to empower its economy, gain political influence and project global power, gain military advantage specifically in emerging technologies and advanced cyber warfare capabilities and governance and societal control through the use of mass surveillance

to impose “normal” behavior on its citizens, he said.

“Today, you see China backing its companies in investing in different parts of the world and it is using its money to offer multi-billion loans especially to poor countries like the Philippines. This becomes a problem as there are hidden strings that come with these

loans,” Ellorin said.

He said Article 7 of China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law states that “any organization or citizen shall support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law,” adding that the state “protects” any individual and organization that aids it. Rio Araja

Conflicts displace 15k families OXFAM Philippines on World Refugee Day joined other non-government organizations in calling for the immediate end of violence and hostilities in the Bangsamoro region, especially in Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao and Tawi-Tawi, where armed conflicts are happening “More than 15,000 families have lost their homes and livelihoods in armed conflict areas in the Bangsamoro region in recent months. While most people are asked to stay at home to avoid exposure to the coronavirus, some were forced to flee their homes to save their lives,” the organization said in a statement (attached and posted on Oxfam website).

It pointed out that Filipinos should

not be forced to choose between violence and exposure to the virus.

Oxfam’s statement is in support of a joint statement of civil society organizations and humanitarian agencies for the Bangsamoro Peace and Security Summit for Sustainable Local Development on May 24 calling for the suspension of military action of both government forces and non-state armed groups.

The organization said the cessation of hostilities would be a good opportunity to address the underlying causes of violence in the region.

Among the steps suggested by the group is the promotion of peace dialogues among parties involves in armed conflict.

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MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

P6.3-b released

by PhilHealth worth of claims

By Willie Casas THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

(PhilHealth) has released P6.3-billion worth of claims of hospitals in high-risk areas in the battle against COVID-19, a PhilHealth executive has confirmed.

PhilHealth Vice President for Corporate Affairs Dr. Shirley Domingo, during the Laging Handa public briefing, said they had released the funds through the debit-credit payment program to around 206 health institutions.

Domingo said PhilHealth had paid out 79 percent of the total claims, whether COVID or non-COVID. She said PhilHealth had paid the Philippine Red Cross around P5.5 billion for COVID-19 test claims.

Domingo also said PhilHealth was open to a proposal of a technical working group meeting between PhilHealth and hospitals that would handle the processing of the state health insurer claims, following some data discrepancies.

“Not all claims that we are receiving are paid immediately, as we thoroughly investigate the processing because we are using people’s money,” Domingo said.

BUSTED. Former municipal councilor of Lanao del Sur Haifa Hadjiasis, 50 (wearing maong jacket), stands with Esmael Dimasar, 18; Jabar Macalanggan, 27; and Mila Sultan, 50, while being arrested during a buy-bust in Barangay Burol Main, Dasmarinas, Cavite on Friday night by Cavite Police Intelligence Unit-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit who allegedly found 10 plastic sachets containing suspected shabu worth P100,000,00 and marked money.

JR Josue

News

3 alleged BIFF members slain

T

HREE alleged members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed in Maguindanao on Sunday, the military said.

The military encountered 10 BIFF members under Muslimin Amilil in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town at 5:52 a.m. Sunday, according to Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of Western

Mindanao Command (Wesmincom).

Government troops recovered the remains of the BIFF members, 3 caliber .45 pistols, two hand grenades, 8 grams of crystalline substance believed to be

“shabu,” and P1,000 cash.

Meantime, a military operation the day before led to the discovery of an abandoned lair that could accommodate 80 to 100 persons in Barangay Saniag, Ampatuan town, according to Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of Joint Task Force Central.

He said the lair had more or less 12 foxholes, three overhead bunkers, eight bunkers, three guard posts, and running trenches.

Retrieved were one bandoleer, four magazine pouches, one short

magazine, one pressurized improvised explosive device, one pair of combat boots, one butane stove, backpack, pants, ICOM antenna, kettle, Quranic book, pail, iron stove stand, solar panel, whiteboard, and suspected IED components.

The items were sent to 92nd Infantry Battalion for proper disposition, the military said.

“Rest assured that the armed forces will continue to conduct focused military operations to hunt and pound on the enemies, and recover their strongholds and armaments,” Vinluan said.

Business groups: Industry interventions vital to PH AN ALLIANCE of big business groups urged all industries to boost disaster mitigation programs and preparedness against the economic effects of climate change.

In a recent virtual townhall discussion organized by Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) on “Best Practices for a Proactive Approach to Climate Resiliency”, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation President Rene Meily said, “The private sector has a role to play in terms of fighting the effects of climate change and helping reverse it - mitigate its effects.”

“We’re one of the countries with the most typhoons in the world. We are number two in terms of the number of displaced people in the world. We had something like 4.4 million people just last year displaced by disasters,” Meily said.

PDRF is an alliance of top Philippine business groups supporting programs to boost disaster management capabilities in areas of prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery.

In a statement, PDRF co-chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation said, “Corporate executives should have a strong understanding about the implications of climate change, as well as have the opportunities to dialogue about these issues at the highest levels to enable officers and the company as a whole to make informed and sustainable strategic decisions.”

“Now, more than ever, everyone must play a role in building resilience and mitigating risks as more devastating calamities arise in the future. I think we should be contributors of resilience and help minimize the contributions we make in worsening the situation,” Zobel de Ayala said in an Ayala Group summit last year.

Zobel said, “Climate change is an existential threat to everyone, whether you are a business, a government institution, or just an individual.

“Its far-reaching effects and implications have an impact on long-term resilience, sustainability, and longevity,” Zobel said.

Anwar: Jose Rizal truly ‘Pride of Malay Race’ ON THE 160th birthday of Jose Rizal, Malaysian opposition leader and Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim paid tribute to the Philippine National Hero, referring to him as “one of the greatest Malayans, and a true Asian Renaissance Man.” “Dr. Rizal’s knowledge and scholarship was beyond measure and his contributions as a writer, thinker, and artist was titanic,” Anwar said.

“He is the ultimate demonstration of how education can take anyone – regardless of their race, religion, or identity – and empower them to seize their moment in history,” he further added.

The Malaysian politician likewise noted that Rizal was not so much a “revolutionary” as he was a “reformer.”

“He (Rizal) himself denounced violent uprisings.

Without a doubt, his efforts helped to launch the Philippines’ fight for independence from Spain, but his pen was mightier than the Spanish sword,” Anwar said.

“While he advocated for the union of the Malay lands against the dominion of colonialist rule, he considered education as the best tool to achieve this, and ensure the survival and prosperity of societies”.

Anwar emphasized the relevance and value of Rizal’s message in the present day.

“As we face a growing need for international cooperation and regional partnership, we should all take a page from Dr. Rizal’s words and example. His message remains important as we still find ourselves plagued by abject poverty and gross injustices in Southeast Asia and abroad to the wider world,” he said.

Opinion The Vice President

THE confused and confusing state of Philippine politics is quite evident in how these days, it is the vice-presidential wannabes jostling over each other to catch the attention of the “llamado” presidentiables.

Mayor Inday Sara Duterte Carpio keeps denying she has plans to seek the top post, but politicians old and new, current and forgotten, keep going to the nation’s political “mecca”— which is her suzerainty, to seek her benign attention.

First there were siblings of the North’s perennial first family, Senator Imee and former Senator Bong-bong, greeting her an advance happy birthday two days before her 43rd.

Then followed former Tarlac representative and GMA defense secretary, Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, along with CamSur’s Rolando Andaya, who immediately thereafter proclaimed a “done deal,” with Inday Sara running for president, and his principal, Gibo her vice-president.

But days after, the president announced before the “appointed son of God,” Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, that he was against his daughter running for president, and that he is resisting the idea of himself running for vice-president.

That idea was floated, nay, posited by clamor coming from his PDP-Laban party-mates in what its acting president and the son of the party’s founder called a “rump” and illegal convention.

The presidential spokesperson muddled the interpretation of the president’s interview remarks by making a fine distinction between two English words—“resisting” but “not refusing.” And then followed it up by saying he would consider running for senator “only” and only if Mayor Inday Sara would be his presidential candidate.

And days later, the president mismo, from out of the blue, talks about his probable run for the vice-presidency a “good idea” but he had a promise to keep—which is his 2019 offer to Majority Floorleader and first cousin of the Marcoses, Martin Romualdez of Leyte.

Immediately after, former president GMA invited the first cousins to her La Vista residence in some kind of pow-wow to somehow weigh her endorsement of who should be Inday Sara’s vice-presidential candidate. Should it be Bongbong, who sources earlier said she was rooting for, match-making the Marcos heredero with PRRD’s daughter? Or now that the President expressed his preference for Martin, was GMA asking, “sino ba talaga?”

On the “independent” side of the political aisle, what used to be “cast in stone”, the partnership between Senator Ping Lacson for president and Senate President Tito Sotto as his vice-presidential team-mate seems to have foundered on the shoals of uncertainty. Of late, the Pacman team has reached out to the senate president, and supposedly with the presence of Senator Ping, toyed with the idea of running as the determined Pacman’s vice-president.

As some kind of confidence-building measure, the Pacman supposedly dispatched one of his best friends, Chavit Singson of Narvacan, formerly of Vigan, but definitely kingpin of Ilocos Sur, to take his oath of membership

with the Nationalist People’s Coalition before the senate president, who happens to be party chair.

On the opposition side however, speculation is not on who would be Vice President Leni Robredo’s team-mate come 2022, but on whether or not she herself would seek the presidency at all. No one has come around volunteering to be her team-mate, at least not publicly. Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes, along with Vice Pres. Leni, has become 1Sambayan coalition’s remaining choices, and the former has stated he would run for president only if the latter decides to forego her candidacy.

Rife as well, again from the independent side of the political aisle, is speculation about Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, whose survey numbers keep soaring, and as of the last week of May, based on a survey commissioned by a palace insider, is almost statistically tied with his counterpart mayor from the deep South.

Would Domagoso forfeit a sure re-election as mayor of the nation’s capital and instead take a deep dive into the presidential derby of 2022? He remains focused on keeping his many promises in Manila, including his affordable and comfortable housing projects for its informal settlers, and completing in 52 days the Manila Covid-19 Field Hospital at the Luneta’s Burnham Green, something he promised would be done in 60 days.

We have to live with this unseemly state of political affairs.

By so doing, he reinforces the widely-held thinking that he would gun for certain re-election. In fact, no other person of note seems ready nor willing to compete with him in a second mayoral term.

Other presidentiables such as Sen. Grace Poe, who is doing a respectable fourth in most surveys, does not seem interested, as she had manifested to the 1Sambayan coalition that included her in its initial choices. Neither Sen. Nancy Binay and Rep. Vilma Santos Recto of Batangas. Not even human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, who seems to be thinking about a senatorial re-run.

Is there no one else?

Sen. Bong Go has anchored a presidential run on the probability of PRRD himself running as his team-mate, for the veep position. So how would that pan out—Bong Go for president and PRRD for VP, versus Inday Sara Duterte Carpio for president, with Gibo or Bongbong or Martin as her VP? Would any of these gentlemen run against a PRRD running for VP? This article about who’s who jostling for the vice presidential position is as confused as the perennial confusion of Philippine politics, under a confused Constitution which has a presidential form and a multi-party system, contradictions in fact and in praxis.

We have to live with this unseemly state of political affairs until we elect a president who will seriously, yes, seriously, take the firm decision to revise the 1987 Constitution, not only for its archaic economic provisions as Congress keeps trying but failing, but to come up with a sensible political system.

After the “seating of the bishop,” the new archbishop will preside for the first time, in his new archbishop, over the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, highlighting the fact that the bishop is the chief shepherd and high priest of the archdiocese.

The installation of Cardinal Advincula, who was appointed archbishop of Manila on March 25 this year, will culminate more than 16 months of “sede vacante” or vacancy in the archdiocese of Manila, which happened with the appointment of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican in 2019.

The rite of installation of a new bishop is a simple but significant moment in the life of a diocese.

The appointment of Cardinal Advincula to the first archdiocese in the country brings to mind the memory of the late Cardinal Jaime Sin, who like the former, was born from the island of Panay. He also spent his years of seminary formation at the Saint Pius X Seminary in Roxas City, where Cardinal Sin served as its first rector.

Unlike his predecessors, the new archbishop, however, arrives in Manila already a cardinal, having been raised to the cardinalate in November last year. Due to travel restrictions resulting from the continuing coronavirus pandemic, Cardinal Advincula was unable to attend the consistory in Rome, and instead he received his red biretta and ring from the Apostolic Nuncio in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Roxas City, the “cathedra” of his current role as Archbishop of Capiz.

His more than 40 years of ministry to the

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EDITORIAL

Audiam

ON JUNE 24 this coming week, the archdiocese of Manila, the most pre-eminent ecclesiastical circumscription in the Philippines, will receive its 33rd archbishop. Before a bishop can fully exercise the rights and duties of his office, he must first “take canonical possession” of this diocese and be “installed” in his new office.

Canon law requires that the new appointed, if already ordained a bishop as in the case of Cardinal Jose Advincula, take possession of their diocese within two months from the date of appointment. If the new bishop has not been yet consecrated a bishop, the waiting period may be extended – for three months for him to receive episcopal ordination, that is to be “made a bishop” and for four months for him to take canonical possession of the diocese.

The rite of installation of a new bishop is a simple but significant moment in the life of a diocese. This usually happens in the cathedral of the diocese. In the case of Cardinal Advincula’s installation later this week, it will be celebrated in Manila’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Intramuros.

During the ceremony, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown, will present the pope’s apostolic letter of appointment to the clergy and laity of the archdiocese. The presence of the papal representative in the country underscores the Church’s universality, and its links of communion with the pope in Rome. After the same document is read and confirmed by a representative of the clergy, normally the chancellor of the diocese, the Apostolic Nuncio will then “install” the new archbishop—and the he is then seated in the “cathedra” or the bishop’s chair, symbolizing that he has now taken possession of the diocese.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

Shield us from confusion

F

ACE masks are standard fare in this pandemicinfested world. Everybody, except those gripped by a twisted sense of individualism without regard for the welfare of the people around them—also, stupidity— has adapted to a way of life where masks are a fixture.

Face shields—the transparent objects we wear like eyeglasses over our ears and are supposed to cover our entire faces, with just enough room to breathe—are another story.

One school of thought goes that face shields provide a literal second layer of protection against an enemy so unseen and so dynamic in its mutations. More than a year since COVID-19 came to our shores, and even with the titillating thought that more vaccines are coming our way, we are still grappling with thousands of new cases a day.

But others insist that we are practically the only nation that uses face shields, that the protection it provides is negligible, and that it was a manufactured demand to enable some sectors to generate good business.

Earlier, the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases mandated the use of face shields on top of face masks, and that indoor establishments will not allow entry to those not sporting them.

The lack of coherence could be deemed one of the hallmarks of this government’s pandemic response.

Last week, however, no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself said that face shields should only be used in hospitals, contradicting the Department of Health and the IATF. Perhaps he found wearing them cumbersome, too.

Presidential mouthpiece Harry Roque failed to clarify whether this pronouncement

by Duterte could already be enforced. He only said, adding to the confusion, that it was now “presidential policy” which the IATF could appeal. Later he said there would be no changes in the face shield rule; Duterte would eventually decide based on the recommendations of the task force.

The confusion prompted a senator to offer to create a social media group chat so that the policy makers in government can coordinate their statements instead of issuing contradictory and confusing statements.

Then again we cannot say this tendency to confuse the public is something new to us. In fact, the lack of coherence could be deemed one of the hallmarks of this government’s pandemic response.

Unfortunately, the confusion also leads the people to operate on a compliance mindset—doing things in order to comply with certain regulations or obligations instead of seeing these things’ inherent purpose and value. The people enforcing the rules also do just that: Think of those wearing their face shields like they would wear sun visors, on the top of their heads —but hey, they have the shields, so they are following the rules, aren’t they?

The confusion adds to the impression of bumbling incompetence that we are sure they do not like giving. Our officials may not be used to huddling and coordinating their positions, perhaps due to an absence of genuine leadership. For the sake of the people, however, and of a nation desperate to get on with our lives and our livelihood —not to mention exhausted at seeing family, friends and acquaintances get afflicted with the virus—we implore them to at least try.

Mobilizing society and technology for a resilient and symbiotic future

THE striking message of this year’s celebration of World Environment Day is how the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) highlighted how human activities have invaded and shrunk the natural habitat of animals creating conditions ideal for cross-species infections and resulting in the global pandemic.

UNEP cited a PubMed published study, titled, “Nature and COVID-19: The pandemic, the environment, and the way ahead” which said, “The virus may have emerged from wildlife reservoirs linked to environmental disruption, was transmitted to humans via the wildlife trade, and its spread was facilitated by economic globalization.” The United States government has sent experts to Wuhan where the first outbreak of COVID-19 was detected to find evidence but are not getting the cooperation of a typically untransparent Chinese government.

“The essential links between human health and well-being, biodiversity, and climate change could inspire a new generation of innovators to provide green solutions to enable humans to live in a healthy balance with nature leading to a long-term resilient future,” the study said.

Rebuilding from this crisis toward a resilient future is the common vision of scientists, civil society, government, and the private sector panelists in the latest virtual roundtable discussion of Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) in partnership with the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST). ADRi Trustee and PBEST Convenor Dr. Carlos Primo “CP” David set the tone by lamenting on the downplaying of the extreme threats of climate issues because of the “slow onset nature of the problem” which only gets Catholic Church in the Philippines started in his ordination to the priesthood in 1976, serving as rector of his alma mater, the Saint Pius X Seminary in Capiz and later on as bishop of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.

Health restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have prevented the usual crowds from welcoming its new archbishop.

To ensure the fullest participation of everyone in the archdiocese, a series of liturgies have been scheduled at the Manila Cathedral. On June 25, Cardinal Advincula will celebrate the mass with lay representatives from the parishes, faith movements, organizations and the youth sector of the archdiocese. On June 26, he will preside over the solemn celebration of Evening Prayer with the consecrated men and women working the archdiocese.

Representatives of the laity and consecrated persons usually participate in the installation rite, but the prevailing cap on public gatherings have limited the number of persons allowed to be present in the cathedral. All of the said liturgical celebrations will be streamed online and broadcast on television.

The installation of the 33rdarchbishop of the country’s capital city, however, will not be without the traditions unique to the archdiocese. Cardinal Advincula, for one, will be formally welcomed by the mayor of Manila, Francisco Moreno Domagoso at the Postigo Gate, which was used exclusively by the Archbishops of Manila and governor general

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

public attention when disasters strike, homes and infrastructure are destroyed, and scores are injured or killed. Then it’s back to the destructive behavior that brought the planet to what scientists call a global climate tipping point of 1.5-degree Centigrade increase in global temperature that will trigger an irreversible chain of devastation and existential catastrophes with all of humanity as victims.

But as Dr. David raised this alarm, there is still a narrow 30-year window wherein he said, “It is our generation that is starting to occupy the leadership roles of society. It is up to us then to recognize this threat and seriously address the climate crisis.”

We must mobilize all our human, technical, and financial resources.

One of the best models of pro-active interventions are the programs of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and its membership of top business groups in the Philippines.

Its president Mr. Rene “Butch” Meily reminded about how rising temperatures have even worsened the frequency and intensity of typhoons hitting the country that last year, displaced over 4.4 million people. PDRF has responded quickly to every major disaster since it was first organized after typhoon Ondoy which devastated Metro-Manila and surrounding areas in a deluge never before seen in a lifetime.

One of PDRF’s co-chairmen and Ayala Corp. Chairman, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, in an appeal to the country’s industry leaders during a related climate summit, said, “Now, more than ever, everyone must play a role in building resilience and mitigating risks as more devastating calamities arise in the fuduring the Spanish occupation. A civil reception ceremony will then follow at the Ayuntamiento, which presently stands at the site of the old city hall of Manila.

Interestingly, the installation of Manila’s new archbishop will happen on the Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist, traditionally considered Manila’s patron saint and the annual observance of “Araw ng Manila” the day of Manila’s founding anniversary. The Archdiocese of Manila was created in 1579 as a diocese and elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese in 1595.

With his installation, Cardinal Advincula will now become the shepherd of Catholics living in the cities of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay and San Juan. He will also serve as metropolitan to the suffragan dioceses of Novaliches, Parañaque, Cubao, Kalookan and Pasig – all in the National Capital Region, and the four surrounding dioceses of Imus, Antipolo, Malolos and San Pablo.

“Audiam.” I will listen. Cardinal Advincula’s episcopal motto speaks significantly about his pastoral approach in ministering to his new flock as archbishop of Manila. As one of more low-key bishops in the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the new archbishop is expected to shift the focus on the grassroots, allow for greater dialogue and consultation with the clergy and laity and build new parishes and missions especially in underserved communities, pastoral priorities that he has previously undertaken in his past assignments in Negros

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ture. I think we should be contributors of resilience and help minimize the contributions we make in worsening the situation.”

A strategically important program of PDRF is the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which is the first private sector-led national operations center in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Operating in the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga, the center uses advanced communication software and technology to monitor climate-related and natural hazards disaster from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and pandemics. The system continues to provide fast alerts, updates, and supports the coordination of relief and disaster response efforts.

One of PDRF’s members Globe Telecom has been supporting government rescue operations with its highly mobile emergency equipment and technical teams such as their Cell Site on Wheels (COW) and Tower on Wheels (TOW) capable of 1,000 simultaneous calls within a 3-5 kilometer radius. Globe also deploys their Cellular-on-a-Light-Truck (COLT), Networkin-a-Box (NIB), and Mobile Command Center (MCC) to disaster relief operations.

Globe Telecom Chief Risk Officer Rizza Maniego-Eala in a posted statement said, “Our continued investments in risk management systems have assured that our network will be up and running when needed the most.”

In his statement, Stratbase ADRi president Prof. Dindo Manhit said, “Initiatives need to put emphasis on advancing the incorporation of circular business and economic models, investments in “green” and sustainable urban designs, and the incorporation of digital technologies into services and infrastructure developments.”

It is a daunting feeling to realize that we must all, without exception, take the responsibility and act positively to save our planet from becoming uninhabitable. As we have learned to work together and use digital technologies to cope with and fight this pandemic, we must mobilize all our human, technical, and financial resources to rebalance our environment and evolve into a symbiotic planetary ecosystem.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net) Stop the blame game and Capiz. Even his unexpected elevation to the cardinalate indicates Pope Francis’ preference for bishops “who are pastoral,” caring for their flock and acting like “shepherds who smell like sheep.”

With his appointment to the country’s capital city, Cardinal Advincula is expected to reveal to the country’s Catholic faithful the face of a listening and discerning Church, fitting for the difficult times of crisis that we now face.

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Russian envoy flies back to Washington ‘optimistic’ MOSCOW—The Russian ambassador in Washington flew back Sunday to the United States saying he hoped to build “equal and pragmatic” ties after a US-Russia summit in Geneva aimed at reducing tensions.

The plane transporting ambassador Anatoly Antonov, who was recalled in March for CAREFREE DANCING. Couples dance samba as smoke rises consultations, took off at 9:20 from a burning pyrotechnics warehouse in Moscow on June 19. AFP a.m. (0620 GMT) from Moscow’s Cheremetievo airport for New York, where he will travel on to Washington, Russian news agencies reported.

“Given the results of the meeting between the two presidents, I am counting on constructive work with my American colleagues to build equal and pragmatic relations,” Antonov told the Ria Novosti fice staff sign a “one China pledge”, which supports although their visa runs out next month. The only reONG KONG—Taiwan said agency, adding he was in an Beijing’s view that the island is part of its territory. maining members will be local staff. seven employees of its trade Taiwan’s current democratically elected governChiu said that the pledge Hong Kong demanded “optimistic mood.” office in Hong Kong left ment views the island as a de facto sovereign state. staff sign also included a promise not to “interfere Russian President Vladi“China and Hong Kong government use the ‘one with Hong Kong’s affairs, nor to do or say anything mir Putin said Wednesday the financial hub on Sunday after China pledge’ to set up barriers and affect the rotation that undermines Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity that Moscow and Washington authorities there demanded they of staff and normal operations of our office in Hong or that embarrasses the Hong Kong government”. agreed for their ambassadors Kong,” Taiwan’s MAC said in a statement on Sunday.

Taiwan is a major trading partner with both China sign a pledge recognising China’s to return, after summit talks in firmly reject the irrational political suppression and Hong Kong but relations between their governsovereignty over the self-ruled island. of “We Geneva with US counterpart forcing our staff to sign the ‘one China pledge,’ and ments are cratering.

The move comes after both Hong Kong and Macau Joe Biden. condemn the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities over Last month, Hong Kong suspended operations of its closed their trade offices in Taipei and as Beijing seeks this.” trade office in Taiwan.

Diplomatic relations between to pile diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan.

Seven staff members flew out of Hong Kong on It accused Taiwan of “grossly interfering” in the Moscow and Washington had Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Sunday, MAC deputy chief Chiu Chui-cheng said. city’s affairs and causing “irretrievable damage” to all but broken down since Hong Kong’s government had demanded its trade ofJust one Taiwanese employee is left in the office, relations. AFP Biden took office and accused the Kremlin of interfering in US elections and launching cyberattacks.

After Biden likened Putin to a “killer”, Russia in March took the rare step of recalling ambassador Antonov and said NEW YORK—With marches, music and speeches, Americans on Saturday celebrated “Juneteenth,” the newly declared national holiday that marks the end of slavery and the US envoy John Sullivan to CYAN which comes a year after George Floyd’s murder sparked anti-racism protests.

CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Moscow YELLOW likewiseBLACK should reManila Hundreds of events were held across the country, from New York to Los AngeManila turn to Washington.

Standard Standard les, and TODAY most notably in Galveston, Texas, the symbolic heart of the Juneteenth Sullivan left Moscow in April, TODAY commemoration. as the two countries announced a For on June 19, 1865, it was in that Texas coastal area that the Union army -wave of tit-for-tat sanctions and victorious after the bitterly fought Civil War -- announced to African Americans expulsions of diplomats. that, even if some in Texas were trying to ignore it, enslaved people were now free.

In May, Russia formally desSlavery was formally abolished in December 1865, with the adoption of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution, but Juneteenth has remained the emignated the United States an blematic date marking the freeing “unfriendly” state, barring its of enslaved Americans.

EXTRA-JUDICIAL embassy from employing RusEXTRA-JUDICIAL NOTICE SETTLEMENT This year’s Juneteenth celebraSETTLEMENT sian nationals. The only other Notice is hereby Notice is hereby NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN tions are all the more celebratory, given that the state of country on that list is the Czech given that the state of NEW CABINET. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (2nd from right), flanked by the THAT THE ESTATE OF THE coming just days after President the late late LIBERTINE LIBERTINE Republic. AFP SANTOS-CHIN has alternate prime minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, chairs the first weekly cabinet SANTOS-CHIN has LATE ALEXANDER S. LIM Joe Biden signed legislation mak-

OVER HONG KONG ULTIMATUM

Taiwan pulls trade office staff H US marks slavery’s end on new ‘Juneteenth’ national holiday

been extra-judicially been extra-judicially settled settled among among her her heirs heirs as per as per Extrajudicial Extrajudicial Settlement Settlement dated dated May May 5, 5, 2020, 2020, Apostille Apostille # # UPPT-L3-111611, date UPPT-L3-111611, date issued: May 20, 2020 issued: May 20, 2020 at at Sydney Sydney Passport Passport Office, Office, Australia Australia before before Notary Public Notary Public Timothy Timothy William Weissel, N.S.W William Weissel, N.S.W Notary ID Notary (MS-June ID 374 37421/28, July 5, 2021

(MS-June 21/28, July 5, 2021

WAS EXTRAJUDICIALLY SETTLED BY HEIRS AS PER DOC. NO. 158; PAGE 33; BOOK NO. II; SERIES OF 2021 BEFORE NOTARY PUBLIC ATTY. ROE ANNE R. CADIZ OF MAKATI CITY. (MS-JUNE 21/28, JULY 5, 2021)

NOTICE NOTICE OF OF ADOPTION ADOPTION Notice Notice is is hereby hereby given given by

by Spouses Spouses Ramesh Ramesh De De Cabraal Cabraal Wijetunge Wijetunge and and Melanie Melanie Mabanes Mabanes Sofista Sofista that that they they have have filed filed a a Petition Petition for for Adoption Adoption for for Ivee Ivee Laine Laine Sofista Sofista Duran Duran with with the the Regional Regional Trial Trial Court, Court, National National Capital Capital Region, Region, Branch Branch 225, 225, Quezon Quezon City.

City. Thru Thru this this notice, notice, the the petitioners petitioners are are informing informing the the biological biological father, father, Marvin Marvin Aguilar Aguilar Duran Duran of of their their on-going on-going petition petition for adoption of Ivee Laine Sofista for adoption of Ivee Laine Sofista Duran.

Duran.

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

Notice of Notice Dissolution Notice of of Dissolution Dissolution NIKFILL CONSTRUCTION NIKFILL CO., INC. INC. NIKFILL CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION CO., CO., INC. Notice is hereby of Notice given Dissolution Notice is is hereby hereby given of of the thegiven Dissolution the Dissolution of NIKFILL of NIKFILL CONSTRUCTION CO., of NIKFILL CONSTRUCTION CO., CONSTRUCTION CO., of INC. 31, 2019.

INC. as as of of December December 31,INC. 2019.asAny Any December 31, 2019.

Any party who party who has any interest in this regard party who has any interest in this regard has this regard may may give to at may any give interest to notice noticeinthereof thereof at SAPALO SAPALO give to notice thereof at Sapalo Velez Velez Bundang & Bulilan Law Offices, Velez Bundang & Bulilan Law Offices, Bundang Bulilan Bank Law Offices, 11th 11th Centre, 11th Floor, Floor,&Security Security Bank Centre, 6776 6776 Floor, Security Bank Centre, 6776 .

Ayala Avenue, Makati City .

Ayala Avenue, Makati City Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

ing June 19 a national holiday, and at a time when pandemic-imposed restrictions on public gatherings are steadily being eased.

“I feel wonderful, I feel proud, I feel a sense of accomplishment for the struggle,” Sharonda Newby said at a rally in Galveston, where she grew up. “I feel like they’ve given us some momentum, some resilience to continue to push forward.”

“It was a long time coming,” said 68-year-old Cheryl Green, who was attending the unveiling in the New York City borough of Brooklyn of a bust of George Floyd, the Black man killed by a white policeman in Minneapolis in May 2020.

“It’s good that people get to recognize what happened,” said Green, an African-American resident of Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood.

“Changes are being made slowly, but surely we’ll get there.” AFP

meeting of his new government in Jerusalem on June 20. AFP

Ex-UK speaker defects to Labour with attack on Johnson LONDON—The colorful former speaker of Britain’s House of Commons John Bercow said he has left the Conservatives to join the opposition Labour Party, launching a blistering attack on Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In an interview with the Observer newspaper published on Sunday, the former MP said the Conservative Party under Johnson was “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.

Bercow, who stepped down as speaker in October 2019 after 10 years, said he joined the Labour Party a few weeks ago because he shared its values.

“I am motivated by support for equality, social justice and internationalism.

That is the Labour brand,” he told the

for Buckingham for 12 years before being elected speaker in 2009, becoming the youngest person to hold the role for 100 years.

Famed for his shouts of “Order, order!” to bring raucous MPs in line, Bercow found himself as the man in the middle of more than three years of fiery parliamentary debates on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

He enraged the ruling Conservatives with a series of decisions they saw as trying to stymie Brexit and favoring the “Remain” side.

The 58-year-old vehemently denied ever taking sides but earned praise from pro-Europeans and a global following with his rulings and outsized personality. AFP

Iran’s conservative press hails Raisi victory

(MS-June 21/28, July 5, 2021 (MS-JUNE 21/28, JULYJuly 5, 2021) (MS-June 21/28, 5, 2021

NOTICE NOTICE OF OF LOSS LOSS OF OF STOCK STOCK CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE

Notice Notice is is given given to to the the public public that that Tomasian Tomasian Fastfood Fastfood Corporation, Corporation, a a corporation corporation duly duly organized organized and and existing under Philippine laws (the “Corporation”) existing under Philippine laws (the “Corporation”) and with registered address at 1531 A.H. Lacson and with registered address at 1531 A.H. Lacson Cor. Cor. Dapitan Dapitan Streets, Streets, Sampaloc, Sampaloc, Manila, Manila, issued issued stock stock certificates certificates of of unknown unknown number,in number,in favor favor of of the the following stockholders which were declared following stockholders which were declared lost lost in in their respective Affidavits of Loss:1) Mr. Tommy their respective Affidavits of Loss:1) Mr. Tommy Y. Y. King for ten thousand common shares;2) Mr. William King for ten thousand common shares;2) Mr. William Tan Tan Untiong Untiong for for ten ten thousand thousand common common shares; shares; 3) 3) Mr. Mr. Ernesto Ernesto Tanmantiong Tanmantiong for for ten ten thousand thousand common common shares; 4) Mr. Jessie F. Tan for one common shares; 4) Mr. Jessie F. Tan for one common share; share; 5) 5) Winall Winall Holding Holding Corporation Corporation for for nineteen nineteen thousand thousand nine nine hundred hundred and and ninety ninety eight eight common common shares; and 6) Atty.

Jon Michael P. Alamis shares; and 6) Atty. Jon Michael P. Alamis for for one one common share as per Doc. Nos. 168-172 common share as per Doc. Nos. 168-172 and and 173 173 in Page Nos. 37-39 of Book No. 1, Series of 2021 in Page Nos. 37-39 of Book No. 1, Series of 2021 before Notary Public Atty.

Chiles Megan M. Areño. before Notary Public Atty. Chiles Megan M. Areño.

If If no no adverse adverse claim claim regarding regarding any any of of the the above above certificate certificate of of stocks stocks is is presented presented to to the the Corporate Corporate Secretary within one year from the last publication Secretary within one year from the last publication of of this this Notice, Notice, the the right right to to make make such such claim claim shall shall forever forever be be barred barred and and the the Corporation Corporation shall shall cancel cancel in its books the above certificate of stock and issue in its books the above certificate of stock and issue a (MS-JUN 14, 21, 29, 2021) a new new certificate certificate in in lieu lieu thereof. thereof.

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

Observer.

“The conclusion I have reached is that this government needs to be replaced.

The reality is that the Labour Party is the only vehicle that can achieve that objective. There is no other credible option.”

Bercow described the prime minister as “a successful campaigner but a lousy governor.”

“I don’t think he has any vision of a more equitable society, any thirst for social mobility or any passion to better the lot of people less fortunate than he is. I think increasingly people are sick of lies, sick of empty slogans, sick of a failure to deliver,” he told the newspaper.

Bercow served as a Conservative MP

BREAD LINE. People who fled the violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region wait to receive injeras, Ethiopia’s staple food of sour fermented flatbread, from their kitchen as their only meal of the day at May Weyni secondary school, now hosting 10500 displaced people as an IDP camp, in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region, on June 19. AFP

TEHRAN, Iran—Iran’s conservative domestic and foreign challenges”. press on Sunday celebrated the presiThe moderate Jomhouri-e Eslami dential election win of ultraconserva- daily meanwhile highlighted that the tive cleric Ebrahim Raisi while the conservatives had now cemented power marginalised reformist camp engaged across the state, also including parliain deep soul-searching. ment, the courts, the powerful Guardian “The Dawn of a New Era,” read the Council and the armed forces. jubilant front-page headline of the conUsing a touch of irony in its editorial, servative Resalat daily, welcoming the the newspaper said that “we, the people 62 percent win by Raisi, the head of of Iran, owed the conservative faction Iran’s judiciary, in Friday’s election. a homogeneous government” and “the An austere and pious figure from the people have delivered”.

Shiite Muslim clerical establishment, Raisi’s victory had been widely anRaisi is seen as close to the 81-year-old ticipated after many political heavysupreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khame- weights were barred from running by nei, who holds ultimate political power the candidate-vetting Guardian Counin Iran. cil.

Raisi will take over from moderate Turnout plunged to 48.8 percent, a President Hassan Rouhani as Iran seeks record low for a presidential poll in the to salvage its tattered nuclear deal with Islamic republic. major powers and free itself from punThe Kayhan daily, which has been ishing US sanctions that have driven a highly critical of Rouhani, argued deep economic crisis. however that turnout was “epic” conResalat predicted a welcome change sidering the economic woes and the from the Rouhani administration which “enemy’s propaganda”, referring to it said has been dogged by political in- boycott calls from opposition groups fighting and occupied with “fruitless abroad.AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business Huge changes for internet and Big Tech loom under five bills WASHINGTON―The antitrust overhaul package unveiled in Congress targeting Big Tech, if enacted, could have far-reaching effects on how people use the internet and on America’s biggest and most successful companies.

The five bills, due for a committee vote on Wednesday, could pave the way for a reorganization or breakup of giants such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon while reshaping the entire internet ecosystem.

The measures would stop tech giants from operating a platform for third parties while offering competing services on those platforms, dealing a major blow to the likes of Apple and Amazon.

Lawmakers also are seeking to ban tech firms from prioritizing their own products or services, with Google clearly in mind.

Another measure would require data “portability” and “interoperability,” which could make it easier for people to quit Facebook, for example, while keeping their data and contacts.

The largest tech firms additionally would be barred from acquiring competitors under the package, which would also add funds for antitrust enforcement.

Fiona Scott Morton, a Yale University professor and former US official who has written extensively on Big Tech, said the legislation stems from the failure of antitrust enforcement in the US and elsewhere to make a dent in the dominance of major technology firms.

“This is regulation, it’s not antitrust anymore,” Morton said.

If the bills are enacted, she noted, Apple might have to sell or shut down its music service so that it doesn’t discriminate against rivals such as Spotify.

“Apple would have to choose,” she said.

An interoperability requirement “would be very profound for consumers because it would let people join social networks other than Facebook and (Facebook-owned) Instagram and stay in contact with their friends,” Morton noted.

The package comes amid signs of a more aggressive posture by Washington against dominant tech firms, including President Joe Biden’s nomination of Lina Khan―a prominent advocate of breaking up Big Tech―to head the Federal Trade Commission, one of the agencies charged with antitrust enforcement. AFP

Market likely to trade sideways TOP GAINERS S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices will likely revert to sideways trading with a downward bias as investor optimism was spooked by the possible belt tightening of the US Federal Reserve by 2023.

Local interest rates will likely be maintained over the near term period but analysts said investors will still be monitoring the upcoming Monetary Board policy meeting on Thursday.

“Brace for volatility, especially in banks and highly leverages shares, should the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas telegraph similarly hawkish messages though at current circumstances,

Sectoral indices ended mixed with financials, services and industrial posting week-on-week gains, while property, mining and oil and holding firms registered week-on-week declines.

Foreign investors were net sellers for the week by P6.7 billion, while the average daily value traded rose to P9.8 billion from the previous week’s average of P6 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were First Philippine Holdings Corp. which rose 12.7 percent to P77.50; AC Energy Corp., which jumped 8 percent to P8.50; and MacroAsia Corp., which climbed 6.6 percent to P5.97.

Weekly top losers were Altas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., which declined 10.8 percent to P6.58; Ayala Land Inc., which fell 6 percent to P36; and Philex Mining Corp., which slipped 5.3 percent to P6.72.

With AFP

PSEi June 18, 2021

ten make the crucial decisions when it comes to urban development are still overwhelmingly male, says Sabina Riss, an architect and university researcher who studies the relationship between gender and urban planning.

Janis Joplin She estimates that in most countries “the percentage of women in the decisionmaking process at between five and 10 percent at most.”

As well as being heavily involved in the design of the new buildings in Seestadt, women also take center stage when it comes to naming the new streets.

The philosopher Hannah Arendt, singer Janis Joplin and children’s book heroine Pippi Longstocking are just a few of the names to grace the new addresses.

The district is also hosting a new exhibition showcasing female architects that runs until October 15.

According to architect Carla Lo—who herself has contributed designs for one of Seestadt’s interior courtyards—Vienna’s planning policies have been refreshed since Kathrin Gaal in 2018 became the first woman to head the city’s powerful housing department, overseeing an annual budget of more than a billion euros ($1.2 billion). AFP

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

JOH MACAY

6.78 8.2

2.26 0.96

50.00% 13.26%

3 4

MJC TBGI

2.25 0.43

0.17 0.03

8.17% 7.50%

5 6

PHES ACE

0.59 1.88

0.04 0.11

7.27% 6.21%

7 8

MHC HLCM

0.59 6.5

0.03 0.33

5.36% 5.35%

9 10

ACR SLI

1.39 3.15

0.07 0.15

5.30% 5.00%

lent to the production of 16.7 million battery electric vehicles, a T&E spokesman told AFP. “Given the monstrous increase in demand, there is a major stake at hand for manufacturers to break the battery makers’ oligopoly,” said Eric Kirstetter, a sector analyst at consulting firm Roland Berger.

“They will also have to ensure access to materials for the electrodes (anode and cathode), which will determine the batteries’ price and availability,” he added.

In Sweden, the start-up Northvolt expects to reach annual production of 150 GWh in Europe by 2030, with one plant

under construction now and two much bigger ones on the drawing board.

Northvolt has previously said that production capacity would reach 32 GWh by 2024, or enough batteries for 600,000 electric vehicles per year.

In another report, Transport & Environment said battery electric vehicles could account for all new sales of units in the 27-nation European Union by 2035―if policymakers introduce tighter CO2 targets and strong support for infrastructure to charge cars.

Automakers, which are under pressure to transition out of fossil fuel vehicles, are putting money into battery production. AFP

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

OPMB MAB

0.012 0.013

-0.001 -0.001

-7.69% -7.14%

3 4 5 6

FEU LBC AT FLI

580 17.1 6.58 1.09

-35 -0.88 -0.3 -0.04

-5.69% -4.89% -4.36% -3.54%

7 8 9 10

CNVRG GERI LOTO MARC

22.25 0.87 2.05 1.19

-0.8 -0.03 -0.07 -0.04

-3.47% -3.33% -3.30% -3.25%

MOST ACTIVE

Europe starts building up electric car battery capacity PARIS―As electric car sales soar, Europe has started to build up its capacity to produce batteries on the continent but it remains far from reducing its dependence on Asia.

China, Japan and South Korea produce most of the world’s electric car batteries.

Europe now has projects to build 38 gigafactories with a combined annual output of 1,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) and an estimated cost of 40 billion euros ($48 billion), according to a June report

by Transport & Environment, a nongovernment organization.

This annual supply could be reached by 2029-2030 and would be the equiva-

LAST PRICE

TOP LOSERS

Travelers check in at a KLM counter at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in Haarlemmermeer, on June 18, 2021.

The Netherlands announced further easing of a raft of measures to combat coronavirus, including an end to maskwearing in most places. AFP

A general view of an apartment building at the Vienna’s suburb Seestadt, Austria, on June 8, 2021. From brighter street lights to broader pavements that make room for pushchairs, female architects and designers are driving the change. AFP

VIENNA, Austria—Women may hold up half the sky, but when it comes to designing the public spaces and buildings in which they live, their voices have too often been silenced.

A visionary project in Vienna aims to turn that notion on its head, with a suburb in the Austrian capital designed by and for women.

It exemplifies how the city is trying to make urban space more inclusive, from brighter lights to broader pavements that make room for push chairs, and how female architects and designers are driving the change.

The new Seestadt district has been in the throes of development since 2012, a sprawling building site on the city’s eastern edge that is projected to expand from its 8,300 population now to 20,000 by 2030.

Giant letters on hoardings around some of the construction sites proclaim “Women build the city.”

By turning the focus on the role of women in urban design, Vienna is helping to highlight the still dominant role men play in shaping the built environment.

The developers and bankers who of-

(it) is unlikely,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

While market sentiments have turned sour, analysts said the overall domestic trends remain positive as the government continues to ramp up its vaccination program.

Analysts are expecting the overall business to recover by the second half of the year with the arrival of more vaccines next month.

Metro Manila has remained on general community quarantine with restrictions. The government is tolerating a slight relaxation and allowing more businesses to operate with increased overall mobility.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index declined 0.8 percent to 6,851.3 on profit-taking after global markets weighed the US Federal Reserve’s possible tightening earlier than anticipated.

UNRESTRICTED TRAVEL.

‘Women build the city’: Vienna’s space for female architects

By Blaise Gauquelin

B3

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

SMPH ALI BDO ICT SM MBT AC JGS TEL BPI

VOLUME 27151000 26411000 6984120 3855240 543390 7443500 446970 5691260 262720 3649030

VALUE (PHP) 979022080 955967940 798655717 608244092 542152175 359930000 357773275 353533881.5 332910215 318744302

Stretching the job description during the pandemic ONE of the cases I remember the most in my Strategic Human Resource class was the one about stretching the job description. The setting of the case was in 2010 when the US economy was coming out of recession. Some employers learned to get more work out of fewer employees during those difficult times with no increase in pay. In the case, it was mentioned that one analyst noted, “job descriptions were written in the sand, and the wind was blowing.”

Due to the ongoing pandemic, I know of some family businesses and companies that had to reduce the number of employees to survive. Some reduced their staff complement following the idea of last in, first out. Other employees were made redundant because of the decreasing number of transactions.

Unfortunately, some businesses I used to be an HR consultant did not survive these trying times.

One San Pablo, Laguna-based company I used to be a consultant with tried job description stretching to keep their employees. This company had more than 100 employees, but since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, had lost about 10 percent of its employees.

The decreased number of employees was not due to lay off but because of health and domestic reasons.

Although profit was not much, the company promised their employees that no layoff would happen.

During the first months of the pandemic, they had to do skeleton workforce scheduling just to make

MARICEL BALATBAT

Green LiGht

sure that everyone will earn, though small, an equal amount of salary to survive. There were resignations and cessation of tenure due to health reasons, and for this, the company did not hire replacements. Instead, they stretched the job description of some of the positions among employees to keep the operations going. Some job descriptions were intentionally revised to fit the operation’s requirements. The HR team led all the activities of regrouping tasks and changing job descriptions. They made sure that all the task in every position was still manageable.

I recently visited the company, following health protocols. I noticed fewer employees, and the layout of workstations and offices are now different, but my heart melted when I started talking to the employees.

The employees appreciated the company’s efforts to keep the employees and extend financial help. They knew very well that their job descriptions were stretched, but they did not mind it. What was important to them is that they have work during these difficult times, and their families are fed.

Although job description stretching may sound negative or abusive, it has become a key for survival for some companies and their employees’ families in this time of the pandemic. Job

description stretching may be done in a way that the employees will not feel overworked and abused.

The stretched one could be asked to do tasks related to their primary function for easy adjustment and lessen errors that the employee might commit. Also, the needed skills will not be a problem.

Like the company in San Pablo that I mentioned, some support from the management, like employee pantry and shuttle service, lessened stress and ensured that mental cost associated with job description stretching were avoided. No wonder why this company can retain most of its pioneer employees. Through the years, the employees have always felt the care of the management and the support given to them when times are tough.

The author is a DBA student and a full-time faculty member of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. Her teaching and research interest are in Human Resource Management and Service Learning. She is currently the Internship Coordinator of the Management and Organization Department, the Faculty Adviser of the Business Management Society, and an officer of the Business Doctoral Society. She can be reached at maricel.balatbat@dlsu. edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

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

B4

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

Business

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

LFM Properties files application to list its shares by introduction

By Jenniffer B. Austria LFM Properties Corp., a real estate unit of listed Liberty Flour Milling Inc., is seeking to list at the Philippine Stock Exchange by way of introduction.

LPC said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it would list 25 billion common shares with an initial listing price of P0.107 apiece.

The shares will be listed under the small, medium and emerging board of the PSE. LPC qualifies for listing by way of introduction or without public offering after parent LFM distributed 10.3 billion LPC common shares as property dividend to all shareholders.

LFM shareholders as of Dec. 18, 2020 will be entitled to receive 60 LPC common shares for every 1 LFM common stock owned.

The proposed transaction has yet to be approved by the SEC. After the listing, LFM’s ownership in LPC will drop to 60.11 percent while Parity Values Inc. will own 16.11 percent interest. Public float ownership will be at 22.78 percent.

LPC is a real estate company incorporated with the SEC in 1995 under its original name Alfaro Land Holdings Corp.

It derives all its revenues from lease rentals of real estate properties owned by the company and located in the busy central business districts and commercial hubs in Metro Manila.

LPC more than doubled its net income to P97.4 million in 2020 from P42.8 million in 2019.

The company intends to develop projects in the Ortigas within the next seven years. It also plans to expand its land bank in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon and Metro Manila.

Other companies that were listed in the local bourse by way of introduction were Top Frontier Holdings Inc., AgriNurture Inc., Integrated Microelectronics Inc., Altus Property Ventures Inc. and Trans Asia Petroleum Corp.

The PSE rules allow a company to list on the bourse even without public offering, but the company is required to undertake the public offer within a year from listing.

THE Department of Transportation said over the weekend it is accelerating the completion of various transportation projects to help the government realize its goal of ushering in the “golden age of infrastructure.”

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said he expected the development of more projects to catch up until the end of the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

SMC unit starts producing PPEs

CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. said over the weekend it started local production and distribution of personal protective equipment for the medical sector using medical fabric produced in its woven products facility in Malaysia.

San Miguel said its packaging unit San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp. engaged community-based tailors and dressmakers to assemble the protective suits.

“It has only been a year, so it’s still very fresh in our minds what happened last year at the start of the pandemic, when there was a worldwide shortage of PPEs. We want to help ensure our medical workers and hospitals can source protective wear locally,” San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.

“At the same time, we’re providing much-needed livelihood for our local artisans whose small sewing businesses have also been affected by the pandemic,” he said. Jenniffer B. Austria

ERC set to review power plants’ reports

VACCINATION BUS. In accordance with the government’s vaccination program for priority group A4 (frontline personnel in essential sectors), the Taguig City government brings its COVID-19 Vaccination Bus to the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. Tower for the inoculation of PSE employees and the building’s administration, security and maintenance personnel. Attending the ceremony are (from left) Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano, PSE chief operating officer Roel Refran, PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, NTF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Taguig City Vice Mayor Ricardo Cruz Jr., Special Adviser to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases Teodoro Herbosa and Taguig Councilor Yasser Pangandaman.

Fewer ship calls in PH to trim exports, imports T

By Othel V. Campos

HE Philippine Exporters Confederation warned over the weekend about the declining numbers of ship calls to the Philippines, saying these may delay the delivery of goods and affect exports and imports.

Philexport president Sergio OrtizLuis said while export numbers were increasing based on the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the numbers could be deceiving if taken at face value.

“There is this ongoing lack of shipping services. The backlog is increasing, as we speak,” he said.

Ortiz-Luis said the lack of ships going to the Philippines was part of the slowing of global maritime movement

amid the pandemic. Shipping companies limited the dispatch of ships for several reasons relating to pandemic, including the surges in some countries and health concerns of the crew.

Ortiz-Luis said the situation was worse than port congestion and that it was beyond the control of Philippine authorities.

“We can charter ships if there is an urgent need, but this will be very expensive. We expect rates to quadruple or

heavy and [it is] very critical that goods move on time as they have a short selling period,” Young said.

The space issue creates a domino effect that aggravates delays in shipment, one garment company said.

Garment stakeholders said if they could not move the goods, then they would not be paid.

Other issues ailing the garment industry were the slow release of permits and import license, rising cost of natural materials and shortage of raw materials.

These added to manufacturing costs and led to continuing loss of the local business to Vietnam and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, furniture exporters asked the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines to help them find slots on vessels and address soaring freight rates.

ACCESS ROADS. Public Works Undersecretary and Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Health Facilities head Emil Sadain (right) leads an ocular inspection of the access roads to the upcoming new hospital facility project at the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City. In his report to Secretary Mark Villar, Sadain says enhancing the road condition and land development in conjunction with the construction of modular pre-fabricated hospital components are nearing completion. The new healthcare facility project will contribute to the fight against COVID-19.

Employers, business groups to pledge at least 1m new jobs BUSINESS groups led by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines will pledge at least a million jobs for unemployed workers to help the economy recover from the impact of the pandemic.

The employers group will sign the pledge for a million jobs on June 30 along with the Philippine Chamber or Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Philippine Constructors Association, Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, Information Technology and Business Process Management and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry of the Philippines Inc. ECOP vice president and organizing committee chair of the National Conference of Employers George Barcelon said the agreement signing would be the culmination of the the five-day 42nd National Conference of Employers.

“Part of the conference will be pledging session wherein organizations are

urged to determine their own capacities to employ in six months,” he said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that unemployment rate climbed to 8.7 percent in April after the government tightened quarantine restrictions early this year.

This means that 4.14 million Filipinos were unemployed in April, higher than 3.44 million in March. The National Capital Region Plus and surrounding provinces were placed under the Enhanced Community Quarantine in April, but the government relaxed the region’s quarantine status in the following months as the virus reproduction rate fell below 1.0.

Barcelon said government agencies including the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation, Department of Tourism and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority were expected to take

part in the conference.

The NCE42 will have five half-day sessions slated at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 21, 23, 25, 28 and 30, 2021 via Zoom.

Meanwhile, Barcelon said the organizations adopted resolutions for the vaccination of more A4 frontliners so that the economy could safely reopen despite the new more virulent COVID-19 strains.

He said the new Delta and Indian strains might derail the planned vaccination of economic frontliners, prompting them to call on the government to waste no time and start A4 vaccination.

“The situation is very fluid. We cannot wait for zero infection to vaccinate the A4 workers. Since the surge is in Davao, Cebu and Iloilo and Calabarzon in Luzon, we think there is no reason the delay the vaccination of massive economic frontliners,” he said.

Othel V. Campos

DOTr accelerating completion of transport projects to usher in ‘golden age of infrastructure’

By Darwin G. Amojelar

IN BRIEF

He said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOTr and its attached agencies did not stop the construction of infrastructure projects and initiatives that started at the start of the Duterte administration.

Tugade said the DOTr, through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Manila International Airport Authority, completed 212 airport projects and were pursuing 102 others.

He said that in the railway sector, the new Marikina and Antipolo stations of

LRT-2 East Extension project would start operations on June 22, 2021.

The DOTr is also working on other railway projects such as the Metro Manila Subway, MRT-7, North-South Commuter Railway Project, LRT-1 Cavite Extension and Subic-Clark Railway Project, according to Tugade.

He said that in the maritime sector, the DOTr, together with the Philippine Ports Authority, completed 446 seaport projects since 2016 and was working on 117 more.

Tugade highlighted the completion of the country’s biggest passenger terminal building in the Port of Cagayan de Oro that could accommodate 3,000 passengers daily. He said that in Palawan, social tourism ports made the province easily accessible to nearby regions and neighboring countries.

“Are we finished? No. We would not stop building and rehabilitating airports, seaports and other infrastructure projects that will improve the lives of Filipinos,” Tugade said.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission said over the weekend it will start the evaluation and review of the submissions of 17 generating companies for breach of the maximum allowable unplanned outage days per year.

ERC commissioner and spokesman Floresinda Digal said the agency received Friday the explanations of the gencos.

“We will evaluate their explanation,” Digal said, when asked about what the ERC would do next. He said the ERC would wrap up the report in two months.

ERC earlier sent out letters to 17 gencos covering 35 units for non-compliance on the maximum annual allowable planned outage covering the period Jan. 3 to April 25.

“We are strictly monitoring and reviewing the weekly reports being submitted by the generation companies in compliance with our directive pertaining to the reliability performance indices and equivalent outage days per year of generating units,” ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera said in a previous statement.

Alena Mae S. Flores

BSP clears rules on Open Finance

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, approved the guidelines on Open Finance Framework, which is seen as a key enabler for digital transformation and financial inclusion.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a statement over the weekend the Open Finance Framework recognizes that advances in technology will facilitate the development of products and services for every Filipino using their own consumer data.

“Open Finance is definitely not a sprint but a marathon. It will be a long and challenging run, but just like any other sport we need to properly prepare and condition ourselves to finish strong in this race,” Diokno said.

The issuance of the Open Finance Framework is one of the initiatives under the BSP’s Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap, which targets to have 70 percent of Filipino adults with transaction accounts by 2023.

Julito G. Rada

Foreign debt fell 1.5% to $97b at end-March—BSP

By Julito G. Rada THE country’s outstanding external debt declined $1.4 billion or 1.5 percent to $97 billion as of end-March from $98.5 billion in December, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend.

“The decline in the debt level during the first quarter of 2021 was caused mainly by net repayments of $3.1 billion attributed to the settlement of obligations by private local banks and the redemption by the national government of its maturing bonds,” Diokno said in a statement.

He said the negative foreign exchange revaluation of $1 billion contributed to the decrease as the US dollar strengthened against other currencies amid the rise in US Treasury bond yields.

The downward impact of the net repayments and FX revaluation more than offset prior periods’ adjustments of $2.3 billion and increase in non-resident investments in Philippine debt papers issued offshore of $365 million.

Data showed, however, that on a yearon-year basis, the country’s debt stock increased by $15.6 billion because of the net availments of $13.5 billion, mainly by the national government and private non-banks; transfer of Philippine debt papers from residents to non-residents of $1.1 billion; prior periods’ adjustments of $687 million; and positive FX revaluation of $390 million.

External debt refers to all types of borrowings by Philippine residents from non-residents, following the residency criterion for international statistics.

Diokno said key external debt indicators remained at prudent levels. Gross international reserves stood at $104.5 billion as of end-March and represented 7.7 times cover for short-term debt based on the original maturity concept.

He said that the maturity profile of the country’s external debt remained predominantly medium to long term in nature (those with original maturities longer than one year), with share to total at 85.9 percent.

Short-term accounts (or those with original maturities of up to one year) comprised the 14.1 percent balance of debt stock and consisted of bank liabilities, trade credits and others.

Sports

Inoue may fight either Casimero, Donaire next

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

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By Randy Caluag JAPANESE “monster” Naoya Inoue, as expected, tore down underdog challenger Michael Dasmarinas from the Philippines with body shots en route to a third-round knockout win and retained his two world titles on Sunday (Philippine time) in Las Vegas, USA. There was nothing Dasmarinas could do against the vaunted firepower of Inoue as he moved around the ring trying to evade the Japanese’ monstrous attack. He apparently failed as Inoue dropped body bombs on him, sending the Filipino down for third and final time in Round 3 of the scheduled 12-round tussle.

The first knockdown came in the second round with a timely dig to the liver of Dasmarinas.

In the third, Inoue again dropped the Filipino to the canvass with another liver shot.

Dasmarinas barely beat the count as he stood up, but could no longer escape the ax as Inoue went for the same spot as the Filipino dropped to the floor, prompting the referee to wave the fight off.

Dasmarinas dropped to his third loss against 30 wins and a draw.

Even before the bout, observers were already talking about who’s next in line for Inoue, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation bantamweight king.

The boxing gods might have designed a grand plan for a Filipino to challenge Inoue next as a few hours before his defense of the title against Dasmarinas, news came out that World Boxing Council champ Nonito Donaire and World Boxing Organization titlist John Riel Casimero have agreed to face each other in a unification bout on August 14.

Donaire announced the fight on his social media accounts, showing pictures of him and Casimero.

“My team does magic…Started camp last week. Belt #2 coming,” he said.

Casimero, who has been chasing Inoue, got the belt in 2019 with a TKO win against Zolani Tete and defended it against Duke Micah. He was supposed to face Donaire’s tormentor, Guillermo Rigondeaux on August 14, but the latter reportedly got injured, paving the way for the All–Filipino showdown with Donaire.

The four-division champion Donaire and the oldest bantamweight champ at 38, has been aching for a rematch with Inoue, who dealt him a unanimous decision loss in the World Boxing Super Series on Nov. 6, 2019.

He came back strong to snatch the WBC plate following a sensational 4th-round KO win over previous unbeaten Nordine Oubaali last May 29.

Inoue is now left with no alibi to face the winner of the Donaire-Casimero tussle to settle once and for all the ultimate king of the bantamweight division.

WBA/IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (left) of Japan fights Michael Dasmarinas of Philippines during a title defense at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Inoue retained his titles with a third-round knockout. AFP

Gilas 5 frustrates Korea again, sweeps qualifiers

By Peter Atencio

D

WIGHT Ramos once again took charge for Gilas Pilipinas, this time firing 19 points as the hosts turned back Korea for the second time in five days, 82-77, at the close of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Angeles City Sunday.

Ramos’ big game came as the Philippines played with less turnovers than when they last met the Koreans last Wednesday.

The 6’4” Ramos knocked in two of three charities in the endgame, carrying Team Philippines to the win and the sixgame sweep of the qualifiers.

The Filipinos clinched a seat to the FIBA Asian Cup tournament proper in Indonesia this August as early as Wednesday, following a pulsating 8178 win over Korea on SJ Belangel’s miracle trey at the buzzer.

“Obviously, I’m overjoyed with the three wins from this window, two against South Korea. I give credit to this basketball team and these young players,” said coach Tab Baldwin.

NBA prospect 7’3” Kai Sotto scored 10 points apiece with

DWIGHT RAMOS

RJ Abarrientos and their youngest teammate Jordan Heading.

Sotto’s three-point play and Abbarientos’ layup with 8:04 left allowed the Filipinos stay ahead, 63-60.

Heading’s driving layup and triple with 5:59 kept the Koreans at bay, 68-64.

Naturalized player Guna Ra had 20 points for Korea, with his freebie and layup giving Korea a final chance to catch up, 77-79, with 25.5 seconds left.

An unsportsmanlike foul, was however called on Daesung Lee as he tackled Belangel during an inbound play, allowing Gilas to take a three-point lead, 80-77, on the Filipino guard’s charity shot.

Baldwin noted that the Philippines played a better game this time around after the Philippines turned the ball over only seven times, compared to the 10 in their first encounter with Korea.

The Gilas mentor was also satisfied with their 27 offensive rebounds and the 19 second chance points that they scored.

The scores: Philippines 82 - Ramos 19, Sotto 10, Heading 10, Abarrientos 10, Navarro 8, Kouame 7, Baltazar 6, Belangel 6, Nieto 3, Go 3, Chiu 0.

Korea 77 - Ra 20, Lee HJ 13, Yang 12, Lee DS 9, Lee SH 8, Kim 8, Jeon 3, Byeon 2, Yeo 2, Ha 0.

Quarters: 18-20, 38-34, 56-54, 82-77.

Ugandan team member positive for virus upon arrival in Japan TOKYO—A member of the Uganda Olympic team has tested positive for coronavirus on arrival in Japan, just over a month before the pandemic-postponed Games, officials said.

The first group to arrive from Uganda -- a nine-strong party, including boxers, coaches and officials -- landed at Tokyo’s Narita airport on Saturday. They are the second team to arrive after Australia women’s softball squad on June 1.

But one of the African nation’s delegation tested positive during screening at the airport, a government official told reporters. The person tested twice but their condition remained unknown, reported local media.

“I heard the person has been isolated based on regulations,” Hidemasa Nakamura, the Tokyo 2020 Games delivery officer, told reporters, renewing a pledge to take strict measures against infections.

Public broadcaster NHK said the group had all been vaccinated and tested negative in Uganda before they came to Japan.

The team was originally due to have arrived in Japan on June 16, but their flight was cancelled following a surge in Covid-19 cases in Uganda, local media said. AFP

2 broken poles, replacement worry Obiena ERNEST John Obiena is worried about the condition of the three poles that he will use during the Tokyo Olympics.

The 25-year-old Obiena damaged two of them, while a replacement pole is on the way. His equipment needs extra care when it is brought to Japan.

Obiena talked about the condition of his gear, a week after he cleared 5.85 meters on his third attempt and set a new Philippine outdoor record.

“We need to work on this so they (poles) will not get damaged on the flight

to Tokyo. We are trying to make sure,” said Obiena on the weekly program, “Power and Play.”

Last June 12, Obiena won a gold medal in record-breaking fashion as he broke his two-year Philippine national outdoor record of 5.81 he set in Chiara, Italy, when he cleared 5.85 meters on his third attempt in the Jump and Fly competition in Mossingen, Germany.

There, Obiena used a second pole, a longer one which is one of the two that got cracked when he used them during

indoor events last February.

“I hope it (new pole) arrives at the soonest time possible. We’re working on it,” added Obiena, who added that his new pole needs to be in good condition while in transit.

Obiena also owns the national indoor mark of 5.86 meters, which he established last February at the Orlen Indoor meet in Lodz, Poland.

At that time, Obiena said his two poles were already showing signs of cracking.

“Getting used to my two poles is easy.

But now, it’s more on getting used to the new and bigger pole that I’m going to get into,” said Obiena.

Three weeks ago, Obiena had an encounter with Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis of Sweden, who won the gold medal at the FBK Games at the Blankers-Koen Stadion in Hengelo, the Netherlands.

Back then, Obiena cleared 5.80 meters on his first attempt to earn second place and the silver medal, with Duplantis topping the meet at 6.10 meters. Peter Atencio

EJ OBIENA

Tokyo 2020 shows off Olympic Village

A small group of protesters hold up a banner voicing their objection to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, outside the Olympic Village (in background), and seen from the “Village Plaza”, during a media tour of the facilities in Tokyo. AFP

TOKYO—Tokyo 2020 organizers threw open the doors of the Olympic Village to the media on Sunday, showcasing virus upgrades including a fever clinic just over a month before the Games begin.

Organizers are in the home stretch of preparations before the July 23 opening ceremony, and are trying to build confidence that the mega-event will be safe for athletes and the Japanese public.

On Sunday, they unveiled the dedicated virus clinic, warned that drinking in groups would be prohibited and said a mixed zone for guests had been scrapped.

Warning posters that caution residents to take anti-virus measures including room ventilation have been placed throughout the mini-city, which can sleep 18,000 athletes and team members during the Olympics and 8,000 during the Paralympics.

The fever clinic, separate from the main medical facility, will be used to test

and isolate people suspected of virus infection or considered close contacts of those who test positive.

“If there is suspicion of being infected... we should be able to properly isolate this person,” said Takashi Kitajima, general manager for the village.

“This is just another example of how we are stringently managing matters about possible Covid infections,” he told reporters.

Other measures include reduced seating for diners, plexiglass shields between gym equipment, and a kit of hand sanitisers and soap to be handed to village residents.

Built on reclaimed land looking out over Tokyo Bay, the village has been empty except for workers since the event was postponed last March.

‘Drink alone’ Opening in just over a fortnight, the village will be particularly important for athletes this Games because they are

barred from going anywhere else except training and competition venues.

Under strict virus rules, athletes will be tested daily and required to wear masks except during competition, eating and sleeping. And there will be no partying, officials warned.

“When you drink alcohol, in principle, you are requested to drink alone,” said Kitajima.

Competitors can only enter the village shortly before their event and must leave within 48 hours of being eliminated or their competition ending. And conditions won’t exactly be luxurious, with single rooms of nine square metres (100 square feet) and doubles of 12 square metres (130 sq ft).

Beds are made from recyclable cardboard, but are tough enough to stand up to beefy weightlifters and towering basketball players, organizers say. AFP

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Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

PSC launches Zumbarangay PH challenge for women

Giannis carries Bucks to East finals L

THE Philippine Sports Commission recently launched a program to promote Filipino women’s physical and mental wellbeing dubbed the “Zumbarangay Pilipinas” or Solo Exercise On Cam Challenge.

PSC commissioner Celia Kiram, in charge of the agency’s Women in Sports programs, has spearheaded the national awareness campaign through this online competition amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The PSC believes the current COVID-19 pandemic is now impacting women’s mental and physical health and global studies find women and girls gained weight during the lockdown and research further shows even short term physical inactivity has long-lasting repercussions,” said Kiram.

“For this, we at the PSC mounted a campaign to encourage women and girls to rise up and shape up by way of solo exercising through dancing,” she added.

The contest is open to all Filipinas, who can come up with a dance workout for two minutes minimum. What makes it more interesting is that it has different categories—women frontliners, women open category, girls open, and LGBT--with the winner per class receiving P30,000 and second to third places P20,000 and P10,000, respectively. A total of 10 special prizes worth P3,000 each will also be given away.

“It is believed that the need to infuse fun in exercising is highly critical to ward off the brewing anxieties, and for some, the state of depression,” said Kiram.

“But all in all, we just want to encourage Filipino women and girls to maintain an active lifestyle and boost health by regularly exercising even at home any time.”

For inquiries or more details, interested participants may visit the event’s Facebook page, just search for Rise Up and Shape Up.

The best-of-seven series has featured almost everything, including epic scoring performances, aggressive fouls, rim-rattling dunks, series-ending injuries and of course, Saturday’s winnertake-all game seven which turned into a see-saw affair with dozens of lead changes throughout.

The only thing missing was an overtime which Kevin Durant set the stage for in game seven when he drained a turnaround jump shot at the buzzer in regulation to level the score at 109 all in front of a crowd of 16,200 at Barclays Center arena in New York.

Two-time league MVP Antetokounmpo shot 15-of-24 and had five assists

OS ANGELES—Giannis Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 13 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 115-111 in a thrilling game-seven overtime on Saturday to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

in 50 minutes of playing time in the head-to-head match-up with Durant.

“I want to be great,” Antetokounmpo said. “We had to give everything.”

Durant finished with 48 points, nine rebounds and six assists but missed two jumpers in the final minute of overtime that could have tied the score and possibly forced a second extra session.

“We got looks, we just didn’t knock them down,” said Durant.

The Bucks will advance to the Eastern Conference finals where they will play either the Atlanta Hawks or the Philadelphia 76ers, who face off in another game seven on Sunday.

“At the end of the day, I try not to

get too high, not to get too low. But I almost got emotional a little bit out there because the team really tried their best,” Antetokounmpo said. “We kept our composure. We were down 2-0. A lot of people didn’t believe we could make it.”

Khris Middleton tallied 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who became the first road team to win a game in the series.

Brook Lopez chipped in 19 and Jrue Holiday contributed 13 points to the win.

Antetokounmpo hit the game-tying basket and Khris Middleton delivered the game winner in overtime as the Bucks advanced to the NBA semi-finals for the second time in three seasons.

Milwaukee took the lead for good, 113-111, when Middleton converted on a 13-foot turnaround jumper with 40 seconds to go.

Durant shot 17 of 36, draining four

three-pointers, while James Harden chipped in 22 points but shot a dismal five-of-17 in another frustrating playoff performance from the former league MVP. Harden was playing with a sore hamstring.

“Give them credit. They are a great team. They have a great chance to win the championship,” said Durant of the Bucks.

Durant forced overtime after the Nets failed to hold onto a five-point lead in the final minutes of the fourth.

With just 1.6 seconds left, Durant hit a 24-foot turnaround jumper from the three point line.

After video review, officials ruled his foot was on the line making it a two point basket instead of a three.

“We got lucky his toe was on the line and they called it a two,” Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton said. “But once he hits that shot, we’ve got to forget about it. There’s still ballgame left. That wasn’t the game.” AFP

PH women fencing specialists in web series

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks heads for the net as Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets defends in the second half during game seven of the Eastern Conference second round at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. AFP

Oosthuizen, Hughes, Henley share 54-hole US Open lead LA JOLLA—South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen closed with a stunning 52-foot eagle putt to grab a share of the lead with Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes and American Russell Henley after Saturday’s dramatic third round of the US Open.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, fired a one-under par 70 to stand on five-under 208 after 54 holes at Torrey Pines with Hughes, who fired a 68, and Henley, who saved par from a bunker at 18 to shoot 71.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau shared fourth on 210, charging into contention to set the stage for an intense final round.

“There are a lot of great players up there that have a chance of winning this,” Oosthuizen said.

“I just need to go out and play as good as I can.

“You’re going to have nerves. You’re going to feel it. It’s just about how you handle it.”

After sinking a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th, Oosthuizen -- who has five major runner-up finishes since his win 11 years ago at St. Andrews -- made his incredible closer at the par-5 18th.

“I was talking too it to slow down a little bit,” Oosthuizen said. “It was a good line and good speed.”

On a day of electric shotmaking, Hughes sank a 63-foot eagle putt at the par-5 13th and blasted out of a bunker to five feet to set up a birdie at 18.

Hughes, who missed the cut in his past five PGA events and six of his eight prior major starts, won his only US PGA title in 2016 at Sea Island.

“I know I’m going to be nervous tomorrow,” Hughes said. “I’m going to try and enjoy it lots and embrace the moment.”

A crowd limited to about 8,000 people

by Covid-19 safety measures roared when Hughes knocked in his eagle.

“I loved it,” he said. “The charge when it goes in the hole and the crowd erupts is why we play. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.”

Journeyman Henley blasted in a 22-yard bunker shot for birdie at the par-3 11th and saved par from a bunker at 18 to share the lead.

“Tied for the lead going into the last day of a major, you never know,” Henley said. “I’m excited. You always wonder what it would feel like to be in contention.”

World number 11 McIlroy, who hasn’t won a major title since the 2014 PGA Championship, shot 67.

Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa celebrates making a long putt for eagle on the 18th green during the third round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in San Diego, California. AFP

THE country’s top female fencing coaches and athletes shared centerstage in the latest webinar episode of the Philippine Sports Commission’s Rise Up Shape Up last Saturday, entitled “En-Garde: Fencing and Setting Boundaries”.

The episode featured woman fencer and coach Wendy Mendoza, who demonstrated and discussed the different disciplines, equipment, outfit, and rules of the sport.

Mendoza was joined by Philippine Fencing Association head coach Veena Nuestro, who shared her insights on the joy and challenges of her job, along with the country’s best women fencers Samantha Catantan and Jylyn Nicanor.

Catantan made the Philippines proud with her All-American honors recognition at the Pennsylvania State University, winning a bronze medal in the women’s foil in the 2021 NCAA Championships. She also won a pair of bronzes in the individual and team foil during the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Meanwhile, Nicanor who is also a gold medal winner in the 30th SEA Games recently led the national fencing team’s campaign in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last April.

“Fencing requires a sharp mind, quick feet, and a lithe body. Their training enhances these and extends these characteristics to their mental and emotional health as well. We are proud to have national fencers that can combat and conquer challenges in and out of the playing field.” said PSC Women in Sports oversight Commissioner Celia Kiram.

“Their success does not only bring a sense of national pride, but also show women’s strength and empowerment,” added Kiram.

Further, Kiram also commended the support of Philippine Fencing Association President and Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez for the national fencing team when they conducted a bubble training in Ormoc City, Leyte.

PSC’s Rise Up, Shape Up is a weekly web series streamed via Facebook and YouTube every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.

E-sports: Mechanical keyboards getting popular among PC gamers

By John Christopher Aquino and Jonas Ryan Nitura THE mechanical keyboard has been around for years, but it has seen a surge in popularity especially in the ongoing pandemic as people found a hobby in PC gaming.

The Philippines has a local company called RAKK Gears that have produced their own brand of mechanical keyboards popular among Pinoy gamers.

These keyboards have switches under their keys unlike the usual membrane keyboard.

The switches are what make

the mechanical keyboards unique with that iconic “clicky’ sounds only found in these types of keyboards.

“Besides its durability, these switches give off a different feel in typing and I really think that it’s the main difference of mechanical keyboards from the normal ones,” said Andrew Pamulaklakin, a long-time mechanical keyboard user.

“Mechanical keyboards produce clicky sounds or tactile sounds when typing. It can depend on what color your switches are. The keys in the mechanical keyboard can be pressed gently and will be registered right away, while in the mem-

brane keyboard, you will need to press hard,” added Lance Ang-Santo who owns a RAKK Lam Ang Pro. These types of keyboards have seen a rise in popularity due to the fact that it caters to gamers, its design, tactile feel, and a wide variety of customizability a user can tinker with.

Maui Arcilla, a mechanical keyboard owner, said that he likes keyboards that can be customized and have different designs, which a mechanical keyboard can offer.

“It’s all about my love for minimalist design, most mechanical keyboards have different designs

to choose from, unlike the normal keyboards. You can also change the keycaps which can alter the design instantly in the way you want it,” said Arcilla.

Due to the design and material, mechanical keyboards tend to be pricey. Some brands such as Razer and Asus put out mechanical keyboards that cost around P10,000, but local brands such as RAKK have offered keyboards around the P2000 to P3000 peso range within its catalogue.

You can also build a mechanical keyboard from scratch as companies such as Glorious and RAKK sell custom kits like the GMMK

Pro and the Lam Ang Pro BareBone that let you fully customize your own mechanical keyboard from the keycaps up to the switches.

A mechanical keyboard is not solely for hardcore gaming, though, as it can also be used for everyday work because it is still a keyboard after all. Its “clickiness” and feel make it more productive for some to do their work.

“I bought it for gaming, but I found myself very productive when using it in writing academic papers,” said Ang-Santo. “For some reason, I’m always productive and/ or performing well if the keyboard is of quality.”

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

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#NODADLIKEYOU

Celebrity dads and their most treasured roles PARENTHOOD doesn’t come with a manual and it’s a long process of selfstudy and constant discovery. On Father’s Day, PLDT Home continues its #NoParentLikeYou video series celebrating all dads and their real stories of navigating modern parenting.

Continuing the empowering message of last month’s #NoMomLikeYou campaign, the Father’s Day video series aims to encourage dads to own and take pride in their unique parenting styles. It features Erwan Heussaff and Markus Paterson, who are both first-time dads dealing with the challenges of raising children in a pandemic, under public attention and, often, scrutiny.

A parent’s unrelenting love for his

child is a powerful driving force and bind that keep family relationships stronger. As the country’s fastest fixed network, PLDT Home continues to provide the strongest connections for families so that they can do all things together and better at home.

The role of a lifetime

Entrepreneur Erwan Heussaff has made a name for himself as a food purveyor, adventurer, and content creator.

Now the proud dad, he describes his parenting journey as “crazy and beautiful, but also shocking and confusing.”

After his daughter was born last year, he was able to spend every minute with the family in their home in Australia. That

came with certain challenges, though, as he had to run his businesses remotely and wear 15 different hats at the same time.

He also had to do all these while making sure that he takes care of his child and being fully present as a parent.

What Erwan loves about fatherhood is experiencing the world in a whole new way, recounting the time he became emotional watching her daughter interact with butterflies for the first time after being under lockdown for so long. His advice to dads is to cherish each moment.

He shares, “You do not comprehend how quickly you go from zero to 12 months.

Try to be there for your child and you won’t regret anything.”

Meanwhile, for actor Markus Pat-

#NoParentLikeYou features first-time dads Erwan Heussaff and Markus Paterson who are both dealing with the challenges of raising children in a pandemic.

erson, the biggest concern he had even before his son, Jude, was born was his health and safety. “There wasn’t a lot of information about the pandemic,” he

said. His protective instinct came naturally, guided by his desire to be the dad that his son needs. Read full article on manilastandard.net

Interweaving romance and psychology Luke Evan (right) and Josh Gad reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou in the serialized incarnation of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

Disney+ greenlights ‘Beauty and the Beast’ live-action series

By Maria Katrina Segui DISNEY+ has greenlit the production of Beauty and the Beast’s live-action prequel series. The show is set to be a limited, eight-episode musical centered on the classic fairytale’s villain, Gaston, and his sidekick LeFou. Luke Evans and Josh Gad will be reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou with Briana Middleton as the new addition to the cast as LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly.

“The series will follow the duo as they set off with LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly, after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio off on an unexpected journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure,” Disney shared in a statement.

Disney Branded Television’s president Gary Marsh said, “For anyone who’s ever wondered how a brute like

Gaston and a goof like LeFou could have ever become friends and partners, or how a mystical enchantress came to cast that fateful spell on the prince-turned-beast, this series will finally provide those answers … and provoke a whole new set of questions.”

It was also revealed that the show will likely feature neither Belle nor the Beast as the story takes place years before their epic romance, but promises to provide a backstory on how the Prince transformed into the Beast.

While the tragic tale of Belle and the beast was made famous by Disney in 1991, Beauty and the Beast was created by French novelist GabrielleSuzanne de Villeneuve in 1740 and has been transformed into countless adaptations since then.

The Beauty and the Beast origin series will start its production at the beginning of 2022.

Binibining Pilipinas 2021 Swimsuit preliminary competition concluded with the fierce yet fluttering pasarela of the 34 official candidates atop the Poolside of Novotel Manila Araneta City.

Binibining Pilipinas candidates dazzle

in pre-pageant swimsuit parade

BINIBINING Pilipinas turns up the heat as the 34 official candidates this year blazed in the pre-pageant swimsuit presentation aired on June 18.

Inspired by the Paru-Paro Festival, the Binibining Pilipinas candidates showcased their fierce catwalk at the poolside of Novotel Manila Araneta City in stunning yellow swimsuit by Domz Ramos. Miss Grand International 2020 - 1st runnerup Samantha Mae Bernardo headlined the event while wearing butterfly wings

by Jomar Peralta and a headpiece

by Manny Halasan.

The reigning Binibining Pilipinas queen – Bibinibining Pilipinas Universe 2019 Gazini Ganados, Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2019 Aya Abesamis, Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2019 Leren Bautista, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2019 Emma Tiglao, and Binibining Pilipinas International 2019 Patch Magtanong – also took part in the event. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Mad about ‘Trese’ Liza Soberano is the voice behind Alexandra Trese, the show’s protagonist, in the Filipino version.

in one progressive drama

tude to the Kapuso Network for entrusting her this TV project, “It is really a blessing for me na pagkatiwalaan ako ng GMA na mapabilang sa isang napakagandang proyekto na ito. I am really thankful to them for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talent and to grow and learn more as an actress.”

ELEVISION Completing the cast are Jake Vardirector Jorron gas as Lucas Javier, a psychiatrist’s assistant Lee Monroy had to a n d Mia›s friend who will eventually fall for her; Dominic Roco as Greg thoroughly understand Perez, Mia›s protective and the origin, experience, and paraplegic brother; Litreatment of dissociative anne Valentin as Jo identity disorder (DID) Escobar, Mia›s close before he got onboard friend who wants what›s best for her; Joana Main Ang Dalawang rie Tan as Lani Delgado, Ikaw, an afternoon Beatrice’s supportive series premiering on and rational friend; JerGMA 7 today. emy Sabido as King Bautista, Nelson›s “As a director, my profriend who is a cess for this series began by submissive husband to watching series and docuhis wife. mentaries that tackle DID. As The drama is under the for the process of writing the supervision of the GMA show, we had a psychiatrist Entertainment Group who guided us in creatheaded by SVP for Entering the story,” the director tainment Group Lilybeth Screen couple Ken Chan (center) and Rita Daniela (left) with told Manila Standard EnterG. Rasonable, FVP for newcomer Anna Vicente (take on their most mature roles yet tainment in a virtual interview.

Drama Redgie A. Magno, SAVP for the afternoon drama ‘Ang Dalawang Ikaw.’

“The inspiration of the story was Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, Program actually Rodora X that starred JenManager Dennis Joi K. Bentulan, nylyn Mercado. But this time, we wanted to judge others based on what they see. and Executive Producer Arlene D. Pilapil. a male character and discuss other aspects Everyone has a different struggle and we Together with the guidance of Dr. Berof the disorder. The story was also inspired would know if the person was already nadette Arcena as Ken’s Consultant

by Dalawang Mrs. Real. So, you can imag- suffering from the disorder. Huwag tayo Psychiatrist, the series is a product of the ine how interesting the story would run. It manghuhusga ng tao. Intindihin, unawain visionary minds of GMA›s award-winning asks the question, what would happen if your at suportahan natin ang bawat isa. Leave creative team - creative director Aloy husband had an affair, but technically your no one behind,” he shares.

Adlawan; Creative Head Suzette Dochusband had no idea about the other personRita, in turn, reveals the secret behind tolero; Creative Consultant Denoy ality that he has and the affair he’s involved RitKen’s successful on-screen chemistry, Punio; concept creator and writer Geng in,” a member of the creative team added.

“We’re so comfortable with each other and Delos Reyes-Delgado; head writer Lobert The original series features the much- we always give our 100 percent in every- Villela; writer Jake Somera; and brainawaited return to the small screen of the thing we do, mapa-acting, hosting, or per- stormer Cynthia Paz. well-loved tandem of Ken Chan and Rita forming. I believe that Ken brings out the Ang Dalawang Ikaw, produced by the Daniela, taking on their most mature best in me and the same goes with him. Sa Drama Unit of the Entertainment Group roles yet, along with promising ac- tagal na namin magkasama sa industriya, of GMA, under the helm of esteemed tress Anna Vicente who is ready to spice alam na namin kung paano namin aatakehin director Jorron Lee Monroy and assoup the series. ‘yung roles namin both as individuals and as ciate director Ralfh Malabunga - airs Ken is Nelson Sarmiento, Mia’s (Rita) a tandem. I’m really happy and excited to be Monday to Friday on GMA Afternoon dutiful husband who is a senior graphic working with him in a series again.”

Prime. The show is also available on iQiartist, and his alter personality, Tyler Meanwhile, Anna expresses her grati- yi app and iQ.com starting June 22.

Franco, the hot-headed gun dealer and fiancé of Beatrice (Anna).

Ken, who underwent a series of intensive workshops and consultations for his role as a person with DID, believes that their show is a step towards spreading awareness on mental health issues in the country.

“We believe in this series. We wanted to educate people and encourage them not

T

Cast members (from left) Jake Vargas, Joanna Marie Tan, Jeremy Sabido, and Dominic Roco

B U D J E T T E Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s Trese remains the top entertainment pick on Netflix Philippines. Majority are amused with the Philippine animeinfluenced streaming series and most are curious with the may folklore and mythical Filipino elementals that serve as the integral parts of this make believe universe and narrative.

Based on the Filipino komik series of the same name, the anime incarnation was first released on June 10 on Netflix in the United States, which was followed by a global release the next day on June 11.

Alexandra Trese, the series’ her-

oine, is voiced

by Liza Soberano (Filipino), Shay Mitchell (English), and Ryoko Shiraishi (Japanese). The komik character is a modern-day babaylan-mandirigma who serves a protector of humanity from supernatural beings from the underworld.

Soberano, though initially hesitant in doing the role a, was officially handpicked by the anime’s director. She remarked in an interview that voice acting is a different game from acting and that, being the voice of this kickass guardian maiden who holds the key and balances the world of the living and elementals, she thoroughly enjoyed it.

And while Soberano seems to have a great time, viewers are having a great time, too. Who wouldn’t? Filipino folklore and mythical creatures take center stage in the story is the number one reason of course.

We get to know the origin of the “White Lady sa Balete Drive,” the power of the pounded bones of sirenas, the majesty and royalty of the tikbalangs, and tiyanak’s longing of maternal love and a nuno sa punso whose bribe of choice is a chocolate bar that happens to be the favorite of Generation X. The many locales and sites in Manila were used as the backdrop of the story, from the Metro Rail Transit, the obvious edifices of an electric company and a broadcast network and informal settler areas. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Life

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

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FOOD

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

By Theriz Lizel R. Silvano

W

E UNDERSTAND Nuno if only a huge bar or a couple of regular-sized Choc Nuts can make them spill the tea on the latest in the underworld. The chocolate-peanut candy bar is one of the most enduring snacks in the Philippines, so much so that seeing it in Netflix’s Trese stirred nostalgia and cravings for the sweet treat.

Several restaurants and cafés in Metro Manila have been serving confections and drinks featuring the local favorite. We found three more, located a bit south of the capital, that highlight the chocolate-y, nutty candy.

NUNO-APPROVED

Choc Nut treats for choco-peanut cravings Choc Nut Latte

Pinta Coffee in Taytay, Rizal The newly opened Pinta Coffee at Taytay Capital Tiangge serves a cup of mixed espresso, steamed milk, and melted Choc Nut bars.

Choc Nut Latte is part of its coffee and art-inspired Makulay Latte Series, which includes Obra Charcoal Latte, Pastel Ube Latte, and Luntian Matcha Latte. Choc Nut Latte is intended to be the “nostalgic drink para sa mga batang ‘90s” but can appeal even to those who were born in the 2000s craving a chocolate-peanut latte flavor.

“Pinta Coffee’s concept is more leaning toward the Filipino culture.

We like to promote local coffee and local art, and we feel that we need to incorporate something local and a nostalgia-inducing element in the recipe of our signature lattes,” said owner Lyn Tolentino.

Choc Nut Latte costs P89 for hot and P99 for iced. Check out Pinta Coffee’s Facebook and Instagram (@pinta_coffeeph) pages for more information.

Atom’s Kitchen’s Choc Nut Glazed Doughnuts has a bittersweet chocolate flavor with a hint of choco-nutty taste of the local candy bar.

Choc Nut Glazed Doughnuts Atom’s Kitchen in Antipolo, Rizal

Atom’s Kitchen offers Choc Nut Glazed Doughnuts that have a bittersweet chocolate flavor.

In an interview with Manila Standard, chef and owner Cara Florido said, “[Our] Choc Nut Glazed Doughnuts can give the nostalgic taste of our childhood in a fried bread form. We upgraded the glaze and gave it a gourmet shot of highly-graded bittersweet chocolate to balance the sweetness, but still, you can taste the creamy peanut butter and enjoy it with the bits of Choc Nut candy bar.”

The restaurant has been offering the glazed doughnut prior to the premiere of Trese, as it recognizes the appeal of the classic candy to Filipinos.

“The chocolate bar itself is really an icon, the taste never changes,” said Florido. “Since Choc Nut is one of the favorites of every Filipino family, we think of new ways that everyone can enjoy it.”

A box of six Choc Nut Glazed Doughnuts is priced at P350. Send Atom’s Kitchen a message on its Facebook or Instagram (@atoms. kitchen) page for inquiries.

Korean cake and pastry bakeshop Silly Lily’s Choc Nut Croissant.

The Choc Nut Latte of Pinta Coffee is made with espresso, steamed milk, and bits of Choc Nut candy.

Choc Nut Croissant

Silly Lily Bakehouse in Los Baños, Laguna Korean cake and pastry shop Silly Lily offers Choc Nut-flavored croissant as part of its croissant collection that also includes plain butter, matcha, almond, and ddalki croissants, among others.

The bi-color Choc Nut Croissant is made with Choc Nut candy bits and chocolate-peanut filling. It’s available at P145 each and can be ordered for delivery in and out of Los Baños.

To order the bakehouse’s cakes and pastries, go to www.sillylily.online.

BIRTHDAY BLOWOUTS

Panda sighted in Pasay Panda Express opens third branch in Metro Manila

The third branch of Panda Express in the Philippines is located at Double Dragon Meridian Park in Pasay City.

FOLLOWING the opening of its first en, Chow Mein, Beijing Beef, Honey store at SM Megamall in 2019 and its Walnut Shrimp, Mongolian Pork, and second branch at SM North Edsa in more. Those who want their dishes deFebruary this year, American Chinese livered may order via Panda Express’ restaurant Panda Express heads south.

Facebook Messenger or GrabFood or Panda Express on June 11 opened its foodpanda. third outlet in the busy commercial block “Panda Express is continuously inof Double Dragon Meridtroducing to Filipinos ian Park in Pasay City. its innovative take on “Guests living and American Chinese cuiworking around the sine that showcases the central business district ‘wok hei’ or ‘breath of in the Bay Area have the wok’, which creates always expressed their that signature smoky, cravings for Panda Exumami flavor of the entrées. The top quality of press. And we heard ingredients, preparation, them. We heard you,” and cooking all make a said Julius Marlon Dela difference in the addicCruz, marketing mantive flavors that make ager of Panda Express. our guests fall in love The latest store openwith Panda Express ing is part of the plans dishes,” shared Dela of JBPX Foods, Inc.— Cruz. the joint venture of JolPanda Express, foundlibee Foods Corporation ed by husband-and-wife with Panda Express optandem Andrew and erator, Panda Restaurant Group, Inc.—to open Peggy Cherng in 1983, Bestseller and new favorite five stores during the has popularized AmeriOrange Chicken and initial phase of the partcan Chinese cuisine by Mongolian Pork. nership. using authentic Chinese The restaurant brings its bestsellers recipes adapted to global tastes.

To date, Panda Express has more than and newly introduced dishes to its south metro branch, including Orange Chick- 2,300 restaurants all over the world.

Grab marks its 9th anniversary in the Philippines with up to 70 percent off on groceries, payments, food, and more. (Right) Daily flash deals offered throughout the duration of the Manyversary sale.

Grab celebrates 9th year in PH with two-week sale DISCOUNTS and special fare and booking offers abound as Grab marks its 9th year in the Philippines with a two-week sale.

The “Manyversary: The Anything and Everything Sale” starts on June 21 and runs until July 4, offering the app’s users discounts of up to 70 percent off on groceries, payments, food, and more.

Weeklong deals on GrabMart includes unlimited free delivery (using the code MANYVERSARY), up to P300 off discounts, and 20 percent off bestsellers.

Customers paying with GrabPay can earn up to P30,000 GrabReward points, get 50 percent off GrabExpress Pabili

with P9 flat fare, get 20 percent cashback on bills payments transactions, and enjoy up to P300 off Lazada purchases when they use their GrabPay Card.

Use the code MANYVERSARY to get 10 percent off GrabCar rides (no minimum fare required), up to 50 percent off on GrabFood orders, 20 percent off GrabExpress deliveries, pay only P1 fee for first GrabExpress delivery and Pabili, and 20 percent off on first mobile load transaction.

In addition to aforementioned deals, Grab will be offering various daily flash sales throughout the duration of the anniversary promotion, starting on June

22 wherein GrabFood orders paid with GrabPay get 50 percent off (max P150 discount) using the code PAY150FF. “We want our anniversary celebration to still be rooted in the service of community and providing value for customers’ money, while creating livelihood to our partners,” Chris Alcaraz, deputy marketing head of Grab Philippines, said in a press launch on Zoom.

Alcaraz added Grab PH will be bringing back its Wheel of Fortune to give away P999,999 worth of GrabRewards points, a P5,000 GrabMart shopping spree, P2,000 worth of GrabFood vouchers, and more.

Foodpanda treats customers and riders AS IT celebrates its 7 birthday this June, on-demand delivery platform foodpanda has prepared a monthlong celebration that gives back to customers, riders, and the community.

Each order worth P299 and up from food delivery, pick-up, shops, and pandamart using the voucher code 7BDAYBLOWOUT can enter the raffle for a chance to win prizes up for grabs such as Vespa, iPhone Pro Max, Apple watch, and P1,000 foodpanda vouchers. Customers can also score exclusive vouchers and discounts on social media with foodpanda’s Instagram Story filter and TikTok hashtag challenges.

For its riders, foodpanda partners with KFC to provide free meals to its pink-clad heroes. For its community initiatives, the platform is donating P7 for each 7BDAYBLOWCool prizes are up for grabs during the monthlong birthday raffle OUT entry to the Philippine Red Cross and mounting comof foodpanda. munity pantries in select cities nationwide.

“We want to thank all our customers, our partner estab- Filipinos, we are making sure that our anniversary event lishments, and our riders for another successful year. As the is a memorable celebration with treats for everyone,” says 7th birthday is traditionally a very important occasion for foodpanda managing director Daniel Marogy. th