Manila Standard - 2021 July 23 - Friday

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PALACE WON’T GO ALONG WITH ICC, CITES LACK OF MECHANISM

By Vito Barcelo, Rey E. Requejo tion to cooperate with the ICC despite its withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019. and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE International Criminal Court (ICC) cannot compel the Philippines to cooperate with its probe on alleged drug war killings, despite a ruling by the Supreme Court saying the Philippines remains obliged to cooperate even after withdrawing from the Rome Statute, the Palace said Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque issued this statement after the Supreme Court said the Philippines has an obliga-

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Roque said the lack of an enforcement mechanism meant the government cannot be compelled to cooperate.

The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, in March 2019.

A decision released by the SC on July 21 states: “Even if it has deposited the instrument of withdrawal, it shall not be discharged from any criminal proceedings.

Whatever process was already initiated Next page

Delta local transmission confirmed LGUs told to step up contact tracing amid fears of variant spreading

By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE Department of Health confirmed there is already a local transmission of the Delta variant in the country.

Doctors seek tighter border controls on Malaysia and Thailand sia and Thailand to prevent the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant.

“Let’s tighten up their entry here,” A GROUP of physicians on Thursday Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of urged the government to impose strict- the Philippine College of Physier restrictions on travelers from Malay- cians, said in an interview with

By Willie Casas, Rey E. Requejo and Vito Barcelo

“Clusters of Delta variant cases were seen to be linked to other local cases, therefore, exhibiting local transmission,” the DOH said in a statement issued late Thursday evening.

The DOH said the confirmation came after the “phylogenetic analysis” conducted by the Philippine Genome Center as well as the department’s own Epidemiology Bureau.

Earlier in the day, independent researchers tracking the COVID-19 pandemic said there may already be community transmission of the more transmissible Delta variant due to the rise in infections in Metro Manila.

The DOH and the UP-Philippine Genome Center on Thursday reported 12 more local cases of the Delta variant detected -- six in Region III, two in Calabarzon, one in Region V, and three in the NCR. All cases have been tagged as recovered but their outcomes are being validated. The latest tally brings the total of known Delta variant cases to 47.

Teleradyo’s “On The Spot.”

“If the government wouldn’t do it, then what we should do is allow them to enter here but they should quarantine for 14 days. They must quarantine for a complete 14 days regardless of whether

they’re vaccinated or not,” Limpin added.

The Philippine government recently imposed a travel ban until July 31 on travelers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Next page

FABIAN’S FURY. Garbage and water lilies were washed ashore

in the Dolomite Beach along Roxas Boulevard in Manila, and maintenance men were quick to clean up, while a decades-old tree fell down in front of two schools on Del Pilar Street in Batangas City after typhoon Fabian dumped heavy rains and triggered howling winds. Flash floods also inundated many portions of Metro Manila, rendering some roads unpassable. Norman Cruz/Noel Silang

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COVID-hit Duterte’s son to skip SONA PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte had no contact with his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Thursday.

“Of course, the President is concerned as a father, although one thing going for the vice mayor is that he is young and healthy. The immune system is the one fighting COVID-19,” Roque said.

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‘Fabian’ exits slowly to Japan

By Rio N. Araja and Jess Malabanan TYPHOON “Fabian” continued Thursday to move slowly westward over the Philippine Sea southeast of Yaeyama Islands in Japan, leaving at least 23 villages in Pampanga submerged in floodwaters, disaster officials said.

The center of the eye of “Fabian” was estimated at 505 kilometers northeast of

Itbayat, Batanes, nearly 660 km north of Metro Manila.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 185 km/h and central pressure of 955 km/h, the typhoon was moving westward slowly, weather officials said.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was raised over Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

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SONA to focus on roadmap

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz, Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano

PRE-SONA POSITIONING. An activist in Quezon City prepares

protest materials such as placards and effigy ahead of President Duterte’s delivery of his sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 26, 2021. Manny Palmero

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not discuss his political plans for 2022 during his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday, but instead will outline his roadmap in his remaining year in office, Malacañang said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President’s speech would focus on what his plans would be in the next 11 months and the achievements under his administration during the past five years.

“It is unlikely that the President’s plans for 2022 will be included in his landmark speech. I don’t think his political plans will be part of the speech,” Roque said in a

China boats drilling for oil in Scarborough ruled out

By Francisco Tuyay

China-made buoy?

THE Palace on Thursday said it was confident that China is not drilling for oil in Philippine waters, despite the discovery of a floating device with Chinese markings—believed to be equipment used in oil exploration--a few miles off the Scarborough Shoal.

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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 22)

1,530,266 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,828 50,562 NEW

ACTIVE

26,891

17

1,452,813

3,257

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

Games’ ceremony director fired over ‘joke’ THE show director for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has been fired on the eve of the event over a decades-old skit referencing the Holocaust, in the latest blow for organisers of the pandemic-delayed Games.

Kentaro Kobayashi’s comments in a video of a

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FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

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SC junks plea vs. mega vax hub

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking to stop the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases from cutting the trees at the Nayong Pilipino to give way for the establishment of a mega vaccination site for COVID-19.

In a four-page en banc resolution, the SC ruled that the petition for writ of kalikasan and writ of continuing mandamus filed by former Boac, Marinduque Mayor Pedrito Nepomuceno against the IATF was insufficient in form and substance, thus, warranting it dismissal.

The tribunal noted Nepomuceno’s petition suffered formal defects as it was unsigned, unverified and unac-

companied by a certification of nonforum shopping.

The SC said the petition also failed to show proof of service to the adverse parties and payment for Sheriff’s Trust Fund.

On the substantive requirements, the high court said the petitioner failed to identify the environmental laws violated or threatened to be violated, and the environmental damage of such magni-

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before the International Criminal Court obliges the state party to cooperate.”

However, Roque said the SC’s statement “does not have jurisprudential value.”

“That’s obiter dictum. In law, there’s the main issue that has to be resolved.

And the main issue was, is Senate concurrence required to withdraw from the ICC? Because in becoming a member of the ICC, the Senate concurred. And the main decision was no,” Roque said.

Malacañang insisted that the Duterte government will still not cooperate with any probe to be conducted by the ICC. Roque said the SC ruling dismissing petitions questioning the legality of the Philippines’ withdrawal as state party without Senate concurrence by stating such are moot and academic clearly presumes regularity.

“The main issue here is that the Senate concurrence is not needed in withdrawing from the ICC,” he said.

“No change in our policy. They won’t rule that the petition is moot and academic if there is a violation of law,” he added.

Earlier, Roque said pursuing the ICC probe would be an insult to all Filipinos as it implies that the country’s legal system is not working.

He cited the principle of complementarity in which the ICC can only investigate crimes against humanity if local courts are unable or unwilling to do so.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the human rights situation in the Philippines has improved under the administration of President Duterte, particularly in the fight against illegal drugs due to expanded cooperation with international institutions.

“We are making real progress in human rights; while protecting our society from the worst of scourges: drug trafficking that takes over states as in Central America; and drug addiction that destroys its willing victims,” Locsin said, during the presentation of the security, justice and peace Cabinet cluster, as part of the preparation for the State of the Nation (Sona) Address of the President on July 26.

Locsin said the broadening cooperation and alliances have paid off, citing the United Nations Joint Program (UNJP) with the Philippines as a partner in a three-year undertaking aimed to promote a human rights-based approach to combating terrorism and illegal drugs in the country.

“There’s a suspicion that the Delta variant is already involved,” Guido David of the OCTA Research Group said in Filipino in an interview on ABSCBN’s Teleradyo.

He added that the number of new cases may reach 10,000 in the coming weeks with the entry of the highly contagious Delta variant.

So far, the DOH has reported only three cases of the Delta variant in Metro Manila.

“We have to assume the worst so we can prepare,” David said.

The OCTA group urged the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to contemplate a stricter quarantine status or reimposing more restrictions in Metro Manila.

The OCTA group also said local government units must gear up for intense contact tracing following the detection of the Delta variant.

Fully-vaccinated individuals will “help mitigate” the situation in the event of an increase in cases, David said.

“We hope the government would reprioritize the National Capital Region and Cebu City because virus cases in regions outside NCR are declining or at least stable,” he said.

Implementing an NCR Plus Bubble to keep out the virus might be too late if there is already local transmission of the variant, but it might protect nearby provinces, he added.

David said the COVID-19 reproduction number in the NCR has increased to 1.15, indicating sustained transmission of the coronavirus.

“The reproduction number refers to the number of people that one COVID-19 case can infect. If it is more than one, it means the patient is infecting more than one person,” David said.

Nicanor Austriaco, a molecular biologist, said one Delta variant case can infect five to eight other people.

“For LGUs, I cannot emphasize that the contact tracing will be intense,” he said at a Palace briefing.

COVID-hit...

From A1 The President on Monday is set to deliver his sixth and last State of the Nation Address, which the younger Duterte will not attend.

Davao City is under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions until the end of the month.

It has tallied 29,720 coronavirus infections, of which 1,173 were active as of July 21, according to the Department of Health’s COVID-19 tracker.

‘Fabian’...

From A1 According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, “Fabian” was unlikely to directly bring heavy rainfall in the country throughout the forecast period.

In Pampanga, Angelina Blanco, executive director of the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office, said high tides aggravated the flooding in the towns of Masantol, Macabebe and San Simon towns.

“The situation is closely monitored by local DRRMO and so far the condition

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Emirates, Oman, and Indonesia.

Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Leehiong Wee on Thursday said he wrote a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow the repatriation of Filipino workers from the Southeast Asian country despite the travel ban.

“We will need at least two flights,” he said in a television interview.

“Most of our OFWs have expired working contracts.”

Malaysia and Thailand are fighting increasing coronavirus infections linked to the more contagious Delta variant.

On Wednesday, Malaysia reported 11,985 new COVID-19 cases, raising its tally to 951,884.

Meanwhile, Thailand is experiencing its worst COVID-19 outbreak, logging a daily record 13,002 coronavirus infections on Wednesday.

Limpin also called for standard border control measures across the country.

“Our border control should be standard wherever you go in the Philippines. We should not just leave it to the ways of LGUs. Some local chief executives don’t listen. They’re stubborn,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs has raised Alert Level 4 in Myanmar due to worsening public health situation due to the surge in coronavirus cases there.

The DFA through the Philippine Embassy in Yangon said the alert level for Myanmar was raised by the DFA “to ensure the safety and welfare of the remaining Filipinos” there.

“Under Alert Level 4, the Department of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends that Filipinos leave Myanmar as soon as possible, as the healthcare system in the country is close to reaching its maximum capacity and may not be able to provide adequate medical attention to Filipinos who become ill in the coming weeks,” the embassy said in a Facebook post.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration also imposed a total deployment ban for Myanmarbound OFWs.

tude as to put at risk the life, health or property of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces to warrant the issuance of a writ of kalikasan.

“Nepomuceno’s invocation of the State’s responsibilities to protect and advance the people’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology and preserve and protect the environment, without identifying the respondents’ unlawful act or omission, is insufficient to justify the issuance of the writs prayed for,” the SC said.

The tribunal also said that the petition was not supported by any evidence other than online articles discussing the proposed vaccination center.

“Verily, unverified news articles on the internet are hearsay evidence, twice

removed, and are thus without any probative value.All told, the petition is insufficient both in form and substance,” the tribunal declared.

Nepomuceno filed the petition on May 11, 2021 against the IATF to prevent the cutting down of trees at the Nayong Pilipino compound.

Nepomuceno claimed the establishment of the vaccination center will destroy the environment and violate environmental laws.

According to the petitioner, the proposed vaccination center did not undergo the mandatory Environmental Impact Analysis by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and had no Environmental Compliance Certificate.

This, he said, would be the key to battling the Delta variant.

Meanwhile, the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) said hospitals have begun seeing a fresh increase in COVID-19 cases.

PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin, in an interview on radio dzBB, said this was based on an increasing number of patients going to COVID-19 emergency rooms.

“We have been feeling the rise in cases, especially since the latter part of last week, when we started to notice that cases were increasing. Even until this week, cases are slightly higher,” Limpin said.

Limpin also noted that infections are increasing even among health workers.

“Eventually, once cases get too high and our health care workers are also affected… we will be understaffed again but as usual we will respond to that,” she said.

Limpin also emphasized the need to prepare respiratory equipment and supplies like ventilators and oxygen tanks, especially in far-flung areas.

She attributed the increase in cases to relaxed border controls, decreased adherence to health protocols, especially in public transportation, and the detection of the Delta variant.

Upon the release of sequencing results, immediate contact tracing, quarantine, and RT-PCR retesting were done on all Delta variant cases and their close contacts. Third generation contact tracing was also initiated. Eight Delta variant cases who returned positive on the re-swab were placed in isolation and their contacts remained in quarantine.

“With the detection of additional cases, it is crucial that we implement an enhanced response immediately in the areas where these cases were detected and their contiguous LGUs as well as areas with case spikes with the premise that there may be ongoing local transmission already,” the DOH said in a statement.

Of the additional 187 Alpha variant cases detected, 179 were local cases and eight are currently being verified if they were local or Filipinos returning from overseas. Based on the case line list,

54 cases have died while 133 have been tagged as recovered.

This brings the total Alpha variant cases to 1,668.

Of the additional 142 Beta variant cases, 134 were local cases and eight cases are currently being verified if they are local or from returning overseas Filipinos cases. Based on the case line list, 21 have died and 121 have recovered.

The number of Beta variant cases now totals 1,827.

“With the detection of local cases with the Delta variant and other variants of concern, the public must strictly adhere to the minimum public health standards and continue to avoid enclosed spaces and mass gatherings,” the DOH said.

“Continued implementation of the PDITR (Prevent-Detect-Isolate-TreatReintegrate) strategies and localized lockdowns, active case detection, contact tracing, completion of isolation or quarantine, and increased vaccination of the priority groups are necessary to control the further transmission of COVID-19 and its variants.

“The local government units are also requested to increase their samples for whole genome sequencing especially in areas with identified spikes of cases and clustering,” the DOH said.

The Philippines logged 5,828 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,530,266 Seventeen new fatalities brought the COVID-19 death toll to 26,891.

The DOH reported 3,257 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 1,452,813.

Active cases were logged at 50,562, of which 92.7 percent were mild, 1.6 percent were asymptomatic, 1.5 percent were critical, 2.5 percent were severe, and 1.74 percent were moderate.

Nationwide, 54 percent of the ICU beds, 47 percent of the isolation beds, 43 percent of the ward beds, and 37 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 44 percent of the ICU beds, 40 percent of the isolation beds, 34 percent of the ward beds, and 33 percent of the ventilators, were in use.

has yet to confirm if he would be attending the SONA. Roque said the Palace hoped Congress would pass “as soon as possible” the President’s remaining priority measures in his remaining months in office.

He cited the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program and the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, the Foreign Investments Act, and the Public Service Act as among the government’s priority measures.

Roque said Duterte might also push for the swift passage of the Bayanihan to Arise as One (Bayanihan 3) bill, which intends to earmark P401 billion for the government’s COVID-19 response and recovery interventions grounded on economic inclusivity and collective growth.

dent Vicente Sotto III said he would be joined by Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri, and Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald Dela Rosa, Christopher Go, Francis Tolentino, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Imee Marcos. * The House of Representatives launched on its official Facebook Page an omnibus video titled “Kung Duterte, Posible” highlighting the President’s legislative accomplishments and remarkable programs during the past five years. Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said he and his colleagues in Congress were proud partners of President Duterte in his efforts to initiate genuine change for the benefit of the Filipino people. * The Akbayan party-list and its allies from people’s organizations and social movements have threatened to mark July 26 as “Goodbye Duterte Day.” “There will be two prominent words from the public that will mark Mr. Duterte’s last SONA. They will not be ‘thank you,’ but, ‘goodbye, Duterte,” Akbayan spokesperson RJ Naguit said.

comedy sketch from 1998 emerged online overnight and sparked shock from some in Japan.

“It came to light that during a past performance, (he) used language that mocked a tragic fact of history,” Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto told reporters.

“The organizing committee has decided to relieve Kobayashi of his post,” she added.

In the sketch, Kobayashi and a comedy partner pretend to be a pair of famous children’s TV entertainers.

As they brainstorm an activity involving paper, Kobayashi refers to some paper doll cutouts, describing them as “the ones from that time you said ‘Let’s play the Holocaust,’” sparking laughter from the audience.

The pair then joke about how a television producer was angered by the suggestion of a Holocaust activity.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called the content of the sketch “outrageous” and “totally unacceptable.”

When asked about the fate of the opening ceremony, however, he told reporters: “I think it should be carried out as scheduled.”

In a statement, Kobayashi apologized, describing the skit as containing “extremely inappropriate” lines.

“It was from a time when I was not able to get laughs the way I wanted, and I believe I was trying to grab people’s attention in a shallow-minded way.”

Kobayashi, a well known figure in theatre in Japan, is the latest member of the opening ceremony team to depart in disgrace.

The creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies, Hiroshi Sasaki, resigned in March after suggesting a plus-size female comedian appear as a pig. AFP

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a project name.

But maritime experts from the People’s Development Institute (PDI), a non-government organization that works with fishermen, said the device was an ocean bottom seismometer or OBS, a measuring device widely used in oil exploration to record acoustic and seismic events under deep bodies of water.

The retrieval of the floating device came days after a Philippine Coast Guard ship drove away a Chinese navy vessel in the disputed WPS. In an online press briefing, presidential spokesman Harry Roque declined to make an “official reaction” to reports that are based on speculation.

“So for now, we’re confident that there are no exploration activities being conducted within Scarborough,” Roque said.

Reports said the fishermen from Pangasinan were convinced that the OBS could have been washed away from Scarborough Shoal, a triangle-shaped coral reef situated 124 nautical miles off Zambales.

The equipment has been sent to the Department of Science and Technology for identification.

Roque said the Philippines would not seek an explanation from China since maritime security forces have been conducting patrols in the Philippine waters to protect the country’s marine resources.

press briefing.

“What’s important is the roadmap for his last year in office,” he added.

The Palace official said that Duterte had rehearsed for his final SONA at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

“He will look back at the five years that have passed since he was President.

He will focus on, of course, the country’s progress, our social programs, infrastructure, peace and security, foreign policy. He will answer the questions, ‘What and where we are now?’

Roque said.

Roque also confirmed that Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, would not attend her faIn related developments: ther’s finaCONA. * Only eight of the 24 senators have Davao city vice mayor Sebastian Duterte, who tested positive for COV- confirmed their attendance to personID-19, will not be there either while his ally go to the House of Representatives brother, Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, for the SONA on Monday. Senate Presiis manageable. In fact only one family had been evacuated to higher ground Wednesday night as a preemptive effort,” said Blanco in her latest report.

She said raging water from upstream of the Pampanga River also contributed to the perennial flooding in the coastal towns.

The Pampanga River Water Basin has been placed in tight watch. So far the water level has yet to reach the critical level.

“The water remains confined on the river bed but constant monitoring is being done to warn people in low lying communities in the event of spill over,” Blanco said Other coastal towns being monitored are Guagua snd Sasmuan towns as well as Apalit, San Luis, and Candaba.

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The Northern Luzon Command said the orange colored device that resembled a buoy was found by fishermen 129 miles northwest of Infanta, Pangasinan, within the Philippine exclusive economic zone on July 1.

The National Mapping and Resource Information Agency said the device did not appear to have instrumentation used for hydrographic surveys or to aid navigation. Upon initial examination, it had no Global Positioning System (GPS) common in scientific buoys and no information plate to indicate its owner or

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FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Broadcaster shot dead in Cebu City

JOINT EFFORTS. Army Commanding General

Andres Centino and Philippine National Police Chief Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar discuss the PA-PNP’s strengthened collaboration and efforts in addressing security issues in the country during the former’s courtesy call on Thursday, July 21, 2021at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

House seeks extra funds for communist-free villages

By Maricel Cruz and Francisco Tuyay

H

OUSE Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday batted for additional budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), saying that more funding for the task force would help it develop barangays in several regions that were liberated from the clutches of the communist-led New People’s Army.

He stressed peace and order are among the key priorities of the Duterte administration.

“Personally, I believe we should provide additional funding to these barangays mainly because we have to develop them,” Velasco told a television interview.

He expressed belief that some individuals are enticed to join the communist movement because they don’t feel the presence of the government in their areas.

“With the presence of Elcac, I really think that they will feel the presence of the government more in those baran-

gays,” Velasco said.

Velasco said the proposal to increase the funding for the NTF-Elcac will be tackled during budget deliberations for 2022.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) is allocated a P19 billion total budget.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the task force’s vice chair, said the bulk of the total budget of thefunds had been allocated for the Barangay Development Program (BDP).

The BDP is the government’s counterinsurgency program that aims to deliver various government projects in conflict-

afflicted and geographically isolated villages that have been considered “cleared” from the influence of communist rebels.

In another development, the Philippine National Police on Thursday emphasized that police operations against individuals, including the National Democratic Front (NDF) consultants and personalities with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army, are legitimate and have basis.

PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar dismissed the NDF’s warning that attacks against their members and government dissenters would continue after it was tagged by the Anti-Terrorism Council as a terrorist organization being an integral part of the CPP/NPA.

Info drive on teenage pregnancies launched

By Willie Casas

Sky’s the limit: PAL taps other ports to bring OFWs home

By Joel E. Zurbano FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines is bringing home overseas Filipino workers and other returning Filipinos using alternative gateways.

The airline came up with the decision to use other airports such as Subic, Laoag and Davao following the government’s latest policy limiting to 2,000 arriving passengers a day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“The continuing imposition of a limit of 2,000 arriving passengers per day at the Manila airport, shared among multiple airlines, has caused the force majeure cancellation of many Manila-bound flights and resulted in major inconveniences for Filipinos stranded abroad,” said PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna.

She said PAL has been working to establish other airports as landing gateways for regular commercial flights as well as for special repatriation flights, in cooperation with national and local government officials, and local airport authorities.

On July 7, PAL flew from Dammam to Subic with 297 OFWs coming from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. A batch of Filipino seafarers and their family members from Bangladesh were also. brought to Davao via Dhaka on July 15.

Another batch of 119 OFWs from Kuala Lumpur were ferried to Laoag on July 10 while 359 others from the United Arab Emirates aboard a flight from Dubai were carried to Davao on July 17.

REYNANTE “Rey” Cortes, a block timer for radio station dyRB, was shot dead by motorcycle “riding in tandem” gunmen in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City on Thursday, July 22, 2021.

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), through its Executive Director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, on Thursday condemned the killing.

“We at the Presidential Task Force denounce the brutal murder of Rey Cortes. Rest assured that we will get to the bottom of this heinous crime. We have already directed law enforcement agencies to use all available resources to bring to justice the perpetrators,” Egco said in a statement.

Initial report submitted to PTFoMS

by Police Major Dindo Juanito Balili Alaras, chief of Police Station II in Cebu City, disclosed that at around 9:10 in the morning, Cortes was shot in the abdomen by unknown gunmen as he came out of the radio station right after his block time program. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 45 years old.

Egco has ordered investigators to thoroughly look into the case to find out if the incident was in connection with his radio program.

The PNP is one of the law enforcement agencies that comprises the PTFoMS. Cortez already survived an earlier attempt on his life. He was also arrested in 2006 for alleged extortion.

Egco reminded broadcasters, specifically block timers, to be more vigilant as the election season nears. According to Egco, historically, there is a spike in election related violence committed against block timers as the election heats up, especially at the local level. Willie Casas

SINGLE-SHOT.

Senior citizens get their one-shot dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccine at the Valenzuela Astrodome a few days after the Philippine government received the first shipment of the US-made vaccine against COVID-19.

THE United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Health , and the Commission on Population and Development have formed a nationwide campaign in order to address the alarming rate of teenage pregnancies in the Philippines.

The campaign, dubbed as “Konektado Tayo”, aims to bridge the communication gap between Filipino parents and their adolescent children particularly in terms of concerns related to adolescent sexuality and development.

“Konektado Tayo”, formally launched on July 22, uses Facebook as the primary platform to reach the above-mentioned target audiences and help improve the quality of conversations about love, sexuality, and relationships of parents and their teens.

USAID and POPCOM teamed up in 2021 to develop the “Konektado Tayo” Facebook page, @KonektadoTayoPH1, which to date has reached over 11 million people and has 4,200 followers.

Most of its engagements came from 35 to 54 age groups—the intended audience for the said campaign.

Advertisers kick off 2021 awards THE Philippine Association of National Advertisers just launched its PANAta Awards 2021, the country’s annual recognition program for effective and creative marketing communication campaigns, continuing its legacy of celebrating brands which have made a difference.

This year’s PANAta Awards theme is “Hilaraya”, a portmanteau of the Tagalog words hila, which means “to pull”, and hiraya, meaning the “fruit of one’s hopes, dreams and aspirations;

rendered through a creative device of a spectrum where the myriad of colors representing various sectors of the industry meet at a certain point.

Coming from a record-breaking support of the industry last year, PANAta Awards 2021 chair Ken Lerona expressed that “through the PANAta Awards 2021, we hope to reinforce the message of courage and optimism for the industry to move forward together toward brighter prospects amidst new realities”.

(Full story @manilastandard.net)

PCSD: Protecting and promoting Palawan’s growth WHEN Republic Act 7611 or the Strategic Environment Plan for Palawan became a law, the province acquired a strong foundation for clear policies on the protection of the environment – Palawan being touted as the country’s “last biodiversity frontier”.

SEP then created the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development giving the local government of Palawan direct jurisdic-

tion over its natural resources.

The agency is seen driving the efforts to uphold and implement sustainable development in Palawan, taking advantage of newly-available scientific data, while establishing a system that controls, protects and develops Palawan’s natural resources.

Two contentious national issues push the role of PCSD under the microscope – one,

that some of the province’s fishing grounds, particularly in Kalayan, form part of the West Philippine Sea; PCSD is highly involved in addressing the security and development concerns on the West Philippine Sea as it believes that the matters relating to the WPS are crucial to the well-being of Palawan, as well as national security and development. (Full story @manilastandard.net)

COMING HOME. Camarines Sur-bound beneficiaries of the “Balik Probinsiya,

Bagong Pag-asa” program attend the pre-departure orientation handled by the National Housing Authority personnel at the BP2 Depot in Quezon City. Created under EO 114, the BP2 program aims to decongest the urban areas by encouraging people to return to their home provinces while providing them support and incentives.

Robert Alfiler

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FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

ROTARY MEETING.

House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez expressed his commitment to Rotary Club of Manila’s vision of ‘malasakit’ leadership to serve communities and create positive impact on the lives of the people, during the virtual 4th Membership Meeting Classification Talks.

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Marcos assists Baguio frontline health workers FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. recently went to Baguio City where he extended his assistance to frontline health professionals.

Marcos or “BBM” personally gave a number of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, since the city government still needs the protective shield of its health workers from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Baguio City, which is part of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), is very close to Marcos since the residents are Ilocanos like him.

Earlier, Marcos extended assistance to the residents of at least three towns of Batangas that were directly affected by Taal Volcano’s restive movement.

Then, after being told about the fire in Pateros that rendered several families homeless, Marcos immediately sent sacks of rice and other essential needs directly to the affected families temporarily billeted at the LGU-designated evacuation center.

In a statement, Marcos underscored the need to provide for the families from Metro Manila’s only remaining municipality, as they could hardly make ends meet amid limited funds.

“With the help of some friends, we were able to pool a little assistance for those families who are facing a doublewhammy – the continuing pandemic scare and losing everything they worked for in just a snap,” he said.

While many other politicians are busy trading barbs, the young Marcos took it upon himself to pool resources to be able to help the displaced families from Pateros.

Pasig completes jabs for A2 senior citizens

By Coleen Magahis, Joel E. Zurbano and Dave Leprozo

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ASIG City reached 100% completion of the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine for the A2 priority group or eligible senior citizens on Thursday.

This developed as Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) on Thursday shipped to Manila 1.5 million Sinovac-made COVID-19 vaccine doses, bringing to 16 million the total doses of the Coronavac brand the country has received since February.

In Baguio, City Health Services Office assistant head Dr. Celia Brillantes pleaded with residents to strictly follow the vaccination requirements and schedules

and not insist on going to vaccination sites when they are not yet up for inoculation or without the needed documents.

Brillantes said this would only be a waste of their effort and time, as they would only be sent home.

National Task Force for COVID-19 Chief Implementer Vince Dizon, Health Un-

dersecretary Myrna Cabotaje and Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque joined Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto in acknowledging the Pasigueños’ feat at the Pasig City Sports Center.

“At first, to be honest, it was really hard for us to come up with the database.

Last December 2019, someone erased our database for senior citizens. But we did multiple entries or multiple ways, multiple doors to our vaccination registration,” Sotto said.

“Thank you so much and congratulations to us for this accomplishment in vaccinating 100% of our eligible senior citizens,” he added.

Fil-Am, 71, pleads for release from ‘trumped-up’raps

ANTI-KABATAAN PROTEST. Members of the League of Parents of the Philippines urge the Commission on Elections to disqualify the Kabataan party-list from running in the 2022 elections owing to its alleged on-campus recruitment of students as combatants for the New People’s Army. One of the petitioners, Jose Antonio “Ka Pep” Goitia, Secretary-General of the Liga Independencia Pilipinas (inset), said there was ‘overwhelming evidence’ for this. Danny Pata

A FILIPINO-AMERICAN is asking the Court of Appeals to allow his release after six years in detention and to declare him as a Filipino citizen.

Walter Manuel Prescott, 71, represented by the Public Attorney’s Office, maintained he is not an alien, but is a natural-born citizen of a Filipino mother, Hilda Fernandez.

He questioned the Nov. 28, 2013 decision of then-Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revoking his reacquisition of his Filipino citizenship on the complaint of his former wife, Maria Lourdes Dingcong, for alleged misrepresentation and fraud.

Prescott said he was never given the chance to defend himself and was never informed about the complaint.

De Lima’s resolution is “null and void” for violating his constitutionally enshrined right to due process, Prescott said.

“Petitioner-appellant most respectfully and most humbly pleads for compassion and justice in the resolution of this case; for only the Court, at this point, may rectify the serious constitutional transgressions of the former Department of Justice officials,” the 24-page very urgent motion for reconsideration read.

THE Liga Independencia Pilipinas has petitioned the Commission on Elections to disqualify the Kabataan Party-List from the 2022 national elections.

In a statement Friday, Jose Antonio “Ka Pep” Goitia, Secretary-General of LIPI, said Kabataan is a known legal front of the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNew People’s Army-National Democratic Front identified by the government as a

Group moves to disqualify Kabataan party-list in ‘22 terrorist organization.

“Kabataan has filed their manifestation of intent to vie for seat in the 2022 elections under the guise to fight for health, aid, jobs, education and justice,” Goitia said.

“We urge the Comelec to disqualify and bar the Kabataan party-list from running in the elections as a result of its on-campus recruitment of students as combatants for the New People’s

Army,” he added.

Kabataan has yet to react to the statement at press time.

Goitia said there is “overwhelming evidence that Sara Elago and her cohorts are active members of the Communist Party of the Philippines based on the testimonies of former Kabataan party-list members and former cadres of the communist criminal organization.”

Romualdez vows to uphold Rotary ‘malasakit’vision

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez on Thursday expressed his commitment to Rotary Club of Manila’s (RCM) vision of “malasakit” (compassionate) leadership to serve communities and create positive impact to the lives of the people.

During the virtual RCM’s 4th Membership Meeting Classification Talks, Romualdez, of Leyte’s first district, backed service programs to “change lives” by building good relationships, improve quality of life and make a better world for the communities and the people.

“I hope to spend more time with each one of you here in Rotary Club of Manila so you can know me better. I am looking forward to working with you, all in the service of our people. Thank you, and Maupay nga kulop (good afternoon),” Romualdez told the virtual Classification Talks with Mr. Eusebio Tan and Mr. Jaime Victor “Jet” B. Ledda.

Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules and president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), said he gained good experience in the private sector before entering the political arena.

This helped him successfully address all major concerns in his district, including the devastating effects of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

“I am fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve long years both in the public and private sectors. My experiences as congressman and as business executive have proven to be useful especially in serving our people in times of dire need. The Super Typhoon Yolanda was an example,” said the lawyer from the University of the Philippines.

“I can say that my experience and relationships in the private sector have served me well in building my own corporate and private network that rushed to the aid of typhoon victims at the time when they needed it most,” Romualdez said.

Five to complete NPC senatorial slate, says Sotto

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta FIVE more personalities would complete the senatorial lineup of the Lacson-Sotto tandem, Senate President Tito Sotto III said on Thursday.

“There are about four or five names that we’re looking at, and all are experienced,” Sotto said in a virtual briefing, stopping short of identifying the possible candidates.

Meanwhile, Senator Manny Pacquiao “can do whatever he wants” since the Philippines is a free country, Malacanang said Thursday, after the lawmaker threatened to present evidence to substantiate his claim that corruption in government remains rampant.

Also, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go exhorted PDP-Laban members to unite and strengthen their efforts in support of the Duterte administration’s goal of providing a more comfortable life for all Filipinos amid the challenging times.

In an interview on Tuesday, Sotto told CNN Philippines he would be running for vice president and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson will be his running mate.

Sotto said an official announcement would be made on August 4.

According to Sotto, incumbent Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Joel Villanueva, and Juan Miguel Zubiri are in their tandem’s initial senatorial slate.

The six others are former Senator JV Ejercito, former Senator and now Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero, former Senator and now Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gringo Honasan, former Elections Commissioner Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal, former Senator and now Antique Rep. Loren Legarda, and Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez.

Help legit bike shop owners, mayor told

By Jun David LEGITIMATE owners of motorcycle parts stores called on Caloocan City Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan to assist them in curbing the emergence of illegal vendors on 9th and 10th Streets and Rizal Avenue in the city.

According to them, since the quarantine lockdowns began in March last year, illegal vendors suddenly sprouted in their area, becoming a big obstacle and a burden to their business.

The modus operandi of these illegal vendors is to block customers from buying in their stores, they said. Often, even when the customers are already in the store to ask for a part, the illegal vendors still harass them.

Such vendors, the legal shop owners said, have accomplices in small shops in the area “who are definitely without business and working permits.”

“They are illegal, they are bold,” said a businessman, who declined to be named.

He said the rights of consumers are also jeopardized because most of what illegal vendors sell to them are counterfeit, expired, or reconditioned products.

Defrauded customers no longer know how to go after the seller of the defective product because these illegal vendors have no legal store, the shop owner added.

Malapitan declared Caloocan as the country’s “Motorcycle Trading Capital” in October 2018.

The shop owners said this kind of harassment and fraud by illegal vendors persists, even if every time they are chased away by the barangay peacekeepers or Captain Josefina Reyes of Bgy. 106, they disappear temporarily, then return again after the authorities leave.

MORE SINOVAC. Workers of Cebu Pacific safely unload 1.5 million doses of the Sinovac anti-COVID-19 vaccine procured by the government early Thursday via flight 5J 671 from Beijing.

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Great Barrier Reef ‘in danger’—UN

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fter years of climate-worsened damage to its vibrant corals, Australia’s vast Great Barrier Reef could this week be added to UNESCO’s list of endangered World Heritage sites.

Along with six other sites globally that are grappling with issues like ecological damage, overdevelopment, overtourism or security concerns, the reef’s fate is being considered at a meeting in China, with a decision on the listing likely to be announced on Friday.

What is the World Heritage list?

There are more than 1,100 UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide recognised for their “outstanding universal value” and natural or cultural importance.

The Great Barrier Reef—the world’s largest living structure, visible from space

—was added to the list in 1981 for its “superlative natural beauty” and extensive biodiversity.

But the list is not permanently fixed and sites can be downgraded or even deleted entirely on the UN body’s recommendation.

While placement on the “in-danger” list is not considered a sanction—some nations have their sites added to gain international attention to help save them—others see it as a dishonor.

Why could the reef lose its status?

The reef has suffered three mass coral

bleaching events in the past five years, by some measures losing half its corals since 1995 as ocean temperatures have climbed.

It has also been battered by several cyclones, as climate change drives more extreme weather, and outbreaks of crown-ofthorns starfish which eat the coral.

“It’s a warning to the international community and all of humanity that the coral ecosystem is in danger,” Fanny Douvere, the head of UNESCO’s World Heritage marine programme, said in June.

Australian government scientists say

the corals have made a comeback over the past year, but acknowledge that will not improve the ecosystem’s “very poor” longterm outlook.

What does Australia say?

There are fears that an “in danger” listing could dent the massive global appeal of the reef – the glittering jewel in Australia’s tourism crown.

The 2,300-kilometer-long ecosystem was worth an estimated $4.8 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic. AFP

Chinese city picks through debris after historic flooding kills 33

An aerial view shows cars sitting in floodwaters at the entrance of a tunnel after heavy rains hit the city of Zhengzhou in China’s central Henan province on July 22, 2021. AFP

PILES of cars were strewn across a central Chinese city Thursday as shocked residents picked through the debris of a record deluge that claimed at least 33 lives, with more heavy rain threatening surrounding regions.

An unprecedented downpour dumped a year’s rain in just three days on the city of Zhengzhou, weather officials said, instantly overwhelming drains and sending torrents of muddy, swirling water through streets, road tunnels and the subway system.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the surrounding area have been affected by the flood, authorities said, as farmland was inundated and road and rail links severed.

In worst-hit Zhengzhou, grim images of the horror inside the subway system were relayed in real-time over social media, showing water rising during Tuesday’s rush hour from the ankles of passengers to their necks.

At least a dozen people died before rescuers were able to cut survivors free from carriages.

As the water retreated – with piles of

Hong Kong court jails seven over train station mob attack SEVEN Hong Kong government supporters who took part in a violent assault on democracy supporters and commuters were jailed Thursday for what the trial judge described as an “indiscriminate attack.”

The jailings came exactly two years after a gang of men dressed in white

shirts and carrying sticks descended on people returning at night from a democracy rally in the town of Yuen Long.

The brazen assault – and the police’s failure to respond quickly enough – was a turning point in 2019’s huge and often violent pro-democracy protests, further hammering public trust in both the force and Hong Kong’s government.

Only a handful of attackers were ever identified and charged by police.

On Thursday, seven men were given terms of between three years and nine months to seven years in jail following their conviction for rioting.

Judge Eddie Yip said the gang

of attackers had “collectively lost their minds” and heavy sentences were required because of the violence used and its impact on the community.

“They collectively took the law into their own hands and put residents in extreme terror,” he said.

After the sentences were read out, some supporters of the defendants shouted insults at Yip, including calling him “dog judge.”

One man holding a Chinese flag repeatedly shouted “dog judge” as he walked outside the courtroom.

During the Yuen Long attack more than a hundred men pounced on protesters as well as reporters and ordinary

commuters, sending some 50 people to hospital.

Much of the attack was broadcast online by journalists and victims. Police later confirmed some of those involved had links to triad organized crime gangs.

The ambush became a public relations disaster for Hong Kong’s government, especially after police officers were photographed talking to men in white wielding sticks and letting them leave the scene.

An award-winning investigation by public broadcaster RTHK found police did not stop a build-up of men with sticks in Yuen Long in the hours before the attack. AFP

India probes first human bird flu death INDIA is investigating its first documented human death from bird flu after an 11-year-old boy succumbed to the disease earlier this month, the health ministry said.

The boy lived in Gurgaon outside New Delhi and was also suffering from leukaemia and pneumonia.

He was admitted to hospital in the capital on July 2 and died 10 days later from multiple organ failure.

Genome sequencing and virus isolation is in process and an epidemiological investigation has been initiated, the ministry said late Wednesday.

Avian influenza occurs mainly in birds and poultry, with cases of transmission between humans extremely rare.

H5N1 first broke out in 1997, then spread between 2003 and 2011, while H7N9 was first seen in 2013.

Two strains of bird flu, H5N1 and H7N9, first seen in 2013, led to human contamination in Asia through infected birds.

H7N9 has infected 1,668 people and killed 616 since 2013, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

In the Indian case, the ministry said the virus belonged to the H5Nx subtype, considered worrying as they have proven to evolve into highly dangerous strains.

Doctors and nurses who treated the patient have been monitored since July 16 and no one has reported any symptoms, it said.

Contact tracing was also undertaken but family members, close contacts and health care workers did not show any symptoms. AFP

MAMMOTH WILDFIRE. A fire danger sign is displayed on US HWY 31 amid thick smoke from the Bootleg Fire on July 21, 2021 in Christmas Valley, Oregon. The Bootleg Fire, which started on July 6, has burned over 395,000 acres and is currently 38 percent contained. AFP

cars a monument to its deadly power – residents prepared for another day of bad weather, moving vehicles to higher ground and trying to plot journeys out from the stricken city, where communications and power were still patchy.

Trucks pumped muddy water from underground tunnels as business owners counted the cost of the torrent and meteorologists issued “red” rain alerts, warning of the threat of fresh landslides and flooding in the surrounding areas.

“I am waiting for the power to be restored, but it may take several more days I think,” Chen, the owner of a local food and pork sandwich restaurant, told AFP. “My losses? They are okay, compared to what happened in the tunnel there,” he said gesturing towards the tunnel where floods trapped many cars on Tuesday – potentially with motorists still inside.

Questions turned to how China’s bulging cities could be better prepared for freak weather events like Tuesday’s storm, which experts say are happening with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change. AFP

China: WHO plan to audit labs in virus probe ‘arrogant’ CHINA on Thursday said a WHO proposal to audit Chinese labs as part of further investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic showed “disrespect” and “arrogance towards science.”

Last week, the World Health Organization said a second stage of the international probe should include audits of Chinese labs, amid increasing pressure from the United States for an investigation into a biotech lab in Wuhan.

The proposal outlined by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus included “audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions operating in the area of the initial human cases identified in December 2019” —referring to the Chinese city of Wuhan.

But China’s vice health minister Zeng Yixin told reporters Thursday that he was “extremely surprised” by the plan, which he said showed “disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science.”

Long derided as a right-wing conspiracy theory and vehemently rejected by Beijing, the idea that COVID-19 may have emerged from a lab leak has been gaining momentum.

Beijing has repeatedly insisted that a leak would have been “extremely unlikely,” citing the conclusion reached by a joint WHO-Chinese mission to Wuhan in January.

At the same time, Chinese officials and state media have pushed an alternate theory that the virus could have escaped from the US military research lab at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

Nationalist tabloid Global Times said it had collected five million signatures from Chinese web users on a petition to investigate the US lab. AFP

Macron: National security meeting on Pegasus spyware FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has called an urgent national security meeting for Thursday to discuss the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware after reports about its use in France emerged this week, a government spokesman said.

“The president is following this subject closely and takes it very seriously,” Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio, adding that the unscheduled national security meeting would be “dedicated to the Pegasus issue and the question of cybersecurity.”

A consortium of media companies, including the Washington Post, the Guardian and France’s Le Monde, reported on Tuesday that one of Macron’s phone numbers and those of many cabi-

net ministers were on a leaked list of potential Pegasus targets.

The newspapers said they had been unable to confirm whether an attempted or successful hacking had taken place without forensically analysing the president’s phone.

Evidence of an attempted hacking was found on the device of former environment minister and close Macron ally Francois de Rugy, with the attempt allegedly originating in Morocco.

De Rugy demanded on Tuesday that Morocco provide “explanations to France, to the French government and individuals like me, who was a member of the French government when there was an attempt to hack and access the data on my mobile phone.”

The NSO Group has denied that Macron was among the targets of its clients.

We can “specifically come out and say for sure that the president of France, Macron, was not a target”, Chaim Gelfand, chief compliance officer at NSO Group, told Israeli television network i24 on Wednesday.

A source close to Macron played down the risk to him, saying Wednesday that the 43-year-old leader had several phones which were “regularly changed, updated and secured.”

Saudi Arabia, for its part, has dismissed as “baseless” allegations that it used Israeli-supplied Pegasus malware to spy on journalists and human rights activists. AFP

Business PSEi July 22, 2021

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14.34% 8.91% 8.45% 7.69% 6.52% 6.15% 5.97% 5.63% 5.45% 5.45%

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

MVC ALHI SFIP MHC SOC MACAY ATN LBC BCB PNX

LAST PRICE 4.53 7.3 1.52 0.52 0.73 7.2 0.6 17 4.72 12.5

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% CHANGE -15.80% -6.29% -6.17% -5.45% -5.19% -5.01% -4.76% -4.71% -3.87% -3.40%

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FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks end slump; BDO, BPI lead market gainers S TOCKS rallied Thursday along with the rest of Asia on bargain hunting to snap a four-day losing streak, as worries about the Delta variant were overshadowed by more strong earnings reports indicating companies were faring well as the global economy emerges from last year’s pandemic-induced collapse.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 100.41 points, or 1.6 percent, to 6,576.62 on a value turnover of P3.7 billion. Gainers routed losers, 136 to 56, with 52 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc. of the Sy Group, the biggest lender in terms of assets, advanced 3.4 percent to P107.60, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third largest bank,

climbed 3.8 percent to P87.50.

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group, rose 3.8 percent to P60.40, while AC Energy Corp., a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., increased 2.8 percent to P8.22.

The rest of Asian markets rose. After a painful start to the week, investors were back in the saddle as Wall Street and Europe enjoyed back-to-back rallies thanks to optimism about the outlook, and despite surging infections that have forced some governments to reimpose lockdowns or other containment measures.

Confidence in the long-term recovery has been fortified by data showing that while fully vaccinated people have been infected with the new strain of COVID—such as in the United States and Britain—hospitalization and death rates among them have remained relatively low, suggesting the drugs are working.

“The base case in the US is that the rise in Delta infections will not see restrictions tightened and although vaccination rates differ by state, 79.5 percent

of the over-65s population is now fully vaccinated,” said National Australia Bank’s Tapas Strickland.

He added that while Delta concerns remained, “the consensus is that it does not pose an immediate risk to the recovery. At most, given effective vaccines, Delta pushes out the recovery by a quarter as countries seek to vaccinate a higher share of their respective populations before fully repealing virus restrictions.”

All three main indexes in New York enjoyed healthy gains.

And Asia extended the rally, with Hong Kong leading the way by climbing 1.8 percent, while Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Mumbai and Jakarta also put on more than one percent. There were also gains in Shanghai, Wellington and Bangkok. Tokyo was closed for a holiday.

US traders cheered after forecastbeating earnings from Verizon and Coca-Cola, while United Airlines predicted profits down the line despite Covid curtailing travel. With AFP

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BANNED ICE CREAM. Three Israeli soldiers enjoy ice-cream at a shop inside the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Be’er Tuvia in southern Israel, on July 21, 2021. Ben & Jerry’s announced that it will stop selling ice cream in the Israel-occupied Palestinian territories since it was ‘inconsistent with our values’, although it said it planned to keep selling its products in Israel. The West Bank and East Jerusalem have been under Israeli control since 1967. Roughly 475,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, in communities widely regarded as illegal under international law, alongside some 2.8 million Palestinians. AFP

Gauchos mourn as Buenos Aires cattle market prepares to close

By Nina Negron BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—Arriving on horseback and wearing the typical gaucho beret and boots, Argentines young and old spend the night bringing bulls, cows and calves to their respective pens.

It’s an age-old tradition at the Buenos Aires cattle market that dates back to 1889 when the southern Mataderos neighborhood was still fields.

But a page is turning as by the end of the year, the 33-hectare Liniers cattle market will leave Buenos Aires for a new, modern installation 60 (40 miles) kilometers away in Canuelas.

“My great-grandfather Carlos brought the cows, herding them from the La Tablada roundabout” 20 kilometers away, said Ezequiel Martinez, 27.

“I’ll cry a lot because there are a lot of memories.”

He was 12 when his father first brought him to the Liniers market. Martinez is now the fourth generation from his family working as a gaucho—a role that has become part of Argentine legend.

Unwilling to leave The presence of the market in the center of Buenos Aires has become an environmental

problem due to animal feces polluting water sources, as well as traffic congestion generated by huge trucks transporting cattle into the town.

But the move, which has already been postponed several times, has created uncertainty for gauchos attached to their traditions.

“The old foremen started at eight or nine years old and they never imagined having to leave,” said Martinez.

“Even when retired, they keep doing something here.”

Agustin Lalor inherited from his father a job auctioning cattle to the cold storage companies that transport the beasts to abattoirs.

At 8:00 am a bell rings and the auction begins.

Speaking into a megaphone, Lalor describes each cattle up for sale before selling to the highest bidder.

“This place is unique in the world,” he says.

The prices negotiated in Liniers serve as a reference for beef throughout the country and are published in specialist press.

Traditionally, the market is open from Monday to Friday until 8:00 pm, but the pandemic saw it restricted to Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays, while sales are down by half. AFP

People participate in an auction of cows at the Liniers Cattle Market in Buenos Aires, on July 1, 2021. The Liniers Cattle Market moves to Canuelas, Buenos Aires province, after 120 years of being in the Mataderos neighborhood, in the heart of the city. AFP

California utility to bury 10,000 miles of power lines LOS ANGELES—California’s largest energy utility firm will bury 10,000 miles of power lines in a massive bid to prevent its equipment igniting more deadly wildfires, its CEO said Wednesday.

Pacific Gas and Electric’s faulty power lines sparked the deadliest blaze in the state’s modern history, which swept through the northern Californian town of Paradise in 2018, killing 86 people.

PG&E equipment was again blamed this week for one of the largest fires now blazing in California—the Dixie Fire—after a tree fell on a power conductor on the day the blaze began.

Announcing the measure, CEO Patti Poppe said the decision to bury the lines had been brought forward due to the “emotional toll” of the Dixie Fire, which is burning in the wildfire scars of the Paradise blaze.

“We are committing today to undertake one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of our state,” said Poppe at a press conference.

“We are committing to bury 10,000 miles of lines, starting in our highest fire threat districts and our highest risk areas. We start today.”

The project is expected to take a decade and cost tens of billions of dollars. California utilities have buried power lines before, but never approaching this scale.

Uncleared land around high-voltage lines has been blamed for triggering many of the massive fires that have swept California in recent years, although a significant part of last year’s record fire season was triggered by lightning strikes.

In recent years, utility firms have taken to organizing pre-emptive blackouts during hot, windy conditions to prevent the spread of wildfire.

But Governor Gavin Newsom slammed the “scale and scope” of the unpopular measure in 2019, instead blaming decades of “neglect” and “mismanagement” by PG&E. PG&E acknowledged its equipment was to blame for the Paradise disaster and filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2019. AFP

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Gov’t to enforce 60-40 oil sharing deal with China

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy is preparing to implement the 60-40 ownership rule in the planned joint exploration with China over the West Philippine Sea, an official said Thursday.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the Philippine and Chinese governments were in talks for the joint exploration.

“Our governments are talking, but as far as our government is concerned...we are bound by the provisions of our Constitution,” Fuentebella said during the pre-Stateof-the-Nation briefing.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier said a memorandum of understanding with China would govern the framework of the joint development at the West Philippine Sea, but the talks were stalled amid the COVID-pandemic last year.

“Under the disputed area, we are saying we have an MOU with China on how to go on a possible joint exploration, so that we can exploit and make use of whatever resources are available in the area for the use of our country,” Cusi said.

“We are still working on that. We are still working on the way forward on how we can proceed with the joint exploration,” he said.

Cusi also confirmed talks between Forum Energy Plc. and the China National Offshore Corp., but said no agreement was reached yet.

“There’s a need to further explore what kind of treaty or agreement we can come up with. However, if we follow the Philippine Constitution, we can apply the current 60-40 arrangement which we also apply to other nations or contractor,” Fuentebella said.

“If we can move forward, yes, but we have to follow our Constitution,” he said.

Cusi previously said DOE would stand firmly behind any decision and action of President Rodrigo Duterte regarding the assertion of the exclusive licensing authority of the Philippines over petroleum and other resources in the seabed and subsoil of the West Philippine Sea.

Slowing inflation gives BSP space to keep rates low BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday the manageable inflation rate is giving monetary authorities elbow room to maintain the current policy stance.

Inflation slowed down to 4.1 percent in June, after recording 4.5 percent for three consecutive months. The figure brought the average in the first semester to 4.4 percent, above the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year.

“We believe that the prevailing monetary policy stance remains appropriate, especially as price pressures are expected to dissipate further with the continued implementation of non-monetary supply-side measures by the government,” Diokno said in an online briefing on the second-quarter inflation.

“Keeping an accommodative stance shall also help counteract risk aversion among banks, which continues to temper lending activity despite ample liquidity in the financial system,” he said.

The BSP kept its policy rate at a record-low of 2 percent in the second quarter, given a within-target outlook for inflation and the need for continued policy support to drive economic growth.

Inflation hovered above the government’s target range as prices of selected food and transportation items remained elevated because of temporary supply bottlenecks.

International commodity prices, particularly crude oil, also increased with the rebound in global economic activity.

Average Inflation decreased to 4.3 percent in the second quarter from 4.5 percent in the first quarter, as non-monetary interventions eased domestic supply constraints.

“In the coming months, the continued facilitation of meat imports and other targeted programs to augment domestic supply should further temper pressures on food prices and inflation,” Diokno said. Julito G. Rada

Business Razon, Consunji, Megawide eyeing PNR-Calamba rail job

By Darwin G. Amojelar

S

IX Philippine companies led by Megawide Construction Corp., D.M. Consunji Inc., EEI Corp., First Balfour, Santa Clara International Corp. and Razon Group’s Prime Infra and 17 foreign firms submitted bids to build the P344.6-billion PNR-Calamba Project, the Department of Transportation said Thursday.

The agency said it received a recordbreaking turnout of 34 bids from six Philippine companies and 17 international companies that intend to participate in contract packages of the PNR-Calamba Project involving the construction of 40.5 kilometers of viaduct structures, including 13 elevated stations and a 22-hectare train depot.

The DOTR, the Philippine National Railways and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management held the bid submission and opening for Contract Packages S-01 and S-02 and Contract Packages S-04, S-05, S-06, and S-07, respectively on July 14 and 15.

The local companies that offered bids

for the contract packages were Megawide; DMCI; EEI; First Balfour; Prime Metro BMD Corp., a joint venture of Prime Infra and Australia’s BMD Group; and Santa Clara International Corp.

Among the foreign companies that submitted bids were China Construction First Group Corporation Ltd., Chun Wo Construction (Hong Kong), Leighton Contractors Asia Limited (Hong Kong), DL Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (South Korea), Dong-ah Geological Engineering Company Ltd. (South Korea), GS Engineering & Construction Corp.

(South Korea), Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (South Korea) and

Lotte Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. (South Korea).

Other foreign companies were POSCO Engineering & Construction (South Korea), Samsung Construction & Trading Corp. (South Korea), PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk (Indonesia), PT PP (Persero) Tbk (Indonesia), PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk (Indonesia), Gülermak Ağır Sanayi İnşaat ve Taahhüt A.Ş. (Turkey), Acciona S.A. (Spain), Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd. (Thailand) and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. (Japan).

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the impressive turnout of bidders for the PNR Calamba Project’s contract packages was proof of the infrastructure sector’s trust in the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

“This record-breaking turnout of bidders is yet again an indication of the trust and confidence of both the local and international infrastructure sectors on the Duterte administration’s ‘Build, Build. Build’ program, which champions a transparent, fair, and efficient bidding process through a joint implementation by the DOTr, PNR, and the Procurement Service of the DBM,” Tugade said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, July 22, 2021

100.41 PTS. 6,576.62

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,395,902,603 67,396 3,691,199,469.24 136 56 52

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.3120

Japan

Yen

0.009067

0.4562

UK

Pound

1.371800

69.0180

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128647

6.4725

Switzerland

Franc

1.090156

54.8479

Canada

Dollar

0.796242

40.0605

Singapore

Dollar

0.733353

36.8965

Australia

Dollar

0.735900

37.0246

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652661

133.4607

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

13.4147

Brunei

Dollar

0.730674

36.7617

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030460

1.5325

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6985

Euro

Euro

1.179800

59.3581

Korea

Won

0.000870

0.0438

China

Yuan

0.154595

7.7780

India

Rupee

0.013425

0.6754

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236407

11.8941

New Zealand

Dollar

0.696500

35.0423

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035764

1.7994 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

Banks asked to provide full services to PWDs

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reminded financial institutions to refrain from committing discriminatory practices on persons with disability, saying financial services should be easily accessible to the vulnerable sector.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno stressed the importance of empowering the PWDs through digital financial inclusion during a recent webinar marking the 43rd National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.

“Rest assured the BSP is committed to continuously engage the sector and better respond to the needs of PWDs,” Diokno said.

“Empowering vulnerable sectors has always been an underlying objective of the BSP’s efforts. For this reason, we are stepping up our financial inclusion efforts to ensure financial services are within easy reach for all Filipinos, including PWDs,” he said.

The BSP issued a memorandum to all BSP-supervised financial institutions to remind them to refrain from discriminatory practices toward PWDs. This is to ensure that their rights as PWDs to participate fully in the social life and enjoyment of opportunities available to other citizens are upheld at all times. Julito G. Rada

AllHome opens new outlet in Batangas

CREEK CLEANUP. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte attends the third leg of Manila Water Co.’s Adopt-an-Estero program in Barangay Kamuning. Belmonte (center) is shown holding up a Mabuhay Ball which will be dropped to help clean the Lagarian Creek. With her are (from left) Manila Water corporate operations group director Arnold Jether Mortera, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System co-deputy administrator Ronald Abrigo, Barangay Kamuning chairman Armie Castel, Barangay Pinagkaisahan chairman Graziella Saab, MWSS-RO regulator Patrick Lester Ty and Manila Water chief operating officer Abelardo Basilio.

BPI’s net income climbed 28% to P6.8b in second quarter

By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, said Thursday net income jumped 28.8 percent year-on-year in the second quarter to P6.8 billion, its highest quarterly profit since the start of the pandemic.

BPI said in a statement the secondquarter profit was also 36.3 percent higher than in the first quarter, “due to lower provisions recognized.”

The figure brought net income in the first half to P11.8 billion, up 1.2 percent from a year ago.

The bank said revenues in the first six months declined 6.7 percent to P48.1 billion as net interest income dropped 6.6 percent to P33.9 billion and net in-

terest income contracted by 24 basis points from 3.56 percent to 3.32 percent.

Earning asset yields declined by 85 basis points.

“While non-interest income was down by 7.1 percent to P14.3 billion largely due to lower trading income, fees and commissions showed a growth of 37.2 percent across fee-based businesses,” the bank said.

Total operating expenses rose 3 percent in the first semester to P24.1 billion. Cost-to-income ratio stood at 50.1 percent, a 4.75-ppt increase from 45.3 percent a year ago.

The bank booked provisions of P6.5 billion, lower by 55.7 percent than P14.7 billion it booked in the same period last year. Non-performing loan ratio was

2.94 percent, with NPL coverage ratio at 120.3 percent.

Total loans as of June 30 declined 4.5 percent to P1.4 trillion, on softer demand for corporate, SME and auto loans.

Deposits went down by 4.5 percent year-on-year to P1.7 trillion. Current and savings account grew 10.7 percent, offsetting a 43.1-percent decrease in time deposits. The bank’s CASA ratio was 83.2 percent, while the loan-to-deposit ratio was 80.8 percent.

Total assets declined 3 percent yearon-year to P2.2 trillion. Total equity increased to P285.8 billion, with an indicative common equity tier 1 ratio of 16.95 percent and a capital adequacy ratio of 17.82 percent, both above regulatory requirements.

ALLHOME Corp., the listed one-stop shop home store of the Villar Group, opened a new store in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

AllHome said in a statement the newest store boosted its store network to 55, including 41 in Mega Manila, seven in Luzon outside Mega Manila, three in the Visayas and four in Mindanao.

“As the country’s vaccine efforts are now in full swing, we are optimistic, even more so as we see more concrete milestones leading towards containing and hopefully ending the pandemic. As the economy continues to open up, we fully intend to further grow our presence beyond Metro Manila,” AllHome chairman Manuel Villar Jr. said.

“We are proud to mark the opening of our 55th store, and the continuing mission to bring AllHome’s complete, elevated homeshopping experience to even more Filipinos,” he said.

Located along Maharlika Highway, the newest AllHome store will have its sister brands brands AllDay Supermarket, Coffee Project, Bake My Day and AllDay as anchor tenants to bring the comprehensive retail experience for residents of Batangas.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business registrations increase 31% to 1.2m

NEW business name registrations rose 31 percent in the first half to a record of 1.2 million from 916,163 registered enterprises in the same period in 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry said Thursday.

“Despite the pandemic, we’re seeing an increase in business registrations. In fact, from January to June 2021, there was about 31-percent growth in business registrations, especially online businesses,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

This followed the 43.6-percent rise in business name registrations in 2020 to 916,163 from 637,580 in 2019.

Lopez said while about 10 percent of small businesses closed in the second wave of strict quarantine measures, “some must have also opened another business and registered the same at the DTI.”“Business owners especially micro businesses cannot afford to have no means to get by. They will again put up another business, maybe in logistics, as soon as they shut down a prior business. They need to put food on the table for their families,” he said.

Othel V. Campos

Ayala unit breaks ground on P2-b cancer hospital

By Jenniffer B. Austria AC HEALTH, the healthcare arm of Ayala Corp., on Thursday broke ground on a P2-billion cancer hospital in Taguig City.

AC Health said in a statement the 100-bed Healthway Cancer Care Center would offer a complete range of services aimed at providing Filipinos with affordable and quality cancer care.

Set for completion by July 2023, Healthway Cancer Care Center will be the country’s first comprehensive, dedicated cancer hospital offering a complete range of cancer services from screening, diagnosis, treatment to postcancer care.

AC Health earlier teamed up with Varian-CTSI to develop and operate the planned hospital. Varian-CTSI is a leading oncology services provider that has supported the delivery of safe, quality, and affordable cancer care worldwide

for nearly two decades. It provides clinical services and solutions to over 100 hospitals, clinics and physician groups around the world with a focus on multidisciplinary oncology care “Cancer is a critical public health problem with an enormous impact on patients, the families and the healthcare system at large. There is an urgent need to develop sustainable solutions. We need to increase awareness of the disease through patient education, improve the timeliness of diagnosis through rigorous screening programs, and minimize out-of-pocket cancer expenses through affordable cancer care,” said AC Health chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

The addition of Healthway Cancer Care Center expands AC Health’s portfolio alongside Healthway Clinics, Qualimed Hospitals, Generika Drugstores, IE Medica and MedEthix and the HealthNow mobile app.

COAST GUARD SUPPORT. Manila Harbor Center Port Services Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc., donates construction materials to help build the Philippine Coast Guard’s Vitas substation at Pier 18 in Tondo, Manila. Attending the turnover ceremony are (from left) MHCPSI deputy administration manager Norman Castillo, MCHPSI corporate communications manager Iran Isabelle Servillon, MHCPSI security manager Raymund Fran and PO1 Ronald James Corpuz, PCG officer-in-charge at Vitas substation.

Sports

Selection of national fencing team on hold SELECTION for members of the national team to the coming Southeast Asian Games has been put on hold.

National head coach Amatov Canlas said this following the staging of the National Open Fencing Championships in Ormoc City.

The postponement of the 31st SEA Games this year has compelled board members of the Philippine Fencing Association to put off their search for new members of the national squad.

“Magkakaroon kami kami ng selection. For next year na iyun,” said Canlas on Facebook Live.

The SEA Games Federation Council recently voted unanimously to call for the postponement of the 31st SEA Games this year.

Canlas said the top four performers in each weapons class in the men’s and women’s divisions have earned their places in the national pool.

During the final leg, Ateneo de Manila standout Maxine Esteban got back at Samantha Catantan, 11-10, in the finals of the senior women’s foil event.

The 20-year-old Esteban bounced back from her loss to Catantan, 8-15, in the second leg.

This allowed Estebam to keep her slot in the national squad.

A bronze medallist in the women’s team foil, Esteban fought her way in the finals with a 15-11 triumph over Wilhelmina Lozada during action that was held at the Ormoc Superdome.

Earlier, CJ Concepcion ruled the men’s sabre after he disposed of Daniel Sia, 15-11. Peter Atencio

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

C1

Margielyn Didal trains at the Ariake Urban Sports Park four days before the skateboarding competitions of the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

PH averts COVID-19 crisis; gymnast Yulo to alter tactic

By Riera U. Mallari

T

OKYO—Crisis struck Team Philippines on the eve of the Summer Olympic Games here, with one of its best coaches testing positive for COVID-19 and one of its brightest hopes altering what could be his winning routine following a bad fall two weeks ago.

The embattled coach was quickly separated from the team and will be put in an isolation facility following a positive COVID-19 test result, Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino revealed during a mini conference at the CONRAD Tokyo.

The daily tests at the Athletes Village on coaches and players, yielded a false positive test on the said coach, prompting his isolation and a confirmatory test, which turned out be negative. A third and fourth test yielded two straight positive results on the said

coach, who is now running a fever.

“While waiting for another confirmatory test, I have ordered our chef de mission Mariano Araneta to separate him from our team. If the next result is negative, we are sending him home. If he again tests positive, he will be brought to a quarantine hospital. Either way, wala na muna siya sa team,” said Tolentino earlier while waiting for the fourth and final test.

“To further mitigate the risks to the Philippine team, we have decided to separate the coach from the delegation,” said POC Secretary General Edwin Gastanes.

As this developed, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion revealed that world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo will not be doing his

Expect a high-tech Olympic opening ceremony TOKYO— Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Thursday that he expects the hosts to present a one-of-akind opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic Games here.

The opening ceremony is set at 8 p.m., when the sun has set in Japan.

“They [Tokyo] will make sure that the opening ceremony will be the best ever,” said Tolentino, who arrived here on Wednesday with POC Secretary General Atty. Edwin Gastanes and POC Legal Head Atty. Billy Sumagui.

Tolentino said he got wind that Tokyo is going digital with its presentation.

“I heard that they’re using lasers, holograms and drones, but exactly what they are remain a secret,” Tolentino said. “But the opening ceremony will perhaps be the best ever, because of the pandemic.”

Tokyo Olympics organizers banned fans from all venues during the 17-day games that end on August 8—and that includes both the opening and closing ceremony.

The 205 member countries—only North Korea opted to skip the Games—

POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino talks with female flag-bearer Kiyomi Watanabe at the Team Philippines Secretariat inside the Olympic Village. Tolentino buckled down to work a day after arriving in Tokyo. Also in photo are Chef de Mission Mariano “Nonong” Araneta and POC Secretary General Atty. Ed Gastanes.

attending the Olympics are allowed only Olympic committee president and secthree VVIPs at the stands—the national retary general and sports minister, in the

Philippines’ case Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez.

It means that at least 605—wire reports say a thousand VVIPs and dignitaries—of the 68,000-seat stadium will be occupied for the kickoff event for what has been dubbed as “the greatest show on earth.”

The organizers, Tolentino said, limited the number of officials from six countries who can join the parade to six, but opened the ceremony to as many athletes as each member nation wanted to send.

“But we won’t do that [sending more athletes in the parade],” Tolentino stressed. “I don’t want to risk the health and safety of our athletes.”

Eumir Felix Marcial (boxing) and Kiyomi Watanabe (judo) are the country’s flag bearers during the parade where the male Filipino participants will be wearing cocoon silk barongs with a machine-embroidered pitchera design muslin inner shirts and light wool black pants, and the female will be clad in cocoon silk short blazers with a machine embroidered front and sleeves and neoprene spaghetti-strapped black inner blouses and neoprene black pants—all from Kultura.

Knott to wear carbon fiber-plated kicks for added speed

By Peter Atencio

Kristina Marie Knott

TRYING out new technology and making the necessary adjustments have been the order of the day for Filipino-American sprinter Kristina Marie Knott for the last two days.

Knott got a feel of how it’s like wear carbon fibre-plated kicks, while working out exclusively at the Transcosmos Track and Field Stadium in Isahaya City in southern Nagasaki.

“That’s going to be the shoes that she is going to wear during the prelims,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association spokesman Edward Kho as he watched Knott make her way through the first half of the 400-meter syntheticsurfaced oval.

The 25-year-old Knott will need a few more days to get used to her new, lightweight, neon blue, 136-gram pair of Asics shoes.

But Knott’s new pair kicks is said to give sprinters explosive speed, with its hexagonal, pyramid shaped, spikeless studs.

Knott, whose road to the Olympic Games was temporarily derailed by her COVID-19 infection four weeks ago, was greeted by the blazing summer weather when she started working out at the track on Wednesday morning.

She didn’t mind the temperature that ranged from 32*C and 34*C when she ran around the oval and began training for her lone event (200 meters) in the Tokyo Olympics, knowing it simulated the conditions she will be experiencing at the National Stadium in Kasumigaoka at the Shinjuku area in Tokyo.

“Convenient,” said Knott on Facebook Live as she described the stadium, where she will do her routines for three days.

Knott, who is with coach Rohsaan Griffin and strength and conditioning coach

Carlo Buzzichelli, will train at the Transcosmos until Monday.

After that, Knott moves to another venue, because the Transcosmos will be used as COVID-19 vaccination facility for local residents.

“Relaxed lang siya, pero focused. I like her state of mind going into competition,” said Kho, who paid the group a visit and watched as Knott in her first hour of training.

“It was a great opening day. We had a good session on both the weight room and the track,” said Griffin.

There will be no distractions during the training sessions, since their team will use the stadium all by themselves.

On Saturday, Knott and her coaches will go to Shimabara municipal oval in Shimabara City to practice.

After that, Knott will be in Tokyo for the women’s 200-meter sprints, where she will try to cross the 23-second barrier.

signature and possibly gold-clinching triple back and double forward routine after a bad fall while training at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre two weeks ago.

“He is okay na, but he won’t be doing that routine anymore for fear of making a mistake, which might cost him the gold,” said Carrion of Yulo, one of the favorites to end the Philippines’ 97-year gold medal drought.

Yulo starts his campaign on July 24 for the qualification of the apparatus. Finals of the individual all-around, if he qualifies, will be on July 28. The floor exercise finals will be on Aug. 1, vault on Aug. 2 and parallel bars on Aug. 3 along with horizontal bar. The pommel horse and rings finals are slated on Aug. 1 and 2.

Nievarez opens PH bid in games TOKYO—Cris Nievarez opens the Philippines’ Tokyo Olympics campaign in the men’s singles sculls of rowing on Friday at the Seaforest Waterway on Tokyo Bay. Nievarez has set a modest goal of finishing at least third in his star-laden heat to advance deep into the event.

“The target is to beat Nicaragua and Benin,” Nievarez, 21, said on Thursday, a day before the pandemic Olympics open at the National Stadium.

Nievarez must beat Nicaragua’s Felix Potoy and Benin’s Privel Hinkati in order for him to wind up third in Heat 5, where Croatia’s Damir Martin, silver medalist at Rio 2016, and Alexander Vyazovkin, a three-time world indoor (ergo) champion, are expected to dominate.

There are six heats in men’s singles sculls of rowing and the top three in each heat will advance to the quarterfinals.

Those who miss the top three will battle it out in Saturday’s repechage where the top two performers move on to the quarterfinals on Sunday.

“Cris has prepared himself physically and mentally for this, he knows these are the Olympics and he understands the magnitude of the games,” Nievarez’s coach, many-time national rower Edgardo Maerina, said.

“I prepared hard during the small window since I got my qualification for the games,” said Nievarez, who earned a continental quota slot for the event from the sport’s international federation only in May. A native of Sariaya in Quezon, Nievarez is the only Southeast Asian qualifier in men’s singles sculls and one of only five Asians—Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Japan—in the event that will be raced over 2,000 meters.

“We are taking it one race at a time and we hope that Cris makes it as No. 3 in his heat tomorrow [Friday],” rowing association treasurer Magnum Membrere said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

2. The Minimum Contract Quantity per Billing Period for the duration of the Contract shall be based on the eighty percent (80%) Load Factor of the prevailing Contract Capacity as stated above. The Buyer shall maintain a minimum hourly energy nomination of eighty percent (80%) of the prevailing Contract Capacity. xxx

Republic of the Philippines TODAY ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ELECTRIC SUPPLY CONTRACT (ESC) ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN MACTAN ELECTRIC COMP ANY, INC. (MECO) AND SMC CONSOLIDATED POWER CORPORATION (SCPC), WITH MOTION FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR INTERIM RELEIF AND CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFROMATION

ANNEX II-A SMC CONSOLIDATED POWER CORPORATION (SCPC) GENERATION CHARGE, ENERGY FEES AND ADJUSTMENT FORMULA The BUYER shall pay the SELLER for the Delivered Energy at the following Energy Fees and as adjusted on a monthly basis pursuant to the following formula: ERC CASE NO. 2021-____RC

GCBP = DEBP * (CRFAdj + FOM + VOM + FF)

MACTAN ELECTRIC COMP ANY, INC. (MECO) AND SMC CONSOLIDATED POWER CORPORATION (SCPC), Applicants. x-----------------------------------------------------------x

Relevant Technical Details of the SCPC Plant Net Heat Rate of SCPC

Y

Latest Audited Financial Statement of SCPC

Z

Write up on the Ancillary Service of SCPC

VOM - Variable Operation and Maintenance Fee set at PhP 0.1000/kWh

ANNEX II-B MACTAN GREENFILED PLANT GENERATION CHARGE, ENERGY FEES AND ADJUSTMENT FORMULA The BUYER shall pay the SELLER for the Delivered Energy at the following Energy Fees and as adjusted on a monthly basis pursuant to the following formula;

2.2 Supply Effective Date (“SED”). The Supply Effective Date shall be 26 July 2021 at interval 0001 hour subject to the submission of BUYER of all the following requirements at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to SED or such other date as may be agreed upon by the Parties in writing. xxx Article 5 Sale and Purchase of Contract Capacity and Delivered Energy 5.1 Contract Capacity and Delivered Energy 5.1.1 Beginning SED, the SELLER shall make available to the BUYER, and the BUYER shall take or pay on a monthly basis the Delivered Energy up to Contract Capacity and subject to the Minimum Contract Quantity for each Billing Period as specified in Energy Fees stated in Annex II - A and Annex II-B. The Minimum Contract Quantity for each Billing Period as specified in Annex I shall not be changed by either Party except in cases provided for this Contract.

5.1.2 The Contract Capacity and Minimum Contract Quantity shall be delivered by the SELLER at the SELLER’s high voltage side of the transformer of the Plant as provided in Annex III. This will be used for purposes of billing and settlement. Title and risk of loss for the Contract Capacity and Delivered Energy shall be transferred to the BUYER at the high voltage side of the Plant’s transformer.

5.2 Supply 5.2.1 The SELLER shall have no obligation to supply more than the Contract Capacity as provided for in Annex I. The BUYER acknowledges that it is obligated to take no less than the Contract Capacity at eighty percent (80%) Load Factor (LF) for each Billing Period and shall maintain a minimum hourly energy nomination of eighty percent (80%) of the Contract Capacity for the duration of the Contract Term subject to the Nomination Protocol as contained in Annex I below.

5.2.2 For Delivered Energy, the BUYER shall submit to the SELLER, a month-ahead nomination translated into hourly and daily schedule referred as the BCQ in seven (7) calendar days prior to the start of the next Billing Period, in accordance with the “Nomination Protocol” to be agreed upon by the Parties or prescribed by the Market Operator.

5.2.3 In the event that the capability of the SELLER to deliver capacity or the capability of the BUYER to take the capacity are each affected by the occurrence of an Event of Force Majeure, the provisions of Article 10 (Force Majeure) shall apply.

Where:

DEBP - Delivered Energy in kWh, for the Billing Period

Period calculated as follows: CRF Adj = CRF base / LF actual

LF actual = Buyer’s actual load factor for the Billing Period FOM - Fixed Operation and Maintenance Fee set at PhP 0.3000/kWh (fixed/ non-adjusting) VOM - Variable Operation and Maintenance Fee set at PhP 0.1000/kWh (fixed/non-adjusting) FF Adj - Current Fuel Fee applicable for the Billing Period calculated as follows: FF Adj = FF base * ( FO current / FO base)

FF base = Base Fuel Fee set at PhP2.4000/kWhBtu

FO base = Base landed cost of fuel set at USD5.00/mmBtu xxx 10. Based on the rate computation and analysis, the ESC will have a rate impact of (Php1.3428)Jkwh reduction in electricity cost as shown below -

May

June

May

June

SCPC Demand in KW

if at 30,000 KW

Energy in KWH

22,320,000.0 0

Capacity Recovery Fee

1.3333

O&M Fee

0.0000

if at 50,000 KW 21,600,000.0 0

37,200,000.00

36,000,000.0 0

Fuel Fee (Non-adjusting/ Fixed)

2.0000

Total Rate

3.3333

Energy

22,320,000.0 0

21,600,000.0 0

22,320,000.00

21,600,000.0 0

Amount

74,399,256.0 0

71,999,280.0 0

74,399,256.00

71,999,280.0 0

Energy

5,233.71

5,697.11

5,233.71

5,697.11

Amount

20,012.50

22,294.05

20,012.50

22,294.05

50% of NET PPD

532,376.35

556,704.71

598,103.57

568,597.00

PCR

491,922.60

420,914.86

491,922.60

420,914.86

Blended Gen Rate

3.9984

5.0355

3.5039

4.0888

Implemented Blended Gen Rate

5.4231

6.3784

5.4231

6.3784

Rate Impact (Increase / -Decrease)

-1.4247

-1.3428

-1.9192

-2.2895

NM

11. In support of this Application, MECO and SCPC respectfully submit the following documentary requirements: Annex B

Description Amended Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of MECO

B-1

General Information Sheet (GIS) for the Year 2020 of MECO

B-2

Copy of Republic Act No. 10890 or “ An Act Granting the Mactan Electric Company, Inc. (MECO) a Franchise to Construct, Install, Establish, Operate and Maintain a Distribution System for the Conveyance of Electric Power to the End Users in the City of Lapu-Lapu and the Municipality of Cordova, Province of Cebu

B-3

Copy of the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity of MECO

C

Explanation re: Non-Applicability of the Transition Supply Contract with National Power Corporation (“NPC”) of MECO

C-1

Distribution Development Plan of MECO

C-2

Graphical Representation of the Supply and Demand Scenario of MECO

D

Details of the CSP Process for MECO

D-4

Proposals Received from SCPC and CEDC (confidential)

D-5

Evaluation Report of the PSPP-BAC dated November 19,2018 (confidential)

D-6

Evaluation Summary of the Challengers’ Offer (confidential)

D-7

Rules for the Evaluation of Challenge Bids In Re: Invitation to Submit Comparative Proposals to Challenge KSPC’s Proposal

xxx

D-8

Article 8 Contract Charges and Adjustments

Letter dated March 8,2019 re: Notice for Leading Challenger Status on the Invitation to Submit Comparative Proposals to Challenge KSPC’s Proposal

D-9

Board Resolution dated January 7, 2019 re: Conduct of CSP through Comparative Proposals

D-10

Notice of Award and/ or Notice to Proceed

D-11

Certification of MECO’s General Manager re: Conduct of CSP

c. Starting 26 March 2026 until the end of the Contract Term, the Contract Capacity shall be 50,000 kW.

12. Applicants respectfully move for provisional authority and interim relief to implement the ESC pending the resolution of this Application on account of the exposure to the volatile prices of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) especially these recent times where such prices are at record high.

14. Therefore, it is to the utmost benefit of the consumers of MECO if it can draw power from SCPC by 26 July 2021.

15. Moreover, considering that Section 3 of Rule 14 provides that the Commission shall hold in abeyance the resolution on the said motion until after the lapse of thirty (30) days from the receipt of the copy of the application by the concerned local legislative offices within the franchise area or from the publication of the application, whichever comes later, applicants respectfully move for authority to draw power from SCPC at the rate of PhP3.3333/kwh to commence on 26 July 2021 pending the resolution of the motion for the provisional authority.

Motion for Confidential Treatment of Information Rule 4 of Resolution No.1, Series of 2021

E

Executive Summary of the ESC

E-1

List of Power Supply Agreements

E-2

Transmission Service Agreement

E-3

Metering Service Agreement

E-4

Details of the ESC

17. MECO respectfully moves for confidential treatment of the information contained in Annexes D-4, D-5, and D-6. These documents contain valuable proprietary interest and information relating to the business operations, commercial transactions, and financial standing of other juridical entities. The information sought to be protected does not belong to MECO and any disclosure thereof to a third person may expose MECO to liability.

19. The subject annex of SCPC is a product of mathematical procedures and information that were used in its dealings with coal/fuel suppliers. The sensitive information and processes therein are the results of the extensive, meticulous and arduous analysis and discussion amongst the responsible personnel of SCPC and which are not publicly available. Given the foregoing, the same must not be disclosed to the public before, during and even after the conclusion of this case.

21. The interests of the consumers of MECO will be sufficiently protected by the review and evaluation of the rates under the ESC by the Honorable Commission, without the need to disclose the contents of Annex P-l. The reasonableness and transparency of the prices of electricity is to be assured by the Honorable Commission through its own review and verification of the foregoing documents sought to be afforded confidential treatment in the evaluation and handling thereof.

One copy each of the mentioned annexes will be placed in a sealed envelope which will be tagged as “Confidential” coupled with a narrative for that purpose will be submitted as integral parts hereof.

22. Finally and in relation to the foregoing, MECO and SCPC would like to implore the discerning wisdom of the Honorable Commission to include in its issuance relative to this incident the” xxx xxx procedures for handling or returning the confidential information, as may be appropriate, upon the close of the proceedings or at the end of the period provided xxx xxx “3_ - - in the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure.

23. This is guided by the fact that the applicants herein will seek for the return of these sought to be declared confidential annexes after its utilization as evidence in this case and/or at the close of the proceedings hereof, so as to relieve the Honorable Commission of the burden of safekeeping the trade secrets enclosed/ embraced in the subject annexes.

RELIEF APPLICANTS respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission -

Copy of the Published Invitation dated October 15, 2018 in Malaya Business Insight

b. At any point up to 25 March 2026, the Contract Capacity may be increased up to 50,000 kW subject to Article [5].

Motion for Provisional Authority and Interim Relief Rule 14 of Resolution No.1, Series of 2021

20. Under the circumstances, these are trade secrets that exclusively belong to SCPC which were afforded by the prevailing jurisprudence2 a mantle of protection against unauthorized disclosure to third persons or other participants in the industry which will definitely compromise SCPC’s competitiveness.

D-3

a. Starting 26 July 2021 or SED as provided in Article 2.2, whichever comes later, the initial Contract Capacity shall be 30,000 kW

Affidavit of Publication and complete issue of the newspapers where the Joint Application was published

18. Likewise, SCPC would like to plead for the judicious wisdom of the Honorable Commission to afford Annex P-1 confidential treatment in the handling and custody thereof.

Recalculation of May and June 2021 Rates

5.4 Further, the SELLER and/or through its affiliate(s) commits- to build “Mactan Greenfield Plant” and endeavors to connect directly to the distribution system of the BUYER by 2024-2025 to supply the BUYER’s power requirements. Supply from this power plant will result in savings in transmission and other energy market charges in favor of the BUYER from the commercial operations of the same until the end of the Contract Term. This power plant will utilize High Efficiency Low Emission technology and will not use coal as fuel but should adequately and reliably provide the energy requirements of the BUYER.

1. The Contract Capacity for the duration of the Contract shall be as follows:

DD and series

FO current = Current landed and processed cost of fuel, including regas and storage in USD / mm

Copy of the Published Invitation dated October 8, 2018 in Malaya Business Insight

ANNEX I CONTRACT CAPACITY, MINIMUM CONTRACT QUANTITY AND NOMINATION PROTOCOL

Proof of Service to the Sanggunians within the franchise area of MECO and Sangguniang Pangbayan of Limay, of copies of the Joint Application (including annexes)

16. The applicants understand that the provisional authority and interim relief granted by the Commission are subject to adjustments and other conditions if upon final evaluation of the case, the Commission determines that the applicants are not entitled to the full amount of the provisional and interim rate allowed.

Where:

Invitation to Submit Comparative Proposals to Challenge KSPC’s Proposal

xxx

CC and series

13.3 As shown in this Application and its supporting documents, the price offered in the ESC is fixed at PhP 3.3333/kwh as compared to the current cost of electricity at PhP 7.07/kwh.

CRF base = Base Capital Recovery Fee set at PhPl.3333/kWh

D-2

Prompt Payment Discount on the Capital Recovery Fee shall be based on the table contained in Annex II - C and subject to Article 9.2.2.

Secretary’s Certificate of scrc

13.2 Last May 21, 2021, MECO’s contract with KSPC expired. This raised the exposure to WESM prices from 33 % to 75 % and the average prices for May and June are Php 8.63/kwh and PhP 7.07/kwh, respectively.

CRFAdj - Current Capital Recovery Fee applicable for the Billing

5.3 Meter registrations at the BUYER’s receiving point over and above the BCQ or the nominated quantity shall be deemed purchased by the BUYER from the WESM or other supplier(s).

Energy Fees comprising of Capital Recovery Fee, Fixed Operation and Maintenance Fee, Variable Operation and Maintenance Fee and Fuel Fee. The monthly Generation Charge shall be computed based on the formula contained in Annex II - A and Annex II - B;

Write up on the Minimum Energy Off Take of SCPC

BB

13.1 MECO sources it’s power supply from KSPC at 28MW and CEDC at 15MW, respectively. MECO’s current power demand is 68MW at a load factor of 74%. Thus, MECO’s market exposure is 25MW at 40% load factor.

GCBP - Generation Charge in PhP for the Billing Period

D-1

8.1 Generation Charge.

AA

13. The necessity to draw power on 26 July 2021 is not only on account of MECO’s mandate to provide the least cost of electricity to its consumers, but is also based on the following factual considerations:

GCBP = DEBP * ( CRFAdj + FOM + VOM + FFAdj )

Salient Features of the ESC

2.1 Term. This Contract shall be binding between the Parties on the date of signing (“Execution Date”) and shall remain effective for a period of ten (10) years (“Contract Term”) from Supply Effective Date, extendible for another two (2) years, upon mutual agreement, on the same terms and conditions, subject to the applicable laws and issuances. Supply of electric power by the SELLER shall commence on Supply Effective Date, extendible as defined below and shall continue until the end of the Contract Term.

Certification on the Non-Applicability of a Renewable Energy Service/Operating Contract and Certification of Registration or Certificate of Commerciality by an RE Developer from the Department of Energy (DOE)

X

FF Fuel Fee set at PhP2.0000/kWh (fixed/non-adjusting)

Article 2 Term

Cost Analysis of SCPC

S

DEBP - Delivered Energy in kWh, for the Billing Period

1. MECO is a private corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal address at MECO Building, Sangi Road, LapuLapu City, Cebu. It has a legislative franchise and Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to operate the electric light and power distribution system and service in the City of Lapu-Lapu and in the Municipality of Cordova. MECO is represented by its General Manager and Senior Vice President, Engr. Gilbert A. Pagobo, as shown in the attached Secretary’s Certificate dated July 6, 2021.

It may be served with notices and processes at the address of its undersigned counsel.

9. In June 2021, MECO and SCPC executed their Energy Supply Contract (“ESC”), which is the subject of this Application. A copy of the ESC is attached as Annex “A” and its salient features are shown below:

Write up on the details of the Power Rate Calculations and Financial Model

R

Transmission Service Agreement of SCPC

FOM - Fixed Operation and Maintenance Fee set at PhP 0.0000/kWh

8. In the meantime, Covid-19 caused a global economic impasse. After an assessment of the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industrial and commercial activities within MECO’s franchise area, MECO expects a significant reduction in its projected power demand insofar as the 50MW contracted capacity is concerned. To resolve this issue, MECO and SCPC have mutually agreed to allow MECO to procure a minimum of 30MW beginning 26 July 2021, and if at any time thereafter, the demand has normalized and recovered, the additional capacity on top of the minimum of 30MW up to 50MW contract capacity, shall be procured by MECO from SCPC.

Write up on the Fuel Procurement Process of SCPC (confidential)

Q

V

Applicants MACTAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. (“MECO”) and SMC CONSOLIDATED POWER CORPORATION (“SCPC”), by counsels, respectfully state:

7. The Original Proponent failed to match SCPC’s proposal; hence, SCPC was declared as the winning Challenger.

P-1

W

LF actual = Buyer’s actual load factor for the Billing Period

6. Based on the evaluation of the proposals by the PSPP-BAC, SCPC’s proposal will have the most beneficial impact to the consumers. Resultantly, SCPC was declared as the leading Challenger.

Affidavit of the Fuel Procurement Process of SCPC

GCBP - Generation Charge in PhP for the Billing Period

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

5. On October 8 and October 15,2018, MECO, through its Power Supply Procurement Plan - Bids and Awards Committee (“PSPP_BAC”), published an “Invitation to Submit a Comparative Proposal to Challenge KSPC’s Proposal” in Malaya Business Insight prompting SCPC and Cebu Energy Development Corporation (“CEDC”) to submit their respective proposals.

P

Connection Agreement of SCPC

CRF base = Base Capital Recovery Fee set at PhP1.3333/kWh

4. In compliance with the rules on competitive selection process (“ CSP”) of the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”) as per ERC Resolution No. 13, Series of 2015 and ERC Resolution No. 01, Series of 2016, KSPC’s unsolicited proposal was subjected to a swiss challenge, where KSPC was given the status of the Original Proponent (“0P”) with the right-to-match the offer of any leading challenger.

Certificate of Endorsement (“COE”) issued by the Department of Energy (“DOE”) to SCPC

Decision of the Point-to-Point Case of SCPC docketed as 2016-015 MC

CRF Adj = CRF base / LF actual

3. In view of the anticipated expiration of the Power Sales Contract1 between MECO and KEPCO SPC Power Corporation (“KSPC”), on December 4, 2017, the former received an unsolicited proposal from the latter for the continuation of the 28MW power supply and for the additional supply 22MW, or a total of 50MW contract capacity for a period of ten (10) years.

O

T

CRFAdj - Current Capital Recovery Fee applicable for the Billing Period calculated as follows:

2. SCPC is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal address at Roman Highway, Barangay Lamao, Limay, Bataan, Philippines. It is the owner of a Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler Coal-fired Power Plant located in Limay, Bataan, and has committed to build the “Mactan Greenfield Plant” in Mactan Island.

Certificate of Compliance (“ COC”) issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”) to SCPC

U

Where:

JOINT APPLICATION With Motion for Provisional Authority, Interim Relief and Confidential Treatment of Information

N

F

Sample Computation of Power Rates and Rate Impact Computation

G

Articles of Incorporation and By Laws of SCPC

H

Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Certificate of SCPC

I

General Information Sheet ("GIS") of SCPC

J

Certificate of SCPC · from the Board of Investments (“BOI”)

K

Environmental Compliance Certificate (“ECC”) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (“DENR”) to the Limay Power Plant

L

Write up on the Shareholders’ Agreement of SCPC

M

Corporate Structure of SMC Global Power Holdings Inc. and its Subsidiaries

1. Before and during the pendency of the proceedings/ scheduled hearing(s) and the final resolution/ approval of this case, that an Order be issued for the GRANT of: (i) an Authority to Draw power from SCPC on 26 July 2021 at the rate of PhP3.3333/kwh as indicated in the ESC pending the issuance of the Provisional Authority or Interim Relief; (ii) a Provisional Authority or Interim Relief allowing the Joint Applicants to immediately implement the ESC subject of this case in its entirety; (iii) an Order affording Annexes D-4, D-5, and D-6, and P-1, and all the information contained therein confidential treatment in perpetuity, directing their non-disclosure to persons other than the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission, continually protecting the said information from public disclosure by maintaining the same as separate and apart from the records of this case, ensuring that these are not divulged to unauthorized persons, from the time these annexes are received by the Honorable Commission up to the termination of the instant case; and, (iv)

an Issuance concerning the procedures for handling the confidential information upon the close of the proceedings and its return/ delivery to MECO and SCPC.

2. After due notice and hearing, ISSUE a DECISION approving the instant Joint Application in toto which will thereby allow / authorize MECO to charge and collect the fees from its customers reckoned from the commencement of the supply to the latter by SCPC. 3. Other reliefs just and equitable under the circumstances are likewise prayed for.

Muntinlupa City and Mandaluyong City for Pasig City, July 12, 2021.

Counsel for Mactan Electric Company Inc. RUBIO-AGUINALDO & SALIG-BATHAN Attorneys-at-Law Unit 802 Prime Land Tower, Market Street Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang Muntinlupa City 1780 rasb.lawoffice@gmail.com By:

MISHELLE ANNE R. RUBIO-AGUINALDO PTR No. MCF 3 082; 01.04.21; Muntinlupa IBP Lifetime Roll No. 014910; PPLM Roll of Attorneys No. 65873 MCLE Compliance No. VI-0023488; 14 April 2022 +63 917 675 0229 atty.mish@gmail.com Counsels for SMC Consolidated Power Corporation (SCPC)

JUPITER M. CABAGUIO Roll No. 47112 PTR No. 4326916/07 January 2021/Mandaluyong city IBP No. 06372/Lifetime/Makati City MCLE Compliance No. VI - 0015891/13 December 2018

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

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ABS-CBN ranks among PH’s top graduate employers

ABS-CBN was honored alongside other reputable companies in the Top 100 Graduate Employer Awards.

ABS-CBN remains one of the top companies to start and build a career at for young Filipinos after ranking third in GradPhilippines’ Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021.

The multimedia conglomerate is also the highest-ranked media and communications company in the list, which was determined based on student popularity (50 percent) and program quality (50 percent).

ABS-CBN was cited for its “fun and casual working environment with a family-oriented vibe,” as a good training ground for those

who want to be part of the entertainment industry and a good place to develop and explore one’s talents.

GradPhilippines is under the Prosple network that runs 190 job board websites in the Asia Pacific region to help students get the best start to their careers. It used the same methodology behind Australia and New Zealand’s most prestigious graduate employer awards to rank the 604 graduate employers nominated in the Philippines.

ABS-CBN was honored alongside other

well-loved and reputable companies in the Top 100 Graduate Employer Awards held virtually in partnership with the Inquirer Group of Companies.

Despite the shutdown of its broadcast operations and the non-renewal of its franchise in 2020, ABS-CBN remains present and felt in the lives of Filipinos. It continues to provide support, light, and joy here in the Philippines and all over the world through its news, entertainment, film, and music content, which are available on free TV, cable, online, and on streaming platforms.

‘Pepito Manaloto’ shares untold stories in new chapter CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

By Areeya Tatjana Ho

P

AVELINO G. CEDO III Roll No.54500 PTR No. 4326916/07 January 2021/Mandaluyong City IBP No. 010380/Lifetime/PPLM MCLE Compliance No. VI-0011960/3 September 2018 5th Floor, Main Building, 100 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr., Avenue, C5 Road (Northbound), Pasig City Telephone No. (02) 87024509 acedoiii@smcgph.sanmiguel.com.ph VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION AGAINST FORUM SHOPPING I, Elenita D. Go, Filipino, of legal age, and with office address at the 19th Floor, San Miguel Properties Centre, No.7 St. Francis Street, Mandaluyong City, after having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, depose and state; that: 1. I am the authorized representative of SMC Consolidated Power Corporation (“SCPC”) a co-applicant in the above-captioned case; 2. I have caused the preparation and filing of the subject Joint Application and that I have read the contents thereof and all the allegations contained therein are true and correct based on my personal knowledge and on authentic and official records/ documents; 3. Pursuant to the amended Rules of Civil Procedure which took effect on 01 May 2020, the Petition is not filed to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation and that the factual allegations therein have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, will likewise have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for discovery; and, 4. I further certify that i have not filed any action involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or any other courts or tribunals or quasi-judicial bodies/ agencies and to the best of my knowledge, no such other action or claim is pending therein.

If ever there is a case pending before the said courts or tribunals involving the same issues, I undertake to inform the Honorable Board of such fact within five (5) calendar days from knowledge thereof.

That I am executing this undertaking in support of the Petition and the veracity of the allegations therein as well as for any other legal purpose this may serve.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ____ at

Manila

Standard EPITO Manaloto: Ang Unang Kwento,TODAY the prequel to the award-winning Filipino sitcom, premiered on July 17 featuring a fresh set of stars adding color to the already well-loved story of Pepito, Elsa, their family, and friends.

5th Floor, Main Building, 100 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr., Avenue, C5 Road (Northbound), Pasig City Telephone No. (02) 77961193/09178034173 jcabaguio@smcgph.sanmiguel.com.ph

Sef Cadayona and Mikee Quintos play young Pepito and Elsa in ‘Pepito Manaloto’ prequel.

According to Michael V, they opted for a prequel because it was the “best direction,” and it was a part of the story that is yet to be explored.

“I think lahat ng kasing edad namin siguradong mage-enjoy because they can relates to the story,” the comedian said adding that the details of the set as well as the costumes were “very controlled” to give audiences the 1980s nostalgia.

Despite the shift in the timeline, the show retains the “formula” that made it a success since its inception in 2010. Michael revealed that the plot of “Pepito Manaloto: Ang Unang Kwento” took inspiration from the personal stories of the cast, crew, and writers.

“I think it’s the relatability that made it this far. Kasi as much na luma yung setting, bago yung interaction ng characters, bago yung feeling na nararamdaman at ‘di siya naluluma talaga. And we’re keeping the family, friendship, and love themes of the sitcom,” Michael V shared.

Sef Cadayona and Mikee Quintos are the show’s new cast members. Sef portrays the young Pepito while Mikee tackles young Elsa.

Joining them are Kokoy de Santos, Gladys Reyes, Pokwang, Archie Alemania, EA Guzman, Jay Arcilla, Kristoffer Martin, Denise Barbacena, and Angel Guardian; while original cast members Michael V. and Manilyn Reynes narrate the love story between their younger versions.

Pepito Manaloto first aired in 2010 on GMA’s Sunday evening lineup and has won several awards since its debut. It followed the life of Pepito Manaloto, who won the lottery, his wife Elsa, their children, friends, workers, and neighbors.

Mandaluyong City.

ELENITA D. GO Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this JUL. 21, 2021 at Mandaluyong City. Afiiant personally appeared and exhibited to me her Philippine Passport No. P1876103B issued on June 7, 2019 at the DFA NCR East as her competent proof of identity.

Republic of the Philippines) Lapu-Lapu City ) S.s.

VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF NON-FORUm SHOPPiNG I, GILBERT A. PAGOBO, Filipino, Of legal age, With office address at Mactan Electric Company Inc. (“MECO”) Building, Sangi Road, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu hereby state under oath that: 1.

I am the Senior Vice President and General Manager and the duly authorized representative of MECO in this Application for the Approval of the Energy Supply Contract with San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation, entitled, “In the Matter of the Application for the Approval of the Energy Power Supply Contract (ESC) between Mactan Electric Company, Inc. (MECO) and San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation (SCPC) with Motion for Provisional Authority, Interim Relief, Confidential Treatment of Information, Mactan Electric Company, Inc. (MECO) and San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation (SCPC), Applicants,” as shown in the Secretary’s Certificate dated July 6, 2021.

2. I caused the preparation of this Application its Annexes .vith the assistance of our counsel, -Atty. Mishelle Anne R. Rubio-Aguinaldo, and in coordination and with the active participation of SCPC. 3. I attest and affinn that: (1) I have personal knowledge on all the statements contained herein; (2) I have read the Application and its Annexes, which are true and correct based on my personal knowledge and authentic records, and (3) the Annexes and all supporting documents are authentic and the statements contained therein have evidentiary support.

4. This Application is filed only for meritorious reasons and not to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation.

5. MECO and I have not heretofore commenced any action or filed any claim involving the same issues in this application in the Energy Regulatory Commission or any court, tribunal, or quasi- judicial agency, and to the best of my knowledge, no such other action is pending, I shall report such fact with the Commission within five (5) days from discovery, IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this affidavit this July 15, 2021 in the City of Lapu-Lapu.

GILBERT A. PAGOBO Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this July15, 2021 at Lapu-Lapu City, affiant personally known to me and exhibited to me his competent evidence if identity:

1 2 3

Approved in ERC Case No. 2011-084 RC and which expired last May 21, 2021.

Air Philippines Corporation vs. Penswell, Inc. G.R. No. 172835, 13 December 2007.

Second letter (d) found on the third set of the alphabetical enumerations under Section 2, Rule 4 (Confidential Information) of the ERC Rules and Practices and Procedure.

(MS-JULY 23, 2021)

Nico Antonio banners ‘MPK’ new episode ACTOR Nico Antonio is headlining “From Russia With Love: The Eric Baylosis/Anna Rabtsun Baylosis Story,” the fresh episode of GMA7’s weekly drama anthology Magpakailanman tomorrow night at 8:00.

The episode features the story of a simple Pinoy whom a Russian model falls in love with.

The #MPK stint is actually Nico’s first major appearance in a TV drama anthology.

“Mahirap pala. Not just physically but also mentally and psychologically. Matindi ang pressure and kailangan always on your toes. No room for mistakes,” he said adding that he was touched by the story so much that it moved him to tears while reading From left: Nico Antonio and co-star Max Collins with couple Anna and Eric the script.

“First time ever na nangyari sa akin ‘yung ganito.

Kaya I am very grateful to GMA for this opportunity,” A freelance artist being managed by With assignments left and right, he shared.

Becky and Katrina Aguila, Nico is Nico said he is grateful to Star Magic Television actress Max Collins plays the role of Nico’s currently in a month-long lock-in taping and ABS-CBN for honing his talent in wife under the able direction of Don Michael Perez. for a new series that’s still under wraps. acting.

New song ‘Bago Matulog’ reminds people to keep on hoping, going With the evocative instrumental featured in the final minute and a half of WHEN a song opens and ends with the same strong line, you can expect that everything in between is a stretch of wonderful music and the song, 46 Hope St. couldn’t be more fortunate to have been backed by Dino Akira Decena on violin and Jopi Bergara Doestra on cello. message that go well together.

The Tagalog record has pushed forth the current narrative that “we are The band 46 Hope St. anchored its latest single “Bago Matulog” on a fine couplet that expresses the song’s crystal-clear theme. The not alone in this journey” as the band urges everyone to keep “trusting that there’s a perfect time for everything.” track was dropped today in digital music As the song advices, “Kung di man stores, officializing it as the group’s third umaayon ang nangyayari ngayon/ release this year.

Alalahanin ang biyaya ng kahapon.”

The trio of musicians from Southern Their latest offering is another proof of Manila captured the difference between good collaboration as the group worked this year’s prevailing mood and closely with celebrity-record producer Ebe last year’s general dreadful feeling, Dancel and studio guy Peavey Nicolas emphasizing that they had been “inspired who handled the recording, mixing, and by the newfound hope of being able to mastering at the Baby Big Studios. The look forward to a new morning after band likewise benefited from the able experiencing the darkest of dawns.” support of executive producer Vic De Vera Of course, that darkest of dawns and supervising producer Neil Gregorio. could only be the year 2020 wherein the Born and bred in the southern part of world was forced to lockdown cities and the nation’s capital region, 46 Hope St. survive the onslaught of a virus which ushered in their music with the engagingly the year on our hands 2021 is rightly 46 Hope St. is a power trio born and bred from Southern upbeat “Parisukat sa Bilog” released in being addressed with a newfound hope Metro Manila. early January, right off the bat of a new, through community vaccinations.

Released and published by rising label Widescope Entertainment, hopefully-better-from-the-previous year. A sophomore release came “Bago Matulog” firmly showcases the strength of frontman Meds five months after, with “Bituin” introducing listeners to a group very Rana who wrote the heartfelt ballad and sang it as sincerely as possible, much in touch with the sentimentality of today’s youth.

Insiders have agreed that this third salvo ensures that the troika’s early in addition to playing guitar and keyboard. As with the band’s first two singles, he is effectively supported by the efficient rhythm section of efforts were not a fluke and they’re here to keep the ball rolling without long lulls, while progressing both musically and lyrically. bassist Ryan Gonzales and drummer Aaron Dolleton.

Life

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

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TRAVEL & LEISURE

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

Exploring Hong Kong’s ‘flat island’ Virtually, in the meantime

By Ellicia Frentzen C. Del Mundo

T

RAVEL-hungry wanderers fill in the void COVID-19 created with virtual tours and experiences.

While nothing still beats the real thing, these online tours let viewers experience and explore a city or a country without leaving their homes, while also providing valuable information about the place useful should the viewer be able to visit in person.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) offers an online tour of Peng Chau Island or “flat island”, an “old industrial island full of vibrant arts”. This less than 1 square kilometer destination, located less than an hour’s ferry ride from the central business district, is home to a number of postcard-worthy spots.

Ngan Chau Tsai Pavilion

Located at the end of the island, locals call this place the “edge of the sky and corner of the sea”.

Before reaching the top of the Pavilion, tourists have to take an approximately 12-minute climb over Finger Hill. At the peak, visitors are treated to a remarkable panoramic view of Hong Kong’s wonders, including Tsing Ma Bridge, known as the world’s 14th longest bridge; Ting Kau Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that connects Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau to the rest of Hong Kong; Lamma Island, recognized as the laidback place where tourists can fish and relax; and Hong Kong Disneyland.

the popular tourist spots on the island.

It was a former factory built in the early 1930s and demolished in 1975 because of economic downturn. In 2012, it was restored and revitalized into a colorful “secret garden” by owner Sherry Lau. Lau, along with the artists she invited, designed the abandoned place with colorful graffiti and creative art displays made of recycled materials such as chairs, bottles, and tires.

Aside from the factory, there are other artistic spaces to visit on the island that showcase arts and crafts by local talents. Visitors can also attend potterymaking workshops.

Wing On and Wing Hing Streets

Only a few minutes from the Leather Factory are Wing On and Wing Hing streets where visitors can find various small restaurants and cafés. It serves local signature dishes such as sesame crackers, deep-fried shrimp toast, steamed shrimp with fried rice, truffles, pineapple bun ice cream, and more.

Lung Mo Temple

One of the largest and most iconic temples on the island is Lung Mo which means Dragon Mother, the goddess of the water. According to legends, those Leather Factory who wish to bear children and have a Fook Yuen Leather Factory is one of good marriage will be blessed once they

Reasons to smile in The City of Smiles

POSTCARD-WORTHY. The Hong Kong Tourism Board takes virtual visitors on a journey through Peng Chau Island’s vibrant spots including (clockwise) Ngan Chau Tsai Pavilion, Tai Lei Island, Lung Mo Temple, and Leather Factory. touch the goddess’ bed.

Tai Lei Island Lung Mo festival is celebrated every With only a bridge away from Peng year on the eighth day of the fifth lunar Chau, Tai Lei Island is a perfect place month. Local villagers pay respect to for swimming, fishing, and watching Lung Mo by offering incense sticks and the sunrise and sunset. attending festive ceremonies.

While on the island, visitors can see

One of Park Inn

By Radisson Bacolod’s outdoor pools, and a view of the hotel’s imposing facade.

ASIDE from the ever-smiling residents you see everywhere in the city, Bacolod is also known for the very popular MassKara Festival, where the locals don elaborately colorful masks of smiling faces, and dance in the streets to the electrifying beat of the drums.

The city’s annual cultural celebration was originally put up to show that the residents continue to manifest a happy spirit in spite of the many challenges they faced in the past decades. Thus came to be, Bacolod’s tag as “The City Of Smiles”.

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) has given residents of and visitors to Bacolod more reasons to smile by opening its newest hotel the other day.

The fifth in SMHCC’s portfolio, Park Inn by Radisson Ba- which serves a wide range of international dishes; DASH, the colod is strategically located downtown, and has a total of “grab-and-go” nook on the ground floor; the Lobby Lounge, 150 superior and de luxe rooms and junior suites, two outdoor which is a casual café and juice bar; and the Marapara Plaza, an pools, a fitness center, and an art gallery to serve as venue for al fresco venue that specializes in comfort food and cool drinks.

Andre de Jong, vice president of operations, Southeast Asia year-round art and photography exhibitions by local talents.

Meeting planners and other event organizers will find it easy to and Pacific of Radisson Hotel Group is thrilled with this adbook their functions at any of the hotel’s three conference rooms dition to the chain’s portfolio, especially because it is the first and two private banquet rooms. Moreover, this new, vibrant upper- internationally branded hotel in Bacolod City, reflecting the brand’s strategy of introducmidscale hotel is adjacent and ing world-class hospitality to has easy access to the SMX Asia’s up-and-coming cities.

YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE Convention Center.

Peggy Angeles, SMHCC exThose who want to LAW OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS – The probability of meetecutive vice president, banners squeeze in some shopping ing someone you know increases dramatically when the company’s noble gesture in between their business for you’re with someone you don’t want to be seen with. of using the properties under the day will delight in the its wings to provide sources fact that the hotel is actually of livelihood for the workforce a part of the humongous SM in the area, especially because the industry has suffered so much City Bacolod shopping mall complex.

Guests who go for the finer things in life will be happy to with the loss of so many jobs caused by this pandemic.

But those of us in the tourism industry marvel at her and SMnote that they have a choice of comfortable king-size beds or relaxing twin beds. Each room is equipped with a refreshing HCC’s gutsy optimism and confidence in the future. They conand well-designed bathroom and intuitive amenities such as tinue to expand their brand footprint all over the country in spite of these perilous times when businesses still have to contend bedside USB ports and free Wi-Fi. This family-friendly hotel will soon earn the patronage of with many unknown factors in order to survive and succeed.

But, then again, that’s the fearless SMHCC and the dauntfun-loving parents with their children because it has health facilities a family needs – a separate outdoor pool for chil- less Peggy Angeles! Isn’t their boldness another reason to dren and another one for adults, a jogging path, a fitness smile in The City Of Smiles? center, and in-room spa services.

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

To cater to one’s culinary cravings, there is the all-day Arima,

One of the hotel’s cozy and functionally designed junior suites.

The Arima all-day dining outlet serves a wide range of international dishes.

giant stones shaped like animals, which, locals said, were made by volunteers who clean the beach as a way to pass the time or celebrate the day after work.

To virtually explore these spots, go to discoverhongkong.com.

EXHIBITS

Life goes on in art THE ongoing online art exhibit of renowned artist and educator Fidel Sarmiento showcases how life continues to flourish and inspire.

Padayon: Showcasing Life’s Continuity Through Art highlights Sarmiento’s 38 paintings with subjects ranging from landscape and still life, as well as homages to other renowned artists.

The show is on view until July 31 on the website (www.sunshineplaceph.com) of Sunshine Place Recreation Center, where the artist is the head instructor of acrylic and oil painting classes.

After the exhibit, a selected Sunshine Place art student who graduate from an acrylic painting course under ‘Pinoy Condo’, 24x18 acrylic on canvas the tutelage of Sarmiento will have the chance to have their own solo online art exhibit, where they can showcase and sell their works.

Those who wish to learn under Maestro Fidel may enroll in Sunshine Place’s acrylic painting online classes. Contact 0917-515-5656 or email online.sunshineplace@gmail.com

‘Batis ng Buhay’, 12x16 acrylic on canvas

‘Hardin’, 18x12 acrylic on canvas

Sunshine Place Recreation Center painting instructor Fidel Sarmiento mounts 38 of his paintings at the online exhibit ‘Padayon: Showcasing Life’s Continuity Through Art’.