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Nation pays respects toPNoy Ex-Prez Aquino passes on at 61, succumbs to chronic renal failure By Rio N. Araja

ORMER President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III died Thursday of renal disease secondary to diabetes. He was 61.

According to his sister, Pinky AbelHe was brought to Capitol Medical lada, Aquino died peacefully in his sleep Center but efforts to revive him failed, at home in Times Street in Quezon City said former Interior Secretary Manuel at 6:30 a.m. Roxas II. Next page

Duterte sets 10 days of national mourning By Vito Barcelo, Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo and Joel E. Zurbano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday declared a 10-day period of mourning for former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who passed away on Thursday morning. Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 130 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HONORING 'PNOY'. Officers bring down the flag at Malacanang to halfmast as the nation mourned the passing of Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, the country's 15th President, on Thursday. Aquino's casket was briefly displayed at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, where his sisters Pinky, Ballsy, Viel and Kris explained the circumstances of his passing. Illustration by Elmer Alitagtag, photos by Danny Pata and PCOO

US, Germany, EU bid farewell to a ’great friend‘ By Rey E. Requejo THE international community on Thursday mourned the death of former Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, and noted his contribution to strengthening foreign relations under his leadership. In a tweet, John Law, Chargé d’Affaires of the US embassy in Manila, expressed his gratitude to Aquino, known as PNoy to Filipinos, for continued partnership with the US, noting that his death was "heartbreaking." "On behalf of the US Embassy, I offer our deepest condolences to former President Benigno Aquino III’s family and loved ones at this heartbreaking time. We are saddened by President Aquino’s passing and will always be thankful for our partnership," said Law. Aquino, 61, who served as President from 2010 until 2016, was well-regarded by the US government, which helped his administration beef up Manila's modest military capacities in the face of a confrontation with China over the contested South China Sea. Germany's embassy in Manila was also saddened by Aquino's death, saying he was a "great friend" to their country. The embassy recalled Aquino's state visit in Germany in September 2014, Next page

BEFORE THE CRASH. In

this file photo, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) receives one of five more S-70i Black Hawk utility helicopters from Poland aboard an Antonov transport plane at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on June 8. In late 2020, the first six helicopters were delivered. AFP PAO Photo

Business groups saddened by his passing

THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Management Association of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, the Philippine Stock Exchange and former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima separately condoled with the family of former President Benigno Aquino, III only hours after his death in hospital. In a statement, Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico, PCCI president, said: “It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of former President Noynoy Aquino.” Yujuico noted that as Aquino contin-

Face shield use science-based, says Palace By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE government needs to listen to and believe in the experts’ findings that the use of face shields is effective in preventing the further transmission of COVID-19, Malacañang said Thursday. “We have to believe in what science is saying,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in an online press conference. Roque issued the statement, after the Next page

ued “to strengthen the country's fiscal stability and macroeconomic fundamentals that began during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, it was during his term that the Philippines won its first investment-grade credit rating.” In 2013, three years into his presidency, Fitch Ratings raised the country's credit rating to investment grade, citing the political and economic reforms implemented under Aquino. Other credit rating agencies followed suit.” For its part, the MAP said Aquino's administration was marked “by impres-

sive economic growth, with four credit rating upgrades and a significant increase in foreign direct investments, aided by his focus on transparency and good governance. “Although his administration had its fair share of challenges, the reforms he initiated in public infrastructure, the judiciary, education, health care, and social protections created an engine for progress. And he generated a new respect for the country on the world stage. The West Philippine Sea arbitral ruling is evidence of international recognition of our territorial integrity.” Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 24)

1,378,260 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

6,043 51,410 NEW

ACTIVE

24,036

108

1,302,814

4,486

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

By Willie Casas THE more infectious coronavirus Delta variant, first detected in India, could cripple the country’s health care system because of its more infectious nature, the OCTA Research Group said on Thursday. OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye warned that the Delta variant, which he described as a game changer, could lead to a surge of COVID-19 cases in the country. Rye warned also that Filipinos should not be complacent and must follow minimum public health protocols. “We want to emphasize that the Delta variant is a game changer. If it enters the country, it will crumble our healthcare system due to the sudden rise of new cases and since the variant is very infec-

NEW

tious as well,” Rye said in a public briefing. “That’s why our first message is that we need to take precautions, now is not the time to be complacent and to be neglectful,” Rye said. “All we know is that some of the vaccines may not be very effective against these new variants... It’s not yet here in the country, it’s not yet spreading, our goal is to prevent that from happening,” he said. As of June 21, the country

Black Hawk crash kills 6; fleet grounded THE Philippines grounded its entire fleet of Black Hawk helicopters Thursday after one of the new aircraft crashed during a night-time training flight, killing all six on board. Three pilots and three airmen died when their S70-i went down near the Crow Valley training range north of Manila on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. "The entire Black Hawk fleet are

grounded while the incident is being investigated," Lorenzana said. The country ordered 16 of the multi-role aircraft from a Polish firm that made them under licence from the Sikorsky division of US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Eleven have been delivered since late 2020. The government bought the Black

NEWS / A3

NEW

News

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BTA term extension draws support By Nash B. Maulana

INDANAO officials that convened as a Council of Leaders reached a consensus close to midnight on Thursday to extend the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) for three more years by act of Congress

leaders' meeting.” “We are immensely grateful to our people in the homeland who have shown today their overwhelming support to the extension of the BTA thru the conduct of unity caravans in all parts of the homeland; from Cotabato City, Maguindanao, Cagayan de Oro City, Zamboanga City, the Lanao provinces, Davao City, Sarangani, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi." Residents calling for the extension of the BTA by three more years converged in Wednesday in a Unity Caravan from different parts of Maguindanao, Cotabato, and Lanao Sur, Sarangani, Koronadal,

Davao provinces, urging leaders to unite and give peace a chance. Conveners of the Civil Society Organizations-Movement for Moral Governance (CSO MMG) read a manifesto in Buluan, urging local officials, including Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki Mangudadatu, to come to terms of unity and give the interim BTA an extended term. Dr. Rahib Kundto, president of the United Youth for Peace and Development, one of the conveners, said some of the participants were advocates for genuine autonomy from the Cotabato, South Cotabato and Sarangani.

This was learned from lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, spokesperson for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and concurrent minister of the region’s interior and local government.

Sinarimbo said: “We've reached a consensus on the extension of the BTA. This will be reported to the President. We thank the Bangsamoro leaders as well as the Cabinet Secretaries of President Duterte for facilitating the afternoon's

Nation...

Aquino, the only son of the late democracy icons former president Corazon Aquino and her assassinated husband, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., first entered politics as a House representative for the 2nd district of Tarlac in 1998 and won a Senate seat in 2007. A latecomer to the presidential race in 2010, Aquino declared his candidacy only after his mother's death from cancer the previous year had plunged the country into mourning, and demonstrated the power of the family name. As president from 2010 to 2016, Aquino made fighting corruption his mantra, capitalizing on his family's clean reputation, and vowed to reduce the poverty afflicting a third of the population. He was best known for his “walang wang-wang” promise – literally no more sirens that exemplified VIP entitlement, and his commitment to serve the people: “Kayo ang boss ko.” Aquino ran and won the presidency

on a reform platform with the battle cry “kung walang kurap, walang mahirap” (if there are no corrupt people, there won’t be poor people) and championed the “Daang Matuwid” (straight path) as a guiding post during his administration. His administration delivered average annual economic growth of over 6 percent, the highest since the 1970s, handing the country investment-grade status even as poverty remained endemic. Aquino was criticized for his government’s slow response to Typhoon "Yolanda,” which killed more than 6,000 people in 2013, and a botched clandestine operation to capture or kill a Malaysian terrorist that led to the deaths of 44 police commandos in Mamasapano in 2015. The self-deprecating commander-inchief who often joked about his love life or the lack of it along with his thinning hair once described the presidency as the “loneliest job.” “The Presidency is a job that requires

faith—faith that you can make a difference; faith in the people who work for you, and in the people you work for; and faith in yourself, and in God, especially during the lonely hours of decision making, when it is your decisions that will decide the future of millions of Filipinos,” he said in a speech in 2012. His sisters recalled how painful it was to see how their brother, a very private person, chose to remain silent despite the accusations and criticisms thrown against him after his term as president. "We remembered that we told him that he should speak against the allegations thrown to him, he just simply responded that he could still sleep at night,” Abellada said in Filipino. “Mission accomplished ka, Noy. Be happy now with Dad and Mom. We love you and we are so blessed to have had the privilege to have had you as our brother. We’ll miss you forever,” she added. with AFP

in prayer and set aside our differences as we pay our respects to a leader who has given his best to serve the Filipino people. His memory and his family's legacy of offering their lives for the cause of democracy will forever remain etched in our hearts," he added. Various leaders also paid tribute to the former President (see related stories below -- Editors). In the Palace, presidential spokesman Harry Roque asked for a moment of silence and prayer for Aquino, who died at the age of 61. “We commiserate and condole with the family and loved ones of former President Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III as we extend our condolences on his untimely demise,” Roque said. Roque also thanked Aquino for his public service. “We’re grateful to the former president for his contributions and services to the country,” he said. “Rest in peace, Mr. President. All national flags in Malacañang were flown at half-staff to mourn the untimely passing of Aquino. Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday mourned Aquino’s death. “It was heartbreaking news that PNoy is gone. He was such a good friend and an honest president,” she said. “He tried to do what was right, even when it was not popular. He worked silently and tirelessly to help many. He will be missed. I condole with his family,” she said. Senators mourned Aquino’s death as Senate President Vicente Sotto III ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff in the Senate compound. “No matter what political side you're on, when a former president passes away, the country mourns,” Sotto said.

“His death diminishes us all. Sincerest condolences from the Senate and my family to the family of President Benigno C. Aquino III,” he said. Lawmakers also crossed party lines at the House of Representatives in expressing their condolences to the Aquino family. Speaker Lord Allan Velasco honored Aquino as “a man who dedicated his service to the country.” House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said news of Aquino’s death was a shock. “We all grieve for losing him so early — a man of integrity, a Filipino leader who made it his primary mission to institutionalize good governance reforms,” Romualdez said. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto described Aquino, the national chairman of the Liberal Party, as a profile of courage and a man of convictions. “When politics clashed with the principles he held dear, he would choose the latter, even at the expense of friendships and alliances a leader must maintain in order to govern,” Recto said. “He did not treat his office as a theatre, where he was obliged to make grand gestures to incite his base or distract them from his mistakes,” he added. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said through Aquino’s time as congressman, senator, and eventually president, he was able to balance the weight of being an Aquino—carrying all the history of the name, and all the expectations that came with it—while also carving a path for himself. “We entered the House of Representatives and the Senate at the same time—in 1998 and 2007, respectively. As his colleague I have always recognized and respected how committed he

was as a public servant," Zubiri said. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said in continuing the legacy of his parents, Aquino introduced widespread reforms and espoused a strong anti-corruption policy during his presidency. Senator Grace Poe said she would treasure the memory of their years together as legislators and members of the opposition. “For beyond politics and much public acrimony, I knew Noynoy the kind and simple soul. He will be deeply missed,” she said. Senator Joel Villanueva said the nation lost a leader, while he lost a friend, a mentor and a brother. Senator Cynthia Villar remembered working with Aquino in the House, where he would always call her “Ma’am Cynthia” as a sign of respect because he said she was like a mother to the new congressmen. Senator Panfilo Lacson said Aquino “served his country very well with humility, honor and integrity.” “Even as President, he always managed to promptly respond to my messages, no matter how casual and trivial. It was indeed a privilege to have served with him -- both in the Senate and the Executive Department, but more than that, to be his friend,” Lacson said. Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said the late president was a friend as their families were close. He said Aquino served the Philippines to the best of his ability by pursuing the vision he had for the country. Senator Risa Hontiveros, an opposition lawmaker, remembered Aquino as a “good man” and considered him as “one of the best things that happened to the country after the 1986 People Power Revolution.” (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

From A1

Aquino’s remains were transported to Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, where they were later cremated. He will be buried on Saturday, June 26, his youngest sister Kris Aquino said. "He could have been lying in state in Malacañang but we respect the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic,” the youngest of the Aquino sisters said. Meanwhile, the wake for the former president will be open for public viewing for a day at the Church of the Gesu inside the Ateneo de Manila University — Aquino's alma mater — in Quezon City. The public viewing will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. today (Friday). Abellada said her brother “had been going in and out of the hospital” even before the pandemic started last year.

Duterte... From A1

The current leader led a grateful nation in grieving the passing of his predecessor, who died just five years after stepping down from office. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte signed Proclamation No. 1169, which sets Period of National Mourning over the demise of Aquino from June 24, 2021 to July 3, 2021. "In this regard, the national flag shall be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad for a period of ten (10) days," Roque said in a statement. "Let us continue to pray and pay respects to the former President who gave his best to serve our nation and our people," he added. "We thank the former President for his service to our country. I hope that my fellow Filipinos will be inspired by his legacy," Duterte said. "I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Aquino family. Be assured of the government’s assistance in this period of mourning and, above all, please accept the love and the prayers of a grateful nation," he added. Duterte said he spoke with the Aquino sisters to personally offer his condolences. "I could hardly find the right words to say the condolences. But every time [I offer condolences, I turn to] Ecclesiastes 3. And the long and short of the message is there is always a time for everything on this planet. So whatever it is, we will always have our appointed time," the President said. "Let us take this opportunity to unite

US,... From A1

which "marked an important milestone" for the two nations. "During his visit... several bilateral agreements and exchanges of notes in the spheres of social security, trade and education were signed at a ceremony held in the German Federal Foreign Office," the embassy said in a statement. The European Union expressed its sympathies as well to the Aquino family, noting that the EU-Philippines Partnership Cooperation Agreement was signed during his term. Australia's ambassador to Manila Steven Robinson offered his condolences to the Aquinos, and remembered PNoy's visit to Australia in 2012. "While the Philippines mourns his loss, we remember fondly his State Visit to Australia in 2012 and the legacy of partnership and bayanihan we shared," Robinson said. It was under the Aquino administration when the Philippines brought China to the arbitral tribunal over its vast claims in the South China Sea. Manila's victory against Beijing was announced in July 2016 after Duterte had assumed power. Duterte, who pursued friendly ties with China, has called the ruling a mere piece of paper. 'Remarkable legacy' The Department of Foreign Affairs has exalted what it described as “remark-

able legacy” left behind by the passing of Aquino in the country’s foreign policy, calling him “a great man, leader and nationalist.” The DFA led by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., expressed condolences to Aquino’s family and recognized the former leader’s legacy related to foreign policy and history. “The Department of Foreign Affairs joins the nation in mourning the passing of former President Benigno S. Aquino III,” it said in a statement. “The Department offers its condolences to the President’s family and friends, and joins the Filipino people in grieving the loss of a great man, leader and nationalist,” it added. "I’m out of Twitter from grief over the death of a sea-green incorruptible, brave under armed attack, wounded in crossfire, indifferent to power and its trappings, and ruled our country with a puzzling coldness but only because he hid his feelings so well it was thought he had none; it was the way he and his siblings were raised by a great woman — their mother and of our restored democracy (without her none in power yesterday and today would be)," Locsin said. "I beg his sisters to allow me the honor to share their grief. He wasn’t fond of me but I could not bring myself not to admire him," he added. Noynoy was the only son of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Face... From A1

Senate sought an inquiry into the effectiveness of face shields in protecting people against COVID-19. He maintained that Duterte’s latest directive to keep the wearing of face masks mandatory is based on science. “That’s what the science and experts have said. It is difficult to ignore the findings of the experts in the fields of medicine and epidemiology),” he said in Filipino. Senate Resolution 757, authored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, directs the Senate Committee of the Whole to investigate, in aid of legislation, the efficacy of wearing face shields in public spaces. The resolution was filed following dismay over the government’s flip-flopping on the policy on the use of face shields. Duterte initially decided to relax the government’s face shield requirement by mandating its use only in hospitals. Roque, however, announced on Monday that Duterte has decided to keep the

Black... From A1

Hawks to replace the air force's ageing fleet of Bell UH-1H helicopters, commonly known as the Huey. Many of them were acquired as surplus from the United States, Manila's longtime military ally.

original policy on the mandatory use of face shields in public places in view of more transmissible Delta coronavirus variant. While he acknowledged the inconvenience of wearing face shields, Roque insisted that there is a scientific basis to mandate its use. Roque also cited the findings of The Lancet that the use of face masks helps control the COVID-19 transmission. The Lancet’s study, Roque said, found that wearing a face mask can decrease the risk of catching COVID-19 by 78 percent. The risk can also decrease by 85 percent, if face shield is worn in addition to face shield, Roque added. Roque also cited a local study that showed that a person is protected against COVID-19 by 97 percent, if they use face shield and face mask and observe social distancing. The OCTA Research Group on Thursday supported the President’s decision to continue requiring the wearing of face shields indoors and outdoors. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) Lorenzana said the Black Hawk fleet has been used for humanitarian assistance and disaster response, including flying Covid-19 vaccines to remote areas of the archipelago nation. The Philippine military is also fighting a long-running communist insurgency across the country and Islamic State-linked militants in the south. AFP

Duterte urges House, Senate: Act on priority measures PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday expressed optimism that Congress would heed his call to pass the remaining priority measures of his administration. In a keynote speech delivered at Malacañan Palace, Duterte said his administration’s priority measures would bring “genuine” reforms to the country. The Package 3 and 4 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, and the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, the Foreign Investments Act, and the Public Service Act are among the government’s priority bills, Duterte said. “I would like to emphasize the need for fruitful collaboration [with both] Houses of Congress to ensure the passage of the remaining priority legislation of this administration,” he said during the ceremonial signing of 16 legislative bills into law. “The Filipino people eagerly await these genuine reforms, and may these laws come to fruition soon.” Duterte made the call as he lauded the senators and congressmen for working together to ensure the passage of 16 legislative measures aimed at improving the quality of life for all Filipinos. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Business... From A1

The Makati Business Club said Aquino “bettered our lives by combining propeople social policies — modernizing education, expanding cash transfers, for example — with a relatively clean government. That meant taxes went to public services and infra, while foreign and local businesses were excited to make jobcreating investments. “History will judge him well.” Former Finance Secretary Purisima, in a statement said: “My deepest condolences to the Aquino family, and to the wider family of public servants who served with honor under his presidency. “I owe President Aquino a debt of gratitude for the opportunity of a lifetime for my six years of service in his cabinet as Secretary of Finance and as head of his economic team. “It was President Aquino’s strong mandate and unwavering resolve that made those six years particularly fulfilling ones as we sought to, as he mentioned in his inaugural speech, “travel far on the right path, and... bequeath a better future to the next generation.” The Philippine Stock Exchange itself said in a statement: “The Philippine stock market recorded several milestones during the term of President Aquino as his policies transformed the Philippines from a high credit risk to an investment grade rating country starting in 2013. “We pray for the eternal repose of his soul.”

‘Delta’... From A1

has reported a total of 17 cases – although no transmission reported thus far – of the Delta variant but all of them were detected at the country’s borders. Rye urged the public to get vaccinated and at the same time to follow minimum public health protocols to fight against this new and infectious variant. “All the variants we are fighting them with just one approach, or two actually. First and foremost is to get vaccinated and number two is to follow minimum public health standards,” Rye said. Rye said compared to the other variants such as the Alpha variant, first detected in the United Kingdom, the Delta variant was more contagious because one individual could spread the virus from six to eight other people. “Just to give you a sense of the UK variant, if one professor is infected then the virus can spread from four to five people. While the new Delta variant can spread from six to eight other people, which only shows that it is a bigger number and it’s very contagious,” he said. In terms of the vaccine efficacy, OCTA also said that some of the vaccines might not be “very effective” against the new variant called Delta plus. Delta Plus is a mutation of the Delta variant which was tagged as the “new coronavirus variant of concern” by the government of India. Vaccination 'only way' Vaccination against COVID-19 is the only way to stop the transmission and mutation of the coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. FDA Director General Eric Domingo, in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, said the COVID-19 vaccines being used in the country should remain effective against severe infection even if its protection could be reduced against new variants. A UK study showed that the Delta variant first reported in India diminishes the efficacy of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to 89 percent from 94 percent, and Astrazeneca's to 59 percent from 70 percent, Domingo said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

News Side effects of vaccine on teeners played down US health authorities plan to update official guidance about administering mRNA Covid vaccines to adolescents and young adults after finding a likely link to rare cases of heart inflammation, but say the overall benefits still “clearly” outweigh the risks. The decision was announced during a meeting of experts convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday that reviewed 323 confirmed instances of myocarditis and of pericarditis, inflammation of the lining surrounding the heart, among people under 30 following vaccination. “Fortunately it’s an extraordinarily rare event, and when the event happens it’s generally quite mild,” Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York and member of the expert panel, told AFP after the meeting. He added he would continue to strongly advise parents to vaccinate their adolescents. Of the 323 cases, 309 were hospitalized, 295 were discharged, nine remain hospitalized with two in intensive care, and there is no outcome data for five cases. The cases are predominantly among males, most occur after the second dose, and there are no confirmed deaths. The data is current as of June 11, when more than 50 million doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines had been administered to people aged 12-29 in the United States. While the case numbers are low, they are still higher than what would be expected in these age groups and researchers are studying possible biological triggers. “Myocarditis is a rare disease but it’s not a new disease, it’s been around for a while,” Matthew Oster, a member of the CDC’s Covid vaccine task force told the meeting, noting the estimated background rate of myocarditis is about 0.8 per 100,000 children per year. Oster said the illness was thought to be caused by viruses in some cases, although there could be other triggers. AFP

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Pandemic to be felt for years’

HE coronavirus pandemic is pushing more people into drug use, while illicit cultivation could also get a boost, the UN said Thursday, warning that the crisis’s fallout was likely to be felt “for years to come”.

The Vienna-based United Nations Ofﬁce on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which each year pulls together data from its wide network of member countries in its annual report, said it also feared illicit opium poppy and coca leaf cultivation could rise as the economic crisis caused by the pandemic led to joblessness and other problems around the globe. “The new report shows that drug markets have swiftly resumed operations after the initial disruption at the onset of

the pandemic” last year, a statement by agency said. Top opium producer Afghanistan reported a 37 percent jump in the amount of land used for illicit poppy cultivation during 2020 compared with the previous year, the report said. Inequality, poverty and mental health conditions—known factors that push people into drug use—are also on the rise across the world, it said in a chapter entitled “Covid-19 fallout likely to be felt in

drug markets for years to come”. Most countries have reported a rise in the use of cannabis during the pandemic, it said, noting generally people decreasingly saw risks in its use. The crisis has also seen an increase in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs, while consumption of drugs that are “typically used in social settings”, such as cocaine, has dropped. UNODC noted ever bigger shipments of illicit drugs and increased smuggling amid disruption to commercial air trafﬁc.

Record global cocaine manufacture

Even before the pandemic, global cocaine manufacture doubled in output between 2014 and 2019, when it reached a new record of an estimated 1,784 tons,

CARDINAL Jose F. Advincula was formally installed as the 33rd Archbishop of Manila in a scaled-down ceremony held at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Intramuros on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Advincula offered prayers to former president Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, who passed away on Thursday at the end of the installation Mass at the

according to the report. It has reached all-time highs in recent years, which is also in line with increasing global drug use in part due to the growing world population. Cocaine supply chains to Europe are “diversifying, pushing prices down and quality up and thereby threatening Europe with a further expansion of the cocaine market”, it said. It added that a rising number of smaller groups, including some originating in the Balkans, was now involved in cocaine trafficking, leading to “increased competition and efficiency”. In a positive development seen by UNODC the area under coca bush cultivation declined globally by five percent in 2019.

Senators offer tips to prevent troll attacks By Macon Ramos-Araneta

LAKAS GOING STRONGER. House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD Party President Martin Romualdez (left) assisted by Laguna Provincial Chairman and Pakil Mayor Vince Soriano (right) administers the oath taking of new Lakas-CMD Party members at Lakas Headquarters in Manila, (2nd from left to right) are Cabuyao City Vice Mayor Leif Opina, Mike Aranzanso, Sta Rosa City Vice Mayor Arnel Gomez, Luigi Biraogo, Daniel Vito, Joel Mangubat Aviso, Christopher Santos and Allan Farcon, also taking their oath via zoom are the Lakas Provincial Chairpersons Ilocoa Norte Councilor Roque “RB” Ablan, La Union Board Member Gary Pinzon, Quirino Board Member Martin Bulayo, Nueva Viscaya Benjamin Lloren Cuaresma, Bulacan Councilor Maria Isabel Pascual Libero, Occidental Mindoro Atty. Mariliza Kalaw, Palawan Board Member Ryan Maminta, Albay Vice Mayor Ted Residilla, Camarines Norte former Congressman Renato Unico, Abra Mayor Benido Balao-as and Upper Apayao former Mayor Leonardo Dangoy. Ver Noveno

Advincula assumes post as 33rd Archbishop of Manila By Vito Barcelo

Manila Cathedral. “We have been informed of the sad news of the passing away of our former president of the Republic of the Philippines, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Let us entrust him to the mercy of Our Loving Father and let us now pray for the eternal repose of his soul,” he said. “Eternal rest grant unto him o Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the

mercy of God, Rest in Peace. Amen.” The 69-year-old Advincula succeeded Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who left the seat in February 2020 to serve in the Vatican as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The ceremony was held under strict protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Only a select number of guests, including bishops, priests and government ofﬁcials, were allowed inside the cathedral. Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Advin-

cula Archbishop of Manila on March 25. He was also among the 13 cardinals from eight countries appointed by Pope Francis last October 2020. He was appointed as the country’s ninth cardinal by the Pope last October and was formally elevated the month after. In December, he was named a member of the Congregation for the Clergy. Ordained priest in 1976, Advincula became bishop of San Carlos in 2001 and archbishop of Capiz in 2011.

WITH the upcoming 2022 elections, two senators brace for a surge of troll farms and provide means to prevent activities like fake news and character assassination of political candidates, among others. Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Pangilinan provided the public tips to ward off trolls on all forms of social media. Lacson might join the presidential race if he acceded to the proddings of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to lead the Nationalist People’s Coalition in next year’s elections. Sotto is supposed to be Lacon’s running mate. Pangilinan, also Liberal Party Acting President has confirmed he is seeking a rere-election. According to Lacson, “resisting the urge to engage trolls, reporting them, and blocking them” is the three-point habit that ordinary Filipinos can develop against internet trolls, while waiting for Facebook and other social media platforms to crack down on them. Lacson also backed Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III’s call to Facebook Philippines to act against troll farms supposedly being set up for the 2022 elections. Earlier, Lacson cited information reaching him indicating that an undersecretary is organizing troll farms—two in each province—in time for next year’s election. “But as we wait for the companies concerned to take appropriate action, it would be better for us to develop the habits that will deny these trolls their prize,” noted Lacson. Pangilinan also supported Lacson and Sotto that trolling should be addressed in preparation for the upcoming elections. Citing a study by the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication, he said candidates fielded by the opposition during the 2019 elections were the most prone to trolling and fake news online. Pangilinan said efforts will be made to address the weaponization of social media.

Rebel-free barangays get infra funds—NSA By Maricel V. Cruz THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Thursday said 59 barangays in the Bicol region will be the first to receive development funds following their liberation from communist influence. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, NTF-ELAC vice chairman, said that funds from the Barangay Development Program will be released to more localities as these are freed of CPP-NPA influence. He added that by 2022, another 282 barangays in the Bicol Region will be receiving projects under the BDP. Each barangay, certified as NPA-free, will be receiving P20 million worth of infrastructure and livelihood projects. In a statement made available to congressional reporters, Esperon’s NTF-EL-

MIDNIGHT MISHAP. An

accident on Wednesday midnight in Las Navas, Northern Samar resulted in one death, 11 serious injuries, and 22 slight injuries involving government troops and their escorts who were on their way to Barangay Bulao. Police Lieutenant Colonel Tecaredo Sarmiento Marasigan said the accident happened when two gazelles boarded by at least 32 troops and two escorts fell into a ravine.

CAC announced the release of funds to 15 barangays in Sorsogon; 26 in Masbate, eight in Camarines Norte and many others that are already free from New People’s Army (NPA) inﬂuence and threats. Esperon said the BDP package being implemented in the Bicol Region is the outcome of the “meticulous” collaborative efforts between the local government, the security sector, private sector partners, and the national government in identifying the needs of stakeholders in the area. “The NTF-ELCAC underscored the inclusion of the Bicol Region in the program because the presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA in the said areas has stunned the development of the provinces and the entire region,” said Esperon. Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Esperon said that

Bicol Region posted 7 percent unemployment rate and 20.3 percent underemployment rate as of April 2021. Poverty incidence in the region is at 27 percent despite a growth rate of 7.4 percent. “For us in the security sector, we recognize that the radicalization of vulnerable communities and recruitment into the armed insurgency can be traced in part to poverty, hunger lack of access to education and economic opportunities, inadequate healthcare and infrastructure and injustice,” Esperon said. Last Wednesday, Esperon and some Cabinet members led the groundbreaking ceremony in the Municipality of Casiguran, Sorsogon. The event was attended by Cabinet Ofﬁcer for Regional Development and Security for Region V Secretary Gregorio Honasan; Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero and others.

BARANGAYNIHAN. Col. Rudolph Dimas, head of the Philippine National

Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group together with other ranking police officials receive sacks of rice, grocery items and other food packages from the officers and staff of the 407th Transport Battalion-Armed Forces of the Philippine Affiliate Reserve Unit-Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Commandled by Cpt. Mel Hallar, Army Reservist and Vice-President for Marketing of the EXSOL Security Agency Inc. during the turnover of donation held at AKG conference room in Camp Crame, Quezon City recently.

DENR lauds Chinese General Hospital’s efforts IN A comprehensive assessment covering three years, the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center is cited for its constant adherence and dedication to the country’s environmental laws and regulations. Last May 31, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources hailed the hospital’s consistent endeavor in complying with the bureau’s various directives to private institutions for cleaner surroundings in pursuance of the “EMB Memorandum Circular No. 2020-28”. “This is a testament to our renewed commitment to help the environment in every way we can,” said Jameson G. Dy, Senior VP for Operations and Administration/ DENR EMB registered Managing Head. “We have been supporting the DENR and its many top-notch projects over the years.” Dy together with Emerson Vergara, CGHMC Pollution Control Ofﬁcer, were presented with certiﬁcates of

recognition for their efforts. CGHMC has fully complied with the DENR requirements under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System (PD 1586), Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes Act (RA 6969), Clean Air Act (RA 8749), the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), and Clean Water Act (RA 9275). The hospital has consistently submitted self-monitoring and compliance monitoring reports to ensure that the institution is strictly following the bureau’s guidelines. These efforts are manifested through various programs such as No Idling, Solid and Hazardous / Infectious / COVID Waste Management, Agreement with ABS-CBN’s “Bantay Kalikasan” which recycled used oil and batteries, Waste Minimization such as the use of Paper Meal Boxes and Wooden Cutlery, which are aggregate parts of the hospital’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

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Justice chief rebuffs Panelo: Arrest of anti-vaxxers needs law San Miguel Corp. helps administer 180k vax doses

SAN Miguel Corporation’s “Ligtas Lahat” vaccination program switched to high-gear with the deployment to more cities of more medical professionals it hired to augment government medical teams administering vaccines at various sites. From April 26 to June 22, over 100 SMC medical doctors and nurses have helped administer an estimated 179,644 vaccines in five cities: Mandaluyong, Malabon, Manila, Paranaque, and Quezon City. SMC expects its number of medical workers deployed to reach about 200 in a few weeks. SMC has also partnered with local government units to start inoculating its A4 employees while waiting for its own vaccines to arrive. To date, 3,521 of its own frontline and essential workers have been vaccinated at three vaccination sites the company has opened. “Even if the vaccines we ordered have yet to arrive, we are all-systems-go when it comes to vaccination efforts. Our ‘SMC Ligtas Lahat’ task force teams are working full-time to do whatever we can to support our Metro Manila local governments as they implement their vaccination programs,” said SMC president Ramon Ang. “We’re hiring more medical personnel and deploying them to city vaccination sites, and at the same time providing the facilities to enable our LGUs to vaccinate as many of our A4 workers. This is the best way we can help achieve herd immunity, get our economy going, get people working and earning safely again, and ultimately, protect more Filipinos from strains of the COVID-19 virus,” Ang added. Since June 3, SMC has also been jointly managing, together with the Mandaluyong LGU, a vaccination site at Jose Rizal University in its home city. The site, manned by 20 nurses and 10 doctors from SMC, vaccinates some 1,000 individuals per day. Ang said even before its own supply of Moderna and Astra Zeneca vaccines--ordered under a P1 billion program to vaccinate some 70,000 in its workforce and their families-start arriving next month, SMC has already implemented programs to educate its employees about vaccines, and enable them to get these through partnerships with LGUs.

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said criminal acts are defined by Congress as he insisted that a law is needed to effect the arrest of people who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “The Constitution lays down, among others, basic principles and general policies of the state. Specific criminal offenses arising from willful transgressions of this fundamental law are defined, and corresponding penalties imposed, by the legislature,” Guevarra

said in a text message. Guevarra made the statement after Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo argued that Constitutional provisions are enough basis to arrest people who do not want to get COVID-19 vaccine jabs. Panelo on Wednesday stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte’s threat to send anyone who refuses to get vaccinated to jail has a basis, citing the 1987 Constitution’s provisions on the promotion of general welfare and right to health. Panelo’s position contradicted the view of Guevarra that there is no law on mandatory vaccination, let alone criminalizing the act of refusing to get the vaccine. Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Domingo Cayosa said Panelo’s statement only “adds to the confusion of our countrymen.”

“The confusion, the contradictions, the back and forth, makes it more difficult to compel obedience and that’s why it’s very important for anyone in leadership to get their acts together,” Cayosa said, in a television interview. “Perhaps Secretary Panelo is speaking from a point of view of the power of the state but even the police power must be based on law. You cannot just lift a general provision of the Constitution and make it applicable to a particular case,” he added. According to the IBP official, Panelo’s job was to advise the President in private. “I don’t think it is wise after the spokesperson of Malacañang himself has already corrected or clarified that anyone else in the government would still speak about it publicly because essential in leadership and management is unity of command,” Cayosa said.

OUTPOURING OF GRIEF. Supporters of former Philippine president Benigno Aquino III display his portrait near his residence in Manila on June 24, 2021. Aquino, scion of one of Asia’s most famous political families, died June 24 from kidney failure. He was 61. (Inset) A woman places flowers at the Aquinos’ ancestral home along Times Street in Quezon City. AFP, Manny Palmero

Senator seeks end to ‘grim pattern’ of war on drugs By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Risa Hontiveros has underscored the need to break the “grim pattern” of the government’s war on drugs, which involved the killings of children and teens during police operations. Hontiveros called on the Senate to investigate the death of the latest victims —including a teenager—in Laguna. Her proposed Senate Resolution No. 776 was in response to the death of 16-year old Johndy Maglinte and his

companion Antonio Dalit in an alleged shootout in Binan. “Is this a war on our children? These deaths are more than just ‘operational lapses.’ This is a total and disgusting disregard for the life of children. This is not the first time a minor was killed because of sloppy police operations,” the senator said. She said the pattern of “unimaginable state cruelty” must stop immediately. According to the family of Maglinte, the teenager was handcuffed and lying face down when he was shot by police officers.

The provincial Philippine National Police, for its part, insisted that Maglinte and Dalit resisted arrest and exchanged gunfire with officers while they were serving warrants. Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, recognized the swift action of PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar for initiating a probe on the killing in Laguna and putting the police officers involved under restrictive custody.

Mayor Isko marks Manila’s 450th anniversary with 400,000 vaccines

MANILA’S TOP 10. Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna are flanked by the city’s Top 10 Real Property Taxpayers for year 2020 during a special event at the Metropolitan Theater on Wednesday, in celebration of the 450th founding anniversary of the city of Manila. Norman Cruz

MMDA probes 2 enforcers caught extorting By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is investigating the case of two traffic enforcers who were caught on a now viral video extorting money from a motorcycle rider in Parañaque City. MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. instructed the Traffic Discipline Office (TDO) to conduct the probe. “We will never tolerate extortion, bribery, and other forms of corruption among our personnel. Those two traffic enforcers will be dealt with accordingly. Charges will be filed against them,” said Abalos. The MMDA did not identify the enforcers involved but said the incident happened in Barangay Baclaran, Parañaque City. The case came a month after the agen-

cy dismissed from the service two other traffic enforcers found guilty of extortion and grave misconduct. The dismissed enforcers -- Edmon Belleca and Christian Malemit, both permanent employees assigned at the agency’s Traffic Discipline Office (TDO) -- were also caught in a viral video asking P1,000 bribe money from a motorist who they apprehended for reckless driving and for violating the Anti-Distracted Driving Act. The incident happened at the corner of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and A. Bonifacio near the North Luzon Expressway. “May this serve as a stern warning to all our personnel who are involved in corrupt activities. We shall not hesitate to fire them and file charges against them,” said Abalos.

UPBEAT on achieving herd immunity in the city by September, Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso marked Manila’s 450th founding anniversary by welcoming 400,000 doses of Sinovac atthe Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Moreno said the COVID-19 vaccines is the local government unit’s gift to the people of Manila. The procurement was made possible through a tripartite agreement with the national government and the assistance of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian. The Manila City Council raised P298.5 million to buy the vaccines. “We are excited.... With the help of the national government in providing vaccines to the LGUs, in the next two weeks

we will try to finish this set at the rate we are going,” Domagoso said. “Your city will continue to vaccinate as many as possible, as soon as possible,” he added. The Manila mayor was joined by top city officials and representatives from Sinovac’s local distributor, IP-Biotech, Inc. (IPB), in receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. Manila also bought last year 800,000 doses of AstraZeneca that are expected to arrive in September or earlier. So far, Manila has vaccinated 41 percent of its 800,000-target population. It also partnered with the Office of the Vice President in the so-called “Vaccine Express” project with drivers of tricycles and delivery services as beneficiaries. Macon Ramos-Araneta

FOR MANILA’S 450TH ANNIVERSARY. Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko

Moreno’ Domagoso, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, Philippine Postal Corp. postmaster general Norman Fulgencio, Sen. Christopher Go, and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea unveil the cover of the commemorative stamps of the Jones Bridge and the Manila City Hall Clock Tower for the 450th founding anniversary of the City of Manila. Norman Cruz

DOH: 8 regions to get more vax doses; 2m jabs of Sinovac arrive By Willie Casas and Joel Zurbano REGIONS battling spike in COVID-19 infections have been allocated more vaccines, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday. Duque identified the areas as follows: Regions 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Caraga, and BARMM. “We have to be sensitive to the areas experiencing a spike or a surge. So we need to redeploy. Every now and then we need to recalibrate our response,” he said in a briefing with Israeli vaccination experts. For her part, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the number of additional doses per priority area ranges from 5,000 to 10,000, depending on the region’s population, number of COVID-19 cases, and vaccine inventory. “We calibrate how much we are going to give them. Let us also consider that there is still limited supply,” she said. The DOH earlier flagged several areas in Visayas and Mindanao over their rising number of COVID-19 infections. Testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon said several densely populated urban centers will get a bigger share of vaccines once more supplies come in. “Given a situation where there is scarcity of vaccines…you really need to prioritize areas [in] which the vaccines are most effectively utilized,” he said. “These areas, based on the strategy of focus and expand, are the densest areas in the country, highly urbanized cities. Why? Because, number one, they have the highest risk of getting infection. Also, [they make] the greatest contribution to the economy,” Dizon said. Dizon said some of these “key cities” are Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Baguio, Talisay, and Minglanilla. The Philippines has vaccinated over 6.2 million individuals as of June 20, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 50 million to 70 million people this year. Cabotaje also denied claims that Iloilo City received fewer COVID-19 vaccines. The city government received only 66,000 out of the 84,000 vials that DOH claimed it released, Mayor Jerry Treñas earlier said. But the DOH said the 84,000 vials were completely delivered to Iloilo City. “He [Treñas] just cannot account for the other supplies because these did not pass through the local government unit,” Cabotaje said.

QC exceeds own inoculation record By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government’s vaccination program has surpassed its own record of vaccine administration with 37,234 individuals inoculated Monday, the highest number among all local government units nationwide. achievement comes after the city government vaccinated 27,000 individuals for three consecutive days from June 17 to June 19. Mayor Joy Belmonte welcomed the new record, saying it was a boost to the government’s commitment of achieving population protection in six months. “This is a big step in a ladder that we are climbing. With continued collective efforts from the city government, private sector, and other partners, we will soon achieve protection for most of our citizens,” she said. The QCProtektodo vaccination program has administered a total of 646,043 vaccines as of June 21. Of this number, the first doses given stood at 495,490 or 29.15 percent of the target 1.7 million population to achieve population protection, while 150,553 or 8.86 percent of the same target population have received their second doses. According to Belmonte, the vaccination program continues to expand with sites now located in 50 different areas, including the SMART Araneta Coliseum, the largest vaccination site in the city. Other sites have been established in schools, hospitals, malls, drivethrus, clubhouses, barangay halls and even the city hall compound with partnerships with universities, private companies, malls, medical teams, and church organizations like the Diocese of Novaliches and Cubao, she added.

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Republic of the Philippines Department of Finance Securities and Exchange Commission Markets and Securities Regulation Department IN THE MATTER OF

: : THE PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE, INC. : x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- -- -- -- -- x

SEC MSRD Order No. 31 Series of 2021

ORDER WHEREAS, on 10 June 2021, The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (“Company”) submitted Definitive Information Statement (“DIS”) relative to the scheduled annual stockholders’ meeting on 2 July 2021. WHEREAS, the company distributed its DIS on 10 June 2021; WHEREAS, on 18 June 2021, the Company filed with the Commission a request for approval to amend the DIS. The amendments shall be read as follows: Page 2: Agenda Only stockholders of record at the close of business of 28 May 2021 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this meeting. Online registration shall start on 10 June 2021 and end on 1 July 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Stockholders may only vote electronically or in absentia, subject to validation procedures. The rules and procedures for the conduct of the meeting through remote communication and for voting in absentia are set forth in this Information Statement. Page 6: Front Page, No. 9 9. Approximate date on which the Information Statement is first to be sent or given to security holders: 10 June 2121 Page 7: Item 1. Date, time and place of annual stockholders’ meeting (b) Approximate date the Company will first send copies of this information statement to its stockholders: 10 June 2021 Page 16 to 18: (c) List of Nominees to the Board of Directors (c)

UN puts pressure on Russia to leave Syrian border open U NITED NATIONS— The UN and a handful of countries pressured Russia Wednesday to continue allowing authorization of the only border crossing through which humanitarian aid reaches Syria’s insurgent Idlib region, but Moscow remained adamant that such a move threatens Syrian sovereignty.

“I strongly appeal to the members of the Council to reach consensus on allowing cross border operations as a vital channel of support for another year,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council. However veto-wielding Russia, which is al-

lied with President Bashar al-Assad, has made clear its opposition to a further extension of the border crossing’s authorization, which allows aid to reach some three million people living in the Idlib region. Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia maintained that the Idlib region is “a refuge for terrorists and radicalized jihadists,” insisting that the better alternative is to transport aid from Damascus through the frontlines. Negotiations have been launched on a draft resolution -- brought forth by Ireland and Norway, two non-permanent Security Council members -- to extend the authorization of the Bab al-Hawa crossing, which is located on the Turkish border. The UN authorization will require a vote before expiration on July 10, but there is great risk of a veto by Russia. The cross-border mechanism “has been an anachronism for a long time,” Nebenzia said, rejecting the idea of an extension of the bor-

List of Nominees to the Board of Directors`

NAME Ramon S. Monzon Anabelle L. Chua

Rolando Jose L. Macasaet Ferdinand K. Constantino Tomas I. Alcantara

NOMINATOR Jose T. Pardo BDO Unibank Inc. Trust and Investment Group

ENDORSED BY PLDT

Ramon S. Monzon Ramon S. Monzon

San Miguel Corporation Retirement Plan APEC Business Advisory Council

Ramon S. Monzon

Eddie T. Gobing

McAfee founder dead by suicide in Spanish jail

CATEGORY President Non-Broker - Issuer

GSIS

Ramon S. Monzon

Diosdado M. Arroyo Vivian Yuchengco

Non-Broker Investor Non-Broker Investor Non-Broker - Other Market Participant Broker

Ramon S. Monzon Vivian Yuchengco

Broker

Ramon S. Monzon ____________________ 1

Revised to reflect the withdrawal of Mr. Eusebio H. Tanco as nominee for the position of broker-director last 16 June 2021. With his withdrawal, there will only be 14 candidates for IS scats in the board of directors.

Wilson L. Sy

VIVian Yuchengco

Broker

Eddie Gobing Vivian Yuchengco

Ramon S. Monzon Ramon S. Monzon

Broker

Eddie Gobing Eusebio Tanco Teresita J. Ramon S. Monzon - no Leonardo-de Castro relationship with Teresita J. Leonardo-de Castro Consuelo O. Garcia Ramon S. Monzon - no relationship ith Consuela O. Garcia Vicente L. Panlilio Ramon S. Monzon - no relationship with Vicente L. Panlilio Jose T. Pardo Ramon S. Monzon - no relationship with Jose T. Pardo Gilberto C. Teodoro Ramon S. Monzon - no relationship with Gilberto C. Teodoro

Independent Director Independent Director Independent Director Independent Director Independent Director

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Jose T. Pardo. was first elected as an Independent Director on 26 January 2011. SEC Memorandum Circular No. 19 Series of 2016, or the Code of Corporate Governance for Publicly Listed Companies, provides a maximum term limit of nine (9) years for Independent Directors. reckoned from 2012. Chairman has served for the maximum period. The Board of Directors recommended the election of the Chainnan as an Independent Director for another two (2) years in view of the following reasons: (a) the Company would require his continued

LAST EDITION. Apple Daily employees work in the printing room as the last edition of the newspaper is printed in Hong Kong early on June 24. The 26-year-old tabloid announced closure the previous day after having its assets frozen by the police. AFP

N OTICE

Page 31: Item 20. Participation by Remote Communication To enable the Company to identify the stockholders participating by remote communication and record their presence for purposes of quorum, the stockholders must register in the virtual ASM portal through the link which will be posted in the PSE website or in the email which will be sent to their registered email addresses on file with the Office of the Corporate Secretary from 10 June 2021 to 1 July 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Stockholders may pose questions or comments at the virtual ASM portal or email questionsorcommentstocorpsec@pse.com.oh on or before 1 July 2021 at 5:00 p.m. The detailed instructions for participating via remote communication are set in the Rules for Voting In Absentia and Participating In Meeting. attached hereto as Annex “E-1.” Voting on all Items In the agenda will be on 2 July 2021 beginning at 7:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.

Notice is hereby given that THE SERVICE WAREHOUSE CORPORATION is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Cold Storage and Blast Freezing Facility under Tier 1 of R.A. No. 11534, otherwise known as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (“CREATE”) based on the 2020 Investment Priorities Plan as the transitional Strategic Investment Priority Plan under the said Act, with project location in Sta. Clara, Batangas City and capacities, as follows: ► Cold storage – 1,088,640 pallets/year or 707,616,000 kg ► Blast Freezing – 6,646 pallets/year or 4,320,000 kg Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOl within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Page 1 of Annex E: Rules of the Virtual 2021 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting 8. Voting will be open to registered Stockholders on 2 July 2021 at 7:30 a.m. 11. Questions and comments may be sent via e-mail on or before 1 July 2021 to corpsec@pse.com.ph. and shall be limited to the items in the Agenda of the meeting.

RAQUEL B. ECHAGUE OIC-Director Resource-Based Industries Service (MS-JUNE 25, 2021)

Page 2 of Annex E-1: Rules for Voting In Absentia and Participation in Meeting 7. Registration will commence on 10 June 2021 and will end on 1 July 2021 at 5:00 p.m. VOTING 8. Once the Stockholder or the proxy holder has successfully registered (hereinafter the “Registered Stockholder”), they may proceed to vote on all agenda items indicated in the Notice of the Meeting. Registered Stockholders can vote starting 7:30 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. of 2 July 2021. WHEREFORE, pursuant to the authority given by the Commission en Banc in SEC Resolution No. 388, Series of 2016, this Department hereby approves the company’s request to make the above amendment to its previously filed DIS subject to its full compliance of SRC Rule 20.3.3.4 as quoted below: 20.3.3.4. The information statement, proxy form and management report referred to in SRC Rule 20.4, if applicable, shall be distributed to security holders at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the date of the stockholders’ meeting; Provided, that in case any changes are made within the said fifteen (15) business days, the company shall comply with the following requirements: 20.3.3.4.1. Publish in a national newspaper of general circulation the order of the Commission granting the request of the company to make such changes within the said period; 20.3.3.4.2. Submit its updated Definitive Information Statement, proxy form and Management Report within five (5) business days from the approval by the Commission of the said changes; and 20.3.3.4.3. Distribute relevant portions of the Definitive Information Statement, proxy form and Management Report which have been updated pursuant to the changes made at least five (5) business days before the date of the stockholders’ meeting1 (emphasis supplied) Let this Order be published at the expense ofthe Issuer in a newspaper of general circulation and uploaded in its website within two (2) business days from its issuance. The company is hereby directed to furnish the Commission with a copy of the affidavit of publication of this Order. SO ORDERED. Pasay City, Philippines; 21 June 2021.

VICENTE GRACIANO P. FELIZMENIO, JR. Director

Five (5) business days before 1 July 2021, the last day for shareholders to send their questions and comments on the Amended DIS (MS-JUNE 25, 2021)

MADRID―Antivirus software pioneer John McAfee was found dead in his jail cell in Spain on Wednesday, officials said, shortly after a court approved his extradition to the United States where he was wanted for tax evasion. The 75-year-old was found dead in his cell in the Brians 2 penitentiary near Barcelona “apparently from suicide”, a spokeswoman for the prison system in the northeastern Catalonia region said. A spokeswoman for the Catalan branch of the legal body which oversees Spain’s courts, the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), also confirmed that McAfee had been found dead in his cell at around 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) of an apparent suicide. McAfee has been in jail in Spain since he was arrested at Barcelona airport in October 2020, just as he was about to board a flight to Istanbul. He is alleged to have deliberately failed to file tax returns between 2014 and 2018, despite earning millions from consulting work, cryptocurrencies and selling the rights to his life story. If convicted, he could have faced up to 30 years in prison. In a statement, Catalonia’s regional justice department said only that an investigation was opened after an unnamed 75-year-old inmate facing extradition to the United States was found dead in his cell at the prison. AFP

Dozens killed in Ethiopia market airstrike

guidance and leadership in the Implementation of the projects and reforms he initiated, and (b) the Company needs Mr. Pardo’s wide experience and expertise in the financial markets during these challenging times.

der crossing authorization, which has been in force since 2014. Guterres, however, said that “a failure to extend the Council’s authorization would have devastating consequences. The Syrian people are in dire need, and it is essential to mobilize all our capacities, along all channels.” The UN and West say that bureaucracy and politics make humanitarian aid delivery inoperative through Russia’s proposed Damascus route. In a letter Tuesday to the UN chief and Security Council, approximately 30 countries called for a renewal to the cross-border authorization. “The renewal of the cross-border mechanism is critical to ensuring direct and continued vaccine distribution to all Syrians,” the group of countries said in their letter, adding that “the elimination of the cross-border mechanism would have a crippling effect on millions of Syrians.” AFP

(MS-JUNE 18, 25 & JULY 2, 2021)

MEKELE, Ethiopia ― An airstrike on a busy gency workers said Wednesday, as a sevenmarket killed or wounded dozens in Ethiopia’s month-old conflict surged again. war-torn Tigray region, survivors and emerFamilies rushed to a hospital in the regional capital Mekele as the casualties, including many children, arrived from nearby Togoga, 5th Floor, The Columbia Tower, Ortigas Avenue, Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City, 1555 Philippines where witnesses and medical personnel said a busy marketplace had been bombed Tuesday. The UN called for an urgent investigation into the strike, which has killed and wounded an as-yet undetermined number of people. The carnage unfolded as ballot-counting was underway across much of the rest of Ethiopia following Monday’s national election, but the conflict in Tigray prevented any voting there. The airstrike happened as reports emerged of rebel advances in some parts park of the northern region, where famine has been reported and atrocities documented. “I saw with my eyes the bodies of 58 park people dead,” said 47-year-old Negash Araya, who estimated 200 others were wounded when bombs park fell around midday on Togoga, a market town some 30 kilometres (18 miles) northwest of Mekele. Another survivor, Birhan Gebrehiwet, was selling drinks Authority around lunchtime when explosions tore through the weekly market that attracts throngs of traders from far and wide. AFP (First Publication: JUNE 25, 2021)

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Business Shanghai opens world’s highest hotel to wealthy guests, visitors

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Stocks down; GT Capital, Manila Water lead gainers

HE stock market retreated Thursday with investors taking a breather after the latest rally, as they tried to assess when the Federal Reserve will begin to wind down its vast monetary easing program.

week, equities across much of the region have enjoyed healthy gains in the past two days as US central bank chiefs looked to temper fears that record-low interest rates and colossal bond-buying were in their final throes. Traders have for months worried that the blistering global recovery will fan inflation and force officials to act. And the Fed—which has consistently said recent inflation spikes were temporary and it will maintain its policy as long as the economy needs—last Wednesday suggested for the first time it could lift borrowing costs in 2023, a year earlier than initially targeted. The past few days have seen a number of top officials try to tame expectations, which provided some solace, but traders remain nervous. On Wall Street, the Dow and S&P 500 closed slightly lower, though the Nasdaq ended at another record high. Asian investors jockeyed for position, with markets fluctuating through the day. Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei and Mumbai all rose but Sydney, Bang-

kok and Jakarta fell. Tokyo, Shanghai and Wellington were flat. On Wednesday, a couple of Fed officials made their case for possibly tapering the bond-buying scheme by the end of this year. Dallas Fed chief Robert Kaplan saw rate hikes as early as next year owing to the strong economic recovery and a wind-down of bond-buying soon. “As we make substantial further progress, which I think will happen sooner than people expect... I think we’d be far better off, from a risk-management point of view, beginning to adjust these purchases of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities,” he told Bloomberg News. Beginning the taper earlier would provide more flexibility on future rate increases, he said. He forecast inflation to hit 3.4 percent this year and 2.4 percent next year. The Fed’s official target is two percent. Meanwhile, Atlanta Fed boss Raphael Bostic suggested a slowdown in bondbuying in the next few months while he predicted a rate hike next year and two in 2023. With AFP

SHANGHAI, China—The world’s highest luxury hotel, boasting a restaurant on the 120th floor and 24-hour personal butler service, has opened in Shanghai to guests with deep pockets and a head for heights. Elevators whizz guests up the intimidating spiral-like skyscraper The Philippine Stock Exchange Inat ear-popping speeds of 18 meters dex shed 32.41 points, or 0.5 percent, to per second to the J Hotel’s 165 op6,886, or 0.5 percent, on a value turnulent rooms. over of just P1.4 billion. Losers edged The hotel occupies the top floors gainers, 100 to 97, with 52 issues unof the 632-meter (more than 2,000 changed. feet) Shanghai Tower in the city’s Major property developer Ayala Land financial district, the second-tallest Inc. fell 2.4 percent to P37, while GMA Network Inc., the biggest broadcasting building in the world after Dubai’s firm, slipped 1.1 percent to P13.90. Burj Khalifa. Ayala unit Manila Water Co. Inc., howIts opening was delayed partly ever, advanced 3.3 percent to P18.20, by the coronavirus pandemic but while GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty the hotel has now started receiving Group rose 2.3 percent to P626. well-heeled guests who can call on The rest of Asian markets were mixed the services of a dedicated butler at Thursday. After a troubled start to the any hour, day or night. Patrons can also enjoy one of the hotel’s seven restaurants, bars, spa, 84th-floor swimming pool, and all the other usual trappings of a topnotch hotel. It does not come cheap. To celebrate its opening J Hotel is offering a “special experience rate” of 3,088 yuan ($450) a night, but prices for its 34 suites sky-rocket. A night in a “J Suite,” complete with crystal chandeliers and sauna, this Saturday costs over 67,000 yuan. The hotel is part of Jin Jiang International Hotels, a major Chinese state-owned group, and officially opened on Saturday. “On the day of our opening even the web page was overloaded with so many visitors with strong interest and they have such (a) strong will to come and experience our hotel,” said Renee Wu, sales and marketing director. “Of course this is very encouraging to all of us, but at the same time, we are committed to making sure that all our guests are well tak- Guests are seen in the J Hotel, the world’s highest luxury hotel, boasting a restaurant on the 120th floor and 24-hour personal butler service, located in the Shanghai Tower, in Shanghai on June 23, 2021. AFP en care of.” AFP

Power outage issue being muddled THERE is no complex explanation to the recent power outages that struck the Luzon grid. Those rotating brownouts simply reflect the state of major power plants on the main island—many of them are aging and require frequent maintenance shutdowns to keep them in running condition. But politicians and other socalled experts are concocting their own conspiracy theories and blaming other factors for the electricity disruption. The- thin power reserves or inadequate electricity supply in the Luzon grid is not a plausible argument for them. Worse, the 2022 national elections are nearing and the issue is giving them a platform to sell themselves to the electorate as the champion of consumers. The power outage issue is being muddled by some people whose sole agenda is to get elected or re-elected in next year’s elections. When analyzed thoroughly, however, the supply disruption really stems from the thin power reserves of the Luzon grid. Many of the power plants in the grid have been operating for 40 years and the government and the private sector have been unable to replace them and build new ones to keep up with economic growth. The Calaca coal-fired power plants in Batangas and Zambales provinces are now outdated, while the hydro facilities in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija and Magat in Isabela were built in the 70s and 80s. The steam plants from the geothermal fields of Laguna and the Bicol region are likewise ancient. Energy Regulatory Commission chairperson Agnes Devanadera acknowledged that the tightness of power supply was due to a “confluence of events.” “There is an increase in demand due to the summer season, something that is a perennial problem during this time and also there is a decrease in available supply primarily due to the planned, unplanned and derating of power plants,” she said. Politicians like Sen. Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, sidestepped the issue in recent Senate hearings. The lawmaker seized the opportunity and harped, instead, on grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and distribution utilities to reduce power rates. Ms. Hontiveros cited the high 15-percent weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of NGCP and distribution utilities as the cause of prohibitive electricity rates in the Philip-

pines. The WACC is essentially the minimum return on investments needed by NGCP and other utilities to keep their operations viable and attractive. The government as regulator can reduce the WACC of utilities that in turn can translate into lower rates. But investors in the company can shift their capital elsewhere (like fixed-income instruments such as Treasury bills and bonds with very low risks), if the WACC is no longer attractive or offers little return on investments. Ms. Hontiveros wants the WACC comparable to the 8-percent average in Southeast Asia, which Ms. Devanadera subtly rebuked during the same hearing. Ms. Devanedra told the same hearing that a 12-percent return has already been accepted as reasonable by the Supreme Court, the Office of President (water concession) and Congress through its approval of the Aerocity (airport) franchise of San Miguel Corp. The regulator and its consultants have finalized the review of NGCP’s WACC, although the ERC head conceded “WACC is actually too complicated and it does not encourage investors.” It is also not fair to compare the Philippines with its peers in Southeast Asia.World Bank’s report on Doing Business ranks the Philippines 95th out of 190 countries. ASEAN members Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia ranked 2nd, 12th and 73rd, respectively. The United Nations’ World Risk Index for natural disasters ranks the Philippines at 169th out of 171. Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia ranked 13th, 86th and 136th, respectively. Ms. Hontiveros was likely misinformed on the WACC issue. A much lower WACC, or return for utilities, will make the lives of consumers miserable. With little return or profit incentive, utilities will become inefficient and be unable to deliver reliable service that could lead to more outages and impede economic growth. It is also grossly unfair for any business, especially utilities that are heavily regulated and expected to deliver basic essential services, to give them a rate of return that is just enough to pay for their debt that costs them 6 percent to 7 percent in annual interest rate. Email: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSEi June 24, 2021

TOP GAINERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RLT ALCO MACAY ALLHC COAL TUGS CPG ZHI MWC LAND

LAST PRICE 0.39 0.67 7.8 4.1 0.325 1.24 0.51 0.235 18.2 1.98

CHANGE 0.125 0.04 0.39 0.2 0.015 0.05 0.02 0.008 0.58 0.06

% CHANGE 47.17% 6.35% 5.26% 5.13% 4.84% 4.20% 4.08% 3.52% 3.29% 3.13%

TOP LOSERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

OPMB DELM SFI PNX IPM GEO ACE LC SOC ALI

LAST PRICE 0.011 15.38 0.162 12.56 5.4 0.33 1.77 0.156 0.8 37

CHANGE -0.001 -0.74 -0.006 -0.44 -0.18 -0.01 -0.05 -0.004 -0.02 -0.9

% CHANGE -8.33% -4.59% -3.57% -3.38% -3.23% -2.94% -2.75% -2.50% -2.44% -2.37%

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

MWC ACEN ALI MONDE EVER BDO EMP AC BHI GTCAP

VOLUME 31537100 16131600 1544300 3527600 98146000 436030 2935500 40360 231280000 44600

VALUE (PHP) 556553238 135954500 57315685 52795386 51783760 49621992 32846164 32692490 31052970 27759260

Tunisia Mediterranean ‘trailblazer’ in cultivating in-demand seaweed

Workers process drying harvested red seaweed (algae) in the Menzel Jemil lagoon in Tunisia’s northern Bizerte region on May 27, 2021. Red seaweed or algae is used for gelling, thickening and texturing agents that are increasingly a substitute for animalbased products in processed foods, and are also finding a place in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. AFP

By KAOUTHER LARBI BIZERTE, Yunisia—Wading knee-deep in the calm waters of a lagoon, workers in northern Tunisia harvest red seaweed, in a nation dubbed a Mediterranean “trailblazer” in cultivating the in-demand plant. Red seaweed or algae is used for gelling, thickening and texturing agents that are increasingly a substitute for animalbased products in processed foods, and it is also being used increasingly in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The harvest, the Selt Marine company’s first on an industrial scale, comes after years of research and a wait of more than two decades for authorization to use the lagoons, said French-Tunisian entrepreneur Mounir Bouklout. Several countries including nearby Morocco have seen their natural reserves of red seaweed diminish in recent years due to overexploitation. Instead near Bizerte, north of the Tunisian capital, 10 percent of what is harvested goes back into the water, said Bouklout, another seaweed expert. “We wait for nature to do its work, and after 45 days we harvest it,” Bouklout told AFP. Surrounded by hills topped with wind turbines, workers pull seaweed growing around cylindrical netting from the la-

goon and bring it to shore. The plant matter, which ranges from green to dark red in color, is separated, dried in the sun and taken to a factory to be turned into substances such as agaragar. The sought-after red variety is mainly grown in Asia, which is the world’s biggest producer, consumer and exporter of seaweed. But Tunisia’s waters and climate also favor its farming, which can encourage the development of local marine life including shellfish. Seaweed absorbs elements like nitrogen and phosphorous, so growing it is also a way of “naturally cleaning the lagoon,” Bouklout said. ‘Trailblazer’ He said the firm hoped to reap 500 tons of wet seaweed this harvest, with plans to rapidly expand the growing area in the coming years, eyeing a 3,500 ton yield next year. “Tunisia is a trailblazer” in cultivating seaweed in the Mediterranean, said Houssam Hamza, an aquaculture expert for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Selt Marine is the biggest grower of red seaweed in the region but also has expertise in “transforming the seaweed into different products” and adding value locally, he told AFP. AFP

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

B4 FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

Villar readies P6-b IPO for All Day Marts By Jenniffer B. Austria BILLIONAIRE Manuel Villar Jr. disclosed Thursday a plan to conduct an initial public offering for supermarket chain operator All Day Marts Inc. this year to raise up to P6 billion in proceeds. Villar, chairman of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. and three other listed firms, said his group may also join the real estate investment trust bandwagon by listing its office leasing assets later this year. Villar said in a briefing during the opening of Vicon, the country’s first and biggest virtual property expo, his group was planning to list All Day to fund expansion. After opening its first store in 2017, the group expanded its portfolio to 35 to 40 stores, mostly located in the National Capital Region and key cities in the provinces. Villar said the group over the next couple of years would open nine to 10 All Day stores annually. He said All Day improved its ecommerce and introduced innovations in the industry such as self check-out counters. “I am confident that we are superior compared to others in terms of shopping experience,” Villar said. The self-service kiosks are a direct answer to a discerning market’s need for efficiency as well as its desire for additional safety measures, especially in the throes of a worldwide pandemic, the company said. All Day supermarkets are part of All Value Holdings Corp., the unlisted retail holding company of the Villar Group. Meanwhile, Vista Land is identifying office assets that will be infused in an REIT company that will soon be listed in the local bourse. Vista Land had more than 220,000 square meters of gross floor area of office space as of end-2020. Two REIT firms were already listed in the stock market, including AREIT Inc. and DDMP REIT Inc. Three REIT applications are pending with the corporate regulators, including Filinvest REIT Inc., RL Commercial REIT Inc. and MREIT Inc.

Public health gains from investments in smoke-free products PUBLIC health will benefit from business investments in harm reduction or non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes, according to a UK-based fund manager. “I think there’s a lot of upside from industry investment in harm reduction, if we can move the discourse beyond that ‘Big Tobacco’ mental model and refocus the conversation on a more open-minded conversation and look at what consumers want,” Jonathan Fell, founder of UK-based Ash Park, said during the 8th Global Forum on Nicotine on June 18, 2021. Ash Park manages the Ash Park Global Consumer Franchise funds. Fell manages long-term, high-quality investments in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Prior to 2013, Fell was team head of the consumer equity research group at Deutsche Bank in London, where he covered the tobacco and beverages sectors, following earlier spells at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. Fell spoke during the Michael Russell keynote titled “Investment in Nicotine Innovation: risks and rewards for public health,” and shared his insights on tobacco harm reduction. Innovative non-combustible alternatives such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and Swedish snus are considered part of THR, a strategy that aims to mitigate the impact of smoking on public health. “You can see that the market is putting a much higher valuation on companies that are making that transition away from combustible products. And of course, the companies and their executives notice that too and it’s reflected in the incentive plans of a couple of them,” said Fell. Prof. David Sweanor, advisory committee chair of the University of Ottawa Centre for Health Law and Policy in Canada, said technology has shaped the tobacco industry, as more consumers are switching to innovative nicotine products that are considered less harmful than combustible cigarettes.

Business BSP retains interest rate at 2% on easing inflation T By Julito G. Rada

HE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday kept the overnight borrowing rate at a recordlow of 2 percent, taking into account the expected manageable inflation trajectory in the coming months.

BSP Governor and board chairman Benjamin Diokno said in an online briefing the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were also kept unchanged at 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. “Latest inflation forecasts indicate that the average inflation is likely to settle near the upper end of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent in 2021; the

BSP expects that average inflation will ease towards the midpoint of the target range in 2022 and 2023,” Diokno said. “Price pressures on food commodities have abated with favorable weather conditions and the facilitation of meat imports to augment domestic supply. The Monetary Board emphasizes that the continued implementation of direct non-monetary measures will be crucial in mitigating further supply-side pressures on meat prices and inflation,” he said. Diokno said the risks to the inflation outlook remained broadly balanced around the baseline projection path. The uptick in international commodity prices amid supply-chain bottlenecks and the recovery in global demand could lend upside pressures on inflation. He said downside risks to the inflation outlook continued to emanate from the emergence of new coronavirus variants, which could delay the easing of containment measures and temper prospects for domestic growth. “The Monetary Board also observed that economic activity has improved in

recent weeks, but the overall momentum of the economic recovery remains tentative as the threat of COVID-19 infections continues,” he said. Diokno said the sustained implementation of targeted fiscal initiatives and the acceleration of the government’s vaccination program should help boost market confidence and recovery of the economy in the coming months. “The expected path of inflation and downside risks to domestic economic growth warrant keeping monetary policy settings unchanged. The Monetary Board believes that sustained monetary policy support for domestic demand should help the economic recovery gain more traction, especially as risk aversion continues to temper credit activity despite ample liquidity in the financial system,” he said. Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila said in the same briefing the inflation forecasts for 2021 and 2022 were slightly adjusted upwards on higher global crude oil prices and favorable growth outlook.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, June 24, 2021

-32.41 PTS. 6,886.00

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

4,355,705,908 90,383 1,388,765,756.05 97 100 52

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.7910

Japan

Yen

0.009011

0.4397

Pound

1.396700

68.1464

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128776

6.2831

Switzerland

Franc

1.089562

53.1608

Canada

Dollar

0.812480

39.6417

Singapore

Dollar

0.743052

36.2543

Australia

Dollar

0.757300

36.9494

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655760

129.5772

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

13.0113

Brunei

Dollar

0.740302

36.1201

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031427

1.5334

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2844

Euro

1.193000

58.2077

Korea

Won

0.000882

0.0430

China

Yuan

0.154445

7.5355

India

Rupee

0.013488

0.6581

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240442

11.7314

New Zealand

Dollar

0.704300

34.3635

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035699

1.7418 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

PFOCN to complete 16,000-km network PHILIPPINES Fiber Optic Cable Network, a subsidiary of Singapore-based HyalRoute Group, is ready to roll out cheaper and better access to the internet as it completes the company’s 16,000-kilometer backbone fiber network by end-2021. PFOCN executive managing director Hendrick Huang said the rollout of additional open access fiber optic cables in the country would buttress domestic capacity and create inclusive access to all netizens. “As of today, we have completed over 9,000 kilometers of backbone fiber network nationwide. With 5,000 kilometers that are ongoing, plus the accelerated rollout of an additional 2,000 kilometers, our total fiber network would reach around 16,000 kilometers by the end of 2021. For sure, people will have cheaper, better and more stable internet access in more rural places, as well as more choice in terms of operators with the entry of a third [telco] operator,” Huang said. Othel V. Campos

Jollibee signs deal with Taiwan’s Milksha JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. said Thursday it entered the fast growing bubble tea business through a licensing agreement with Taiwan’s Milkshop International Co. Ltd. or Milksha. Jollibee said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the company and units Fresh N’ Famous Foods Inc. and Mang Inasal Philippines Inc. obtained exclusive rights to sell and market Milksha products in their stores. The company said the licensing agreement with Milksha provides the JFC Group the opportunity to participate in the fastgrowing beverage category. “We are thrilled to bring Milksha to Filipino consumers through the stores of our brands in the Philippines. Our customers can now enjoy from our restaurants both our high-quality food and one of the best bubble teas which is made from very high quality and healthy dairy ingredients,” said Jollibee founder and chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said. The fast-food giant plans to initially sell Milksha products in Chowking stores. Jenniffer B. Austria

BDO REMIT’S DONATION. In celebration of Migrant Worker’s Day, BDO Unibank Inc., through remittance service brand BDO Remit, donates hygiene kits to the community pantry set up by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. The kits, consisting of alcohol and face masks, among others, will benefit some 500 people and serve as a valuable health precautionary tool as POEA distributes them to overseas Filipinos coming back home from abroad, especially for those who will travel to areas in the country with still high COVID cases.

DOTR set to auction operations of two railway projects By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Thursday it plans to launch a bidding for the operations and maintenance contracts of two major railway projects in the fourth quarter this year. “We are currently developing two operations and maintenance concessions together with Asian Development Bank and Public Private Partnership—one with Metro Manila Subway Project and the second is for North South Commuter Railway System,” DOTR Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said in a virtual briefing sponsored by the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines. Batan the agency was expecting an

approval from the National Economic and Development Authority to bid out the O&M for the two projects by the third quarter of 2021. He said the launching of the O&M bidding for Metro Manila Subway and NSCR will be in the fourth quarter of 2021. Batan said the East Valenzuela station, PRI Building and depot of the Metro Manila Subway were expected to be completed by 2022. “We are getting a private operator [for Metro Manila Subway],” he said. Dubbed as the “Project of the Century,” the P355-billion underground rail line is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations.

Once completed and fully operational, the Metro Manila Subway Project will have 15 stations, including a terminal station at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The whole Metro Manila Subway is seen to be completed by 2024 or 2025. The 147-km North-South Commuter Railway System, which will run from Clark in Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, is expected to be completed by 2024. The PNR Clark Phase 1 segment of NSCR, or the Tutuban-Malolos line, was scheduled to be partially operational by December 2021. It will be followed by the PNR Clark Phase 2 project, a 53-km northern segment.

Sitel set to acquire Sykes Enterprises SITEL Group, a leading global provider of customer experience products and solutions, said it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sykes Enterprises Inc., a leading full life cycle provider of global customer experience management services, multichannel demand generation and digital transformation. Under the terms of the agreement, a subsidiary of Sitel Group will acquire all outstanding shares of Sykes common stock in an all-cash transaction valued at about $2.2 billion. Sitel Group is active in the global customer experience sector, offering a wide range of products and solutions for more than 400 customers. The acquisition of Sykes makes the combined company poised for sustainable growth, as one of the leading BPO players with a comprehensive range of CX products and solutions, leveraging EXP+, the enterprise experience platform from Sitel Group. Following the proposed transaction, the combined company will employ 155,000 employees across global offices in 39 countries, serving over 600 clients in over 50 languages. With the combined company’s increased capacity, it is expected to reach revenue greater of more than $4 billion in 2021.

PEMC asked to stop electricity adjustment rates By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission ordered Philippine Electricity Market Corp. Thursday to defer the collection of the so-called Net Settlement Surplus adjustments of about P0.20 per kilowatt-hour from Manila Electric Co. customers. “The commission resolved to defer the collection of the Net Settlement Surplus, which will be an additional charge of around P0.20 per kWh to Meralco customers, to prevent and shield the electricity consumers from a bill shock in their July 2021 electric bills,” ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera said. ERC directed PEMC, which oversees the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the trading floor of electricity,to defer the collection of the NSS from distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in their final May billing. It said NSS adjustment would have resulted in an additional charge of around

P0.20 per kWh on Meralco customers by July as part of the generation charge. The ERC issued the deferment directive upon being informed and later on confirmed by PEMC about the huge discrepancy in the WESM preliminary statement and the final statement for May 2021 supply month. “We have ordered PEMC to defer the collection of the NSS adjustment until the investigation on the said incident has been completed. If PEMC’s collection is not suspended, concerned DUs and electric cooperatives will have additional collections from their customers resulting from the May 2021 NSS,” Devanadera said. She said some consumers were also affected by the rotational brownouts in May. “So it is quite unfair for them to be charged with an additional collection due to the NSS adjustment. We will get to the bottom of this and make sure that any erring market participant will get penalized as soon as it is established,” Devanadera said.

OUTSTANDING SCIENTISTS. Two scientists of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute are recognized for their significant contributions in enriching the body of knowledge on rice science. Dr. Reynante Ordonio (left), scientist I, receives the 2021 Outstanding Young Scientist in the field of Agricultural Science from the National Academy of Science and Technology. Dr. Roel Suralta, also an OYS awardee in 2010, was upgraded to the rank of career scientist III by the Scientific Career Council, making him the only career scientist with the said rank in the institute.

Sports

Young steers Hawks past Bucks in East Finals’ Game 1 WASHINGTON—Atlanta’s Trae Young scored a career playoff high 48 points and the Hawks edged host Milwaukee 116-113 in Wednesday’s opening game of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Young, who also contributed 11 assists and seven rebounds, scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to spark a rally that baffled the Bucks. “We just keep fighting until the end, no matter what the score is,” Young said. “That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to keep fighting.” Young had the most points by any player making his conference finals debut since the NBA adopted the conference format 50 years ago. The best-of-seven series continues Friday at Milwaukee with the winner advancing to an NBA Finals matchup against either the Phoenix Suns or the Los Angeles Clippers. John Collins scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while Clint Capela had 12 points and 19 rebounds. “People overlook this team, take us for granted, so for us to come out here and get a win is big time,” Collins said. Greek star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists while Jrue Holiday had 33 points and 10 assists for the Bucks in a losing cause. “We’ll get better,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll get smarter game after game.” It was Milwaukee’s first home playoff loss this season. “Young’s a great player,” Budenholzer said. “He had a great night. We feel like we can play better.” Collins scored eight points, six on dunks, and Young added seven in a 21-8 Atlanta run that gave the Hawks a 79-73 lead late in the third quarter before the Bucks rallied. Antetokounmpo scored six points to lead a 13-2 Bucks’ run for a 105-98 lead, but Collins hit a jumper and Young, who hit 17-of-34 shots from the floor, added a 3-point play to lift the Hawks back within two points. The game was poised on a knife’s edge until Collins hit a 3-pointer and Capela scored on a rebound put-back that lifted the Hawks ahead 112-11 with 29.8 seconds remaining. Young grabbed a loose ball and sank two more free throws, then he and Antetokounmpo exchanged free throws in the final seconds to create the final margin. Khris Middleton, who went 0-of-9 from 3-point range, missed an attempt to lift the Bucks level from beyond the arc in the final seconds to seal Atlanta’s victory. AFP

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks is fouled by P.J. Tucker of the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

No decision yet on status of 2021 Hanoi SEA Games

By Peter Atencio

HE staging of the 31st Southeast Asian Games has remained in limbo. The biennial games’ status is still unclear after Vietnam informed member countries that organizers will need two more weeks to decide, asking officials of the SEA Games Federation Council, who attended a virtual meeting on Thursday, to convene again on July 8. By then, a final verdict on the fate of the biennial meet will be handed down. “They need 14 days more to decide. Hindi sila maka-decide,” said Philip-

pine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, who attended the online meeting. Organizers have informed member nations that the health and safety of athletes, members of delegations and spectators, is the top priority of organizers. And with a raging COVID-19 pandemic going on in Vietnam, the organizing committee has been discussing and adjusting their plans in coordination with the government. According to reports, Vietnam experienced a fourth COVID-19 wave three weeks ago as work with venues, which have been preparing to hold different events, has been halted. Tran Duc Phan, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, told organizers that travelling

among participating countries could become complicated due to the numerous control measures that they may have to impose. The venues for the games will be held in 12 cities and provinces, but there are no athletes’ villages to host members of delegations from participating countries, with participants expected to stay in 40 different hotels. SEA Games organizers are working to stage events in the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong, together with the provinces of Ha Nam, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Nam Dinh, Pho Tho, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Vĩnh Phúc, Ninh Bình and Hoa Binh. The Vietnam Olympic Committee has proposed to move the games to July 2022. If this is not possible, Vietnam

Kickboxing wants to complete roster, with or without SEAG

SKP president Sen. Francis Tolentino with coaches Glen Mondol, Mark Sangiao and Randy Caluag

WHETHER the 31st Southeast Asian Games will push through or not, the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas is hell-bent on forming the final lineup of the national team. More than 50 aspirants from various affiliate clubs have joined a bubble selection camp that followed a grueling training program designed by SKP national coach Mark Sangiao of the famed Team Lakay mixed martial arts team based in La Trinidad, Benguet. Participants, including the current national athletes, came in small batches to maintain just enough capacity as approved by the local government. Those who survived the eliminations will take weekly antigen tests for the COVID-19 virus. “Our objective is to really get the best of the best. We exposed them (participants) to world-class training and through this, we will be able to see who are really

deserving to carry the national flag,” said Sangiao. The national coaches, that also include Glenn Mondol, Randy Caluag and Olympian Donnie Geisler, have a marching order from SKP secretarygeneral Wharton Chan to come up with the camp’s top 24 athletes, where the final 12 players will be culled from. SKP president Sen. Francis Tolentino, who was in Baguio City to attend a Senate task, briefly met with national coaches and athletes, reminding them to also focus on bigger competitions such as the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, Asian Championship, World Championships, and possibly the Olympics. The Philippines won 3 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze in the kickboxing competition that made its debut in the 2019 Philippine SEA Games. Other sports that have also start-

ed their bubble training are fencing in Ormoc City and muaythai, also in La Trinidad, Benguet. Twelve gold medals are at stake for kickboxing in the coming SEA Games in Vietnam set Nov. 21 to Dec. 2. But there are talks that Vietnam is planning to move the hosting of the biennial meet to 2022 due to rising cases of COVID-19 in the country, drawing objections from other members of the SEA Games Federation, including the Philippines. Nevertheless, sports associations under Team Philippines continue to train even as the first batch of Vietnam-bound coaches, athletes and officials who had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, will get their second dose today at the Manila Prince Hotel. Before talks of a postponement, Vietnam had earlier made COVID-19 vaccination as a requirement to participate in the SEA Games.

Reyes: From basketball player to ‘YouTuber’ By James Emmanuel R. Santua and after basketball. FORMER University of the Philippines player Mikee Reyes is using the YouTube platform to interview and relive the careers of some of the Philippines’ top basketball players and coaches in the professional amateurs and collegiate levels. The for mer Maroon conducts his inter views through video conferencing, an online meeting where his inter viewees engage in an audio-visual call. After edits, the hours-long conversation is posted on Reyes’ channel. The most-watched segment of the channel is the ‘WRU Now?’ (Where Are You Now?), which focuses on the perspective that there is a life besides

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

Former PBA players Jai Reyes, Paolo Hubalde, Rico Maierhofer, Chico Lanete, Ronjay Buenafe, Borgie Hermida, Jeric Fortuna, and Dylan Ababou were some of the notable ballers featured in the segment. “Here we can see how the lives of basketball players have shifted,” Reyes said in one of his interviews. The talk channel also has other segments named ‘Timeout’ that are particular for coaches, which already included Bo Perasol, Franz Pumaren, and Frankie Lim, and ‘Specials’ that featured PBA superstars Gary David, Danny Ildefonso, Arwind Santos, and Gabe Norwood. Also a former analyst for the National Collegiate Athletic Associa-

Mikee Reyes interviews Dylan Ababou

tion, Reyes posted his first video in As of today, the channel has 11.3 milSeptember 2020. lion views and 52,000+ subscribers.

has also floated the idea of moving the games to 2025 or 2027, with the agreements to be made with Thailand and Brunei, the respective host of the games of the coming said years. Tolentino, however, said that a decision to hold the games next year will bring many problems to member countries. Next year’s sporting calendar will have the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February and the Asian Games in Hangzhou. And there’s also the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, the Islamic Games and the Commonwealth Games. Eight countries, namely Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Thailand and the Philippines have opposed the postponement of the games.

Sotto leads Gilas 12-man roster to FIBA Olympic qualifier KAI Sotto was not prepared to see action in the recent 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Angeles City. But the 7’3” Sotto still got high marks from coach Tab Baldwin after Team Philippines completed a 6-game sweep of Group A. “I think what we saw from him was a young player who has not really prepared well. But, what a heart he has. I mean, first time he tried to score, you could have easily called a foul, and it probably wasn’t either,” said Baldwin. How he played his heart out could be the reason why Sotto remained in the final cut of the 12-man Gilas Pilipinas lineup that flew on Thursday to Belgrade, Serbia for the coming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Baldwin took note of how Sotto carried himself in Gilas’ two matches against Korea, while matched up against naturalized cager Ra Gun Ah, a former Philippine Basketball Association import used to be known as Ricardo Ratliffe. The 6’8” Ratliffe displayed a monster game and physicality in his approach, which somehow put off Sotto’s efforts to protect the middle. “He was disrupted by the physicality of Ratliffe. And he (Sotto) started to deliver back, and dish back on the physicality. But most importantly, he had the determination to make an impact in the game,” added Baldwin. “It’s a pretty courageous effort by Kai, but we’re going to see a lot of good basketball from him as we move forward.” So far, LeBron Lopez became the final player to cut from the lineup as Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas unveiled its final 12-man roster that will take on the host team and Dominican Republic on June 30 and July 1, respectively. With Sotto in the team are Dwight Ramos, RJ Abarrientos, SJ Belangel, William Navarro, Justine Baltazar, Isaac Go, Jordan Heading, Geo Chiu, Mike Nieto, Carl Tamayo and naturalized big man Ange Kouame. Peter Atencio

Sports

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

Durant leads new US set of NBA stars at Olympics

Zamboanga relishes extra time to prepare for coming tiff TOP women’s atomweight contender Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga admits being disappointed that her bout against hard-hitting South Korean Seo Hee Ham, originally scheduled for late May at ONE: EMPOWER, was pushed back. Zamboanga, the division’s #1-ranked contender, was in the pinnacle of her training camp when it was announced that the event was postponed due to the escalating COVID-19 situation in Singapore at the time. “As a professional, I have to continue training hard. That’s my job. So that when I show up to fight, I can give it my best,” Zamboanga told ONE Championship in a recent interview. However, the Filipina fighter does admit the event’s postponement threw a monkey wrench into her preparations, as she spoke of the difficulties in finding the motivation to continue pushing herself in the gym. “Of course, I’m human too. I’m just like everybody else. Every day is a struggle to stay motivated, especially when we get canceled fights and postponed events,” Zamboanga added. “It’s not easy to deal with.” Zamboanga earned the top spot in the atomweight rankings behind backto-back wins over highly regarded veterans Jihin Radzuan and Mei Yamaguchi. ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that she was next in line to face reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee in 2020. But the Hawaii-based superstar later revealed that she was expecting, putting a damper on Zamboanga’s title hopes. ONE Championship instead announced a Grand Prix tournament, pitting eight of the world’s top female atomweights against each other for the right to challenge Lee for the belt when she returns.

Yuka Saso’s historic win at the US Open highlighted the Philippines in the international golf sports arena and bolstered hopes for the country’s first Olympic gold medal.

Congressional medal for Yuka Saso pushed S By Maricel V. Cruz

PEAKER Lord Allan Velasco has sponsored a legislation awarding the Congressional Medal of Achievement to Filipino golfer Yuka Saso following her historic win at the 76th Women’s US Open Championship held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California earlier this month.

The 19-year-old Saso made history by becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a major in golf and the youngest winner in one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments. “Ms. Saso’s perseverance as she climbed her way to become one of the youngest and formidable lady golfers, has brought great pride and honor to our country,” Velasco said, as he filed House Resolution No. 1879 congratulating and conferring the congressional award to the champion golfer. Velasco authored the resolution along with Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Minority Leader Joseph Stephen

Paduano, and Committee on Youth and Sports Development Chair Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III. The resolution was filed on June 9, a week after the second regular session of the 18th Congress had adjourned. The House of Representatives is expected to take up the measure as soon as the third regular session begins next month. Velasco said Saso’s historic win at the US Open highlighted the Philippines in the international golf sports arena and bolstered hopes for the country’s first Olympic gold medal. “This sends the strongest message that the Philippines is ready to bring home the

top award for women’s golf at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics,” Velasco said. During the 17th Congress, several resolutions were also filed in the House commending Saso for her achievements and awards received, and expressing full support in all her future golf tournaments. Saso has enjoyed a very successful junior and amateur career and the 2020 Athlete of the Year award conferred by the Philippine Sportswriters Association pulled together her past accolades, which include top awards at the 2019 Girls Junior PGA Championship held in Hartford, Connecticut. She was a two-time Philippine Ladies Open champion (2018 and 2019) and earned two gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games held in Indonesia. Also in 2018, she claimed the Victorian Junior Masters Championship in Australia. Saso was also a two-time champion at the Philippine Junior Amateur and the Philippine Amateur Open Match Play (2016 and 2017). She also got the top prize at the 2017 Philippine Amateur Open Championship.

NEW YORK—Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant will compete for a third Olympic title in Tokyo alongside a new group of NBA stars seeking gold, according to an ESPN report Wednesday. A story on the US-based sports television network’s website said Durant, whose team was eliminated by Milwaukee in the second round of the NBA playoffs, will be the only player returning from the 2016 Rio champions. USA Basketball finalized its roster on Wednesday with commitments from Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, according to the story. Nets star guard James Harden was forced to skip the Olympics due to a hamstring injury, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told ESPN. Those making their Olympic debut will include Portland’s Damian Lillard, Washington’s Bradley Beal, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Golden State’s Draymond Green. The lineup reportedly also includes Cleveland forward Kevin Love, who helped the US to gold in London in 2012. Three other players on the reported roster remain in the NBA playoffs—Phoenix swingman Devin Booker and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton and guard Jrue Holiday. All three could battle for an NBA title as late as July 22, the date of a possible NBA Finals game seven as well as the eve of the Olympic opening ceremonies. Colangelo told ESPN that all three have agreed to fly to Japan by private plane in order to be in Tokyo when the Americans play their Olympic opener against France on July 25. The American Olympic squad will gather in Las Vegas on July 4 to begin a training camp and play exhibition games before departing for Japan. AFP

Up your game with a father-son play at SMDC

Benjie Paras (right) and son Andre

IT’S all fun and games as father and son Benjie and Andre Paras visit SMDC for some basketball hoops and moves. It’s the sport almost every Filipino knows or knows about, the game either played or watched with eager anticipation. A basketball court is a staple in almost every barangay. You can see boys and adult males shooting hoops in open spaces. The game is on television screens and in gadgets. And why not? It does not require much to play it: little space, no maintenance, no expensive gear, no required number of players for a social game. It is the perfect bonding activity for fathers and sons, with the bonus of a good health and great fun. And who best to talk about basketball bonding than the Paras father-and-son tandem, which joins an elite group of two-generation basketball stars. Ahead of the game Three decades after he joined the PBA, ‘Tower of Power’ Benjie Paras remains the benchmark

by which rookies are measured. He holds the distinction of being the only basketball player who received both Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in the same season. He is known for power and grace at ball handing, rebounding, deft mid-range shooting, well-timed blocking and the uncanny ability for inside scoring. In his second month playing professionally, he exploded with 50 points, never allowing the veterans to intimidate him with very physical plays. With such a powerful record, one would imagine the pressure of being the son of a Benjie Paras. How did Benjie make sure his son, Andre, recently drafted by Blackwater Bossing, was spared from such a pressure, especially as the younger Paras started playing basketball in grade school, at the height of his dad’s basketball career? Benjie gives the game away with the following revelations: (1) He never failed to watch every game, but made sure he was out of sight from the maddening crowd. (2) He left the coaching to his son’s coaches. (3) He never scolded his son over, not even mentioned, a ‘bad’ game. (4) He allowed his son to enjoy the game foremostly.

Fun and games As Andre takes the game professionally starting next month, Benjie’s wise advice is for him to just enjoy the game. “Relax. Follow the play. Have fun. Do not expect anything,” Benjie told Andre in the special Father’s Day episode of The Good Fit, which started streaming via SMDC The Good Life on Sunday. Benjie reminds Andre how, on his own, the younger Paras developed strong defense skills. When he started amateur basketball, Andre looked at basketball as a side fun activity because he was more interested in his showbiz career then. Benjie tells him it was this attitude that made him excel as he allowed his instincts to take over. “Do not put any pressure on yourself. Just get in there, enjoy the game with your teammates and have fun,” says the father. Enjoy more of these tips, trivia and funny quips from Benjie and Andre via The Good Fit as they do a game showdown at SMDC Field Residences in a month dedicated to fathers. Game On! If you want to up your game and score big, invest in a place that gives you the perfect opportunity to bond with your young family, while staying fit and having fun.

Koepka: DeChambeau went back on word to spark spat NEW YORK—Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka said Wednesday it was Bryson DeChambeau going back on his word after a 2019 conversation that led to a spat between the US golf stars. Koepka, who shared fourth at last week’s US Open at Torrey Pines, told ESPN on Tuesday he felt DeChambeau started the exchange with Koepka. On the eve of the US PGA Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, eighth-ranked Koepka went into detail about the origins of their rivalry. In 2019, Koepka complained of slow play at the Dubai Desert Classic where DeChambeau also had played. That, Koepka said, led to DeChambeau seeking out Koepka’s caddie,

Ricky Elliott at an event later in the year. “I thought it was just interesting when he walked up to my caddie and told Ricky that if I had something to say, to say it to his face,” Koepka said. “I thought that was kind of odd. Don’t walk up to my face, say it to my caddie.” Koepka and DeChambeau spoke before a final-round pairings and appeared to settle matters, although the two exchanged social media remarks last year, bulkedup DeChambeau joking about Koepka’s physique and Koepka noting his four major trophies before DeChambeau had won his first at last year’s US Open. “When we had that conversation we agreed on something and he went back

Koepka

DeChambeau

on it,” Koepka said. “So, you know, if you’re going to go back on your word I don’t have much respect for that.” A video clip of Koepka being annoyed at a loud-talking DeChambeau at last month’s PGA Championship went public and sparked more social media remarks from the two. The two were not paired together at the US Open, where DeChambeau led in the final round before stumbling to a closing 77 and sharing 26th. DeChambeau, ranked sixth, claimed a berth on the US Tokyo Olympic squad, joining thirdranked Justin Thomas, fourthranked Collin Morikawa and fifthranked Xander Schauffele. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

Ariana Grande gets intimate with ’pov’live performance By Areeya Tatjana Ho US POP princess Ariana Grande bares her soul in the live performance of “pov,” a ballad culled from the Positions album. It’s part of the pop star’s exclusive live performance series with Vevo. The 27-year-old singer has teamed up with Vevo for past performances such as “off the table,” a track also from Positions,, and “Love Me Harder” from her

sophomore record, My Everything. “We are so excited to release these exclusive video performances to Ariana’s fans. We’ve loved Ariana’s music for years, and it’s been such a privilege to watch her artistry grow and evolve,” Vevo’s JP Evangelista said in a statement.” Clad in a body-hugging black two-piece ensemble and violet satin gloves, the singer looked sultry in the equally stunning set that almost seemed to transport her in an

open field. “An immensely creative and collaborative artist is key to these visually stunning performances and Ariana embodies that — her efforts translated beautifully on-screen. We look forward to seeing her continue to blossom and hope everyone enjoys watching these,” Evangelista added. “pov” is the closing track for Ariana’s sixth and latest album Positions and debuted at no. 40 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

HERBERT BAUTISTA

Bautista with young actor McCoy de Leon as his co-star in the TV5 reboot of the ‘80s hit movie.

By Amira Danica Pasion

CTOR and former politician Herbert Bautista showed his excitement for the reincarnation of the 1980s hit movie Puto. The big screen comedy feature is now a television series and airs on TV5 every Saturday night.

The series, which was officially unveiled in a virtual event on June 16, is based off Bautista’s first solo movie that paved the way for his other projects on the silver screen. In the series, Ivanhoe ‘Puto’ dela Cruz, still played by Bautista, continues his story together with his son Uno, portrayed by McCoy De Leon. In the TV5 reboot, Puto and Uno embark on new adventures as their lives get intertwined with the colorful characters of the duwende realm. Beks Battalion’s Lassy Marquez, MC Calaquian, and Chad Kinis play The Mamitas, the three elves rescued by Puto in the movie now take on human form and help care for Uno. The Mamitas serve as Uno’s mother figures growing up. “In this series, dala ko nga yung 80s saka 90s na beat na itinuro sakin ni Salvador (former director of Puto) pero yung flare; yung technical flare, yung timing, yung importansya ng off-beat (...) galing naman yan sa aming bagong director,” Bautista shared in the series’ digital media conference. The former politician was thankful to have this opportunity to participate again in a tv series even in the surge of a pandemic and was also glad to have worked with a brilliant team of creative workers and artists. Meanwhile, as an avid fan of old local comedy shows, McCoy De Leon showed his admiration to Bautista whom he considers as his mentor. “Kapag sa puso at sa comedy, si tatay Herbert. Kaya nabuo nila yung Uno hanggang sa huli,” De Leon added as he elaborated his progress in learning the world of comedy through the show.

KathNiel campaigns for ‘Learn from Home Program’ THE country’s leading duo, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla are the faces of Acer’s Learn from Home Program, a promo that encourages consumers to upgrade their gadgets and digital devices to adapt to the new norm. With Acer’s Learn from Home Program, patrons can get the biggest deals on Acer laptops, desktops, monitors, and projectors with discounts up to P8,000 plus a free Acer tablet (on selected models) from June 16 to July 18. Predator gaming laptops, desktops, and AOPEN monitors will also be up for grabs with discounts up to P40,000 and a free gaming chair (on selected models). With the shift of the educational sector to digital, classes are being held online, and with this new method of learning, having the best learning setup is essential. Acer laptops are equipped with the latest mobile processors and specs needed to further boost any student’s productivity. “We understand how students have a hard time adjusting to the new normal. A big shift from traditional learning into digital is not something everyone can adapt to easily. That’s why we know how important it is to have a learning set-up which can make the students’ and parents’ life much easier with gadgets that will not only last them for a long time but can improve their studying habits.

returns to the small screen Herbert Bautista returns to television with ‘Puto,’ a series inspired by the actor and former politician’s movie of the same title.

With Acer’s Learn from Home Program, consumers can get discounts on Acer laptops, gaming notebooks, and more,” said Acer Philippines General Manager Sue Ong-Lim. Every purchase of a participating Acer product comes with discounts and premium items. Upgrade your quality of learning by investing in the best products for your educational needs. Shop now at our leading Acer stores, authorized retailers, and through Acer online store: https:// store.acer.com/en-ph/.

Real-life couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla encourage digital consumers to upgrade their gadgets and devices to adapt to the new norm.

Jam Quijano’s new single ‘Duyan’ yearns for basic beauty McCoy also noted the lesson shared with him by Bautista on being part of a comedy segment. “Kapag comedy pala kailangan ng puso. Mahirap din ang comedy, like drama, doing comedy has a lot of challenges,” he elaborated. Puto airs every Saturday, 6:00 p.m. on TV5 with recap episode every Sunday at 5:00 p.m. on Sari-sari channel.

Sound that fits Nadine SOUND giant JBL has recently launched its newest line of sports and lifestyle headphones, which features true wireless and active noise cancellation technology suited for fitness, professional, and everyday use. The launch also highlighted the introduction of triple threat queen Nadine Lustre as its new ambassador. “As an artist, it’s a responsibility to give a good quality material in terms of music. So, you need to have a top-quality partner to do that,” Nadine said of her partnership with JBL. “Music is my life and I breathe music, and JBL has always been there to support that kind of lifestyle. And since music is a part of my life, I didn’t think twice when they told me that they wanted me to work with me,” she added. The lifestyle brand described the multimedia star -- who joined the JBL team to unveil the collection and cap it off

In an interview with Zach Sang, Ariana revealed the meaning behind the chorus of the track. “You know how everyone has the little things that you’re like ‘Ugh, how could you like that?’, you know?” she said. “And you see someone who you’re madly in love with and you’re just kind of like ‘I’m floored,’ I’m like choking up. Ariana Grande releases an official live [...] I was like ‘I’d love to see me from his rendition of “pov” with Vevo, marking her point of view,’” she ended. very first performance from ‘positions.’

with a special performance -- as unique, professional, and confident. Meanwhile, the 11 new models JBL has launched are made to suit different consumer needs “As offices were temporarily close, working from home meant we rely on our headphones, not only to enjoy our playlists but also taking calls and attending an online meeting. For students, distant learning brought the classroom together. Headphones became essential not only for music, but for our livelihood and education,” Harman Asia-Pacific Vice-President and General Manager Grace Koh said at an online press launch on June 10 held via Zoom. “JBL pays meticulous detail to delivering quality sound, technology designed to enhance everyday activities. From features such as wireless, adaptive noise cancelation, voice assistant, to Multimedia star Nadine Lustre is the new designs that fits everyone,” she ended. face of JBL.

A COUPLE of months Rommel dela Cruz on back, a new voice was fretless bass, drummer Paolo introduced to the streaming Manuel, keyboardist Jesper public with the release of Mercado, violinist Chino Jam Quijano’s “Bribe My David, cellist Ted Amper, Heart.” The beautifully and guitarist John Apura written and recorded track, who also arranged the record. produced by Ebe Dancel Jam further shared, who discovered the young “Growing up in the province, performer, is worthy of a families would typically use strong follow-up. hammocks for their toddlers. No doubt Jam was up ‘Duyan’ is Jam Quijano’s And so, for me, it became a for the challenge with his heartfelt Tagalog followsymbol of innocence. That’s sophomore digital single up to his debut “Bribe My what the song is about. It’s a “Duyan” which heightened Heart.” Both songs were yearning for simpler times.” his sentimentality deeply produced by Ebe Dancel The song carries the main alongside his Filipino and released by Widescope line “Panaginip sa duyan ko/ sensibility. The song Entertainment. Ikaw lang ang hanap-hanap which practically employs ko.” Yet, the pre-chorus offers the same stellar cast of backup musicians some delectably melodic passage on its own and supervising record label executives, is credit with the couplet “Sa panglaw ng gabi dropped in digital stores today, June 25. litrato mo/ Ang silid ng kahapong naglaho.” “’Duyan’ is a song about longing for the With two heartfelt and softly relaxing innocent times of childhood,” said Jam about numbers steadily placed early on in his career, his composition that put his knack for strong Jam is projecting this deep personality in the hooks and sincere expressions on display. realm of digital music with new-age listeners. With Jam’s good sense of rhythm heard The tight connection between his first and through his acoustic guitar-playing, the Tagalog follow-up release is a great showcase of his ballad emphasizes once more Jam’s vocal ability to meld his lyricism to his tenor timbre, fluidity. It is another premium cut published or for those who knew him well would like by Widescope Entertainment where Ebe to imply. The clarity of his musical purpose currently works as A&R manager. The in both songs are also in tune with his desire hitmaker happily jumped on board on for writing songs, in his own take, “about life, this project with industry hotshots tragedy, and everything between.” —Vic De Vera (executive producer) In a beautiful irony, Jam Quijano’s and Neil Gregorio (supervising “Duyan” is a heart-rending picture of today’s producer). dependence to technology brought about by Mixed and mastered by the the pandemic; keeping things virtual and seasoned Dante Tanedo of Wild Grass viral, while some of us yearns for nature’s Studios, “Duyan” also featured Ebe doing basic beauty and serenity. some back-up vocals. The musicians featured (To stream and download: https://orcd.co/ are also veterans including session player jamquijano-duyan)

GMA Network wins Pro Patria Journalism Award 2021 GMA Network recently received the Rotary Club of Manila’s (RCM) 2021 Pro Patria Journalism Award in a virtual ceremony held on June 17. Instead of giving individual journalism awards, the RCM dedicated this year’s awards to honor media outlets in print, radio, and TV networks “which remained open as formal outlets for reports and information on important events and government actions that impact on the lives of our people and to encourage awareness on matters of public concern.” GMA Network Senior Vice President for News and Public Affairs Marissa L. Flores received the award on behalf of GMA. In her acceptance speech during the virtual As GMA Network celebrates event, Flores thanked the RCM and dedicated its 71st anniversary, the Kapuso station stays true to its the award to the various teams of the Network commitment of being Buong who remained steadfast in delivering the muchPuso para sa Pilipino. needed news to Filipinos.

“GMA News and public affairs teams – in television, radio, and web – have covered all kinds of major events and calamities – but perhaps in recent time, none as risky as this pandemic. It is to them – reporters, crew, our field and production personnel and staff – those who work tirelessly to deliver the news, that we dedicate this recognition. I can only imagine the fear, worry, and anxiety that many of them face every day when they have to leave their homes and families to cover stories about this invisible enemy,” Flores shared. She further assured that while no one is immune from the virus, they still do what they have to do in the best way they can. “You can count on our commitment to ethical and responsible journalism – and our Serbisyong Totoo – especially during the most difficult times.” GMA Network wins Pro Patria Journalism

Award 2021 GMA Network recently received the Rotary Club of Manila’s (RCM) 2021 Pro Patria Journalism Award in a virtual ceremony held on June 17. Instead of giving individual journalism awards, the RCM dedicated this year’s awards to honor media outlets in print, radio, and TV networks “which remained open as formal outlets for reports and information on important events and government actions that impact on the lives of our people and to encourage awareness on matters of public concern.” GMA Network Senior Vice President for News and Public Affairs Marissa L. Flores received the award on behalf of GMA. In her acceptance speech during the virtual event, Flores thanked the RCM and dedicated the award to the various teams of the Network who remained steadfast in delivering the much-

needed news to Filipinos. “GMA News and public affairs teams – in television, radio, and web – have covered all kinds of major events and calamities – but perhaps in recent time, none as risky as this pandemic. It is to them – reporters, crew, our field and production personnel and staff – those who work tirelessly to deliver the news, that we dedicate this recognition. I can only imagine the fear, worry, and anxiety that many of them face every day when they have to leave their homes and families to cover stories about this invisible enemy,” Flores shared. She further assured that while no one is immune from the virus, they still do what they have to do in the best way they can. “You can count on our commitment to ethical and responsible journalism – and our Serbisyong Totoo – especially during the most difficult times.”

WARM WELCOME.

Guam’s lush green terrains, low mountains and rolling hills, and azure skies are no different from Philippines’ with which it shares historical ties. (Photos courtesy of visitguam.com)

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

Pacific cousins at crossroads of history By Virgilio A. Reyes Jr.

F there is any close relative in the Pacific for the Philippines, it is the island of Guam, also known as the Southern Marianas Islands. Its original inhabitants, the Chamorros, came from the same Austronesian stock as the Filipino indigenes, and the island became known to the West simultaneously with us. Mingling easily with native Chamorrans, Filipinos, who at 27 percent of the population, are a strong presence in present-day Guam, brought about by intriguing coincidences of history. Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the land of the Chamorros on March 6, 1521, just 10 days before his landfall in Homonhon. He and his crew were welcomed with alacrity by the local inhabitants, who had (for the Spaniards) the unnerving cultural habit of helping themselves to whatever seemed to be available on board itinerant ships. Rather than focusing on the fact that the natives had also been eager and generous in providing Magellan’s starved crew with much-needed victuals and water, the commander chose to besmirch them with the name “Isla de Ladrones” or Isle of Thieves, what was later replaced in the 17th century by a more charming reference to the Queen Regent of the Hapsburg family, Mariana. Hence, Marianas, now divided into the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas and Guam. I had occasion to visit this storied island in July 2018, when COVID-19 was not even a glimmer in the eye of the Hunanese. I had long wished to explore Guam’s historical ties to the Philippines; now was the time to do this. I was aware that Guam was a waystation in the 250-year Galleon Trade that had been plied between Manila and Acapulco during the Spanish period. Our second canonized saint, Pedro Calungsod, was martyred in Guam together with Spanish Jesuit priest, Padre Diego de Sanvitores in their missionary efforts to convert the natives in 1672. This was a full century after the Legazpi landing in 1565, meaning that Christianization took place much later in Guam than in the Philippines. I also knew that many of our rebels, notably Gat Apolinario Mabini, had been exiled to these climes by either the Spanish or the Americans in their respective colonial regimes. I also had a long-lost distant relative, Cesar Pereyra y Reyes, who had retired to this island after working in the United States. I was fortunate to interview him on our family history before he passed in 2019. Moreover, I was welcomed with hospitality by the staff of Philippine Consul General Marciano de Borja and his deputy, Mark Francis Hamoy, who was my wise Baedeker. Guam did not disappoint. The lush green terrain is no different from ours, dotted with magnificent beaches, exotic ferns, and swaying coconut trees. Its low mountains and rolling hills are identical to ours, and its azure skies clear as in our provincial sites. Typhoons also periodically upset the calm of this verdant paradise. What does strike one in its capital is the absence of colonial buildings dating from the Spanish era. Agana—or Hagatna in Chamorro—took a major hit from the Japanese. Its modern reconstruction of

Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledåd located atop a steep bluff called Chalan Aniti in Umatac. (Photo courtesy of guampedia.com)

Life TRAVEL & LEISURE

The man of the house

The Feast Fit For A King at Conrad Manila’s China Blue by Jereme Leung. JUST like in the United States, Father’s Day has become such a big deal here in the country. It’s one of the successful commercial endeavors invented by businesses in the Western world. In fact, before the pandemic, total spending for Father’s Day gifts in the U.S. alone reached more than US$16 billion. Of course, Mother’s Day spending is almost double this amount, which proves that customers of all ages don’t mind spending for their parents and splurging on gifts that are unique and will leave a lasting, beautiful memory of the occasion. My favorite hotel-by-the-sea, Conrad Manila, attracted a lot of big-spenders this Father’s Day by making available a “Feast Fit For A King” at its China Blue by Jereme Leung. Dads feasted on modern interpretations of traditional Chinese favorites: Gold Roast U.S. Duck with Barbecue Sauce, Sautéed Premier U.S. Sliced Beef and Cha Tsai, Black Fungus with Dried Chili Pepper Sauce, and Steamed Signature House Specialty Red Gold Long-Life Custard Buns, among others. The de luxe hotel also had a special Father’s Day Hamper at the C Lounge which included a bottle of their signature cocktail Hilario, and collectible miniature spirits masterfully paired with Executive Chef Daniel Patterson’s homemade chicharones, spiced cajun almonds, and others. The hotel management really planned on spoiling the padres de familia as they even had a Takeaway Father’s Day Barbecue at the Brasserie on 3, and from the Bru Coffee Bar, Father’s Day Tin Cakes, which are moist-infused sponge cakes topped with premium chocolate, cream, or toffee, and a light and refreshing chocolate cap. The aforementioned items designed for the “Hero of Your Heart” are still available until the end of the month through (02) 8833-9999. For musically inclined dads, here’s a historic concert to look out for, happening

Performances using traditional instruments are highlights of cultural presentations in Guam, such as the Festival of the Pacific Arts held every four years. (Photo courtesy of visitguam.com) the Cathedral Dulce Nombre de Maria, though beautiful in its own way, has little to remind us of what it must have looked like in colonial times. Gone is the colonial plaza around which the principalia would have had their houses “under the sound of the bells” and where the main church and the ayuntamiento, or principal civil building would have stood. In vain does one look for the equivalent of our bahay na bato, which one saw in their historic prints and photographs. To find a Fort Santiago, one would have to go up to the hills to discover their own Fort Soledad. What impresses in Agana’s center is a modern square brightened up with bougainvilleas and punctuated by remnants of old Hispanic-era walls, as well as a splendid museum that records Guam’s history, spruced up with Yankeestyle flare and efficiency. It is interesting that on its outskirts, Guam has only the most modest of monuments to Magellan’s landing but still officially marks March 6 as Discovery Day in his honor. Compare that to the drama of the clash between Magellan and Lapulapu marked by separate monuments in Mactan and Cebu (Magellan’s Cross). Yet March 16 is not marked as a significant date in Philippine history except by historians. Lapu-lapu has obviously won the day in the Philippines. With just around 1,000 miles of distance between them, Guam was effectively part of the Philippines during the colonial era. Under the tutelage of the friars, both emerged with Catholicism as their main religion, mixing native beliefs with European doctrines. Spanish was their administrative language and bore a strong influence on their present-day respective idioms. About 50 percent of modern Chamorro is derived from Castilian. Guam also emerged as the place of exile for perceived dissidents and rebels from the Philippines. Hence, it was that in Spanish times, prominent Filipino recalcitrants were exiled here. This practice would find its most significant expression in American times by the exile of the Malolos Congress’ architect, Apolinario Mabini, and high military

officers of the Revolution to Guam in 1901. Today, we have a 1961 monument to Mabini, whose dedication reads: “On this site, Asan Point, Apolinario Mabini, immortalized in Philippine history as the Sublime Paralytic, the Brain of the Philippine Revolution, and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the First Philippine Republic under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, together with 51 other Filipino heroes, among them Generals Artemio Ricarte, Pio del Pilar, Mariano Llanera, Colonel Maximo Hizon, Pablo Ocampo, Maximo Flores, Pancracio Palting, and Maximo Tolentino.” It further notes that they were quartered in what was formerly a leper hospital and were only returned to the Philippines in 1903 when they swore an oath of allegiance to the United States, except for General Ricarte. We may take note that Mabini himself was to die shortly after he returned to his home country. Following the script of the Philippines, Guam came under American rule and was to suffer a devastating Japanese invasion during the Second World War. Like the Filipinos, the Guamanians were to be treated harshly by the Japanese due to their loyalty to the United States. Even today, with a huge U.S. military base occupying one third of its territory, Guam suffers the peril of close identity with the United States. Kim Jong-Un has threatened to lob a nuclear missile at this vulnerable island, not an idle threat. A similar menace had been aimed at Hawaii, which actually experienced a false nuclear alert. Now it is claimed that even China has practice videos for a nuclear attack on Guam. Guam remains in the crucible of modern history, coping with climate change, economic distress (since it is dependent on tourism and the U.S. military base, both affected by COVID-19), and the exodus of its youth to more hospitable climes. Chamorro as a language and culture is a threatened species. Marking the 500th year of Magellan’s arrival in 2021, Guam may well reflect on future options for its inhabitants for the rest of this century.

Father’s Day Whisky Hamper available at C Lounge. tomorrow, June 26 (Philippines and Asia) and on June 27 (USA, Europe, and Middle East). It is presented by ABS-CBN live via KTX and will be simulcast on iWant TFC with a delayed telecast on Kapamilya online. “Isang Tinig, Isang Lahi” (One Voice, One People) brings together renowned Filipino musical artists and international advocates as they come together in song to “Save Lives From COVID-19”. The star-studded event top-bills musical greats Lea Salonga, Regine Velasquez, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Pilita Corrales, Joe Mari Chan, Apl.De.Ap, and Ogie Alcasid. They will be joined by Bamboo, Maymay Entrata, Ian Veneracion, Moira de la Torre, and will have the special participation of Senator Manny Pacquiao and American singer, composer, and lyricist David Pomeranz. This humanitarian project unifies many Filipino American associations led by Filipino-American Voice United (FAVU) chairman Juanita Nimfa Yamsuan Gamez. Chaired by my good friend, multimedia personality and civic leader Cory Quirino, this project is intended to develop a strong sense of solidarity among the 20-millionstrong Filipinos worldwide, according to FAVU vice chairman and president Jerry Perez de Tagle. Meantime, Cory sends out an earnest plea to all of us here and abroad to “join hearts and hands to help our kababayans in this time of crisis”. The concert is free to all who wish to watch. It will have a simultaneous donationdrive for the benefit of Caritas Philippines, Caring Hearts Foundation in the U.S., PGH Medical Foundation, Tuloy Foundation, ABS-CBN Foundation, Philippine Relief and Development Services, and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption. Shopee also joins in the fundraising efforts through its special edition Bayani, Kabalikat and Kaibigan Donor Cards. YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE LAW OF MECHANICAL REPAIR: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you’ll suddenly have the urge to pee.

The e-poster of the historic humanitarian concert ‘Isang Tinig, Isang Lahi‘.

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CONCERTS

Virtual show presents Filipino ancestors’ journey AUDIENCE of the upcoming virtual concert at SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds will go back in history to witness the journeys and influences that shaped our culture today. The Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, in partnership with SM Cinema Drive-in, will stage a virtual dance concert, “Of Balanghai and Galleons: Journey Towards Nationhood” on June 26, 7:00 p.m. at MOA’s SM Cinema Drive-in. A project of the Filipino Heritage Festival, the show begins with the time of the Austronesian settlers, through the establishment of the island Kingdoms that dotted the archipelago, all the way to the mighty Galleon Trade that linked the

Philippines to Spain. Through dance pieces, tableaux, and original music, the journeys of our ancestors come alive in a one-hour virtual dance concert; a newly-edited version of the 2018 cultural concert “Journeys on a Galleon”. It aims to expand the original production which was focused on the Galleon Trade into a show that commemorates the Circumnavigation of the World. Written and directed by Floy Quintos, the show will feature the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, The UE Silanganan Dance Troupe, Philippine Ballet Theater, and The Ateneo Chamber Singers. Choreography is by Gener Caringal set to original music by Jesse Lucas. There will be a narration of historical vignettes by Jeremy Domingo.

The Ateneo Chamber Singers will perform in the Floy Quintos-directed virtual concert, ‘Of Balanghai and Galleons: Journey Towards Nationhood’.