Manila Standard - 2021 August 3 - Tuesday

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Cases, deaths rising—DOH

Hospitals on high alert; 8 pm-4 am curfew in force starting Aug. 6 in MM ‘ASTRA’ DOSES. Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez (second from left), UK Ambassador Daniel Pruce (second from right) and other officials welcome the 415,040 doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine donated by the British government that arrived Monday at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 169 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

• Duque: Impact of Delta variant ‘now observed nationally’ • OCTA: NCR sees 46% hike in cases from previous week

By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

H

ALF of the country’s provinces and cities have been reporting an increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

In a briefing Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there has also been a rise in COVID-19 related deaths.

“Severe and critical cases are rising...

We need to focus on our vulnerable population so that we can stop the deaths in

our country,” she said in Filipino.

Nationwide, the case fatality rate remains below 2 percent, Vergeire said.

She said while the department assumes there is community transmission of the more infectious Delta Next page

• Mayors to require quarantine pass while NCR under ECQ • Guevarra: Jabs not needed for APORs to pass through NCR

Año pushes 24/7 jabs in Metro LGUs Palace assures Año was interviewed on CNN PhilipBy Joel E. Zurbano, Willie Casas, pines, where he added local government Macon Ramos-Araneta, units would go overtime and set evenDarwin G. Amojelar ing schedules for the vaccinations amid and Maricel V. Cruz INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año stressed the need Monday to have COVID-19 vaccination offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in Metro Manila to prevent the further spread of the storming coronavirus.

stricter restrictions in Metro Manila.

“As soon as possible, we really need that. This is one of the best ways to slow down and address the transmission [of the coronavirus],” he said, adding they were targeting to administer four mil-

63,646

28,093

77

1,515,054

9,095

(As of 4 PM, AUGUST 2)

Rain destroys P1.2-b infra

By Vito Barcelo and Othel V. Campos THE recent rains brought about by the southwest monsoon have done P1.17 billion worth of damage to roads and flood control structures, the Department of Public works and Highways Next page

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Francisco Tuyay

Next page

1,605,762 8,167

ECQ areas of P1,000 ‘ayuda’

LOCKED AND WAITING TO LOAD. Commuters wait for public transport during Monday morning rush hours along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, four days before the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) takes effect in Metro Manila, while a policeman stands by the gate of Mabuhay City at Barangay Baliparan 3, Dasmarinas, Cavite (inset), where the local government declared a one-week lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. Manny Palmero and JR Josue

MALACAÑANG assured the public Monday there will be financial assistance to families in areas under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), but admitted it remains unsure where to source the funds for the program.

“There will be no ECQ if there is no cash aid,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in Filipino, noting that the assistance would most likely come up to P1,000 per person or P4,000 per family.

More than 10 million residents of Metro Manila will be placed under an ECQ, the strictest lockdown level, from Aug. 6 to 20 to arrest the spread of the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the individuals residing in areas placed under ECQ will receive cash assistance from the national government.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the proposal to grant financial aid to those affected by the Next page

Chinese killed, P1.48-b shabu seized, 4 nabbed in 3 drug raids

By Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano

killed a Chinese in three drug operations in Quezon City, Valenzuela City and Bulacan, and seized shabu worth P1.482 billion.

Director general Wilkins Villanueva THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has arrested four suspects and said they were looking into the conspiracy

of the three groups involved in the raids. defended his administration’s bloody “We believe that these groups are relat- war against drugs anew. ed to each other, and it’s here that we see “It is one of the the main source of illegal drugs,” he said. largest hauls -President Rodrigo Duterte hailed the more than P1 buy-bust operation in Novaliches as he Next page

Yulo flops; gold beckons to 2 PH boxers

By Riera U. Mallari

STAMPS FOR PNOY. The Philippine Postal Corporation presents

its newly released commemorative stamp to pay tribute to the late president Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III at the PhilPost office in Manila on Monday, on the 40th day of his passing. Norman Cruz

TOKYO—Carlos Yulo came through with the highest execution and second-best score in the men’s vault finals, but fell short in the totals, missing the bronze medal by a hairline in the Summer Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre here on Monday.

Yulo’s 14.866 score in his second vault attempt called Dragulescu, a handspring double front move Next page

MEDAL TALLY

Carlos Yulo

COUNTRY

1. CHI 2. USA 3. JAP 4. AUS 5. ROC

51. PHI

29 22 17 14 12

17 25 6 4 21

16 17 10 15 17

62 64 33 33 50

1 0 0 1

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News

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cases,...

From A1 variant of COVID-19, there were also reports of several violations of public health protocols.

Later, in a report to President Rodrigo Duterte, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the impact of the Delta variant is “now observed nationally and in select regions and areas,” also pointing to the increase “in cases and/ or health care utilization.”

The government should also consider “implementing higher CQ (community quarantine) as a preemptive measure to contain Delta VOC (variant of concern) spread,” Duque said in a presentation slide.

Several hospitals in Metro Manila are now on high alert amid the local transmission of the Delta variant, according to treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega.

In a 24 Oras TV report, Vega said the One Hospital Command has been receiving over 200 calls per day due to COVID-19 --- over double its previous 90 to 100 calls daily.

Metro Manila registered an average of 1,394 new COVID-19 cases daily from July 26 to August 1, “a 46% increase from the previous week” during which 953 new infections were recorded each day, the OCTA Research group said Monday.

The National Capital Region also posted an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 9.98 cases per 100,000 population, 46% hospital bed utilization rate, 51% intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rate, and 10% positivity rate.

Meanwhile, as part of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that will be imposed on Aug. 6, Metro Manila will impose a curfew from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said all Metro Manila mayors agreed to the extended curfew. Each local government unit, however, will decide on whether or not to impose a liquor ban as well, he said.

The mayors also agreed to require again the use of quarantine pass while the National Capital Region is un-

der enhanced community quarantine from August 6 to 20, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Monday.

“They decided to implement again the use of quarantine passes for smoother flow of people who need to buy essentials such as food and medicine,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.

Metro Manila is currently under a general community quarantine “subject to heightened and additional restrictions” until Aug. 5.

COVID-19 cases in the country could exceed 30,000 daily without strict lockdown measures under an ECQ, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Monday.

“If we do not do the ECQ, we might see cases going beyond 30,000 per day.

So ECQ is important to keep it at the lower limit,” Nograles, co-chairman of the inter-agency task force against COVID-19, told ANC’s Headstart.

The lower limit the government is looking at is 18,000 per day, and Nograles said the “bigger majority” of this number would hopefully not need hospitalization.

He said the government also wants to delay having the Delta variant as the predominant type of coronavirus until vaccination among vulnerable sectors such as the senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities is also ramped up.

Also on Monday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said authorized persons outside of residence or APORs need not be vaccinated to pass through the National Capital Region and nearby provinces during heightened restrictions under general community quarantine and during the ECQ. Guevarra, a member of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said they have taken the position that there will be no distinction between APORs who have been vaccinated and those who have not.

Vergeire urged people to avoid mass gatherings and congregations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which could overwhelm hospitals.

She said the presence of the Delta variant, which is 60 to 100 percent more transmissible than the original COVID-19 strain, is contributing to the spike

Rain...

From A1

Año...

From A1

(DPWH) said Monday.

In Central Luzon alone, a partial cost of damage to public infrastructure was pegged at P699.16 million--P349.96 million in damaged roads and P301.20 million in flood-control structures.

Damage was also high in Region 4-A (Calabarzon), which lost P224.2 million-P222.62 million in damaged roads and P1.6 million in flood-control structures.

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) lost P113.5 million in damaged roads.

Some P39.66 million in damage was done to roads in the National Capital Region.

DPWH Quick Response Teams have cleared a total of 32 national roads in Luzon but six roads remain closed to traffic—four in CAR and two in Region 3 due to soil collapse and flooding.

The agriculture sector sustained P700 million in damage to crops from the bad weather.

The volume of production lost was estimated at 14,175 metric tons from 33,971 hectares of agricultural areas in CAR, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CAlabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region and Western Visayas.

Other affected regions are still conducting their validation of damage and losses for a final estimate.

The department said movements of agrifishery commodities in these regions were not affected by the weather disturbance.

Despite unabated rains and strong winds, farmers from Regions II, III, and Calabarzon managed to rescue rice crops planted to 2,398 hectares with a value of P227.94 million.

So far, the department has extended assistance to farmers of 121,119 bags of rice seeds; 14,832 bags of corn seeds, and 2,199 kgs of assorted vegetables in CAR, Regions I, II, III, Calabarzon and Mimaropa.

Yulo...

From A1 with half turn, was even better than the 14.833 of eventual gold medalist Shin Jeahwan (total 14.783) of Korea.

But the Filipino gymnast’s 14.566 in the first vault, where he was penalized 0.1 for a fault, dragged his total score to 14.716 at fourth place.

This was just a whisker short of the 14.733 total of bronze medalist Artur Davtan of Armenia, who had scores of 14.800 and 14.666.

“Wala na po tayo magagawa doon.

Sobrang lapit ko na po. May chance

in cases.

She warned that the Delta variant can be passed on “in just a matter of seconds” because Delta variant carriers have 1,000 times more viral load than other COVID-19 patients.

The DOH has been increasing bed capacity and funds in hospitals to help them care for new COVID-9 patients, she said.

“We are more prepared now. We have weapons now... We have vaccines,” she said. “We are more capable now, but we need each and everyone’s help.”

Meanwhile, the Palace said that the proposal of the local government of Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu to impose a “no vaccine, no entry” policy in supermarkets was not timely as there were still many people who have yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said other countries that have vaccinated a large part of their population can follow such a policy but said Filipinos should wait until at least 50 percent of the population is inoculated.

The country logged 8,167 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the nationwide tally of cases to 1,605,762.

The death toll reached 28,093 after 77 more patients died of COVID-19.

The recovery count also climbed to 1,515,054 with 9,095 new recoveries.

The DOH said mild and asymptomatic cases make up almost 95.2 percent of all infections.

The Philippines has recorded 17 active cases of the Delta variant as of Aug. 2.

Fifteen of the cases are local, while the other two are returning overseas Filipino workers.

Out of the 216 Delta variant cases logged, 190 had recovered and nine died.

Coronavirus cases in the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the country’s biggest COVID-19 referral center, have consistently gone up during the past week, a hospital spokesman said Monday.

The PGH as of Sunday had 143 COVID-19 patients out of its 250 beds, said Dr. Jonas del Rosario.

“It has continued to climb since last week. For the last 10 days, our admissions have been consistently increasing,” Del Rosario said in Filipino on

ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

Del Rosario said some of its health care workers who contracted mild to moderate COVID-19 illness were also admitted, as he noted that the majority of the hospital’s staff were fully vaccinated.

“Most are mild symptoms. There were two who were admitted, but they suffered from moderate illness and have since recovered,” he said.

The referral center assumes all of its virus cases are Delta variants and have raised the level of personal protective equipment, he said.

In Cebu City, hospitals are full, and cemeteries cannot accommodate more burials, an official said Monday following a surge of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Wakes, interment and funerals, and burial must be held within three days of a person’s death under the modified ECQ, said Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, citing Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19 guidelines.

“All of our cemeteries in the city proper are getting full but in the rural area, we still have two cemeteries that can still be used,” he said.

Those who die that cannot afford cremation, especially those positive for COVID-19, will have to be buried within 24 hours, he said.

Tumulak said ambulances were circling hospitals as they waited for patients to get triaged and admitted.

The city on Sunday logged 415 new cases, bringing its total active infections to 2,700.

Meanwhile, about 95 percent of COVID-19 beds at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) are already occupied, its liaison officer said Monday.

Dr. Bernard Julius Rocha said while the situation in the hospital remains manageable, more patients are waiting at the emergency room.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded a total of 30,639 COVID-19 cases on Monday after 130 new infections were reported.

In an update, the PNP said 1,273 are still active cases while 29,282 have already recovered from the disease.

The death toll due to COVID-19 among the police stood at 84.

selves of home vaccination, he added.

Some 9,115,963 individuals have received their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Sunday, while a total of lion doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Metro 20,863,544 jabs have been administered, according to government data.

Manila.

In Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno has Vaccine doses bared the plan of the LGU to open a The Philippines on Monday got 24/7 COVID-19 vaccination, according 415,040 doses of AstraZeneca, bringto GMA News.

The “24/7 Walang Tulugang Baku- ing to 7.2 million the number of Britnahan” will be done during the imple- ish-made COVID-19 vaccine doses the mentation of the enhanced community country has received since February.

The Bureau of Customs - Ninoy quarantine from August 6 to 20.

Moreno called for volunteers from Aquino International Airport premedical and non-medical fields to help cleared the latest shipment donated by the United Kingdom to the Philippine the 24/7 vaccination in the city.

Metropolitan Manila Development government in line with its program to Authority chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. inoculate at least 40 million people by on Saturday said Metro Manila mayors the end of the year.

The shipment was scheduled to land had agreed to continue with the 250,000 vaccinations a day during the two-week at the airport from Dubai around 4:15 reimposed enhanced community quar- p.m. via the Emirates Air flight EK-332.

The government’s third-party coldantine (ECQ) in the National Capital chain facility and logistics partner Region from August 6 to 20.

On Saturday, the National Task Force Pharmaserv Express will receive the against COVID-19 recommended the vac- shipment to keep it safe in its facility in cination of Metro Manila residents even if Marikina City before delivery to various local government units where there they do not belong to any priority group.

The recommendation came after the are a high number of cases of COVrequest of Metro Manila Mayors for a ID-19 Delta variant.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic supply of four million doses of COVRaab said the doses were donated by ID-19 vaccines was approved. the British government as part of its effort to help poor countries in the fight Vaccination overdrive Interior Undersecretary Jonathan against the pandemic, Malaya has said the government can Below target administer 250,000 COVID-19 jabs The number of senior citizens inocudaily in Metro Manila during its twoweek enhanced community quarantine lated against COVID-19 went up during recent weeks but is still below the starting August 6.

The number of jabs administered in target, the Department of Health said.

“Of late, these past two weeks, we the capital region last Saturday reached were able to increase the number of 187,000, Malaya said.

Metro Manila residents scheduled for those senior citizens being vaccinated their COVID-19 vaccination will be au- but of course it’s still not reaching that thorized to leave their homes – the same target that we would want,” Health Unline used by the Department of health – dersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire Malaya said, ruling out house-to-house told ANC in an interview.

As of July 25, about 2.8 million senior vaccination for the general public. But bedridden residents may avail them- citizens have gotten a COVID-19 jab, 1.6

million of whom are fully vaccinated.

The government is aiming to vaccinate around 9 million senior citizens.

Last week, the World Health Organization expressed concern over the “unacceptable” low rate of vaccination of senior citizens despite there being enough supplies for them.

po na makakuha ng medal kung hindi po ako lumagpas,” said Yulo, referring to his first vault, where his right leg went outside of the pad during landing. (See related story on C1 – Editors) “Nakakahinayang lang po kasi ang ganda ng second vault ko,” added the 21-year-old Yulo, whose 9.066 was the tournament’s highest execution score.

Meanwhile, boxer Nesthy Petecio shoots for the Philippines’ second gold medal when she battles Japan’s Sena Irie in the women’s featherweight finals at 12:05 p.m. at the Kokugikan Arena.

Chinese...

From A1 billion,” he said.

“This shows how serious the drug situation is in the Philippines. That explains the reason for my fulmination in public...You, not me, not my family, benefit from tokhang,” the President added.

PDEA identified the fatality as Wu Zishen, 50, who was killed in a shootout in Barangay Santol, Balagtas, Bulacan.

He yielded at least 75 kilos of shabu worth P510 million, an identification card and a .45-caliber pistol,

Vax donations

Senator Christopher Go said doses of Moderna vaccines were likely to arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday, August 3 as a donation of the UNited States through the COVAX facility.

“President Duterte will personally witness the arrival of the vaccines from COVAX donated by the United States of America,” Go said.

During a meeting with US Defense Sec. Llyod Austin III, President Duterte expressed his gratitude for the US support to the Philippines’ COVID-19 response, especially the 3.2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines it had earlier donated also through the COVAX Facility.

Go said the U.S. was expected to donate more vaccines next year as he hoped the Philippines would be one of those countries to receive additional donated doses.

“We might be given priority in these vaccine donations especially if there is a need for booster shots since we don’t know where this COVID-19 pandemic will bring us, when will this end,” said Go.

Palace...

From A1 implementation of ECQ. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide assistance worth P1,000 per individual or P4,000 per family.

“The ayuda (assistance) will be given, but I am not sure where to source the fund. But the President ordered [us] to find the money,” Roque said during a press briefing.

He said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will tackle the rollout of the financial assistance and the funding source for the program.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now looking for funds that it can use as a source for “ayuda” or cash aid to workers affected by the ECQ. Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez said Secretary Silvestre Bello III had discussed cash aid with them.

“We talked about looking for available funding in the General Appropriations Act, to help the workers who would be affected,” he said.

The DOLE official pointed out that they have mechanisms under the current budget that allows them to assist vulnerable workers, such as the agency’s f lagship Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

Senator Christopher Go urged the government to provide aid to the poorest of the poor affected by ECQ. “They are the ones affected here…

They have nowhere to go. They are the ones going out of their home every day to work. They are the most affected,” he said.

At the same time, Go said contact tracing and genome sequencing must be stepped up, while the vaccination program must be accelerated.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said the authorities may have to reconsider and advance the schedule of lockdowns in high-risk areas, instead of waiting one week before imposing the ECQ. The Philippine National Police on Monday asked the public for patience due to the long lines of vehicles expected at quarantine control checkpoints that will be set up to enforce a stricter lockdown.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said based on experience, he expected heavy traffic at border control points starting Aug. 6.

Eleazar advised the public to prepare in advance the required documents to be presented to police officers manning the QCPs. Allowed Persons Outside of Residence (APORS) who will be permitted to travel from and into NCR are advised to have their IDs and necessary documents to avoid inconvenience at the checkpoints.

Eleazar also urged the public to cooperate and stay home and avoid leaving except for essential activities.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said those considered APOR must present to police authorities manning the QCPs any of the following: 1) IATF IDs issued by regulatory agencies; or 2) valid IDs or pertinent documentation issued by establishments allowed to operate under the current quarantine classification; 3) other proof or evidence that purpose of travel is allowed.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is offering free rides at the three mass rail systems in Metro Manila starting today (August 3) as incentives to vaccinated authorized persons outside residence (APOR).

Transportation Secretary Art Tugade ordered free rides at MRT3, LRT-2 and PNR to encourage more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Free rides

He said that the following are considered APOR under the omnibus guidelines: 1. Health and emergency frontline services and uniformed personnel; 2. Government officials and employees on official travel; 3. Duly-authorized relief and humanitarian assistance actors; 4. Persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons; 5. Persons going to and from the airport; 6. Anyone crossing zones for work in permitted industries; 7. Public utility vehicle operators.

He also reminded the PNP to allow the free movement of cargo and delivery vehicles across all quarantine control points because these are important to the economy.

PDEA said.

Another suspect, one Chen Hongli, managed to escape.

PDEA was also able to arrest three suspects in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, and seized 127 kilos of shabu worth P863.6 million.

The suspects were identified as Willie Lu Tan, 42; Anton Wong, 28, and Chen Zhin, 79.

Meanwhile, the authorities also nabbed Joseph Dy in Barangay Paso de Blas, Valenzuela City and seized from the suspect 15 kilos of shabu with a value of P102 million.

Villanueva said all the arrested suspects were charged with violation of

Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said the “successful” operations were a result of coordination among police and anti-drug operatives.

At the same time, police busted two suspected big-time drug traffickers and seized P1.7 million worth of shabu in a buy bust operation in Taguig City.

Danao said the suspects – Reggie Parino, alias Raymark, and Jerry Adriano --- were arrested at Tatay Berting’s Special Pancit Food House along Manuel L. Quezon Street in Barangay Lower Bicutan around 2 p.m. on Sunday.

News

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace: Aid clinched VFA for US House okays substitute bill T

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Araneta

on school tax

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means on Monday approved a substitute bill that would define the tax rates for proprietary schools to allow them to make use of the 10-percent preferential rate on taxable income.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the panel’s chairman and principal author of the bill, said under the substitute measure, the preferential tax rate of 10 percent imposed on proprietary educational institutions will be reduced to 1 percent from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023, after which the tax rate shall be set to 10 percent.

The bill, he said, is meant to intervene in the implementation of the recent regulation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue increasing the tax rate of private educational institutions to 25 percent from 10 percent must be passed to help private schools hire more teachers and keep existing staff.

“During the briefing, we reached a consensus and came up with a draft which also adopted some recommendations of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations. The draft clarified that the preferential tax rate, now one percent of their taxable income under CREATE, applies to all proprietary schools. We sent this draft Committee Report along with the notices and invitations,” Salceda said.

“However, there were several concerns this weekend. COCOPEA wanted the retroactive application specified while the BIR reminded that certain income of nonstock, non-profit educational institutions are also covered by Section 27 (B) of the Tax Code. There were also some formatting edits to ensure the clarity and consistency of the measure, so we addressed those measures,” Salceda added.

Once enacted, Salceda said, the measure “will help private schools keep their teachers. They already had to fire teachers due to the pandemic. I think the whole committee agrees we should provide them relief.”

Salceda also noted that applying the reduced one-percent preferential rate under Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law until 2023 would allow these schools to save an equivalent of 3.43 percent of compensation expenses, which could help them rehire at least 12,996 teachers at the start of the next school year.

No pre-CREATE legal liabilities, but no refunds applicable

HE COVID-19 vaccine donations from the United States were among the bases for President Rodrigo Duterte to consider keeping the Visiting Forces Agreement with the country’s longtime ally, Malacañang said.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque admitted that part of the President’s decision could be because of the COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the US government.

“I said, the totality of circumstances. There’s a good possibility that was also part of the equation,” Roque said in a press briefing.

The US government has donated at least 13.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines so far. Of this number, 10 million doses were donated via global aid facility COVAX, while the 3.2 million doses were direct donations.

Another three million doses of Moderna donated by the US government are also expected to be delivered to the Philippines on Tuesday, August 3.

Roque said the President can proceed in terminating the VFA, but the termination was extended a

number of times.

“Maybe the totality of what happened recently and the thorough assessment of what constitutes the national interest prompted him to withdraw his earlier termination,” he said.

Last year, the President threatened to abrogate the agreement should the U.S. fail to “correct” the cancellation of his ally, former police chief, and now Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed optimism that the PH-US relations was further strengthened after President Duterte’s ‘fruitful meeting’ with United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III who guaranteed his country values the Philippines and intends to follow through with its commitment to make the alliance stronger.

Go, who accompanied the Presi-

dent in that meeting, considered as “good” the outcome of the meeting.

The former presidential aide said President Duterte was already able to openly express his sentiments during the said meeting.

“Hopefully also, with the lifting of the termination of the VFA , there will be a better relation between the US and the Philippines as a nation,” stressed Go. He said the positive developments from the meeting would hopefully result to even stronger relations between the two countries.

Go further said the clarifications of Secretary Austin on the equal sovereign partnership between the Philippines and US, as well as the latter’s commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty were able to address key concerns of President Duterte.

He related at this time of global crisis, it is crucial to uphold the core strategic interests of the Philippines and its independent foreign policy of being ‘a friend to all and enemy to none’.

The Philippines was the final country to be visited by the U.S. Defense Secretary in a series of visits to Association of Southeast Asian Nations member-states.

DRIVE AND DIVE. A vehicle is swept by strong current of the Marikina River which has breached critical level following heavy rains from the nearby province of Rizal induced by the southwest monsoon on August 2, 2021. According to PAGASA, the southwest monsoon will remain the dominant weather system in Metro Manila and parts of the country. Manny Palmero

A3

Duterte signs law creating PH energy institute PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law Republic Act No. (RA) 11572, establishing the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) to enhance the country’s capability for energy research and policy development, Malacañang said.

“The law establishes the institute as an independent agency attached to the University of the Philippines (UP) with a separate budget from the premier university,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in his virtual press conference.

RA 11572 aims to help address policy gaps and push power sector reforms that will directly benefit the Filipino people.

Under the law, PERPI will have its own Advisory Council consisting of 10 members to include five ex-officio members, namely the Secretaries of the Department of Energy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Science and Technology; Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority; and University of the Philippines (UP) President.

Its five remaining members will be selected by the UP President each representing any of the fields of engineering, law, science, statistics, economic, social science and public health.

The institute is expected to provide timely technical and strategic assistance to the government, energy regulators and Congress, on energy-related matters requiring policy direction and advice.

A total of P200 million will be appropriated out of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the initial operating fund of the institute.

PNP chief: Oust Sulu police aide over ASG links SAYYAF MEMBER.

PHILIPPINE National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar, on Monday ordered the immediate dismissal of a civilian personnel who turned out to be a finance and logistics liaison officer of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Eleazar tasked the Internal Affairs Service to speed up the summary dismissal of Masckur Adoh Patarasa, said to be a brother in a law of a slain Abu Sayyaf leader assigned with the Banguingui Municipal Police Station in Sulu.

Patarasa was arrested in an operation on July 30 for seven

Police operatives capture a logistics officer who turns out to be a brotherin-law of the late Isnilon Hapilon of the dreaded kidnap-forransom Abu Sayyaf Group.

cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

He was also included in the martial law arrest order at the height of the Marawi siege in 2017.

“I have instructed the IAS to expedite the summary dismissal proceedings so that Patarasa can be immediately removed as NUP while facing cases against him in court,” Eleazar said in a statement.

Eleazar said further investigation is also being conducted to determine if there are other PNP personnel involved with the Abu Sayyaf.

It is not a farfetched possibility

that he has others with him so this is where follow-up investigation comes in. At the same time, we will also find out what cases they are involved,” Eleazar said.

Patarasa has been a member of the Abu Sayaff Group since 2001.

“We will also find out how Patarasa got into the PNP despite all the arrest warrants and cases he is facing in connection to his links with Abu Sayyaf,” Eleazar said.

Eleazar said Patarasa’s case showed that it was important to continue with cleansing police ranks from the start or during the recruitment process.

Communists amass P5.4b from foreign, local donors—NICA THE National Intelligence Coordinating Agency has accused the communist terror groups of having collected P5.4 billion from 2016-2018 to finance their terroristic activities and support the lavish lifestyles of their leaders.

NICA revealed this yesterday at the regular virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict which stated that the bulk of the funds came from foreign donors deceived by the Communists into giving donations using issues on human rights and Indigenous Peoples (IPs).

“Malambot ang puso ng mga foreign donors,” NICA Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo pointed out. However, he said the CPP-NPA-NDF could no longer use the same modus here in the country as the Filipinos are aware of the their deceptive schemes.

Other sources of the funds were collected through the Rebolusyunaryong Buwis Ukol sa Kaaway na Uri (RBUKU) or revolutionary tax imposed and extorted from businesses in rural and far-flung areas, Monteagudo added.

The funds were also being used “to

support the lifestyle of their leaders,” Monteagudo explained, citing as an example Bayan Muna party- list Representative Carlos Zarate who was using money collected by the CTGs to finance his son’s education in Poland as revealed by President Rodrigo Duterte during his last State of the Nation Address.

According to Monteagudo, a high official of the CTGs has admitted that the CTGs could not afford to stop their extortion activities as these have become an important part of their “livelihood”.

“Hindi pwede. Dahil ito na ang aming pamumuhay o livelihood,” CPP`-NPANDF official Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos who headed the NPA National Operational Command (NOC), told Monteagudo during their meeting years ago.

The NICA chief said Madlos continues to head the NOC because of his reputation of collecting large amounts of revolutionary taxes. “Kaya siya naging ulo ng NOC. Lahat ng paraan ginagawa para mafinance ang kanilang operation,” Monteagudo explained, referring to CPP-NPA-NDF’s other schemes to fund their terrorism, such as using front organizations like the

Party-list groups in Congress.

He added that the 60 percent of the collected funds were directly coursed to the CTG’s Central Committee based on the testimonies of surrenderees who also revealed “there is corruption within the party”, the main reason why they “surrendered.”

Monteagudo also revealed that they are now looking into individuals who provided support to the CTG’s, including congressmen, governors and vice governors and “even former senators”, but could not reveal their names as of yet as the investigation was still ongoing. The NICA chief hinted that the politicians involved either gave arms like M-16 rifles or rice to the CTGs especially during election periods.

They are also probing 87 companies who financially supported or gave in to the CPPNPA-NDF extortion activities.

“We will be running after them. We will hold them liable,” Monteagudo said, referring to the new Anti-Terrorism Act and Republic Act 10168 that defines the act of financing terrorism as a crime and providing penalties to the violators.

REMINDER. Members of the Manila Police District continue to patrol Blumentritt Market to remind consumers and vendors to follow safety protocols such as physical distancing and wearing of face mask and face shield as Metro Manila mayors prepare to enforce a two-week lockdown under enhanced community quarantine starting August 6, 2021. Norman Cruz

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Congressional award for gold medalists in Olympics OKd

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

By Maricel V. Cruz

News

ART IMITATES LIFE. A shopper looks at My Art House’s mixed media artwork that depicts the ‘new normal’ amid the COVID-19 pandemic by Bulacan sculptor Roen Capule at SM City Marilao. Jun David

‘Biden free to talk about alleged abuses under Duterte’

By Vito Barcelo MALACAÑANG said it is up to US President Joe Biden if he will condemn President Rodrigo Duterte over alleged “pattern of abuses” under his administration.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after 11 US Democrat senators urged Biden to condemn “at the highest levels” the alleged “continuing pattern of human rights violations” under Duterte.

‘The matter should be left for Biden to handle. We leave that decision to President Joe Biden,” Roque said in a press briefing.

“He’s (Biden) an American. In the same way that we do not want anybody interfering with the Philippine Congress, we will not interfere with theirs,” Roque said.

“They can do whatever they want to do.”

The senators, led by Senator Ed Markey, who chairs the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, said that maintaining a bilateral relationship with a long-standing ally like the Philippines “requires upholding shared values” such as the protection of human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and vibrant democratic governance.

The senators claimed that President Duterte has waged a multi-year extrajudicial, violent, and inhumane drug war “that has devastated communities, and has been used as justification to target the independent press, political opponents, human rights advocates, and compromise judicial due process.”

While Duterte said he held no grudge against the United States, he has repeatedly slammed America for its supposed interference in local affairs.

Customs seizes 14 live beetles, larva from HK

By Joel. E. Zurbano GOVERNMENT agents confiscated a parcel containing 14 live beetles and larva illegally shipped from Hong Kong.

Customs examiners assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport discovered the insects concealed in plastic tubes hidden in the packages of snacks, biscuits, noodles and chocolates.

Port of NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan said the shipment arrived on July 24 at the Cargo Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City and was subjected to physical examination.

The shipment, which was consigned to a resident in Mandaluyong City, was confiscated for lack of necessary clearance and permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

The importer will be held liable for violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Presidential Decree No. 1433, otherwise known as the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978.

Under Section 4 of PD 1433, the importation of potential animal pests, which are liable to become agricultural crop pests and are capable of causing injury to agricultural crops, is restricted subject to quarantine orders, rules and regulations.

“Prior to importation, the owner must secure Plant Quarantine Clearance and Phytosanitary Certificate from the Bureau of Plant Industry, otherwise the importation of which shall be considered prohibited,” said Talusan.

Body-worn camera rules for PNP now in effect—SC T

By Rey E. Requejo

HE rules requiring the use of body-worn cameras or alternative video and audio recording devices by police authorities in the service of arrest or search warrants are now enforced, the Supreme Court said Monday.

This came after the rules issued by the Supreme Court on June 29, 2021 became effective following its publication in two newspapers of general circulation on July 31.

SC spokesman Keith Hosaka confirmed the rules have taken effect after the publication.

Under the rules, pieces of evidence obtained by law enforcers who did not use

body-worn cameras or alternative devices are “inadmissible for the prosecution of the offense for which the search warrant was applied.”

The rules also provide that persons who are subjects of search or arrest warrants should be informed that the enforcement of the warrants are being recorded from the start of the operation until it is terminated.

In case death results in the implementation of the search warrant, the SC stressed that “an incident report detailing the implementation of the search, the reasons why such death occurred, the result of related inquest proceedings, if any – including possibly those against the officer or officers causing the death together with other relevant documents – shall likewise be submitted” to the court which issued the warrant.

Trial courts can only issue arrest or search warrants within their territorial jurisdiction.

The rules had revoked authority to executive judges of some trial courts, like those in Manila and Quezon City, to issue warrants that can be served anywhere in the country.

NON-APORS SHALL NOT PASS. Members of

the Quezon City police ask motorists crossing the boundary of RIzal Province and Quezon City to show proper identification and proof they are Authorized Person Outside of Residence (APOR) along the Batasan-San Mateo bridge on August 2, 2021. Strict border control measures have been put in place to stem the spread of the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus. Danny Pata

Quezon City to open 1st online birth registration portal

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City is set to open its first online birth registration portal as part of the local government’s digitalization program for its public services.

“Like the business and occupational permits where one could apply through online, we will open an online portal for birth registration to address the problem of late and unregistered birth registration in our city,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

The innovation and automation of the services would also save the residents from the

hassle of physically going to the city hall to transact amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project offers a more convenient and efficient birth registration process as the requirements can be sent through the website and be verified by the City Civil Registry Department.

“It is the right of every child to have a name and identity through birth registration.

Through this initiative, we can submit the requirements and check online so we would not go back and forth to city hall. Hopefully, we can have the portal up and running before the year ends,” Belmonte said.

According to City Civil Registrar Salvador Cariňo Jr., they are currently in talks with the City Administrator’s Office and Information Technology Development Department to include the initiative in the city’s QC E-Services portal, which streamlines all city government programs.

“We are making all our programs more convenient to the public. Hindi na sila magpapabalik-balik sa city hall kapag may kulang na requirement. After sending the documents needed, our staff will review and verify these and will advise the applicant if their certificate is ready for pick-up,” he said.

THE House of Representatives on Monday adopted a resolution institutionalizing the Congressional Medal of Excellence, with Tokyo Summer Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz as the very first recipient of the award.

House Resolution 1981 – introduced

by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano – creates the newest congressional award to be given exclusively to athletes who will win a gold medal in the Olympic Games.

The House also adopted HR 2041 congratulating, commending and awarding the Congressional Medal of Excellence to Diaz for her historic gold medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

HR 2041 was introduced by Velasco, Romualdez, Paduano, Isabela 5th District Rep. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe.

The Congressional Medal of Excellence was created to give honor and commendation to “exceptional modernday national heroes in sports who win the gold medal in the Olympics.”

The award, according to the authors of HR 1981, will “immortalize the achievements” of Olympic gold medalists and “give them a legacy to leave behind by providing future generations with inspirational lessons that they can take to heart.”

There are currently two congressional medals being handed out by the House: Congressional Medal of Distinction and Congressional Medal of Achievement.

The Congressional Medal of Distinction is given to Filipino achievers in sports, business, medicine, science, and arts and culture; while the Congressional Medal of Achievement is awarded to political, economic, and cultural leaders, who have distinguished themselves through their life-work and their vision.

SMC to inoculate 35k employees in next 5 weeks OVER 35,000 employees and extended workforce of San Miguel Corporation will receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines in the next five weeks as the company accelerates its “Ligtas lahat” vaccination program following the delivery of the first tranche of AstraZeneca vaccines secured last year via a tripartite agreement with the government.

SMC president Ramon Ang said the company had already delivered an initial 26,700 doses to various provinces where it operates.

Vaccination for employees based in the National Capital Region commenced at the San Miguel Sports Complex in Pasig on July 27.

SMC has also hastened its vaccination campaign in Isabela, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Laguna, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro which it targets to finish until August 27.

“We are in a race against time to have all of our 70,000 employees fully-vaccinated and I firmly believe that we are on track to achieve micro herd immunity in our offices and facilities nationwide in a few months.

Our goal is to work quickly, efficiently, and safely to have everyone completely vaccinated and protected against COVID-19, and the emerging Delta variant, which is more transmissible according to our health experts,”Ang said.

Ang said some 35,855 employees have signed up for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which SMC procured under its P1 billion “Ligtas Lahat” Program.

Majority of the workers will get their jabs at the San Miguel Sports Complex in Pasig City and in Cavite.

As of Monday (Aug. 2) at least 12 sites simultaneously operating in Laguna, Cavite, Batangas (Mabini and Lipa), Pampanga, Pangasinan, Isabela, Bataan, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro.

Vax walk-ins disallowed in Caloocan

By Jun David TO AVOID long queues and influx of residents who want to get vaccinated in Caloocan City, the local government said it will no longer accept walk-ins except for senior citizens.

The pre-listing system will be implemented to ensure a more efficient mass vaccination program.

Those who want to get vaccinated should contact their respective barangays for the vaccination details, depending on the availability of doses and slots.

Mayor Oscar Malapitan appealed to those who are not scheduled yet to avoid attempting to circumvent the pre-listing system.

Malapitan also held a meeting with the captains of 188 barangays in the city in preparation for the Enhanced Community Quarantine to be implemented from August 6 to 20.

Also present during the meeting were Department of Interior and Local Government-Caloocan Director Marco Cabueños, City Administrator Oliver Hernandez and other heads of city government departments.

CURBSIDE JABS. A health worker gives a dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 jab through Manila’s drive-thru vaccination at the Quirino Grandstand on August 2, 2021. Norman Cruz

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World

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Fires rage across S. Europe, forcing hundreds to evacuate

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NKARA―Dozens of villages were evacuated in tourist hotspots in southern Turkey on Sunday as wildfires that have claimed eight lives raged for a fifth day, while blazes also hit Greece, Italy and Spain.

Fanned by soaring temperatures and strong winds -- with experts saying that climate change increases both the frequency and intensity of such blazes -- this year’s fire season has been significantly more destructive than the previous average, EU data shows.

Turkey is suffering its worst fires in at least a decade with nearly 95,000

hectares (235,000 acres) burnt so far this year, compared with an average of 13,516 at the same point in the years between 2008 and 2020.

A neighbourhood in the tourist city of Bodrum has been evacuated, CNN Turk broadcaster reported, as strong winds fanned flames from the nearby Milas district.

Unable to leave by road, 540 residents were taken to hotels by boats, the channel said.

People were also evacuated from the resort city of Antalya, and two bodies were found in that region on Sunday, taking the number of people killed to eight.

After hitting record levels last month, temperatures are set to remain high.

A temperature of 49.1 degrees Celsius (120.3 Fahrenheit) was recorded in the southeastern town of Cizre on July 20.

And the mercury is expected to reach 40C in Antalya on Monday.

Turkey’s defence ministry released satellite images showing the extent of the damage, with forest areas turned black and smoke still visible.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been criticised after it emerged that Turkey has no firefighting planes even though one-third of its territory is forested and fires are becoming increasingly frequent.

According to EU figures, Turkey has been hit by 133 wildfires in 2021 so far compared with an average of 43 by this point in the years between 2008 and 2020. AFP

US, UK, Israel blame Iran for tanker attack JERUSALEM―Israel’s key allies the United States and Britain joined it Sunday in blaming Iran for a deadly tanker attack off Oman, despite Tehran’s denials, and Washington vowed an “appropriate response.”

The US and British statements came after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said there was “evidence” linking Iran to the attack after the Islamic republic rejected its arch-foe’s “baseless accusations.”

The MT Mercer Street, managed by prominent Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, was attacked Thursday off Oman.

A British security guard and a Romanian crew member were killed in what the US, Britain and the vessel’s operator Zodiac Maritime said appeared to be a drone strike.

Israel had blamed Iran, with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid saying Friday he had ordered its diplomats to push for UN action against “Iranian terrorism”.

On Sunday, Iran denied involvement, and foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Israel “must stop such baseless accusations”.

“Iran will not hesitate for a moment to defend its... interests and national security,” he told journalists.

Shortly afterwards, Bennett accused Iran of “trying to evade responsibility for the event” in a “cowardly manner”.

“I determine, with absolute certainty, that Iran carried out the attack against the ship,” Bennett said.

“The intelligence evidence for this exists and we expect the international community will make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake,” he said. AFP

MASSIVE BLAZE. This photograph shows a forest burning as a massive wildfire engulfed a Mediterranean resort at the Marmaris district of Mugla, on August 1. At least three people were reported dead and more than 100 injured as firefighters battled blazes engulfing the resort region on Turkey’s southern coast. AFP

20 dead, 300k stranded in flood-hit Bangladesh area COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh― Monsoon floods and landslides have cut off more than 300,000 people in villages across southeast Bangladesh and killed at least 20 people, including six Rohingya refugees, officials said Friday.

The region along the BangladeshMyanmar border where nearly one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are in camps has been battered by torrential rain since Monday.

“The floods have stranded some 306,000 people in Cox’s Bazar district.

At least 70 villages have been submerged by floods,” Mamunur Rashid, the district administrator, told AFP. “At least 20 people have died in floods and landslides including six Rohingya refugees,” he added.

About 36,000 people have been moved into schools and cyclone shelters, officials said.

“Many homes are waterlogged. Thousands of people have not been able to get out for the last three days. The roads are all blocked,” Tipu Sultan, a councillor in remote Jhilwanja Union, told AFP

by telephone.

Earlier this week Bangladesh evacuated 10,000 Rohingya from around refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar because of the storms.

Aid workers said a coronavirus lockdown in the camps, following a major spike in cases, has affected rescue work as access is restricted.

About 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state in 2017 after security forces launched a clampdown that the UN has said may amount to genocide. AFP

Aid group: More than 700 saved from Mediterranean this weekend MARSEILLE ― Rescue ships picked up more than 700 people trying to cross the Mediterranean in makeshift vessels this weekend, mainly off the coasts of Libya and Malta, a migrant aid group said Sunday.

The latest figures came as UN migration officials repeated their calls for a fairer mechanism to share out the responsibility of caring for them, rather than leaving it to the Mediterranean countries.

SOS Mediterranee said that its vessel, the Ocean Viking, had carried out six separate operations in international waters since Saturday.

In the last such intervention, it rescued 106 people off the Maltese coastline after being alerted by German aid group Sea-Watch, said the Marseillebased organisation.

“The youngest survivor rescued in this operation is just 3 months old,” SOS Mediterranee tweeted.

Overnight Saturday to Sunday, the Ocean Viking joined vessels from Sea

BAGGAGE BALANCE. A

migrant carries a bag on her head as she makes her way to the port in Necocli, Colombia, on July 31. Thousands of migrants are stranded in a Colombian port town as they wait for boats to cross into neighboring Panama on their way to the United States, a state relief agency said.

AFP

Watch and ResQship, another German group, to help 400 people in difficulty in the central Mediterranean, said the group.

They were rescued from a vessel that was taking in water, in what a spokesman for the organisation told AFP was a particularly perilous operation.

Those who were rescued were shared out between the Ocean Viking and SeaWatch3.

Ocean Viking alone has 555 passengers on board from this weekend’s operations, including at least 28 women, two of whom are pregnant. The organisation has yet to determine at which safe port they will be able to leave them.

Libya remains one of the main departure points for tens of thousands of migrants hoping to attempt the dangerous Mediterranean crossing, despite the continuing insecurity in the country.

Most of them try to reach the Italian coast, some 300 kilometres (190 miles) away. AFP

US solons finish $1T infrastructure proposal WASHINGTON―US senators on Sunday finalized a historic, trilliondollar infrastructure proposal that is expected to be approved within days, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said.

If passed by Congress and signed into law, the bill would pump historic levels of federal funding into fixing US roads, bridges and waterways, ensuring broadband internet for all Americans and expanding clean energy programs.

A bipartisan group “finished writing the text of the infrastructure bill,” Schumer told the Senate, which met for an extended weekend session in Washington.

“I believe the Senate can process relevant amendments and pass this bill in a matter of days.”

The bill, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s sweeping domestic agenda, is about 2,700 pages long and provides for $1 trillion in funding.

The Democratic leader succeeded in rallying a few elected officials from the opposite camp to work on the proposal.

The group released a joint statement saying the goal of the bill was to invest in infrastructure and create jobs without raising taxes.

“This bipartisan bill and our shared commitment to see it across the finish line is further proof that the Senate can work,” the statement said.

The group consisted of Republicans Rob Portman, Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy, and Democrats Kyrsten Sinema, Joe Manchin, Mark Warner, Jeanne Shaheen and Jon Tester.

The bill would allow the largest-ever federal investments in public transit, as well as drinking and waste water infrastructure; the largest funding of passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak; and the largest investment in bridges since the nation’s highway system was developed. AFP

Ismail Haniyeh reelected leader of Hamas group GAZA CITY―Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been re-elected unopposed, officials confirmed Monday, furthering his grip over the Palestinian Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip after recent clashes with Israel.

In a statement, Hamas said that its electoral process had concluded with his reappointment as political chief after “tens of thousands” of members took part in the internal poll.

The contest included no known opponent to Haniyeh.

Considered a pragmatist, Haniyeh has been head of Hamas’ political bureau since 2017, though he lives in exile, splitting his time between Turkey and Qatar.

He was recently involved in talks aimed at bolstering the Cairo-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest deadly violence between the Jewish state and Hamas. The 11-day conflict in May killed 13 Israelis and 260 Palestinians, including some fighters.

Hamas won the last legislative elections in Gaza, an impoverished Palestinian enclave of nearly two million, in 2006, delivering a surprise defeat to rivals Fatah.

A virtual civil war the following year led to the division of Palestine, with Fatah dominating the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip. AFP

TikTok star Barajas, friend shot dead in unprovoked hit at cinema LOS ANGELES ― TikTok star An- authorities described as a “random and thony Barajas has died after being shot unprovoked” attack. at a California movie theater in what Barajas, 19, died Saturday after the shooting that also killed his 18-year-old Manila friend Rylee Goodrich, said police in Notice of Revocation Standard Corona in southern California said.

TODAY Notice is hereby given to the public that Samsun The victims were shot Monday Yurt Savunma Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi at a theater that was showing “The (“SYS”), a company organized and existing under Forever Purge,” about a totalitarian the laws of Turkey, hereby revokes any and all government that one night a year powers and/or authority it has granted to Atlantis Group II LLC and Barozzo Law to act on its behalf allows any crime to be committed, under the Letter Of Authorisation dated 7 November including murder.

2018 and Letter of Authorization dated 15 April Theater staff found the two shot 2021, respectively, as well as any other power or authority in any other contract, deed, instrument, in the head after the movie, which and/or agreement whether oral or written. Warning was sparsely attended. Goodrich is hereby given to the public that any act by Atlantis died at the scene and Barajas was Group II LLC and/or Barozzo Law for and/or on behalf of SYS is unauthorized. rushed to a hospital.

“Based on the evidence provided (MS-JULY 20/27 & AUGUST 3, 2021)

to our office, this appears to be a random and unprovoked attack,” local prosecutors said in a statement Friday.

Joseph Jimenez, 20, has been charged in the shooting. Police acting on tips from witnesses arrested him at his home the day after the assault.

Police have said he apparently acted alone and did not know the victims.

Barajas had nearly 930,000 followers on TikTok and was a reportedly a standout soccer player in high school.

The United States has a long and painful history of deadly gun violence, in the form of a steady daily toll of shootings as well as high-profile mass killings that have targeted schools, workplaces and shopping centers. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

UNLIKELY PAIR. Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad (right) and opposition member of parliament Anwar Ibrahim address the media as they protest the closure of parliament in Kuala Lumpur on August 2. Mahathir and Anwar put aside long-running animosity and joined an opposition protest against the shutdown of parliament and demand the country’s embattled premier Muhyiddin Yassin resign. AFP

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Dorsey’s Square bares $29-b deal to buy Australia fintech Afterpay SYDNEY, Australia—Jack Dorsey’s Square unveiled a record $29-billion deal to snap up Australia’s fast-growing buy-now, pay-later firm Afterpay, in a major bet on the burgeoning sector, sending its share price soaring Monday.

The Australian fintech was founded six years ago and allows consumers to buy everything from laptops to flights in staggered payments without interest.

“Square and Afterpay have a shared purpose,” Dorsey—who made his billions through Twitter—said announcing the deal on Sunday.

“We built our business to make the financial system more fair, accessible and inclusive.”

Afterpay makes money by taking a commission from retailers and charging fees to late-paying customers.

It currently boasts 16 million customers in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

Consumer advocacy groups have long voiced concern that buy now, pay later services could encourage people—especially the young—to spend beyond their means.

Australian industry watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has reported that one in five such customers are missing payments.

The Square-Afterpay deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022, and at Aus$39 billion would be the largest deal in Australian corporate history.

Afterpay’s share surged more than 20 percent on Monday as Sydney’s ASX stock market rallied to an alltime high.

Afterpay’s shareholders will own 18.5 percent of the new company.

Afterpay co-founders Anthony Eisen and Nick Molnar said the deal was “an important recognition of the Australian technology sector as homegrown innovation continues to be shared more broadly throughout the world.”

The deal will create one of the world’s largest digital payments companies, and set Dorsey up to challenge established rival PayPal, as well as Apple, Amazon, Google and other tech behemoths who are eyeing the sector. AFP

PSEi August 2, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

EVER SUN

0.29 1.76

0.094 0.2

47.96% 12.82%

3 4

V LAND

1.02 2.07

0.11 0.2

12.09% 10.70%

5 6

MAHB BC

2.25 4.5

0.19 0.38

9.22% 9.22%

7 8

OV SFI

0.012 0.139

0.001 0.01

9.09% 7.75%

9 10

FPI DFNN

0.3 4.19

0.02 0.26

7.14% 6.62%

TOP LOSERS SHOPPING COUPONS. People queue to collect shopping coupons at a mall in Hong Kong on August 1, 2021, as the first batch of consumption e-vouchers were disbursed under a Hong Kong government scheme to encourage spending amid a slowdown of the economy due to the pandemic. AFP

Stocks rally; URC, BDO, Ayala Land lead gainers STOCKS bounced bank Monday on bargain hunting after a steep loss Friday, but investor optimism over the global recovery was kept in check by worries over the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant as well as China’s regulatory crackdown.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 176.08 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,446.31 on a value turnover of P3.5 billion. Losers, however, beat gainers, 119 to 78, with 46 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc. of the Sy Group, the biggest lender in terms of assets, rose 4.4 percent to P106.50, while parent SM Investments Corp. climbed 3.8 percent to P945.

Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, the largest snack food maker, advanced 6.6 percent to P135, while major property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group gained 4 percent at P34.

Most markets rose in Asia.

Signs that US lawmakers were edg-

ing towards agreement on President Joe Biden’s $1-trillion infrastructure bill were unable to provide much of a boost, while eyes were on the release of US jobs data at the end of the week as firms struggle to fill positions despite high unemployment.

In the latest sign of an upbeat global outlook, figures last week showed the US economy had returned to its prepandemic level—though at a slower pace than expected—while the eurozone expanded at a much better rate than forecast.

However, observers said the rally that world markets have enjoyed for much of the past year was sputtering as investors grow increasingly concerned about spiking inflation that many have warned could force central banks to taper their ultra-loose monetary policies.

Added to that are the slow COVID-19 vaccination programs in some countries and the rapid spread of the Delta variant that has led to the reim-

How creative Italian migrants sold ice cream to the masses in Vienna Silvio Molin-Pradel proudly shows varieties of ice-cream at his family’s Ice-cream parlor at Schwedenplatz square in Vienna, Austria, on May 31, 2021. For more than 130 years, Viennese have been queueing for the Italian ice cream of the Molin-Pradel family, who helped democratize ice cream in Europe and is today one of the oldest operating gelato dynasties. AFP

By Blaise Gauquelin VIENNA, Austria—Residents of the Austrian capital have queued for more than 130 years to sample the Italian ice cream of the Molin-Pradel family, one of Vienna’s oldest gelato dynasties.

“He helped democratize ice cream, which before was reserved for the wealthy,” Silvio Molin-Pradel says of his great-great-grandfather Arcangelo, who began selling it out of pushcarts in Vienna in 1886.

More than a century later, ice cream consumption among Austrians is higher than in neighboring Italy.

And it was entrepreneurs like Arcangelo Molin-Pradel, born into poverty in northern Italy’s Dolomite Alps, who were among the first to benefit from the sweet tooth of the Viennese.

The high cost of sugar, milk and refrigeration—years before electric freezing was invented—meant ice cream was long reserved for aristocrats.

But ingenious Italians like the MolinPradels changed that, producing ice cream based on water and fruit extract.

Ice cream migration Originally from Zoldo, six hours from Vienna by car these days, the Molin-Pradels, like other families, were so poor that migrating for seasonal work was part of life— whether to work as seafarers, lumberjacks or ice cream makers.

Vienna became one of the ice cream makers’ first destinations outside Italy, says Maren Moehring, a history professor at the University of Leipzig in Germany.

The Italian migrants’ “frozen stuff” as some called it quickly became popular with ordinary Viennese.

position of lockdowns and other containment measures.

Among those suffering a spike in cases is China, which managed to bring the disease largely under control but some cities are being forced to introduce new control measures.

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai and Jakarta rose but Singapore and Bangkok fell.

“Shares remain at risk of a short-term correction or volatility as coronavirus cases rise globally, the inflation scare continues and as we come into seasonally weaker months,” said Shane Oliver at AMP Capital.

“But surging company profits in the US and lower bond yields are providing support.”

Nervous traders are keeping tabs on China after authorities last week embarked on a crackdown on the country’s private tuition firms as well as the tech and property sectors. With AFP

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

ABG MAHB

6 1.77

-1.1 -0.18

-15.49% -9.23%

3 4

VUL OV

1.23 0.011

-0.12 -0.001

-8.89% -8.33%

5 6

OPM DELM

0.011 15.58

-0.001 -1.36

-8.33% -8.03%

7 8 9 10

BSC PHA VMC PXP

0.445 0.95 2.3 6.5

-0.035 -0.07 -0.16 -0.45

-7.29% -6.86% -6.50% -6.47%

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

BDO SM SMPH GLO AC EMP ACEN ICT JFC MONDE

VOLUME 2668400 254050 6429000 86080 210400 8508600 14891900 655890 524810 6395700

VALUE (PHP) 280827971 235297200 206498140 161793720 153654885 118999738 118980671 104613872 98768759 94755256

Workplace: A Learning Field IN THE workplace, we are all tried to check with her staff in ordinary people with diverse the warehouse. But as her company grew, she realized she skills, but often, we see each MA. GLECEE other as competitors. And could not do it all. She needed S. MARBELLA a helping hand. Jules accepted when we meet in person or her assistant’s advice to short virtually, we are like potential shortreen iGht list possible candidates to be business partners, lawyers, or professionals ready for battle for that prized of- the next CEO. She went through profiling and fice recognition. But what most organizations miss interviewing, which are crucial in any position, is the one who speaks human: the one who can especially for a managerial position, as this may uniquely touch lives, lift someone and affect an break or make the company. With the help of her entire office by just being himself. intern, Ben, she realigned her work and regained In the movie The Intern, a 70-year-old man her work-life balance. works in a successful e-commerce fashion comMore than a decade ago, I was in the monitoring pany built by a woman in her 30s. Ben Whittaker team in a geothermal power plant. I worked with (Robert De Niro) is a retired executive from the department heads of various government agencies. marketing industry who got bored and opted out of You could imagine how diverse the group was. retirement. Ben was hired as part of the company’s I was a fresh graduate at the time, working with outreach program, where they hire senior citizens skilled people 20 years older than me. Yes, there as interns for six months. Jules Ostin (Anne Ha- were conflicts, but the beauty of age diversity in thaway) is the founder of About the Fit, where the workplace is skill diversity. It brings different Ben is working. She amazingly built her start-up talents to the table. company, beginning with 25 employees and grew Going back to The Intern, Ben became a mentor to 250 employees in less than a year. The office to his younger colleagues because he has commenhas an open-space design with no cubicles in be- surate executive skills. But he also teaches them tween. Employees wear casual clothing, including about life in general. Experienced workers can adJules. On the other hand, Ben likes to maintain his vise younger generations to prepare them for what coat and tie look, which he has been accustomed the future holds. The younger generation can share to wearing. He has more work experience than the their technology and digital know-how with their others but required assistance on modern and tech- more senior peers. They can also provide a fresh nology matters. approach to dealing with company problems.

Relating this movie to real life, I believe that the My takeaway: be flexible in every situation. human resource management environment trends Whether you are working for an older or younger are constantly changing. Trends may include how boss, be involved in helping meet the organizaeveryone works, globalization and economic and tion’s goals. Work to strengthen the goal, improve technological advancements. The workforce de- weaknesses, transform opportunities and manage mographics will continue to change and will be- external threats. As the Apple tagline says, “Think come more diverse. Companies may hire more Different.” If you think that you are just a subordiwomen, millennials and may again consider hiring nate, think different; If you think you cannot do it, baby boomers in the workforce, recognizing their think different; If you think you are young and you years of knowledge, education, training, skills and will not make it, think different; and if you think expertise. this is the end of your career or business, think difAcquiring and developing superior human cap- ferent. ital will result in the success and profitability of the company. But, in the process and interactions, The author is an MBA student at the Ramon a diverse workforce requires a good and efficient V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She CEO. Jules, the current CEO, is characterized as can be reached at ma_glecee_marbella@dlsu. a hands-on founder; in every transaction of each edu.ph. department, she is there. She even teaches staff how to pack the items well for delivery to clients.

The views expressed above are the author’s and She herself experienced an item delivered from do not necessarily reflect the official position of her company that has bad packaging. As such, she DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

G

This sparked the ire of Austrian bakers, who perceived them as “dangerous competition,” Moehring says.

In 1894, the ice cream makers got the right to open shops in Vienna rather than just selling ice cream from carts.

“The Viennese were already used to sweets... so it wasn’t hard to then serve this cold product,” Molin-Pradel, who keeps his recipes a secret, tells AFP as he stands in the back of his salon at Schwedenplatz.

At the central, tree-lined square in the heart of Vienna, the family still produces artisanal ice cream.

Each day in summer, about 5,000 customers order from dozens of flavors, ranging from traditional ones like chocolate and vanilla to avocado, lavender and hemp.

“Every Viennese will tell you that ‘their’ Italian ice cream maker is better,” says Molin-Pradel.

“The colors must be pastel. It is a guarantee of quality,” he says, adding that the business has expanded, including selling their ice cream through some Vienna supermarkets.

Lasting tradition Out of roughly 370 ice cream shops in Austria, about 40 are still run by Italians in the small Alpine nation of almost nine million people, according to the Austrian Economic Chamber.

Its data also show that Austria boasts an average per capita consumption of more than 60 scoops per year, or about eight liters of ice cream—more than in Italy, with an average consumption of six liters.

From one generation to the next, the gelato makers’ skills and knowledge were passed on, “which explains their success,” Moehring says. AFP

LAST PRICE

L

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

B4

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, August 2, 2021

176.08 PTS. 6,446.31

TOTAL VOLUME

1,495,738,154

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

67,645 3,537,750,676.10 78 119 46

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2230

Japan

Yen

0.009121

0.4581

UK

Pound

1.389800

69.7999

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128662

6.4618

Switzerland

Franc

1.104606

55.4766

Canada

Dollar

0.801282

40.2428

Singapore

Dollar

0.738825

37.1060

Australia

Dollar

0.733800

36.8536

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655549

133.3696

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

13.3917

Brunei

Dollar

0.736106

36.9695

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030441

1.5288

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.6751

Euro

Euro

1.186900

59.6097

Korea

Won

0.000869

0.0436

China

Yuan

0.154751

7.7721

India

Rupee

0.013452

0.6756

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237079

11.9068

New Zealand

Dollar

0.696900

35.0004

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035799

1.7979 Source: BSP

SM Prime’s profit increased 12% to P10.4b in first half PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. posted a net income of P11.6 billion in the first half, up 12 percent from P10.4 billion in the same period last year, fueled by the strong performance of residential business.

SM Prime said Monday net income in the second quarter jumped 147.6 percent to P5.2 billion from P2.1 billion a year ago.

The property firm attributed the company’s strong first-half results to the positive performance of the group’s residential business in the first six months and the recovery of mall business in the second quarter despite the stricter community quarantine from March to May 2021 in key areas, such as Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

First-half consolidated sales fell 6 percent to P41.1 billion from P43.7 billion of 2020’s first half because of lower sales from the mall business.

SM Prime’s residential business, which accounted for 60 percent of consolidated revenues, registered a 3-percent increase in revenues to P24.5 billion in the first six months from P23.7 billion a year earlier.

The residential business’ operating income improved by 8 percent to P10.4 billion in the first half.

SM Development Corp.’s reservation sales grew by 30 percent in the first half to P55.1 billion from P42.4 billion in the same period last year.

Construction works on SM Prime’s new and latest residential projects remain ongoing while following safety protocols implemented by the national government.

Meanwhile, SM Prime’s Philippine mall business booked P10.7 billion in revenues from January to June, down 25.7 percent from P14.4 billion in the first six months of 2020.

“The reimplementation of enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal [NCR-Plus bubble] from March to May caused lower mall activities in the mentioned areas,” SM Prime said.

China malls recorded a 48-percent growth in revenues to P3 billion in the first six months from P2 billion in the first half of 2020.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business SAN MIGUEL VACCINATION. More than 35,000 employees and extended workforce of San Miguel Corp. will receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines in the next five weeks, as the company fast-tracks its ‘Ligtas lahat’ vaccination program, following the delivery of the first tranche of Astra Zeneca vaccines secured by the company last year through a tripartite agreement with the government. San Miguel president Ramon Ang says the company already delivered an initial 26,700 doses to various provinces where it operates. Vaccination on more NCR-based employees started at the San Miguel Sports Complex in Pasig on July 27. San Miguel also accelerated vaccination in Isabela, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Laguna, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

BDO’s 6-month income surged 400% to P21.4b

B

By Julito G. Rada

DO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender controlled by the Sy family, said Monday net income in the first half jumped nearly 400 percent to P21.4 billion from P4.3 billion a year ago, on the back of strong earnings stream and normalized provisions.

“BDO’s solid balance sheet, healthy capital position, and sustained earnings performance put the bank in a good po position to leverage on the country’s economic recovery,” the bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Customer loans remained flat at P2.3 trillion compared to the same period last year, but total deposits grew to P2.7 trillion, driven by the 13-percent increase in current account/ savings account deposits, resulting in a CASA ratio of 84 percent. Net interest income totaled P64.4 billion, with net interest margin at 4.06 percent for the period.

Non-interest income rose to P29.7 billion, led by fee-based income which increased 20 percent to P16.1 billion and insurance premiums which contributed P9.2 billion, up by 31

percent. Trading and forex gains normalized to P2.0 billion.

Operating expenses rose 4 percent to P60.9 billion, on a 29-percent growth in expenses related to life insurance business. Excluding the impact of the life insurance business, operating expenses would have increased by just 1 percent.

“Total provisions amounted to P6.8 billion as the bank continued to build up its buffer. This was lower than the preemptive provisions booked in the first half of 2020 against possible pandemic-induced delinquencies,” it said.

Provisions to gross loans in the second quarter were steady at 3.1 percent. Gross non-performing loan ratio stood at 3.1 percent, well below the bank’s worst-case expectations of 4 to 5 percent, while NPL cover remained more than adequate at 100 percent.

Total capital base strengthened to P412. 7 billion, with capital adequacy ratio and common equity tier 1 ratio increasing to 15.0 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively, well above regulatory minimum.

The bank’s book value per common share rose to P92.57 as of end-June 2021 from P82.28 in the same period last year for a 12-percent year-on-year growth.

The bank’s return on average common equity for the first half 2021 improved to 10.75 percent from 2.27 percent in the same period last year.

Smart bags fastest 5G mobile award Phoenix Petroleum with download speed of 220.66 Mbps swung to P132-m net earnings in Q2

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SMART Communications Inc. is the country’s fastest 5G network in the Philippines in the first half, according to the latest report by Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analytics.

The wireless unit of PLDT won the Fastest Mobile Network Award with a speed score of 44.70, a big leap from previous year’s 24.99, based on 4,949,931 user-initiated tests taken with Speedtest in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, in the newly released Fastest 5G Mobile Award report, Smart notched the top place in the country with a speed score of 204.81, posting median download and upload speeds of 220.66 Mbps and 20.61 Mbps, respectively based on 237,142 user-initiated 5G tests taken with Speedtest in the Philippines in the first six months.

Rival Globe Telecom recorded a speed score of 102.02, posting median download speeds of 103.22 and upload speeds of 8.07.

Speedtest Award for top providers in speed are determined using a speed score that incorporates a measure of each provider’s download and upload speed to rank network speed performance.

Ookla assesses the average of test results taken using Modern Chipsets.

Modern chipsets includes all mobile tests, regardless of connection technology used, as long as they are taken on devices that are identified as being capable of achieving the fastest speeds available in a market. After this filtering has taken place, speed score is applied as outlined above to determine the best speeds available in a country.

“Speedtest Awards, presented by Ookla, are reserved for an elite delegation of network operators that have delivered exceptional internet performance and coverage within a market. It is our pleasure to present Smart with two awards for Fastest 5G Mobile Network and Fastest Mobile Network in the Philippines,” Ookla chief executive Doug Suttles said.

METRO PACIFIC’S AWARDS. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. is recognized in the eighth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, garnering two Stevie awards for its corporate social responsibility initiatives in the service of vulnerable sectors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. MPIC won a gold Stevie for most valuable non-profit response and a silver Stevie for most valuable corporate response for its ‘Bayan Tanim: Encouraging Sustainable Living in a Time of Crisis’ program and ‘Kaya Natin ‘To Relief Support for Marginalized Sectors” initiatives, respectively.

By Alena Mae S. Flores PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines said Monday it swung to a net income of P132 million in the second quarter from a P5-million net loss in the same period last year.

The company led by businessman Dennis Uy said net income on a quarter-on-quarter basis rose 9 percent from P121 million in the first quarter.

“Our Q2 performance shows that our domestic growth is accelerating and we are solidifying our market positions as evidenced by the recent market share expansion. Despite challenges, we are able to continue to expand our network via a capexlight model, win new B2B accounts, and keep our costs in line,” Phoenix Petroleum president Henry Albert Fadullon said in a statement.

Phoenix said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the better financial performance in the second quarter was driven by “all-time-high quarterly volume.”

The company maintained prudence in operational expenses and capital expenditure management, accelerating Phoenix’s growth with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and appreciation which went up 73 percent from the prior quarter to P1.07 billion.

Revenues rose 38 percent, while opex per liter was down by 17 percent in the second quarter.

Overall volume grew 32 percent from the prior quarter as the growth of the domestic business picked up pace.

Domestic volume increased 27 percent quarter-on-quarter driven by the growth of commercial, alongside other B2B segments such as manufacturing and trading.

Greenergy buys ABS-CBN finctech affiliate for P54m

By Jenniffer B. Austria GREENERGY Holdings Inc., the listed company of businessman Antonio Tiu, completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in a financial technology company owned by ABS-CBN Corp.

Greenergy said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday it purchased 51 million shares in U-Pay Digital Technologies Inc. for P54 million.

The company said the acquisition of U-Pay would strengthen its foray into the fintech space and was part of its overall pivot toward digital transformation to enable stakeholders and consumers to benefit from a financially inclusive ecosystem.

Greenergy signed earlier an agreement with ABS-CBN and iBayad Online Ventures Inc. for the acquisition of 51 million fully-paid common shares of U-Pay, an e-money issuer and remittance company licensed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

U-Pay is a fintech company engaged in the business of customer and merchant e-wallet/e-money services and other related services, operating a platform therefor, advertising, producing, distributing and marketing products and services that are connected to the operations of said business.

It has a type “C” e-money issuer license issued by BSP and is duly registered to operate as a remittance and transfer company. Aside from its fintech platform, U-Pay is also engaged in advertising, producing, distributing, and marketing products and services connected to the operations of its business.

The closing date of the transaction is subject to the completion of certain conditions precedent to closing, including clearance from the BSP which should not be later than Sept. 30, 2021.

Greenergy also announced it teamed up with telecom firm DITO Telecommunity, paving the way for Greenergy’s existing clients, partners and affiliates to become DITO mobile subscribers.

IN BRIEF

Dominguez asks BIR to top collection target FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Monday asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue to surpass its tax collection targets for the year.

Dominguez, in a message on the BIR’s 117th anniversary, commended the agency under the leadership of Commissioner Caesar Dulay for embarking on a comprehensive digitalization program ahead of the pandemic, which enabled it to continue functioning effectively during the lockdowns and collect almost all income taxes through electronic means.

Complemented by a relentless drive against tax cheats and an enhanced tax amnesty program, Dominguez said the BIR’s digitalization initiatives helped prop up the country’s fiscal position ahead of the pandemic, an unprecedented global health and economic crises that subsequently forced the government to spend big on COVID-19 response.

Dominguez said the pandemic, which proved to be a tough foe, would continue to test the Philippines’ fiscal stamina as the government would spend even more to strengthen the healthcare system. Julito G. Rada

DTI wants P3 lending program to be a law THE Department of Trade and Industry will push for the institutionalization of the microlending program Pondo sa Pagbabago at PagAsenso (P3) through the P3 Bill and the One Town, One Product bill to sustain the development of micro, small and medium enterprises.

“There is need to legislate access to market so our MSMEs will not have difficulties to sell to the world market. The OTOP bill will institutionalize the OTOP program to guide LGUs on the comprehensive assistance and holistic approach to support MSMEs,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said at the opening of the 5-day MSME week.

“Meanwhile, the P3 bill will institutionalize the continuity of the P3 program, which would improve MSMEs’ access to credit,” he said.

The DTI established 137 Go Lokal! Stores which assisted 788 MSMEs and generated sales amounting to P381 million. It also inaugurated 62 OTOP hubs nationwide, which helped 50,323 OTOPreneurs and generated sales worth P5.5 billion. Othel V. Campos

Globe installed more fiber lines in 3 months GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Monday it rolled out more fiber-to-home lines three months after the Department of Public Works and Highways allowed telecom companies to construct infrastructure projects within the allowable right-ofway limits of national roads.

The company said since the third week of March this year, it laid down FTTH lines complemented by 96 DWPH permits. The right-of-way order also allowed fiberization to support mobile builds from 39 permits of DPWH. “The support of DPWH and the government in general, will really allow us to decongest demand for internet connectivity in the highlyurbanized areas in the country,” said Joel Agustin, Globe senior vice president for program delivery, network technical group.

“This will help us fast-track laying out our fiber cables to more households that are now more dependent on having reliable, fast, and accessible internet,” he said.

The new Department Order No. 29 or the “DPWH Policy on Telecommunications and Internet Infrastructure Pursuant to Republic Act No. 11494,” eases earlier right-of-way prohibitions especially on the construction of posts. Darwin G. Amojelar

Sports

Fil-Am Knott succumbs to heat, bows out of 200m TOKYO—The Tokyo heat got the better of Kristina Marie Knott as she bowed out from the women’s 200-meter run in the Summer Olympic Games at the National Stadium here on Monday.

The 25-year-old Knott clocked 23.80 seconds and placed last among five competitors in Heat 7 topped by American Jenna Prandini, who clocked 22.56. When all the times from the 41 runners were collated, the Fil-American Knott finished 37th, out of the magic semifinal circle.

“This is her first Olympic Games.

She could have been battling a lot of things. It could have been the extreme heat. It could have been nerves. I’m not trying to pinpoint an excuse, or give a set of answers. It was an awful performance. It wasn’t what we expected. But people need to realize this is the world stage,” said Knott’s coach Roshaan Griffin.

Twenty-four runners advanced to the semifinals slated later in the day.

Knott was rushed to the Medical Station immediately after crossing the finish line, vomiting and nauseated due to heat stress coming from extended exposure to the summer heat in the Japanese capital.

“She suffered heat exhaustion.

Nag-stay muna after the race sa medical station sa stadium for about an hour. Rehydrated. She felt ill even before the gunstart. After crossing the finish line she was vomiting and dazed,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association Marketing and Communications Director Edward Kho. “Thanks for the prayers of support. She is resting in her room now,” added Kho. The best time of the heats came from Namibia’s Christine Mboma who clocked 22.11. Other topnotchers of their respective heats were Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou (22.30), Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann FraserPryce (22.22), Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (22.26), Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan (22.76) and Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel (22.74).

By Riera U. Mallari

T

OKYO—Crazy as it may sound, Nesthy Petecio shoots for the Philippines’ second gold in a Filipino Summer Olympic Games’ campaign that is both strange and intoxicating at the same time.

After Hidilyn Diaz delivered the Philippines’ first-ever gold in the 97-year history of the games, Petecio aims for a second one and a share of immortality when she battles Japan’s Sena Irie, a possibility that would have been unthinkable two weeks ago.

The 29-year-old Petecio will be facing at 12:05 p.m. (Philippine time) a 20-year-old Irie, who won’t have the edge of a hometown crowd backing her as fans are barred from all competitions to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in these pandemic Olympics.

Earlier at 10:15 a.m. (Philippine time), Carlo Paalam takes on an equally daunting challenge as he faces Olympic and world champion Shakho-

bidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan in the men’s flyweight quarterfinals, hoping to land the country’s third boxing medal and the fourth overall.

Eumir Felix Marcial, who secured a bronze medal last Sunday, will face Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in the men’s middleweight semis on Thursday at 2:03 p.m. (Philippine time) “This means a lot to me, it’s my dream and my father’s, too,” said Petecio, whose father Teodoro toils a small piece of land, while her mother Prescilla tends to the family.

“A victory will not only be for me but for my family, and to all Filipinos who pray

electrifying final two against Italy’s for me,” added Petecio, who asIrma Testa to advance to the sembled four victories in these gold-medal round with a 4-1 Olympics where the boxing win that assured the Philipcompetitions are supervised pines of a silver medal. by a special International This marked the first Olympic Committee body time in 25 years that the and not the controversyPhilippines earned silver marred International Boxing in Olympic boxing since Association or AIBA. Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Petecio had a rousing settled for a runner-up finish at Olympic debut by overwhelming Congo’s Marcelat Sakobi Nesthy Petecio the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

“I’ll go for the gold with evMatshu, 5-0, before eradicating Olympic top seed and world No. 1, the erything I’ve got, and I know that if I tall and lanky Lin Yu-Ting with a close follow my coaches, I won’t go wrong.

Isa po sila sa dahilan kung bakit ako 3-2 score.

But the road to glory wasn’t paved from nandito ngayon, palagi po sila nakakathere. After hurdling Colombian Yeni limutan, kaya inaalay ko po sa kanila Marcela Arias Castaneda, Petecio faced ang panalo kong ito at ang laban ko her toughest foe yet as the 5’2” champion sa finals,” said Petecio, referring to of the 2019 AIBA World Championships coaches Nolito “Boy” Velasco as well again had to contend with an opponent as Australian Consultant Don Abnett, Ronald Chavez, Reynaldo Galido and six inches taller than she is.

After a stagnant first-round perfor- Elmer Pamisa, again deflecting credit mance, Petecio came through with an for her accomplishment.

place in Philippine sports history.

Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov will be at the sidelines in the ultimate showdown.

“I’ll talk to coach Vitaly for the game plan,” said Obiena.

The Filipino bet will be No. 11 in the order of play after ranking fifth in his group in the qualifying round behind Kc Lightfoot of the United States, Kurtis Marschall of Australia, Renauld Lavillenie of France, and Emmanouil Karalis of Greece.

Also in the final cast are Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, Christopher Nilsen of the USA, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre of Germany, Harry Coppell of Great Britain, Oleg Zernikel of Germany, Ersu Sasma of Turkey and Piotr Lisek of Poland. Zernikel was the last final qualifier from Obiena’s group, making 5.65m.

Qualifying from Group B were Baehre, Nilsen, Duplantis, Vloon, Braz and Lisek all at 5.75 and Coppell and Sasma at 5.65.

Duplantis is the man to beat, being the world record holder of 6.18 with a season-best of 6.10. Braz (6.03), Lisek (6.02) and Lavillenie (6.16) have also breached the 6.00m mark, making them among the top medal contenders.

Record-breaking athletes to get additional P500,000 TWO national athletes, who did not win medals in the Tokyo Olympics, are set to get an additional P500,000 as incentives from the Philippine Sports Commission.

Commissioner Ramon Fernandez said this is what’s in store for weightlifter Elreen Ando and swimmer Luke Gebbie, who may have been empty-handed in their respective events, but still broke Philippine records.

Fernandez said national athletes who eclipse any national record in the Tokyo

C1

Unthinkable before, but PH shoots for 2nd Olympic gold

TOKYO—With his sluggish performance on Sunday behind him now, Ernest John Obiena aims for Olympic glory in the men’s pole vault finals today (6:20 p.m.) at the Summer Olympic Games at the National Stadium.

In his third and final attempt in the qualifying, Obiena cleared 5.75m to join 13 others in the showdown for the ultimate prize. For Team EJ, the last vault was all that matters.

“Erase na ‘yung nangyari sa qualifying, back to zero, start from scratch,” said his father/coach Emerson Obiena, pointing out his son is determined to make up for his disappointing start Saturday.

“Relieved ako noong nasukat na ni EJ at more relaxed na siya sa last jump,” Emerson added.

The Pinoy vaulter said he’s “chillin” ahead of his big day in the national stadium. He overcame sluggishness in the qualifying to hit 5.75m. But the fight for the gold is likely to go way above 6.00, meaning Obiena has to surpass his personal best of 5.87 if he’s to make a podium finish.

Obiena battles a star-studded cast led by world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden and Rio Games champ Thiago Braz in pursuit of a special

By Peter Atencio

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3 , 2021

USA’s Jenna Prandini (right) wins the women’s 200m heats during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. Kristina Knott is fourth from left. AFP

Obiena seeks pole vault glory

Ernest John Obiena

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

Olympics will get the additional cash incentive.

Gebbie set a new Philippine record on Day 4 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics swimming competition last July 27 at the Tokyo Aquatics Center.

A Filipino-New Zealand swimmer, Gebbie smashed his national record of 49.94 seconds he set during the 2019 FINA World Championships.

During the Olympics, Gebbie even finished ahead of Singapore swimming star Joseph Schooling, with a time of 49.64 seconds.

Ando, on the other hand, broke her Southeast Asian Games effort of 94kg in the

snatch, 119 in clean and jerk and 213 total as well as the 98-115-213 in this year’s Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She had a 100-122-222 in the Tokyo Games.

The incentives won’t be limited to Ando and Gebbie, because there could be others, like pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, who is aiming to smash his national record of 5.87m in the finals today.

Last week, Hidilyn Diaz lifted an Olympic recordbreaking 127 kgs in the clean and jerk and 224-kg total in the women’s 55-kg class in weightlifting.

PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez

Hidilyn’s psychologist feted by UST

By Peter Atencio THE mental preparation and mindset of an athlete are important during international competitions.

Sports psychologist Dr. Karen Trinidad said this days after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Trinidad, who served as a consultant in the Philippine Sports Commission—Sports Psychology unit, was part of Diaz’s Team HD, which provided support during her campaign in the Olympiad.

Her role during Olympiad did not go unnoticed after the College of Science of the University of Santo Tomas feted Trinidad for her achievements.

Team HD is made up of Chinese head coach Gao Kaiwen, nutritionist Jeaneth Aro, strength and conditioning coach Julius Naranjo and Trinidad.

Diaz had been consulting with Trinidad over the last 13 years, ever since she saw action in the Beijing Olympics.

According to Trinidad, Diaz expressed doubts about her ability to compete and make a podium finish during competition.

“Days before, sinabi niya kinakabahan siya, alam niyang malakas siya pero kinakabahan siya,” said Trinidad.

From there, Trinidad talked Diaz in having faith and confidence in herself.

“Sabi ko sa kanya, self-belief is important. Kung ikaw ay hindi naniniwala, you cannot lift that. Kailangan ay ikaw muna ay maniwala,” said Trinidad.

Eventually, Diaz claimed the first ever gold medal won by a Filipino athlete since the country’s first appearance in the Olympics in 1924.

In doing so, Diaz set new Olympic weightlifting records by lifting 127kg in the clean and Jerk and lifting a total weight of 224 kg.

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Sports

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

Ocon wins chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix

Spotlight on Sports Institute THE online National Sports Summit 2021, now on its second to the last session, features the Philippine Sports Commission as it presents a deeper view on the vital role of the Philippine Sports Institute in the upcoming Session 24 this Wednesday.

PSC-PSI Grassroots Program Head Abigail Marie Rivera will be the resource person for the twohour program, which is expected to be attended by over 500 participants from various local government units, National Sports Associations, sports educators, stakeholders, and other private entities nationwide.

The PSI was revived and officially relaunched in 2017 by PSC Chairman William Ramirez under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“This is a great opportunity for us to present the role of the PSI to our participants since most of them are our partners in grassroots development,” said PSI National Training Director and NSS Project Director Marc Edward Velasco.

The PSI is the sports agency’s arm to reach regional training centers. It is also the agency’s groundwork for its grassroots program to scout and discover new talent in the provinces that will soon become members of the Philippine team and become world-class elite athletes in the future.

Bam Adebayo of the USA Men’s National Team lifts weights during the USAB Men’s National Team practice in Tokyo, Japan. AFP

Make-or-break Olympic clash between US, Spain S AITAMA— One of the world’s top two teams will be heading home from the Olympics Tuesday after the US and Spain were thrust together in the men’s basketball quarter-finals, a re-match of their 2008 and 2012 gold medal showdowns.

The pair will clash unusually early after Spain lost 95-87 to Slovenia to finish second in their group and fall out of the top-seeded bracket.

The US, led by Kevin Durant crashed in its opener against eventual Group A winner France—the Americans’ first defeat at an Olympics since 2004—to also finish second.

Despite their poor start, which followed two defeats in exhibition games ahead of the Olympics, US coach Gregg Popovich said his team were finding their feet and were up for the do-or-die battle with the Spanish.

“We were behind the eight ball in the beginning, and we’re making some fast progress,” he said after they crushed

Marc Velasco

the Czech Republic 119-84 in their final group game.

“We still have a lot of improvement that we must and can make.

“But I think the losses in the beginning put a laser focus on how you have to play with these rules, in this environment against these talented teams, who execute wonderfully.

“And if you do not have respect for your opponent, you’re going to be in big trouble. So, we learned that the hard way.”

But the Americans have their work cut out against a Spanish team boasting plenty of NBA-calibre talent, including Ricky Rubio, Marc Gasol, Willy Hernangomez and 2021 first-round draft pick Usman

Garuba, who is heading to the Houston Rockets after the Games.

It will be a huge upset if Spain deliver—the US are three-time defending champions who have medalled in all 18 Olympics they have competed at, winning 15 gold, a silver and two bronze.

And they currently own an impressive 140-6 all-time record in Olympic action.

Spain coach Sergio Scariolo has crafted one of the best defending teams in the world, and he is confident heading into the game at Saitama Super Arena.

“Spain is a team that’s been legendary in the world of basketball for being able to compete throughout the years, regardless or players who were in, regardless the generations which were involved,” he said.

“We just have to keep being ourselves, keep our identity, that’s it.”

The US beat Spain 107-100 in the 2012 London Olympics decider, having buried them 118-107 in the gold medal clash at Beijing four years earlier. AFP

BUDAPEST—Lewis Hamilton missed the chance to chalk up his 100th victory but did take over the lead in the world championship as France’s Esteban Ocon steered his way through a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday to collect his first ever win.

After a tactical error dropped polesitter Hamilton to last place, the Briton picked his way through the field, finally clawing his way past Ocon’s Alpine teammate Fernando Alonso, to finish third behind the Frenchman and Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin.

However, Vettel was later disqualified when it was deemed his car had breached fuel regulations.

Hamilton was promoted to second place with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz filling out the podium.

For 24-year-old Ocon, who controlled the race from the front, it marked a maiden win in his 78th Grand Prix and a first victory for the new-look Alpine set-up.

“What a moment! It feels so good!,” said Ocon.

“It’s fantastic, what can I say? Congrats to Fernando (Alonso) as well, I think the win is also thanks to him with the fight that he did.

“It’s teamwork, it’s been a fantastic day!”

Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was damaged in a first lap crash, which took out five cars, and he eventually finished 10th.

The Dutchman was then promoted to ninth after Vettel’s expulsion leaving Hamilton to take an eight-point lead in the championship.

“Congratulations to the Alpine team and to Esteban for his first win—he’s been a shining star for a long time,” said Hamilton who was booed again during his post-race interview by a section of the packed crowd who blame him for the crash at the British GP two weeks ago which took out Verstappen.

“Today was definitely tough, we always make it difficult for ourselves.

“Crazy to think we were the only ones on the grid at the start, but these things happen and we learn from them. I gave it everything and I have nothing left in the end.”

Mercedes also took over the constructors championship lead. Going into the summer break they are now 12 points ahead of Red Bull. AFP

CCJ/Edris solo winner in 7 Cock Open Series Super Circuit Derby CCJ/Edris bested 248 entries to become a solo winner of the 1st 7 Cock/Stag Open Series Super Circuit Derby in Talisay, Negros Occidental.

Isunga and Managuit brothers, owners of CCJ/Edris, pocketed the grand prize of P1,300,000 after their entry scored a perfect 7-0 in the Super Circuit Derby 1st leg that offers a total guaranteed prize of P28 million for the entire 6-leg series.

Runners-up with scores of 6-1 are Himakas N-7 Dec. 29 of Engr. Ronald Roquero, Super ALE-GJV of Raul Villanueva, Bull Frog of Christopher Padpad and Adrian Palma, Lucky 77 of Jomarie Jonas, Balawis/BCC 2 of Atty.

FREE THROW SHOOTER NATHANIEL DELA CRUZ

Postmortem GREATNESS is awarded postmortem. That is why the task requires a kill.

And the Milwaukee Bucks, two games shy of a cadaver bag, did a 180 and went full Quentin Tarantino for a killing spree that will earn them a championship, and more importantly, the esteem and validation of being great, postmortem.

They killed the inconsistencies of their offensive impetus and the insecurities of their team play. Giannis Antetokounmpo killed the voice that tells him to avoid circumstances that will send him to the free throw line where he is most vulnerable, and look at the kind of game he is capable of when he is unafraid. Khris Middleton killed the cynic that tells him he is an

Gildu R. Agoncillo and Reggie Florintino, Sta. Agueda 2 of Felix Trebol, Apo B Warriors of Art Olegion, RJB Sailors/Cano of Edil Sansing/ Rodolfo Belbes Jr., Cabakahan of Levi Camus and Al Garcia, Unli Pops Boys of Actor and James Malibong, Happy B-Day Boy of Elmer Esclabanan and Junjun Pellejo, DUM Square Warriors of Joel Dumdum and Ninja Moves of Ramon Llacer and John Blue.

The entry with the highest point after the 6-leg series conducted by Sabong International in cooperation with Metro Third Breeders Association and NTC Group will receive a whopping top prize of P 5,000,000 with the runnerup taking P 1 million.

inconsistent, third-class player unworthy of max contract and the spotlight, and look at how he galvanized his superstar legacy in this league.

They went on a killing spree, slaying their demons, the monkeys on their backs, and the plans of just trying again next year, or the year after that. It was murder in the name of vindication and vengeance.

Year after year they are defeated by the monster that feeds on their inability to finish a fight, and whipped dogs that they are, they tuck tail and scamper shamed, while the monster they created has grown over the years, fed with a steady diet of frustrating seasons that has fomented fear.

Down 0-2, the monster that has crippled the Bucks in past seasons appears set on dealing the final blow, only to face a ferocious counter-offensive from a rangale of stampeding deer, antlers out like lances of a charging cavalry salivating on the prospect of skewering the enemy, committing to a task many believe they are capable of as a team that is great on paper. Now they are great, for real—greatness that was awarded post-mortem.

Greatness on paper, greatness on

Representatives of the winners are shown with the championship trophy.

Also, the entry with the most champion in 300,000, respectively. the series pockets P 3 million, while the highest The rest of the five legs of the series will be held pointer’s handler and gaffer get P 700,000 and P in August until December.

posture, greatness on power rankings —these are hollow praises without value until a great feat has been achieved. That is too high a price, and asking for too much upfront, but greatness is not for everybody and not everyone can afford to pay the toll. Others can merely look longingly at the other end of the bridge and watch with envy the people who are able to pass, wondering if their turn will ever come. Many have died there, on that sad end of the bridge, the dead taking with them that one wish unfulfilled, and their bones are swept away along with their forgotten names, so that others can step forward and occupy the space for dreaming.

The Bucks have been here many times, always turned away by a tempest they can’t survive.

They were not the favorites to win the Eastern Conference; truth be told they were one of the favorites to collapse again in the Playoffs as part of their annual song and dance routine: an impressive regular season and a disappointing playoffs for an encore. A great team that can’t do great things, Milwaukee was an anomaly, and for that,

it was easy for fans to accept that the ECF title will land on Brooklyn’s lap. But the Nets—one arm on a sling, another one scratching its head—bungled the catch.

We watched the Bucks march to the NBA Finals pointing out the reasons why they will lose to Phoenix, lugging on their backs the same demons that have killed their dreams year after year. After Game 2, the same people who awarded the Bucks a runner-up finish before the series began felt they have been spot-on regarding the impending outcome of the Finals.

When Milwaukee was down 0-2, where Phoenix was the predator and the Bucks, somewhat quite fittingly enough, is the prey, everyone was a critic, and their words were shovels digging a grave for a dead deer that already lost two legs. When Milwaukee won, everyone abandoned their grave-digging and used the same shovels to build a lofty castle for the newly-crowned kings from the bones of the enemies they vanquished, lauding and approving the manner by which the kill was made—surprising, forceful, committed, unflinching, unfor-

giving, and decisive.

Now, all of these feels like it happened in the distant past, drowned by the ominous hum of the rising disquiet from those seeking to have their turn. The line is long and the names too many to mention— a mix of young talents hungry to win now and frustrated veterans to whom fate has been consistently cruel, and not everyone has the same longevity for the long wait and the long haul.

Call it the war of a thousand crownless kings, or the rebellion of the usurpers, or the rise of the assassins.

The fact remains the same: everyone is out for blood with eyes on the kill count, knowing by now that greatness is awarded postmortem.

The weak and superficial will seek comfort in the thought that they were already anointed great - by the media, by the fans, by the league, by the numbers on a stat sheet. But here is an undeniable lesson about the one true and single most important eminence pursued by all, the one that puts a ring on your finger, so that you are wed to an accomplishment not everyone can bed: Greatness is awarded post-mortem.

Entertainment

Arci Muñoz, Renan Morales find common ground A

CTRESS Arci Muñoz and philanthropist Renan Ponce PascualMorales have agreed to collaborate and gather their resources towards a common goal, which is to be of service to those in need.

To start off, the two who recently met in Batangas and instantly got acquainted, are encouraging people to get vaccinated.

“We randomly met in an outreach program last year and after that, we just clicked instantly and decided to work together to extend our hands to help our fellowmen during these dark and trying times,” the actress told Manila Standard Entertainment.

“When Renan said that he wanted to help and that he wanted to do this… kasi, we have the same advocacy, same vision, same mission. So, sabi ko, ‘Yes, of course, let’s do this. This is just the beginning of our partnership and of course, it will go a long way. There’s some sense of fulfillment that I’m able to do my duty as part of the reservist program,” she added.

The singer and actress has officially earned the rank of sergeant under the Philippine Air Force Reserve (PAFR) Command after training in October 2020. Through the Department of

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Dennis Trillo finds excellent opportunity to show acting skills Dennis Trillo as Ismael Makadatu in ‘Legal Wives.’

Bespren ng Bayan Foundation chairman Renan “Bespren” Ponce Pascual-Morales and actress Arci Muñoz share the same mission of helping the people in need.

the Interior and Local Government (DILG), she has been tapped to become an ambassador of its “Disiplina Muna” campaign that promotes the culture of discipline as key to good governance.

“So, meeting Renan is serendipitous.

I have so much on my plate right now.

And sabi ko sa kanila, it will be a great privilege for me if I can help you with this little way to encourage people to get vaccinations,” Arci related.

Renan, as Bespren ng Bayan Foundation chairman, focuses on various advocacies to help uplift the lives of Filipinos. And now that the two have

partnered to further promote the importance of getting vaccinated, they feel that they can make more meaningful projects together in the next coming months.

“Having her on board allows us to reach more people. And since we share the same mission and vision, I can see that we can collaborate on more projects other than what we are promoting right now,” Renan said.

Arci and Renan’s mission starts in Nueva Ecija. The campaign aims to give financial support to vaccinated individuals as an incentive to Renan’s kababayans. Those getting their first dose received P200 while those who got their second dose received P100.

Asked if their effort was politically motivated, Arci and Renan both echoed each other.

“With the platform we have, we feel that we have this responsibility to reach out to people,” they said with Renan underscoring that public service doesn’t always mean going into politics or running for a political post.

“You all know that I used to be a public servant. I have not made any decision whether to run for office or not.

What I can assure you is that we have this kind of foresight that our group will act depending on our situation. We jump from vaccines to planting trees,” Renan stated.

“We need sustainability. And what we’re trying to accomplish here is to prioritize what the people need and make sure that these efforts will continue,” he ended.

AWARD-winning actor Dennis Trillo has only good words for Alice Dixson, Andrea Torres, and Bianca Umali, his leading ladies in the latest GMA offering, the cultural drama Legal Wives.

In the story, he plays the character of Ismael Makadatu, a Maranao Muslim who has three wives. Alice plays the role of his first wife in the story.

“I’ve been a fan of hers ever since.

It’s a privilege to share the screen with her. Every scene I have with her is an excellent opportunity to show your acting mettle considering her being a veteran. One good thing about her is that she possesses a very positive work attitude, the reason why until now, she’s still around and gets to play meaty roles,” he says.

As for Andrea, he was always vocal about wanting to work with her. The actress plays the role of his second wife in the drama.

“I’ve seen her previous works and I’m impressed. She’s very professional as well. Perhaps, we just have similarities like we don’t want to encounter difficulties and be the source of problem on the set. That’s the reason why we have a good working relationship with each other and the people around us,” the 40-year-old actor states.

Meanwhile, Bianca, the youngest among the three, is his character’s third wife in the primetime soap.

“I believe that her role in Legal Wives is more mature as compared to her past projects. As my third wife in the story, I was amazed by the range of acting she exhibited. Despite her young age, she has shown a different kind of sensitivity,” he shares.

“Even without dialogues, she can convey her emotions through her eyes. It’s very expressive and meaningful. That’s why I told her that after this show, I’m sure she’ll be given meatier assignments that would further showcase her acting skill,” he adds.

Dennis earned the moniker Kapuso Drama King because he has already proven himself as an acting stalwart with his numerous accolades.

“Well, perhaps I just think of it as a job. I don’t put it in my head.

I am grateful for all the good things that happen in my life. It doesn’t mean that when you are surrounded by positive developments in your life, you will become boastful. You should remain humble all the time,” he ends. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ a hit in debut weekend JUNGLE Cruise -- Disney’s nostalgiasoaked adventure film -- sailed to the top of the North American box office as it debuted this weekend, taking in $34.2 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

A modern twist on a 1950s theme park ride, the film stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson along with British actor Jack Whitehall.

Another new flick, A24’s The Green Knight, a medieval fantasy, coming-of-age tale based on a 14thcentury poem about a nephew to King Arthur, came in second as it raked in $6.78 million.

Hot on its heels was last weekend’s top box office draw, Old, at $6.76 million. The Universal movie is about a

family that becomes trapped on a beach where they begin to age precipitously, and it stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps.

In fourth place was Disney’s latest Marvel superhero flick Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson, which took in $6.4 million.

Another movie making its debut came in fifth: Stillwater, from Focus Features, starring Matt Damon as a burly American oil worker who travels to France to help his estranged daughter when she is jailed for a killing she says she did not commit. It took in $5.1 million. AFP

This photo taken on Feb. 20, 2019, shows British comedian, actor and host Jack Whitehall poses on the red carpet on arrival for the BRIT Awards 2019 in London.

Pop Queen Sarah G, top SE Asian stars lead Acer’s new campaign ALL eyes are on Acer as it welcomes Sarah Geronimo as its newest celebrity ambassador headlining the brand’s upcoming song for #AcerDay2021.

Acer’s biggest annual brand event is back, and this time it will be launched simultaneously across the Asia Pacific.

Sarah G is no stranger when it comes to performing hit songs, and with Acer Day 2021 song entitled “Live Your World,” it is exciting to see how she would add her own brand to make it iconic.

“Sarah Geronimo is one of the biggest names in the music industry, in fact, she’s already a pillar. That’s why there was no doubt Pop Royalty Sarah Geronimo, that we would choose her to perform this year together with top Southeast Asian stars, sings ‘Live Your for Acer Day. Her talent is really something to World,’ Acer Day anthem that look forward to and we cannot wait for everyone to witness what she brought to the table for will be launched simultaneously across the Asia Pacific. this year’s festivities,” said Acer Philippines Managing Director Manuel Wong.

Sarah will be representing the Philippines as one of the singers who will be singing “Live Your World.” Alongside her are the biggest artists across Southeast Asia: Prince from Indonesia, Aina Abdul from Malaysia, GBoySWAG from Taiwan, Earth Patravee from Thailand, and VP Bá Vương from Vietnam will be heard in this anthem which will be officially released today on Acer’s social media accounts and in over 60 music digital platforms worldwide.

The annual Acer Day celebration featuring Acer’s ambassadors will be livestreamed on Aug. 7, with the theme “Live Your World,” which welcomes fans and consumers to ace their day and live their world through Acer.

Visit Acer’s official social media pages for more updates and details: Facebook - @AcerPH, Instagram - @acerph, Twitter - @acerphils, and on their website www.acer.com.

Sharon Cuneta and Marco Gumabao in a scene from the comedy-drama ‘Revirginized.’

Sharon Cuneta rediscovers lost youth in ‘Revirginized’ REVIRGINIZED, megastar Sharon Cuneta’s much-talked-about return to the movies, is set to rock her fans as its airs on SKY Pay-Per-View starting Aug. 6 (Friday).

Viva Films’ newest offering from young director Darryl Yap presents the not-so-ordinary movie comeback of the megastar in Revirginized as she gives life to the role of Carmela, a woman who spent years of solitude following the collapse of her marriage.

As she decides to join her goddaughter to revel in the wild party life on an island, she hopes to re-discover her lost youth due to an early pregnancy during her teenage years. Also starring in the new social-media trending comedy flick are Albert Martinez, Rosanna Roces, Cristina Gonzales, and Marco Gumabao.

Sharon Cuneta’s extraordinary portrayal in the movie airs on SKY PayPer-View with 48-hour access starting Aug. 6 for only P250.

Meanwhile, concert-goers can join

former Rivermaya frontman Rico Blanco as he takes the stage once more in his musical documentary and virtual concert Rico Blanco Songbook: Musical Stories by Rico Blanco, celebrating the career and music of the iconic singer-songwriter.

Also joining Rico to deliver spectacular performances to audiences are top musical acts, including December Avenue, Ebe Dancel, Callalily, Spongecola, Gibbs Sisters, Earl Generao, Mayonnaise, This Band, John Roa, Raphiel Shannon, Janine Teñoso, and Sarah Geronimo.

Don’t miss the star-studded, onenight-only virtual concert Rico Blanco Songbook: Musical Stories by Rico Blanco on Aug. 7 (Saturday) at 8 p.m., priced at only P299 per pass.

Catch them in the comfort of your homes in high-definition and commercial-free on SKY Pay-PerView. To subscribe to these shows on pay-per-view, visit mysky.com. ph/skyppv or text SKY PPV <Accout No.> to 23662.

Life

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

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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

PANDEMIC GOT YOU STRESSED?

EQ consultant suggests radical adaptability to cope with anxiety

By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano

T

O SAY that people are stressed these days would be an understatement.

Being locked down for the past 15 months, Shayamal Vallabhjee says, “A lot of people are suffering from anxiety. There’s an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, frustration.”

Vallabhjee, a South African TEDx speaker and Men’s Health “Trainer of the Year 2014” explains simply why many, if all, are feeling anxious and frustrated: “No one’s lived in pandemic so no one’s got any vital guidance on what we need to do.”

“Everyone’s testing the waters in some shape and form,” he adds.

Using his experience living as a monk for three years, the performance coach and EQ consultant recommends cultivating the right mindset and the three conditions “to be radically adaptable in any single ecosystem”.

With the new environment brought by COVID-19, Vallabhjee identifies the three Cs to continue thriving in any environment: composure, competence, confidence.

BEATING ANXIETY.

A performance trainer and emotional intelligence consultant suggests three things to practice to thrive in any environment, especially a high-pressure one.

Look within yourself

Composure, according to Vallabhjee, can be achieved by training the mind to focus on your internal perspective.

“When you look externally, you make yourself a victim of that situation and you render yourself completely powerless. In an internal perspective, the mind is able to calm itself down. The mind is able to perceive a situation rationally,” he says.

Vallabhjee emphasizes the importance of breath with composure.

“Your breath can neurobiologically and neurophysically switch the mind from being stressed about what’s happening on the outside to having a state of calm on the inside. And when the body’s calm and composed and when you’re thinking clearly, there’s a stillness that is in your mind. That stillness opens up the gateway to the options available to you,” he explains.

He continues, “For you to bring radical adaptability to any situation, for you to thrive, you need options to be available to you. These options only become available to you when your mind is thinking clearly.”

Shayamal Vallabhjee uses the wisdom he learned living as a monk in helping people focus and become adaptable.

leader who gives you some amazing words of inspiration. But rarely and truly, that level of confidence only brings about what is called a chemical change in your brain,” says Vallabhjee.

And that chemical change, he says, “is very short-lived, it can last anywhere from a couple of hours to about 40 to 70 hours at max”.

“The confidence you need to succeed comes from competence,” he emphasizes.

Being good at something and recognizing that strength breeds that confidence to thrive. The three Cs work together in a way that practicing something repeatedly brings success.

underscores the value of healthy eating during times of stress. “[People who are stressed tend to] turn to foods that are quick and comforting, but often loaded with fat, salt, and sugar,” he points out. “Being mindful of what you eat especially during stressful circumstances can help you manage stress levels and change the way you respond to it.”

Dr. Heber advises against mindless snacking, and suggests reaching for nutritious, hard and crunchy food that can help relieve stress by putting jaw muscles to work. He is also against skipping meals as, according to him, it might adversely affect mood and energy levels.

Cultivate confidence Eat healthy “If stress is an appetite-killer, try eating Where does confidence come from? They can come In addition to Vallabhjee’s three Cs, Dr. David smaller amounts of food more often during the from two sources: motivation and habit cultivation. “[For instance,] you have a good motivational Heber, chairman of Herbalife Nutrition Institute, day,” he says.

Be good at something

The motivational speaker and Herbalife Global Fitness Advisory board member defines competence as being good at something.

“In the world of professional sport, I find strength as a skill that gives you a competitive advantage in a high-performing environment.”

“It means that if it is a strength, it needs to be easily executable, it needs to bring a level of enjoyment, and it needs to bring a level of success,” adds Vallabhjee.

HEALTH BULLETIN

How to deal with ‘brain fog’ and stay mentally sharp ABOUT 25 percent of COVID-19 survivors experience A neurologist says “brain fog” – a general term used to describe feelings of ‘brain fog’ or feeling being mentally sluggish, confused, and pretty much “out of mentally sluggish and it” – a study by the US National Center for Biotechnology confused is brain’s Information reported. natural way to cope These symptoms, which can last for months after a pawith stress and fear of tient has recovered from the novel coronavirus, can be acuncertainty. companied by headaches, poor memory, and impaired sustained attention or inability to concentrate.

It appears, however, that “brain fog” not only affects those who have had the life-threatening disease.

As the world continue to live with pandemic, long-term, low-grade stress and anxiety tend to make the mind wander off and zone out completely.

“It’s normal,” assures Donnabelle Chu, MD of the SecTrain your brain. Crossword puzzles, chess, sudoku, solition of Neurology at Makati Medical Center. “Consider it your brain’s way of coping with the stress and fear taire, and other mind games that require a person to think can of circumstances that are beyond your control, like the sharpen focus, the doctor says. “Spend at least 15 minutes playing any of these brain training games five days a week as current pandemic.”

There’s even a scientific basis for it. “The brain’s prefron- they may enhance your working and short-term memory, as tal cortex, which processes our critical thinking and ability well as your processing and problem-solving skills.”

E x e r c i s e . Physical exercises like going for a walk to focus, shuts down during a sudden, highly stressful situarun, dancing, or doing yoga also offer tion—say a potential road accident involving you and another o r multiple benefits to the brain. “Exercise driver,” explains Dr. Chu. “It then gives way to that primipromotes good circulation, is a great tive part of the brain to respond quickly and . brain e h stress buster, and improves the quality t protect you from danger.” r clea eak to r of your sleep—all of which contribute On the other hand, the pandemb a Take to better thinking and concentration,” ic, while life-threatening, is ongosays Dr. Chu. ing and does not require a quick Healthy diet. Diet such as those response. This affects our ability to rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts, focus and concentrate. beans, Omega 3, and whole grains “Stress hormones like cortisol and can be beneficial to the brain’s adrenaline, which the body releases ability to function well. Avoiding during particularly tense moments, can excessive alcohol intake also gives the also overwhelm and exhaust the brain if brain a chance to heal and function properly. they stay too long in the system or come in Eliminate distractions. “If you must, check your Faceexcessive amounts,” Dr. Chu adds. mal- book or other social media accounts at specific times of the Mental fogginess is temporary. Given the brain’s mal leability, the neurologist says, a person experiencing “brain fog” day only—like during your lunch break, or after you finish work,” Dr. Chu suggests. Clearing the desk of clutter and can regain focus and concentration.

Practice mindfulness. When thoughts begin to trail off, lowering the volume of background noise also help.

Take a break. “Go for a walk. Take the entire day off.

Dr. Chu says to get them back on track. “Thinking too far ahead of scenarios that may or may not happen is not only Give yourself enough time to sleep as it has been shown unproductive, it is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Best that the brain clears and eliminates toxins that affect our cognition when we sleep,” says Dr. Chu. to concentrate on what you can do in the here and now.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. These are challenging Make a to-do list instead of multi-tasking, listen to music times and we’re all learning to cope in the best way we can.” to help relax the brain.

KonsultaMD offers teleconsultation, e-prescription, e-laboratory, and e-medical certificate.

Rewards for health

IN ITS efforts to ensure healthy lives emergency in-patient treatment for and well-being of all, Globe makes it pneumonia, bronchitis, urinary tract accessible for custominfection, respiratory ers to avail of healthtuberculosis, gastrocare products and enteritis, diarrhea, services. tonsillitis, and canUsing Rewards cer valid for three points, customers months until Sepcan get special protember 30. mos for teleconsultaFor 90 Rewards tions from GoHealth, points, customers get HealthNow, and P150 discount offered KonsultaMD.

by HealthNow on Under the Gomedicine deliveries Health promo, Globe and video health conPostpaid, Platinum, sultations until the Prepaid, and TM end of the year. customers can get A one-month Konprotection coverage sultaMD subscription ranging from P1,000 for unlimited voice to P4,000 for diagteleconsultation with nosed COVID-19, one free video condengue, and leptospisultation, e-prescriprosis valid for three tion, e-laboratory remonths until Decemquest, and e-medical ber 3, for 15 to 55 Recertificate until the wards points. end of 2021 is availFor 30-75 points, able for 60 points. customers can get The vouchers are Globe Rewards offers P5,000 up to P20,000 available via the Globe healthcare vouchers. insurance coverage for Rewards app.