Manila Standard - 2021 July 16 - Friday

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MISS WORLD BETS. Janelle Lewis stands out among

the favorite contenders for the coveted Miss World Philippines 2021 crown during a press presentation at the Okada Hotel on Thursday, July 15 2021. She is among the 45 who will vie for not only the prestigious tiara but also for other titles at stake: Miss Supranatural Philippines, Miss Eco Philippines, Reina Hispanoamericana, Miss Tourism Philippines, Miss Environment Philippines, and Miss Eco Teen Philippines. The coronation night will be held on July 25, 2021, at 10:30 pm. Danny Pata

APEC EMERGENCY VIRUS MEET TODAY WORLD / B2

PH travel ban vs. Malaysia, Thailand eyed

By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo and Julito G. Rada THE Department of Health (DOH) is considering a ban on travelers from Malaysia and Thailand because of the threat of the more transmissible Delta variant, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

“We are looking at Malaysia. We are also looking at Thailand where there seems to be an uncontrollable increase in Delta variant cases. Those are what we are monitoring,” Duque said in Filipino during a briefing Thursday.

The Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health is studying that and may make a recommendation for Next page

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GCQ curbs lifted in MM

Duterte places Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal also under regular GCQ

By Willie Casas and Joel E. Zurbano

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has placed Metro Manila under regular general community quarantine (GCQ) from today (Friday) until the end of the month, lifting the additional restrictions that were previously put in place to stem the spread of COVID-19 cases.

The decision came after the Inter- ment of Emerging Infectious Diseases Agency Task Force for the Manage- (IATF) recommended the further eas-

ing of restrictions, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Metro Manila mayors have also unanimously decided to allow children aged 5 and above to visit outdoor areas of shopping malls with their parents or guardians, Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte said.

Rizal and Bulacan, which were also put under GCQ “with some restrictions,” will also be under a more relaxed GCQ

Pfizer doses down the drain in Alabang

beginning today (July 16) Roque said.

Puerto Princesa City, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands, which were under the more restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from July 1 to 15, will also be put under GCQ. The GCQ status will also be implemented in Baguio City, Apayao, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Next page

NEW EXPRESSWAY. President Rodrigo Duterte and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar unveil the marker of the 18-kilometer Central Luzon Link Expressway from the Tarlac Interchange to Aliaga in Nueva Ecija on Thursday, July 15 2021. An infra project under the Build, Build, Build scheme, CLLEx is seen to cut travel time from Metro Manila to Cabanatuan City and throughout Central Luzon.

By Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz SEVERAL Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines – the quantity not disclosed – will go to waste after the storage facility in a major vaccination site in Alabang, Muntinlupa encountered issues, local government officials said Thursday.

The vaccination activities in Festival Mall will be temporarily suspended while they are fixing the storage facility, Muntinlupa City said in a statement. The vaccines stored in the facility will not be used to ensure safety and efficacy, it said.

In its statement in Tagalog, the local government unit said: “Based on our initial investigation, there was a change in the temperature, which may

THE UN warned Thursday that a “perfect storm” was brewing, with a raging pandemic disrupting access to routine vaccinations, leaving millions of children at risk from measles and other deadly diseases.

A full 23 million children missed out on basic childhood vaccines last year, as routine health services were hit worldwide by restrictions aimed at controlling COVID-19 and many parents shunned the clinics that were open for fear of exposure to the virus.

It marks the highest number in over a decade and 3.7 million more than in 2019, according to data published Thursday by the World Health Organization and the UN’s children’s agency UNICEF. Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 15)

1,490,665

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TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,221 45,495

US firm, lawmakers insist on probe into dumping of waste

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

‘Perfect storm’ brewing more woes—UN

the government to validate its findings, even as lawmakers called for a congressional investigation into the reports.

“My message to the government of A US company whose satellite images show Chinese ships dumping waste in the the Philippines is: verify our findings, West Philippine Sea on Thursday urged do your best to verify the findings,” said

Simularity founder and CEO Liz Derr.

“We’ve done this from space because that’s really all anybody can do right now because the area is really militarized but I wholeheartedly encourage the government to vali-

‘Poster boy’ of vax rollout

Eid’l Adha: July 20 holiday

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is set to appear in a new infomercial to encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Malacañang said Thursday.

“We will not stop. On Monday, we will take videos of the Presi-

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has declared Tuesday, July 20, a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Adha or the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, according to a document that Malacañang released on Thursday.

Eid’l Adha, “one of the two great

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date our findings, question our findings, understand the science and see for themselves,” she said at a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

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NEW

ACTIVE

26,314

82

1,418,856

4,147

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

10 Navymen cleared in officer’s slay

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeals’ decision that sustained the 2011 order of the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing from the service for grave misconduct 10 Navy officers charged in 1995 for the death of Ensign Philip Andrew Pestaño.

In a resolution, the SC’s First Division cleared Capt. Ricardo Ordoñez, Cdr. Rey-

naldo Lopez, Cdr. Alfrederick Alba, Lt. Cdr. Luidegar Casis, Lt. Cdr. Joselito Colico, Machinery Repairman 2nd Class Sandy Miranda, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Welmenio Aquino, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Mil Leonor Y. Igacasan of administrative liability.

Apart from the eight navy officers, the SC also overturned the CA’s 2013 decision upholding the Ombudsman’s dismissal order Next page

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Peaceful end to sea row sought G

EOPOLITICAL experts, including former foreign ministers, from the United States, Australia, India, and Japan called for a peaceful approach and compliance to international law to avoid military confrontation amidst the growing tensions in the South China Sea.

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In a separate Palace briefing, DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Alethea De Guzman said Malaysia logged a record-high 11,618 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, with the Delta variant present in each of its states.

She said the variant has spread to at least 98 countries since it was first identified in December 2020.

De Guzman emphasized that two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine remain effective against the Delta variant.

The IATF earlier included Indonesia in the list of countries covered by a temporary travel ban.

The ban on travelers from Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Oman will be in effect until July 31.

The Philippines has only detected 19 Delta variant cases as of July 4.

All of the cases are returning overseas Filipinos.

Meanwhile, the Palace said the travel restrictions on Indonesia did not come too late because the entry of travelers has since been limited.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said only 724 travelers, mostly returning overseas Filipinos, have arrived from Indonesia since April. All of them underwent strict 10-day facility-based quarantine upon arrival, Roque added.

A Filipino community leader in Indonesia said the travel ban was a big problem for Filipinos working there, particularly for those whose contracts were ending.

Interviewed on Balitanghali on Thursday, Norwin Castro said homebound Filipino workers face displacement, unable to go home and needing to renew their visas and finding accommodations because their contracts had ended.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte imposed the ban because Indonesia is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, driven by the more transmissible Delta variant.

difficult challenge at the moment. It has become more challenging since China has adopted a more assertive stance particularly in foreign policy.”

“It remains vital for the P5 including China to support the rules-based international order as it remains our best hope of avoiding a repeat of the tragic global wars of past eras.”

“Australia, like the Philippines, is a military ally of the United States. And the US cause remains the pre-eminent military power globally. Thus, we have the responsibility to maintain capability to ensure that we can meet any treaty obligations in hope of course that no conflict breaks out between nationstates,” Bishop added.

Former Foreign Secretary of India Lalit Mansingh, for his part, said, “The

Indo-Pacific region is facing a challenge from an aggressive and hegemonic China. A country that questions the very idea of the international order based on respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, the rule of law, and freedom of access to global economies.”

“I believe that while ASEAN’s rule will be indispensable for reaching the security challenges of the region, it can no longer be seen as the security provider. ASEAN therefore needs to look at initiatives like the ‘Quad’ with an open mind. The Quad which shares its values system with ASEAN will certainly welcome ASEAN dialogues on even limited issue-based cooperation with leading powers like Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines,” Mansingh said.

resolution urging all local government units in the NCR to create ordinances in accordance with the latest policy allowing minors to go outdoors, without compromising the health and well-being of the children and other people.

The MMC, the governing board and the policy-making body of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, is composed of the 17 mayors in Metro Manila.

The Council resolution stated that LGUs must issue executive orders and/or enact ordinances setting forth the following: - Listing and identifying allowable outdoor areas or parks, which areas shall be made known to the public through publication by the LGUs of Metro Manila and by MMDA; - Defining “parks” so as to pertain to al fresco or to those areas which are without roofs even though they are beside an establishment or outside of malls so long as the air is free-flowing; - Imposing a 50 percent limit in the venue capacity to avoid overcrowding; - Providing for the deployment of marshals in privately-owned outdoor areas or parks to ensure compliance with the minimum public health standards and protocols; - Minors must be accompanied by adults; and - Other conditions which are reasonable under the circumstances as may be determined by the local government units of Metro Manila in order to ensure the promotion and protection of the welfare of the minors.

Abalos said it is important that guidelines and protocols are in place for outdoor places accessible to children aged 5 and above amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that another important factor to be considered is the capacity of the place because overcrowding in open spaces can lead to COVID-19 super spreader events.

The government, meanwhile, is aiming to have pilot sites for face-to-face classes for children, as kids would have the least risk of getting infected with COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Wednesday.

At an online forum, Vergeire said the plan has already been discussed with

child health experts, the Philippine Pediatric Society and the technical advisory group.

“The plan would be that we would start with the younger age group... because they would have the least risk of getting infected,” Vergeire said.

Vergeire said they have also discussed the plan with the IATF and are still awaiting its approval.

If they receive it, they will propose the idea to President Duterte for his approval.

COVID-19 response adviser and Health Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa Jr. said vaccination of teachers is dependent on the supply.

Advocacy groups have called for the resumption of face-to-face classes in areas where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is low.

Philippine Business for Education chairperson Ramon del Rosario Jr. said they believe a safe reopening of schools is achievable.

Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte rejected the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to hold limited face-to-face classes.

The President said he did not want to “gamble on the health of the children” as he underscored the importance of vaccination.

Duterte also apologized to the parents for his decision, but noted the risk of the Delta variant.

The health crisis has forced the country to shift to distance learning, which includes the use of modules and supplemented by broadcast and online classes.

The Philippines logged 5,221 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,490,665.

There were 82 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 26,314.

The DOH also reported 4,147 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 1,418,856.

There were 45,495 active cases, of which 91.4 percent were mild, 2.1 percent were asymptomatic, 1.7 percent were critical, 2.8 percent were severe, and 1.96 percent were moderate.

Nationwide, 56 percent of the ICU beds, 46 percent of the isolation beds, 42 percent of the ward beds, and 39 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

dent as the biggest endorser for the new infomercial that will be produced by the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson,” Sec. Harry Roque said.

Roque, however, did not mention the possible date of the release of the infomercial.

Duterte’s expected appearance in the latest infomercial came after he completed his COVID-19 vaccination.

Duterte was inoculated with his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine developed

by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm on May 3. He received the second jab on July 12, or exactly 70 days after his first shot.

In June, Duterte also appeared in a nearly two-minute commercial, inviting Filipinos to get inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine to help the country beat the ongoing health crisis.

He said public participation was vital to the safe reopening of the Philip-

pine economy.

As of Wednesday, around 10,026,722 of the 14,074,514 individuals have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while the remaining 4,047,792 have been fully vaccinated, Roque said in the press briefing.

The Social Weather Stations, in its June 23 to 26 survey, found that around 45 percent of Filipinos are now willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Roque said the Palace is elated by the SWS poll results.

And the sharp decline in routine vaccinations comes as many countries have begun loosening restrictions even as the pandemic is far from over.

This has the potential of not only driving up COVID transmission, but also of allowing otherwise vaccine-pre-

ventable diseases to begin spreading.

That is because the restrictions in many countries have until now also provided a buffer protecting unvaccinated children against exposure to childhood diseases.

“In 2021, we have potentially a perfect storm about to happen,” Kate O’Brien, head of the WHO’s vaccines and immunization department, told reporters.

She warned there was now “an accumulation of children who are not

immune because they haven’t received vaccines, and more and more transmission because of too early release of public health and social measures.”

“This is the sort of perfect storm we’re ringing the alarm bell about right now,” O’Brien said, stressing WHO’s “high concern about these very outbreak prone diseases.”

“We need to act now in order to protect these children.”

The data published Thursday revealed that rising numbers of children across all regions missed first vital vaccine doses last year while millions more missed later vaccines.

Compared with 2019, at least 3.5 million more children missed their first doses of the three-dose diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP) while three million more children missed their first measles dose, the data showed. AFP

Lawmakers, meanwhile, sought a congressional inquiry into the supposed dumping of human waste and sewage

by Chinese vessels in some parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In House Resolution 1961, the Makabayan Bloc led by Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela asked the House committee on aquaculture and fisheries and committee on foreign affairs to conduct a probe into the matter even as the group denounced such an action.

They said the dumping of human waste and sewage destroys the reefs and marine life in that part of the country’s territory.

“This destruction could lead to a decrease in food supply, which may result in global hunger as the West Philippine Sea is a source of food for migratory fish,” they said.

Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva of Cibac party-list group denounced a Chinese statement that the 2016 Hague ruling that upheld the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea as only a piece of “waste of paper.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made that remark at a press briefing on the 5th anniversary of the Hague ruling that declared that China’s nine-dash-line claim has no historic or legal basis and that China has no right to claim the disputed WPS. Senator Francis Pangilinan on Thursday asked the committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform to probe the plight of Filipino fishermen who were unable to fish in the WPS. In his resolution, Pangilinan noted that “the protection of the rights and livelihood of our fisherfolk, especially subsistence fishers, and ensuring food security are urgent tasks.”

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feasts of Islam,” will be a regular holiday throughout the country, subject to existing community quarantine and social distancing measures.

The Muslim festival is traditionally celebrated with a pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest city Mecca, by doing acts of charity, and by having a feast.

Eid’l Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, is the other great feast of Islam.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos estimates that Muslims make up around 10 percent of the country’s 110 million population.

against Lt. Cdr. Ruben Roque and Petty Officer 1st Class Carlito Amoroso.

But Roque and Amoroso were not among those who filed the SC petition that challenged the CA’s 2013 decision.

The SC ruling, which was promulgated last May 14 and released only last July 12, stressed that “a finding of guilt in an administrative case may be sustained for as long as it is supported by substantial evidence that the respondent has committed the acts charged.”

In the case of the 10 navy officers, “the Ombudsman failed to support its conclusion of administrative liability

with sufficient factual and legal basis,” the SC said.

“In view of the foregoing, the Nov. 22, 2011 Joint Order, as it relates to the administrative aspect of the complaint, must be struck down for being violative of petitioners’ right to due process,” the high court held.

Court records showed that BRP Bacolod City, a Navy cargo ship, left TawiTawi on Sept. 20, 1995, and after seven days made its last stop-over in Sangley Point in Cavite. On the same day, the ship departed for the Navy headquarters in Manila, its final destination.

Enroute to Manila from Sangley Point, Pestaño was found dead inside his cabin, lying on the bed with a single gunshot wound on his right temple.

The CA’s decision noted that investigations conducted by the Senate and the Armed Forces of the Philippines ruled out that Pestaño committed suicide, and that during the probe it was unearthed that Pestaño knew that the ship was carrying “undocumented lumber.”

Pestaño’s parents, spouses Felipe and Evelyn, filed cases before the Ombudsman against those involved in their claim that their son was killed.

In a resolution dated June 15, 2009, the Ombudsman dismissed the criminal and administrative charges against the 10 PN officers with a ruling that there was “no substantial evidence to show that [their] actions transgressed some established and definite rule of action or constitute unlawful behavior or gross

negligence.”

Pestaño’s parents filed a motion to reconsider the dismissal of the charges.

On Nov. 22, 2011, then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales reversed the 2009 resolution issued by then Deputy Overall Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro.

Morales, ruling that the circumstances negated the theory that Pestaño committed suicide and that foul play surrounded his death, ordered the filing of murder cases against the 10 Navy officers and dismissed them for grave misconduct.

The officers elevated the case to the CA, which affirmed the Ombudsman’s 2011 order. They subsequently filed a petition with the SC.

Stratbase Albert del Rosario (ADRi) President Prof. Dindo Manhit, in his statement during the recent virtual international conference marking the fifth anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling said, “The rising tensions in the West Philippines Sea have become more than just an issue of conflicting territorial claims.”

“The security challenges brought by China’s aggressive behavior in the region will seriously impact the future of the Philippines and other states in the

Indo-Pacific.”

He added: “On the fifth anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling, the Philippines should be reminded of its commitment to the preservation of a rulesbased international order, especially in conducting its affairs in the West Philippine Sea.” Former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said, “Like many nations, Australia has experienced good times and more difficult times in our relationship with China. We’re going through a

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affect the quality of the vaccines. We decided not to use the vaccines. It’s better to be safe.”

Vaccines are supposed to be stored at a specific temperature identified by the manufacturer to ensure its quality.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said the number of fully vaccinated individuals against COVID-19 in the Philippines had surpassed the four million mark.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said of the 10,026,722 who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a total 4,047,792 had received their second dose as of July 14, 2021.

On July 14 alone, Roque said 257,156 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered nationwide.

Since February, the National Task Force against COVID-19 said 20.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered.

In related developments, government’s third-party cold-chain and logistics partner Pharmaserv Express on Thursday delivered AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Negros Occidental.

Civil Defense - Western Visayas officials said the 6,260 vials of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived safely at the Bacolod-Silay Airport. They added that 4,080 vials went to Negros Occidental and 2,180 were shipped to Bacolod City.

Each vial of AstraZeneca vaccine contains 10 doses.

Negros Occidential ordered 3,500 AstraZeneca doses while Bacolod City is expected to get some 18,200 doses.

As of July 13, the region has recorded 61,548 people who recovered from the coronavirus disease; 10,857 active cases, and 1,712 deaths.

On Tuesday, Pharmaserv also delivered an additional 2,850 doses of Sputnik V vaccine to Cebu province.

According to Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist and Visayas Vaccination Operations Center spokesperson, 2,550 doses of the vaccines will be given as first and second doses to 1,275 eligible individuals from various parts of the province.

The remaining 300 doses will be allotted for 300 persons in Cebu City as second dose.

In Manila, Health officials welcomed the arrival of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The shipment of 250,800 doses of vaccine manufactured in the United

Quirino, Quezon, Batangas, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Cotabato City.

Roque said the “heightened restrictions” in Cavite will also be lifted beginning on July 16.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City and Iloilo province will stay under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until July 22, Roque said.

“There might be a possible change in the quarantine classification in Iloilo City and Iloilo if the numbers do not improve,” he said.

Roque said Cagayan de Oro City, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and Butuan City will also remain under MECQ from July 16 to 31.

Laguna will remain under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” until the end of July, Roque said.

Cagayan, Lucena City, Naga City, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, and Davao City, which were initially under MECQ, will also be under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” until July 31, Roque said.

Roque said the GCQ classification “with heightened restrictions” will also be imposed in Aklan, Bacolod City, Antique, and Capiz from July 16 to 22.

Aklan, Bacolod City, Antique, and Capiz were supposed to be under GCQ sans restrictions for the entire July.

Roque said the rest of the country will remain under the least restrictive modified GCQ (MGCQ).

Metro Manila mayors have agreed to comply with the government’s policy allowing children, ages 5 and above, to go outdoors while the National Capital Region is under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) or and general community quarantine (GCQ).

On Wednesday, members of the Metro Manila Council signed and issued a

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FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

193 drug offenders seek court deal

By Rio N. Araja

A

MORE DOSES.

T LEAST 193 minor drug offenders represented by the Public Attorney’s Office have asked the Supreme Court to allow them to plead guilty to lesser offenses through plea bargaining.

At a Zoom media briefing, PAO chief Persida Acosta said the “indigent” petitioners, who have spent years in city and municipal jails, have filed motions for intervention in the Edwin Reafor case, asking the High Court to reconsider its decision allowing prosecutors, not the judges, to approve plea bargaining in less serious drug cases.

“They are just first-time offenders whose cases are similarly situated to Reafor,” she told reporters.

“We have a databank at PAO that could identify notorious drug offenders. PAO is investigating the character of a person applying for plea bargaining,” she said.

The high court’s Second Division issued a seven-page decision nullifying an Aug. 24, 2018 order of the Naga City Regional Trial Court that granted the motion of drug suspect Edwin Reafor to plea bargain due to the opposition of the prosecution.

The Reafor decision is unconstitutional for violation of the clauses of equal protection and due process of the 1987 Constitution, independence of the judiciary and rule-making power of the Supreme Court, and supremacy of the Constitution, Acosta said.

Last May, PAO filed an omnibus motion with the Supreme Court to refer the matter to en banc for oral arguments and reconsideration.

It also filed similar omnibus motions for its clients Naci Borras and Edgar Majingcar, questioning the constitutionality of the decision of the court’s Second Division which was promulgated on Nov. 16, 2020.

Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Acosta expressed alarm over the further spread of the virus inside the country’s overcrowded jails.

“We should arrest and jail the masterminds, the drug traffickers and the syndicate members but not the first-time offenders of lesser crime,” she said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque welcomes the 250,800 doses of Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 at the NAIA Terminal 3 Bay 114 in Pasay City on Thursday, July 15, 2021. At least 194,400 doses will be for the use of the Philippine government while the 56,400 doses will go to the personnel of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Danny Pata

Isko Moreno’s SOCA: Infra investments leap 43% Foreign miner

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WHILE the country suffered an economic slump owing to the virus pandemic, Manila City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso yesterday noted that infrastructure investment in Manila reached P148 billion or a 43% increase from last year’s data.

In his third State of the City Address, Domagoso related that the number of new business applications increased to 4,829 from January 1 to June 25, 2021 compared to 2,933 of the same time period last year.

Manila has also collected 71.36% of its real property tax full year target for the

first half of 2021 alone.

The Over-all revenue collection in the city was pegged at P19,177,099,394 from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

Domagoso said this is equivalent to a 50.71% increase compared to last year’s despite the following factors: 20% reduction of Real Property Taxes on all classes of real properties; Decreased share from Internal Revenue Allotment; and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some said this was a fiscal miracle.

But I humbly replied no miracle- it’s possible, we’re can do it,” said Domagoso.

According to Domagoso, if the government can show people how their taxes were spent, he said they will pay their

10 fugitives from Japan kicked out

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration deported 10 Japanese fugitives wanted by authorities in Tokyo for involvement in a bigtime telecommunications fraud.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the deportees boarded a Japan Airlines flight to Narita which left the Ninoy Aquino Interntional Airport.

They were escorted on their flight by Japanese policemen who earlier arrived in Manila to fetch them, Morente said.

“All of them are now banned from reentering the Philippines as a result of their inclusion in our immigration blacklist of undesirable aliens,” the BI chief added.

Those deported were identified as Mishima Takumi, Tabata Ryota, Kawasaki Ryuto, Irabu Shioki, Onishi Shunsuke, Omata Kenta, Sato Takatoku, Hashizumi Ryushin, Mitani Ren and Oshita Nobuki.

They were expelled pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI board of commissioners issued against them on December 5, 2019, after they were arrested by BI operatives in Makati City.

Records show that deportees were among 34 Japanese nationals arrested on Nov. 13, 2019 by operatives from the BI fugitive search unit (FSU) inside a hotel in Makati City where they were caught in the act of engaging in voice Phishing and telephone fraud activities.

Japanese authorities alleged that those arrested were members of an organized crime syndicate that perpetrated a fraudulent scheme that victimized many unsuspecting Japanese citizens.

They allegedly defrauded their victims of roughly two billion yen, equivalent to about a billion pesos, causing significant damage to Japanese society.

They preyed on their victims, who were picked randomly, through voice phishing, which is the use of fraudulent phone calls to trick people into giving money or revealing personal information.

The scam perpetrator is usually someone pretending to represent a trusted institution, company, or government agency.

MANILA’S GAINS. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno delivers

his third State of the City Address on Thursday at the City Council Session Hall. The local chief executive summarized the city’s gains under his watch: “What we have done for [Manileños], in all modesty, we put vaccines in their arms, food on their table, roofs over their heads, money in their pockets, and computers on the hands of children.” Norman Cruz

taxes, and on time, He reiterated that the best way to promote tax obedience is to practice good governance.

He attributed the i surge to the probusiness policies and programs that the city government implemented amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the policies placed were the continuation of movement of cargo trucks in Port Area, the round-the-clock operation at Divisoria Night Market, and the free offer of COVID-19 testing for the private sector.

Continuous consultation with business groups and the launching of Manila Restaurant Week, he related were also part of the advocacy of the government in supporting local businesses.

“If businesses see an investment environment that is fair, they will bring their capital here; and we have demonstrated to them that profit with honor can be earned in Manila,” he added.

Meanwhile, Domagoso announced that three more housing projects will be built to continue to address the plight of informal settlers. They will be constructed in San Sebastian, San Lazaro, and Pedro Gil areas.

San Sebastian Residences, San Lazaro Residences, and Pedro Gil Residences will be a twenty-storey high building with 300 units each and health center based on the ground floor. San Lazaro Residences will also have its own public laboratory.

“If Singapore did it, Manila can do it. They will bring back the dignity of Manileno. There will be an opportunity for them,” Domagoso said.

“We will continue to pursue to give back the dignity to every family in the City of Manila,” he said.

The future housing projects is on top of the ongoing construction of city government’s flagship housing projects called Tondominium 1, Tondonminium 2, and Binondominium. All of which are now more than 50% complete.

Domagoso led the inauguration of the 42-square meters two-storey townhouse unit called BaseCommunity last July 5. The unit includes two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, one laundry area, one toilet and bath area.

gets 25-year new license

THE Philippines defended Thursday its decision to allow a foreign miner to restart operations at a controversial gold and copper project that has been blockaded by protesters over alleged environmental violations OceanaGold—which is listed in Australia and Canada—has been given a new 25-year license for the Didipio mine in the northern province of Nueva Vizcaya, the government said. The previous agreement expired in 2019.

Didipio had been one of the largest operating mines in the Philippines, where authorities are trying to revive the stagnant industry to boost state revenues and create jobs in a coronavirusdevastated economy.

“This decision recognises that we need to have more jobs for our fellow countrymen in the time of the pandemic,” Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque told reporters, vowing regulators will “ensure there is responsible mining”.

Duterte—who had previously threatened to shut down the mining sector completely—has faced growing criticism over his handling of the pandemic that has thrown millions out of work.

Earlier this year he lifted a ban on new mining projects that had been imposed by his predecessor, Benigno Aquino, following public backlash over a series of devastating accidents.

The Nueva Vizcaya government initiated a blockade around the Didipio mine in 2019 to prevent OceanaGold operating the site without a licence, disrupting maintenance work and sparking a still unresolved court battle.

Environmental group Kalikasan condemned the permit renewal and vowed to continue the blockade.

“Why should we retreat?” said Leon Dulce, national coordinator for Kalikasan, accusing the company of failing to restore the “damaged ecosystem” before the previous contract ended.

NCR’s number coding still on hold; Makati modifies traffic scheme

By Joel E. Zurbano THE number coding scheme remains suspended in the National Capital Region, except in Makati City where a modified scheme is being enforced.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority stood firm on its decision not to re-implement the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program,

saying traffic is still manageable even if the volume along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue is reaching the pre-pandemic level.

“If we implement the number coding scheme now, can our public transport accommodate passengers given the minimum health protocols such as social distancing needed to be implemented?,” MMDA chairman Benjamin

Abalos asked.

He cited the possibility that once the number coding is re-enforced, people might resort to carpooling and compromise their health and safety.

“Our cars are our personal bubble when we travel,” the MMDA chief said.

Abalos said there are still adjustments to the operations of public utility vehicles while Metro Manila is under a

stricter quarantine status.

The MMDA’s number coding system was devised to keep vehicles out of major thoroughfares on certain days based on the last digit of the license plate.

The agency suspended the policy since the government carried out a community quarantine in Metro Manila amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Caloocan fetes 1st batch of law grads THE graduation of the first batch of University of Caloocan City-College of Law graduates was held yesterday at the Bulwagang Katipunan, New City Hall.

Of the 34 students in the first batch who entered the UCC College of Law, six graduated after four years.

The six are Sheena Hazel R. Belen, Rofel DC. Bughao, Roberto G. Damian Jr., Krizia E. Pia, Amiel R. Secretary, and Michael F. Villalon.

Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan attended the 1st Commencement Rites of the UCC College of Law with City Administrator Engr. Oliver Hernandez, leadership and faculty members of the UCC College of Law led by University OIC-President Prof. Marilyn T. De Jesus and College of

Law Dean Roderick P. Vera and other guests.

Malapitan extended his heartfelt congratulations to the graduates who are the first product of UCC Law. “I salute the six graduates. Despite our current situation caused by the pandemic, you have persevered and worked hard to graduate in law,” said the mayor.

“In your upcoming Bar Exam, please do not disappoint our city. Always pray to our Lord, continue your review, with Caloocan pride, I am sure and confident that you will all pass,” he added.

Oca also promised that he will provide P1,000,000.00 as an incentive in case the graduates pass the upcoming Bar Exam.

ROAD OBSTRUCTION. Motorists slow down along Loreto Street, Sampaloc in

Manila City on Thursday July 15, 2021 as they pass a wall of softdrink crates on either side of the road. The city government of Manila has been relentless in clearing illegally parked vehicles and other road obstructions in the city but some of its denizens seem to ignore the campaign. Joey O. Razon

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PNP reviewing SC guidelines on body-worn cameras use

News

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

SHOTGUN IN SHOW.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Gullermo Eleazar inspects the DERYA BufferBolt System 12 Gauge Shotgun from DERYA Arms LTD. made in Turkey during the ARMSCOR 2021 Tactical Survival and Arms Expo held at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City on Thursday.

Manny Palmero

FDA to Zamora: Tell us who vax bootleggers are

By Willie Casas THE Food and Drug Administration on Thursday urged San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora to give information on his inoculation with “bootlegged” doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

“We hope he can point us to the supplier. I wrote to Congressman Zamora asking for information that will help us in our investigation,” FDA Director General Eric Domingo said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. Zamora had admitted he got two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine in December last year and recently received another two shots of the Pfizer vaccine as “boosters”, even before an emergency use authorization (EUA) was granted by the Philippine government.

The FDA only granted an EUA to Sinopharm vaccine in June this year.

“It’s possible these are fake, counterfeit or substandard, or not handled properly,” Domingo said.

“If the vaccines were only passed around then administered to you, there’s a really big chance that by the time the vaccine gets to you, it’s no longer effective even if it isn’t fake,” he said.

Domingo has warned that importers and distributors of unauthorized vaccines, as well as health workers who administer them, are criminally liable.

The Department of Health has also urged the public not to mix and match COVID-19 vaccines or get a booster shot yet, stressing the need for more data.

Meanwhile, Domingo said the Presidential Security Group still has not responded to the FDA’s requests for information on their unauthorized vaccination with Sinopharm jabs late last year.

Pacquiao files measure for P10.4-b graft probe

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo

S

ENATE Resolution No. 779, which seeks a probe into the questionable P10.4-billion under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) disbursed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the electronic wallet application Starpay, was filed Thursday on behalf of Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, who is in the United States preparing for a boxing match in August, wants the appropriate Senate committee to inquire into and recover the missing funds under the SAP. He cited the “urgent need to look into this anomaly to untangle the web of corruption involving DSWD and Starpay, which has robbed our people of economic resources and denuded the government of

its basic capacity to provide a lifeline to the vulnerable sector of the society that has been hardest hit by the pandemic.”

Records show that 500,000 beneficiaries out of the total 1.8 million beneficiaries were able to download the Starpay application. The senator said this means that around 1.3 million projected beneficiaries were unable to download the said e-wallet application and failed to receive the P10.4

billion subsidy.

However, DSWD records showed that all of these payouts have already been completed, added Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday said their group in the ruling PDP-Laban will not weaken even as President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the “unauthorized” July 17 party meeting.

Pacquiao, the PDP-Laban acting president, and Pimentel had said they will skip the meeting, adding that the grassroots members and the “old guard” of the party tagged this as an unauthorized assembly.

Pimentel also shot back at Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque for saying that PDP-Laban’s membership would be reduced to “jeepney-size” if they remove President Duterte.

‘BAJO’ VISIT.

The crew of Philippine Coast Guard ships BRP Capones (MRRV-4404) and BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407) talk to fishermen in the waters of Bajo de Masinloc off the coast of Zambales province on Thursday.

The PCG men conducted a #BayanihanSaKaragatan activity to help local fishermen.

PCG photo

Applications for bar exams now online Belmonte: QC positivity rate falls to WHO-standard 5%

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court started on Thursday accepting online applications for the 2020 and 2021 bar examinations, which will be conducted virtually in November in at least 25 testing centers nationwide.

In a Bar Bulletin No. 21, S. 2021, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, chairman of the bar examinations, revealed that the SC has launched the online application system through BAR PLUS, the Bar Personalized Login Unified System.

“BAR PLUS is a homegrown online application system through which prospective applicants for the Nov. 2021 Bar Examinations will submit their verified petition, other required documents and information including proof of payment of the bar application fee,” Leonen said.

“BAR PLUS was created to facilitate safe, equitable, and inclusive Bar Examinations. All potential examinees will submit their applications digitally and through mail. A potential examinee will be required to personally appear only when there are difficult issues in their applications which cannot be addressed in any other manner,” Leonen added.

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City’s COVID-19 situation has continued to improve with its positivity rate at 5 percent, the ideal rate according to the World Health Organization, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Thursday.

“This is good news for us. We were at 5 percent a week before the surge happened last February and March. This means

that our cases and transmissions are wellmonitored and controlled. We hope that this positivity rate shall continue to dip down in the coming weeks,” she said.

Belmonte said they are now preparing a Delta-variant response plan in the event the new variant reaches the city.

Citing the OCTA Research Group, the city government said its positivity rate, previously at 6 percent since the

week of June 22-28, has now reached the standard rate and is even better compared to the National Capital Region rate of 6 percent.

OCTA also reported the average number of cases per day in the city has decreased to 123 from 141 cases last week.

The reproduction number is at .86, while the average daily attack rate per 100,000 is 3.91.

THE Philippine National Police has now formed a technical workinggroup tasked to study the Supreme Court resolution outlining the guidelines on the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in the service of arrest and search warrants.

In an interview with One News’ “The Chiefs” on Wednesday night, PNP Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the TWG is now looking into the 16-page resolution of the high court they received this week.

“We are already in the process of studying the resolution as there are new provisions there that we will apply and will be implemented in the guidelines that we will be issuing to our personnel,” he added.

The PNP has so far distributed 2,696 BWCs to around 171 police stations and units nationwide.

Eleazar said another 30,000 units are needed for distribution to around 1,500 to 1,700 PNP units.

“Police units that were not issued with BWCs should have alternative recording equipment to use. They can use alternative recording devices like cellphones with specifications,” Eleazar said.

He also added that they will have to make adjustments, as the SC resolution is quite long and that they need to go over it carefully before coming up with their finalized or revised BWCs guidelines.

Earlier, Eleazar assured the Commission on Human Rights that mechanisms are in place to ensure data privacy in the use of body cameras in police operations.

The CHR earlier expressed “high hopes” that the body cameras would result in more transparent police operations, which would bring back public trust in law enforcement.

‘COA shows P19.2-b ELCAC fund needless’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Commission on Audit’s finding on the Philippine National Police’s utilization of its anti-insurgency funds is proof that the government did not need the P19.2-billion anti-insurgency fund in the 2022 national budget, Senate Minority leader Franklin Drilon said Thursday.

Drilon said the fund was lodged under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) in 2020.

“This is also proof that we do not need to give a single centavo to the NTF-ELCAC for 2022,” he added.

“We have more than sufficient funds to counter insurgency, millions of which remain untouched, unobligated and unspent,” said Drilon.

The Senate leader said that to fund NTF-ELCAC in 2022 “will cause unnecessary drain on our limited resources” meant to respond to the continuing pandemic and provide aid to millions of unemployed and hungry Filipinos.

“To insist on anti-insurgency funding in the 2022 national budget in the light of the COA findings will bolster suspicion that the NTF-ELCAC is a huge campaign kitty,” he said.

Sen. Sonny Angara said they will ask all the agencies tasked to implement the program to account for the funds appropriated by Congress and released to them.

“We owe this to the people, and we should be guided in our future actions relating to the budget,” he said.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said they will ask the PNP during the coming budget hearings to explain why only 12% of anti-insurgency funds have been used.

Taguig launches inoculation for city’s OFWs

By Joel E. Zurbano THE City of Taguig on Thursday launched its COVID-19 vaccine rollout for city-based Overseas Filipino Workers.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano led the event held at the second floor of High Street Mega Vaccination Hub in Global City, Barangay Fort Bonifacio.

Based on the resolution issued by InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATFEID), OFWs scheduled for deployment within the next four months from the intended date of vaccination now fall under the A1 priority group.

If the schedule for deployment is not within the given timeframe, OFWs will still be inoculated under the

said group.

“OFWs are modern-day heroes whose sacrifice of being away from their families, among other things, cannot be overemphasized. Furthermore, in the process, our OFWs contribute much to the country’s economy,” said Mayor Cayetano.

He added “it is only fitting then that OFWs be among those prioritized in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program.”

Last Wednesday, Taguig received its 6,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines from the national government. On the first day of its rollout, priority was given to OFWs and senior citizens.

At present, the local government vaccinates 8,000 to 10,000 individuals per day.

HOUSING PROJECT. The city government of San Juan and the National Housing Authority lead the Groundbreaking for the 23-story high-rise socialized public housing project located at F. Manalo Street in Barangay Batis. In photo are San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, National Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino Escalada, Jr., Vice Mayor Warren Villa, and lawyer Bel Zamora (right), NHA District Head Office. Manny Palmero

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Emergency APEC virus summit set N

EW Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern will host an emergency meeting of APEC leaders Friday aimed at bolstering vaccine rollouts to contain the fastspreading coronavirus variants now fueling the pandemic.

The virtual meeting, called with less than five days’ notice, would also examine the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group’s response to its biggest economic crisis

since World War II, the prime minister said.

“It’s a unique opportunity to get APEC leaders together to discuss how we get our region through the health

crisis and accelerate economic recovery,” she told reporters.

New Zealand is scheduled to host an online summit of APEC leaders in November but Ardern said the extraordinary circumstances created by COVID-19 warranted an additional urgent meeting.

She said US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would attend the virtual meeting, while China’s foreign ministry confirmed

President Xi Jinping’s participation.

The White House said it would be Biden’s first opportunity to meet many APEC leaders and he would “emphasize the importance he places on the region as well as his vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

“He will provide an update to leaders on what the US is doing to serve as an arsenal of vaccines for the region and to support all those suffering from COVID-19,” White House Press Secretary

Jen Psaki said.

Improving vaccine cooperation is expected to be a major focus at the meeting.

Runaway outbreaks of the Delta variant in Thailand and Indonesia showed why it was a mistake for countries to prioritise inoculating their own populations over international cooperation, Ardern argued.

“Nobody is safe until everyone is safe,” she said. AFP

Melbourne, Sydney in lockdown, 12 million ordered to stay at home

BLUE, WHITE AND RED. French elite acrobatic flying team ‘Patrouille de France’ flies over the Louvre Pyramid during the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on July 14, 2021. AFP

IN BRIEF WTO convenes trade chiefs for fisheries deal

THE World Trade Organization kicked off a ministerial meeting Thursday aimed at breathing life into drawn-out negotiations towards banning subsidies that favour overfishing, but numerous sticking points remain.

Before the meeting, WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala voiced cautious optimism that trade ministers from the organisation’s 164 member states could finally move towards clinching a “historic” agreement after 20 years of negotiations.

“While no one expects a miracle, the meeting represents a golden opportunity to bring the negotiations within striking distance of a deal,” she said in an editorial published Wednesday in Project Syndicate.

“A failure to do so would jeopardise the ocean’s biodiversity and the sustainability of the fish stocks on which so many depend for food and income.”

The talks aim to ban subsidies that contribute to illegal and unregulated fishing, as well as to overfishing, threatening the sustainability of fish stocks and the industry.

While fishing should in theory be held in check by the environment, with low fish stocks pushing up costs, subsidies can keep unprofitable fleets at sea. AFP

AUSTRALIA’S bid to quash a fastspreading coronavirus outbreak will see its second largest city lock down late Thursday, bringing the total number of Australians under stay-at-home orders to around 12 million.

Melbourne and the rest of Victoria will join Sydney in a “hard and fast” lockdown, state premier Dan Andrews said, as Australia battles an outbreak of the Delta variant.

The largely COVID-free country has recorded nearly 1,000 cases of the strain nationwide in the last month.

Andrews said he took the decision to return Melbourne to its fifth lockdown “with a heavy heart” but it was an “absolute necessity.”

“Nothing about this virus is fair,” he said, describing how just 18 cases in Victoria had mixed with thousands of contacts who must now be traced and tested.

“You only get one chance to go hard and go fast,” he said. “If you wait, if you hesitate, if you doubt, then you will always be looking back wishing you

had done more earlier.”

The lockdown will begin shortly before midnight local time on Thursday and last five days.

Australia’s largest city, Sydney, is already in its fourth week of lockdown, after the virus spread from overseas aircraft workers to their local driver in mid-June.

Sydney authorities said Thursday that the situation had “stabilized” – with 65 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

But the lockdown is set to continue for two more weeks to try and eliminate any community transmission.

Australia had been widely lauded for its early handling of the pandemic and successful “COVID zero” strategy.

But a painfully slow vaccine rollout has left just 10 percent of the population protected as many other developed nations are starting to reopen.

A quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand has been suspended several times as local outbreaks are brought under control. AFP

China: No vax, no access to malls, schools, hospitals MILLIONS of Chinese people face bans from public spaces including schools, hospitals and shopping malls unless they get a COVID-19 vaccine, under new edicts covering nearly two dozen cities and counties.

The coronavirus first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, but since then the country has largely brought it under control – and Beijing is determined to keep it that way.

The tough new rules, which follow the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant across Asia, will be imposed on numerous second-tier cities in a possible marker of what is to come for the whole country.

Israel arrests dozens of Palestinian students

THE Israeli army said Thursday it had arrested between 20 and 30 Palestinian students in the occupied West Bank it accused of being “terror operatives” of Islamist group Hamas.

Palestinian sources told AFP that dozens of students from Birzeit University were arrested as they were returning by bus from the village of Turmus Ayya where earlier this month Israeli troops demolished the family home of a Palestinian American awaiting trial on charges of shooting a Jewish student in the West Bank earlier this year.

An Israeli army statement said: “Some of the apprehended terror operatives were directly involved in terror activities, including money transfers, incitement and the organization of Hamas activities in Judea and Samaria,” using the Biblical terms for the West Bank.

Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip and fought an 11-day conflict with Israel in May, is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and the United States.

A late Wednesday statement announcing the arrests said “dozens of terror operatives” belonging to “a student cell” at Birzeit University had been detained in a joint operation involving the army, the police and the Shin Bet domestic security agency. AFP

China has a national target of inoculating 64 percent of its 1.4 billion population by the end of the year, and new measures suggest high levels of coercion.

In Chuxiong city in the southern province of Yunnan – home to about 510,000 people – all residents above the age of 18 need to get at least one dose of the vaccine by July 23, according to a government notice posted late Wednesday.

Those who fail to meet the deadline “will not be allowed to enter public facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, kindergartens and schools, libraries, museums, and prisons or take public transport.” the notice said.

A month later, two shots will be re-

quired to enter public buildings.

Similar notices were issued by authorities in at least a dozen cities and counties across the country, including six in eastern Jiangxi province, one in Sichuan, one in Gaungxi and three in Fujian province.

Many say they want to inoculate 70 to 80 percent of the local population

by September – exceeding the national target.

Tianhe county in central Henan province threatened to stop paying wages to and dismiss any state employee not inoculated by July 20, according to an official notice issued Monday.

At least a dozen places have sta-

tioned volunteers at government buildings, train stations and other busy public spaces to note down the names and contact information of those who are not vaccinated.

It is unclear whether this information is then shared with the local pandemic prevention task force.

The move has led to an online backlash.

“At first you (the government) said vaccination was voluntary, now you are forcing us!” wrote one angry user of China’s Twitter-like Weibo.

“I just got my second dose, but this new policy sounds like a royal decree: disappointed and disgusting!” complained another. AFP

Frantic search for oxygen in Myanmar as cases surge

RESIDENTS across Myanmar’s biggest city are defying a military curfew in a desperate search for oxygen to keep their loved ones breathing as a new coronavirus wave crashes over the coup-wracked country.

The spike in cases is the latest blow to Myanmar, already suffering from a February coup and a bloody crackdown on dissent that has killed over 900 people and gutted the economy.

Hundreds queued across Yangon as the sun rose Wednesday in the hope of refilling blue oxygen cylinders to take home to family members stricken with the virus.

DYING TO BREATHE. Residents queue up to get oxygen tanks refilled at a station in Indonesia’s second-biggest city Surabaya Some had brought chairs and preon July 15, 2021, after the government ordered the nation’s oxygen supplies to be directed to hospitals overflowing with COVID-19 pared for a long wait. For others, it was patients. AFP too late.

“My sister was suffering from COVID-19 for three days,” Than Zaw Win, told AFP as he left one of the queues in the city of some 7 million.

“On the first day, she was dizzy with HONG KONG’S press freedoms are son Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong low (blood) pressure... and she suf“in tatters” as China remoulds the once Journalists Association (HKJA), said as fered a lot yesterday as she couldn’t outspoken business hub in its own au- the union published its annual report. breathe well.” thoritarian image, the city’s main jourThe report referenced a cascade of “But while I was queuing to fill up nalist union said Thursday, adding it events impacting the press since China with oxygen this morning, my niece feared “fake news” laws were on their imposed a sweeping national securicalled me to go back home as my sister way. ty law on Hong Kong last summer to had died.”

“The past year is definitely the worst stamp out dissent after huge and often Authorities logged over 7,000 new year so far for press freedom,” Ron- violent democracy protests the year becases on Wednesday compared with CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW– BLACK fore. fewer than 50 per day in early May. Manila Authors pointed to the jailing NOTICE OF LOSS Millions in Yangon and the second Standard of pro-democracy media tycoon TODAY city of Mandalay have been ordered to Notice is hereby given to the public that stay home, but the toll continues to rise DEVELOPERS GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. Jimmy Lai and the freezing of his (Shangri-La Finest Chinese Cuisine) Meralco Apple Daily newspaper’s assets – a and volunteer teams are stepping in to Bill Deposit Receipt with Service Identification remove the bodies of victims from Number (SIN) 100060510101 were declared lost move which led to the Beijing-critas per Affidavit of Loss executed by Wienonah M. ical tabloid’s closure. their neighborhoods.

Estilo, an authorized representative and assigned More than 700 journalists lost The State Administration Council – Head of the Caretaker of the company, on April 5, as the junta calls itself – says there is 2021 in Quezon City; subscribed and sworn before their jobs while Lai and multiple Notary Public Atty. Raul V. Macatangay on April Apple Daily executives are currentno need for alarm.

29, 2021 under Notarial Registry Doc No. 62; Page “Actually we have enough oxygen,” ly behind bars, charged with trying 14; Book No.55; Series of 2021. ran the headline in Tuesday’s Global to undermine China’s national seFOR THE DEARLY DEPARTED. People look at paper lanterns during the This notice is being published for whatever legal New Light of Myanmar, a state-backed Mitama festival, celebrated since 1947 honoring the souls of the enshrined spirits and curity with the contents of the papurpose that it may serve. newspaper. AFP the fallen soldiers of Japan’s past wars, at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. AFP per’s reporting.AFP

Press freedoms ‘in tatters’—HK media

(MS-JULY 16, 2021)

Business China growth slowed to 7.9% in 2nd quarter BEIJING, China—China’s sharp economic rebound from last year’s pandemic slowdown lost steam in the second quarter, official data showed Thursday, with consumers lacking the confidence to splurge.

The world’s second-largest economy has staged a rapid recovery from last year’s slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but its pace is easing with manufacturing slowing and consumer demand not picking up as quickly as expected.

China’s GDP growth came in at 7.9 percent on-year in the April to June period, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)—a significant drop from the 18.3-percent surge in the first three months.

An AFP poll of analysts tipped gross domestic product growth at 7.7 percent, with economists noting that China’s economy has been expanding more slowly since the start of the year as the pandemic drags on globally.

China’s economy continued to “recover steadily” in the first half of 2021, said NBS spokeswoman Liu Aihua, although she cautioned that “there are many external uncertainties, and domestic economic recovery is uneven.”

“Efforts are still needed to consolidate the foundation for stable recovery and development,” she added.

The earlier spike was largely skewed by the low base of comparison with last year, owing to large parts of the country being locked down to prevent the virus spread.

But the latest figures suggest China should still be on track to meet its growth target of more than 6 percent for the year.

On a quarterly basis, China’s growth grew by 1.3 percent, up from 0.4 percent in the previous quarter.

But this is among the weakest quarterly growth since rates were first published in 2010, noted Capital Economics.

Surging raw material costs and shipping disruptions are weighing on manufacturers, with factory activity also bogged down by supply shortages of semiconductors—used to make a range of goods from electronics to vehicles. AFP

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Market slumps; ICTSI, URC decline

S

TOCKS retreated Thursday on another bout of profit taking and fears a spike of COVID-19 infections in neighboring Southeast Asian countries will stunt regional economic growth.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index sank 107.48 points, or 1.6 percent, to 6,727.93 on a value turnover of P4.9 billion. Losers beat gainers, 121 to 70, with 57 issues unchanged.

Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, the biggest snack food maker, fell 4 percent to P135.20, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. of the Aboitiz Group,

dropped 3.2 percent to P40.

International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator and owned by tycoon Enriquez Razon Jr., declined 2.8 percent to P162.80, while BDO Unibank Inc. of the Sy Group, the biggest lender in terms of assets, slipped 1.8 percent to P109.50.

The rest of Asian markets were mostly higher on Thursday after China released a raft of key data indicating solid but slowing growth while Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the US central bank would maintain its stimulus until the recovery was well under way.

Asian markets largely welcomed Powell’s remarks and the Chinese figures, with Hong Kong up 0.6 percent and Shanghai closing just over one percent higher. Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta were also in

positive territory.

Among the few regional losers, Tokyo closed down 1.2 percent with investors still concerned about the virus situation in Japan while locked-down Sydney also retreated.

China’s growth slowed to 7.9 percent in the second quarter, down from 18.3 percent in the previous three months when the economy roared back to life after last year’s pandemic-enforced shutdown.

The National Bureau of Statistics said the world’s second-largest economy continued to “recover steadily,” but sounded a note of caution over external uncertainties and the uneven domestic economic rebound.

“Efforts are still needed to consolidate the foundation for stable recovery and development,” it added. With AFP

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

OPM ACEX PMPC SOC AUB COAL IPO HLCM VUL MHC

LAST PRICE 0.013 18.32 6.27 0.77 47 0.315 7.49 7.48 2.36 0.53

% CHANGE 8.33% 5.90% 5.73% 5.48% 5.15% 5.00% 4.61% 4.18% 3.96% 3.92%

CHANGE 0.001 1.02 0.34 0.04 2.3 0.015 0.33 0.3 0.09 0.02

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

gestures during a visit to the Goldman Sachs headquarters in London on July 14, 2021, in recognition of the firm’s commitment to the United Kingdom, having located its European headquarters in London. AFP

other temporary issues are resolved.

And he reassured lawmakers that the central bank has the tools to deal with inflation and will react quickly if needed.

However, the world’s largest economy still has “a long way to go” to return to full employment following the COVID-19 pandemic, Powell said in his semi-annual testimony to Congress.

The Fed “will ensure that monetary policy will continue to deliver powerful support to the economy until the

recovery is complete,” he said.

The US central bank cut the benchmark lending rate to zero at the start of the pandemic and implemented a massive bond-buying program to provide liquidity to the economy.

As businesses have reopened amid the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, inflation has surged, with the annual consumer price index (CPI) hitting 5.4 percent in June, the highest since August 2008.

Wholesale prices also are soaring, with

the producer price index jumping to 7.3 percent in the 12 months ended in June, the highest since the Labor Department began measuring in November 2010, according to data released Wednesday.

But Powell and other Fed officials have stuck to their argument that the rapid price increases have been driven mostly by temporary issues related to the struggles to reopen the economy following the pandemic shutdowns, and are not a reason to pull back on stimulus efforts.AFP

EU prepares to send petrol cars to the scrap heap

% CHANGE -7.65% -7.60% -5.31% -5.08% -4.94% -4.70% -4.42% -4.17% -4.17% -4.14%

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Manila

Standard 21 FLOOR PACIFIC STAR BLDG., SEN. GIL PUYAT AVENUE CORNER ST

TODAY MAKATI AVENUE, MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES 1200

TELEPHONE: (632) 793-5500 TO 04 FAX: (632) 811-5588

By Daniel Aronssohn

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

BRUSSLES, Belgium—The European Com-

mission wants to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, under a massive plan to fight climate change unveiled Wednesday.

According to one of a dozen draft laws revealed in Brussels, emissions from motor vehicles must fall by 55 percent by 2030 and drop to zero by 2035.

“As a result, all new cars registered as of 2035 will be zero emission,” the statement announcing the plan said.

This would in practice mean that all cars and light vans sold from that date will be batterypowered electric cars, which currently represent less than a tenth of new registrations in the EU. The move is sure to be fiercely opposed by some in the industry lobby as it makes its way through an intense negotiating and drafting process and scrutiny in the European parliament.

The European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA) said it supported efforts to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050, as envisaged by draft climate laws.

“However, banning a single technology is not a rational way forward at this stage,” it added, referring to plans to reduce road traffic emissions to zero by 2035.

Pressure group Transport and Environment welcomed the plan as a “turning point” for green motoring.

But executive director William Todts warned: “The problem is carmakers will only have to start selling those cleaner cars in 2030.

“Our planet cannot afford another nine years of big talk but little action from the auto industry.”

And there is caution among member states like France, Germany, Spain and Italy which have a large sector manufacturing traditional combustion engine vehicles and hybrids that support hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Politicians fear that motorists will see fuel prices rising as a result of carbon levies and as they are pushed to sell their gas-guzzlers and buy new electric cars.

The recent “yellow vest” protests in France demonstrated the kind of populist fury that

KPPI VMC SPC WPI CLI GREEN IMI RLT NRCP SFIP

LAST PRICE 4.95 2.31 12.12 0.56 3.08 3.45 9.52 0.345 0.69 1.62

MOST ACTIVE

ROYAL VISIT. Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, accompanied by Goldman Sachs International CEO Richard Gnodde, (left),

US Federal Reserve chief says stimulus to continue despite high inflation WASHINGTON—Even as US inflation has hit the highest rate in over a decade, the central bank is sticking to its guns, and will continue to provide stimulus until the economy has fully recovered, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday.

Powell acknowledged that the inflation spike was stronger than the Fed was hoping to see, and will remain “elevated” in coming months, but he again expressed confidence the rate will decline once supply bottlenecks and

PSEi July 15, 2021

FOR

:

FROM

:

SUBJECT :

The Stockholders of CENTURY PROPERTIES GROUP INC. The Corporate Secretary 2020 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on JULY 26, 2021

Please be informed that the annual stockholders’ meeting of CENTURY PROPERTIES GROUP INC. (the “Corporation”) shall be held on JULY 26, 2021, Monday at 10:00 a.m., to be conducted virtually and attendance at the meeting will be via remote communication only.

Only common stock shareholders as of JUNE 25, 2021 shall be entitled to notice and to vote at the said meeting.

The agenda for the said meeting shall be as follows: 1.

2.

3.

In this file photo taken on June 8, 2021 Volkswagen (VW) ID 3 electric cars of German carmaker Volkswagen are pictured at the ‘Glassy Manufactory’ (Glaeserne Manufaktur) production site in Dresden, eastern Germany. Diesel or petrol cars have lived but the future is electric. Brussels is due on July 14, 2021 to give a proposition to reduce CO2 emissions from new vehicles to zero by 2035 to fight climate change. AFP

environmental controls on motoring can provoke.

But European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen insisted the transition was vital if Europe is to meet emissions reduction targets and that the public was rallying behind it.

“About a dozen of the large automotive companies both in Germany and elsewhere in Europe have announced that they are going to switch their fleet to exclusively emission-free vehicles,” she noted.

“We see that people want these developments, there’s been a huge increase in the number signing up for electric vehicles,” she said, noting that the US market has tripled over the past year.

Oliver Zipse, president of the ACEA lobby group and chief executive of BMW, stressed that the plan would “only be successful with mandatory targets for the ramp-up of charg-

ing and refueling infrastructure in all member states.

“This will be essential to charge the millions of electric vehicles that European automakers will be bringing to market in the coming years,” he said.

Economic fallout Motorized road transport is Europeans’ most common way of getting about, but it represents 15 percent of the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions, and Brussels aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

Economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has hit the road vehicle market hard, but electric cars have been an exception, with growth accelerating.

Battery-powered cars represented eight percent of new registrations in western Europe in the first five months of this year, with 356,000 new vehicles, more than in all of 2019. AFP

Call to order Certification of notice and the existence of a quorum Approval of the minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on August 27, 2020 4. Annual Report of the President 5. Ratification of all Acts and Proceedings of the Board of Directors and Corporate Officers 6. Approval of the 2020 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements of the Corporation 7. Election of Members of the Board of Directors and three Independent Directors 8. Appointment of External Auditor for 2021 9. Other Matters i.

Amendment of Article 5 of the Amended Articles of Incorporation to increase the number of Directors from eleven (11) to eleven (12) 10. Adjournment In light of the current conditions and in support of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there will be no physical meeting. Stockholders may only attend and participate in the meeting by remote communication. Stockholders may vote electronically in absentia, subject to validation procedures.

Stockholders who intend to attend by remote communication are required to REGISTER via https://www.century-properties.com/asm2021/ on or before July 15, 2021.

The instructions, procedures and requirements for electronic voting in absentia and participation by remote communication shall be sent to the email address provided in the stockholder’s registration from.

The link through which the Meeting may be accessed shall be sent to the email address of the registered stockholder after validation. The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting of votes in absentia will be set forth and discussed in details in the Company’s Definitive Information Statement (SEC Form 20-IS).

The Definitive Information Statement, Management Report, Audited Financial Statements, Quarterly Report/s and other documents relative to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, including the Procedures and Guidelines on the participation by remote communication and voting in absentia may be accessed, beginning on JULY 1, 2021 through any of the following: 1.

2.

3.

Go to the Corporation website via this link: https://www.century-properties. com/ Go to the PSE EDGE portal via https://edge.pse.com.ph/ or; Request for a copy by sending an email to icsales@century-properties.com or danny.bunyi@divinalaw.com

For ASM-related queries, you may send an email to icsales@century-properties. com or danny.bunyi@divinalaw.com or contact us at (02) 7-7938905.

ATTY. DANNY E. BUNYI Corporate Secretary (MS-JULY 16, 2021)

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

B4 FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

Anti-graft agency urges LTO to lift TPL requirement

By Othel V. Campos THE Anti-Red Tape Authority on Thursday recommended the removal of the third-party liability insurance as a part of the registration process for vehicles already covered by a comprehensive automotive insurance policy.

ARTA director-general Jeremiah Belgica said the procedure imposed by the Land Transportation Office appeared to be redundant and was inflicting additional expense to the public.

“I implore them to look into it and reconsider waiving the requirement provided that the vehicle owner can show proof of comprehensive insurance,” he said.

“As we seek to eliminate overregulation and unnecessary requirements, this would reduce the burden on the transacting public, streamline the vehicle registration process and promote good regulatory principles,” he added.

The proposed removal of the TPL is in line with the agency’s intensified campaign against fixers through entrapment operations, said Belgica.

“In fact, in the course of our entrapment operations, we discovered that the establishment was also collaborating with the fixers and exploiting the public by facilitating medical, insurance and emission testing,” he said.

Belgica said ARTA was aggressively cooperating with the Department of Transportation to remind private emission testing centers, motor vehicle emission control technicians and the Insurance Commission to avoid dealing with fixers.

He said said these entities should be aware that collaborating with fixers for economic and/or other benefit or advantage is in violation of Section 21 under Republic Act No. 11032, otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

Business SM VACCINATION.

The SM Group intensifies its vaccination drive for thousands of its employees, with twothirds of the workforce already inoculated to date. SM ordered over 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for employees and for donation to the national government, in support of national recovery. Apart from its own employees, SM malls has also been hosting vaccination program of various local government units. Its giga vaccination center at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, with its cathedral-high ceiling and 8,000 square meters of floor space that allow for proper air flow, accommodates over 2,000 persons being inoculated daily.

T

HE government plans to sell retail dollar bonds to overseas Filipino workers to raise more funds for infrastructure projects and COVID-19 response efforts, the Bureau of the Treasury said Thursday.

National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said in an online briefing the government was finalizing the details of the offering.

The Bureau of the Treasury held its first webinar and financial literacy briefing in relation to the planned RDB offering.

It was aimed to raise awareness on the advantages of investing on RDBs. RDBs are US dollar-denominated instruments that will be similar in structure to the retail treasury bonds of the Treasury.

De Leon said RDBs would allow small- and mid-sized investors to mobilize their savings and earn while helping fund the government’s recovery and resilience program.

Japanese investors list concerns about PH

JAPANESE investors raised a number of concerns which may affect their expansion plan in the Philippines.

More than 10 Japanese companies that attended a recent business dialog with the Department of Trade and Industry listed their concerns, such as processing and release of permits and licenses by regulatory agencies, the changes in the system on value added tax collection by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, additional taxes imposed by local government units and vaccination of expats.

Among the companies that participated in the roundtable discussion were Brother Industries, Canon Inc., Seiko Epson Corp., Terumo Corp., JMS Co. Ltd., ROHM Co. Ltd., NIDEC Corp., MinebeaMitsumi Inc., Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and IBIDEN. The companies account for $2.5 billion in investments, $6.9 billion in exports and over 83,000 in total employment. The companies asked the support of the government in terms of providing green or express lanes similar to those given by other Southeast Asian countries.

Othel V. Campos

Holcim investing P210m in factories

Treasury prepares to issue retail dollar bonds to OFWs

By Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF

RDBs are set to be offered at a minimum placement of $300, making it more accessible than the traditional US dollar bonds issued by the Republic which require a minimum subscription of $200,000.

Aside from relatively higher returns, RDBs will particularly appeal to US dollar earners as the structure mitigates foreign exchange risks on the part of investors by maintaining the original currency of their investment.

The national government will also assume the withholding tax on interest income, allowing investors to earn full interest on their principal.

The webinar also discussed the convenient subscription options open to investors. Aside from the over-the-counter transactions, the Treasury is looking to continue its digital push and explore the suitability of previous online channels such as online ordering platform, Bonds.PH and the Overseas Filipino Bank mobile banking application.

The government sold last month $3 billion worth of 10.5year and 25-year US-dollar denominated bonds. It followed the issuance of $2.75-billion dual-tranche global bonds in December 2020 and the 2.1 billion euros triple tranche in April 2021.

CEMENT producer Holcim Philippines Inc. said Thursday it is investing P210 million in various measures to increase efficiency in its manufacturing plants.

Holcim said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the projects will reduce the fuel consumption and increase mineral additive usage of cement plants in Bacnotan, La Union and Lugait, Misamis Oriental.

Holcim president and chief executive Horia Adrian said the projects are part of the company’s commitment to continuously invest in its facilities to support the country’s progress and better serve customers. The projects will contribute to the company’s goal of making operations more sustainable, he said.

“More efficient operations will help us deliver better financial results and improve our environmental footprint. We look to continue implementing these improvements to meet our objectives of delivering greater value to our shareholders and business partners while becoming better stewards of the environment,” he said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Radius Telecoms bares expansion plan

RADIUS Telecoms Inc., a wholly-owned unit of Manila Electric Co., said Thursday it expects to reach at least two million homes passed over the next two to three years at it aggressively expands its fiber optic footprint nationwide.

“We’ve been doing our expansion in Metro Manila mostly on the last mile. Our capacity should be able to reach around 500,000 subscribers this year and our expansion continues,” Jenevi De La Paz, chief operating officer of Radius, said in a virtual press briefing.

“Over the next two to three years, we should be able to at least get around one million to two million homes passed. We are still very small compared to most of our competitors,” he said.

Radius, with more than 5,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable deployed, extends across the Mega Manila area, Clark and Cebu and plans to expand in other major cities in the Visayas and Mindanao by 2021. “We are expanding our coverage outside the Meralco franchise areas. We should be in Batangas in the third quarter of the year and we are looking at Bacolod and Iloilo towards the end of the year,” De La Paz said. Darwin G. Amojelar

MPIC Dedicates over a Decade to Shoring Up ESG INVESTING in power, water, transportation, and healthcare —essentials in the day-to-day lives of Filipinos—translates to contributing to national progress and improving the quality of life in the country. Anchored on services that are key to thriving communities, it is crucial to integrate sustainability in the operations of these businesses. Now, more than ever, there is a strong call to action to fulfill the pressing needs of the present without jeopardizing resources for the use of future generations.

Years prior to the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, leading infrastructure investment firm Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) has always been more purposeful in the conduct of its community-oriented programs, zeroing in on the long-term impact to profits, people, and ultimately, the planet.

“Protecting the planet for the benefit of present and future generations is still without a doubt our most important challenge right now,” says MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan. “We are witnesses to the rise of new viruses and the worsening intensity of climate-related disasters. All these interrelated challenges profoundly shape the way we do business.”

Beyond the sustainability initiatives of its operating companies, MPIC has actively innovated programs that address key sustainability targets outside its direct commercial interests through Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) and its flagship program, Shore It Up! (SIU).

SHORING UP THE BUSINESS After Typhoon Ondoy struck and submerged most parts of Metro Manila and suburbs, the natural disaster prompted the business group to seriously address climate change and environmental degradation. With a water-centric business asset through Maynilad, the Corporation recognized the effects of climate change on water and its subsequent impact on the ecosystem it surrounds.

Regardless of proximity, the degradation of coastal and marine bionetwork compromises the physical, economic and food security of local communities, and affects the quality and quantity of marine resources. Critical ecosystem services such as food source, oxygen generation, and carbon storage are threatened and climate change adaptation by natural means slowly becomes unfeasible.

MPIC’s power assets are currently looking into increasing the use of renewable energy systems, with the end goal of reducing the impacts of CO2 and other GHGs on the ocean. However, SIU has directed its attention to the ocean itself, fundamentally creating and sustaining initiatives that aim to simultaneously mitigate the effects of climate change and

enhance the lives of Filipinos.

After the MVP group of companies strategically aligned their CSR programs through impact integration assessment and distinguishing for lead advocates, MPIC decided to focus its efforts on responding to environmental issues such as climate change and ocean conservation given that most of our investments are related to natural resources.

The ocean, being the largest life support and ecosystem on Earth is essential in ensuring a sustainable future . Our growing partnerships with local government units from coastal communities have made it possible to implement our programs on Mangroves, Marine Protected Areas and Marine Guardians,” says MPIC VP for public relations and corporate communications Melody del Rosario.

ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Now on its 13th year, MPIC has forged partnerships with local governments and established various programs in 11 partner sites, a highlight of which are the Mangrove Protection/Propagation and Information Centers in Alaminos City, Pangasinan; Del Carmen in Siargao Island; and Cordova, Cebu. Across all three locations, there are almost 5,300 hectares of protected mangroves.

A private-public venture with the LGUs, it serves as MPIC’s legacy project for the Filipino people - an infrastructure investment for the future of the country.

After almost a decade of partnership with the local government of Alaminos, MPIC commissioned a study with the Business for Sustainable Development (BSD) to assess the impact of SIU’s presence in the area. Around 111.92 tCO2e of carbon stock in Bued Mangrove Park, equivalent to removing greenhouse emission from 24 passenger vehicles driven for a year, were attributed to MPIF’s support and investment. For every peso invested, Php 0.59 of social value was created through the improved fishery sector, coastal protection, flood protection, as well as increased knowledge of mangroves.

Del Carmen’s Center reported 0% mangrove cutting since its inauguration. “The conglomerate, through the SIU program, is also working out a unique carbon offsetting scheme with the municipality of Del Carmen in Siargao Island, which is home to a contiguous 4,000-hectare mangrove forest, the second biggest of its kind in the Philippines after Palawan,” adds Del Rosario, who is also the Foundation’s president.

The implementation of its Marine Protection, Inspection, and Conservation (MPIC) Guardians program, empowering local bantay dagats in the provinces of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro and Medina in Misamis, Oriental, resulted in the significant decrease of illegal fishing practices.

Medina reported an increase in fish catch and fish size, citing a 40% estimated increase as of May last year.

The MPIC Guardians are also responsible for the constant monitoring of their Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to prevent environmental degradation, thereby protecting ecologically and biologically significant marine habitats. Currently. the Guardians are surveilling around six MPAs, one in Medina and five in Puerto Galera.

ON SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT SIU’s major initiatives are not singularly focused on alleviating environmental impacts to coastal communities. They also foster the involvement of the local community by providing livelihood opportunities, whether supplementary to or resulting from its programs, impacting the socioeconomic aspect as well.

The Mangrove Centers have directly employed ten Mangrove Eco-guides across all three sites, while also becoming additional ecotourism hubs in their cities and spawning a myriad of tourism-related businesses and activities that employ locals. Del Carmen developed a full-fledged community-based ecotourism program that generated 1,000 direct employments, more than 10 homestays, 20 transport services, 20 restaurants, 1 operational mall, 146 boat tour operators, and a poverty reduction of 29% as of 2019 data.

The Alaminos Center, overall, created a social value approximately worth almost Php 770,000, through the establishment of tour guides/ boat owners, souvenir shops, mom-and-pop stores and transient homes.

Thus far, MPIC has minted 36 MPIC Guardians who are helping enforce marine laws to ensure the sustainability of aquatic resources. This year, the Foundation is expanding the program to the province of Marinduque, creating a strategic brotherhood to protect the Verde Island passage.

“The fisherfolk communities are among the country’s most important but underserved sectors, that’s why MPIC and its affiliates are

investing bulk of its resources into fisherfolk and coastal community-focused programs,” says Del Rosario.

SUSTAINABILITY AT ITS CORE In March 2021, the MPIC Group Sustainability Council was approved to support the Company’s renewed focus on Sustainability. The main objective of the Council is to harmonize and coordinate the sustainability initiatives of the MPIC Group for a wider positive impact on all stakeholders.

“The establishment of the Group Sustainability Council, under the leadership and guidance of the Board, underscores MPIC’s resolve to embed sustainability in its core,” said MPIC CFO & CSO Chaye A. Cabal – Revilla. “Driven by our purpose to contribute to national progress and uplift the lives of Filipinos, we will utilize combined resources across the group to make a difference and humbly support the targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

Even prior to this, sustainability has been at the heart of SIU’s goals. Its initiatives address several of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals or SDGs, a collection of 17 goals set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, designed as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030.

Locally, SIU’s initiatives contribute to the attainment of the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) targets, a plan to restore, rehabilitate, effectively manage and secure biodiversity by 2028, in order to maintain ecosystem services to sustain healthy, resilient Filipino communities and delivering benefits to all.

In line with this renewed commitment towards perpetuating the global standards of monitoring the sustainability initiatives of corporations, MPIC also endeavors to adhere to both the Sustainable Accounting Board Alliance (SASB) Framework, a program for organizations and individuals that support the need for more decision-useful, costeffective sustainability disclosure; and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the largest corporate sustainability initiative aimed to align strategies and operations with universal principles on good governance and ethical business practices.

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Princess Superal sizzled coming off a one-hour delay due to lightning and thunderstorms, hitting three birdies in the last seven holes to fire a two-under 70 and grab a two-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda as erstwhile leader Daniella Uy floundered in the second round of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Classic here yesterday.

Superal came out smoking in tough conditions after the break, overcoming a one-over card with birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 17 to wrest control as Ikeda wavered at the finish in the flight ahead. The multi-titled campaigner then came though with a superb pitch shot after overshooting the No. 1 green, banging in a par from three feet to preserve a 37-33 round.

Counting her earlier 72, Superal thus stormed ahead in a topsy-turvy day with a 142 as she moved 18 holes away from scoring a back-to-back title feat after holding off Chanelle Avaricio at Sherwood last week.

Ikeda actually surged ahead after birdying two of the first eight holes and held sway despite a bogey on the par-5 11th as she rolled in a six-footer for birdie on 13th. But she cracked coming home on errant shots and fatigue, bogeying No. 17 and then dropping a stroke on the finishing No. 1 for the second straight day.

She also overshot the green like Superal and pitched to within six feet. Unlike the latter, however, the Fil-Japanese, who alongside Avaricio and amateur Arnie Taguines, flubbed the putt and ended up with a second 72 for a 144.

Avaricio birdied the 17th then parred the first hole to save a 73 for third. But with a 147, she fell five strokes off Superal, who lined herself up for a third Ladies PGT crown in pandemic-hit 2020-21 seasons after winning at Riviera late last year.

Daniella Uy, who showed up the field with a 71 Thursday, failed to get going in challenging conditions, bogeying three of the first eight holes against a bogey to drop off the leaderboard. She never recovered and ended up with a 77 marred by three straight bogeys from No. 15. She slipped to fourth at 148.

Harmie Constantino, who marked her pro debut with a victory at the adjacent Aoki course last March, bounced back with birdies from a pair of two-bogey miscues to draw level par but ran out of holes for another rebound after bogeying Nos. 16 and 18. She finished with a 74 for joint fifth with Taguines at 149, seven strokes off Ikeda.

Taguines, meanwhile, zeroed in on the low amateur honors despite a 76 as Sherwood winner Burberry Zhang skied to an 82 for a 158.

Sunshine Baraquiel, who put herself in early contention with an opening 72, likewise lost her momentum and made two bogeys to submit a birdieless 80, ruined by a quadruple 8 on No. 16. She fell to seventh at 152.

Sports

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

C1

Superal nears 2nd straight title Princess Superal checks the direction of the wind.

Marcial replaces Obiena as flagbearer at Olympics T

HE Philippines has a new male flagbearer in the Tokyo Olympics in boxer Eumir Felix Marcial.

The many-time Southeast Asian Games champion and 2019 World AIBA silver medalist will replace Ernest John EJ” Obiena as teams up with female flagbearer judoka Kiyomi Watanabe in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on July 23 at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Tuesday that it would be more convenient for Marcial to carry the country’s colors because he will be arriving in Tokyo this weekend.

“He [Marcial] has the most flexible schedule before and after the opening ceremony,” Tolentino said. “We have

already informed Eumir about his task and we are very thankful to EJ for understanding. He cannot rebook his flight anymore.”

Marcial took multiple flights from his training camp in Colorado Springs in the US on Thursday and is expected to land in Tokyo on Saturday, six days before the opening ceremony.

Obiena, on the other hand, is coming in from Italy and will be in Japan just hours before the Olympic opening rites.

“Because of protocols, EJ should be expecting delays at the airport and that would make it impossible for him to catch the opening ceremony,” Tolentino said.

Marcial, who turned professional last year, will make his Olympic debut on July 25 in the men’s middleweight round-of-32.

Watanabe, who is based in Japan, will compete in women’s -63 kgs of judo on July 27.

Six Filipino officials are joining the parade of countries—chef de mission Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, Philippine Judo Federation President Dave Carter, boxing coach Nolito Velasco, skateboarding coach Daniel Velasco, Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lani

New Clark City Aquatics Center earns praise from visiting Israelis

By Jess Malabanan CAPAS, Tarlac—The New Clark City Aquatic Center here has earned rave reviews from the 17-member Israel swimming team that is training for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

“I travelled all around the world and saw thousands of aquatic complexes. New Clark City’s facility is among the best in the world!” said David Marsh, former US Olympic swimming coach and professional adviser of the Israeli team.

“It’s a really nice pool with really nice surrounding views. And the bright color of the pool makes it look even better.

More importantly, I like how the pool is really fast. Thank you for having us here!” seconded Andrea Murez, 29-yearold swimmer for the 100-meter Freestyle.

The Israeli swimming team arrived at the NCC on Saturday, welcomed by officials of the BCDA, Clark Development Corporation and the Philippine Swimming Inc., the country’s governing body for aquatic sports.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Vince Dizon, also the deputy chief implementer of the country’s pandemic

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

A 17-member Israel swimming team trains at the pool of the New Clark City Aquatic Center.

response, said their hosting of the Israel team will not only boost the Filipinos’ confidence in New Clark City’s world-class facilities, but also “showcase the capability of the country to recover from the pandemic.”

“We are thrilled yet humbled at the same time to host our friends from Israel in New Clark City’s first-ever sports bubble. Israel is one of the leading countries in the world for COVID-19 vaccination and response.

So, for their athletes, coaches and officials to have the confidence to train in our country and at the Aquatics Center—that is truly a blessing,” Dizon said during a visit Thursday to the swimming facility.

Itay Goldfaden, 25-year-old representative for the 4x100-meter Mixed Medley Relay, said: “The swimming arena is one of the best pools I’ve ever seen. Good view, good weather. It’s definitely high quality. I would like to come here again someday.”

“Just really amazing facilities. I’m enjoying my time over here,” added Ron Polonsky, 20-year-old swimmer for the 200-meter Individual Medley.

Joining Dizon at the visit was Nir Balzam, Chargé d’Affaires of the Israel Embassy in the Philippines.

Training was observed from a safe distance that did not compromise the integrity of the training bubble.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to Sec. Vince, BCDA, and the Philippine government for being a true friend of Israel and also for hosting our swimmers. Having them here, training in this bubble setting where they can train freely, get acclimated to the region and the time zone, we really appreciate it,” Balzam said.

Suns not pushing panic button yet as Bucks rebound MILWAUKEE—Phoenix won’t hit the panic button after squandering a two-game advantage in the NBA Finals, but the Suns will need improved ball-handling and rebounding to slow the momentum-fueled Milwaukee Bucks.

Khris Middleton scored 40 points and Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocked shots to power the Bucks over Phoenix 109-103 on Wednesday, knotting the best-of-seven series at two wins each.

The Suns, who led by seven in the fourth quarter, committed 17 turnovers, five by star guard Chris Paul to match the Bucks’ total, and allowed 17 offensive rebounds.

“We certainly had a lot of self-inflicted stuff,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.

Having wasted a 2-0 series edge, the Suns will return to Phoenix for game five on Saturday needing to tighten their defensive work and hustle harder in key situations.

“There’s no hitting the panic button. There’s no panic. You go back home and look at it and

adjust,” said Suns forward Cam Johnson.

“It’s the finals. You’re not going to get away with anything easy. You’re not going to coast to any victory.”

The Suns are chasing the first title in the team’s 53-year history while the Bucks seek their second overall crown and first in half a century.

“It’s high stakes, very high stakes,” Johnson said. “We know what’s on the line.”

Milwaukee closed on a 12-4 run in the last 2:07 to win after the Suns had led most of the night, Phoenix wasting a 42-point performance from guard Devin Booker, who missed much of the fouth quarter with foul trouble.

“We was holding it down, defending at a high level,” Booker said. “We have to close possessions and that’s something that hurt us.”

Paul, in the first finals of his 16-year NBA career at age 36, said each team knows the other well and performance will decide the champion. AFP

Khris Middleton drives to the basket against Cameron Payne and Jae Crowder of the Phoenix Suns in Game Four of the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

Velasco and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines head Carrion-Norton.

Obiena expressed his disappointment after losing the rare opportunity of being one of two flagbearers for Team Philippines.

“I am greatly disheartened to say the least that I was withdrawn to be the flag bearer for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics,” said Obiena, “I proudly accepted the position to raise the flag of the country I was born and raised in, but there are things that are out of my control,” said Obiena, one of the top bets expected to deliver medals for the Philippines.

“We will still be holding our head high and reppin’ the red, blue and white with pride. Thank you for all your support through this tough time, it’s what keeps me going,” Obiena.

Perasol resigns as UP coach

By Peter Atencio BO Perasol has quit as head coach of the University of the Philippines men’s basketball team after four seasons with the team.

Perasol left following months of inactivity for many participating varsity teams and with two seasons of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines getting cancelled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Perasol may not be completely out of the squad, since there are offers from the team’s supporters for him to stay on as part of team management.

“I promised UP after Season 82 that I will stay for another season just to sustain the rebuilding process which started many many years back, coming off from zero wins back then. Unfortunately, the pandemic has impacted us all, including the dynamics of the playing field. It has sadly changed my views, plans and priorities, too,” said Perasol in a statement.

After settling for third place at the end of the elimination round with an 8-6 slate, the Fighting Maroons won over the twice-to-beat Adamson Falcons in the Final Four of Season 81.

This earned them the right to face Ateneo Blue Eagles in the finals, where they lost.

“We have gotten this far in just four seasons under my helm, that is unprecedented in fact. But the team still needs better plans as always, and a reboot,” added Perasol.

Multi-titled coaches Goldwin Monteverde and Patrick Aquino are among those being considered to replace Perasol.

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Sports

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

Stringent measures up as PVL blasts off

Beal enters COVID-19 protocols LOS ANGELES—A member of the US Olympic men’s basketball team has been placed in COVID-19 health and safety protocols, USA Basketball confirmed on Wednesday.

Officials did not release the name of the player, but The Athletic reported it was Washington Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal.

It was not clear whether the player had tested positive for coronavirus or was placed in the protocols because of potential exposure.

The news comes 11 days before the Americans are scheduled to play their first game at the Tokyo Olympics on July 25.

The team is training in Las Vegas and played a friendly against Argentina on Tuesday.

Beal scored 17 points, matching Kevin Durant as the top scorers in the contest, a 108-80 victory for the United States.

Beal has started all three of the United States’ pre-Games friendlies in Las Vegas. The reigning Olympic champions had been jolted by losses to Nigeria and Australia before beating Argentina. AFP

Bradley Beal

Airport operations crew for the Tokyo 2020 wait for Olympic athletes and officials arriving on a flight from Doha at Narita international airport in Narita, Chiba prefecture. AFP

IOC vows to minimize virus risk to Japanese

T

OKYO—Olympics chief Thomas Bach pledged Wednesday “not to bring any risk” to Japan with the Games, seeking to reassure a sceptical public as virus cases surge just over a week before Tokyo 2020 begins.

Fans have been banned from Olympic events in the capital, which is under emergency restrictions to curb rising infection numbers that on Wednesday hit highs not seen since January.

As more athletes arrive in Japan and move into the Olympic Village, International Olympic Committee chief Bach promised a safe summer Games.

“We are making all our efforts and the Japanese people have all our commitment to contribute in the best way to fight this virus and not to bring any risk to the Japanese people,” Bach told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Bach said “85 percent of all the residents in the Olympic Village and almost 100 percent of the IOC members and staff coming here to Tokyo arrive vaccinated.

“This is why I’d like to humbly ask the Japanese people to warmly welcome the athletes from all around the world who have overcome, like the Japanese people, so many challenges.”

Japan has seen a less severe Covid-19 outbreak than many other countries, with around 15,000 deaths overall, but experts warn another wave driven by more infectious variants could stretch medical facilities.

Around 20 percent of the population are fully vaccinated, and Tokyo’s emergency measures, mainly limiting alcohol sales and restaurant opening hours, will be in place throughout the Games.

On Wednesday there were 1,149 new cases recorded in Tokyo, the highest since January 22.

In opinion polls, the Japanese public have consistently expressed apprehen-

sion about Tokyo 2020, which was postponed by a year due to the pandemic and will finally open on July 23.

Organizers announced the decision to ban spectators from all but a tiny number of Olympic events last week, following repeated warnings from experts about the risk of crowds gathering as infections rise.

Doubts ‘every day’

In an exchange with major global press agencies later on Wednesday, Bach said his team had strived to maintain a confident stance after Tokyo 2020 was postponed in March last year.

“In these 15 months, we had doubts every day. This was a situation of high uncertainty,” he said.

“Quite honestly, it was way, way more complex than we thought it would be when we agreed on this postponement.”

But by projecting confidence and taking decisions seriously, the IOC kept other parties on side, from athletes to sports federations and local authorities, Bach said. AFP

Verstappen aiming for KO win at Silverstone SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom— Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team will seek a potentially decisive “knockout” triumph over defending champions Mercedes and home hero Lewis Hamilton in this weekend’s British Grand Prix which features a new form of qualifying.

After reeling off his first hat-trick of successive wins to move 32 points clear of seven-time champion Hamilton the 23-year-old Dutchman is in imperious form.

Red Bull are revelling in five straight victories to lead both championships after nine races.

But he recognizes that Hamilton, 36, remains a formidable force, especially on home soil at Silverstone.

The Briton has won a record seven times at the often windswept former war-time airfield in central England where a capacity crowd of 140,000 is expected on Sunday.

It will be the biggest attendance at a sports event in Britain since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I have great respect for Lewis and we are taking nothing for granted,”

said Verstappen.

“We are taking each race one at a time, but, of course, I am hoping to come out of the race with 29 points.”

Normally it would be a maximum of 25 points for a victory and one for the fastest lap.

There are additional points on offer this weekend through ‘The Sprint’ which is being used for the first time as an alternative to the traditional qualifying.

It will take place on Saturday afternoon and, like traditional qualifying, will decide the grid positions for Sunday’s 52-lap race.

The sprint is part of an experimental format aimed at attracting a younger audience with the top three awarded three, two and one point respectively.

They will also be taken on a victory parade lap and presented with ‘retro’ wreaths in a salute to the sport’s history.

The 100km non-stop race will take around half an hour. Starting positions for ‘The Sprint’ will be decided by a three-part qualifying hour on Friday afternoon, replacing second free practice.

That will mean Friday’s opening

TO minimize close contact between the competing teams, the Premier Volleyball League will do away with the switching of court sides and handshakes for the Open Conference blasting off tomorrow (Saturday) at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Baccara, Ilocos Norte.

The FIVB Volleyball Nations League was the first to implement the changes last May. “Okay lang sa kanila (teams) kasi it’s for their own good. It’s also because the teams have their own equipment, and water, so ‘pag lumipat kung may infected don madadamay lahat,” said PVL president Ricky Palou.

“They understand naman, in fact they welcome it nga at his point of time for safety precautionary measures. Actually sa FIVB ganun ang ginawa, walang change court,” he added.

Team handshakes will also no longer be part of the game routine to eliminate possible close contact among players.

League commissioner Tony Boy Liao also said that the 10 teams seeing action in the country’s first professional volleyball league will have to observe the strict bubble protocols set by the organizing committee, the Games and Amusements Board, and the local government of Ilocos Norte.

During pre-game warm-ups, teams can only use their side of the court for 30 minutes before the toss coin and team introductions. Players are also required to wear face masks.

Once the game begins, the teams’ starting six, the liberos, and head coaches can opt to keep or remove their masks. However, the rest of the coaching staff and substitutes are obliged to still wear their respective masks.

PLDT and Chery Tiggo kicks off hostilities at 1 p.m. followed by the PerlasCignal faceoff at 4 p.m. Creamline and Sta. Lucia cap the triplebill at 7 p.m.

Games will be held without an audience but will be telecast on One Sports (Free to Air), and One Sports+ (Pay TV) with both channels available for linear streaming on Cignal Play and on gigafest.smart. free practice hour is the team’s only chance to find a competitive set-up for the conditions. Further sprints are due to be held in Italy and at one other race later in the season.

Under pressure

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen drives during the qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria. AFP

Hamilton and Mercedes will be under acute pressure as they attempt to arrest their slide. The Englishman is without a win in five races since the Spanish Grand Prix in May, when he led the title race.

The team hopes that the possible introduction of updates can close the performance gap on Red Bull.

“We are expecting a very strong performance from Mercedes and Lewis,” said team boss Christian Horner.

“He’s at home and will be backed by the crowd, but if we can win at Silverstone, it will be a very significant victory.”

Hamilton won last year’s British event, but was beaten by Verstappen in the ‘70th Anniversary’ race just a week later as the circuit hosted two successive contests behind closed doors.

The decision to allow a full house to attend the race secured the future of the circuit, said managing director Stuart Pringle.

“Our ability to survive Covid was stacked against us if we had no crowd,” he said. “It’s absolutely critical.” AFP

8 teams battle it out in realme Mobile Legends Cup playoffs realme is set to kick off the playoffs round of the multi-awarded realme Mobile Legends Cup. Powered by the realme 8 5G, the fourth installment of the tournament was launched in June 17 with the first round of eliminations where hundreds of local Mobile Legends teams battled it out to qualify for the upcoming playoffs round.

The annual realme Mobile Legends Cup was borne out of realme’s mission to enable and empower Filipino gamers since its establishment in 2018. It has since bagged multiple recognitions, including 5 awards during the 18th Quill Awards earlier this year.

During the playoffs, eight top teams will battle against each other for top prizes and the recognition of being the best Mobile Legends team in the Philippines. The matches are as follows: Raven Claw Esports vs. Amihan Esports; JNA Esports vs. SINAG PILIPINAS;

The award-winning Mobile Legends tournament will see eight teams duke it out for the ultimate RMC title along with other exciting prizes.

Sunsparks vs. K10; ALPHA Esports Pro vs.

AUG3 ESPORTS The realme Squad can tune in to the brand’s Facebook page every Thursday at 7 p.m. starting July 15 until August 5 to witness the battle unfold. It is supported by a star-studded lineup of shoutcasters, which includes Sh1nboo, Manjean, Wolf, Butters, Rockhart, Rob Luna, Yuuko, and Pacchi. realme Mobile Legends Cup Season 4 is co-presented by official telco partner DITO Telecommunications, official courier partner J&T Express, official digital payments partner PayMaya, official gaming fuel partner Mountain Dew, official gaming gear partner Logitech, official chair partner Secret Lab, and official talent partner Rumble Royale.

For the latest in exciting Mobile Legends and esports action, tune in to the realme Philippines Facebook page every Thursday at https:// www.facebook.com/realmePhilippines.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

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Meghan Markle to make animated adventure series for Netflix MEGHAN Markle, Duchess of Sussex and wife of Britain's Prince Harry, is to produce an animated adventure series for Netflix about a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by historical female figures, her production company said Wednesday.

The couple signed a deal to produce content for the popular streaming platform after quitting their royal duties in Britain.

The animated series, the first to be announced by Archewell Productions, the company the couple formed together and which is named after their son

Archie, is to be called Pearl.

"Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life's daily challenges," Meghan said in a statement.

"I'm thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the powerhouse platform of Netflix, and these incredible producers, will together bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women throughout history."

Last year, the couple announced the company would create a documentary series about the Invictus Games for

Former Star Magic head Johnny Manahan aims to train a new breed of stars in GMA Artist Center.

of sorts and I am very proud,” the star builder recalled.

In a virtual junket with the entertainment press, Mr. M admitted that he was already considering retirement after leaving ABSCBN last year.

"There was a time when I really thought I would just leave it all behind and just become a grandfather, you know? Play with my apos but after a while, parang you need to do something," he shared. "'Di ako mapakali 'pag wala akong ginagawa, so I guess I missed it. I really missed the business, so here I am again, refreshed after a rest, and let's see what I can do," he added.

As a consultant to GMA Artist Center, Mr. M expressed his excitement to work with its talented pool of artists.

"Our main aim is to develop a new breed of GMA artists and perhaps change the imaging and styling of the more established ones," he concluded.

Seth Dungca breaks world record with single ‘Pangako’

Filipino singer Seth Dungca sets a world record for most music videos made for one song.

SINGER and composer Seth Dungca’s single “Pangako” recently spawned a whopping total of 64 music videos, handily surpassing the standing Guinness World Record for Most Music Videos Made for One Song.

The official world record is currently held by British EDM duo Coldcut for its 1998 song “Timber,” which has a total of five different music videos. Dungca’s “Pangako” easily tops that record by 59 more videos.

“Pangako” generated a plethora of music videos when Dungca’s record label Insight Music launched a film competition in partnership with UFC to crown the official music video for the song. As of July 8, 64 people have submitted official entries, which may all be viewed for free on the YouTube Insight 360.

While YouTube provides proof of the song’s record-breaking achievement, Dungca and Insight Music still need to get official verification from Guinness World Records. Insight Music President and

Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games 2017 in Toronto, Canada in 2017: Meghan is to produce an animated series for the streaming platform Netflix.

LOVI POE explores other facets of her CAREER

Star builder Mr. M now a Kapuso FORMER Star Magic head Johnny Manahan, otherwise known as Mr. M, is now officially with GMA Network.

The film director and talent manager, whose career in showbiz spans over five decades, is starting a whole new chapter in his career as a Kapuso after her signed a contract with the network on July 13.

Present during the virtual contract signing ceremony were GMA bigwigs including Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., Felipe S. Yalong, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Angela Javier Cruz, Gigi Santiago-Lara, Simoun Ferrer, and Jojo Aquio.

Mr. M. has been widely regarded as the man behind the success of some of the biggest names in the local entertainment industry. Apart from being a star builder, he also directed classic films and television series that are still remembered up to this day.

“I'm very happy that Atty. Gozon and the rest of the executives have given me this chance, an opportunity to work with GMA7 and become a Kapuso,” Mr. M said.

“I am very happy with that. I'm not exactly a stranger to GMA. Long time ago, GMA-7 was known as Channel 7 and I worked on many shows there and also a lot of musicals. So this is like a homecoming

wounded servicemen and women, which Prince Harry has long championed.

Meghan will be an executive producer for Pearl, alongside several others including Carolyn Soper, director of the animated movie Sherlock Gnomes and Liz Garbus, a US film maker whose work includes Lost Girls, as well as David Furnish, a Canadian filmmaker and husband of Elton John.

Earlier this year, Meghan published an illustrated children's book called The Bench, which started out as a Father's Day poem for Prince Harry. AFP

Chief Creative Director Chris Cahilig discloses that the label is currently in the process of applying for the record, but he is confident that they’ve broken the 23-year-old feat.

The process of world record validation can take up to 12 weeks, shortened by the organization’s Priority Application scheme that may take only five days.

“We hope to get this verified as soon as possible,” adds Cahilig, “because as far as we’re concerned, Seth and Pangako have earned it.”

As for the artist himself, Dungca thinks earning a Guinness World Record would be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement that he earnestly hopes will push through.

“I would never say no to having something as prestigious as a Guinness World Record,” says Dungca, “And to receive it because of all these uniquely beautiful music videos for my song fills me with an infinite amount of gratitude.”

Dungca says more than just the bragging rights of being a world record owner, seeing all the creativity from the 64 videos has made Pangako his proudest work yet.

“It’s crazy how much effort people put into making these videos. It shows that something about my song compelled them to direct these personal, moving, sometimes wacky music videos. The world record is really just a bonus,”,” says Dungca.

Insight Music recently announced the Top 20 music videos that will compete for the grand prize of 50,000 pesos and the distinction of being the single’s official music video. The label is set to announce the winner along with the People’s Choice Award for most YouTube views on July 30.

A

CTRESS VERY Lovi Poe is WANG making her NICKIE first step to working WANG behind the scenes.

Though music and acting are two of her main priorities, the sultry screen star is beginning to explore other facets of her career working behind the camera.

Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Lovi shared that she’s currently filming a movie opposite Carlo Aquino.

Titled Season, the big-screen project is directed by Easy Ferrer and the concept was her brainchild.

“I took the first step somehow,” Lovi started.

“The movie is based on my concept. I want to start there before I could move forward and explore things behind the camera.

It’s actually one of the things that I wanted to pursue. I feel I have a wild imagination din kasi so I want to explore film writing as well. I’ve been writing na it’s just that I'm really shy kaya I just pitch ideas and concept muna with people who can help me execute them,” she carried on.

While beginning to channel her creativity into a different vehicle, it’s her conscious effort to take it easy and set her focus on what she does best.

“One day you’d know if there’s something that I’d be doing outside acting and music because these are the things that I'd be doing for a while. There’s a lot of things that I would like to venture into, but right now I would like to focus more on acting and music because I believe that you should only focus on what it is that makes you really grow as an artist,” Lovi explained.

In speaking of growth, in her current film The Other Wife, which premieres today on streaming platform Vivamax, Lovi maintains that her character is not similar to the previous roles she had tackled.

“Some people thought that it’s another affair movie. It’s not. That’s the reason why I accepted this project. It’s an entirely different role.

Lovi Poe is on a role launching an international single, starring in a new film, and working on another movie, which she personally pitched to Regal Films.

In fact, I was about to turn down the role when it was offered to me but when I read the script, I realized that the character is really different,” she said.

“She’s very naive but towards the end, you’d see how her transformation as a movie character. I’d be spoiling the story if I told about it,” she added.

The Other Wife tells the story of Janis (Lovi) and Ronnie (Joem Bascon), a couple trying to fix their marriage. To make this work, they spend their time together in their beach house. Luisa (Rhen Escaño), Ronnie’s childhood friend joins them at the beach house. Suddenly, weird things start to happen.

“That’s what you saw in the trailer but there’s really more to it,” she assured.

While promoting the film, Lovi feels that things are beginning to go back to normal or at least a physical press conference is a step towards having a semblance of normalcy.

“We know that the virus is still there but it felt so good seeing familiar faces again,” she said alluding to he in-person event she recently participated in to promote her film.

“It’s one of the things I look forward to when promoting [a project], just meeting the members of the press and my coactors again. It felt good good to do it again though it felt a little different because the number people allowed at the venue was limited and for some reason, I don’t know if it’s because of the pandemic, but the questions were extra hard,” she ended. ***

GMA RTV keeps Filipino spirit burning

From Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—GMA Regional TV (RTV) was one with Filipinos all over the country commemorating the 123rd Independence Day of the Philippines.

Last June 11 and 12, the men and women of GMA RTV newscasts and morning shows, dressed in Filipiniana attire, brought to the Kapuso viewers in the regions the various commemorative events as they happen from various key cities across the country.

In GMA RTV’s North Central Luzon hub, GMA Regional TV Balitang Amianan led the coverage with seasoned broadcast journalists CJ Torida, Joanne Ponsoy, and Jasmin GabrielGalban. They were also joined by regional correspondents Ivy Hernando, King Guevarra, Russel Simorio, Claire Lacanilao plus a wide network of local news stringers all over North Central Luzon. The unified weekday morning show in North Central Luzon Mornings with GMA Regional TV also gave viewers updates on the latest happenings in the morning via its host Ara Hanesh.

Serving Kapusong Bicolanos the freshest happenings that day was the newest flagship local weekday newscast in Bicol—GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia.

GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia is anchored by Rhayne Palino, Jessie Cruzat, and Katherine Henry with Naga-based regional correspondent Charmaine Ragiles and a wide network of stringers all over the Bicol region.

Meanwhile, in GMA RTV’s Central and Eastern Visayas hub, the unified weekday newscast GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak bannered by tri-media personality Bobby Nalzaro and co-anchored by award-winning broadcast journalists Alan Domingo and Cecille QuibodCastro gave viewers reasons to celebrate Independence Day amidst the challenging times with their special coverage. Full story on manilastandard.net

GMA Regional TV Balitang Amianan is anchored by seasoned broadcast journalists CJ Torida (center), Joanne Ponsoy, and Jasmin Gabriel-Galban

NCT Dream, Momoland among acts in ‘Together Again’ digital concert

‘Together Again,’ the hotly anticipated digital music event, gathers 26 k-pop acts including Momoland (right) and NCT Dream.

TOGETHER Again, the hotly anticipated musical experience that gathers 26 hot K-Pop artists such as NCT Dream, Oh My Girl, Brave Girls, BTOB, Momoland, ONF, AB6IX, CIX, and more is set to shake up the concert scene via ktx.ph this Saturday, July 17.

Headlining the show produced by Korea Entertainment Management Association (KEMA) are top boy acts NCT Dream, the third sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT, which recently got their 6th No.1 album in South Korea with Hello Future, and

BTOB, a veteran boy group known for its single "Missing You." Also taking the stage is Momoland, whose team-up with Chromance for a new version of "Wrap Me in Plastic" has become another hit. The group will be joined by ONF, one of the rising groups in South Korea that is still basking in the success of its recent single, “Beautiful, Beautiful,” the video for which has garnered 16 million views.

Fans should also watch out for Brave Girls, who shot to fame after

their performance of their hit "Rollin" was uploaded online and went viral; as well as AB6IX, which debuted in 2019 and had recently released their 4th EP entitled, Mo' Complete: Have a Dream. Jumping into the fun is another group on the rise, Oh My Girl.

With this concert, CIX makes a comeback. This July, the band released its prologue film, Be Ok, a teaser for its first full-length album, Ok. Ticket is for P499. Visit ktx.ph for more information.

Life

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

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TRAVEL & LEISURE

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

Magellan’s destination

EXHIBITS

Online gallery mounts group show

Something new in Boracay is the Biking Tour, which takes you away from the beach and brings you to other interesting spots on the island.

(Stock photo)

O

F ALL the regions in the country, I think Visayas can boast of being the only one with a history which intertwines with that of our country.

It had its first contact with Western civilization when Ferdinand Magellan, on a global expedition for spices, landed in Homonhon, Eastern Samar. He later proceeded to plant his iconic cross on the shores of Cebu to symbolize his conversion of the island’s natives to Christianity.

Unfortunately, his valor was no match for Lapu-Lapu, a brave Datu of Mactan island, who engaged him and his soldiers in a fierce battle that led to his end. That, in a capsule, was Magellan’s foray into our country.

The Visayas region, which got its name from the Sanskrit word “Srivijaya”, progressed through the centuries to live up to its etymology and become “excellently prosperous”. I’m proud of it because I’m from there.

Fast forward to today, the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) recently hosted a forum to update its members on the latest industry developments in Visayas. The virtual event started with its President’s Report on TCP’s stellar achievement, in spite of the challenges posed by the pandemic. This was followed by a very interesting talk by chief operating officer Maria Anthonette VelascoAllones of the Tourism Promotions Board, the event’s sponsor.

This marketing and promotions agency of our Department of Tourism is pursuing its pivot to help our tourism industry survive this pandemic-induced downturn by embarking on three strategies: Smart Tourism, Partnerships As Pathways, and Safe Bangon Travel.

Smart Tourism leverages on digitalization as travel and tourism events have now shifted to virtual and hybrid modes. TPB has also developed and enhanced the new Travel Philippines App, the official guide to safe and fun travel around the country.

Partnerships As Pathways is designed to make reaching a goal easier when friendly contacts are established along the way, thus, TPB has started partnerships with local government units, obtained the support of the private sector, and has strengthened its inter-agency

Known as the ‘Crown Jewel of Leyte’ is this beautiful, musical note-shaped sandbar of Kalanggaman Island, where the sand is bone white and as fine as powder. (Photo courtesy of Kalanggaman Island - Leyte and Biliran Tour Packages/Facebook)

PHILIPPINE-based online art gallery Vintana.PH spotlights the works of 17 local artists at the ongoing “The Little Big Art Show”.

Launched on July 12, the online group exhibition dives deep into the themes of obsession, history, solitude, freedom, rebellion, love, and loss amid a precarious era. Works currently on view on the website include those by 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, Isha Naguiat, Tom Bucag, and Mai Saporsantos.

Angela Gaddi, Vintana co-founder, said the online art gallery was built on the back of a cultural awakening to a massive cache of Filipino talent that has thus far been kept hidden and inaccessible to a wider audience. The virtual stage aims to support and provide Filipino artists with an alternative and easy-to-use venue to feature their works.

“We recognize the gift of home-

‘Begotten IV’ by Iggy Rodriguez

grown talent. At Vintana, we believe that the world deserves to see what Filipino artists are truly capable of,” Gaddi said.

Go to www.vintana.ph to view the show. Contact 0917-597-0421 or email angela@vintana.ph for more information.

Pardo de Leon’s artwork, one of the featured works at ‘The Little Big Art Show’.

An enjoyable trip to Bohol’s outdoors is a visit to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, home to these cute and wide-eyed tarsiers.

collaboration.

For our industry to bounce back, Safe Bangon Travel calls for the broadening of our domestic tourism base, preparing for the resumption of international travel and focusing on TPB’s banner programs HABI (which brings displaced workers to the weaving industry), HILOM (for the unemployed to get involved in our wellness industry), and HALAL (to fill in the needs of the large Middle East market).

The various Tourism regional directors in Visayas followed next with their respective presentations. Phoebe Areno, tourism operations officer of Region 6 or Western Visayas (composed of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental), happily announced that the region is up and about, ready to welcome domestic tourists with its many offerings.

Its Fun Farms give tourists a choice to visit and enjoy any of the 35 accredited

YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE What do you call a bee that can’t make up its mind? A Maybe. farms in the region, and its Dive Circuit brings enthusiasts to its amazing dive sites. The Slow Food Tour shows tourists its 134 agro-biodiversity products, and the Sugar Tour gives emphasis on stories and livelihood derived from the sugar industry for which the region is known.

Of course, the region’s most popular destination, Boracay, is more than ready for tourists. Aside from its world-famous beaches, its new Biking Tour brings visitors to other interesting spots on the island, and the very interesting Food Crawl lets tourists do a restaurant-hopping for a set menu, as each item has to be partaken of from different restaurants.

There’s also Wellness Workation, where leisure time at the beach can go hand in hand with office work. In fact,

I know of some hotels on the island offering a “Work From Paradise Package” where room rates include the use of office equipment, so guests can easily accomplish office tasks while enjoying themselves on the beach.

Shalimar Tamano, director for Region 7 (Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor), bannered its faith-based tourism, made possible with the cooperation of the Agustinians and the Archdiocese of Cebu, the province being the origin of Christianity in the country. It also offers Gastronomy Tourism which highlights heirloom recipes for guests to savor.

The region’s Al Fresco Taste and Tour brings guests to beautifully designed open-air restaurants. And since the preference of tourists these days is the outdoors, the region has tapped sports organizers, making it easy for them to hold landmark events of any size. Of course, Region 7 is proud of its Dive Festival which showcases the beautiful dive spots of Moalboal, Malapascua, Lapu-Lapu City, and Panglao.

Karina Rosa Tiopes, director for Region 8 (Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Southern Leyte), announced that the region experienced an 82 percent decrease in tourist arrivals, which explains why only 28 percent of its accommodations have reopened so far. Nevertheless, being on the country’s eastern front where typhoons usually enter, and used to overcoming all sorts of challenges, the region is ready to bounce back and grab its share of domestic tourists.

I am looking forward to my first visit to that “Crown Jewel of Leyte”, the beautiful, postcard-pretty Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, where, I am told, the sand is bone white and as fine as powder. Leyte also has its Bike Tour that can take guests all the way to San Juanico Strait, to marvel at that beautiful infrastructure that connects the province to Samar.

Another tour worth taking is that which includes Leyte’s seven heritage stone churches and the historic Limasawa Island, where the first Roman Catholic Mass was celebrated when Magellan arrived. In Northern Samar, there’s the amazing Biri Island rock formations sculpted by waves through the centuries, and for a more sedate attraction, one can opt for the Secret Kitchens of Samar, a project that runs up to December this year, featuring the province’s culinary heritage and recipes long kept and treasured, ready to be experienced by the new generation.

All these and more are ready to enthrall tourists in Visayas, now that quarantine restrictions have eased up. Think of it this way – from among a multitude of destinations in the world, Magellan chose to land in Visayas. There must be something beautiful and interesting waiting for everyone there. Wouldn’t you want to find out for yourself?

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Amazing anime collectibles showcased COSPLAYERS and anime fans recently had an “anime-zing” time at the toy exhibit at SM City North Edsa.

A joint project of renowned toy collector Yexel Sebastian and SM North, the event transformed The Block Atrium into an anime world, featuring Sebastian’s life-size toy collection of One Piece characters Monkey D.

Fairy Tail Funko Pops

Demon Slayer-themed wall

Luffy and Pirate Hunter Zoro, and Pokemon characters.

The exhibit also featured anime collectibles, as well as fun finds from Filbar’s, Skechers, Miniso, and Levi’s. It had a couple of spots for photo-ops including the Demon Slayer- and Japanese neon streetthemed walls.

Life-size One Piece and Pokemon characters

Yexel Sebastian at the Animezing North.

A life-size version of Roronoa Zoro

(Top) Cosplayer Awie De Guzman as Jamie Robinson and (below) Mark We in Pokemon-themed Levi’s jean jacket