Manila Standard - 2021 July 11 - Sunday

Lakas to go all out for Sara n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

LAKAS-CMD will mobilize its entire machinery to ensure victory for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio should she run for president in the 2022 national polls.

“If Mayor Sara finally decides to run for President in 2022, we will support her. We will mobilize the entire machinery of Lakas-CMD – from the national level down to governors, congressmen, mayors and councilors – to ensure her victory,” said House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD president Martin Romualdez.

Lakas-CMD was the first political

Lakas-CMD president and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio flash the trademark ‘Duterte fist pump’ during a recent courtesy call at the Davao City Hall. Romualdez has vowed to mobilize the entire machinery of Lakas-CMD should Mayor Sara decide to run for president in the 2022 national polls.

party to announce it is renewing its alliance with Mayor Sara’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

“This alliance binds our party to support whoever is chosen

by HNP as their candidates for President and Vice President.

Lakas-CMD will extend its full and unqualified support,” said Romualdez, who is also the president of the Philippine Constitution Association.

Duterte-Carpio on Friday said she is now “open” to running for president in the 2022 national elections during the sidelines of her meeting with Gov. Gwen Gar-

cia at the Provincial Capitol.

HNP is poised to form a super-coalition that counts among its possible members Lakas-CMD, National Unity Party, Nacionalista Party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, and the People’s Reform Party.

Pacquiao camp ready to slug it out

Meanwhile, the PDP-Laban faction under party president Sen. Manny Pacquiao said it will not surrender the leadership of the ruling party without a fight.

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WORLD RECORD.

Filipino drone and flying car enthusiast Kyxz Mendiola flies his hoverboard on July 10, 2021 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in an attempt to break the world record for manned hoverboard flight. Mendiola attained an official distance of 2,890 meters. Before this, the farthest flight by hoverboard on record was 2,252.4 m by Franky Zapata of France in Sausset-lesPins, France on April 30, 2016. DANNY PATA

Vax certificates out next month LGUs given until July 31 to submit list of fully-vaccinated residents; QR codes, encryption to prevent fake documents

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HE government will start rolling out unified certificates to fully vaccinated individuals in August, giving local government units until the end of the month to submit their list of inoculated residents.

“If LGUs are able to submit their lists come July 31, then we can issue vaccine certificates which can be used for international travel by early August,” Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Manny Caintic said on Saturday.

Caintic said the Vaccine Information Management System that will be used to verify the vaccination cards issued by LGUs will be encrypted to ensure the certificates, which will have unique quick response codes (QR codes), would not be easily falsified.

Vaccination cards issued by LGUs can be used for domestic travel while the vaccine certificates issued by the DICT will be recognized by many countries, he added.

NCR mayors to meet on policy for kids

Metro Manila mayors will meet today (Sunday) to discuss the government’s policy allowing kids aged five years old and above to go outdoors in areas under General Community Quarantine and Modified GCQ.

Inter-Agency Task Force co-chairperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said LGUs are allowed to raise the age requirement if they are not yet comfortable with allowing kids as young as five years old to go to beaches, parks, playgrounds, outdoor tourism areas and biking and hiking trails provided they are accompanied by adults.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said LGUs can decide how to implement the policy, depending on the open spaces in their areas.

PH still ‘moderate risk’

n By JOEL ZURBANO

and WILLIE CASAS

because of upward trends in infections.

5,675 new cases

The country logged Saturday 5,675 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,467,119 as three laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health said.

The DOH also reported 96 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 25,816, and 7,552 new recoveries Nationwide, 55 percent of the ICU beds, 46 percent of the isolation beds, 42 percent of the ward beds, and 34 percent of ventilators were in use.

Sputnik V jabs arrive

OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the country remains at moderate risk level for COVID-19 despite an earlier pronouncement by the Department of Health that the Philippines is now classified as low risk.

“The Philippines is still at moderate risk.

In fact some areas remain classified as high risk,” he said in a television interview.

OCTA on Friday said the cities of Davao, Iloilo, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio and Tagum remain areas of concern

The country on Saturday got an additional 37,800 doses of Sputnik V vaccine, bringing to 3,311,000 the total doses of COVID-19 jabs received in the past three days.

The doses were brought to Pharmaserv Express’ cold-chain facility in Marikina City, which meets AstraZeneca’s temperature requirement of positive two to positive eight degrees Celsius and Sputnik V’s negative 18 degrees Celsius.

According to Task Force Against COVID-19 chief Carlito Galvez, the Philippines is expecting 47 million doses of vaccines by the end of August from different manufacturers.

Deadly Delta strain wreaks global havoc THE highly contagious Delta strain forced nations worldwide to put the brakes on a long-awaited return to normalcy.

The highly transmissible strain, first detected in India, is sweeping the globe as countries race to inoculate their populations to ward off fresh outbreaks that are increasingly affecting the unvaccinated young.

After an “exponential” rise in cases in recent days, officials in the autonomous region in the northeast of Spain said they had no choice but to reimpose restrictions.

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500,000 to be evacuated in case of ‘violent’ Taal eruption – NDRRMC

Big-time oil price hike next week, gasoline up

by P1.20/li – Unioil

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Big-time oil price hike: Gas at P1.20/li THE country’s oil firms will raise pump prices for the eighth consecutive week by as high as P1.20 per liter for gasoline effective Tuesday (July 13), Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday.

In its fuel price forecast for July 13 to 19, Unioil said the price per liter of diesel may also increase by P0.60 to P0.70 per liter.

Year-to-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P12.35 per liter for gasoline and P10 per liter for diesel.

Last week, the Department of Energy said in its monitoring report that “demand recovery, buoyed by the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and an uptick in vaccination, has boosted the market’s ability to absorb additional supplies.”

Demand has been going up amid increased travel and strong economic recovery in the US and Europe.

World oil prices last week due to optimism that demand will exceed supply and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies will be careful in returning more crude to the market from August.

ON THIS ROCK. Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula and other priests lead the groundbreaking and site blessing of the Sto. Niño Parish Church in Pandacan, Manila, a year after the massive fire hit the church. “What we will do in the ceremony of digging and blessing the earth is our recognition that this earth is God’s grace and a sign of God’s relationship with us,” Advincula said in his homily. The church was razed to the ground on July 10, 2020, including its 400-year-old Sto. Niño and wooden tabernacle. However, the brass ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament survived, with the Holy Eucharist intact.

NORMAN CRUZ

IN CASE OF A ‘VIOLENT’ TAAL ERUPTION

500,000 to be evacuated

A

FromtheFRONTPAGE

T LEAST half a million individuals will have to be evacuated in case of a “violent eruption” in Taal Volcano, National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council executive director Ricardo Jalad said yesterday.

“Based on our risk assessment, we will evacuate half a million people in case of a violent eruption according to the risk map that was created by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology,” Jalad said.

He said the evacuees will include residents from Tagaytay in Cavite

LAKAS...

The Pacquiao wing on Friday expelled party vice chairman Energy Sec. Alfonsi Cusi, deputy secretary-general Melvin Matibag and membership committee head Astra Naik for alleged violations of the PDP-Laban’s constitution.

“PDP-Laban under the leadership of Sen. Pacquiao and the guidance of Sen. Koko Pimentel will not surrender the fight to them. That will not happen,” said Pines Arcega, chairman of the party’s National Executive Committee.

Pimentel, for his part, said Cusi’s group was not forthright in their choice for standard bearer for next year’s pills.

“The problem is they are not honest with their bets. The camp of Senator Pacquiao is already grooming him for the national elections. It is not clear whether they have their own bet from within the party or from other parties. This could have been solved if they were forthright instead of hiding their choices from us,” Pimentel said in a radio interview.

and Lemery in Batangas.

Jalad said the “worst case scenario” includes possible emission of poisonous gas, volcanic tsunamis, and falling debris.

“That is the worst case scenario, but because of the improvement of the risk assessment capacity of

Phivolcs, we can now implement a calibrated response,” he said.

For now, only residents in five barangays in the towns of Laurel and Agoncillo that are nearest to Taal Volcano Island have been evacuated.

Phivolcs maintained Alert Level 3 over Taal Volcano as it logged seven volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

Some 3,000 residents have already evacuated from their homes after the volcano erupted on July 1 and generated a one-kilometer high phreatomagmatic plume.

ASG terrorist killed in Sulu encounter, 2 more wounded n By FRANCISCO TUYAY AN ABU Sayyaf terrorist was killed while two others were wounded following an encounter with security forces in Talipao, Sulu Friday afternoon, the military said.

Task Force Sulu Public Affairs chief Lt. Jerrica Angela Manongdo said the troops from the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion were on patrol at Sitio Bud Daho when they spotted the 20 heavily-armed bandits belonging to the group of ASG sub-leader Mundi Sawadjaan and Ellam Nasirin.

Sawadjaan and Nasirin were listed in the military order of battle as the brains of previous bombings across the country’s southern region.

The military was also able to secure the bandit’s temporary camp in the area.

Last week, government troops killed a member of the Daulah Islamiyah-Hassan Group during an encounter in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Western Mindanao Command head Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said soldiers encountered some 30 members of a local terrorist group led by Salahuddin Hassan in Barangay Salman.

In December last year, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated the Daulah Islamiyah as a terrorist organization, along with the ASG, the Islamic State East Asia, the Maute Group, and other Daesh-affiliated groups in the country.

DEADLY...

Also set to reimpose controls Saturday is the Netherlands, where infections rose sevenfold in one week, a surge officials have blamed on the Delta variant.

Highest-level curbs

South Korea reported 1,378 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a record high for the third day in a row as the country prepared to impose its highest-level curbs in the greater capital area next week.

Prime minister Kim Boo-kyum said the record spike in new cases left authorities no choice but to implement the highest-level curbs.

Under the new restrictions, set to come into force on Monday and last for two weeks, gatherings of more than two people will be banned after 6 p.m. and schools will be closed.

Bars and clubs will be shut, while cafes and restaurants are allowed limited seating and dine-in services are prohibited after 10 pm.

NO FUR BABIES HERE. Mall-goers pass by an empty playground for pets in Valenzuela City.

EU hits vaccine goal

The European Union has hit its target of delivering enough coronavirus vaccine to cover 70 percent of the adult population, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday.

The 27 governments are responsible for administering the vaccines to citizens – and some are working much faster than others – but Von der Leyen stressed that: “The EU has kept its word.”

The EU joint vaccine purchasing scheme, run by Von der Leyen’s European Commission, has delivered 330 million BioNTech-Pfizer shots, 100 million AstraZeneca, 50 million from Moderna and 20 million Johnson & Johnson.

All but the J&J jab require two doses to achieve full efficacy, and the EU is home to an estimated 366 million adults. AFP

BOY BAUTISTA

MMDA tells motorists: Use Mabuhay Lanes n By JOEL. E. ZURBANO THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Saturday urged motorists to use the Mabuhay Lanes as the Skyway Stage 3 management will begin charging toll on Monday.

The Mabuhay Lanes are the alternate routes designated for pri-

vate vehicles to avoid congested main roads in the National Capital Region.

In preparation for the charging of toll of Skyway Stage 3, MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. inspected the Mabuhay Lanes in anticipation of additional vehicular volume along EDSA. The authorities inspected part of

Mabuhay Lane Route 1 in Mother Ignacia, Sct. Esguerra, and Sct. “Motorists who are coming from the northern part of Metro Manila and will travel southbound, and those who might want to avoid EDSA can take Mabuhay Lanes as alternate routes. We want to give them options on their travel without being stuck in traffic,” he said.

The MMDA will only allow nighttime repairs, including reblockings and other road constructions, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to avoid traffic during rush hour.

Despite the expected influx of motorists in EDSA, Abalos said he sees no need to re-implement the number coding scheme as traffic remains manageable.

Rolando G. Estabillo can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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ONE OF NINE. A passenger – one of only nine – sits and waits to disembark from a Thai Airways company aircraft at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on July 10, 2021.

WORLD

WORLDBRIEFS JULY 11, 2021

AFP

Global tax reform G20 ministers set to green light historic corporate deal

F

INANCE ministers from the G20 richest nations resumed discussions in Venice on Saturday to give the green light to a historic deal to tax multinational companies more fairly.

The framework for reform, including a minimum global corporate tax rate of 15 percent, was agreed by 131 countries earlier this month and could be in place by 2023.

Hailed by those It is one of two involved as historic, it so-called pillars of aims to prevent a race to the bottom as counglobal tax reform tries compete to offer that have been under the lowest tax rates to attract investment, with negotiation for years, many multinationals as and have been given a result paying derisory new impetus under levels of tax.

“This minimum tax US President Joe on companies must Biden. be ambitious,” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told AFP on Friday, adding that the meeting of the G20 – the countries with the 19 biggest economies and the European Union – represented a unique opportunity.

The countries representing 85 percent of global wealth were seeking a deal “for

INCLUSIVE FASHION. A model walks the runway during the Models Of Color

by Bfyne in Miami Beach, Florida. AFP

the 21st century, which will allow for the fair taxation of digital giants which largely escape taxation, which nobody can accept,” he said.

Final agreement on the minimum rate is not expected until the run-up to the G20 leaders’ summit in Rome in October.

But the Venice talks are an opportunity to thrash out further details and exert pressure on those who have not yet signed up to the deal, struck under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – a club of 38 wealthy economies.

The United States, France and Germany are among several countries pressing for a higher rate, while aid agencies including Oxfam also argue that 15 percent is too low.

But with some nations opposed even to this – EU member Ireland lured Apple and Google to Dublin with its low tax rates – there is not likely to be any change to the rate.

“We are really now on the way” to a deal that “will be finalized shortly,” German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told CNBC television.

The minimum rate is expected to affect fewer than 10,000 major companies, those with an annual turnover of more than 750 million euros ($890 million).

It is one of two so-called pillars of global tax reform that have been under negotiation for years, and have been given new impetus under US President Joe Biden.

The other would give countries the right to tax multinationals on profits they earn from their activities in the nation, and would initially apply to the top 100 or so companies.

It is targeted at technology giants such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, but could also affect companies like energy giant BP, which is present in 85 countries.

According to a draft obtained by AFP of the final statement, which is still being discussed, the G20 ministers will “endorse” the OECD’s “historic agreement on a more stable and fairer international tax architecture.” AFP

Amid massacre probe, rebel leader suspended in Myanmar A PROMINENT ethnic rebel group in Myanmar suspended one of its key leaders this week, a spokesman said Saturday, as it investigates an alleged massacre of civilians on its territory.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, sparking huge protests among civilians and renewing clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in its border regions.

The Karen National Union (KNU) – one of Myanmar’s largest rebel groups in its east which has tussled with the military for decades – has been locked in renewed conflict with the army since the coup.

In May, state-run media accused fighters from one of the group’s armed wings, the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), of a May

31 massacre of 25 construction workers – an allegation KNU has said it will investigate.

Spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee confirmed Saturday that KNDO’s head General Ner Dah Bo Mya and his subordinate Lieutenant Saw Ba Wah have been “suspended temporarily.”

“According to the Geneva Conventions, even if they are our enemies, we just arrest them, you cannot kill like that,” he said.

“We stand firmly on our commitment to the Geneva Conventions and the international community, and we have to deal with this carefully.”

The decision – made on Monday by KNU leaders – will likely sow discord within the rebel group, whose political divisions over the handling of the junta have spilled out in recent months to the public. AFP

China evacuates 210 nationals from war-torn Kabul CHINA evacuated 210 nationals from Afghanistan as US troops stepped up their withdrawal from the war-torn nation, the airline that carried out the emergency chartered flight said.

A Xiamen Airlines flight departed the capital Kabul for the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, on July 2 carrying Chinese citizens who had been stranded in Afghanistan, it said in a Thursday social media post.

Among them were 22 people who were later deconfirmed to be infected with coronavirus, de prespite the airline taking “top-notch epidemic pre vention measures” during the flight and upon landing, it added.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that recent returnees included coronavirus patients and called on all nationals to leave Afghanistan, evacwithout revealing further specifics of the evac uation flight.

“In order to ensure the safety of Chinese citcit izens in Afghanistan, the Chinese government has reminded citizens in Afghanistan to leave the country as soon as possible and provided denecessary assistance,” its consular affairs de partment said in a Wednesday social media post.

Chinese health authorities reported 25 new imported coronavirus cases in Hubei province Kaon Wednesday, 22 of which were from the Ka bul flight.

The flight was organized by the Chinese govgov Globernment, reported the state media tabloid Glob al Times.

President Biden has vowed that US troops will leave Afghanistan by August 31, after two decades of bloody conflict in the region.

With the Taliban having routed much of northern Afghanistan in recent weeks, fears are growing over the government’s waning control of a handful of provincial capitals. AFP

Five dead after Tajikistan quake AN EARTHQUAKE struck eastern Tajikistan peoon Saturday morning, killing at least five peo mountainple, according to authorities in the mountain ous Central Asian country.

Tremors from the 5.9 magnitude quake could be felt in the capital of Dushanbe, 165 kilometers southwest of the epicentre.

“Dozens of houses were destroyed,” the Tajik committee for emergency situations said.

“Power lines were also partly damaged” in three villages in the district of Tajikabad, where all the victims lived.

The quake struck at 7:14 am (0214 GMT) and at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to Khothe committee and state news agency Kho var.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon has oror dered a commission of enquiry headed by the prime minister, Russian media reported.

Turkmenistan, bordering Afghanistan, is frequently hit by earthquakes. AFP

Bangladesh factory owner arrested after 52 die in fire

BANGLADESH police on Saturday arrested for murder the owner of a factory where 52 people died, as it emerged that children as young as 11 had been working there.

Police said the owner was among seven people detained after the inferno broke out Thursday in the Dhaka suburbs and took more than a day to control.

A separate inquiry has been launched into the use of child labor at the food factory.

About 30 other people were injured in the safefire – the latest to tarnish Bangladesh’s safe sety record, which has been marred by a se ries of disasters in factories and apartment buildings. AFP

Florida condo death toll rises to 79, at least 61 still missing THE death toll from the collapse of an apartment building in Florida has risen to 79, after 14 bodies were recovered from the rubble, authorities said Friday.

“It is a staggering and heartbreaking number that affects all of us very, very deeply,” said Miami-Dade county mayor Danielle Levine Cava.

Champlain Towers South, a 12-story building in Surfside, a town north of Miami Beach, came tumbling down on June 24, as dozens of residents slept inside.

No survivors have been found since the day of the collapse.

Out of the 79 victims, 53 have been identified and 61 people are still missing, the mayor said.

This undated handout photo released

by Heritage Auctions shows a sealed copy of the Nintendo NES game ‘The Legend of Zelda’ that was auctioned for the ‘record’ sum of $870,000. AFP

Authorities announced on Wednesday they had decided to transition from a search and rescue mission for potential survivors to an operation to recover remains.

The mayor of the town of 6,000 residents, Charles Burkett, hailed the “really incredible” progress of the search and rescue teams, who have been working around the clock at the site of the tragedy.

The rubble from the building was around four stories high after the collapse, but is now almost at ground level, Burkett said.

Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said victims had been found “all through-

out the rubble pile.”

But recovery efforts have been concentrated on areas where stairwells would have collapsed, he added, as people could have been trapped in stairwells trying to escape.

In a rare bright spot on the 16th day following the tragedy, authorities were able to reunite Binx the cat with his family. The black feline had miraculously survived the tumble from a ninth-floor unit and had been found near the rubble.

“I am glad that this small miracle could bring some light into the lives of a hurting family today,” Levine Cava said.

Multiple investigations are under way to determine the cause of the collapse. AFP

Zelda cartridge sells for record $870k A SEALED cartridge of “The Legend of Zelda” for the old Nintendo NES console has sold for a world record sum of $870,000, auction house Heritage Auctions said in a statement Friday.

The cartridge, dated to 1987, is still in its original packaging and trumps the previous world record sale of a video game – $660,000 for a 1986 “Super Mario Bros” cartridge sold in April – according to the auction house.

The game was the “masterpiece” in a sale of 443 lots that runs until Sunday, Eric

Bradley, spokesperson for the Dallas-based company, told AFP. The auction house has not revealed the identity of the buyer.

Blending adventure, action and exploration in a magical universe, Zelda is one of the most significant titles in the history of video games and one of Nintendo’s bestknown series.

Retro video games have become increasingly popular with nostalgic collectors in recent years, driving up prices for old-school consoles and cartridges at auctions. AFP

Dried Fish vendor named Citi Microentrepreneur of the Year

Coca-Cola opens mega hub

CCBPI president and CEO Gareth McGeown and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno lead the opening of Mega Manila Hub in Tondo.

Citi Microentrepreneur of the Year Luzviminda Sunit (right), a dried fish vendor from Medellin, Cebu, manages to grow her business with the help of FairBank, an affiliate of City Savings Bank—the Philippines finest mass market bank.

n By OTHEL V. CAMPOS

COCA-COLA Beverages Philippines Inc., the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country, opened its Mega Manila Hub in Tondo on June 28.

The Mega Manila Hub, in partnership with Container Bridge Philippines Inc. and Manila North Harbor Point Inc., is a strategic convergence point for the company’s shipping operations, giving it an opportunity to synergize transport movements and generate cost savings to serve more people all over the Philippines. The site is the beverage brand’s first in the country, a new milestone in its 109year journey with Filipinos.

“On an annual basis, we ship around 6,000 containers across the country. We source them from Sta. Rosa in the north and then we ship them to Visayas and Mindanao through the Manila Bay. Therefore, we decided that this would be a wonderful time and a wonderful opportunity to launch this Mega Manila Hub for CCBPI,” said CCBPI president and chief executive Gareth McGeown.

He said this is the first time such a thing happened in the company’s 109-year stay in the Philippines.

The Mega Manila Hub will provide sustainable logistics solutions by reducing carbon footprint and optimizing the overall operational efficiencies that can set an example in the industry.

Coca-Cola’s Mega Manila Hub is part of CCBPI’s commitment to further invest and expand its operations and contribute to the health of the Philippine economy, despite the economic difficulties and social challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Read more online

JULY 11, 2021

n Editor: RODERICK DELA CRUZ

A

Vintana opens opportunity for entrepreneurs

email: roderick_delacruz@yahoo.com

AIM prexy to lead global business education alliance SIAN Institute of Management president, dean and marketing professor Jikyeong Kang will serve as the 2021-22 board chair of AACSB International, the world’s largest and the most prestigious business education alliance and accreditation body.

“As a long-time volunteer of AACSB, I am honored to serve as chair of the board of directors during this pivotal time for business education,” said Jikyeong Kang. “Access to high-quality business education has the potential to create meaningful, lasting impact worldwide, and I believe AACSB is well-positioned to lead this effort. I look forward to joining my colleagues on the board of directors in this exciting endeavor.”

Appointed as the first AACSB board chair from an Asia Pacific business school since its inception in 1916, Kang brings to the table her extensive background and expertise in the field of business education.

Kang serves as the first female president of AIM, a position she assumed in 2015.

Alongside venerable Ivy League

VINTANA.PH, an online art gallery based in the Philippines, is launching “The Little Big Art Show” group exhibition on July 12. The show will exhibit astonishing creations from the minds and hands of a select group of artists, diving deep into the heart of obsession, history, solitude, freedom, rebellion, love and loss amid a precarious era.

The online group exhibition includes the works of Pardo de Leon, Jonathan Ching, Julie Lluch, Kiko Escora, Ernest Concepcion, Iggy Rodriguez, Lena Cobangbang, Paolo Icasas, Ehrran Montoya, Tin Garcia, Jucar Raquepo, Krista Nogueras, Denver Garza, Arvin Flores, IshaNaguiat, Tom Bucag and Mai Saporsantos.

While staying true to their oeuvre, each work embraces the cult of genius, whether they’re extracting from formalist structures or breaking away from conventional themes.

Angela Gaddi, Vintana’s co-founder, said that Vintana was built on the back of a cultural awakening to a massive cache of Filipino talent that has been kept hidden and inaccessible to a wider audience. Filipino artists have been making their mark in the international arts scene, with their works gracing galleries, museums, and private collections all over the South Coast world, hence, opening the doors of City in Cebu opportunity for entrepreneurship.

AIM PRESIDENT JIKYEONG KANG

business schools such as Harvard University, Yale University and Duke University, AIM is the only school in the Philippines with AACSB accreditation—one of the first 10 schools to be accredited in Asia.

Kang also holds key positions in other renowned international organizations. She is a board member of European Foundation for Management Development; a council member of the Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools; and a board member of the Principles for Responsible Management Education, which was founded in 2007, supported by the United Nations Global Compact. She is also a fellow of the International Academy of Management.

She serves on the international advisory boards of several premier international business schools, including Stockholm School of Economics, ESADE Business School, Hanken School of Economics, LUMS Business School and Yonsei Business School.

Recognized for her efforts to expand global diversity and inclusion initiatives, Kang’s experience will guide her and the AACSB board of directors to further foster engagement, accelerate innovation and amplify the impact of business, regionally and globally.

“Jikyeong brings a diverse, global perspective to AACSB and a deep understanding of the connections between business education and the business community. We look forward to her inspiring and thoughtful leadership as we focus on driving positive societal impact and furthering AACSB’s diversity and inclusion efforts, worldwide,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, president and CEO of AACSB. Kang’s term as board chair begins July 1, 2021 and extends one year.

As a valued thought leader, Kang is steadfast in her commitment to drive positive change and support AACSB and AIM’s goal of creating the society’s next generation of great leaders.

SUCCESS comes to those who work hard and never give up, so the saying goes, and fish vendor Luzviminda Sunit of Medellin, Cebu is one shining example.

Sunit, fondly called Nanay Luz, was named Citi Microentrepreneur of the Year National Awardee, a far cry from her early days as a fish vendor with an initial capital of P4,000. Launched in 2002, the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards is a nationwide search for outstanding microentrepreneurs in the country, organized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Citi Philippines and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines Inc. “I would take the basin full of fish and peddle it around town to make a sale,” Nanay Luz recalled her humble beginnings in 1975, adding that she eventually ventured into making dried fish, commonly known as “buwad” in Cebuano.

Her determination, optimism and confidence were Sunit’s strongest weapons, but she also received some major push from First AgroIndustrial Rural Bank (FairBank) in Bogo City, Cebu where she was able to get a loan to help expand her business.

FairBank, whose primary focus is to address the needs of rural communities by offering banking services for micro, small and medium enterprises, is an affiliate of CitySavings Bank—the Philippines’ finest mass market bank today.

Since then, Nanay Luz’s business has soared to greater heights—with her product now available in the local public markets of Medellin and Bogo, as well as in Leyte. She now has over 20 workers, including some who lost their regular jobs during the pandemic.

The success of Sunit’s business also paved the way for the realization of her dreams, including owning properties and the completion of her children’s education.

Resilience is another trait that has been synonymous with Nanay Luz that, even when the current public health crisis struck, she was unperturbed and instead became more innovative in her business approach.

“We had to shift to delivering directly to our customers to make better sales,” she said.

Her journey has become an inspiration to others that Sunit, along with nine other Filipino microentrepreneurs, was honored at the 18th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards virtual ceremony on June 15, 2021.

A pride of the Visayas, Sunit received the distinction from BSP governor Benjamin Diokno and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed.

Diokno cited the awardees as purveyors of hope and perseverance in these challenging times.

“We take this occasion to recognize our microentrepreneurs who, despite the odds, have shown great resourcefulness, courage, and resilience to flourish amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Diokno said.

Sunit advised aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dream and there are individuals like her and institutions like FairBank who will lend a helping hand.

“Ang ganahan mag-negosyo atong tabangan ug tagaan nato og puhunan [We will help those who want to start their own business Read more online

Affordable residential real estate thrives amid pandemic

Leading property solutions platform Ohmyhome shares that an estimated 62 percent of platform users are looking for properties that cost less than P10 million, with 40 percent of these preferring homes listed in the P1-million to P5-million range. In addition, 33 percent of the inquiries are for projects that offer extended financing price schemes.

IT’S been a challenging year for the Philippines since a pandemic sent business and trade reeling from the impact of lockdowns and community quarantines. While most local industries were hit hard, the property sector sustained minimal disruptions, with top real estate developers rebounding towards the third quarter of 2020.

Noting the uptick in residential real estate sales, industry players credited the positive trend to low interest rates and stable exchange rates—factors that favor property investments.

Fast-forward to the third

quarter of 2021, the Philippine real estate industry continues to be resilient—and to thrive— despite a lingering health crisis. Sales in the residential housing sector appear to be fueled by the aspirations of ordinary Filipinos who continue to believe that having their own home helps keep their families safe, healthy and secure.

Leading property platform Ohmyhome concurs with this vision, saying that “work from home” and remote learning setups have created a significant demand for affordable properties outside the metro.

To boost their options, home

seekers are now casting a wider net to include those for sale in nearby provinces.

“Prospective buyers are naturally looking at homes that offer adequate space for remote work and/or learning,” Ohmyhome marketing manager Julian Sison says. “This explains why budget-friendly house and lot units that have room for expansion have become their residence of choice.”

Industry reports also reveal that there is more demand for affordable homes. According to Ohmyhome’s figures, an estimated 62 percent of platform users are looking for properties

that cost less than P10 million, with 40 percent of these preferring homes listed in the P1-million to P5-million range. In addition, 33 percent of the inquiries are for projects that offer extended financing price schemes.

Housing loans are also registering an all-time high. The Home Development Mutual Fund or the Pag-IBIG Fund announced in early June that home loans hit a record high in the period January to April 2021, with a total of P27.39 billion worth of loans released during that time.

Read more online

JULY 11, 2021 email: manilastandardlife@gmail.com

n Editor:

RIERA U. MALLARI; Assistant Editor: RANDY M. CALUAG

Yulo: A focus that grew into a passion n By PETER ATENCIO and JOHN RAPHAEL MENDOZA

“If Carlos Yulo performs the way he’s training right now, he can win that gold.”

Yuka Saso FIRST on the list is newly crowned Women’s US Open champion Yuka Saso, who made history as the first athlete from the Philippines to win a golf major.

Saso has won at practically all levels in her young golf career, from local tournaments hosted by her godfather International Container Terminals Services, Inc., to the World Junior Golf, the Asian Games, the LPGA Japan Tour and the LPGA. The 19-year-old Fil-Japanese has made a killing at the Japanese Tour, where she is currently fourth on the money list with earnings of ¥97,721,942 (P42 million) following wins in the NEC Karuizawa Championship and the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament, even though she has already left the tour for the more lucrative LPGA. And it helps that the Olympics will be held in Japan, Saso’s other “home “I actually already played there, the golf course was really good. They changed everything, and it’s all in good condition,” said Saso, referring to the Olympic golf venue the Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Early in the year, Saso, on account of her Japan success, was named the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s Athlete of the Year for the second time. The award was considered special as it was achieved during a pandemic year.

Before the said year ended, Saso showed she belongs with the world’s best following a strong 13th-place finish right on her rookie year in the Women’s US Open won by South Korea’s Kim A-Lim. Entering 2021, Yuka ranked 45th in the world. She is now in the Top 10, jumping 32 places from no. 40 into the Top 10 at no. 8 in the women’s world golf rankings.

According to qualification rules, 60 players in each of the men’s and women’s events will make it to the list of Olympic qualifiers by June 21 for the men’s side and June 28 for the women’s. Saso, together with Pagdanganan (currently ranked no. 42) and Pagunsan (51st) clinched Olympic berths by virtue of this.

n By JESSICA LUNA

WHEN National Golf Association of the Philippines secretary-general Bones Floro says that Filipino golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan are all capable of bringing home that elusive, first-ever gold from the Olympics, you better believe it.

“Their confidence level is at their peak. They all have realistic chances even for the gold,” said

Juvic Pagunsan

THE 43-year-old Pagunsan has earned points in the men’s division to make it to the quadrennial meet after conquering the 2021 Mizuno Open for his first Japan Golf Tour title last May 30 at the Setonaikai Golf Club in Okayama, Japan.

The former Asian Golf Tour top earner bagged the P5.2-million top prize in winning the crown.

As of this writing, Pagunsan is expected to toughen up even further by competing in the prestigious British Open on July 15-18 at Royal St. George’s Golf Course in England.

Floro said the three Filipino qualifiers have a certain advantage when golf in the Tokyo Games is held from July 29 to Aug. 7.

Floro in an online forum recently.

And why not? Their credentials are certainly nothing to sneeze at.

“It’s summer in Tokyo and the weather is quite similar to the Philippines. So, they will be very comfortable,” said Floro.

Being a Fil-Japanese, Saso should also feel at home being based in Japan, same as Pagunsan, a 43-year-old mainstay of the Japan Tour the past four or five years.

At 7,111 yards, the course will play longer than most courses, and this will also give the edge to the Filipinos, who are known as long-hitters, especially Pagdanganan.

“The longer the course will be to our advantage,” said Floro, noting that with three entries, the Philippines has the biggest a triple chance to win an Olympic medal in golf this year.

Bianca Pagdanganan PAGDANGANAN takes pride in the fact that she is currently one of the longest-hitters, if not the longest hitter, in the LPGA, which labels her as the “future and a revolutionary figure of women’s pro golf,” not just because of her immense power, but also because of her character and the promise that she brings to the sport.

The 24-year-old Pagdanganan has been captivating observers with her relaxed demeanor and prodigious power since making her pro debut in July of last year.

She finished tied ninth in her first major, the PGA Championship, and was then tied for third at the Drive On Championships behind winner Ally McDonald and world number five Danielle Kang to rocket to 43rd in the 2020 money list after playing only six events.

But it’s her power off the tee that turns heads.

“Yeah, she whacks it,” said Haley Moore, her NCAA championship-winning teammate at the University of Arizona. “We were like, ‘Oh man, don’t try to keep up with her. She bombs it.”

Pagdangan’s father Sam says Bianca wants to be “the first woman to average 300 yards” (in driving distance). She is close to that goal as she leads the tour with 288.8 yards, six yards further than the next best.

But to be the best in driving distance isn’t Pagdanganan’s only ambition.

“It was always her goal to play in the Olympics,” said threetime Junior World champion and coach Carito Villaroman, who handled Pagdanganan since she was 11. “All the things that she has been working on is in preparation for her campaign in the upcoming Tokyo Games.”

Rower Nievarez tells Olympic dreamers to set goal, aim high n By JONAS RYAN NITURA and JAMES EMMANUEL SANTUA

THE 2020 Tokyo Olympics is near and there are 10 sports, where Filipinos have qualified. But one sport stands out because it rarely graces the sports pages -- rowing.

The sport is not as well-known as basketball or football, but it was popular in America during the 19th century Rowing was once just a means of transportation and trading goods for the ancient Egyptians. It was also the Egyptians, who invented it as seen in a funerary carving of Pharaoh Amenhotep II that he was a talented rower.

It was a competitive sport in the 1400 BCE. Virgil, a greek story teller, said that when the Greek hero Aeneas died, rowing

was a part of the funerary games that took place back then.

In 1900, rowing officially became an Olympic sport for men only, but in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec Canada, women were finally allowed to compete.

There are a total of 14 events in rowing, with the men’s and women’s divisions both having single sculls, double sculls, quad sculls, eight, and coxless pair. The only event that the women’s division doesn’t have is the coxless four.

The other two are for the men’s and women’s lightweight divisions, which have double sculls but again the women’s doesn’t have the coxless four event.

Even though rowing is not popular in the country, there are Filipinos who have excelled or are excelling in the sport.

The first-ever Filipino to qualify for the Olympics in the sport of rowing was Edgardo Maerina, who was part of the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea.

Maerina placed 5th in the event of Single Sculls. He is now the head coach of the Philippine Rowing Association.

The second Filipino to represent the country for rowing was Benjamin Tolentino, who participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. When he retired in 2017, he also became a coach for the Philippine Rowing Association.

Tolentino started competing for the country in 1995 and has won 5 gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games.

After two decades, a Filipino rower will again represent the Philippines in the Olympics.

Cris Nievarez, an Atimonan, Quezon native, qualified for the coming 2020 Summer Olympics, earning a spot in the Olympics after finishing ninth in the 2021 World Rowing Asia Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Tokyo.

The upcoming Olympian started his rowing career in 2015 at age of 15.

In an interview with the Manila Standard, Nievarez said that rowing is a great sport for young athletes.

“In my experience here with rowing, it is a good sport because every day you will find the calm of the water on the La Mesa dam, as well as the team and the fun,” said Nievarez.

Rowing was first introduced to natives in the Philippines in the late 1880s by would-be members of the Manila Boat Club.

THE women in the life of Filipino gymnastics’ phenom Carlos Yulo have been pushing him to seek greater heights for many years.

With two weeks left before the Tokyo Olympics, Yulo, with his mom Anjelica and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines’ president Cynthia Carrion behind him all the way, is expected to emerge from their influence with the best version of himself.

Yulo will bring with him a mean triple back flip, and lots of focus, when he sets foot at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

That’s because Carrion had been asking his coach Munehiro Kugimiya to help Yulo improve on his skills, making him learn new tricks from what he already knows.

“This (triple flip) is the top skill he’s got against his opponent from Russia. The Russian tries it. But, he goes out of bounds,” said Carrion referring to Kirill Propokev, one of Yulo’s main opponents to watch out for.

And this is what Yulo has been doing in the last three years training and preparing for the quadrennial meet while staying in Japan.

“If he does everything correct, and with the triple flip, when he turns backward thrice, and then forward, and then he lands well, then he will get the gold,” said Carrion on Yulo’s quest to claim the first-ever gold for the country.

Known to be shy and hardly speaks to anyone who wishes to discuss with him his abilities, Yulo is expected to go into action with incredible focus, a mindset which his mom, Angelica, has instilled in him since he started at the age of 7.

“There’s nothing special with Caloy in the beginning. Nu’ng nag-start siya, he was just focused sa goals niya. Iyun lang ang iba sa mga nakasama niyang mga bata,” said Angelica of Yulo’s main trait that grew into a passion.

“Talagang focused siya sa mga ginagawa niya. At iyung pagpu-push naman, especially ako, sa training niya, iyun lang ang ginagawa namin,” said Angelica of her son’s ability of showing full concentration since he was young, while learning and doing his routines.

This allowed him to embrace and love the all the gigs there was in the sport after his grandfather, Rodrigo Frisco, introduced it to him back in 2008 when they first went to a public park in Manila to watch and do some flips.

Caloy was able to copy with ease the movements of a young gymnast that he watched while in the park. Frisco then decided to take his grandson to a gymnastics class which coach Rodrigo Ortero was holding at the Rizal Memorial Complex at the time.

A year later, Yulo was competing in the 1st Milo National Little Olympics in 2009, hosted

by Cebu City.

Ten years later, Yulo emerged from all of his experiences by securing a 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ berth and a historic World Championship gold.

Yulo made it to Tokyo after he did well in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships as he reached the top 10 of the men’s individuall all-around final, becoming the first Filipino world champion when he ruled the men’s floor exercise. His historic run took place in Stuttgart, Germany, where he topped the men’s floor exercise final with a score of 15.300.

It has been five years since Yulo accepted an offer by the Japan Olympic Association to train in Japan under a scholarship program.

And Yulo, now 21, has not wavered in his Olympic dreams.

Yulo, who idolizes Japan’s three-time Olympic gold medalist and 21-time world champion Kohei Uchimura, could pull off a couple of surprises in Tokyo.

And he could do this now that he is showing more proficiency in three of six events in men’s artistic gymnastics, giving Yulo a chance to win more medals.

In the past months, Kugimiya has managed to help Yulo improve his routines out of the floor exercise, which is his main forte. He has since become more skilled in executing routines in the vault and the parallel bars.

Last month, Yulo showed how well he was doing when he bagged a bronze medal in the 2021 All Japan Apparatus Championships.

Yulo tallied 14.966 points to land a thirdplace finish in the men’s parallel bars event.

Rio Olympics’ gold medalist Yusuke Tanaka and Kaito Sugimoto tied for the gold medal after they both received 15.400 points.

Yulo intentionally did not join the floor exercises during the competition for fear of being scouted, but he still came over and watched.

After the competition, Yulo informed Carrion that he will be able to win a medal over other Japanese competitors.

“If he performs the way he’s training right now, he can win that gold (in the floor exercise),” said Carrion, adding that Yulo has a fighting chance to win the silver in the vault and probably make it to the finals of the parallel bars.

“If everything is done properly and he doesn’t have a deduction like in all the videos that I’ve seen, then he can win more,” Carrion said.

JULY 11, 2021

REDEN COSTALES of ‘The Agrillennial’

The future of PH agriculture looks bright with these young creators TONETTE LEACHON, meat shop owner and ‘madiskarteng’ boss.

‘Millennial Bukid Girl’ PRINCESS ANN MARCOS

TO ATTAIN a food-secure future for the Philippines, the Agriculture department and farm advocates encourage youth to take up farming.

Reden “Red” Costales, a young farmer from Majayjay, Laguna, understands the importance of this call.

“There is a forecast of food shortage by 2050. But as long as we work on educating the youth as early as now, we can look forward to a future where people are well-informed with how they can properly and sustainably allocate their food resources,” he said.

He started his YouTube channel The Agrillennial in 2019 in hopes of sparking interest in the youth about farming and encouraging more people to produce their own food.

His videos talk about the basics of farming, from tilling the soil to the latest agricultural techniques. Less than two years after posting his first video, The Agrillennial now has over a hundred videos and a community of 120,000 subscribers.

One of his most popular videos is him teaching how to make carbonized rice hull which can be used as soil conditioner and potting mix for budding “Many young or seasoned gardeners. It current- viewers would ly has more than ask me questions 400,000 views.

The populari- about farming – ty of his videos from Manileños shows Red that there is a growing interested in urban interest in farming gardening to among millennials since the pan- OFWs who want demic started. Life to grow their lands under lockdown, he said, opened in the province.” the eyes of many to the benefit of —REDEN growing their own ‘RED’ food.

“Many young COSTALES viewers would ask me questions about farming – from Manileños interested in urban gardening to OFWs who want to grow their lands in the province,” he shared.

Ruben “Ben” Baguio, 22-year-old from Nueva Vizcaya, through his channel Gayyem Ben shows his viewers the beauty and richness of life in the countryside while preserving traditional Filipino cultural practices. He takes his more than 241,000 subscribers on a journey with every video he produces.

One of his most viewed videos is a seedto-table recipe of pinakbet where he shows the whole process of creating meals including land preparation, planting, and harvesting before cooking and serving.

Meanwhile, Princess Ann Marcos of Millennial Bukid Girl uses her YouTube channel to showcase farms and fisheries around the country, and shares agribusiness tips for those interested in pursuing a career or business in agriculture and fishing. She currently has over 4,500 subscribers.

Princess also actively utilizes her platform to collaborate with brands and partners to provide aid to local farmers and fishermen. Among her projects included providing fishermen with footwear and putting up a community pantry w i t h produce sourced from local farmers.

For Red, Ben, and Princess, having access to platforms like YouTube helps them create an encouraging community for those in agriculture and inspire thousands of young Filipinos to have a heightened appreciation for local farming as a sustainable and rewarding lifestyle.

RUBEN BAGUIO of ‘Gayyem Ben’

As Leachon and her team focused on navigating the challenges brought by the pandemic, they considered how they could better leverage both their loyal customer base and technology.

T

ONETTE Leachon had no plans to run her own business. But in 2017, tired of working in a corporate setting and wanted a change in pace, she opened a small meat shop in a vacant spot at Farmers Market.

She never ran a business before then.

The first-time business owner handed out fliers, gave out samples, made cold calls to restaurants, groceries, and hotels, and established a presence on social media in the hopes of enticing customers.

With hard work and passion, she was soon able to reap the benefits. Les Aunor’s Meat Shop has become the go-to for all things meat, with a loyal customer base consisting of restaurants, groceries, and homemakers.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, like many other businesses, Les Aunor soon felt the effects.

Leachon shares how, one by one, her clients from different malls and restaurants slowly stopped placing orders as the pandemic took hold. Les Aunor’s Meat Shop’s workforce was also cut in half as staff members faced difficulties with public transportation.

As Leachon and her team focused on navigating the challenges brought by the pandemic, they considered how they could better leverage both their loyal customer base and technology. Luckily for the meat shop owner, she had onboarded the business with GrabExpress in January 2020. She had also joined its membership program for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Madiskarteng Boss Club (MBC).

MBC is a rewards and loyalty program under GrabExpress, giving social sellers access to a wide range of perks, such as cashback, discounts on delivery fees, weekly rebates, and loans. Under the program, social sellers and local entrepreneurs are guaranteed to be supported by Grab, and are promised seamless delivery experiences.

“We saw that there was a lot of benefits such as special codes and discounts for merchants’ bookings, that’s why we

joined. After onboarding, I had an easier time managing my personal bookings and bookings for my customers,” she relates.

She adds that the app’s offers and features allow her to talk easily with Grab’s fleet of delivery riders for easier deliveries for their customers.

Thanks to customers who helped with referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations, and with GrabExpress supporting daily deliveries, Les Aunor was soon back on track.

“GrabExpress allowed me to give my customers lower delivery fees [thanks to the special vouchers from Madiskarteng Boss Club]. We also get cashback [from our orders],” Leachon shares. She adds that the platform’s Multi-Stop booking feature allows the business to deliver to multiple customers easily, lightening the burden and expenses for the shop, and enabling them to easily manage multiple orders.

Looking for more growth opportunities, Les Aunor also joined GrabMart in April, leading to dramatic growth in orders.

“When we entered GrabMart, we got noticed [by more consumers],” Leachon says, adding that their usual shop customers have also since taken to ordering their products from GrabMart, allowing them to retain their original audience while continuously expanding their customer base. The meat shop’s orders grew significantly after just a few months on the platform.

At present, 40 percent of the business’ total sales now come

Les Aunor’s Meat Shop’s kiosk at a fair.

from GrabMart alone.

Today, Les Aunor’s Meat Shop operates through its physical stall and its Facebook shop. Leachon is optimistic and enthusiastic about her business’ continuous expansion.

“If given the opportunity and resources, I would really love for us to have more branches,” she says.

Limited edition BT21 x Sunsilk packs

MORE MERCH FOR ARMY:

BT21 pouches in shampoo packs

Pouches featuring the LINE Friends Characters created by BTS and ARMY.

A LIMITED edition shampoo pack featuring BT21 characters will be available beginning Monday.

The BT21 x Sunsilk packs will be up for grabs on Shopee on July 12 and Lazada on July 14. Each BT21-branded box includes two 350ml Sunsilk bottles and a cute limited edition official BT21 pouch featuring BT21 characters.

The LINE Friends characters were created by the boys and their fans: Tata (V), Mang (j-hope), Chimmy (Jimin), RJ (Jin), Koya (RM), Cooky (Jung Kook), Shooky (SUGA), and Van (ARMY) The handy pouches can be used as a makeup kit, pencil case, or purse for everyday essentials.

“We wanted to give BT21 fans another thing to be excited about and something new to add to their merch collection. These limited edition Sunsilk packs in collaboration with BT21 is something they’ll surely want to get their hands on,” shares Isab Galang, assistant brand manager of Total Shampoo.

JULY 11, 2021 British rock band Coldplay delights Filipino fans with its performance of ‘Higher Power’ on ‘ASAP’ stage.

Coldplay hits ‘ASAP Natin ‘to’ stage n By AREEYA TATJANA HO BRITISH rock band Coldplay is performing its latest single “Higher Power” in ASAP Natin ‘To today.

In a 15-second video posted on ASAP Natin ‘To social media accounts, Coldplay’s vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland invite Filipino fans to watch their set in the musical variety show.

“Hi, I’m Chris and this is Jonny, saying hello to everyone listening in the Philippines,” said Chris.

Jonny invited fans to tune in to watch them perform their latest single “Higher Power,” released last May 7.

On Wednesday, Coldplay once again invited to catch their set with a Facebook post saying “please watch out for it - it’s a special one!”

“Higher Power” is from the band’s upcoming ninth studio album. It’s written

by Coldplay themselves and produced

by Max Martin.

Coldplay -- composed of Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion -- was formed in 1996 and is popular for the hit tracks “The Scientist,” “Yellow,” and “Fix You.” The band last visited the country in 2017 for the concert A Head Full of Dreams held at the Mall of Asia Arena.

marks another career milestone ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Star Stephanie Beatriz joins Disney’s ‘Encanto,’ lending her voice to the character of the film named Maribel.

n By NICKIE WANG

‘B99’ star Stephanie Beatriz leads Disney’s ‘Encanto’

IF NOT because of the pandemic, actress Shaira Diaz would have been juggling numerous projects. In fact, while in a lock-in taping for Lolong, opposite actor Ruru Madrid, her team is also working on a cameo for an independent film to be exhibited internationally.

n By AMIRA DANICA PASION

“We’re still working on it. I do hope that this project pushes through because right now we can’t commit to numerous projects due to some protocols and restrictions.

Unlike before, we can accept numerous projects, now we can only focus on one project

ARGENTINE-AMERICAN actress Stephanie Beatriz returns to the big screen as she lends her voice to the main character in the upcoming Disney feature, Encanto.

The actress, known for her character Rosa Diaz in the 2013 sitcom Brooklyn 99, will give life to Mirabel, a member of the Latino clan known as the Madrigals.

Encanto revolves around the story of a family whose members possess extraordinary magical powers. Yet, Maribel is born with no special ability, which makes her a normal being and an exception to the family. “[A] wish my heart made as soon as it knew what dreams and wishes were,” the actress wrote in her Instagram post noting her excitement for the movie.

In addition, the actress expressed her admiration for the movie and she can’t wait for the audience to meet her character Mirabel.

It is not the first time that Stephanie participated in a Disney animated project but “Encanto” was her first Disney film wherein she will be the main character.

The actress has lent her voice to Ixlan, a character in the series Elena of Avalor, and to Gosalyn Mallard in the 2017 program Ducktales.

Encanto is the second animated movie produced by Disney Animated Canon to showcase a foreign title. The movie’s name was derived from a Spanish word that means charm, spell, and enchantment.

The film, initially planned in the first quarter of 2020, was produced by the team involved in award-winning Disney movies such as Zootopia and Moana.

The official movie poster and teaser trailer were released on June 8 and will premiere on Nov. 24.

at a time since the taping is lock-in,” Shaira said.

Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Shaira expressed her being grateful to GMA Network for renewing her contract as an artist and for continuously giving her important projects.

“While we’re still in the middle of uncertainties, I feel fortunate that GMA renewed my contract. It really means a lot to me knowing that I’d be working with my network for many more years. I’m just grateful,” Shaira enthused.

The 26-year-old actress first did a project in GMA in 2016 (Trops) but officially became a Kapuso in 2018 when she signed up with GMA Artist Center.

“I feel that GMA is entrusting me with projects, as long as they are giving me projects, I’d just go for it. Though I love what I’m doing, I’m currently studying so that, when the time comes that I will no longer be acting, I would have something to make myself busy in a very productive way. And I think it’s a good idea to pursue my studies,” Shaira, who is celebrating her fourth year in GMA, shared.

This year alone, Shaira had been a part of two programs: I Can See You: On My Way To You (GMA) and The Lost Recipe (GTV).

And she

could only thank her mother studio enough for believing in her talent.

At the moment, Shaira is in a lock-in taping for Lolong, an action series considered as one of the biggest projects of GMA this 2021.

“Lolong is one of the highlights of my career, and knowing that this project is really big, it really makes me feel proud,” she said.

On working with Ruru, Shaira had nothing but good words for her co-actor whom she had shared the screen with in I Can See You anthology.

“Ruru is such a gentleman. And for some reason, we didn’t go through any adjustment period. We just instantly clicked,” she stated.

Renewing her contract with GMA, Shaira looks forward to working on more projects including films. And with Bea Alonzo joining GMA, she can now freely say that she’s her biggest idol.

“Even before I was still starting out and we are being asked about who our idol is, I always told that is Bea Alonzo. And now that she’s here, it would be a great honor to work with her and maybe with John Lloyd Cruz, too,” she ended.

Jake Zyrus reveals personal struggles as Charice n By MHERYLL L. ALFORTE

SINGER JAKE ZYRUS, formerly known as Charice, admits to going through struggles of hiding his true identity that led to the deterioration of his mental health.

IN A SIT-DOWN interview with Toni Gonzaga, singer Jake Zyrus revealed his personal struggles and the “bad place” he endured as Charice, leading to his attempt to take his own life three times.

In a YouTube segment of Tonitalks, Jake Zyrus shared how the struggles of hiding his true identity under the guise of Charice led to the deterioration of his mental health.

“It came to the worst≠… my mental

health. I tried to kill myself three times. I was 19 years old at that time,” the singer starts.

Formerly known as the international singing sensation Charice Pempengco, Jake Zyrus admitted that his rose to international popularity, also disproportionately became one of life pains.

“I did not want to sound ungrateful. I don’t want people to feel, ‘grabe naman,. ayun na nga nasayo na ang lahat’,” Jake said alluding to the social pressure he felt as a public personality.

“Nasa isip ko that if I come out, it’s

(my career) over. Nasa isip ko that time is other people. I didn’t want to disappoint them,” he added.

In his first two attempts, the 29-yearold singer recalled waking up at the hospital and feeling upset. And in his last suicidal attempt, Zyrus remembered waking up with Canadian music producer David Foster beside him. He revealed that Foster was actually the first few people to know about his sexual orientation.

“He was one of the first few people to know that I was having a hard time,” Jake said.

There was a show during that night where Zyrus was a guest and Foster offered him a small gesture by saying: “You don’t have to wear a dress (to perform).”

“That was the first time they let me wear something like that. It was a big deal for me. I remember just being comfortable,” the singer said adding that it was the moment when he felt to start feeling being free.

Early this May, Jake Zyrus released a new single titled “Fix Me,” which tackles “about having someone in your life that you think could fix everything.”

Mr. Gray

Mr. Gray likes curl up and collect zzz’s on the big potted plant just next to the air con unit.

From villain stray to beloved pet Mr. Gray likes to hang out and chill on top of the aircon unit right outside my father’s home office.

JULY 11, 2021 n Editor: DESIREE CARLOS

email: daycarlos28@yahoo.com

n By Dr. CELESTE LEIDEN G. GRUEZO On May 25, 2021 (on the 46th Wedding Anniversary of my parents), I was finally able to put a giant bell collar on Mr. Gray, making him officially my pet

Green beans:

the healthy treat for dogs

G

STARLA loves to laze around the garden, just feeling the grass under her body. To ensure she does not gain excess weight, we have lessened her intake of manufactured treats.

She is given vegetables for treats these days.

Starla was a stray dog who begged for food in a subdivision in Quezon City before she was rescued by Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL Inc.), an animal welfare group.

IVING too much manufactured treats to dogs is not good for our pet’s health, we have been told many times.

diets,” Burke said.

We look for healthier alternatives to treats we usually get from pet stores

By DESIREE CARLOS Green beans and losbecause for many of us, ing weight giving treats is an important part of our Burke stressed that most owners do daily interaction with our dogs. not realize their pet is overweight. This Green beans may be the low-calorie oversight is bad for our dogs, she said. substitute we have been looking for, “Obesity leads to a long list of health said Anna Burke, in “Can Dogs Have problems, including Type 2 diabetes, Green Beans?” in the American Kennel osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, Club website. orthopedic problems, heart disease, kidney disease, and some cancers. To make things worse, carrying those extra Are green beans safe? pounds around can decrease your dog’s Green beans are safe for dogs as long life expectancy up to 2 years. Since we as they are plain when given to dogs, get so little time with our dogs to begin said Burke. with, losing 2 years is a big deal,” “Chopped, BURKE LISTED GREEN Burke said. steamed, raw, BEAN HAZARDS TO AVOID It is important that our obese or canned — all Canned beans with dogs lose weight. types of green added salt “Giving green beans as a treat in beans are safe Green beans cooked place of conventional biscuits can for dogs to eat, with oils and spices help your dog lose weight, as long as long as they Green beans cooked as you are also taking action to are plain. Green with harmful vegetables, increase his exercise and moderbeans themselves such as garlic and ate his regular diet. Feeding green are not only safe onions beans will not help your dog lose for dogs, vetFeeding large, whole weight if he is not getting enough erinarians also green beans to dogs, exercise and is consuming inapprorecommend them which can be a choking priate calories for his age, breed, as a healthy treat. hazard and lifestyle,” said Burke.

Best of all, dogs seem to love them,” Burke The Green Bean Diet said.

This must be done with the superviBut adding other ingredients to beans sion and recommendation of a vet. is less healthy and even dangerous, “This diet plan gradually substitutes warned Burke. green beans in place of a percentage of a dog’s food. For example, an owner starts out by supplementAre green beans healthy? ing 10 percent of the volume of Yes, green beans are healthy as they her dog’s regular meal with green are full of important vitamins and minbeans, and increases the percenterals. These are protein, iron, calcium, age over time up to 50 percent, and vitamins B6, A, C, and K. This until the dog reaches its target vegetable is also full of fiber and low in weight. Then the owner gradually calories, which can help make dogs and reintroduces the regular food back humans feel full when they are dieting. into the dog’s diet,” Burke explained.

“Your dog does not necessarily need The dog may have an underlying these extra nutrients, if he is already medical condition that a vet has to eating a complete and balanced comaddress before going through any mercial diet, but it is nice to know that kind of diet plan. green beans offer a nutritional alterna“To begin with, dogs that gain tive to dog biscuits — and can make us weight suddenly or have difficulty feel less guilty about cutting out unhealthy treats and scraps from our dogs’ losing weight despite exercise and diet

restrictions could have a serious health condition, such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease,” said Burke.

You need your vet’s guidance to ensure there is no nutritional imbalance and deficiencies in your dog’s diet. Consult your vet for the best dog food and wellness plan for your dog.

Green beans as a healthy treat

Green beans can not be a major source of vitamins and nutrition. But it is the perfect, healthy treat, said Burke.

“If, however, you are just looking for a healthy, low-calorie treat to feed Fido, green beans are an excellent option.

As with any treat, try not to exceed 10 percent of your dog’s daily diet, POPOY is gaining and watch for weight so he is any signs of encouraged to roam stommore in the garden, with ach a caretaker playing with uphim so that he will move set or more. Just like Starla, allergic he gets boiled veggies reactions,” for treats most times.

Burke said.

A vegetable is not only

a healthy treat but it is also less expensive.

Popoy was rescued by Save ALL Inc. when he was 10- days old and about to be brought to the pound to be killed or euthanized.

Healthy pregnant dogs = healthy pups

Bela was pregnant when caught and kept in a filthy cage in a subdivision holding facility in Quezon City. A few days after Save ALL Inc. rescued her, she gave birth to four pups. One of the pups died due to Bela’s lack of nutrition during pregnancy. Bela and her co-prisoner dogs were not fed in the “pound.”

Please provide the best food when your dog is pregnant. But if you know you can not afford to have more dogs, please have your female dog spayed, and your male dog neutered. The city vet or provincial vet in your area usually has schedules or dates for spaying and neutering and this service is for free.

TO HAVE a healthy litter of puppies, there should be no shortcuts. One must ensure the overall health of their mother, even before she gets pregnant.

Pregnancy is such a physically demanding period and expectant dogs with sub-optimal nutrition and poor physical condition can experience numerous complications.

Dr. Gen Maala Castro, who runs Consult A Vet Animal Medical Clinic, shared that she has had many cases of stillbirths, puppies with cleft palates, or pups gradually fading and dying within the first two weeks of life, and dams with depleted mammary glands, unable to produce milk to keep their young alive.

Immediate attention on nutrition

As soon as fur parents notice that their dog is pregnant, Dr. Castro said immediate steps should be taken to keep the dog healthy, starting with a change in diet.

“In the first trimester, it is very crucial for the dam to have a proper diet,” she advised. “Puppies turn out healthy because the mother during

pregnancy was able to get the right dog food.”

Supplements, she said, are not enough, as she has experienced having puppies with cleft palates, which can be traced to nutritional deficiencies. “Giving ordinary adult dog food is also different from DHA, Vitamin E, and Omega Fatty Acids are giving a proper diet that is nutrients a pregnant dog needs to ensure their high in protein with DHA,” she pups will come out healthy. said.

“Rather than making unsure conAs with humans, DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is one of the key coctions and feeding table food or nutrients for the brain development raw food to your pets, I go for the of a growing puppy. Other essentials practical choice,” she explained. are omega 3 and calcium phospho- “IAMS has been studied and tested, rus for bone development, vitamin B so if you want healthy pets and pupcomplex for the nervous system, and pies, just go for the dog food that is complete and backed up by studies.” probiotics for a healthy gut.

In her clinic, Dr. Castro also focuses on giving folic acid, a supplement Healthy inside and out for the pregnant dam to decrease her It is also important for a dog ownoffspring’s chances of developing er to ensure their dogs are free from cleft palate. parasites.

Dr. Castro said one healthy dog Dr. Castro said dogs must be defood is IAMS which contains all these wormed, given anti-tick and flea preessential nutrients. She said IAMS is ventive (ask the vet how to use this), specifically formulated to provide the and vaccinated to strengthen the imoptimum diet for pregnant and nurs- mune system and for mama dogs “to ing dogs and for growing puppies. develop strong maternal antibodies

YEAH sex is cool but have you ever earned the trust of a cat ?

Mr. Gray is a stray that magically appeared in our yard (as strays are wont to do since time immemorial). He appeared ala Scar and always had catfights with our resident cat Tiger boi scratchy cat (the Simba of this story).

Mr. Gray walked around our yard like he came here first and owned every inch of the land. Even if the yard was big enough for him and Tiger, the two Feof them would always engage in a Fe unline Fight Club. All hiss and claws un til Tiger suffered from an inflamed left eye that alarmed me of a future spent in the dark if Tiger becomes blind if I don’t put a stop to all the aggression between him and Mr. Gray.

I decided to buy a cage with him in mind, to put Mr. Gray in the cage (he is the sampid cat in this story after all) and my cat Tiger is the one suffering from the fights. I tried to catch Mr. Gray. He had a penchant for lying on fatop of the aircon unit outside my fa ther’s home office and curling up on the big potted plant near it. I set the cage/trap up, putting a tasty morsel of fried fish as bait inside the cage. But Mr. Gray was a wise cat, as he sensed my evil plans towards trapping him.

Instead of falling for my trap (get the fish by directly going inside the cage), Mr. Gray cunningly goes to the side of the cage and stretches his long limb to successfully claw at the fish. He outwits me by getting the fish and his actions prevents me from being able to trap him. I tried and tried until the day came when I gave up and opted to put Tiger inside the cage instead = no more Feline Fight Club. It’s literally a bright future for Tiger as this prevents him from becoming totally blind and lets him keep his vision with his pretty cat eyes.

Okay, problem solved with a Plan B. My next ulterior motive was to make Mr. Gray trust me enough so I can put a giant bell collar on him. Tough since Day 1 he had made it clear to me that I am his slave and I only exist to feed him. No touching him or making a pet out of him. He is Scar after all, and a collar would ruin his tough villain image. He only allowed me to feed him and take pictures of him lying on top of the aircon unit or curled up on the big potted plant. My sometimes sneaky and poorly calculated attempts at trying to pet him was always met with a quick paw clawing at me and a glare that says “Stop it hooman! I’m not interested to be your pet !”

But in recent days, during mornings when I am set to feed my cats (two lady cats Snowbelle and Melon in a cage) and Tiger (in a cage no thanks to Mr. Gray)... Mr. Gray would silently walk up to me and rub against my leg. At first, I was afraid he was planning to bite and scratch me. But no, he was just rubbing against me. I took this as a sign that he wanted me to be more snappy in feeding him, so I always gave him his food first before my other three cats (see how bossy he is for a stray cat). Many days of this ritual of ours (Mr. Gray rubbing against my leg ...as if telling me to feed him first, which I did ... hooman slave that I am to him). Until, one time, I thought of maybe trying my luck to touch and pet him. Miracle of miracles! He let me touch his neck and rub him behind the ears!

After some more days of this, I decided to try my luck if he would let me put a collar on him. What I thought would be a procedure full of hissing and clawing actually turned out pretty benign. After a second attempt, I was easily able to put a giant bell collar on him. So what happened? Did Mr. Gray suddenly wake up one day and decided he wanted to become my pet? Did I put something in his food that miraculously made him all tame and maamo (and dare I say submissive) towards me? Who cares? (I do). But for now, I am reveling in the fact that Mr. Gray allowed me to put a collar on him and gave me the honor of becoming my pet. that they can pass on to their offspring.”

She shared there was a case of a mama dog who became anemic because she was infested with parasites. The mama dog had heavy bleeding which led to the abortion of the babies.

She also warned that dogs with atopic dermatitis, a condition that makes their skin red and itchy, usually give birth to pups with the same condition. It is best to have the said dogs spayed to prevent pregnancy.

Pet owners must look out for signs of pregnancy in dogs so that proper care can be given immediately. These are vomiting, engorgement of the breasts and tummy, and increase in appetite.

“It’s easier nowadays because we have foods commercially available that you just have to choose from according to the size, breed and type, and just follow the proper serving guidelines,” she said.