Manila Standard - 2021 August 15 - Sunday

cases hit Paalam’s silver medal capsNew PH’s best Olympic campaign 14k mark with n By RIERA U. MALLARI

A medical personnel attends to a patient in need of medical-grade oxygen at the Sta. Ana Hospital in Philippines capped TOKYO – The Manila, which has now its reached greatest Summer Olympic its full-capacity for COVID-19 Games’ campaign on Saturday withofa silver from flyweight boxcases. The Department Health has appealedertoCarlo Paalam, an eagle-spiked 65 by golfer Yuka Saso health workers not six-under to push through with and the dawn of a new era in sporttheir plan to resign ing excellence. en masse with the Already its best showing in the non-release of their97-year history of participaCONTINUED ON 2A health benefits under Bayanihan Carlo Paalam celebrates his silver 2. Norman Cruz medal for the men’s fly (48-52kg) boxing final bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on August 7, 2021. AFP

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IN MET R MANILAO

THE number of areas under the highest COVID-19 alert has increased to 54 on Saturday as the country logged 14,249 new cases – the second highest since the start of the pandemic in March last year.

“We are seeing a spike in cases,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. “It is important to continue our preparations and cut the transmission in the community.”

The highest number of daily cases was recorded on April 2 at 15,310.

Yesterday’s tally marked the fourth consecutive day that over 12,000 new cases were recorded, bringing the total to 1,727,231. This pushed the number of CONTINUED ON 2A

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‘Medical lockdown’ looms Gov’t appeals to health workers to shelve planned mass resignation

n By JOYCE PANGCO PAÑARES and MARICEL CRUZ

EALTH workers from private MARCIAL hospitals and Bronze Medalist medical institutions are considering a “medical lockdown” as COVID-19 cases continue to surge while their benefits remain unreleased, prompting the Department of Health to appeal for a dialog to prevent a possible mass resignation, with a promise PETECIO to immediatelySilver Medalist act on their concerns.

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New cases hit 11k, Delta drives surge “I hope we can discuss your concerns so we do not end up with that situation be-

cause [mass resignations] will greatly strain our health care system. We really need you right now,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Ver Vergeire said.

“We are appealing to you. If you have complaints, we will talk to

the organizations of healthcare workers. We will listen to your concerns, and if we can do it immediately, then we will immediately attend to whatever your needs are,” she added.

According to UST Hospital union president Donnel Siason, they have not received the benefits which their counterparts in public hospitals

(Left) For several months now, health workers from both private and public hospitals have been holding mass mobilizations and sit-down protests to demand the release of their benefits under Bayanihan 2 that expired in July. Health workers n By WILLIE CASAS and JOEL ZURBANO have been hailed as modern-day heroes as they battle the HE country logged 11,021 new COVID-19 cases Saturday the highunseen–enemy that is COVID-19 day in, day est daily record since April – as the Department of Health admitted out. (Above, boxed) that the two-week Enhanced Community QuarantineThis will not beby photo taken Jack Gallardo which able to stop the surge, likely driven by the more transmissible Delta shows medical variant. frontliners resting for a while in ches District Hospital – reported full-occuThe fresh cases – the second consecutive pancy of their COVID beds.Sagay City, day that the 10,000 mark was breached – Negros Occidental The Philippine General Hospital said its brought the total to 1,649,341, with 162 new went viral on COVID beds are now 75 percent occupied, fatalities. social media in with three minor patients in critical condiActive cases stood at 76,063 active cases, November last tion. also the highest since April 25. year.

In Quezon City, two hospitals – the Quezon City General Hospital and the Novali-

“Based on our last census Saturday morning, we have 169 confirmed COVID patients

have enjoyed, including life insurance, free transportation, hazard pay and medical allowance – all provided for under Bayanihan 2.

St. Luke’s Medical Center Employees Association president Jao Clumia said health workers are planning a mass mobilization to press the CONTINUED ON 2A

Año: Ayuda release starts Amid possible probe, DOH: ‘We are ready’Wednesday

THE government has issued the joint guidelines for the reDepartment of Health said it is ready to lease of financial aid to qualinTHE face any investigation following a Commission fied residents in Metro Manila, on Audit report on “deficiencies” in the use paving the way for the distribuof its P67-billion COVID-19 response tion of ayuda likely this coming funds.

Wednesday, Interior Secretary n “We are open to all types Eduardo Año said. of investigation. Hindi po CONTINUED ON 2A kami aatras diyan (We will not avoid that),” Health Undersecretary Maria out of 225 allocated beds,Rosario So, that is roughly said.

75Vergeire percent occupancy,” PGH spokesman AT A GLANCE “These P67 billion Jonas del Rosario said.in funds are well accounted for. to utilize almost 98reportpercent For We the were entireable Metro Manila, DOH the funds given to us since start of the edof59allpercent of the ICU beds, 54the percent she added. of pandemic,” the isolation beds, 53 percent of the ward CONTINUED ON 2A beds, and 46 percent of the ventilators were in use.

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COVID beds in 2 QC hospitals fully occupied, PGH at 75%

PNP apprehends almost 2,000 ECQ violators – Eleazar

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Metro Manila mayors target 250k jabs daily under ECQ Afghanistan to ‘remobilize forces as Taliban approach Kabul Philtwitter.com/ MlaStandard

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AUGUST 15, 2021

IATF: Laguna to remain under ECQ n By JOEL ZURBANO

AGUNA will remain under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine until August 20 to “slow down the surge of COVID-19 cases,” the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said yesterday.

The new ruling came less than 24 hours after the IATF said Friday Laguna’s lockdown status will be downgraded by modified ECQ from August 16 to 31.

“This latest ECQ re-classification was made to maximize its effects, slow down the surge of COVID-19 cases, further stop the spread of

variants and improve health system capacity to protect more lives in the aforesaid area,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

Based on the DOH case tracker, Laguna logged 883 new cases as of Aug. 13, the second highest among the Region IV-A (Cala-

barzon) provinces, next to Cavite’s 1,095.

Of the province’s 56 facilities with dedicated COVID beds, 19 were classified as critical and 11 as high risk, with an overall bed occupancy of 73.8 percent.

No consensus yet on ECQ extension Metro Manila mayors have not yet reached a consensus on whether ECQ will be extended in the region until August 30, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairperson Benhur Abalos Jr. said.

Abalos, who heads the Metro Manila Council, said the mayors are still monitoring their respective COVID-19 data before making a decision on the ECQ status that

will last until August 20.

Extending the hard lockdown would require more cash assistance or ayuda for at least 80 percent of Metro Manila’s 13 million residents.

‘Lockdown is no remedy’ The Employers Confederation of the Philippines, for its part, bucked a possible extension of the ECQ, saying reopening the economy is key to preventing further job losses.

“It is time we learn that lockdown is not the remedy. Let’s compromise. We have to think that the economy is more important and we have to live with COVID-19,” said ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. in a statement.

DOH warns against hoarding oxygen tanks THE Department of Health has appealed to the public not to hoard oxygen tanks at home to prevent an artificial shortage of the life-saving cylinders.

“I appeal to the public not to hoard medical-grade oxygen tanks unless you have a prescription from your doctor,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

“Let the tanks circulate. They need to continue circulating,” he added.

Based on his dialog with Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Duque said there is no shortage of medical-grade oxygen, with manufacturing companies giving their assurance they can triple the daily supply if necessary.

“We have oxygen, but our problem is the tanks. We need additional tanks and I was told we will need to import 20,000 to 30,000 tanks. We agreed on that,” he said.

The Philippine Confederation of Industrial Gases Inc. (PCIGI), for its part, said the seeming shortage of oxygen tanks was due to the slow turnaround from hospitals to refillers.

“We have the capabilities to produce oxygen, maybe at around 700 tons per day – medical grade and industrial grade. The medical grade is at around 220 tons per day now,” said PCIGI president Raymond Chu. He said the turnaround of medical-grade oxygen cylinders has been slow.

“There are a lot of idle cylinders in hospitals. Right now, a COVID patient can consume one cylinder in less than two hours. But the cylinder can take 10

A JAB AND A PRAYER. Residents receive their COVID-19 vaccine at the Immaculate Heart Of Mary Parish in Malabon City on Saturday. Norman Cruz

Netherlands imposes 10-day quarantine on travelers from PH TRAVELERS coming from the Philippines will have to undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival in The Netherlands starting yesterday.

The Dutch Embassy in Manila said concerned travelers must also submit a

negative nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)/ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken at least 48 hours before departure or a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours before arrival beginning August 16.

“Upon arrival in the Netherlands, travelers must go into mandatory 10-day quarantine. On Day 5 of the quarantine, travelers can take a NAAT/PCR test. If the test comes back negative, you can leave quarantine,” it said in an advisory.

The mandatory quarantine and testing also apply to travelers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, seafarers who are boarding a vessel in the Netherlands are exempted from the mandatory

FromtheFRONTPAGE

requirements for documentation.

“The hearing will focus on the allowances issue because DOH was given 60 days to explain their side on the general findings of COA. We should wait for the COA to finish its job,” he said, ‘Criminal negligence’ A legislator on Saturday described as “criminal” the alleged negligence of DOH in providing health workers with protective equipment against COVID-19.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the DOH must be able to make a full disclosure and explanation to the House of Representatives of how it spent its COVID-19 response funds since 2020.

He said the failure of DOH to use in a timely fashion the P3 billion allotted in Bayanihan 2 for the acquisition of PPEs “smacks of criminal neglect” as it put health workers at serious risk of infection, great harm and even death on a daily basis.

“This seeming I-couldn’t-care-less mindset of our officials at the DOH is totally disgusting and betrays their apparent apathy towards our doctors, nurses and other hospital frontliners who risk their lives trying to save Filipinos from dying from COVID-19,” Villafuerte added.

Congress not listening – Duque Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, for his part, said the DOH has already repeatedly explained to Congress the delayed release of risk allowances and benefits to medical workers.

“We will explain and clarify the issue

because they are raising it over and over again. It appears the other side is not listening to our explanation. That makes things difficult,” he said.

He said DOH regional offices are tasked with downloading the funds to hospitals, and hospital chiefs are then in charge of paying their medical frontliners.

“We need to channel these funds to the hospitals, and hospital chiefs have the accountability to distribute the allowances to identified hazard pay recipients,” Duque said.

classified as critical risk in terms of two-week virus growth rate at 352.25 percent and 266.35 percent, respectively.

In Pasay City, the local government announced that the emergency room of the Pasay City General Hospital was temporarily closed as the facility’s ward for COVID-19 patients recorded a 90 percent occupancy rate.

“Please bear with us, we are now overwhelmed at the ER. Please redirect all transfers to One Hospital Command for assistance.

Once we convert our probable wards to confirmed beds, we will advise that we can again accept positive patients for admission,” it said in an advisory.

Ospital ng Biñan in Laguna appealed for additional nurses and doctors as it reached full capacity for COVID-19 cases.

“Our nurses and doctors here at Ospital ng Biñan are all exhausted.

But we will not surrender,” said the hospital’s medical director, Dr. Melbril Alonte.

“The Ospital ng Biñan’s total capacity is 50 beds. But we’re already full and some are already outside, in the hallways, in the parking lot. We’ve reached 100 to 200 patients and it’s really difficult,” he added.

The Philippine General Hospital said it has already expanded its bed capacity to take in more COVID-19 patients.

‘MEDICAL...

government on the benefits due them.

Filipino Nurses United president Maristela Abenojar said healthcare workers in private hospitals should also be given active hazard duty pay (AHDP) of P3,000 per month.

“Under the Bayanihan, only those in the public sector shall receive AHDP. But when we attend to COVID-19 patients, it does not matter if you are from private or government. The risk is the same,” she said.

Senate probe Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman chairman Richard Gordon said it will investigate the issue of hazard pay and allowances for medical frontliners in its motu propio probe set on Aug. 18.

“The hearing will focus on the COVID-19 allowances for the nurses. We will ask why the allowances were not yet given to the healthcare workers. We will also look into reports, claiming some unqualified individuals received these benefits.

Those are the questions that we will raise for the moment,” Gordon said.

The power Blue Ribbon committee will still look into the report of the Commission on Audit on the “deficiencies” in the DOH’s use of its P67 billion COVID-19 fund, but only after the 60-day deadline given to the department to comply with COA’s

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active cases to 98,847 – the highest recorded since April 23.

According to the OCTA Research Group, the reproduction number of COVID-19 in Metro Manila has gone up to a critical 1.85 – which means one positive patient could infect two other people.

The country’s reproduction number, on the other hand, stood at 1.45.

On Friday, the Department of Health said all areas in Metro Manila are now classified as either high-risk or critical for COVID-19.

Under Alert Level 4 the cities of Las Piñas, Malabon, Makati, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, San Juan, Quezon City, Taguig, and Valenzuela and the municipality of Pateros.

Under Alert Level 3 were Caloocan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Manila, Pasay and Parañaque.

Navotas and Pateros were

quarantine upon arrival.

Travelers transiting through the airport and who will not enter the Netherlands, including children under 12, are exempted from testing and the mandatory quarantine.

AMID...

Vergeire said the DOH was given until September 27 to submit the required documents but the department would accomplish the requirements as early as next week.

“We are doubling our efforts to get these [documents ready] and we will not wait for that specific timeline to address the report,” she said.

“DOH has always been transparent. All the money that was provided for pandemic response is well accounted for,” she added.

COA clarified on Friday it did not find “deficiencies” linked to corruption in its report.

“The report itself does not mention any findings by the auditors of funds lost to corruption,” COA said in a statement.

“As an example, some of the findings of deficiencies involving COVID-19 funds amounting to P67.3 billion resulted from the non-submission of documentation or supporting papers, which the DOH may still submit in compliance with the auditor’s recommendation.

Of the P67.3 billion, P42.4 billion consisted of fund transfers to procurement/implementing partner-agencies without the required documentation. There is no finding that this amount cannot be accounted for,” COA explained.

COA said it was “premature” to make conclusions on the findings as the audit process “has not been completed.”

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WORLDBRIEFS AUGUST 15, 2021

This handout picture taken and released

by Nagasaki Kenou Fire Department on August 14, 2021 shows rescue workers searching for missing persons at the site of a mudslide caused by heavy rain in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture. AFP

Heavy rain triggers floods, landslides in western Japan

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ORE than a million people were urged to seek shelter as torrential rain triggered floods and landslides in western Japan on Saturday, leaving at least one dead and two missing.

Authorities in Hiroshima and the northern part of Kyushu issued their highest evacuation alert as the weather agency reported unprecedented levels of rain in the area.

Under the non-compulsory alert, around 1.4 million residents have been asked to leave their homes immediately, public broadcaster NHK reported.

TV footage showed rescuers towing residents through submerged streets on a lifeboat in the town of Kurume in Fukuoka, while a muddy stream began to overflow in neighboring Saga prefecture.

A 59-year-old woman died and two of her family members were missing after a landslide destroyed two houses in Unzen, Nagasaki prefecture, a local official said.

“More than 150 troops, police and firefighters were dispatched to the site for rescue operations,” Takumi Kumasaki told AFP. “They are carefully searching for the missing residents, while watching out for further mudslides as the heavy rain continues.”

Downpours are forecast for several

more days over a large swathe of the country.

Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.

“Unprecedented levels of heavy rain have been observed,” Yushi Adachi, a meteorological agency official, told reporters in Tokyo.

“It’s highly likely that some kind of disaster has already occurred,” Adachi said.

“The maximum alert is needed even in areas where risks of landslides and flooding are usually not so high.”

Downpours last month caused a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 23 people, with four still missing.

And in 2018, more than 200 people died as floods inundated western Japan during the country’s annual rainy season. AFP

Australia clamps down amid war vs ‘diabolical’ Delta COVID variant AUSTRALIA’S biggest city announced tighter COVID restrictions including heavier fines and tighter policing on Saturday as authorities battled to contain a Delta outbreak and said they were seeing the “most concerning day of the pandemic” so far.

After months of pursuing a “COVID zero” strategy, Australia has been struggling to bring a resurgence of coronavirus cases under control, with more than 10 million people under lockdown in its two largest cities and the capital Canberra.

Residents of Sydney, going into an eighth week under stay-at-home orders, will now face heftier fines for flouting rules or lying to contact tracers, with current restrictions proving insufficient to stop the spread.

Lockdown restrictions were also extended across the entire state of New South Wales for the first time this year, coming into force on Saturday afternoon for at least seven days.

Police would boost patrols and checkpoints while hundreds more defence force personnel will help enforce stay-at-home orders as the outbreak in the most populous state of New South Wales hit another daily record of 466 community cases.

“Today is the most concerning day of the pandemic that we’ve seen,” state premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

Describing efforts to curb the outbreak as a war against the “diabolical” Delta strain, Berejiklian said Australia was facing a significant threat from the outbreak.

“For some time, we thought Australia was different to other parts of the world, but we’re not.”

Residents queue up outside the COVID-19 screening center in Canberra during the lockdown. AFP

Police commissioner Mick Fuller said he had sought additional powers after officers reported people using loopholes to evade restrictions.

Residents are still allowed to leave their homes for exercise, shopping, health care and essential work – but police would ramp up efforts to enforce restrictions, he said.

Rules for leaving Sydney were also tightened to prevent the outbreak from spreading further

into other regions.

The nation’s capital, which is surrounded

by New South Wales, was sent into lockdown earlier this week while the second-largest city of Melbourne is battling its own outbreak.

The resurgence has increased criticism of the country’s sluggish vaccine roll-out, with just a quarter of eligible Australians so far fully vaccinated. AFP

Afghanistan to ‘remobilize’ forces as Taliban approach Kabul

Taliban fighters are pictured in a vehicle along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan’s third biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege. AFP

AFGHAN President Ashraf Ghani said Saturday the remoremo bilization of the country’s armed forces was a “top priority” as TalTal iban fighters inched closer to the capital after routing the country’s defenses over the past week.

The president gave no hint he would resign or take responsibilresponsibil ity for the current situation, but said “consultations” were taking place to try to help end the war.

“The remobilization of our security and defense forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard,” he said, appearing somber and sitting before an Afghan flag in a televised speech.

But Ghani offered few specifics on what his administration was planning as the government’s control over Afghanistan has all but collapsed in recent days.

The announcement came as US Marines returned to over-

see emergency evacuations from Afghanistan and foreign embassies scrambled to pull out their staff as security deteriorated.

With the country’s second and third-largest cities having fallen into Taliban hands, Kabul has effectively become the besieged last stand for government forces who have offered little or no resistance elsewhere.

Insurgent fighters are now camped just 50 kilometers away, leaving the United States and other countries scrambling to airlift their nationals out of Kabul ahead of a feared all-out assault.

Heavy fighting was also reported around Mazar-i-Sharif, an isolated holdout in the north where warlord and former vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum had gathered his virulently anti-Taliban militia. AFP

US issues fresh terror alert ahead of September 11 THE US Department of Homeland Security issued a new terrorism threat advisory on Friday ahead of the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks and amid a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin said the United States faces a “heightened threat environment” from both domestic terrorists “and those inspired or motivated by foreign terrorists and other malign foreign influences.”

It cited increased use of “online forums to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and promote violent activity.”

The new advisory updated a January alert following the attack on the US Congress by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, when DHS said the country faced “increasingly complex and volatile” threats from anti-government and racially motivated extremists, often stirred up by online influence from abroad.

The bulletin had already been amended in May, with DHS warning violent extremists could exploit the easing of COVID-19 restrictions to conduct attacks.

“Extremists may seek to exploit the emergence of COVID-19 variants by viewing the potential re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks,” the DHS advisory said, adding that “pandemic-related stressors... may contribute to more violence this year.”

The advisory, which expires on November 11, also noted that in the lead-up to the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), had put out an English-language version of its propaganda “Inspire” magazine for the first time in over four years.

This “demonstrates that foreign terrorist organizations continue efforts to inspire US-based individuals susceptible to violent extremist influences,” DHS said.AFP

Police raid paper that called gov’t a ‘dictatorship’ NICARAGUAN police on Friday raided the premises of independent newspaper La Prensa, which had branded the government a “dictatorship” after being forced to suspend its print edition.

The publication announced the suspension on Thursday, blaming customs for refusing to release its paper imports.

La Prensa was the only national independent daily newspaper remaining in circulation at a time when the government was accused of repressing opponents.

Nicaragua is gearing up for a general election in November but since the beginning of June, authorities have detained 32 opposition figures, including seven with aspirations of challenging President Daniel Ortega, who is seeking a fourth successive term.

According to an official police statement, the newspaper’s managers are being investigated for “customs fraud and money laundering.”

Police took control of the premises at midday and said the newspaper’s warehouses were in “custody.”

During the raid, some of the paper’s journalists said internet access and electricity were cut off, while officers prevented them from using their mobile telephones inside the building.

Pro-government media published photos of La Prensa’s warehouses on social media, claiming they had no reason to halt their print version.

“In the warehouses of La Prensa newspaper, there is plenty of paper available so the company can continue printing its newspaper,” Canal 4 posted on social media.

However, La Prensa staff said that the amount of paper was not enough to print even one edition.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its special rapporteur for freedom of expression criticized the raid and condemned the “constant official persecution of the press in Nicaragua.”

The episode marks the second time the 95-yearold newspaper, a tough critic of the government, has suspended its print edition, having previously done so in 2019 when it similarly accused customs of refusing to release primary materials. AFP

Apple defends child protection features over privacy concern APPLE defended new child protection features that would check images uploaded to its cloud storage and on its messaging platform, rejecting concerns the updates pose threats to privacy.

“We can see that it’s been widely misunderstood,” the US tech giant’s software chief Craig Federighi said of the update rollout in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Friday.

Last week, Apple unveiled two features to debut on iPads and iPhones in the United States.

One can identify child sexual abuse images uploaded to its iCloud storage, while the other uses machine learning to recognize and warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos on Apple’s texting app, Messages, the company said in the statement.

Federighi said the new tools do not make Apple’s systems and devices less secure or confidential.

“We wanted to be able to spot such photos in the cloud without looking at people’s photos,” he said, adding Apple wanted to “offer this kind of capability... in a way that is much, much more private than anything that’s been done in this area before.”

The company has also posted detailed explanations of the new features, saying in a technical paper that the technology, developed by cryptographic experts, “is secure, and is expressly designed to preserve user privacy.”

The company said it will have limited access to any violating images, which would be flagged to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization. AFP

AUGUST 15, 2021

Western Union regional vice president Jeffrey Navarro

UnionBank launches digital remittance app n By Othel V. Campos

U

NION Bank of the Philippines teamed up with Western Union and Pera Hub to make it easier for Filipino families to send and receive remittances digitally, eliminating the hassle of going through remittance centers and lessening exposure to the elements.

“Now more than ever, people are turning to digital, not only for the sake of convenience, but because we all want to have a safer option, as we battle this pandemic together. To improve the remittance experience of our fellow kababayans with their loved ones abroad through collaboration with Western Union, the largest remittance network globally and Pera Hub, leading Western Union agent in the Philippines, Union Bank is very proud to be the first bank to digitally-enable Western Union remittances, in a mobile app for our kababayans,” said Union Bank senior vice president and head of fintech group Arvie de Vera.

“The end game of these collaborations we have in Union Bank with our partners has always been to deliver

financial services that improve the everyday lives of our customers,” he said.

Remittance via the app promises no more queues, safe delivery of large amounts of money and a host of other services native to Union Bank and Western Union. The remittance experience is made safer, easier and worry-free for new customers.

De Vera said the remittance business in the Philippines remains largely traditional and over-the-counterbased, “despite us being the third largest remittance recipient country in the world.”

Filipinos with families and loved one in over 200 markets and territories where Western Union has presence are assured of seamless and

hassle-free remittance transactions of up to P50,000 per day. The amount is preliminary and maybe increased in consideration of the remittance guidelines of other markets.

Overseas Filipino workers and those working away from their loved ones can now give their families the option to claim remittances instantly and from the comfort of their own homes.

All they have to do is follow four easy steps: first, on the UnionBank app, go to “Send/Receive.” Second, tap “Other Partners’’ and select “Western Union.”

Third, input amount, the money transfer control number (MTCN) received from the sender and other requested information. Fourth, review and check if all details are correct then press “Submit.” The amount will be credited to the UnionBank account.

As the leader in banking innovation and technological integration, UnionBank has always been on the lookout for digital solutions to help the Filipino public adjust to the new normal. While the globally award-winning bank also acknowledges the economic impact of cash remittances, its officials highlighted the convenience Read more online they wanted to provide.

PH firms asked to secure cloud n By Rushelle Intia AN INFORMATION technology expert advises Philippine companies to secure their cloud infrastructure amid the increasing adoption of cloud solutions to enable the workfrom-home setup.

“Now that cloud has become more popular, companies in the Philippines must have certain solutions that they have to deploy, which can monitor the cloud in real-time. All activities happening in the cloud infrastructure needs to be monitored,” Ram Vaidyanathan, product manager of ManageEngine, said in a virtual interview.

ManageEngine is the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corp.

Vaidyanathan provided insights on the state of the Philippines cloud security and how companies can make their cloud infrastructure safer.

A report by Fugue, the State of Cloud Security 2021, revealed that misconfiguration is the number one cause of cloud breaches of companies, with 36 percent suffering a serious cloud security leak or a breach in the past year. The two leading causes of misconfiguration are the lack of adequate controls and oversight, with 31 percent and lack of team awareness of security and policies with 27 percent.

In dealing with misconfiguration, Vaidyanathan said: “It is a shared responsibility when it comes to managing the cloud. Both parties—the cloud provider and client—should work things Read more online b e f o re hand.”

ManageEngine product manager Ram Vaidyanathan

Afni Philippines’ recruitment hub has dedicated spaces for its teams and a job offer area on the second floor.

Bria Homes presents four newlylaunched projects in progressive towns and cities in Luzon.

Housing developer launches 4 projects AS A fast-mutating virus sends the country into another cycle of strict quarantine, people are finding refuge in their homes which they deem as the safest place to wait out the crisis.

This explains why hardworking Filipinos are more primed to purchase homes, prioritizing this over other goals as they visualize their post-pandemic future. This is especially true with overseas Filipinos who look forward to coming home upon retirement to sturdy, pleasant and comfortable dwellings in, or close to the towns and cities of their birth.

Learning valuable lessons from the ongoing health crisis, OFWs are placing their hard-earned money and savings in property they can love and thrive in for the long haul.

To serve their needs, Bria Homes, a leading developer of affordable housing in the Philippines, continues to offer affordable house and lot units in vibrant communities that provide safety, security and strategic location. Bria helped address the shortfall in the property market’s affordable housing segment.

It is presenting four newly-launched projects in progressive towns and cities in Luzon: Bria Homes San Fernando in Pampanga; Bria Homes Bay in Laguna; Bria Condo Calamba in Laguna; and Bria Condo General Trias in Cavite.

Aspiring Filipino homeowners who prefer a serene and calming environment may check out Bria Homes Bay in Laguna, will bask in its relaxing “staycation” vibes and proximity to the country’s largest fresh water lake.

CSS Corp. senior vice president Arvind Appavu

BPOs continue to hire Filipinos CSS Corp., a global customer experience and technology consulting services provider based in Fort Bonifacio, announced plans to add 1,000 employees by 2022 to generate equal opportunities for prospective talent in the provinces.

The company also aims to foster a culture of learning and growth via a partnership with select universities in training students with technical and soft skills. CSS sees the need to enable students and talents to successfully navigate the job market and provide professional development opportunities for employees looking to step up in their career ladder.

“We want to give equal opportunities to fresh and promising talent and nurture our employees to take on management and leadership roles as part of our commitment to their career development, to empower them to deliver world-class customer service that CSS Corp has been known for,” said CSS Philippines country head Arvind Appavu who was recently promoted to senior vice president.

Appavu leads CSS Corp.’s 2,100-strong personnel in the country—a total headcount that doubled in the past fiscal year. Driven by its “people-first” approach to employee

and customer engagement, the company ensured that no one loses their job amid the pandemic.

Based in Manila, Appavu has over 20 years of industry experience, setting up successful programs and operations worldwide. With his new role, Appavu is expected to lead the company’s global customer service delivery through process effectiveness, institutionalizing global quality standards to facilitate unified customer experiences across engagements. He is also expected to facilitate the expansion of CSS Corp.’s footprint outside of Metro Manila.

Appavu’s promotion took effect on July 1, 2021.

Despite the challenges brought about by this period of uncertainty, Appavu expressed confidence in his colleagues and the potential that the Philippine market has to offer.

“The Philippines has truly been a growth engine for CSS Corp. not just in the region, but also globally. I am optimistic that through our efforts, we will come out stronger than ever, as we tread the path to what the future holds for us, for the company, and the customers we serve,” he said.

AUGUST 15, 2021 My DeFi Pet

Santiago’s giant leap to volleyball stardom BURSTING into tears as she sank to her knees by her lonesome on zone 3, Jaja Santiago must’ve felt so relieved to have finished off the Creamline Cool Smashers with the last of her volley of quick attacks, ended the gruelling daily grind the last five weeks and helped essay a victory that in one stretch had looked like nothing but a tall order for the 6-foot-5 middle blocker/opposite and outside hitter.

But as she gradually stood up to toast their milestone, there also rose the rest of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, tears welling in their eyes, all reaching to the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference trophy the way Euro football champs do.

It was a celebration like no other in a classic finale of a bubble setting in extraordinary times.

“This is a new journey for me and I am so happy to have finally showed the talent given to me by God,” said Santiago, whose sweep of the Conference and Finals MVP honors spoke well of the caliber of the player who broke into the national volley consciousness as a gangling six-footer dwarfing the opposition in the Shakey’s Girls’ Volley League and NCAA as a National U standout.

Clutching the country’s first pro volley trophy with her equally gritty Crossovers indeed capped a hell of a ride for the 25-year-old Tanza, Cavite native, who led the Lady Bulldogs to back-toback championships in the Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference and steered the Foton Tornadoes to the Superliga crowns, also in back-to-back fashions, while bagging a number of individual honors.

A two-time SEA Games veteran, Santiago also became the first Filipino volley player to claim a title overseas, helping power the Saitama Ageo Medics past the NEC Red Rockets to the Japan V League V Cup last March.

The team tried to convince her to change her citizenship through naturalization but she declined and maintained that she still prides herself being a Filipino and turned down an invite to play for a club in Taiwan to spearhead Chery Tiggo’s campaign in the country’s first pro volley league at the PCV Socio Civic and Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

Sure, sister Dindin Manabat had a big hand in their improbable title run over a fancied Creamline side in the league that shed off its semi-pro tag in late 2019 but needed another year to launch its pro season due to the global health crisis.

But the long hiatus only made the Crossovers, one of the four teams to join the exodus of Superliga squads to the PVL, hungrier and fiercer, finishing No. 2 in the draining – physically and mentally – daily, single-round elims among 10 teams with seven victories against two setbacks.

With the Cool Smashers expectedly emerging No. 1, their lone loss inflicted by the Crossovers themselves, the two teams ducked each other for a possible early confrontation in the Final Four, thus setting up a dream finale between two teams of varying strengths and talents.

Creamline, which ruled this conference in 2019, took Game One of the best-of-three finals, blowing a 2-0 set lead but dominating Chery Tiggo in the decider, 25-15, 25-21, 18-25, 19-25, 15-7, in a victory that likewise extended their unbeaten run to five when dragged into five-set duels.

But the Crossovers completed their unfinished business the following day, coming away with a more imposing 2518, 17-25, 25-16, 25-21 triumph that sent the match, fittingly, to a deciding third game.

NFT gaming: Paalam’s poverty, ambition, and faith

Fun way to earn

N

■ BY MARY UMLAS AND JAMES SANTUA

ON-FUNGIBLE tokens (NFT) are not merely game rewards alone.

These tokens can be garnered in various “play-to-earn” blockchain crypto games and later on converted to cash.

For a country with an unemployment crisis, such games have helped ease this social problem, especially in rural Filipino communities.

Earlier this year, a documentary called “Play-to-earn: NFT Gaming in the Philippines’’ showed how an NFT game called Axie Infinity has helped residents from Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija recover from challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here are some popular cryptogames that hooked many Filipinos to play.

Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is a Pokémon-like game that requires at least three Axie creatures to play.

These characters are not exactly cheap and players must invest in buying them on the Axie Marketplace.

Despite the paying-to-earn concept, this game enables investors or managers to allow someone else to play for them through a scholarship program, making scholars play while halving the earnings with their manager.

Axie Infinity has also breached $1 billion in all-time sales, having more than a million daily active users today, according to DappRadar.

With all these successes, one of its co-founder, Aleksander Leonard Larsen said they are only “15-20% finished” developing the game.

“Axie Infinity is more than a game at this point. It is a social place where you meet your friends and like-minded people. It is a job platform. This has huge implications - a new digital nation is forming. And $AXS is at the heart of it,” Larsen said.

be stored in a single CryptoBlade account. The game has an element system that includes fire, water, lightning, and earth.

Gamers will compete against other players to acquire the SKILL token, which serves as the game’s currency.

When the Binance Coin (BNB) is utilized, there is a transaction charge or gas fee that must be paid for each combat. When the user’s BNB runs out, stored skills can be traded for BNB.

My DeFi Pet

My DeFi Pet, on the other hand, is a virtual pet game that mixes DeFi, collectibles, and personalization.

DeFi refers to decentralized finance, a blockchain-based finance that attempts to eliminate mediators between participants in a financial transaction.

Axie Infinity

The game centers around collecting, breeding, evolving, and trading in order to make money. The idea is to collect rare monsters, feed and breed them to produce more. The higher production leads to gaining more DPET tokens, which is the game’s coin.

To play this game, at least one egg of a monster is needed. One egg is equivalent to three DPET coins.

As the pandemic and lockdown continues, people are spending more time in games to pass the time. Converting game tokens to cash has taken shape because of the blockchain technology, allowing gamers to earn while doing the thing they love.

Sources: ● https://www.binance.com/en/ blog/421499824684902192/%E2%80%8BWhat-is-NFT-in-Gaming-The-BlockchainCrypto-Game-Market ● https://www.mordorintelligence.com/ industry-reports/global-gaming-market ● https://dappradar.com/nft ● https://twitter.com/Psycheout86/status/1327943403074678787

CryptoBlades

CryptoBlades

A role-playing game where players shall possess characters — an armored swordsman and a blade weaponry. Up to four characters can

Banking on Fabulous 4 in Paris

BY RANDY CALUAG A WEIGHTLIFTER, who hoisted the spirits of an entire nation; a boxer, who carried the memory of a departed friend to battle; her teammate who fought for his family and another who was out to prove his doubters wrong.

They are the Fabulous Four that made millions of Filipinos feel great in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philippines' first Olympic gold through Hidilyn Diaz; Nesthy Petecio’s and Carlo Paalam’s silvers and Eumir Marcial’s bronze medal were all scooped in one Olympics edition that went down in history as Team Philippines’ best performance in 97 years.

The Fabulous Four surpassed the Team Philippines’ three-bronze production, courtesy of boxer Jose Villanueva, swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso and high jumper Simeon Toribio, in the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

One motion. It all came down to this for Diaz who toiled hard for 15 years of pain, sweat and tears. It came down to doing something she had not yet done before. One big lift and her countrymen battling a pandemic back home erupted in wild cheers. Gold!

Gold! It’s the first ever by a Filipino since the Philippines participated in

the Olympics for the first time in 1924.

In spite of what looked like a sole effort by someone who weighs 55 kilograms, Diaz was magnanimous enough to acknowledge and share the accolade with her team and institutions, who supported her journey all the way.

Petecio was also driven by her family’s support as she dedicated her silver medal finish to her

best friend, fellow boxer Alexcel Dargantes, who passed away in February. She poured it all in her Facebook post, stating how she misses her, vowing to visit her grave when she returns back home.

"Buddy! Alexcel Dargantes alam [kong] nakikita mo ako ngayon grabe 'yung mga blessing ni Lord ngayon... sobra-sobra buddy!! Lahat ng mga plano natin at na

Olympic icons all, (from left) Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial and Nesthy Petecio display their Olympic medals.

Hidilyn Diaz holds her gold medal

pag-uusapan natin [nangyayari] na.

'Yun lang, wala ka para masaksihan lahat ng 7to. Alam kong kasama kita sa bawat laban ko.. payakap ako ng [mahigpit] sayo! Puntahan kita soon at dadalhin ko 'yung medalya sayo buddy.. excited ako ipakita sayo to!! Hindi man 'to ginto pero higit pa sa ginto to dahil buwis buhay [kong] ipinaglaban to! See you soon buddy..miss na kita sobra. I love you!” Petecio said.

Interestingly, Petecio’s silver— the first by a lady boxer from the Philippines—came exactly on the same date when Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco took the same color of medal on August 3 in 1996 in Atlanta.

Just like Petecio, Paalam was also fighting to lift his family from poverty.

But what made the silver medal doubly sweet was the similarity of the stories of his life and the way the Tokyo medals were made out of scrap materials.

AUGUST 15, 2021

Jane Dough’s Korean Buttercream Flower Cake (left) and Vegan Chocolate Cake (right).

Sakura-shaped Strawberry macaron cake (left) and boxed macarons (right).

Sweet salvation

Laid-off pastry chef finds herself again in desserts

H

ER career was going well. She was working as a pastry chef at the Faena Hotel in Miami Beach, a Forbes five-star hotel in Florida in the United States.

Then the pandemic happened.

Allyza Cepeda is one of the many employees in the hard-hit hospitality industry who lost her job.

“I was laid off as most businesses closed,” she recalled. “Luckily,” she was able to go home to the Philippines despite several flight cancellations.

With sparse savings and losing the opportunity of a lifetime, she felt hopeless amid the quarantine. “I stopped dreaming,” she admitted.

Baking her dreams

Facing defeat was not easy for the young chef. After all, she grew up striving for her goals.

Coming from a family of medical professionals, her mom is a nurse and her dad a veterinarian, people thought she’d follow in their footsteps. But she wanted to forge a path for herself.

Seeing how a simple meal unites families, she knew she wanted to be a chef.

She enrolled in the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (SHRIM) of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, graduated cum laude in 2018, and trained at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in Dubai.

Cepeda said she struggled to break into a male-dominated industry, but

‘‘

Jane Dough was born because I wanted to feel alive again when life lost its meaning and I felt like a nobody – a Jane Doe.” – Allyza Cepeda her hard work paid off.

She clinched the Miami post under the J-1 Cultural Exchange Visa Program, a visitor visa for educational and cultural exchange programs.

It was an upward trajectory for her.

Until it went down.

Finding the sweetness in life

Back in the Philippines, stuck at

home and with no job, Cepeda felt empty.

But while scrolling through old photos, she shared, she realized how much she missed making desserts. To get out of a funk, she challenged herself to bake macarons.

The almond-based meringue cookies brought together by a flavored filling demand great skill and technique.

Cepeda perfected the method, and redefined and reconstructed old beloved recipes into new creations.

“I almost failed every single time, but that didn’t stop me. I had the opportunity to go back to what I love – baking,” she enthused.

Creating sweet treats also enabled her to earn. “I needed a source of income. I did not want to burden my parents.”

After numerous attempts, her persistent dedication finally resulted in eye-catching and patron-approved desserts. From then on, she knew it was time to move forward. She launched Jane Dough.

“Jane Dough was born because I wanted to feel alive again when life lost its meaning and I felt like a nobody – a Jane Doe,” she shared.

“Now I want to create desserts to celebrate life’s moments and inspire others to never give up. The brand name is a reminder that as long as we persevere, we can be anyone we want to be, no matter how many setbacks we face.”

Cepeda’s creations include ‘90s

SWEET AND THEN SOME. Pastry chef Allyza Cepeda has tasted the different flavors of life, and through her brand Jane Dough, she spreads the sweet and the beautiful things about it.

nostalgia-inducing flavors such as Potchi Strawberry Cream, Ovaltine Chocolate, Nips, Haw-Haw Milk Candies and Choc-Nut Bars. She also offers artisanal bespoke cakes: Vanilla with Crème Mousseline, Devil’s Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Red Velvet with Cream Cheese, Brown Butter Banana with Salted Caramel Buttercream, Carrot Walnut with Cream Cheese, and Veg-

an Dark Chocolate Cake.

“Anyone can bake a beautiful cake and learn how to create macarons.

But from experience, the essence and purpose, the soul and fulfillment will always be different,” she shared.

The young pastry chef is now back on track. She plans to expand her business as she finds the time to share her knowledge through hands-on workshops with eager apprentices.

Cassette on the comeback trail Digital cassette/vinyl format rises

By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano

Sneakers or Lego?

Or both?

adidas Originals Lego Superstar brick model

THEY say stepping on a Lego brick hurts more than stepping on hot coals – a popular Lego-stepping memes. A footwear brand makes stepping on the bricks sort of possible and without the excruciating pain.

Adidas Originals and Lego Group have teamed up to present a bold new take on the classic Superstar silhouette. Highlighting iconic elements from both brands, the adidas Originals Lego Superstar sneaker in adult sizing features a classic white and black leather construction that is elevated with custom three stripes, shell toe, and heel tab, carefully crafted to perfectly emulate the Lego brick pattern. The striking look is rounded out with gold foil accents.

It is also available in kids sizing in colorful and playful Lego take on the Superstar.

Launching alongside the adidas Originals Lego Superstar sneaker is a buildable Superstar Lego brick model complete with Superstar sneaker graphics, shell toe shape, trefoil logo, and serrated three stripes mark. It even has shoelaces and comes in an authentic shoe box.

When completed, the model measures over 12 centimeters high, 27 centimeters long, and 9 centimeters wide, and with a display stand and plaque.

line and those by popular electronics brands.

Sony, maker of Walkman, offers a CD/cassette IN THE age of streaming and music down- boombox with radio. loads, cassette tape is winding back, slowly staging a comeback.

Digital cassettes In 2020, the British Phonographic Industry With the rise of tangible music format comes (BPI) forecasted 157,000 cassette tapes would Kihnos or KiT albums, which can pass as a digital have been sold in the United Kingdom. In the first six months of that year, the Official Charts Company reported 65,000 cassettes were purchased by British consumers.

Cassette tape sales in the UK were in fact gradually growing years before those numbers were released. A report revealed cassette sales soared to 125 percent in 2018 compared to the year before, which translated to more than 50,000 albums bought. In the US, Nielson Music reported sales went up 23 percent in 2018, with 219,000 tapes sold versus previous year’s 178,000.

What’s driving the growth, aside from nostalgia and the tangibility of having a “collectible” format? Artists, from Lady Gaga to BTS, releasing their music in cassette format.

Last year, people went gaga over Lady Gaversion of vinyl, casga’s Chromatica album on cassette which sold sette, and compact around 97,000 copies in October alone, accord- disc combined. ing to BPI. KiT albums are Love For Sale, Gaga’s second collaborative al- playable on smart bum with Tony Bennett, to be released on Octo- devices, Android ber 1, will also be available on cassette. and iOS, through Releases from The 1975 and Selena Gomez the KiT app. To use, likewise topped the cassette sales chart in it must be connect2020. K-Pop group BLACKPINK also released ed to the smarttheir album in the analog format, while BTS phone’s 3.5 mm jack. dropped a limited edition version of “Butter” The format satisfies the need for collecton cassette and vinyl. ing physical copies of albums, yet can be Despite the upward trend, Can Kuang, found- played on a portable device. er of Just-Cassette blog says cassette players are Since it started selling in 2014, there are now scarce and the prices of vintage players have more than 50 K-pop records sold as KiT albums, tripled over the years. A quick Internet search including SF9’s Turn Over, Loona’s fourth mini points to a few secondhand boombox sold on- album, and NCT Dream’s Hello Future.

K-pop albums in Kihno format (Photo courtesy of KIT Album)

NCT Dream’s ‘Hello Future’ KiT album (KIT Album) Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s soon-tobe-launched second collaborative album, ‘Love For Sale’, will be available on cassette in three different artworks.

The sultry actress as the popular Yaya Melody in the toprating series “First Yaya.’

AUGUST 15, 2021

SANYA LOPEZ KEEPS THE FIRE BURNING

n By Nickie Wang

T

ELEVISION star Sanya Lopez is one of the busiest talents on GMA Network lot, and as she renews her contract with her mother studio, fans can expect more projects from her that will showcase her versatility as an actress.

“I still have a lot of roles to play and I look forward to working with a lot of stars here in GMA including the new artists who transferred here,” Sanya told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview.

There’s no question about Sanya’s passion and dedication for her craft. The star, who turned 25 on Aug. 9, is now a household name through her notable roles in various projects including the most recent hit ‘First Yaya’ where she won the hearts of Filipino viewers as the adorable Yaya Melody.

“I feel honored to play that role and it’s really interesting that people sometimes call me Yaya Melody instead of my real name. It means so much to me experiencing that because it means I was effective in portraying the role,” the dusky TV darling stated.

Portraying varied roles on the boob tube motivates Sanya to do more and consider tackling unconventional characters. In fact, playing a lesbian role and a superhero

character are her dream projects.

“Personally, I really wanted to do a superhero character. I wanted to feel how it’s like when the entire world depends on you,” she said in jest.

“I want to explore lesbian roles. I did one before but I want to explore more of that character. I think it’s very challenging,” Sanya added citing Solenn Heussaff as the actress she wants to share the screen with in case she would receive an offer to play such character.

Meanwhile, when Sanya renewed her contract with GMA she promised her fans and her home network that she will remain grounded and will continue to give her all in every project assigned to her.

“I promise to be the same Sanya who continuously tries to entertain those people who support me. Sa GMA naman, lagi kayong nakatatak dito sa puso ko dahil kayo ang nagbigay ng malaking break sa akin dito sa showbiz. Mahal na mahal ko kayo,” she ended.

Sharlene San Pedro officially joins Yellow Room Music

Johnny Orlando unleashes melodic pop smash ‘Daydream’ INTERNATIONAL pop artist Johnny Orlando is back with his newest track “Daydream” out now via Universal Music Canada and Island Records.

The Toronto-born singer, songwriter and actor described the song as having “an ever so slightly ‘80s vibe with a 2021 edge and feel,” “Daydream” features the pop star’s signature effortless and charming vocals paired alongside an upbeat and infectious production.

A follow-up to the stand-out track “I Don’t (with DVBBS)” released in March, “Daydream” marks the beginning of a steady release of music from Orlando through the rest of 2021 as he builds toward a new project coming in 2022. “I Don’t” and “Daydream” both offer intriguing previews of Orlando’s varying musical palette and ever-evolving sound. “‘Daydream is an uptempo banger that produces that carefree, summer essence when you listen to it. The song doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is what we were going for when we recorded it,” said Orlando.

“My goal with this track was to make a good song and have a good time while doing it. I just want to be able to make whatever type of music I’m feeling. I love all genres, and I also love the flexibility of doing whatever moves me musically,” he added.

In celebration of the release, the 18-year-old star will be leading a #DAYDREAMSOCIALTOUR where he will go live across his various social platforms to discuss “Daydream”, answer fan questions, and chat with special guests.

Orlando is this generation’s rising pop superstar impacting a global music stage. He has amassed a social media following of over 25 million+ engaged fans worldwide, joining the global stan culture with some of the internet’s biggest personalities.

Toronto-born singer, songwriter, and actor Johnny Orlando is this generation’s rising pop superstar impacting a global music stage.

Versatile and wellloved GMA actress Sanya Lopez renewed her ties with GMA Artist Center signaling the start of another fruitful partnership and more projects with the network.

n By Amira Danica Pasion ACTRESS and singer Sharlene San Pedro marked a fresh start in her musical career as she became part of a new record company.

Along with the eighth anniversary of Yellow Room (YR) Music Philippines, it was confirmed by Sharlene, through her recent Instagram post, that she is the new member of the recording company.

On Aug. 8, the artist conducted her first virtual live performance under the YR Music Philippines together with other artists from the management.

“No stranger to the music scene, this multi-hyphenate is already working on new music with YR team and we can’t wait to share them with you,” written on the Facebook post by YR Music Philippines.

Before the company handled Sharlene as a musical artist, she was hired to star in some of the music videos and short films collaborated by the management.

Furthermore, the actress also made a song cover “Paraan” by Mayonnaise in 2016, which marked the first time the star working with the label.

Sharlene began to share her talent with the public back in 2013 when she uploaded some of her song covers on her social media accounts. Her enthusiasm for music started at a young age as she frequently sang classic karaoke songs and played instruments such as acoustic guitar from the age of 12.

As she pursued her musical career, Sharlene also participated in MYX Philippines where she became one of the artist VJs and had a chance to perform various song covers.

The artist was previously handled by Ivory Music and Video starting in 2018 up to 2020 and was able to compose and release five singles.

One of her recorded tracks were made in collaboration with a growing local artist Zack Tabudlo entitled “Pusong Naliligaw” released in 2019.

BJ Pascual celebrates ‘Musings’ anniversary with Pia Wurtzbach daring shoot n By Areeya Tatjana Ho CELEBRITY photographer BJ Pascual teamed up with Pia Wurtzbach, creative director Vince Uy, and fashion stylist Pam Quinones for a daring photoshoot in celebration of “Musings Series” first anniversary last Aug 8.

In the anniversary episode of “Musings,” a lifestyle series on YouTube, the fashion photographer revealed that for the episode with Pia, they went all out and made the former Miss Universe wear 12 different looks with the help of his blockbuster team of creatives that also includes makeup artist Mickey See and hairstylist Renz Pangilinan.

“In a way, talagang medyo feminine lahat ng take, iba-ibang klase lang ng degrees.”

Vance revealed that he wanted a play with the different fashion eras, hairstyles, and sets.

“Generally super sexy and rooted in bondage. Apparently, we [Vince and Pam] are both obsessed with the idea of bondage,” Pam said.

Aside from the bombshell babe and Bond girl fits, Pia went beyond her comfort zone as she posed for the photoshoots accompanied by snakes.

“Alam mo, after ng shoot na ‘yun, narealize ko medyo buwis buhay pala yung ginawa ko,” Pia said.

The beauty queen shared how much she enjoys working with BJ because of the

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach served the looks in a new set of photos shot by fashion photographer BJ Pascual.

“collaborative effort” that goes into each concept and photo.

BJ released the first episode of Musings on his YouTube channel in August 2020 featuring Liza Soberano. Since then, he has released nine episodes featuring different celebrities. In “Musings,” BJ brings audiences behind the scenes of each photoshoot, and walks them through the concepts and creative process behind each photoshoot.

Sharlene San Pedro spreads her wings as the newest artist of Yellow Room Music.

AUGUST 15, 2021

FEATURES

This undated handout photo obtained August 12, 2021 courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks shows Mat Wooller, director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility, as he kneels among a collection of some of the mammoth tusks at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. A distance equivalent to twice the circle of the Earth, in 28 years of life: researchers have retraced the path travelled by a woolly mammoth that lived about 17,000 years ago in Alaska, proving for the first time that this iconic animal was indeed a great walker. AFP

The curious case of the $600 million crypto heist

In the footsteps of a woolly mammoth, 17,000 years ago

W

ALKING the equivalent of twice around the world during a life lasting 28 years, one wooly mammoth whose steps have been traced by researchers has proven the huge beast was a longdistance wanderer.

The findings, published in the prestigious journal Science, could shed light on theories about why the mammoth, whose teeth were bigger than the human fist, became extinct.

“In all popular culture – for example if you watch (the cartoon) ‘Ice Age’ – there are always mammoths who move around a lot,” said Clement Bataille, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa and one of the lead authors of the study.

But there is no clear reason why mammoths should have trekked great distances “because it is such an enormous animal that moving around uses a lot of energy,” he told AFP. The researchers were amazed by the results: the mammoth they studied probably walked around 70,000 kilometers, and did not stay just on the plains of Alaska as they expected.

“We see that it traveled throughout Alaska, so an immense territory,” said Bataille.

“It was really a surprise.”

For their study, the researchers selected the tusks of a male woolly mammoth who lived at the end of the last ice age.

The animal – named “Kik” after a local river – lived relatively close to the time

of the extinction of the species, around 13,000 years ago.

One of the two tusks was cut in half to take readings of strontium isotope ratios.

Strontium is a chemical element similar to limestone and is present in soil. It is transmitted to vegetation and, when eaten, is deposited in bones, teeth or tusks.

The tusks grow throughout a mammal’s life, with the tip reflecting the first years of life, and the base representing the final years.

Isotope ratios are different depending on geology, and Bataille developed an isotopic map of the region.

By comparing it with the data from the tusks, it was possible to track when and where the mammoth had been.

At the time, glaciers covered all of the Brooks Range of mountains in the north and the Alaska Range in the south, with the plain of the Yukon River in the center.

The animal returned regularly to some areas, where it could stay for several years.

But his movements also changed greatly depending on his age, before he eventually died of hunger.

During the first two years of his life, researchers were even able to observe signs

of breastfeeding.

“What was really surprising was that after the teenage years, the isotopic variations start to be much more important,” said Bataille.

The mammoth has “three or four times in its life, made an immense journey of 500, 600 even 700 kilometers, in a few months.”

Scientists say the male may have been solitary, and moving from herd to herd to reproduce. Or he could have been facing a drought or a harsh winter, forcing him to seek a new area where food was more plentiful.

Whether for genetic diversity, or due to scarce resources, it is “clear that this species needed an extremely large area” to live,” said Bataille.

But, at the time of the transition from the ice age to the interglacial period – when they were extinct – “the area shrank because more forests grew” and “humans put quite a lot of pressure on southern Alaska, where mammoths probably moved much less.”

Understanding factors that led to the disappearance of mammoths may help protect other threatened megafauna species, such as caribou or elephants.

With today’s climate changing, and humans often restricting big species to parks and reserves, Bataille said: “Do we want our children 1,000 years from now to view elephants the same way we view mammoths today?” AFP

CRYPTOCURRENCY investors have been transfixed over the past few days by the antics of a mysterious hacker who stole more than $600 million – before gradually giving it back.

But was the thief a good samaritan who stole the money to expose a dangerous security flaw, or did they simply realise they were about to be caught?

The hacker struck Poly Network, a company that handles cryptocurrency transfers, on Tuesday in one of the biggest thefts of digital monies in history.

But by Thursday the perpetrator had given back almost all of the stolen funds in a slow trickle of transactions.

In messages embedded in the transfers, the thief insisted the money had been stolen with good intentions.

“I am not very interested in money!” the hacker wrote, adding it was “always the plan” to return the funds.

Despite their volatility and concerns over the huge waste of electricity they generate, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have soared in popularity in recent years.

Their combined market value currently stands at nearly $2 trillion, creating alluring prospects for hackers.

Most notoriously, thieves stole 850,000 Bitcoins from Japanese exchange Mt. Gox in 2014. Worth around $470 million at the time, the coins would today be worth a staggering $38 billion.

Another Japanese exchange, Coincheck, was hacked for nearly $500 million in 2018.

But in both cases, the technology that cryptocurrency uses allowed some of the funds to be traced – even though for Mt. Gox, it came too late to save the company.

Cryptocurrencies use blockchains, digital ledgers that record every transaction made.

Pawel Aleksander, an expert in tracking stolen cryptocurrency, said thieves typically try to cover their tracks by splitting the money up and moving it around – “sometimes using hundreds of thousands of consecutive transactions.”

But his company Coinfirm is among a growing number that specialise in following dizzyingly complicated blockchain transactions, helping law enforcement agencies and investors to trace stolen assets.

While many crypto-aficionados are hailing the Poly hacker as a principled hero, others suspect they began handing the money back because sleuths were on their trail. AFP

Dissident Hong Kong artist chooses ‘self-exile’ in Taiwan AS he queued to board a flight out of Hong Kong to Taiwan last month, dissident artist Kacey Wong was painfully aware of the extra immigration officials brought in to scrutinize each departing passenger.

Wong, 51, was one of the city’s best-known provocateurs, an artist who specialized in satirizing and criticizing those in power.

But as China’s crackdown on dissent gathered pace in Hong Kong, he decided he had to leave.

But would authorities let him go?

Multiple dissidents have been arrested at the airport and Wong wondered if he, too, was on a watchlist, especially when a group of extra immigration officials arrived as his flight was called.

“About 20 steps away from the gate, they spread out as if they were playing American football, and just watched everyone who was boarding for a last-minute tackle maybe,” he recalled.

“I was able to come to Taiwan so that’s good. But emotionally it’s very scary,” he added. “These were very, very intense moments.”

Wong announced his relocation last week with a black-and-white Facebook video in which he strolled along the city’s famous harbor singing a rendition of Vera Lynn’s wistful

ode “We’ll Meet Again.”

It struck a chord in a city where tens of thousands of families have fled overseas.

“I left because I am seeking 100 percent freedom of artistic expression and that’s why I came to Taiwan,” he told AFP, speaking from the Taiwanese city of Taichung.

He used his time in quarantine to edit his farewell video.

“I think the most important thing is when I come here, I can continue to advocate my beliefs and practise my art but I doubt I can do that in Hong Kong any more.”

Hong Kong was once regarded as a bastion of free speech within authoritarian China – a place where artists, writers and residents could speak their minds without fear of prosecution.

But over the last year China has begun remolding Hong Kong in its own authoritarian image in response to huge and often violent democracy protests in 2019.

A sweeping new security law, imposed on the city last summer, has criminalized much dissent.

Prosecutors dusted off a colonial-era sedition law to target political opinions and an official campaign was launched to purge the city of anyone deemed unpatriotic.

This file photo shows local artist Kacey Wong playing the accordion inside a red mobile prison artwork called ‘The Patriot,’ a protest performance art project protesting against the National Anthem Law, at his studio in Hong Kong. Wong, one of Hong Kong’s best known artists, confirmed that he had moved to Taiwan in search of “100 percent freedom” from China’s crackdown on dissent. AFP

Cornell-educated Wong knew he probably did not fit the profile of a “patriotic” Chinese artist.

In one famous 2018 performance-art piece called “The Patriot,” he performed China’s national anthem on an accordion while inside a red metal cage.

Such a performance would be illegal now under new laws passed in Hong Kong last year that ban any “insults” to China’s flag and anthem.

Wong said he was initially determined to stay and test boundaries.

But the mass arrest of more than 50 prominent opposition figures earlier

this year under the national security law set off a “big alarm.”

“My emotion says I will never leave Hong Kong but at the same time I am looking at the data of the battlefield always unfold almost on the daily basis ... The data tell me it’s time to go,” he said.

“I will not return to Hong Kong any more. That’s why when people ask me ‘Why are you here?’ I say I am in self-exile.”

Among the memorabilia Wong packed was the final issue of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper and the accordion he used in “The Patriot.”

Apple Daily collapsed in June after officials arrested its senior executives and froze the company’s assets using the national security law.

Wong predicts that critical political art will slowly disappear from the city, taken over by “more and more decorative items.”

“A lot of these Chinese communist proxies are trying to please Beijing so they will go to the extreme” to pursue anything deemed politically challenging.

“That’s why people are saying this is like the Cultural Revolution. It’s happening. It’s not as severe as in mainland China in the sixties but it’s getting there,” he said. AFP