Manila Standard - 2021 September 22 - Wednesday

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‘Fight vs. Delta near endgame’ OCTA: Drop of cases in NCR, nearby

areas affirms forecast

By Alena Mae S. Flores, Vito Barcelo, and Willie Casas

T

HE Philippines could possibly be in the last stages of its fight against the contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, especially in Metro Manila where the reproduction number has started to decrease, the OCTA Research Group said Tuesday.

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COVAX JABS. An airport staff disinfects the boxes containing Pfizer vaccine doses, donated by the United States through COVAX Facility, at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Monday night. The steady arrival of larger shipments of government-procured and donated vaccine supplies continues, with 9.6 million jabs arriving last week. Joey O. Razon

This developed as the Makati Business Club on Tuesday called on the government to open vaccination to all Filipinos, while maintaining priority lanes for frontline health workers, the elderly and those most at risk of contracting COVID-19.

Also, an economic adviser to the government on Tuesday said a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila signals a “happy Christmas” for businesses as the economy opens up in the fourth quarter.

OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the recent number of cases in Metro Manila and nearby regions has started to decline, indicating that actual cases are falling in line with the downtrend his group predicted this month.

“We are seeing good news in Metro Manila. We’re happy to share this with everyone because as we noted, protecting the fourth quarter is very important and I think, with the downtrend, we are starting to see this is now becoming a reality,” he said during the Pandesal Forum.

David said the reproduction number for the National Capital Region has decreased to 1.1, and the growth rate in the region has remained below zero in the cinated, lockdowns would not be a problem for past few days. the Commission on Elections.

“I think we’re at the… what we might At least 3,000 families are under granular call the end game of the Delta variant belockdowns in Metro Manila, as the region cause it’s already starting to decrease,” he tested a new strategy to arrest the spread of said, comparing the Philippine figures on COVID-19 and spur business activity. the coronavirus with those recorded in In“What we did in granular lockdowns is dia and Indonesia.

Virus outbreak hits Batanes, another QC seminary

By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja

AS BATANES was placed under enhanced community quarantine from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the province, another coronavirus outbreak was reported Tuesday in Quezon City at the Christ the King Mission Seminary, where nine

2,401,916 16,361

171,142

37,074

140

2,193,700 21,974 (As of 4 PM, September 21)

priests and 16 employees tested positive, with one death.

This was as the Palace on Tuesday said it was unlikely that areas in Metro Manila would still be under granular lockdowns by the time the May 9, 2002 elections are held.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he was confident that as more people get vac-

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Senate detains Pharmally official for ‘lying, being evasive’ at probe

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PHARMALLY Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong was detained at the Senate detention facility after being taken into custody by the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms on Tuesday for lying and being evasive in answering questions during its probe on overpriced medical equipment.

Earlier in Tuesday’s hearing, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the arrest warrants against Ong and other Pharmally officials are still standing.

Previously, Sotto said the arrest warrant against Ong was already served. Howev-

er, Ong was made to stay in his residence as he tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the government likely lost P1.25 billion by paying in full for COVID-19 test kits that were near their expiry date, and P550 million from test kits that had already expired, Senator Francis Pangilinan said Tuesday.

At the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the alleged misuse of COVID-19 funds by the Department of Health, Pangilinan cited a letter dated Dec. 7, 2020 signed by Assistant Health Secretary Nelson Santiago Next page

Rody to senators: Arrest my men, there’ll be trouble

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte warned of “trouble and crisis” in the government if the

Senate orders the arrest of Cabinet members amid its probe on alleged irregularities in the use of COVID-19-related funds.

Duterte on Monday night criticized the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for failing to produce evidence to support its corrup-

ISKO ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL BID NEWS / A4

tion allegations against the government in the use of pandemic funds last year.

In his late-night Talk to the People, Duterte said the Blue Ribbon, headed

by Sen. Richard Gordon, had failed to Next page

FIRST ARREST. Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. Director Linconn Ong (left) is escorted

by members of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms on Tuesday. Ong was cited in contempt by the Blue Ribbon Committee for evading questions during its hybrid inquiry last week. Senate PRIB

Gov’t urged to get ‘improved’ vax for booster shots

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano

THE government should get reformulated COVID-19 vaccines if it plans to administer booster doses in the future, infectious disease

health expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said Tuesday.

“For the general population, I believe two doses is enough. Should we administer vaccine booster shots later on, I would rather get a new and improved, reformulated vaccine that is effective against the

Delta variant,” Salvana said in Filipino at a news conference in Malacanang.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration also said the government plans to set up a “fill and finish” facility for COVNext page

UN, UNICEF, WHO back limited in-person classes THE United Nations (UN), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday welcomed the Philippine government’s decision to resume face-toface classes in areas with minimal COVID-19 infection risk.

It was a decision reached 18 months after schools were shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as President Rodrigo Duterte approved a pilot test that will see up to 120 schools reopened for limited in-person classes.

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SENIORS EXEMPTED FROM INCOME TAX NEWS / A4

MODULE HANDOUT. A teacher (seated) gives instructions to a parent during the distribution of first-quarter self-learning modules for the school year 2021-2022 at Dr. Jose P. Rizal Elementary School in Barangay Sto. Cristo, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Tuesday. Gil Calinga

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

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News

‘Help areas under granular lockdown’ F

ORMER Sen. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. has asked the government to provide firms in granular lockdown areas with cash and tax incentives to help them stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic which hit the country since March last year.

vidual workers.

The former legislator also noted that while providing food packs helped, it would be best for firms to receive cash to pay for fixed operational costs such as water and electricity bills.

He also asked the Department of Finance to study the possibility of providing tax relief to ailing businesses since they would surely be incapable of paying taxes due to steep revenue losses.

He added that sudden closures caused by granular lockdowns merited additional aid on top of what the government was providing in its programs.

“That’s why I think we should give them breathing room. Hopefully we could give economic assistance and tax holiday or tax amnesty for our business,” Marcos added.

The national government is expected

to roll out the P1.14-trillion National Employment Recovery Strategy – still under review – aimed at providing a subsidy of P8,000 per month to 1 million workers for a maximum of three months.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for more than 99 percent of registered businesses and provide 5,380,815 jobs or 62.66 percent of the country’s total employment.

Meanwhile, local government units have not made any requests for the food packs which will be given to residents affected by the granular lockdown, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Tuesday.

Malaya was asked to comment on a report saying there was no assistance being disbursed to more than 3,000 families affected by the granular lockdown.

Marcos broached the idea during his recent radio interview with veteran broadcast journalist Deo Macalma of dzRH. Marcos, endorsed by the Federal Party of the Philippines as its presidential candidate the other day, noted that when a certain area was under granular lockdown, no one would be allowed to leave that area nor visit the same.

Reason, he added, there would be no jobs where small businesses, like variety stores, barbers, vehicle mechanics would be able to stay afloat.

The government recently announced a shift in its COVID-19 strategy by

testing a granular lockdown system for Metro Manila that would last for 14 days and would only feature two quarantine classifications – enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ).

The pilot run started on Sept. 16 and would last until Sept. 30.

The granular lockdowns are coupled with a 5-step alert system. The capital region’s 13 million people are under alert level 4 until Sept. 30.

Marcos urged the government to consider giving cash incentives through wage subsidies to entire firms and indi-

Virus...

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House approves measure fixing UP-DND accord

we really separated only the areas with infections. Around 3,093 families are currently affected,” said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos.

The Philippines logged 16,361 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections to 2,401,916.

The Department of Health said the relatively low new-case count yesterday was due to lower laboratory output on Sunday, Sept. 19.

Batanes announced its ECQ via social media late Monday. The Provincial COVID-19 Task Force Group said all inbound passenger flights are cancelled until further notice to allow health workers and frontliners to address the community transmission in the province.

The local government announced the first community transmission on Sept. 16.

In Quezon City, another religious building reported an outbreak following the rash of 114 cases at the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) convent in Cubao.

Dr. Rolando Cruz of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit reported an outbreak inside the Christ the King seminary, “where almost half of its population [of 59] were infected.”

Of these, 34 tested negative, while 25 were positive.

As of Sept. 18, 11 COVID-19 patients at the seminary were able to recover, 13 remained active and one, a priest, died due to the virus.

Across the country, there were 140 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 37,074.

The DOH also reported 21,974 persons who recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 2,193,700.

Also on Tuesday, health experts said “breakthrough infections” of fully vaccinated people were caused by the more transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19, and not due to inferior vaccine brands.

“The rise in breakthrough infection is not because of waning vaccine efficacy, it is because of the Delta variant,” said Dr. Edsel Salvana, a member of the DOH technical advisory group, during a Palace briefing.

“The efficacy of all vaccines against severe COVID-19 remains very high,” he said in Filipino.

Molecular biologist Dr. Nicanor Austriaco, a member of the OCTA Research Group, said from their studies conducted in Davao City, they found out that “all the vaccines’ efficacy rate against severe COVID-19 cases is at 97 percent.”

“So, I would say all the vaccines are incredibly powerful. Any vaccine is better than no vaccine,” said Austriaco, in the same briefing.

There were 171,142 active cases in the country, of which 92.4 percent were mild, 2.8 percent were asymptomatic, 0.6 percent were critical, 1.4 percent were severe, and 2.69 percent were moderate.

The positivity rate was at 27 percent, based on the results of 48,262 people screened for the virus on Sunday.

Gov’t...

From A1 ID-19 vaccines by 2022, where the vaccines can be brought into the country in bulk for repackaging into small vials, ampoules, or syringes.

FDA director general Eric Domingo said a year after that, the country would look at manufacturing various kinds of vaccines.

Authorities have talked to manufacturers in several countries like Cuba, China, and Russia for a possible technology transfer for the facility.

The country also continues to receive COVID-19 vaccines donated by the US government, with the arrival of an additional 561,600 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech

Ditch face shield policy, Speaker asks President

By Maricel V. Cruz CITING economic and medical concerns, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the policy requiring people to wear plastic face shields as an added protection against COVID-19.

In a letter dated Sept. 20, 2021 addressed to the President and copy furnished to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Velasco said the face shield requirement only poses an added financial burden to Filipinos who are already bearing the brunt of the pandemic.

He also noted the absence of solid medical proof that the use of a face shield is effective against the transmission of the deadly coronavirus.

Velasco asked that Filipinos be allowed to not use face shields “when going out of their homes or indoors, including in malls, commercial establishments, and public transportation.”

“May I humbly and respectfully recommend that the COVID-19 InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the Department of Health both under the Executive Department reconsider the mandatory use of plastic face shields for the general public (under IATF Resolution No. 88 and Joint Memorandum Circular 20210001 on the Clarificatory Guidelines on the Mandatory Use of Face Shields Outside of Residence for COVID-19 Mitigation, respectively),” he said.

“The use of face shields has made little difference in protecting against the transmission of COVID-19 over the proper use of masks alone and imposes an additional burden to poor Filipino families already reeling from the adverse effect of the pandemic on their livelihood,” Velasco told the President.

THE House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the measure seeking to institutionalize the 1989 University of the PhilippinesDepartment of National Defense (UPDND) accord.

With 179 affirmative votes, the chamber approved House Bill 10171, which aims to institutionalize the accord into the University Charter or Republic Act 9500.

Section 11. A. of the substitute bill states that law enforcement agencies

will give prior notice if they intend to conduct any police, military, or law enforcement operation in any UP campus nationwide to the UP president or the chancellor of the constituent university, or the dean of the college concerned.

The permission must also be given by UP’s respective officers-in-charge, in the event of the leaders’ absence, “as the case may be, when the situation warrants.”

The bill said the entry of state forces is banned except in cases of hot pursuit

and similar occasions of emergency.

No member of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or other law enforcement agencies shall enter the premises of any of the UP campuses or regional units.

Meanwhile, in case the request for assistance is granted, only members of the PNP or AFP “who are in proper uniform and with proper identification” shall be allowed to enter the campus or college concerned.

‘Fight...

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ing right now is a result of last month’s stricter lockdown.”

The adviser had called for a strict lockdown weeks ago instead of waiting for the fourth quarter.

Concepcion cited the findings of the independent OCTA Research group that showed Metro Manila cases were declining, and that the reproduction number had decreased to about 1.11.

He called for opening the economy by 30 to 50 percent to ramp up economic activity just before Christmas.

“There’s no other way,” said Concepcion, echoing the warning of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that the economy will lose trillions of pesos as an after-effect of the pandemic.

He also reiterated his call to the national government to listen to the private sector when it comes to the opening of the economy, saying it would boost their capability to help the public sector during the pandemic, especially in the purchase of vaccines for their workers.

On Tuesday, the Palace said the Philippines is expected to receive about 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of October.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the country has recorded the highest weekly volume with the delivery of at least 9.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week.

The vaccines are composed of 5 million doses from Sinovac; 2,774,400 from Pfizer, including those from the COVAX facility, 961,000 doses from Moderna, 661,200 doses from AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V Component II from Russia.

“This raises the country’s total vaccine inventory to 64,942,000. By the end of September or the first week of October,” Galvez said, adding the government expects an additional 22 million doses in the coming months.

“In the final week of September or first week of October, the country will also get 5,626,650 doses of the second batch of Pfizer vaccine,” Galvez said.

“We have now a steadier supply from Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and COVAX,” said Galvez, who is also the chief implementer of the National Task Forces Against COVID-19.

“The government itself, as the country’s biggest employer, should consider a vaccine mandate as well,” MBC said.

The discussion paper aims to contribute to the dialogue on the safe reopening of the economy to protect and create jobs.

MBC also recommends allowing LGUs and the private sector to buy more of their own vaccines.

Data on distribution should also be made more transparent to avoid any perception that vaccination is being politicized, MBC said.

MBC also called on the government to accelerate vaccine purchases not only for the unvaccinated population but, as the science develops, for booster shots.

It said boosters should go first to health care workers, whose immunity may be waning because they were the first to be vaccinated.

“Vaccination--probably the most important part of the war against COVID -- has momentum, and we believe there are areas for improvement and acceleration,” said MBC chairman Edgar O. Chua.

A PS-DBM technical requirement document dated April 21, 2020 indicated that all testing kits must be fresh stock and mush have a shelf-life of at least 24 to 36 months from the date of delivery.

In the previous hearings, Ong and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang were cited in contempt due to their “evasive” responses to the senators’ questions. The Senate panel had moved for their arrest.

Pharmally, a small startup company, secured more than P8 billion worth of government contracts for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPEs), which were believed to be overpriced.

“The Pharmally-Michael Yang relationship seems to run deep,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros, who revealed that one of the firm’s executives, Mohit Dargani, has worked as a special assistant to Yang.

Yang introduced the President to the

Pharmally executives, who bagged more than P8 billion in government contracts through PS-DBM head Lao, who is from Davao City.

Hontiveros showed in the Senate probe a LinkedIn profile of Dargani, in which he labels himself as “Special Assistant at the Office of the Presidential Economic Adviser.”

“Why do the owners Pharmally have a connection to Michael Yang? Linconn Ong worked with Yang as translator during a meeting of Pharmally with President Duterte in 2017. And now, we learned that Dargani also worked with him,” said Hontiveros.

In the last hearing, the Senate revealed that Pharmally executives bought luxury cars after bagging the lucrative government contract. Hontiveros said she supports Senator Leila de Lima’s call for the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze and investigate the assets of Pharmally executives.

Full story on manilastandard.net

produce anything to prove its accusation of corruption.

“I don’t care. I didn’t give you money.

As far as I’m concerned, Red Cross does not exist. You can create a controversy there or a crisis. I do not mind because I said I’m on the right track. Either you submit the auditing procedure, or we quarrel. If we quarrel, do your worst because I will do mine,” Duterte said.

He also said that Gordon, who also heads the Philippine Red Cross, conceded there was no overpricing, but still insisted on pursuing what Duterte called a partisan inquiry.

“Even the Commission on Audit did not claim government money being lost to corruption in the Department of Health,” he said, adding the state auditor “did not find any malpractices such as overpricing and ghost deliveries during the procurement of medical supplies.”

The administration, particularly the DOH, has answered the accusations and inquiries of the Blue Ribbon Committee with regard to the issue, Duterte noted.

He also called on the lawmakers participating in the inquiry to stop politicking and let the government, particularly Cabinet secretaries, focus on their task of protecting the country and its citizens against COVID-19.

“The inquiry is being done at the expense of dragging government officials and compromising the government’s efforts against COVID-19 at the time when cases are at all-time high and thousands of our people are getting sick and dying,” he said.

Gordon’s objective in continuing the probe “is to tarnish the good reputation of the administration and to derail its COVID-19 response efforts, especially as the country gears towards the 2022 election,” Duterte said.

Reacting to Duterte’s tirades against him, Gordon challenged Duterte, whom he called a “bully,” to do his “worst.”

Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA).

At the same time, the pilot test “will allow us to adjust and recalibrate our procedures and policies to make sure all our students and other stakeholders are safe,” Tamayo added.

Meanwhile, the world bodies said: “UN, UNICEF and WHO applaud the government’s approval for a pilot run of limited in-person schooling in low-risk areas.

“Every child has the right to education and schools are central to children’s development, safety and well-being,” they said.

“As some schools are set to reopen on a small scale, public health, and safety measures, such as masks wearing, hand washing, physical distancing and good ventilation, remain equally important to keep every child and every teacher safe,”

the UN agencies added.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said the pilot run of in-person classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic will cover at least 100 schools in areas that will be endorsed by the Education department, the Health department, and the host local government unit.

Likewise, parents and/or guardians of learners should provide written consent before students could physically go to school.

Briones said kindergarten classes will have 12 students while Grade 1 to 3 classes will have 16 students. Technical vocational classes, meanwhile, can have as many as 20 students.

Classes from Kinder to Grade 3, Briones said, will last for three hours at maximum.

Full story on manilastandard.net

The same patterns are also being seen in nearby provinces such as Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan, but increases continue to be reported in other regions such as Region 2 or the Cagayan region, David noted.

Meanwhile, the MBC, in its COVID-19 discussion paper, said it believed opening vaccination to all Filipinos “can be done after the highest priority persons have been given a reasonable time to get vaccinated.”

“We believe it is especially appropriate in areas with the highest vaccination levels such as NCR (the National Capital Region), or areas where daily vaccination rates have slowed. As the science develops, this should include minors,” the premier business group added.

It also urged the government to allow businesses to mandate employees to be vaccinated provided that the companies provide the vaccines or arrange vaccination by local government units (LGUs) and provided employees can decline based on doctors’ orders.

The MBC said this would require a review of a Department of Labor and Employment advisory that prohibits companies from requiring vaccines, and Republic Act 11525, the COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement Act of 2021, which prohibits companies from requiring vaccination cards for continued employment or hiring.

It also urged the government to consider requiring vaccination for its employees.

For his part, Joey Concepcion, presidential adviser on entrepreneurship, said: “The downward trend we are experienc-

Senate...

From A1 addressing Lloyd Christopher Lao, then chief of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management.

“DOH was requesting a rescheduling of the delivery of Pharmally testing kits because the test kits that were delivered expired. They paid in full for testing kits that were due to expire in six months,” Pangilinan said.

The senator likened this to burning money in the middle of a pandemic.

Two reports from the PS-DBM showed Pharmally delivered 4,800 kits on May 2, 2020, and 3,200 kits on May 4, 2020.

The inspection reports indicate that the kits had a manufacturing date of April 5, 2020 and an expiry date of Oct. 5, 2020, or in six months. shots on Monday.

On Sunday, 2,020,590 doses of Pfizer shots which were also donated by the US through the World Health Organizationled COVAX facility also arrived.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 special adviser Dr. Teodoro Herbosa announced that the majority of these vaccines will be deployed to Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, Cebu, and Davao.

“We continue to catch up in those areas where we only have about 3 percent to 5 percent fully vaccinated,” Herbosa said.

“I’m really proud that we donated for the last two days more than 2 million doses that will give more than a million Filipinos full vaccination,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava said at the arrival of the COVAX jabs.

UN,...

From A1 An umbrella group of private schools – 20 of which will participate in the pilot test – also lauded the government’s move but cautioned that the health and safety “of our stakeholders, our students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel, is paramount.”

“We are still waiting for the list of these schools and the copy of the approved guidelines. These guidelines will allow us to test the efficacy of the preparations of both the private and public sector for the eventual return of face-to-face classes,” said Dr. Anthony Tamayo, chairman of the Coordinating Council of Private

Rody...

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News

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Health budget must be 10% of GDP, health workers urge

Don’t forget martial law ‘dark days’ —Robredo

By Willie Casas

By Willie Casas FILIPINOS must keep pushing for the truth regarding the dark days of martial law under the Marcos regime, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Manila Police District (MPD) dispersed a lighting rally at the foot of Mendiola Bridge as protesters commemorated the 49th year of the imposition of martial law in the country and demanded the Duterte government to stop its alleged tyranny.

Battling riot police and water cannons, the group urged the public not to forget the atrocities during the martial law era imposed by former President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972 and to fight for democracy in the country.

In a message marking the anniversary, Robredo said silence would open the narrative to other versions.

“If we stay silent, only the powerful will be able to write our history,” she said.

“We need to stress the truth that under the Marcos regime, the Filipino suffered,” Robredo said, adding that those years were characterized by torture and plunder.

Over 3,000 people were killed and some 33,000 others were sent to jail without arrest warrants during the martial law years that lasted until 1981, but saw Marcos retain essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted by the People Power revolt.

Robredo said Marcos has yet to fully pay for his crimes since his family continues to enjoy the spoils of illegal wealth.

She defeated Marcos’ son, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in the 2016 vice presidential race.

Though Marcos protested, the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, ruled this year in favor of Robredo.

Meanwhile, the Mendiola rallyists held placards with the words “Stop the killings” and “Stand for democracy!

Rage against tyranny!”

The policemen stood in front of them, blocking their way so they could not go farther. At the other end of Mendiola Road is Malacañang Palace.

Labor and youth groups gathered earlier Tuesday at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani for wreath laying to remember martial law victims.

They proceeded to Carriedo before going to Gomburza Plaza to meet with the militant group BAYAN.

IN BRIEF QC dads want tax ordinance revoked COUNCILOR Winnie Castelo wants the permanent revocation of a 2016 ordinance increasing the fair market values of real properties in Quezon City.

“Our people continue to suffer. Individuals and families are affected.

Businesses are struggling to survive its day-to-day operations and to keep their workers. We do not want them to be burdened with higher real-estate taxes especially in these times,” he said.

Along with Councilors Karl Edgar Castelo (District 5) and Melencio Castelo Jr. (District 6), he filed proposed Ordinance No. 468, citing that “the Covid-19 pandemic that has caused untold suffering and misery to our people and the nation will not go away in the foreseeable future.”

The permanent scrapping of the increased imposition would help thousands of small property owners to tide over the raging health crisis.

“We may consider asking them to contribute again through taxes when times get better,” Castelo said. Rio N. Araja

‘Pisay’ set to rise at New Clark City CAPAS, Tarlac—Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan has welcomed the proposed Science High School campus project to be constructed at a 4.6-hectare lot of the New Clark City complex here by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, following the approval of master plan by the Board of Directors last August.

“This is a welcome development not only for students in Capas but also from surrounding towns of NCC,” said Catacutan, adding that quality and standard education would be within reach by our constituents.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Vince Dizon said building the new PSHS campus in New Clark City would contribute to the development and training of teachers and future science and technology professionals in the country.

“We hope that with the new PSHS campus, we will be able to give more opportunities for quality education to deserving Filipino students especially in Central and Northern Luzon. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the valuable contribution of science and technology in our society. We will also be able to build our pool of researchers and professionals who would help us prevent other pandemics in the future,” Dizon said. Jess Malabanan

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MARTIAL LAW PROTESTS.

Members of the Manila Police District Anti-Riot Police block various groups on a section of McArthur Bridge, while others hem in women protesters (inset) who planned to go to Bonifacio Square to stage a protest in commemoration of the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. Norman Cruz and Danny Pata

Rody to ask DOH to probe PH Red Cross RT-PCR tests P

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he would call on the Department of Health to investigate the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing conducted by the Philippine Red Cross because of what he called unusually high false positive results.

According to the President, he received information that 44 out of 49 or 89.79 percent of total hospital personnel who tested positive in PRC testing turned out negative in another molecular laboratory.

He added that “187 out of 213 or 87.79 percent of the Presidential Security Group personnel tested positive in the PRC Manila Laboratory but tested negative in their confirmatory test.”

Officials of the Department of Finance reported a similar experience when they tested positive in PRC testing facilities but eventually had negative results on their confirmatory tests.

“Because of this information, then maybe the DOH must investigate this matter. You

could be putting more people at risk. You could be falsely adding to the total positive cases per day of this country,” Duterte said.

“How many positive a day, daily attacks, but negative? They were included in the number who got sick. How sure are we now in our figures in the veracity and truthfulness of the test combined with who went to the Red Cross?” he asked.

Philippine Red Cross, a humanitarian organization in the country, is committed to various social welfare services and promoting volunteerism currently chaired by Senator Gordon.

Gordon, responding to Duterte, said the Philippine Red Cross was open for any investigation on reports that the COVID-19

tests conducted by the humanitarian agency produced “false positive” results.

Following the positive results of the RT-PCR test on around 40 hospital workers from Subic, Gordon related they rechecked the findings from their molecular laboratory in Subic.

He said the hospital workers yielded positive results in the confirmatory tests.

“And now the minions of the President were saying we committed a mistake,” stressed Gordon.

“Now they are investigating, we are open Sir,” he said.

Gordon got the ire of the President for leading the investigation on the alleged overpriced procurement of medical supplies for COVID-19 pandemic response (see story on A1 – Editors).

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed the significant contributions of Red Cross to the government and the DOH. He also affirmed Red Cross was second to the government in terms of testing capacity output.

Malabon women assured of jobs amid GCQ THE Malabon city government has assured its constituents of continuing jobs and livelihood amid the ongoing General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with alert levels, said Councilor Jose Lorenzo

Oreta “Enzo” Oreta.

Oreta said women-owners of medium and small medium enterprises (MSME) were provided with skills training and livelihood assistance to cope up with the

CAPTURED. A Dasmarinas City Police Investigator interrogates Daniel Broñola, a suspected carnapper who was cornered at Brgy. Salawag, Dasmariñas, Cavite on Monday evening. Police wounded Broñola on his left leg, while his companion escaped and his live-in partner Maricel Buena, was detained in the vehicle. JR Josue

challenges triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and help augment their family income.

With the GILAS Training, Oreta said more than 200 women coming from the first batch and another 200 women before the year end, will benefit from the additional knowledge and livelihood aid amounting to P5000 for each woman.

“Women- entrepreneurs have been contributing immensely to our city’s development so that during this time of the pandemic, we are supporting them to cope up with the difficulties they are facing,” stressed Oreta, Chairperson of the Committees on Labor, Trade, and Industry and Women, Family, and PWD. The online training for these women, Oreta said, are being implemented with the help of Gender and Development (GAD) Center of Malabon and CDO (for the food industry), PLDT and Smart (for internet access), and BanKo (for access to affordable additional funding).

Meanwhile, the women-entrepreneurs are thankful for the beneficial programs.

Deboura Nelia Gargaritano of Barangay Longos said this pandemic is a big challenge for us business owners.

“We are thankful because we are not neglected by the government who has been helping and supporting us,” she said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

A GROUP of health workers urged the government that the Department of Health’s budget for 2022 must be 10 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP), as they lamented how there were no funds for their special risk allowance (SRA) in the 2022 budget.

“We hope the government can prioritize the release of these benefits and increase the health budget for next year.

We hope that next year, while we are still fighting the pandemic, we can increase the health budget to 10 percent of the GDP,” Alliance of Health Workers president Robert Mendoza said.

“The 2022 budget shows that health is government’s fourth highest priority, but 33 percent of the Health department’s budget is the P79.9 billion for PhilHealth. If you remove that, the Department of Health only has the seventh biggest budget,” he said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said there were no funds for the SRA in the 2022 budget since it was lodged under the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill.

The Bayanihan 3 bill has been approved by the House but remains pending in the Senate.

“We can really see that the government isn’t prioritizing the health and welfare of our health workers,” Mendoza said.

“They didn’t find a way to put this in the budget. We hope they will show that they care for health workers,” he said.

Mendoza also lamented that about 80 percent of health workers have yet to receive the benefits and allowances they are entitled to for this year.

Senators want P1-b allocation for VP’s office

By Macon Ramos-Araneta CITING the Vice President Leni Robredo’s handling of funds and initiatives to support the country’s pandemic response, senators crossed party lines to support a bigger budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, and Sonny Angara said the OVP’s P713.41 million budget should be increased.

The OVP’s allocation next year under the National Expenditure Program that was submitted by the Department of Budget and Management to Congress last month is 21.5% lower than its current budget of P908.79 million.

DBM’s outlay for next year is slightly below the OVP’s proposal of P714.56 million.

Angara, chairperson of the Senate finance committee, considered as “not an unreasonable goal” the proposal of some congressmen of a P1-billion budget for OVP. “If Ma’am Leni needs P1 billion for her office, then we should give it to her.

We have seen how hardworking the Vice President is,” said Zubiri.

For his part, Angara guaranteed to favorably refer the OVP budget to the plenary with increases still to be determined at this point.

Thanking the senators, Robredo said the additional support from the Senate has always been very valuable for them especially as they are doing all the COVID-19 response initiatives.

“It has allowed us to pursue many initiatives and it has proven to be very helpful to those going through the difficulties of the pandemic,” stated Robredo.

Youth, ex-rebels back KSU move on books VARIOUS youth groups and former rebels welcomed the decision of Kalinga State University (KSU) to remove books of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) from the school library that “espoused hate and violence.”

They also warned freshmen students to be vigilant of the deceptive recruitment schemes employed by the Communist Terrorists Groups (CTGs).

At the weekly virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), students and former rebel leaders expressed their gratitude and support to KSU’s bold move to remove the books “that promote the violent overthrow of the Philippine Government by the communist movement,” saying it’s time to stand up against the CTGs. In defense of KSU, “Ka Steven,” who wanted to be known by his true identity as Daniel Castillo—a former University of the Philippines student and political instructor of the NPA’s Guerilla

Front 55 —said what the KSU did “was to thwart the CPP-NPA-NDF’s blatant attempt to radicalize the (KSU) students.” “(KSU) didn’t want their students to be a part of this whole scheme of the CPP-NPA-NDF turning university students into CPP-NPA cadres,” Castillo explained.

Kim Soguilon, External Vice-President of the Supreme Student Council of the Philippines National, said universities and colleges should follow the lead of KSU. He called on student leaders to watch out for these materials and help schools by clamoring for their immediate removal.

Christian Kier Betito, president of the Propelling Our Inherited Nation Through Our Youth (POINTY), said their group, which is focused on teaching communities about the atrocities of CTGs, was surprised to learn that these subversive materials have already penetrated the country’s schools. Willie Casas

WATER PROJECT. Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman (second from right) leads the dry-run of the newly constructed Wastewater Treatment Facility of the City Abattoir in Brgy. San Carlos. The project complies with RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act, a responsibility shared by the LGUs. Norman Cruz

A4

Rody reiterates two conditions for 2022 VP bid

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

By Joel E. Zurbano

BRAVO ZULU.

The Philippine Marine Corps participated in the annual unilateral Philippine Navy Exercise ‘Pagbubuklod’ 2021. The exercise focused on enhancing the interoperability and readiness of Fleet and Marine units, including the reserve forces, in addressing the current and future traditional and non-traditional threats. FPAO

PH: Trilateral security deal to help keep regional peace

By Rey E. Requejo

DESPITE China’s strong opposition to the enhanced security alliance forged by Australia, United Kingdom and the United States, the Philippines on Tuesday backed the trilateral security cooperation, citing its importance to maintaining regional peace and security in the IndoPacific region, including the highly-contested South China Sea where Beijing claims nearly the entire resource-rich waterways.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. welcomed the decision of Australia to join the trilateral pact that will boost its military apability, saying the accord is very crucial since Canberra’ proximity in Southeast Asia would allow it to respond quickly to regional threats and challenges.

“Proximity breeds brevity in response time. Enhancing an ASEAN near friend and ally’s military capacity to respond in timely and commensurate fashion to a threat to the region or a challenge to the status quo,” Locsin said in a statement.

According to the country’s top diplomat, Australia’s strong regional presence is vital in addressing the “imbalance in the forces available” to members of the Association of South East Asian Nations.

“ASEAN member states, singly and collectively, do not possess the military wherewithal to maintain peace and security in Southeast Asia, discourage the sudden creation of crises therein, and avoid disproportionate and hasty responses by rival great powers,” he said.

“Preventive diplomacy and the rule of law do not stand alone in the maintenance of peace and security,” Locsin added.

Beijing has denounced the security alliance called AUKUS, warning that it will stoke up regional tensions and arms race.

The trilateral security alliance came as China continues to ignore the 2016 arbitral ruling by the United Nationsbacked Permanent Court of Arbitration, which nullified its nine-dash line claims over the South China Sea and affirmed Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. Despite the PCA’s arbitral ruling, Beijing had been fortifying and expanding its military bases in disputed South China Sea territories and harassing other countries’ civilian and military vessels, drawing epeated protests from its weaker and smaller neighbors like the Philippines and Vietnam.

Besides Philippines, Vietnam and China, other claimant-countries – Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan – are also insisting on their territorial claims over the disputed waterway believed to be sitting atop huge gas and oil deposits.

News

Isko to run for president with Doc Willie Ong as VP M anila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso will run for president in next year’s elections in tandem with Dr. Willie Ong as his running mate.

Domagoso, who is scheduled to make an official announcement today (Wednesday) confirmed the tandem yesterday evening after news of their alliance broke out on social media.

Earlier, a member of the 1Sambayan coalition said Domagoso and Vice Presi-

dent Leni Robredo are the top contenders for the unified opposition ticket in the 2022 polls.

Domagoso confirmed having already met with Robredo and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

“We’re trying to reach out to each and

every one,” he said, adding that there is no harm in listening.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss the details.

But I can confirm there was a meeting and hopefully there will be more meetings where we can discuss things,” the Manila mayor added.

The Manila mayor is the president of the Aksyon Demokratiko political party.

Ong, on the other hand, has a large following on social media. He ran but lost for senator in the 2019 elections with 7.5 million votes.

HOUSE Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD Party President Martin Romualdez (left) is assisted by party Secretary General and Surigao Del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. (right) in administering the oath to former Army Gen. Lope Dagoy (center) as a new party member. Dagoy is running for municipal mayor of Albuera, Leyte. Ver Noveno

DOJ to issue immigration lookout order vs. Ongpin’s son

By Rey E. Requejo

Justice Secretary Menardo on Tuesday assured the family of slain 30-year-old visual artist Bree Jonson that justice will be served as the DOJ is set to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against her boyfriend, Julian Ongpin, son of businessman Roberto Ongpin.

Jonson was found dead last Saturday in a hotel room in San Juan, La Union where she was staying with Ongpin.

Ongpin was reportedly released from police custody upon the directive of the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of La Union after conducting inquest proceedings on the possession of illegal drug charges lodged against him.

Guevarra said the DOJ may also move for the issuance of a precautionary hold departure order against Ongpin depending on the outcome of the preliminary investigation on the case.

“I just want to assure everyone that this matter will be investigated thoroughly to find out the truth and to ensure that justice will be done,” Guevarra said.

Ongpin was charged with possession of 12.6 grams of cocaine, a prohibited drug, which was reportedly recovered inside the hotel room where he and Jonson were staying.

Police investigators have yet to announce the cause of Jonson’s death pending the result of her autopsy.

“I have just received the request from

Mrs. Salome Jonson, mother of deceased Bree Jonson, considering the charges for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Law have been filed against Julian Ongpin, the DOJ will issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Mr. Ongpin,” Guevarra said.

“The DOJ may further consider asking the court for the issuance of a precautionary hold-departure order depending on the progress of the preliminary investigation,” he added.

Guevarra also directed the National Bureau of Investigation to assist the Philippine National Police in conducting the investigation or to do a parallel probe on the incident, if necessary.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, in a closed-door meeting at the Palace las week, has reiterated his conditions for his possible vice presidentia bid in the May 2022 presidential elections.

A well-placed source said Duterte told his audience that he would only run for vice president if his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, will not seek a national position in 2022.

The President said this condition still stands despite Duterte’s acceptance of the PDP-Laban nomination to be its vice presidential bet in the upcoming elections.

Duterte added that even if his daughter does not run for president, he can also back out from the vice presidential race if Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez will file his candidacy for vice president.

The President earlier said he will throw his full support to Romualdez if ever the congressman from Leyte seeks the second highest position.

“If Romualdez runs, I will not run. If Romualdez does not run, I think I will still not run. Everybody wants a good rest after a grueling [six years].

If Romualdez runs, I will support. That is my promise. I will honor my word,” Duterte said.

In a previous interview, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he believes the Chief Executive is a man of his word.

“He has given his word that if Congressman Romualdez will run for vice president, he will support him. I believe if Congressman Romualdez will run, he [Duterte] will not run for vce president,” Roque said.

Local Cavite officials join Lakas-CMD

By Maricel V. Cruz

CAVITE Vice Governor Ramon Revilla III on Tuesday afternoon led several local government officials from the province who joined the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.

Lakas-CMD President and House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez administered the oath to Revilla, Cavite City Vice Mayor Denver Christopher Chua who will run for mayor, re-electionist Noveleta Mayor Dino Carlo Reyes Chua, and Board Member Christian Davey Chua.

Revilla, a former member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), will run for Congress in the 1st District of Cavite. The Chuas were former members of the Nacionalista Party (NP).

The entire team-members of Cavite City Vice Mayor Chua and Noveleta Mayor Chua also joined the Lakas-CMD party.

The whole ticket-members of Kawit City Mayor Angelo Aguinaldo and Rosario Mayor Jose Voltaire Ricafrente, both members of Lakas-CMD, were also sworn in Tuesday as new Lakas-CMD members.

Romualdez, chairman of the House Committee on Rules, was assisted by Lakas-CMD party chairman and Sen. Ramon Revilla, Jr., Lakas-CMD Secretary General and Deputy Speaker Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. of Surigao del Sur and Lakas-CMD Cavite Provincial Chairperson and Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla during the physical oath-taking held in Rosario, Cavite.

“Welcome to the ever-growing LakasCMD. We will maximize the strength of the party to help our people in this time of COVID-19 pandemic. Let us not forget our true priority: to serve the Filipino people,” Romualdez said.

“Lakas-CMD is re-emerging as a major political force, just in time for the coming elections. We will protect and safeguard the interest of our members and we are going to be a resilient and victorious team in the 2022 elections,” he added.

On Monday night, retired-Gen. Lope Dagoy was personally sworn into the Lakas-CMD party by Romualdez at his Batasan Pambansa Complex office in Quezon City.

“We are doing everything to strengthen the Lakas-CMD party for the upcoming 2022 national and local elections,” Romualdez said. “We are very proud to welcome them with pride and confidence that they exude the leadership and character that Lakas-CMD advocates for.”

Comelec may extend voter registration to Oct. 30

By Vito Barcelo

THE Commission on Elections might extend the voter registration deadline by a month to October 30 after the Senate adopted a resolution seeking its adjustment, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said.

“The Senate Resolution requesting for an extension up to October 30 has not been discussed yet, but the commission will de-

liberate on Wednesday whether to extend or not, because it might affect the Comelec’s budget,” she said.

The deadline for voter registration is only until September 30, 2021.

The senators filed Resolution No. 851 seeking the extension of the registration period to Oct. 31.

“Now, it is different. The Senate adopted a

resolution. For sure, Chairman Abas will put it on the agenda for discussion,” Guanzon said.

“In the meeting, the directors will determine if the Comelec could still extend the registration period,” she added.

Guanzon said the majority of the directors earlier opposed extension proposals “because it will have a domino effect.”

House panel OKs bill exempting seniors from income tax

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPRUCING UP. Workers climb on the dome of the Golden Mosque in Globe de Oro in Quiapo, Manila on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, for repainting works. Danny Pata

A COMMITTEE in the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that seeks to exempt senior citizens from paying income taxes.

The House Committee on Senior Citizens approved House Bill 8832 or the Income Tax Exemption for Senior Citizens Act that provides senior citizens, or individuals aged at least 60, who are still

employed are exempted from the payment of income tax.

The bill also proposes that the holiday, overtime pay, night shift differential, and hazard pays received by senior citizens who are still employed are also exempt from income tax.

Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes of the Senior Citizens party-list group said the measure he authored, once enacted, shall

increase the savings of senior citizens in preparation for their retirement.

“Filipino retirees have limited savings for their retirement,” he said, citing information from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas placing the retirement savings value at “only 3.6 months’ worth of income.”

The House-approved bill will soon be submitted to the plenary for action.

Opinion Locked down, locked up, luckless and lucky IN THE 19 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, we’ve come to realize that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)—established during the previous administration—seemed just as confused as the rest of the citizenry on what to do in the face of the deadly disease.

Our Great Communicator even said early on that we should not fear the coronavirus as it would “die a natural death.” It didn’t; it continues to ravage our own population with disastrous consequences. The death toll now stands at more than 36,000 as we speak—and counting. That tells us in no small measure that bluster and bluff can cost many, many lives.

Who says you can’t transform a deadly health crisis into an opportunity to amass untold wealth?

It is true that no country anticipated COVID-19 and had made adequate preparations for it. But what differentiated us from other countries was that they dealt with it with an array of options, from calibrated lockdowns to ramped-up testing, contact tracing, quarantine and treatment facilities.

The IATF response, on the other hand, was to adopt mainly draconian measures, starting with harsh lockdowns complete with camouflaged police carrying high-powered rifles and backed up by armed personnel carriers in some instances, apparently to instill fear in the people and keep them indoors.

The government, keen on controlling the movement of people instead of the coronavirus, failed to conduct massive free testing of the population, especially seniors, as well as extensive contact tracing. Two years on, we still lack enough medical facilities to treat cases.

Today, the IATF composed mainly of Cabinet-level secretaries headed by the Health Secretary does not seem to have gotten their act together —or gathered their wits about— and follows the same pattern of lockdowns with varying levels of restrictions and severity.

The medical doctors acting as a panel of experts to the IATF appear to have surrendered to Duterte’s militarist mindset.

The heavy-handed approach to controlling the spread of COVID-19 has led to not a few locked up in jail. These include jeepney drivers prevented from plying their routes and reduced to begging in the streets because of loss of income.

Those also locked up have been ordinary citizens who violated curfew hours, as well as health and safety protocols, and those not wearing face masks, or improperly wearing them. Some were punished by police and

United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines ACCORDING to a recent report by the UN Secretary General, “we are at an inflection point in our history” with humanity facing an urgent choice between a breakdown or a breakthrough. The coronavirus, conflict and climate change are wrecking havoc and undermining our ability to reach development goals. Poverty, discrimination and violence mean that millions of people around the world are denied “health, safety, a vaccination against disease, clean water to drink, a plate of food or a seat in a classroom.”

Our Common Agenda emphasizes the need for solidarity and cooperation to address these and other challenges facing the world today. Central to this, the UN Secretary General calls for a revival of the social contract – the arrangements and understandings of how people find solutions to shared problems, manage risks, deliver public goods, and implement norms and values.

Mirroring the UN Secretary General’s call, the global theme for the International Day of Peace, celebrated on 21 September every year, is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.” This reflects an increasing understanding that the essence of peace cannot be found in Security Council resolutions or treaties but is about the myriad of large and small actions and decisions that impact on individuals, families and communities. An equitable and sustainable world is one where people have

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

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A safe return

A

T LEAST 100 public schools and 20 private schools will participate in the pilot return to face-to-face classes, even as a new school year under a blended online-modular scheme has begun.

barangay tanods by having them sit under the hot tropical sun for hours, or made to do repeated push-ups.

The luckless include those who died from COVID-19 in hospitals without their loved ones by their side. Among them was an ex-soldier suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) who was shot dead by police who thought he was reaching for a gun from a bag he was carrying. He had none. There’s no news that the policeman has been meted disciplinary action or even facing homicide charges.

The luckless also include owners of micro and small businesses forced to shut down, their workers laid off and having to look for other livelihood opportunities just to make ends meet. Restaurant owners are among those heavily affected by lockdowns, but there are just too many other businesses that have gone belly up because of lockdown restrictions.

The luckless also include students who, with face-to-face learning banned since March 2020, have had to endure difficulties in their studies. Distance learning requires a computer or even just a cellphone, but with stable internet connection. How can poor families who cannot eat three square meals a day even afford to purchase cell phones or computers, much less have a stable internet connection?

But it’s a favored few who have not been locked down, locked up or luckless.

They’re the lucky ones—or the extremely lucky—who have acquired wealth beyond their wildest dreams simply by taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have benefited immensely from the importation of COVID-19 paraphernalia such as face masks, face shields, test kits and personal protective equipment (PPEs).

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has found that P8.7 billion was paid to a favored pharmaceutical company with just P625,000 paid-in capital. The one-sided deal considered grossly disadvantageous to the national government was contracted without any public bidding and greenlighted by Malacañang itself due to a public health emergency.

But what we now know from the Senate hearings is this: a few top officials of the pharmaceutical firm are reported to have purchased expensive luxury vehicles—Ferraris and Porsches—just recently, or about the same time that the overpriced supplies were promptly paid in full by the national government.

Some are smarter and luckier than others, to be sure. Who says you can’t transform a deadly health crisis into an opportunity to amass untold wealth?

Email: ernhil@yahoo.com

access to food, to security, to education and health, and to justice. Where people are empowered to participate in decisions that affect them, and consider their impact on the environment. Consequently, efforts towards peace must address a broad range of factors that drive conflict and inequality.

In the Philippines, an increasing number of joint interventions bring together different areas of expertise from within the UN system to collaborate with national actors in the search for comprehensive solutions for current challenges. For example, by implementing programmes to strengthen social protection systems and resilience in BARMM, the UN is contributing to ongoing Government efforts to reach the most vulnerable groups and build more peaceful societies where the rights of all citizens are protected and realized. Efforts to resolve the conflict in BARMM ultimately hinges not only on transformation to nonviolent means of expressing grievances, but also on the Government’s ability to provide social protection, to empower people, and to overcome patterns of discrimination and marginalization.

Global experience has shown that women, youth and other often overlooked groups are critical stakeholders who have much to contribute at all stages of peacebuilding.

When we insist on inclusive processes that give space to a wide range of community voices, we ensure that agreements are meaningful for those who have been most impacted by conflict – by paving the way for schools, livelihoods and the freedom to exercise one’s culture. This must also

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EDITORIAL

International Day of Peace 2021: Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world

By Gustavo Gonzalez

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

The pilot run will involve only minimal-risk areas that would meet the school safety assessment criteria set by the Department of Health, and that would have the support of its local government unit.

Students who will participate in the face-to-face trial should have the written consent of their parents; according to the Department of Education, no learner shall be forced to attend the pilot implementation.

For two months, participants will attend face-to-face classes for a half day every other week.

The operational guidelines were jointly prepared by the Health and Education departments with the help of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and other groups specializing in children’s health.

We welcome this step toward normalcy, happening at the same time that targeted restrictions are also being implemented instead of sweeping

We cannot let the virus keep our learners, languishing from the effects of inequity, at home indefinitely. lockdowns that have so crippled our economy and caused hardship to many.

The past year and a half has exposed the outrageous gaps in our educational system. Students, dealing with the threat of the virus against them and their families, forced themselves to learn despite constraints in connectivity and conduciveness in learning environments.

Admittedly, some students can afford online education better than others.

Many countries around the world have also started resuming face-toface classes, not because the virus has gone but because we’d like to think we have found intelligent and logical

ways to co-exist with it.

There are risks—big ones—of course.

An issue is the non-requirement of vaccination for participating teachers, who may be putting themselves and their young wards at the risk of contracting the virus.

Then again, the pace of our vaccination rollout is only belatedly picking up, and it is not as though all unvaccinated teachers willfully refused to get themselves inoculated.

The obvious solution is to make them a priority, sustain our procurement of vaccines from the global market, and improve the logistics in distributing and administering the doses.

Many practical issues will no doubt come up as face-to-face classes resume.

What will spell the difference between success and failure is the anticipation of these issues and the immediate response to them.

We cannot keep our learners stuck at home indefinitely. The quality of learning has already greatly suffered, worsened by economic inequities and systemic ills that hound our education system. There is no way the virus is going away soon, too. We have no choice but to learn how to coexist with it while protecting ourselves and preserving our way of life.

Granular AFTER being dormant for over a year and declining 10 percent in output last year, the Philippine economy is stirring back to life.

That is largely because of the vaccination rollout by the government.

After a slow start and quickie deals that made some companies without cash, without any product, without any factory, without warehouses, and without even an office (except for an email address) multi-billionaires overnight (enabling their owners to buy cars that could only dream of owning before), the government’s pandemic management is getting more focused—granular, to use the generals’ fancy term.

I associate granules to small bits or pea brains. They are a good metaphor for small-mindedness. I am not saying some government people are small-minded.

They are not. Anybody who could think of giving P11 billion worth of contracts to a nondescript company without checking its whereabouts is not small-minded.

The national capital, with its 14 million people, is under granular lockdown. It means vaccinated people can go out, eat, drink, shop, smell the flowers, or even go to church.

Frankly, the government has no business regulating the operations of churches. That is like mixing God and mammon, although the Vatican itself can indeed mix them up.

Pope Francis has just fired the Vatican’s top finance man and stripped him of his title cardinal. The once-holy man turns out to be practicing governance the old fashioned way—corrupt, just like many politicians, with habits like nepotism, extortion, embezzlement, fraud, abuse of office, and buying a luxury building in an upscale business district. There is even a scent of a woman. Do those sound familiar?

No wonder our very own Digong Duterte is absolutely convinced there is nothing wrong with the Pharmally deals worth over P11 billion.

The accused cardinal has reaffirmed his “absolute innocence.” The guy used to be even in charge of the office which decides who should be saints.

This is no different from a corrupt lawyer wanting to grab a choice Ombudsman post so he can decide who is guilty of corruption or not. It is like a perversion of what Jesus said: Those who are not guilty, please throw the first stone—“Let him who is

without sin cast the first stone”. The Lord, however, was talking about adultery—not about stealing taxpayers’ money.

Did our President read about this cardinal? How come he uses almost the same language in professing innocence?

Back to the Philippine vaccination program.

The Makati Business Club says vaccination is not enough for reopening and recovery.

Businessmen are not exactly happy with its progress. There are not enough vaccines. According to the influential (before Digong) Makati Business Club (MBC), the Philippines has procured vaccines equivalent to just 70 percent of its population. In contrast, Thailand has bought vaccines equivalent to 104 percent of its population, Vietnam 77 percent, although Indonesia has managed only 63 percent.

As of Sept. 20, 2021, the government had administered 41.793 million does— 22.97 million in first doses (29.78 percent of target), and 18.82 million second doses (24.4 percent of target adults).

In the NCR, 14.873 million doses have been administered—8.27 million as first doses (84.6 percent of target), and 6.60 million as second doses (67.54 percent of target). You can say the national capital has reached herd immunity.

In a paper, MBC recommends vaccine allocation be strategic and efficient, more transparent to avoid any perception it is politicized, allowing LGUs and the private sector to buy more of their own vaccines; allowing businesses to mandate employees to be vaccinated; and for the government to consider requiring vaccination for its employees. MBC believes COVID will be with us for years to come.

MBC also calls on the government to accelerate vaccine purchases not only for the unvaccinated population but, as the science develops, for boosters. Boosters should

An equitable and sustainable world is one where people have access to food, to security, to education and health, and to justice. include protecting those who speak out against injustice, for the protection of the environment or to secure fair working conditions. These are all steps that are needed to

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

restore the social contract.

The human rights framework provides a vehicle for such participatory approaches, and the interdependence between human rights and peace is increasingly recognized internationally. Placing human rights at the center of peace and reconciliation efforts can help to address underlying causes of conflict, such as poverty, inequality and discrimination. It also contributes to a victim-focused approach which promotes rule of law and justice. A society without violence is in a better position to provide a high level of respect for its political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights.

The Philippines is in many ways a microcosm of the many challenges that are the starting point of Our Common Agen-

biznewsasia@gmail.com da. Climate change, internal conflict and the impact of coronavirus hamper progress towards no poverty, zero hunger and good health. The Government, through social protection initiatives, job creation and other initiatives in the Philippine Development Plan (2017 -2022) is taking steps towards addressing some of these challenges, and the United Nations is ready to support these efforts.

The world, and the Philippines, is at an inflection point—but inflection points provide us with opportunities to step up and make the right choices, internationally and within countries. When we recover better for a more equitable and sustainable world, we also lay the foundation for development, human rights and peace.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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

probably go first to healthcare workers, whose immunity may be waning because they were the first to be vaccinated, MBC said.

MBC Chairman Edgar O. Chua suggests “we need to plan for the medium term: While the science is developing, we should assume we will need vaccination every year for the next few years. We need to organize ourselves to make sure we have the vaccines and can service everyone’s needs.”

As the government allows the economy to reopen, the business group strongly recommends improvement of the hospital, isolation, and quarantine networks; the One Hospital Command; a unified digital contact tracing system; vaccine certification; and testing. The group also calls on the government to resolve the issue of PhilHealth payments to hospitals, and improve healthcare worker pay and conditions to keep them from resigning, not bar them from leaving to work abroad.

“We cannot just vax our way to reopening and recovery,” Chua contends.

“We need physical facilities, tech-enabled systems, financially-viable hospitals, and healthcare workers who are properly paid and provided for. We can’t fight COVID without the hospitals, we can’t run the hospitals without healthcare workers.”

Finally, MBC welcomes DepEd’s Sept 20 announcement of a pilot program for a return to classroom schooling with appropriate protocols. “Now the agenda is to get it started and accelerate its expansion. We need to get the kids back in the classrooms, especially those who are short on devices, internet connection, and other resources. This is about theirs and our country’s future,” Chua says.

MBC says the cost of remote schooling is far-reaching, including parents who have to leave work, a reduction in student’s future earnings, and a toll on decades of economic growth.

Cautions MBC: Vaccination is not enough for reopening and recovery. “Reopening without proper precautions can result in surging infection and illness, avoidable lockdowns, an extended pandemic, and even more opportunities for COVID to mutate.”

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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Standard

TODAY Republic

of the Philippines GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM GSIS Building, Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City 1308

B2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

World

Myanmar online shutdowns mark grim year for digital freedom

I

NTERNET users in a record number of countries have faced arrest and physical attacks for their posts over the past year, a report said on Tuesday, painting a grim picture of digital freedoms in 2021.

The annual “Freedom on the Net” report said internet shutdowns in Myanmar and Belarus had proved particular low points as online rights declined globally for the 11th year in a row.

Compiled by US think-tank Freedom House, the survey gives countries a score out of 100 for the level of internet freedom enjoyed by citizens, including the extent to which they face restrictions on the content they can access.

Other factors include whether pro-government trolls seek to manipulate online debates.

“This year, users faced physical attacks in retribution for their online activities in 41 countries,” the report said, a “record high” since the tracking started 11 years ago.

Examples included a Bangladeshi student hospitalized after

a beating for alleged “anti-government activities” on social media, and a Mexican journalist assassinated after posting a Facebook video accusing a gang of murder.

The report also found that people had been arrested or convicted for their online activities in 56 out of the 70 countries covered by the report – a record 80 percent.

They included two Egyptian influencers jailed in June for sharing TikTok videos that encouraged women to pursue careers on social media platforms.

Myanmar was singled out for heavy criticism in the report after a military junta seized power in February and shut down the internet, blocked social media and forced tech companies to hand over personal data. AFP

DANCING FOR THE FUTURE. World famous K-pop band

BTS performed its latest smash hit ‘Permission to Dance’ at the United Nations headquarters in New York City after delivering messages of support for the COVID-19 vaccination efforts and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. ‘Some of you heard the news that we’re coming to the UN and a lot of you were wondering whether we have been vaccinated. And I’ll take this opportunity to say yes, all seven of us, of course, we received vaccinations. The vaccination was just a sort of ticket to meeting our fans who are waiting for us and to being able to stand here before you today,’ said J-Hope. AFP

IN BRIEF Afghan girls to return to school ‘ASAP’

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

Sale of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) shall be through competitive public bidding.

2.

Acceptance of Purchase Offers shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

3.

Dropping of bid envelopes will be on the date of bidding from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM only. Opening of Bids will immediately follow. Late bid envelopes will not be accepted.

4.

The sale IP-RUs is on an “As-Is, Where-is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale. “As-Is, Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail-unit being purchased.

5.

Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 10963 or the Tax Reform Act for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, the selling price of GSIS properties above PhP2 million shall be subject to twelve percent (12%) Value-Added Tax (VAT).

7.

Purchase offers are only accepted in CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK/S payable within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of bidding, without privilege of extension.

A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data: A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Date of Bidding Name of the bidder Exact address of property you are interested to bid Transfer Certificate of Title No. Mode of Payment Amount of bid (in numbers and in words) Signature of the bidder/representative

9.

Bid proposal shall be written in words and in figures and must not be lower than the Minimum Acceptable Offer of the property. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and in figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

10.

Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer plus the 12% VAT, if applicable, shall be in the form of a MANAGER’S CHECK payable to the Government Service Insurance System.

11.

A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued to the highest/winning bidder on the day of bidding. The Bidder’s deposit of the other non-winning bidder/s shall be returned immediately.

17.

The deposit equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT shall be paid not later than 3:00 PM on the day of bidding. The 90% balance of the bid amount plus 12% VAT shall be paid either in cash or in manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

Deposit - (10% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP 261,000.00 + 31,320.00 = PhP292,320.00 Balance - (90% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP2,349,000.00 + 281,880.00 = PhP2,630,880.00

18.

Non-compliance with the terms and conditions stated in the NOAS will result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s total deposit.

19.

In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the said NOAS shall be deemed automatically revoked and the highest/winning bidder shall be informed in writing. The second highest bidder, if any, shall be informed in writing if he/she is still interested to acquire the property. If still interested, he/she must remit the required non-refundable 10% deposit within three (3) working days after receipt of notice from GSIS.

20.

GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received. The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

21.

For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396 or send an email at mbgonda@gsis.gov.ph, chplogdat@gsis.gov.ph, mmmagbanua@gsis.gov.ph, amqjulian@gsis.gov.ph, or jsvicaldo@gsis.gov.ph.

1.

Only the participating bidder shall enter the bidding room.

2.

The bidder must properly wear a facemask and face shield any time.

3.

Social distancing must be strictly observed.

4.

Bringing of ballpen is encouraged.

5.

Please follow the health and safety protocols before entering the GSIS Building.

6.

Additional health and safety measures shall be published on the GSIS website page once the IATF issues additional or new guidelines.

1.

Register at the RPAMD Secretariat/Registration table.

2.

Present the sealed Bid Envelope enclosing eligibility documents between 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM to the RPAMD Secretariat.

HEALTH PROTOCOLS UNDER NEW NORMAL

Properly accomplished bid form;

2)

Manager’s Check payable to Government Service Insurance System representing deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT, if applicable.

3)

Special Power of Attorney (SPA), if the bidder is being represented by another person.

4)

Two (2) proofs of occupancy, if the bidders is the occupant of the subject property:

GUIDE FOR BIDDERS

a. b.

13.

Iron curtain falls on Hong Kong cinema

Sample Computation: Bid Amount is PhP2,610,000.00

ALL participating bidders shall insert the following documents in a bid envelope: 1)

12.

Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located If the winning bidder is a cooperative, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Cooperative Development Authority Registration or any proof of such registration c. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located

16.

Strictly, “One bidder, One specific property” only, which means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each to as many properties as he/she wants to buy, as long as, he/she posts the required 10% bid deposit of the total bid price for each property. The bidder must present valid government IDs upon registration on the date of public bidding.

6.

8.

d.

C.

Barangay certificate that the bidder is occupying or residing in the subject property; and Valid Government Issued ID with an address showing that the bidder is currently residing in the subject property, or c.

Latest Billing Statement under the Bidder’s Name that shows he/she is currently residing in the subject property.

The following information shall be clearly written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope).

The existing tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided: A. B.

If the occupant will exercise his/her Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she shall adjust his/her initial deposit based on the bid amount of the declared highest bidder. He/she must also pay the adjusted deposit on the day of bidding.

15.

The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within fourteen (14) calendar days of the actual bidding, the following documents:

B.

Ensure to read and follow the General Guidelines;

•

Ensure that the downloadable Bid form is properly accomplished; and

•

Ensure that the Bid form contained in the sealed envelope;

If the winning bidder is an individual, a. duly accomplished Personal Profile (with attached recent two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures of the winning bidder) b. photocopies of two (2) valid IDs (at least one should be a government-issued ID) If the winning bidder is a corporate entity or partnership, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Registration Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) c. Articles of Incorporation (if corporation), Articles of Partnership (if partnership), General Information Sheet, and By-Laws duly certified by the SEC

ONCE renowned for world-class cinema, Hong Kong’s film industry was already struggling before the latest hurdle—Chinese mainland-style censorship as authorities take their purge of dissent into the cultural sphere.

Filmmaker Mok Kwan-ling’s heart sank when the email from the government censors dropped.

In June, authorities announced all films would now be scrutinized for “national security” breaches. Mok’s was the first known to have fallen foul of these rules.

For months, she had been putting together her debut, a 27-minute drama inspired by the many young couples she encountered during huge democracy protests two years ago.

It tells the story of a young woman meeting her boyfriend’s parents after he is arrested for taking part in the protests. The boyfriend’s mother is opposed to the movement, his father sympathetic.

The Cantonese title “Zap Uk” (literally “clean up the house”) is a reference to how friends and family would often remove any incriminating items once a loved one was arrested.

But Mok said Hong Kong’s film censors were not happy with what was submitted and ordered her to make 14 cuts.

Among the changes they demanded was removing a line from the father saying their son was a first aid volunteer who was “only out there to save the people” as well as deleting a scene where the same character, a truck driver, charges protesters a discounted fare.AFP

Trudeau set to win minority gov’t

3.

Make sure to final check the content of the sealed bid envelope before proceeding to the Bid Box.

4.

Only participating Bidders will proceed to the Bid Box to drop the sealed Bid Envelope (ask assistance of RPAMD Secretariat/Personnel only).

5.

Once the sealed envelope is inside the Bid Box, we are refrained from retrieving the envelope.

6.

Opening of Bids will immediately follow.

He/she participated in actual bidding and Inserted the two (2) proofs of occupancy inside his/her bid envelope as indicated in Number 9 of these guidelines

14.

A.

•

GIRLS in Afghanistan will be allowed to return to school as soon as possible, the Taliban said Tuesday, after announcing the remaining positions in its all-male cabinet.

“We are finalizing things... it will happen as soon as possible,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on girls’ education.

It comes after the education ministry ordered male teachers and students back to secondary school at the weekend, but made no mention of the country’s women educators and girl pupils.

Mujahid also made no reference to the now-closed women’s affairs ministry, which was shut down last week and replaced with a department that earned notoriety for enforcing religious doctrine during the previous Taliban regime.

“These positions are considered important for the functioning of the Emirate,” he said announcing the final cabinet appointments, which included additions to the health ministry.

The first appointments to the Taliban interim government were announced earlier this month—drawn exclusively from loyalist ranks, with established hardliners in all key posts, despite previous promises of an inclusive administration for all Afghans. AFP

(MS-SEPT. 20/21/22, 2021)

CANADIANS returned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power Monday in hotly contested elections against a rookie conservative leader, but he failed to gain an absolute majority, according to projections by television networks.

Trudeau called the snap election last month, hoping to parlay a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout – among the best in the world—into a new mandate to steer the nation’s pandemic exit and pass his agenda without opposition support.

But after a bumpy five weeks of campaigning, his voice was raspy and he appeared set for a repeat of the close 2019 general election that resulted in the one-time golden boy of Canadian politics clinging to power yet weakened after losing his majority in parliament.

“You (Canadians) are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get through this pandemic into brighter days ahead,” Trudeau said, flanked by his wife Sophie Gregoire and their children on stage at a victory gala.

“That’s exactly what we are ready to do,” he said.

At 49, Trudeau had faced tougher political bouts and still came out unscathed.

After six years in power, however, his administration is showing signs of fatigue, and it was an uphill battle for him to convince Canadians to stick with his Liberals after falling short of high expectations set in his 2015 landslide win.

Throughout the day, long lineups outside polling stations were observed by AFP journalists in several major cities. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Airline firms relieved over lifting of US travel curbs

PSEi September 21, 2021

TOP GAINERS

PARIS, France—The United States’ decision to lift restrictions on incoming travelers vaccinated against COVID-19 was met with a sigh of a relief by the global airline sector, which has been dealt a body blow by the pandemic.

With transatlantic flights traditionally among the most lucrative for Europe’s biggest airlines, the Monday announcement was “formidable news” for a sector that has hemorrhaged tens of billions of euros over the past 18 months, Air FranceKLM chief Benjamin Smith told AFP. For most of Europe’s flag carriers— such as Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa—the restrictions on long-haul routes across the Atlantic were particularly hard to swallow.

Air France-KLM, for example, generates 40 percent of its sales from its North Atlantic services, and for Germany’s Lufthansa, the proportion is 50 percent.

“Today’s news... marks an historic moment,” said British Airways chief Sean Doyle.

“Our customers should now feel that the world is reopening to them and they can book their trips with confidence.”

US airlines such as United, Delta and American are much more domestically orientated and less dependent on international services, which account for 25-30 percent of revenues. But they, too, welcomed the news.

“Today’s announcement marks a positive step in our nation’s recovery,” said the head of the industry association Airlines for America, Nicholas Calio.

Sister organization Airlines for Europe tweeted that it similarly “applauds the decision,” which would “give a much-needed boost to transAtlantic traffic & #tourism and will reunite families and friends.”

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, which has 290 member airlines accounting for 82 percent of global air travel, described it as “a major step forward.”

“This is excellent news for families and loved ones... It’s good for the millions of livelihoods in the US that depend on global tourism. And it will boost the economic recovery by enabling some key business travel markets,” IATA director general Willie Walsh said. AFP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CHANGE 11.65 0.76 3.65 90 0.49 0.48 0.04 0.08 0.29 0.25

% CHANGE 23.14% 7.51% 7.22% 5.96% 5.76% 5.04% 5.00% 5.00% 4.33% 4.20%

TOP LOSERS UNDERGROUND STATION. Passengers ride the escalators from the platform at Battersea Power station as the new

northern line London underground extension opens to the public in London on September 20, 2021. AFP

Stocks rise slightly; PLDT, Aboitiz Equity lead gainers

T

HE stock market rose slightly Tuesday on bargain hunting along with the rest of Asia, with investors nervously keeping an eye on troubled property giant China Evergrande after fears over its possible collapse sparked a rout across global markets.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 23.30 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,881.20 on a value turnover of P7 billion.

Losers, however, outnumbered gainers, 116 to 64, with 51 issues unchanged.

PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications firm, surged 6 percent to P1,600, while LT Group Inc.

Crunch time for Evergrande, but it’s no ‘Lehman moment’

of airline and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan climbed 5 percent to P10.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. of the Aboitiz Group advanced 7.2 percent to P54.20, but unit Aboitiz Power Corp. fell 4 percent to P32.10.

The rest of Asian equities mostly rose on Tuesday. The crisis at one of China’s biggest developers added to an already downbeat mood on trading floors, where dealers were also juggling an expected tightening of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, rising COVID infections and a slowing global recovery.

Meanwhile, a battle in Washington to raise the US debt limit was also fueling concern that the government could miss payments on its debt obligations, sparking a disastrous default.

Hong Kong-listed real estate firms— which took the brunt of the selling

on Monday, tanking more than 10 percent—managed to squeeze out gains in the morning as bargain-buyers moved in. But there remains a lot of uncertainty.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, which plunged more than three percent Monday, added 0.5 percent. Shanghai was closed for a holiday.

Henderson Land, New World Development, Sino Land and Sun Hung Kai Properties all rose, while Macaubased casino operators also enjoyed gains after last week’s crash fuelled by plans for a government crackdown on the industry. But Evergrande, which has fallen more than 80 percent this year alone, ended further in negative territory.

Sydney, Singapore, Mumbai and Bangkok also rose, though Jakarta dipped and Wellington was barely moved. With AFP

Manila

address a worrying debt mountain accumulated by property firms, began to unveil a series of measures aimed at reining in their borrowing.

This has severely curtailed its ability to finish properties and sell them to repay its debts.

Banks have already given up expectations of repayment for loans made to the firm, but on Thursday it is due to make payments on two bonds.

It is not expected to meet those either, and while it has 30 days grace it is widely forecast to default.

What happens then?

All eyes are on the government.

The property sector is a crucial engine of the Chinese economy— estimated to account for around a quarter of GDP—and has played a key role in the post-pandemic recovery. Any bankruptcy of such a major company would have major repercussions.

But, as a private company, Beijing might feel less compulsion to stop Evergrande hitting the buffers and could force it to file for bankruptcy, to use it as a warning that no firm is too big to fail and they cannot rely on the state to bail them out.

However, most experts agree the state will not want to see Chinese homebuyers left out of pocket.

Larry Ong from SinoInsider said the “best-case scenario” is that authorities “find a way to keep Evergrande from declaring bankruptcy, give the company’s creditors a glimmer of hope that they will walk away from the debacle with at least something, and avert the triggering of greater social unrest.” AFP

ATNB ATN CIP EEI MED FAF LR DFNN CPG CIC

CHANGE -0.07 -0.04 -9.8 -0.45 -0.02 -0.03 -0.09 -0.19 -0.02 -1

% CHANGE -12.07% -7.14% -6.12% -6.00% -5.71% -5.08% -5.03% -4.55% -4.35% -4.17%

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

TEL GLO MONDE BDO AEV ICT CNVRG ALI LTG SMPH

VOLUME 528,640 212,865 23,113,300 3,586,540 7,325,010 1,528,040 8,310,500 7,954,200 21,282,900 6,397,000

VALUE (PHP) 835,819,465 617,128,440 438,018,718 397,273,994 380,240,797 291,956,828 287,086,790 262,754,575 211,055,961 210,806,180

Standard

TODAY

TODAY

PRIME MEDIA HOLDINGS, INC. NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

Department Administrative Order No. 21-05 Series of 2021

To All Stockholders: Please be advised that the annual meeting of stockholders of PRIME MEDIA HOLDINGS, INC. (the “Corporation”) will be held virtually on 13 October 2021 (Wednesday) at 2:00 p.m. To ensure and safeguard everyone’s health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no physical venue for the meeting. The meeting will be held virtually via remote communication at https://conveneagm. com/ph/primemedia, with the Chairman of the meeting presiding from Makati City.

The agenda of the meeting is as follows: 1. Call to Order.

2. Proof of Notice and Certification of Quorum.

3. Approval of Minutes of Previous Stockholders’ Meeting.

4. Approval of the Annual Report and the Audited Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2020.

ORDER This aerial photo taken on September 17, 2021 shows the halted underconstruction Evergrande Cultural Tourism City, a mixed-used residentialretail-entertainment development, in Taicang, Suzhou city, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. AFP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LAST PRICE 0.51 0.52 150.3 7.05 0.33 0.56 1.7 3.99 0.44 23

Manila

Standard

IN THE MATTER OF THE PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF THE SAFEGUARD MEASURES CASE ON HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (HDPE) AND LINEAR LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (LLDPE) PELLETS AND GRANULES (AHTN Codes 3901.20.00 (HDPE), and 3901.10.12, 3901.10.92, 3901.40.00 and 3901.90.90 (LLDPE) (Safeguard Measures Case Nos. SG05-2020 and SG06-2020) x--------------------------------------------------x

HONG KONG, China—With the future of Evergrande hanging in the balance, global markets have plunged on fears that one of China’s biggest developers could collapse and cause a contagion throughout the world’s number two economy and beyond.

Talk of a “Lehman moment” has rung loud this week as worried investors try to ascertain whether the crisis could be a replay of the bankruptcy of Wall Street titan Lehman Brothers during the 2008 global financial crisis.

While predominantly a developer, Evergrande—which employs 200,000 people, has a presence in more than 280 cities and claims to indirectly generate 3.8 million Chinese jobs—has been on a buying spree for more than a decade.

In that time it has bought Guangzhou FC and turned it into a highly successful club, set up the popular Evergrande Spring mineral water and opened amusement parks it boasted were “bigger” than Disney’s.

It also has an electric car unit as well as investments in tourism, digital operations, insurance and health.

So, what’s the problem?

Well, that spending spree was paid for by founder Xu Jiayin’s gargantuan borrowing. The firm is now in the hole for more than $300 billion—equivalent to two percent of China’s GDP--and it is having trouble paying that back.

The debt pile became a major issue last year when the government, as part of a drive to

CAB DD AEV TEL HOUSE LTG BRN EURO AB KPH

LAST PRICE 62 10.88 54.2 1600 8.99 10 0.84 1.68 6.99 6.2

The Philippine petrochemicals industry, represented by JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation (JGSPC), filed petitions for safeguard measures on the importation of High- Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pellets and granules classified under AHTN Code 3901.20.00 (Case No. SG05-2020), and Linear LowDensity Polyethylene (LLDPE) pellets and granules classified under AHTN Codes 3901.10.12, 3901.10.92, 3901.40.00 and 3901.90.90 (Case No. SG06-2020).

The period of investigation covered the years 2015 to 2019.

Updated data until September 2020 on the subject products, were also presented and taken into consideration.

The Department, acting under Section 7 of RA 8800, the “Safeguard Measures Act,” and on the basis of the submissions of interested parties and pieces of evidence made available to the Department, has established the existence of a causal link between increased imports of the products under consideration and serious injury to the domestic industry.

WHEREFORE, IN VIEW THEREOF, the case records will be transmitted to the Tariff Commission for its formal investigation to determine whether there is a need to impose definitive safeguard measures on the products under consideration.

The non-confidential reports of the preliminary safeguard measures investigation can be accessed at the DTI website: bit.ly/SMA-LLDPEandHDPE and https://www.dti.gov.ph/ negosyo/imports/trade-remedies/dti-orders/.

Imports originating from ASEAN member states shall be governed by the provisions of Articles 11 and 23 of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).

Let this Order be published in two (2) newspapers of general circulation and let individual notices be sent to interested parties including the country members concerned.

5. Ratification of Management Acts.

6. Amendment of the Articles of lncorporation to: (i) Reclassify the Preferred Class A and B Shares with par value of One Peso (Php1.00) per share, to Common Shares with par value of One Peso (Php 1.00) per share, and delete all provisions relating to the Preferred Class A and B Shares; (ii) Increase the authorized capital stock to Seven Billion Pesos (Php 7,000,000,000.00) divided into Seven Billion (7,000,000,000) Common Shares with a par value of One Peso (Php 1.00) per share; (iii) Delete all provisions relating to banking operations; and (iv) Include a provision prohibiting foreign ownership of shares.

7.

Amendment of the By-laws to: (i) delete all provisions relating to banking operations, and (ii) to authorize the holding of virtual meetings by the stockholders, Board of Directors and Board Committees.

8.

Approval of the subscription by the major shareholders of Philippine CollectiveMedia Corp. (“PCMC Shareholders”) to One Billion Six Hundred Seventy Nine Million Nine Hundred Sixty Six Thousand Four Hundred (1,679,966,400) common shares to be issued out of the proposed increase in authorized capital stock, in consideration of the assignment and transfer of PCMC shares representing 99.9% of the outstanding capital stock of PCMC.

9. Waiver by the minority stockholders of the rights or public offer requirement under the PSE Additional Listing Rule.

10. Authority to accept private placements for up to 300,000,000 common shares to be issued at a price equivalent to the par value of PhP 1.00 per share.

11. Election of Board of Directors.

12. Appointment of External Auditor.

13. Other Matters.

14. Adjournment.

For purposes of the meeting, stockholders of record as of 12 August 2021 are entitled to receive notice and to vote at the said meeting. Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should pre-register at https://conveneagm. com/ph/primemedia on or before 03 October 2021. Please refer to the Procedure for Participation and Voting at the 2021 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (attached to the Definitive Information Statement) for detailed information on participation by remote communication and voting in absentia (electronic voting) or by proxy.

Pursuant to SEC’s Notice dated 16 March 2021 , a copy of the Notice of the meeting, Definitive Information Statement, Management Report, minutes of the previous meeting of the stockholders, and other documents related to the meeting may be accessed through the Corporation’s website https://www. primemediaholdingsinc.com/ and PSE Edge.

SO ORDERED. 17 September 2021

For any question about the conduct of the virtual meeting, you may refer to the Frequently Asked Questions at https://conveneagm.com/ph/primemedia or email mdc.prim@gmail.com Makati City, 21 September 2021.

MAILA LOURDES G. DE CASTRO Corporate Secretary * All proxies which have been previously submitted shall remain valid unless revoked.

(MS-SEPT. 22, 2021)

(MS-SEPT. 21 & 22, 2021)

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

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

PAL asks gov’t to hike limit on airport arrivals PHILIPPINE Airlines on Tuesday asked the government to raise the limit on international arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to help the economy rebound from the pandemic.

“We only allowed 2,000 people into Manila for all airlines. Before the pandemic, it was 40,000 a day in Manila.

There was a huge reduction,” PAL president and chief operating officer Gilbert Santa Maria said during the Pandesal Forum.

He also requested the government to lift some restrictions on vaccinated passengers to allow them to travel.

“For the sake of our economy, I beg the decision maker to listen to our economy and set up prudent policies that are very supportive of our economy. What’s the use of locking down to have zero COVID if the economy would be dead,” Sta. Maria said.

PAL senior vice president and chief strategy and planning officer Dexter Lee said the airlines should get back consistently at least 50 percent of flights to break even in terms of operating cost.

PAL steadily built up operations in recent months, now averaging 27 percent of the pre-pandemic flights on 70 percent of its route network.

It plans to increase flights to San Francisco, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Guam, Singapore, Dubai, Doha, Nagoya and Fukuoka by late October, while continuing special flights to Auckland, Vietnam and points in Australia.

More flights to Honolulu and Taipei will come online by the last week of November.

The airline’s winter season schedule also includes regular flights to New York JFK, Seoul, Saudi Arabia, Vancouver, Toronto and other Asian destinations.

PAL said that on domestic routes, it would add flights to Iloilo, Legazpi, Butuan, Puerto Princesa, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Roxas City. PAL’s Cebu hub will see additional frequencies between Cebu and Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Butuan and Davao.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Business groups push for opening of transport, telco BUSINESS groups on Tuesday expressed strong support for the liberalization of the Philippine economy through the passage of the amendments to the Public Service Act. “We believe that this is the most consequential piece of legislation towards maximizing opportunities to attract foreign investments to create jobs and build the infrastructure for economic recovery and growth, as the country struggles against the effects of the pandemic,” the Foundation for Economic Freedom, Makati Business Club and UP School of Economics Alumni Association said in a joint statement.

The proposed amendments to the Public Service Act aims to open up key sectors of the economy, specifically the transportation and telecommunications sectors, to facilitate the infusion of much-needed foreign investment.

“Any moves to retain the 60-40 foreign equity restrictions, and add legislative franchise requirements where none existed prior to the act, will thwart the intention of the bill and the positive impact that it can bring to the business community and consumers,” the groups said.

They said a main objective of the amendments is to define public utilities. A key criteria in the proposed definition is that public utilities should be natural monopolies.

“Both transportation and telecommunications are not natural monopolies.

There are numerous transportation companies and three telecommunications companies that operate viably in the country. We caution the Senate against including favored subsectors under the public utility definition in order to protect them from competition. It is crucial to apply the proposed definition consistently in identifying the sectors that should be considered public utilities to maintain the internal integrity of the bill,” the groups said.

They noted the strong interest among foreign investors from various countries to invest in the Philippines. “We must maximize this opportunity by sending a strong signal to the global community that the Philippines is open for business, to facilitate the entry of a wider range of investors and new technologies to help the country transition to a digital economy,” they said.

Business

San Miguel signs deal to build P95-b Pasig River Expressway

By Darwin G. Amojelar

S

AN Miguel Corp. on Tuesday signed a supplemental toll operation agreement with the Transportation and the Public Works departments for the construction of the P95-billion Pasig River Expressway—an elevated hybrid highway that will stretch 19.37 kilometers along the banks of Pasig River from Manila to Taguig.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a virtual briefing the PAREx project was expected to decongest traffic in Metro Manila and help the economy rebound from the global pandemic.

“It’s a game-changer project that could further boost our economy,” he said.

San Miguel president Ramon Ang said the project would generate between 50,000 and 200,000 jobs. He said San Miguel would fully shoulder the P95billion cost to build PAREX, with no taxpayer or government money used.

“This will be an inclusive, user-centered infrastructure that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars. It will have dedicated bike lanes, walkways, a bus rapid transit system, among others” Ang said.

Ang said San Miguel would tap internationally-renowned architect, environment planner and green urbanism advocate Arch. Felino Palafox Jr. to help

design the PAREX project.

“Together with Palafox and Associates, we will build what will be the country’s first sustainable infrastructure, one that will not just be ‘green’, but will have multiple uses and direct environmental, social, and economic benefits to Filipinos,” Ang said.

The PAREX will have three major segments. Segment 1 would run from R-10 to Plaza Azul, Manila; Segment 2 from Pandacan to C-5; and Segment 3 from C-5 to C6. PAREX will also connect to, and utilize a 2.7-km. portion of the new Skyway Stage 3, from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.

Ang said the interconnected PAREX and Skyway would be critical to improving how the public commutes in Metro Manila.

San Miguel earlier announced plan to put up a bus rapid transit system on Skyway and said it would also estab-

lish one on PAREX to provide commuters faster, more convenient and reliable alternative transportation to different points in Metro Manila.

“The BRT system has always been one of our long-term plans for our elevated expressways. This will allow even more Filipinos to use and benefit from our new elevated expressways and significantly reduce traffic on our public roads,” Ang said.

Ang said with the PAREX offering both a faster way to drive or commute around Metro Manila, the project could fulfill one of its major environmental goals—that of lowering the amount of harmful emissions released into the air when vehicles are stuck for hours in heavy traffic.

“Just imagine the amount of vehicle pollution we will avoid if trips that usually take two-to-three hours—including long stretches where cars are just idling in traffic—will take only 30 minutes.

Also, with a BRT system, many vehicle owners will no longer find the need to drive their own cars—further lessening pollution,” Ang said.

Ang said the project was expected to be completed in five years.

PAREx, which will start from Radial Road 10 in Manila and end at a connection to the South East Metro Manila Expressway, otherwise known as Circumferential Road 6, is seen to reduce travel time from Manila to Rizal to just 15 minutes.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, September 21, 2021 23.30 PTS. 6,881.20

TOTAL VOLUME

860,440,458

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE

95,946 7,077,888,496.57

ADVANCES

64

DECLINES UNCHANGED

116 51

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.1520

Japan

Yen

0.009141

0.4584

UK

Pound

1.366400

68.5277

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128421

6.4406

Switzerland

Franc

1.077702

54.0489

Canada

Dollar

0.779970

39.1171

Singapore

Dollar

0.740138

37.1194

Australia

Dollar

0.724900

36.3552

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653928

133.0998

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

13.3739

Brunei

Dollar

0.737409

36.9825

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030003

1.5047

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6550

Euro

Euro

1.173100

58.8333

Korea

Won

0.000843

0.0423

China

Yuan

0.154899

7.7685

India

Rupee

0.013580

0.6811

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238663

11.9694

New Zealand

Dollar

0.702300

35.2217

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035943

1.8026 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF EEI retail electricity unit bags supply deals

EEI Energy Solutions Corp., the retail electricity unit of EEI Corp., recently signed retail electricity supply deals with Centro Mall and Limcoma Multi-purpose Cooperative as it focuses on an untapped market segments.

EEI received its RES license from the Energy Regulatory Commission in February.

“EEI Energy is honored to have been chosen to be the retail electricity supplier of Centro Mall and Limcoma Corporation among all the other players in the industry.

This is a testament to the dependability and reliability that EEI is known for and the value-added services that we can make available to our customers considering the diverse business interest of our group,” said EEI Energy president Cris Noel Torres in a statement.

Centro Mall and Limcoma are among the first accounts closed by EEI Energy within just six months into its operation, following the account with the local counterpart of a leading Southeast Asian aqua culture manufacturer.

Centro Mall is one of the prominent shopping malls in Laguna while Limcoma is the first ISO 9001:2001 certified feed mill cooperative in Batangas.

Alena Ma S. Flores

Robinsons Retail opens 870th drug store in Cebu

The 19.37-km Pasig River Expressway project is set to become the first privately-funded road network that combines sustainability features with the functionality of a safe and efficient transport infrastructure. San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang (third from left) and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade (fourth from left) lead the signing of the supplemental toll operations agreement for the game-changing project that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars as it will have dedicated bike lanes, walkways and a bus rapid transit system.

PH ranks 51st among 132 economies in terms of innovation—DTI

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Philippines remains among the world’s most innovative economies, sustaining its ‘innovation achiever’ status for the third straight year.

It was ranked 51st among 132 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2021. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the ranking was achieved through the country’s inclusive innovation industrial strategy.

“We have focused our efforts on strengthening national and regional innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems by forging government-industry-academe collaboration, enabling a strong business and policy environment and upskilling our creative talent pool,” Lopez said.

“Our experience validates the strong potential of innovation to catalyze job creation, upgrade industrial competitiveness and attract high-value investments,” he said.

The GII 2021 noted that the Philippines continued to perform better in innovation outputs than innovation inputs.

Among its innovation output strengths are in high-tech exports (ranked 1st in the world), utility models by origin (8th), creative goods exports (as percent of total trade, 10th globally) and ICT services exports (percentage of total trade, 13th globally).

For innovation inputs, the country’s strengths are in high-tech imports (1st), firms offering formal training (8th) and trade, diversification and market scale (21st).

“This means that we were able to produce more and higher-quality innovation outputs despite our limited innovation resources and pandemic-induced setbacks. This is reflected in the GII observation that the Philippines continues to be among the countries that perform above expectations given our current level of development,” said Lopez.

The Philippines placed 4th among the 34 lower middle-income group economies. It is 11th among the 17 economies in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania, with a performance that is above the regional average in the two pillars of business sophistication and knowledge and technology outputs.

The country is also among the “TVIP economies [Turkey, Viet Nam, India and the Philippines], which are systematically catching up… and have the potential to change the global innovation landscape for good.”

“By making our ecosystem inclusive, nurturing a friendly business environment and with government and the private sector providing the needed funds for research and development, we will be able to attract more investments, generate more and better-quality jobs, and produce higher-value products that would lead to better prices in the market for the benefit of our consumers,” said Trae Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba.

ROBINSONS Retail Holdings, Inc. (RRHI), the retail holding company of the Gokongwei Group, continues to expand its drugstore business with the recent opening of its 870th store.

RRHI in a disclosure to the stock exchange said unit drugstore chain Rose Pharmacy opened its newest store in LapuLapu City, Cebu.

The store opening is part of RRHI’s strategy to aggressively expand its drugstore business across the country despite the pandemic.

Aside from Rose Pharmacy, RRHI also owns Southstar Drug and TGP, which has over 2,000 franchised stores nationwide.

“We are confident that there is still room to grow in Philippine pharma-retail as a large portion of the market remains underserved,” said RRHI drugstore department group general manager Christine Tueres.

“The newest Rose Pharmacy store in Plumera, Lapu-Lapu City is a milestone that further solidifies our commitment to bring reliable pharmaceutical products closer to our customers, as well as our plans to further deepen our presence as a major drugstore player in the country,” she added.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Fitch lowers peso target versus dollar

FITCH Solutions, a unit of Fitch Group, has revised downward its peso-dollar exchange rate forecast to an average of 49.20 from 48.10 this year, given low vaccination rates and difficulties containing COVID-19 outbreaks in the country.

In a report Tuesday, Fitch Solutions said the peso will trade in a wide range over the near term—between 49 and 52 per US dollar—given the uncertainty around the country’s handling of the pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ loose monetary policy stance and weakening fundamentals.

“Since our last update (June 17), the peso has depreciated 3.1 percent against the greenback, bringing the year-to-date return to 3.8 percent. Asian currencies have remained under pressure in Q321 due to the region’s slow pace of vaccinations, Delta variant outbreaks and renewed restrictions, signs of slower growth in China and limited hawkish guidance by central banks,” it said.

Julito G. Rada

Diokno sees stronger economy after pandemic

By Julito G. Rada

MCDONALD’S VACCINATION. Quick service restaurant operator McDonald’s Philippines vaccinates 98 percent of its restaurant managers and crew in Metro Manila with their first dose. With more than 14,000 store employees in the region, the company fully vaccinated 68 percent and is on its way to hit its goal of 100 percent by October. Under its M Safe program, McDonald’s purchased vaccines for all its employees, along with other private companies under tripartite agreements. The vaccines are to be given to the employees for free.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the Philippines is expected to regain its pre-pandemic growth momentum and become a much better economy in the post-COVID era.

Diokno made the statement as the featured speaker in the virtual event “Conversations with the Governor” organized by London-based think tank Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.

The forum provides an international platform for central banking and public policy dialogs, such as through events whose audience includes financial sector regulators and financial industry players from the private sector.

Diokno said during the event the Philippines was already set to graduate from lower to upper middle-income status right before the pandemic.

“Looking ahead, we do not aim to

simply regain the economic losses from the pandemic. We aspire for a ‘postCOVID-19 Philippine economy’ that is stronger and more resilient, more technologically advanced, and more inclusive than ever before,” Diokno said.

He said the country is pursuing this goal in three ways and the BSP is an active partner of the government toward this end.

First is by liberalizing the economy and making it even more investor friendly, such as through the country’s participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership among select Asia-Pacific economies and legislative reforms like the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises law.

“On the part of the BSP, we support investment promotion through a regulatory environment that is welcoming to foreign investors and technological innovation,” he said.

Biado gets ready for 3 international tournaments CARLO Biado will be a busy man following his success in the US Open Pool Championship.

The 37-year-old Filipino is expected to banner the country’s campaign in three major international tournaments next year including the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the Southeast Asian Games, and the World Games, where he is the defending 9-ball champion.

The AIMAG is set in Bangkok, Thailand on March 10-20, the SEA Games in Vietnam tentatively by late May, and the World Games – a meet sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, but featuring disciplines not played in the Olympics – in Birmingham, Alabama from July 7 to 22.

And then, there are other events in the pro circuit tour where he’s also expected to see action such as the UK Open and World 10-Ball Championship, making the year 2022 a truly busy one for the newest toast of Philippine sports.

He said being active is better than doing nothing especially at this time of the pandemic, which actually led to his decision to travel to the US four months ago and try competing in various tournaments.

“Nu’ng nasa Pilipinas ako, talagang nasa bahay ka dahil nga nakakatakot dahil sa COVID-19 na ‘yan. Pero hindi ako nagpa-apekto kasi hindi naman puwedeng habang buhay na nasa loob tayo ng bahay. Kaya nag-decide akong umalis, magpunta dito sa Amerika para makapag-practice at makapag-training dahil nga alam kong may darating kaming mga events tulad ng SEA Games at ‘yung AIMAG so hindi ako puwedeng tumigil sa paglalaro,” said Biado straight from New York during his special appearance in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

Biado left the country last May and saw action in local US meets such as the Texas Open, Austin Open, Sacramento Open, Big Time Classic Open, Diamond Open, and finally, the US Open where he stamped his class just a few days ago by rallying back from a five-rack deficit in the final and beat Singaporean Aloysius Yapp, 13-8, to win the top prize money worth $50,000.

Billiards and Sports Confederation of the Philippines Secretary-General Robert Mananquil, who appeared with Biado in the online session presented

by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, said Biado will definitely be at the forefront of the country’s campaign in various international tournaments where it is competing by next year.

For AIMAG though, only one event in billiards will be included in the calendar.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Newly crowned US Open Pool champion Carlo Biado is expected to banner the country’s campaign in three major international tournaments next year including the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the Southeast Asian Games, and the World Games, where he is the defending 9-ball champion.

WBC orders Donaire: Defend title vs Garballo

By Randy Caluag

T

HE projected unification title bout between compatriots-turned bitter rivals John Riehl Casimero and Nonito Donaire Jr. is threatened anew following the recent pronouncement of the World Boxing Council ordering the latter to defend his crown against another Filipino.

Donaire, a four-division champion and current WBC bantamweight king, and World Boxing Organization titlist Casimero, have resumed their word war on social media even as their handlers are negotiating for their showdown.

But the WBC on Tuesday posted on its official Twitter page the list of mandatory fights, including Donaire versus

unbeaten interim world champion and fellow Filipino Reymart “Assassin” Gaballo.

Donaire, however, is hoping that his mandatory defense could give way to the unification bout with Casimero.

“Puwede naman siguro ‘yun, depende na lang sa negotiation,” said Donaire in an interview with Powcast Sports. “Ganu’n pa rin ‘yung goal ko na

maging undisputed champion na Filipino. Kahit sino diyan, hindi ako aatras.”

Nevertheless, Donaire said he has started preparing for a December fight, whoever he may be pitted against.

“It’s December daw, kung sino man ‘yun, it’s my date. I’m preparing for it,” he added.

Meanwhile, in the same tweet by the WBC, it also announced the mandatory defense by WBC featherweight champ Gary Russell Jr. against Filipino Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo.

Before the WBC tweet came out, Donaire and Casimero exchanged harsh words on social media, with the former claiming that a contract has already been sent to the camp of the latter, urging him to sign the contract.

Donaire also said that his manager Richard Schaefer told him that Ca-

‘Easy’ group for Azkals in Suzuki Cup

By Peter Atencio THE Philippines Azkals’ national men’s football team will have a light assignment in the 2020 edition of the AFF Championship, or AFF Suzuki Cup. The Azkals, coached by Scott Cooper, have been picked to play in Group A, away from 2018 finalists Vietnam and Malaysia.

Team manager Dan Palami said the best players will be made available to the team, which will once again try to go as far as it can in this regional event.

Now seeking their fourth straight semifinals appearance in the biennial meet, Team Philippines will be in the company of Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore.

And they will be joined by the winner of the qualifying round match between Brunei and Timor-Leste.

“The draw doesn’t really matter as we still need to beat the best teams to win the Suzuki Cup. Hopefully, we get the best players available even though the tournament is outside the Fifa international window,” said Palami in a statement.

The Philippines will try to make it as far as the semis again as they have done in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018.

Cooper said the position that the Philippines got in the draw reminds him of what happened in 2018.

“I think as far as the draw goes, it’s an interesting one. I never want to say I’m pleased with the draw, but I’m not disappointed with the draw. I think we take it how it is and ironically the last time we played in the Suzuki Cup, we had Singapore, Timor-Leste, who could be there, and Thailand with the only difference is Indo-

nesia, which is in the other group.

It’s almost like a replay of 2018,” said Cooper.

The position of the Azkals and other participating squads were made known following a virtual draw of lots on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur.

Vietnam, which won its second crown last year with a 1-0 win over Malaysia, is bunched with the Malaysians in Group.

The Vietnamese and Malaysia will be joined by Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.

The tournament will take place from December 5, 2021 to January 1, 2022, with organizers still yet to decide on the host country.

The draw for the 2020 AFF Championship was originally set on August 10, 2021 in Singapore.

But because of enhanced COVID-19 restrictions in the country, the draw was postponed.

THE Meralco Bolts will try to get out of that feeling of rustiness in their game when they focus on an important spot in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

The Bolts, coming off a six-day layoff, hold a 7-2 slate after their 104-97 win over the Blackwater Elite Bossings. They are going for a third consecutive triumph in their 3 p.m. clash against the NLEX Road Warriors.

“At this point of the season, that’s all that really matters.

We try to get as many wins as possible,” said Bolts’ coach

Norman Black.

The San Miguel Beerman (6-4) will meet the Alaska Aces (3-6) later at 6 p.m.

There are still two games left in the Bolts’ schedule, against the Road Warriors and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings.

Winning one game from its last two will have Meralco automatically clinching the no. 2 position spot behind eliminations topnotcher TNT. And this will also give the incentive of having a win-once advantage in the next round.

So, winning this game is very important.

If the Bolts lose, they will have to get past the Gin Kings

simero “rejected “ the contract. But Casimero’s manager Sean Gibbons of MP Promotions denied the claims.

It is clear though that Casimero and Donaire are both willing to make the fight happen.

Until their live face-to-face interview on Tuesday, Casimero still claimed that he has not received a contract.

If Donaire will have to face Gaballo in the mandatory bout, he will be up against someone 13 years younger, who has an unbeaten record of 24 wins, 20 by knockout.

The 38-year-old Donaire has a record of 41-6 (win-loss) with 27 knockouts.

Gaballo earned the WBC interim world bantamweight title by beating Emmanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico via split decision in Connecticut in December 2020.

Learning new tricks crucial for PH skater Scott Cooper

Bolts play Warriors, seek Top 2 spot

Meralco’s Reynel Hugnatan

C1

at the end of their eliminations sortie on Thursday.

Against the Road Warriors, the Bolts are expecting key players Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge, along with Aaron Black to be back.

The three have been indisposed in their last few games after observing the league’s health and safety protocols. Black is recovering from a hand injury.

The Road Warriors are tied with Batang NorthPort Pier at 5-5 and are seeking to stay within range in the seventh and eight places.

“Beating Meralco will give us the chance to make sixth place even if it is not totally under our control,” said Road Warriors coach Yeng Guiao. Peter Atencio

FOR Skye Chua, learning new tricks will give her a fighting chance in the next international competitions that she will join in.

Her personal coach Clarisse Roman said this after the 18-year-old Chua finished decently in the International Skating Union’s Junior Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia over the weekend.

“She’s improving. She has a lot of potential,” said Roman on Zoom after Chua settled for 20th out of 24 competitors.

Now back in Manila and undergoing quarantine protocols, Chua made do with the jumps and spins that she is already proficient. Chua still scored with her double axels and spins, which she is still trying to master.

An axel is one of the six main jumps that make up every figure skating program.

To complete an axel, a skater takes off from the outside edge of one skate, rotates in the air and lands on the outside edge of the opposite skate.

“I tried my best to work with the spins and jumps that I had. Pero, bumawi naman ako sa performance,” said Chua, who is getting ready for another event that the Philippine Skating Union will send her next.

The Russian skaters were dominant, grabbing the top five positions, with their triple axels and quadruple jumps.

This resulted in a 1-2-3 podium finish with Sofia Akateva (233.08) taking the gold medal.

Anastasia Zinina had 206.20 for the silver, while Sofia Samodelkina (202.39) bagged the bronze.

“The Russians we good. Hindi sila nawalan ng tricks kahit may pandemic with their triples and quad,” said Roman, who added that Chua is still in the process of perfecting her triple axel spins.

And when she does, Chua will be to do even much better in her international meet. Peter Atencio

C2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Sports

Pochettino plays down Messi’s benching in win

P

ARIS—Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his decision to take off Lionel Messi as the former Barcelona man made his home debut in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game against Lyon.

Messi was outstanding in the first half at the Parc des Princes but began to fade from the game after the break and was replaced by Achraf Hakimi for the final quarter of an hour with the score 1-1 at the time.

PSG won 2-1 with a stoppage-time headed goal by substitute Mauro Icardi.

“Everyone knows we have great players, a squad of 35. It is my decision. We can only have 11 players on the field at one time,” Pochettino said.

“I only think about the best decision in each game, for each player, just as every coach does.

“We are here to make decisions. Sometimes people will be happy with them, sometimes they won’t be.”

Messi appeared to reject Pochettino’s hand as he walked past his coach towards the Paris bench.

Pochettino dismissed any suggestion the six-time Ballon d’Or winner was unhappy, saying: “I asked him how he was and he said he was fine.”

Messi, who hit the woodwork from a free-kick in the first half, is still looking for his first goal in a PSG shirt.

Meanwhile, FIFA has invited football’s national federations to an online summit on September 30 to discuss the international calendar, in its push to hold the World Cup every two years instead of four.

World football’s governing body wants to launch a “new consultation phase” for

the international women’s and men’s calendar, set to expire at the end of 2023 and 2024 respectively.

“There is a broad consensus within the game that the international match calendar should be reformed and improved,” FIFA said in a statement Monday.

“Following invitations to stakeholders, including all confederations, at the beginning of September, discussions are being organised in the coming weeks.

“FIFA also invited its member associations to a first online summit on 30 September 2021. This is one of several opportunities to establish a constructive and open debate, at a global and regional level, over the coming months.”

The controversial proposal for a biennial World Cup was revived in March by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now head of global football development at FIFA. The idea would be to have an international tournament each year from 20252026, alternating World Cups and con-

tinental tournaments like the European Championship and Copa America.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is fiercely opposed to the proposal and threatened that European nations would boycott a biennial World Cup. South American confederation CONMEBOL said the project had “no sporting justification”.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has promised decisions on staging a World Cup every two years would be made by the end of the year.

Last week FIFA published an online poll that claimed a majority of football fans support the idea of a “more frequent” World Cup. The results of the survey came in stark contrast to the opposition of numerous national supporters groups worldwide. AFP

PSC opens nominations for Gintong Gawad 2021 THE Philippine Sports Commission Women in Sports presents the Gintong Gawad Award 2021 as a national search for ground-breaking, inspiring, notable, timeless, outstanding contributions to grassroots women in sports.

“We are happy to finally recognize and pay tribute to remarkable achievements in sports of women and of outstanding initiatives for women in the communities throughout the country,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

The PSC chief added: “Through the years, we have witnessed the continuing recognition of excellent performances in elite sports, but none so far yet for those in the grassroots, particularly women.

We have Republic Act 10699 (National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act) which provides benefits and incentives for national athletes and those winning in international sports competitions. There is also the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame established through Republic Act No. 8757 which aims to immortalize the Filipino Sports heritage and to honour remarkable performances of Filipino athletes, trainers, and coaches.”

Gintong Gawad is a milestone initiative that will inspire community-based athletes, coaches, sports leaders, benefactors, sports scientists, and innovators to continue helping in the development of women in sports.

For this year, Gintong Gawad invites Provincial Government Units and Metro Manila Mayors to send their best entry (nominee) from October 1 to November 30, 2021, for each of the eight categories.

Anyone that can help provide valuable information is advised to connect with their respective Provincial Government offices.

Categories for this year are: Babaeng Atleta; Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Atleta, ng Kabataan (PWD); Babaeng Tagasanay ng Isport; Ina ng Isport; Lider ng Isport sa Komunidad; Kaagapay ng Isport sa Komunidad (Benefactor/Sponsor, Natatangi at Makabagong Produktong Pang-Isport; and, Proyektong Isport Pang Kababaihan.

Concerns and clarifications may be coordinated with the Gintong Gawad National Screening, Technical, Evaluation and Validation Secretariat at email address psc.gintonggawad@gmail. com of phone numbers 09493695717; 09451755464; 09668663793; 09395988088; Metro Manila and South Luzon at 09560654003; North Luzon at 09094590303; Visayas at 09053537169;

Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (left) leaves the pitch after chatting with Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the French L1 football match between Paris-Saint Germain and Olympique Lyonnais at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris. AFP

Joshua promises dream bout with Fury will happen LONDON—Anthony Joshua says the mouthwatering heavyweight boxing bout with fellow Briton Tyson Fury will happen preferably in Britain before he hangs up his gloves.

Between them, the two boxers currently hold all the major versions of the heavyweight world title.

Talks of a unification ‘superfight’, which went on for months, appeared to be on the brink of ending in an agreement earlier this year only for a United States arbitrator to rule Fury had to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time.

As a result Fury, having previously drawn with and then stopped Wilder, is set to make the maiden defence of his World Boxing Council (WBC) belt against the American in Las Vegas next month.

Joshua is set to face World Boxing Organization (WBO) mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk in London next Saturday, with a crowd of some 60,000 expected at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home of the Premier League club.

Joshua, also the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Fed-

eration (IBF) champion, says he will battle to get the fight with Fury on.

“It will happen,” the 31-year-old told the Daily Mail.

“I know what people are saying about boxing politics, but I’ll promise before the end of my career I will have done everything in my power to fight Tyson Fury.

“We saw it with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao (not fighting until they were beyond their primes) but that was a superstar fight.

“Me and Fury is streets, two warriors, two fighters who have come from the amateur system in the UK, and have taken the world by storm. We’ll get it on in Britain.”

Joshua had spoken earlier in the week of how his career would be incomplete without fighting Fury.

Thus the 2012 super-heavyweight Olympic champion is determined all potential barriers to the bout with the pugilist known as the ‘Gypsy King’ will be surmounted.

“Don’t worry about age, boxing poli-

Anthony Joshua

tics, don’t worry about the American dollar,” he said.

“This is a British UK fight which can happen at Wembley, Tottenham, the O2, York Hall.

“I look at it less as a mega-fight for the world and more from the point of view that we are guys who first met in Finchley ABC. It is a grassroots fight.” AFP

Reli de Leon

Philracom hopes IATF allows fans to attend races THE Philippine Racing Commission is hoping for the best and that includes the betting public getting the green light to watch the races in person.

“I hope that soon they will allow us,” said Philracom chairman Reli de Leon during Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

De Leon said while the IATF has allowed 10 percent of the sitting capacity for indoor restaurants and other establishments, racetracks are still waiting for clearance.

“If our racetracks can accommodate 5,000 racing fans then 10 percent of that is equivalent to 500,” he said.

Races are held from Thursday to Sunday and are evenly divided among the Manila Jockey Club, Inc. in Carmona, Cavite; Philippine Racing Club, Inc. in Naic, Cavite; and Metro Manila Turf Club, Inc. in Malvar, Batangas.

De Leon also told the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation that Philracom still has 12 stakes races lineup until December, including the third leg of the Triple Crown on Oct. 3.

The Presidential Gold Cup on Dec. 12 will be the biggest of them all with a total of P10 million in prize money at stake, and the winner getting a record P6 million.

“That will be the biggest prize ever in the history of Philippine horse racing,” added De Leon, who reported that despite a break of three and a half months this year due to the pandemic, Philracom has posted huge numbers.

From January to September this year, Philracom has posted sales of P1.4 billion, and De Leon said with no further interruption they can reach as high as P2 billion to P2.3 billion.

“Basta tuloy-tuloy lang. But so far, very successful. Compared to last year, we are proud to say that our sales are bigger this year. In taxes alone this year, we have paid P400 million,” he said in the same session powered by Smart and Upstream Media as official webcast partner.

“The IATF has been very cooperative, and that is why we are able to sustain this. Horse racing is on its feet,” said De Leon of the giant industry that provides direct and indirect jobs to as many as 12,000.

Lucky 77 wins P1.3M prize in 2nd leg of Super Circuit Derby

Representatives of Lucky 77 are shown with the championship trophy.

LUCKY 77 lived up to its name as it topped a field of 355 entries in ruling the 2nd Leg of the 7 Cock/Stag Open Series Super Circuit Derby, in Talisay, Negros Occidental.

Owned by Jomaine Junas, Marlon Guadalupe and Larry Estandarte, Lucky 77 compiled a perfect 7 points in the stagfest held from the derby period of Aug. 23 to 30.

With the triumph, the owners of Lucky 77 received the top prize of P1.3 million from the P3.3 million total at stake in the leg.

The Super Circuit Derby festival offers a total guaranteed prize of P28 million for the entire 6-leg series.

Runners-up of the 2nd leg with 6.5 points are AJY Sept/ 14 Stag Derby of owner Aljer Jay Yee Yec and Bandits ALM of owner Andrew Montelibano.

They are followed by six pointers D’ Breaker/ High Star of J. Plana, Red Wings PL BCC of Pa-

tong Ledesma, Dumsquared Warriors of JM and Joel Dumdum, God Save the Queen of Julius and Ronald, Brayo/Ubaners of Bobby O. and Ubanon, BF Gracie of BF GF and Bong Lamoste, Super Ale GJV of Raul and Gerald Villanueva and Wilfredo Suga’s CCJ Edris, which ruled the first leg last July.

The entry with the highest point after the 6-leg series conducted by Sabong Inter national in cooperation with Metro Third Breeders Association and NTC Group will receive a whopping top prize of P5,000,000 with the runner-up taking P1 million.

Also, the entr y with the most championship in the series pockets P3 million, while the highest pointer’s handler and gaffer get P700,000 and P300,000, respectively.

The rest of the series will be held until December, with the 3rd leg slated from Sept. 23 to 30.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Korean girl with Filipino heart DANCER and entertainer Dasuri Choi has endeared countless Filipinos when she was catapulted to mainstream popularity after winning 2nd runner-up in Eat Bulaga’s top-rating segment “You’re My Foreignay” in 2014. Since then, the South Korean darling has appeared in numerous shows on GMA. In 2015, On GMA News TV, she co-hosted the realitylifestyle show Day Off opposite comedian Boobay and singer-actress Julie Ann San Jose. On the same year, she was featured in the September issue of FHM Philippines.

Choi also ventured into acting as she appeared in some of GMA-7’s top-rating series such as Pepito Manaloto, My Korean Jagiya, and Inday Will Always Love You. Today, as a recognizable face on local television, Dasuri Choi partners with Hyundai Home Appliances as the company’s official endorser in the Philippines.

“As a South Korean brand, it would be perfect to have someone like Dasuri to represent our brand as she could easily relate to what our appliances stand for,” says GTC-Aldis Philippines, Inc. COO Gerry Alava. “I am so happy to see Hyundai expanding into the Filipino market.”

Being part of Hyundai Home Appliances family has been

such a wonderful experience for Dasuri.

“I’m truly grateful that a global brand that gives innovative solutions has welcomed me into their family.—(Hyundai) in Korean, translates to modern or contemporary times, and much like the Filipinos who strive for progress in their lives, the brand has been producing reliable electronics and home appliances,” the entertainer said of her partnership with the brand.

“The Hyundai Home Appliances I own have a special place in my Korean heart since they are not only pleasing to my eyes because of their classy designs, but also because they are very reliable and efficient. I am honored to share this brand to my family and friends and make them part of the Hyundai Home Appliances community,” Dasuri added and invited the public to join her in her effort to teach people helpful home hacks, health tips, all things Korean, and many other updates on Hyundai.

For more information and news on Dasuri Choi and Hyundai Home Appliances, follow @hyundaihomeph and @hyundaihealthyseriesph on Instagram, like Hyundai Home Appliances - Philippines on Facebook, subscribe to Hyundai Home Philippines on YouTube, and visit www. hyundaihome-ph.com.

James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck, otherwise known as Honne, have announced the release of their much-anticipated new album, ‘Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do?’ – a record that toasts the start of a new era of music from one of the UK’s most inventive and original outfits.

‘Honning’ music together A

NDY Clutterbuck and James Hatcher met while at university and started making music together in 2014. In the same year, they began performing under the name of Honne, which means “true feelings” in Japanese, and released their debut single, “Warm on a Cold Night.”

Five Extended Plays, one mixtape, and three albums later, Andy and James are still together creating good music (once described by The Telegraph as “futuristic soul destined to re-invent babymaking music”) and have cultivated a huge and fiercely dedicated global fan base since the release of their critically-acclaimed debut LP named after their debut single.

Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, to promote their third studio album Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do? (which releases on Oct. 22) and their participation in the annual G Music Fest

on Sept. 26, the London duo shared one of the reasons behind their longevity as musicians.

“It’s just an arm wrestle,” Andy said in jest.

“Me and James, we’ve know each other for probably 14 years now. We’ve been working on music together and we’re very good friends. There’s always going to be slight clashes but over the years we’ve learned to kind of form into one person.

We never bicker too much, we just crack on and do what we have to do,” the singer and music producer stated.

In agreement, James underscored their shared vision as musicians and buddies in the recording studio.

“We both work towards the same thing. When it’s right, we would both agree that it’s right. We try to list different things to get the right results,” James said.

The duo believes that working together is about “making compromises.”

To coincide with the release of their third LP, James and Andy have also compiled three new album tracks for fans to listen to as an EP, setting the tone perfectly for what’s to come. Available everywhere now, What Would You Do? features new songs “Now I’m Alone” ft. Sofía Valdés—co-written alongside recent 3x BRIT Award winner Arlo

Parks—and “IDGAF About Pain,” as well as recent single “What Would You Do?” ft. Pink Sweat$.

Written throughout the course of 2020, Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do? captures Honne in limitless full bloom – as songwriters, producers, and collaborators.

“In the past, we’ve limited ourselves,” the duo explained. “We might get to a section of a song and things are getting really exciting, but we then pull ourselves back and say, ‘Can we really do that?’. Now, we’ve sidestepped the rules and done whatever we wanted to do.”

This sense of freedom permeates the tracklist, which is defined as much by its eye-catching collaborations—Khalid (“Three Strikes”), Griff (“Back On Top”), 88 Rising’s NIKI (“Coming Home”)—as it is by its musicianship, shimmering pop feel, and intelligent song-writing; Sam Smith (“Back On Top”), and MNEK (“Easy On Me”) also co-wrote songs on the album.

Bold and ambitious, Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do? brings together everything Honne have worked towards in their career so far, while simultaneously pushing them into broad and exciting new spaces.

‘Kap’s Agimat Giveaway’ returns JUST like the past year, instead of celebrating his birthday with family and friends, Sen. Bong Revilla, Jr. will be distributing relief goods and prizes on his birthday.

The actor-politician revives on Facebook Live “Kap’s Agimat Birthday Giveaway” on his birthday, Saturday, Sept. 25.

It will extend to Sunday, Sept. 26.

Like in the previous “Amazing Giveaway,” gadgets (laptop, cellphone, and Ipad) will be given away, along with livelihood package and cash prizes to all needy Filipinos all over the country.

Those who want to join, fill out the Google form link and submit it to the social media account of Sen. Bong Revilla.

Subscribe to his official YouTube channel and click the notification bell to get updates on “Kap’s Agimat’s Birthday Giveaway.”

Click https://bit.ly/AGIMATBIRTHDAYGIVEAWAY for the Google form link.

Sen. Bong Revilla with co-hosts Benjie Paras and Boobsie.

‘Shang-Chi’ runs rings around box office competition

Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu in a scene from ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’.

SHANG-CHI and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Disney blockbuster featuring Marvel’s first leading Asian superhero, dominated the North American box office for a third straight week, taking in $21.7 million, figures showed Monday.

The film—starring Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu as a former assassin in the shadow of an evil father (Hong Kong legend Tony Leung)—has so far earned $176.9 million in US and Canadian theaters, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said.

Sci-fi comedy Free Guy, from 20th Century, held steady in second spot with $5.1 million. It stars Ryan Reynolds as

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Is Korean dancer and entertainer Dasuri Choi the next Sandara Park?

BINI delivers timely message in new single ‘Kapit Lang’

After making its official debut as a group in June, BINI releases ‘Kapit Lang’ as its sophomore single.

BREAKOUT P-Pop girl group BINI continues to uplift listeners with its music and latest single “Kapit Lang,” which vibrant, color-splashed music video has now reached over 320,000 views on YouTube.

The upbeat track captured the attention of netizens, who are all praises for the track’s timely message about maintaining a positive mindset and staying strong amid challenging times gaining numerous comments and rave reviews online.

BINI, who made its official debut as a group in June, released “Kapit Lang” as its second single for the “Born to Win” era. Recently, the group reached another milestone for “Born to Win” after the hit debut single earned over 500,000 streams on Spotify and over one million views on YouTube.

Apart from its upcoming debut album and sibling concert with BGYO this year, BINI and its brother group are gearing up for their first live performance in front of their international fans.

They will be taking the stage along with other Filipino artists for the 1MX ultimate music festival in Dubai on Dec. 3.

Meanwhile, fans worldwide can still get their tickets to One Dream: The BINI & BGYO Concert happening on Nov. 6 and 7. SVIP tickets are available for P1,950 or US$39.99, which includes access to the two shows and fan meet on KTX.PH. VIP tickets, meanwhile, will be sold at P1,490 or US$29.99 on KTX. PH, iWantTFC, and TFC IPTV and will provide access to the two shows.

Fans can also watch the sibling groups’ docu-series called One Dream: The BINI & BGYO Journey, which is currently streaming for free for iWantTFC users in the Philippines. With a new episode streaming every Saturday at 10:00 p.m., the nine-episode series presents the pre- and post-launch journey of both groups – from the adjustments and sacrifices they made while training and immersing in the idol life, and their preparations for their upcoming sibling concert.

‘Owe My Love’ hits Netflix Philippines STARTING Oct. 1, GMA Public Affairs’ hit romantic-comedy series Owe My Love joins the growing roster of Kapuso shows that are available on popular streaming platform Netflix Philippines.

An unusual love story of two strangers from divergent worlds, the story of Pacencia “Sensen” Guipit played by Lovi Poe and Dr. Miguel “Migs” Alcancia portrayed by Benjamin Alves easily captured the hearts of viewers during its Philippine TV airing in February.

Sensen, a nursing school undergrad, quits her studies and takes on several jobs to keep her family’s finances afloat. Selfless almost to a fault, she is driven by her positive attitude that with hard work, she will someday reap her much-deserved rewards. Always on the go because opportunities are not to be wasted, she has little time for herself much less for romance.

Meanwhile, Doc Migs is a heart surgeon at Centimos Medical Hospital.

He is also a financial adviser on an online show called “Alcancia ng Bayan.”

Migs grew up in a broken family and was raised mostly by his beloved Lolo Badong (Leo Martinez) who taught him the value of hard work and saving money. But now that Lolo Badong suffers from middle-stage dementia, Migs is desperate to delay the effects of the disease and the inevitability of forever losing his only family.

Produced by GMA Public Affairs, Owe My Love also features an impressive supporting cast which includes an everyman bank teller who discovers he’s actually a non-player character in a huge video game.

Third place went to new entrant Cry Macho, the latest gritty drama by the legendary Clint Eastwood, who directs and stars as a retired rodeo rider helping a teenager and his fighting rooster leave Mexico. The Warner Brothers film earned $4.4 million.

‘Owe My Love” stars Lovi Poe and Benjamin Alves.

Aiai Delas Alas, Winwyn Marquez, and Jackie Lou Blanco. Joining them are Nova Villa, Ruby Rodriguez, Pekto Nacua, Buboy Villar, and Kiray Celis. Rounding the cast are Ryan Eigenmann, Jelai Andres, Jon Gutierrez, Jason Francisco, Divine Tetay, Terry Gian, and the late comedienne Mahal.

Owe My Love is directed by Rember Gelera and Ray Gibraltar, and penned by head writer Volta Delos Santos, based on the original concept from Joseph Conrad Rubio.

In fourth place, for a second week running, was Universal’s slasher film Candyman, a reimagining of the classic 1992 film of the same name. It took in $3.5 million this weekend, and so far has topped $53 million overall in North America.

Another horror movie, Malignant, came in fifth with $2.7 million, while comedy/ action new entry Copshop opened in sixth spot, with $2.3 million. AFP

Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

TV’S BEST-DRESSED STARS AT THE

2021 EMMY AWARDS

By Bernadette Lunas

L

ast year’s red carpet was held in multiple homes, so when stars emerged from the television screen to grace the stage at the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards, they made sure they looked their best – with a tad touch of relaxed vibe (minimal accessories, loose clothing, slip dresses). The winners in the unofficial fashion category of this year’s event were those who were brave to sport neons, mile-long hemlines, and understated style.

Anya Taylor-Joy The lead of the Outstanding Limited Series winner “The Queen’s Gambit” was a sight to behold in a cream satin gown by Dior Haute Couture with a dramatic yellow train paired with sparkling Tiffany & Co. jewelry and Old Hollywood hair and makeup (bright red lipstick, of course).

MJ Rodriguez We love us some MJ Rodriguez, who, like Blanca Evangelista in “Pose”, did not disappoint in light blue, oneshoulder custom Atelier Versace with thigh-high slit. She paired the gown with matching open-toed stilettos and diamond choker necklace from Bulgari.

founded by her sisters Ashley and MaryKate Olsen. The pared-down number juxtaposed with Elizabeth’s glam hair and makeup and huge Chopard earrings.

Purpose-driven wear

By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano FASHION may be fleeting and the industry wasteful, but times are changing. Amid all the chaos and the problems in our surroundings fashion steps up to help.

Sarah Paulson “Ratched’s” very own Nurse Mildred Ratched brought the drama to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles in voluminous Carolina Herrera. As red as her lipstick, the gown featured a plunging neckline, puff sleeves, and a full skirt. She finished the look with a sleek hairdo and diamond earrings from Mateo.

Stylish scraps (RIOtaso) A play on the Tagalog word for scrap fabric, “retaso”, and the person behind it, Rio, the clothing line offers apparel made of fabric scraps.

“You see, the ugly side of the fashion industry was never taught in design school, ideas such as climate justice and unethical labor practices were never on the syllabus. The truth had to be learnt independently,” Rio Pieces from RIOtaso’s Kurtina ni Maria collection. wrote on the RIOtaso website. “Through routine beach cleanups, I saw firsthand the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment and the community.”

One of the brand’s collections, Kurtina ni Maria consists of pieces made from curtains – an idea that sparked upon seeing a discarded curtain that had “a really groovy print”.

The brand reflects the founder’s zero-waste lifestyle from the pieces to the packaging used to ship the items. Check out riotaso.com to know more.

Be on time and save a life (LoveHopeFaith Group) “A life is saved with every tick of this clock” is stamped on every LoveHopeFaith watch that helps save cancer patients and other beneficiaries.

The 300-peso Life Saver watch features a sleek and minimalist style. The latest design, 4.0, features hypoallergenic strap, longer battery life, and impact- and water-resistance. LoveHopeFaith Group also offers Life Saver shirts for P300.

Life Saver watch Half of the proceeds go to its beneficiaries, majority of whom are children with cancer. Products are available at lovehopefaithgroup.com.

Kerry Washington Let’s give it to the slick braided ponytail and long drop earrings from De Beers which complemented Kerry Washington’s custom Etro silver slip dress with an exterior corset. Her red lips (quite popular on the red carpet) stood out in the silver and sparkles.

Elizabeth Olsen The “WandaVision” star gave a chic Old Hollywood look with her flowing cream tent dress with cape-like sleeves and V-neckline from The Row, the label

Kaley Cuoco While we applaud Michaela Coel’s stunning neon yellow two-piece outfit, we’re giving the neon nod to “The Flight Attendant” star Kaley Cuoco’s custom Vera Wang Haute dress with floralembellished straps, thigh-high slit, and billowy train. She wore matching sandals, diamonds by De Beers, messy updo, and “no-makeup” makeup.

VANITY CORNER

Chic Nail Color’s Chic Happens! collection

Keeping hands healthy and looking happy Amid COVID-19 washing, dermatologists sound the alarm on the susceptibility of dry, cracked skin to catch germs and bacteria. Hence the call to moisturize hands.

Massaging hands while applying hand cream or lotion may help relieve the pain and improve product absorption.

Trimming nails is recommended to prevent them from harboring and spreading germs. Once hand’s skin and hygiene are taken care of, add a bit of color with nail polish.

Chic Nail Color’s Chic Happens! Collection has six bold and bright shades and a colorless top coat to complete the just-manicured look. Those into glossy nails that will last longer may opt for the 12 new shades on Bobbie Nails Ultra Shine gel-based nail polish.

Both nail polish collections are available at Bobbie’s Lazada flagship store in drugstores and supermarkets.

Skin lightening at twice the speed To reveal lighter, even skin tone faster, kojic acid brand Kojie.san recommends using two of its products in tandem.

Kojie.san Skin Lightening HydroMoist Soap contains kojic acid and HydroMoist formula that, the brand says, target dark spots and even out skin tone while keeping it moisturized for hours. After using the soap, follow it with Zero Pigment Light-powered Kojie.san lotions to double the benefits from the latest kojic acid technology.

Kojie.san Skin Lightening Body Lotion with HydroMoist promises to deeply moisturize skin to keep it soft, smooth, and well hydrated for up to 72 hours. Kojie.san Skin Lightening Body Lotion SPF25 w/ HydroMoist provides protection from harsh environmental factors with its UVA/UVB filters.

Both soap and lotion variants are available in leading supermarkets and drugstores, and on Beauty MNL and Kojie. san’s official LazMall store.

Kojie.san’s HydroMoist soap and lotion

A shirt for a stray (Strays Worth Saving) For each sale of its T-shirt, a stray dog gets a second chance in life. The nonprofit “dedicated to rescuing and helping stray dogs and cats” offers merchandise whose sale goes directly to support its shelter, programs, and endeavors to rescue animals in need and in pain.

In addition to its 500-peso T-shirt, Strays Worth Saving also sells mugs, tumblers, and face masks on A volunteer wearing SWS’T-shirt. its Shopee store.

Those who opt to give a rescue a home may contact the group through its Facebook or Instagram page to see those up for adoption.

Caring for the community (Zalora Cares) Fashion e-tailer Zalora allows its customers to help its partner organizations’ programs, from disaster relief, food support, educational support, to animal welfare.

Nonprofits include Caritas Manila, World Vision, Philippine Red Cross, Ayala Foundation, GMA Kapuso Foundation, McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen, Rise Against Hunger, Operation Smile Philippines, Save the Children, World Wide Fund for Nature, and PAWSsion project.

Zalora Cares was launched in 2020 to support COVID-19 efforts and has since expanded to give back to the community.

Heart Evangelista in pieces available on Zalora.