Manila Standard - 2021 September 29 - Wednesday

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COMELEC TO EXTEND VOTER LISTING TO OCT. 31 POLL REGISTRANTS.

A huge crowd, mostly youths, waits outside Robinson’s Place in Malate, Manila on Tuesday, hoping to beat the voter’s registration deadline.

Those who got inside used the floor to write and fill out their forms, while senior citizens were given desk chairs (inset photos). Danny Pata and Norman Cruz

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will likely extend the voters’ registration to Oct. 31, its spokesman James Jimenez said Tuesday.

“After consultation with Comelec officials, and in consideration of the public clamor, it is likely that an extension of the period of voter registration will be granted,” Jimenez said.

Last week, the poll body said it can only give a one-week extension limited to new registrants and voter reactivation after the Sept. 30 deadline.

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‘Mandatory vax needs a law’ Palace eyes Congress for policy; coverage of gov’t workers up

By Vito Barcelo

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ONGRESS would need to pass a law to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Tuesday.

He made this remark after President Rodrigo Duterte broached the idea of using the government’s police power to compel citizens to get their jabs.

“As long as there is a law, we can implement that so let’s put it into the

2,522,965 13,846

161,447

37,686

91

2,353,140 39,980 (As of 4 PM, September 28)

proper context,” Roque said in Filipino during a Palace briefing.

“That’s the jurisdiction of Congress but the President can always certify an administration bill for such a law,” he Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 226 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Biz sector bats for alert level 3 in fourth quarter

Face shields’ expiry period 3 yrs.—Duque

By Willie Casas

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Willie Casas

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III has confirmed that face shields have a shelf life of 36 months or three years.

“The DOH (Department of Health) has established a shelf life

BUSINESSES want to open the domestic economy and move down to Alert Level 3 of the coronavirus restrictions in the fourth quarter of 2021, specifically for areas with high vaccination rates.

“We need to open the economy and move to at least Alert Level 3 this fourth quarter. The last quarter is when consumers spend a lot of money.

This can be done for areas with high

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SHIELD MODEL. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte wears a face shield during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force meeting at the Malacañang Palace on Monday. Presidential Photo

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House compels Duterte OKs inoculation of minors, general public ‘missing’ Mago to attend probe

By Vito Barcelo and Rio N. Araja

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of vaccine czar Carlito THE government will start vaccinating Galvez Jr., Malacanang said Tuesday. children and the general adult populaPalace spokesman Harry Roque said tion against COVID-19 in October after this after Galvez earlier recommended

the vaccination of 12- to 17-year-olds by the middle of October, as COVID-19 infections continue to spread in many parts of the country.

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By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

NATIONAL ARTIST, POET LUMBERA, 89 NEWS / A2

WB CUTS PH 2021 FORECAST TO 4.3% BUSINESS / B4

THE House of Representatives has issued a subpoena against Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Krizle Grace Mago to compel her presence in the investigation in aid of legislation being conducted by the lower chamber.

The House committee on good government and public accountability, chaired by Rep. Michael Aglipay, on Tuesday also asked Senator Richard Gordon to allow Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong to attend the panel’s inquiry.

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SC moves Bar Exams next year

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the 2020/2021 Bar examination from November 2021 to early next year due to the current COVID-19 situation in the country.

In its Bar Bulletin 28, S. 2021, the Office of the 2020/2021 Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said Bar takers would have to wait un-

til January to take the country’s grueling state examinations.

Leonen stressed that instead of the four Sundays this coming November, the 2020/2021 Bar would be held on January 16, 23, 30, and February 6, 2022.

Leonen stressed that postponement of the Bar exams was decided “after considering the COVID-19 situation nationally and in all the testing sites, as well as Next page

NEW SY-PGH BUILDING.

The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) recently broke ground for its new multispecialty building, the Felicidad Sy Hall. Funded by the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation (FTSFI), the building is the second the Sy family behind mall giant SM is building for the premier government hospital.

In 2019, the family, through their Henry Sy Foundation, collaborated with the UP Medical Alumni Foundation Inc. to build an 11-story Medical Sciences Building.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

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News

Water firms granted franchises

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

W

ITH 23 affirmative votes and no abstention, two water companies were granted each a 25-year franchise by the Senate on Tuesday.

In an advisory, Manila Water said the interruption will affect more than 17,322 households, commercial, and business establishments in 11 barangays in Angono, Binangonan, and Taytay in Rizal.

The interruption will start at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28, and will last until 4 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29.

Since both water concessionaires were granted concession agreements for water and sewerage services back in 1997, the new agreement includes amendments that set higher expectations for water services providers.

One of the amendments requires the concessionaires to submit a completion plan for the establishment and operation of water, sewerage and sanitation projects covering a period until 2037

that includes five-year completion targets with the end goal of achieving 100-percent combined sewerage and sanitation coverage.

Other amendments introduced in the agreement mandate the concessionaires to institute mechanisms that will facilitate consultation with the stakeholders on its services and create employment opportunities that prioritize the residents of the area where the concessionaire operates.

“Delivering a public service, especially one as essential as water supply, means putting the well-being of the community and its people first. More than providing accessible and affordable clean water, we must collaborate with the people we serve to know how we can deliver better,” Poe said.

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate public services committee. said the chamber approved on third and final reading the franchise renewal of water concessionaires Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. Maynilad Water Services Inc. shall retain its services in the west zone of Metro Manila and the province of Cavite under House Bill 9422, while Manila Water Co. Inc. shall continue to provide its services in the east zone of Metro Manila and the province of

Rizal under HB 9423.

“In the next 25 years, we must challenge our water concessionaires to be able to provide better water services in the new normal with clear long-term goals and short-term targets that would address water scarcity,” said Poe. In another development, over 17,000 customers of the Manila Water Company Inc. in Rizal will experience a six-hour service interruption starting Tuesday evening, as the east zone concessionaire conducts maintenance activities.

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Poet, national artist Lumbera passes away, 89

Romualdez gets solons’ nod on FPJ Avenue bill

By Maricel V. Cruz LEADERS of the House of Representatives have informed House committee on rules chairman and Majority Leader Rep. Martin G. Romualdez of their full concurrence with the Senate decision renaming Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City after the late movie icon Fernando Poe Jr. “This is to respectfully inform the good Chairman of the committee on rules that we concur with the amendments made by the Senate on 13 September 2021 re House Bill (HB) 7499 (In substitution of House Bills. 3958 and 3963,” the solons said.

Quezon City Reps. Precious Hipolito Castelo, Jose Christopher Y. Belmonte, and Allan Benedict Reyes, Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus “Budoy” Madrona, Deputy Speaker and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera, and TGP party-list Rep. Jose Teves, Jr. said this in their letter to Romualdez, the representative of the 1st District of Leyte.

The House of Representatives and the Senate have approved the measure on third and final reading.

The lawmakers were referring to “An Act Renaming Del Monte Avenue, Traversing Barangays Nayong Kanluran, Paltok, Paraiso, Del Monte, Damayan, Masambong, Talayan, Manresa, Siena, St. Peter, San Jose, N.S. Amoranto, Located in Legislative District 1 of Quezon City, as Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue.”

Following the amendments, the bill’s title is now “An Act Renaming Roosevelt Avenue Located in Legislative District 1 of Quezon City as Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue.”

They see nothing wrong with the Senate replacing Del Monte Avenue with Roosevelt Avenue.

FILIPINO poet and National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera passed away Tuesday. He was 89 years old.

Lumbera’s daughter, Tala, confirmed the news in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, Metro Manila Film Festival spokesperson and talent manager Noel Ferrer said the cause of death was stroke complications.

“Thank you so much and goodbye, Tatay Bien! Our National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera passed away a while ago at 9:14 a.m. due to ‘complications of stroke.’,” Ferrer said.

Born on April 11, 1932 in Lipa, Batangas, Lumbera created the highly acclaimed musical dramas “Tales of the Manuvu,” “Rama, Hari,” “Nasa Puso

ang Amerika,” “Bayani,” “Noli Me Tángere,” and “Hibik at Himagsik nina Victoria Laktaw.”

Acknowledged as one of the pillars of contemporary Philippine literature, cultural studies, and film, having written and edited numerous books on them, he taught literature and creative writing in Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas.

He had received his bachelors and masters’ degrees from UST, the last in 1950. He also earned a Ph. D. in Comparative Literature from Indiana University in 1968.

After President Ferdinand Marcos de-

clared Martial Law, Lumbera was arrested by the military in January 1974. He was released in December of the same year.

In 1993, he was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communications after he “challenged Philippine society’s colonial point of view and restored the poems and stories of vernacular writers to an esteemed place in the Philippine literary canon.”

In 2006, he was honored with the National Artist Award for Literature.

Many of Lumbera’s colleagues and friends also expressed their grief online as they bid the renowned writer a heartfelt farewell.

‘Mandatory...

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were due to lower laboratory output last Sunday, Sept. 26, the DOH said.

In his public address Monday night, the President was irked after receiving information that a number of government workers refused to get vaccinated for alleged fear of the vaccines’ safety.

“It’s right for the government, if you refuse to inoculate, go out of government. Why? Because when you are with the government you face people, people transact business officials, well, audiences or visits. What if you are a carrier? Don’t tell me it’s because of your religion. Or you just don’t believe it,” he said.

“If everybody does not comply with the vaccines and we can have a wildfire spread, then the police must go in and intervene in your private life so that you cannot be a danger to society,” the President added.

Duterte also chastised doctors and lawyers who try to convince the public against getting vaccinated.

If the people don’t want to be vaccinated, “doctors should just keep quiet.

But there’s, you know, freedom of speech in our country. We are not going there,” he said.

“But if you go by the almost general trend all over the world, vaccination or

to get vaccinated or inoculated is really the best defense for yourself and for your fellow man,” Duterte added.

Roque said several countries have turned to vaccine mandates to increase vaccination rates.

“The state really has the power to use police power to promote the good of the majority. But when it comes to the vaccine, let us wait, because we need a policy first,” he said in Filipino.

Roque also reiterated Duterte’s statement asking government workers who refused to get vaccinated.

“I guess the President will start requiring mandatory vaccination among those working in government. But this is without prejudice to Congress passing a law,” he said.

The immunization program currently covers five priority groups, including health care workers, the elderly, persons with comorbidities, essential workers, and the poor.

As of Monday, the Philippines administered a total of 44,361,285 COVID-19 jabs. Of this number, 20,583,580 are fully vaccinated.

Metro Manila had administered a total of 15,466,087 COVID-19 shots. Of this number, 7,081,010 have completed their doses.

He said the Comelec’s management committee earlier met and will decide on the recommendation of several lawmakers. The recommendation will be tackled by the en banc on Sept. 29, a day before the last day of voter registration under the original Comelec schedule.

Earlier, the Comelec rejected calls to extend the voter’s registration period,

saying it will affect their preparations for the May 9, 2022 polls.

With two days before the deadline, the Comelec appealed to applicants to file their registration forms at all Office of the Election Officer (OEC) in the city or municipality where they intend to vote from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

Applicants may also file their registration forms at any satellite registration sites in their areas. The schedule of satellite registration activities may be viewed on the Comelec website, www.

comelec.gov.ph.

Registrants must be at least 18 years of age on or before election day on May 9, 2022.

He or she must be a resident in the Philippines for at least one year and in the place where the applicant intends to vote for at least six months on or before election day.

Aside from applications for new registrants, local Comelec offices are also accepting applications for transfer and reactivation of voter records, and the change of name or correction of entries on record.

But Leonen emphasized that the application period would no longer be reopened.

“All preparatory activities for the Bar Examinations, including the selecreceiving advice from various experts.” tion of the bar applicants of their venue, According to him, the delay was neces- downloading of the secure exam delivsary “to assure the highest level of safety ery program, and other activities shall for all the bar applicants and personnel.” continue,” he said.

Leonen advised aspiring lawyers to treat the long-wait as an opportunity to further prepare themselves for the Bar exams.

“Remember that you study not only to pass the bar examinations, but also so that you will best serve others. Study well, purposively and with passion,” he said.

Earlier, Leonen announced that appli-

cants for the bar examinations who have yet to complete their online registration would have until September 24 to do so.

The announcement was made after the SC learned that many law graduates had not completed their registrations despite that the online applications for the bar ended last September 15.

This developed as the government allowed the resumption of face-to-face classes for more college programs, the Commission on Higher Education said Tuesday.

CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera, in a statement, said the President gave the go-ahead for limited face-to-face classes to other degree programs that require hands-on experience in higher education institutions (HEIs) in areas under modified general community quarantine.

Programs allowed for in-person classes include engineering and technology, hotel and restaurant management, tourism and travel management, and maritime courses.

Before this, only students in medicine and the allied health sciences were allowed to hold in-person classes.

De Vera earlier said the programs were selected because students were required to have “hands-on experience.”

Of the first batch of students allowed to hold in-person instruction, less than 1 percent tested positive for COVID-19, prompting De Vera to call for the expansion of on-site classes for other programs.

In his public address Monday night, Duterte encouraged parents to inoculate their children to end the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, which has already claimed millions of lives around the globe.

“I now encourage you -- those who have yet to receive vaccines -- to get inoculated,” Duterte said.

Duterte said the government may expand the vaccination program to the general population “and hopefully also, our children within October.”

The Philippines has so far received 69,699,340 doses from various COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.

another executive from Singapore that former presidential adviser Michael Yang indeed lent money to Pharmally to purchase medicines from TigerPhil and other medical suppliers.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said President Rodrigo Duterte should stop comparing the Senate inquiry to martial law interrogations, and instead explain the Lamborghinis, the Porches and other luxury cars bought

by Pharmally executives.

Pangilinan said they should also explain the wasted half a billion pesos worth of substandard, expired Pharmally test kits and the grossly overpriced masks and face shields.

Duterte had drawn the comparison to martial law during his regular Talk to The People address on Monday when he accused senators of “intimidating” witnesses who appeared in the hearings.

“I thought people in the Philippines didn’t want martial law? Look at what they’re doing at the Senate now. It is just more than martial law. At least with martial law, you’d be brought to a military court or at least it’s a court,” the President said.

The Senate hearings have angered Duterte, as findings raised suspicions of conflict of interest and the failure of the government to apply due diligence in dealing with Pharmally.

vaccination, or around 80 percent,” Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said in a statement.

The new alert level system being imposed on a pilot test by the government in Metro Manila determines the types of establishments allowed to operate and at what capacity. The region is currently classified under alert level 4 from September 16 to 30.

Based on government guidelines, an area is placed under alert level 3 if COVID-19 transmission is high or increasing and the total bed and ICU utilization rates are also increasing.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said mayors in the National Capital Region were amenable to keeping alert level 4 but appealed to the Palace for more accurate data on COVID cases.

Abalos said that as of September 27, the NCR had over 7.1 million fully vaccinated individuals, representing 72.65 percent of the target population.

He said there were indications of decreasing COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, citing the lower reproduction number being reported by independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research.

Also, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong expressed support for proposals to revive the Philippines’ pandemichit tourism industry, such as the call to reduce the quarantine period for fully vaccinated overseas travelers from ten to five days.

In a statement, Liong also expressed support for the proposed “Bakuna Bubble” of granting greater mobility to fully vaccinated persons and businesses with fully vaccinated employees, for reopening of the Philippine economy while still protecting public health.

The business sector also called on the government to ramp up vaccination to protect the citizenry while allowing more mobility for vaccinated individuals to sustain the economy, which has been backed by medical professionals, including two former secretaries of the Department of Health.

The dialogue between medical experts and the business sector was on Monday and facilitated by Concepcion.

During the dialogue, former Health Secretary Dr. Esperanza Cabral said learning how to live with COVID-19 was the best way to keep the economy alive.

added.

Citing vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., Duterte said total vaccine deliveries to the country are expected to hit 100 million by end-October. The steadier supply means the vaccination program may be expanded to cover even children (see story below – Editors).

Duterte also warned government employees to leave the service if they refuse inoculation, especially those at the frontlines tasked to transact with people and particularly those living in areas with enough vaccine supply.

Officials of the Professional Regulation Commission and Civil Service Commission were also set to discuss the President’s orders for civil servants, the Standard learned.

Meanwhile, the Philippines logged on Tuesday 13,846 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019, bringing the total cases to 2,522,965.

All laboratories were operational while seven laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The relatively low cases yesterday

Comelec...

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SC...

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Face...

From A1 for medical grade face shields. The shelf life is 36 months, according to our Disease Prevention and Control Bureau director Beverly Ho. There is a component of the face shield that has Styrofoam,” Duque said, adding the DOH was investigating this.

If proven true, he said the government would demand the necessary restitution from Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp., which supplied the face shields along with other personal protective equipment (PPE).

President Rodrigo Duterte noted the foam in face shields could become brittle and degrade into powder over time, as Duque said even the garters used for them could snap eventually.

This was confirmed by Food and Drug Administration chief Dr. Eric Domingo when asked by Duterte in his televised briefing. The FDA inspects and gives licenses for medical devices and equipment such as face shields.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque also defended the government’s purchase of face shields as part of the nine-piece PPE sets for health workers, stressing that the Commission on Audit said the items were not overpriced.

House...

From A1 Ong is under detention at the Senate for being evasive in answering questions about his company’s multibillionpeso contracts with the government.

This was as Ong revealed “vital information” related to former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang’s role in financing the small startup’s multi-billion-peso contracts with the government, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday.

In an interview over ANC’s Headstart, Lacson said there was already information shared by Ong as well as

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News Iloilo hospitals on verge of abandoning PhilHealth

By Willie Casas A NUMBER of private hospitals may no longer renew their accreditation with Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) due to non-payment of reimbursement claims that has affected their operations.

“If this problem which we have said in our position paper is not resolved then that is what’s going to happen. By 2022, they will no longer apply to be reaccredited,” said Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc, president Dr. Jose Rene De Grano in an interview with TeleRadyo.

In Iloilo, seven private hospitals -- Iloilo Mission Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital of Iloilo, Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital, Medicus Medical Center, The Medical City of Iloilo, Qualimed Hospital Iloilo, and Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center Inc. -- have threatened to disengage with PhilHealth after failing to pay them P545 million in hospital claims.

“They already told PhilHealth about this and there was supposed to be talks, but our hospitals said unless there is concrete solution to their claims, they will not talk to PhilHealth,” De Grano said.

Last month, PhilHealth said it has P12.9 billion in unpaid claims which are in different stages of processing.

“They have been reviewing for a year and a half and we don’t know when it will end,” said De Grano.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered PhilHealth to settle its debt with hospitals as soon as possible as facilities continue to receive more patients as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the Philippines.

But aside from private medical facilities in Iloilo, De Grano said there are other hospitals which would soon issue their own statements.

“There are hospitals in North, Region 2 and our member-hospitals in Mindanao and in some part of Luzon that are about to issue their own statements,” De Grano said.

‘Fund state colleges, unis in BARMM’

By Maricel V. Cruz MINDANAO legislators on Tuesday called the attention on the lack of allocation for state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman of Basilan and Anak Mindanao Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan assailed the Department of Budget and Management to allocate “even a single centavo” for the operations of SUCs in the BARMM. In House Resolution 2251, the two lawmakers urged Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, the House appropriations panel and the DBCC to provide funding for four BARMM SUCs that have no budget for next year.

These are the Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College, Cotabato State University, Sulu State College, and the TawiTawi Regional Agricultural College.

“These SUCs which have existed before creation of BARMM, and their charters provide that their funding requirements shall be provided by the national government,” the resolution read.

“This outright removal of funding by the national government will seriously threaten, not only the operation, but the very existence of these state colleges and universities in the BARMM. This non-provision of funding to these SUCs will displace thousands of students, teachers and personnel in these institutions of higher learning,” the two lawmakers added.

Hataman and Sangcopan reiterated the appeal in a joint letter addressed to Speaker Velasco, through appropriations panel chair Rep. Eric Yap, and higher and technical education committee chair Rep. Mark Go.

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Health workers nix singular stipend

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

H

EALTH workers yesterday demanded Congress to prioritize health workers’ safety, protection, welfare, and people’s health by increasing the 2022 health budget as they staged a rally in front of the House of Representatives.

This developed as an organization of nurses rejected Tuesday the Department of Health’s proposal for a “singular allowance” as it would reduce their current monetary benefits.

Filipino Nurses United president Maristela Abenojar, in an interview with Teleradyo, called the proposal “meager, divisive and unfair.”

The FNU said the so-called singular allowance would remove health workers’ active hazard duty pay worth P3,000, special risk allowance worth P5,000, and meal, accommodation, and transportation benefits worth P8,000.

The DOH is proposing monthly alloca-

tions of P3,000 to health workers with low exposure or those assigned to areas without patients; P6,000 on medium exposure or those handling non-COVID-19 patients; and P9,000 on high exposure or directly caring COVID-19 patients.

In the Senate, lawmakers honored the country’s physicians for their invaluable service and sacrifices particularly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Resolution 916, introduced by Senators Sonny Angara, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva, and Sherwin Gatchalian recognizes and commends the physicians for their bravery in attending to the sick during the outbreak

of COVID-19 even if it meant exposing themselves to the deadly virus.

The resolution was adopted on Sept. 27, National Physician’s Day, to make its commemoration even more meaningful “considering what they have been dealing with since the COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020.”

However, AHW national president Robert Mendoza said next year’s DOH budget is a manifestation of the Duterte administration’s “complete abandonment” for the health and safety of the people and the blatant disregard for the health workers’ safety, protection, and well-being.

He noted that the proposed DOH budget for 2022 is akin to allotting only P3.86 per Filipino per day.

“It can’t even buy a vitamin tablet to help boost our immune system to fight the deadly virus,” he added.

“It seems they are shortchanging the health workers. It’s already irksome because they were already delayed in giving [the benefits] during the Bayanihan 1 and 2 and until now not everyone has received it and this comes,” Abenojar said.

Rody raises alarm over AUKUS, ‘nuke arms race’ PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has raised concern over the new trilateral security pact among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS), Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a virtual press conference, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte would meet with his Cabinet to discuss the AUKUS alliance and raise the issue, as he worried the trilateral pact could trigger a “nuclear arms race”.

“He (Duterte) expressed concern about a regional nuclear arms race. But he will discuss this further with the Cabinet and will come up with a clear position after the meeting of the Cabinet,” Roque said.

AUKUS alliance is seen to counter China’s growing influence in the IndoPacific, specifically in the South China Sea where it lays claim on nearly 80 percent of the strategic water under its so-called nine-dash line that has been invalidated by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling.

The pact also aims to provide Australia the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines, a partnership denounced by China because of its supposed risks to intensify the arms race and undermine international non-proliferation efforts.

On Sept. 17, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had a telephone conversation with Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton to discuss the AUKUS alliance and Canberra’s acquisition of nuclearpowered submarines.

Dutton told Lorenzana the intention to acquire submarines is not to be armed with nuclear weapons but to develop Australia’s capability to protect its territories as well as that of its friends in the region.

Lorenzana, on the other hand, acknowledged Australia’s right to improve its submarine defense capability.

PACKED ROCKS. Special Mayor’s Reaction Team (SMART) chief Jhun Ibay and Manila Bureau of Permits chief Levi Facundo inspect parcels containing rocks instead of promised items on sale on Tuesday after SMART raided a warehouse of a fraudulent electronics ecommerce company in the city selling fake Android phones with 36 seller accounts online. Danny Pata

Private schools’ groups laud Senate passage of income tax bill THE country’s largest associations of private schools have welcomed the Senate’s approval on third and final reading of Senate Bill No. 2407, which aims to save the educational sector and its allied industries from collapse.

“We reiterate our profound gratitude to the Senate for swiftly and unanimously approving on third and final reading Senate Bill 2407,” the educational groups said in a joint statement.

The measure is entitled “An Act Clarify-

ing the Income Taxation of Proprietary Educational Institutions, amending for the purpose Section 27 (B) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.”

The school groups thanked Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Sen. Pia Cayetano and the primary author of SB 2407, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara.

The groups include the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associa-

tions (COCOPEA), which represents over 2,500 private educational institutions with over 300,000 school personnel; Davao Colleges and Universities Network (DACUN); Association of Private, State Colleges and Universities in Region XI (APSCUR XI); Bicol Association of Private Colleges and Universities (BAPCU); CESAFI Association of Cebu Private Schools.

“With this approval, we look forward to the convening of the bicameral conference Manila

Standard

TODAY

BIKE LANE VIOLATORS.

A traffic officer writes a ticket to a motorbike user as the Quezon City government, in collaboration with the Green Transport OfficeDPOS, issues tickets for motorists who use the city’s Bike Lanes, which is only for bicycles, E-bikes, and E-scooters.

Manny Palmero

DISTRICT 2 Councilor Winston Castelo is perceived to run as vice mayor in Quezon City against a relative—incumbent Vice Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto—in the 2022 local elections.

“That what appears on the ground,” IskoQC co-convenor Ariel Inton told the media.

Castelo, wife Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo and the other Castelos -- incumbent councilors who ran and won in the 2019 elections under Mayor Joy Belmonte

NOTICE TO OBTAIN STOCKHOLDERS’ APPROVAL

BY WRITTEN ASSENT TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS: NOTICE is hereby given that in the special meeting held on July 29, 2021, the Board of Directors, on motion made and seconded, resolved to amend Article II (Primary Purpose) and Article III (Principal Office) of the Amended Articles of Incorporation, subject to the written assent of stockholders representing at least 2/3 of the outstanding capital stock of the Corporation.

Stockholders as of record date, August 20, 2021, are entitled to notice and to vote by written assent which will be secured from October 7, 2021 until October 11, 2021, 12:00 p.m. To request for an assent form, submit not later than five (5) business days before the start of the voting period on October 7, 2021, a copy of a valid government-issued ID with full name, signature, and photograph and if applicable, proxy form with supporting documents evidencing appointment and authority of the designated proxy, at: OFFICE OF THE CORPORATE SECRETARY SPC POWER CORPORATION 7th Floor, BDO Towers Paseo, 8741, Paseo de Roxas Makati City, 1209 info@spcpower.com cc: mraguinaldo@spcpower.com

‘Castelo vs. nephew Gian Sotto for QC vice mayoralty’

By Rio N. Araja

committee to reconcile the versions of the two Houses of Congress,” said Dr. Anthony Jose M. Tamayo, chairman of COCOPEA. “We are confident that owing to the solidarity of intent and objective of both Houses in strengthening the complementary role of private education in our country, the bicam members would be able to swiftly come to an agreement to an enrolled bill to be signed by the President as soon as possible,” Tamayo added.

—have joined the Malayang Quezon City, an opposition group. “(But) Things are still up in the air. Remember when (television host) Jopet Sison, all of a sudden, replaced Castelo, who backed out from the vice mayoralty race in 2019. There’ll be surprises at the last minute, too,” Inton said.

Castelo is a relative of TV host and actor Marvic Valentin Castelo Sotto, popularly known as Vic Sotto.

The incumbent Quezon City vice mayor is the son of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto, Vic’s eldest brother.

According to Inton, actor Arjo Atayde under the Belmonte banner would run for congressman in District 1 against Rep. Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crisologo; actress Aiko Melendez and comedian Roderick Paulate as councilor in District 5 and District 2, respectively.

Another notable candidate as councilor in District 6 is Vito Sotto, a grandson of the Senate President, he said.

He added incumbent Councilor Lala Sotto might run for Congress against ex-representative Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo and threetermer Councilor Marivic Co-Pilar.

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Makati City, August 23, 2021.

By: MISHELLE ANNE R. RUBIO-AGUINALDO Assistant Corporate Secretary (MS-SEPT. 28 & 29, 2021)

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News

A GREAT LOSS. Security personnel place the flags at the Cultural Center of the Philippines at half-mast in honor of the late National Artist for Literature and UP professor Bienvenido Lumbera, who passed away Tuesday morning.

Danny Pata

Photo from Tala Lumbera Facebook page

Rody to listen to people’s opinion But no law bars him from VP bid – Palace

By Vito Barcelo

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will listen to the sentiment of the people over his vice presidential bid next year after a recent survey showed that six in 10 Filipinos think such a move violates the intention of the Constitution.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque hinted Duterte may still withdraw the Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance that he signed as the vice presidential candidate of a faction of the ruling party PDP-Laban.

“In the President’s opinion and other lawyers, including me, there is no provision in the Constitution that he will violate if he runs for vice president,” the Palace official said.

“But the President listens to the public pulse. Let’s wait for his final decision,” Roque added.

A recent survey by the polling firm Social Weather Stations asked the respondents to choose between two statements: First was that Duterte should run for Vice President in the 2022 election, because they would like his management of the government to continue. The second was that the proposal that Duterte should run for Vice President in the 2022 election violates the intention of the Constitution, which should first be amended before he may run for office again.

Sixty percent of the respondents chose the second statement, while 39 percent chose the first statement.

The remaining one percent did not

give an answer.

The survey, conducted from June 23 to 26, used face-to-face interviews for 1,200 adults nationwide. The sampling error margins are ±3% for national percentages and ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

PDP-Laban secretary general Melvin Matibag, for his part, questioned the SWS survey result.

“We have seen the SWS survey and we feel that the questions are incomplete. The survey only asked the respondents if they view President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to run for Vice President as unconstitutional. To give

a more accurate sentiment of our people, the survey should have also asked the obvious question: ‘If the Constitution allows President Duterte to run for Vice President, would you vote for him?’” Matibag said.

“It bears noting that two past Presidents, namely former President Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, were allowed to run for other public office after their respective terms as Chief Executive and they won,” he added.

Citing Section 4, Article 7 of the Constitution, Roque said it was “clear” that Duterte is only barred from seeking reelection.

LP bares initial senatorial slate TWO reelectionists – Senators Francis Pangilinan and Leila de Lima – and former Senator Bam Aquino headline the initial list of senatorial bets to be fielded by the Liberal Party for next year’s elections.

Pangilinan, the party president, said a resolution was also passed endorsing Akbayan Sen. Risa Hontiveros and lawyer Chel Diokno as part of the lineup as guest senatorial candidates.

The Liberal Party also expressed its support for Vice President Leni Robredo’s ongoing efforts to create the broadest possible coalition to present an alternative brand of governance to the people.

A resolution was passed granting Robredo full authority and discretion in initiating talks and coming up with agreements for the 2022 polls.

Robredo was also afforded the authority to identify and assemble a united national slate of candidates for president, vice president and senators “while respecting her preference on the elective position she may decide to run for, if any.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

COURTESY CALL. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (left) welcomes National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Eric Distor (right) and Deputy Director Jae Dalairas during a meeting at the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno

Marcos: Stabilize rice prices, protect local farmers

By Rey Requejo IN AN effort to alleviate the plight of local farmers over low farmgate prices of palay, former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the National Food Authority (NFA) to assert its original mandate – the power to stabilize prices and maintain sufficient rice buffer stocks while protecting local farmers.

He said this is the quickest and most tenable solution to the perennial complaints of farmers over low farmgate prices for their grains.

“The role of NFA is to stabilize buying prices of palay over the dry and wet season.

They will buy the grains at competitive prices so our farmers are not forced to sell at a loss.

And during the dry season, NFA must release its stockpile of rice so there is no shortage that could drive up prices,” Marcos said.

He said doing so would also ensure food sufficiency for the whole country without resorting to importations.

According to local farmers, the cost of producing palay stands at P12.41/kg. This is way higher than the production cost for rice in Vietnam, which is around P6.22/kg, and in Thailand, which is around P8.86/kg.

Farmgate prices of palay from January to June still fell year-on-year from P17.42/kg to P16.94/kg, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Earlier, Marcos also questioned the take-

Anti-graft court orders Royal Traders to pay P367 million THE Sandiganbayan has ordered the Royal Traders Holding Company Inc. (RTHCI) to pay the government at least P367 million that was part of the ill-gotten wealth of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

In a 52-page decision, the graft court also ordered the payment of 12 percent interest per year from February 1993 until the

amount is fully paid.

The Sandiganbayan said bank certificates on the deposits – for P65,978,870, for P30,050,000 and for $5,435,362.90 – were among the properties brought by the Marcos family when they fled to hawaii.

The deposits were received by RTHCI, then known as Traders Royal Bank, from

1974 to 1979.

“As it is, TRB remains liable for the payment of the face value of the peso as well as dollar denominated bank certificate in question,” the anti-graft court said.

The amount needed to be returned is based on the face value of the bank certificates issued by TRB, the Sandiganbayan said.

Velasco endorses purchase of new C-130J planes in 2022 budget

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Lord Allan Velasco has endorsed the inclusion of the purchase of three brand new C-130J planes by the PhilippineAir Force in the proposed 2022 national budget.

Velasco made the endorsement after his meeting with PAF officials led by Commanding General Lt. Gen.Allen Paredes at the House

of Representatives on Monday.

The House is currently holding plenary deliberations on the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022.

“We fully support PAF’s modernization and priority projects for next year, particularly its plan to upgrade its fleet by buying brand new and modern aircrafts,” Velasco said in a statement.

Velasco earlier committed to include the

purchase of more military aircrafts in the 2022 national budget after a PAF C-130 transport plane crashed in Sulu province on July 4, killing at least 45 people.

The aircraft, carrying troops bound for counter-insurgency operations, crashed with 96 people on board. It had attempted to land at Jolo airport, but overshot the runway and crashed at nearby Patikul town.

over of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.

(PCIC) from the Department of Agriculture (DA) by the Department of Finance (DOF).

“Why should it be transferred to the DOF? The DA is more aware of what is happening in the agricultural sector? The DA has all the pertinent data about such sector. Wasn’t the PCIC formed to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural disasters, plant diseases, and pest infestation?” Marcos said.

He said members of the Federation of Free Farmers have expressed apprehension that under the DOF, the PCIC’s priority will shift to fiscal and monetary concerns which may not necessarily be supportive of the needs of farmers and the DA.

Lacson, Sotto to file COCs on October 6

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III will file their certificates of candidacy on October 6.

Lacson said it was Sotto who decided on the day of the filing.

“For me, I always respect such hunches or whatever basis for timing the event.

That’s Tito Sen’s call,” he said.

Lacson and Sotto, both 73, are running on a platform of KKK – katapangan (courage), kakayahan (ability) and katapatan (integrity).

Meanwhile, Partido Reporma spokesperson Ashley Acedillo questioned a mobile survey that left out Lacson’s name.

“The survey would ask respondents to choose from a field of seven names, excluding Ping Lacson. If the respondent chose Lacson, he or she would get an error message claiming that the reply is invalid,” Acedillo said.

“While we may not know who ‘commissioned’ this supposed survey until the organizers come out with the result, the effect is on the respondents who will be conditioned to think that Sen. Lacson is not running,” he added.

Lacson and Sotto were the first to officially declare their intention to run as a tandem in the May 2022 elections.

“If this latest caper is designed to derail us by dissuading people from supporting Ping Lacson for the presidency, then it is the people who commissioned the survey who are fooling themselves with the erroneous data and results they will obtain. So go ahead, knock yourselves out,” Acedillo said.

Bedan lawyers group support Isko’s prexy run

By Macon Ramos-Araneta HUNDREDS of lawyers have rallied behind the presidential bid of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, saying his leadership brand and track record as local chief executive “can competently address the nation’s woes.”

“His principled vision for the country is governed by the right principles. He is a fast and resolute decision maker. He is exactly the kind of leader our country needs during these challenging and trying times,” said Winston Ginez, convenor of the group of Bedan Lawyers for Isko.

Ginez said the group’s membership includes the “best and brightest” Bedan lawyers whose expertise and experience encompass the full scope and facets of the law.

“We have membership and representation nationally,” he said.

“Everybody has witnessed your leadership by example that resulted in your being an exemplary leader. Everybody has seen your principled vision which is buoyed by your visionary principle. Everybody is awed at how your leadership changed the face and fate of the City of Manila. Everybody has marveled at the outcome of your fast and resolute decision-making, which is always infused by a compassionate and commonsensical approach,” read the group’s manifesto.

“We are convinced that you can replicate your feat as Manila Mayor and be an effective Chief Executive of our country. We believe that you are the leader who will bring about a responsive and responsible governance, and usher a new hope for our country,” the Bedan lawyers said.

Earlier, Domagoso vowed to be a “healing president” while upholding the rule of law.

“I will be a healing president. While ours will be a government of national reconstruction, it will also be a government of national reconciliation, based on justice and rule of law,” he said.

STILL LEGAL TENDER.

A market vendor counts twenty peso bills in Quiapo, Manila on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has advised the public that the P20 banknotes remain legal tender and can be used alongside the P20 New Generation Currency coins for transactions.

Danny Pata

Opinion All you need to know about the 2019 SEAG cauldron IT IS better late than never, it seems, for former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to clear the air with regard to the controversy surrounding the cauldron built for the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) held in the Philippines in November 2019.

What’s been forgotten in the heat of the moment then was that the Philippines broke previous records, emerging overall champion with a total of 387 medals, 149 of them gold, when the competition ended in December that year. The biennial sporting event drew more than 5,000 athletes from 11 countries.

The private sector paid for it, said Cayetano.

In fact, the country’s successful hosting of the games prompted Olympic Council of Asia Vice President Wei Jizhong to commend the organizers and President Duterte for what he said was its ready capability to host bigger sporting events.

But even before the Games opened in Manila, critics had slammed the expenses in building the SEAG cauldron. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asserted that the P50 million cost of the cauldron was “extravagant.” (The actual cost was P45 million). His claim sparked an outcry from netizens as well as Filipino athletes, some of whom complained that the amount could have been better spent for their allowances and training.

But in a move that caught nearly everyone by surprise, then House Speaker Cayetano, who represents the 1st District of Taguig-Pateros in the 18th Congress, chaired the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), and appeared before the Senate to answer all allegations about the hosting and funding of the Games.

Rather than invoke legislative protocol and inter-parliamentary courtesy, he opted to appear before the Senate so he could personally answer all questions related to PHISGOC. By doing so, Cayetano became the first House Speaker to break protocol and appear as a resource person in a plenary session of the Senate.

After two years, Cayetano said, in an interview with TV host Boy Abunda, that the construction of the cauldron did not come from the government but from the private sector.

The lawmaker told Abunda: “My life in politics has not been perfect but I did not touch a single centavo from the SEA Games.” What Cayetano told Abunda was consistent with his record as an anti-cor-

ruption crusader who had either exposed or investigated corruption scandals of previous administrations.

Despite the expected record turnout of participants, the Philippine government allotted a budget of only P6 billion, thus prompting PHISGOC to solicit sponsorships to fill the funding gap. In fact, the fund requested under the 2019 budget for the Philippines’ hosting was P7.5 billion.

The Senate, on Drilon’s prodding, reduced this amount to P5 billion. The Office of the President came to the rescue and provided the additional P1 billion for the games.

By comparison, Singapore, the 2015 SEAG host, spent P15 billion. Singapore also commissioned the top-rated DP Architects to build its SEAG cauldron at a cost of P63 million.

Duterte personally chose Cayetano to head PHISGOC to ensure that the funds for the SEAG would be properly spent and accounted for up to the last centavo.

In the same interview with Boy Abunda, Cayetano revealed that it was the private sector that paid for the cauldron: “People will be surprised because the government didn’t spend a single cent on it. Because the private sector paid for it.”

The cauldron, the lawmaker said, was not a mere ornament nor a useless contraption because it symbolized the Games itself, and the spirit of fair competition and sportsmanship.

The cauldron was designed by the late National Artist for Architecture Francisco Mañosa, regarded as one of the most influential Filipino architects of the 20th century.

Cayetano revealed that since the 30th SEAG was the country’s debut on the global stage, he took care of every detail, including the design and construction of the cauldron.

The lawmaker lamented that the cauldron had become an object of derision when it should have been a source of pride, honor and glory for the country.

He said it was unfortunate that critics had turned what should have been a symbol of unity into a political issue.

And because of that, Cayetano said, several sponsors withdrew their support for the SEA Games. That really hurt, he emphasized, as SEAG could have attracted more support for Filipino athletes from the private sector had critics not resorted to baseless allegations. ernhil@yahoo.com

LGBTQ Afghans choose between death by sadness, or the Taliban

By James Edgar, with Marine Pennetier in Islamabad AS THE Taliban appeared on every corner of Kabul, Marwa and her friend — both gay Afghans — took the drastic decision to become husband and wife.

The hurried marriage was conducted with no ceremony or family around them.

“I was telling myself that the Taliban would come and kill me,” the 24-year-old told AFP in an interview conducted over WhatsApp. “I was afraid, I was crying all the time... so I asked my friend to prepare a marriage document,” said Marwa, using a pseudonym for security reasons.

Many LGBTQ Afghans are haunted by the Taliban’s brutally repressive reign from 1996 to 2001, when gay men were stoned to death or crushed by toppled walls as punishment.

The militants have not officially commented on the subject since they overran Kabul on August 15, but former senior judge Gul Rahim told Germany’s Bild newspaper that the death penalty for gay people would return.

More broadly, the Taliban have made it resoundingly clear that they will apply their restrictive interpretation of Islamic law -- which is unequivocal on the rights of LGBTQ people.

Terrified for their lives, many young gay men and women have gone underground, erasing all traces of their former lives on social networks, according to NGOs and testimonies collected by AFP. One gay man was raped and beaten by a group of men who lured him away on the pretence that he would be evacuated, according to LGBTQ rights activists cited by media reports.

“When the Taliban first came, we didn’t come out of our homes for about two or three weeks and now we go outside wearing different clothes, trying to look plain,” said

Abdullah, who spoke to AFP in the western city of Herat.

“Before, we wore trousers and jeans, or T-shirts, and some gay men wore makeup,” added the 21-year-old, who also used a pseudonym.

Stay with our families Under successive US-backed governments over the past 20 years, only slight progress was made in LGBTQ rights, with the issue little understood in Afghanistan.

Even after the Taliban’s 2001 ouster, gay sex was still a criminal offence that came with a prison sentence.

People were routinely subjected to discrimination, assault and rape, with little accountability.

The Taliban have made it resoundingly clear that they will apply their restrictive interpretation of Islamic law.

Still, tiny pockets of acceptance began to bloom.

“They had a little freedom and some safe places in Kabul,” said Artemis Akbary, a prominent Afghan LGBTQ rights activist who fled to Turkey several years ago.

“There was a cafe in Kabul where every Friday LGBT friends met each other and they danced.”

Abdullah also described how support had begun to build in recent years, thanks to media coverage and access to information.

“This was motivation for all of us to remain in Afghanistan and strengthen the LGBT community here, and at least remain in our country with our own families,” he said.

But as cities began to fall to the Taliban

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Sign of our times

new and improved arch now stands announcing the entrance to the “rehabilitated” stretch of Manila Bay. The first arch — saying “MANILABAYWALKDOLOMITEBEACH” — was met with contempt by many observers for the glaring lack of spaces between words.

The sign as it now stands has the spaces in the right places — plus a few crosses that have some quarters comparing it to the entrance to a cemetery.

We hope the people in authority realize that even if they get rid of the “campo santo” feel of the area, they would still be called out for what they did on the beach.

Last year, while the country was still coming to grips with the novel coronavirus and wondering how long and to what extent we were going to be plagued by it, the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) went ahead with the implementation of its brilliant idea of bringing over dolomite sand from Cebu to the shores of Manila Bay. We are not even mentioning the doubts raised on the safety of dolomite for the environment.

Spaces in the right places are not enough to correct everything that is wrong with the dolomite project.

No less than the presidential mouthpiece said that they did this for the benefit of Filipinos’ mental health.

They may be made anxious by the threat of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of the lockdowns, so looking at that glorious white sand would turn their mood around.

The entire Manila Bay rehabilitation project cost taxpayers an estimated P389 million, with P28 million going to the dolomite overlay. We have yet to see how the non-dolomite portion of

the allocation was spent.

The P28 million, by itself no means a small amount, has been pitifully wasted, photos of the bay after typhoons show. It has also not served any good aside from drawing crowds, who did not practice social distancing. And contrary to officials’ assertions, the staggering cost of the project puts a dent on our mental health aside from eating up funds that could have been used for more consequential purposes.

Phase 2 of the project will reportedly cost us another P265 million.

Unfortunately, the word “dolomite” has come to be associated with officials’ propensity to pursue useless projects with money that could have been used prudently in dealing with the pandemic.

“Dolomite” represents a disturbing disconnect between what is needed and what is provided by the government.

“Dolomite” evokes memories of the many times our leaders failed — and still fail — spectacularly in containing a virus that threatens Filipinos’ lives and livelihoods.

The awkward, laughable arc might as well be a sign announcing the entrance to this benighted land of ours during these precarious times.

Bongbong Marcos for president FERDINAND “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. gave a seminal interview with Toni Gonzaga who has excelled in her vlog. The interview has been viewed by at least 7.8 million. The interview put Bongbong and the Marcos family in very good light.

The only son of the Philippines’ longestserving president (20 years) is a cut from the same cloth. Bongbong has his old man’s baritone voice. BBM has a substantial chunk of his dad’s intelligence and capacity for profound thinking. He has the strongman’s shirt and shoe size. But can he fill in Marcos’s old shoes? Can he win the presidency?

In terms of family heritage, political brand, solid regional following, political machinery and awesome resources, Bongbong should be a shoo-in for the presidency, being the most qualified and the best experienced in terms of osmosis from the late Marcos.

However, per Pulse Asia, which usually has thought-provoking surveys as they defy logic and common sense, the young Marcos is only the third choice of the people for their chief executive if elections were held in June, the time of the poll. BBM is behind Sara Duterte, 28 percent; and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, 14 percent, with a 13-percent rating. A rating of 14 and 13 are the same, with a survey error margin of 2.5 percentage points.

So you can say Bongbong is the No. 2 choice. With Sara insisting she is not running for president, that makes Marcos the frontrunner, with Isko Moreno clawing at his back.

The issue now is the so-called Marcos legacy. FM was a dictator. He was a strongman. He was a human rights violator.

He borrowed to excess, from $700 million he became president in 1966 to $24 billion by the time he was ousted in 1986. He plundered between $5 billion and $10 billion. He killed his arch political rival. He was evil.

Well, that is one part of the narrative.

And it is a narrative that has gained for the Aquino family two presidencies totaling 12 years and six months despite the lack of preparation for the job of Cory Aquino and her only son, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III. The other narrative, of course, is that Marcos was a strong and decisive leader.

He unified the country and gave his people a sense of history, a sense of purpose and a sense of nationhood. He saved the country from a communist takeover. He saved the

archipelago from being torn asunder by Muslim separatists. He saved the country from economic ruin following two major oil shocks, in 1973-74 when crude oil rose nearly six-fold from $1.82 per barrel in 1972 when he declared martial law to $11 in 1974, and in 1979-1980 when oil tripled in price from $12.79 in 1978 to $35.52 in 1980.

Marcos governed the country during its most difficult period. It is a wonder that when he was ousted by a so-called People Power in 1986, the country was still relatively intact.

Marcos was perhaps the most charismatic

over the summer, some found ways to escape the country, including to Pakistan and Iran.

Since their August takeover, the Taliban have replaced the ministry of women’s affairs with a department notorious for enforcing strict religious doctrine during their first rule two decades ago.

“For those still present in Kabul, it is clear that the reopening of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is by far the most dangerous Sword of Damocles,” said Arnaud Gauthier-Fawas, a spokesperson for Inter-LGBT France.

The ministry’s enforcers were known in the 1990s for carrying whips and were responsible for strictly implementing hardline interpretations of Islam.

The Rainbow Railroad in Canada, a rights group that helps LGBTQ people escape state-sponsored violence, said it had been

contacted by more than 700 Afghans since the start of the crisis.

“We have been getting direct reports of LGBTQ people targeted in violent attacks, some of which have been fatal,” the group’s executive director Kimahli Powell said.

“People are in hiding and in fear for their lives. There is great uncertainty about what comes next.”

‘Like a bird’ Yahya, who identifies as gay and a gender non-conforming person, says they were beaten by a Taliban guard wielding a blue PVC pipe the first time they dared to venture outside after Kabul fell.

“It’s not written on my face that I am this person. But he used a curse word and said, ‘Don’t you know how to walk like a man?’

“My eyes were full of tears but I could not say anything to him because he had a gun hanging on his other shoulder. So I

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

Here are two narratives about his father. of all Philippine presidents when democrats were still fashionable in elections and statecraft. He embodied the best in the modern Philippine leader and was the nearest epitome of a great president.

He was a scholar with a keen sense of history, a genuine war hero with more medals than Audie Murphy, a bar topnotcher despite having reviewed in jail, a great orator with a booming baritone, endowed with a political ideology and an eidetic memory (he once delivered a prepared speech to a joint session of the US Congress direct from memory). He had zeal and fervor to make his country great.

Marcos entered politics in 1949 and campaigned for congressman, promising his northern Luzon common folk: “Elect me your congressman now and I’ll give you an Ilocano president in 20 years.” He won as congressman and went on to serve for three terms. He was elected senator in 1959, was reelected in 1963 and became Senate president.

He was elected president in November 1965 and won reelection in 1969, the first president to do so. In 1972, he declared Martial Law, ensuring his rule for 20 years, the longest by any Philippine president.

His 20-year rule is notable for many things, aside from the usual gripes about corruption and dictatorship.

On the economic front, Marcos was the first to achieve rice self-sufficiency, the first to score a 8.9-percent economic growth

biznewsasia@gmail.com said nothing, and I just got in a taxi and went.”

Yahya, who was beaten by their brother after being outed by a relative eight years ago, told AFP in Kabul that life would get worse “day by day” under the Taliban.

After weeks of frantic contact with international organisations, Yahya was evacuated.

“I’m so very happy, I can’t explain it,” Yahya told AFP after leaving Afghanistan. “I feel like a bird who is freed from a cage and ready to fly.”

AFP changed their name to protect their identity.

For Marwa, who is relying on her new marriage for protection, Afghans who stay must live under the constant threat of death.

“They will be killed by isolation, starving, sadness, depression or stress, or they will be killed by the Taliban or their family,” she said. AFP

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(in 1973), the first to manage the country’s energy problem properly, the first to design a major industrialization program, and the first with a genuine land reform with an allencompassing target of land transfers.

Average GDP growth during his 20-year regime was 3.8 percent; inflation, 10.3 percent. He was the first president to score a GDP growth of 8.92 percent, in 1973, and repeated that with 8.8 percent in 1976. Of course, he is also the first president to score a massively negative GDP growth, -7.32 percent in 1984 and repeated that with -7.3 percent, the following year, in 1985. Our President Duterte already exceeded that in 2020, with a -9.6 percent economic slump.

According to Juan Ponce Enrile, a close ally of 21 years before he rebelled against him in 1986, “Minus the alleged corruption, Marcos was the most productive president we ever had.”

JPE enumerated what FM has done: Marcos initiated the expansion of irrigation systems all over the country, the expansion of the infrastructure of the country like the Philippine Friendship Highway from Aparri to Zamboanga, the development of our port systems, the expansion of our air capability, the modernization of the military organization, and land reform.

Many of the plans being followed for the present infrastructure of the country were products of the Marcos period.

“In the field of international relations, Marcos initiated the one-China policy to the chagrin of Taiwan, opened relations with Moscow, shortened the lease on the American bases from 99 to 25 years, reduced the hectarage of the bases, and required the Americans to pay rent. He was able to preserve the national integrity in spite of the Moro National Liberation Front. He initiated the first tax amnesty, which was the most successful tax amnesty, and initiated the coco levy system to replace the aging coconut tree population. Today, the coco levy is now worth P100 billion.

FM brought the country closer to many countries because of his adoption of satellite.

We solved the rice crisis, the cooking oil shortage, the gasoline crisis. Without the stain of corruption, Marcos was a great president,” Enrile told me.

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Israel PM: Iran’s nuclear program has crossed ‘all red lines’ of curbs

DUST STORM. A massive dust storm is seen engulfing the neighborhood of Nossa Senhora do Carmo at the city of Frutal, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on September 26. The dust storm was seen in several cities of the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, southeast region of Brazil, followed by heavy rains that spread damages in the region. AFP

Nokor fires missile, insists right to tests

S

EOUL—Nuclear-armed North Korea fired what appeared to be a short-range missile into the sea on Tuesday, the South’s military said, as Pyongyang’s UN ambassador insisted it had an undeniable right to test its weapons.

The device was fired from the northern province of Jagang into waters off the east coast, according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Japanese defense ministry spokesman told AFP it “appears to be a ballistic missile”.

Less than an hour later, Pyongyang’s United Nations ambassador Kim Song told the UN General Assembly in New York: “Nobody can deny the right to self-defense for the DPRK”, the North’s official name.

Haiti elections postponed indefinitely PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Elections and a constitutional referendum scheduled for the coming months in Haiti have been postponed indefinitely after the Monday dismissal of members of the electoral administration, plunging the country into further uncertainty.

Since their September 2020 appointment by late president Jovenel Moise, who was assassinated in July, the nine members of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) have been strongly criticized by the opposition and the public.

After developing several electoral calendars, the CEP set the first round of voting in presidential and legislative elections, as well as for a constitutional referendum, for November 7.

The second round of voting was scheduled for January 23, 2022, in conjunction with municipal and local elections.

But Prime Minister Ariel Henry published a decree Monday announcing the CEP members had been dismissed. He is preparing to appoint a new council but did not set a deadline for doing so.

Henry was appointed by Moise two days before the president was murdered AFP

Court says seized assets to be sold for WW2 laborers SEOUL -- A South Korean court has issued an unprecedented order for assets seized from Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to be sold to compensate World War II forced labourers, prompting Tokyo to protest on Tuesday.

Japan and South Korea are both democracies, market economies and US allies, but their relationship has been strained for decades over Tokyo’s brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

Around 780,000 Koreans were conscripted into forced labour by Japan during the 35-year occupation, according to data from Seoul, not including women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops.

On Monday, the Daejeon District Court ruled that two patents and two trademarks held by Mitsubishi Heavy should be sold to compensate two female Korean plaintiffs in their 90s, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

The proceeds are expected to raise enough to pay each victim around 209 million won (US$176,700) in compensation and interest, it said. AFP

It is the latest in a series of mixed messages from Pyongyang, coming days after leader Kim Jong Un’s influential sister Kim Yo Jong, a key adviser to her brother, dangled the prospect of an inter-Korean summit.

But she insisted that “impartiality” and mutual respect would be required, calling for the South to “stop spouting an impudent remark”.

She condemned as “double stan-

dards” South Korean and US criticism of the North’s military developments, while the allies build up their own capacities.

In recent days, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has only months left in office, reiterated at the UN General Assembly his longstanding calls for a formal declaration of an end to the Korean War. The North invaded the South in 1950 and hostilities ceased three years later with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving them technically still in a state of conflict.

Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its banned programmes to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

In his own UN General Assembly speech,

the North’s Kim Song said the North had a right to “develop, test, manufacture and possess” weapons systems equivalent to those of the South and its US ally.

“We are just building up our national defense in order to defend ourselves and reliably safeguard the security and peace of the country,” he said.

- ‘Heinous human rights abuser’ Pyongyang has already carried out several missile launches this month, one involving long-range cruise missiles and another that the South’s military said was of short-range ballistic missiles.

Seoul also successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile for the first time, making it one of a handful of nations with the advanced technology. AFP

CHINA’S JETS. People watch

Chengdu Aircraft Corp.’s J-10s for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) perform a maneuver during a flight demonstration programme at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, in southern China’s Guangdong province on September 28. AFP

Crunch time for Biden as Congress debates historic agenda

WASHINGTON—Joe Biden faces the most important test of his presidency this week as Democrats in the US Congress launch a highwire bid to implement his sweeping economic agenda while keeping the government’s lights on.

The House and Senate are moving toward votes on legislation dealing with infrastructure and social programs worth almost $5 trillion while also averting a government shutdown on Friday and a looming debt default.

Failure on any front would be catastrophic for a president looking to cement his legacy, while Democrats would see their chances diminished for hanging onto

the House of Representatives and Senate in next year’s midterm elections.

“You know me: I’m born optimistic. I think things are going to go well.

I think we’re going to get it done,” an upbeat Biden told reporters at the White House.

At stake is the fate of Biden’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better social welfare package that only Democrats support, and a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to improve transport networks and broadband coverage that has already passed the Senate with cross-party support.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pe-

losi told colleagues that there would be a vote on infrastructure on Thursday -- the same day Congress needs to strike a funding deal to avoid a government shutdown.

‘Intensity’ Progressive Democrats in the House have repeatedly threatened to tank infrastructure without a significant commitment from their moderate colleagues on Build Back Better.

But moderates nervous about freewheeling spending have said they may not vote for the bigger bill without infrastructure crossing the line first -- and have talked about scaling back the $3.5 trillion ticket price in any case. AFP

UNITED NATIONS -- Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday Iran had breached all the “red lines” aimed at curbing its nuclear weapons program, but that Israel “will not allow” Tehran to get the bomb.

In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, Bennett claimed the Islamic republic had in recent years taken “a major leap forward” in its nuclear production capacity and ability to enrich weapons-grade uranium.

“Iran’s nuclear weapon program is at a critical point, all red lines have been crossed,” said Bennett, who took office in June.

“There are those in the world who seem to see Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons as an inevitable reality, as a done deal, or they have just become tired of hearing about it,” the 49-yearold premier told the world body.

“Israel doesn’t have that privilege.

We cannot tire. We will not tire. Israel will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Iran responded rapidly, saying Bennet “played the victim and desperately tried to portray the Israeli regime as innocent.”

Israel “desperately attempts to portray Iran’s conventional weapon capabilities or its exclusively peaceful nuclear program, which is under the most robust verification of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as a challenge to regional stability,” Payman Ghadirkhomi, the second secretary for Iran’s UN mission, told the assembly. AFP

Afghanistan voiceless as annual UN meet wraps UNITED NATIONS—The UN General Assembly drew to a close Monday without speeches by Afghanistan or Myanmar after world powers intervened in disputes over who would represent the two countries.

The Afghan ambassador appointed by ousted president Ashraf Ghani had been due to defy the Taliban with an address at the meeting that saw 100 leaders gather in New York despite coronavirus fears.

But Ghulam Isaczai’s name was removed from the list of speakers early Monday in an move that diplomats suggested had been brokered

by Washington, Beijing and Moscow after they did the same for Myanmar.

“I imagine” that there was an agreement struck by those three powers, an ambassador with a Security Council country told AFP. Another diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described it as a “wise decision.”

Last week, the Taliban wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres requesting that its new foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi be allowed to participate instead of Isaczai.

The group said that Isaczai, who had urged nations to “unequivocally state” that they would not recognize a Taliban government, “no longer represents” Afghanistan at the global body. AFP

Former Nazi deathsdfd camp secretary —96-year-old woman—faces trial BERLIN—A former secretary at a Nazi concentration camp, now 96, faces a German court on Thursday charged with complicity in the murders of 10,000 people -- the first such case in recent years against a woman.

Irmgard Furchner was a teenager when she worked in the camp director’s office at Stutthof in occupied Poland, near the city of Danzig, known today as Gdansk.

Furchner “assisted those responsible at the camp in the systematic killing of Jewish prisoners, Polish partisans and Soviet Russian prisoners of war in her function as a stenographer and secretary to the camp commander” between June 1943 and April 1945, according to prosecutors.

A minor at the time of the alleged crimes, she is charged with “aiding and abetting murder in more than 10,000 cases” as well as complicity in attempted murder, added prosecutors from the

northern city of Itzehoe.

Despite her age, the defendant, who lives in a care home near Hamburg, was declared fit to stand trial but has yet to express herself on the accusations.

The proceedings will open one day before the 75th anniversary of the end of the Nuremberg trials, in which prominent members of the Nazi establishment, including Hermann Goering, were held to account for their role in the regime.

But time is running out for prosecutors seeking to bring former members of the SS, the Nazi paramilitary group that oversaw mass executions, and their functionaries, as the war-time generation disappears.

A week after the start of the hearings in Itzehoe, the trial of a hundred-year-old former camp guard accused of being an accessory in the murder of over 3,500 people will begin in Neuruppin in the eastern state of Brandenburg. AFP

SWEDEN BLAST. Smoke billows from a building as emergency services fights a fire at the site of an explosion in central Gothenburg on September 28. Some 20 people were taken to hospital after an explosion hit a residential building causing a fire affecting several apartments and stairwells in the southwestern Swedish city early on Tuesday. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Business

TODAY

China power shortfalls hit factories and threaten GDP BEIJING, China—Goldman Sachs Tuesday lowered its annual economic growth forecast for China as nationwide power cuts hit millions of homes and halted production at factories, including some supplying Apple and Tesla.

At least 17 provinces and regions— accounting for 66 percent of the country’s gross domestic product—have announced some form of power cuts in recent months, mainly targeting heavy industrial users, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Nearly 60 percent of the Chinese economy is powered by coal, but supply has been disrupted by the pandemic, put under pressure by tough emissions targets and squeezed by a drop in coal imports amid a trade tiff with Australia.

Earlier this month, coal prices hit a record high, with restrictions imposed on businesses and homes amid the supply crunch.

Still, China’s power demand in the first half of the year exceeded prepandemic levels, according to the National Energy Administration.

Goldman Sachs said Tuesday it expects growth to come in at 7.8 percent, down from 8.2 percent, citing power cuts that led heavy industries to cut output, leading to “significant downside pressures.”

It is the second bank to downgrade forecasts in as many days.

Analysts at Nomura said Monday a surging number of factories had been forced to cease operations due to either government mandates to meet carbon targets or surging prices and coal shortages.

It cut its annual GDP growth forecast to 7.7 percent.

Apple supplier Unimicron Technology said factories in two regions were told to stop production from midday Sunday through Thursday, in filings with the Taiwan stock exchange on Monday. AFP

B3

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market falls, snaps 5-day rally

T

HE stock market slumped Tuesday on profit taking to end a five-day rally as investors fretted about the prospect of rising US borrowing costs.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 70.90 points, or 1 percent, to 6,885.36 on a value turnover of P15 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 135 to 75, with 38 issues unchanged.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. of the Aboitiz Group tumbled 10.6 percent to P47.50, while unit Aboitiz Power Corp. dropped 9.6 percent to P30.90.

Noodles maker Monde Nissin Corp. declined 8 percent to P18.62, while International Container Terminal Services Inc. of tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., the biggest port operator, shed 4.3 percent to P192.50.

Most Asian equity markets slipped Tuesday, with US lawmakers’ struggle to raise the debt ceiling agitating nerves on trading floors.

Fears over the possible collapse of troubled Chinese developer Evergrande have abated for now, though the crisis is being closely followed.

Meanwhile, analysts said concerns that an energy crunch in China could hit growth in the world’s number two economy were adding to the downbeat mood, with

Goldman Sachs lowering its outlook for this year. recent weeks from China’s crackdown on a range of inWith the US economy back on track—and several dustries—particularly tech firms and Macau-based caFederal Reserve officials saying their goals of sustained sinos—and the Evergrande crisis. Shanghai also rose. inflation and tackling unemployment are close to being Initial fears that the collapse of the embattled firm met—the US central bank is expected to begin tapering could spill into the global economy have eased. But its ultra-loose monetary policy within months. there is still concern that if the issue is not handled propThe policy committee essentially signaled such a erly the Chinese property sector, which accounts for move at its meeting last week, while a closely watched a huge part of the economy, could take a massive hit. guide to its interest rate plans suggested a rate hike could With AFP even come before the end of next year.

“Central bankers have set out how they want to ‘normalize’ monetary policy for some time. That process could start soon,” Chris Iggo of AXA Investment Managers said.

“The realization of this has the potential to provoke some volatility in rates and equities.”

Department Administrative Order No. 21-06 On Wall Street the Dow edged up but Series of 2021 the S&P and Nasdaq fell into the red, with tech firms more susceptible to highIN THE MATTER OF THE er interest rates.

PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION And the selling filtered through to OF THE SAFEGUARD MEASURES Asia, where Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, SinCASE ON GALVANIZED IRON gapore, Wellington, Mumbai and Taipei (GI) SHEETS, COILS AND STRIPS followed suit.

AND PREPAINTED GALVANIZED However, Hong Kong rose more than IRON (PPGI) AND PREPAINTED one percent, having taken a battering in GALVANIZED ALUMINUM ZINC (PPGL) (AHTN Codes 7210.41.11, 7210.41.19, 7210.41.91, 7210.41.99, 7210.49.91, 7210.49.99 (GI Sheets and Coils), and 7212.30.12, 7212.30.13, 7212.30.19, 7212.30.99 (GI Strips) (AHTN Codes 7210.70.11, 7210.70.19, 7210.70.90, 7210.70.91, 7210.70.99 (PPGI and PPGL); 7210.90.10, 7210.90.90 (other Coated Products) and 7212.40.11, 7212.40.12, 7212.40.19, 7212.40.91, 7212.40.92, 7212.40.99 (Painted Strips) (Safeguard Measures Case No. SG02-2020) (Safeguard Measures Case No. SG04-2020) x------------------------------------------x

ORDER

This photo taken on September 27, 2021 shows employees working on high-voltage direct current transmission line in Wuxi, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Nationwide power outages have hit millions of homes and halted production at factories in China, including some supplying Apple and Tesla. AFP

Dubai Expo greets millions in biggest event since COVID

By Talek Harris DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Millions of people will begin converging on Dubai this week as the COVID-delayed Expo 2020, the world’s biggest event since the pandemic, finally unveils its gleaming pavilions in the desert.

The Expo site in the dusty Dubai suburbs has remained strictly offlimits during its year-long postponement but the wraps will come off on Thursday at an opening ceremony attended by Emirati royalty.

Architectural marvels and a long list of technological innovations will feature among the exhibits, or pavilions, showcasing the ingenuity of more than 190 countries.

The first world fair was held in London in 1851, when it was housed in the purpose-built Crystal Palace, and it featured the Eiffel Tower— intended as a temporary attraction—in Paris in 1889.

Dubai’s edition, the first in the Middle East, is expected to be the biggest event ever held in the region with estimates of 25 million visitors over its six-month lifespan.

The next biggest event held in the world during the pandemic was the Tokyo Olympics, where strict virus rules saw spectators banned from nearly all venues.

Expo 2020 will be indelibly tinged by the pandemic, however, with masks and social distancing mandatory on site. Visitors will need to be vaccinated or have a negative PCR test to enter.

The United Arab Emirates, population 10 million, has reported rapidly dwindling coronavirus cases in recent weeks, dropping below 300 on Sunday—less than half the figure a fortnight earlier.

Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum is typically bullish about the fair, promising “the most exceptional Expo in the history of the event.”

“Our nation’s talented citizens were able to convert this vision into a comprehensive plan for success, conveying a message to the world that our commitment to excellence makes us an important contributor to shaping the globe’s future,” he said, according to official media.

Robot panda The fair is another feather in the cap for Dubai, which has long strived for recognition with achievements such as the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at a towering 828 meters (2,717 feet).

UAE media highlighted a travel company report which named the building as the world’s most searched landmark, with The National wondering: “Has Expo 2020 made Burj Khalifa the new Eiffel Tower?”

“The core of World Expo has always been a sense of global spectacle, and the UAE’s built environment is well placed to give it just that,” said an opinion piece in the newspaper. AFP

The Philippine galvanized iron industry, represented by Puyat Steel Corporation, filed petitions for safeguard measures on galvanized iron (GI) sheets and coils, classified under AHTN Codes 7210.41.11, 7210.41.19, 7210.41.91, 7210.41.99, 7210.49.91, and 7210.49.99, as well as GI strips under AHTN Codes 7212.30.12, 7212.30.13, 7212.30.19 and 7212.30.99 and Prepainted Galvanized Iron (PPGI) and Prepainted Aluminum Zinc (PPGL), classified under AHTN Codes 7210.70.11, 7210.70.19, 7210.70.90, 7210.70.91, and 7210.70.99, including other Coated Products under AHTN Codes 7210.90.10. and 7210.90.90, as well as Painted Strips falling under AHTN Codes 7212.40.11, 7212.40.12, 7212.40.19, 7212.40.91, 7212.40.92, and 7212.40.99.

The period of investigation covered imports from 2014 to 2018. Updated data until 2019 were also presented and taken into consideration. For injury determination, the Department considered relevant information for the same period.

NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF THE PRELIMINARY SAFEGUARD MEASURE INVESTIGATION ON ALUMINUM ZINC (GL) SHEET AND COILS (SG CASE NO. SG03-2020) On 14 January 2021, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), received a Notice of Withdrawal from Sonic Steel Industries, Inc. (Sonic), of its applications for safeguard measures (which it filed together with another Applicant/ Petitioner), on Galvanized Iron (GI), Galvanized Aluminum Zinc (GL) and Pre-painted Galvanized Iron and Pre-painted Aluminum Zinc (PPGI-PPGL), and a request to archive the said applications, on the ground that, the issuance of the DTI-Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 20-10, series of 2020, mandates that, all hot-dip metallic-coated and pre-painted galvanized steel coils and sheets for roofing and general applications shall have a minimum total coated thickness (base metal + coating material) of 0.4 mm as per Rule 9.4 thereof. In effect, the DTI-DAO effectively prohibited the manufacture and sale of all hot-dip metallic-coated and prepainted galvanized steel coils and sheets for roofing and general applications which fall below the said specification.

Sonic claimed that the bulk of the surge in importations on which the safeguard measures applications were hinged on, are GI, GL, and PPGI-PPGL products which are below 0.4 mm. Thus, the applications for safeguard measure will become an exercise in futility, if not moot and academic, since these items are no longer allowed to be manufactured.

The instant case (SG Case No. SG03-2020), covered the importations of GL sheets and coils from various countries (classified under AHTN Codes 7210.61.11, 7210.61.91, 7210.61.99,7210.69: 7210.69.11, 7210.69.91, and 7210.69.99, and GL strips falling under AHTN Codes 7212.50.19, 7212.50.23, 7212.50.24, 7212.50.29, 7212.50.93, 7212.50.94, and 7212.50.99), of which Sonic is the domestic producer/manufacturer of like products.

WHEREFORE, IN VIEW THEREOF, the preliminary safeguard investigation in SG Case No. SG03-2020 is hereby, terminated.

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

The Department of Trade and Industry, acting under Section 5 of the Safeguard Measures Act (RA 8800), provides that: x x x “in the case of non-agricultural products, the Secretary shall first establish that the application of such safeguard measures will be in the public interest. “ The Department considered the Petitioner’s ability to supply and cater to the requirements of end users. Given the existing capacity of the Petitioner versus the demand, the Petitioner’s capacity to manufacture the products under protest, cannot sufficiently supply the Philippine market.

Imposition of safeguard measures at this time and under these circumstances can lead to price increases in GI sheets, coils and strips as well as to PPGI and PPGL including other coated products and painted strips. It can also cause a chilling effect on importers which reduce the level of imports of the said products and consequently lead to supply shortages. These could have detrimental effects on the construction and housing sector that use these products. Considering further that demand for housing currently exceeds supply, import restrictions on GI sheets, coils and strips as well as to PPGI and PPGL including other coated products and painted strips will drive up the costs of these products and consequently the costs of building residential homes.

Considering the foregoing and pursuant to Section 5 of RA 8800 and Rules 5.2 and 8.2 of its IRR, the Department finds that the application of safeguard measures on the subject products at this time is not in the public interest.

WHEREFORE, IN VIEW THEREOF, the Department hereby orders the dismissal of the safeguard measures investigation on GI sheets, coils and strips as well as PPGI and PPGL including other coated products and painted strips.

The non-confidential report of the preliminary safeguard measures investigation can be accessed at the DTI website: https://bit.ly/ADV_roofingmaterial The notification and consultation requirements under Article 12 of the WTO Safeguards Agreement and Section 17 of RA 8800 and its IRR shall be complied with. Imports originating from ASEAN member states shall be governed by the provisions of Article 11 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 all interested parties including the country members concerned.

SO ORDERED.

SO ORDERED. 24 September 2021

24 September 2021

A visitor takes a selfie with Israeli pavilion official Josh Bendit during a media preview of the Israeli pavilion, on September 27 2021. The sixmonth world fair, featuring exhibitions by 192 countries, is expected to attract more than 20 million international visitors when it opens on October 1 after a year’s COVID delay. AFP

(MS-SEPT. 29, 2021)

(MS-SEPT. 29, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Aboitiz Group seeking shift to modern empire

By Jenniffer B. Austria ABOITIZ Equity Ventures Inc. said Tuesday it will start its transformation into a modern and highly-diversified conglomerate after selling its 25-percent stake in cash cow Aboitiz Power Corp.

AEV president and chief executive Sabin Aboitiz said in a news briefing the group would use the $1.436-billion proceeds from the landmark deal to look for new investment opportunities and support expansion plans.

“This transaction allows us to start the transform the company into a modern company and for us to look for opportunities that are coming out,” Aboitiz said.

“We need to come out of our legendary businesses and move into modern business. So that is what we are looking and this provides us capital to do that— to take opportunities that come from the pandemic. In the next three years I think, there will be a lot of consolidation in our industries. So it is nice to have a stockpile of cash to deploy when these opportunities come, be it our existing businesses or new industries,” he said.

Aboitiz said the company was interested in expanding its infrastructure business and data center.

Meanwhile, AEV chief finance officer Manuel Lozano said the cash to be generated from the transaction would strengthen the company’s balance sheet and open up opportunities for the company to refinance debt and drive expansion of existing business units.

AEV on Monday announced the sale of 25 percent in Aboitiz Power to JERA Co. Inc., Japan’s largest power generating firm, for $1.436 billion.

The Aboitiz family’s privately held parent company also agreed to sell an additional 1.99 percent stake in Aboitiz Power, bringing JERA’s post-transaction stake in the power firm to 27 percent.

AEV will continue to own a controlling stake of 52 percent in Aboitiz Power.

Lozano said the contribution of power generation in the company’s total beneficial EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) would drop from 70 percent in 2020 to 60 percent, after the transaction.

Business

World Bank reduces 2021 PH growth forecast to 4.3%

T

HE World Bank on Tuesday reduced the 2021 growth forecast for the Philippines to 4.3 percent from 5.5 percent, as the recovery of East Asia and Pacific region was undermined by the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

It also revised downward the country’s 2022 growth forecast to 5.8 percent from the previous estimate of 6.3 percent and predicted that expansion would reach 5.5 percent in 2023. The latest figures are contained in the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific Fall 2021 Economic Update.

The bank said the Delta variant prolonged the distress for companies and households in the region, likely slowing economic growth and increasing inequality.

It said that while China, Indonesia and Vietnam already surpassed pre-pandemic levels of output, Cambodia, Malaysia and Mongolia would only do so in 2022, and the Philippines, Thailand and many Pacific Islands would remain below prepandemic levels of output even in 2023.

“Constraints on vaccination differ for countries in the region. Availability held back vaccination rates in larger countries like Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Smaller, poorer countries, such as some of the Pacific islands, benefited from vaccine donations, but some are constrained by limited distribution infrastructure. In several countries, as vaccination levels increase, hesitancy is likely to be a constraint,” the World Bank said.

It said the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to create a combination of slow growth and increasing inequality for the first time this century in the region. “The result could be deprivation to an extent that the region has not seen in the last two decades. In Indonesia and the Philippines, as many as 8 million more people would remain trapped in poverty in 2023 if recovery is not accompanied by inequality reducing policies,” it said.

The report said that in Indonesia, Mongolia and the Philippines, firms lost on average at least 40 percent of their typical monthly sales and cut jobs. “The failure of otherwise viable firms is leading to the loss of valuable intangible assets, such as supplier or customer relationships and know-how. Surviving firms are deferring productive investments.

Unemployment can erode human capital and hurt future earnings. These negative ef-

fects on growth are likely to be stronger than any benefits of creative destruction induced by the crisis,” it said.

The bank said more than 90 percent of those who would remain poor were expected to come from Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar.

It said that economic activity began to slow down in the second quarter of 2021, and growth forecasts were downgraded for most countries in the region. It said that while China’s economy was projected to expand by 8.5 percent, the rest of the region was forecast to grow at 2.5 percent, nearly 2 percentage points less than forecast in April 2021.

Employment rates and labor force participation dropped, and as many as 24 million people in the region would not be able to escape poverty in 2021, it said.

“The economic recovery of developing East Asia and Pacific faces a reversal of fortune,” said World Bank vice president for East Asia and Pacific Manuela Ferro.

“Whereas in 2020 the region contained COVID-19 while other regions of the world struggled, the rise in COVID-19 cases in 2021 has decreased growth prospects for 2021. However, the region has emerged stronger from crises before and with the right policies could do so again,” he said.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021 -70.90 PTS. 6,885.36

TOTAL VOLUME

2,138,632,020

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE

131,456 15,038,225,648.15

ADVANCES

75

DECLINES UNCHANGED

135 38

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.9210

Japan

Yen

0.009012

0.4589

UK

Pound

1.370700

69.7974

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128472

6.5419

Switzerland

Franc

1.080614

55.0259

Canada

Dollar

0.792016

40.3302

Singapore

Dollar

0.738934

37.6273

Australia

Dollar

0.728500

37.0959

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653083

135.0976

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266603

13.5757

Brunei

Dollar

0.736214

37.4888

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029806

1.5178

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.8644

Euro

Euro

1.170000

59.5776

Korea

Won

0.000850

0.0433

China

Yuan

0.154871

7.8862

India

Rupee

0.013546

0.6898

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238863

12.1631

New Zealand

Dollar

0.701100

35.7007

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036112

1.8389 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF Insular Life bares higher premiums INSULAR Life, the country’s largest life

insurance company, on Tuesday reported a strong growth in gross written premiums and new business annual premium equivalent in the first quarter.

InLife president and chief executive Raoul Littaua said in an online briefing gross written premiums reached P3.5 billion, while NBAPE totaled P422.2 million in the first three months.

“InLife’s gross premiums for January to March 2021 grew by almost 53 percent compared to the same period last year. This growth rate is higher than the life insurance industry’s 37-percent increase,” he said.

“Our NBAPE also grew by almost 42 percent even as the industry’s NBAPE dipped by 3 percent.”

Littaua said to help spread the benefits of insurance to more Filipinos, InLife was planning to be the industry’s complete provider of risk protection services that include life insurance, health coverage, group insurance and non-life insurance. Julito G. Rada

KPMG receives 16 awards from ITR KPMG has demonstrated outstanding expertise in tax again, receiving 16 accolades from the ITR Asia Pacific Tax Awards 2021, including Tax Litigation and Disputes Firm of the Year and the esteemed Tax Practice Leader of the Year award for Lewis Lu, head of tax and legal for KPMG Asia Pacific and KPMG China.

ITR is a leading global publication dedicated to the international tax industry. Its awards program recognizes and celebrates the achievements of tax and transfer pricing firms throughout the world. Three award ceremonies are hosted annually, highlighting the most impressive work carried out in the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Americas regions.

The ITR Asia Pacific Tax Awards 2021 Impact Deals of the Year category recognized KPMG firms’ work on three projects, which required sophisticated advice to navigate the complex demands of public corporations, high-profile mergers, cross-border transactions, first-of-its-kind business lines, and highly regulated sectors.

Dominguez orders publication of MICC findings on mining FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Tuesday ordered the publication of the key findings of experts tasked by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council to conduct a comprehensive review of large-scale mines across the country by the second quarter next year Dominguez said the report should be reader-friendly and made available not only to government officials but also to the public.

The report would show that the MICC accomplished its job as mandated under Executive Order 79 and made mining companies accountable for their lapses and inefficiencies, Dominguez said.

Dominguez, who co-chairs the MICC with Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, said the report should be completed and released by the second quarter of 2022.

He said the report should cover not only the two-phase audit recently completed by the experts, but also the upcoming review of mines in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that is set to begin in October.

“May I suggest that as this administration is ending its term in eight and a half months, that the MICC secretariat prepare a report of all the activities of the MICC, particularly in these reviews that were done,” Dominguez said during the 41st meeting of the MICC held via Zoom.

Dominguez said releasing the report would enhance the public’s trust and confidence in government and demonstrate the capability of Filipino experts in conducting mining audits.

“The report should be in such a form that can be used by the ordinary reader and the public, and that it be made widely available, not only to government officials, the legislature, maybe even in the judiciary, but also to the public in general,” Dominguez said. Julito G. Rada

PSE INDEX CLOSING

GARDENING PROJECT. Metro Pacific Investments Foundation celebrates the one-year anniversary of Bayan Tanim!, its

backyard gardening project that champions sustainable living and self-sufficient food security amid the food scarcity resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. Since its launch last year, Bayan Tanim aided 32 communities in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, distributing almost 3,000 planting kits to support over 3,100 disadvantaged families.

San Miguel still in talks with Palafox on Pasig River Expressway

By Darwin G. Amojelar SAN Miguel Corp. expressed hope that Palafox and Associates will help them build the Pasig River Expressway project amid issues raised by some environmental and conservation advocates.

“Architect Palafox is one of the masterplanners of one of our major projects and in our regular meetings with him, he has expressed strong belief in the need to increase accessibility between the eastern and western corridors of Metro Manila as part of a broader strategy towards decongesting Metro Manila, and easing the many negative impacts of traffic,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.

“There is no formal engagement with Arch. Palafox, but we have been in discussion, something that we have been very clear from the start–that we want him to help us do PAREX right,” he said.

Ang’s statement came after urban planner Felino Palafox denied he signed an agreement with SMC to help the company build PAREX. “We’ve come to learn from him, however, forces critical of the project have been exerting pressure on him, his associates and his family to drop the project.

We believe this is part of an orchestrated and continuing demolition job to paint the project as the opposite of what it truly is,” Ang said.

“We express our full support and con-

fidence on Arch. Palafox and his team, whom we see can help us level up Philippine infrastructure to benefit people, the economy, and the environment,” he said.

“With the project now formally approved by government, we can move forward with engaging design consultants and working on the detailed design,” Ang said.

SMC is investing P2 billion to clean up the Pasig River and integrate a bus rapid transit system, bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways in the project.

“Our track record of initiatives speak for itself. San Miguel today is perhaps one of the most invested and committed in terms of nation-building, improving the lives of Filipinos, and saving the environment,” Ang said.

MyTown expands corporate clientele MYTOWN has increased its corporate clientele by 70 percent and continued to expand its product offering over the last 18 months since the pandemic started, as corporations increasingly see co-living spaces as essential and safe accommodation.

Hard lockdowns and frequent changes in quarantine levels present both challenges in forecasting business operations as well as constraints in mobility for many employees who commute to their places of work.

Other companies face issues due to the lack of residential connectivity infrastructure that prevent productive work-from-home set-ups.

“The global pandemic has seen corporations embracing worker accommodation as a cornerstone of business continuity plans, employee engagement, and staff health and wellness. Having an affordable living solution where living, working and playing are available within walking distance has become critical in a world where mobility is heavily constrained,” said Jelmer Ikink, co-founder and group director for Philippines Urban Living Solutions, which owns co-living brand MyTown.

Group slams FDA chief for bias against vaping

HOUSING PARTNER. Social Housing Finance Corp. signs an agreement with the local government of Magsaysay in Misamis Oriental for the implementation of the Community Mortgage Program in the municipality. Signing the agreement that will benefit 1,000 families are Magsaysay Mayor Rey Buhisan (left) and SHFC Cagayan de Oro manager Janet Lumayag. The CMP, which allows legally organized communities of informal settler families to purchase the land they occupy or plan to relocate to, has benefitted about 380,000 households across the country through over P18.3 billion in loan assistance since 1989.

CONSUMER groups denounced Food and Drug Administration director-general Rolando Domingo for openly describing organizers of an anti-vaping event as “our friends,” months after he assured the House of Representatives that the regulatory agency would be fair and objective in regulating e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in the country.

Domingo, in a virtual anti-vaping event, identified the organizers as his friends.

“Mga kaibigan natin ito. Tulung-tulong sa trabaho,” he was quoted as saying.

“This has solidified our suspicion that the FDA is biased against vaping. How could it objectively regulate e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in the Philippines when Director-General Domingo has made known his position against these less harmful products which have succeeded in switching smokers away from cigarettes in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Canada and New Zealand?” asked Anton Israel, presi-

dent of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines.

The FDA is in charge of issuing the implementing rules and regulations of several laws that allow the use of vapor products and HTPs, which are considered less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes. But the agency’s role was questioned by several congressmen who revealed the FDA received thousands of dollars from charities funded by anti-vaping US billionaire Michael Bloomberg.

Domingo, who attended the virtual anti-vaping event on Sept. 14, 2021, was also criticized for calling on the senators to reconsider their position on Senate Bill No. 2239, or the proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act. He claimed the “the proliferation of novel and emerging tobacco products, such as electronic-nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems, and the heated tobacco products in the Philippine market present health risks to the general public.”

Sports

Senators back PSC’s budget allocation SENATORS expressed their support for the 2022 budget allocation of the Philippine Sports Commission as they called for higher allotment for the agency.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, who led the Senate Committee on Finance hearing recognized the PSC for discovering champions and sports heroes at a time when the country needed hope and inspiration.

Senate Committee on Sports Chair Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, in his manifestation, said that the budgetary support he pioneered, and the senators supported had borne fruit with the success of the Philippine delegation in the Olympics.

“Investing in sports will not only allow our country to develop more worldclass athletes who can bring pride, honor, and medals to our country, but will also help us in keeping our youth away from illegal drugs and other harmful vices,” he said.

Aside from Senator Go, Majority Leader Sen. Miguel Zubiri, Sen. Pia Cayetano, and Sen. Francis Tolentino proposed to approve the budget for plenary presentation “with reservations to increase the budget of PSC as requested to ensure that the momentum for next year international competition will not be prejudiced or compromised.”

The PSC is thankful to members of the Senate for their support and call to increase the agency’s allocation for 2022.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez expressed his gratitude to the senators for their recognition of the vital role the PSC has played in achieving the country’s historical triumph at the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympics.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 2021

Veronica Ompod takes the podium with four gold medals. (Powerlifting Association of the Philippines)

Pinoy athletes shine in World Powerlifting

By Randy Caluag

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HILIPPINE bet Veronica Ompod hardly worked out a sweat in winning four gold medals when all other competitors failed to make the weight in their 43-kg Women’s Junior division of the 2021 World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Halmstad, Sweden.

Nonetheless, Ompod was still expected to top her opponents based on the official rankings as the Filipina was a two-time world record-holder in her Sub-Junior years.

The medals came from the sport’s three standard events such as bench press, squat, and deadlift. The fourth gold medal was awarded by combining the scores of the three events of the competition for 19 to 23 years old.

Meanwhile, Ompod’s compatriot Jane Erasmo bagged four bronze medals in the 47-kg Women’s Sub-Junior class.

Erasmo fought tooth and nail with Petrenko Tetiana of Ukraine for the silver medal as they both submitted similar

scores in the squat (85kgs) and deadlift (132.5kgs). Petrenko, however, edged out Erasmo in the bench press, 62.5 kgs to 60 kgs to take silver.

It was Erasmo’s first international stint, but she didn’t disappoint although there were anxious moments when her first two attempts were red-lighted (foul) due to technicalities.

To lessen the pressure, Team Philippine coaches advised her to try the more manageable 85-kg lift as she still wound up with a medal.

Due to difficulties in travel and strict health protocols brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ompod and Erasmo arrived in Halmstad just hours before weigh

in, depriving them of enough rest. They still delivered though as they put on a fitting follow-up to an auspicious start by fellow Filipino Agustin Lorenzo.

Lorenzo took the silver by lifting 147.5 kilograms in the bench press event of the men’s 74-kg Sub Junior division (14-18 years old), way ahead of Finland’s Kujala Elmeri, who lifted 135 kgs.

Kalogjera Teo of Croatia took the gold with a world record lift of 170 kgs in the division.

It was actually an awkward start for Lorenzo, whose first attempt of 142.5 kgs was red-lighted due to technicality. He gained his bearing on his second try, before eventually improving his third lift to 147.7 kgs for the silver finish.

Powerlifting competition is different from weightlifting that has the standard events of Clean and Press, Snatch and Clean and Jerk.

While it is not played in the Olympics, powerlifting is part of the World Games which is also played every four years.

Sityodtong praises Pacio, Lakay’s next generation ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong searched for words to describe Joshua “The Passion” Pacio ONE Strawweight World Title defense at ONE: REVOLUTION on Friday as the Filipino’s performance was so good that the Chief Executive Officer could only respond with awe.

Pacio needed under one round to dispatch #1-ranked Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta and put a lid on their historic rivalry, ending the bout with punches at the 3:38 mark of the first canto.

According to Sityodtong, the Team Lakay athlete’s performance showed his brilliance and was even more impressive considering Pacio was once sidelined because of the pandemic.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone

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“I’m just blown away by Joshua Pacio’s performance tonight. He made it look easy,” Sityodtong said.

“I know Team Lakay had a bunch of members who had COVID this year. I was a little concerned about ring rust for Joshua, but he just destroyed Yosuke. It was not even close.”

Pacio’s continuous reign means that the next generation of Team Lakay stars still has a homegrown World Champion to look up to.

That said, Sityodtong also praised Pacio’s peers in Jenelyn Olsim and Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw, both of whom had successful debuts this year in The Home Of Martial Arts.

That’s why the Chairman and CEO cannot wait for the next wave of young athletes from Team Lakay to take centerstage, especially Stephen “The Sniper’ Loman and Jhanlo Sangiao, who are expected to make their respective debuts soon.

“The Team Lakay guys, I’m really blown away by the younger generation. I can’t wait for Jhanlo Sangiao’s debut. I can’t wait for Stephen Loman’s debut,” he continued.

“Team Lakay is genuinely one of the greatest teams on the planet.

Full stop.”

ONE Championship returns to live action with ONE: FIRST STRIKE on October 15. Download the ONE Super App for more details on the event.

Chatri Sityodtong

Filbasket product of necessity A NEW basketball league that is ‘a product of necessity’ will soon come off the wraps.

“We have been planning this for a long time,” said former Ateneo Blue Eagle Jai Reyes of the soon-to-open Filbasket.

It’s a basketball league that will cater to commercial, corporate or regional teams, and aims to provide jobs to those affected by the pandemic.

“We are doing this for the basketball industry,” Reyes told Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that was also graced by basketball figure Buddy Encarnado.

“The athletes are out of jobs, needing to provide for their families.

Even myself, I felt how quickly our jobs were taken away from us,” said Reyes, whose group is now working on government clearance.

Filbasket is all set to take off with 11 teams, including those from Davao, Basilan, San Juan and Pasig.

There are teams with corporate roots as well.

“There are no restrictions whether it’s LGU (local government unit) or corporate. We want to be inclusive and open to as many teams,” Reyes told the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and powered

by Smart with Upstream Media as webcast partner.

In the future, Filbasket may also open the doors to Asian imports or international teams. The bottomline, according to Reyes, is to provide jobs for those in need, from players, referees, coaches, trainers and staff.

“Basically, right now we are a product of necessity. The players are out of jobs. I know the plight of the players and I see players going online to sell daing (dried fish) or hotdogs,” said the former PBA team manager.

“They want to provide for their families,” he said.

Tough quartertinal battle ahead for Kings

By Peter Atencio IT will be a tough battle for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings when they begin their quarterfinal series with the top-seeded TNT Tropang Giga at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

The Gin Kings, who need to win twice to advance, could be short of two good men when they clash with the Tropang Giga.

With Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson unable to play, the

Gin Kings will count on their reserves to fill the gaps in their manpower woes.

For now, the Gin Kings are holding on to a one-game momentum they gained last Saturday, after hurdling the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 95-85, in the battle for the eighth seeding.

With the victory, Ginebra became the first defending champion to become an eighth seeded squad after the San Miguel Beermen back in 2005.

“I think this game (with Phoenix) gave us a lift mentally, and maybe a little momentum going into our next game. So, we’ll go

out there and see what we can do,” said Gin Kings’ coach Tim Cone of their quarterfinal stint.

Aguilar is down with an MCL injury, while Thompson is completing health and safety protocols before he is allowed to rejoin the team.

Because of their absences, the Gin Kings could once again count on the services of Prince Caperal, who proved himself when he delivered 19 points against the Fuel Masters.

Cone said he let Caperal play as a starter to let him get a feel of his role with the squad.

“We needed a way to get his

confidence going. So, we made adjustments offensively,” said Cone.

The top-seeded Bolts (10-1) could end the Gin Kings quickly, needing just a win to advance.

They also have a four-winning streak on their side, highlighted by their 104-101 win over the NLEX Road Warriors and 103-85 victory over the Alaska Aces.

The Tropang Giga also crushed the Gin Kings, 88-67, in the elimination round.

And coach Chot Reyes believes their “win-once” bonus will be a waste and for nothing if his wards can’t pull off the victory.

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Sports

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Irving declines to reveal vaccination status

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OS ANGELES—NBA star Kyrie Irving skipped the Brooklyn Nets media day on Monday because of Covid-19 protocols and declined to discuss his vaccination status, which could prevent him from playing home games this season.

“I would like to keep that stuff private,” Irving told reporters via a Zoom call.

“I know that I’ll be there every day no matter what and just be present for my teammates as one of the leaders on the team,” he said.

“I know the focus has to be at an alltime high, no distractions. This is the last thing I wanted to create, was more distractions and more hoopla and more drama around this.”

Irving joins a growing list of NBA players, which also includes Washington Wizards Bradley Beal, Orlando Magic Jonathan Isaac and Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who firmly said no, or have expressed great hesitancy,

about getting the vaccine.

Irvine did not attend media day due to New York City’s new coronavirus protocols.

A new law passed in August requires pro athletes that play indoors to be vaccinated, meaning those who are not vaccinated could miss home games during the season.

On Monday, Irving repeatedly requested privacy when asked about the situation.

“I’m doing my best to maintain this with good intentions and a good heart,” he said.

The Nets’ first pre-season game at Barclays Center is on October 8.

The regular season begins October 19, when the Nets are scheduled to play the

Milwaukee Bucks on the road.

Rolling Stone magazine has reported that roughly 50 to 60 NBA players have yet to receive the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Last week, the NBA announced it declined an exemption request from Golden State’s Wiggins.

Wiggins, like Irving in New York City, faces regulations in San Francisco that would prevent him from practising or playing in home Warriors games until he’s vaccinated.

It is anticipated that unvaccinated NBA players will face more testing and be asked to sit in separate areas of team meetings, in locker rooms and on the team plane.

Washington’s Beal spoke at the Wizards media day on Monday and cited “personal reasons” for not getting vaccinated against the coronavirus.

He hopes that his previous bout with Covid-19 will protect him. Beal contracted Covid-19 over the summer, preventing him from competing in the Tokyo Olympics. AFP

Kyrie Irving

Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Inglewood, California. AFP

Brady outgunned in NFL as Stafford, Rams down Bucs LOS ANGELES—Matthew Stafford threw four touchdowns as the Los Angeles Rams outgunned Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-24 in a heavyweight NFL showdown on Sunday.

A potent offense and suffocating defense made it three wins out of three for Los Angeles as the reigning Super Bowl champion Buccaneers suffered their first defeat of the season.

Stafford, who joined the Rams from the Detroit Lions in a blockbuster trade earlier this year, finished with 343 yards with 27 completions and no interceptions as the Rams underscored their Super Bowl credentials with a convincing win.

Brady meanwhile threw for 432 yards but only one touchdown. The 44-year-old rushed for one score but was sacked three times during a torrid outing against a ferocious Rams defense led by Aaron Donald.

Stafford found Tyler Higbee and Cooper Kupp for second-quarter touchdowns either side of a two-yard score by Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin to put the Rams 14-7 up heading into the second half.

DeSean Jackson’s score put the Rams 21-7 ahead before Brady sneaked over for a close-range rushing touchdown to cut the deficit. Kupp’s second touchdown and a 48-yard Matt Gay field goal stretched the Rams lead to 31-14. both sides swapped field goals, Tampa After Bay rounded out the scoring with a consolation touchdown from G i o v a n i Bernard.

Elsewhere Sunday, Justin

Tucker booted the Baltimore Ravens to victory over Detroit with the longest field goal in NFL history, sealing a dramatic 19-17 win.

Tucker’s monstrous 66-yard effort with three seconds remaining bounced off the crossbar and over at Detroit’s Ford Field to complete a thrilling win for the Ravens.

‘Best in history’ The long-range effort surpassed the previous longest field goal in NFL history, a successful 64-yard attempt by Matt Prater in 2013.

“When it went off his foot, I thought it had a chance,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s the best kicker in NFL history.”

Tucker’s winning field goal was his fourth of the day —he had also made successful kicks from 36, 50 and 32 yards.

In the late game, Green Bay also got a game-winning field goal with three seconds to go when kicker Mason Crosby made a 51-yard field goal to lift the Packers over the San Francisco 49ers 30-28.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed two long passes to Davante Adams during a last-minute drive to set the stage for Crosby’s heroics.

In Kansas City, Justin Herbert threw for four touchdowns to win a thrilling shoot-out with Patrick Mahomes as the Los Angeles Chargers upset the Chiefs 30-24.

The Chiefs slumped to their second consecutive defeat of the season after Herbert and a fired-up Chargers defense claimed victory in a tense divisional

tussle at Arrowhead Stadium.

Herbert threw for 281 yards with 26 completions and no interceptions to complete a win that leaves the Chiefs bottom of the AFC West after three games.

The Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning coach Andy Reid was taken to hospital following the game after complaining of feeling ill but his condition was not believed to be serious, local media reported.

The Rams’ win over the Buccaneers means five teams now possess unbeaten records heading into week four.

The Arizona Cardinals—who face the Rams next week—maintained their undefeated start to the campaign with a 31-19 defeat of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars had taken a 13-7 half-time lead after a remarkable touchdown from Jamal Agnew, the wide receiver galloping 109 yards to score after a missed Arizona field goal attempt.

But a pair of second half touchdowns by running back James Conner and a pick six from Byron Murphy sealed victory for Arizona and left the Jags winless after three games.

In the AFC, the Las Vegas Raiders moved to 3-0 after a 31-28 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins.

Daniel Carlson’s 22-yard field goal settled a seesaw encounter which went to overtime after Dolphins quarterback Jacoby Brissett rushed for a touchdown in the dying seconds before a successful two-point conversion attempt.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr finished with 386 passing yards and two touchdowns in the win. AFP

Matsuyama to headline US PGA Tour event in Japan

Hideki Matsuyama hits from the bunker on the 12th hole during round three of the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California. AFP

TOKYO—Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama will play in the US PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Japan next month, organisers said Tuesday, headlining a strong field including Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.

Home favourite Matsuyama finished runner-up to Tiger Woods in 2019 in the inaugural edition of the tournament—Japan’s first US PGA Tour event—which was moved to California last year because of coronavirus.

Matsuyama will be joined at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, east of Tokyo, by Tokyo Olympic champion Schauffele and twice major winner Morikawa, as well as Tommy Fleetwood and Rickie Fowler among the 78-man field.

The $9.95 million Zozo Championship, to be held October 21-24, is the only tournament surviving on this year’s US PGA Tour “Asian

Swing” after events in China and South Korea fell victim to the pandemic.

“Playing at home is always a treat as I’m competing in the US for most parts of the year,” Matsuyama, who became Japan’s first Masters champion in April, said.

“Being the only PGA Tour tournament in Japan, I hope to become the first Japanese golfer to win this event and I will give everything that I’ve got to challenge for a victory.”

The Zozo Championship was launched to great fanfare in 2019, with Woods thrilling huge crowds.

The 15-time major winner finished three strokes clear of Matsuyama, with Rory McIlroy third.

Last year’s winner, at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, was Patrick Cantlay, who finished one stroke ahead of Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas. AFP

Biles says everything came to a head in Tokyo LOS ANGELES—US gymnastics icon Simone Biles said on Monday she should have quit “way before Tokyo” but held onto her Olympic dream even though it took a heavy emotional toll on her well-being.

The 24-year-old Biles was expected to dominate at the Tokyo Games but instead caused a sensation by pulling out of the opening event of the women’s gymnastics competition after being plagued by an attack of the “twisties”.

“If you look at everything I have gone through the past seven years,” Biles told New York Magazine in an interview released Monday. “I should have never made another Olympic team. I should have quit way before Tokyo.”

Biles said mental health concerns that led to her dramatic withdrawal had begun even before she arrived in Japan.

A survivor of sexual abuse, Biles told the magazine that the Larry Nassar scandal took an overwhelming emotional toll.

“It was too much,” she said of the USA doctor Nassar abuse scandal that played out in public for two years. “But I was not going to let him take something I have worked for since I was six years old. I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me. So I pushed past that for as long as my mind and my body would let me.”

Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time. She had been strongly tipped to win six gold in Japan but then stepped aside saying she had to prioritize her mental health.

Biles was hit by an attack of the “twisties” in Tokyo -- a potentially dangerous phenomenon that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of direction when in the air. She later returned to the Olympic arena to compete in the balance beam final, where she won a bronze.

Biles, who has won a total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, hit back in the magazine at critics on social media who accused her of being a quitter.

“Say up until you’re 30 years old, you have your complete eyesight,” Biles says. “One morning, you wake up, you can’t see shit, but people tell you to go on and do your daily job as if you still have your eyesight. You’d be lost, wouldn’t you?

“That’s the only thing I can relate it to. I have been doing gymnastics for 18 years. I woke up—lost it. How am I supposed to go on with my day?” AFP

Messi heads Argentina for 3 World Cup qualifiers BUENOS AIRES—Star Paris SaintGermain forward Lionel Messi headlines the Argentina squad for three South America World Cup qualifiers in October announced Monday.

The Argentinians are away to Paraguay on October 7 before hosting Uruguay three days later and wrapping up against Peru on October 14, also in Buenos Aires.

Argentina, with 18 points, are second in the standings behind Brazil, who have amassed 24 points in eight matches.

The 2022 World Cup will feature 32 teams and is to be held in Qatar between November 21-December 18.

Argentina squad Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/ ENG), Juan Musso (Atalanta/ITA), Esteban Andrada (Monterrey/MEX) Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla/ESP), Nahuel Molina Lucero (Udinese/ITA), Juan Foyth (Villarreal/ ESP), Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina/ITA), German Pezzella (Real Betis/ESP), Cristian Romero (Tottenham/ ENG), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica/ POR), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax/NED), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla/ESP), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax/NED) Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Exequiel Palacios (Bayern Leverkusen/GER), Leandro Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis/ESP), Nicolas Dominguez (Bologna/ITA), Giovanni Lo Celso (Tottenham/ENG), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla/ESP)

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

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GMA Network gets 3rd YouTube Diamond Creator Award From left: GMA News pillars Vicky Morales, Mike Enriquez and Mel Tiangco.

MULTI-AWARDED broadcast news organization GMA News marks another digital milestone with 10 million subscribers on YouTube, making GMA Network the first in the Philippines and the second television network in Southeast Asia to have three Diamond Creator Awards.

GMA Entertainment and GMA Public Affairs hit the 10 million subscriber mark in 2019 and 2020, respectively. GMA Entertainment channel now has 24.6 million subscribers while GMA Public Affairs has 16.7 million subscribers.

With a daily dose of breaking news and exclusive digital content, GMA News is now the third fastest-growing YouTube account in the country under the News and

Politics category according to video analytics firm Tubular Labs. As of September 20, the channel has 8,523,279,860 total views.

Launched in 2011, GMA News’ channel hit the 100K subscriber mark in 2013 and the 1 million subscriber feat in 2016.

It offers diverse and original content—from in-depth explainers to interviews, breaking news coverage, and rundowns of the biggest news of the day here and abroad that matter to every netizen.

Dishing out the latest news and information for Filipino viewers around the world are the express versions of 24 Oras, Saksi, Unang Balita sa Unang Hirit, State of the Nation, Balitanghali, and 24 Oras Weekend.

Driving growth to the channel as well

are its original digital shows GMA News Feed, snackable video alerts featuring breaking news updates; Need to Know, an explanatory journalism series distilling complex issues into easy-to-understand animated videos; The Mangahas Interviews, featuring hard-hitting conversations led by veteran journalist Malou Mangahas; The Howie Severino Podcast, featuring GMA News and Public Affairs pillar Howie Severino and guests on riveting conversations; and Chika Minute Exclusives, which features special showbiz news and stories.

Catch new and exclusive stories via www.gmanews.tv and follow GMA News and GMA Public Affairs on YouTube.

VIVA LAUNCHES NEW LOVE TEAM IN DARRYL YAP’S UPCOMING MOVIE Groovy kind of puzzle

HAVE you experienced that roller coaster ride of emotions, when a good streak is interspersed with a barrage of bad news happening in the same period of your life? Such a scenario may sound like a regular occurrence these days since we are in the middle of a health crisis. Small wonder that in social media feeds, you find people posting some breakthroughs in their journey, only to reveal a sudden family loss the next day.

For Meds Rana, the frontman of the trio 46 Hope St., the same sequence happens in what he describes as a “recurring pattern of conflicting life moments.” It is for him a puzzle that he and his bandmates, bassist Ryan Gonzales and drummer Aaron Dolleton, tried addressing in their latest digital single.

The result is a groovy track that can pump up your blood and make you feel upbeat, with a lingering after-effect in the ears that should make you wonder in compliment how in the world they arrived at that.

The song, simply and aptly called “Palaisipan,” is the band’s fourth single following three previous records, “Parisukat At Bilog,” “Bituin,” and “Bago Matulog,” which introduced their artistry and mystique. There must really be something magical going on inside the address that bears the group’s name, whether that is a real residential space or pertains to that infinite spot in the head where their minds meet and to-

gether sway to the beat.

Penned by Meds who, apart from lead-singing, also plays synth and guitar, “Palaisipan” alludes to life as a complicated puzzle.

“The more one tries to solve it, the more complicated it gets,” the trio noted in unison.

While the sound pays homage to the mood of yesteryears, around the time when local music was dubbed Manila Sound, the musical arrangement and overall recording jive make it appear strongly present. It gratifies the craving of today’s woke generation for repackaged nostalgia, like a great gift wrapped anew.

Drops on digital stores tomorrow, Sept. 30, or, in music lingo, when September ends, “Palaisipan” is distributed and published by Widescope Entertainment under the supervision of a separate cool trio --- Vic De Vera, Neil Gregorio, and Ebe Dancel -- whose collective track record reflects a backing support rich in experience and proof of success in the field of recording and advertising.

“Palaisipan” took shape at the Big Baby Studio, with the track engineered, mixed, and mastered by the technically gifted Peavey Nicolas, a behind-thescenes guy which 46 Hope St. can easily claim as their fourth member.

The song lyrically offers intriguing passages, with the first verse stating, “Tuwing may nangyayaring mabuti sa buhay/ Di ko naman maramdaman dahil may gulong sumasabay.”

For listeners wanting resolution to this puzzle, the music provides that in all its funkiness, peppered with delightful vocal harmonies, atmospherically big backdrop of synth sound and rhythmic chops, and steady drum-bass foundation.

D

ARRYL Yap, who directed the recent blockbuster films Jowable, Revirginized, Paglaki Ko Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar, and Tililing, is also at the helm in Viva Film’s latest flick Ang Manananggal Na Nahahati ang Puso, streaming on Vivamax beginning Oct. 1.

The movie, which offers the bizarre combination of comedy, love story and “aswang,” features Viva’s bet in the love team game, Marco Gallo and newcomer Aubrey Caraan.

The story follows a college student named Giuseppe (Gallo) who went to a small barrio to research for his thesis about the mythical Filipino creatures called “aswang.” There, he meets the eccentric barrio girl Giniper (Caraan) who takes the opportunity to help Giuseppe with his research.

With Giniper’s help, Giuseppe will not just learn about mythical creatures in the barrio, but he will also experience enchanting encounters with different people.

Joining the pair are comedians and viral YouTube vloggers Chad Kinis, Lassy Marquez, and MC Calaquian collectively known as the

NEW JADINE. Viva is banking on the palpable chemistry of Marco Gallo and newcomer Aubrey Caraan, silver screens newest love team, in the latest movie ‘Ang Manananggal na Nahahati ang Puso.’

Beks Batallion, who play the roles of Gudong, Gingging and Gimo respectively; and Teresa Loyzaga as Guinta. With also the special participation of veteran actors Gina Pareño and Johnny Revilla.

Amid the pandemic and lockdown situations in a lot of places, Siquijor opened its doors to the production team, and they caught on camera the enchanting and mesmerizing beauty of the island.

That’s why the teaser alone is enough to get people excited about the movie.

Miss Universe Philippines to crown new queen THE long wait is finally over.

Miss Universe Philippines is pushing through its coronation night tomorrow night, Sept. 30, and Filipinos will get to witness the crowning of its new queen live on digital via streaming starting at 7:00 on KTX.PH. Days before the coronation night, which will take place at the Henann Resort Convention Center in Panglao, Bohol, the 28 girls from the different parts of the country tried to impress the different sets of judges in the pre-pageant activities.

The candidates first took part in the pageant’s preliminary interviews last Sept. 24 (Friday), wherein they were each given 30

seconds to answer each of the five questions.

Meanwhile, last Sept. 26 (Sunday), they flaunted their sexy physiques at the Clark International Airport and paraded their evening gowns.

Netizens poured their support for their candidates and made their bets trend in the past few days on social media. Fans of the finalists can still vote until today to help their bets take one step closer to their dreams. The finalist with the most number of votes gets to secure a spot in the Top 16.

Pageant fans can still buy tickets for the coronation night for P499. To buy tickets, just visithttps://www.ktx.ph/events/33037/ miss-universe-philippines-2021.

Leading e-commerce platform debuts Kim Chiu as brand ambassador 46 Hope St. is a welcome addition to the local band recording scene since it debuted last January, ably backed by Widescope Entertainment.

Reigning Miss Universe Philippines queen Rabiya Mateo

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

Singer R. Kelly found guilty on all counts in sex abuse trial

US singer and record producer R. Kelly is convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking by a federal jury in New York.

US RECORD producer and R&B singer R. Kelly on Monday was convicted of leading a decades-long sex crime ring, with a New York jury finding the superstar singer guilty on all nine charges, including the most serious of racketeering.

After six weeks of disturbing testimony, the jury deliberated just nine hours before finding the incarcerated 54-year-old celebrity guilty of systematically recruiting women and teenagers for sex, before grooming and brutally abusing them.

Wearing a light blue tie, pinstriped navy suit and a white mask, Kelly sat largely

motionless, holding his head down and periodically closing his eyes behind black-rimmed glasses.

He faces up to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4.

To convict Kelly on the most serious charge of racketeering, jurors had to find him guilty of at least two of 14 “predicate acts” — the crimes elemental to the wider pattern of illegal wrongdoing. AFP •••

Met Opera reopens with landmark first show by Black composer

After an 18-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and protracted labor disputes with its musicians and crew, the Metropolitan Opera reopens Monday with a history-making debut — the first work by a Black composer.

The premier US opera company will present Fire Shut Up In My Bones by Terence Blanchard, the top-tier jazz trumpeter and Spike Lee’s go-to film score master for three decades.

When its staging was first announced in 2019, it was unclear when exactly Fire would come to Manhattan.

But the months of Black Lives Matter protests that reverberated nationwide and beyond over the summer of 2020 lent the project new urgency.

The Metropolitan Opera is the largest performing arts institution in the United States, but in its 138 years of existence has never before presented an opera by a Black composer.

Reopening the Met’s doors with Blanchard’s work offered an opportunity to make a statement. AFP, Read full story on manilastandard.net

Dancers perform a scene during a rehearsal for Terence Blanchard's "Fire Shut Up in My Bones".

Kapamilya star Kim Chiu is the newest face of Shopee.

SCREEN star Kim Chiu is the new face of Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

“Dahil bawal lumabas, I’m really into online shopping and I find it very reliable especially during these times, which is why I’m so honored to be part of the country’s leading shopping platform,” the Kapamilya actress said during the virtual launch held yesterday.

Kim was welcomed by Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, into the platform’s growing family of Alist celebrity ambassadors. The actress was introduced alongside the launch of the 10.10 Brands Festival, its biggest brands sale of the year. She will be featured in Shopee’s new TV commercial and many in-app activities.

“Kim’s bubbly, charming personality, and love for online shopping both resonate with millions of Filipinos who find joy and excitement on Shopee.

This 10.10 Brands Festival, we hope to bring the best brand deals and so much

more with our valued and trusted brand partners,” Yu said during the virtual event.

In Shopee’s ne TVC, Kim gives the viral “Proof of Delivery” trend her own spin. Fans can look out for the TV commercial on local TV networks and on Shopee’s official Facebook and YouTube accounts.

Users can also find Kim on in-app games such as Spin & Win and Guess It Right, which they can play to win rewards such as coins and vouchers. This October, users can join the #10BrandFaves contest featuring the actress for a chance to win 1,000 Shopee coins.

Fans can look forward to more Kim content such as behind-the-scenes videos on Shopee’s official YouTube and TikTok channels, and Kim Chiuthemed Instagram stickers.

Users can also interact with the actress herself during her Twitter takeover on Shopee’s official Twitter account this Oct. 9. Nickie Wang

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

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Life

The Misty Miss Whitening Antibacterial Toner is made with AHAs that help minimize the appearance of pores and lighten scars.

FASHION AND BEAUTY

Roses are red,

they’re mood-lifting, too Halal-certified skincare harnesses rose scent’s calming powers

By Tet Defensor

R

OSES do not only spell love, they are also a natural mood lifter. Apart from the beautiful sight of fresh roses, the pleasant scent can actually calm the nerves and reduce stress.

Our sense of smell is linked to our emotions. The perfume industry is built around this connection. Let’s face it, rose fragrance can easily put a smile on any girl’s face, maybe because it always brings back good memories.

As we cope with the challenges of the health crisis, equally important is focusing on what makes us feel good and nourished. A skincare brand banks on these considerations, offering a formulation that keeps skin healthy and helps calm the mind after a busy day.

Rose oil is often used in aromatherapy to ease anxiety, depression, headaches, and migraines. Every skincare product in Rosie Posie kit starts with a similar scent.

The calming aroma relaxes the senses while you cleanse, tone, and moisturize your skin. Made from natural ingredients, the Halal-certified, no-fuss skincare label is free from harsh chemicals and perfect for busy females working from home and deserve instant pamper-

ing after a long day.

Ready to relax? Begin with a rejuvenating facial wash or top-to-toe shower with the Bubble Belle face and body soap. It contains kojic acid, salicylic acid, and tea tree oil. After cleansing, remove all dirt from the face with Rosie Posie’s Misty Miss Toner. The refreshing toner contains glycolic acid, lactic acid, and niacinamide that can help bring back youthful glow.

And just before going to bed, apply a small dot of Glitter Goddess Night Serum on your finger and spread it all over your face. The serum contains Pentavitin, a breakthrough ingredient that provides instant skin hydration. Also known as Saccharide Isomerate, Pentavitin is a plant extract filled with hydrating properties.

“Pentavitin is scientifically proven to hold water up to 72 hours. We embedded the ingredient in our serum because of the higher chances of skin dehydration at night due to air-conditioning,”

explained Rosie Posie brand manager Diane Gundaya.

Gundaya continued, “Interestingly, the purchase of the serum has increased dramatically because of its rampant usage. The work-from-home setup has totally changed our working hours, making most of us exposed to air-conditioning even up to 15 hours a day.”

As you step out of the house, protect your skin from harsh UV rays with the Sunrise Gel Moisturizing Sunblock.

The gel formulation works as a protective layer and gives the skin a healthy and rosy glow sans the weight, unlike oil-based sunblock creams that are sticky and heavy on the face.

Gundaya shared, “The Sunrise Gel is one of our bestsellers. The gel fits well in tropical countries like the Philippines. It acts almost like a silky protective film layer that is very light and quick-absorbent upon skin application.”

Rosy Posie consistently aligns with self-love and the importance of “me time” especially now when quiet time is sacred because the home is constantly bustling. After a busy day of web meetings, don’t forget to take a whiff of the refreshing rosy scent.

The Bubble Belle soap has antibacterial and whitening properties courtesy of kojic acid, salicylic acid, and tea tree oil.

Lightweight and nonsticky, the Sunrise Gel Moisturizing Sunblock has SPF 50 to protect the skin from UVB rays.

The Glitter Goddess Night Serum from the Halal-certified skincare brand contains Pentavitin, a natural ingredient that provides instant skin hydration.

Photos from Rosie Posie’s Instagram account.

‘Zoom tops’, easy shorts, and other reinvented basics “EVERY-WEAR” essentials suitable for online classes or virtual meetings yet stylish enough to wear outside for errands are a hit in the age of pandemic dressing.

These “Zoom tops”, easy shorts, and knit sets are following in their sleepwear and loungewear siblings’ footsteps as the oft-worn clothes at home.

Forever 21 takes these virtual meeting/gathering-friendly trends and applies them to its latest basics collection, Reinvented Basics.

There are balloon sleeved tops, tiered

midi skirts paired with crop tops, collar shirts, polo shirts in regular and cropped lengths, ribbed tops, terry sweat shorts, and drawstring shorts in warm neutral tones.

These basics and more are available at Forever 21 stores in SM Megamall, SM Makati, SM City Cebu, SM City North Edsa, SM Mall of Asia, SM Aura Premier, SM Lanang Premier, SM City Clark, and Robinson’s Magnolia.

Those who prefer to shop from home may check out the brand on Lazada, Shopee, and ShopSM.

Hwang In-youp is the new face of BYS Philippines, for both its skincare and makeup lines.

K-drama star uncovers ‘True Beauty’ with BYS Philippines MUCH like his character in the 2020 television series “True Beauty”, this rising Korean drama star encourages everyone to care and love their true self.

BYS Philippines has tapped Hwang In-youp to be the face of the brand and its 2021 campaign, Uncover Beauty, with its makeup and skincare lines at the forefront.

“Loving yourself harder through your skincare routine allows you to become comfortable in the skin you are in. Discovering your creativity through makeup also means revealing what makes you, you,” the brand said in a statement.

In-youp initially pursued modeling before making his acting debut in the web drama, “W.H.Y.” He then appeared in TV dramas “Freshman” (2019), “The Tale of Nokdu” (2019), and “18 Again” (2020).

He gained further recognition in “True Beauty”, based on the Line Webtoon of the same name. The show features a young girl who uses makeup to express herself. In-youp plays one of her love interests (Han Seo-jun) who sees and falls for the lead despite the latter being ridiculed by their peers because she is perceived as ugly.

“This story is something that strikes a chord with our 2021 campaign, Uncover Beauty,” said Angie Goyena, general manager of iFace.

“Signing on Hwang In-youp as our endorser is a statement about our stubborn assumptions concerning gender and beauty. This is an opportunity for us to smash stereotypes and shift away from standards, as well as be that voice to help shape the way we see beauty,” she added.

Coinciding with the launch of Hwang In-youp is the introduction of Skin by BYS Minis, the mini, travel-size version of the brand’s first skincare line formulated with Botaniceutical Plus-10.

The Skin by BYS Minis set (P1,799) includes Extra Gentle Jelly Cleanser, Extra Hydrating Balancing Toner, Extra Glow Brightening Serum, Extra Glow Face Cream, Extra Brightening Eye Cream, and Extra Effortless Pore Perfecting Sunblock with SPF 50 PA+++.

According to BYS Philippines, the line’s serum, face cream, and eye cream have been reformulated to add “BuleResisterWE”, a polyphenol component of wine that aids in protection against exposure to the high-energy blue light emitted from screens, which causes premature aging.

Along with the six products, the set also comes with two limited edition Hwang In-youp photo cards.

Skin by BYS is exclusively available at Watsons, The SM Store, and online on Amorfia, Watsons, and ShopSM.

From left: Cuban collar shirt, balloon sleeved top, printed T-shirt and drawstring pocket shorts, ribbed split neck top

SPOTTED Rihanna wears Bottega Veneta Singer-businesswoman Rihanna was seen wearing a custom Bottega Veneta at the Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 3.

The look was spotted in Rihanna at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles on Sept. 22. The show, released on Sept. 24 via Amazon Prime, was a star-studded fashion event featuring the latest from Savage x Fenty.

Bottega Veneta is located at Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza East Wing.

Gigi Hadid in Longchamp ready-to-wear Supermodel Gigi Hadid was spotted on Sept. 12 at New York Fashion Week wearing a quilted leather jacket from Longchamp fall/winter 2021.

She paired the sleeveless jacket with a pair of baggy trousers, black shoes, black handbag, and a sleek pair of sunglasses for that model-off-duty look.

Longchamp is available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s ShangriLa, Rustan’s Cebu, and Greenbelt 5.