Manila Standard - 2021 July 24 - Saturday

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‘PANDEMIC’ GAMES OPEN WITH HANDFUL OF VIPS

THE opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics took place on Friday in a nearly empty stadium after a year-long pandemic postponement and a build-up marred by scandal and controversy.

The stripped-back celebration began with a

video showing athletes training at home during the pandemic, before fireworks burst into the air above the Olympic Stadium.

Just a few hundred officials and dignitaries were in the stands of the 68,000-seat venue, including French President Emmanuel Ma-

cron, US First Lady Jill Biden, and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, who declared the Games open.

The Olympics have faced opposition in Japan over fears the global gathering of 11,000 Next page

Fireworks light up the sky over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Inset shows Filipino judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and boxer Eumir Marcial carrying the Philippine flag as they lead the country’s delegation to the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, July 23, 2021. with AFP

MM restrictions heightened

Palace tightens up after DOH confirms Delta local infection

By Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas and Joel E. Zurbano

VOL. XXXV • NO. 159 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

One for the books: No deaths in tally; glitch probed NO DEATHS from COVID-19 were recorded Friday, but health officials said this was due to a glitch in COVID Kaya, the digital platform for information management during the pandemic.

The Department of Information and The Philippines logged 6,845 new Communications Technology is look- COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing into the problem, which should be ing the total number of infections to resolved in the next few days, the De- 1,537,097. partment of Health (DOH) said.

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ETRO Manila and four other provinces will be placed under a general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions, Malacanang said Friday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made this announcement after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the local transmission of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.

Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) to place Metro Ma-

nila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao de Oro, and Davao del Norte under a more restrictive GCQ from July 23 to 31.

Before the announcement, Metro Manila was under the regular GCQ. Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur used to be under a modified GCQ, while Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte were under a modified enhanced community quarantine.

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PH travel ban on Malaysia, Thailand OKd

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

TORMENT. Residents of Las Pinas City in Metro Manila wade in waist-deep flood along Zapote Road following relentless rains spawned

WEATHER

by typhoon Fabian that has left in its wake practially a waterworld in many parts of the country. In Mindoro provinces, the Coast Guard gets into the act by rescuing residents in low-lying areas. Danny Pata and PCG

Govt rushes to repair 3 main roads in Luzon

House gives priority to 5 bills, SONA agenda

By Maricel V. Cruz and Jess Malabanan

By Maricel V. Cruz, Joel E. Zurbano and Francisco Tuyay

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is working to restore access to three national road sections in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Mimaropa that are currently impassable due to heavy monsoon rains.

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THE House of Representatives will prioritize the passage of five bills earlier identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) when it resumes session next week.

This, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said, alongside the legislative agenda President

Rodrigo Duterte will outline in his final State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Velasco said the five were the proposed Philippine Virology Institute Act, Center for Disease Control Act, Amendments to the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016, Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act, and National Housing Development Act. “We will work toward the approval of these bills once we resume session and

GMO rice production okayed for the first time THE Philippines became the world’s first country Friday to approve the commercial production of genetically modified “golden rice” that experts hope will combat childhood blindness and save lives in the developing world.

A biosafety permit issued by government regulators paves the way for the rice – enriched with the vitamin A-precursor beta-carotene to make it more nutritional – to be grown by farmers across the country, its developers said.

“It’s a really significant step for our project because it means that we are past this regulatory

phase and golden rice will be declared as safe as ordinary rice,” Russell Reinke of the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) told AFP ahead of the announcement.

The next step was to “take our few kilos of seed and multiply it... so it can be made more widely available,” he said.

IRRI has spent two decades working with the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute to develop golden rice – named for its bright yellow hue.

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we will also take into account the priority measures President Duterte will mention in his sixth and final SONA,” Velasco said, adding “We will do our best to help the President fulfill all his promises to the Filipino people.”

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress seeks to establish the Philippine Virology Institute as the premier research and development institution Next page

GOLDEN GRAINS.

The Philippines became the world’s first country on July 23, 2021 to approve the commercial production of genetically modified “golden rice” that experts hope will combat childhood blindness and save lives in the developing world.

IRRI/AFP

THE government has expanded its travel restrictions to Malaysia and Thailand in a bid to stem the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President has decided to include Malaysia and Thailand in the countries with a travel ban, would take effect starting July 25 and last until July 31, 2021.

“All travelers coming from Malaysia and Thailand or those with travel history to Malaysia and Thailand within the last 14 days will be restricted and must undergo a strict 14-day facilitybased quarantine,” Roque said.

“These travel restrictions, however, are subject to the same exceptions on repatriation and special commercial flights for Filipinos, but they have to follow the prescribed testing and quarantine protocols,” he added.

The Philippines previously banned Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 23) 23)

1,537,097 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

6,845 55,069 NEW

26,891

ACTIVE

0

DEATHS

NEW

1,455,137

2,330

RECOVERIES

NEW

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SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Leptospirosis cases on the rise – DOH T

HE Department of Health said leptospirosis cases in the first six months of the year went up by 13 percent from the same period last year.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario June 19, compared to 520 cases for the Vergeire said the country logged 589 same period in 2020. leptospirosis infections from January to “One can get infected with the disease

Western Visayas and Cagayan Valley recorded the highest incidence rates, Vergeire said.

Symptoms of leptospirosis include headache, high fever, muscle pain, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting, among others.

observed in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal in the same period, Vergeire said. Cavite (259) and Bulacan (172) had the fastest increase.

“There is a need to identify the causes for this increase in cases in these local governments to preserve the gains achieved in the past two months,” Vergeire said.

In the rest of Luzon, an upward trend of cases was also noticed in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, while the Bicol Region was on a downward trend.

Vergeire said Ilocos Region, Mimaropa and the Cordillera Administrative Region showed a plateauing trend in cases.

In the Visayas, Central Visayas reported a “steep rise” in cases, with 577 new infections recorded from July 16 to 22, the health official said. The region logged 422 cases in the previous week.

She said COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas (177) were declining while the case trend in Western Visayas (644) was plateauing.

In the south, Northern Mindanao reported a “sharp increase” in COVID-19 cases, with 277 new infections tallied over the same period. It only had 206 cases in the past week.

Caraga (136) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (37) also showed an uptick in virus infections, Vergeire said.

Meanwhile, a downward trend was observed in the Zamboanga Peninsula (78) and Davao Region (414) while the case trend in Soccsksargen (214) was plateauing.

that will bear the brunt of deadly and destructive flooding,” Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles said.

Nograles, a deputy majority leader, added the project has been peppered with controversy, from illegal construction of access roads and questionable Free, Prior and Informed Consent process with Dumagat and Remontado tribesmen in the area, since its inception.

In Pampanga, policemen waded through waist-deep floodwaters in Msantol town to reach out to hundreds of residents trapped in their houses due to widespread flooding that inundated the town.

athletes could trigger a super-spreader event, and is taking place under strict virus measures.

Overseas fans are banned for the first time in the history of the Games, and domestic spectators can only watch events at a handful of venues.

Athletes, support staff and media are subject to strict COVID-19 protocols, including regular testing and daily health checks.

The restrictions made for an opening ceremony that was far from the usual exuberant celebration.

Every athlete entered the stadium wearing a mask, and the national delegations of athletes marching around the stadium were far smaller than usual, ranging from just a handful of people to a few dozen.

The ceremony wove together references to both Japan’s traditional crafts and its globally adored video games, with athletes entering to theme music from famed titles.

Polls have consistently shown Japanese people are opposed to holding the Games during the pandemic, but hundreds of people still gathered outside the stadium and cheered as the fireworks exploded overhead.

Mako Fukuhara arrived six hours before the ceremony to grab a spot.

“Until now it didn’t feel like the Olympics, but now we are by the stadium, it feels like the Olympics,” she told AFP as people snapped selfies nearby.

Inside, fewer than 1,000 dignitaries and officials were in the stands, and in a sign of how divisive the Games remain, several top sponsors including Toyota and Panasonic did not attend the ceremony.

Small groups of protestors demonstrated against the Games outside the stadium as the ceremony began, but their chants were drowned out as the music started.

Tokyo is battling a surge in virus cases, and is under emergency measures that means bars and restaurants must shut by 8:00 pm and cannot sell alcohol.

Olympic officials have put a brave face on the unusual circumstances, with IOC chief Thomas Bach insisting cancelling the Games was never on the table.

“Over the past 15 months we had to take many decisions on very uncertain grounds,” he said this week. “We had doubts every day. There were sleepless nights. We can finally see at the end of the dark tunnel. Cancellation was never an option for us. The IOC never abandons the athletes... we did it for the athletes.”

There are also hefty financial incentives in play. Insiders estimate the IOC would have been on the hook for around $1.5 billion in lost broadcasting revenues if the Games had been cancelled.

The pandemic has not been the only hiccup in preparations though, with scandals ranging from corruption during the bidding process to plagiarism allegations over the design of the Tokyo 2020 logo.

The controversies kept coming right up to the eve of the Games, with the opening ceremony’s director sacked on Thursday for making a joke referencing the Holocaust in a video more than two decades ago.

When the full programme of sport begins on Saturday, a new generation of Olympic stars are looking to shine after a decade dominated by the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps. AFP

the Bureau of Immigration, while the proposed National Housing Development Act aims to significantly reduce the country’s housing backlog through continuous funding support for socialized housing.

This developed as Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera hopes President Duterte will use his last SONA to highlight the achievements of his presidency and reveal his plans for the remainder of his term.

“We all know that President Duterte is not the type who loves to brag about his accomplishments, but if I were him I would herald the achievements of his administration in a strong way so that the Filipino people have a better understanding of all that this President has done for

them and the country,” Herrera said.

The Bagong Henerasyon lawmaker said she believed President Duterte had cemented his legacy as a strong, yet caring leader.

“President Duterte will always be remembered for his ‘tapang’ and ‘malasakit’ governance, which became more evident during the pandemic,” Herrera said.

For his part, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte has pushed for the passage of what he describes as a troika of initiatives to further accelerate the Philippines’ digital switch that would help the Philippines keep up with the expected strong rebound of many of its regional neighbors from the COVID-driven economic malaise.

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travelers from eight countries: Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

The Philippines has recorded 47 cases of the Delta variant, eight of which are active. Three of the cases have died.

The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, emphasized the need to continuously enforce strict border control measures and intensify local COVID-19 responses with the local transmission of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant in the Philippines.

The country has been implementing travel bans and stringent border control measures to delay the entry of the variant, giving the country a head start to prepare its capacity to manage potential surges.

Following the phylogenetic analysis conducted by the University of the Philippines - Philippine Genome Center, and case investigation by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau and the regional and local epidemiology and surveillance units, clusters of Delta variant cases were seen to be linked to other local cases, therefore, exhibiting local transmission.

Upon detection of local cases with the Delta variant, the DOH said the government has initiated enhanced COVID-19 response in areas where Delta variant cases were detected through the implementation of a “four-door” strategy.

Doors 1 and 2 delayed the entry of the Delta variant by strengthening border controls.

Door 3 would involve strengthening the implementation of the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (PDITR) while Door 4 is ensuring that the country’s health are capacity is “ready for a In line with this, the government is also making sure that there are enough supplies of COVID-19 medicines, oxygen tanks, and critical care equipment in hospitals and augmentation of human resources.

“The DOH reminds the public that while the government is strengthening the implementation of PDITR at the local level and augmenting the healthcare capacity, the best defense against any COVID-19 variant is still the correct and consistent adherence to the minimum public health standards and getting vaccinated when it is their turn,” the DOH said in a statement.

“Moreover, the public is advised to avoid unnecessary travels and gatherings. DOH urges LGUs to shorten the duration of case detection to isolation and immediately isolate symptomatic patients, and ramp up their vaccination and prioritize the senior citizens and people with underlying conditions. The DOH further calls on everyone to work together to beat the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said.

In a statement, Roque said “the same IATF rules would be observed when NCR was previously under GCQ with heightened restrictions.”

Metro Manila, which was placed under GCQ “with some restrictions” from July 1 to 15, was initially put under regular GCQ from July 16 to 31.

Roque also said that children 5 years old and above will not be allowed outdoors in these areas placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions.

But children as young as 5 years old but living in areas under GCQ and MGCQ may still go to outdoor spaces like parks, playgrounds, beaches, biking, and hiking trails, outdoor tourist sites, and attractions, outdoor noncontact sports courts and venues, and al-fresco dining establishments.

The move to send millions of children back into lockdown came as hospitals prepared for a surge in coronavirus cases, fueled by the Delta variant that is ravaging neighboring countries.

Nearly half of the 47 cases of the more virulent strain detected so far were locally acquired, the Health department said, raising fears of a sharp uptick in infections that have topped 1.5 million since the start of the pandemic.

“The Delta variant is more infectious and deadly,” Roque said as he announced tougher rules for the National Capital Region and four provinces where cases have spiked.

Along with tighter capacity limits on indoor dining, beauty salons and religious gatherings, children aged 5 to 17 have been told to stay home.

It comes two weeks after the government lifted a ban on minors going outside that had been in place since March 2020 but often flouted.

The government has previously justified the draconian measure by citing the risk of youngsters catching the virus and infecting their elderly relatives.

Independent research group OCTA, which advises the government on its pandemic response, called Thursday for “localized lockdowns” as well as extended curfews and a stay-at-home order for children.

The group “believes that a surge in its early stages has started in the National Capital Region,” OCTA’s Ranjit Rye said in a statement, warning it may be driven by the Delta variant.

The Health department said checks were underway to ensure hospitals had enough beds, medicine, oxygen tanks and staff to deal with a possible surge in cases.

Record infections earlier this year had threatened to overwhelm health care facilities.

Border restrictions have also been tightened for travelers from Thailand and Malaysia where authorities are battling to contain Delta-fueled outbreaks.

India, Indonesia and Pakistan are also among the countries on the travel ban list.

It comes as the Philippines struggles to vaccinate its population of 110 million due to tight global supplies and logistical challenges.

Just over 5 million people are fully vaccinated while 10.5 million have received their first jab.

In a briefing Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said two Delta variant cases were fully vaccinated, four had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while the vaccination status of the remaining 23 cases are still under verification.

Among the 47 cases, 36 have recovered, three have died, and eight remain active but are asymptomatic.

Vergeire said 24 Delta cases are returning overseas Filipinos, 22 are local infections, while the DOH is still verifying whether one case is a local infection.

Three new cases of the Delta variant have addresses in the cities of Pasig and Taguig, the Department of Health said Friday.

Pasig City has two local cases while Taguig has one, Vergeire said.

The patients were among 12 new local cases of the highly contagious COVID-19 variant reported Thursday.

They have been earlier tagged as recovered but local health offices are verifying their health status.

Manila logged a new case of the Delta variant while six others were found in Bataan and two were in Laguna.

The Manila City government earlier confirmed there were three Delta patients in the city. Among them was a 58-year-old woman from Pandacan, who died on June 28.

Another patient, who was initially declared as recovered, tested positive for COVID-19 again after undergoing a new test, the DOH said.

Vergeire said the new patients would undergo retesting to ensure they were clear of the coronavirus.

She also said the presence of more transmissible variants could be “correlated” to a rise in cases in NCR Plus and areas of the Visayas.

From July 16 to 22, the country recorded 5,666 coronavirus infections, an increase of 626 cases compared to the previous week. A total of over 1.5 million cases have been logged in the Philippines.

“After a slow decline in the past weeks, the case trend in the NCR Plus areas is showing an increase in the recent week,” Vergeire said.

“Visayas is also showing an upward trend in the number of cases while Mindanao has a slight increase this week, and the case trend in the rest of Luzon is plateauing,” she said.

NCR Plus, composed of Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, showed signs of case increase.

The capital region logged 797 infections from July 16 to 22, an increase of 179 cases. But it is nowhere near its peak from March 29 to April 4, when it had 5,534 cases.

Rising COVID-19 cases were also

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Villar said a quick response team has already been deployed to conduct clearing operations along CNR. Other teams in CAR are on standby to resume clearing affected road sections once the weather is deemed safe for the crew and equipment.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Friday said scattered to widespread monsoon rains will continue over many areas in Luzon as Typhoon Fabian enhances the southwest monsoon.

The weather condition will prevail over the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera

Administrative Region, Metro Manila, most of Calabarzon and Central Luzon, and portions of Mimaropa.

Meanwhile, a congressman from Rizal warned against worse flooding in Metro Manila and nearby areas particularly his province during the rainy season if the development of the Kaliwa Dam were implemented to make it another source of potable water for the metropolis.

“Environmental groups have long warned us that the Kaliwa Dam project will spell disaster not just upstream, where it will endanger 291 hectares of watershed and 172 plant species, but also for the populous areas downstream

GMO...

From A1 It is the first genetically modified rice approved for commercial propagation in South and Southeast Asia, officials said Friday.

Golden rice has faced strong resistance from environmental groups opposed to genetically altered food plants.

At least one test field in the Philippines was attacked by activists.

Despite passing the final regulatory hurdle, the rice is still a way off appearing in food bowls.

“Limited quantities” of seed could start to be distributed to Filipino farm-

ers in selected provinces next year, Reinke said.

Ordinary rice, a staple for hundreds of millions of people particularly in Asia, produces beta-carotene in the plant, but it is not found in the grain.

“The only change that we’ve made is to produce beta-carotene in the grain,” Reinke said.

“The farmers will be able to grow them in exactly the same way as ordinary varieties... it doesn’t need additional fertilizer or changes in management and it carries with it the benefit of improved nutrition.”

Vitamin A is essential for normal growth and development, the proper functioning of the immune system, and vision. AFP

The DOH also logged 2,330 recoveries.

Active COVID-10 cases were pegged at 55,069 or 3.6 percent of total cases, while 94.7 percent or 1,455,137 recovered from the respiratory disease. Deaths, totaling 26,891, accounted for 1.75 percent of total cases.

The last time PH recorded zero deaths was July 9, 2020.

The DOH explained at the time that no deaths were reported because the deaths initially reported to them still required validation because “either the date or cause of death was missing.” Willie Casas

if you have open wounds especially in your feet or legs. You can be infected with it if you soak in flood waters,” Vergeire said.

The fatality rate for the first semester stood at 11.4 percent.

The Cordillera Autonomous Region,

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DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, citing the report of the agency’s Bureau of Maintenance, said as of 12 noon on Friday, the impassable roads in CAR are the Kennon Road, in Camp 5, Tuba, Benguet due to rockfall, and the Abra - Kalinga Road, in Gacab, Malibcong, Abra due to soil and rock collapse.

In Mimaropa, the Calapan North Road in Barangay Aninuan, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro is also closed to traffic due to landslides.

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From A1 in virology, encompassing all areas in viruses and viral diseases in humans, plants and animals.

It also wants to create the Philippine Center for Disease Control that will serve as the country’s principal health protection agency tasked to prevent, protect and manage the spread of diseases and other health threats originating domestically and internationally.

The proposed Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act seeks to modernize, professionalize and improve the compensation of officials and personnel of

In other developments: * An adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19, Dr. Ted Herbosa, said more Filipinos need to be encouraged to be vaccinated as the highly contagious Delta variant has begun to spread locally. A Delta variant carrier can infect up to eight people, making it more transmissible than the original strain of Covid-19, experts say. * The Philippines got an additional 1 million doses of COVID-19 from China Friday morning, bringing to 3,010,120 the total doses the country received in the past three days. The latest shipment of Sinovac vaccine consigned to the Department of Health was transported to Manila from Beijing by Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) via flight 5J-671. Customs officials said the vaccines were immediately loaded in a reefer van and transported to the facility owned and operated by the government’s third party cold chain and logistics partner Pharmaserv Express in Marikina City upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The doses followed the arrival of 1.5 million doses of the same China-made vaccine last Thursday, which was also shipped by Cebu Pacific. On Wednesday, the 5th shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine consisting of 510,120 doses also landed at the NAIA Terminal 3 via Air Hong Kong flight LD-457.

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SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

P2.3b smuggled, counterfeit items seized—Customs

OUT OF CONTROL.

Children play at the flooded portion of Baseco compound in Manila on July 23, 2021 when they are not supposed to go outside their homes because of the lingering threat of the highly infectious and deadly Delta variant of COVID-19, which has prompted the IATF to recommend placing Metro Manila and four provinces under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions.

Norman Cruz

By Joel E. Zurbano

CHR supports bill to enforce laws, rules on environment

House adopts Senate version of POGO bill

By Rio N. Araja

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Commission on Human Rights supported on Friday the urgent passage of the Environmental Protection and Enforcement Bureau bill.

It also maintained its backing for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a better enforcement of environmental laws as a positive step in protecting the human rights of all Filipinos.

The National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee-Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources and other government agencies passed Joint Resolution No. 02 of 2021.

The joint resolution emphasized that despite numerous laws mandating the DENR to perform environmental protection and enforcement, the DENR does not have its own dedicated bureau to enforce environmental and natural resources laws that it is assigned with, resulting in weak implementation of these laws.

“As such, CHR stresses that strengthening institutions to empower environmental rule of law is central to achieving sustainable development.

There is a need to integrate environmental needs with the essential elements of the rule of law, and provide the basis for improving environmental governance,” spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.

“CHR likewise supports capacitating environment law enforcers; improving legal and policy mechanisms to better combat illegal transnational environmental activities; and addressing violations of environmental laws, among others, as embodied in the EPEB bill,” she added.

She said in the same vein, CHR underscores that one of the most pressing concerns when we speak of environmental problems is the increasing number of fallen environmental rights defenders and law enforcers whose lives, liberties, and security were curtailed in the line of duty.

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N ECONOMIST in the House of Representatives on Friday revealed that the lower chamber will adopt the Senate version of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations tax bill as legislators cited the need to immediately raise P13.4 billion from POGO operators to boost government’s financial capability in fighting the COVID 19 pandemic.

Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said the House leadership under Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has vowed to adopt the POGO tax regime that was proposed by senators.

Salceda recommended the House action as he noted that POGO taxes will guarantee government additional P176.9 billion income in five years.

“Both versions impose a five tax on gross gaming receipts for “offshore gaming licensees” and a 25 percent tax on gross income for nonresident aliens working under the Service Providers of these licensees,’ said Salceda, referring

to the nearly identical versions of the two legislative chambers.

“Secretary Dominguez is right. The House leadership, at my recommendation, will adopt the POGO tax regime approved by the Senate,” said Salceda.

The House action to adopt the Senate version will no longer require the creation of a bicameral conference committee that may result to the insertion of riders or amendments that at times veer away from the original intent of the legislative proposal.

Salceda stressed the Senate versions “contains only minor reworkings of the House version, and there is no differ-

ence between their tax rates and tax bases, and those of the House version.’’

“We were the first draft, and they made very few modifications. So, recognizing the respect that the Senate extended to the House version, we will adopt their changes, which in my view are acceptable,” the veteran administration lawmaker pointed out.

President Duterte has certified as urgent the POGO tax bill.

Five provisions contained in the Senate version that congressmen found to be “non-contentious” are: 1. Requirement on every alien employee of offshore gaming licensees (OGL) commonly known as POGO to secure a Tax Identification Number (TIN); 2. Removal of the provision that POGOs currently registered with other special economic zones will pay at their current tax rate or 5% of gross gaming revenues, whichever is higher, and instead makes the five percent rate uniform. This is of little consequence.

WASHED OUT. Aboard a

PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Guillermo Eleazar has directed the Cebu Police Provincial Office to investigate the killing of radio commentator Reynante “Rey” Cortes and immediately arrest the suspect.

Initial investigation showed that Cortes was shot to death the other day by a still unidentified gunman in front of the station DYRB Radyo Pilipino along N. Bacalso Avenue in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

Eleazar said the PNP was calling for justice on the slay of the radio com-

mentator.

He gave assurances police would look into all possible angles in the incident, including threats that the victim might have received.

Police investigators are coordinating with Cortes’ family, friends, and colleagues for information that could

shed light on the incident, said Eleazar.

“All angles will be investigated to determine the motive in the crime, especially if this was related to his profession. The local police will also investigate if there were threats to his life prior to the incident,” Eleazar said.

Five scam suspects collared in QC

By Willie Casas IN LINE with the relentless campaign of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against illegal activities, operatives of NBI-AntiFraud Division (NBI-AFD) arrested five persons in Quezon City for illegal investment activities.

NBI Officer-in-Charge Director Eric Distor identified the suspects as Bernie Limpiada, Marvin Ojeda, Glory Pillora, Rogelio Fambuena Jr., and Sison Inocencio.

Distor said the case stemmed from the report of a walk-in informant regarding an alleged investment scam

perpetrated by Agri-wealth Farm Ventures Inc. owned and operated by the suspects.

The informant and his associate, accompanied by the officials of AntiRed Tape Authority, reported to NBIAFD the illegal investment activities of the suspects.

According to the informant, AGRIWEALTH was offering investment to the public with the promise of 160 percent return of investment within 100 days.

The suspects promised investors a daily profit ranging from 1.6 percent to 2.5 percent of the invested amount.

Center opens for prevention of sex abuses

By Rey E. Requejo

fiber glass boat, personnel from the Manila City Hall’s department of public safety continue collecting trash washed ashore in the Dolomite Beach along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Friday, July 23, 2021.

Some portions of the beach had been washed out after two days of heavy rains but It is forbidden to collect dolomite in the area.

Danny Pata

PNP chief vows to dig deep into the murder of Cebu broadcaster

By Francisco Tuyay

MORE than P2.3 billion worth of smuggled counterfeit items and used clothing from China were seized during a raid at a warehouse in Valenzuela City, the Customs bureau said on Friday.

Armed with a Letter of Authority issued by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, operatives of the Manila International Container Port - Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service raided the warehouse along Maysan Road where they found assorted counterfeit products of Nike, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton, among others.

The raiding team also discovered used clothing, boxes containing face masks and other imported items at the establishment.

MICP-CIIS chief Alvin Enciso said they acted immediately after his office received information about the counterfeit items and smuggled products worth billions of pesos being stored at the warehouse.

“You know, in this job, you have to move fast. These smugglers are creative and resourceful so if you have no sense of urgency, you aren’t going to catch them red-handed. Whenever we receive information about a possible smuggled shipment, we are very keen to act on it as soon as possible,” Enciso said.

He said the latest operation is part of the intensified anti-smuggling campaign by the MICP-CIIS in close coordination with the bureau’s Enforcement and Security Service, the Coast Guard, and Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.

MICP District Collector Romeo Allan Rosales issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention, saying the management of the warehouse will be held liable for violating Section 224 in relation to Section 219 of Republic Act 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

The CMTA refers to the misdeclaration and misclassification of goods in a shipment resulting in deficiency between the duty and tax that should have been paid and the duty and tax actually paid.

The five suspects in the alleged scam are presented to the media by the National Bureau of Investigation.

THE Department of Justice, through the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the National Bureau of Investigation, with the support of the UK National Crime Agency, inaugurated Friday the Cyber-TIP Monitoring Center.

This is the first facility established in response to the increasing numbers of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) reports in the Philippines.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stressed that the pervasiveness of the internet and social media usage in the country had contributed to the proliferation of new modes of perpetrating trafficking in general, and the rise of OSEC in particular.

Fortunately, Guevarra said, the advancements in technology could also assist in detecting and identifying perpetrators online.

“The technological nuances of OSEC are indeed challenging, as we play catch-up to modern-day criminals who change modus at lightning speed. Meticulous case build-up and precision investigations are important to build airtight cases. But expertise doesn’t come overnight. Fortunately, new tools are also available at our disposal such as the Rule on Cyber Warrants, the Revised Rules on Evidence and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.” Guevarra said during the inauguration rites.

Besides Guevarra, UK Ambassador Daniel Pruce, DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar; NBI Officer-in-Charge Director Eric Distor; UK National Crime Agency representative Jackie Greene; DOJ Assistant Secretary Nicholas Felix Ty; NBI Deputy Directors Ferdinand Lavin, Antonio Pagatpat and Vicente De Guzman; NBI–Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI- AHTRAD) Chief Janet Francisco; and IACAT Executive Director Jinky Dedumo led the formal launch of the Cyber-TIP Center.

Distor said the NBI had exerted twice the effort this year in monitoring social media platforms, addressing online complaints, and managing reports in light of the continued upsurge in OSEC activities since the pandemic started.

A4

News

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

SC launches ePayment for small claims

Enlist for polls, Romualdez urges youth

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court on Friday launched the Judiciary ePayment for Small Claims, the online payment of legal fees for small claims cases.

In a statement, the SC said the option of cashless payment for litigants in small claims cases will be pilot-tested in close to a thousand first-level courts nationwide.

The inauguration of the cashless payment came after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the SC and Easypay Global EMI Corp., the owner of Fortune Pay which is a mobile wallet app that enables users to enjoy an easy, fast, and secure way of digital payment.

The SC stressed that all metropolitan trial courts, municipal trial courts in cities, municipal trial courts, and municipal circuit trial courts can now conveniently accept payments for small claims through the Fortune Pay Mobile Application.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and EGEC President Mr. Paul Ian Chan were the principal signatories to the MOA. Signing as witnesses were Deputy Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva and EGEC Marketing Director El Joseph Paculanang.

The MOA was signed simultaneously in two locations—in the Division Hearing Room of the Supreme Court in Padre Faura, Manila, and in the Rizal Park Hotel, Ermita, Manila—with each party possessing a copy of the MOA previously signed by the other party.

The ePayment services of Fortune Pay is the newest addition to the growing roster of collection channels that will be later on integrated with the Judiciary ePayment Solution currently under development by the Court.

On March 15, 2021, the SC signed a MOA with Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) for UnionBank to develop an ePayment solution for the Judiciary.

FLOOD CULPRIT. MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos (left) inspects the garbage that clogged flood control facilities following heavy rains over the last two days at the San Andres pumping station in Sta. Ana, Manila on July 23. Norman Cruz

Binay, solons blast gov’t ‘medicine cabinet’ tack

By Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

F

ORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday criticized the government for its failure to prevent the entry of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the continuing spike of active coronavirus cases in the country.

“The number of COVID-19 cases is rising fast. Again. Government is imposing restrictions. Again. It’s repetitive but not learning. And until the government shapes up, we will be trapped in this loop of uncertainty because of the government’s inefficiency and lack of urgency,” Binay said in a statement.

“I’m sure, they’ll say it’s our fault.

When will the government admit that until now, they are still failing in testing, contact tracing, border control, and

vaccine procurement?” he added.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson echoed Binay, hitting the Department of Health (DOH) for its lack of preparation due to its “medicine attitude” and knowing the Delta variant has already gripped India and Indonesia.

“It seems they have not prepared adequately,” said Lacson, who has been at loggerheads with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Lacson noted it is “pathetic” that our

Manila

Standard

TODAY REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE FORMAL INVESTIGATION BY THE TARIFF COMMISSION ON THE IMPOSITION OF SAFEGUARD MEASURE AGAINST IMPORTATIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES (PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, AHTN 2017 HEADINGS 87.03 AND 87.04) FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES PURSUANT TO REPUBLIC ACT (RA) NO. 8800 In accordance with Section 14 of RA No. 8800 (Safeguard Measures Act), the Tariff Commission (Commission) hereby causes the publication of the summary of findings and conclusion, as well as the recommendation, on the above-cited investigation which was concluded on 22 July 2021 , the date of receipt by the Office of the Secretary of Trade and Industry of the Commission’s Final Report. The full text of the non-confidential version of said Final Report may be accessed at the Commission’s website www.tariffcommission.gov.ph

national health authorities “are no different, being reactive instead of proactive.”

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Lacson’s confirmed running mate in next year’s national elections, pressed the DOH and the Inter-Agency Task Carpio to Rody: Keep Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to come up China away from WPS with complementary measures to stop RETIRED Supreme Court Justice the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by Antonio Carpio on Friday chalthe Delta variant. lenged President Rodrigo Duterte to Sotto said policymakers and health show his sincerity to uphold the conexperts must be ready in case of a spike stitution and protect the country’s in cases due to the Delta variant. exclusive economic zone by prohibHe suggested the reimposition of iting China from further fishing in stringent movement protocols across the West Philippine Sea. all community quarantine classifica“I hope he will surprise me by saytions against the holding of mass gathing, ‘bawal na (it’s now prohibited). I erings, which he said could easily bewill prohibit them from violating our come superspreader events.

Constitution, violatingBLACK the arbitral CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW award. That’s the only thing I’m asking him. Surprise me, bawal na mangisda sa ating EEZ [prohibit Chinese fishing in our EEZ],” Carpio said.

Carpio said there is the simple test Duterte should do in the remaining year of his presidency.

“I have a very simple test for that.

The Constitution says that the EEZ of the Philippines is for Filipino only. All the fish in the West Philippine Sea is for Filipino fishermen only. That’s the Constitution, that’s the Arbitral Award, that’s UNCLOS, that’s international law,” the retired SC magistrate added.

Rey E. Requejo

IN BRIEF

Pag-IBIG virtual desks activated for OFWs

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION In accordance with RA No. 8800, the Commission hereby concludes the following: 1. The petitioner Philippine Metalworkers Alliance is considered a juridical person belonging to the motor vehides industry pursuant to Section 6 and Rule 6.4(d) of RA No. 8800.

2. There are six identified domestic producers/assemblers of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles during the period of investigation (POI) from 2014 to 2020 and their collective output complies with the domestic industry requirement under Section 4(f) of RA No. 8800.

PASTORS’ PROTEST. Members of bishops and pastors’ group One Voice and United Church of Christ

3. The imported products under consideration consist of new Completely Built Up (CBU) passenger cars and new CBU light commercial vehicles.

Excluded from the investigation are Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units, Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) units, special purpose vehicles, and “Iuxury” vehicles. Thus, the imported products under consideration are classified under 56 AHTN 2017 Codes, with 54 tariff lines referring to imported CBU passenger cars and another two tariff lines referring to imported CBU light commercial vehicles.

Revive Parañaque spillway project—Marcos

4. Locally produced passenger cars are considered “directly competitive” products to imported CBU passenger cars classified under the 33 AHTN 2017 subheadings identified in the Commission’s Final Report (Table 5.13) because they are substitutable with the latter in the marketplace by offering altemative products for satisfying customer needs and preferences.

5. Locally produced light commercial vehicles classified under AHTN 2017 subheading 8704.21 .29 are considered “directly competitive” to imported light commercial vehicles (classified under the same subheading) because they are substitutable with the latter in the market by providing consumers with an alternative for satisfying their needs and tastes for said product.

6. There was no increase in imports of CBU passenger cars and CBU light commercial vehicles, both in absolute terms and relative to domestic production, during the POI. 7. Since it has been established that CBU passenger cars and CBU light commercial vehicles were not imported in increased quantities (whether absolute or relative to domestic production) during the POI, the determination of serious injury or threat thereof, causation, and unforeseen developments has become moot and academic.

RECOMMENDATION Considering that CBU passenger cars and CBU light commercial vehicles were not imported in increased quantities (whether absolute or relative to domestic production) during the POI, the Commission hereby terminates its formal investigation and recommends that no definitive general safeguard measure be imposed on importations of the CBU passenger cars and CBU light commercial vehicles subject of this investigation.

Issued this 23rd day of July 2021 , Quezon City.

Digi-

Digitally

MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson

ERNESTO L. ALBANO Commissioner (MS-JULY 24, 2021)

MARISSA MARICOSA A, PADERON, PhD Commissioner

A SENIOR official of the House of Representatives on Friday urged qualified voters who are not on the voters’ list to register for the 2022 elections to enable them to take part “effectively in reforming the country’s political and economic system.”

“Register, and vote! Make sure that every vote counts. That is the best way to introduce reforms in our country,” House Majority Leader and 1st District Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez said, as he stressed the importance of voter participation in political exercises.

Addressing the first-time voters, Romualdez said: “You, my dear Filipino youth, have the time and energy to help improve the living condition of our people. You have the power to help build a better future for the next generation. Do not waste them.”

Romualdez, chairman of the House Committee on Rules, also commended the Commission on Elections for its effort to register 4.3 million first-time voters, surpassing its projection of four million new voters as of June 2021.

“Though the figures are commendable, I still appeal to the Filipino youth who have yet to register or deactivated as voters to go to Comelec offices for registration before the September 30 deadline,” Romualdez stressed.

Comelec Deputy Executive Director for Operations Teopisto Elnas Jr. told the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms hearing last month that the poll body registered 4.8 million voters, including 500,000 reactivated voters.

Romualdez, president of the LakasChristian Muslim Democrats (CMD), said the youth sector’s loud voice in various social media platforms concerning major issues affecting their daily lives should be given life by exercising their right to vote during election day.

in the Philippines marched from Recto Avenue to Mendiola in Manila to protest the arrest of Pastors Jimmy Teves, Daniel Balucio, Nathaniel Valiente, and Benjie Gomez of the UCCP and other churches. Norman Cruz

FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday called on the government to strongly consider reviving its spillway project to effectively address extreme flooding in Metro Manila during the rainy season.

Marcos was referring to the botched construction of the spillway project in Paranaque, which was intended to catch overflowing flood water from Laguna Lake before it exits to Manila Bay. The Paranaque spillway project was one of the four floodway projects implemented during the administration of his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, but were not pursued by the next administrations.

On his Facebook page, the former senator recalled that in the 1970s extreme flooding in Metro Manila prompted the Marcos administration

to plan the construction of four major floodways to accommodate all the water to avoid spilling to low-lying areas.

“The first spillway project was completed in 1983. The second and third floodway projects were completed in 1984 and 1985… and this Paranaque spillway would have been the fourth to be constructed in 1986, but it was discontinued because the government has changed,” Marcos lamented.

The former senator stressed that the urban planning envisioned by his father was a longterm solution to flooding in Metro Manila with expert urban planner Jun Palafox at its helm.

“I don’t think the flooding will disappear completely, but maybe we can do something to alleviate the damage and hardship brought by the floods to our countrymen,” Marcos concluded.

OFFICIALS launched on Friday the Pag-IBIG Virtual Offices catering to overseas Filipinos in North America (United States and Canada), United Kingdom and Ireland, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and Singapore.

The Pag-IBIG Virtual Offices began operations in June this year.

The service is a departure from the agency’s traditional overseas service desks, which are physically manned and open only during set business hours.

“With the Pag-IBIG Virtual Offices, our online service platform will provide service that transcends distance and time zones. Distance will no longer be a hindrance to service our OFWs,” said Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

“This is aligned with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s call to make government service responsive to the needs of the public by harnessing technology,” added the chair of the 11-member PagIBIG Fund Board of Trustees.

Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Acmad Moti said that the Virtual Offices will be a more convenient option for Filipinos abroad.

Drilon: SC ruling underscored Senate’s role in treaty abrogation SENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Friday asserted that the Supreme Court has recognized the role and power of the Senate in treaty abrogation.

This, he said, was contrary to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s claim that the high court’s recent decision “virtually said” that the Senate’s concurrence is not needed in withdrawing from treaties or international agreements.

While the Supreme Court dismissed the petition questioning the validity of the Philip-

pine government’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute for being moot and academic, Drilon said the SC affirms the need for Senate’s concurrence in the withdrawal from treaties and international agreements.

“The High Court, in a landmark ruling, recognized and upheld the role and power of the Senate as the partner of the President, not only in treaty-making but in treaty abrogation as well,” he stressed.

Drilon cites the decision in Pangilinan v.

Cayetano (GR 238875) that “the President’s discretion on unilaterally withdrawing from any treaty or international agreement is not absolute.”

“As primary architect of foreign policy, the President enjoys a degree of leeway to withdraw from treaties. However, this leeway cannot go beyond the President’s authority under the Constitution and the laws. In appropriate cases, legislative involvement is imperative,” he said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Opinion Raising the alarm on COVID-19 Delta variant Chinese vaccine.

Perhaps the most disturbing report about the Delta variant came from Australia. Officials there are emphasizing that COVID-19 can be, and is transmitted through the air.

According to The Guardian, “Scarily fleeting encounters” resulting in Delta spread in Sydney was captured after CCTV revealed two people walking past each other transmitted the virus. Imagine that!

THE Department of Health (DOH) has recently confirmed local transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant. As of this writing Infectious diseases experts say that a 47 cases have been detected in the country.

6,546 new cases were reported by the greater focus on airborne transmission is DOH on July 21, and the daily average for needed to manage the spread of the COVID the week was 5,570. As of July 23, the to- virus. Australia is seeing very fleeting contal number of cases is more than 1,530,266 tacts leading to transmission. The Delta vi(1.53 million) with 1,452,813 (1.45 million) rus was described as, “a gold medalist when recoveries. The total number of deaths was it comes to jumping from one person to another.” Even the World Health Organization pegged at 26,891 (source: worldometer).

The status of vaccination leaves much (WHO) finally acknowledged the airborne to be desired. Data from HerdImmunityPH spread of COVID-19 last April after months reveal that as of July 15, only 5.78% Filipi- of growing scientific evidence. Meanwhile, nos of the target seventy (70) million herd there is not much emphasis on airborne immunity target are fully vaccinated. At transmission.

In the Philippines, few people understand the rate the vaccination rollout is going, it will take about one-and-a-half (1.5) years that COVID-19 may be transmitted through air especially in conor January 2023 to gested and poorly achieve herd immuniventilated areas. Alty. Currently, the vacthough the case in cine supply we have is Let us keep each Australia is just one, enough to fully inocuother well, safe, and they were able to eslate 14.11% of the poptablish transmission ulation. alive. through air. And this Simply put, the was between two perCOVID-19 pandemic sons who just passed is far from over and it continues to wreak havoc in our lives. each other by, meaning it only took a few Meanwhile, the government is super slow seconds for the virus to be transferred.

How dangerous is it here where a lot of in its vaccination drive.

And now, local transmission of the Del- people are careless in following protocols? ta variant has been confirmed. Why should More and more people are congregating, COVID-19 Delta variant be a cause of seri- even having parties, sometimes even in air ous concern to all? According to The New conditioned areas. One ordinarily sees peoYork Times, it is the most transmissible ple on the streets wearing face masks the variant of the virus yet. Delta may also be wrong way.

Thailand has predicted that soon, the able to partially evade the antibodies made by the immune system after a coronavirus Delta variant will be the dominant variant infection or vaccination. This means that there also because many Thais were vaccithose who have recovered from the virus, nated using Sinovac. Are we far behind?

The Duterte administration has said that and even those who have been fully vaccithis is an emergency. Yet, the President will nated, may still get this variant.

Experts are unanimous in saying that the meet with the IATF in the evening of the highest risk of getting the Delta variant is following day. Again, it seems that there reamong the unvaccinated population. Given ally is no sense of urgency. An emergency the slow and erratic vaccination program is an emergency. Government does not have here, we can say that many of us are at risk. the luxury of time and has to act fast.

General Community Quarantine (GCQ) Delta may cause more severe illness, although more research is needed. According with heightened restrictions has just been to experts, there is a greater risk of hospi- imposed on Metro Manila and four other artalization for those who catch this variant eas. Outside of this, it is most important to that has now been detected in 85 countries significantly speed up the vaccination rollincluding the Philippines. Presently in the out since the highest risks are among those United States, Delta is the more dominant who remain unvaccinated.

For those who can afford it, stay home variant now accounting for 51.7 percent of positive COVID-19 samples (Centers for and work from home as much as possible.

Disease Control and Prevention). There has Open your windows for ventilation. If you been a 10-percent increase in positive cases can, do not use the air conditioner especially in areas where people gather. Wear your there.

However, vaccines that are in use in mask properly. Practice physical distancing.

Remember that the Delta variant can be the US are effective against all detected COVID-19 variants, including Delta. On transmitted through air. Be vigilant. Let us the other hand, recent reports indicate that keep each other well, safe, and alive.

Sinovac is the least effective against this variant and in the Philippines, many, if not @bethangsioco on Twitter most, have been administered with this Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

End to endo According to Singson, the enactment of HB 4802 is vital to both workers and management who both are confronted with the economic adversities triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This bill works to the advantage of labor and capital who continue to suffer under the COVID-19 crisis. It guarantees workers CONTRARY to claims of the so-called continuous employment for 24 months and pro-worker lawmakers and labor unions at the same time allows management just that extending the probationary period for enough leeway to recover losses caused by workers from the current six months to 24 the pandemic,” Singson explains. months is anti-labor, this writer agrees with It should be noted that President Rodrithe author of House Bill No. 4802 -- it is go Duterte vetoed the proposed Security of otherwise.

Tenure bill which he had certified as urgent, In his proposed measure, Probinsyano saying the bill submitted to him will destroy Ako Partylist Rep. Jose “Bonito” C. Sing- the balance between the employers and son Jr., seeks to extend the probationary the employees as it “unduly broadens the period to give both scope and definition of employers and emprohibited labor-only ployees ample time to contracting, effectiveThis is a perfectly appreciate each other, ly proscribing forms thereby eliminating of contractualization sound proposal. the risks for the forthat are not particularmer of regularizing ly unfavorable to emworkers who may latployees involved.” er turn out to be not fit The bill which for the job.

Duterte vetoed defines labor contracting as It should be noted that the present sys- a practice wherein a job contractor “merely tem wherein employers are allowed to hire recruits and supplies or places workers to workers for a six-month probationary pe- a contractee,” prohibiting business entities riod has been prone to abuse. Employees from hiring workers on a contractual basis. are terminated before reaching the manda- It requires businesses to directly hire emtory six months, enabling the employers to ployees, effectively banning the practice avoid regularizing their employees. of outsourcing workers through manpower This either results in the worker having agencies. It also wants companies to absorb to look for work again after six months, or or regularize all workers. All employees, inif the employer had been obligated to reg- cluding project and seasonal employees exularize the employee, would end up with a cept those on probationary status, are entiworker still under-trained for the job. tled to benefits received by regular workers.

By extending the probationary period While Duterte maintains he remains to two years, workers are then assured of committed to eradicating all forms of abucontinuous employment for the next 24 sive employment practices and protecting months, which Singson says will address the workers’ right to security of tenure, he the much-criticized “end of contract” prac- insists there should be a “healthy balance” tice of employers that is also the main ob- between the conflicting interests of laborers jective of the Security of Tenure Act. and employers.

“Endo” is resorted to by employers to Singson avers that increasing the time avoid compliance to the legally mandated element of the probationary period, is in regularization of workers who have ren- effect creating a better job security for the dered six months of continuous employ- average probationary employee, who, most ment. often than not, falls victim to company

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

B1

EDITORIAL

T

Get vaccinated

HE monsoon season has begun, and the sight of hundreds of men and women joining the long queue around vaccination centers, seeking shelter under their umbrellas, tells us many things about ourselves.

vaccination bulletin shows some 15,600,000 doses have been administered across 1,297 active vaccination sites, with an average of 271,426 doses daily over the past week, lower than the government’s target of 500,000 jabs per day.

We need to win this race.

We give our hand to those who have, persuaded by others or on their own, gone out in the rain to get themselves out of the persistently pitiless pandemic.

This week, we saw the emergence of local cases of the more transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 in the country – aware of what authorities have said this should not change the ultimate target of vaccinating 70 percent, particularly those in high-risk public of the 110 million population by the end of 2021.

The Department of Health has said there are eight active Delta variant cases in the Philippines, chased by a call from the authorities, to which we add our voice, on the public to get vaccinated to protect themselves and the community from COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

Latest Department of Health COVID-19

A total 10,388,188 individuals have gotten at least one dose – 1,884,059 of whom were health workers, 2,760,074 were senior citizens, 3,440,132 were persons with comorbidities, 1,943,672 were essential workers, and 360,251 were indigents.

The DOH said 4,708,073 people have been fully inoculated – 1,312,167 of whom were health workers, 1,197,270 were senior citizens, 1,578,807 were persons with comorbidities, 449,252 were essential workers, and 170,577 were indigents.

We need not belabor the point that we need to win the race against COVID-19

variants.

Hence, this strong appeal to those who are hesitant, for whatever reason, or those merely watching the vaccination rollout to immediately get the jabs once the vaccines are available.

The Department of Health has said everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is urged to get vaccinated, take their second dose as scheduled, and to continue practicing the minimum public health standards “as you may still get infected with COVID-19 and infect other people.”

COVID-19 vaccines also help keep the people from getting seriously ill even if they get COVID-19.

Health experts say vaccines train a person’s immune system to create antibodies, just as it does when it’s exposed to a disease.

However, because vaccines contain only killed or weakened forms of germs like viruses or bacteria, they do not cause the disease or put you at risk of its complications.

Let’s get these on our minds: a COVID-protected Philippines with more Filipinos vaccinated means we are a few more steps closer to brighter days in the new normal.

Why the opposition is targeting Cusi THE opposition, true to tradition, is bound to split. The split will be colorful as in the past. This is intended to give clamor to the political opportunists now disguised as “crusaders” to satisfy the hoot for the President’s daughter to run to keep open the pipeline for financial support. Right now, the Duterte camp is making what we call in the vernacular as “pa etse etse” to raise the ante for her clamor.

On the other hand, the PDP-Laban today stands as a virtual political scarecrow. It has no mass followers or political ideology except for a few hypocritical politicians.

Pimentel stands as a figurehead. Senators Koko Pimentel, Manny Pacquaio, a bornagain turned sanctimonious Christian, and Abigail Binay, the daughter of the former Makati Mayor, Jojo Binay, who was accused of being corrupt and suspected as behind the giving of fake diploma to one aiming to become president, Pacquiao.

This explains why Pimentel could not convene the party to elect him President or have Pacquiao installed to test his political mettle to replace Duterte as ex-oficio party head.

Historically, Duterte’s loyalty to PDP-Laban is by virtue of his appointment as interim mayor of Davao by then President Corazon Aquino after that pogrom of kicking out elected local officials. That was also masterminded by the father of this self-anointed party kingmaker.

The party today is riddled with political opportunists like Evardone who is willing to ingratiate and eager to bite the largess of what the Duterte administration can offer.

President Duterte’s election as President and member of PDP-Laban automatically made him ex oficio head of the party. Even if Pacquiao stands as the party’s vice president, he cannot assume that position without the benefit of holding an election which Pimentel refuses to convene. Neither can senator Pimentel appoint a party president to annul what Cusi did to expel Pacquiao.

The refusal of Pimentel to assume the position of president shows he doubts very much the strength of the party founded by his father. He fears there would be a stampede of resignation from the remaining members. That might even cause Pacquiao to rethink his ambition. But those big guys from Washington now acting as his political handlers would surely practices that take advantage of loopholes in the law.

“Increasing the probationary period without prejudice to employers granting regular status to probationary employees at any time within the period of the probationary contract, would drastically increase the chances of probationary employees to qualify for regular status while at the same time, employers would be able to save on labor costs related to frequent rehiring and retraining of probationary employees,” Singson adds.

However, extending the probationary period to 24 months doesn’t mean the employee actually has to wait for two years before

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net)

not allow him to do that.

While the hypocritical and petty intellectual middle class is quick to denounce China, they are rather mute about the imperialist exploitation of the country. The Yanks do not have the Filipinos on their mind. They just want to keep the country to be led by a tactless puppet as their proxy.

Everybody could guess what’s in the mind of those senators. Their target is to destroy the credibility of the administration’s energy program. This is a multi-billion-dollar bonanza that awaits them. This includes the oil and natural gas beneath the South China Sea of which the Duterte administration signed an agreement, and to ease out China’s control of our transmission grid, which by a silly decision was sold by the previous government to China’s state grid corporation.

The ruling party today is riddled with political opportunists.

As earlier stated, if the main reason these bogus nationalists are questioning the possible seeking of re-election by President Duterte is not for their love of the country.

Rather, they too are showing their subservience to foreign power whose interest is to destabilize the country. Sison’s CPP/NPA today is fine-tuned to the dictates of Washington which is to focus on the anti-China campaign.

It is foolhardy for those vacillating petty intellectuals to believe the US would pay lip service to human rights or protect their loquacious mouth in the name of press freedom which the Americans themselves stand as the greatest violators. These shameless hypocrites of bogus intellectualism have been reduced to unwitting mercenaries eager to haul independent-minded political leaders like Duterte to Brussels.

People discernable about the color and substance of US propaganda are aware that many of these self-styled liberation movements today are in fact acting as stool pigeons. The CPP and the NPA, for all their steamy militancy, were not invited to witness the 100th anniversary of China’s communist party, which today is the biggest, most successful and most prosperous communist party. The CPP now wears the same traitorous mask worn by the Liberal Party to deceive our people. being regularized and getting some benefits.

According to Singson, granting the employee a regular status may come within the 24-probationary period. But even then, all benefits accorded to a regular employee should be extended to the employee even during the duration of his or her probationary status.

If there’s someone or some group who will be put at a disadvantageous position with Singson’s proposal, it will be the labor unions as they cannot recruit a probationary employee to their union, thus, they won’t be subjected to any union dues.

So, is HB 4802 anti-labor as they claim?

The US has now found their Juan Guaido in the Philippines, and Pacquiao is the ideal man to play that role of a clown. In fact, many of his supporters come not from the PDP-Laban but from the traditional traitors, and Pacquiao could do well to lead, he having the money and the US, being cash strapped, just willing to supplement the difference.

Aside from those willing lackeys, Duterte should examine the flanks of those pretending to be his allies. Right now, the senate made up of those siblings created by Smartmatic is buying their time to collect the necessary number to pounce on him. The Supreme Court is another branch that nurtures the principle of upholding the legality of the US- patterned constitution than in giving value to our independence and sovereignty.

The distribution of utilities intended to reduce the cost of electricity contrary to the avowed promise by the Epira Law instead made the cost unbearable to consumers.

Private utility operators continue to engage in cutthroat competition, and NGCP is compelled to increase its rate as a result of the so-many charges and conditionalities imposed by the World Bank. All those are aimed to topple Duterte by sabotaging the country’s energy program similar to what they did in Venezuela, Iran and the Philippines during the administration of former President Marcos.

The Duterte administration, under the leadership of the Secretary of Energy, is even contemplating renationalizing the distribution of utilities and handing them back to the NPC. They noted that NPC was mired in debt as a result of that vengeful decision to mothball the Bataan nuclear power plant. Renationalizing the NPC and allowing BNPP to operate would help ease our debt burden with the World Bank.

This explains why the opposition, particularly those LP senators with doubtful mandate, are racing to prove themselves trustworthy of US support. Branding the Department of Energy as the most corrupt is reminiscent of what the Cory Aquino government did to dismantle the Marcos-created Department of Energy.

The Americans are already worried because Shell has sold out its stakes in Malampaya. They want to be ahead of China in the exploration, development, and full utilization of the oil and gas in the Reed Bank.

They would not let the Philippines obtain 60 percent share under the Constitution as against the 10 percent share given us in Malampaya, and dividing the 90 percent between Shell and Chevron. rpkapunan@gmail.com For the longest time, we have had to deal with employers terminating workers as early as five months into employment to avoid regularizing them upon reaching six months. This has never been addressed and these employees end up jobless even before their probationary period has matured.

Now, with HB 4802, they are assured of employment for at least 24 months, which would give them ample time to hone their skills and talents, at the same time giving their employers time to appreciate them, leading to their regularization.

Anti-labor? I don’t think so.

Everyman Due process lens for unreasonable searches and seizures

To drink or not to drink (before and after a jab)

By Nonnie Pelayo

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Anita F. Grefal

Baldwin R. Felipe

Edgar M. Valmorida

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer Elmer T. Alitagtag Art Director

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Republic of the Philippines TODAY ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. AND MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD., WITH MOTION FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR INTERIM RELIEF AND CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION

SEM-CALACA POWER CORPORATION

4.0948

4.4460

SN ABOITIZ POWER-MAGAT INC.

4.2777

4.4538

ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

4.5210

4.9087

20. On 30 April 2021, the respective bid offers of the bidders who passed the pre-qualification were opened. MPPCL’s bid was declared as the best bid.

21. On 03 May 2021, LUECO’s TPBAC sent a Notification of Best Bid to MPPCL as the winning power supplier confirming after post-evaluation that its proposed energy price was found to be the best bid.

ERC CASE NO. 2021-048 RC Promulgated: July 16, 2021

Notice is hereby given that on 07 July 2021, La Union Electric Company Inc. (LUECO) and Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. (MPPCL) filed a Joint Application dated 21 June 2021, seeking the Commission’s approval of their Electric Power Purchase Agreement (EPPA), with motion for the issuance of a provisional authority or interim relief and confidential treatment of information.

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of the Board of Investments (BOI) Certificate of Registration (COR) for MPPCL Units 1 and 2

“R”

BOI COR for MPPCL Units 3 and 4

1. LUECO is a private electric distribution utility duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at LUECO Building, Quezon Avenue, San Fernando City, La Union. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission though its counsel at the address herein indicated.

2. LUECO is the grantee of a legislative franchise (R.A. No. 9385) issued by the Thirteenth (13th) Congress of the Philippines on 24 July 2006 to operate and maintain an electric distribution system within the City of San Fernando and the Municipalities of Bauang and San Juan, all in the Province of La Union.

“V”

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of Minimum Energy Offtake Provision

“W”

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of Requirements regarding the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement

24. A copy of the TPBAC Summary Report regarding the conduct of LUECO’s CSP is likewise hereto attached and marked as Annex “H-10”.

“X”

Certification by the CFO of MPPCL on items under Sources of Funds/ Financial Plans of the Pre-filing Requirements (Confidential)

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE EPPA

“Y”

25. The EPPA dated 28 May 2021, entered into by and between LUECO and MPPCL, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “A” and made an integral part hereof, contains the following salient features:

Write-up – Explanation on Pre-filing Requirements on Computation of Rates

“Z”

Affidavit of Competitive Procurement Process of Fuel executed by the Procurement Manager of MPPCL (Confidential)

“AA and series”

Relevant technical and economic characteristics of the generation capacity, installed capacity, mode of operation, and dependable capacity

“BB”

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of the DOE Certificate of Endorsement (COE) for MPPCL Units 1 and 2

“CC”

DOE COE for MPPCL Units 3 and 4

“DD”

Transmission Service Agreement (TSA) between the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and MPPCL

“EE”

Audited Financial Statements (AFS), Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Statement of Cash Flows

2.2 COOPERATION PERIOD OF AGREEMENT 2.2.1 Subject to Section 2.3, this Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date.

2.2.1.1

NATURE OF THE APPLICATION 7. This Joint Application for the approval of the “ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT” (“EPPA”) dated 28 May 2021 entered into by and between LUECO and MPPCL is being submitted to this Honorable Commission for its review and approval pursuant to Sections 25 and 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136 otherwise known as the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001” (“EPIRA”), Rules 5, Sections 4 (e) and 11, Section 5 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (“IRR”), Rule 20 (B) of its Rules of Practice and Procedure, and other pertinent rules and regulations.

STATEMENT OF FACTS 8. On 18 July 2019, two months before the expiration of its EPPA with Team (Philippines) Energy Corporation (“TPEC”) on 25 August 2019, LUECO wrote the Hon. ALFONSO G. CUSI, Secretary of the Department of Energy, requesting for the issuance of a Certificate of Exemption (“COE”) “to enable LUECO to extend its existing power supply agreement under the same terms and conditions.”1 9. On 25 November 2019, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued its Certification (COE-CSP-2019-10-001) certifying that LUECO “is exempted from the conduct of COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS (CSP) to extend its existing power supply agreement with Team (Philippines) Energy Corporation (TPEC) for one (1) year supply under the same terms and conditions starting from 26 August 2019 until 25 August 2020.”2 Furthermore, the DOE also stated that “LUECO’s succeeding PSA procurement shall undergo CSP in accordance with DC2018-02-0003 in a manner provided under Section 5 thereof – through public bidding x x x .”3 10. However due to the issuance of Proclamation No. 929, Series of 2020 on 16 March 2020 by President RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE declaring a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus Disease 2019 Pandemic or COVID-19 Pandemic, LUECO was not able to complete the conduct of its CSP. 11. On 02 December 2020, pursuant to DOE Department Circular DC201802-003, LUECO sent a letter to the DOE attaching its Terms of Reference (TOR) for its approval.

12. On 10 December 2020, the DOE sent its reply to the letter dated 02 December 2020 of LUECO suggesting some revisions in its TOR, particularly the revision of the 2020- 2029 Power Supply Procurement Plan (PSPP) and the submission of the 2020-2029 Distribution Development Plan (DDP).

13. Pursuant to the 10 December 2020 letter of the DOE, LUECO, on 21 December 2020, submitted its compliance and likewise furnished the DOE the Secretary’s Certificate providing the composition of LUECO’s Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (“TPBAC”), TPBAC- Technical Working Group (“TWG”) and TPBAC Secretariat.

The term of this Agreement (the “Cooperation Period”) shall commence on the Commencement Date and shall expire on February 25, 2032, unless terminated earlier or extended in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

2.3 CONDITIONS PRECEDENT, COMMENCEMENT DATE

EFFECTIVE

DATE,

AND

2.3.1.1

The Effective Date shall be the date the conditions precedent in Section 13.1.1 and 13.2.1 have been satisfied or waived by the relevant Party (the “Effective Date”).

2.3.3 COMMENCEMENT DATE 2.3.3.1

2.3.3.2

The “Commencement Date” shall occur upon the satisfaction of the conditions set out in Section 2.3.2.

It shall be on August 26, 2021 or upon approval by the ERC, (whether interim relief, provisional or final), whichever is later but to coincide with NGCP Billing every 26th day of the month. xxx

4.1 Supply of Electricity. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from the Commencement Date until the expiration of the Cooperation Period or earlier termination of this Agreement, SELLER shall make available to LUECO the Contract Capacity to be sourced from the Power Plant, the WESM, or any other source at prevailing Electricity Fee. SELLER shall ensure that its daily declarations of BCQs reported to the Market Operator (as required by the WESM Rules) accurately reflects the metered quantities in each of LUECO’s Delivery Points net of any reduction by reason of enforcement of RCOA and/or Renewable Energy Law. xxx 4.2 Failure of Power Plant to Generate Electricity. In case SELLER is unable to source electricity from Power Plant for whatever reason except cases of Force Majeure, SELLER shall undertake alternative sourcing arrangements to compensate for the failure or shortfall, provided that, BUYER shall pay to SELLER the prevailing Electricity Fee or from the alternative source, whichever, is lower. In case SELLER fails to supply BUYER electricity due to unavailability of supply from its Power Plant, WESM, and any other source, SELLER shall pay a fine calculated as follows:

Fine = 5% x GENRATE from the previous Billing Period x Unsupplied Energy

Where: Unsupplied Energy = the average of the last four (4) same day, same hour of the Trading Intervals affected by the loss of supply from Power Plant, WESM, and any other source which shall be used to reduce the generation charge to the consumers. For avoidance of doubt, in case SELLER fails to supply electricity despite availability thereof, then Section 14.1 shall apply.

5.1 ELECTRICITY FEES.

SELLER shall render to BUYER an itemized Invoice for each Billing Period in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and SCHEDULE 5. BUYER shall pay Invoices when due and payable in accordance with this Agreement and SCHEDULE 5.

SCHEDULE 4:

ELECTRICITY FEES

Electricity Fee = [(E x GENRATE)] x (1+VAT)] + [(EFM x EFM Rate) x (1+ VAT)]

Where: E

The metered quantities at BUYER’s Delivery Points for the Billing Period that is net of energy carved out by reason of enforcement of RCOA, Renewable Energy Law, and Event of Force Majeure affecting SELLER, expressed in kWh.

EFM

The metered quantities at BUYER’s Delivery Points for the Billing Period measured for hours during which Event of Force Majeure is affecting SELLER, expressed in kWh.

14. On 22 December 2020, the DOE sent its reply to the 21 December 2020 letter of LUECO recommending the removal of the option to extend for a maximum period of five (5) years pursuant to the Supreme Court Decision in G.R. No. 227670 requiring all PSAs to undergo CSP and the deletion of the Prompt Payment Discount and Prompt Payment Discount Period.

GENRATE The generation fee rate applicable for the Billing Period, expressed in PHP/ kWh.

15. On 29 December 2020, LUECO sent the revised TOR in compliance with the 22 December 2020 letter of the DOE, and on 04 January 2021, the DOE via electronic mail approved the TOR and allowed LUECO to cause the publication of the Invitation to Bid on 05 January 2021 and 12 January 2021.

Where:

16. The salient provisions of the TOR are herein provided:

EFM Rate GENRATE or Ex-Ante WESM Price at BUYER’s relevant Delivery Point, whichever is lower, expressed in Php/kWh

GENRATE = BER x ADJESC

Commencement Date of Supply

August 26, 2021 or upon approval by the ERC whichever is later but to coincide with NGCP Billing every 26th day of the month.

Tariff Structure

Base Energy Rate (BER) in Php/kWh subject to the following: • 50% maximum of the BER can be escalated at an annual rate not greater than 3.5% beginning on the second contract year.

• Inclusive of Line Rental and all other market related charges • Exclusive of VAT Bids shall be evaluated based on Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) after VAT, whenever applicable which shall be derived using the LCOE calculation sheet in accordance with the formula in Annex B. The Bidder’s Proposed Price (for the first Billing Year) and its LCOE are both subject to predetermined “Reserved Prices”.

Bid VAT Rate shall be the maximum VAT rate that Winning Bidder may charge LUECO for any given Billing Month.

Power Supplier may opt to offer a Power Act Reduction (PAR) rate of Php0.30/kWh applicable to energy affecting residential customers only (approximately 50% of LUECO’s annual energy requirement; that the actual average for the last 5 years preCOVID19 is 44%).

17. On 05 January 2021 and 12 January 2021, LUECO caused the publication of its “Invitation to Bid” in the Manila Bulletin which contained the TOR, indicating a summary of the process and timelines of the CSP and inviting generation companies (“GenCos”) to submit an Expression of Interest between 06 January 2021 and 19 January 2021.

18. In response to LUECO’s published Invitation to Bid, eight (8) GenCos purchased bid documents, namely:

First Year PreVAT rate* (PhP/kWh)

Final LCOE Pre-VAT rate* (PhP/kWh)

MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD.

3.4508

3.4508

TEAM (PHIL) ENERGY CORP

3.9462

4.2971

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE IMMEDIATE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR INTERIM RELIEF 28. LUECO and MPPCL replead the foregoing allegations in further support of their prayer for the immediate issuance of a provisional authority or interim relief.

29. Currently, LUECO continues to source its power from TPEC pursuant to a Letter of Agreement dated 11 June 2019 for a period of one (1) year from 26 August 2020 to 25 August 2021 under the same terms and conditions.

30. Given the impending expiration of the Letter of Agreement between LUECO and TPEC and without a provisional authority or interim relief issued by this Honorable Commission authorizing the supply by MPPCL starting 26 August 2021, LUECO will be left with no other supplier.

Moreover, LUECO cannot purchase from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) as it is not a direct member therein. Thus, with no supplier to provide the much-needed electric service, consumers of LUECO may experience total blackout instead of enjoying the lowest generation rate offered by MPPCL. 31. In the interest of LUECO’s consumers, there is a necessity for the immediate issuance of a provisional authority or interim relief in order to have a continuous and reliable supply of electricity.

32. Pursuant to its Rules of Practice and Procedure, this Honorable Commission may issue a provisional authority or interim relief: “Section 3. Action on the Motion. – Motions for Provisional Authority or Interim Relief may be acted upon with or without hearing. The Commission shall act on the motion on the basis of the allegations of the application or petition and supporting documents and other evidences that applicant or petitioner has submitted and the comments or opposition filed by any interested person, if any.”

33. In further support of the immediate issuance of a provisional authority, Joint Applicants attach as Annex “K” the Judicial Affidavit executed by Mr. JOSEPH BERNARD G. VALERO, EMO Manager and Member of the Board of Directors of LUECO. ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION 34. Under the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, a party to any proceeding before the Honorable Commission may request that certain information not be disclosed and be treated as confidential.4 Pursuant to this, Applicant MPPCL prays for the confidential treatment of the information contained in the following annexes: Documents and/or Information

Annex

Certification by the CFO of MPPCL on items under Sources of Funds/Financial Plans of the Pre-filing Requirements (Confidential)

“X”

Affidavit of Competitive Procurement Process of Fuel executed by the Procurement Manager of MPPCL (Confidential)

“Z”

35. Annexes “X”, and “Z” contain the details of the power rate calculations and financial model of MPPCL as well as the manner by which these were derived. These information are proprietary in nature and should be protected as trade secrets as contemplated by law and jurisprudence. In the case of Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell, Inc.5 , the Supreme Court defined a trade secret, as follows: “A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that: (1) is used in one’s business; and (2) gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the information. Generally, a trade secret is a process or device intended for continuous use in the operation of the business, for example, a machine or formula, but can be a price list or catalogue or specialized customer list. It is indubitable that trade secrets constitute proprietary rights. The inventor, discoverer, or possessor of a trade secret or similar innovation has rights therein which may be treated as property, and ordinarily an injunction will be granted to prevent the disclosure of the trade secret by one who obtained the information “in confidence” or through a “confidential relationship”. American jurisprudence has utilized the following factors to determine if an information is a trade secret, to wit:

(2) the extent to which the information is known by employees and others involved in the business;

ADJESC = [ Percent Subject to Escalation x ( 1 + Escalation) ^ (Contract Year – 1) ] + [ 1 – Percent Subject to Escalation ]

(3) the extent of measures taken by the employer to guard the secrecy of the information;

Percent Subject to Escalation = none

(4) the value of the information to the employer and to competitors;

Escalation = none VAT = Maximum Value Added Tax equivalent to twelve percent (12%) Effective VAT = Blended Maximum VAT and VAT from WESM Purchases RATE IMPACT ON LUECO’S OVERALL GENERATION RATE 26. The indicative rate impact on LUECO’s overall generation rate with the supply from MPPCL is as follows: SUPPLIER Average Rate PhP/kWh (for the recent 12 months)

CURRENT SUPPLIER

MPPCL

DIFFERENCE

4.2876

3.4939

0.7937

Details of the calculation of the rate impact on LUECO’s overall generation rate with the supply from MPPCL is hereto attached and marked as Annex “J”.

COMPLIANCE BY THE JOINT APPLICANTS WITH THE PRE-FILING CHECKLIST REQUIREMENTS 27. In compliance with the pre-filing requirements of this Honorable Commission and in further support of the instant Joint Application, Joint Applicants submit the following: LUECO SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ANNEX

DESCRIPTION OF THE DOCUMENT

“B”

Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws

“C”

Latest General Information Sheet (GIS)

“D”

Load forecast projections in accordance with the latest DDP Average daily load curve, supply and demand scenario in accordance with the templates under Annex A of the Prefiling Checklist Requirements

“F”

Demand Side Management (DSM) Program

“G”

PSPP

“H” & series

19. Out of the eight (8) GenCos who purchased bid documents, two (2) did not submit their bids while one (1) GenCo withdrew prior to the submission of bids. The GenCos who submitted their bids are the following:

MPPCL Secretary’s Certificate for Filing of Joint Application and Delegation Letter to Counsels

BER = is the Base Energy Rate equivalent to PHP3.5575/kWh

“E” & series

a. GNPower DINGININ LTD. CO b. SOLARACE1 ENERGY CORPORATION c. SEM-CALACA POWER CORPORATION d. TEAM (PHIL) ENERGY CORP e. MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD. f. THERMA LUZON INC. g. SN ABOITIZ POWER - MAGAT INC. h. ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Certification from MPPCL Units 1-3 on Net Heat Rate

(1) the extent to which the information is known outside of the employer’s business;

Where:

BASELOAD AND LOAD FOLLOWING, FIRM

“FF to FF-2” “GG and series”

2.3.1 Effective Date

MPPCL owns the 1 x 315 MW (Unit 1), 1 x 344 MW (Unit 2) and 351.75 MW (Unit 3) of the Masinloc Coal Fired Thermal Power Plant located in Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Zambales.

6. MPPCL is represented in this Joint Application by its authorized representatives, Mr. PAUL BERNARD D. CAUSON.

Environmental Compliance Certificates for MPPCL Units 1-3 issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of the Requirements regarding Renewable Energy Plant

22. On 07 May 2021, LUECO sent MPPCL the result of the post evaluation qualification.

3. LUECO is represented in this Joint Application by its President, Mr. CARLOS L. VALERO. 4. MPPCL is a limited partnership established in the Philippines to invest in, acquire, finance, complete, construct, develop, improve, operate, maintain, and hold power production and electric generating facilities in the country, with business address at Masinloc Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant, Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Zambales. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission though its counsel at the address herein indicated.

“S and series”

Letter of Provisional Authority to Operate (PAO) issued by the ERC

The pertinent allegations in the said Joint Application are hereunder quoted as follows:

GENERATION COMPANY

Corporate Structure Chart

“T”

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Power Act Reduction (PAR)

“P” “Q”

“U”

23. On 17 May 2021, the Notice of Award was sent to MPPCL which it accepted on 24 May 2021 via zoom meeting. A copy of the “Notice of Award” is hereto attached and marked as Annex “H-8”.

NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING

TYPE OF CONTRACT

Write-up – Explanation on the Requirement of List of Shareholders (GIS Sheet)

* First Year and Final LCOE rates are net of offered PPD and/or PAR

LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. (LUECO) AND MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD. (MPPCL), Applicants. x-----------------------------------------------------------x

5.

“O”

Documents showing the conduct of CSP

“I”

Executive Summary of the LUECO-MPPCL EPPA

“J”

Rate Impact Study MPPCL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

“L”

2007 Articles of Partnership

“M”

2020 Amended Articles of Partnership

“M-1”

Certificate of Registration issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

“N”

Write-up – Explanation on the Requirement of Shareholders Agreement

(5) the amount of effort or money expended by the company in developing the information; and (6) the extent to which the information could be easily or readily obtained through an independent source.” (citations omitted, emphasis supplied) The interest of the consuming public is sufficiently protected by the review and evaluation of the rates under the EPPA by the Honorable Commission, without the need to disclose the contents of Annexes “X”, and “Z”. The reasonableness and transparency of the prices of electricity is to be assured by the Honorable Commission through its own review and verification of MPPCL’s generation costs.

More importantly, competitors of MPPCL, should they obtain the information in Annexes “X”, and “Z” may gain undue advantage to the prejudice of MPPCL. The negotiating power of MPPCL with parties it plans to contract with or who it is currently doing business with, will clearly be thwarted if it is compelled to disclose such information; 36. Accordingly, Joint Applicants hereby submits one (1) copy of the confidential documents in a sealed envelope, with the envelope and each page of the document stamped with the word “Confidential”.6 37. Lastly and corollary to the foregoing, MPPCL would like to implore the discerning wisdom of the Honorable Commission to include in its issuance for this purpose the “xxx procedures for the handling or returning the confidential information, as appropriate, upon the close of the proceedings or at the end of the period provided in this Rule7”.

38. This is guided by the fact that MPPCL 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 of MPPCL enclosed in the subject annexes.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, in view of all the foregoing, Joint Applicants, LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. and MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO., LTD. respectfully pray of this Honorable Commission that: 1. Before and during the pendency of the proceedings: a. An Order be issued GRANTING provisional authority or interim relief authorizing the immediate implementation of the EPPA including the rate embodied in Schedule 4 thereof. b. An Order treating Annexes “X”, and “Z” and all the information contained therein as confidential in perpetuity, directing their non-disclosure to persons other than the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission, perpetually protecting the said information from public disclosure by maintaining the same separate and apart from the records of the 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, c. an Issuance concerning the procedures for handling the

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World China deluge death toll climbs to 51

B3

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021 || mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sydney outbreak a ‘national emergency’ as cases spike

A RECORD deluge in China’s central Henan province has claimed 51 lives, authorities said Friday, as milYDNEY’S fast-growing coronavirus outbreak has lions of residents were impacted by become a “national emergency,” state leaders said the heavy downpours.

As of noon Friday, over 395,000 Friday, as Australia’s largest city reported another people have been evacuated, and the record number of new infections. flooding has caused losses of more than $10 billion, said a statement Admitting a month-long lock- in stemming the crisis. from the storm-hit city of Zhengdown had so far failed to stop a Del“We have an obligation on behalf zhou. ta-variant outbreak, the state of New of the nation to contain the virus,” Villagers were evacuated over South Wales pleaded for Canberra to said New South Wales premier Gladys makeshift bridges as floods suburgently send more vaccines and re- Berejiklian. “There is no doubt that merged swathes of central China, sources. the numbers are not going in the right while a typhoon threatened to bring Declaring the outbreak a national direction.” more misery as it headed towards the emergency could pave the way for Her state on Friday reported 136 new country’s east coast. more federal government involvement cases, a record for this outbreak, which Millions have been affected by the floods in Henan province, trapping people for days without fresh food or water, pulverising roads as they WATERWORLD. People use a rubber dinghy breached embankments and caking to cross a flooded street following heavy rains which caused flooding and claimed the lives of at whole areas in thick mud.

In the worst-hit city of Zhengzhou least 33 people earlier in the week, in the city of Zhengzhou in China’s Henan province on July 23, firefighters on Friday continued to 2021. AFP pump the muddy water from tunnels including a subway where at least a dozen people drowned inside a train earlier in the week as a year’s worth of rainfall dumped down in just three days.

Overnight heavy rain YELLOW saw floodsBLACK CYAN MAGENTA surge northwards to Xinxiang and its surrounding areas where vast swathes of farmland were inundated and the town cut off as the Wei River burst its banks, thwarting efforts to plug the gaps with trucks.

Aerial footage showed rescuers using temporary bridges on Friday to move hundreds of residents to safety, as tree tops poking above the water were the only sign of land for miles. AFP

S

confidential information upon the close of the proceedings and its return/delivery to MPPCL. 2.

After due notice and hearing, render a Decision approving the EPPA including the rates set out therein and authorizing LUECO to charge and collect the fees therein from its customers reckoned from the start of the supply by MPPCL to LUECO under the EPPA. Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for.

The Commission has set the instant Joint Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on the following dates and online platform for the conduct thereof, pursuant to Resolution No. 09, Series 0f 2020,8 dated 24 September 2020 and Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021, dated 17 December 2020 (ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure)9: Date

Platform

Activity

04 August 2021 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 PM)

Microsoft Teams

Determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements and expository presentation

11 August 2021 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 PM)

Microsoft Teams

Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence

Accordingly, LUECO and MPPCL are hereby directed to host the virtual hearing at LUECO’s principal office located at LUECO Building, Quezon Avenue, San Fernando City, La Union, as the designated venue for the conduct thereof, and ensure that the same is open to the public and the community quarantine guidelines are observed at all times. Moreover, LUECO and MPPCL shall guarantee that, during the conduct of the expository presentation, the participation of the public shall not be impaired.

Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled virtual hearing, via electronic mail (e-mail) at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph.

The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation.

Moreover, any persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc. ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address;

2)

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file through e-mail at docket@ erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name, mailing address, and e-mail address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3)

The grounds relied upon.

Any of the persons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs may access the copy of the Application on the Commission’s official website at www.erc.gov.ph.

Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled initial virtual hearings by providing the Commission, thru legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, with their respective e-mail addresses and indicating therein the case number of the instant Application. The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearings.

(This space is intentionally left blank) WITNESS, the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA, FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL and MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 12th day of July 2021 in Pasig City.

AGNES VST DEVANADERA Chairperson and CEO

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Last paragraph, page 2, letter dated 18 July 2019 to Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi. Underscoring supplied.

First (1sT) paragraph, COE-CSP-10-001 dated 25 November 2019. Underscoring supplied.

First (1st) paragraph, page 2, letter of Secretary Cusi to Mr. Bernardo L. Valero dated 25 November 2019. Underscoring supplied.

Section 1, Rule 4, Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

G.R. No. 172835, December 13, 2007 Soft copies of the same to be provided to this Honorable Commission are password protected.

Rule 4, Section 2, paragraph 5 of the 2021 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure.

A Resolution Adopting the Guidelines Governing Electronic Applications, Filings and Virtual Hearings Before the Energy Regulatory Commission.

A Resolution Adopting the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

now totals 1,782.

With the virus “spreading everywhere” and half the country’s 25 million people currently in lockdown, Berejiklian said the government must “refocus” its glacial vaccine rollout.

Just 12 percent of Australians have been fully vaccinated, thanks to problems with supplies of Pfizer jabs and scepticism about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“We need, at least, more first doses of Pfizer,” Berejiklian said, while warning Sydney’s five million residents that restrictions could run until October.

India landslides kill 36, dozens more trapped

Climate ‘mysteries’ still puzzle scientists WHAT worries one of the world’s leading climate scientists the most?

Heatwaves—and particularly the tendency of current models to underestimate the intensity of these bursts of deadly, searing temperature.

This is one of the “major mysteries” science still has to unravel, climatologist Robert Vautard told AFP, even as researchers are able to pinpoint with increasing accuracy exactly how human fossil fuel pollution is warming the planet and altering the climate.

“Today we have better climate projection models, and longer observations with a much clearer signal of climate change,” said Vautard, one of the authors of an upcoming assessment by the United Nations’ panel of climate experts.

“It was already clear, but it is even clearer and more indisputable today.”

The assessment, the first part of a trio of reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will be released on Au-

She also announced non-essential workers in specific areas of Sydney would now be barred from leaving, tightening a lockdown that is almost certain to be formally extended next week.

“It is fairly apparent that we will not be close to zero (cases) next Friday,” Berejiklian said. “We will have a clearer view next week on what August, September, and October look like.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday apologized for the country’s slow vaccine rollout, admitting targets had not been met. AFP

gust 9 at the end of meetings starting Monday.

It focuses on the science underpinning our understanding of things like temperature increases, rising ocean levels and extreme weather events.

This has progressed considerably since the last assessment in 2014, but so has climate change itself, with effects being felt ever more forcefully across the planet.

Scientists now have a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind “extreme phenomena, which now occur almost every week around the world,” said Vautard, adding that this helps better quantify how these events will play out in the future.

In almost real time, researchers can pinpoint the role of climate change in a given disaster, something they were unable to do at all until very recently.

Now, so-called “attribution” science means we can say how probable an extreme weather event would have been had the climate not been changing at all. AFP

THIRTY-SIX people have died in landslides caused by heavy monsoon downpours in western India, with dozens more feared trapped, an official said Friday.Manila Three landslidesStandard hit Raigad disTODAY trict on Thursday, a local official told AFP, as uninterrupted rain left thousands stranded in Maharashtra state, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai.

“At least 35 to 40 people are still trapped, we are trying to rescue them,” the official said.

The Indian Navy and Air Force joined rescue efforts after water levels rose to 3.5 meters in areas of Chiplun, a city 250 kilometers from Mumbai, following 24 hours of uninterrupted rain that caused the Vashishti river to overflow, submerging roads and homes.

Rescue efforts have been slowed by landslides in the neighboring district of Raigad that have blocked crucial roads including the Mumbai-Goa Highway.

The Indian Navy deployed seven rescue teams equipped with rubber boats, life jackets and life buoys to the affected areas, along with a helicopter to airlift marooned residents.

Specialist Navy divers accompanied each team with diving equipment.

India’s meteorological department has issued red alerts for several regions in the state, indicating that heavy rainfall will continue for the next few days. AFP

Israel in cold war over Ben & Jerry’s ice cream ban ISRAELI Avi Zinger said the ice cream he makes usually brings joy, but Ben & Jerry’s decision to stop selling in occupied Palestinian territory has cast his factory into a political storm.

“We will continue to sell anywhere related to Israel,” a defiant Zinger told AFP at his plant in BeerTuvia south of Tel Aviv, where 160 workers churn out pints of the popular ice cream.

On Monday, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s announced it would no longer sell its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, namely the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which have been under control of the Jewish state since 1967.

More than 670,000 Jewish settlers live in the two territories, in communities widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Arab Israeli lawmaker Ayman Odeh, whose Joint List bloc represents many Palestinian citizens of Israel, posted a photo on social media of him eating ice cream.

“The diet is going well,” he wrote, in a playful sign of support for Ben & Jerry’s move.

The Israeli government has hit back at the ice cream-maker, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaking directly to the chief executive of Unilever, which owns Ben & Jerry’s. AFP

GRIM BATTLE. Funeral workers prepare to bury deceased COVID-19 victims who

were brought by ambulance directly from hospitals at the Pedurenan public cemetery in Bekasi, West Java on July 23, 2021. AFP

10 years after Winehouse death, family ‘reclaims’ her story AMY Winehouse may still be best known for her line: “They tried to make me go to rehab.

But I said no, no, no.”

But 10 years after the British singer’s death at 27, her family and friends say it is time to stop defining her by her well-documented struggles with addiction and destructive relationships.

Winehouse’s parents have cooperated Amy Winehouse with a BBC documentary to air on the anniversary of her death on Friday, which her father Mitchell, known as Mitch, says gives ences and developed a distinctive personal a “more rounded image of Amy.” The singer put her own experiences into style with a towering beehive hairdo and tatoriginal songs, such as “Back to Black” and toos.

But her performances grew more erratic “Rehab,” infused with jazz and soul influ-

due to drug and alcohol use while tabloids published stories calling her “Amy Declinehouse” or “wino.”

She died from alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011.

Narrated by her mother Janis Winehouse-Collins and titled “Reclaiming Amy,” the documentary to air on BBC2 features interviews with long-standing friends, including one, Catriona Gourley, who reveals she had a romantic relationship with Winehouse.

“You think you know my daughter – the drugs, the addiction, the destructive relationships – but there was so much more,” her mother says in the voiceover. AFP

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

B4

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, July 23, 2021

-55.88 PTS. 6,520.74

TOTAL VOLUME 2,222,662,475 TOTAL TRADES 81,476 TOTAL VALUE 8,901,215,408.34 ADVANCES 41 DECLINES 172 UNCHANGED 24

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2790

Japan

Yen

0.009106

0.4578

UK

Pound

1.382800

69.5258

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128738

6.4728

Switzerland

Franc

1.089087

54.7582

Canada

Dollar

0.794092

39.9262

Singapore

Dollar

0.738280

37.1200

Australia

Dollar

0.742300

37.3221

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655619

133.5219

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266624

13.4056

Brunei

Dollar

0.735565

36.9835

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030618

1.5394

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6896

Euro

Euro

1.181500

59.4046

Korea

Won

0.000876

0.0440

China

Yuan

0.154763

7.7813

India

Rupee

0.013418

0.6746

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238039

11.9684

New Zealand

Dollar

0.698300

35.1098

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035867

1.8034 Source: BSP

Shell team to keep running Malampaya natural gas project

Business IFC subscribes to $150-m worth of UnionBank bonds

By Julito G. Rada

I

NTERNATIONAL Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group, is investing $150 million (roughly P7.5 billion) in a seven-year social bond to be issued by the Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines, the country’s seventh-largest private-sector bank.

To be issued under UnionBank’s new sustainable finance framework, it will be the first social bond by the bank and its longest-term US dollar-denominated bond to date. It also marks only the second social bond of its kind in the Philippines.

IFC said tens of thousands of jobs are expected to be created over the next seven years through this issuance that will help smaller businesses recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proceeds from the bonds are expected to finance over 2,000 loans to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

IFC’s investment will also help UnionBank boost financing for MSMEs

through its supply chain financing platform, enabled using digital technologies.

“In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the use of social bonds to generate financing to meet the needs of vulnerable underserved people, including small businesses, will be critical to helping spur the recovery,” said Alfonso Garcia Mora, vice president, Asia and Pacific at IFC, who took part in the signing ceremony for the investment.

“This landmark deal marks IFC’s first COVID-19 response social bond investment in Asia and will help create jobs, strengthen and deepen the country’s capital markets, and contribute to the development of a more resilient, efficient and inclusive financial sector,” Mora said.

Jose Emmanuel Hilado, chief financial officer of UnionBank, said the goal in issuing this bond is to support the recovery of MSMEs from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are confident that we can achieve this through the use of IFC’s long-term funding and by leveraging our supply chain financial platform. It could not have come at a better time, as this market segment has been hit particularly hard by the current crisis,” Hilado said.

MSMEs in the Philippines accounted for over 90 percent of businesses and over 60 percent of jobs pre-COVID-19, but MSME loans just contributed 6 percent to the total bank loans in the country. This makes increasing access to MSME financing critical to fostering a resilient and inclusive recovery.

With social bonds targeting projects that aim to achieve positive social outcomes, the issuance can pave the way to open the social bond market in the Philippines, replicating IFC’s success opening the market for green bonds in the country and deepening capital markets for thematic bonds.

By Alena Mae S. Flores A TEAM from Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. will be retained to run the Malampaya gas project in northwest Palawan after the acquisition by Malampaya Energy XP Pte. Ltd., a unit of Udenna Corp., an official said over the weekend.

“There is a great team already in place at SPEX who will continue to run and maintain Malampaya. What Malampaya Energy brings is not only our own highly-qualified team with hundreds of years of combined upstream experience, but also agility and a willingness to invest in growth together with our SC [Service Contract] 38 partner PNOC-EC [PNOC Exploration Corp.],” Malampaya Energy executive Belinda Racela said in a statement.

The company said it is fully committed to continue delivering safe, reliable and sustainable energy supply from Malampaya by retaining the world-class SPEX team and immediately reversing the seven-year hiatus on exploration activities.

Malampaya Energy said there was a need to “rejuvenate the nation’s only producing natural gas asset as oil majors exit upstream operations in the Philippines”.

“The situation is now urgent and requires new investment and the industry’s best exploration and development capabilities to drive growth from the currently depleting asset,” said Racela.

“It’s clear that any further delay is hugely detrimental to Filipino consumers and to the economic prospects of the nation. We need to focus on augmenting Malampaya gas supply now to ensure fewer brownouts and safeguard long-term energy security,” she said.

Malampaya Energy said indigenous energy would always be the most cost-competitive solution to meet rapidly-growing energy demand from Filipino consumers.

“We have the opportunity to enter a new era of growth where Malampaya will be operated by Filipinos for Filipinos, and we have to act now if we are to extend the life of the Malampaya field,” the company said.

LIMA ID REGISTRATION.

The Philippine Statistics Authority teams up with Aboitiz-owned LIMA Land Inc. to put up a National ID Registration Center at LIMA Exchange in Malvar, Batangas.

Attending the opening ceremony are (from left) LIMA Land senior operations manager Mary Ann Macaisa, PSA regional director Charito Armonia, Aboitiz Integrated Economic Center first vice president Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, Malvar Mayor Cristeta Reyes and PSA provincial statistics officer Raul Maximo.

Atlas booked P1.94-b profit in six months

By Jenniffer B. Austria GOLD and copper miner Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. said net income in the first half of the year reached P1.94 billion, a turnaround from a net loss of P190 million in the same period last year.

Atlas attributed the company’s positive first-half result largely due to higher metal prices and improved production shipment volumes during the second quarter of the year.

Metal prices rose during the second quarter of the year with average copper prices jumping 70 percent to $4.21/pound (lbs) and gold prices increasing 10 percent to $1,812/ounce compared to the same period last year.

The company’s wholly-owned copper mining unit Carmen Copper Corp., which operates a mine site in Toledo Cebu, also reported higher copper production and shipments in the second quarter of the year compared with the first quarter of 2021.

Copper metal output jumped 43 percent to 22.80 million pounds from 15.93 million while gold production rose nine percent to 5.829 from 5.346 ounces.

But on a year-on-year basis, copper metal production decreased 29 percent to 38.73 million lbs. due mainly to lower copper grades as ore milled in the first quarter of the year was sourced from stockpiles.

Gold production also declined 55 percent to 11,176 ounces due to lower gold grade.

Atlas in the first half of the year made 14 shipments from 18 in the same period last year.

The company primarily exports its copper production to smelters in China and South Korea.

Share price of Atlas on Friday surged 12.2 percent to P6.50.

IN BRIEF

BSP enjoins Lyka to suspend operation

ANOTHER 1M VACCINES. Cebu Pacific safely carries another batch of 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Beijing to Manila via flight 5J 671 on July 23. The vaccines were kept in temperature-specific refrigerated containers to maintain potency and efficacy up until arrival at the designated stations. CEB has carried over 14 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China to Manila, and over 4 million doses to 21 provinces to date.

DOTr defends decision to revive forced motor vehicle inspection by private firms

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Friday it has legal basis to revive the implementation of the motor vehicle inspection by private centers to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles.

“In the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor General dated 18 March 2021, OSG said that the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office have authority to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles and consequently implement the motor vehicle inspection system,” the DOTR-Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center steering committee said in a statement.

The agency issued the statement after Senator Ralph Recto criticized the mandatory implementation of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection System, adding it was “roused from the dead.”

“As to the issue of DOTR and LTO authorizing private entities to conduct

inspection of motor vehicles, the Administrative Code of 1987 and E.O. 125-A allows DOTR to call on any corporation or organization, whether public or private, to participate and assist in the implementation of transportation programs,” the committee said.

The DOTR said the implementation of the PMVIC system would not result in long lines, longer processing time and longer travel time to faraway PMVIC sites. “We have fully addressed this with the issuance of DOTR Memorandum Circular No. 2021-02 or the Implementation of Geographical Area of Responsibility for the renewal of registration for light vehicles and motorcycles, dated July 5, 2021,” it said.

The committee said the full roadworthiness inspection of vehicles would be P600 for light vehicles and P500 for motorcycles. There will be no additional fees for re-inspection or retest.

Australian senator warns about DITO’s China connection AN AUSTRALIAN senator warned that China may use Communist Partycontrolled China Telecom and DITO Telecommunity as “Trojan horses” to infiltrate the infrastructure of smaller nations in the Indo-China region.

Queensland Senator James McGrath, in a speech to the Australian Senate in Canberra, said it was time to face up to the threat posed by an expansionist China. He expressed concern over China Telecom’s 40-percent share in DITO Telecommunity, a multibilliondollar telecommunications company established in the Philippines.

“Many are concerned that DITO Telecommunity is a ‘Trojan horse’ for spying, including on the armed forces of the Philippines and its allies the United States and Australia,” McGrath said.

“When we consider how many Australian companies house parts of their businesses in the Philippines, such as call centers, this should ring alarm bells with cybersecurity experts,” he said.

DITO Telecommunity earlier assured its devices, equipment and structures would not be used to obtain classified information from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said DITO’S engagement with ChinaTel was limited to technical advice and support, while management of the company remained with Filipinos.

Tamano also said in a statement DITO submitted a cybersecurity plan during the bidding process to prove that the DITO network and facilities would not compromise national security and would abide with the National Cybersecurity Plan.

McGrath, however, warned that an “iron silk curtain” was being drawn around the region as China expanded its influence. “While China has continued with its wolf warrior diplomacy and while territorial concerns continue to be raised, including in seas off Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, the Chinese Communist Party government and its military arm have been quietly making strategic acquisitions of another kind,” he said.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ordered an operator of payment system (OPS) to suspend its operation and register with the BSP first, as provided under Republic Act 11127 or The National Payment Systems Act. BSP on Friday identified the operator of payment system as Lyka, a social media platform launched in the Philippines by a Hong Kong-based company, which allows users to purchase, exchange and use gift cards in electronic mode or GEMs as payment for goods and services.

The Monetary Board said the activities made Lyka an OPS and is thus required to register with the BSP before it is allowed to continue with its activities.

“The operators of Lyka have already expressed their willingness to register with the BSP as an OPS,” the BSP said in a statement.

The BSP reminds entities operating a payment system to comply with the requirement under the NPSA and BSP Circular No. 1049 to register with the BSP. Circular No. 1049 provides the rules and regulations on the registration of operators of payment system. Julito G. Rada

BCDA, British Embassy launch Central Park

THE Bases Development Authority and the British Embassy Manila unveiled Friday a symbolic marker at New Clark City laying the foundation of the soon-to-rise Central Park.

BCDA president and chief executive officer Vince Dizon said the vision for NCC Central Park will be built with the people in mind, incorporating features like a floating lakeside stage, pedestrian bridge, retention pond, multipurpose lawns, meditation alcoves, a calisthenics or outdoor gym, sunset plaza and rain gardens.

“New Clark City is founded on the vision of becoming the first green, sustainable, and resilient city in the country, modeling from the successes of cities all over the world, especially those in the United Kingdom. We are so fortunate that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office decided to choose New Clark City as one of its models, to assist in this oncein-a-lifetime greenfield development,” he said.

Given size of the park, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said park could become a model for the planning of future spaces across the Philippines.

Othel V. Campos

Cebuana Lhuillier wins excellence award

CEBUANA Lhuillier was named one of the winners of the recently-concluded 2021 International Service Excellence Awards organized by the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA).

CSIA cited the company’s push in digitalizing its customer response, paving the way for faster communication between the three-decade-old company and its millions of loyal clients.

The company bagged the customer-focused nnnovations nod due to its development of creative and inventive means of engagement and product usage, with the following milestones considered as game changers in the industry: CEB, Cebuana Lhuillier’s very own Intelligent Virtual Assistant; Cebuana-from-Home, an online platform which provides clients with a 360-degree access to Cebuana Lhuillier’s suite of services; and the eCebuana App, among others.

Cebuana Lhuillier’s commitment to further improving client experience and engagement through technological innovations also impressed the judges.

“This recognition is a huge honor for us here at Cebuana Lhuillier, especially for our Customer Service team,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Cash windfall for Olympians, Paralympians ON the day of the opening of the Summer Olympic Games, Malacañang Palace announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved an additional P100,000 allowance to all 19 Tokyo Olympians and 6 Paralympians “as token and to celebrate the achievement of the athletes qualified for the Olympics and Paralympics.”

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez was elated on this development, saying that “our athletes deserve this additional show of support.

Thank you President Duterte sa lagi niyong suporta sa ating mga atleta.”

This will be on top of the previously approved $1,000 allowance given by the PSC. The sports agency has spent over P2 billion for foreign exposures, allowances, equipment, venues and supplies of the national team from 2016.

“We can see the sincere care of the President for our athletes, grassroots to elite ito. He is the only president who never missed any Palarong Pambansa, consistently recognized the achievements of our athletes by always inviting them to the Palace and sacrificed standing for three straight hours to award the incentives of our elite athletes,” said the sports chief.

By virtue of RA 10699 or the expanded incentives act, an Olympic medalist stands to receive from the national government 10 million, 5 million and 2 million for a gold, silver or bronze finish respectively. Paralympic medalists shall get P5 million, 2.5 million and 1 million for gold, silver or bronze wins.

Meanwhile, the MVP Sports Foundation through its Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and President Al S. Panlilio, announced it is earmarking cash incentives not only for Filipino Summer Olympics medalists, but also for those who bring honor from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Through the foundation, Pangilinan is allotting financial incentives for Paralympic medalists to the tune of P5M for Gold, P2.5M for silver and P500K for Bronze, mirroring rewards from the government.

The foundation had earlier allocated cash rewards for the Summer Olympians of P10M for a Gold, P5M for a Silver and P2M for a Bronze.

Carrying the Philippine colors in the most prestigious tournament for the differently-abled are Ernie Gawilan and Gary Bejino of Para Swimming; Jerrold Magliwan and Janette Aceveda of Para Athletics; Allain Ganapin of Para Taekwondo, and Achelle Guion of Para Powerlifting.

Sports

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

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

Chef de Mission Mariano Araneta, flagbearer Kiyomi Watanabe, gymnastics chief Cynthia Carrion-Norton and swimming president Lani Velasco are shown prior to the Olympic Games’ Parade of Nations.

Gymnast Yulo, boxer Petecio try to live up to Olympic gold hype

By Riera U. Mallari

T

OKYO— Carlos Yulo and Nesthy Petecio, two Filipino athletes tipped to win an Olympic gold by a US website, begin their road to glory as the Summer Olympic Games go full blast in various fronts on Saturday.

Petecio takes on Marcelat Sakobi Matshu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the very first boxing match of the Tokyo Games at noon.

“I am more than ready,” declared Petecio on Friday, right after a relaxing massage session at the Team Philippines’ Secretariat inside the Athlete’s Village.

On the other hand, Yulo is pumped up for battle in the men’s artistic gymnastics that gets going at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

Petecio and Yulo were predicted by olympicmedalspredictions.com to give the Philippines two gold medals in the games.

The same site forecasts boxer Eu-

mir Marcial bagging a silver medal and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz earning a bronze.

Petecio, the women’s featherweight gold medalist at the Ulan-Ude World Championships in Russia in 2019, is expected to breeze past her foe, three years her junior. In the same world tournament, Matshu only ranked 17th.

“Our coaches have reviewed videos of my opponent and they have prepared a strategy for me,” said the 29-year-old veteran. “I’ll only need to follow instructions when I climb the ring.”

The Petecio-Matshu duel—set at 11

a.m. (noon in Manila)—is the very first bout of these Olympic Games, where boxing is supervised by a special body created by the International Olympic Committee following the suspension of the International Boxing Association, which is under investigation for dubious decisions in past major tournaments.

“She’s ready and has something to prove,” said coach Boy Velasco, who handles the women on the team. “This could be her time and she worked hard for this.”

Next up for Team Philippines in the competitions set at the Kokugikan Arena is women’s flyweight Irish Magno, who fights Kenya’s Christine Ongare on Sunday, followed by Carlo Paalam’s men’s flyweight bout against Ireland’s Brendan Irvine on Monday.

Marcial drew a first-round bye and will only fight in the men’s middleweight round-of-16 on July 29 against either Algeria’s Younes Nemouchi or

Nievarez catapults rowing to big stage TOKYO—His final three words before boarding his boat were “Para sa bayan.”

Left without one of his coaches, who had to fight his own battle against an unseen enemy, Cris Nievarez, one of the youngest Filipino Olympians in these Summer Olympic Games, on Friday delivered a performance that may have finally catapulted the sport of rowing into the Filipino consciousness.

The 21-year-old Nievarez timed 7:22.97 in the 2000-meter course of a powerhouse preliminary men’s single sculls field embellished with two world champions. He did not win anything yet, just a quarterfinal seat for a chance to go

deeper into the tournament, but it was enough to install rowing as probably the Philippines’ newest darling sport.

“Seldom do I do this, but this time, allow me. I must take advantage of the feat of our very own Cris Nievarez to help promote the sport of rowing in the Philippines,” said Philippine Rowing president Pato Gregorio, just one day removed from his birthday celebration.

“It took us 20 long years to be back in the Olympics. Cris is the first Filipino rower to reach the quarterfinals. Cris is the only Southeast Asian qualifier and one of three Asians who qualified, the rest need to go through repechage,” added Gregorio.

On the eve of the biggest battle of his life, Nievarez was left without his Uzbekistan coach Shukrat Ganiev, who in his own words, woke Philippine rowing from its deep slumber. Ganiev was the unnamed Philippine team coach, who hogged sports headlines in Manila on Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19.

But Nievarez soldiered on.

The first-time Olympian was unfazed of the weight of the competition as he went side by side with world indoor champion Alexander Vyazovkin and Nicaragua’s Felix Potoy in the first 500 meters.

“Nauna na talaga ‘yung Croatian (Rio Olympics silver medalist Damir Martin), pero kami ng Russian and ‘yung Nicaraguan, halos sabay lang sa first 500 meters. Noong 750 meters, nauna na ako sa Nicaraguan,” said Nievarez, who built a huge 10-second lead over Potoy all the way to the finish.

The strong performance was significant because it righted the Philippine ship that nearly went off course following a COVID-19 scare a day before.

PSC to build bigger, better PH sports museum

By Randy Caluag IT ALL started as a roadshow, where a few personal mementos of sporting heroes were put on display during the Philippine Sports Commission-organized events like Batang Pinoy and the Philippine National Games.

Now, the brainchild of PSC chairman Butch Ramirez to immortalize the Filipino athlete’s greatness, takes a huge turn with the planned expansion of the Philippine Sports Museum.

In an online press conference, Ramirez revealed the conversion of the Philippine National Bank building located inside the premises of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex into a permanent museum.

“If these are national treasures that depict the greatness of our Filipino athletes and will inspire the next generation of heroes, they should be put on display for all to see.

They should not be hidden,” said Ramirez,

C1

who started the his brainchild during his first time as PSC chief from 2005 to 2008.

When Ramirez returned to the PSC in 2016, the expansion of the museum is on the list of his programs in a bid to immortalize the greatness of Filipino sporting heroes, who made the country proud in the global stage.

Ramirez said the new PSM building, which is expected to be completed before the year ends, will house the exhibit area, sports library, coffee shop and heroes hall where the mementos of Hall of Fame awardees will be displayed.

“It’s the realization of the Hall of Fame Law,” added Ramirez who formed a working group to coordinate closely with the National Historic Institute and the National Museum for proper preservation and maintenance of the items in the museum.

Ramirez said that President Rodrigo Duterte will be invited to grace the open-

Swimmer Rule, taekwondo jin Barbosa plunge into action

Cris Nievarez: Para sa bayan

“Cris has delivered,” said Gregorio in telling “this heartwarming story” to those who cared to listen and those who love their country.

Para sa bayan.

Riera U. Mallari

Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz was the latest athlete to donate personal paraphernalia to the Philippine Sports Museum. She was accompanied by her mother Emelita, when she brought her track suit and Rio Olympics silver medal to PSC chairman Butch Ramirez and commissioners Mon Fernandez, Arnold Agustin and Celia Kiram.

ing of the museum.

On display are a vast collection of personal memorabilia of past Filipino sporting heroes like medals plaques and trophies and uniforms they used in actual competitions like shoes, gears, balls, jackets, gloves, among others.

Among the items were the uniforms, gloves and the actual medal won by boxing silver medalist Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Also featured are Miguel White, bronze

Uganda’s Ssemujju.

Yulo, according to Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton, has completely studied the routine and moves of his biggest rival, three-time world champion Nikita Nagornyy.

“We scientifically studied Nikita’s most recent performance and Caloy stands a good chance,” said Carrion, adding the multi-titled Russian is a shell of his old self.

“He [Nagornny] did 6.6 in his last competition,” revealed Carrion-Norton.

“If Nikita does 6.6 here and Caloy makes 6.8, then Caloy’s done it.”

Yulo will not be doing his 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.

It’s a risky routine Yulo’s camp wants the Nagornyy to do, while hoping the Russian errs in doing so.

medalist in the men’s 400 meters hurdles in 1936; Anthony Villanueva, silver medalist in the men’s featherweight of boxing in 1964 Tokyo Olympics; Leopoldo Serrantes, boxing bronze medalist in 1988 Seoul Olympics; Roehl Velasco, boxing bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona and Velasco.

Rio 2016 Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz was the most recent donor to the museum as she shared her parade uniforms.

She also allowed the PSC to make a replica of her medal for display.

TOKYO—Remedy Rule competes in the women’s 100 meters butterfly heats on Saturday night in a field of 34 where the top 16 will advance to the swimming event’s semifinals at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The 24-year-old Filipino-Texan, owner of two silver and two bronze medals from the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, is swimming in Heat 2 of the five-heat qualifiers.

“I’m very happy for her that she has reached this level,” said Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lailani Velasco. “If I’m excited, she’s more excited.”

Rule set her best time of 59.55 seconds in the event in the Elite Invite tournament in Texas last May. Rule was in the pool on Friday afternoon honing for Saturday’s heat upon instruction of coach Sherwin Santiago. She will also compete in the 200m freestyle.

The other Filipino swimmer in the Games, Filipino-Kiwi Luke Gebbie, will vie in the men’s 100m freestyle on Sunday and 50m freestyle on Friday.

Both qualified in the Tokyo Olympics under the universality rule.

Taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa faces Olympics’ No. 1-ranked taekwondo jin Jang Jun of South Korea in the men’s -58kg round of 16 at 10:52 a.m., Philippine time.

Jang is the overwhelming favorite over Barbosa after dominating the 2019 world championships in Manchester and the 2018 Asian Championships. He also ruled the Grand Prix with three golds in 2019 and another in 2018.

“Kapag nalusutan niya ito, para na siyang naka-gold,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

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Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Home/Design

Worry-free investment at Ridgewood Hotel

Y

OU’VE probably heard of reports from owners whose properties that were rented via a popular travel app, got trashed or plundered, costing them way more money than what they earned from the short rental.

property getting robbed or damaged, owners also need to worry about managing the place or getting capable people to maintain it regularly. Changing the sheets, cleaning the bath and wiping the furniture all cost more money and time that could have been devoted to other undertakings.

The Novel Residential Concepts Inc. addresses these these concerns with its investment package for Ridgewood Premier Hotel along C-5 Road in Fort Bonifacio. The four-star hotel is set to Aside from the possibility of the open its doors to tourists and business

travelers in 2023.

Roberto Alvarez Jr., president of Residential Concepts Inc., said the company will be in charge of the management and maintenance of the units at Ridgewood Premier Hotel, instead of the investors, or their staff, doing the heavy lifting.

IT’S ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE “We want our investors to dedicate their valuable time to their businesses, and other endeavors,” explained Alvarez. “We promise to make their money work for

them every step of the way.”

Another plus for Ridgewood Premier Hotel investors is the guaranteed 6% annual return on investment, topped by another up to 6% performance bonus per annum based on hotel occupancy.

PEACE OF MIND Investment at the 168-room hotel is also backed by a lease contract, with the opportunity to cash out and lock in appreciation on a specified period, with a pre-determined appreciation rate.

“We are giving our investors peace of

mind in the management of their hotel units, both in terms of proper care of their property and earnings,” Alvarez said.

Ridgewood Premier Hotel has units ranging from standard suite (24.8 sq. m. at P3.54 million including furnishings) to a two-bedroom suite (55.7 sq. m. at P6.92 million). With the hotel targeted to start operating in early 2023, investors have the opportunity to reap benefits from what analysts forecast as the start of the recovery of the travel and tourism sector.

COASTAL PARADISE. Costa Del Hamilo Incorporated (CDHI), developer of SM Prime’s beach resort communities, recently broke ground for Sola at Pico De Loro Cove, its first horizontal real estate project in the seaside sanctuary of Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. Sola includes a hotel, beach and country club, as well as mid-rise residential buildings. With lots ranging from 300 to 436 square meters per cut, Sola allocates 40 percent of open space dedicated to three themed central parks, kids play areas, meditation zones, and a bike lane encircling the subdivision’s amenity core. The 2.7 hectare residential development has a projected turnover of end-2023. “This groundbreaking event is a step closer to realizing our vision of establishing a complete premier beach resort community,” said SM Leisure Resort Residences Group, executive vice president Shirley C. Ong. Sola is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Manila, down Cavitex and the Ternate–Nasugbu Highway.

‘Isko’, Colliers launch urban housing at Baseco THE Manila city government recently partnered with investment management firm Colliers to build and manage the “Basecommunity”, a project of townhouse-style units led by city mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.

The newly built community is located in Manila’s Baseco compound. Colliers’ Real Estate Management Services (REMS) division will provide advisory and consultancy services for the project which will comprise, among others, 292

TARLAC ON THE RIGHT TRACK CRESENDO, Ayala Land’s “city of the future” in Tarlac, is a 290-hectare mixed use development which aims to fortify the city’s position as one of the country’s’ potential economic hubs. But Cresendo is also designed as an estate that calls to mind poblacions from the province’s storied past. The vision is to keep Tarlac City’s charming local character while propping it for growth through the property. “We are glad to see that Cresendo adopted Tarlac City’s poblacion setup that has existed since the Spanish era, so instead of altering our historic landscape, Cresendo enhanced and complemented it, thus highlighting the rich history and culture of Tarlac City,” said Tarlac city Mayor Cristy Angeles (shown here with Congressman Victor Yap, brgy. chairman Angelito Torres, Fr. Eduardo Hila of Don Bosco Tarlac, and ALI CEO Bobby Dy). ALI is investing P18 billion to develop the estate that will feature a 32-hectare Industrial Park, as well as a 42-hectare commercial district.

townhomes.

The firm will also be involved in two other housing projects of the city government, namely, Tondominium and Binondominium, which are located in the Vitas area of Tondo and in the Binondo district, respectively.

Colliers’ expertise in REMS encompasses a range of property types, from condos, office buildings, and gated communities, to industrial facilities and even leisure complexes.

Family sanctuary

DMCI Homes recently launched Alder Residences, its newest residential development inside Acacia Estates, to continue catering to start-up families in the city.

Situated in Taguig City, Acacia Estates has been home to over 8,000 families living in various themed subdivisions and condominium communities since the mid-2000s.

The four-building development—Andea, Manzuria, Oregon and Sylvan—will have a sprawling private outdoor space that covers half of the 2.9-hectare land area.

The modern artisanal architecturethemed development features spacious 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom unit cuts ranging from 64.5 to 121 square meters (sq. m) to accommodate residents’ work-from-home and homeschooling needs. The property is targeted for occupancy starting with the Andea building in June 2024.

Tech & Gadgets Consumer Group: Safe cyberspace vital to digital readiness CONSUMER group Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3) called on government and the Information and Communications Technology, and telecommunications sectors to crack down on online scams amidst increasing number of cybercrime victims during the pandemic.

In a recent statement, BK3 convenor, Prof. Louie Montemar said that “A safe cyberspace is vital to digital readiness as consumers are now relying on online connectivity for daily transactions.”

Citing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data, Montemar said that digital payments and transactions surged by over 5,000 percent during the pandemic as people have opted to do business using e-commerce and epayment platforms instead of face-toface transactions.

“Unfortunately, the exponential rise of online transactions has created a borderless hunting ground for unscrupulous criminals to prey on consumers who have just started to learn their way around the online platforms,” Montemar said.

“It is very encouraging that independent reports have recognized improving internet speeds. However, Digital Readiness does not end with fast internet speeds and digital infrastructure build-up. It is equally important to have a secure digital space where online users and consumers are safe from scams such as phishing, smishing, and other schemes that target credit card holders and e-wallet users,” Montemar said.

“We strongly encourage more proactive interventions from the private sector, such as the Digital Thumbprint Program of Globe Telecom in partnership with the Department of Education, which integrates modules on digital citizenship, online safety, and responsible use of technology in the curriculum,” Montemar said.

Montemar further emphasized that, “The government should also further engage the private sector telcos and ISPs (Internet Service Providers) in a sustaining information and communications campaign to educate netizens on how to recognize the deceptive tactics of cybercriminals such as smishing where text messages from people pretending to be from reputable companies are tricking consumers into revealing personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers.”

“We must remain vigilant against the growing threat of online scams. BK3 denounces cybercrime in all of its forms and calls on all government, the digital technology industry, NGOs, and CSOs to unite in purging the internet of scammers and other perpetrators of exploitation and abuse.”

JuanWheel: Solar-powered bamboo wheelchair for PWDs

By John Christopher Aquino, Nijel Matthew Aquino and Jonas Ryan Nitura

W

ITH innovation and Filipino ingenuity in mind, three senior high school students from Angeles City, Pampanga invented the JuanWheel—a solar-powered wheelchair made from local bamboo for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

The JuanWheel is an invention that Angeles City Science High School students Williann Pangilinan, Allen Siopongco and Iñigo Cruz made for the disabled persons lacking mobility, while also harnessing solar power technology, along with the use of biomass materials in its engineering and design.

The incoming 12th graders said that the main difference of JuanWheel with other wheelchairs is the battery life which is double that of the traditional electric wheelchair sporting a battery life of 14.37hrs with a mileage of 6.13 miles, compared to that of the traditional AC powered chairs that run up to 7.34hrs for 16.38 miles.

“JuanWheel itself is automated through a hybrid-powered system using solar and AC inputs and outputs. In addition to that, it is made out of bamboo na hindi po siya nagha-harm sa environment and it makes it a lot cheaper to make,” said Pangilinan in an interview with Manila Standard.

With the wheelchair’s development that started during their 9th grade, the students strived to make improvements to their current prototype, such as the improved backrest and upgrades to the

Angeles City Science High School students Williann Pangilinan, Allen Siopongco and Iñigo Cruz with their invention, the JuanWheel (Photo courtesy of Lolita Bautista III)

front wheels of the chair, done in cooperation with the disabled from the home for the aged in Bahay Pag-ibig in Pampanga for feedback.

The main inspiration for JuanWheel came from Cruz, one of the group’s inventors, who saw his late grandmother

struggling every day with her mobility.

Because of this, they also wanted to help the disabled from the general public.

The group also added that they partly took inspiration from the BamBike, another Filipino invention that used bamboo.

“Traditional wheelchairs in today’s

era are manually-operated and made of steel, so one time we were on a road trip, we saw a bamboo bike and that was one of the inspirations as well,” Siopongco added.

Additionally, the students’ adviser, coach, and mentor Lolita Bautista added that what makes the JuanWheel stand out is that while it caters to Filipinos with special needs, the invention is uniquely Filipino due to the use of a bamboo frame, hence the “Juan” in the name of the wheelchair.

The students and the JuanWheel garnered multiple awards as they won first place in the DepEd Science and Technology Fair, division and regional levels in 2019. Additionally, they were national finalists in National Science Fair 2019 and were awarded the Best Presenter Award. They also virtually represented the Philippines in the Global Youth Science and Technology Bowl held in Hong Kong last June 19, winning first place in the physics and engineering category.

JuanWheel is planned to be patented locally by the students to protect its design according to the students.

Moreover, the prototype the students used for the inventions was around P28,000, but the potential mass production cost would be around the P17,00021,000 price range compared to the traditional electric wheelchair which will cost around P60,000-100,000.

The students and the JuanWheel were recognized and supported by the DepEd Division of Angeles City, with its funding provided by DOST-PCIEERD (Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development) through the Young Innovators Program granted last 2019.

5 new training science/tech programs offered FILIPINOS seeking to upgrade their skills and knowledge in science and technology can now apply for five new grants and training programs from the Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

These programs are the S&T Fellows Program, Science Communication Fellowship Program, PROSPPER, RIEETOOL, and ExpertISE. These new initiatives that are added to DOST-PCIEERD's Human Resources Development Program, which will enhance the research capabilities of Filipinos are: • Providing Resources, Opportunities and Support for Project-based Personnel and Researchers (PROSPPER) PROSPPER assists project personnel and researchers of PCIEERD-supported projects to attain graduate scholarships for the completion of their graduate degrees while gaining research experience in PCIEERD-supported projects.

• Researchers on Industry, Energy Emerging Technologies-Opening Opportunities for Learning (RIEETOOL) RIEETOOL gives support to researchers, scientists, engineers, faculty, students, and personnel from academic and research institutions, as well as government and private institutions, to enhance their skills and knowledge that are aligned with the PCIEERD sectoral priority areas, DOST Harmonized National R&D Agenda-Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technologies (HNRDA-IEET), and other government or national priority roadmaps.

• Expert Intervention for Scientific Engagement (ExpertISE) for PCIEERD Regional Consortia The ExperTISE Program aims to uplift regional consortia for industry, energy, and emerging technologies by providing awareness on industry dynamics, cross functional nature

and business realities at the fundamental level, providing regional experts and identify potential niche, industry gaps, challenges and R&D needs, and conceptualize innovations that will address the gaps in the industry.

Innovative FENIX materials open doors to interior design market FOLLOWING a well-established presence of FENIX® in the Philippine market for interiors, Formica Philippines strengthens its positioning by becoming the exclusive distributor of these innovative materials.

The new relationship between Arpa Industriale and Formica Group dates back to June 2019 with the acquisition of Formica Group by Broadview Holding B.V.. Since then, Formica Group has joined Arpa Industriale S.p.A., Trespa International B.V. and Westag & Getalit AG as part of Broadview’s family of businesses in the field of material technology. The main focus, which connotes the sister companies, is on coordinated strategy and synergies, with the main goal to offer customers world-class surface materials.

As a main result of this new partnership, Formica Asia expands its product portfolio in Philippines to include the award-winning FENIX® range through its distribution network. In the Philippines market, Formica Philippines is the exclusive distributor of FENIX starting April 1, 2021.

FENIX are the innovative materials created for interior design by Arpa Industriale in 2013. They arise from the Italian design tradition, reflected in the project stylistic choices: from the colours selection to the overall aesthetic result of the interiors applications. Applying proprietary technologies, the external surface of FENIX is

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SATURDAY, JULY 24 , 2021 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

characterised by the use of next generation acrylic resins, hardened and fixed through an Electronic Beam Curing process. With low light reflectivity, the FENIX surface is extremely opaque, soft touch and antifingerprint. Thermal healing of superficial micro-scratches is also possible. They are suitable for both vertical and horizontal applications in the following sectors: kitchens, bathrooms, design furniture, retail, offices, and contract.

The FENIX family includes: FENIX NTM®: the first to be introduced in 2013 to meet the market request for smart materials and matt surfaces: it is available in 20 refined and timeless colours.

Colours have been selected to high-light and match the latest trends in interior design: a collection of silent elegant colours, enriched by the very recent addition of Bianco Dover to complete the palette of

whites. All its innovative features—a matt, soft touch, and anti-fingerprint surface, as well as the possible thermal healing of superfi-cial micro-scratches—make FENIX NTM the smart material.

FENIX NTA®: its empowered metallic surface features the same characteristics of FENIX. Hence, it is extremely matt with visual comfort and a very pleasant soft touch, as well as anti-fingerprint.

Thermal healing of superficial microscratches is also possible. The metallic colour range includes Acciaio Hamilton, Argento Dukat and Oro Cortez. Among its pluses, FENIX NTA is suitable both for vertical and horizontal application, and is easy to work with standard carpenters tools, such as reg-ular cutting, milling, polishing and drilling tools; it is also customisable with laser engraving techniques and CNC machining.

Experts in science and technology are encouraged to apply for the S&T Fellows Program to help DOST enrich the country’s S&T human resource. It is a long-term engagement that has the goal of upgrading the R&D know-how of the department’s attached agencies.

S&T fellows will direct, undertake, and promote R&D in the country that are envisioned to spur socio-economic growth, as well as speed-up inclusive development in the countryside through state-of-the-art innovations. They are entitled to receive benefits and salaries from SG 23-27, depending on their credentials.

In partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Development, DOST-PCIEERD is rolling out the Science Communication Fellowship Program to empower 40 scientists, researchers, and communications specialists to better promote their innovations and research results to the public.

The program is composed of a series of mentoring activities that will introduce the concepts of science communication, popularization techniques, and skills in developing communications materials.

Aspiring Pinoy science communicators should be part of an ongoing PCIEERD-supported project with a remaining duration of at least six months. Applications must be submitted until July 29.

“As a leader and preferred partner in boosting productivity and growth in the Philippines’ S&T fields, we are confident that these new programs will help many Filipinos evolve into S&T experts and fast track overall development.

We highly encourage Filipinos to not let this opportunity pass,” said DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit.

Air Intellipure makes businesses profitable WITH the roll out of anti-COVID-19 vaccines, businesses are happily opening up in safe increments.

But while it is commendable how many shops and stores strictly enforce the minimum safety protocols (the wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing), and the thorough cleaning of frequent touch points, some business owners still don’t realize the value of having clean air in their establishments.

And when it comes to cleaning the air, Air Intellipure does the job perfectly.

Developed using a US Military grant to combat germ warfare, the revolutionary DFS (Disinfecting Filtration System) Technology inside every Air Intellipure has been proven to trap microorganisms such as bacteria, mold and viruses, reduce bioburden, and inhibit the microorganism’s growth through a process called Microbiostatic condition.

The DFS technology has the unique ability to inactivate a proxy virus for SARS-CoV-2 in 10 minutes and allow zero regrowth within 24 hours. The patented technology has also been proven to remove 99.99% of harmful viruses, mold,

Air Intellipure

and bacteria passing through the system.

Each Air Intellipure air purifier undergoes a series of stringent tests in the USA, Canada, and Germany to meet the highest standards of performance: the EN1822 standards. This ensures that Air Intellipure can capture particles down to .007 to a 99.99% effectiveness—many times smaller than the standard advanced HEPA filters—to create clean room level standards in indoor environments.

To help businesses optimize their instore sanitation programs, Air Intellipure has designed a co-marketing program that will benefit owners of restaurants, salons, health clinics, gyms, spas, and other such business establishments.

With this, the establishment gets a unique promo code for direct purchase from www.airintellipure.com for their customers. This entitles the customer a 5% discount, and a 5% commission for the business establishment. The establishment will also be included in the Partner’s Page of Air Intellipure, and will enjoy the mutual Instagram and Facebook posts.

Motoring

Ramon L. Tomeldan Editor

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Lexus has most loyal customers—study

Japanese luxury automaker ranks the highest for third consecutive year LEXUS recently bagged the top spot in the third J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Automotive Brand Loyalty Study, besting 12 other car brands in the premium brand category. The results of the study showed Lexus as the preferred brand customers still bought cars from despite the limitations of physically going to the showroom during quarantine restrictions. It is the third consecutive year for Lexus to stay on the top with a 51.6 percent loyalty rate.

Using data from the Power Information Network, the study calculates whether an owner purchased the same brand after trading in an existing vehicle for a new one. Customer loyalty is based on the percentage of vehicle owners who choose the same brand when trading in or purchasing their next vehicle.

Lexus also previously topped the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) with the Lexus GX in the

Midsize Premium SUV category.

The study measured the number of problems original owners experienced from their three-year old vehicles during the past year. It covered 177 specific vehicular problems grouped into eight categories with Lexus scoring 81 compared to the average of 121 which shows reliability and dependability of the brand.

The Lexus GX is a versatile SUV which boasts comfort and luxury per-

Volkswagen Kombi: Iconic van reprises role

By Othel V. Campos

V

OLKWAGEN Philippines has reintroduced its iconic Volkswagen Kombi Highline, a multi-purpose van famous in the 70’s and 80’s, giving clients a new reason to ply the roads in fashion.

The Kombi, a unique fixture of Philippine streets during the second half of the 20th century, endeared itself to the colorful motoring and socioeconomic culture of Filipinos. At the time, the Kombi had often become Filipinos’ first and longest-lasting encounter with a true people carrier, a vehicle originally designed, engineered and manufactured in the late 1940s.

Volkswagen rolled-out the new addition to the brand’s list of savvy yet utilitarian automobiles in a virtual launch on July 21, 2021.

The Kombi redefines luxury in a van and reeks with the prestige of a European automobile lineage that is truly a sight to behold and pleasure to touch.

The Kombi Highline distinguishes itself from other Kombi variants such as the Transporter, which is designed for cargo and shuttle services, Caravelle which is used as an economical people carrier), and the California which is more of a family camper.

The brand highlighted some of Kombi’s outstanding features like its elegant exterior lines, punctuated by the LED daytime running lights (DRL), headlights and taillights and 17-inch alloy wheels. Without being loud, the Multivan Kombi exudes prestige of success for owners with the spacious and ultra-comfortable cabin.

The Multivan Kombi boasts second row captain seats that can swivel for faceto-face meetings while in transit. A multifunction folding table positioned between the second and third rows offers a stable spot for laptops, meals, and other tools of the trade. The 3-zone Climatronic Air Conditioning provides optimum comfort for passengers, wherever they may be seated. No time is wasted when it comes to parking the Multivan Kombi, as the rear camera and park distance control (PDC) eases backing maneuvers, while the park assist enables the vehicle to fit into tight parking slots without resorting to second guesses.

The 8-inch Discover Media with navigation, android auto and wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, coupled with the active info display, simultaneously provide the driver with invaluable information to better manage road awareness and enhance alertness and the occupants with connectivity and e nt e r t a i n me nt options.

From its 2.0-liter TDI engine and the 7-speed DSG t ransmission, down to its slew of innovative safety systems, the Multivan Kombi offers an e xc e p t i o n a l l y smooth and stable ride. The tiptronic function A multi-function folding table offers a stable spot for laptops and other tools of trade. and coasting

FORD’S SWEET SPOT:

Ranger, Territory

fect for the city and the great outtings with built-in smog sensor, doors. It features Adaptive Variable and seating for seven passengers Suspension which adjusts whatever with a third row which can lay flat to road it’s on, customized climate set- make room for more cargo.

Making the smart choice with Nissan LEAF WHAT was once a dream for motorists in the Philippines wanting to experience electrified mobility became reality when Nissan launched the Nissan LEAF in the country last May. A 100% electric, zero emissions vehicle, the Nissan LEAF is an embodiment of Nissan Intelligent Mobility with tech-advanced features providing safety and comfort, confidence, and peace of mind for a unique riding experience. Strong acceleration and smooth handling define the driving dynamics of the Nissan LEAF, making it a versatile car for everyone as well. But what is it like to own the Nissan LEAF? Aside from being a safe, smart, and sustainable drive, the Nissan LEAF also promises lower running and maintenance costs compared to the usual cars powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE). This makes owning a Nissan LEAF a worthy investment.

Low running cost

feature lessens driver fatigue on long trips, while the 150 PS of power and 340 Nm of torque emanating from the powertrain guarantee adequate power, optimum fuel efficiency, and smooth shifts regardless of the load. Drive modes include Normal, Sport, Comfort, or Eco, according to the needs of the situation.

Apart from its 6 airbags - front, side, and head curtain- plus driver alert, electronic stabilization program (ESP), anti-slip regulation (ASR), electronic differential lock (EDL), and hill start assist (HSA), is the one-ofa-kind crosswind assist feature of the ESP that automatically applies gentle, course-corrective braking whenever strong crosswinds are encountered and the van is running above 80 kph, thereby helping keep the vehicle stable and running within its lane.

The Multivan Kombi comes with the 2-year warranty coverage, 2-year spare parts warranty, and a 12-year no-through corrosion—all with unlimited mileage.

Its once-a-year visit for maintenance translates to less time spent for the vehicle to be serviced at the dealership.

The Multivan Kombi Highline comes in four standard colors- Black Pearlescent, Reflex Silver, and the Bi-Colors Reflex Silver/Starlight Blue Metallic and Reflex Silver/Fontana Red. An additional 12 colors are available for special orders - Fontana Red, Ravenna Blue, Starlight Blue, Mojave Beige, Bay Leaf Green, Copper Bronze, Indium Grey,Candy White, and the Bi-Colors Reflex Silver/ Indium Grey, Mojave Beige/Black Pearl, Candy White/Bay Leaf Green, and Candy White/Copper Bronze.

FORD Philippines ended the first half of the year with a strong retail performance. Its sales grew by 84 percent from last year to 9,855 vehicles led by the Ford Ranger and Ford Territory.

The Ford Ranger was the top-selling Ford vehicle with sales rising 13 percent from a year ago to 4,515 units. The 4x4 pickup segment remained Ford’s sweet spot, with sales reaching 2,588 units, or a 28 percent increase from last year’s sales. The Ranger Raptor continues to drive overall 4x4 sales for the automotive brand.

The Ford Territory also delivered robust sales in the first half of 2021 and retained its leadership in the small SUV segment. Sales reached 3,323 units, cornering a 56 percent market share in the segment. The Ford Territory also recently reached its 5,000th customer milestone after selling 5,248 units from August 2020 to June 2021, on the back of a growing demand among customers

Driving the LEAF can cost less for every kilometer. Based on a test run by the Meralco Power Lab, the Nissan LEAF can be fully charged for just P363.401, or the price of two drinks at a coffee shop. On a single charge, the Nissan LEAF can travel up to 311 kilometers. This makes the Nissan LEAF’s running ost to about P1.17 per kilometer, which is nearly half of the P 2.08 per kilometer rate of a conventional sedan with a petrol engine2.

Charging is not only far less expensive than fueling up—it is more convenient, too. From a low battery status, the Nissan LEAF can be fully charged in 18.5 hours at home, or up to 40 to 60 minutes at a charging station found in every Nissan EV dealerships. Nissan LEAF owners need only to charge their 1 Cost per full charge is based onMeralco Power Lab

Tests on the Nissan Leaf’s Energy Consumption at Php 8.55/kWh (Ave. electricity rate of all MERALCO residential customers, Q2 2021).

2 Average price per liter is based on prevailing retail prices of petroleum in Metro Manila as of April 2021. vehicles once or twice a week for normal city driving.

Low maintenance costs

Similar to its lower running cost, maintaining the Nissan LEAF can cost up to 23% less than the maintenance costs of a mid-size sedan. The Nissan LEAF’s total 5-year cost for periodic maintenance services is lower compared to petrol-run, mid-size sedan vehicles during the same period. Additionally, LEAF parts can cost up to 39% less than that of ICE-powered cars3 This is due to the fact that the Nissan LEAF has fewer parts that need to be maintained, and uses fewer consumable materials like oil and filters, compared to an ICE-powered vehicle. This means fewer trips to the service center for oil changes and tune-ups.

Nissan LEAF owners are also assured that all Nissan EV dealerships have specialized tools, equipment, facilities, and trained personnel ready to serve the maintenance and repair needs of their EVs.

A worthy investment

The Nissan LEAF’s battery also has an 8-year or 160,000 km warranty and a 3-year or 100,000 km vehicle warranty, whichever comes first. With an outstanding warranty coverage on top of the low running and maintenance costs, investing in a Nissan LEAF means more time enjoying the thrills of convenience of owning a vehicle.

The Nissan LEAF is now available in the Philippines for P2.798 million.

The Nissan LEAF brings to the Philippines a more sustainable and smarter driving

looking for a practical, stylish, and feature-packed SUV. “The Ranger and Territory’s strong sales in the first half of the year is a testament to its sustained popularity in the market, and we thank our customers for their continued trust and preference towards our pickups and SUVs,” shares Michael Breen, managing director, Ford Philippines.

all-weather f loor mats give the FX4 MAX a tough look outside and premium feel inside.

Ford also enhanced the functionality of the Ranger Wildtrak 4x4 with the power roller shutter, a segment-first original equipment manufactured product that offers greater security when transporting cargo.

Expanded 4x4 pickup portfolio

Sustaining momentum into the second half of year and further boosting its 4x4 pickup portfolio, Ford unveiled the limited-edition Ranger Raptor X, arriving in Ford dealerships starting July 28. The Raptor X features over-the-top (OTT) and body side stripes, extended leg sports bar, red front tow hooks, and matte black wheels with all-terrain tires, giving the Raptor a more rugged and sporty look. Only 200 Raptor X units will be made available to customers throughout the year.

Ford expanded its 4x4 pickup offerings with the launches of the Ranger FX4 MAX in March and the Ranger Wildtrak 4x4 with power roller shutter in June. The FX4 MAX offers greater off-road capability with FOXTM shocks off-road suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels with BFGoodrich™ all-terrain tires.

The iconic F-O-R-D grille, tubular sports bar, leather seats with carbon accents and Miko suede inserts, and

Raptor X arrives