Manila Standard - 2021 September 6 - Monday

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net FRONTLINERS’ SAKE. Social realism artists Sim Tolentino, Bryan Barrios,

and Moks also know as Simbbmoks, render a mural on the wall of the Columbian Mission in the Philippines in Singalong Street, Manila. The mural depicts the struggle of Filipino health workers who risk saving the lives of their patients during the pandemic. The three artists also want the public to follow the minimum health protocol and a send a message to the government to give all the benefits due to the frontline health workers. Norman Cruz

Full-force lockdown eyed VOL. XXXV • NO. 203 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pending Du30’s okay, OCTA wants more people to enforce controls in MM File photo shows barangay officials making the rounds as the local government of Mandaluyong City imposed a seven-day granular lockdown on Block 41 Zones 4, 5, and 9 in Barangay Addition Hills last month.

Granular or localized lockdown appears to be the preferred option over wide area lockdown as a means to contain the spread of COVID-19 cases.

Norman Cruz

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Othel V. Campos

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HE PROPOSED granular lockdowns in Metro Manila will need more manpower to be effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, the independent OCTA Research Group said Sunday.

The new quarantine method was recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force and supported by mayors in the National Capital Region, where it would be pilot-tested starting Sept. 8, but President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to give his final approval to it, Malacanang said yesterday.

At least three of Duterte’s deputies said the government is ready to roll out the area-specific lockdowns in the NCR amid surging coronavirus cases

fueled by the dangerous Delta variant.

But OCTA Research doubts the efficacy of granular lockdowns in controlling COVID-19 and its Delta variant unless additional manpower is deployed in affected areas.

In her weekly radio address, Vice President Leni Robredo also said granular lockdowns must be complemented with better testing and tracing.

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OCTA lowers surge estimate at 30,000 a day from DOH’s 43,000

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

terday was much lower than a Department of Health figure that said as many as 43,000 daily cases might THE Philippines hit over 20,000 new cases of COVID-19 be reported in Metro Manila alone by the end for the third straight day on Sunday, as an independent of the month.

On Sunday, the Philippines confirmed research group warned that confirmed cases across the 20,019 new cases of COVID-19, bringcountry might hit 30,000 daily by next week.

Still, the OCTA Research Group’s estimate yes- ing the country’s total to 2,080,984

as the more transmissible Delta variant continued to spread, according to the DOH. The department also reported 20,089 new recoveries, pushing the total number of Filipinos who recovered from the disease to 1,889,312, which means the Next page

Frontliners get P14-b in SRA, hazard duty pay

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20,019

157,438

34,234

173

1,899,312 20,089 (As of 4 PM, september 5)

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Department of Health (DOH) said P14.3 billion worth of benefits for health care workers has been disbursed in two tranches as of Sept. 3 this year.

The first tranche worth P6.4 billion, covering Sept. 15 to Dec. 19, 2020, has been disbursed, representing active hazard duty pay for 384,159 health care workers and special risk allowance (SRA) for 306,314 health care workers.

For the same period, a total of 103,096 health care workers received P991 million worth of meal, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) allowances.

On the other hand, the second tranche worth P6.9 billion has also been disbursed for SRAs of 379,117 health care workers for the period covering Dec. 20, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Further, 32,281 healthcare workers were covered

2,080,984

Oil price hike on 2nd round: P1.10 per liter

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SAFETY ZONE. A day before the resumption of classes for academic year 2021-2022, students of the Pamantasan ng

Lungsod ng Maynila create stylized placards calling for “Ligtas na Balik-Eskwela” in front of the PLM building in Intramuros, Manila. Norman Cruz

THE US Coast Guard said China’s new reporting requirements for foreign vessels in the South China Sea could trigger “instability and potential conflict” in the region.

US Coast Guard Admiral Michael McAllister said Beijing’s new regulation requiring foreign vessels to report their innocent passage through the South China Sea seems to run directly counter to established international agreements and norms.

“If our reading is correct, these are very concerning, and that’s because they begin to build foundations for instability and potential conflicts if those are enforced,” McAllister said during the Asia-Pacific Media Hub virtual forum over the weekend.

Beijing last week announced that they will require a range of vessels “to report their information” when passing through what China claims as its territorial waters, beginning Sept. 1.

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Lawyer seeks ouster of PRC chair Gordon

US sees ‘potential conflict’ in China move

By Rey E. Requejo

CONSUMERS will have to brace for a hefty P1.10 per liter increase this week, the second weekly consecutive oil price hike to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Unioil Petroleum Philippines forecasts an increase in fuel prices from

US Coast Guard Admiral McAllister

LAWYER Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon on Sunday called for the removal of Senator Richard Gordon as the Philippine Red Cross chairman and chief executive officer, and six other presidential appointees from the humanitarian agency’s board of governors.

In a statement, Gadon said Gordon has overstayed at the Red Cross, and urged the removal of Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo Chua, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sherwin Gatchalian, and three other appointees of President Rodrigo Next page

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

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LGUs told: Prepare to vaccinate kids

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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OLLOWING the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of drugmaker Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for inoculating minors aged 12-17, Senator Win Gatchalian pressed the urgency of preparing local government units for the vaccination of the age group.

Citing both the safety of the younger population and the long-term impact of school closures, Gatchalian has lobbied for the vaccination of minors aged 12 to 17.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture said vaccinating school-age children would lay down a clearer path on the gradual resumption of face-to-face classes.

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Go reiterated his appeal to the government to study the possibility of expanding the

rollout of the vaccination program to the wider population to expedite the population’s protection from COVID-19.

In a letter to the National Task Force on COVID-19, the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, led by Quirino Governor and ULAP President Dakila Cua, recognized the “considerable” progress made by the government towards attaining population protection.

However, they also noted the “crucial” need to ramp up the country’s vac-

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with life insurance worth P16 million.

The DOH also said P570 million worth of checks have also been released to 24,034 health care workers or their families as COVID-19 sickness and death compensation.

Health care workers from both public and private health facilities catering to COVID-19 patients are beneficiaries of the benefits.

As stated in the guidelines, the DOH through its Centers for Health Development (CHD) entered into a memorandum of understanding with health facilities to legally disburse the benefits of the health care workers.

It said the health facilities are then responsible for disbursing the benefits to their employees and submitting a liquidation report thereafter.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public that the department will push for additional budget for the same benefits of health care workers next year as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duque said in a news release on Sunday that the sacrifices of frontline workers were clear.

The DOH has 72 registered hospitals with more than 10,000 medical front-liners all over the country.

“They, like many others, put their lives at-risk every day in order to serve patients from all over the country and from all walks of life,” he said.

Also on Sunday, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said the SRA mandated by law for health workers must be distributed on time as more workers on the frontlines are resigning due to the stress and health risks in a pandemic.

Health workers are already overwhelmed, Solante said, with some of them already afflicted with the disease.

“Many are saying they want to resign. And we respect their opinion,” he said.

While some medical workers are still committed, Solante urged the government to provide the needed support to health workers amid the rising spike in cases that continue to hit hospitals.

“I see their commitment to their jobs. But we need to give them support, not only emotional support. Give them a risk allowance on time as well as other benefits,” he said.

On Sept. 1, a day after the 10day ultimatum given to the DOH by President Rodrigo Duterte to release SRA and other COVID-19 benefits to health workers, thousands of health workers nationwide staged a “National Day of Protest” and demanded Duque’s ouster.

On Saturday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire assured health care workers they are one with them in their fight against COVID-19, and they are doing all they can to help them.

Those under the lockdown would also need to be given aid.

OCTA Research fellow Guido David said there was no evidence yet to prove the efficacy of granular lockdowns imposed by local government units during a surge.

“If you close down a street, you need barangay employees to watch over that area. They will also need to distribute food,” he said.

David also said the effectiveness of granular lockdowns depends on the spread of the virus.

“If COVID-19 is spreading all over the city, for example if an LGU has 100 villages but its manpower can only handle 50, it would not be enough,” he said.

Still, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos all said over the weekend they are ready to implement granular lockdowns in the NCR. On Saturday, Lopez said the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved the implementation of granular lockdowns starting Sept. 8.

But presidential spokesman Harry Roque said on Sunday the President has yet to approve the IATF recommendations.

Under granular or localized lockdowns — which would be imposed on specific streets or buildings rather than entire cities or provinces -- only health workers could leave their homes.

Authorized persons outside residence (APORs) will also be prohibited from

Lawyer...

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“Senator Gordon has been on top of the Red Cross for the longest time, even before the Duterte administration,” the lawyer said. “Elections are held every two years at the Red Cross.”

Gordon had yet to react to Gadon’s statement as of press time.

The President on Thursday accused the senator of using the Red Cross to fund his election campaigns, but the PRC stood by its chairman, with 20 of its governors expressing “staunch and unequivocal support” to Gordon.

They hailed the senator as an unsalaried volunteer and has led the PRC into a “responsive and modernized institution.”

While Republic Act 10072 or the Philip-

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A total of 173 more deaths were reported from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the disease’s death toll in the country to 34,234.

The country has struggled to ramp up its vaccine rollout as the government has said it wants to inoculate 70 million Filipinos by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, around 75 percent of the Philippines’ 4,200 intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients are occupied, a situation classified as high risk, the DOH said.

Latest data from the DOH also shows that the National Capital Region’s COVID-19 ICU occupancy is at high risk with 75 percent of the 1,500 beds in use.

Occupancy rate is considered “high risk” if utilization surpasses 70 percent but less than 85 percent.

Meanwhile, ward beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide and in NCR are also at high risk.

Treatment czar and Health Under-

pine Red Cross Act of 2009 states the President acts as the honorary President of the PRC, all 30 board members of the humanitarian body are elected to four-year terms.

This includes “those appointed by the President of the Philippines, renewable at the pleasure of the appointing power or elective bodies,” as stated in Section 7 of RA 10072.

Red Cross officers are elected from members of the Board and serve twoyear terms and may be reelected, the same section provides.

But Gadon also noted that under RA 10072, the PRC is tasked to submit an annual report of its accomplishments and financial status to the President.

Duterte and Gordon are currently at loggerheads over the conduct of a Senate probe into the overpricing of face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

cination efforts.

A Pulse Asia Survey commissioned

by Gatchalian, conducted from June 7 to 16 with 1,200 respondents, revealed that nationwide, agreement to allow face-toface classes is at 44 percent 33 percent were unsure, and 23 percent disagree.

Among those who disagree with face-to-face classes, 90 percent said it was still too dangerous to go out because of the pandemic, while 57 percent cited the lack of vaccines for children.

“At this point, I can see that one of the solutions to open our schools safely is to already inoculate our teenagers,” said Gatchalian.

With the government eyeing to vaccinate minors by September or October this year, preparations should already start at the level of LGUs, the lawmaker said.

He also cited the crucial involvement of the NTF, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the Department of Education.

“My call is to allow LGUs and private schools to import their own vaccines and to inoculate their own teachers, their own school officials, as well as their own students and their own teenage population. This way, it will hasten the vaccine rollout in our schools and the LGUs,” Gatchalian said.

The FDA previously approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the inoculation of minors aged 12-15. Drugmaker Sinovac also applied for the authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for children and minors aged 3 to 17.

leaving their homes.

Currently, Metro Manila and other areas in the country are under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second strictest community quarantine status, extended until Sept. 7 to address the increasing bed occupancy in local hospitals and enable the local government units to ramp up their vaccination rollout.

The nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are also under MECQ. MECQ is also being implemented in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Bataan, Aklan, Iloilo, and the cities of Lucena, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Mandaue, and Cagayan de Oro. General community quarantine (GCQ) status “with heightened restrictions” is retained in Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Quezon, Batangas, Naga City, Antique, Bacolod City, and Capiz.

Cebu province, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, and Butuan City is under the more restrictive GCQ. The GCQ classification without restrictions is being implemented anew in Baguio City, Santiago City, Quirino, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Puerto Princesa, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, and South Cotabato.

Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Cotabato City are also under the regular GCQ. Earlier, Interior Undersecretary Jona-

than Malaya announced the consensus among the different government agencies to resort to the implementation of granular lockdowns which could be limited to a building, street, or barangay.

DILG chief Año said Sunday that a pilot test of granular lockdowns in Metro Manila would begin Sept. 8.

GMA News Online reported that Año said recommendations on the pilot project will also be sent for approval of President Duterte.

“After the pilot project, it will be assessed and appropriate recommendations will be submitted to the President for approval,” he said.

Robredo said she is in favor of opening businesses as long as they conform to strict health standards, since some workers are given health care services at work.

“Even if we implement granular lockdowns, if we do not follow basic protocols, this will be futile. Cases will still climb whether it’s a widespread lockdown or granular lockdown,” she said in Filipino.

In related developments: * The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported 63,000 violators of basic health protocols in the past 15 days as several areas were under MECQ. PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said 83 percent of the violators were only given warnings. In Metro Manila, 13,000 were accosted daily for the duration of the MECQ. Of the number, 61 percent were warned, 34 percent were fined while 5 percent were brought to the police station for other offenses. * Trade Secretary Lopez said the granular approach for containing COVID transmissions will help increase the number of businesses that will open.

secretary Leopoldo Vega said Sunday the One Hospital Command, a referral system for healthcare services, had been receiving 500 calls a day due to the community transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

“That’s Delta, Delta variant. It’s the dominant variant. We know that it is highly infectious and there are breakthrough infections for the vaccinated, he said, adding calls, including other emergency cases aside from COVID-19, had also risen outside of Metro Manila.

The reproduction number of the coronavirus in Metro Manila increased from 1.39 to 1.41 but the overall trend of COVID-19 cases is decreasing, said OCTA Research group fellow Guido David.

However, David said they hoped the reproduction number would become lower during the third week of September to further slow the transmission of COVID-19.

For the whole Philippines, he said the reproductive number is 1.32.

For the entire National Capital Region (NCR), he said the reproduction number is 1.41. “Overall, the trend is decreasing,” noted David who said reproduction number refers to the aver-

age number of secondary infections by each infected individual.

The independent research firm does not see 43,000 daily new infections in Metro Manila alone, as projected by the health department, said David.

“We can reach 30,000 fresh cases in the whole country by the end of September in our trajectory, but we don’t see 43,000 daily new cases in Metro Manila alone,” he said.

The decline of the country’s reproduction number, or the number of people infected by a single virus patient, is slowing down, according to David.

The Philippines’ positivity rate, or the number of those who take a COVID-19 test and turn positive, is at 27 percent to 28 percent, while it is 25 percent in Metro Manila, he said.

Among areas with the most cases are the capital region, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Cebu (including Cebu City), Iloilo (including Iloilo City), Davao del Sur (including Davao City), Cagayan, Bukidnon, Tarlac, Quezon, and Pangasinan, according to David.

The number of cases in Metro Manila is expected to decline in the second or third week this month, he said.

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zone in the West Philippine Sea. With China’s implementation of this new regulation in the South China Sea, McAllister said the United States is working with its partners across the region to support key partners that are growing increasingly concerned over what he described as China’s “aggressive and sometimes coercive actions.”

The US Coast Guard official was referring to its regional partners like the Philippines that currently lack the capability or capacity to adequately respond to China’s actions.

“As you all know, the South China Sea is really a maritime superhighway, and coast guard-to-coast guard cooperation really is critical in that region for building good maritime governance. And as I had mentioned in my opening, we’re definitely seeing increased interest in partnering with the United States Coast Guard on maritime safety and security capacity de-

“Vessels from foreign countries, including submersibles, nuclear vessels, entering Chinese territorial sea shall be required to report info such as their name, current position and next port of call to China’s maritime administration starting Sept. 1,” China said.

Beijing’s Maritime Safety Administration has been mandated to deal with any vessel that fails to report as required “according to relevant laws, regulations, rules and provision.”

More than $5 trillion worth of trade passes through the South China Sea. In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippine petition invalidating China’s expansive ninedash line claim in the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic

Food roadmap aims to boost corn production

By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is crafting a strategic and robust corn industry development roadmap to address the sector’s challenges and opportunities, particularly the rising demand for feeds, food, and other industrial uses.

“The corn sector, being a major input to the poultry and swine industries, should be given more importance and long-term view to ensure its sustained contribution to the meat value chain and, in general, to the Philippine food systems,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. He noted the roadmap should address the industry’s major challenges such as much-needed investments in mechanizing farm operations to raise productivity and setting up postharvest facilities to minimize wastage and reduce storage and milling costs, including cost-efficient logistics and transport.

“Guided by the roadmap, our ‘OneDA Family’ through the national corn program will work doubly hard to increase the average yield per hectare and attain cost-efficiencies in the corn-feed-meat value chain, making it more competitive,” Dar added.

Currently, the country’s national average yield of yellow corn is 4.18 metric tons (MT) per hectare (ha), but combined with white corn, the total average yield is reduced to merely 3.18 MT/ha.

On the other hand, the average yield of hybrid corn is at least 8 MT/ha.

Corn Program Director Milo delos Reyes said the DA will focus on increasing the productivity of major corn-producing areas of the country, particularly Regions 2, 10, and 12.

It would provide clustered farms postharvest facilities to improve the quality of stored grains and reduce wastage and linking them directly to corn processors.

The ultimate aim is to increase farmers’ incomes and enhance their competitiveness by reducing the cost of corn as raw material for various uses, he said.

One of the key features that will be considered in the new roadmap will be the need for the private sector like seed producers, feed millers, and commercial feed manufacturers to engage in more joint ventures or direct marketing linkages with organized corn farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs).

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“Diesel will increase by P1 to P1.10 per liter. Gasoline will increase by P0.40 to P0.50 per liter,” the company said.

World oil prices went up last week on reports that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies decided to increase production output by 400,000 barrels per month.

A report by Reuters noted a decline in oil prices on Friday due to weak US jobs reports which could impact demand.

This was offset by concerns that US oil supply would remain limited due to the impact of Hurricane Ida The resumption of operation of oil refineries after Hurricane Ida, however, is seen to boost prices in the next few weeks.

On August 31, the oil companies implemented a price increase in domestic oil products, specifically P0.25 to P0.40 per liter for gasoline, P0.60 per liter for diesel and P0.70 per liter for kerosene.

velopment,” McAllister told international journalists during the virtual forum.

The US Coast Guard cutter Munro also conducted last week a joint maritime exercise with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the South China Sea. The bilateral operations with Philippine forces involved four vessels and a helicopter and the USCG’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Scan Eagle.

The recent exercises included searchand-rescue, fisheries enforcement, and maritime domain awareness, which is meant to identify activities going on in the country’s sovereign waters and to be able to respond to any threats.

“One thing that we are working with the Philippines on in particular is giving them the capacity and the capability to spend more time beyond their littorals, and by that, I mean further from shore,” he said.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Police deploy 2,654 to hunt down Reds in Bicol region

DOLE accepts work visa thru PH embassy FOREIGN nationals who intend to work in the country for over six months may now apply for an Alien Employment Permit or Certificate of Exemption/Exclusion through their Philippine-based employers.

“Essential foreign workers, through their Philippine-based employers, may now apply for AEP/ COE and 9(g) work visas at their concerned DOLE regional offices before entering the country,” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said.

Secretary Bello earlier issued Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No. 16, series of 2021, or the Issuance of AEP and COE for Foreign Nationals Intending to Come to the Philippines for Long-term Employment.

“Under the new guidelines, issuance of the work visa may be done at Philippine Consulate General at the foreign national’s place of origin and will no longer require an entry stamp from the Department of Foreign Affairs,” the DOLE chief said.

All documentary submissions for the AEP and COE shall still be based on earlier released guidelines, namely Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, series of 2019 and Section 3 of Department Order No. 221, series of 2021, except for the copy of the valid visa which shall be submitted within 30 working days upon arrival and completion of the 14-day quarantine protocol.

The lead time for the issuance of the AEP is five working days upon completion of labor market test or publication in a newspaper of general circulation while three days after receipt of the application for COE. Once granted, the Philippinebased employer may proceed with the application of an appropriate work visa with the Bureau of Immigration or other visa-issuing agencies, according to the latest advisory.

For more information about AEP application and issuance, you may visit the DOLE-Bureau of Local Employment website and Facebook Page END/CPS. Vito Barcelo

SUPER SPREADER? Divisoria, the bargain capital of Metro Manila, may also become a super spreader hub, if shoppers who flock to the area on Sept. 5, 2021 continue to ignore safety and health protocols like wearing of face masks and face shields and do not observe social distancing. According to health authorities, COVID-19 cases in the country might reach up to 30, 000 per day next week if current trends were to hold. Norman Cruz

DND plans to spend P1b to deploy 4,500 men in Sulu

By Rio N. Araja

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HE Department of National Defense will spend close to P1 billion in 2022 to deploy an entire division of the Philippine Army in Sulu in a renewed campaign to stop terrorism, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said on Sunday.

“The Army will put into operation an entire division of 4,500 men—the 11th Infantry Division—in the Municipality of Jolo in Sulu province at an initial cost of P929 million,” he said.

Pimentel is the strategic intelligence committee chairperson.

He said the funding is among the items in the DND’s P222-billion budget under the proposed P5.024-trillion General Appropriations Act of 2022.

“The new Army division will be dedicated to fighting ISIS-affiliated terrorist groups and will have operational responsi-

bility over the island-provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,” he noted.

The three provinces belong to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“The new Army division will not be made up of fresh recruits.

Highly experienced elements from other battalions are being reassigned to form the new division,” Pimentel said.

“Right now, the new division’s personnel and equipment requirements are still being completed,” he added.

He said the DND’s budget for 2022 also

House members bat for tax cuts LAWMAKERS are appealing to the government to ease the tax burden of Filipino families, batting for private auditing firms’ involvement in special audits of public funds.

“What the people and small business have the appetite and tolerance for are bills that will exempt income of specific sectors from taxes,” appropriations committee vice chairperson Rep. Juliette Uy of Misamis Oriental said.

This was seconded by Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera, a House deputy speaker, who added that the Filipino people “are not in any mood for any new taxes and increases in administrative fees because that has immediate impact on their already troubled daily cash flows.”

“No matter how small, no new taxes and no new increase in fees. We as their Representatives here in the House must be sensitive to and heed their sentiments

BODY CAM RECEIVED.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guererro formaly receives 200 body-worn cameras from Philippine International Trading Corporation CEO Dave Almarinez during a turnover ceremony held on Aug.27,2021 at the Customs Operation Center.

The cameras will be used by the BOC Enforcement and Security Service. Each body cam can record video and voice. Roy Tomandao

includes P348 million to build up the Philippine Navy’s station of Balabac in Palawan.

Jolo, the provincial capital of Sulu, is an insurgency hotbed.

On Aug. 24, 2020, insurgents affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group denotated two bombs in downtown Jolo, killing 14 people and wounding 75 others.

On Jan. 27, 2019, the Jolo Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was bombed during a mass, killing 18 people and wounding 82 others.

In his 2022 Budget Message to Congress, President Rodrigo Duterte said the upgrading of the Naval Station Narciso Del Rosario in Balabac is meant “to increase the tempo of our operations in the West Philippine Sea.” A group of 36 islands, Balabac is at the westernmost point of the country, around 448 kilometers from Pag-asa Island.

on this. They cannot bear any more burdens given the pandemic and its economic impact,” she added.

Uy, a committee on ways and means member, said she is supporting a tax exemption on the honoraria and benefits of teachers and election precinct personnel on election duty.

“That should be tax-free. They should get their whole honoraria and insurance benefits for election services rendered,” she noted.

Herrera, for her part, said “the revenue generation options are therefore limited to improved collection, implement what is already in the tax laws and regulations but the burden of compliance must not be thrust upon the shoulders of taxpayers.”

“We must improve the withholding tax and substituted filing methods of tax collection. The revenue agencies must work with what they have now. Another way to improve revenue collection is to make sure businesses small, medium, and large should be allowed to operate as far as minimum pandemic protocols can allow. Let us allow businesses in the modified general community quarantine areas to operate as close as possible to 100 percent capacity,” she said.

BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said “it might be necessary now to authorize special external audits by the private auditing firms of some of the government agency budgets, especially the pandemic Bayanihan funds. Details on how these external audits can be done can be tackled in detail in committee hearings.”

Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun batted for a major change to the 43-year-old State Audit Code.

“Our State Audit Code is not the legal architecture our country needs for the challenges and demands of this 21st century,” he noted. Rio Araja

DAR pursues door-to-door program THE Department of Agrarian Reform is set to distribute 7,311 hectares of agricultural lands to 7,035 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Negros Occidental come Sept. 9 and 10.

Secretary John Castriciones would spearhead the distribution of the certificates of land ownership award to the farmers in their farms and houses.

The lands to be distributed cover the 20 towns of Negros Occidental—Binalbagan, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, Magalona, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Isabela, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Salva-

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dor Benedicto, San Enrique, Toboso and Valladolid.

“Under the DAR-to-door program, the Secretary will lead in delivering the land titles of ARBs right at their doorsteps to show the farmers that we bring the government’s services to their own home and give them hope that this administration can be relied upon,” Western Visayas regional director Sheila Enciso said.

Apart from land distribution, Castriciones would also install farmerbeneficiaries in Pontevedra.

“The installation is important as this will signify their ownership of the land,” Enciso said. Rio Araja

IN CHECK. At least 4,800 bullets for high-powered assault rifle AK-47, 2 rifle grenades and food items were intercepted at a checkpoint in Butuan City on Friday night Sept. 3, 2021. Police arrested three suspected couriers of the communist terrorist group identified as Ferdinand Aque Dagium, Rolando Aque Dagium, and Marvin Pepito Merencillo. Jocelyn Morano/RP 1 Butuan

THE Police Regional Office 5 in Bicol Region is going all out to neutralize the communist terrorist group and make sure they will yield to government forces.

This developed as the PRO-5 deployed 2,654 of its personnel to 54 quarantine control points (QCP) in the Bicol Region, the highest number of deployment in border controls among all regions, Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar said.

Eleazar lauded the PRO-5 members who joined the military in an anti-insurgency operation in Irosin, Sorsogon on Thursday, leading to the killing of a ranking officer of the New People’s Army and one of his men.

Eleazar said the NPA officer had a P5million bounty on his head.

Two other NPA members, initially identified as alias Dexter and alias Bunso, were forced to surrender.

The encounter occurred at the boundaries of Patag and Cawayan villages after residents alerted the police on the presence of about 40 rebels.

“I commend the personnel of the PRO-5 under Police Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo for their successful anti-insurgency operation with the local military forces that led to the neutralization of two NPA armed fighters, including a ranking officer with P5 million reward, and the surrender of two others in Sorsogon,” Eleazar said.

The local police is coordinating with the families of the two rebels who surrendered and the two fatalities so they will be provided with necessary assistance.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

At the same time, Eleazar ordered all chiefs of police and area commanders to intensify the accounting of loose firearms.

An aggressive campaign against loose firearms will complement the crackdown on private armed groups to ensure that they cannot sow violence in next year’s polls.

Part of the campaign is for police units to encourage gun owners with expired licenses to renew their registration.

Based on PNP data, there are 664,480 firearms owned by private individuals with expired licenses as of the second quarter of 2021.

New group to promote PH exports A NEW organization which intends to uplift the export sector and will also allow more MSMEs to capitalize on the global market has just been formed.

The group, called the Philippine Export Service Providers and Consolidators Association Inc. (PESPCA), likewise intends to elevate the stature of Philippine-made products as a preferred brand, not just among Filipinos abroad, but also in the wider international marketplace.

PESPCA was formally organized following the election of its officers and the holding of its first meeting last July 2 in Parañaque City.

Elected were Tomas Medina as President, Jiten Lalwani as Vice-President, Michael Manalang as Secretariat, Brian Tan as Treasurer, and Angelo Reyes as Public Relations Officer.

Its newly-installed officers said they will prioritize pressing issues that face the export industry in the era of continuing pandemic, particularly its effects on shipping and logistics, container availability, freight rates, port congestion, and verified gross mass (VGM).

The group will also initiate dialogues with the government on how to make Philippine exports more competitive and attune with the global standards.

Among the agencies it intends to partner with are the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Agriculture.

PESPCA said close coordination with the said agencies is crucial in addressing export market regulation compliance such as foreign language label attachment, printing of correct date formats and order codes, and bundling of promos.

The group is also looking to propose a financing program to allow more MSME producers to cross over to overseas markets. To make these possible local businesses need to sustain a 60- to 90-day cash flow.

A4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Zarate wants Congress to assert oversight on intel funds

News

Marcos eyes performance audit on telcos

By Rey E. Requejo

By Rio N. Araja CONGRESS must have oversight powers over intelligence and confidential funds, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said on Sunday.

He urged the House of Representatives leadership to fast-track House Bill 6261 or An Act Mandating the Oversight and Audit of Government Intelligence and Confidential Funds and for Other Purposes.

“With around P8.6 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) which is among the highest in Philippine budget history, and the Commission on Audit admission of difficulty auditing the use of such funds, it becomes imperative now that Congress should exercise oversight powers over such gargantuan public funds,” Zarate said.

“CIF has become so large and its use remains hidden that abuse and misuse of the funds are ever present, more so under a tyrannical regime, and also now that elections are coming. Congress needs to assert its power over the purse and see if the funds it allocated were indeed used for its published purpose,” he added.

Zarate said it is high time that the government rectify “this highly anomalous mode of allocating intelligence and confidential funds that are free from audit, public scrutiny and official accountability.”

This developed as Vice President Leni Robredo decried on Sunday the prioritization of funds for the Department of Public Works and Highways, instead of the Department of Health, under the proposed 2022 national budget in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

3

Sine Abreño opens Abrenian Heritage Film Festival today BANGUED, Abra—Sine Abreño opens the weeklong 3rd Abrenian Heritage Film Festival on Monday online, the second such time under the pandemic, via its YouTube Channel, Facebook page, and Instagram.

This is a cultural program led by its founder Dexter Macaraeg, board members Dr. Maria Teresa Beñas, Dr. Paulina Sawadan, Dr. Joey De la Cruz, Darwyn Engente Lanas and Franz Kevin RJ Palos, in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Department of Tourism Cordillera.

A virtual opening program will kick off the film festival at 6 p.m. tonight, which will be broadcast live on Facebook.

Macaraeg said the films would be made available to the public for free.

The film festival focuses on the theme “Culture in Crisis, Arts Fighting to Survive COVID-19 Impact.” Macaraeg emphasized each film was made during the COVID-19 pandemic and how arts, creativity and resilience were used in fighting the crisis.

The jury includes award-winning Filipino filmmakers and educators Emmanuel Dela Cruz, Kevin Pison Piamonte, Kristoffer Brugada, Martika Ramirez Escobar and Arjanmar Rebeta.

The 11 films mostly came from Regions 1 and 2 and Metro Manila.

Opening film is ‘Salidumay’ by Dexter Macaraeg, shot entirely in Baguio City, with invitational films from Kalinga Province and the Visayas.

YULETIDE HOPE. A shop owner at a store along Dapitan corner Laong Laan streets in Sampaloc, Manila—an area famed for its Christmas decorations for sale—gears up for the coming Yuletide season, showing hope despite the high daily numbers of coronavirus infections due to the Delta variant. Lino Santos

Drilon: Probe Pharmally tax records and liabilities S

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja

ENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday said he would look into tax records and tax liabilities of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., the company that bagged over P10 billion in deals from the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management.

“From what has been shown, it is not clear that Pharmally has paid the correct taxes,” said Drilon, as he cited the glaring red flags found by the Commission on Audit in the Department of Health’s financial statements that included the disbursements to PS-DBM to buy medical equipment to battle COVID-19.

Drilon said PS-DBM was headed by resigned Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, who had worked under Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, the longtime aide of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a related development, Vice President Leni Robredo has called Malacañang’s move to question the past ad-

ministration’s purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) a “lame attempt” to divert the issue hounding the Duterte government.

Robredo’s remarks came after Malacañang said the Aquino administration bought PPEs at a costlier P3,500 to P3,800 per set, just as senators questioned the current administration’s purchase of medical supplies, including allegedly overpriced PPEs at P1,700 per set, for the pandemic.

According to Drilon, Bayanihan 1 and 2 did not exempt local purchases from Value Added Tax. Due to this, he said the amount paid to Pharmally should have been subject to a 2 percent withholding tax on government payments, and a 5 percent VAT withholding.

WATER PACT.

PrimeWater (PW) San Carlos City and the San Carlos City Water District SCCWD reaffirmed their partnership by signing Phase 2 of their Joint Venture Agreement to expand water services in the city in Pangasinan.

Present during the contract singing were (from left) Rhoda A. Aguillon, PW area operations head; engineer Romeo M. Sabater, PW vice president; San Carlos City Mayor Ayoy C. Resuello; Boy G. Queñano, Jr., SCCWD board chairman; and engineer Benjie G. Distor, SCCWD general manager.

Mining firms’ award underscores job security HINATUAN Mining Corp. (HMC) and Taganito Mining Corp. (TMC) were recently named Regional Winners in the 2021 Search for Outstanding Labor-Management Cooperation Program, the sister firms under Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) said in a statement.

They are now contenders for the National LMC Competition, the awardees of which will be announced this December.

The award is given by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) for Outstanding Labor-Management Cooperation (LMC) and Griev-

ance Machinery (GM) for Industrial Peace in the regional level.

NAC is the Philippine’s largest producer of lateritic nickel ore and one of the largest in the world. Its operations are multiple winners of the Presidential Mineral Industry Environment Award (PMIEA), the highest recognition for environmental excellence in mining in the country.

NCMB honored HMC and TMC, subsidiaries of NAC, for exemplary dedication, support and determination in sustaining harmonious labor-management relations in the workplace.

FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday urged the National Telecommunications Commission to conduct an audit on the performance of all telecommunications companies to assess the quality of internet service in the country.

Marcos made the call even as he lamented the disparity between the country’s touted gains in internet speed and the taxing real-world experience of teachers and students using the internet for their online classes.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology said recently that in July, the average download speeds for fixed broadband reached 71.17 megabits per second (Mbps) versus 66.55 Mbps the previous month.

Meanwhile, mobile internet download speeds saw a slight uptick from 32.84 Mbps in June to 33.69 Mbps in July.

The DICT stressed that these improvements put the country at 63rd out of 180 countries for fixed broadband and 72nd out of 139 countries for mobile internet.

“With online classes set to start in a few days, the NTC should conduct a thorough performance audit on our Telcos so we can avoid a repeat of instances where teacher and students had to risk life and limb just to get better internet connection,” Marcos said.

“While it is good to see our internet download speeds improve, the experience of teachers and students show it does not necessarily translate to better overall user experience. It is high time for Telcos to focus on improving parameters such as coverage and stability of connection which impacts day to day use,” he added.

Rice ‘bagsakan’ centers prop up farmers, benefit buyers too—Villar THE Rice Up Kadiwa Bagsakan Center provides more income to local farmers and cheaper cost to rice buyers, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Food committee, said Sunday.

Due to this, Villar encouraged more Kadiwa Bagsakan Centers, which were born out of the partnership of Rice Up Farmers Inc. and local governments.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Rice Up Kadiwa Bagsakan Centers in Floridablanca, Pampanga led

by Mayor Darwin Manalansan, Villar commended their efforts for the rice program.

She also acknowledged the important role of farmers in agriculture, to ensure that every Filipino has food to eat on their tables and to help in the country’s food sufficiency and sustainability.

“Our farmers belong to the country’s heroes, so they serve as my inspiration in my job as a senator,” noted Villar.

“This initiative of the Rice Up Farmers and local government unit is commendable to afford more gains to more than 400 farmer-beneficiaries in Pampanga,” said the senator, who has been crafting measures to continuously spur agricultural growth and improve lives of Filipino farmers.

Villar has also been launching programs to better equip our farmers with modern technology to increase their harvest that would result to abundant rice supply and its cheaper cost.

“This is the right model wherein farmers have greater role to play in our agricultural value chain,” she added.

Without the trader in-between, Villar said, the bringing of their products to “bagsakan” (food depots) would mean higher income for them and lower price of rice for the consuming public. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Training firm, RCM help make workers’ dreams a reality

By Jimbo Gulle (Conclusion, continued from Saturday) CURRENTLY, Dualtech Training Center offers a course in Electromechanics Technology. This is a bundled course, which combines electrical, mechanical, and electronics technological practices to produce all-round multi-skilled graduates exposed to maintenance or production jobs.

This course is designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude of students to operate, repair, and maintain various industrial equipment and facilities.

“In all provinces we’ve visited these years, one thing in common is the importance every Filipino family has given the value of education. More so for the less privileged sector of the society, these families stake their meager resources to send their children to school,” said Jerry Webb E. Muhi, the Executive Director of Dualtech Training Center.

“However, the only option families are looking at is a college education, and often can result to financial drain.”

When the coronavirus pandemic started, Muhi said Dualtech had 1,600 students in the program.

“Stranded due to lockdown, we had to spend millions supporting these students with food, lodging, and other basic personal needs.

I remember we reallocated funds in sustaining the students who came from different provinces across the country and a good number from Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.

“The fund we used up should have been for the tuition assistance and the subsistence support of incoming students for 2021,” Muhi added.

Amid the pandemic and in view of practical considerations, he said the Dualtech program is an equally viable alternative in giving education and leads the students to the doorstep of any of the firm’s over 100 partner companies for employment.

Despite the problems caused by the pandemic, Dualtech’s efforts did not go unnoticed. At the start of 2021, donations came pouring in to help its students.

“A priest friend, Fr. Willy Ong, forwarded me a message sometime in April that a certain Mr. Bobby Joseph from Rotary Club Manila is willing to sponsor students of Dualtech,”

Muhi said.

“Finally on July 13, I met Mr. Joseph with Thad Liamzon, Nagi Zeitouni, and Anton Mauricio. I realized how our RCM visitors appreciate the program of Dualtech—giving a chance for our less privileged youth to have a unique education that will help them reach their dreams and contribute to nation building,” he shared.

Dualtech will soon pursue additional programs as it adapts to the growing, specific, and evolving needs of the trainees and their partner companies. This way, the training firm will be able to match the expectations across industries and create competent employees with excellent values.

“As we continue to face the challenges of this pandemic, it is good to know that we have RCM who understands Dualtech and shares a common goal in uplifting communities through technical education,” Muhi said.

“With RCM lending a hand, Dualtech can continue reaching out amongst those youth who have little to no material resources to pursue education but are full of dreams and driven in life,” he ended.

Officials of the Rotary Club of Manila visit Dualtech for a possible joint project and their ‘Adopt a Scholar Program.’ In photo above (from left) are RCM Immediate Past President Bobby Joseph, RCM director Thad Liamzon; DFI executive director Jerry Webb Muhi; RCM Star Anton Mauricio; Crisanto Malaiba, DFI director, partners and programs office; Rev. Father Raul Asuncion; and Dualtech president Arnold Morfe.

Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

NAKED THOUGHT

B1

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CHARLIE V. MANALO

No to divorce

EDITORIAL

Therefore, recourse is given to married couples to examine if a marriage if it was less than what the law views as a valid marriage, a freely chosen commitment between two mature, knowledgeable and capable adults to enter a covenant of love, for life, with priority to spouse and children.

This process is more familiar to us as the THE burning issue on the legalization of di- annulment of marriage. vorce in the Philippines, in my mind, begs the Unlike divorce, an annulment does not atquestion: “What is marriage?” tempt to redefine marriage as it is. It does not Echoing the 1987 Constitution, the Family subtract permanence from the nature of marCode of the Philippines defines marriage as “a riage, nor subject the institution to the will of special contract of permanent union between a the spouses. In the end, far from weakening man and a woman entered into in accordance it, the annulment process affirms its dignity of OPEN with law for the establishment of conjugal and marriage by removing the obligations of marTHOUGHTS family life.”

The law also affirms marriage to ital life from a man and a woman who may be be the “foundation of the family and an invio- in an invalid marriage.

ORLANDO lable social institution.”

Unknown to many, even the Catholic OXALES From this legal definition of marriage Church has recognized the plight of broken alone, one can easily deduce its essential na- marriages. In reaching out to couples who ture: indissolubility and unity. Thus, perma- “show signs of a wounded and troubled love” nence is not simply a consequence, but it is and out of a desire to make the annulment inherent in the institution of marriage itself, process more efficient, Pope Francis, has inregardless of the will or intention of the indi- troduced radical reforms in the annulment viduals concerned. procedure, substantively altering the Church’s Therefore, without permanence, a sup- annulment laws since 1758. posed union between a man and woman While the Pope reaffirmed traditional would lose an essential quality for it to qualify teaching on the “indissolubility of marriage”, SO as marriage. he streamlined annulment procedures which I SEE outThis is what proponents for the legaliza- many considered cumbersome, lengthy, tion of divorce unfordated and expensive to LITO tunately are pushing make it affordable and BANAYO for—the redefinition accessible to CathoThe cohesion, of marriage. lics. the strength and the The enactment of a For example, Pope divorce law in the Phil- efficiency of the family, Francis introduced a ippines will inevitably brief annulment proremove indissolubility as a unit of society, cess that involves the from the inherent na- constitute the key to local bishop, and reture, and subjecting it quiresCROSSROADS only a single and the measure of the to the will, and sadly judgment, eliminating at times to the whim greatness of a nation. the need forJ.A. an autoof the spouses. The admatic DELA appeal toCRUZ a highverse consequences of er tribunal. Likewise, this legislation, however, go beyond the civil he has asked bishops that the annulment prostatus of the spouses or their right to remarry. cess will be now free of charge.

It will have far reaching effects on the stability Unlike divorce, an annulment does not and the structuring of society. “undo” a marriage. It does not try to erase the From the very beginning of history, men historical truth that a marriage happened, and and women have lived in families and despite that an emotional relationship between the shifting cultural and societal realities, the family couple never existed. Instead, annulment simremains as one of the oldest and most important ply declares that a marriage thought to be valsocial institutions on earth. All over the world, id actually fell short of at least one of the esthe family is considered the bedrock of a nation, sential elements required for a binding union. and the Philippines is no exception.

What is needed though is a thorough and In fact, the Philippines is one country where comprehensive review of the annulment process family ties are the strongest. This high regard to make it accessible, affordable and available for the institution is far from just being a reli- to those in need of it. There may be a need to gious or cultural truth. It is also a societal fact. expand the grounds for annulment to include The importance of the Filipino family derives, those acts that point out to lack of understanding not only as a source of emotional support and about the requisites of marriage, which can be the context for the development of profound manifested only during the marriage itself, such personal relations, but also for many other as- as unwillingness by one of the spouses to propects of social life, from financial support to create, the spouses separating very quickly after even finding employment. Being so, the exis- being married, and the stubborn persistence in tence, conditions, development and preserva- an extramarital affair at the time of the wedding tion of marriage is of particular importance to or at a time immediately after. the general welfare of our nation.

Additional grounds for annulment may Introducing divorce would effectively pro- also include malicious concealment of a matvide spouses a way out of the indissoluble na- ter that affects one’s decision to marry, such ture of marriage. Consequently, marriage, as as children born from a previous marriage, or the law would now perceive it, would be less having a reason that is completely incompatithan lifelong, stable and permanent. ble with married life, such as marriage due to It is important to point out that the perma- an unplanned pregnancy, or psychological innence of marriage provides the best foundation capacity to assume marital obligations manifor the stability of family life and the rearing fested in repeated physical violence or grossly of children. It is exactly for these responsibili- abusive conduct. ties toward their children and the community, While it cannot be denied that many opthat the law accords the institution of marriage pose the legalization of divorce for religious its rights and simply not for the mere emotion- reasons, it must be stressed that there are reaal or psychological sentiments of the couple. sons evident in natural law that affirm that for Marriage, therefore, is not simply a ques- marriage to serve its ends, it must be fixed and tion of rights, but also of responsibilities. If definite, in order to assure the building of a the married couple is unable or unwilling to family and the growth of the society. Divorce embrace these responsibilities—permanence simply ignores this fact, and merely subjects included, then their rights to conjugal life be- marriage to the arbitrariness of individual comes questionable. choices or the vagaries of human frailties.

However, one cannot be oblivious to this The cohesion, the strength and the efficienreality of broken marriages. Some marriages cy of the family, as a unit of society, constitute are entered into without the necessary maturi- the key to and the measure of the greatness ty or full knowledge and ability to keep such of a nation. While it is true that no one has a permanent commitment, or without full free to suffer the agony of a cruel and oppressive will because of external pressures. This is a sad marriage or the trauma of a discordant home, reality for many of our families, who because denying marriage the dignity that it is due and of social, cultural, moral and even economic dismantling the institution which is regarded difficulties, brought about by the complexities, as the foundation of this nation, is simply too demands and challenges of modern life. much of a price to pay.

THE FIFTH GOSPEL JUDE ACIDRE

More than allies

By Chargé d’Affaires John Law United States Embassy AS MY time in the Philippines draws to a close, I consider with hope the future of our bilateral relationship. I smile as I remember how quickly Manila came to feel like home, thanks to the hospitality and Bayanihan spirit of the Filipino people. Above all, I reflect on the deeply moving moments I have been privileged to share, from meeting Filipino heroes at the Day of Valor in Bataan, to honoring World War II veterans with U.S. Congressional Gold Medals, to the extraordinary efforts of today’s frontliners battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States will continue to do all in our power to help the Philippines prevail in its fight against COVID-19, through vaccine donations, medical equipment, and public health assistance.

To date, the U.S. has donated over 13 million

vaccine doses to the Philippines through COVAX. Millions more will come; the Philippines will receive 44 million vaccine doses from COVAX. I am heartened by each delivery of these life-saving vaccines, which are saving lives and bolstering confidence that together, we will overcome this terrible pandemic. Our support goes beyond vaccines to include over Php1.38 billion in assistance, including ventilators, ICU beds, personal protective equipment, and training.

Historically, our security alliance has been the backbone of U.S.-Philippine relations. We deeply appreciate President Duterte’s decision in July to restore the Visiting Forces Agreement, key to the operational effectiveness of our Mutual Defense Treaty – whose 70th anniversary we commemorate this year. We believe our alliance strengthens both countries’ operational readiness, deters conflict, and defends a peaceful, stable, rules-based order throughout the region.

The recent visits by our Defense Secretary and

ManilaStandard

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ONLINE

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MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

No time for self-congratulation

S

ECOND to last. This is a distinction we should be ashamed of, but one we should also learn from.

Two media organizations, using data from various recognized sourc-

Filipinos are in

es, have the Philippines at the bottom despair. rung of countries in terms of fighting COVID-19. We are 120st out of 121 countries, according to the Nikkei COVID-19 Recovery Index, as of August 31. This represented a 14-place makes the Philippines “a bad place to be in during the pandemic.” drop from our ranking in July.

Bloomberg’s study is a monthly China took the top spot among the nations in the Index; in Southeast snapshot of where the virus is being Asia, Singapore was the best per- handled most effectively with the least social and economic disruption. Performer at 14th place.

Nikkei Asia ranked the countries in formances were gauged according to terms of infection management (con- countries’ reopening progress, COVID NAKED firmed cases of COVID-19 versus peak status, and quality of life.

Both studies reflect the effects case count, confirmed cases per capi- THOUGHT ta, and tests per case), vaccine rollout of the Delta variant of COVID-19 CHARLIE V. (total vaccine doses given per capita, and show countries’ rise and fall in terms of responding to the crisis from new vaccine doses given per capita, MANALO and share of people who have received month to month.

Certainly, these rankings are tellat least one dose), and mobility (community mobility, stringency of govern- ing us something and it would be to our detriment if we ignored such a ment response, and flight activities).

Meanwhile, in Bloomberg’s COVID THE FIFTH resounding message: “Get your act Resilience Ranking publishedGOSPEL August together! Shape up!”

Alas, in July, the invincible Health 26, the Philippines ranked 52nd out of 53 countries, falling three JUDE notches Secretary Francisco Duque III decried from its position in July. ThisACIDRE territory the Bloomberg index to be “very un-

fair” because it used parameters that were skewed in favor of countries with a high vaccination rate.

That we are indeed at a disadvantage in obtaining much-needed vaccines from the global market does not invalidate what our position in the indices tells us.

Case in point: Sunday was the third straight day fresh infections totaled more than 20,000 across the country.

The positivity rate has also reached record highs this week.

In the meantime, our leaders are busy defending questionable deals made in the purchase of personal protective equipment, face masks, and face shields, among others, and are resorting to insulting those who dare raise valid questions on such transactions.

We are being led on with adjustable projected milestones, even claims of the President’s superb communication skills.

We need to listen to what the numbers are telling us. This is not a personal affront on our leaders but an objective basis that we are lagging behind in dealing with an unseen menace.

Filipinos are crying in despair as we plead to our decision makers: Take heed.

Arrogance, impunity, greed OPEN THOUGHTS ORLANDO OXALES DISAPPOINTMENT, frustration, and rage are probably mild descriptions of what I am—and I am sure many Filipinos are— feeling after the developing exposés of the past few weeks.

It started with the Commission on Audit report that the Department of Health was not compliant with government standards in the dispatch of some P67 billion funds for addressing the COVID 19 pandemic. This was followed by the thickening plot of overpriced pandemic supplies worth about P8.7 billion purchased from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, a questionable company that has been linked to the ex-Presidential economic adviser Michael Yang.

Solving corruption and the drug problem were the trumpeted campaign promises of the President. He himself has admitted in public that he cannot deliver on these promises, but these continue to be part of his narrative when he regularly puffs off invectives in his late night shows. He has been projecting a strong and uncompromising stance whenever he rattles out the names of government employees kicked out from the service for corruption offenses and repeatedly warns everybody to stay clean -- or else. Duterte has also encouraged the public to not be afraid and to come forward to report corrupt practices they encounter.

But in the case of the government’s biggest pandemic supplier now accused of overpricing and the DOH’s audit discrepancies where billions of Bayanihan funds have been spent, Mr. Duterte has taken the stance of a defender—and some might say even a prothe Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command highlight our unwavering commitment to our oldest treaty ally in the region.

It has been an immense privilege to serve in the Philippines these past three years.

September marks Maritime Archipelagic and Nation Awareness Month—a timely reminder that a strong maritime presence includes much more than traditional security. During the past three years, our cooperation has promoted the economic and environmental sustainability of the West Philippine Sea, whose resources are critical to Filipino livelihoods and to the nation’s prosperity. USAID’s Fish Right Program has advanced best-practice fishery and maritime resource management and curtailed illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in Philippine waters. Together we are supporting innovative approaches to reduce ocean pollution; protect sensitive marine environmental areas; and strengthen international maritime scientific re-

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

tector—of what should instead be a serious cause for an independent and publicly transparent investigation. What is at stake here is the integrity of his administration.

The recent Senate hearings revealed the clear ties between President Duterte’s friend Michael Yang and his fraternity brother, lawyer Lloyd Christopher Lao, whom he appointed as head of the Procurement Service-Department of the Department of Bud-

Only a credible investigation will settle this corruption issue that is a painful betrayal of public trust. get Management (PS-DBM). Apparently, as PS-DBM head, Lao procured the allegedly overpriced PPEs from Yang’s Pharmally. Senators have pointed out this irregularity, questioning the legal basis of the DOH to transfer the funds and relegate the procurement of the PPEs to PS-DBM. Indeed, why did DOH, which has its own Bids and Awards Committee and which is supposed to be in the better position to determine the specifications and quality of the PPEs, relegate the procurement of these specialized items to another agency?

Further probes on Pharmally showed that it was a newly organized company (eight months) with only P625,000 capitalization. During a Senate hearing, Senator Frank Dilon pointed out that in April, Pharmally was awarded by the PSDBM surgical mask orders priced in batches at P22.50, P27.72 and P22. These prices are substantially higher than awards given to other suppliers at the same time and of the same items priced at P13, P16 and P17. search. It is so inspiring to see the creative ideas pursued by the next generation of Filipino leaders, such as the team from Agusan del Norte that won the Department of State’s 2021 regional Haquathon competition.

I am confident that our security alliance and our cooperative partnership will continue to thrive in the years to come, and that our countries will grow ever more secure and prosperous. My optimism is rooted in something far more profound and lasting than our shared political and economic interests; it springs from the hearts of our two peoples. We are more than allies: we are friends and family. The ties between Americans and Filipinos stretch back over a century, refreshed each day by the close bonds among millions of our countrymen. My wife and I feel so very fortunate to have experienced that warmth and that friendship with so many Filipinos we have met throughout this beautiful country.

Though we could stay only a few years, we are so happy we could call this land our home, if only for a while. These friendships and memories we will take with us, and cherish always.

It has been an immense privilege to serve in the Philippines these past three years, and I leave deeply grateful to the Filipino people for their kindness and friendship. Salamat, hanggang sa muli!

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

A more recent statement by Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that the CEO of Pharmally and the Chairman of Pharmally International Holding Co. Ltd. are wanted for financial crimes in Taiwan.

So what we have here is an undercapitalized company, with no track record, in a false address, with officers that are fugitives hiding from Taiwan authorities, awarded an P8.7 billion supply deal involving two friends of the President.

It’s basic to any entrepreneur. Reducing the procurement cost of supplies and services needed in operations is vital to the viability of the business and warrants due diligence to determine the credibility and ensure the quality and reliability of products and services. It’s unbelievable that this routine process of procurement was innocently overlooked or neglected because they were being rushed. This is unacceptable because it’s so easy to go online and make a few calls to check these things.

The response from the President has been consistent with their playbook: Crass language, counter-accusations, and incoherent loquaciousness. These may be entertaining to some, but I feel these will no longer fool the public or appease the growing antipathy as the country continues to suffer the daily hard realities of the pandemic and a depressed economy. Only a credible investigation will settle this corruption issue that is a painful betrayal of public trust.

The arrogance, impunity, and greed to commit this plunder against the people is unthinkable to us ordinary citizens working hard to make a decent living for our families.

The insatiably corrupt who are backed by the powers-that-be feel they can get away with it.

We have to prove them wrong.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net) NAKED SO THOUGHT I SEE CHARLIE LITO V. MANALO BANAYO

Glass house CROSSROADS TO THE

POINT J.A. DELA CRUZ EMIL P. JURADO

A warning to humanity

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

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World

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Afghan civil war ‘likely’, says chairman of US Joint Chiefs

STANDOUT. A Taliban fighter stands guard as people move past him at a market with shops dealing with currency exchange in Kabul on September 5. AFP

WASHINGTON—Afghanistan will “likely” erupt in civil war, the top US general told US media Saturday, warning that those conditions could see a resurgence of terrorist groups in the country.

As American forces began their withdrawal, the Taliban took over Afghanistan in a lightning campaign, with only the northern province Panjshir holding out against the hardline Islamists.

“My military estimate... is that the conditions are likely to develop of a civil war,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Fox News.

He questioned whether the Taliban -who are yet to declare a government -would be able to consolidate power and establish effective governance.

“I think there’s at least a very good probability of a broader civil war and that will then in turn lead to conditions that could, in fact, lead to a re-

constitution of Al-Qaeda or a growth of ISIS or other... terrorist groups,” Milley said.

Emphasizing that he could not predict what would happen next in Afghanistan, he nonetheless gave a bleak assessment.

“The conditions are very likely,” Milley told Fox News, “that you could see a resurgence of terrorism coming out of that general region within 12, 24, 36 months.”

The United States invaded Afghanistan and toppled the first Taliban regime in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks

by Al-Qaeda, which had sanctuary in the country.

Western governments fear Afghanistan could again become a haven for extremists bent on attacking them.

The United States has said it will maintain an “over-the-horizon” capability to strike against any threats to its security in Afghanistan. AFP

Biden to visit OVER 2015 ATTACKS THAT KILLED 130 3 sites of 9/11 on 20th year France’s biggest trial ready to open WASHINGTON—US President Joe Biden will commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 by traveling to all the three sites of the attacks, the White House said Saturday.

On September 11, the president and First Lady Jill Biden will “honor and memorialize the lives lost 20 years ago,” according to the White House statement.

They will take part in ceremonies in New York, where the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell; in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the site of a crash of a plane hijacked by four jihadists; and in Arlington, Virginia, where the Pentagon was struck.

Biden had been counting on marking the 20th anniversary of the tragedy with a symbolic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

But America’s longest war ended in chaos, with the US military unprepared for Taliban’s swift takeover of the country and the death of 13 US troops in an attack in Kabul as the pullout was being completed.

In another development, Iran urged the United States Saturday to stop its addiction to sanctions against the Islamic republic and accused President Joe Biden of following the same “dead end” policies as Donald Trump. AFP

Saudi intercepts missiles, drones fired via Yemen RIYADH—Saudi authorities said Saturday they intercepted three ballistic missiles fired from neighbouring Yemen that had targeted civilians in the Eastern Province as well as the southern cities of Najran and Jazan.

Debris from the interception scattered across the eastern city Dammam, injuring two children, and damaging 14 homes, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense.

The severity of the injuries was unclear.

“Saudi Air Defense has intercepted and destroyed (3) ballistic missiles and (3) bomb-laden drones launched by the Iranbacked Houthi militia,” spokesperson Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki said in a statement, calling it “brutal, irresponsible behavior” by the Huthi rebels in Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels told state-run television it would take “strict measures” to protect civilians.

While there was no immediate comment from the Huthis, the Iran-allied insurgents have repeatedly targeted the kingdom in cross-border attacks.

In August, the rebels escalated operations using unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles, and Saturday’s interception comes four days after a drone hit Abha International Airport in the south, wounding eight people and damaging a civilian plane.

It also comes a few hours before Hans Grundberg, the UN’s new envoy for Yemen, officially assumes his duties Sunday.

In Dammam, Twitter users reported hearing a loud explosion.

Eastern Saudi Arabia is home to major oil infrastructure. A previous attack in September 2019 temporarily halted half of the kingdom’s oil production. AFP NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the late SANTIAGO MICHAEL VALERO ROTEA consisting of Two (2) Condominium Units 105 & 106 situated in Quezon City covered by CCT No. 004-2018094437 and CCT No. 004-2018094438 and real properties with improvements covered

by TCT No. 004-2016011015 located in Quezon City, TCT No. 0102018000101 located in Paranaque City, TCT No. 163-2019001607 located in Antipolo City and TCT No. M-154108 located in Tanay, Rizal has been extra-judicially settled among the heirs before the Notary Public JOSHUA LAPUZ as per Doc. No. 418; Page No. 85; Book No. 228; Series of 2021.

(MStandard-Aug. 30, Sep. 6 & 13, 2021)

P

ARIS—The biggest trial in France’s modern legal history begins on Wednesday over the November 2015 attacks on Paris that saw 130 people slaughtered at bars, restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall.

The suicide bombing and gun assault by three teams of jihadists, later claimed by the Islamic State group, was France’s worst post-war atrocity.

A purpose-built facility at the historic court of justice on the Ile de la Cite in central Paris will host the trial, with 14 of the 20 defendants present, including

the only surviving attacker, Salah Abdeslam.

“Everyone has their own expectations, but we know that this is an important milestone for our future lives,” said Arthur Denouveaux, a survivor of the Bataclan music venue attack and president of the Life for Paris victims’ association.

The trial over the traumatic jihadist killings, which were planned from Syria, is on a scale unmatched in recent times.

It will last nine months until late May 2022, with 145 days for hearings involving about 330 lawyers, 300 victims and former president Francois Hollande who will testify in November.

The case file runs to a million pages in 542 volumes, measuring 53 metres across.

Security alert Surviving gunman Abdeslam, a Belgium-born French-Moroccan, fled the scene of the carnage after abandoning his suicide belt, which investigators found to be defective.

Abdeslam, now 31, was later captured in Brussels, hiding in a building close to his family home, after four months on the run.

He has resolutely refused to cooperate with the French investigation and remained largely silent throughout a separate trial in Belgium in 2018 that saw him declare only that he put his “trust in Allah” and that the court was biased.

A major question is whether he will speak at his scheduled testimony in mid-January 2022. AFP

‘N. Zealand tried for years to deport market attacker’

CONTEST PIECE. French

photographer Agnes Dherbeys of the agency MYOP for the European Commission tells the stories behind the photos at her exhibition ‘Crisis Upon Crisis – Refugees and the Pandemic’ during the 33rd edition of the Visa pour l’Image international photojournalism festival in Perpignan, southern France on September 3. AFP

Myanmar lensman wins major photojournalism award PERPIGNAN, France—A Myanmar photographer won the top award Saturday at photojournalism’s biggest annual festival for his coverage of the troubled nation’s pro-democracy protests and bloody military crackdown.

The photographer, who remained unnamed for security reasons, scooped the Visa d’Or for News, the most prestigious award handed out at the “Visa Pour L’Image” festival in Perpignan, southwestern France.

Mikko Takkunen, the Asia photo editor for The New York Times, collected the prize on behalf of the photographer.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power in a February 1 coup, with near-daily protests and a huge civil disobedience movement.

“He is probably the strongest photographer in the country. He is extremely happy and honoured to win this prize,” Takkunen said.

Takkunen said the photographer dedicated the prize to his peers in his country who are working under extremely difficult conditions.

His photographs portray civilian protesters armed with stones, soldiers firing live bullets and grieving fami-

lies mourning their dead.

Across Myanmar, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in the ongoing military crackdown, according to an advocacy group.

The press has been squeezed as the junta tries to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licenses of local media outlets.

The anonymous photographer said in a message that he was “on the streets every day since February 1.

“I encountered many difficulties, working between bullet shots, tear gas and deafening grenades.” AFP

Komodo dragon, 2-in-5 shark species lurch towards extinction on ‘Red List’ MARSEILLE—Trapped on island habitats made smaller by rising seas, Indonesia’s Komodo dragons were listed as “endangered” on Saturday, in an update of the wildlife Red List that also warned overfishing threatens nearly two-in-five sharks with extinction.

About 28 percent of the 138,000 species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are now at risk of vanishing in the wild forever, as the destructive impact of human activity on the natural world deepens.

But the latest update of the Red List for Threatened Species also highlights the potential for restoration, with four commercially-fished tuna species pulling back from a slide towards extinction after a decade of efforts to curb over-exploitation.

The most spectacular recovery was seen in Atlantic bluefin tuna, which leapt from “endangered” across three categories to the safe zone of “least concern”.

The species -- a mainstay of high-end sushi in Japan -- was last assessed in 2011.

“This shows that conservation works -when we do the right thing, a species can increase,” said Jane Smart, global director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group.

“But we must remain vigilant. This doesn’t mean we can have a free-for-all of fishing for these tuna species.”

A key message from the IUCN Congress, taking place in the French city of Marseille, is that disappearing species and the destruction of ecosystems are existential threats on a par with global warming.

And climate change itself is threatening the futures of many species, particularly endemic animals and plants that live on small islands or in certain biodiversity hotspots.

Komodo dragons—the largest living lizards— are found only in the World Heritage-listed Komodo National Park and neighbouring Flores. AFP

HK PROTEST. The Hong

Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China standing committee member Tang Ngok-kwan attends a press conference at the June 4th Museum in Hong Kong on September 5, where his group announced they will not submit any documents to the police’s National Security Department and to hold an upcoming meeting to vote on dissolution.

AFP

WELLINGTON—New Zealand had been trying for years to deport an Islamic State-inspired radical who went on a frenzied stabbing attack, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed Saturday, saying it was “frustrating” he was allowed to stay free.

The lifting of suppression orders showed the attacker, Sri Lankan Ahamed Aathil Mohamed Samsudeen, was served a deportation notice in April 2019 after his refugee status was revoked.

While the legal process dragged on, Samsudeen grabbed a knife off a supermarket shelf in Auckland on Friday and injured seven people, leaving three critically wounded, before he was shot dead by police who were tailing him.

Ardern, who referred to Samsudeen as “the terrorist” and did not mention his name, was able to outline steps New Zealand had taken to try to deport him after the legal suppressions were removed late Saturday.

Samsudeen arrived in New Zealand as a 22-year-old in 2011 on a student visa and was granted refugee status two years later.

In 2016, he came to the attention of the police and intelligence agencies after expressing sympathy on Facebook for terrorist attacks.

During their investigations it became evident the refugee status was fraudulently obtained and the process began to cancel his right to stay in New Zealand, Ardern said. AFP

Business PSEi September 3, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

GERI

1.33

0.42

46.15%

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

TECHW MAHB OPM LFM HOME PHA AB EMP TUGS

1.59 1.99 0.012 30 9 1.17 6.68 17.06 1.08

0.16 0.19 0.001 2 0.51 0.06 0.33 0.82 0.05

11.19% 10.56% 9.09% 7.14% 6.01% 5.41% 5.20% 5.05% 4.85%

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

OV CPM LRW SFIP KEP EVER LODE GSMI TEL PA

LAST PRICE 0.01 2.55 0.57 1.6 3.26 0.405 0.65 105.4 1475 3.15

CHANGE -0.001 -0.25 -0.04 -0.11 -0.2 -0.02 -0.03 -4.6 -57 -0.11

% CHANGE -9.09% -8.93% -6.56% -6.43% -5.78% -4.71% -4.41% -4.18% -3.72% -3.37%

B3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Flat trading expected; eyes on inflation, unemployment

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

hare prices are expected to keep their sideways movement this week on rising new infections that will may temper any rally.

Utradeph.com, online stock trading arm of Unicapital Securities Inc. said consumer confidence is now better compared to last year’s as more businesses have adjusted to the new norm of stringent quarantine restrictions.

Variants of the COVID-19 virus, however, will continue to pose risk to public health and the economy moving forward.

Analysts said investors will be looking at the release of the August inflation

rate and employment data scheduled this week that may affect this week’s trading.

While inflation rate will likely remain within government’s expectations, analysts said the recent manufacturing data and the lockdown implemented by the government could indicate a possible decline in employment figures.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week rose 1.6 percent to 6,897.13 while the broader All Shares Index climbed 1.4 percent to 4,261.69.

Except for the property index which slipped 0.6 percent, all counters posted week-on-week gains led by mining and oil which jumped 4 percent, holding firms which advanced 3.2 percent, and industrial which gained 3 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers for the week by P449 million, while the average daily value traded reached P9.2

billion from the previous week’s average of P6.8 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Global Estate Resorts Inc., which soared 52.8 percent to P1.33, and Leisure & Resorts World Corp., which jumped 18.7 percent to P1.90. Share prices of both companies rose after the government said it would allow casinos to operate in Boracay.

Top losers were GMA Network Inc., which declined 5.8 percent to P12.88, Globe Telecom Inc. which dropped 5.1 percent to P2,702 and MacroAsia Corp., which fell 3.9 percent to P4.61.

Meanwhile, Wall Street stocks shrugged off a disappointing August US jobs report Friday that could delay the phasing down of monetary stimulus, while Tokyo rose on stimulus hopes after Japan’s prime minister signaled his exit. With AFP

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

ACEN SM TEL EMP BDO CNVRG LTG MBT ALI AC

VOLUME 32,790,800 309,510 193,595 16,845,900 2,241,910 7,853,800 27,069,700 5,334,000 7,053,500 288,830

VALUE (PHP) 327,744,577 312,729,690 287,817,240 286,729,072 258,824,666 250,438,830 241,722,804 238,921,520 233,615,340 227,973,660

END OF BENEFITS. In this file photo taken on August 20, 2021, people walk past a ‘We’re hiring’ sign posted at a store in New York City. The United States last year massively expanded unemployment aid as COVID-19 broke out. But in the coming days those benefits will end, forcing millions of jobless Americans—some of whom haven’t worked for the entire pandemic—to make hard choices about how they will get by in an economy newly menaced by the Delta variant. AFP

Employee Engagement 101 EMPLOYEES are regarded as one of the critical differentiators of an organization. Hiring the right talents and retaining them has become essential organizational goals. To achieve these goals, an organization must keep its employees engaged. Employee engagement is the employees’ strong connection, commitment and loyalty to the organization.

Understanding the concept and impact of employee engagement is not rocket science. Most research shows that employees with higher levels of engagement are more optimistic, more productive and more driven to contribute to the organization’s goals and objectives.

Consequently, employees with a lower level of engagement are at risk for high turnover, poor quality of work and negativity.

Employee engagement is a task of the Human Resource (HR) department and a collaborative effort from frontline managers to the top leaders in the company.

There is no cookie-cutter approach on how employee engagement should be done, as it varies based on an organization’s needs. However, organizations can implement these initiatives that have been very effective in managing employee engagement: Instituting Training and Development Programs With the changing business landscape and merging trends in technology, a continuous upskilling of employees is required. Investing in training and development programs for employees can result in better job effectiveness and performance. In addition, training and developing the skill set of your employees can be a sustainable effort for succession planning.

Nothing beats home-grown talent being promoted in their organization equipped with more knowledge and more vital leadership capabilities.

Having Coaching and Feedback Mechanisms Coaching and feedback should not happen once a year. Having

ERON F. JOSE

Green LiGht a consistent avenue to discuss performance and maintaining open communication will go a long way.

Coaching nowadays is a technique for managing key performance indicators (KPIs) and aims to advance individuals’ personal and professional development.

Coaching should be a two-way communication process and a joint effort between the employee and the manager.

Celebrating Small Wins Small wins and observing them turn a workplace from good to great. Simple gestures such as acknowledging an employee for sharing a bright idea during a brainstorming session, giving out a “thank you” note for reporting to work even during typhoons, and even as small as noticing an employee picking up trash and throwing it in the garbage bin. Recognizing small wins have a massive impact on employee morale, reinforces positive behavior, and creates an atmosphere of appreciation.

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion With more companies operating globally, promoting diversity and inclusion has been essential in managing business operations.

Genuinely diverse and inclusive companies have observed better relationships between peers and employees to managers, thus bringing more creative, more efficient outputs. It also shows that companies embracing diversity and inclusion retain talents and have a better reputation. Ensuring that HR policies protect women, LGBT+, and people of color against discrimination is a critical step for driving diversity and inclusion.

Ensuring Work-Life Balance Good organizations help employees maintain a balance

between work and life outside the office. Providing an adequate rest period and approving paid vacation leaves can relieve stress from work and let the employee focus on equally important things such as quality time with family and relaxation. Employees who get periodic rest become more productive.

Employment engagement is not just a one-time activity. It should be a consistent and continuously evolving set of activities tailored to the organization’s changing needs. Periodically measuring employee engagement is key to managing employee engagement.

Companies invest and work closely with engagement companies that offer surveys and analysis to maximize this benefit. Not having enough financial resources should not be an excuse for starting engagement initiatives for small to medium enterprises. Surveys or focus group discussions with employees can bring insights into the level of engagement of its employees.

Most organizations nowadays are going beyond the traditional employee-employer relationships.

They focus on building a stronger connection between the employee and the company through employee engagement. Building and championing a culture of engagement will bring about the best out of the employees and equally compensate for the organization’s goals and objectives.

German auto show opens under climate, COVID cloud MUNICH,Germany—Germany’s revamped IAA auto show, one of the world’s largest, opens in Munich on Tuesday for a celebration of all things car-related, but climate concerns and pandemic woes threaten to spoil the party.

After a disappointing edition in 2019, marred by environmental protests, poor visitor numbers and noshows from major automakers, the biennial event has reinvented itself as a “mobility fair” with a spotlight on electric cars, scooters and even bicycles.

Historically held in Frankfurt, the IAA will for the first time take place in the Bavarian city of Munich as part of efforts to revive the event.

The six-day fair will be one of the biggest exhibitions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, coming just as Germany grapples with a fourth wave.

To reduce the infection risk, daily visitor numbers are capped at 80,000 and guests must show proof of vaccination, recovery or a recent negative test before entering.

Confirming a trend seen at auto shows around the world, many wellknown brands will again skip the showcase, chief among them the Stellantis group (Peugeot-Fiat Chrysler) and Japan’s Toyota.

Also absent will be leading electric car-maker Tesla, leaving IAA organizers to hope that this year’s more than 70 bicycle exhibitors will keep audiences satisfied—and attract new ones.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is bowing out of politics after a general election on September 26, will give a speech on Tuesday when the fair opens to trade visitors.

Once known as the “car chancellor” for her efforts to shield German carmakers from tougher EU pollution rules, the veteran leader is likely to touch on the industry’s costly transition towards greener engines, even if critics say change isn’t happening fast enough. AFP

California winemakers prepare own wildfire-fighting equipment

By Julie Jammot NAPA, California—Water tanks, fire trucks and helicopters: California’s Napa Valley winemakers are buying their own equipment to protect their property and their pricey vintages from wildfires.

A historic drought driven by man-made global warming has left large tracts of the western United States parched and highly vulnerable to fires.

That includes the world-renowned vineyards that dot central California, producing billions of dollars in wine every year.

And with fires spreading at an alarming rate—2021 is shaping up to be the most destructive year on record—firefighting resources are stretched thin.

“I know that CalFire cannot be everywhere at the same time and that has shown constantly, not only here but in the rest of California,” said Randy Dunn, who founded his 200-acre (80-hectare) winery in 1979, referring to the state’s firefighters.

“So I feel strongly that, if you have some protection and you stay here, that you got a chance. If you leave, then I think your chance has really dwindled.”

Dunn already owned a vintage 1946 fire truck—old, but still functional—and has just bought a newer one.

The siren doesn’t work, but its hoses are fine, though so far they have not been battle tested—it’s more of something he has been using for fun with his grandchildren.

But he is confident he would be able to use it if a fire breaks out on his property.

Its purchase was prompted by a close call last year when the Glass Fire scorched more than 67,000 acres of Napa and Sonoma counties—prime wine-producing country.

“It was about a mile from here,” he told AFP pointing to the west, where dried-out pines cling to the dusty earth.

Smoke-infused vintage Wildfires are a part of the natural forest cycle, burning away old vegetation and spurring new growth in their wake.

But their reach, intensity and regularity is increasing across the region, as the planet warms and weather patterns change.

Each fire season brings new worries over how much will burn this year, and how far the wind will carry the embers.

Winemakers like Dunn know that they have to work hard to protect their land.

He has spent thousands of dollars to clear brush and forest around the property.

But the cost pales in comparison with the insurance premium, which has gone up more than five-fold this year to $550,000.

For Mike Dunn, Randy’s son, the land management is vital to the fight to protect the vineyards.

The second fire truck adds peace of mind.

“If you have defensible space like we do, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have some sort of method to spray any possible (fire) startup. AFP

Eron Jose is a Master of Business Administration student at the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. He has been a BPO manager for years and is a big advocate of employee engagement.

He can be reached at eron_jose@ dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

Randy Dunn (left) and his son Mike, owners of Dunn Vineyards, check on their vines in Angwin, California, August 30, 2021. A historic drought driven by man-made global warming has left large tracts of the western United States parched and highly vulnerable to fires. AFP

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

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, September 3, 2021 62.47 PTS. 6,897.13

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,581,723,470 98,045 6,454,144,969.30 104 102 39

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.0120

Japan

Yen

0.009097

0.4550

UK

Pound

1.383700

69.2016

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128679

6.4355

Switzerland

Franc

1.093613

54.6938

Canada

Dollar

0.796559

39.8375

Singapore

Dollar

0.744990

37.2584

Australia

Dollar

0.740100

37.0139

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653364

132.7000

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

13.3362

Brunei

Dollar

0.742225

37.1202

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030837

1.5422

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6169

Euro

Euro

1.187500

59.3893

Korea

Won

0.000863

0.0432

China

Yuan

0.154892

7.7465

India

Rupee

0.013700

0.6852

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240616

12.0337

New Zealand

Dollar

0.710800

35.5485

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036220

1.8114 Source: BSP

PH bond market climbed to P1.5t as of June—DOF

By Julito G. Rada THE local currency bond market in the Philippines grew significantly over the past decade on investors’ strong and sustained confidence on the domestic economy, the Department of Finance said over the weekend.

The outstanding local currency corporate bonds exceeded P1.5 trillion as of end-June, representing 8.2 percent of the gross domestic product and double the ratio in 2010.

“Practically minuscule 20 years ago, the Philippine LCY bond market has grown sizably. In many ways, the ability to issue LCY bonds is a reflection of investor confidence in the economy,” the agency said in an economic bulletin t “The fiscal sector, once the Achilles’ heel of the economy, has become a strong pillar for sustainable development and an enabler of capital markets development,” it said.

It said the passage into law of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion helped usher the democratization of investing in real estate, even if indirectly.

The TRAIN Law, the initial package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, was signed into law

by President Rodrigo Duterte on Dec. 19, 2017.

Data showed three real estate investment trusts debuted in the stock market and another was already accepting subscriptions for its initial public offering.

The DOF said the passage of the proposed Capital Markets Development Act of 2021 would further increase demand for financial securities.

“The greater issuance of these securities, however, will depend on the sustainability of economic growth and efficiencies in the financial markets,” it said.

It said sustainable economic growth could be enhanced by the participation of foreign capital which could be catalyzed by the proposed amendments to the Foreign Investment Act, Public Service Act and Retail Trade Liberalization Act. Package 4 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Tax Reform Act, aims to make Philippine financial markets more efficient and competitive by doing away with “nuisance” documentary stamp taxes on financial products that are the sources of friction costs in the financial markets.

NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines is seeking the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission to develop several transmission projects, including the Grid Protection Relay Replacement project costing P8.9 billion to help maintain and improve the reliability of the power grid.

NGCP sought approval to replace protection relays in the entire grid to ensure its safe, secure and reliable operation.

PSALM selling Pampanga property

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation is conducting the second round of public bidding for the sale of a 50,447-square-meter real estate property in Barangay Lagundi, Mexico, Pampanga.

PSALM said over the weekend its board set the minimum bid price for the property at P741,327,000.

Deadline for the submission of bids is Oct. 20 at 2 p.m., after which the opening of bids will immediately follow. The bidding will be conducted at the PSALM office at the 24th floor of Vertis North Corporate Center 1, North Avenue, Quezon City. The proceedings will be shown virtually.

The property consists of one lot identified as Lot No. 552 per the Cadastral Map of Mexico and is covered by a clean title.

The property is the former the site of the transshipment warehouse facility of the National Power Corp.’s North-Luzon generation and transmission projects at the time of its operations. Alena Mae S. Flores

Globe’s data, call services improve

SPECIAL FLIGHT. Cebu Pacific safely brings home 217 Filipinos from Dubai via special commercial flight 5J 27 on Sept. 4 in response to the government’s call for assistance to repatriate workers who were stranded due to the travel restriction. This is the seventh CEB-arranged Bayanihan flight that was mounted with the approval of the Philippine government’s special working group.

The government imposed in May a travel ban to the United Arab Emirates to curb the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Aside from meal and baggage allowance upgrades, passengers on this flight received gift packs from Universal Robina Corp.

Lucio Tan’s ‘deep pockets’ critical to recovery of PAL

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

HE recovery of Philippine Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States, will depend on how deep the pocket of majority owner Lucio Tan is as the global pandemic crippled the operations of the airline industry, a former executive of the flag carrier said over the weekend.

Avelino Zapanta, former president of PAL, said it is “very difficult” for PAL to return to normalcy because of the global pandemic.

“It will depend on how deep is the pocket of Lucio Tan,” Zapanta said, adding Tan valued the airline and he would not give up easily.

The 87-year old Tan earlier infused about P16 billion into the company to support PAL’s operations amid the im-

pact of the health crisis.

“He creates miracle in sourcing of capital,” said Zapanta, the president of PAL when it first filed for corporate rehabilitation in 1999. PAL exited from corporate rehabilitation in 2007.

PAL voluntarily filed for a pre-arranged restructuring under the U.S. Chapter 11 process in the Southern District of New York on Sept. 3 to implement the consensual restructuring plan.

“For our customers, you should not experience any disruption in services throughout this restructuring process there will be no change in the way you experience PAL and will receive the same care that you have come to expect from PAL,” Lee said.

PAL earlier reported total comprehensive loss amounting to P18.04 billi1on in the first half, down 18 percent from P22.02-billion comprehensive loss in the same period last year.

Consolidated revenues in the sixmonth period declined by 51 percent to P18.04 billion from last year’s P36.82 billion because of the effect of continuing COVID-19 pandemic which started in mid-March of 2020.

Passenger revenue amounted to P11.62 billion in the first half, while cargo revenues amounted to P5.53 billion.

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said its call and data browsing services improved in the second quarter from a year ago as it aggressively ramped up network rollout in the National Capital Region.

Based on the latest data from Ookla, Globe’s LTE consistency score for Metro Manila reached 81.30 as of the second quarter. Globe posted a 53.96 mark in the same period last year.

Since its sustained network upgrades and builds in Metro Manila, the technology company was getting at least 80 mobile consistency score since April in Metro Manila.

“We aspire to bring the best service to our customers and give them an elevated mobile experience. Since last year, we have made significant strides to bring our Consistency Score to the level of other providers in the world,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu. “We encourage our customers to upgrade their 3G SIM cards to 5G-ready 4G LTE SIMs and upgrade their devices to 4G LTE to further enjoy the benefits of our network upgrades,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar

MPIC helps expand Ramiro Hospital

RAMIRO Community Hospital, a leading private hospital in Bohol with a rich 46-year history, is expanding with the help of corporate partner Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. to meet the growing needs of the island-province.

RCH is a 118-bed Level 2 hospital in Tagbilaran City, and founded in 1975 by family patriarch Dr. Luther Ramiro. Migrating to Bohol from his native Cagayan de Oro in 1954, Dr. Ramiro first served as resident surgeon in Graham Memorial Hospital, then joined Bohol Medical Center in 1960, en route to eventually taking over its reins by 1971 with the help of his wife Dinah Lumain-Ramiro as hospital administrator.

Four years later, the Ramiro couple was prodded by patients to put up its own family hospital. From a modest 10bed facility, Ramiro Community Hospital has since grown and established itself as a household name as the place to get the best medical treatment in Bohol. In March of 2020, just before the nationwide lockdown with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ramiro Family agreed to partner with MPHHI in operating and growing the hospital further.

Alfamart PH seeks to expand network to over 1,200 stores

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Land Bank of the Philippines and Converge ICT Solutions Inc. sign a P3-billion loan agreement to provide fast and reliable internet connectivity to more subscribers nationwide. The virtual signing ceremony is led by (upper row, from left) Converge chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge president Maria Grace Uy and LandBank president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo. Joining them are (lower row, from left) Converge deputy chief finance officer Christine Renee Blabagno and LandBank agricultural and development lending sector officer-in-charge senior vice president Filipina Monje and corporate banking group head senior vice president Ma. Celeste Burgos.

Converge to use P3-b loan to reach ‘untapped’ markets STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines signed a P3-billion loan agreement with Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. to help provide fast and reliable internet service to more subscribers nationwide.

LandBank president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo, Converge chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy and president Maria Grace Uy led the virtual loan signing ceremony to support the fiber broadband service provider’s continuing terrestrial and subsea domestic network expansion and finance working capital requirements.

Borromeo cited the importance of in-

vesting in technology as more Filipinos adapted to digitalization amid the pandemic.

“We are hopeful on this new partnership between LandBank and Converge to ensure the delivery of fast and consistent internet services across the country.

It is with urgency that we must support more users in adapting to home set-ups for work and education in the new normal,” Borromeo said.

“This is also aligned with LandBank’s thrust of leveraging on digital innovations to provide uninterrupted, safe and timely financial solutions to our clients, especially the unbanked and underserved,” Borromeo said.

Dennis Uy said the loan financing would bring it one step closer to its goal of connecting the unserved and underserved areas in the country.

“The available funds will help us reach into untapped markets and really ‘Go Deep’ into existing ones,” Uy said.

Converge will utilize the credit support from LandBank for its continued network expansion across the country, broadening its distribution reach and boosting international connectivity.

The total loan package from LandBank will also include an additional short-term loan line and facility for trade transactions amounting up to P2 billion. Julito G. Rada

NGCP eyes approval of energy regulator to implement several transmission projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores

IN BRIEF

“The replacement is necessary as there are protection relays found to be defective, obsolete and outdated. There are transmission line and high voltage equipment with no redundant protections and there are substations with no breaker failure relays installed,” it said.

The project will be implemented over a period of 72 months. The GPRRP is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

NGCP also asked for approval to implement the Luzon Voltage Im-

provement Project 6 to address power quality during peak load and N-1 conditions at various substations in the Luzon grid.

The project is estimated to cost P1.359 billion over an implementation period of 38 months.

NGCP is also seeking approval for the Pinamucan-Tuy 500 kV transmission line project that would provide another 500 kV transmission corridor to accommodate additional power in Batangas City, which is being promoted as a

liquefied natural gas terminal hub. The P6.24-billion project will be implemented over 65 months.

Meanwhile, NGCP also plans to implement the South Luzon substation upgrading project 2 that will cater to the load growth and provide contingency to South Luzon substations.

The project, costing P5.77 billion, will ensure reliability and flexibility of operations on the various substations and improve power quality. It will be implemented over a period of 60 months.

ALFAMART Philippines, a leading minimart chain in the country, said over the weekend it is on track to expanding its retail network to more than 1,200 stores by the end of the year.

Alfamart Philippines chief operating officer Harvey Ong said in a statement the company remained aggressive with store expansion despite the pandemic.

The group plans to open 200 stores in Luzon for this year alone.

“We continue to be guided by our company purpose of uplifting the lives of residents in underserved communities. We bring this to life by opening stores close to where our customers live and offering them a wide assortment of essential merchandise to address their daily and weekly needs,” Ong said.

Ong said Alfamart also aimed to have a bigger role in community development by supporting local entrepreneurs.

“We want every Alfamart store to benefit its local community by generating employment, providing rental income to its lessors and creating opportunities for local suppliers. We also enable local businesses – such as carinderias and sari-sari stores – who turn to us when they need supplies,” Ong said.

For its bigger stores, Alfamart said local entrepreneurs could set up businesses in the store vicinity to enable them to tap into Alfamart’s strategic locations.

“A growing number of bills payment kiosks, food kiosks and laundry shops, are already partnering with us to offer their products and services to our shoppers. Partnerships are especially relevant now that everyone is reeling from the economic effects of the pandemic. In our own way, we hope to support other individuals or businesses who need a hand to get back on their feet,” Ong said.

Sports

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

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

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Terrafirma on a 3-game roll

By Peter Atencio

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Kobe Paras

Paras to play in Japan

HIS time around, Juami Tiongson stepped aside and let his other teammates do their thing for Terrafirma Dyip.

Aldrech Ramos tallied a gamehigh 17 points as the Dyip subdued winless Blackwater Elite, 9684, on Sunday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Ramos and three other teammates helped Dyip took control in the fourth quarter and post their third straight win in seven games.

Reden Celda banged in 15

KOBE Paras is joining a new generation of ex-collegiate cage standouts, who play overseas, particularly Japan.

The 23-year-old Paras signed a professional contract with B.League Division I team, the Niigata Albirex, a Japanese ballclub based in Nagaoka, Niigata.

“We are pleased to announce that we have signed with Kobe Paras for 2021-2022 season. By the conclusion of this contract, Kobe’s entry into Japan is not yet permitted at this time,” said the ballclub in a Twitter message to their fans.

So far, there are now seven Filipino cagers, who are set to play for different ballclubs in Japan, namely Thirdy Ravena, Kiefer Ravena, Juan Gomez de Liano, Javi Gomez de Liano, Bobby Ray Parks and Kenmark Cariño.

Last week, Parks suited up for Japan B.League Division I team Nagoya Diamond Dolphins.

Thirdy Ravena was the first on the list as he is now with San-En NeoPhoenix.

His brother Kiefer is preparing to play for Shiga Lakestars.

Javi Gomez de Liaño hooked up with the Ibaraki Robots, Juan Gómez de Liaño is with Earth Friends Tokyo Z and Kemark Carino was acquired by Aomori Wat in the league’s second division.

“I can’t wait to meet my new teammates out there and hear the amazing fans cheer us on every game!” said Paras in an online post.

Peter Atencio

points, including two free throws and a jumper in the remaining 9:55 to provide Dyip some lift as they finally began to move away following a 65-all third quarter tie.

Philip Cahilig knocked in 12 points and provided some muscle with 11 rebounds for Dyip. His triple came on top of a short 6-0 burst gave the team a 76-69 cushion in the ensuing play.

From there, the Dyip managed to protect their slim advantage until

the end.

“We don’t underestimate them.

Iyun nga, nanalo pero dumikit sila sa amin. So we stayed humble and just did our team defense,” said Dyip coach John Cardel.

Unlike in their last two games, Tiongson took it easy this time and only had 10 points, with Rashawn McCarthy.

The game between the Meralco Bolts and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel was postponed in accordance with the PBA’s health and safety protocols.

The match will be rescheduled at a later date following league guidelines.

Mike Tolomia shot 14 points for the Elite.

Terrafirma’s Aldrech Ramos challenges two Blackwater Elite defenders in a PBA Philippine Cup game won by the Dyip, 96-84.

Manila Chooks bows out of FIBA 3x3 meet MANILA Chooks TM suffered a heartbreaker to close out their 2021 FIBA 3x3 Montreal Masters Pool D campaign, absorbing a tough 16-21 (7:07) loss to world no. 10 Edmonton, Sunday at the Place des Festivals in Canada.

The Manila-based club team bowed out of the competition at 10th place along with USA’s Omaha as both squads finished with identical 0-2 slates with a point average of 13.5 points.

Home team Old Montreal finished 12th place among the 12 teams.

Coming off a 9-21 loss to world no.

8 Antwerp earlier in the day in this maximum level tournament, Mac Tallo willed Manila Chooks TM with booming deuces and daredevil drives to keep pace with the taller Canadians.

Tallo had a game-high 11 points built on three deuces and four one-point shots.

Fouls though plagued Manila Chooks TM in the endgame.

After a Ross Bekkering bucket that broke the deadlock, Zach Huang committed Manila Chooks TM’s seventh foul that put Steve Sir to the stripe for two. The former World Cup shootout champ, who was playing in his last Masters, knocked down the two freebies with ease.

Alex Johnson then converted on the game-winner with 2:53 left.

“We have no excuses,” said Manila Chooks TM head trainer Aldin Ayo. “Hindi lumabas yung mga pinractice namin.

“We as coaches are accountable, lalo na ako, sa result ng campaign natin.

Hindi ko napalabas yung mga pinrepare natin,” he continued.

Dennis Santos and Mark Yee added two markers each while Huang chipped in a point.

Guard Adika Peter-McNeilly had seven points to lead Edmonton, who together with Antwerp will advance to the next round. Six-foot-eight Dutchman had six points while Sir and Johnson tallied five and three points, respectively.

Gilas wants to improve everytime it competes CONTINUOUS improvements should take place as plans to send the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball to numerous tournaments get under way.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio said this after he got hold of the Philippines’ schedule in Group A of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.

“Maski qualified na tayo, I think our program has been on how we will do better everytime that we compete,” said Panlilio.

“We want to be continually improving. Iyun ang target natin,” added Panlilio.

SBP is now preparing to give Gilas a much-needed exposure to help it grow

Members of the Gilas Pilipinas will be given a much-needed exposure in international tournaments. fiba.basketball

and develop into a better team.

The Philippines will have six games during its first three windows in the qualifying phase, which will span from November 2021 to June 2022.

Korea will be Gilas’ first opponent, with the two having back-to-back games on Nov. 25 and 28.

Head coach Tab Baldwin plans to bring the nationals to the United States and Europe to join tournaments.

A new set of preparations is being readied with less than two years to go before the FIBA World Cup gets going.

The Philippines, Japan and In-

donesia are co-hosting the event in 2023.

Gilas has gone into a series of tuneup games recently, including in Amman, Jordan last July as it saw action in the 10th King Abdullah Cup and finished fourth after bowing out in the semifinals.

The nationals got to learn their strengths and weaknesses, while going up against more experienced teams from Jordan, Tunisia, and Egypt.

Gilas’ preparations also include the 2021 Asia Cup, which will be hosted

by Indonesia next year.

Indonesia deferred from hosting it this year because of the rising COVID-19 cases. Peter Atencio

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Sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Pinay muay athletes in PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up FILIPINA muay champion athletes headlined the latest episode of the Philippine Sports Commission web series “Rise Up Shape Up” last Saturday.

The episode spotlighted 24 women and girl athletes, who bagged gold medals in different categories during the 7th Women’s Martial Arts Festival, which was also spearheaded by the PSC in July.

Stories of the gold medalists Atasha Althea Amoguis from General Santos City (10-year old category), Keith Margareth Balinas (11-year old category,) Jasmine Dagame of Taytay, Rizal (12-year old category), Neeve Jolie of General Santos City (13-year old category), Rhyzel Chen Sevilleno of General Santos City (14-year old category), Chelsea Bulfa of General Santos City (15-year old category), Jahaziel Care Barbero of Davao City (16-year old category) and Jamila Alawi of Davao City (18-year old category) were among those featured.

A special segment with 2019 Southeast Asian Games silver medalists Islay Erica Boomage (women’s 45kg) and Jenelyn Olsim (women’s 54kg), where they shared their best practices and winning moments was also shown.

“Programs like the Women’s Martial Arts Festival are one great opportunity to bolster women’s rights to equal participation in sports,” said Women in Sports Commissioner Celia Kiram.

Kiram also talked about the history of Muay Thai in her regular segment K-Isport.

Sityodtong orders review of Seo-Denice ONE faceoff

Djokovic marches on; no. 1 Barty eliminated

ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong has ordered a formal review of the controversial ONE Championship Women’s Atomweight Grand Prix quarterfinal showdown between Filipino fighter Denice Zamboanga and South Korea’s Seo Hee Ham. “The fight between Denice Zamboanga and Seo Hee Ham is under formal review by the competition committee,” Sityodong said in his social media post after the result, questionably won by Ham, drew negative reactions from netizens.

Seo won the controversial bout by split decision, despite Zamboanga being the aggressor and showing superior grappling skills in their ladder-format encounter at the ONE Championship: Empower card last Sept. 3 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

The chairman and CEO of Asia’s top Mixed Martial Arts organization believes that the Filipina should have been awarded a close decision win against the Korean.

“I thought Denice Zamboanga (8-1) edged out Seo Hee Ham (24-8) for the victory in a super close fight. While I disagree with the judges on this one, I can understand why they scored the bout for Ham. It was a very close fight with Ham landing the cleaner, heavier punches with damage and Denice controlling the cage work, takedowns, and ground action.”

Pundits were anticipating a Zamboanga-Angela Lee world title fight after the Filipina called the Singaporean out in an ensuing exchange of harsh words on social media.

On Friday night, however, Zamboanga lost by split decision to Seo in a bout that was part of the ONE Grand Prix series aiming to determine the contender against Lee for ONE Championship world women’s atomweight crown.

But many had thought it should have been a close unanimous decision for the Filipina fighter.

Zamboanga, who stayed and trained in Thailand since the pandemic lockdown last year, insisted that she won that fight. “I stand by my position, and I still believe I won that fight.” Randy Caluag

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates his win against Japan’s Kei Nishikori during their 2021 US Open Tennis tournament men’s singles third round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. AFP

N

EW YORK—Novak Djokovic moved within four matches of completing the first men’s singles calendar-year Grand Slam in 52 years on Saturday while top-ranked Ashleigh Barty was eliminated from the US Open by a stunning fightback from American Shelby Rogers.

World number one Djokovic defeated Kei Nishikori 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, taking his 17th consecutive victory over the Japanese star and improving to 18-2 in their overall rivalry.

“I was very pleased with the focus,” Djokovic said. “Maybe at some points I wasn’t my best, but I was determined and focused and that made the difference.”

With a fourth career US Open trophy, Djokovic would complete the first men’s singles sweep of major titles in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Barty won 11 of 14 games after dropping the first set, only for Rogers to capture five of the last six games for a shocking 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5) triumph.

“I didn’t want to leave,” Rogers said. “I just said make balls, try to stay in this match, it can’t get any worse, you’ve lost to her every time.”

Rogers had dropped all five prior meetings with Barty but would not be denied, breaking the Aussie as she served for the match in the eighth and 10th games as the crowd went wild at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I was just trying to stay in the point longer than Ash,” Rogers said. “I was happy with myself for sort of problem solving.

I’m just so excited to be moving on to the next round.”

Rogers will next face 150th-ranked British qualifier Emma Raducanu, an 18-year-old who routed Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1 in 70 minutes.

Djokovic, meanwhile, marched toward a 21st career Grand Slam title, which would break the deadlock for the men’s record he shares with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, both absent with injuries.

The 34-year-old Serbian star advanced to a fourth-round matchup on Monday against 99th-ranked US wildcard Jenson Brooksby.

“He was playing pretty solid,” Nishikori said. “I couldn’t break the wall. Very unfortunate I lost.”

Djokovic, who had 52 unforced errors and 45 winners, dropped the last three points of the first-set tie-breaker, the last on a Nishikori service winner.

“I don’t think I started off very well,” Djokovic said. “I was too passive. He was dictating the play. I was still trying to find the tempo. It took me a little bit of time to adjust to his game.”

But Djokovic broke early in each set from there to seize command. In the fourth he grabbed a 3-2 lead and never dropped another game.

“Big credit to Kei, who played on a very high level,” Djokovic said. “He was quick. It was tough. Great fight from him.”

Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev defeated 184thranked Jack Sock 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 2-1 when the American retired with a right thigh injury. AFP

Cantlay leads Rahm by 2 at Tour Championship WASHINGTON—Patrick Cantlay drained a 23-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to stretch his lead to two strokes over top-ranked Jon Rahm Saturday at the US PGA Tour Championship.

Cantlay, who led by four strokes through 10 holes, survived a rough patch that featured three bogeys in six holes on the back nine, carding a three-under-par 67 at East Lake in Atlanta, Georgia.

He was 20-under for the tournament, which featured a staggered start that awarded strokes to each player based on their places in the FedEx Cup playoff standings.

Rahm, who started the event four strokes behind Cantlay, had three birdies and a bogey in a two-under 68 that put him at 18-under par.

American Justin Thomas, the 2017 playoff champion, matched the low round of the day with a five-under par 65 to stand alone in third on 15-under par.

Cantlay said his closing birdie was “big for momentum” as he chases the title and $15 million jackpot for the winner of the playoffs.

“It was a nice putt to make, especially being out of position on that hole,” he said. “And I’ll take that momentum into tomorrow.”

Cantlay was on fire on the greens early, capping his three birdies on the front side with a 30-footer at the ninth that put him three ahead going into the back nine.

He added a nine-footer at the 10th to stretch his lead to four shots at 21-under.

But he bogeyed the 11th, unable to make an eight-footer to save par. After a clutch six-foot birdie at 13—where Rahm had made a 26-foot birdie—he bogeyed 14 and 16 to see his lead dwindle to one stroke.

“I thought I rolled the ball on the greens just as good as the last couple days, and my speed was good, and a few putts went in today which was nice,” Cantlay said.

“So I feel like I’m in a good spot going into tomorrow, and that putt on 18 put the momentum in the right direction.”

Rahm said the round was “not my best.

“Great off the tee, I must say. Man, hitting it really good off te tee. Just wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be with my irons,”

TOKYO—Swiss wheelchair master Marcel Hug defended his marathon title on the final day of the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday, as organisers hailed the “most important edition” of the Games ever.

The last day’s action saw 14 gold medals up for grabs, starting with the early morning marathon events and another star turn from “silver bullet” Hug. The 2016 Rio T54 champion opened up an early gap on the field, and moved away from silver medallist Zhang Yong over the last two uphill kilometres.

“I don’t know how to feel. I’m just tired. Empty,” said Hug, who won the sixth Paralympic gold of his career in a time of 1hr 24min 2sec.

In the women’s T54 marathon, Australian Madison de Rozario clung on to finish ahead of Swiss great Manuela Schaer,

the Spaniard said.

Rahm said he found himself between clubs a lot, leaving him “a lot of threequarters and finessing around, and certain holes I just played a little bit more conservative, and didn’t give myself the best chances to make putts.

“But I hung in there, gave myself a couple chances down the stretch.”

He said he didn’t feel panicked when Cantlay pulled away early.

“Listen, it could happen that he could keep up that play, but it’s very unlikely,” Rahm said. “I knew sooner or later at some point he was going to stop.”

“I think a key moment was me making that putt on 13, me making the putt and feel like I stole one and him missing the tee shot on 14, that’s where things got a little bit closer.

Internal drive Cantlay said, as he has all week, that he’ll try to treat Sunday’s final round like any other, and not focus on the bumper multi-million dollar payday that is within his grasp.

“The internal drive to win golf tourna-

Patricj Cantlay survived a rough patch that featured three bogeys in six holes on the back nine, carding a three-under-par 67. AFP

ments is really what drives me, and so the external factors are not as much of a factor for me,” he said.

Rahm said he was looking forward to a last-group duel with Cantlay -- but he wasn’t discounting Thomas.

“I like going head-to-head with anybody,” he said. “It’s pretty cool that a whole year race technically is ending

tomorrow, and not that we separate ourselves a lot, because J.T. had a good round today, but if we keep playing the way we have, unless somebody posts a really low score out there, hopefully it will be a good show down on the back nine with me and Patrick.

“Hopefully I come in with my A Game and guns blazing.” AFP

Most important Paralympics wrap up

Gold medallist Switzerland’s Marcel Hug (left) and Switzerland’s silver medallist Manuela Schaer pose after the men’s and women’s marathon T54 athletics events during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. AFP

winning the gold by just one second.

“That was the longest 500 metres of my life,” de Rozario told reporters after finishing in a Paralympic record of 1:38.11.

“That finish line couldn’t have come quick enough.”

The 27-year-old was adding a second gold to her T53 800m title in Tokyo. She also took bronze in the T54 1,500m.

There was also gold for host nation Japan in the women’s T12 marathon, with Misato Michishita coming home in a time of 3:00.50.

Morocco’s El Amin Chentouf won the men’s T12 marathon, while China’s Li Chaoyan took the honours in the men’s T46.

Organizers had urged local residents to stay home and watch the action on TV, but sweet shop owner Atsushi Nishimura told AFP in Tokyo’s Asakusa district that he was glad he saw it live.

“We could have enjoyed the Olympics and Paralympics differently if they weren’t during a pandemic, but I think

it was good for us that we could host the events,” he said.

‘Stronger than ever’ With the Games almost at a close, International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons declared the Tokyo Paralympics the “most important edition” in history.

He pointed to the participation of 163 delegations—one less than the London 2012 record—with 86 teams winning medals and 62 claiming at least one gold.

“I don’t have any doubts that this was the most important edition of the Paralympic Games, because of the pandemic, because we gave a voice to 1.2 billion persons with disability,” he said.

“The Paralympic movement is stronger than ever before,” he added.

The delegations included two athletes from Afghanistan, who made a dramatic arrival with the Games already in progress after being evacuated from Kabul. AFP

Entertainment

From ‘Ang Probinsyano’ to Donghae in South Korea WHILE his palatial home in Narvacan is busy hosting the taping of ABS CBN’s popular TV soap Ang Probinsiyano led by action star Coco Martin, Mayor Chavit Singson is also occupied with his business ventures in South Korea.

His LCS Group of Companies agreed to join a $1.7 billion resort development in South Korea, marking the first firm from the Southeast Asian countries to invest in a property project in Northeast Asia.

As the LCS Group chairman, Mayor Singson just signed a memorandum of understanding to invest and participate in the project in South Korea’s east coast with the Gangwon Province government, East Coast Free Economic Zone Authority, Korea Investment and Securities Co, and Hyundai Asset Management Co. LCS Group is set to invest up to $100 million.

The project, which is expected to cost as much as $1.7 billion includes construction of resort centers and ocean complexes in Donghae city, about 26 km east of Seoul.

LCS Group plans to buy a part of the land for its own business. The group is also slated to seek a joint business with a developer in which it will buy a stake in another area. After that, it will develop a resort in order.

Mayor Chavit’s LCS group is the first Philippine company to invest in South Korea’s real estate development project. It will also consider further investment in South Korean Development Projects.

Back home, LCS Group focuses on property developments, but it also works on other sectors such as mining, transportation, defense, logistics, and telecommunication towers.

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

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Ang Probinsyano’s Coco Martin and Julia Montes. (Inset) Mayor Singson signs a memorandum of understanding to invest and participate in the project in South Korea’s east coast with the Gangwon Province government.

Banderas, Cruz poke fun at film biz excesses at Venice

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AN two lovers still get their fairytale ending despite the clashing ideals of their families?

Janine Gutierrez and Paulo Avelino pair up for the first on television via ABS-CBN’s upcoming series ‘Marry Me, Marry You.’

Rediscovering the true meaning of love and family in

‘Marry Me, Marry You’

The cast of Dwein Ruedas-Baltazar and Jojo Saguin’s romantic drama ‘Marry Me, Marry You.’

This is the question that Marry Me, Marry You—a series airing on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and TV5 starting Sept. 13 – dares to tackle.

The series helmed by Dwein RuedasBaltazar and Jojo Saguin, features the screen tandem of Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez whose characters struggle to strike a balance between love and family. The television project marks Janine and Sunshine Dizon’s (who’s also part of the cast) first television series produced by ABS-CBN. In the series, Paulo and Janine play Andrei and Camille, two people with contrasting personalities who come from

extremely different households.

Camille is a bubbly and hardworking lady who, after the death of her own mother, found her one big happy family in her three godmothers Elvie, Marvi, and Paula (Cherry Pie Picache, Vina Morales, and Sunshine). With their positive disposition, Elvie, Marvi, and Paula will keep their promise of looking after Camille’s well-being even if they encounter personal problems within their families and love lives.

Unlike Camille, who relies on her tightknit group for love and support, Andrei is a career-driven man who comes from a broken family. He is not close to his demanding father Emilio (Edu Manzano)

and stepmom Laviña (Teresa Loyzaga), often comes off as cold and arrogant and struggles to find happiness due to his trust issues and fear of commitment.

The worlds of Andrei and Camille will collide one night when they almost get into a major car accident. The two meet again by chance and will start falling in love as they both give each other brand new perspectives in life and a more meaningful understanding when it comes to family.

Their relationship will face hardships when their loved ones meddle in their romance after they discover the truth about their families’ complicated history.

Adding conflict to their relationship is Andrei’s ex-girlfriend Patricia (Iana Bernardez) and Andrei’s best friend, Cedric (Jake Ejercito), who will show interest in pursuing his fondness for Camille.

Also joining the star-studded cast are Lito Pimentel, Joko Diaz, Jett Pangan, EJ Jallorina, Luis Vera Perez, Fino Herrera, Meanne Espinosa, Mariella Laurel, Adrian Lindayag, and The Squad Plus members Keann Johnson, Analain Salvador, and Angelica Lao. iWantTFC users can be the first ones to watch the light family drama series on the streaming platform on Sept. 11 on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and on iwanttfc.com, two days ahead of its TV broadcast.

Viewers outside of the Philippines can also catch it on The Filipino Channel on cable and IPTV.

GMA’s AM and FM stations dominate Mega Manila airwaves GMA Network’s radio stations continue to hold the number one spot in their respective categories month after month in Mega Manila.

As shown in the latest Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) data, flagship AM station Super Radyo DZBB 594 remained unbeatable in July 2021. DZBB took the lion’s share in the listenership pie, recording a total day audience share of 53.7 percent—a huge increase from its 42.6 percent in June. Its closest competitor, DZRH, only got 25.4 percent. The station recorded a total cumulative reach of 2.4 million with 83 percent exclusive

‘Super Balita sa Umaga Nationwide’ anchors Mike Enriquez (left) and Joel Reyes Zobel

DZBB listeners.

Among dayparts, the 6:00 to 8:00 slot in the morning was still DZBB’s strongest rating block. The top AM programs for the month were Super Balita sa Umaga Nationwide anchored

by Mike Enriquez and Joel Reyes Zobel during weekdays; Rowena Salvacion and Emil Sumangil’s Super Balita Sa Umaga / Isyu Atbp. on Saturdays; and Super Balita Sa Umaga with Kathy San Gabriel and Ralph Obina on Sundays.

Similarly posting increasing numbers is the Kapuso flagship FM station DWLS or Barangay LS 97.1 Forever! It led Mega Manila’s FM stations with an audience share of 29.4 percent in July coming from 28.7 percent the previous month. Its closest competitor only managed 15.3 percent. Barangay LS recorded a cumulative reach of 6.1 million with 53 percent loyal listeners to the station.

Still DWLS’ top program for both weekdays and weekends is Papa Dudut’s Barangay Love Stories with its time slot 12:00 nn to 2:00 p.m. also being the highest rating segment for the station. It is followed by Potpot & Friends on weekdays and Talk to Papa, which is also the 2nd highest show during weekends.

Moreover, fall in love all over again on the heartwarming tales as listeners can now also catch the podcast of Barangay Love Stories on Spotify.

Tune in to Super Radyo DZBB 594 kHz and Barangay LS 97.1 Forever! from Monday to Sunday. Select DZBB programs are also simulcast via Dobol B TV on GTV and abroad via GMA News TV. Online, listeners can also catch these stations via live audio stream on www.gmanetwork.com/radio.

PENELOPE Cruz and Antonio contrasting actors is at its apex, she Banderas rip into their own industry literally encases them together in plastic with abandon in their new film Official wrap to increase their interdependence Competition, which left critics in stitches and bond.

Saturday at the Venice Film Festival.

In another rehearsal, the two actors The film, directed by the Argentine hurl increasingly over-the-top expletives duo of Mariano Cohn and Gaston at each other to tap into their rage.

Dupra, misses no opportunities to skewer showbiz quirks and excesses.

From actors with fragile egos and petty rivalries, to directors who use unconventional methods to prod their actors -- like making them rehearse underneath a five-tonne rock to increase dramatic tension -- the satire is the ultimate insider’s guide to the worst of movie-making.

“It was really liberating, really fun,” Cruz told journalists in Venice.

She plays an eccentric, Art imitated life, with ‘Official Competition’ bohemian director seeking to so many bad competing for the“There Goldenwere Lion award at Venice. impose her vision on her two leading words, insults, cursing that I think at men, whose gigantic egos immediately some point we had to write them down,” clash.

Banderas told reporters.

Banderas brilliantly lampoons “I think some of them were really himself as a top Latin film star who has unbelievable, there are things I heard made it big in Hollywood, while Oscar on the streets of Malaga and started Martinez plays a respected theatre actor throwing them out -- there was a little bit who thinks himself too serious for trashy of improvisation.” blockbusters.

Cruz was careful to caution that the cast “Art, that’s the theme,” said Banderas. and directors of “Official Competition” “To be able to ridicule the excesses that in were not out to offend the industry in some way are used to arrive at art.” which they work.

Martinez confessed the cast had a “It’s a tribute to our profession. At no hard time keeping a straight face during time is it a parody, nor is it disrespectful filming: “We had so much fun sometimes to the actor,” said Cruz. we had to stop the sequence.”

Banderas, meanwhile, hastened to set Cruz’s character, who has a mane of one thing straight about the narcissistic frizzy red hair, puts her actors through character he plays. hell in rehearsals. In one scene, as the “Some writers might hint at it. But he mutual animosity of the two wildly in the film is not me.” AFP

The critic’s choice ONLY the members of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino can make everyone, in and outside of the entertainment industry, stop, look and read the names of the people and the films they consider worthy to receive nominations.

The most coveted trophy of all, the Gawad Urian is for grabs once more as its 44th year of giving out distinctions and honors to local showbiz’s crème de la crème is now official. The heat is on, indeed.

In the motion pictures that received their collective nods, the significant seven choices are an assertion of the Manunuri’s privilege to be snobbish, acting out their sophistication and finer film aesthetics and the truth and nothing but the truth of it all, their supreme act of discernment, of being different has become truly fashionable.

If you scrutinize those who made it to the best picture nominations, it is the Manunuris subtle manner of reminding us that we are at fault, for not having the time and resources for the films and they raised their eyebrows, espresso cups in hand, as they are baffled with our fascination with all the popcorn fare that we consume and we deem and proclaim as “magandang pelikula.”

Of course, the most coveted trophy in any award-giving body, especially here in Manila, is that of the best actress. In this year’s Urian, nine ladies with an attitude are in competition.

Out of the nine in competition, three of them are Kapuso leading ladies namely Glaiza de Castro, Jasmine Curtis Smith, and Lovi Poe. Glaiza’s reaction to her nomination from the film Midnight In A Perfect World: “I did not expect to be nominated but to be acknowledged by the Gawad Urian makes me feel like a winner already. Ang huhusay kaya ng mga conominees ko.”

From the Curtis who can act, Jasmine’s retort with regard to her Alter Me nod: “I am thankful to the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, I am always very honored and grateful to be recognized by your prestigious committee for my roles and to be among the best actresses of this industry.”

And from the soon-to-be star in a Hollywood movie opposite Alex Pettyyfer, Lovi’s reply to her Malaya selection as best actress contender: “Playing Laya in Malaya was one of my favorite characters I have portrayed to date. It was a wonderful production and I’m so proud of everyone involved, I particularly want to thank our director Connie Macatuno for pushing us to achieve this nomination. Thank you Gawad Urian.” Read full story on manilastandard.net

44th Gawad Urian Best Actress nominees (from left) Lovi Poe, Jasmine Curtis Smith, and Glaiza de Castro.

Life

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

C4

FOOD

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

By Ellicia Frentzen C. Del Mundo

T

HE Philippine presentation of this year’s Singapore Food Festival (SFF) includes virtual food tours, recipe videos, docu-features, and cooking classes hosted by esteemed chefs from Singapore, Thailand, China, and our country.

SFF 2021:

Oyster omelette, a classic Singaporean dish.

Savor Singaporean flavors

Organized by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the annual celebration dedicated to showcasing the Lion City’s food heritage and inventive culinary spirit to the international audience, started on Aug. 27 and will run until Sept. 12.

With the theme “Savour Singapore in every bite”, a total of 50 physical and online activities will be held for the twoweek celebration, twice bigger than last year’s 20.

Ruby Liu, STB area director for the Philippines, highlighted the importance of leveraging technology to connect with people and continue celebrating Singaporean food.

“In the next six to eight months, we do not foresee that there will be leisure Chef Bjorn Shen Chef JP Anglo tourism,” Liu said.

“Singapore will still be closed to most we have to think of different ways to the world using technology, and that countries around the world. That is why stay in touch with our friends around brings us to the Singapore Food Festi-

Chef Ariff Zin (inset) leads a Padang-style burrito making class.

val,” she added.

SFF, now on its 28th year, brings Singaporean cuisine closer to Filipinos.

For this year’s festival highlight, two esteemed chefs collaborated on a live cooking session, titled “The Boyster Omelette”, as in “two boys cooking an oyster omelette”.

On Aug. 29, Chef JP Anglo of Sarsa Kitchen and Chef Bjorn Shen, owner of Artichoke restaurant, demonstrated their renditions of oyster omelette, a classic Singaporean dish. The masterclass aired on VisitSingapore PH’s Facebook page.

Other live cooking sessions include the making of Padang-style burrito by Chef Ariff Zin, pan-roasted prawns with herbs by Chef Lim Hoe Gern and Chef Ton, egg tarts and kopi by Ana Fong and Jason Soon, ravioli from scratch by award-winning chef Jeremy Gillon from Michelin-starred restaurant JAG, and many more.

More classes are scheduled from

Pan-roasted prawns with herbs cooking class led by Chef Lim Hoe Gern (inset).

Sept. 10 to 12. Interested participants can register on the SFF website (singaporefoodfestival.sg).

Curious foodies who want to explore Singapore and discover delectable dishes can join the exclusive interactive virtual tour of Little India and Tiong Bahru led by renowned food host Nikki Muller.

The Kok Fah Farm docu-feature will take the audience on a virtual tour to a family-owned soil and hydroponics farm; while Kitchen Insider: Sustenir features two videos on making organic and healthy dishes.

STB has also partnered with online food delivery app Pick.A.Roo to offer discount vouchers worth P150 for every 1,000-peso purchase from partner restaurants Putien, Hawker Chan, Babu, Marriott Cafe, Shang at Home, James & Daughters, Banana Leaf, Your Local, Char Express, Nanyang, and Wee Nam Kee. The discount, available using the code PICKSFF, is valid until Sept. 23 only.

Jason Soon and Ana Fong (inset) create egg tarts and kopi.

Cooking oil brand releases heart-healthy variant UFC’s branded cooking oil Golden Fiesta launches a low saturated fat variant that experts deem healthy for use.

Golden Fiesta Canola Oil contains phytosterols known to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the body.

The brand adds, canola oil “has the lowest level of saturated fats or bad fats compared to other vegetable oils”.

According to Dr. Guy Crosby, adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, canola oil is high in monounsaturated fats and has a “significant level” of polyunsaturated omega 3 fat.

“Canola oil is generally considered a ‘healthy oil’ because it is very low in saturated fat,” Dr. Crosby said in an article posted on Harvard T.H. Chan’s website.

Golden Fiesta Canola Oil contains Golden Fiesta Canola Oil also con- phytosterols known to reduce the absorption of cholesterol into the body. tains vitamin A.

READY-TO-COOK

Mang Inasal offers ready-to-cook chicken inasal paa and chicken oil in a pouch for takeout.

Grill your own Mang Inasal LEADING inasal restaurant Mang Inasal lets diners cook their own chicken at home with its newly launched ready-to-cook pack.

Marinated in Mang Inasal’s signature sauce, the RTC Chicken Inasal Paa is available in packs of five. The RTC Chicken Inasal Pecho will be available by midSeptember. Chicken oil in stand-up

plastic pouch with resealable cap is also available.

Both chicken and chicken oil are available for takeout or call and pick up in select Mang Inasal stores. Check the list of available stores through this link: https://bit.ly/3hBwAax. A ready-to-cook chicken inasal paa pack is priced at P360, the chicken oil is sold at P99 per pouch.

Winner, winner, 24 Chicken dinner From its first outlet in Vito Cruz, 24 Chicken now has several branches all over Metro Manila. In photo is the chicken joint’s Petron Apo branch in Quezon Avenue.

HOW do you win in the very competitive fried chicken market?

When Mark Gerald Ong, or OMG as he prefers, and his business partners Jeff Sy and Jefferson Uy were on a holiday in South Korea, they got an idea after trying out the country’s fried chicken. The trio noted it was perfectly seasoned, crunchy and crispy, popular, and, most importantly, affordable.

They explored this idea and immediately went into action, taking advantage of lower costs of domestic overhead and local ingredients. In 2017, they opened the first branch of 24 Chicken along Leon Guinto Street in Vito Cruz, Manila, catering to students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, where OMG graduated, and other schools in the area.

“We want everyone to savor what good-tasting fried chicken should be, at a reasonable price. This can only be done not by cutting costs through below standard ingredients and by not overpricing our menu,” said OMG. The formula was a success. The very first outlet turned to 18 all over Metro Manila and in Davao and Tacloban, plus locations in three Grab Kitchens. 24 Chicken became a soughtafter franchise,

24 Chicken serves Korean-style fried chicken at an affordable price.

thanks to word-of-mouth, social media, and loyal patrons.

According to 24 Kitchen, the business’ success has spawned several other Korean fried chicken competitors.

Right now, OMG and his partners are working hard to make sure the business operates and their people are safe during the pandemic. “The most challenging part of the pandemic is not the loss of 24 Chicken cofounder Mark Gerald Ong, or OMG.

sales, as our supportive customers are still ordering take-away. The real challenge for us is how to safeguard our staff during this pandemic,” he revealed.

OMG added, “We made sure they would be safe by strictly following the standard health and safety protocols. If we felt that we were exposing our crew and customers, we are ready to close our branches.”

24 Chicken may have found the secret to enter and flourish in a very competitive market. But it would not achieve its accomplishment if the idea (that sprung in Korea) was not turned into action.

“Action is needed. If not, everything is simply a hallucination.”