Manila Standard - 2021 August 17 - Tuesday

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Delta cases ‘rising fast’ Variant spreads to nearly all regions—expert By Willie Casas and Francisco Tuyay

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HE highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant has overtaken the other variants detected in the Philippines, the executive director of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) said Monday.

“In the past, we had a lot of Beta and Alpha variants, but now our sequenced samples show that Delta has the most,” said Dr. Cynthia Saloma of the PCG. In a separate briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Delta variant has been detected in nearly all regions of the

Philippines. Vergeire, however, said almost half of the 338 samples subjected to genome sequencing in the latest run tested positive for the Delta variant. “It seems the Delta variant proportion, based on this initial and very rough analysis, is really

A relative helps a patient breath thru hospital plastic non breather mask outside the Sta Ana hospital in Manila, on 16 2021. Norman Cruz

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Lambda less transmissible than other strains, DOH says By Willie Casas THE country’s first recorded Lambda coronavirus variant, a 35-year-old woman, is a local case, and not a returning overseas Filipino, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

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“The patient is a local case. She is not a returning overseas Filipino,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a radio interview. Vergeire also stressed that all the vaccines in use are effective, after some lab Next page

Let Congress find out how DOH handles funds—Palace By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz MALACAÑANG said Monday it would let Congress conduct a probe on the Department of Health’s “deficiencies” after several lawmakers questioned the agency’s handling of its over ₱67-billion COVID-19 pandemic response funds. The probe was triggered by the Commission on Audit’s 2020 report on the alleged deficiencies in DOH’s management of the funds due to non-compliance with pertinent laws. Next page

• Nurses’ group: Mass resignation, protest still in play • DOH: P15B spent for risk allowances, hazard pay • Vega: Funds downloaded to regional offices, LGUs

Laptop deal worth P700k also on hold THE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday revealed that it has stopped the procurement of four sets of highend laptops amounting to P700,000 after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged several spending deficiencies in the agency. Earlier this month, the DOH was set to acquire four “High-End 2-in-1 Laptop with Accessories” worth P700,000 – an amount enough for 20 computers with

DESPERATION.

Afghan people climb atop a commercial plane as they wait at the airport in Kabul on August 16. Thousands of people mobbed the city’s airport trying to flee the Taliban group’s feared hardline brand of Islamist rule. Later however, the Pentagon said all military and civilian flights were halted at the airport. US soldiers killed two armed men at the airport, while videos showed hundreds trying to impede the takeoff of a US military transport. Reports said at least five persons were killed, either being crushed or falling from the airplane after it took off. AFP

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1,755,846 14,610

Biden breaks his silence on US-Afghanistan fiasco

106,672

30,366

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden will break his silence Monday on the US fiasco in Afghanistan with an address to the nation from the White House, as a lightning Taliban victory sent the Democrat’s domestic political fortunes reeling. Cutting short his planned vacation, Biden will return to Washington from the Camp David presidential residence and “will deliver remarks on Afghanistan” in the White House’s East Room, a statement said. The address was scheduled for 3:45 pm (1945 GMT or 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, Manila time).

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1,618,808 10,674 (As of 4 PM, AUGUST 16)

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32 Filipinos escape from Kabul, rest also leaving By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said an initial batch of 32 Filipino workers were evacuated from now Taliban-occupied Afghanistan, as 19 more are expected to leave anytime. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ed Meñez said the DFA is arranging the repatriation of the remaining Filipinos— said to be fewer than 130--still left in capital Kabul. The immediate repatriation of Filipinos in Afghanistan is being undertaken after

the Taliban seized Kabul and regained control of Afghanistan, 20 years after it was ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001. About 98 Filipinos in Kabul are appealing to the Duterte government to bring them home. According to a “24 Oras” TV report, 32 Pinoys were able to catch a flight that had already landed in Doha, Qatar. Among the Filipinos remaining in Afghanistan is Ricardo Tacbad, who hopes to go home before it is too late for them. “We are not sure about what will happen to us tomorrow. While we are still

alive and kicking, please move now. I hope the government will move quickly,” Tacbad said in the report. Another Filipino, Mark Suela, works as security for a hotel near Kabul airport. He said he is also worried, especially with videos circulating online of several residents wanting to flee the country. Suela also shared a video he filmed where gunshots are heard near his area. The DFA said it is “exploring all avenues of cooperation and are closely coordinating with governments and Next page

Duterte condoles with Haiti over tragedy; no Filipino hurt PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is extending his sympathies to the people of Haiti, who lost their loved ones in a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the Caribbean country on Saturday morning, and where a state of monthlong emergency has been declared, Malacañang said Monday. “On behalf of the Filipino nation,

President Rodrigo Duterte extends his sincere condolences to the government and to the people of Haiti for the tragedy and devastation caused by the strong earthquake that struck Haiti,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing. Citing the Department of Foreign Next page

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25 NPA killed in clash with govt number of dead rebels due to “operational security matters.” “We will be sure to release an update once our troops complete the operations,” said the Army while lauding the “commitment of our troops for their outstanding resolve in our mission to protect the people from the threats of the communist terrorists.” Sketchy reports said at least 16 bodies were already retrieved from the area. No one was hurt from the government side. Army troopers also recovered from

the enemy 20 long firearms, laptop, and a caliber .45 pistol. In a radio interview, Major General Pio Dinoso, Commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said the running gun fight started at about 4 a.m. Monday. At sundown, AFP Spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said the NPA suffered initial deaths of at least 16 fighters. Dinoso said the area where the NPAs were spotted was a hideout used as a bomb-making area. The bombs being produced in the said area were antipersonnel mines.

at 58,471. The international standard for positivity rate must be less than 5 percent of COVID-19 samples. Nationwide, 71 percent of the country’s intensive care unit beds are utilized, while 50 percent of the mechanical ventilators are also in use. In Metro Manila, 72 percent of ICU beds are occupied while 53 percent of mechanical ventilators are in use. Enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which imposes several movement restrictions, was imposed over Metro Manila, the country’s center of economy, until Aug. 20. Authorities have yet to declare an extension for the lockdown. Recently, the Philippines also documented the first case of the Lambda variant, a coronavirus variant first detected in Peru. Experts said there is no cause for alarm yet for the newly-detected variant in the Philippines as Delta variant is still the most concerning threat during the pandemic. Independent researchers tracking the pandemic said the coronavirus reproduction number in the Philippines rose to 1.5 on Sunday. The reproduction number, which refers to the number of people that each COVID-19 case can infect, was at 1.46 for the whole country from August 8 to 14. This was when the average new COVID-19 cases per day reached 11,000, the OCTA Research Group said on Sunday. On Sunday, a health expert said more children are now being hospitalized with COVID-19 at the San Lazaro Hospital. Dr. Rontgene Solante, chairman of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital, said this may be caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant. “The transmissibility has now extended not only for adults but also to younger age groups. And most of the sources of these younger age groups are also coming from their parents or from their caretakers,” Solante said. Earlier, the Department of Health

(DOH) said an increase in COVID-19 infections in the country has been recorded in all age groups and not just among children. The DOH issued the statement amid concerns over the reported increase in the number of children contracting COVID-19. Dr. Jocelyn Eusebio, chief of the Philippine Pediatric Society, said children have strong resistance against COVID-19 but they could still be more vulnerable against the more transmissible Delta variant. Parents or guardians should bring children to the hospitals when they experience high fever and difficulty in breathing, the Philippine Pediatric Society said Monday. Around 10 percent of the country’s 1.7 million COVID-19 cases are children, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) earlier said. Children must be taught to wear masks and wash their hands using soap and water or use sanitizer or alcohol, said Dr. Cynthia Cuayo-Juico, pediatrician and fellow at the Philippine Pediatric Society. “Let’s stay at home for now. Be vigilant if there are members of the household who go out and acquire symptoms because that may be the reason for getting infected,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo. Parents must be on the lookout for the following symptoms, especially if any of the household members go outdoors or have been exposed to COVID-19: cough; fever; colds; and diarrhea. They must also recall if their child has been vaccinated against flu or pneumonia, she said. “What are the symptoms that a child must be brought to a hospital? When the fever does not go down and has gone on for three days. Secondly, when they experience difficulty in breathing,” she said. If a child has fever, they must be given plenty of water, paracetamol, and be kept cool, Cuayo-Juico said. “Don’t give them antibiotics. They don’t work for viral infections,” she said.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the world to work together Monday to “suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan” after the Taliban took control of the war-torn country. “The international community must unite to make sure that Afghanistan is never again used as a platform or safe haven for terrorist organizations,” Guterres told an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan. The meeting was hastily convened at the UN’s headquarters in New York after Taliban militants entered the capital Kabul on Sunday, leading Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to flee abroad.

“I appeal to the Security Council — and the international community as a whole — to stand together, to work together and act together,” Guterres added. Earlier, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told ABC that the country “can expect to hear from the president soon. He’s right now actively engaged with his national security team. He is working the situation hard.” All weekend the Democrat, who took office with more foreign policy experience than any new president in decades, stayed hunkered down at the secluded Camp David. As stunning images played out of Kabul, where a frantic US evacuation echoed the 1975 fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, Biden was near invisible. His only statement came in written form on Saturday, insisting that the

sudden US withdrawal from Afghanistan, triggering a Taliban total takeover, had been the only possible choice. Then as pressure mounted Sunday for Biden to demonstrate he was in charge, the White House issued a single photograph, showing the president in a polo shirt seated alone at a table while listening to advisors on a large monitor screen. Biden was elected last year on a promise to bring back expertise and responsibility after the turbulent Donald Trump years. Now the questions are piling up and how Biden answers could determine his presidency’s fate. How could the Afghan army, created, funded, and trained by the United States at the cost of more than $80 billion over 20 years, have folded so quickly against the rag-tag Taliban?

confirmed flights to the Philippines. A group of 19 Filipinos are also set to leave immediately,” the department said. Manila raised Alert Level 4, which calls for mandatory evacuation, for the whole of Afghanistan due to the uncertain security situation there. Filipinos needing assistance were asked to immediately contact the Philip-

pine Embassy in Pakistan or OFWHelp. Malacañang on Monday urged Filipinos in Afghanistan to prepare for repatriation. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque urged Filipinos to coordinate with the Philippine embassy in Pakistan, which has jurisdiction over Afghanistan, to facilitate their repatriation. Roque said he would leave it to the

DFA to release a statement on matters concerning the entry of Taliban forces in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Sunday. “I do not know what will be the decision of the government when it comes to the Taliban regime, but in the field of international law, recognition is not an element of statehood,” he said.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Palace could not do anything because conducting investigations was part of Congress’s functions. “There’s nothing we can do about Congress’s decision because it is an independent branch of government. It is really their duty and responsibility to conduct that kind of an investigation,” he added. This developed as the group Filipino Nurses United said its mass resignation plan was still in place along with a mass protest if the congressional probe failed to ensure the delivery of the delayed claims and benefits for health workers from the government. In an interview with CNN Philippines, FNU secretary general Jocelyn Andamo said the group did not count on their dialogue with the DOH to get their benefits since the agency already knows the issues health workers, including nurses, have raised since the start of the pandemic. Andamo said they had met with Health officials several times, including a meeting in the presence of President Rodrigo Duterte and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, “but still our demands remained unmet.” FNU is hoping their complaints are taken up in the Senate hearing scheduled today, and in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. “Many nurses in the provinces are already tired of not receiving their benefits from the government. They are still scared of being at risk for COVID-19. During the whole pandemic, we have experienced problems like understaffing, a lack of proper protection, contractualization, and insufficient benefits,” Andamo said in Filipino. “Not giving health workers our special risk allowances is just a precipitating factor,” she added.

Some 13,600 buildings were destroyed and over 13,7000 damaged, trapping hundreds under rubble and leaving more than 5,700 injured. The strong quake exacerbated the challenge of battling the COVID-19 pandemic as Haiti’s hospitals were swamped by thousands of injured residents. This happened as Haiti was recovering from the most devastating temblor that killed roughly 250,000 people 11 years ago and reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last July 7. Meanwhile, crews desperately dug through collapsed buildings for survivors in the Caribbean nation still reeling from its president’s assassination. In Les Cayes, as in other hard-hit cities

on the southwestern peninsula, most of the population spent the night sleeping outdoors in front of their houses -- or what remained of them -- amid fears of new aftershocks. The streets there were filled with the grinding of heavy equipment lifting debris from collapsed buildings, as well as the quieter sounds of people pulling away rubble by hand while searching for the missing. “Thanks to God and also to my phone, I’m alive,” said Marcel Francois, who was rescued from his collapsed two-story home in Les Cayes. His younger brother Job Francois said a desperate-sounding Marcel had called to say, “’Come save me, I’m under the concrete’... He told me he couldn’t breathe, that he was dying.”

By Ronald O. Reyes and Francisco Tuyay

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ACLOBAN CITY—At least 25 suspected members of the New People’s Army were reported slain following a military airstrike in the hinterland barangay of Osmeña, Dolores, Eastern Samar Monday, initial military reports said.

Authorities said an operating unit from the Philippine Army’s 52nd Infantry Battalion, eventually aided by the Philippine Air Force, encountered several communist rebels at the barangay around 4 a.m. Monday, resulting in a firefight.

“Our troops acted on information received from the community identifying the terrorists’ hideout where they manufacture their explosives,” the Philippine Army said in a statement. As of press time, the military has yet to disclose the full details on the exact

Lambda... From A1

Delta... From A1

experiments found that the Lambda variant’s mutations help it resist neutralization by vaccine-induced antibodies. “It is not more transmissible compared to the Delta variant… There is no evidence of its supposed resistance against the COVID-19 vaccine,” she said. In a separate briefing, Vergeire said the patient is from Region 6 (Western Visayas). Her vaccination status is still being determined. Vergeire said that the patient tested positive for COVID-19 on July 22. Vergeire also said the patient is pregnant and was expected to give birth in July, but the DOH has yet to confirm the current status of her pregnancy. Vergeire said the patient would not transmit COVID-19 to her baby since the virus does not cross the placental border. The DOH earlier said the patient was asymptomatic and tagged as recovered after completing the 10-day isolation period. The Lambda variant is currently classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization. However, Dr. Rontgene Solante, an infectious disease expert, said it has the potential to become a variant of concern like the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma variants. In an interview on radio dzBB, Solante said the Lambda variant’s mutations are similar to the Delta variant first detected in India. The Lambda variant, first found in Peru, was classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization on June 14. The WHO said a coronavirus variant as a “variant of interest” (VOI) if, among other criteria, it “has been identified to cause community transmission...or has been detected in multiple countries.” A variant of interest becomes a “variant of concern” (VOC) when it is associated with an “increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; [an] increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or [a] decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, [and] therapeutics.” Solante said the Lambda variant could be more transmissible and become resistant to vaccines. “We don’t have a lot of data yet on the Lambda variant because the countries that have experienced it are South American countries—Peru, Argentina—and it is one of the variants that is being monitored as it may become a variant of concern,” he said. Solante urged the public to get vaccinated and strictly follow health protocols. He said the approach to the Lambda variant was the same used for other variants. “The approach is the same. We must protect ourselves. We have to be careful,” Solante

going up,” she said in Filipino. During the Palace briefing, Saloma made a presentation showing a rapid increase of Delta variant cases globally from April to August this year. She said 42 percent of samples submitted to them are Delta variant cases. “The rise in Delta variant cases is fast,” Saloma said. The Philippines has recorded 807 Delta cases so far. Saloma said the last two batches of specimens sequenced on Aug. 11 and 12 detected 359 Delta variant cases, way higher than the 142 cases of Alpha variant, 125 cases of Beta variant, and 54 cases of P.3 variant found during the same two days. Of the 807 Delta variant cases in the country, 771 have recovered while 17 have died. There are still 14 active Delta variant cases. The Department of Health (DOH) has said that one Delta variant patient can infect up to eight other people in one setting. The Philippines on Monday logged 14,610 new COVID-19 cases, the third highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total number of infections to 1,755,846. This was the third straight day that more than 14,000 fresh cases were reported. Active cases climbed to 106,672, the country’s highest in nearly four months, or since April 21 when 114,210 active infections were recorded. The COVID-19 death toll increased to 30,366, with 27 new deaths on Monday. Some 10,674 additional people have recently recovered, pushing the total recoveries to 1,618,808. Of the 106,672 active cases, 96.1 percent are mild, 0.9 percent are asymptomatic, 0.89 percent are moderate, 1.3 percent are severe, and 0.7 percent are in critical condition. The COVID-19 positivity rate of the Philippines reached 23 percent while the total number of tests conducted was

32 Filipinos... From A1 international partners” to assure the immediate and safe passage of Filipino evacuees. “Last night, 32 Filipinos were evacuated and are now in Doha awaiting their

Laptop... From A1 similar specifications at current market prices -- according to a document from the agency dated August 4, 2021. “The transaction was put on hold pending further market study,” said Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega in an online press conference. The laptops were intended “for the use of the knowledge management and information technology” team of the DOH, he said. Vega confirmed the postponement, days after the DOH drew flak online for allegedly choosing either over-

Pump price cut: Diesel by P0.30

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priced or costly equipment in the middle of the global pandemic. Last week, the COA flagged several transactions within the DOH calling some expenditures as “excessive.” Purchases worth P5.038 billion were found to lack documentation and had procedural deficiencies, acts that violated the Government Procurement Reform Act, according to government auditors. The deficiencies noted were purchases found to be disadvantageous to the government amounting to P194.403 million, as well as defects in the sworn statements in contracts, non-posting of procurement information on government website and non-provision of technical specifications in contracts.

Duterte... From A1 Affairs, Roque said there were no Filipinos affected by the quake that claimed the lives of 1,297 people. Earlier, Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez of the DFA Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy said the agency was monitoring the situation in Haiti. To date, there are an estimated 470 Filipinos in Haiti. Reports showed the earthquake, followed by aftershocks, struck eight kilometers from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, about 150 km west of the capital Port-au-Prince, at a depth of 10 km.

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms cut the price of kerosene by P0.40 per liter and diesel by P0.30 per liter effective 6am Tuesday but did not move gasoline prices. “Petron will implement the following price rollback effective 6 a.m. on Aug 17 - P0.30 per liter rollback for diesel; and P0.40 per liter rollback for kerosene,” Petron Corp., the country’s biggest oil firm said in a statement. “These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron said. Aside from Petron, Flying V, Cleanfuel, PetroGazz, Phoenix Petroleum and Seaoil Philippines also cut pump prices. Over the weekend, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said fuel prices will likely go down this week by P0.20 per liter for diesel and gasoline by P0.30 per liter. This will be the second consecutive oil price rollback in domestic pump prices due to the global softening of world oil prices. On August 10, the oil companies implemented a price decrease in domestic oil products, namely P0.65 to P0.80 per liter for gasoline, P0.70 per liter for diesel and P0.75 per liter for kerosene. These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P13.25 per liter for gasoline, P10.40 per liter for diesel and P8.70 per liter for kerosene. A report by the International Energy Agency for August revealed that growth for the second half has been downgraded more sharply due to new COVID-19 restrictions imposed in several major oil consuming countries, particularly in Asia. These restrictions will reduce mobility and oil use thus dampening demand. IEA also said the recovery in global refinery activity slowed in July as new waves of COVID-19 cut into fuel demand while margins remained under pressure.

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Quit paying ‘tax’ to communists or face raps, NICA warns traders T By Willie Casas and Francisco Tuyay

HE National Intelligence Coordinating Agency issued a stern warning Monday against companies and individuals that they will face charges for paying extortion money to the Communist Party of the Philippines -New People’s Army-National Democratic Front which, in effect, finances the group’s reign of terror, especially in the countryside.

At the weekly virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), NICA Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo said that they are now in the process of collating evidence on several companies and individuals that are paying “revolutionary tax” to the NPA. “We will be filing cases. NTF-ELCAC is pursuing it,” he said. Monteagudo also reiterated that NICA

has compiled a list of companies and individuals that provide financial support to the Communist Terrorist Groups and are now the subject of an investigation. The NICA chief, however, was quick to assure companies that wish to cooperate with the authorities would be receiving protection and support from the government to avoid prosecution and the possible freezing of their assets by the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

Based on the NICA report, out of the total P5.4 billion in extortion money which the CTG had collected from 2016 to 2018, mining and quarrying companies have coughed up more than P3 billion, making them by far the biggest “victims” of communist terrorist extortion in the Philippines. Monteagudo also said that the CPP-NPANDF received about P13.5 million from telecom companies which NICA believed was just a small portion of the real figure. The intelligence agency has received information from Panay province that the CTGs are demanding up to P50,000 per cell site per month for “protection”. “You can just imagine that per cell site is about P600,000 annually. If the CTGs can demand protection from just 2,000 cell sites or 10% of the 23,000 cell sites in the country… That would already be P1 billion a year,” the official explained. Agri-business and fishpond owners’ payments were estimated at P804.3 million.

Monteagudo said that when these farmers and fisherfolk do not give in to the demands of the CPP-NPA-NDF, their farms and livelihood are destroyed by the terrorists. Construction firms or contractors followed in third place by paying a hefty sum of P789.4 million from 2016 to 2018. Monteagudo, however, pointed out that the report does not include the CTGs extortion of Triple A construction companies who have current contracts with the government’s Build, Build, Build Program. Monteagudo said that politicians also contributed about P76.7 million to the CPP-NPA-NDF during elections, while moneyed and rich individuals gave some P121.5 million to the terrorist group’s fund. Monteagudo said these funds are transacted directly at the CPP-NPA-NDF Central Committee. “No money goes to the local NPA,” he said, referring to the armed wing that carries out the extortion activities.

DepEd called out for lapses in fund use AFTER the Department of Heath, the Department of Education came next to be flagged by the Commission on Audit over its ‘deficiencies” in the use of P8.136 billion COVID-19 funds, citing the nonsubmission of requisite documents. Government auditors also found lapses in the budget utilization of the agency, non-compliance with Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, as well as incomplete procurement and delivery of self-learning modules that delayed the conduct of distance learning. “The audit team recognizes and understands the challenges posed by the current working condition,” the COA said in its report. “However, it has to be emphasized that the implementation of the program should not be affected by the setback in the timely release of the fund to maximize the benefits that can be derived therefrom and to assure the overall preparedness of the implementing schools in order to continue students’ learning amidst the threat and uncertainties brought about by the pandemic,” it added. COA said delays in the delivery of modules to students were attributed to deficient planning, poor monitoring of deliveries, the failure of suppliers to complete the requirements within the agreed term, and the delayed transmittal of the final soft copy of modules for printing. The audit report also observed errors in the SLMs in the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon, such as errors in spellings, punctuations and other typographical errors. Among the reasons for the errors cited by the concerned regional offices of DepEd were the unclear directives from the central office on the preparation of modules and lack of teachers’ training. The audit team recommended that the DepEd improve and strengthen its review process, scrutiny and evaluation of modules, and take heed of operational timelines in the conduct of procurement processes that need urgent and immediate action, among others. DepEd said in a statement the COA findings may be used for the improvement of its budget management. “Those noted by the Commission were mainly identified as recording errors which are now being rectified by DepEd following the instructions/recommendations of the auditing agency,” the DepEd said.

50% SOLUTION. A member of the Manila Police District’s Station 5 enforces health and safety protocols against COVID-19 requiring public utility vehicles to operate on a 50 percent passenger capacity on August 16, 2021 and minimize the risk of infection among commuters. Stricter controls under ECQ are in effect amid the lingering threat of the highly transmissible Delta variant. Norman Cruz

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Immigration men at airports ready to serve OFWs 24/7 By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration said it was ready to process thousands of returning overseas Filipinos who are being repatriated from abroad amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the BI will always see to it that the number of immigration officers deployed at the international airports is always adequate so that passengers of these repatriation flights are served properly and processed upon their arrival in the country. “We assure our returning Kababayan, the airlines, airport authorities, and organizers of these repatriation efforts that we have the sufficient manpower to address their needs insofar as conducting immigration formalities for these passengers are concerned,” Morente said. The BI chief issued the statement after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. described the ongoing repatriation of overseas Filipinos as the biggest ever in Philippine history. Locsin even surmised that what is happening could possibly be the “biggest repatriation anywhere, of any country, in the world.” Statistics cited from Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana indicate that since last year when the pandemic broke out, more than a million Filipinos, mostly overseas contract workers, were already repatriated from various countries. It has been observed that the last mass repatriation of this magnitude occurred in 1991 during the Gulf War when more than 20,000 to 30,000 were sent home from the Middle East. Lawyer Carlos Capulong, BI port operations chief, said there has been an upsurge in the number of arriving repatriated Filipinos since the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) recently authorized the different airlines to mount special commercial flights that wouldbring home Filipinos who remain stranded abroad due to the pandemic. Capulong said the BI continues to operate at full capacity at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) despite the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila.

‘Booster shots’ on hold until nation’s protected—Palace MALACAÑANG has urged those getting COVID-19 “booster shots” to wait for the country to achieve population protection first before receiving more than the required number of doses. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said citing reports that some individuals received more than their single or two-dose Covid vaccines. “We do not tolerate that because there are so many individuals that have yet to be vaccinated. Since all vaccines provide protection, our appeal is to wait for majority of our citizens to get fully vaccinated before receiving booster shots,” he said in a Palace press briefing. Roque said life can only return to normal once the country is able to reduce the number of deaths and hospitalized patients through vaccination. Vaccines are the only solution to put an end to this pandemic. Let us achieve population protection before we get our booster shots,” he added. Roque said only overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and seafarers will be

given the exception of selecting western COVID-19 brands to comply with requirements set by their employers. Perhaps we can make an exception for OFWs and seafarers because that is the requirement of their employers,” he said. He also urged OFWs and seafarers to only receive COVID-19 vaccine brands required by their employers so as not to receive more than one brand. If you are a seafarer and know that you need a particular brand, don’t get inoculated with a different brand. Get the brand required by your employers so we can give other brands to those who are also in need,” he said. Earlier, National Task Force Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and testing czar Vince Dizon said the government seeks the complete vaccination of at least 50 percent of Metro Manila residents by end of August. The government initially planned to vaccinate up to 70 million people to achieve population protection by yearend.

SPECIAL CONCERN. Pasay City’s barangay watchmen barricade the street and place an area on Natividad St. under special concern lockdown after seven people are infected with COVID-19 on Monday, August 16, 2021. Residents of the area are made to stay home and receive ayuda from the local government while the lockdown remains in effect. Danny Pata

Taal’s vog bad for health—Philvolcs

MILK BANK. Personnel of Quezon City Human Milk Bank hold samples of pasteurized breast milk for the benefit of inneed babies admitted at the neonatal intensive care unit of Tala Hospital in Caloocan City.The Quezon City government donated the milk for infants whose mothers are COVID-19 patients and in quarantine. Manny Palmero

VOLCANOLOGISTS warn the public to take extra precaution particularly those with certain health problems as volcanic smog (vog) and high emission of sulfur dioxide (S02) have been observed in the Taal Volcano for the past 24 hours. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Monday that people particularly those near and in outlying areas of Taal with health conditions such as asthma, lung disease, and heart disease, as well as the elderly, pregnant women and children are sensitive to the ill effects of vog. Vog is a type of air pollution caused by volcanic eruptions. It consists of fine droplets containing volcanic gas such as SO2

which is acidic and can cause irritation of the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract in severities depending on the gas concentrations and durations of exposure. The S02 gas could irritate the skin, eyes, nose, throat. The aerosol particles in vog could also penetrate the lungs and could induce the symptoms of asthma. S02 emission averaged 5,675 tonnes on August 15, and vog was observed over Taal Volcano and its vicinity, Phivolcs said. Meanwhile, 74 volcanic earthquakes caused by movement or eruptions of magma from the volcano were recorded in the Taal Volcano for the past 24 hours. These lasted for 1 to 20 minutes. Activity at the Main Crater

was dominated by upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake which generated plumes 1,800 meters tall that drifted southsouthwest and northeast, Phivolcs said. Taal Volcano has been on Alert Level 2 (decreased unrest) since July 23. Under this level, sudden steam or gas-driven explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within and around the Taal Volcano Island. Phivolcs also bars entry into TVI , advising local government officials to assess and strengthen the preparedness of previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake in case of renewed unrest.

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ANNOUNCEMENT President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (CA) for its consent on the nominations of the following senior officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), namely: 1. BARTOLOME VICENTE O. BACARRO 2. ROBERTO S. CAPULONG 3. ROLANDO E. NERONA 4. PETER ANGELO L. RAMOS 5. EDUARDO B. GUBAT 6. LEONARDO I. PEÑA 7. BIENVENIDO J. CASACLANG 8. FLORANTE P. SISON 9. JAIME A. ABAWAG JR. 10. IRINEO F. SEBASTIAN 11. GEORGE JOEL N. LALAQUIL 12. JEFFREY M. VILELA 13. SANTIAGO I. ENGINCO

to the rank of Lieutenant General, PA to the rank of Major General, PA to the rank of Major General, PA to the rank of Major General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PAF to the rank of Brigadier General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PA to the rank of Brigadier General, PAF to the rank of Brigadier General, PA

The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions to the above nominations in seven (7) copies to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila. For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 8834-2713, 8831-1824, 8831-0527, 8832-9830, 88342706 and 8551-1989. 16 August 2021. HECTOR A. VILLACORTA Secretary (MS-AUGUST 17, 2021)

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News

Palace wishes quick recovery for Mayor Isko By Vito Barcelo

A member of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office disinfects the office of Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Marcos hits intermittent internet signal FORMER senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday bewailed the government’s failure to improve internet connectivity in the country, saying it has greatly affected the needed progress of remote learning and work-fromhome setup. “As long as the internet signal is not good here, we will not be able to do remote learning via the internet. The internet signal must reach all our students no matter where they are in the country so that no one will be left behind,” Marcos said. Aside from improving online connectivity, Marcos is also pushing for free internet connection for students under the Department of Education’s blended learning system. Based on a survey conducted by DepEd itself, some 6.9 million parents and guardians said that having a stable mobile/internet connection is a challenge for them in addition to the lack of available gadgets and equipment for their children’s distance education. Respondents also lamented they do not have the capability to buy gadgets or even load for online classes. “The DepEd must immediately address the problem that is becoming an obstacle to the progress of the blended learning system in the country,” he said. Marcos also challenged the country’s telecommunications companies to improve their internet services. “The telcos should step up. It’s now in the hands of our telcos to step up and to make sure that connectivity is available to all of our students. We have to use all tools available and I’m looking at the experience of our parents and students and I’ve seen firsthand that connectivity is indeed a big problem,” he said.

Bulacan bettor wins P48 million Lotto jackpot A BETTOR from Bulacan province bagged the P48-million jackpot prize on Sunday night’s draw of the Super Lotto 6/49, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office said Monday. The bettor guessed the winning combination 26-24-07-12-01-09. The lucky ticket was purchased in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan. Meanwhile, 34 other bettors who guessed five correct numbers won second prize and will receive P50,000 each while 1,528 bettors will receive P1,200 for guessing four correct numbers and 17,634 bettors won P50 each for guessing three right combinations. To claim the check, the PCSO advised the bettor to go to its main office in Mandaluyong City, present two IDs, and bring the winning ticket. The 6/49 Super Lotto is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Earlier, PCSO said the selling of tickets for the lotto and all other digit games was suspended in Metro Manila from Aug. 6 to 20 during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). In an advisory, the PCSO, however, said the selling of tickets will continue in the other regions that are not under ECQ, and that the draws will continue to be held at the PCSO Main Office in Mandaluyong City.

Koko hits ‘secret agenda’ of Cusi-led PDP faction T By Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE faction in the ruling party led by Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi has a “secret agenda” in grabbing power from Senator Manny Pacquiao and threatening to expel him from PDP-Laban, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said.

Pimentel, son of the late founder of PDP, Aquilino Jr., said he believes the Cusi-led wing looks at Pacquiao as a “big obstacle” to implementing their hidden goal. “First, they go to great extent to illegally and illegitimately grab power within PDP- Laban because they have a secret hidden agenda and I think Sen

Manny Pacquiao is an obstacle to that,” he said. “Now they are making an issue about Sen Manny Pacquiao being a member of PDP-Laban, which is a national party, and of PCM, which is a regional party,” Pimentel added. He said being a member of both the PDP-Laban or a regional party or even a

party-list organization was never an issue in the decades that he has run the party. “The reason is very easy to see: there is no conflict between a national political party and a regional political party, and even with a party list organization. Those are political operations under different levels,” Pimentel said. He said President Rodrigo Duterte himself is a member of a local party in Davao City while Cusi has his own political party in Oriental Mindoro as well as a party-list organization. “These new members of PDP-Laban clearly do not know anything about the PDP-Laban party Constitution, how this has been interpreted and applied over the decades, our party history, and basic principles and beliefs,” Pimentel said.

CONTACT-LESS ENROLLMENT.

Principal IV Leo Cabaruan and teacher Kemmy Olfindo prepare the enrollment drop box at the Sta. Ana Elementary School in Manila on Monday, August 16, 2021. Due to the pandemic, parents will only drop the application forms of children for the coming school year 2021-2022. Danny Pata

Bayanihan 3 to fund Genome Center expansion—Salceda By Maricel V. Cruz CONGRESS is pushing for the expansion of the Philippine Genome Center to Visayas and Mindanao through the proposed Bayanihan 3 Act as the country grapples with the emergence of more transmissible variants of COVID-19. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, co-chair of the House economic stimulus and recovery cluster, said they are committed to including the funding in the proposed third

Bayanihan package. “It’s a more basic, tighter Bayanihan package that will deal with our most essential needs, including ayuda, medical assistance, cash-for-work, relief, and medical interventions, including genome sequencing. It is also more flexible, so that the Executive can mix and match the allocations as needed,” Salceda said. “And we are committed to funding the expansion of the Philippine Genome Center. We should have done

this much earlier, but now that there is an opening with the economic managers, we will seize the opportunity to fund this need,” he added. Earlier this month, the Philippine Genome Center sought funding from the government and private sector for the expansion of its coverage to Visayas and Mindanao. The Center estimated its required funding at an additional P100 million, which Salceda said Bayanihan 3 will fully cover.

MALACAÑANG on Monday wished Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso a speedy recovery after he tested positive for COVID-19. Moreno was brought to the Sta. Ana Hospital Sunday night after experiencing Covid-19 symptoms such as cough, colds, and body pains. “We wish Mayor Isko Moreno good health. We hope that he gets well soon,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing. Roque also allayed concerns that COVID-19 vaccines were not effective since Moreno contracted the disease despite being fully inoculated. “Experts are not saying that vaccines guarantee we will not get infected with COVID. What experts are saying is all vaccines are effective to prevent severe illness and death due to COVID-19,” he said. Roque expressed hope that Moreno would only experience mild to moderate symptoms since he has already been inoculated. “I think his getting hospitalized is a precaution. Perhaps he will only be a moderate COVID-19 case and not critical because he is vaccinated,” he said. Dr. Grace Padilla, director of Sta. Ana Hospital, said Moreno is currently in a stable condition and is being treated with antibiotics and supplements. “His RT-PCR [reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction] test result turned out positive. Lab tests were taken, and the initial findings of his chest CT Scan result is normal. Our clinical impression: He has mild covid disease,” Padilla said. Moreno’s diagnosis came a week after Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna confirmed that she had tested positive for COVID-19. Padilla said Lacuna is still recovering after being admitted last week.

Patients in tents, ERs assured of PhilHealth cover PATIENTS admitted in emergency rooms (ERs) and tents within hospital compounds pending the availability of hospital rooms are covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). This was reiterated by the state health insurer as COVID-19 cases continue to surge and several health care facilities have reportedly been running at full capacity to accommodate patients. In its Advisory Nos. 2021-027 and 2021-028, PhilHealth stressed that when admitted patients must stay in ER or within the hospital premises pending availability of rooms, full payment shall be given, provided the patient stayed in the hospital for 24 hours or more. The Department of Health through Memorandum No. 2020-0171 has instructed hospitals to adopt strategies to increase their capacities to manage the surge of COVID-19 cases, including setting up tents when necessary. PhilHealth beneficiaries admitted in tents within the compound of accredited hospitals in areas categorized as high to critical risk for COVID-19 shall be compensable starting March 29, 2021. The state agency also asserted that patients, including COVID-19 cases, being admitted and managed in ER due to lack of available regular rooms shall be paid by PhilHealth if the patient stayed within the hospital for at least 24 hours. However, private hospitals are required to submit a justification letter together with their claim in compliance with the said policy.

Hero dog statue pays homage to aspins By Frencie Carreon ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Kabang Memorial Statue in honor of the hero dog was inaugurated and blessed in Pasonanca in this city over the weekend. Kabang, honored as AmbassaDog of Goodwill for Responsible Pet Ownership and a Global Advocate for Animal Welfare, died in her sleep on May 17 this year at the age of 13, or 91 in human years. She was buried on the same site near the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi outside the premises of the St. Francis Orphanage. Ambassadog Kabang’s 4-feet aluminum sculpture was molded by the hands of Davaoeño artist Kublai Millan, and stands atop a 4-feet pedestal. The monument was designed by Architect Keith San Antonio, and executed by another Zamboangueño architect, Romeo dela Cruz. Veterinarian Dr. Anton Mari Lim recalled the day Kabang died: “She was simply motionless in her bed with feet soiled from running around with the other dogs. She has always been a heroine, selfless

to a fault, when she jumped on a speeding motorcycle to prevent her two young masters from getting hit and lost her upper snout.” “It is meant to pay homage to the humility of aspins or street dogs in the country,” Dr. Lim said. “The simplistic shape and form reflect their modest but elegant nature and at the same time, exhibits stability as they are the most common dog breed that Filipinos can rely on.” A social media page was created in May this year featuring the memorial marker, which describes the architectural design of the monument, when it was proposed then. “The split in the center displays contemporary elements of the vinta sail that evokes Zamboanga, where Kabang is from. It also represents the pride that the heroism of Kabang brought to the hearts of the Filipinos, especially the Zamboangueños.” As Japan has its memorial marker for Hachiko, a Japanese Akita dog, the Philippines now has one for Kabang, which, according to Lim, is the “first of its kind in the Philippines and yearns to inspire appreciation and increase awareness to the significance of aspins in our country.”

The Kabang Memorial Statue near St. Francis of Assisi statue in Pasonanca Natural Park, Zamboanga City. Standing at a total of 8 feet in height, it is taller than that of the Hachiko statue in Shibuya, Japan. It is the first of its kind in the Philippines. Frencie Carreon

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Malaysia PM Muhyiddin quits with no clear successor in line

HEADLINE. A man holds a newspaper displaying front page news about Afghanistan, at a stall in Islamabad on August 16, as the Taliban were in control of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20year war. AFP

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysia’s prime minister resigned, and his government collapsed Monday after just 17 months in office, throwing the country into fresh political turmoil as it battles a serious coronavirus outbreak. Muhyiddin Yassin’s tumultuous period in office came to an end after allies withdrew support, and he becomes the shortest-serving premier in Malaysian history. With an election unlikely and no obvious successor on the horizon, Malaysia is set for a period of intense political horse-trading before a workable coalition takes shape. After submitting his resignation to the king, the 74-year-old took a parting shot at enemies within his coalition. “I could have taken the easy way out by casting aside my principles to remain as prime minister -- but that is not my choice,” he said in a televised address. “I will never work with kleptocrats.” He has claimed that several MPs who pulled support from his coalition -- including scandal-plagued ex-leader Najib Razak -- had been angered that he

refused to get corruption cases against them dropped. The national palace confirmed the monarch, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah -- who formally appoints the premier -- had accepted Muhyiddin’s resignation. It said in a statement Muhyiddin would serve as a caretaker prime minister until a replacement is found but the monarch was not in favor of polls now due to the outbreak. Muhyiddin came to power in March last year without an election at the head of a scandal-plagued coalition following the collapse of a two-year-old, reformist government led by Mahathir Mohamad, a political heavyweight in his nineties. But his government faced turmoil from day one -- his majority in parliament was in doubt, its legitimacy was constantly questioned, and he faced a constant challenge from opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim. The demise of his government extends a period of political drama for the multi-ethnic nation of 32 million.AFP

Taliban win leaves US image in tatters CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC In accordance with the NTC guidelines, here’s the mechanics for the Free 1GB promo for every top up of at least P99: 1.

Promo period is from August 19 - 31, 2021.

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Purchase load worth at least 99 pesos in the following online stores: DITO App, GCash, Lazada, WeChat and Alipay during the promo period will entitle subscribers to receive FREE 1GB open data valid for 7 days counted from receipt of the free 1GB.The free 1GB shall be received within the next day from the purchase of load.

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W

ASHINGTON— After two decades in Afghanistan, America’s longest war was ending with the image of the United States in tatters.

With the swift collapse Sunday of the government in Kabul, the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that triggered the US invasion will be marked with the Taliban back in control of Afghanistan, despite a cost to the United States of nearly 2,500 lives and more than $2 trillion. To some observers, the debacle following the withdrawal of US troops will inevita-

bly weaken the United States on the global stage at a time when President Joe Biden was speaking of rallying democracies in the face of a rising China. “America’s credibility as an ally is diminished because of the way the Afghan government was abandoned beginning with the Doha talks,” said Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, referring to the deal last year in the Qatari capital with the Taliban in which the United States set a pullout timeline. Haqqani, now a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, noted how US diplomats in the end could do little more than send tweets urging the Taliban to stop. “That envoys of the mightiest nation on earth can be duped as they were in Doha,

and its leaders ignored so easily as they have been in the final days, will encourage others to engage in duplicitous diplomacy,” Haqqani said. Biden faced heated criticism that the withdrawal was mismanaged, with the United States racing to evacuate its sprawling embassy just a month after he played down fears the Afghan government would crumble quickly. “It is going to have ramifications not just for Afghanistan,” said Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican hawk. “America’s adversaries know they can threaten us, and our allies are questioning this morning whether they can count on us for anything,” she said in an ABC interview. AFP

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Once availed, the load and promo are non-refundable / non-replaceable / non-exchangeable. This promo is only valid for the subscriber’s DITO compatible mobile phone where the purchased DITO SIM and Promo are installed.

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By availing of the promo, the subscriber confirms that he/she has read, understood, and agreed to the promo mechanics, its terms, and conditions. Subscriber also agrees not to use the SIM and/or promo for illicit or illegal means.

10. For any concerns and/or inquiries regarding the promo, information may be sent to customerservice@dito.ph. All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of DITO Telecommunity. (MS-AUGUST 17, 2021)

HRW calls on UN to probe Bangladesh

HILL FIRE. A young man is silhouetted as he looks at wildfires swiping through forests in the

region of Chefchaouen in northern Morocco on August 15. Firefighters were battling overnight to put out two forest blazes, a forestry official said as the North African kingdom swelters in a heatwave that saw temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) on the weekend, according to weather authorities. AFP Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY ARGIELA SHANE ACILING, a.k.a. ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING a.k.a. JOCELYN ACILING BENDECIO Petitioner, -versusSPECIAL PROC. NO. R-QZN-19-09804-SP THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, THE ADMINISTRATOR AND CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS OFFICE (PSA) formerly NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE (NSO), ARGENTINA DAWING ACILING AND RAMON AMBROSIO BENDECIO ALL OTHER PERSONS WHO HAVE INTEREST OR CLAIM TO THIS INSTANT PETITION, Respondents. x-----------------------------------------------x

ORDER

This pertains to the petition for the correction of entry, change of name, and cancellation of late registration in the Certificate of Live Birth of Argiela Shane Aciling registered with the Office of the Quezon City Civil Registrar filed by the petitioner, through counsel, on October 19, 2018. In her subject petition, petitioner alleges that on 22 January 2000, petitioner was born to common law spouses, Argentina Dawing Acling and Ramon Ambrosio Bendecio in Quezon City. In her Certificate of Live Birth (Annex “A”), it was registered that her biological mother’s name is “JOCELYN ACILING BENDECIO” (Annex “A-2”) under the pretense that they were married. In the aforesaid certificate of live birth, her biological mother was the informant. Entry No. 20 is of the Certificate of Live Birth is hereto submarked as Annex “A-4”. Likewise, here biological mother supplied that she was married to petitioner’s biological father. Entry number 18 is of the Certificate of Live Birth is hereto sub-marked as Annex “A-5”. On June 25, 2004, petitioner’s biological mother registered again her

birth but under the name “ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING” (Annex “B”). This is the name used by the petitioner in all her official and personal transactions (Annex “D” to “T”). In the second registration of certificate of live birth, her biological Manila that she was not mother supplied married to petitioner’s biological father. Entry no. 18 is of Certificate of Live Birth is hereto sub-marked as Annex “B-5”. There was likewise an affidavit of acknowledgment/ admission of paternity in page 2 of the birth certificate is hereto sub-marked as Annex “B-6” and the name and signature of Israel Vargas Duma is hereto sub-marked as Annex “B-7” and made an integral parts thereof. Lastly, due to the conflicting entries in the date and place of marriage, petitioner was constrained to verify the same in the Philippines Statistics Office and she discovered that her parents were never married. A Certificate of No Marriage was appended hereto (Annex “C”). In the same certificate, petitioner used the name “ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING” (Annex “C-1”). Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and in substance, the initial hearing of this case is set on September 6, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. and all interested parties are directed to appear before this Court and show cause why the petition should not be granted. Let a copy of this Order be served to the petitioner through his counsel, the Civil Registrar of Quezon City, the Philippine Statistics Office (formerly NSO), the Office of the Solicitor General and the Office of the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. Lastly, let a copy of this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle the Office of the Executive Judge, at petitioner’s expense. SO ORDERED. Given in Chambers this 18th day of July 2019 in Quezon City. (Sgd.) EDGAR DALMACIO SANTOS Copy furnished: Judge

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Argiela Shane Aciling (P) PAO (C/P) LCR-QC PSA OSG OCP CMO-OCAD (MStandard - Aug. 10, 17 & 24, 2020)

Canada’s Trudeau calls for snap polls Sept. 20

OTTAWA—Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday announced snap elections for September 20 to seek a new mandate to steer the nation’s pandemic exit, much to the dismay of his rival parties. Despite rolling out massive pandemic aid, passing a federal budget and other key legislation with opposition backing over the past year, Trudeau -- in office since 2015 -- has lamented that parliament has become dysfunctional. The prime minister met Governor General Mary Simon on Sunday to ask her to dissolve parliament, triggering a general election that polling shows is likely to return his Liberals to power. “Canadians need to choose how we finish the fight against Covid-19 and build back better— from getting the job done on vaccines, to having people’s backs all the way through to the end of this crisis,” Trudeau said after the meeting. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC All five parties currentNotice is hereby given that Stock Certificate No. 006 of BAYAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES ly holding seats in parliaCORPORATION issued in the name of Wayne Y. Lee for One (1) ment are gearing up for a common shares of stock has been fierce battle at the ballot reported lost and the holder of the said shares have applied to the box. Company to issue duplicate share certificates. Most Canadians apAny person who has a claim in prove of Trudeau’s panrespect of said shares should lodge the claims or inform the demic response. But if a Company at its registered address within one (1) year from the last fourth wave of Covid-19 publication of this notice. If no claims/ objections are received infections strikes during during this period, the Company shall be free to issue duplicate the campaign, it could share certificate. hurt his backing. AFP (MS-AUG. 17/24/31, 2021)

DHAKA—Human Rights Watch on Monday called for a United Nations probe into the alleged enforced disappearances of Bangladesh opposition activists, demanding sanctions on the officials found responsible. The rights watchdog released a report identifying 86 political activists, businessmen and student members of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party who went missing over the past decade. It said disappearances have become a “hallmark” of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule since 2009, a tool for curtailing free speech and criticism. “We want the UN and other international experts to launch an independent investigation, because it has become quite clear that the Bangladesh authorities are willing to look away and even provide impunity for these kinds of abuses,” Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s South Asia specialist, told AFP. HRW called for “targeted sanctions” on members of the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite police squad accused of carrying out many of the disappearances. There was no comment on the allegations from the government or the Rapid Action Battalion, which has been accused in the past of rights abuses including extrajudicial killings. AFP

Zambia’s Hichilema wins post on 6th try LUSAKA—Business tycoon and opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was on Monday declared winner of the hotly contested presidential election in debtburdened Zambia. With 155 of 156 constituencies reporting, official results showed Hichilema had captured a landslide of 2,810,757 votes against 1,814,201 for President Edgar Lungu. “I therefore declare the said Hakainde Hichilema to be president-elect of the Republic of Zambia,” electoral commission chairman Justice Esau Chulu said in a televised address. The 59-year-old veteran opposition politician beat his long-time rival Lungu following a bruising race held against the backdrop of deteriorating standards of living. Lungu, who has been in office for six years, had tried to retain his mandate despite growing resentment about rising living costs and crackdowns on dissent. As president, Hichilema -- who has an economics degree and has promised to rebuild investor confidence -- will face an economy wracked by high debt, inflation, and unemployment. Last year, the copperrich southern African nation became the first country on the continent to default on its debt in the coronavirus era. This is the sixth time Hichilema has run for the top job and the third time he has challenged 64-year-old incumbent Lungu, who just narrowly won their last contest in 2016. AFP

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Japan economy rose slightly in second quarter despite COVID TOKYO, Japan—Japan’s economy grew slightly in the second quarter, recovering from a slowdown at the start of the year despite continuing virus surges and restrictions, data showed Monday. The world’s third-largest economy contracted at the beginning of the year as a new wave of infections forced the government to impose virus restrictions that slowed consumption. But despite continued virus worries and restrictions that have lasted most of this year, Japan’s economy grew a better-than-expected 0.3 percent in the three months to June, data from the cabinet office showed. That slightly exceeded the expectations of economists surveyed by Bloomberg, who had forecast just 0.1 percent quarter-on-quarter growth. The data released by the cabinet office also showed a slight upwards revision for the first quarter, when the economy shrank 0.9 percent, compared with a previous estimate of 1.0. Japan has seen a smaller virus outbreak than many developed economies, with 15,400 deaths despite avoiding harsh lockdowns. But for much of this year Tokyo and several other regions have been under virus states of emergency, limiting alcohol sales and restaurant and bar opening hours. Experts have warned the measures are losing their effectiveness, with signs the rules are being increasingly flouted. Stefan Angrick, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics covering Japan, said consumption proved surprisingly resilient despite the restrictions. “The Japanese economy eked out some moderate growth in the second quarter of the year, avoiding a technical recession thanks to a combination of stronger consumption and business investment,” he said in a note. “Despite the improvement, we expect growth to remain under pressure in the third quarter as spending and production continue to struggle amidst disruptions from the pandemic.” Japan is also playing catch-up with its vaccine program, which began much later and more slowly than those in many other developed economies. AFP

PSEi August 16, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

TECHW

1.37

1.37

137,000%

2 3

LRW EMP

0.465 14.2

0.075 2

19.23% 16.39%

4

MACAY

6

0.82

15.83%

5 6

AGI DFNN

9.75 3.92

0.75 0.28

8.33% 7.69%

7 8

IPM MB

7.1 0.435

0.5 0.03

7.58% 7.41%

9

BKR

1.34

0.09

7.20%

10

ICT

182

12

7.06%

TOP LOSERS A man walks past an electronic quotation board displaying a share price of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on August 16, 2021. Japan’s economy expanded slightly in the second quarter, recovering from a slowdown at the start of the year despite continuing virus surges and restrictions. AFP

Stock market rallies; URC, Emperador lead advances

S

HARE prices bounced back Monday in bargain hunting after investors pounced on stocks that were battered last week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 193.49 points, or 3.1 percent, to 6,513.68 on a value turnover of P8.6 billion. Gainers edged losers, 101 to 98, with 41 issues unchanged. Emperador Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan, the biggest liquor maker, surged 16.4 percent to P14.20, while International Container Terminal Services Inc. of magnate Enrique Razon Jr., the largest port operator, advanced 7.1 percent to P182, Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, the biggest snack food maker, rose 6.1 percent to P136.90, while SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group climbed 5.7 percent to P964. The rest of Asian stocks were mostly down on Monday as weak Chinese

economic data, fears of a resurgent coronavirus and the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan gnawed at investor sentiment. There were dips in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Wellington and Jakarta, while Mumbai was up. Shanghai was up 0.03 percent at the close. In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed down for a third consecutive session on Monday despite government data showing a 0.3 percent rise in GDP—slightly more than expected after a surge in virus infections and new restrictions. Retail sales in China expanded 8.5 percent in July year-on-year and industrial output was up 6.4 percent, according to figures released by Beijing’s statistics bureau, with both figures below analyst estimates. Lockdowns and other movement restrictions brought in to combat the country’s recent coronavirus outbreaks have been blamed for hampering economic performance along with a series

of deadly floods. “The spread of domestic outbreaks and natural disasters have affected the economy of some regions, and economic recovery remains unstable and uneven,” National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Fu Linghui told a press briefing. But he added that “the national economy continues to stabilize and recover” overall. Raymond Yeung, chief economist for Greater China at ANZ Banking Group, said the figures “suggest the economy is losing steam very fast.” Surging infections linked to the Delta variant of the coronavirus “also adds extra risk to August’s activities,” he added. The resurgence of the virus in China was “weighing on investors’ nerves now, especially when one looks at the evolution of outbreaks in the region from Australia to Singapore to Japan and everywhere in between,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific with OANDA. With AFP

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

ABG

6

-0.74

-10.98%

2 3

OV MA

0.011 0.011

-0.001 -0.001

-8.33% -8.33%

4

OPM

0.011

-0.001

-8.33%

5 6

PHA APL

1.11 0.104

-0.1 -0.008

-8.26% -7.14%

7 8 9

BSC UPM NI

0.52 0.0087 1.26

-0.03 -0.0005 -0.07

-5.45% -5.43% -5.26%

10

FJP

2.68

-0.13

-4.63%

MOST ACTIVE 1

ACEN

VOLUME 59449000

VALUE (PHP) 544516037

2 3 4 5

CNVRG EMP ALI URC

16272500 24968200 9794600 1810080

437743515 341621740 320741700 245619780

6 7 8

DMC MONDE SM

40429800 14681300 233770

244527370 232083180 223904355

9 10

SMPH GLO

5582300 76155

184798745 152586135

Thailand downgrades 2021 outlook on rising infections

Discovering Slovenia’s underground labyrinths By Bojan Kavcic ORLEK, Slovenia—The grass flickered gently above a crack in the limestone and Ludvik Husu instinctively knew he had found what he was searching for: a new cave in Slovenia’s dramatic Karst region. The seasoned cave enthusiast, with more than 50 years’ experience, told AFP that “the conditions were perfect... all the signs pointed to something beneath” as he felt the air current push up from below. The 63-year-old had come across a new, 60-meter (196-foot) deep limestone cave, a discovery that made the headlines this summer in a country that prides itself in its 14,000 underground grottoes. The tiny Alpine nation is unusually rich in caves, which are a major tourist attraction. One even houses an entire castle and another was used by the European Space Agency to help train astronauts. Biological treasure trove Perhaps best known is the Postojna cave system, the longest in Europe, unearthed by another amateur enthusiast two centuries ago. When local lamplighter Luka Cec de-

cided to explore a hidden crack while scouting out the Postojna area for a visit by Austrian Emperor Franz, he is reputed to have said that he had stumbled on “a new world... a paradise!” The Postojna system extends for 24 kilometers (15 miles) and has offered up valuable finds for biologists. Stanislav Glazar, a Postojna cave guide and speleology enthusiast, told AFP that more than 150 species have been discovered in the system. Among them is the Proteus anguinus or “little dragon,” an ancient aquatic salamander that can live up to 100 years and was previously considered living proof that dragons had once existed. A cave-dwelling beetle-–the slender neck beetle or Leptodirus hochenwartii—was also found here, reputedly by Cec. Glazar sid Postojna is one of the richest caves in the world “in limestone formations, with a dense concentration of stalactites, columns, pillars.” The cave, situated some 50 kilometers south of the capital Ljubljana, was also home to the world’s first cave tourist train, which began transporting visitors in 1872. ‘No fear!’ Elsewhere in the Karst region, the

cave systems are of historical, cultural and even extraterrestrial interest. The dramatic, medieval Predjama castle was built in a cave mouth to make access difficult and to provide an escape route through a shaft in the rock face. The Vilenica cave, which Slovenes have been exploring since 1633, is known for the annual eponymous literary prize awarded in its interior. And the UNESCO-listed Skocjan system was where the European Space Agency sent some astronauts to prepare for life in space. “Astronauts know that the Karst world is exceptional, in a similar way to the environment in space: you don’t know what to expect at your next step,” said Skocjan Caves supervisor Tomaz Zorman. But for Husu, it’s the hunt which proves most rewarding. The “ideal time for cave searching is the winter” when the air above ground is cooler than that in the caves. Once he knows there is something beneath, he digs around the crack to widen it and alerts fellow cavers to help gain access. He then uses ropes and a lamp to descend into what are vertical entrances in most caves, known as “chimneys.” AFP

BANGKOK, Thailand—Thailand downgraded its economic growth forecast for 2021 on Monday as it battles its worst COVID-19 wave, which has brought record numbers of new infections and deaths. The kingdom last year suffered its worst full-year performance since the Asian financial crisis of 1997 with a 6.1-percent economic contraction. The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) had initially given a cool forecast for recovery during the first quarter, estimating growth of 1.5 to 2.5 percent for 2021. But on Monday, NESDC secretary general Danucha Pichayanan announced it had to revise that figure down to between 0.7 and 1.2 percent. “This crisis caused by the pandemic is unlike the financial crises of 1997 and 2009—our estimation is based on domestic causes,” he said during a press conference. He added that the new forecast was

dependent on the hope that the pandemic’s curve will flatten after the third quarter, thus enabling a relaxation of restrictions by October. “But if the pandemic continues and relaxation cannot start in the fourth quarter... the growth could be lower than 0.7 percent,” Danucha said. Thailand’s GDP for the second quarter was up 7.5 percent on the same period last year, the first sign of recovery since the pandemic. The growth was most visible in agricultural, industrial and exports sectors, while tourism—once Thailand’s cash cow—remained sluggish. Since the start of the pandemic Thailand has recorded 928,314 cases with 7,733 deaths, the bulk of them detected since April. The country has seen more than 20,000 new cases reported daily for nearly a week, crowding its alreadyhampered healthcare system and filling up its state-run quarantine facilities. AFP

China’s retail sales slip as virus spikes BEIJING, China—Growth in China’s retail sales and industrial production slowed in July, official data showed Monday, with a rebound of COVID-19 dragging on demand while recent floods disrupted businesses. The world’s second-largest economy staged a rapid recovery from last year’s coronavirus outbreak, beating back the virus with mass testing and strict lockdowns. But a flare-up across the country due to the Delta variant has threatened the good news on growth with renewed localized lockdowns and extensive travel restrictions. Retail sales rose 8.5 percent on-year in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday, below a Bloomberg consensus forecast of analysts. This figure was also below 12.1 percent growth in June, likely reflecting the virus resurgence in dozens of places last month, according to analysts. “The spread of domestic outbreaks and natural disasters have affected the economy of some regions, and economic recovery remains unstable and uneven,” NBS spokesman Fu Linghui told a press briefing on Monday. But he added that “the national economy continues to stabilize and recover” overall. Industrial production rose 6.4 percent in July, easing as well from the month prior, the NBS said. China’s urban unemployment rate, meanwhile, ticked up to 5.1 percent. Iris Pang, ING’s chief economist for Greater China, told AFP industrial output was weak “because of the semiconductor chip shortage that has affected production.” A shortage of chips has been sending shock waves through the global economy, squeezing supplies of everything from cars to headphones. AFP

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

B4

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, August 16, 2021

193.49 PTS. 6,513.68

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,817,720,932 87,049 8,654,010,285.74 101 98 41

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.4180

Japan

Yen

0.009122

0.4599

UK

Pound

1.386600

69.9096

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128492

6.4783

Switzerland

Franc

1.092419

55.0776

Canada

Dollar

0.798913

40.2796

Singapore

Dollar

0.738552

37.2363

Australia

Dollar

0.736100

37.1127

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655267

133.8733

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

13.4445

Brunei

Dollar

0.735835

37.0993

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.029994

1.5122

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.7282

Euro

Euro

1.179500

59.4680

Korea

Won

0.000861

0.0434

China

Yuan

0.154400

7.7845

India

Rupee

0.013470

0.6791

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236072

11.9023

New Zealand

Dollar

0.704300

35.5094

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035948

1.8124 Source: BSP

Gov’t preparing renewable energy auction October

Business Remittances up 6.4% to $14.92b in first half

By Julito G. Rada

R

EMITTANCES from overseas Filipino workers grew 6.4 percent in the first six months to $14.918 billion from $14.019 billion a year ago, as the global economy showed recovery from the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

Data showed that the six-month remittance figure also surpassed the pre-pandemic level of $14.64 billion in the same period in 2019. The BSP said in a statement the growth in cash remittances in the six-month period came largely from the United States, Malaysia and South Korea. The US posted the highest share in overall remittances at 40.1 percent, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, South Korea, Qatar and Taiwan. The combined remittances from these top 10 countries accounted for 78.4 percent of the total.

Data showed that in June, cash remittances rose 7 percent to $2.638 billion from $2.465 billion in the same month last year, on higher receipts from land-based workers by 7.1 percent and sea-based workers by 6.5 percent. It was also higher than the pre-pandemic figure of $2.29 billion in June 2019. Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also expanded by 6.7 percent in the first half to $16.616 billion from $15.573 billion a year earlier. In June, personal remittances went up by 7.3 percent to $2.936 billion from $2.737 billion. “The rise in total personal remittances in June was due to the remittances sent by land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more, which grew by 7.1 percent, and sea-based workers with work contracts of less than one year which increased by 6.4 percent,” the BSP said. Cash remittances slightly declined by 0.8 percent last year amid the pandemic to $29.903 billion from the record $30.133 billion in 2019. This was better than the earlier forecast of a 20-percent contraction by some analysts at the onset of the pandemic. The BSP expects cash remittances to grow by 4 percent this year, taking into account the brighter global economic outlook amid the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and reopening of major economies.

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy said Monday it expects to publish the notice of auction under the Green Energy Auction Program by the end of the month in preparation for the October implementation. “As the need for RE increases, we ardently continue to pursue our RE initiatives in achieving a clean energy scenario. I am confident that the enhanced GEAP guidelines and amendments will further bring us closer to our goal,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a statement. The department has completed the public consultations on GEAP, which will auction off an initial 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy supply. The department’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau and the Green Energy Auction Committee held a two-day public consultation on draft department circulars containing the guidelines for the GEAP and the implementing rules and regulation of Republic Act No. 9513. Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said the agency was finalizing the comments gathered from stakeholders during the public consultations. “After promulgation, we will come out with notice of auction. We are still looking at 2,000 MW. End of this month, hopefully we can issue the notice of auction,” Delola said. The auction will be conducted per technology with target capacity. “One of the things that we’ve discussed within the DOE is actually try to improve on the GEAP to hit our targets using existing mechanisms that will increase the share of RE in the market, increase the available supply of power in the grid, and at the same time will increase the Renewable Portfolio Standards allocation of the distribution utilities,” Delola said. The department also conducted consultations for the amendments to the RE Act’s implementing rules and regulations on corporate income tax and other incentives. The policies aim to increase the RE program in line with the government’s aspirational target of attaining 35-percent RE share in the generation mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

MANILA WATER MILESTONE.State-run

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System celebrates Manila Water Company’s milestone in its landmark Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct 4 project as the tunnel-boring machine being utilized for the project broke through at the La Mesa Reservoir, more than seven kilometers away from its entry shaft at Balara in Quezon City. The P5.5-billion project, one of the largest MWSS-led water supply infrastructure projects undertaken by Manila Water, involves the construction of a fourth aqueduct from the La Mesa Reservoir to the Balara Treatment Plants 1 and 2 to improve the reliability and security of the raw water transmission system.

Cirtek Holdings raises P1.37b from stock rights offer By Jenniffer B. Austria SEMICONDUCTOR manufacturer Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp. said Monday it raised P1.37 billion from its stock rights offering. Cirtek said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it listed 249.442 million common shares sold by way of rights offering at P5.50 per share. Shareholders as of July 1 were entitled to purchase 1 share for every 1.68 common shares owned. The shares came with 249.442 million bonus detachable warrants that will be issued free of charge to the investors and as part of the subscription to the entitlement rights. Each bonus detachable warrant entitles the investor the right to subscribe to one underlying common share of Cirtek beginning on the 12th month until the 36th month from issue date at an exercise price of P5.50 apiece. Cirtek said it would use the proceeds from the fund raising exercise to partially retire short-term obligations and refinance working capital of subsidiaries Quintel USA, Cirtek Electronics Corp. and Cirtek Advanced Technologies and Solutions Inc. Quintel USA designs, develops and delivers advanced high-efficiency, high-performance antenna products and solutions that help mobile network operators increase efficiency, enhance quality-of-service, slash costs and accelerate returns. Cirtek earlier said it remained interested in listing Quintel in US stock exchange Nasdaq. “The company would like to clarify that the management continues to contemplate the possibility of pursuing an initial public offering of Quintel in the US. However, this is still under consideration as the company is on the constant lookout to further grow Quintel’s business,” Cirtek said. Cirtek said that there is no timetable yet for the planned listing.

IN BRIEF PLDT investing $80m in new undersea cable

DOT VACCINATION. The Department of Tourism’s vaccination program for tourism workers continues with the rollout of 2,000 anti-COVID doses covering both first and second dose for 1,000 active tourism front-liners in San Fernando City, Pampanga. The Department’s Region 3 office and the provincial government of Pampanga team up with SM Pampanga to conduct the vaccine rollout, bringing the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the province to over 240,000. The vaccines were provided by the Department of Health. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat stresses the importance of faster inoculation across the industry and stakeholders.

RCBC eyes double-digit profit growth in 2021 from core banking operations RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., one of the country’s largest lenders and a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, expects a double-digit growth in net income this year from a P5-billion profit in 2020 on renewed strength of core businesses despite the lingering global health crisis, a top executive said Monday. RCBC corporate information officer and head of corporate planning group Christina Alvarez said in an online briefing the bank was optimistic about sustaining its performance in the first six months when it posted an unaudited consolidated net income of P3.3 billion, up 7 percent from the same period last year. “We believe that we can sustain the first-half performance... We can’t predict how much because of the current enhanced community quarantine... Our forecast does not consider further ECQs [enhanced community quarantine],” Alvarez said. “But we see a double-digit growth [in net income] over 2020,” Alvarez said. RCBC posted a 7.4-percent decline in

net income last year to P5 billion from P5.4 billion in 2019 as it boosted impairment losses to P9.3 billion. The government earlier imposed a two-week lockdown in Metro Manila and other provinces from Aug. 6 to 20 to curb the further spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Some analysts predicted that the ECQ might be extended as the new cases of infections kept rising. Alvarez said the first-half net profit of P3.3 billion was driven by the sustained expansion in the customer loan business which grew 9 percent, even as the industry contracted by 2 percent. She said the 28-percent growth in low-cost CASA (current and savings account) deposits performed better than the industry. Investment securities rose 3.4 times, and fee income surged by 47 percent as investments and retail transactions picked up during the period. RCBC’s solid loan growth despite the industry decline was fueled by the expansion of the corporate and small and medium enterprise segments by 10 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Julito G. Rada

Hyundai recorded 4% monthly growth in July auto sales By Othel V. Campos HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, reported Monday a 4.1-percent month-onmonth growth in sales in July. The company said sales of commercial vehicles lifted sales by 232.1 percent in July to 93 from 28 units in June. Passenger car sales increased 3.8 percent to 412 units in July from 397 units in June while light commercial vehicle sales declined 12.1 percent to 340 from 397 units. It said the locally-assembled Hyundai Accent continued to be the growth driver for the passenger car segment with a 23.9-percent increase in sales in July. HARI said sales in the first seven months went down by 18 percent to 7,008 units from 8,542 units in the same period last year. Both passenger cars and commercial vehicle sales suffered gross declines. Passenger car sales dropped 26.5 percent to 2,979 from 4,054 units in the seven-month period, while light commercial vehicles posted slower sales of 3,177 units, down by 26.7 percent from 4,332 units. Sales of commercial vehicles grew by 447.2 percent to 832 units from 156 units, but this strong growth was not sufficient to make up for the losses in passenger and light commercial vehicle segments. Hyundai attributed the strong performance of the commercial vehicles segment to the robust sales of Hyundai HD65, Hyundai HD36trucks and Hyundai HD50S. Hyundai trucks became the choice of last-mile logistics providers and government agencies because of their tough build, dependability and flexible platform.

PLDT Inc. said Monday it is investing $80 million in a new international undersea cable system to further boost its network bandwidth capacity. Targeted to be fully operational in 2024, PLDT is investing $80 million (P3.9 billion) in the APRICOT cable system, along with four other parties that formed a consortium. “We continue to invest in international submarine cable systems, which are necessary infrastructure for global communications supporting ICT services. The construction of this APRICOT cable system is vital to the Philippine economy with rapidly increasing data traffic and is aligned with our efforts to make the Philippines a strategic data center hub in the region,” said PLDT and Smart Communications president and chief executive Alfredo Panlilio. The new cable system features state-ofthe-art facilities featuring 400G transmission technology and multiple pairs of high-capacity optical fibers. Darwin G. Amojelar

Converge ICT joins 30-firm PSE index

LEADING fiber broadband provider ConvergeICT Solutions Inc. officially joined the basket of blue-chip companies under the Philippine Stock Exchange index Monday, having qualified for early inclusion after passing the criteria set by the PSE in its amended index management policies. Converge is also now included in the PSE services index. Converge closed at P27.00 on Monday, with a market capitalization of P 205.4 billion. The fiber broadband operator hit an all-time intraday high of P 29.05 per share on Friday. For the July 2020 to June 2021 review, the local bourse considered ‘early inclusion of large issuances’ to align with the global standards adhered to by peer indices. “It’s an honor for us to be considered among the most valuable and stable companies in the country. Being part of the market barometer reflects our company’s even footing in the market, and how much that’s valued by the public,” said Converge chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy. “With our inclusion in the PSEi, we hope to contribute in giving a balanced outlook of the broader economy,” said Converge president Grace Uy. Jenniffer B. Austria

InLife wins award for 5th straight year

INSULAR Life won the Domestic Life Insurer of the Year–Philippines award for the fifth consecutive year at the Singapore-based Insurance Asia Awards 2021. The award affirms InLife’s purpose of providing a “Lifetime for Good” as it continues to serve Filipinos amid the CoViD-19 pandemic by delivering on its promises to policyholders through payment of claims and benefits and continuous servicing via digital applications. It kept all its employees with full salaries and benefits while on varying work arrangements. It monetized the incentive trips and awards and cash gifts to agency force to help them adjust to the economic setbacks. For the bigger community, it fed depressed communities, distributed medical necessities to frontliners in hospitals and provided free insurance and medical protection to medical as well as to other essential workers. InLife also won the Marketing Initiative of the Year–Philippines award for its women advocacy program, InLife Sheroes. Launched in 2019, the InLife Sheroes movement, a partnership with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, is an advocacy that aims to touch the lives of 1 million Filipino women by 2022.

Premier Volley League vows better serving in 2nd tourney WITH the inaugural pro volley tournament served out, the organizing Sports Vision is working on a better, trouble-free staging when the next Premier Volleyball League conference is held later this year. While the just-concluded Open Conference was far from being ideal given the prevailing Covid-19 conditions and quarantine restrictions, its staging in a “bubble” setup was par for the course with Sports Vision to build on its gains to ensure a smoother conduct of the tournament the next time around. “We’re happy we’re able to hold it successfully,” said Sports Vision president Ricky Palou. “With God’s mercy, we survived all the challenges. Besides, all teams were very cooperative. They made sure the players were kept safe. So everything worked out well.” Palou also thanked the Ilocos Norte government, particularly Gov. Matthew Manotoc, for hosting the launch of the country’s first pro volley league although the tournament had to be moved from the Centennial Arena in Laoag City to the PCV Socio-Civic and Cultural Center in Bacarra due to the surge of coronavirus cases in the provincial capital. But as the highly contagious Delta variant ushers in another deadly wave, Sports Vision was forced to further compress the five-week schedule towards the end of the elims to the finals to meet the Aug. 16 deadline before the host province is placed under ECQ. “We discussed the issue with the teams, which in turn agreed to finish the whole thing,” said Palou. “So, we decided to do away with the rest day(s) to comply with the time limits.” The tight schedule, however, took its toll on some teams, particularly Choco Mucho, whose key player Maddie Madayag suffered a knee injury following a bad landing during Game One of their best-of-three series for third with Petro Gazz. The team skipper took to social media to air her sentiments and frustrations. “It is unfortunate that despite the intensive strengthening and training done prior to the league had to be negated all because of a rushed schedule,” said Madayag, who also sustained an ACL tear in 2016, in her post. “It pains me to have incurred such a heartbreaking injury when all I did before the competition was to take care of my body to avoid getting hurt.” Injuries have been few and far between during the course of the monthlong bubble tournament. Other injuries incurred were minor, namely Jeanette Panaga of Creamline (ankle), Shola Alvarez of PLDT (ankle), and Rachel Daquis of Cignal (groin).

Sports

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17 , 2021

C1

TOUGH GRIND. Manny Pacquiao continues his training at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach on Sunday. He challenges Yordenis Ugas for the World Boxing Association super welterweight belt at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug. 21. (Aug. 22 in Philippines)

POC chief wants new velodrome for athletes By Peter Atencio

tan,” said Tolentino. The last time that the velodrome was seriously used for competition was back REPARING and training national athletes at the in the 2013 when the POC-PSC PhilipAmoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City is no pine National Games was held. The complex, which was inaugurated longer advisable as the condition of the 5.8-hectare in 1966 by then President Ferdinand Marfacility, neglected over the last eight years, has fallen cos, was used back in 2005 as a venue for below international standards. the Southeast Asian Games. It was last used four years ago, when Philippine Olympic Committee presi- explained that the current length of a national cyclists were still quartered indent Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said regular velodrome measures around side the sports complex. They rarely got he has discussed the status of the velo- 250 meters and is built inside an indoor a chance to practice in the steeply banked drome with the Philippine Sports Com- stadium. oval tracks. mission a number of times. The POC chief said PSC chairman WilAt that time, there were reports that a re“Ang Amoranto ay hindi na puwede. liam Ramirez has already talked to him ligious group were allowed to hold prayer Indoor na kasi ngayon. Sisirain na lang about this concern. rallies in the velodrome thrice a week. ito. Wala na kasing ganitong size ang giTolentino hopes that a new velodrome Two years ago, Tolentino was into talks nagamit,” said Tolentino, who also heads will be constructed and incorporated in- with International Cycling Union presithe Integrated Cycling Federation of the side a multipurpose venue. dent David Lappartient on the construcPhilippines (PhilCycling). “Yung gitna ng velodrome can be used tion of a modern velodrome, which could Tolentino, who spoke about this dur- for other sports like gymnastics. be put up in Tagaytay City or at the New mapaggagami- Clark City in Capas, Tarlac ing the weekly show, The Chasedown, Maraming

P

POC president Rep. Abraham Tolentino

Globe Games, Esports continue to thrive, fuel passion in pandemic IN every difficult situation, there is an opportunity. While the global health crisis forced people to stay in quarantine, it also opened the doors for digital Esports and new gaming content that help continue to fuel the passion of gamers and Esports enthusiasts. Nikko Acosta, Globe SVP and Head of Content Business Group, said that from minimal share of content traffic three years ago, Games and Esports went up to more than double in year-on-year traffic growth. This could be attributed to the availability of the proper device, strong connection to internet services, and an impressive portfolio of games to choose from today. League of Legends Wildrift alone already reached 90% of its topline monthly target due to the wireless availability of the game, an area of access that was not available in the past. “Enjoying your passion doesn’t mean it will go away with this pandemic. The

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

nice thing about being online is that as long as you have the time, you’ll be able to invest properly. And since you’re at home, you can also connect to your friends and community to be able to play together,” Acosta said. He added: “The past year-and-a-half has been an opportunity for us. With the right distribution, with the right pricing, with the right infrastructure, we believed the players would come, and they wouldn’t only come, they would stay. And that is something that we’re proud of.” For Esports, while the core experience of a tournament is being physically present to experience it with other players and supporters, Acosta said Esports remains resilient and easy to migrate online fully. A global phenomenon even before COVID-19, Esports is currently slowly working its way back into the current environment as well According to him, Globe has created a

Nikko Acosta, Globe SVP for Content Business

digital community to allow fans to watch the tournaments right in the comforts of their homes but still be able to engage with other viewers through chat. “We do the same with fervor and tenacity to set Esports up, but we do it online. And we have the promise that someday when things open up with the proper safety protocols, we can go back to including our offline events. Esports is thriving because we can create a community digitally. And someday it will be both digital and offline,” Acosta said. Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles. To learn more, please visit https://www. globe.com.ph/.

PH Youth Team 3rd overall in world wrestling tilt

Members of the PH team that finished third overall in the United World Wrestling Junior and Cadets World Grappling Championships held in Russia are shown here.

THE Philippine Youth Team garnered nine medals to finish third overall in the United World Wrestling Junior and Cadets World Grappling Championships held over the weekend at the Ufa Arena in Ufa, Russia. Gabriel del Rosario accounted for two of the country’s three silvers in the event that gathered the rising stars of 10 participating countries. Competing in the cadets 46kgs, del Rosario settled for silver in the Gi and NoGi events while Iloilo’s

David Zaldarriaga took the silver in Gi event in the Cadets 42kgs apart from clinching the bronze in NoGi event. Alonso Lucas Aguilar, son of URCC founder and Philippine Wrestling Federation president Alvin Aguilar, bagged the bronze in both the Gi and NoGi events in the Cadets 50kgs. Also producing two bronze medals was Joaquin Antonio Marte in Cadets 58kgs while Fierre Afan got his bronze in the Gi event of Cadets 85kgs

Clippers to get Bledsoe, release Rondo, Beverley LOS ANGELES—The NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers will acquire point guard Eric Bledsoe from Memphis in a deal sending Rajon Rondo and Patrick Beverley to the Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. Citing an unnamed source, the newspaper said the Clippers would part with veteran guards Beverley and Rondo, as well as second-year center Daniel Oturu, in the trade. Bledsoe, 31, is an 11-year NBA veteran with career averages of 14.0 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game last season in 71 games with the New Orleans Pelicans. Bledsoe launched his NBA career with the Clippers, playing three seasons with them before he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns in July 2013. Bledsoe landed in Memphis earlier this month in a three-team deal involving the Pelicans, Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets. ESPN reported the deal will save the Clippers $30 million in the NBA luxury tax and create an $8.3 million traded-player exception they will have a year to use. Beverley, 33, was the longesttenured Clippers player, having arrived from Houston as part of a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul in 2017. The Clippers had acquired Rondo, an NBA champion with Boston in 2008 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, at the trade deadline from the Atlanta Hawks last season.

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Sports

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021

No Messi, no problem as Barca defeats Real Sociedad

Injured knee casts doubts on Federer’s future Switzerland’s Roger Federer leaves the court after losing to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz during their men’s quarter-finals match on the ninth day of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. Federer said on August 13, 2021 the timing of his return to the courts was still uncertain, just weeks ahead of the US Open, but the tennis legend remained upbeat after turning 40. Federer, who has only played 13 matches in 2021, having been out for more than a year with two knee surgeries, pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics and subsequent tournaments to rest his knee.

Forum tackles weightlifting, Paralympics MEMBERS of the Philippine delegation to the Tokyo Paralympics and the top man of the National Sports Association that produced the country’s first ever Olympic gold make up the two-part session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum online version this Tuesday. Philippine Chef De Mission Francis ‘Kiko’ Diaz and Paralympians Ernie Gawilan and Allain Ganapin talk about the training and preparations the Filipinos made in their coming campaign for the August 24 to September 5 multi-sports meet during the second part of the weekly session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. Meanwhile, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella opens up the public sports program at 10:00 a.m. as he bares the plans of the federation moving forward in the wake of Hidilyn Diaz’s historic golden triumph in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. Powered by Smart and Upstream Media as the official webcast partner, the Forum is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page f b.com/ Ph i l ip pi ne Sp or t s w r it e rsAssociation and officially shared by Radyo Pilipinas 2 Facebook page.

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ARIS—Roger Federer said on Sunday he will undergo further knee surgery and admitted he “will be out for many months”, a decision which casts further doubt on his future in tennis at the age of 40.

“I will be on crutches for many weeks and out of the game for many months,” 20-time Grand Slam title winner Federer said in a video posted on his Instagram account. The decision immediately rules him out of the US Open, where he has been champion five times and which starts in two weeks’ time. “I want to give myself a glimmer of hope to return to the tour in some shape or form,” added Federer. “I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at my age to go through another surgery. I will try it. I want to be healthy, I want to be running around.” Federer, who has played just 13 matches in 2021, underwent two knee surgeries in 2020 when he played only six times. He had already pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics to rest his knee. Federer withdrew from this year’s French Open after reaching the fourth round and was knocked out in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, a tame 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 loss to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

That defeat was only his 14th at the All England Club in 119 matches, and the first time he had been beaten in the tournament in straight sets since a first-round exit at the hands of Mario Ancic in 2002. It was also the first time he had lost a set 6-0 at Wimbledon and just the third time at a Slam. “I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors on my knee,” he added on Sunday. “I hurt myself further during the grasscourt season and it’s just not the way to go forward. “They told me to feel better I’ll need surgery. I decided to do it.” ‘Bodies breaking down’ After turning 40 last weekend, Federer said he was learning to adjust to the fact that recovering from niggles takes two weeks rather than two days. “It was different before. The questions were simple: what is my place in the ranking? What will my next tournament be?”, he told Blick newspaper. “Today, it’s more difficult: how do I feel

when I start training again? What are my goals? How to reconcile all this with the family? What does the rest of the team say? “I am much more enthusiastic than before, the attitude is different. It’s really completely different from 10 years ago.” Federer captured his most recent major at the 2018 Australian Open. He was already well past 36 and the second oldest man to clinch a Slam title Since then, Novak Djokovic has claimed eight more majors and old rival Rafael Nadal has picked up four. Both now stand level on 20 Slams with Federer. Should Federer be preparing to bow out after 23 years on tour, he will leave behind a career decorated by 103 titles —only Jimmy Connors with 109 has more—a combined 310 weeks at number one and more than $130 million in prize money alone. Later Sunday, the US Open confirmed Federer’s withdrawal from the final Grand Slam event of the year with his spot in the draw taken by Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands. Nadal remains a doubt for the US Open where he is a four-time champion. The 35-year-old Spaniard suffered a foot injury in his semi-final loss to Djokovic at the French Open in June. AFP

MADRID—Barcelona started life without Lionel Messi by defeating Real Sociedad 4-2 in their La Liga opener at the Camp Nou on Sunday even if fans admitted it felt like “a leap into the unknown”. Captain Gerard Pique gave them a 19th minute lead with his 50th goal for the club. Martin Braithwaite found the net in first half injury time and in the 59th minute. Sergi Roberto added a fourth in the last minute of the game. Just over 20,000 fans were in attendance as crowds returned for the first time since the pandemic. However, they had to hold their breath at one stage when Sociedad came back from 3-0 down to get to 3-2 thanks to goals from 20-year-old Julen Lobete in the 82nd minute and a 30-metre freekick from skipper Mikel Oyarzabal three minutes later. Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi called time on his two-decade career at Barcelona last week and moved to Paris Saint-Germain. Messi’s memory lingered heavy over the Camp Nou on Sunday despite the removal of a giant photograph of the Argentine superstar from the entrance in the wake of his move to France. Some banners were in place well before kick-off venting the fans anger towards president Joan Laporta. One read “Laporta, Barca is not your business”, while another proclaimed “Barca yes, Laporta no!” “It was a big emotional blow,” said 23-year-old Barca fan Adria De Lucas. “I was in my room when I saw the news. I started sending messages to all my friends, and no one believed it. It was emotionally hard.” The supporter added: “It’s a leap into the unknown (without Messi). We will see what happens.” Inside the Camp Nou, fans made the most of their return after 18 months, chanting “Messi! Messi!”. Banners expressed their “eternal gratitude”. “The supporters are with us, they want to see football,” said Pique. “We knew they were going to react that way. We all know what Leo represents, but everything changes and we have to keep going. AFP

Olsim welcomes new challenge at ONE atomweight JENELYN Olsim arrived in ONE Championship in style, ing that she truly can match up with some of the best the prowasting no time in announcing her entry in Women’s motion has to offer and truly execute her gameplan to a tee. mixed martial arts. “After my first fight in ONE Championship, I beIn her promotional debut, the Team Lakay standout came more confident in my ground game. I shocked the world when she submitted Brazilian foe knew the things that I had to do and Maira Mazar in the third round to secure the upset if I had the chance to lock in a victory at ONE: FISTS OF FURY 3 last March. submission, I should never wa“My team and I worked so hard for me to imver and lock it in,” said prove, and you can only get better and better if you give your very best every training. And no matter how hard the process is, you have to love what you are doing,” she said of that magnificent introduction in the Home of Martial Arts. Olsim let Mazar feel her power with her strikes in the first two rounds and continuously hunted her foe with her counter-attacking game moving forward. And when the window of opportunity presented itself, she locked in the guillotine 41 seconds into the third round, shocking the whole organization with the win and putting every strawweight on notice. So stellar was that win that the 24-year-old’s stock really shot up and earned her place in the ONE Athlete Rankings, jumping to no. 5 among the contenders in the women’s strawweight division. Jenelyn Olsim It was also big in terms of Olsim’s confidence, believ-

FREE THROW SHOOTER NATHANIEL DELA CRUZ

Pilak is not ill luck HOW much of our success±or defeat - as athletes do we attribute to factors we cannot control, like divine intervention, or luck? How much depends on God or Lady Fate’s fervor, and how strongly do we believe that? Is our success in itself a blessing bestowed upon us, paid for by equal parts faith in God and faith in the rewards of relentlessness, or is the former all that matters? How much of us winning or losing as athletes is out of our hands? Minalas lang.

I overheard someone say it, upon hearing the news that a Filipino athlete was unexpectedly defeated in the Tokyo Olympics. It was caused by ill luck, he said. Luck is ubiquitous in sports, a slap in the face of the science and mathematics that shape athletic excellence because it is not enough that you’ve worked hard, that you’ve scouted and studied your opponents, and that you’ve practiced your moves and sharpened your skills. Above all, it is important to have luck on your side, too. Between two equally-matched boxers fighting toe-to-toe, the one who can sneak in that lucky punch has the better chances of emerging victorious in the match. Probably. An impossible heave that went in is a lucky shot, and an improbable play that worked nonetheless and against all odds is considered a stroke of luck. In billiards, you call it a lucky break when the balls are spread on the table in such a way that the opponent has no clean shot – unless that other cue artist can pull off a lucky shot to get out of this sticky situation.

Luck. Or the lack of it. I used to believe in the concept of luck in sports. We all heard the luck logic: Mahirap talunin ang maswerte (it is hard to defeat a lucky player). I found myself thinking about the comment I heard, about how the defeated athlete was just out of luck, and I realized this just now: it stayed with me because I didn’t want to accept the notion. It implies that luck was on the side of the victorious opponent. I didn’t want to accept it as much as I don’t want to accept the notion that Liao Qiuyun only managed silver because the winner in the women’s 55kg category in weightlifting just got lucky. The calloused hands of Hidilyn Diaz tell a different story. If losing is the work of luck favoring the other athlete or the other team, it is an insult to how hard athletes worked to become winners. Winning and losing are both reflections of our work. Granted that in this endeavor of the imperfect human being, we can always argue that there were many times victory was denied

the ONE Warrior Series standout. “But again, I know that I still have so much more to work on. I have to keep learning and keep improving. In this sport, you can’t reach perfection and evolution is very important.” Olsim now braces for the biggest challenge in her young career as she moves down to the women’s atomweight division and battles Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen at ONE: BATTLEGROUND III on August 27 in Singapore. It’s a new venture for the Filipina warrior, yet she expressed trust on the training that she’s had with Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao and knows that they have done everything in their power to prepare for this monumental clash. “We have been training hard for this, physically, mentally. I believe I am ready and I know she is also ready. It’s going to be a good show,” she said. Olsim knows that Nguyen is no walk in the park, being one of the top fighters in the women’s atomweight division for the past few years. The Vietnamese-American has squared off with some of the best in the promotion, with her last fight being a split decision win over Indian sensation Ritu Phogat at ONE: Dangal last May.

the deserving, still, many gold medal games and championship matches were won by the more deserving of the two, by the merit of superior athletic performance. “Minalas lang” stains the honor awarded the winner and insults the winner and the defeated alike. A true competitor wants to believe that he or she went down fighting. In a contest meant to identify who is the best, the knowledge that he or she was defeated by the best is the consolation of the defeated. I would like to think that I fought and lost to a great opponent in a great match. Adding the element of luck tarnishes the experience. I can’t accept “minalas lang” because it is a dishonorable exit that trivializes the really important factors that shape a game or match, and simplifies a complex moment of struggle and competition. We accept defeat and victory as a reflection of who is the best because that is the honor in sports. We do not compete merely to feed our conceit. “Minalas lang” is a belief that

leads the athlete away from the path of learning available only to those who accepted defeat as a result of being bested. The defeat should spark an impetus, a craving to train harder, become better, learn and improve, not nurture indignation as if he or she was robbed and cheated, doomed to wallow in bitterness. A gallant fighter does not deserve such cheap suffering. But what about when athletes are performing below par? That is not ill luck. That is human nature: we are inconsistent beings, far from the machine-like consistency expected by fans, with their sometimes unrealistic expectations of athletes. “Minalas lang” is a harmful notion. This monkey on your back swings from ear to ear whispering words of poison, and if you listen long enough, you will begin to fear the lingering shadow of ill luck, cursed by such malefic trepidation no one but you can exorcise. And bereft of genuine faith in winning, the desire to compete is the next one lowered into the grave, marked by a tombstone adorned by a single silver star.

Entertainment Julie Anne San Jose is ‘Asia’s Limitless Star’

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021

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‘Free Guy’ takes top spot at North American box office

THE video game action-comedy Free Guy has topped the North American box office in its opening weekend, taking in $28.4 million, preliminary figures from trade firm Exhibitor Relations showed Sunday. The film, which lightheartedly explores the boundary between the virtual and the real, features an antihero played by Ryan Reynolds, a man who realizes he is a character in a video game and seeks to take control of his destiny. “This is a very good opening under difficult conditions. The Delta variant is taking a toll,” David A. Gross, who runs consulting firm Franchise Enter-

tainment Research, told AFP, referring to a surge in coronavirus cases. The horror feature Don’t Breathe 2, about a game of mass murder perpetrated by a blind veteran, came in second place with $10.6 million in its first weekend. In third place was Disney’s family adventure film Jungle Cruise, based on a theme park ride, with $9 million for the Friday-Sunday period. Right behind it, the biopic about soul queen Aretha Franklin, Respect came in fourth with $8.8 million, and rounding out the top five was the supervillain movie The Suicide Squad, which amassed $7.8 million. AFP

Julie Anne San Jose will be taking her fans to an extraordinary journey in her first musical trilogy, ‘Limitless.’

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MA Network has decided to give Julie Anne San Jose a new moniker. They dropped the Pop Sweetheart title and started calling the 27-year-old singer and actress “Asia’s Limitless Star” in time for the launch of Limitless, A Musical Trilogy.

“We believe it’s just timely and fitting that Julie will now be called the Limitless Star. She’s truly a talented artist. We saw her journey in the entertainment industry and we can all attest to her capability to give more,” GMA Regional TV and Synergy First Vice President and Head Oliver Victor Amoroso told Manila Standard Entertainment. “There are only a few artists like her who can act, dance, sing and write songs. She’s also a multi-instrumentalist, which is why the title Limitless Star is perfect for her,” Amoroso added. Reacting to the network executive’s words, Julie said that it was her first time to hear it and she just wants to extend her gratitude to GMA for the gen-

erous and unparalleled support she gets as an artist. “I don’t know what to feel. It’s just surreal. Of course, I want to thank GMA for trusting me and for giving me this kind of opportunity. I also want to thank the fans for being with me in my musical journey,” Julie started. “I wouldn’t be where I am at right now without the support of my family, my fans, and my friends. I feel like I have already found my purpose in life, which is to inspire more people and share my experience through my craft and my music. It feels fulfilling when people appreciate your work,” she added. Limitless virtual concert is set to unveil the different facets of Julie as a singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and multi-instrumentalist as she travels to the three island groups of the Philippines where she discovers new inspiration in unexpected locations in Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon. Witness how Julie shows a new side of her that she has never shown before. Here she shares what she can do as a performer and what she has to go through to become limitless. “Any artist would be very excited to be part of this unique project. And for me to be able to share my talent and my experience with my fans here and abroad is something I am truly excited about. I am grateful to GMA Network and GMA Synergy for trusting me with this one-of-a-

kind endeavor,” Julie shared. This journey of discovery is something everyone can relate to, especially now that we have to stay home again for our safety. “Each of us is still trying to deal with the trying times and to be able to produce a musical trilogy like Limitless and to have it seen by people not only here in the Philippines but in every part of the world is something I hope will inspire everyone to keep on seeing the good things around us,” she added. For the first leg, Julie flies to Mindanao on a great adventure. Against the picturesque sceneries, she meets the locals and learns more about their culture and values. Julie also collaborates with Kapuso homegrown talents and local artists from all over the country. For the Sept.17 leg, Julie will be joined by Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista and The Clash alumnus Jong Madaliday, who is actually from Mindanao himself. Julie will work with Myke Salomon, the musical director behind the hit musicals Huling El Bimbo and Rak of Aegis. JC Gellidon is the director of photography. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Heart Evangelista flies to New York for Vogue By Maria Katrina Segui

Heart Evangelista takes a break from her lock-in taping in Sorsogon to meet with Vogue representatives in New York. (Inset) Heart recreates the iconic scene in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s.’

MULTIHYPHENATE artist Heart Evangelista took a break from her lock-in taping in Sorsogon to meet with Vogue representatives in New York. The luxury style influencer shared on her Instagram account a photo with Vogue’s digital editor Chioma Nnadi and Vogue contributor Ian Malone. Also included in the meeting were stylist Katrina Cruz and Filipino couturier Mark Bumgarner. “Well-spent afternoon with my @voguemagazine family,” Heart wrote in the caption. In 2019, it was revealed that Heart is personally handpicked by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour for Vogue 100, which the iconic fashion magazine defined as a “curated list of distinctive creative voices from around the globe, encompassing actors, artists, musicians, athletes, stylists, activists, chefs, choreographers, videographers, beauty fanatics, glamour girls, and wonderful weirdos of every stripe.” Meanwhile, the Pinay style icon enjoyed her time in New York by recreating the iconic opening scene from the classic ‘60s film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Heart channeled Audrey Hepburn from head to toe and proved once again that she is indeed a reincarnation of the legendary actress, as said by Crazy Rich Asians author, Kevin Kwan. Heart also sparked rumors that she will be joining the cast of the Netflix show Bling Empire after posting photos with the show’s cast member and producer, Kane Lim. The actress is set to make her TV comeback after three years in the upcoming GMA series, I Left My Heart in Sorsogon, alongside Richard Yap and Paolo Contis.

Kathryn and Daniel bring love and ‘kilig’ to their fans as they celebrate their 10 years as a love team.

US actor Ryan Reynolds in a scene from the video game action comedy ‘Free Guy.’

Sharon is open to work with Gabby FANS get uber excited whenever they hear that former couple Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion would share the screen or stage together. But how does the megastar feel about it? In a recent digital press conference, Sharon was asked if she’s prepared to work again with her former husband on a big-screen project. Her answer? “It’s a welcome thing for me.” “Any movie with Gabby is a welcome thing for me, even if it turns out to be the most romantic in terms of scenes because at one point in our lives, we were married,” she averred. “So people would be more accepting of that, I think. Yes, I’m ready to work a hundred percent with Gabby again. There’s no bad blood between us. And of course, no matter what we do, no matter what we say or don’t say about each other, he will always be KC’s father. We were a family once and I carried his name once, too. We’ll always be connected because of our daughter so we might as well have a good friendship,” she carried on. According to the Megastar, she’s happy with her former husband’s present state -- being happily married and having a happy life.

“On my part, I’m happy being married to Kiko (Sen. Francis Pangilinan) and having my family. One thing more, our daughter KC has grown up into a responsible adult and a successful one at that. So I think to have and maintain a good friendship with Gabby would be very good not just for the two of us but for our daughter as well.” Considering that theirs was the leading love team during the ‘80s, Sharon strongly believes that many of their supporters would still want to see them in a grand movie after all these times. “I know that we have a following that grew up with us. Probably, I have some bigger hits with other actors like Robin Padilla and Richard Gomez because Gabby and I weren’t paired for a long time already but I think a lot of people are waiting for that reunion movie,” she explained. “And definitely, I’m one of those. So I really hope that before I retire from the ‘biz, we’d be able to collaborate on a film once again or maybe even do concerts because he also does concerts. We can do so much together still,” she added. “We are still Sharon and Gabby. It’s already there and I think it will be in the history books, in the annals of Philippine movie history. I don’t want that to be erased. I’m proud of that team-up!” Sharon ended.

Sharon Cuneta welcomes the possibility of reuniting with former husband Gabby Concepcion in a film project.

Star Cinema celebrates 10 years of KathNiel STAR Cinema is celebrating Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s one decade as a love team with the free streaming of She’s Dating the Gangster on YouTube and the launch of Secret Movie Files, a series of fun explainers about the making of the iconic movie. The ABS-CBN Star Cinema Youtube channel simultaneously premiered She’s Dating the Gangster and KathNiel’s three of seven Secret Movie Files episodes on Sunday (Aug. 15) where they recall what went on behind the scenes when they were shooting the

film’s emotional high points. Secret Movie Files is one of the exciting “Made for Youtube” titles under the newly launched “Kapamilya YOUniverse,” which promises to stream the best in entertainment, music, film, and news via the coming together of Star Cinema, Star Music, MOR Entertainment, ABS-CBN News, and ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channels. Kathryn and Daniel was joined in Secret Movie Files by director Cathy Garcia-Molina to spill little-known trivia – from how Direk Cathy convinced

Daniel to wear shorts and dance for the first time in a movie, getting KathNiel fans to appear in certain scenes, and the challenges of shooting the scene where Kenji (Daniel) and Athena’s (Kathryn) confess their feelings and officially become a couple. Dan Villegas also appears in the episodes to share details about how he lit and shot She’s Dating the Gangster, which he describes as his “best work as a cinematographer.” The four remaining episodes of KathNiel’s Secret Movie Files will drop on Aug. 22 and 29.

Life

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

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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021

Women make time for self-care By Ellicia Frentzen C. Del Mundo

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HE constant struggle of jugging work life and personal life often makes people forget to practice self-care, especially if a culture rewards looking after others over putting yourself first. “Among us Filipinos, it is not common to do self-care. It is always about sacrificing, taking care of others,” lamented Jill Lim, brand manager of Sanofi Consumer Healthcare. She continued, “At the end of the day, how can you do that when you are not in your best form?” Lim shared her two cents during the pharmaceutical company’s virtual talk “Power to Love Yourself Completely” in celebration of International Self-care Day on July 24. The event featured women who shared their experiences and tips for navigating self-care.

It’s more than a spa day

Lynn Pinugu, co-founder of She Talks Asia

“Self-care can be so many things,” said Michelle Aventajado, hands-on mother to four children and founder of Momma ‘N Manila. But more than the popular picture of “cucumbers in the eyes, spa day kind of thing”, self-care for Aventajado is having a time for yourself, “waking early enough when everybody is still sleeping and having a quiet time for myself with my Bible app, [a] cup of coffee, and just quiet”. To truly understand self-care, She Talks co-founder and chief executive Lynn Pinugu made a distinction between self-care and self-soothing. “Self-soothing,” she said, “are those emergency routines that we do whenever we’re feeling bad or having not such a good day”. “When we talk about self-care, these are the things you do so that you can build resilience and emotional agility. Think of self-care as [a thing that] you do so you don’t run out of gas. You do it for the long term,” Pinugu explained. She added, “My self-soothing would be having soup when it’s cold. My selfcare routine is I always allot time to talk to someone, whether it is a therapist or a very good friend.”

need to sacrifice everything”. Hence, she pledged during the talk to “rest when I’m tired; stop when I’m overwhelmed; pause and process”. “When my kids see that, I think that they will learn how to take care of themselves. It’s important to set the example,” Aventajado added. Adding to Aventajado’s statements, Pinugu said, “You can’t give what you don’t have.” “Make sure your tank is full. You don’t wait for your tank to be completely empty before you fill it up,” she added.

Don’t let guilt get in the way

The She Talks CEO said the guilt of Aventajado is aware of the sacrificial not working or doing any responsibiliattitude that makes us think that “we ties often hindered a person from com-

Stop and rest

Michelle Aventajado, founder of Momma ’N Manila

NOT JUST A SPA DAY. Self-care can be different things for different people; it can be as simple as having a time for yourself to do things you enjoy like reading a book or talking to a friend. mitting to taking care of themselves. To get rid of this guilt feeling, she recommended thinking about the reason why you were investing in yourself. “Whenever I reflect on [my] why’s, it makes me realize that whenever I invest time [in] myself, at the end of the day, it helps me do my work longer. It helps make sure that I can do it with more joy. I can be more resilient with challenges that come in the future,” Pinugu shared. Taking cue from her experience working in a corporate setting, Lim highlighted the value of setting boundaries. “Don’t feel guilty to say ‘no’ if you can’t handle it well,” she said.

self-care helps maintaining the practice. “Making a self promise is one thing, but sticking to it and really committing to it is another,” said Pinugu. Her organization, for instance, has a schedule for self-care: Mental Wellness Wednesday, during which they allot time for rest and are tasked not to work. Lim, meanwhile, sets time for work and rest. “What works for me is to block off the actual work so I don’t work after five.” And if life throws a curveball, Aventajado makes sure to truly commit to it. “Things will happen. I have four kids, so there’s always happening that deters me from doing that. I know if I make Make time for yourself the time and commit to it. I’m that much Much like most plans, scheduling more able to see it through.”

More than a third of employees unproductive 10 hours a week—survey Sekaya Raw Actives Maca Factor (left) that helps regulate stress hormones and Barley Green (right) that keeps the digestive system healthy.

Power-packed powder

SUPERFOODS are touted for their exceptional nutritional density and health benefits which include, among others, improved nutrition, good heart health, and stable blood sugar levels. One of the popular food items tagged “superfood” is kale. According to nutrition experts, a single cup of the dark leafy greens has more vitamin C than an orange, contains seven times the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin K, and a good source of minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Beets are rich in nitrates that convert to nitric acid in the body beneficial in improving blood flow. Quinoa, meanwhile, contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. Filipino plant-based brand Sekaya offers the dietary goodness of superfoods through its Sekaya Raw Actives line. The range consists of superfood powders made with high quality USDA-certified organic wholefood ingredients. They come in ready-to-mix powder formats that can be stirred in water or other beverages, or mixed in with food. Sekaya Raw Actives Barley Green promises to keep the digestive system healthy, Daily Greens to boost daily intake of essential nutrients, Maca Factor to help regulate stress hormones, Pea Protein to speed up muscle recovery, Powerbeet to increase energy during workouts, and Vegan Protein to sus-

A RECENT survey of Filipino employees revealed 35 percent are not productive at work for an average of two hours every day, or 10 hours a week in a fiveday workweek. Mental and well-being company MindNation surveyed more than 6,000 full-time employees from September 2020 to April 2021. It found “presenteeism”, or the phenomenon where employees show up for work but don’t perform at full capacity affects more than a third of respondents. MindNation says the productivity loss costs businesses up to P700,000 per 100 employees annually. “Employees must deal with new working conditions – having to balance work responsibilities with home duties, isolation, and managing fears about the pandemic, financial insecurity,” says Kana Takahashi, chief executive officer of MindNation. “Presenteeism” is one of the challenges workers’ mental health decline poses to companies. “Absenteeism” and “talent loss” due to mental health and well-being challenges are the other issues. The survey discovered the prevailing feeling of employees is stressed (at 61

35 percent of Filipino employees say they are unproductive at work for an average of two hours a day.

percent), followed by worried/anxious (53 percent), depressed (34 percent), and empty (32 percent). The top source of mental health challenges is COVID-19 fears (80 percent), followed by financial pressures (47 percent), personal matters (44 percent), work performance pressures (44 percent), and

juggling family and work (25 percent). To address productivity issues and talent loss, the company suggests business leaders ensure that they are able to take care of their employees’ wellbeing. This, MindNation says, can be done by creating a culture that recognizes and supports mental health.

Beet is rich in nutrients earning it the ’superfood’ tag.

tain a plant-based lifestyle. Go to www. sekaya.com.ph for more information about the aforementioned powders. While there is science that backs their health benefits, the Harvard School of Public Health advises that regular consumption of superfoods still needs to be complemented with healthy living, and that they should not be mistaken as cure-alls for any existing ailments.

‘Presenteeism’, or when an employee shows up for work but doesn’t perform at full capacity, is one of the challenges workers’ mental well-being decline poses to companies.