Manila Standard - 2021 July 9 - Friday

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net COLLISION. The MV Palawan Pearl, a cargo vessel off the coast of the South Harbor Anchorage area, tilts on its side halfsubmerged after a collision with another vessel, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard (left) to deploy a spill boom to prevent the spread of oil in the murky waters. Norman Cruz

VOL. XXXV • NO. 144 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Travel curbs apply to all’ Palace orders LGUs to heed safety protocols, require swab tests for tourists

1m more doses of AstraZeneca arrive at Naia

L

OCAL government units must first implement the resolutions of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on travel protocols because these were adopted on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Palace said Thursday.

By Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz ABOUT 3.256 million doses of coronavirus vaccines are coming into the country this weekend, starting with over 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the Japanese government that arrived Thursday night.

President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the arrival of the 1,124,100 doses donated by Japan at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Minister Nakata

Still, Malacañang said the government’s decision to remove the swab test requirement for travel among fully vaccinated people was made as an incentive for getting their COVID-19 jabs.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, the concurrent IATF spokesman, sought to assure LGUs the government’s pandemic task force was not deaf to their concerns.

“IATF resolutions are resolutions adopted for and on behalf of the President in the exercise of police power.

That’s binding on all unless you declare yourself to be an independent republic,” Roque said.

The spokesman made this remark amid concerns raised by some health experts over the risks posed by simply

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THANKS, JAPAN. President Rodrigo Duterte bumps fists with Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa as they witnessed the arrival of 1,124,100 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, with samples held by Duterte (inset), donated by Japan at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. RTVM Photos

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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 8)

1,455,585 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,484 49,036 NEW

ACTIVE

25,650

191

1,380,899

3,925

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

50m jabs needed to remove face mask, shields—NTF adviser

By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Philippines needs to reach a population of around 49 million to 50 million fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the face masks and face shields could be ditched, a government adviser

said Thursday.

At present, the country only has about three million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far.

Dr. Ted Herbosa, adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, made the response when asked when the country can lift the COVID-19 restrictions.

The government’s COVID-19 vaccination program is already in its fifth month.

“We can remove face masks and face shields if we [have] already vaccinated between 49 to 50 million. We should bear wearing face masks, face shields, washing our hands, and avoid crowded

areas,” Herbosa said during the Laging Handa briefing.

Of the 12 million Filipinos who already got at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, only three million of them have completed two doses so far, Herbosa said.

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Bello plan to scrap board exams bucked

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thurs Thursday said the proposal of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to scrap licensure exams for nurses and other professionals needs further study.

Bello floated the idea of doing away with licen licensure exams due to the high financial costs of re reviewing for and taking the boards.

He said graduating from a Commission on Higher Education-accredited institution should be enough.

Bello, however, later clarified that he only

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SEAG SHELVED OVER COVID-19 SPORTS / A8

UN BODY, PH INK PACT VS. TERROR NEWS / A6

‘End to endo’ bill Half-million residents brace for worst of Taal least priority priority—Paras ENDING labor contractualization or “endo” is “somewhat” no longer a legislative priority for President Rodrigo Duterte in his last year in office, one of his advisers said Thursday.

Jacinto Paras, the newly appointed Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs, said the anti-ENDO bill, which Duterte had vetoed in 2019, fell out of the President’s list of priority legislation because it was not being talked about anymore.

“Because of the controversy when the President vetoed it, all the sectors have not been voicing out Next page

By Rio N. Araja

BRACE for the “worst case scenario” on Taal Volcano in Batangas, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which said it was expecting it after a series of minor explosions on Thursday.

Under the worst case scenario, 500,000 residents would be affected by a major eruption.

NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said: “The worst case scenario is a

violent eruption so many of our people would be affected.”

If Alert Level 4 is raised, those within the 14-kilometer danger zone should be evacuated, he said.

NDRRMC said amid the coronavirus pandemic, the evacuation of thousands of evacuees is a big challenge in the Calabarzon area.

“We need more evacuation centers,” Jalad said. “We really need to be prepared. We will use schools, mostly. The

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STILL ACTING UP.

Another small phreatomagmatic burst occurred at Taal Volcano’s main crater in the morning at July 8, 2021), generating a 200-meter grayish plume. Alert Level 3 still prevails over the volcano, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

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News

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

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Caloocan bishop new head of CBCP C

ALOOCAN Bishop Pablo Virgilio David was named as the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Thursday.

David is also a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, prompting the President to openly castigate him for supposedly using the pulpit to attack the administration.

David was elected during the first of the two-day online plenary assem-

bly of the bishops, the CBCP news site reported.

David, 62, served as CBCP vice president since December 2017, working alongside CBCP outgoing president Archbishop Romulo Valles.

Known as one of the country’s lead-

1m...

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‘Travel...

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Masahiro of the Japanese Embassy, and Philippine government officials witnessed the event.

“Let me thank the Government of Japan and the Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for working with the Philippine government in ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. These more than one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine will surely go a long way in our quest for herd immunity,” Duterte said in a speech.

“Japan continues to be our strong partner in various development programs. Our cooperation in fighting the pandemic is truly an indication of the deep friendship between our two countries,” the President added.

Duterte added that by providing cold chain transport and ancillaries, Japan enabled the Philippines to ensure the safe and efficient transport of these vaccines and preserve its quality and integrity.

The arrival of the Japanese vaccine shipment at the airport was scheduled at 8:55 p.m. via All Nippon Airways flight NH-819 and was towed to the Kalayaan Hall in Villamor Air Base.

Shipments of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in the United Kingdom and Russia are also scheduled to arrive today (Friday) in Manila, the Manila International Airport Authority said.

Scheduled first to arrive at 4:15 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 are 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine via Emirates flight EK332. The shipment came from the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility.

“This will be followed by the government-procured shipment of 132,200 doses of Sputnik V vaccine aboard Qatar Airways flight QR-928, which is expected to land at the NAIA Terminal 3 around 10:45 p.m.,” said MIAA Media Affairs Division chief Connie Bungag.

The government’s third party coldchain and logistics partner Pharmaserv Express will receive the vaccines upon arrival at the airport to keep them safe in its facility in Barangay San Roque in Marikina City.

The donation of the vaccines was first announced by Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu in a press briefing June 15.

Premier Suga said in a message that the initiative “was a clear testament to the deep-rooted bonds of friendship between the two nations.”

“As we commemorate this year the 65th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-Philippines diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of our strategic partnership, Japan will work to surpass the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, in unison with the Philippines, a true friend closer than a brother,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific on Thursday said it has flown more than 2 million vaccine doses to 20 provinces since March. These were Bacolod, Bohol, Butuan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Legazpi, Masbate, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Virac, Zamboanga, Caticlan and Kalibo.

presenting vaccination cards that prove that a person has been fully vaccinated without swab test results.

He said the science behind it was that if a person is vaccinated, the chances of getting severely ill are almost none.

Roque also said there is also a chance that the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests would give the wrong result.

“There’s really no 100 percent guarantee,” Roque said in Filipino.

Still, he said, the IATF was meeting with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) last night to discuss the concerns of LGUs that want to retain the test requirement on Thursday night.

“The IATF is not deaf. They listen to what local governments are saying,” he said.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said LGUs can still require fully vaccinated travelers to show a negative swab test result as a requirement for entry into their jurisdictions.

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose of a single-dose vaccine.

The vaccine must be among the brands

Half-million...

From A1 unoccupied housing projects of the National Housing Authority, too.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Taal Volcano had generated six phreatomagmatic bursts and 60 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

In its latest bulletin Thursday, Phivolcs said the last phreatomagmatic burst was observed at 9:41 p.m. Wednesday, producing a short, jetted plume up to 700 meters high.

Phivolcs’ earlier data showed phreatomagmatic explosions were recorded at 5:18 a.m., 8:46 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 9:26 a.m., and 11:56 a.m. These phreatomagmatic eruptions lasted from one to seven minutes.

“Phreatomagmatic eruptions are caused by the interaction of magma and water. Eruptions normally consist of multiple explosive events, the interval

50m...

From A1 The government is also having issues about strong vaccine hesitancy among senior citizens which are the second most vulnerable to the virus next to health workers, said Herbosa.

Herbosa said only 29 percent of senior citizens already got vaccinated.

“Vaccine hesitancy is high among them; they argue that they are already old and such vaccines should be given to the younger ones. But this is wrong,” Herbosa said.

“It is the elderly who really need to be vaccinated before the young because if they get infected, they can be hospitalized, (placed) in an intensive care unit and (may) die. That is why we are appealing to them to get vaccinated so they will be protected,” he added.

The government has tasked local government units (LGUs) to prioritize giving second doses due to delayed delivery of COVID-19 vaccine supply.

Before such a directive was made, a number of LGUs in the National Capital Region such as Parañaque, Muntinlupa and Taguig had to temporarily suspend the vaccination program due to lack of supply.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said the government had no timeline yet for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions pending the vaccination of at least 50 percent of the population.

COVID update

The Philippines logged on Thursday 5,484 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total to 1,455,585, the Department of Health reported.

The DOH reported 191 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 25,650.

of which may vary,” Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said.

He added that small phreatomagmatic eruption, together with the continued emission of high amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and the increasing number of earthquakes indicate a continued magmatic activity that may lead to larger explosions or phreatomagmatic eruptions.

Sixty volcanic quakes were caused by movements or eruptions of magma from the volcano. The figure includes five explosion-type earthquakes, 24 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, 21 volcanic tremor events having durations of two to four minutes, 10 hybrid earthquakes, and low-level background tremors that eased at 06:21 p.m. but resumed at 09:52 p.m.

Hybrid earthquakes indicate rock fracturing and magma or fluid movement.

High levels of SO2 gas emissions averaging at 11,397 tonnes/day, and steam-rich plumes that rose 1,500 meters high were also recorded.

ing Bible scholars, David was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of San Fernando in 1983.

In 2006, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese where he had served for around 14 years. He was transferred to the Caloocan diocese in January 2016.

David previously chaired the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate.

Meanwhile, Pasig Bishop Mylo Hu-

bert Vergara was elected CBCP vice president.

Ordained as priest in 1990, Vergara is currently a member of the CBCP Permanent Council. He formerly chaired the Episcopal Commission on Social Communications.

David and Vergara will begin their terms on December 1, 2021.

CBCP officials have two-year tenure in office or a total of four to include the second term.

cleared for emergency use in the Philippines. These are Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sputnik V and Moderna.

Governors on Thursday urged the national government to give them discretion over domestic travel requirements after a recent policy allowing fully-vaccinated persons to skip confirmatory swab tests.

The Department of Health has said it would review the latest travel policy after local officials expressed concerns, citing lack of consultation and the difficulty in validating vaccination cards.

Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr., national president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, said most governors want local governments to be allowed to use RT-PCR or antigen tests for fully-vaccinated persons.

“Not all LGUs will use it, [but] we just want the LGU to be given discretion or an option to mandate a testing requirement. It will depend on the LGUs,” he said in Filipino.

Velasco added that even fully-vaccinated individuals may still contract COVID-19.

“Experts say even if you’re fully-vaccinated you’re not 100 percent protected. You may contract mild to moderate infection but not severe...which means you can still be infected and become a carrier,” he said.

Meanwhile, passengers at the Par-

añaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) still lined up at its antigen testing center Thursday morning amid confusing government guidelines on whether fully-vaccinated travelers must still present a negative COVID-19 test result at their destinations.

Different interpretations by LGUs added to the confusion.

For instance, Boracay Island continues to require negative swab test results even for fully vaccinated tourists, citing concerns of tampering with vaccination cards.

On Wednesday, Baguio City announced that online registration for non-residents is still required when entering the city even if they already have their Covid-19 vaccination card.

Navotas City, meanwhile, requires visitors from outside the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus bubble to submit health-related documents before they can be allowed entry into the city.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday directed regional and provincial police units to coordinate with LGUs regarding their respective protocols on the entry of travelers.

PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar also reminded the public to find out the existing rules on the localities they will visit to avoid inconvenience. This developed as protocols for fully vaccinated travelers are still being finalized by the IATF.

The DOH also reported 3,925 persons who recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,380,899.

The DOH reported 49,036 active cases, of which 90.9 percent were mild, 3.7 percent were asymptomatic, 1.5 percent were critical, 2.2 percent were severe, and 1.62 percent were moderate.

In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 37 percent of isolation beds, 33 percent of ward beds, and 31 percent of ventilators, were in use.

September 2021, 40 percent by the end of 2021, and 70 percent by June 2022 regardless of its economic status.

On Tuesday morning, Secretary Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the government’s pandemic response, said the Philippines has so far administered 12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the start of the rollout in March.

The average number of doses administered daily stood at 254,141 as of July 4.

The vaccine brands that are currently part of the Philippines’ portfolio are Galvez on vax Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sputnik The national government can admin- V, and Moderna. ister 70 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccines by November, vaccine czar secFully vaccinated retary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday.

More than 3.08 million Filipinos are In an ANC interview, Galvez said: now fully vaccinated while some 12.5 “Realistically speaking, we can achieve million COVID 19 vaccines have been 70 million first doses. That is what we administered as of July 7, 2021, atwant to achieve before November.” tributing to the decline in coronavirus Galvez added the government is eye- infections in the country, Malacanang ing to inoculate 40 million Filipinos reported Thursday. with the first dose of COVID-19 vacIn a press briefing, Palace spokesman cines by the third quarter of 2021.

Harry Roque assured the public that anothThe vaccine czar also admitted that er two batches of AstraZeneca vaccines are the national government’s vaccination expected to arrive in the country this week. plan was “ambitious” like how World “It was a conservative number beHealth Organization representative to cause we are expecting the number to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasin- increase once reports from LGUs and ghe described it in a recent interview. private sectors arrive,” Roque said.

Galvez said: “The IATF and NTF beThe government is expecting two lieve that the higher targets and stand- batches of AstraZeneca vaccines, the ards, the better. We made our plan very first donated by the Japanese governambitious so that we could push the ment, while the second batch will come LGUs and the national government to from COVAX Facility.

“Aside from the AstraZeneca vaccine its limits and its potential.”

Galvez expressed confidence the gov- deliveries, two more batches of Sputernment can do 500,000 jabs per day. nik V vaccines are also expected to be delivered this week, which is meant for WHO target both component 1 and 2,” he added.

Based on the target set by the WHO, He also reminded the public that all all countries should individually vac- vaccines are free, and for the public to cinate 10 percent of its population by get their second dose.

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From A1 their opinions on this even the Department of Labor [and Employment]. So, somehow, it’s not a priority anymore,” said Paras, who was undersecretary at the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) before his appointment.

Duterte’s top priority now is the proposed creation of a new government agency that would focus on overseas Filipino workers, he said.

The law seeking to give workers security of tenure and stopping the end of contract scheme also took a backseat to bills on the postponement of the elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the death penalty bill, and the military pension reform bills, Paras added.

“Among the top priority of the President now is the approval by the Senate of the bill that would create a government department for overseas Filipino workers

(OFWs) and migrant workers,” he said.

Duterte in 2016 promised to stop “endo” or “end of contract”, a practice in which some employers end contracts on the fifth month and renew it for 5 months at a time to avoid granting workers regular employee status by their sixth month with a company under law.

In 2019, Duterte vetoed an anti-endo bill to achieve a “delicate balance” between the interests of employers and employees.

“If you look at the reason why the President has vetoed it, it does— because it was not able to resolve the conflict between the labor and the management... Maybe in due time, I think, that’s still an important proposed legislation,” he said.

In the lead-up to the 2016 elections, Duterte said he would stop endo because laborers “deserve no less than [a] comfortable life.”

The group Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) expressed dismay over Paras’ statement as

Duterte keeps open mind amid party squabble

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas MALACAÑANG could not say if President Rodrigo Duterte would stay with the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP)-Laban or leave amid its current internal divisions.

“We have discussed this with the President, but I feel it’s premature to make any statement on this particular question,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday.

“What the President said is that we will do this legally. So, let’s see what happens. If there is an intra-party dispute, then the Comelec will have jurisdiction to rule on it,” he added.

The Commission on Elections may step in to resolve the conflict within the ruling party, Malacañang said, as Duterte had expressed his desire to settle “legally” what he described as a “mess” between factions of the party that he chairs.

“Legally, there’s a procedure. If there’s an intra-party dispute, then the Comelec will have jurisdiction to rule on it,” Roque said.

He also could not say which political party the President would affiliate himself with in the event he pursued a vice presidential bid in the 2022 polls.

“Well, anything is possible,” Roque said, when asked if the President would run under PDP-Laban, which he chairs, or Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which is led by his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The President met with his PDPLaban party mates on Tuesday night at the Palace, but PDP-Laban stalwart and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, who has expressed support for the 2022 presidential bid of Senator Manny Pacquiao, was not present.

Bello...

From A1 wants the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to look into licensure exams and not scrap them altogether.

Duque said Bello has to convince Congress “to amend the Nursing Act and PRC law.”

“That needs further study as there are laws that require professionals to pass board exams prior to issuance of a license,” he added.

Bello also said that the scrapping of licensure exams might be his “pet bill” if he decides to run for Congress.

The PNA had rejected Bello’s proposal, stressing that the competency of health professionals must be ensured as they have people’s lives in their hands.

PNA national president Melbert Reyes said the Board of Nursing also rejected the proposal immediately.

“The quality and our level will go down if we don’t have board exams,” Reyes said, adding that board exams serve as a check and balance to the quality of education.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has also opposed the abolition of the Bar exams for lawyers.

Bello on Thursday said he was only proposing to the Professional Regulation Commission to study the scrapping of licensure exams.

Bello said the idea came to him during a webinar with the Philippine Board of Nursing and the Philippine Nurse Association.

“In four years of studying and preparing for your profession, you will go through many exams. The accredited school won’t give you a diploma unless you didn’t go through a rigorous evaluation,” he said in Filipino.

it shows the inaction of the government to address contractualization. Vito Barcelo “This is sad news for millions of contractual workers. The loss of benefits and job security due to contractualization is a big problem for them,” said EILER Executive Director Rochelle Porras.

EILER also noted that 3 out of 5 workers are contractuals based on 2015 government statistics.

Contractualization deprives workers of the benefits accorded by law and makes them vulnerable to abuse, as they are more prone to experience precarious working conditions, the group said.

Many more workers were affected by labor flexibilization during the pandemic. The number of part-time workers increased by one million while those with full-time work decreased, EILER’s statement added.

“If we look back at Duterte’s veto of the Security of Tenure bill, it just shows who the President is defending – not the workers,” said Porras.

News DOH installs ‘Tele-ICU’ in Calabarzon

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Department of Health (DOH) Calabarzon office on Thursday turned over the first “Tele-ICU” system that will be used at the intensive care unit of the Quezon Medical Center in Lucena City, Quezon.

Former Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo, one of the guests of honor, said he initiated the project during his term to protect health care providers in intensive care units (ICUs) because they are constantly at high risk of contracting the coronavirus due to their proximity and exposure while treating critically-ill COVID-19 patients.

“We can lessen these risks and still provide optimal care while minimizing the risk of acquiring the virus infection and ensuring their health and safety,” said Janairo.

“Through teleICU, we can manage patients remotely through an intensive care team that will monitor COVID patients in ICUs.” He said this will also provide updates on their health status to intensive care physicians remotely for them to deliver timely and effective critical care services.

Janairo added that a critical COVID patient in an ICU can be monitored by placing a “lifesignal” patch on a patient’s chest for five days.

“It is a cardiovascular monitoring device that will record the patient’s temperature, respiration rate, ECG trace, heart rate and movement in real time,” said Janairo.

The data gathered by the lifesignal patch will be sent wirelessly and displayed in real time on a monitor.

If symptoms develop, the device and its data platform will alert healthcare providers to take necessary action.

The lifesignal patch is disposable and can be self-applied and reduces cross-contamination risk and time spent attaching individual devices to a patient.

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SMC jab drive for A4 extends outside NCR

WELCHAIRS FOR THE AGED.

Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (center) and 2nd Nominee Jude Acidre (2nd right) team up with Quezon City 5th District Councilor PM Vargas (4th left), the Office of 5th District Rep. Afred Vargas, and barangay officials to give three beneficiaries with wheelchairs at the covered court of Novaliches District Center.

The beneficiaries wrote letters to Rep. Romualdez requesting wheelchairs for their mothers and fathers who are bedridden.

Ver Noveno

Walk the talk, Palace dares Manny on taxes

S

ENATOR Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao should “walk the talk,” Malacañang said Thursday after the boxer-senator’s previous tax evasion case was brought up by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque backed the President’s statement that Pacquiao’s multibillionpeso tax deficiencies for years 2008 and 2009 is indeed a “form of corruption”.

“You have to walk the talk. If you are against corruption, why did you fail to pay the right taxes, which is really a form of corruption because you are, at the same time, a public officer,” Roque said in an online press briefing on Thursday.

In a taped meeting with Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) executives and government officials aired on Wednesday, Duterte said Pacquiao should also be considered as a “cor-

rupt” public official for having a total of P2.2 billion underpayment in taxes.

Duterte’s fresh tirade against Pacquiao came amid their apparent tiff that stemmed from the senator’s claim that corruption in government persists.

In 2013, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) lodged a tax evasion case against Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee for alleged tax deficiencies in 2008 and 2009.

The BIR claimed Pacquiao had a total of P2.26-billion underpaid taxes for 2008 and 2009, including those for his earnings in his boxing matches overseas.

Pacquiao’s total tax liabilities blew up to P3.29 billion due to penalties and

surcharges.

However, the senator in 2018 won a favorable ruling from the Court of Tax Appeals.

The tax court’s First Division in July 2018 ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue to stop its collection of the multi-billion-peso tax deficiency against Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, for years 2008 and 2009 while their civil case remained pending.

The CTA also lifted the warrants of distraint and/or levy and garnishment on the disputed tax assessments pending the finality of the case.

Roque said Duterte’s latest verbal attack against Pacquiao is not a form of “revenge.”

“That’s not a revenge. That’s a case filed before the BIR. That’s why the President is asking him if he is really anti-corruption,” he said.

Duterte earlier challenged Pacquiao to expose corruption in government by identifying offices involved in irregularities.

SAN Miguel Corporation (SMC)’s nationwide “Ligtas Lahat” vaccination drive for A4 workers now covers major cities outside Metro Manila, where the company has significant operations and employees, in support of government’s aggressive efforts to immunize essential workers and fast-track the country’s economic recovery.

From July 2 to July 8, the company, through partnerships with government agencies, local governments, and local medical facilities, had vaccinated close to 2,500 employees from outside the National Capital Region, bringing SMC’s total number of A4 workers vaccinated to 7,189.

This was after 500 San Miguel employees received their vaccines yesterday in coordination with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the City of San Fernando at the GreenCity Medical Center in San Fernando.

Joining company officials during the event were National Task Force Against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon, Pampanga governor Delta Pineda, and San Fernando City mayor Edwin Santiago.

After Pampanga, Laguna, and Davao City, SMC employees based in Bulacan and Cavite are scheduled to get their jabs next week.

“Considering that most of our major facilities in food and beverage, packaging, power, fuels, and infrastructure are located outside Metro Manila, getting as many of our employees in the regions vaccinated as possible is key to making our workplace much safer. We thank our partners in government and the private sector for their unwavering support,” Ang added.

“These numbers are not that big yet but once our vaccine supplies arrive we will be contributing more to our national goals. Even now, we’re moving fast and vaccinating as many of our employees as we can. This is the best way we can help make sure that our economic recovery will be more sustainable,” Ang added.

Modern-day Dads: Loving loud and proud AS WE celebrate Father’s Day this June, here are three inspiring stories of dads who proved that true love and fatherhood are true for all genders and identities.

Entertainer to enlightened father Even when he was a full-time actor and celebrity during the 1980s and 1990s, Jovit Moya always walked his own path and lived by his own terms. So it was no surprise that when he became a dad nine times over—yes, he has nine children by different moms—his kind of fatherhood did not follow convention either.

Jovit admits that he was a man of the world and unconventional back then.

He had the money and the fame to enjoy life to the fullest—traveling the world, having girlfriends in foreign countries, and essentially maximizing life to enjoy each moment.

Jovit was a Malate habitué during the 1990s. It was a free-wheeling, wild time for him and other Malate denizens. His parents were a wealthy, cosmopolitan couple and according to Jovit, they raised him in a liberal fashion—a freer, more open, Westernized upbringing that went against the flow of conservative Filipino society.

Being a rich celebrity at such a young age fueled his liberated ways, but he has since mellowed down and is now devoted to more mature and responsible pursuits.

Jovit is now a health advocate, neuroscience researcher, and university professor. He is part of the volunteer health organization Courage Pilipinas, an NGO that helps provide health and medical services to LGBTQ+ persons who have HIV/Aids and other illnesses.

Becoming the father of nine children helped in his maturity and growth as a person. “My life now is far from the selfcentered narcissism of my youth. I live simply and sparingly. I don’t require much beyond the basics. I’m not as financially well-off today,” he remarked with a chuckle, “since I’ve put up trust funds for all my children.”

The circumstances of his life make him a long-distance father. “All of my children are overseas. In London, in the US, in Japan,” he said, explaining that he was never cut out to be the conventional sort of dad. With him and his children separated by thousands of miles, he could not be with them as often as he wants to.

However, he makes up for the distance and separation by providing for their needs as much as he can. Over the years, he has been able to connect emotionally with them thanks to the internet. This means that he’s closer to his younger children. “My eldest son is a doctor. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to become close. After all, when he was growing up, we didn’t have the internet yet. There was no technology for email, online chat, or video calls.”

On the occasions when he can visit his children, he tries to be a father and a friend to them as best as he could. Over time, his kids, their moms, and Jovit have adjusted to the unconventional fatherhood that he provides. He sends them gifts and financial support, chats with them online, and gives

them fatherly advice.

All in all, while Jovit regrets not being able to be more physically and emotionally present for his children, he’s made peace with his choices. He learned an important lesson that Christ taught: it profits no man to gain the world only to lose his soul.

“You have to live your life not only for yourself. You have to give, to help others.

You must live out a purpose that is larger than yourself.”

Part of that larger purpose of his life now is rescuing abandoned infants. As the incumbent chairman of the Apostles of Christ Family Mission, when they receive reports of abandoned babies, they go to the site to save the child’s life. “These babies are abandoned in garbage bins most of the time. When we find them, these babies are a hair’s breadth away from death,” he said.

Jovit has become a father, mentor, brother, friend, and confidant to many in the LGBTQ+ community who are in difficulty due to health problems and a lack of resources. Through his work as a health advocate for their community, he’s giving others hope and doing his part in bettering their lives. You could say that since becoming a father, Jovit has moved inspiringly from “That’s Entertainment” to “That’s Enlightenment.”

When sister becomes daughter It took three days and nights of taking care of baby Julia before restauranteur Ramon Blanco was able to finally feel the reality of fatherhood sink in. He found himself thinking, “Oh. Everything has to change. Sandali lang, ano ba itong pinasok ko. Ah, okay lang.”

Julia, who is now thirteen years old, was supposed to be Ramon’s adopted baby sister. It was his mother who wanted to adopt her when she was only three months old. Julia’s mother was a family friend who wanted to give her up for adoption. Upon learning of this, his mom volunteered to be the adoptive parent.

However, the process was not that easy. For one thing, Ramon’s mom lives overseas. To adopt Julia and bring her to another country, a lot of legal safeguards and regulations have to be met; this is not unusual since child trafficking is a sad,

terrible reality in the Philippines. The process could take several years.

In the end, both Ramon and his mom decided that it was so much better for Julia if he adopted her instead. That’s how his would-be adopted sister became his adopted daughter.

It so happened that Ramon had just finished building a new house and his restaurant business was doing well. At the time, Ramon was living in his house with his partner who was more than happy to have Julia move in.

“At first it was overwhelming. I was lucky to have a lot of support mainly from my mom, my partner, my brother and my sister-in-law, my friends, and even my old yaya. Everyone pitched in to help me adjust to fatherhood and taught me what I needed to know to take care of the baby properly,” Ramon recalled.

Not surprisingly, fatherhood was a lifechanging milestone for him. “It’s true what they say: when you become a parent, you constantly think about your child. You think about her before you sleep and when you wake up. You start imagining the future for them.”

Julia is now about to go to high school.

Ramon takes a deep breath and says that he’s bracing himself for the prospect of raising a teenager. He knows it will bring new challenges as she matures to become her own person. He finds himself reminiscing about taking care of her when she was a baby.

“I can never forget what it was like when I started taking care of her as an infant. In the beginning, she would wake up hungry every two hours. So I’ll give her milk.

When she fell asleep again, I would be very careful around her because I was so concerned that maybe I’d fall asleep and roll over her. Natatakot ako baka mapisa ko siya. So even after I fall asleep, I would wake up every fifteen minutes and check on her.”

For Ramon, he faces three challenges as a parent: first, for him to be a good provider; second, for him to provide for her emotional needs and be her moral compass; and third, for him to be both a parent and a friend to her.

“In a way, providing for material things is easier. I am trained in the culinary arts so, when it comes to Julia’s food, there’s no problem. Likewise with her other material

needs and her education. But what about her emotional needs? How do I support her emotionally when she needs it? Also, how do I become a good example to her?

I need to provide her with moral guidance and teach her good values. That goes from teaching her proper manners to explaining to her why she must respect others and treat them the way she wants to be treated.”

“And then there’s balancing my role as a father who disciplines her while also being a friend that she can confide in. I want her to understand that discipline is not about hurting her but helping her learn to be a good person; that being disciplined will benefit her when she grows up. I tell her that it’s all right to make mistakes as long as she learns from them,” Ramon said.

Many years back, when Ramon was reading up on child-rearing books while Julia’s adoption process was ongoing, he read something that struck him and stayed with him.

“One book said that our real parents are not necessarily those who gave birth to us; rather, they are those who take care of us. So it doesn’t matter whether we’re LGBTQ+ or cisgender or heterosexual. A real parent takes care of their child no matter what,” said Ramon.

How baby Kurt chose and saved him The first time that JC Glifonea saw baby Kurt was at a family gathering during the town fiesta. Baby Kurt was brought to the party by JC’s aunt who took on the responsibility as the child had not been receiving any care from his biological parents. During the party, baby Kurt was uncomfortable and kept on crying. Various relatives took him in their arms, hoping to soothe him. It was no use. Then, somehow, Kurt got passed to JC; he took the baby in his arms, and just like that, the infant calmed down. JC thought nothing of it.

“Growing up as a gay boy, I already had a notion that someday, I would have one child of my own. But it was a notion that I never consciously acted on. When I met Kurt, I was in the BPO industry and did not exactly live a responsible life. Essentially, I would just wait for my salary and spend the money watching movies or going out with my friends. I was content to enjoy life in this way. I wasn’t saving any money and I left all important decisions to my parents,” JC recalled.

Then one day, the aunt asked for help from his parents. Kurt, it turned out, had become ill with a gastrointestinal condition. JC thought about Kurt: how he was already six months old but was physically small for his age. He had signs of undernourishment.

“I thought that with Kurt already undernourished, an intestinal illness may cause him grave harm. So I told my aunt to bring him to the hospital and I would take care of the medical expenses.”

After Kurt recovered, he was taken to JC’s family home where his parents and other relatives lived. “There was no formal agreement that Kurt would start living with us. It just seemed right that he stayed with us since our entire family had grown to

love him and we were all united in taking care of his needs. Kurt had been born out of wedlock and his biological mom had disappeared from his life. We still have no idea who his father is,” said JC. Today, Kurt is seven years old and is going to school. He is doing well despite having been abandoned by his biological parents. JC plans to make his adoption of Kurt official. He’s just waiting for the pandemic to be over before he begins the legal proceedings.

JC, the formerly carefree BPO worker, has transformed into a more responsible person who is more serious about life: from living paycheck-to-paycheck, JC has put his finances, his mindset, outlook, and lifestyle in order.

“I’ve really turned my life around because of Kurt. I’m working hard to save for our future together and to provide for his needs. I fixed my life because I now have Kurt who is counting on me to take care of him,” said JC. JC’s profession requires that he stays in Metro Manila during weekdays. This means Kurt stays at the family home in the province with JC’s parents and other relatives. JC makes sure to devote all his weekends with him and wholeheartedly fulfills his role as de facto dad and even playmate.

“Kurt loves to play basketball. I never liked basketball. I mean, as a boy, my favorite game was Chinese garter. I also don’t like staying outdoors for too long.

Ayoko kasing umiitim ako. But I changed all that for Kurt. I learned to play basketball.

I learned to play baril-barilan. I now play with Kurt outdoors. People tell me that I saved Kurt from a potentially terrible. But you know what? It was really Kurt who saved me.”

“I changed my life for the better because of him. I became a more responsible person who makes the right decisions. It was Kurt who chose me on that day of the fiesta. He didn’t stop crying no matter who among my relatives tried to carry him. He only agreed to be cuddled and carried by me. That moment of instant connection between us is unforgettable. I thank God every day for making it possible,” said JC. Saluting all dads who give their all, making sacrifices and changes to raise their kids better.

World

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

Port explosion rocks Dubai, probe begins DUBAI—Dubai authorities were Thursday investigating an explosion on a container ship carrying flammable materials, which unleashed a fireball at one of the world’s busiest ports and sent shockwaves through the city.

Firefighters rushed to the scene at Jebel Ali Port to tackle the blaze that broke out on a large vessel stacked with containers which authorities said had been preparing to dock.

Flames and smoke poured from the ship but authorities said it was doused within 40 minutes and that there were no casualties, with all 14 crew members evacuated in time before the explosion.

“Thank God, everything is safe. But this is a natural accident that happened in one of the containers, which was also carrying some flammable materials. There was no other reason,” Mona Al Marri, director of the Dubai Media Office, told Al-Arabiya television.

She said there will be an investigation into the cause of the blast. Police vehicles and fire trucks were Thursday still parked close to the heavily damaged vessel, with burned containers visible on the quayside.

Residents of apartment towers and villas that line the city’s coast reported hearing a loud bang in the night and then felt windows and doors shaking after the fireball shot into the sky, with some filming the spectacle from their balconies.

An AFP correspondent at the scene saw a helicopter circling overhead as columns of smoke rose from the tightly secured facility after the blast.

Dubai police said three of the 130 containers on the ship held flammable materials.

“Initial reports indicate that... friction, or heat, may have led to the blast”, Dubai police chief Abdullah al-Marri told Al-Arabiya, adding that there were no radioactive substances or explosives present in the containers.

Such events are a rarity in the ultra-secure Gulf emirate, one of seven which make up the wealthy United Arab Emirates.

Jebel Ali port is capable of handling aircraft carriers and was the US Navy’s busiest port of call outside of the United States in 2017, according to the US Congressional Research Service. AFP

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Indonesians snub warnings in race to buy ivermectin

END OF SEARCH. Family and friends of the victims hug each other at the Surfside Wall of Hope and Memorial near the site

where a building collapsed in Surfside, Florida on July 7. Florida rescuers made the ‘extremely difficult decision’ to end their search for survivors in the rubble of an apartment building which partially collapsed nearly two weeks ago, Miami-Dade county mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. AFP

Haiti police hunt down president’s assassins P ORT-AU-PRINCE— Haitian police killed four “mercenaries” they said were behind the assassination of President Jovenel Moise Wednesday and took two more into custody, as the impoverished and crisishit Caribbean nation was pitched into uncertainty.

Police did not identify the suspects or say what their motives were for the gun attack on Moise and his wife Martine, who survived, at their private residence in the capital Port-au-Prince early Wednesday.

Police chief Leon Charles said there were still more members of the hit

PORT FIRE. This handout picture provided by the Government of Dubai Media Office on July 8 shows civil defense firefighters at the scene of a blaze that broke out at Dubai’s main port of Jebel Ali following an explosion. At least three residents in the area of the blast, the cause of which remains unknown, reported windows and doors in their homes were shaken as a result of the incident. AFP

IN BRIEF Taliban fighters surround Afghan city HERAT, Afghanistan—Taliban fighters on motorbikes roamed a provincial Afghan capital Thursday after a day of heavy fighting that saw them storm the city in their most brazen assault since the United States stepped up its troop withdrawal.

The government flew in hundreds of commandos to Qala-i-Naw in Badghis, the first provincial capital to face an all-out assault by the Taliban since May 1 when the insurgents launched a blistering campaign to capture new territory.

With the US troop pullout “90 percent complete”, according to the Pentagon, fears are mounting that Afghan forces will be stretched without the vital air support of the US military.

Residents in Qala-i-Naw had either fled the city or stayed indoors Thursday after more than 24 hours of intense fighting that saw the Afghan air force launch strikes on Taliban positions.

“The Taliban are still in the city,” resident Aziz Tawakoli told AFP. “You can see them going up and down the streets on their motorcycles.”AFP

Rockets fired at US embassy in Iraq BAGHDAD—Three rockets were fired at the US embassy in Iraq early Thursday, the Iraqi army said, at the end of a day marked by rocket and drone attacks on bases hosting American forces in Iraq and Syria.

The embassy itself was not hit, the army said, but three nearby places in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone were.

A spate of recent attacks on US military and diplomatic facilities in Iraq has been blamed on pro-Iranian armed groups within a state-sponsored paramilitary force.

US forces, who have 2,500 troops deployed in Iraq as part of an international anti-Islamic State group coalition, have been targeted almost 50 times this year in the country, but the last few days have seen an increase in the frequency of attacks.

On Wednesday, fourteen rockets were fired at an air base hosting American troops in the western province of Anbar, causing minor injuries to two personnel, the coalition said. AFP

S. Africa ex-prez Zuma wakes up in jail JOHANNESBURG—After days of drama and suspense before handing himself in, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma began a 15-month sentence for contempt on Thursday, after spending his first night in jail.

The former prisoner of the apartheid regime had kept the country on tenterhooks by trying all legal avenues to evade jail, but Zuma became an inmate once again shortly after midnight.

It is the first time a former president has been jailed in post-apartheid South Africa.

He handed himself in at a recently renovated jail in the small mining town of Estcourt in his KwaZulu-natal home province.

The sentence handed to Zuma by the Constitutional Court last week for snubbing anti-graft investigators also set a benchmark for the continent in jailing a former head of state for refusing to respond to a corruption probe.AFP

squad at large.

“As I speak, the police are engaged in battle with these assailants,” he said late Wednesday. “We are chasing them so that either in the exchange of fire they will be killed or we will apprehend them.”

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph declared a national “state of siege” and said he was now in charge.

At the UN Security Council, members unanimously called “for the perpetrators of this abhorrent crime to be swiftly brought to justice,” and for “all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint” and avoid “any act that could contribute to further instability.” An emergency meeting on the crisis has been set for midday Thursday.

The airport was closed in Port-auPrince, but witnesses said the city was quiet with the streets deserted and no extra security forces on patrol.

“Four mercenaries were killed, two were intercepted under our control.

Three policemen who had been taken hostage have been recovered,” said Charles, the head of Haiti’s national police.

The attack took place around 1:00 am (0500 GMT) at Moise’s home. Shell casings could be seen on the street outside as forensics experts combed the scene for evidence. A nearby car was peppered with bullet holes.

Magistrate Carl Henry Destin told the Nouvelliste newspaper that the president’s body had twelve bullet holes in it, from large caliber rifles and smaller 9mm weapons, to the forehead, chest, hips and abdomen.

“The president’s office and bedroom were ransacked. We found him lying on his back, blue pants, a white shirt smeared with blood, his mouth open, his left eye gouged out,” he said. AFP

JAKARTA—Indonesians have ignored health warnings to stock up on a “miracle cure” for Covid-19 backed by leading politicians and social media influencers, as an out-of-control virus surge sweeps the country.

Authorities are reporting hundreds of deaths every day as the world’s fourth-most populous nation struggles with its worst outbreak since the pandemic began.

Pharmacies across the country are running out of ivermectin, an oral treatment normally used to treat lice and other parasitic infections, thanks in part to viral social media posts touting its potential as a coronavirus treatment.

“Those who come bring a screenshot showing that ivermectin... could cure Covid,” said Yoyon, head of a pharmaceutical sales group at a market in the capital Jakarta, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

He said the shortage had pushed the price of the drug up from around 175,000 to 300,000 rupiah ($12-$21) a bottle.

“We are out of supplies at the moment after many people came to buy it,” he added.

Enthusiastic praise from popular online personalities are helping drive demand.

“Ivermectin is one of the safe and effective keys to ending the pandemic from various doctors, with lots of scientific evidence,” Reza Gunawan, a self-described “holistic health professional”, wrote to his 350,000 Twitter followers.

Iman Sjafei, the cofounder of popular Indonesian media outlet Asumsi, used the same platform to say five of his acquaintances had recovered from Covid after taking the drug.

“Maybe placebo. Maybe. But it might be true too,” he added.

Sylvie Bernadi, who lives on Jakarta’s outskirts, said she purchased ivermectin for infected relatives after seeing WhatsApp messages and social media posts promoting the drug. AFP

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FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH, UN ink counter-terrorism pact

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HE Philippines and the United Nations Office of CounterTerrorism (UNOCT) signed a memorandum of understanding signifying their partnership under the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (CT Travel) Program.

The agreement will allow the United Nations to assist the country in enhancing its capabilities to detect the travel of terrorists and serious criminals by collecting and analyzing passenger data, in compliance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, international standards and human rights principles.

Through an “All-of-UN” partnership with the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT), and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the UNOCT-led program provides comprehensive, yet tailored assistance to beneficiary member-states.

The Philippines is one of 42 beneficiary member-states that have joined the CT Travel Program since its launch in May 2019.

The signing of the agreement took place during a virtual ceremony between the Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT, Vladimir Voronkov, and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations, Ambassador Enrique Austria Manalo. The ceremony was also attended by representatives from Australia and the European Union.

“Today’s memorandum of understanding is a symbol of the solid partnership and mutual commitment between the Republic of the Philippines and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism for the implementation of the Countering Terrorist Travel Program in the Philippines. It will help enhance the capabilities of the Philippines to detect and interdict known and suspected terrorists using passenger data, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2396 and 2482, international standards, and human rights principles,” Voronkov said.

WINDOW HOURS. Despite the threat of another explosion of Taal Volcano, fishermen from Brgy. Buso-Buso in Laurel, Batangas, continue doing their daily chores of feeding fingerlings at Taal lake during window hours on July 8, 2021. Taal Volcano has been placed under Alert Level 3 due to its phreatomagmatic eruptions. Danny Pata

C-130 plane in Sulu crash not ‘worn-out’—military Fortun: Victims in Calabarzon ‘shot to be killed’

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo plane which crashed in Patikul, Sulu on July 4 is still capable of flying 11,000 hours before its next maintenance period, belying reports that it was worn out.

“Claims that it is worn-out are not true.

Even if it is not brand-new, it still has more than 11,000 flying hours before its maintenance,” AFP spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said in an interview.

The C-130H with tail number 5125 was one of the two Hercules cargo transport planes acquired through a grant from the US government that arrived in the country in January.

“A flight from Manila to Zamboanga will not even reach three hours. That’s how long the aircraft’s remaining flying hours are. It is also not true that the

aircraft is not airworthy. No pilot will fly an aircraft that is not airworthy.

They will not risk their lives for that,” Arevalo said.

Meanwhile, Arevalo, said a Philippine Air Force C-130 which is undergoing maintenance in Portugal is expected to return to the country within the month.

However, he said the aircraft will not be placed in operational status until the results of the investigation on the recent crash are completed.

The PAF earlier grounded its remaining C-130 planes following the mishap which claimed the lives of 49 military personnel and three civilians, aside from injuring 47 troops and four other civilians.

Also on Thursday, the United States in Manila said the Armed Forces of the Philippines received P48.5 million worth of weapons and munitions from America.

The weapons were funded by a US

grant assistance and are intended to enhance the AFP’s counter-terrorism capabilities and readiness.

The shipment was delivered to Clark Air Base by the Joint US Military Assistance Group-Philippines (JUSMAG-P).

It included 14 M2A1 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, seven M240B machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

“As the United States and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations today, we welcome this key equipment transfer, which will support the continued readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said JUSMAG-P chief and senior defense official to the Philippines Col. Stephen Ma. The Philippines remains America’s largest recipient of military assistance in the Indo-Pacific. Since 2015, the US has provided more than P48.6 billion in security assistance to the country.

Modernize Air Force’s aircraft fleet—Herrera

By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader on Thursday lauded Speaker Lord Allan Velasco for his commitment to include in the 2022 national budget the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

“We join Speaker Velasco in his efforts to help the PAF upgrade and modernize its aircraft fleet to prevent military aviation accidents and unnecessary noncombat casualties in the future,” House Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said.

Velasco earlier vowed to include in next year’s national budget the modernization of PAF’s fleet after one of its C-130 planes crashed in Jolo, killing 52 people and injuring 44 others.

Herrera said a well-funded AFP modernization program will ensure the safety of Filipino soldiers whose lives are put at stake in order to serve the Philippines and its people.

“It is important for us in Congress to make sure that sufficient funds are available for the AFP’s modernization priorities,” Herrera said.

‘HERO’ BIKES. Quezon City District 4 Councilor Hero Bautista (center) stands with barangay captains, tanods, Sangguniang

Kabataan chairpersons, street sweepers and indigent workers from 38 villages in the district who received one of 480 ‘HERO Bikes’ and 190 food carts on Thursday. Bautista is promoting bicycles as transportation and livelihood vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BARMM opens 100-bed COVID isolation facility

By Nash Maulana COTABATO CITY—Officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have opened a 100-bed isolation facility for COVID-19 patients in Buluan, Maguindanao.

A P 27-million funding for the project has been allocated through the representation of Maguindanao MP Khadafeh

Mangudadatu with the Bangsamoro Government’s Office of the Chief Minister (OCM).

Inaugurated on July 2, the facility has been constructed at the Buluan District Hospital (BDH) as implemented by the BARMM Ministry of Public Works (MPW).

MPW Minister Eduard Guer ra said BARMM already has eight

isolation facility projects across the region.

Five facilities were already inaugurated and are operational – two in Maguindanao, one in Lanao del Sur, one in Sulu, and one in Tawi-Tawi. The facility in Malabang, Lanao del Sur is still under construction.

“The isolation facility in Basilan is set to be turned over next week,” Guerra added.

LSTP NCR Chapter elects officers

LTSP NCR Chapter Elected Officers 2021-2022 announced

THE League of Tourism Students of the Philippines (LTSP) National Capital Region (NCR) chapter has elected its officers for the year 20212022.

Adviser Dean Ma. Corazon C. Villanueva of San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation, Inc. College said the new officers are led by John Paul T. Dacuycuy from Manila Tytana Colleges as president, Kevin Joshua C. Dingding from Olivarez CollegeParañaque as vice president – internal, and Peer Alexander A. Kortenjan of Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila as vice president - external.

Other officers elected are Angelica Paulene M. Javate from Manila Tytana Colleges as secretary, Romnick M. Maestre from San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Inc. College as treasurer, Mary Krystle Mascariñas from Treston International College as auditor, Esthephany M. Abiera and Jerico S. Combo both from Taguig City University as PROs. Villanueva said the Board Members elected are Francine Jayne R. Marcelo of Manila Tytana Colleges, Rose Anne O. Gamao from Jose Rizal University, and Yna Beatrice T. Ejertima from Treston International College.

THE autopsy results of the nine activists who were killed during simultaneous raids in Calabarzon in March suggest they were “shot to be killed,” a forensic pathologist said Thursday.

According to Dr. Raquel Fortun, who conducted the examination upon the request of the family of the victims and human rights activists, those who were killed sustained at least two gunshot wounds on the chest.

“The common pattern is they... were apparently shot to be killed,” she told ANC. “If you are just trying to neutralize someone for the purposes of reducing the resistance you encounter as law enforcer, these individuals were intended to be really killed if you aim for the chest. That’s going to kill you, and that’s what happened,” she added.

She said some of the cadavers showed signs of being “partially examined” while others only had “skin incisions.”

“Some had incisions on the chest and abdomen and that gives you an idea maybe there was an autopsy. But when you open up the body, that’s it, there’s just skin incisions,” she said.

“There’s no standard as to how the examination was done,” she added.

Fortun expressed hope that international forensics experts could help in the investigation.

“My wish is for them to finally come in and help us,” she said.

On March 7, the police and military implemented multiple search warrants in Calabarzon that left 9 activists dead and 4 others arrested.

Makati rolls out modern, secure vaccination card

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Makati City government has created a card with unique security features that can be used as a vaccination passport for fully inoculated individuals who need to travel outside Metro Manila.

Mayor Abigail Binay said her administration had applied technology to make the card tamper-proof and impossible to replicate as part of advance preparations for the nationwide vaccine rollout that began last March.

“The Makati COVID-19 vaccination card has a QR code that establishments and medical facilities can scan to see a person’s vaccination status and for contact tracing purposes,” Binay said.

“For good measure, we added a holographic sticker with a unique code that cannot be replicated or forged. It only becomes visible under blue light,” she added.

Binay said the city government had recognized early on the potential of the card as a game-changer through easing travel restrictions and promoting freedom of movement of fully vaccinated individuals.

“We knew from the start that COVID-19 vaccination cards would become an essential part of our daily lives. We wanted to do it right the first time, so we came up with a card that is both functional and reliable,” the city chief executive said.

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FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

Galvez-Garin word war breaks out

By Maricel Cruz

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ACCINE czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. and former Health chief Janette Garin on Thursday had an exchange of harsh words over the distribution of Covid vaccines across the nation.

Galvez took exception to the claim of Garin, now a congressman representing Iloilo, about an alleged “palakasan” or preferential treatment accorded to local government units.

“There really is no favoritism in what we’re doing.,” Galvez said. “What we’re doing is when an LGU calls us and say they need this much because they only received so much—which for us is very reasonable.”

Taking a swipe at the congresswoman, Galvez said district representatives should not meddle in the implementation of the vaccination program as they are not part of the system in the first place.

Galvez said that Garin wanted an “allocation “for the vaccine doses, which would complicate

Galvez

Garin

the process as it is the national government that courses the distribution through the community health development offices of the Department of Health and the local government units.

For her part, Garin denied the allegation of Galvez that she sought an allocation of vaccines for her province.

“This is not true and this is a big lie,” Garin said at

a press conference.

Garin said that he only asked Galvez for fair and equitable distribution of anti-COVID-19 vaccines.

“What I am asking for is fair and equitable distribution of vaccines,” Garin pointed out, adding that, as a mother, doctor and public servant, “I cannot afford to be silent on a matter.”

The lawmaker said the government should come up with a clear distribution list because as of now, there is no clear basis regarding the allocation of vaccines to various local government units.

“Where is the clear distribution list? Sec Galvez himself said thatthe mayors and governors are calling him. There is no clear basis,” said Garin, stressing that target population and preventing surges should be the basis.

With Galvez already aware of the arrival of vaccines to the country, Garin said local governments should be made aware of the allocation that they would receive in advance.

“If there is a delay or change, everyone has be notified. That is a very simple process. Why there wasn’t any notice? Why can’t they do it?” Garin asked, stressing that local governments should be given an ample time to prepare and that “monthly allocation should already be clear by now.”

Ombudsman rest its case vs. Revilla

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman has rested its case involving 16 counts of graft against Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the alleged P224.5 worth of pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund.

In a statement, the Ombudsman affirmed that it will not appeal Revilla’s acquittal of the 16 counts of graft charges by the Sandiganbayan.

“This after the Sandiganbayan (SB) acquitted him for insufficiency of evidence on the remaining 16 graft cases in relation to the pork barrel scam. The SB First Division voted 3-2 to grant Senator Revilla’s Demurrer to Evidence, and we respect its decision,” it said.

“Consistent with the defendant’s constitutional right against double jeopardy, Ombudsman Samuel Martires sets the policy of no longer challenging the dismissal of cases/quashal of information and judgments of acquittal, either through a motion to dismiss, a demurrer to evidence or by a decision, rendered by the trial courts or the Sandiganbayan except when the People was clearly deprived of due process or there was mistrial,” it added.

On April 1, 2014, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Revilla, and then senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose Pimentel “Jinggoy” Estrada, along with their chiefs of staff and businesswoman Janet Napoles with plunder and graft.

Revilla was accused of gaining P242 million through ghost projects funded by his own PDAF. On June 6, 2014, the Ombudsman filed a formal complaint of plunder and 16 counts of graft with the Sandiganbayan against Revilla.

On Dec. 7, 2018, the anti-graft court’s First Division, in a majority vote, acquitted Revilla, after four years of detention, of plunder through kickbacks of P224.5 million worth of pork barrel.

Last July 5, in a 196-page decision, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla of his remaining graft cases for insufficiency of evidence and granted his demurrer to evidence that led to the dismissal of the cases.

PRIORITY LIST.

A seafarer, who receives the second dose of Pfizer’s anti-Covid vaccine, is one of the 1,506 seafarers who have benefitted from the government’s vaccine rollout program held at the San Andres Sports Complex on Thursday. Prioritized seafarers are those who already have job contracts and are scheduled for deployment.

Norman Cruz

ANTI-SCAM. app. National Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar launches the e-Access (Enhanced Anti-Cybercrime Campaign, Education, Safety and Security), an app to help netizens avoid online scams and to protect their personal information, during a ceremony held at the PNP national headquarters, Camp Crame in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Tax Appeals court grants P64-m refund to Petron PETRON Corporation, a unit of San Miguel Corporation, has won a Court of Tax Appeals ruling granting the company’s petition for a refund of P64.33 million representing excise taxes paid in 2016 on the importation of alkylate, which is used in the production of gasoline.

PRESIDING Justice Roman Del Rosario penned the CTA’s first division ruling that ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue to issue a tax credit certificate to Petron.

Petron has claimed that alkylate is not a product of crude oil distillation and is used as a blending component for the production of gasoline.

Thus, imposing excise taxes on both imported alkylate and finished gasoline results in double taxation.

BIR officials countered they have the power to interpret the laws on taxes and claims for refund are strictly construed against the claimant and liberally in favor of the taxing authority.

The tax court, in ruling that alkylate is not subject to excise taxes, noted that the relevant provisions of the tax law imposed excise tax only and particularly to “naphtha, regular gasoline and other similar products of distillation”.

“Anything that is not included in the enumeration is excluded therefrom and a meaning that does not appear nor is intended or reflected in the very language of the statute cannot be placed therein,” the court said.

The court ruled that alkylate cannot be classified under the catch-all item “other similar products of distillation” although one of the raw products of alkylate, isobutane, can be a product of distillation.

The CTA explained that the law subjects to income taxes “finished products” and not the ingredients used to produce them.

The court set aside its August 2020 decision that had denied Petron’s petition to get back the P65 million in excise taxes.

PhilHealth: Dialysis coverage up to 144 sessions THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. on Wednesday said it was extending its outpatient dialysis coverage from 90 to 144 sessions.

In its PhilHealth Circular No. 20210009, which took effect immediately after it was published last July 2, the agency cited that the additional coverage from the 91st to the 144th session should be exclusively for outpatient hemodialysis, with the patient properly registered in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database.

PhilHealth said a patient can avail himself of a total coverage amount of up to P374,400 this year for their treatment.

PhilHealth said patients who have already used up the 90 sessions and are paying their succeeding sessions in full prior to the implementation of this extension “may directly file their claims with PhilHealth for a refund.”

PhilHealth said all chronic kidney disease Stage 5 patients shall also be allowed to make use of the maximum of 144 sessions for 2021 as prescribed by their doctors.

The extension is likewise available to a member’s qualified dependent.

PhilHealth is also providing financial support of P270,000 per year to patients

who are using peritoneal dialysis instead of hemodialysis.

PhilHealth is providing a package amount of P600,000 for renal patients who are qualified to its Z Benefits for Kidney Transplantation.

Willie Casas

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

BE IT KNOWN THAT ANHUI DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION (PHILIPPINES) INC. a corporation with office address at #402 Lancris Diamond Tower, Japan St. Brgy. Don Bosco, Parañaque City has changed its corporate name on February 12, 2020 and is now DREAM CONST. BUILDERS, INC. (MS-JULY 9, 2021)

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Immigration back in business at Subic after a decade

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration will resume its operations at the Subic Bay International Airport, a decade after it withdrew its presence when international flights stopped at the former US naval base.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the BI returned to the SBIA on Wednesday as a Philippine Airlines flight, carrying 300 repatriated overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia, landed at the airport, marking the first time an international passenger flight arrived there since 2011.

PAL’s maiden flight to Subic was supposed to land last Monday but the aircraft, which carried 309 OFWs and other returning Filipinos from Saudi Arabia, was diverted to the

Clark International Airport due to bad weather.

Morente welcomed the resumption of international flights in Subic, saying it is an encouraging sign that there is hope that international travel will slowly return to normal after more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He assured PAL and other airlines that may be planning to mount similar f lights to Subic that the BI is always ready to field the sufficient number of personnel needed to facilitate the smooth conduct of immigration arrival formalities for their passengers.

Lawyer Carlos Capulong, BI Port Operations Division chief, said a team of several immigration officers, immigration supervisors, and intelligence agents currently assigned at the Clark airport have been directed to be on-call for deployment to Subic whenever there are flights scheduled to arrive there.

Capulong said the BI may decide to permanently deploy immigration personnel at Subic should international flights there become more frequent in the future.

“As of now, it is only PAL that has informed us of its intention to mount flights to Subic. We were told that this July there are four flights from Saudi Arabia that will be landing there,” Capulong said.

PAL has reportedly informed the BI that it needed to mount the flights to Subic to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of OFWs, seafarers and other Filipinos who were stranded in the Middle East due to the pandemic.

A7

(Date of First Publication June 25, 2021) (Date of Second Publication July 3, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

Constantino moves closer nd to 2 LPGT crown with 68 TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite—Harmie Constantino outduelled Princess Superal in a clash of aces, ramming in an eagle on No. 15 to spike a four-under 68 and seize a one-stroke lead over Superal and Chihiro Ikeda after 36 holes of the ICTSI Sherwood Ladies Challenge at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club here yesterday.

Constantino, who matched Superal’s fiery start of three birdies in the first nine holes, missed gaining a two-shot cushion heading to the final round as she holed out with a missed green bogey for a 33-35 round and a 142 aggregate, enabling Superal and erstwhile leader Ikeda to stay within a stroke at 143s after a 69 and 73, respectively.

Chanelle Avaricio likewise kept her breakthrough bid in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour going, rallying from a two-bogey card with back-to-back birdies from No. 15 to save a second straight 72 for a 144 although Gretchen Villacencio, who also matched par 72 in the first round, reeled back with a 75 for a 147.

Daniella Uy, a former Junior World champion and veteran of LPGA of Taiwan Tour, also missed closing in on the fancied bets with a double-bogey on No. 16 as she ended up with a 73 for solo sixth at 150, eight strokes off the pace.

But the chase for the top P112,000 purse in the first of four tournaments organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. in Cavite in the next five weeks couldn’t get any tighter with Constantino, Superal and ikeda completing a top-tier threesome and Avaricio and Villacencio ready to pounce from second-to-last flight.

“I started off well and kind of played steady from there,” said Constantino, who hit a superb 6-iron second shot from 165 yards on No. 15 then drilled in a 20-foot eagle putt to go 1-up over Ikeda and 2-shots clear of Superal.

That also put the former Univ. of Georgia standout closer to a second straight crown after launching her pro career with a two-stroke victory over Superal at Eagle Ridge last March before the PGTI suspended the tour due to the surge of coronavirus in NCR Plus.

As Ikeda slipped with a two-over card after 10 holes, the highly-rated pair took the lead with a pair of 33s before Constantino pounced on her arch rival’s bogey on No. 12 to take command although Superal tied her again with a birdie on the 14th.

Despite slipping to joint second, Superal liked her chances for snapping a pair of runner-up finishes after ruling one of the two Riviera bubble tournaments in LPGT’s first restart after an eight-month hiatus late last year. She vowed to dish out her best in a final round tipped to go down to the last shot and putt.

“I’ll stay with my routine, whatever happens,” said Superal. “I’ll do my best and take care of my shots.”

Ikeda battled back from a two-over card with two birdies, including a twoputt feat on No. 15 which she eagled in her first round 70, although she missed forcing a tie with a bogey on No. 18 after Constantino holed out with her lone miscue in a flight ahead.

“I’ll just play it steady tomorrow (today) but will attack if there’s a chance,” said the Fil-Japanese, who last won at Midlands in 2019 before a hand injury hampered in her succeeding campaigns.

SPORTS LOCKER RANDY CALUAG THIS one’s rare. It’s not my style to praise someone using my writing platform. But I also I find it a sin to not appreciate and thank someone for doing good for the sports we love.

I felt the need to express this so that people may know that during this hard days of the COVID-19 pandemic, someone out is there willing to extend a helping hand for Filipino athletes and Philippine sports in general.

It’s hard to ignore that someone

EJ, Kiyomi PH flagbearers in Tokyo games POLE vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and Fil-Japanese judo Kiyomi Watanabe won’t have a busy schedule the day after the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

And this made them the ideal choices as flagbearers for the Philippine delegation during the Parade of Nations of the Olympics on July 23.

Obiena, who climbed to no. 6 in the Olympic rankings of men’s pole vault, will be in Tokyo by noontime on the day of the opening rites and will available for the evening rites at the Olympic Stadium.

As for Watanabe, she is already based in Tokyo and will not have trouble moving around and meeting up with members of the Philippine delegation.

Her competition is days away and the Cebu-born Watanabe will have easy time adjusting her schedules.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said this as he explained the selection process during a virtual conference on Thursday.

“It’s because of their schedule.

As for the others, their practice schedules could be affected,” said Tolentino.

The POC chief said gymnast Carlos Yulo and skateboarder Margielyn were among the initial bets to become flagbearers.

But they were scheduled to compete the following day of the opening rites, so they were dropped from the list of candidates.

Chef de mission Mariano Araneta Jr., who will lead a first batch of officials flying to Tokyo via Narita Airport on July 15, is among the six delegates representing the Philippines during the parade with the flagbearers.

They will be joined by Philippine Judo Federation president Dave Carter, boxing coach Nolito Velasco, skateboarding coach Daniel Velasco, Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lani Velasco, and Cynthia Carrion of gymnastics.

Joining Araneta in the advance party are team doctor Randy Molo, POC general manager and Secondary Olympic Attache Dinah Remolacio.

Atty. Billy Sumagui will also be with the group, assigned as the COVID-19 Liaison Officer with Martin Gregorio. Peter Atencio

Harmie Constantino: I started off well and kind of played steady from there.

SEA Games Federation postpones biennial meet

By Peter Atencio

T

HE threat of COVID-19 not just in Vietnam, but in four countries as well, has compelled the Southeast Asian Games Federation Council to postpone the 31st edition of the SEA Games originally scheduled late this year.

The decision of the council was unanimous, with many cases also being reported in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“Wala muna tayong SEA Games this year due to COVID-19. Medyo tumaas, nag-spike sa Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in a virtual conference with scribes.

Tolentino said Vietnam organizers have asked for 10 days for a decision when to re-schedule the games.

Organizers felt that they still need to consult with the Vietnamese government if they will hold the biennial meet in the latter part of the first half of 2022, or have it done in 2023.

The Hanoi SEA Games were initially scheduled from November 21 to December 2.

So far, Ho Chi Minh City, which will be among the 12 venues of the games, has been ordered into lockdown.

Among the events that will be directly affected are canoeing and rowing, which will be held in

Haiphong. Bac Ninh, which will host boxing, kickboxing, handball and tennis, is also reporting an outbreak, along with Bac Giang, which will provide a venue for badminton.

There are also reports of cases in Quang Ninh, which will have events held in women’s football, volleyball, chess, beach volleyball, beach handball, beach soccer, triathlon and xiangqi.

“Hindi maka-decide ang organizers at ang government. So tinulungan na lang naming magdecide,” added Tolentino.

The POC chief added that Vietnam may opt to hold the games by 2023 if plans to have it held in 2022 will still not push through.

The cancellation of the games became imminent last month when organizers reported a rise in cases since early May, when the country began experiencing a fourth wave.

PhilCycling national trials for road flag off Saturday THE road to Thailand and Hanoi starts at the Clark Freeport Zone on Saturday, with the PhilCycling National Trials for Road where the country’s elite riders jostle for slots on the national team to two important regional competitions set later this year.

The women’s 17.1-km individual time trial (ITT) will usher in the two-day trials—one of the major criteria for selecting national team members—at 8:30 a.m., followed immediately by the men’s 24.6km ITT. The men’s and women’s criterium will follow at midday at the Clark Parade Grounds.

Bases Conversion Development Authority president and CEO Secretary Vince Dizon and Clark Development Corp. president and CEO PBGen. Manuel Gaerlan (Ret.), along with PhilCycling and Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in the ceremonial flag off.

Joining them is BCDA Senior vice president (Corporate Services Group) Arrey Perez.

“Clark will not only be the epicenter of cycling, but of the entire Philippine sports this weekend as we conduct the trials amid strict health and safety protocols,” Tolentino said. “And

with these trials, we hope to show everyone that sports is capable of coming back.”

The road races on an out-and-back course—98.40 kms for women and 147.60 kms for men—of the trials presented by Standard Insurance, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, BCDA and CDC are scheduled on Sunday.

A total of 111 cyclists—98 men and 13 women— are entered in the trials that are also supported by Go for Gold, Chooks-to-Go, GAC Motor, Gatorade, Versa, 7-Eleven, Le Tour de Filipinas, 7-Eleven, UBE Express Inc., Powerade, Wilkins, Coca-Cola, Shimano, Bike-X and MadCrank.

The Philippines will be sending riders to the Asian Road Cycling Championships set from August 16 to 23 in Rayong, Thailand, and the 31st Southeast Asian Games scheduled from November 21 to December 2 in Vietnam.

The races will be staged under a bubble environment as prescribed by the Central Luzon Regional Task Force, Office of Civil Defense, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, Province of Pampanga and the Department of Tourism.

Looking for more ‘Manok ng Bayan’ like Ronald Mascarinas of the famed Chooks-to-Go brand, is willing to spend his own resources to venture into sports development. He needs more than just a pat in the back.

It’s hard to not to notice Chooks’ efforts in putting up a robust 3x3 millionpeso program that run for many years and put the country into the world 3x3 world basketball map.

If Mascarinas leaves the 3x3 scene for good, other sports that desperately need help will definitely welcome him and his able sports team of Mel Macatangay and Mark Sambrano with open arms.

What makes this award-winning business CEO going? It’s the pure in-

tention of giving pride for our country.

To develop more homegrown Pinoy heroes.

Just like his homegrown brand of chicken that supports the likes of Kai Sotto, Kiefer Ravena, Kobe Paras, boxer Eumir Marcial and the Philippine Team Azkals, who are also known as Manok ng Bayan.

We need more sports godfathers like Mascarinas, especially in these hard times of economic slowdown brought about by the pandemic.

The Philippine Sports Commission is finding it hard to completely finance the more than 50 National Sports Associations, especially now that they are preparing to defend

the Southeast Asian Games overall crown it won in 2019 at our home turf. More than ever, the PSC needs more help from the private sector.

It looks like Chooks is Philippine sports’ emerging knight in shining armor. Mascarinas revealed that he met with Manny Pacquiao a day before the boxing senator flew to California to train for his upcoming word title fight.

“Together, we plotted the next steps to help other Filipino athletes,” he said.

Aside from supporting topnotch athletes, Chooks is also supporting grassroots chess and basketball—the Philippine VisMin Cup. And definitely more to come.

A few months ago, I remember sending Mel Macatangay, Ronald’s very able assistant, a very simple message if Chooks can help the national kickboxing team that will train under a bubble set up. Since the PSC is not well funded due to the pandemic, the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas of which I am part of as executive director and head coach, is forced to look for other sources.

I asked Mel if Chooks can help supply food for the kickboxing athletes. I didn’t have to say it twice.

With a pro-active, well-meaning team behind him, Mr. Mascarinas is on the right path.

Business PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, July 8, 2021

-18.01 PTS. 6,924.99

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,355,633,596 75,882 5,040,833,514.37 82 119 50

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.7860

Japan

Yen

0.009039

0.4500

UK

Pound

1.380300

68.7196

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128737

6.4093

Switzerland

Franc

1.080497

53.7936

Canada

Dollar

0.801410

39.8990

Singapore

Dollar

0.741895

36.9360

Australia

Dollar

0.748200

37.2499

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655690

132.2162

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

13.2745

Brunei

Dollar

0.739153

36.7995

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.030998

1.5433

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.5553

Euro

Euro

1.179500

58.7226

Korea

Won

0.000876

0.0436

China

Yuan

0.154531

7.6935

India

Rupee

0.013371

0.6657

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240385

11.9678

New Zealand

Dollar

0.701400

34.9199

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035768

1.7807 Source: BSP

Cavitex C5 Link expected to be finished by 2022

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Public Works and Highway said Thursday it expects the completion of the last two segments of the P15-billion Manila-Cavite Expressway C-5 Link Expressway Project by the third quarter of 2022.

“With the progress we have seen on-site today, we are optimistic that the Cavitex C5 Link Segment will be completed as planned. We really look forward to the completion of this project because aside from helping decongest EDSA, Sales Road and other major thoroughfares, this expressway will help reduce the travel time of our motorists from Cavitex to Makati and Taguig and vice versa by 45 minutes,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.

Villar, together with representatives from the Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., inspected on Thursday the progress of Cavitex C5 Link Segments 2 and 3A2.

The inspection team went to the site to check on the progress of the ongoing construction of the C5 Link ramp.

It is part of Segment 2―a 1.9-kilometer 2x3 lane portion that will soon connect Cavitex R1 to Sucat, bypassing Sucat Road and Quirino Ave. They also went to the construction site of Segment 3A2―a 1.6km. 2x3 lane portion that will connect Merville to RSG Subdivision in Pasay.

Cavitex C5 Link is a segment of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project, a joint venture project of CIC and the Philippine Reclamation Authority.

Cavitex C5 Link’s operational segment―3A1 from Merville to Taguig―caters to an average of 12,000 motorists daily. Upon completion of the whole 7.7-km. segment, it will benefit around 50,000 motorists, particularly those coming from Taguig, Makati, Las Pinas and Pasay.

“Together with CIC, we continue to double our efforts, all the while looking after the safety of the workers to ensure we complete Segment 3A2 by the first quarter of 2022 and Segment 2 by the third quarter, also of next year,” Villar said.

IN BRIEF

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

B1

VACCINE INSPECTION. A

member of the Zuellig Pharma Corp. team inspects the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna boxes before preparing to be queued for delivery.

Zuellig Pharma, a leading healthcare services provider in Asia, assures the public that the initial COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna doses in the Philippines will be safely delivered to target local government units with its world-class logistics and cold-chain facilities. The vaccines will be stored in the company’s pharmagrade cold-chain facility in Paranaque City and will be delivered using its passive packaging system—the eZCooler solution, that ensures the integrity of temperature-sensitive vaccines during the last mile of transportation.

T

HE manufacturing industry accelerated in May from a year ago, as the economy further reopened from lockdowns imposed by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

Results of the PSA’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries showed that the volume of production index surged 265 percent in May, faster than the 155.6-percent increase regis-

tered in April. In contrast, the VoPI sank May 2020, VaPI dropped at an annual 73.2 percent in May last year. rate of -74.4 percent,” the PSA said.

“The expansion in VoPI for manufacThe upward trend in VaPI in May was turing sector in May 2021 were observed brought about by the sharp increases in in 18 out of the 22 industry divisions. The most of the 18 industry divisions that fastest growth was registered in manufac- registered positive annual growth rates. ture of coke and refined petroleum prodThe top contributor was manufacture of ucts at 1,366.1 percent. On the contrary, coke and refined petroleum products with four industry divisions recorded decre- 1,472.7-percent annual growth. Only four ments with manufacture of tobacco prod- industry divisions contracted, led by manuucts registering the fastest annual decline facture of tobacco products at -69.3 percent. of -68.7 percent,” the PSA said.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist of The value of production index for man- Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said ufacturing also accelerated by 249.5 per- in a report that the faster triple-digit cent in May from a year earlier, faster than year-on-year growth in manufacturing the 145.5-percent rise in April. was magnified by the further re-opening “The year-on-year growth rate in May of the economy from lockdowns, as 2021 was the second positive growth the NCR Plus’ quarantine classification since April 2019 and the highest annual eased to GCQ with conditions since PNB-BSP-ENDO-16.38X24cm-FA-07062021.pdf 1 7/8/21 1:25 PM growth in the 2018-based data series. In May 15, 2021.

Royal Cargo to build P1.4-b logistics facility

By Othel V. Campos LOGISTICS solutions provider Royal Cargo Inc. is putting up a P1.4-billion logistics facility in Canlubang, Laguna to store dry and liquid goods and pharmaceutical products, a top executive said Thursday.

Royal Cargo chairman and chief executive Michael Reuber said the company would reinvest funds generated from revenues in Philippine operations to expand its logistics footprint and improve products and services.

“Our family-owned company Royal Cargo Inc. has invested more than $100 million in the last five years alone, and I’m mentioning that not to brag, but basically, for you to understand that all the funds which we invested were earned in the country. And a big part of the significant investment which we have done, was done in this pandemic year,” Reuber said during a webinar on foreign direct investments organized by the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

The Cargo City South Hub will be built to host 10,000 pallet position for dry warehousing, 5,000 pp for temperature-controlled storage which is mainly for chilled and pharmaceutical products, a container yard and an International Standards Organization-certified facility.

RCI president Elmer Sarmiento said the over P1-billion investment would cover all expenses on land, building, refrigeration equipment and improvements.

Jollibee investing nearly P4b in CentralHub

By Jenniffer B. Austria RESTAURANT chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. is investing P3.97 billion worth of properties and cash in CentralHub Industrial Centers Inc., the industrial leasing business of DoubleDragon Properties Corp.

Under the plan, Jollibee will acquire common shares of CH and infuse 16.4 hectares of industrial properties it uses as commissaries into CH. These include the largest operating commissary of Jollibee.

The deal is being done ahead of the planned initial public offering of CH via a real estate investment trust offering next year.

JFC chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said the deal was part of the company’s plan to reduce assets tied to real estate properties

THE entry of 45,337 megawatts of renewable energy by 2040 under the Philippine Energy Plan will usher in investments of about P3 trillion, a Department of Energy official said Thursday.

Jesus Tamang, director of Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, said during the 2021 Luzon Virtual Energy Investment Forum the PEP was aiming to bring in about 75,325 MW of generating capacity by 2040.

“Of the 75,325 MW of required additional capacity, 45,337 MW will be provided by RE in the grid. Driven mainly by the expected additional capacity coming in between now and 2040, the energy sector is expected to bring in a minimum of P3 trillion of new investment in the country,” Tamang said.

He said the power sector was expected to have structural change towards a greater share of natural gas, renewable and other technologies.

“The structural change in the power sector will shift our reliance on power generation to RE and cleaner fossil fuels specifically natural gas and alternative fuels and technologies,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

EGov transactions jump over 50 times

Factory output surged by 265% in May, says PSA

By Julito G. Rada

2040 RE plan needs P3t in investments

and focus on core food service, restaurant operations and food processing business.

This will also enable the company to raise funds for expansion, he said.

“We will use the proceeds from the eventual IPO of CentralHub to finance real estate investments for our new stores and commissaries which we will convert again into more investments and shares in the REIT,” Tan Caktiong said.

“This is a more cost-effective way of financing versus owning or pure leasing of properties due to the cash dividends JFC will receive from the REIT which will include the benefits and incentives provided by law to the REIT,” he said.

DoubleDragon said in a separate disclosure to the stock exchange the additional commissary assets would increase CH’s total industrial land portfolio to 39.8 hectares.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday transactions using EGov Pay, an e-payment facility for taxes, permits, fees and other government obligations, jumped by over 5,000 percent in volume and almost 2,000 percent in value as of end-May. “Aside from curbing revenue leaks, fostering better audit trail and enhancing transparency, the wider usage of EGov Pay is seen to promote efficiency in the country’s revenue generation efforts under the New Economy,” Diokno said in an online briefing.

EGov Pay transactions also increased by an average of 98 percent in volume and 126 percent in value from the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. Payment of fees related to securing clearances and taxes drive most of the utilization of this facility.

The BSP said that from only two government institutions when the facility was launched in 2019, EGov Pay now has 387 government billers. This translates into 90 percent of total government billers scheduled to be captured in 2021. Julito G. Rada

Da Vinci gets nod for higher capital DA VINCI Holdings Inc. of businessman Lucio Co obtained the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval for an increase in its authorized capital stock, a move that will bring it closer to the planned backdoor listing of its liquor business.

The company said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the SEC also approved the change in the company’s corporate name to The Keepers Holdings Inc. Da Vinci said in March that its board of directors approved a share swap deal with to Cosco Capital Inc., the listed holding company of Co. Under the plan, DAVIN will issue 11.25 billion common shares of the corporation, which will be created and issued out of an increase in its authorized capital stock, to Cosco in exchange for the latter’s 100 percent outstanding shares in liquor firms Montosco Inc., Meritus Prime Distributions Inc. and Premier Wine and Spirits Inc. The shares to be issued to Cosco will come from the increase in the company’s authorized capital stock stock to P2 billion from P327.6 million. Jenniffer B. Austria

Manila

Standard

B2 || FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Public row shows Gulf powers on diverging paths DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—A startling public row between Saudi Arabia and brash neighbor the UAE has exposed the steadily diverging paths of once inseparable allies who are competing to profit from what may be the world’s last oil boom.

Wrinkles in relationships between the Gulf monarchies are usually resolved behind palace walls, but a fiery debate over the future of global oil production burst into the open this week.

The United Arab Emirates has bitterly opposed a proposed deal by the OPEC+ alliance of oil-producing countries, slamming it as “unjust” and triggering a stalemate that could derail efforts to curb rising crude prices amid a fragile post-pandemic recovery.

That is a rare challenge to Saudi Arabia, the world’s number-one oil exporter—as well as the Arab world’s largest economy and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites.

But the fault lines were drawn before this week’s virtual talks. And while observers say a full rupture is unlikely, the new competitive spirit will only intensify.

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s strongman Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed have long been seen as the region’s power couple, known by their matching initials—MBS and MBZ. While MBZ was once seen as a mentor to the younger leader, their lack of joint appearances of late has triggered speculation that the relationship has cooled considerably.

Economic race Economic rivalry is at the heart of the feud. The Gulf states are trying to cash in on their vast oil reserves as they face the beginning of the end of the oil era.

Riyadh is desperate to fund an overdue programme to diversify its economy before the switch to renewables is complete.

The kingdom has “suffered from 50 years of lethargy in terms of economic policy and dynamism and now has to play catch-up,” said Saudi government advisor Ali Shihabi.

The Emiratis “will understand that you have to make some space for that”, he said.

Kirsten Fontenrose, a former White House official responsible for Saudi policy and now with the Atlantic Council, said strongarm tactics set the stage for the OPEC+ row.

The neighbors have now decided “we have to prioritize our financial future against our friendship”, she said.

“It’s tit-for-tat and no hard feelings, just economic realities.”

Shot across the bows Long the region’s sleeping giant, Saudi Arabia is increasingly rivaling Dubai—long the region’s business and services hub—by creating new postoil industries such as tourism and technology from scratch. AFP

Business

TODAY

Market slides; Bloomberry climbs S TOCKS fell for a third day, after the US Federal Reserve signaled a possible inflation-induced policy change, while concerns lingered over China’s crackdown on tech giants.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, lost 18 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 6,924.99 on Thursday, as four of the six sectoral indices ended in the red.

The broader all-share index picked up 2 points to settle at 4,274.66, on a value turnover of P5 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 119 to 82, while 50 issues were unchanged.

Four of the 10 most active stocks end-

ed in the green, led by Bloomberry Resorts Corp. which climbed 6.5 percent to P6.91 and Monde Nissin Corp. which advanced 3.1 percent to P16.70.

Asian markets were also broadly down Thursday. The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that while rising prices were expected as the US economy recovered from the pandemic, the inflation jump was higher than expected.

Officials said the US central bank needs to be ready to pull back on its massive support program if this persists, according to minutes from a June policy meeting.

But it gave no indication that a reversal was imminent—a stance consistent with commentary from Fed chair Jay Powell that did not jolt the market.

US markets appeared ready to set aside inflation fears -- at least for the time being -- with Wall Street finishing modestly higher as both the S&P 500

and Nasdaq edged to records.

“It took some time, but the Fed has finally acknowledged rising inflationary forces,” Louis Navellier, Chairman of Navellier & Associates, said in a note to investors on Wednesday.

“That’s no small adjustment, but the market has currently bought into the ‘transitory inflation’ narrative—until the key June inflation data rolls in next week.”

The strong overnight lead from Wall Street provided some boost in Asia but Tokyo was down Thursday morning with possible gloom on the horizon as the Japanese government debated further COVID-19 lockdowns to fight a surge in infections.

Seoul was higher, as was Sydney where investors did not seem affected by news that the lockdown in Australia’s biggest city could be extended.

Wellington and Singapore were

SAFE RIDE.

Motorists wearing protective face masks ride past past an electricity box decorated with a COVID-19 coronavirus-themed painting along a street in Hanoi on July 8, 2021. AFP

Biden pushes giant infra spending for ‘American century’ CRYSTAL LAKE, United States— President Joe Biden pushed his giant infrastructure spending plans Wednesday in a speech urging the country to modernize and create “an American century.”

“We have to think bigger, we have to act bolder and we have to build back better,” he said in a speech in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Referring to Ronald Reagan’s famous assertion in 1984 that the booming economy brought “morning in America,” Biden said his plans promised “an American century.”

The Democrat, who has been crisscrossing electorally important states to showcase his project, promoted the two plans currently being negotiated in a

Palestinian twins transform Boeing 707 into restaurant

heavily divided Congress.

The first, worth around $1 trillion, has some chance of bipartisan support and would fund massive rebuilding of roads and bridges, as well as removing harmful lead pipes from water systems, and expanding high-speed internet.

The second, potentially far larger bill would expand public education, childcare and other costly areas of what Biden calls “human infrastructure.”

This has no Republican support but, if Democrats remain united, could squeak through Congress with a rarely used parliamentary procedure.

Biden expressed confidence on the first plan, saying “I believe we’re going to get done.” Success there would be a

remarkable victory for Biden in a capital where the two parties rarely agree on anything.

This so-called “hard infrastructure” would lay “the foundation for a strong and durable and sustainable, competitive economy,” Biden said.

However, he focused on the even more ambitious Democratic wish list for a second package, saying that a better educated nation was vital “to truly win the 21st century and once again lead the world.”

“We need to invest in our people,” he said, detailing plans for universal free pre-school and two years of free postschool community college, making a total of 14 years of state-funded education instead of 12. AFP

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

MAB

0.012

0.001

9.09%

2

WEB

2.57

0.18

7.53%

3

BLOOM

6.91

0.42

6.47%

4 5

ARA PLC

1.24 0.45

0.07 0.025

5.98% 5.88%

6

LR

1.66

0.09

5.73%

7

SBS

4.4

0.18

4.27%

8

SSI

1.32

0.05

3.94%

9 10

LRW FPI

1.89 0.305

0.07 0.01

3.85% 3.39%

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

GREEN I LAND LFM APO FOOD KPPI CAT LCB V

LAST PRICE 4 1.3 1.71 29.55 1.02 0.63 5.04 14.12 0.16 0.96

CHANGE -0.25 -0.08 -0.09 -1.45 -0.05 -0.03 -0.24 -0.66 -0.007 -0.04

% CHANGE -5.88% -5.80% -5.00% -4.68% -4.67% -4.55% -4.55% -4.47% -4.19% -4.00%

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

ALI ACEN MONDE SM GTCAP SECB BDO BLOOM TEL GLO

VOLUME 10335600 25652100 10136300 157660 261790 1257360 1235520 20693600 92010 55080

VALUE (PHP) 374807620 221057420 167557576 158730482.5 157274185 149707925 140983072 140617004 120084920 108072445

NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT AND AGENDA OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF

SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC.

SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS:

In light of the continuing adverse effect of the COVID 19 pandemic and due to the availability of shareholders, please be advised that the annual meeting of the stockholders of the aforementioned Corporation has been rescheduled from 26 July 2021 to 16 September 2021, Thursday, at 2:00PM via Zoom webinar. Stockholders can register at http://bit. do/SoldivoASM2021. Webinar password will be sent via email after registration.

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

AL BADHAN, Palestinian Territories—Palestinian workers in the Israel-occupied West Bank are putting the final touches on a decommissioned Boeing 707 aircraft to ready it for a new kind of takeoff: as a restaurant.

Its enterprising owners, 60-year-old twin brothers Ata and Khamis al-Sairafi, expect to welcome their first customers within weeks at the site in an isolated mountain area near Nablus.

Inside the old jet’s cabin, the seats have been stripped out and the window panes removed. Tables will soon be fitted in the fuselage, which has been painted white with laminate wooden floors.

The brothers plan to call their aviation-themed eatery—which is decorated with Palestinian and Jordanian flags—“the Palestinian-Jordanian Airline Restaurant and Coffee Shop Al-Sairafi Nablus”.

“We will start by providing hookahs,” said Khamis, for people who enjoy smoking tobacco through water pipes, before later expanding the business into an event space.

“The cockpit will be a suitable place for any newlyweds who come to us for their wedding ceremony.”

The Sairafi brothers—identical twins who were sporting matching yellow shirts, khaki shorts and red sneakers during AFP’s visit—are known for their interest in unusual initiatives.

Ata said he and his brother were working as scrap metal traders two decades ago when he learned about a 1980s-era passenger plane sitting near Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

They purchased it in 1999, even though there was—and still is— no airport in the Palestinian Territories, usually forcing residents who want to fly abroad to travel via Jordan. AFP

PSEi July 8, 2021

NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT AND AGENDA OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF

TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS:

Palestinian twin brothers Atallah and Khamis al-Sairafi, 60, convert a Boeing 707 aircraft into a restaurant they are calling “The PalestinianJordanian Airline Restaurant and Coffee Shop Al-Sairafi Nablus”, in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on July 5, 2021. AFP

also down.

Hong Kong stocks opened lower, extending losses into a seventh day, on continued concerns about China’s crackdown on the country’s tech giants. With AFP

1. Call to Order 2. Certification of Notice and Quorum 3. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on 24 August 2020 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements of the Corporation for the Year Ended 31 December 2020 6. Ratification of the Corporate Acts of the Board of Directors since the last annual stockholders’ meeting 7. Election of Directors for the year 2021 to 2022 8. Approval to increase the Corporation’s authorized capital stock from Seven Hundred Fifty Million Shares at PHP 1.00 per share to up to Two Billion Five Hundred Million Shares at PHP 1.00 per share 9. Amendment of Article 7 of the Articles of Incorporation and the Registration Statement to reflect the increase in authorized capital stock 10. Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 11. Amendment of the By-laws to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 12. Appointment of Standard Chartered Bank as Primary Custodian and Fund Accountant 13. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2021 14. Other Matters 15. Adjournment In accordance with the By-Laws, the record date for determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual shareholders’ meeting has been set at 23 July 2021.

Given the current circumstances and in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporation will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication and by voting in absentia or voting through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy.

Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should notify the Corporation by email to customercare_mutualfund@atram.com. ph on or before 6 September 2021, Monday.

In light of the continuing adverse effect of the COVID 19 pandemic and due to the availability of shareholders, please be advised that the annual meeting of the stockholders of the aforementioned Corporation has been rescheduled from 26 July 2021 to 16 September 2021, Thursday, at 2:00PM via Zoom webinar. Stockholders can register at http://bit. do/SoldivoASM2021. Webinar password will be sent via email after registration.

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows: 1. Call to Order 2. Certification of Notice and Quorum 3. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on 24 August 2020 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements of the Corporation for the Year Ended 31 December 2020 6. Ratification of the Corporate Acts of the Board of Directors since the last annual stockholders’ meeting 7. Election of Directors for the year 2021 to 2022 8. Approval to increase the Corporation’s authorized capital stock from One Billion Eight Hundred Million Shares to up to Five Billion Shares at PHP 1.00 per share 9. Amendment of Article 7 of the Articles of Incorporation and Registration Statement to reflect the increase in authorized capital stock 10. Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 11. Amendment of the By-laws to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 12. Appointment of Standard Chartered Bank as Primary Custodian and Fund Accountant 13. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2021 14. Other Matters 15. Adjournment In accordance with the By-Laws, the record date for determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual shareholders’ meeting has been set at 23 July 2021.

Given the current circumstances and in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporation will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication and by voting in absentia or voting through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy.

Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should notify the Corporation by email to customercare_mutualfund@atram.com. ph on or before 6 September 2021, Monday.

(Sgd.) ATTY. TRANQUIL S. SALVADOR III Corporate Secretary

(Sgd.) ATTY. TRANQUIL S. SALVADOR III Corporate Secretary (MS-JULY 9 & 10, 2021)

(MS-JULY 9 & 10, 2021)

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

B3

Charlie Dizon is your ‘Sunset Girl’ AFTER her critically acclaimed performance in Fan Girl, for which she won Best Actress awards at the Metro Manila Film Festival and Entertainment Editors' Choice (The Eddys), Charlie Dizon is playing another fearless character in her latest project – a hopeless romantic searching for true love, even if it kills her.

Charlie refuses to let a deadly illness hold her back as she unexpectedly falls in love for the first time with Jameson Blake in the iWantTFC original series My Sunset Girl, which streams worldwide this July 14.

Here, Charlie plays Ciara, a free-spirited young lady who defies her circumstances

in pursuit of love and happiness. She suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, an illness that could turn deadly if she is exposed to sunlight for a long period of time. As a result, Ciara is unable to travel the world but she makes up for this by watching travel vlogs and making friends online.

Despite her rare condition, Ciara believes that she is still capable of falling in love and believes that she will find the right person who will love her back.

Ciara then comes across and develops a deep bond with Lucas (Jameson), a travel enthusiast just like her who promises to help her accomplish all her goals in her travel bucket list.

But as the two start to get closer, Ciara realizes that it is not only her sickness that will hinder her from meeting up with Lucas. Her strict mother Melissa (Mylene Dizon) will prevent them from seeing each other and will even go as far as confronting Lucas to stay away from her daughter.

However, Ciara does not know that Lucas maliciously planned and manipulated her into falling in love with him so that he could help execute his father Elias’ (Joem Bascon) evil intentions.

Why does Elias want to get revenge on Ciara’s family? What will happen when Ciara and Lucas’ love for one another actually becomes real and unconditional?

Co-produced by Dreamscape Entertainment and All Blacks Media, the iWantTFC original series is directed

by Andoy Ranay and also stars Lance Reblando, Ana Abad Santos, Jun Jun Quintana, Frances Makil-Ignacio, and Jonathan Tadioan.

My Sunset Girl streams on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and on iwanttfc. com starting July 14, 8:00 p.m.

After becoming a household name for her award-winning role in the movie “Fan Girl,” Charlie Dizon is playing another fearless character in ‘My Sunset Girl’ .

This Band paces itself for next big hit

T

HIS Band— composed of singer Andrea Manzano, guitaristsongwriter Euwie Von loria, keyboardist Melvin Carson, lead guitarist Raymart Gubat, bassist Miccael Galvan, and drummer John Macaranas – is pacing itself with quality releases after its breakout hit.

After its massive hit “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na,” which has an estimated 140 million streams on Spotify and YouTube combined, 2019’s biggest band is back with a new single titled “Wala Ka Nang Magagawa.” The song is the band’s first new song after 2020’s Huwag Kang Matakot album of all original tracks.

The group’s keyboardist describes This Band’s themes as being “about

This Band, the pop group behind the 2020 anthem ‘Kahit Ayaw Mo Na,’ releases a new album under Viva Records.

(experiencing) heartbreak after heartbreak, but despite (that) giving up is never a choice.” He also goes on to enumerate This Band fan-favorites such as “Bakit Ganon,” and “’Di Susuko,” to name a few. On “Huwag Matakot” single, Carson describes it as a hopeful song about “self-love that tells us that we should embrace our flaws

STANDARD’S CHOICE

57th Binibining Pilipinas fearless forecast THE much-awaited 57th off her being competiBinibining Pilipinas tive with her strong search is set to crown its catwalk skills. new batch of queens on ETON Sunday, July 11, at the For Miss InterconCONCEPCION Smart Araneta Coliseum. tinental: Albeit pageant fans Pageant veteran won’t be hearing the Maureen Montagne Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title in the roster is a total of eventual winners, it’s still a hotly- p a c k a g e . contested pageant with major titles Bin- The Miss ibining Pilipinas-International, Binibin- Eco Intering Pilipinas-Grand International, Bin- n a t i o n a l ibining Pilipinas Intercontinental, and 2020 1st Bininbining Pilipinas-Globe at stake. runner-up As the competition in the prestigious winner is pageant intensifies, Manila Standard an eloquent is unvieling a list of fearless Binibinis s p e a k e r . who have the bigger chances to walk Her expehome bagged the coveted crowns. rience on the internaFor Miss International: tional pagWe are eant stage betting on is her edge.

Fil-Aussie HanFor Miss Globe: nah ArPatrizia nold. The Garcia, 25, is 25-yearan advocate of old model psychological is an adwell-being of vocate for children. She accessible has a sweet l e a r n personality ing rebut she transsources in forms into f a r- f l u n g a fierce and communities. She is highly favored by sophisticated most pageant experts noting that she’s beauty when a complete package for having a beautishe hits the ful face, a killer body, a very sweet and stage. engaging personality which the JapanStrong conbased pageant is looking for. tenders for any of the For Miss crowns: Grand InternaTwenty-three-year-old Gational: brielle Basiano, who won Miss Honey CartasFriendship International 2019 1st ano is a stand-out runner-up, is mental health adbeauty. She is defivocate. This doll-face, statuesque nitely one of the beauty is well-armed with her exbest faces in this perience in international competiyear’s batch. The tion.

27-year-old soMeiji Cruz, 26-year-old, is a cial media darling model and an events host. She has looks ravishing in a semblance with Miss Universe swimwear. With a Lara Dutta, and like the Indian strong presence on beauty, Cruz stands out with her stage, she shows strong stage presence.

PAGEANT CONCEPT

and love our own uniqueness.”

And it’s that “self-love” that permeates “Wala Ka Nang Magagawa.” A song about “firmly deciding to not go back to the one who has hurt you.” That’s classic This Band for you with the ‘hugot’ feels.

From pop-rock heavy “Sinugaling Ka,” to the finely executed love song

“Kaya Sorry Na,” to smooth pop-rock sounding “Bakit Ganon,” musically, over several singles, This Band has been evolving its Pinoy pop style.

And the same spirit is present on “Wala Ka Nang Magagawa.” This Band goes from head-bobbing pop to mixing jazz bits into it just for the heck of it and

because they can do it.

But one thing is for sure, This Band will always be about the songs. As for its reputation in the Pinoy pop scene, This band is still very much considered as one of the top bands of the current generation. Not bad for a band who almost always produces heartbreak, or as the popular parlance for it go, ‘hugot.’

This Band has said collectively that all of them are “very grateful for the love and support that people showed in the past three years,” adding “we look forward to one, performing live again” hopefully soon. For someone who has accomplished much as a band in such a short time.

This Band still has a couple of things ticked off its bucket list. “An international tour” is one, and having its song as part of a soundtrack for an international movie is another. Entirely doable for sure.

As for the next big hit from This Band? It is imminent. As sure as somewhere out there, someone is experiencing heartbreak, there is a This Band song for them to listen to.

Currently, This Band is keeping busy with a new music video for “Wala Kang Magagawa” and an upcoming collaboration with another band set for release later this year.

Christopher de Leon headlines ’Wish Ko Lang!’ 19th anniversary special AWARD-WINNING actor inspiration. Its host, Vicky Christopher de Leon takes on Morales, is grateful for the a challenging role as he banners public’s continued support the second episode of the monthof the award-winning public long anniversary specials of Wish service program and drama Ko Lang! this Saturday, July 10. anthology.

For the very first time, “I’m very grateful to our Christopher takes plays a gay viewers. We wouldn't be man in the story “Mr. Right.” around this long kung hindi Jake (Christopher) is a talented dahil sa kanila, kung hindi gown designer who owns a small dahil sa paniniwala nila boutique. He lives a simple life na mahal nila ang program Christopher de Leon (center) takes on a challenging role as a together with his friend Georgie gay man as he headlines the second episode of the month-long natin as much as we love our (Thou Reyes) and is content anniversary specials of Wish Ko Lang! this Saturday. program also. Kaya thank you with his life. Jake sometimes very much sa mga viewer participates in pageants where he designs the outfits of its male and natin. Thank you also sa lahat ng staff ng Wish Ko Lang at sa female contestants. He meets Romeo (Shido Roxas) through one of GMA for believing in the program,” she said. these contests and eventually falls deeply in love with him.

For its 19th anniversary celebration, the program has prepared Five years into the relationship, Romeo leaves Jake because he five special episodes for the whole month of July. Last week's wants to have a real family. While heartbroken, Jake continues special episode—“Ang Forever ni Miss Virgie”— featured new to support Romeo from afar. Romeo marries Sarah (Patricia Kapuso Pokwang as she portrayed the character of a teacher Tumulak) and together they will have a son named Kristof (Vince who was so dedicated to work she had no time for romance. But Crisostomo). But Romeo dies and Sarah looks for another man. everything changed when she got to meet again one of her former With his family broken and incomplete, Kristof finds a parental students, Joshua (Jeric Gonzales), who fell for Virgie. Arra San figure in Jake, who will treat him as his own son. Their unusual Agustin played Jeric’s ex-girlfriend in the episode. relationship causes eyebrows to raise but Kristof defends his Set to headline the upcoming anniversary episodes of Wish Ko ‘father.’ Sarah suddenly returns one day and wants to take Kristof Lang! are Albert Martinez, Rhian Ramos, and Sanya Lopez. back with her. Now Kristof must choose between his real mother Catch Wish Ko Lang! this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. on GMA and the father he found in Jake.

Network. Kapuso abroad can also watch it on GMA Pinoy TV. For almost two decades now, Wish Ko Lang! has been For more updates about GMA Network, visit www. touching the lives of Filipinos with stories that spark hope and gmanetwork.com.

Online performances, exhibit, talks explore digital landscape XSCENA, a series of scenography exhibits and webinars, gathers multi-awarded theater practitioners and multidisciplinary artists to collaborate on this project that seeks to capture and develop performance experimentations onto different platforms.

The first installment, entitled Iteration: Recon/figures, features a week-long digital exhibition of live and pre-recorded original presentations which depict the digital medium not as a limitation but as additional character and setting in the discipline. It is set on Monday, July 12 to Friday, July 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

It showcases multidisciplinary artist Bunny Cadag, whose often participatory and community-based works amplify the voices of marginalized groups and the contemporary Langgam Performance Troup (LPT), together with their artistic director, internationally-featured performance-maker Jenny Logico-Cruz, who has collaborated with notable art organizations and cultural institutions here and abroad.

LPT co-founder and resident director, photographer, and filmmaker Blonski Cruz; multidisciplinary artist John

Andre Sarmogenes, whose visuals span photography, installation, video, performance, and experimental and documentary films; and Pasakalye Black Box Theater Manager and Sining Banwa Albay Performing Collectives, Inc. resident playwright Sari Saysay were likewise tapped for the production.

Completing the lineup are artistcollaborators, scenographers, designers and educators Lawyn Cruz and JayLo Conanan.

The retrospective is curated by Gawad Buhay! Philstage Awardee and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Production Design Chairperson Tuxqs Rutaquio. He is joined by independent and published cultural critic and opinion writer Katrina Stuart Santiago, the founder of new civil society organization PAGASA-People for Accountable Governance and Sustainable Action.

The five-day occasion will conclude with a talk back session with the artists to be facilitated by Santiago and cultural producer, interdisciplinary performance scholar and DeviDiva Productions Artistic Director Dr. Sunita Mukhi, scheduled on July 17, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Hosted by the Arts and Culture Cluster of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the event will be available on view on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Zoom.

Interested participants may register at https://forms.gle/ wzpZzjAAYPFnPLmR6.

For more information, visit https://www. facebook.com/xscenafestival.

Langgam Performance Troupe (LPT) cofounder and resident director, photographer, and filmmaker Blonski Cruz.

Life

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

B4

TRAVEL & LEISURE

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

By Jessica Asprer

S

TORIES of doing something as the world stops moving shine in this year’s edition of a filmmaking contest.

On its sixth run globally, the annual short film contest Nespresso Talents, with its 2021 theme “Doing is everything”, welcomed a total of 993 film submissions, 71 of which were local entries, shot in a vertical 9:16 format.

The introspective short “Napamata Ako sa Sadit na Kinaban” (I Woke Up on a Little Planet) by Arjanmar Rebeta is this year’s grand prize winner in the Philippines.

Rebeta’s short film narrates the story of a man who wakes up on a small planet and, as he treks the ground, slowly discovers that the world he knew was bigger than he thought and only moves as he moves.

“Somehow, istorya ko rin siya ngayong pandemic,” Rebeta shared.

“No’ng lumiit ‘yung mundo mo, mas lalo namang lumalaki ‘yung kalungkutan... pero mas dadaig pa rin ‘yung pakikipaglaban na ‘magpatuloy ka’.”

“Hindi ‘man ito tungkol sa pandemic, tungkol naman ito sa buhay, babalik at babalik ka. Lalaban at lalaban ka,” he continued.

Rebeta is also the first Filipino filmmaker whose work made the international shortlist of the Nespresso Talents.

The international winners will be announced today, July 9.

Tackling introspection and a sense of vision despite being locked in, the winning film carried a certain degree of timelessness, said award-winning director, screenwriter, and author Jose Javier Reyes.

“When we cut them down to the top three, that’s when the difficulty came in,” Reyes recalled, adding that deliberating over the heart-wrenching pieces was a challenging feat.

“Ma”, by Dexter Paul De Jesus placed second. It is a mix of live-action and animation depicting a son’s longing for his mother, a medical worker who has not come home in months.

It stood out with its visuals, emotion, and how it “mixed reality and fiction”, said actress, screenplay writer, producer, and director Bela Padilla. “[It] made us feel emotions we forgot to tap during the pandemic.”

The film in third place, “Special Delivery” by Gerald Foliente and Sinematika Inc., tells the heartfelt story of a delivery man who figures in a minor accident but powers through the day, determined to finish his deliveries and hand over his last parcel for that day – a broken multi-colored pinwheel for his son.

“Struggles are the pedals of life. Journey on,” the words in white flash on the screen as the film ends.

“This one is shown in a unique and ingenious way,” multi-awarded filmmaker

Timely tales Nespresso Talents 2021 spotlights innovative filmmaking

Second place ’Ma’ by Dexter Paul De Jesus is a live-action and animation depicting a son’s longing for his medical worker mother.

Nespresso Talents 2021 grand prize winner Arjanmar Rebeta with his introspective short ‘Napamata Ako sa Sadit na Kinaban’ (I Woke Up on a Little Planet).

Quark Henares said, further noting how it was shot, the concept, and its powerful last frame “made it a stronger film”.

A solid story is the heart of the film.

“To create a story that will touch the audience in a certain way, I think it’s magical. I think that’s the challenge, the most memorable part,” Foliente shared.

The top three winners get an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival 2021.

The future of Philippine cinema

Nespresso Talents, launched in 2016, serves as a stage “bringing together the next generation’s passion for film [...] to have a platform where young artists could benefit from and showcase their talent,” said Nespresso Asia regional

business development manager Fabio de Gregorio.

In the age of mobile phones and portrait-format videos like those of TikTok and Instagram, filmmakers are pushed into creativity, blending the familiar aesthetics of social media with technical innovation.

“Innovation – it’s how the film, the angle, is being done,” said Novateur Coffee Concepts managing director Patrick Pesengco. But most importantly, he added, it is in how these innovative creations still make an impact on people’s lives.

The ability of filmmakers to relay an insightful message in a span of two to three minutes takes a lot of discipline, immense technical skill, and knowledge of

the film language, according to Reyes.

“I’m pretty sure that this will be a generation of filmmakers that will be far better than our generation not only because of their technical savvy but because of all the intense tests they go through in life getting there. And it makes me feel very hopeful about the future not only of short film making but also of Philippine cinema in general,” enthused the award-winning director.

Equally important is “the Filipino-ness and the universality of the message,” he added, “because of the courage to say things about what is happening in the here and now using the vertical format, using the experimental form, but moreso, capturing the heart of the Filipino.”

Gerald Foliente bags the third prize with ‘Special Delivery’, a story of a delivery man determined to finish his deliveries for the day.

These timely tales are pieces people can relate to on a personal level despite them being another individual’s story.

Through these artful and heartfelt stories of being a force for good, the message of hope that all things will return to normal is conveyed.

“We are living in such interesting times; the pandemic is not a curse, it’s a challenge because we are all going to emerge from this as, hopefully, better human beings [with] a better vision of the world,” Reyes said.

For this year’s local edition, Nespresso partnered with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde Film School, and Edukasyon.ph.

The opening ceremony was led by (from left) SMHCC executive vice president Peggy Angeles, Mabalacat Mayor Cris Garbo, SMHCC president Elizabeth Sy, DOT Regional Director Carol Uy, Clark Dev. Corp. vice president Rynah Ventura, and Park Inn by Radisson Clark general manager Ann Olalo.

The new South Wing’s façade.

The functionally designed superior room.

The uncluttered and modern lobby of the hotel.

PARK Inn by Radisson Clark banners its upbeat attitude and optimism on the resurgence of our tourism industry by opening its all-new, 100-room South Wing. This bold move affirms the feel-good brand’s commitment to help spark leisure travel to that part of the country, either through Clark International Airport, which is 10 minutes away from the hotel, or by land transportation.

Safety Protocol, meriting the much-valued Safety led by SMHCC president Elizabeth Sy, revealed This new wing has five suites and 95 supe- Pass from our Department of Tourism, assuring ho- that the original Park Inn by Radisson Clark has rior rooms, all in vibrant contemporary designs, tel guests of their protection from any virus-related been successful since it opened its doors in Decemmanned by a full complement of well-trained health hazard during their stay. These health and ber 2015. This led to their immediate plan for adstaff known for their “Yes I Can” service ethos. safety measures, together with the hotel’s continu- ditional rooms, thus, the South Wing came to be.

Assigning the North Wing to guests on quarantine Each of the superior rooms is equipped with a ous exemplary service, led to its having received writing desk, mini-bar, sensor-activated air con- the Travelers Choice Award of TripAdvisor for the is actually SMHCC’s assistance to the government, through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administraditioning facility, bedside USB ports, and compli- fifth consecutive year this year. mentary Wi-Fi. The bathroom has the stand-alone Andre de Jong, vice president for operations tion (OWWA), per Angeles, as hotels in Metro Manila rain shower preferred by fastidious guests. Aside of the Radisson Hotel Group in Southeast Asia are usually too full to accommodate OFWs and ROFs from all these amenities, each suite has a separate and the Pacific, who joined the inaugural cer- who have to be quarantined upon arrival.

I was enthused by Angeles’ sharing of living area, and is provided with a NespresSMHCC’s exciting plan for the immediate so machine. future. The construction of an SMX ConBusiness guests are now welcome to YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE vention Center right next to the Park Inn by use this new wing, and they will also have What’s the difference between a hippo and a zippo? One Radisson Clark is ongoing, and Park Inn by access to the hotel’s outdoor pool, a wellis really heavy. The other one is a little lighter.

Radisson Bacolod opens this week. equipped fitness center, the 24-hour Hues By the end of next year, they will open Restaurant, the lobby lounge, and the “granother property, a hotel and service suites, ab-and-go” snack zone. There are also three in the Mall of Asia complex, to be managed meeting rooms open to corporate get-togethers, and emonies virtually, declared his appreciation those who want to insert some shopping in their to the owning company, SM Hotels and Con- by Hong Kong-based Lanson Place.

These projects are certainly a big boost to our day’s hectic schedule, the massive SM City Clark ventions Corp. (SMHCC), for their strong and is just next door. long-standing business partnership instrumen- economy as they provide jobs not only for those in The original 154-room North Wing, which has a tal in the roll out of several Park Inn by Radis- the tourism industry but also those in the construction industry. And, I am awed by Angeles’ and SMseparate entrance and a separate lobby from those son properties in the country. of the South Wing, continues to accommodate Moreover, the hotel’s general manager, Ann Ola- HCC’s remarkable bullishness as she declared that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and returning lo, displayed great enthusiasm over the opening of this expansion was in preparation for 2023, when the overseas Filipinos (ROFs) on quarantine. They do their South Wing as it enhances their ability to op- pre-pandemic levels of tourism business is expected not have access to the hotel’s public areas and facili- erate as a multiple-use hotel, which will cater to the to kick in.

What could be a better vibe than that? needs of business travelers and returning Filipinos. ties, for the protection of other guests.

A chat with SMHCC executive vice president Park Inn by Radisson Clark has been SGS-cerFor feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com. tified and adheres strictly to the Radisson Hotels Peggy Angeles during the inaugural ceremonies,

A feel-good vibe in Clark