Manila Standard - 2021 October 15 - Friday

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Maring aftermath: 19 dead, 11 still being validated

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has confirmed that 19 people died – while validating an additional 11 deaths – from the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Maring.

Most of the deaths are attributed to drowning and landslides.

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The barangay hall and rural health unit building in Poblacion in Bakun, Benguete were severely affected by ground subsidence during the height of severe tropical storm Maring, which left at least 19 people dead and displaced more than 50,000 families. Dave Leprozo

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300k to troop back to work Trade chief bullish on labor impact of biz reopening under Alert Level 3

By Othel V. Campos and Willie Casas

A

S MANY as 300,000 workers are expected to be added to the active labor force as Metro Manila and several parts of the country shift to the less restrictive Alert Level 3 that will allow more businesses to reopen.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said increased vaccination rates and the inthe country’s recovery is moving rap- creasing confidence of consumers to go idly in the right direction, given the out and spend, and of more workers to

go out and work.

“With most of the remaining economic sectors, particularly the service sectors to be reopened in Metro Manila, and at higher operating capacities because of the de-escalation to Alert Level 3, we expect most of the balance of displaced workers to be back to work,” he said Thursday.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for Next page

Workers place a signage to block off seats inside a cinema in Manila on October 14, 2021 ahead of the reopening of movie houses following a sharp fall in the daily number of COVID-19 infections and ramped up vaccination drive. AFP

Eased protocols for fully-vaxxed travelers up for review—Palace 2,698,232

By Willie Casas

7,835

84,850

40,221

154

2,573,161

5,317

THE new guidelines issued for fully vaccinated travelers from “green” countries and territories can still be revised, Malacañang said on Thursday.

This, after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he was not consulted when the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infec-

tious Diseases (IATF) decided to ease protocols for fully vaccinated individuals who can avail of “green lanes.”

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, who also serves as IATF spokesman, said some members of the task force, including he and Duque, were unable to attend the meeting that tackled the issue.

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(As of 4 PM, October 14)

Rodriguez files 2 bills banning bet substitution

By Maricel V. Cruz, Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo

By Maricel V. Cruz DEPUTY Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has filed two bills banning candidate substitution and declaring an incumbent elective official as automatically resigned upon the filing of his certificate of candidacy for another position.

“These twin measures aim to put an end to practices by politicians and political parties that tend to put in doubt the integrity of our elections,” said the Mindanao lawmaker who filed the two bills on Wednesday.

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House amends budget, allots P20b for COVID vaccines, booster shots

With barely two weeks before the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ day, workers in PPEs disinfect tombs inside the Pasig Public Cemetery. The Metro Manila Council earlier passed a resolution ordering the closure of 29 public cemeteries in the National Capital Region from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 to prevent mass gatherings that could become COVID superspreader events. Manny Palmero

THE House of Representatives has allocated P20 billion for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, said House committee on appropriations chairman Rep.Eric Yap, as the chamber is set to transmit its proposed budget amendments to the Senate on Oct. 27.

In a statement, Yap said the next year’s P5.024 trillion national budget is crucial as it is geared towards the country’s full recovery from the COVID-19

pandemic.

“We are grateful to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, to Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, to the Vice Chairpersons and Members of the Appropriations Committee, and to our Honorable Members for their active participation during the deliberations and for their efforts in ensuring the timely passage of House Bill No. 10153,” Yap said.

“Our commitment remains the same: to provide the enabling mechanisms for a responsive and dynamic governance and to strengthen the capabilities of the Next page

13th month pay ‘mandatory,’ gov’t vows aid to MSMEs 8th round of oil price hike at P1/L

By Vito Barcelo

In a press briefing, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the 13th month MALACAÑANG reminded employers pay of workers was “mandatory” under to give 13th month pay to their workers the law, which had not been amended. , saying there were no exceptions even However, the Palace official assured during the COVID-19 pandemic. employers the government was willing

Taiwan building inferno kills 46, dozens injured

to help small businesses to give their workers their Christmas benefit.

“Since we recently had a lockdown and we know that a lot of small and medium-scale industries are struggling,

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The Beatles are back with a happier ending

AN OVERNIGHT fire tore through a building in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung on Thursday, killing 46 people and injuring dozens of others in the island’s deadliest blaze in decades.

The fire broke out in the 13-storey, mixed-use building in the small hours

THE Beatles are back this autumn with a new book, reworked final album and much-anticipated documentary that sheds new light on their fraught final days.

“Let It Be,” released in 1970, has long been

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By Alena Mae S. Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta CONSUMERS can expect another round of oil price hike of more than P1 per liter next week due to tightness in global oil supply, according to the latest monitoring of the Department of Energy.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday urged the government to reactivate the fuel subsidy Pantawid Pasada Program to provide relief to the public transport sector and cushion the impact of high fuel prices on the riding and consuming public.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

300k...

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Rodriguez...

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the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) announced on Wednesday the easing of quarantine restrictions from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3.

Lopez said while this was still far from pre-pandemic levels, it was nonetheless “a lot better than an ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) situation.”

Meanwhile. the Department of Tourism (DOT) sees the improving alert level as a significant boost to tourism-oriented establishments that will result in the restoration of jobs of displaced tourism workers as the holiday season approaches.

“We welcome the easing of restrictions under the current alert level. The resumption of tourism-related activities in select areas will not only aid hotels and establishments in gradually earning revenue, but will also translate into the restoration of jobs for our displaced tourism workers, especially now that the holiday season is fast approaching,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat.

Under the IATF guidelines, dine-in services in restaurants as well as venues for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, venues for social events

such as weddings, parties and family reunions, and tourist attractions such as museums, parks plazas, public gardens and other scenic viewpoints will be allowed to operate at a maximum of 30 percent indoor capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only, and 50 percent outdoor venue capacity for individuals regardless of vaccination status.

The IATF requires that the workers of these establishments are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and that there is no objection from the LGU where these activities will take place.

Puyat said establishments permitted to operate under Alert Level 3, such as restaurants, venues for meetings and social events, and tourist attractions, may operate at 30 percent with an additional 20 percent capacity, since NCR has met the requirement of at least 70 percent vaccination for senior citizens and those with comorbidities, and another 10 percent operational capacity if they have been granted a Safety Seal by the government.

Meanwhile, specialized markets of the DOT such as Staycations will be allowed to operate at 100 percent capacity under Alert Level 3.

“This is also very timely, knowing that the holiday season is fast approaching. Family gatherings are part of the Filipino culture, which makes this an

important period for leisure travel and bookings,” Puyat said.

Under the amended guidelines, only DOT-accredited staycation hotels with Safety Seal certification will be allowed to accommodate staycation guests.

Individuals of all ages may check in for staycation. However, to ensure the safety of all guests, only those 18 years old and above who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to book their stay.

Amid the lowering of the alert level in Metro Manila, the World Health Organization’s representative in the Philippines called for “very clear” messaging about restrictions to avoid “putting people’s lives at risk.”

“It’s not about relaxing or reducing the restrictions -- it’s about calibrating,” Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO’s official in the country, said.

Social distancing and mask-wearing, even among fully vaccinated people, were “critically important to maintain the gains and further strengthen the transmission reduction”.

Lockdowns and other measures have shattered the economy and thrown millions out of work.

The government’s top economic manager warned last month the next two generations of Filipinos would be paying for the cost of Covid-19.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said it will monitor if the reopening of movie theaters in Metro Manila would lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Cinemas in Metro Manila have been allowed to open starting Oct. 16 with the lowering of the alert level to Level 3.

“They’re doing vaccinations now in cinemas. For as long as the minimum health public standards are followed, we can give it a try then monitor if there’s going to be an unusual increase of cases if and when the cinemas are opened.

But again this is controlled, regulated to about 30 percent,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

“It means there is spacing, then you have the face mask, and then the cinemas must have filters similar to the ones being used inside an airplane. I think they upgraded their ventilation,” he added.

Under Alert Level 3, establishments such as cinemas and amusement parks as well as activities such as in-person religious gatherings and limited faceto-face classes for higher education and for technical-vocational education and training are allowed at a maximum of 30 percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only and 50 percent outdoor venue capacity.

Maring...

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Eased...

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The number of confirmed missing persons was placed at 13 -- one from Ilocos Norte; three from Ilocos Sur; one from Pangasinan; three from La Union; and five from Palawan, So far, the storm has affected 673 villages in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Caraga, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Affected families are estimated at 50,040, equivalent to 194,677 persons.

Of this number, 1,775 families or around 7,370 individuals are being aided in 124 evacuation centers while the remainder has either gone home or are being sheltered by families and friends.

Houses damaged were placed at 325 in Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Caraga, and the CAR. Damage to agriculture was estimated at around P1.09 billion in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and CAR. Meanwhile, infrastructure damage was estimated at P66.4 million in Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and CAR. Meanwhile, Senator Cynthia Villar cited the need for Filipino farmers to receive cash assistance.

Based on the latest data from the Department of Agriculture, typhoon Maring had affected 29,063 farmers and fishers, with a volume of production loss at 36,354 metric tons and damaged 32,882 hectares of agricultural areas.

Aside from the latest typhoon, Villar noted that the low palay prices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the need to provide financial assistance to farmers whose lives and income were also severely affected by these challenges.

The Cash Assistance to Filipino Rice Farmers Act of 2020 that would benefit over 1.673 million small rice farmers is still awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Villar, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, initiated the move to institutionalize the giving to the rice farmers the excess collections from the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund collection of the Bureau of Customs.

Roque, nevertheless, said the IATF decision was “based on science,” given that there is only a “minimal risk” for COVID-19 transmission in countries and jurisdictions included in the green list.

However, he said the new rules are “not permanent.”

“We don’t have a permanent resolution. If other countries included in the green list have reported a rise in cases, we can still revise the policies,” he said in Filipino.

Duque said he was at a budget hearing at the Senate when the decision was made.

He said he has always supported five days of quarantine followed by a confirmatory test.

“If I recall, even the President said to just reduce the quarantine period but not do away with [it],” he said. “(Other) countries can afford to do it because their national vaccine coverage is 30 percent. And not all travelers pass

through NCR (National Capital Region). Some passes are going to Davao, Cebu, and other airports, so that’s a cause for concern,” he said.

Roque said members of the IATF will meet Thursday afternoon to discuss the possible revisions to the eased restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers from green countries.

Under IATF-EID Resolution 143 issued on Wednesday, arriving passengers who are qualified for green lanes no longer need to observe a mandatory quarantine upon arrival in the Philippines, so long as they are fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19.

According to the resolution, fully vaccinated Filipinos and foreign must yield a negative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result within 72 hours before they depart from the country of origin.

Returning Filipinos may also opt to undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test result taken in the quarantine facility upon arrival.

Arriving passengers who are no longer required to undergo quarantine are advised to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day.

The IATF-EID on Sept. 30 released the updated roster of green countries and jurisdictions that shall take effect from Oct. 1 to 15.

Those included in the Green List are American Samoa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China (mainland), Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Hungary, Madagascar, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Niger, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of Netherlands), Saint Pierre, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Taiwan, Algeria, Bhutan, Cook Islands, Eritrea, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niue, North Korea, Saint Helena, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

government in addressing the effects of the pandemic. Rest assured that the government’s battle strategy on health and nutrition, social protection, governance, and development, are carried out in this budget,” he added.

The House met its self-imposed deadline last Sept. 30 when it passed on third and final reading the proposed P5.024trillion 2022 national budget that was certified as urgent by President Duterte.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said the 2022 money measure is focused on getting the Philippines back on the road towards full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Aside from the P20 billion for the purchase of vaccines and booster shots, Yap said P4.5 billion was also allocated for the special risk allowances of qualified public and private health workers.

The Department of Health earlier asked Congress for at least P49 billion to fund the Special Risk Allowances of more than 500,000 health care workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Palace-approved DOH budget was placed at P242.22-billion.

Yap also said a total of P5 billion was

allocated for medical assistance to indigent patients, including the hospitalization and assistance to poor patients.

In its final version of the proposed amendments to the 2022 national budget, the House allocated P10 billion for the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD).

Similarly, another P10 billion was allocated for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD’s) Assistance to Individuals in Situation (AICS), which includes food assistance, food packs, transportation, medical, burial assistance, assistance to students, cash or food for work and other assistance to individuals, sectors, communities in especially difficult circumstances.

The agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program is proposed to get P1 billion, which will enable each qualified household beneficiary to enroll in two different tracks, the Micro-Enterprise Development and the Employment Facilitation through technical and vocational skills training.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation’s service contracting program under the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board was given P6 billion, which will give assistance to transport drivers and operators ad-

versely affected by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III backed a proposal to give COVID-19 booster shots to health care workers after a wider coverage for the vaccine rollout has been achieved.

I’m pushing for it, but the all-experts group [says] we have to ensure that a bigger percentage of the population must receive the primary series of vaccines,” Duque said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

Only 30 percent of the population have complete immunization against COVID-19 and about 34 percent have received their first dose of the vaccine, Duque said.

He also noted that coverage of the vaccine rollout outside Metro Manila is still low.

A study by Chinese researchers published in July found out that antibodies triggered by Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine declined below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients, although a third shot had a strong booster effect.

However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it does not see any waning effects of COVID-19 vaccines administered in the country even after almost six months.

FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said there is no need for booster shots at this time.

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it sent more than 70 trucks to tackle the blaze, which took four hours to put out.

As daylight broke the sheer scale of the fire became clear, with every floor of the building visibly blackened and most of its windows shattered.

The fire department said the blaze “caused 41 injuries and 46 deaths,” officials adding that most of the fatalities occurred on floors seven to 11, which housed residential apartments.

The first five floors were for commercial use, but were unoccupied.

Residents reported hearing a number

of loud noises when the fire first broke out on the lower floors.

“I heard many loud bangs – ‘bang, bang, bang’ – on the ground floor and came down to investigate,” an unidentified man who lived in the building told Formosa TV. “That’s when I realized there was a fire and called the police,” he added.

An unnamed female survivor, describing the scene on her floor, said: “When I opened the door to get out, the hallway was full of black smoke.”

A constable at the Kaohsiung police department told AFP the building was

40 years old and mostly occupied by low-income residents.

Survivors had estimated about 100 people lived in the apartment block, the constable added, giving only his surname Liu. Officials had not yet ruled out arson, he added. Forensics teams were on site and further searches of the building were planned before sunset.

The fire looks set to be Taiwan’s deadliest in years. The last fire of a similar magnitude was in 1995, when 64 people perished inside a packed karaoke club. AFP

Next week will be the eighth consecutive week of oil price hikes to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Gasoline has gone up P5.40 per liter while diesel went up by P7.15 per liter for the past seven weeks.

“I am calling on the government to protect our drivers and passengers.

The Pantawid Pasada, which government funds, will help absorb the increase in petroleum prices,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian likewise called on DOE to monitor the compliance of oil companies on their inventory requirements to ensure adequate supply and help mitigate further price increases in the coming months.

the fab four.

However it’s not that simple: “Let It Be” was actually recorded before 1969’s “Abbey Road” but sat on the shelf for a year because the band weren’t satisfied with it.

In fact, Paul McCartney was never satisfied, having been left out of the mixing sessions by fabled producer Phil Spector.

A new remix of the album by Giles Martin – son of The Beatles’ usual pro-

ducer George Martin – aims to bring it closer to the band’s wishes.

But speaking to NME this week, Giles Martin admitted that “Paul’s main issue with what happened is that he normally had a lot of input into the arrangements, and he didn’t with Spector.”

More important to the band’s history may be the new documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” coming next

month from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson.

He went through the many hours of outtakes from the original film to show a much more upbeat side of the “Let It Be” sessions.

Ringo Starr is a fan.

“We had ups and downs, but even around all that – which you’ll see with the Peter Jackson edit – we were having

fun, which (the original documentary) never showed, joy and fooling around and shouting at each other. It’s what four guys do,” Starr told Ultimate Classic Rock.

Roger Stormo, editor of The Daily Beatle, said there were definite tensions, with George Harrison storming out for several days because he felt sidelined by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. AFP

of Thursday morning, according to officials, raging through multiple floors before firefighters finally got it under control.

Pictures published by Taiwan’s official Central News Agency showed smoke billowing out of the building’s windows as firefighters desperately tried to douse the flames using extendable hoses.

Kaohsiung’s fire department said

The Beatles...

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That is partly because it was the last album they released, and also because it was followed by a making-of documentary that showed deep tensions among

House...

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Under House Bill 10380, a political party would be prohibited from substituting any candidate unless the latter dies or is disqualified.

Rodriguez said the Omnibus Election Code allows the substitution of a candidate in case of death, disqualification or withdrawal of another aspirant.

“While there is nothing wrong with substitution in case of death or disqualification which is justifiable, substitution because of withdrawal, or what others call voluntary substitution, may pose serious questions and may lead to the manipulation and mockery of the election process,” he said.

“Withdrawals could lead the voting public to believe that the candidate who withdrew, or even the political party or substituting candidate, is not really serious,” he added.

He said the election law empowered the Commission on Elections or Comelec to disqualify an aspirant who filed his COC to put the election process in mockery or disrepute.

“As such, any person who has no real intention to run and only filed for candidacy as a placeholder (for another aspirant) should be declared as a nuisance candidate,” Rodriguez stressed.

But the Comelec appeared firm that the voluntary substitution option for political aspirants should not be removed, despite growing calls from several members of Congress, suggesting lawmakers should instead consider coming up with specific limitations.

“What needs to happen is that Congress should introduce restrictions of some sort on the exercise of the statutory privilege of substitution,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.

Jimenez said he has “seen the intrinsic worth of the system of substitution.”

Meanwhile, PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag rejected allegations that political parties which would avail themselves of the period for substitution of their standard bearers in the 2022 national elections were making a mockery of the electoral process.

The ruling party earlier brushed aside speculations that its presidential candidate, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, was merely a “placeholder” for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who has consistently rejected the possibility of joining PDP-Laban.

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“For the small and medium-scale industries that need help in giving 13th month pay, there is already a plan by the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Finance to provide soft loans,” the Palace official added.

Meanwhile,Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that soft loans were being eyed for employers struggling to give the 13th month pay.

Bello said he had met with the Employers Confederation of the Philippines and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez to discuss the possibility of extending soft loans.

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Health experts: Innovative treatments vs.

COVID needed ACCESS to new innovative treatments against COVID-19 should complement a robust vaccination program if our country hopes to win the fight against the virus, health experts said in a recent Stratbase ADRi virtual town hall discussion.

“We cannot wait until this pandemic is completely over in order to revive the economy,” said Prof. Dindo Manhit, Stratbase ADRi President, during the forum entitled “Trends in Innovative Treatments for COVID-19.”

Because of the pace of vaccination and the emergence of the Delta variant, “we need an innovative, accelerated, cross-sectoral and cost-effective approach to healthcare if we are to confront this lingering crisis decisively,” Manhit said.

On October 1, the drug Ronapreve (Casirivimab + Imdevimab), was granted Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Evan Glen Vista, Internal Medicine Specialist at St. Luke’s Medical Center said that it is a monoclonal-antibody just like tocilizumab. This drug, however, was developed specifically for the virus and is available as an infusion to prevent severe COVID. Dr. Rontgene Solante, chief of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit at San Lazaro Hospital, said monoclonal antibodies like Ronapreve act like vaccines in blocking the virus from entering the cells.

“The earlier you catch patients while they have a mild to moderate infection, [the greater your chance of preventing them from becoming] high risk, severe and critical cases,” Solante said.

Universal Health Care Watch coconvenor Alvin Manalansan said: “We must work together to remove the barriers to these new treatments specifically developed for COVID 19. More government funding should be allocated to give access to these innovative treatments that have EUA approvals in the developed countries and are proven to prevent costly hospitalization. This can potentially save government resources so that more COVID 19 patients may benefit.”

“We need to bridge what has become a COVID 19 treatment accessibility divide, through a unified, patient-centered approach,” Manalansan added.

Lawmaker seeks probe on Starpay ‘ayuda’ deal

By Maricel Cruz

LIFE GOES ON. Fire victims salvage whatever useful materials are left in the aftermath of a fire in Baseco, Tondo, Manila on October 14, 2021. The blaze, which reached the 2nd alarm Tuesday night, left at least one person dead. Norman Cruz

US gives 4 drones worth P20m to PAF

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HE United States has provided four drones worth P20 million to the Philippine Air Force to boost the country’s capabilities in surveillance as well as in disaster relief missions.

The four ScanEagle unmanned aerial systems (UAS) equipment were turned over at the Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.

Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava of the US Embassy in Manila said that equipment will provide additional capabilities in unmanned intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and support counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.

“We remain committed to our promises on helping modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and we hope this will further strengthen our combined capabilities in working together towards a

free and open Indo-Pacific,” Variava said.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Jose Faustino Jr. said the annual “Balikatan” exercises between the Philippines and the United States will go full scale next year.

“We have lined up a number of activities that will further strengthen the bilateral relationship between our two militaries and we will go full scale ‘Balikatan’ next year,” Faustino said after the 2021 Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board meeting yesterday.

Due to the pandemic, the “Balikatan” exercises were canceled in 2020.

This year, the number of activities and

CONSTANT VIGILANCE. A member of the Philippine Coast Guard inspects the

health declaration form of a passenger upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Parañaque City on Thursday, October 14, 2021. The government has removed the mandatory quarantine in a facility for inbound travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 provided that their country of origin belongs to the ‘green’ classification for territories with low risk of infection. Danny Pata

NCR number coding still suspended

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said Thursday the number coding scheme is still suspended in the National Capital Region, except in Makati City where a modified coding scheme is being enforced.

“The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or the number coding scheme will continue to remain suspended while Metro Manila is under the Alert Level 3 quarantine classification beginning Oct. 16 to Oct 31, 2021,” the MMDA said in its advisory.

MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. said although the number of COVID-19 cases

is declining in Metro Manila, public transportation is still not operating normally.

“If we implement the number coding scheme now, can our public transport accommodate passengers given the minimum health protocols such as social distancing needed to be implemented?” Abalos said.

The MMDA cited the possibility that once the number coding is re-enforced, people might resort to carpooling and compromise their health and safety.

The agency’s number coding system was devised to keep vehicles out of major thoroughfares on certain days based on the last digit of the license plate.

Spanish national detained by BI

By Rey E. Requejo A SPANISH citizen who is set to be arraigned today (Friday) on charges of illegal sexual acts involving a 16-year-old Filipina in 2020 and possession of child pornography has not posted bail and is detained by the Bureau of Immigration.

Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar on Thursday said she was able to confirm from the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office that Spanish national Francisco Manuel Sanchez de Oria, 36, also known as Franco Sanchez,

has been placed under detention at the BI, which is conducting deportation proceedings against him.

Last August 31, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 issued a warrant of arrest against Sanchez who had been charged with 10 counts of violations of the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and one count of violation of the Anti-Child Pornography Act. Villar said Sanchez was supposed to post a total bail of P2.2 million because the recommended bail for each count is P200,000.

participants was scaled down in compliance with health and safety protocols.

US Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. John Aquilino, who attended the MDBSEB, said the alliance between the two countries continues to grow stronger.

“We value the capabilities, capacity, and expertise that our Philippine counterparts bring that is strengthened by our increased operations and exercises together. I believe we will look to renew and get back to a full scale event and we will both look for opportunities to increase the complexity and the scope all the way to look toward new partners participating in the future,” Aquilino said.

“For more than 100 years, the people of our two countries have shared a deep friendship. This friendship is based on values, to include upholding freedom for all people. The sanctity of freedom was the foundation of our alliance and it is still applicable today,” he added.

HOUSE Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said calls to investigate the allegedly anomalous 2020 “ayuda” distribution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Starpay received a boost Thursday as “victims are now coming forward to complain.”

“We are now receiving reports of victims of Starpay and that they want the company to be investigated,” Zarate said in a statement.

In one case, Zarate said, a supposed beneficiary received a text message on July 11, 2020 with the following message: ‘Para makuha ang inyong ayuda mula sa DSWD, pumunta sa pinakamalapit na MLhuillier dala ang inyong valid ID at ref# SPC373C58EA2E sa 08/07/2020. Salamat po.”

“The victim went and fell in line for hours enduring rain and heat, but he was not able to get anything along with many others because their supposed Starpay reference numbers do not exist,” he said.

“So, they went on for months under lockdown without any ayuda. Some help only came in March and August when the Enhanced Community Quarantine was again declared and the Starpay app was no longer used,” Zarate added.

Zarate filed in August House Resolution 2146 “to investigate the alleged anomalous transactions and pandemic profiteering in the multi-billion distribution of the social amelioration program (SAP) by the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD).”

He appealed to the House leadership to act on the resolution.

“We are calling those with similar complaints against Starpay to come forward and help in the probe. We must find out where the money went and who really profited in these multi-billion transactions,” Zarate said.

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Artes assumes post as new MMDA exec

By Joel E. Zurbano

FESTIVE DECORS. Workers of native products in Quiapo rush orders of Christmas decors to be delivered in a mall in Metro Manila as the Christmas season starts. Danny Pata

COVID cases in QC down by 36 percent

By Rio N. Araja CASES of COVID-19 in Quezon City has decreased considerably since the peak of the surge one month ago, the Quezon City government said.

Citing the latest report of the OCTA Research Group, the city government said the wave of infections caused by the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the city continued to decline, parallel to the dropping numbers of the National Capital Region.

The average new daily cases decreased by 36 percent to 506 from 793. This is now half of the peak of the last surge from Sept. 12 to Sept.

18, which was 1,117 cases.

Mayor Joy Belmonte welcomed this development but said the local government will continue activities to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“Despite the good news, we are far from relaxed. While we are still focused on vaccination, our testing centers, isolation facilities, and hospitals are still accommodating all confirmed and possible cases,” Belmonte said, adding that “as long as we have cases, our services will continue for all affected Quezon City citizens.”

OCTA further reported that Quezon City’s reproduction number is now at .64 from .91 last Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, while its positivity rate is at 12 percent from 17 percent the prior week. The average daily attack rate also decreased to 15.89 per 100,000.

Professor Guido David of OCTA Research said “the projections based on current trends indicate that the daily new cases in Quezon City could decrease to 200 by the end of October.”

Maynilad’s new innovations bag Bentley awards

By Rio N. Araja THE WEST zone of Maynilad Water Services Inc. has announced it was able to make it to the finals of Bentley Systems Inc.’s “2021 Going Digital in Infrastructure Awards,” a global competition recognizing outstanding use of technology in advancing infrastructure design, construction, and operations It is the sole finalist from the Philippines. Its entry under the competition’s “Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Networks” category demonstrated the innovative and effective use of Bentley’s hydraulic modeling software to optimize pump operations, which led to improved water pressure for 58,800 customers in the south while generating 13 percent savings in power consumption.

The Maynilad project is one of only 57 finalists chosen from nearly 300 nominations submitted by more than 230 organizations from 45 countries.

Winners will be announced during the “Year in Infrastructure” virtual conference, a global gathering of leading executives in infrastructure project design, engineering, construction and operations.

Lawmaker: Female cops can end ‘sexual ambush’ A

By Maricel V. Cruz

LAWMAKER on Thursday urged National Police Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar to assign female officers to lead all teams manning quarantine control checkpoints to put an end to male officers “sexually ambushing” girls and young women.

“We would highly recommend that all police checkpoints be manned by a team of mixed-gender officers led by a woman,” Surigao del Sur Rep.Johnny Pimentel, House strategic intelligence committee chairperson, said in a statement.

Pimentel made the suggestion in light of the Oct. 8 incident wherein a police officer was accused of raping a female motorcycle rider who was flagged down at a checkpoint in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

The rape suspect, Staff Sgt. Robin Manganga, has been since disarmed and is now under restrictive custody after his victim filed a complaint.

“Camp Crame has to put a stop to these horrible police abuses against helpless girls and young women,” Pimentel said, adding that “only female officers should be allowed to accost girls and young women at police checkpoints.”

“The PNP has enough female officers to lead checkpoint teams, considering

that they now comprise 17 percent of the entire force,” Pimentel, also House good government and public accountability committee vice chairperson, said.

The Mabalacat incident was not the first reported case of male police officers sexually preying on girls and young women waylaid at checkpoints, or for curfew or quarantine violations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In August this year, then Patrolman Elmer Tuazon Jr. was accused of raping a 19-year-old quarantine violator who was stopped at a checkpoint in Mariveles, Bataan.

In October last year, then Lt. Jimmy Fegcan, the deputy police chief of San Miguel, Bulacan, was accused of raping a 24-year-old woman who was apprehended for a curfew violation and for going out without a quarantine pass.

DIVISORIA. Shoppers flock to bargain stores along Ilaya Street in Divisoria in Binondo, Manila. The government pandemic task force has approved the recommendation to place Metro Manila under Alert Level 3 from October 16 to 31, which relaxes strict health protocols for the public. Norman Cruz

Immigration agents nab overstaying Chinese

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered the deportation of an overstaying Chinese man who was arrested in an operation in Paranaque City.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the overstaying Chinese, identified as Lu Runguo, 43, was arrested by the Bureau’s Intelligence Division in co-

ordination with the Paranaque City Police.

Lu was the subject of a warrant of deportation issued in September for staying in the country without securing and updating his visa.

BI records showed that Lu arrived in March 2019. He stayed as a tourist but has failed to leave the country before the expiration of his visa, or file for its extension at any of the BI’s offices nationwide.

He will be temporarily held at the BI’s

holding facility in Bicutan, Taguig pending the implementation of his deportation.

“Despite the pandemic, our intelligence officers remain active in ensuring that these erring aliens are arrested and deported,” said Morente.

The official said this case serves “as a reminder” to foreign nationals in the country. “Follow our laws or face deportation,” he warned.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte appointed lawyer Romando Artes as the new general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Artes, who served as the MMDA assistant general manager for finance and administration replaced Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. who resigned on Oct. 4 to run as the first lawmaker for the 3rd District of Rizal province, the San Mateo, in the May 9, 2022, national elections.

Artes assured the public that the programs and projects being undertaken by the agency will continue, “as I work hand in hand with Chairman Benhur Abalos and the entire MMDA workforce amid our gradual shift to the new normal brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Artes said the opportunity given to him is enough motivation to continue initiating reforms and commitment to assist the chairman in the formulation of projects, resolutions, ordinances, and regulations for Metro Manila, pushing for sustainable development of the National Capital Region and further improve people’s lives.

Aside from Garcia, MMDA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Pircelyn Pialago also announced her departure from the agency effective Oct. 1 to focus on her candidacy for a party-list slot.

Newly-appointed Acting Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Roger Mercado meanwhile vowed to continue and hasten the completion of major infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration under its “Build, Build, Build” project.

Mercado was appointed by Duterte who formally assumed the agency leadership from former public works Secretary Mark Villar during a turnover ceremony at the DPWH Central Office in Manila. Duterte signed Mercado’s appointment paper on October 12..

Two technical training centers to rise in Tawi-Tawi

By Nash Maulana THE Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education Technical Education and Skills Development (MBHTE-TESD) will start the construction of two training centers in Tawi-Tawi this month.

Dr. Maryam Nuruddin, the provincial head of Tawi-Tawi MBHTE-Technical Education Skills Development (TESD), said one municipal training center (MTC) will each be established in Panglima Sugala and Simunul towns.

Nuruddin said the construction of the two MTCs is envisioned to being national and Bangsamoro governments’ services closer to the people of Tawi-Tawi.

She said the proposed training centers could also help intensify economic activity in the province with the provision of easier access to skills training.

Each of the MTC is worth P5 million, funded under the general appropriations of the MBHTE-TESD. Ground-breaking of the proposed projects is expected to be held in the third week of October, Nuruddin said.

“This will also boost Technical Vocational (TechVoc) Education and Training services in those municipalities and enable the province to produce more skilled people ready for job or livelihood after completion of training,” Nuruddin said.

“Another P5 million has also been allocated by MBHTE-TESD for the tools and equipment of the MTC in Simunul,” she added.

Nuruddin also disclosed that TESD Tawi-Tawi has also implemented the United Nations Development Programme’s “Enhanced Manufacturing of Protective Wear and Equipment for a Covid-19 Response” project in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

UP grad is Top 3 in metallurgical board

KEZIA Charity Escleto Rosero, a 23year old UP Diliman engineering graduate was among the topnotchers at the board examinations for metallurgical engineers held October 2 to 4.

A miners’ daughter, Rosero’s journey was interesting, as engineering is known to be a male-dominated field.

But after diligently studying for months, following a rigid and backbreaking schedule, the UP Diliman Metallurgical Engineering graduate secured the Top 3 post in the recently held licensure examinations.

Rosero shared that she face many difficulties in her chosen 5-year course but the wait was well worth it.

She said her favorite subject has always been Science. When she took the UPCAT, she initially wanted to take up

Chemical Engineering, just like her older brother, but she took up Metallurgical Engineering, following her mother’s advice.

Rosero said her parents are always a major influence in her decisions. After all, her mother, Engineer Cynthia Escleto Rosero, is the Philippine mining industry’s first and only woman resident mine manager (RMM), the highest post in mining operations.

Rosero’s mom is the RMM at Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp. in Palawan, a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp.

For her future plans, she said she is entertaining plans of a second course or even a Master’s Degree. However, Rosero said she wants to dive into work immediately and practice her craft first by joining the mining industry.

COMMUNITY IMMUNIZATION. The kick-off ceremony of the Community-Based

and Catch-Up Routine Immunization Program of the Department of Health was launched yesterday at the Caloocan Central Elementary School. Jun David

Opinion Dismissal of criminal actions A PERSON prosecuted for a criminal case harbors the fear of being arrested and later convicted. The fear brings about sleepless nights, anxiety, and stress to him and his loved ones. The accused will start to reflect on why he has to go through criminal litigation and how it could have been avoided. It is at this time that the accused needs a lawyer.

The accused needs competent and reliable legal services because the subsequent legal proceedings require the assistance of someone skilled in the law. When the lawyer is hired, he is expected to conduct a reasonable inquiry of the factual disclosures of the accused. This is essential for the adequate preparation of the defense of the accused.

Sleepless nights, anxiety, stress It is important to take note that the use of the legal remedies discussed in this article may vary depending on the strength or weakness of the criminal case against the accused.

The first opportunity to dismiss the criminal case is at the Office of the Prosecutor. Immediately after filing the affidavit-complaint, the investigating prosecutor “shall dismiss the case if he finds no ground to continue with the investigation” (Section 3 (b), Rule 112, Rules on Criminal Procedure).

Another opportunity to dismiss the criminal complaint is when the Office of the Prosecutor finds no probable cause to hold the respondent (the person sued) for trial after the preliminary investigation. However, if the Office of the Prosecutor finds cause to hold the respondent for trial, the criminal information will be filed in court (Section 4, Rule 112, Rules on Criminal Procedure).

After the criminal information is filed in court but before the issuance of the warrant of arrest, the trial court may immediately dismiss the case if the evidence on record clearly fails to establish probable cause. The dismissal is based on the personal evaluation of the judge; therefore, the accused does not need to file a Motion for Determination of Probable Cause (Section5, Rule 112, Rules on Criminal Procedure), the latter motion being a prohibit-

ed pleading (2017 Guidelines for Continuous Trial in Criminal Cases).

The next opportunity to dismiss the criminal action is to quash the information or complaint in court. The motion to quash may be filed by the accused before he enters a plea. The information or complaint may be quashed if there is more than one offense charged, except when there is a single punishment for various offenses (Section 3, Rule 117, Rules on Criminal Procedure); the rule being that the criminal information should contain only one offense.

The information may also be quashed if the facts alleged do not constitute an offense; meaning the information charges no crime.

With this, the prosecution shall be given an opportunity to amend the information to correct the defect. The court shall dismiss the case or quash the information if the prosecution fails to make the amendment, or the information continues to suffer the same defect despite the amendment (Sections 3 and 4, Rule 117, Rules on Criminal Procedure).

The criminal action may be dismissed or the information quashed if the court trying the case has no jurisdiction over the offense Crim charged (Section 3, Rule 117, Rules on Criminal Procedure). This may happen when the criminal case is filed in the wrong court. For Metro example, a criminal case is filed in the Metropolitan Trial Court when it should have been filed in the Regional Trial Court. The court also has no jurisdiction over the offense if the crime was committed outside the territorial jurisdiction of the court trying the case.

Even if the criminal action was filed in the proper court but the accused has not been arrested or is yet to surrender, the criminal case may be dismissed (Section 3, Rule 117, Rules on Criminal Procedure). However, the court has an option to archive the case. The criminal case can also be dismissed if the action has prescribed, meaning the complainant or offended party slept on his or her rights. For example, an action for oral defamation will be dismissed if filed more than six months from its commission (Article 90, Revised Penal Code).

There are other grounds to dismiss or quash the information, such as when the officer filing the information had no authority in doing so, when the information does not conform to the prescribed form, or if the accused has been previously convicted, acquitted, or the case against him dismissed without his express consent (Section 3, Rule 117, Rules on Criminal Procedure). The latter instance is more popularly known as double jeopardy or res judicata in prison grey.

Full version on www.manilastandard.net

Civility

REMEMBER Renee Juliene Karunungan, the girl who said during the 2016 campaign that Duterte would be a lazy choice – and who paid dearly for saying so?

She was reacting to claims that then-candidate Duterte would be able to solve all of the country’s problems – no one person would be able to do that. Her post triggered a wave of threats. She received pictures of guns, of people holding guns, and messages that told her that “they” knew where she lived, that if they saw her she would be raped, and that they would come for her family and kill them as well.

“They were really direct threats, and at that time I was living alone,” Karunungan recalled.

She got so alarmed that she decided to file cases – against 22 individuals to be exact – before the National Bureau of Investigation.

A team of lawyers, who supported her pro bono, cited the Cybercrime Law, specifically grave threats and intent to harm. Separate civil cases were filed for violations of the Omnibus Election Code.

After five years, the case has barely moved.

Subpoenas have been issued to the accused -but then again, given the legendary pace of our justice system, Karunungan never expected a swift resolution of her cases.

Karunungan is now 31 and a PhD candidate at the Loughborough University in the UK. She lives in the city of Norwich. She says that after this 2016 incident, she decided to quit her job and to continue her masters abroad. “Why would I continue working in the Philippines when this is all I get after many years of development work and trying to help my country? Not thank you, but death threats?”

A Chevening scholarship made it easier for her to decide to leave.

Soon, however, Karunungan realized could never really stay away from home.

Even now that she is on the other side of the globe, Karunungan keeps coming back to what happened to her. For her PhD research, she is studying online culture among so-called Philippine “influencers” on social media. “I really want to get to the root of this: How can people act this way? It baffles me why people do this at all.”

In hindsight, immersing herself in the research was a way for her to process what

she had to go through in 2016. She expects she needs to cope with it for many more years.

She could, she said, understand paid trolls who do their deed online for the money. But those who do it out of their own sheer will?

“Di ko gets (I don’t get it).”

Karunungan is studying the social media accounts of five rabid supporters, and five vociferous critics, of President Duterte. (The research does not include the audience’s comments on the posts – just the posts themselves.) She is trying to determine the rhetorical devices they use to engage their audience, specifically on human rights, COVID-19, and PH-China relations.

She received threats of rape and murder — now she is studying online political culture from halfway across the world.

Do they use facts and statistics? Humor?

Mockery? Sarcasm? The devices range from incivility (disrespectful but not inciting violence), to intolerance (blaming a group of people for a problem), to hate speech.

She has unearthed an early surprise. While Karunungan has read just a small portion of all the 2019 and 2020 posts included in her study, there are indications that the discourse from the ten influencers are overwhelmingly civil – 80 percent, in her early estimate.

What do these early numbers say, and if the trend continues, what will the ultimate message be?

“We can say that despite all these things, civility prevails. The influencers from both the pro- and anti-Duterte camps are not the ones pushing for hate. We may look like we are politically polarized, but online, at least, we remain civil.”

The reason could be culture, or religion, or the pandemic itself, Karununga said. “COVID helped. When COVID started happening, people became more civil to each other – and I am talking about both groups. Both were calling for unity, both wanted an end to the pandemic. It does not matter what side of the political fence you are on because anyone can catch COVID. It brought out a kind of caring among us – after all, this is a common enemy we are fighting.”

Encouraging, but then again, she has

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EDITORIAL

The new global economic normal

T

HE Philippines in the coming months will join the rest of the world in full force as a global trading partner. With more and more Filipinos receiving the vaccine dose, the Philippines is expected to further reopen the economy and allow more workers to join in the recovery.

The Philippines will suffer the same supply chain disruptions, higher inflation and labor shortage now being experienced by advanced economies.

Germany is also reeling from pent-up demand brought about by the global virus lockdowns.

Shortages in industrial components and raw materials are impeding its exports and hindering overall economic growth. The US, the world’s biggest economy and among the first to vaccinate a majority of its population, has seen American companies struggle with supply bottlenecks. Nike, one of the biggest sportswear companies, cannot produce enough to meet the demand because suppliers in Vietnamese and other Third World factories have either shut down or scaled back their operations as a result of lockdowns.

Like many other nations that have eased their COVID-19 restrictions, however, the Philippines will suffer the same supply chain disruptions, higher inflation and labor shortage now being experienced by advanced economies.

China, where COVID-19 originated, is feeling the pinch of the global economic reopening. Its factory gate inflation, or the cost of manufacturing, hit a 25-year high due to rising prices of commodities and surging global demand for other raw material inputs.

Compounding the disruption in the supply chain are surging oil prices. The price of oil in the world market has steadily risen and topped $80 a barrel. Increased transportation cost and electricity prices will weigh on ordinary consumers, many of whom lost their jobs or saw their salaries reduced.

The International Monetary Fund has noted that the broken supply chain is driving prices higher and slowing the momentum of economies recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The supply side, says the IMF, has not been able to come back as quickly despite a strong return in demand.

Many workers are also reluctant to return to their jobs for fear of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Philippine companies that are seeking to restore their full operations will have to grapple with supply shocks, higher cost of raw materials and rising oil prices. It’s the new normal in the global economy but a much better situation for those who lost their jobs in the pandemic.

Who is paying for Moreno’s TV ads?

FOR the past two months, Manila City Mayor Francisco Domagoso, alias “Isko Moreno,” has been pursuing an early campaign for the presidency. This is obvious from his infinite political advertisements broadcast on prime time and non-prime time hours in the three major competing TV networks.

Moreno’s TV advertisements heap endless praises to the neophyte city mayor for his successful efforts in cleaning up the streets of Manila, and many other alleged accomplishments purportedly attributable to the mayor.

The advertisements highlight Moreno’s rags-to-riches story, and in the process, convey the message that hard work is the key to success. They also show Moreno in graduation attire to suggest that he is an intellectual.

Although rehearsed talents provide the pro-Moreno testimonials in Moreno’s TV advertisements, segments thereof show Moreno practically praising himself for his alleged accomplishments.

The only message missing from Moreno’s TV advertisements is a plea for voters to elect Moreno to the presidency in the coming elections. To do that will be tantamount to premature campaigning, which is prohibited under existing election laws.

By avoiding any explicit “vote for me” message in his TV advertisements, Moreno is able to circumvent the statutory ban against premature campaigning. Clever.

I’ve seen Moreno’s TV advertisements, and so I am speaking from actual experience.

Moreno’s infinite TV advertisements obviously cost a lot of money. Each commercial costs millions of pesos to prepare and produce. Putting them on the major TV networks every day and throughout the long campaign season, costs and will cost hundreds of millions more.

As a city mayor, Moreno’s legitimate income is not enough to pay for those endless TV advertisements. The voters want to know who is paying for Moreno’s very expensive campaign on television.

By the time this essay sees print, Moreno has already spent millions and millions only looked at 2019-2020 data. It would be interesting to know if a) this trend persists across her data set and b) if civility would take a backseat to the campaign for the 2022 polls.

Karunungan cannot yet tell if a homecoming would be on the horizon for her. After all, she has just gotten engaged and does not know if her partner would get a suitable job here.

Then again, wherever she may be, she feels very much in touch with home. She enjoys her research and feels her work could somehow contribute to our understanding of why Filipino social media users behave as they do. “Perhaps it can help organizations and policymakers so that decisions will be based

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

of pesos on those TV advertisements.

Whoever bankrolled Moreno’s expensive advertisements will definitely want something in return from Moreno, in the event that Moreno gets himself elected president.

Restated, Moreno will be expected to repay his campaign financiers through political favors in the form of juicy government contracts and similar big time concessions once he becomes president.

Voters need to know.

If that arrangement ensues, then a Moreno presidency will be no different from the traditional political system obtaining in this country, where politicians who win in the elections are eventually obliged to compromise whatever is left of their principles and repay their financiers’ investment in their political campaign.

The big irony is that in Moreno’s TV advertisements, Moreno wants to project an image of himself as a non-compromising, pro-people public official.

In short, Moreno pretends to abhor traditional patronage politics, but is actually deeply immersed in what he suggests is a rotten political system.

Because Moreno has already incurred pre-campaign expenses in millions of pesos, and is expected to incur much more expenses for the entire duration of his campaign, whoever is paying for his campaign expenses will be expecting a payback worth billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money.

Since Moreno has no visible source of income other than his salary as city mayor, it is reasonable to assume that the money he has been so far spending on his TV advertisements was donated. In the interest of transparency in government, something Moreno claims to uphold, then Moreno should immediately reveal to the public the identity of whosoever is paying for his TV advertisements.

It may be argued that political campaign contributions are accounted for when the elections are over. That may be so, but if Moreno promises a transparent government if he is elected president, then he should start right now by naming names.

That is, unless Moreno has something to hide.

In addition, why does Moreno engage in premature campaigning on nationwide on data, not taken out of thin air.” Moving forward, she wants to do post-graduate work on historical revisionism through modern, digital means.

What can she say to the people who threatened her five years ago?

“I hope they have learned that all actions have consequences, whether you do them offline or from behind a screen,” Karunungan says. “I hope they now know it’s never right to threaten or scare other people. We should know better than get carried away by emotion when interacting online.”

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television when, as a politician, he knows that the spirit of the election laws forbids early campaigning? If Moreno has no regard for election laws as Manila city mayor, then he will also disrespect other laws in the unfortunate event that he does win the presidency. How can the electorate entrust all the powers of the presidency to a guy like Moreno who circumvents the law?

My impression of Moreno’s TV advertisements is that his political strategy is to emphasize his impoverished youth and his success that came thereafter. If that is so, then Moreno will be using the same strategy employed by Senator Manny Pacquiao in his past political campaigns, and in his current campaign for the presidency. In the end, Moreno and Pacquiao will have to find out the hard way that the “rags to riches” theme no longer guarantees victory at the polls during these contemporary times.

Be that as it may, the question remains — “Who is paying for Moreno’s TV advertisements? The voters need to know, and know now.

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Fix Earth first, Prince William says, attacking space tourism

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RITAIN’S Prince William has launched an attack on space tourism, urging more attention on problems closer to home ahead of the COP26 climate summit.

The comments by Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson were airing in a BBC interview later Thursday, a day after “Star Trek” star William Shatner became a real space traveller on Blue Origin’s second crewed mission.

The mission replayed the company’s maiden human flight in July, which included its founder Jeff Bezos of Amazon and was seen as a breakthrough for the emerging space tourism sector.

But Prince William said: “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.”

Virgin Galactic, which offers a similar experience of a few minutes’ weightlessness and a view of the Earth’s curvature from the cosmos, launched its founder Richard Branson in July, a few days before Bezos.

William was speaking ahead of the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on Sunday, his

initiative to honor those working on environmental solutions.

Looking ahead to the COP26 summit in Glasgow, which begins on October 31, he warned world leaders against “clever speak, clever words, but not enough action.”

“It would be an absolute disaster if (son) George is sitting here talking to you... in like 30 years’ time, still saying the same thing, because by then we will be too late.”

William’s father Prince Charles, a lifelong environmentalist, has also spoken out on the need for action from the leaders rather than words in the buildup to the UN climate summit.

“He’s had a really rough ride on that, and I think you know he’s been proven to be well ahead of the curve, well beyond his time in warning about some of these dangers,” William said.

“But it shouldn’t be that there’s a third generation now coming along having to ramp it up even more.” AFP

PROVOCATEUR. In this file photo, assistants pose alongside an

artwork titled ‘Love is the Bin’ by British street artist Banksy during a photocall at Sotheby’s auction house in central London. A partially shredded canvas of one of British artist Banksy’s most celebrated works is expected to sell for millions when it goes under the hammer on October 14. AFP

IN BRIEF Shredded Banksy work up for auction GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

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

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

5.

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

7.

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

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

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

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

16.

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

17.

The deposit equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT1 shall be paid not later than 3:00 PM on the day of bidding. The 90% balance of the bid amount plus 12% VAT shall be paid either in cash or in manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

Sample Computation: Bid Amount is PhP2,610,000.00

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

6.

8.

d.

C.

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

18.

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

19.

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

20.

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

21.

For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396 or send an email at mbgonda@gsis.gov.ph, chplogdat@gsis.gov.ph, mmmagbanua@gsis.gov.ph, amqjulian@gsis.gov.ph, or jsvicaldo@gsis.gov.ph. _______________________________________________ 1

Sample Computation: The bid Amount is PhP2,610,000.00

9.

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

Deposit – (10% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP261,000.00 + 32,320.00 = PhP292,320.00 Balance – (90% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP2,349,000.00 + 281,880.00 = PhP2630,880.00

10.

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

1.

HEALTH PROTOCOLS UNDER NEW NORMAL Only the participating bidder shall enter the bidding room.

2.

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

3.

Social distancing must be strictly observed.

4.

Bringing of ballpen is encouraged.

5.

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

6.

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

1.

Register at the RPAMD Secretariat/Registration table.

2.

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

11.

ALL participating bidders shall insert the following documents in a bid envelope: 1) 2)

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

3)

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

4)

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

12.

13.

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

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

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

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

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

15.

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

B.

•

Ensure to read and follow the General Guidelines;

•

Ensure that the downloadable Bid form is properly accomplished; and

•

Ensure that the Bid form contained in the sealed envelope;

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

Defectors sue Nokor’s Kim Jong Un NORTH Korean defectors in Tokyo symbolically summoned Kim Jong Un to court on Thursday over a repatriation program they describe as “state kidnapping.”

The unusual case is a bid to hold Pyongyang responsible for a scheme that saw more than 90,000 people move to North Korea from Japan between 1959 and 1984.

The program mainly targeted ethnic Koreans but also their Japanese spouses, lured by fantastical propaganda promising a “paradise on Earth.”

Five participants in the repatriation scheme who later escaped from North Korea are demanding 100 million yen ($880,000) each in damages as they make their case in the Tokyo District Court.

They have accused Pyongyang of “deceiving plaintiffs by false advertising to relocate to North Korea,” where “the enjoyment of human rights was generally impossible.”

As there are no diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea, Kim has been summoned as the head of the North’s government.

“We don’t expect North Korea to accept a decision nor pay the damages,” Kenji Fukuda, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, said at a briefing last month.

“But we hope that the Japanese government will be able to negotiate with North Korea” if the court rules in the plaintiffs’ favor, he added. AFP

Palau nears 100% virus vaccination

3.

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

4.

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

5.

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

6.

Opening of Bids will immediately follow.

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

14.

A.

GUIDE FOR BIDDERS

A PARTIALLY shredded canvas of one of British artist Banksy’s most celebrated works is expected to sell for millions when it goes under the hammer on Thursday.

The artwork – now called “Love is in the Bin – will be offered by London auction house Sotheby’s at its contemporary arts sale.

The work, formerly called “Girl With Balloon,” has an estimated selling price of £4-6 million ($6-8 million, 5-7 million euros).

The original canvas sold for nearly £1.1 million at the same location in October 2018 when it dramatically passed through a shredder hidden in its frame moments after bidding ended.

The stunt, which poked fun at the staid world of fine art, is typical of the graffiti artist’s irreverent style after his work began appearing on the streets of Bristol in southwest England in the 1980s.

It was the latest in a long history of unpredictable moves for the provocative guerilla artist, whose work has appeared across Britain and around the world.

The partially shredded canvas shows a small child reaching up toward a heartshaped red balloon.

The original, which first appeared on a wall in east London, has been reproduced endlessly in prints and online, and appropriated by some of the world’s best-known brands. AFP

(MS-OCT. 14, 15 & 16, 2021)

THE tiny Pacific nation of Palau has emerged as one of the world’s most vaccinated places with more than 99 percent of the eligible population fully protected against COVID-19, according to data released Thursday.

In a population of about 18,000, almost 15,000 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the country’s ministry of health and human services.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that meant more than 99 percent of the eligible population had been fully jabbed.

In a statement, the health body praised what it said was a “remarkable” pace of vaccination, but warned that coverage elsewhere in the South Pacific was patchy.

The figures allow Palau – situated about 1,000 kilometers east of the Philippines – to “contest the top spot in the world for COVID-19 vaccination rates” according to the IFRC. In Europe, Gibraltar lists a 119 percent inoculation rate. But that figure is inflated by visitors from Spain who got jabbed while in British territory.

Palau was one of the few countries to avoid COVID-19 after closing its borders early in the pandemic, despite the huge cost to its tourism-reliant economy.

That record of zero COVID cases was broken in August when two people who arrived from Guam tested positive. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

News

TODAY

Leni: ‘Non-negotiables’ led to bid for President A

By Rio N. Araja

N ELECTION commissioner has flagged possible campaign donations by foreigners to Filipino candidates in next year’s elections, following the launch of a volunteer-run website that seeks to fund Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential run.

“Foreigners cannot contribute to any Filipino candidate,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said on her Twitter account on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, “non-negotiables” pushed Robredo to join the presidential race in 2022, she said on Thursday, admitting she was first interested in seeking a local position in the May polls before she was forced to change her decision.

“When the unification talks collapsed, in fact, I was even on the verge of (deciding) which of those contenders would make the most sense

for me to support,” Robredo told a meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila on Zoom.

“But then because my non-negotiables were still there, at the last minute, I decided to run. And running and having a very difficult fight is not something new to me,” the Vice President said.

Guanzon was reacting to an ABS-CBN News story on the launch of Team Leni Robredo’s (TLR) crowdfunding page, where supporters may conveniently donate P50 up to P20,000 to Robredo’s campaign war chest.

TLR’s crowdfunding page relies on the do-

nor’s good faith about his or her Filipino citizenship, the report said.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said the crowdfunding drive was a “volunteer initiative.”

“The crowdfunding page is a volunteer initiative led by TLR,” Gutierrez said in a text message.

Robredo and Gutierrez posted the website in their respective social media pages to thank the volunteers, but the Vice President is not directly involved in the crowdfunding, the spokesman said.

Comelec’s Campaign Finance Office officerin-charge Efraim Bag-id also flagged potential “violation” in the crowdfunding drive, which makes identifying the donors nearly impossible.

Bag-id told ABS-CBN News they may release fresh guidelines on crowdfunding, given its novelty.

Under the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), it is “unlawful for any person to solicit or receive any contribution” from foreigners and foreign corporations.

IN BRIEF Bongbong sends aid to ‘Maring’-hit areas PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. said he has started deploying rapid-response teams to aid victims of severe tropical storm “Maring” in Northern Luzon.

The former senator, who hails from Ilocos Norte, has dispatched teams from Manila and nearby provinces to help facilitate the distribution of relief goods and extend assistance in areas hardest hit by the storm (see story on A1 – Editors).

“I have given instructions to activate our quick response teams in Manila and in key areas in Northern Luzon. Our staff and volunteers have started shoring up our relief packs. Each team that will be dispatched will bring with them relief packs that will consist of rice, slippers, vitamins and KN95 face masks as a standard kit,” Marcos said in a statement.

As of 8 a.m. today, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 478 families, or 1,638 individuals were affected by Maring’s onslaught.

The NDRRMC added that 247 families or 850 individuals are currently staying in evacuation centers in Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and Cordillera.

Ka Leody: Be wary of food price spikes KA Leody de Guzman, presidential candidate of the Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) and the Laban ng Masa coalition, on Thursday warned against the spiraling prices of food and agricultural products with the onslaught of Typhoon Maring in Northern Luzon.

In an earlier tweet, De Guzman anticipated an increase in food prices that will worsen the poverty of farmers and ordinary consumers as they fall victim to unjust profiteering by scrupulous traders.

“Let us be proactive in preventing the increase in food and vegetable prices that usually happens after typhoons hit Northern Luzon. Monitor traders that buy cheap from calamity-stricken farmers and sell high to urban areas due to low supply. Nutrition is of the utmost concern during a pandemic,” said De Guzman.

Most agricultural products in Metro Manila, such as rice and vegetables such as garlic, cabbage, carrots, and lettuce, are sourced from the typhoon-hit areas, which prompted De Guzman to call for more aggressive state intervention to aid the affected farmers and the consumers.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NOTICE OF ADDENDUM TO THE EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

ERRORS & OMISSIONS In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the Standard LEGAL NOTICE TODAY is hereby given to the public that a deed advertisement is Notice of Extra-Judicial Settlement of Estate with Waiver Renunciation of Rights has been executed published. We will and by the heirs of the late spouses Salud Amayao and Alfredo M. Fajardo Sr., namely, Raul A. not be responsible Fajardo Fajardo, Levita F. Raposas, Alfredo A. Fajardo Jr., Benedicto A. Fajardo, Carlos A. Fajardo, Aurora A. Minerva V. Fajardo, Bong-Bong Fajardo, for any incorrect ads Fajardo, Antonette Fajardo Abias, Bernadette B. Fajardo Margarette B. Fajardo,all of legal age, over not reported to us and personal and real properties per deed executed on March 6, 2021, before Notary Public Atty. Federico immediately.

Macabangun per Doc. No. 56, Page 13, Book No. LXXVV, Series of 2021

Notice is hereby given to the public that the Addendum to the Extrajudical Settlement of Estate of the Late Lucresia P. Deocampo has been executed by and among his heirs namely: Hernany C. Deocampo, Jonathan P. Deocampo, Herlyn P. Deocampo, as per Doc. No. 266, Page No. 55, Book No. 68, Series of 2021 of the Notarial Register of Atty. Cesar P. Santos, Notary Public for and in the City of Navotas.

(MS-OCT. 1, 8 & 15, 2021)

JOSEPH Peter “Jopet” Sison, a lawyer and TV host/producer, will replace former Vice President and fellow ABS-CBN talent Noli de Castro in the senatorial slate of Aksyon Demokratiko for the 2022 elections.

This developed as Aksyon presidential candidate Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso is set to meet today with political and local leaders in the vote-rich province of Batangas, among the first provinces to throw its full support behind his bid.

In case he wins the presidency, Domagoso also said Thursday he would pursue the country’s claim over the West Philippine Sea in the wake of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s landmark ruling against China, which claims a vast portion of the waterway.

“We have a paper. We won. We will continue to pursue that,” assured Domagoso, noting that doing business with China is different from surrendering the Philippines’ rights in the WPS. The withdrawal of de Castro from the Aksyon senatorial slate paved the way for

(MS-OCT. 8,15 & 22, 2021)

Manila

(MS-OCT. 1, 8 & 15, 2021)

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON AUDIT Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City CIRCULAR

No. : ___2021-010______ Date: October 11, 2021__

TO

: All Heads of the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, and Bureau of the Treasury; Assistant Commissioners, Directors, and Auditors of the Commission on Audit; and All Others Concerned

SUBJECT

: Accounting Guidelines on the Transfer of Funds from the General Fund of the National Government (NG) to the Trust Fund of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), maintained for that purpose, the amount equivalent to five percent (5%) of the total Value-Added Tax (VAT) collections of the preceding year pursuant to Sections 31 and 33 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), amending Sections 106 and 108 of RA No. 8424 or the Tax Reform Act of 1997

RATIONALE

1.0

Sections 31 and 33 of RA No. 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), amending Sections 106 and 108 of RA No. 8424 or the Tax Reform Act of 1997, provide that an amount equivalent to five percent (5%) of the total VAT collections of the BIR and the BOC from the immediately preceding year shall be automatically appropriated annually and be treated as a special account in the General Fund or as trust receipts for the purpose of funding claims for VAT refund, and that any unused fund, at the end of the year, shall revert to the General Fund.

Pursuant thereto, the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), BIR, BOC and this Commission issued Joint Circular (JC) No. 001-2018 providing that the amount equivalent to five percent (5%) of the total VAT collections of the BIR and the BOC from the immediately preceding year shall be treated as trust receipts to cover the payment of VAT refund claims subject to the guidelines prescribed therein.

This Circular is issued to provide: 1.1 Accounting guidelines on the transfer of funds from the General Fund of the NG to the Trust Fund of the BIR and the BOC, and the utilization thereof; and 1.2 Illustrative accounting entries to recognize the fund transfers, utilization, and other related transactions.

FARE TO VOTE. First-time voters pool money to rent a jeepney to be able to go to the nearest

Comelec Voter Registration office in Quezon City. Led by militant group Akbayan Youth, the group launched the “Byaheng Bagong Botante” campaign to encourage the youth to register with their free jeepney ride service. Manny Palmero

Ping ‘insulted’ by Leni-Tito pairing try

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENTIAL candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed Thursday that he felt insulted after the second “unity talks” with Liberal Party leaders.

He said the opposition apparently attempted to push for a tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo, the Liberal Party chairperson, and Senate President Vicente Sotto III – Lacson’s running mate -- in the 2022 polls.

Sotto on Thursday brushed aside reports of the “Leni-Tito” tandem in the upcoming elections and said there would be no more unity talks.

“Too late for us for any unity talks even at that time,” said Sotto, who has been faring well in recent vice presidential surveys.

During the Pandesal Forum Thursday, Lacson said that after his second meeting with LP leaders—including Robredo, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Sotto—he realized that “unification was not the objective” of the opposition.

“They were not clear on which camp the unification efforts will be under,” he said.

“During our second meeting, using hand motion, Senator Drilon apparently pointed his fingers at VP Leni and Senate President Sotto for a possible tandem,” the former police chief added.

Lacson said that while he did not see Drilon’s

hand gestures himself, Sotto told him about it after their meeting. “(Sotto) told me ‘Didn’t you notice the fingers of Frank? It was pointed at me and VP Leni. So effectively, telling me to my face to withdraw and create a new tandem between the Vice President and the Senate president. So, for me, you know, when I was told that, I felt insulted. Had I noticed it, I could’ve stood up and left that meeting,” he added.

The LP and Robredo camps have yet to react to this at press time.

Sotto, meanwhile, said that he and Lacson have already organized their network and set up nationwide, following their “listening tour” of the provinces before they became the first pair to declare their candidacies.

“We are now forming a cooperative alliance between NUP, NPC, REPORMA, and UN,” said Sotto, who is running under the banner of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) where he sits as its president.

Lacson is the standard bearer of Partido Reporma.

Prior to the filing of their certificates of candidacy for president, Robredo met with Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and Senator Manny Pacquiao separately to discuss the idea of a united opposition ticket.

This Circular is further issued pursuant to Section 2(2), Article IX-D of the 1987 Constitution and Section 33 of Presidential Decree No. 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, which vest upon the Commission on Audit (COA) the exclusive authority to promulgate accounting and auditing rules, including those for the prevention and disallowance of irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable expenditures, or uses of government funds and properties.

Sison, who worked at ABS-CBN as assistant executive producer of the television legal series “Kapag Nasa Katwiran… Ipaglaban Mo.” Domagoso and his vice presidential bet, Dr. Willie Ong, will join Sison in Batangas.

The 56-year-old Sison was the former chairman of the Liberal Party in Quezon City.

De Castro withdrew his candidacy due to “personal reasons” with reports saying certain promises were not fulfilled by Aksyon when the former VP and prominent newscaster agreed to join their party.

Sison, meanwhile, was a Quezon City councilor for six years, assistant general manager of the National Housing Authority (NHA) from 2001-2005, and president of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) from 2006-2012.

Batangas, home to more than 1.7 million registered voters in 2019, started the trend of a growing and continuing strong support for Mayor Isko and his “Bilis Kilos” 10-Point Agenda for Governance.

Moments after Domagoso launched his presidential run, Senate President ProTempore Ralph Recto and House Deputy Speaker Vilma-Santos Recto announced their support for Moreno and Ong.

LIPA CITY, Batangas — Presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao is against the tack of other candidates prepared to withdraw their candidacies for their parties’ convenience.

“My decision is my decision; I will not change it willynilly. We need to have our own convictions to proceed with something or not, and not move forward then go back on our word. That’s a dangerous trait for a leader, you’re never going to be sure where he stands,” the retired champion boxer said.

Pacquiao paid a courtesy call Thursday to Lipa City Mayor Eric Africa and fellow Senator Ralph Recto – who is backing another presidential hopeful, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso (see related story – Editors).

His comment was a thinly-veiled jab at the ruling PDPLaban, which had Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa file his certificate of candidacy for president at the last minute. Dela Rosa later admitted he would have preferred that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio take his place as the ruling party’s standard bearer.

If Dela Rosa does not withdraw from the race, Pacquiao said he would leave his fate -- and that of his fellow senator and Mindanaoan -- to the voters.

“The people will choose, so let’s enlighten the people on our programs to move our nation forward,” he said, while guaranteeing he and running mate Rep. Lito Atienza will not pull out from the race.

Pacquiao, his wife Jinkee and Atienza visited Batangas and also had a closed-door meeting with Archbishop Gilbert Garcera.

COVERAGE

2.0

This Circular covers VAT collection transactions of the BIR and the BOC remitted to the BTr, and the subsequent refunds of the excess VAT collections.

ACCOUNTING GUIDELINES/PROCEDURES

3.0

Batangas for Isko; Sison joins slate No willy-nilly decisions by me, vows Pacquiao

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A7

4.0

3.1

The BIR and the BOC shall recognize the amount appropriated for VAT refund under Trust Receipts/Fund books with account code 07308602 based on the initial estimated amount which is equivalent to 5% of the total VAT collections of the preceding year.

3.2

The BIR and the BOC shall compute the final adjusted amount after the reconciliation of the VAT collections remitted to the NG as income of the General Fund and recognized in their books of accounts, with the amounts reflected in the BTr’s books, and shall recognize any adjustments thereto.

3.3

The BIR and the BOC shall notify the BTr not later than the 15th of January of the current year, the initial amount to be transferred from the General Fund to the Trust Fund of the BIR and the BOC, and the final adjusted amount not later than the last day of February of the current year.

3.4

For current year’s VAT refund, the BIR and the BOC shall recognize the initial estimated amount to be transferred from the General Fund to Trust Fund based on the historical data/experience, as necessary, and the final adjusted amount based on reconciled data.

3.5

The BTr shall recognize the transfer to the trust accounts of the BIR and the BOC based on the letter request/notification received from these agencies, and must be supported by copies of journal entry voucher (JEV) recognizing the initial estimate and the adjustment mentioned in Items 3.1 and 3.2.

3.6

The BTr shall furnish the BIR and the BOC with copies of JEV for the transfers, and shall issue certificates that the corresponding amounts are available in the BIR and the BOC’s respective trust accounts.

3.7

The BIR and the BOC shall request from the DBM the release of Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA), duly supported with copies of JEV and certificates from the BTr.

3.8

The BIR and the BOC shall recognize the receipt of the NCA from the DBM, the disbursements or refunds of VAT, the reversion of unused NCA and any related adjustments, in the Trust Receipts/Fund books.

3.9

The BIR and the BOC shall submit Fund Utilization Report to the BTr for monitoring of used and unused NCA.

3.10

The BTr shall recognize the charges to the trust deposit accounts based on negotiated Modified Disbursement System (MDS)-Trust checks.

3.11

At year end, the BIR and the BOC shall prepare a JEV to recognize the lapsed or unutilized portion of the total NCA, copy furnished the BTr.

3.12

At year end, the BTr shall recognize the adjustment of the trust accounts of the BIR and the BOC and the corresponding payable equivalent to the amount of reverted unused NCA based on the copies of JEV furnished by the BIR and the BOC, pursuant to Section 4.2.1 of DOF-DBM-BTr-BIRBOC-COA JC No. 001-2018.

ILLUSTRATIVE ACCOUNTING ENTRIES

The illustrative accounting entries for the recognition of the collection and refunds of VAT are presented as Annex A for BIR and BTr, and Annex B for BOC and BTr, attached hereto.

5.0

REPEALING CLAUSE

All circulars, memoranda and other issuances or any parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Circular, are hereby amended, modified or repealed accordingly.

6.0

SAVING CLAUSE

Cases not covered in this Circular shall be referred to this Commission, through the Government Accountancy Sector, for resolution.

7.0

EFFECTIVE DATE This Circular shall take effect immediately.

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner Note: Annexes A and B of the Circular may be accessed in the COA website @ www.coa.gov.ph (MS-OCT. 15, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

TNT’s Mikey Williams against San Miguel Beer’s CJ Perez is one of the marquee matchups in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between the Tropang Giga and the Beermen.

Energized Tropang Giga shoot for berth in finals

By Peter Atencio

N

OW that Kelly Williams is back and Poy Erram has recovered quickly from an injury, the energized TNT Tropang Giga are ready to face the San Miguel Beermen in Game 5 as a better-prepared team.

Being a complete squad going into Game 6 of the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup has given back to the Tropang Giga the energy that was missing from them when they lost badly to the Beermen in Game 4, 116-80.

“It was really very difficult for us. So, our mindset now is to forget Game 4 and look at Game 5 as a brand new game.

It was 0-0 (Game 5). And now, we’re back,” said coach Chot Reyes after their game Wednesday night at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Their 110-90 beating of the Beermen in Game 5 allowed the Tropang Giga to move ahead in their best-of-seven semifinal series at 3-2.

The Tropang Giga can win the series and claim a finals’ seat outright if

they hurdle the Beermen in Game 6 at 3 p.m. today.

TNT’s Game 6 encounter with SMB has the feel of a virtual twice-to-beat encounter.

This is because a loss will allow the Beermen to tie the series and force a winner-take-all rubber match on Sunday.

The Tropang Giga missed Williams at the start of the series as the 2008 MVP sat out due to the league’s health and safety protocols. He came back in Game 5 and scored 12 points to help the TNT beat SMB. The 6’8” Erram, who had 10 points in that game, is back after sustaining a cheekbone injury when he got hurt after Beerman Moala Tautuaa landed on him during a mishap in Game 4.

Adiwang wants to humble brash Brooks IT’S a rare sight to see Team Lakay fighters seethe and seemingly lose their cool.

But brash new ONE signee Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks has apparently struck a chord with the Igorot warriors that Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang couldn’t help but fight fire with fire and respond to his trash talk.

“I think he’s just an unlucky guy who talks and acts like a monkey. I guess that’s why he calls himself ‘The Monkey God’ because he will try to bluff and get in his opponents’ head before the fight and that’s really all he could do,” Adiwang said.

That’s why Adiwang is just looking forward to his strawweight clash against Brooks, which takes place at ONE: NEXTGEN III, a tape-delayed event from Singapore that airs on November 26. Adiwang can’t wait to put the American in his place.

“I am ready to humble him and show him that the lions in this division eat monkeys like him for breakfast,” the 28-yearold Baguio-based fighter said.

For Adiwang, this fight is all about earning respect.

From the moment Brooks came to the scene in ONE Championship, the Ameri-

Lito Adiwang: This fight is all about earning respect.

can wasn’t shy in directing his verbal attacks at the reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, telling the Filipino titleist that he would “rip him apart” and show that he’s the undisputed best strawweight in the world.

And how proverbial is it that it is Adi-

wang who Brooks has drawn for his promotional debut.

This fight between the ONE Super Series contract winner and the Fight Matrix Strawweight Lineal Champion is actually one that is seven months in the making, that was until Adiwang tested positive for COVID-19 and

Both Williams and Erram provided big baskets that sent the Tropang Giga ahead by as much 24 points in the third period.

Jayson Castro showed the way for TNT with 19 points, while RR Pogoy provided 17.

For the Beermen to bounce back, two key players will again have to play a big role, namely Terrence Romeo and RR Pogoy, who average 19 points and 17.8 points per game, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Magnolia Hotshots clash with the Meralco Bolts at 6 p.m. with an eye on a finals berth since they have 3-2 edge in the semis.

The return of Raymund Almazan from an injury somehow helped the Bolts pull off a 102-98 triumph in Game 5 on Wednesday.

forced the bout’s cancellation.

Since then, the Filipino rising star has come back stronger, besting Chinese foe Hexigetu at ONE: REVOLUTION back in September with a dominant unanimous decision triumph as he has won nine of his last 10 fights.

Now, Adiwang can turn his attention back to Brooks as he also seeks to unveil his continued development in his gradual ascent in the strawweight division.

“I’ve improved from my last fight. I think that I’m a smarter, stronger, and tougher fighter now who’s ready to continue winning in the strawweight division,” he said.

“The cancellation of our original match, I think, is also a blessing in disguise as it gave me more time to study his style and check on his strengths and weaknesses. With those in mind, I think I can accomplish my goals when I fight him and that is to humble him inside the ONE Circle,” he said.

Aside from this heated strawweight showdown between Adiwang and Brooks, ONE: NEXTGEN III will also see the return of former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov as he fights Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym in a hard hitting Muay Thai co -m ai n event.

Irving ‘doing what’s best for me’ in declining vax NEW YORK—Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving says he’s “doing what’s best for me” in declining a COVID-19 vaccine, a move that will see him sidelined from NBA play.

Irving addressed the issue on Instagram Live on Wednesday, confirming that he hoped to be back on the floor with teammates eventually.

But he said he would not bow to pressure to be vaccinated, while insisting he was neither anti- nor pro-vaccines.

“Do what’s best for you, but I am not an advocate for either side,” Irving said. “I am doing what’s best for me.

“I know the consequences here, and if it means that I’m judged and demonized for that, that’s just what it is, that’s the role I play.”

He added: “No, I’m not retiring, and no, I’m not going and leaving this game like this.

There’s still so much more work to do.”

Because of the pandemic, New York City implemented rules that do not allow unvaccinated athletes to take part in practices and games at public arenas —including the Nets’ Barclays Center home and Madison Square Garden, home of the rival Knicks.

It had previously appeared that Irving could train with the team at their private practice facility and be available for road games, but the Nets said Tuesday that he would not play or practice with the team “until he is eligible to be a full participant.”

“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose,” Nets

executive Sean Marks said.

On Wednesday, Irving said his ultimate decision on getting a vaccine would have nothing to do with the Nets—nor with a New York mandate.

“Once again, I’m going to repeat this,” he said. “This is not about the Nets, this is not about the organization, it’s not about the NBA, it’s not politics.

“It’s not any one thing. It’s just about the freedom of what I want to do.” AFP Kyrie Irving: No, I’m not retiring, and no, I’m not going and leaving this game like this.

There’s still so much more work to do. AFP

Ramos ready to put on a show for Toyama five EXPECT Gilas Pilipinas’ main man Dwight Ramos to put on a show this weekend.

The 23-year-old Ramos is now on his second day of practice with the Toyama Grouses, getting ready for his first two games in the Japan B.League this weekend.

“I’m finally out of quarantine.

I’m really excited to join the team and practice with them, meet everybody for the first time, and just be part of the team again,” said Ramos after getting out of 14-day quarantine on Tuesday.

The 6’4” Ramos, who saw action for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2019, will play for the Grouses when they meet Filipino Bobby Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins on Saturday and Sunday at the Toyama City Gymnasium.

The Grouses have been winless after four games in the West District Division and after the first two weekends of the 202122 B.League season.

Meanwhile, Kiefer Ravena and the Shiga Lakestars will take on the Kyoto Hannaryz in two scheduled games over the weekend in Kyoto City at 6:05 p.m.

Thirdy Ravena and the SanEn Neophoenix are at ninth with their 2-2 card. They clash with Hiroshima.

In the East District, Kobe Paras and the Niigata Airbex are in sixth place with their 2-2 slate.

Peter Atencio So far, Ravena has averaged 13.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and two steals.

The Lakestars share the West District leadership with their 3-1 win-loss record with the Shimane Sunsanoo, the Hiroshima Dragonf ly and the Ryukyu Golden Kings. Peter Atencio

Umandal shines anew as PH snatches victory REBISCO-PHILIPPINES got itself on the win column following a 25-14, 22-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11 victory over Sri Lanka’s CEB Sports Club to end its campaign in the Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship on Wednesday at the Terminal 21 competition hall in Nakhon Ratchasima.

First foreign exposure done.

Lessons lear ned.

“This is our first exposure and we hope to become better for the next edition,” head coach Dante Alinsunurin.

“We are hopeful for the continued rise of the level of Philippine volleyball on its return to the international scene.”

Jao Umandal capped a tournamentlong brilliancy by scoring 28 points— including a kill that sealed the Filipinos’ ninth place finish—against the Sri Lankans.

The University of Santo Tomas standout also had five blocks and three service aces.

Stepping up big in the absence of Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, who are plying their trade in Japan, it was Umandal’s coming out party in the competition that was the national team’s first since the historic 2019 Southeast Asian Games silver medal run.

Rebisco also displayed a balanced offense with skipper John Vic de Guzman and Nico Almendras finishing with 11 points each and Kim Malabunga and Francis Saura contributing 10 pojnts apiece.

“Perhaps the biggest lesson we will take is to pounce on whoever is on the other side whenever we can,” De Guzman said. “After this, I know we need to work on our composure and on our focus on everything we do.”

Mark Alfafara added eight points in two sets before sitting out the rest of the two-hour and 18-minute match.

The Filipinos—whose participation was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Rebisco, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and Asics—had 19 blocks, with middles Saura and Malabunga combining for 10.

It was Philippines’ third appearance in the men’s continental club competition and the first since the country, represented by Cignal HD, finished 12th in 2015 in Chinese-Taipei.

Business PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, October 14, 2021 114.19 PTS. 7,183.11

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,006,148,875 136,744 10,283,344,267.75 111 86 45

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.6880

Japan

Yen

0.008830

0.4476

UK

Pound

1.366200

69.2499

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128540

6.5154

Switzerland

Franc

1.082603

54.8750

Canada

Dollar

0.804117

40.7591

Singapore

Dollar

0.739973

37.5078

Australia

Dollar

0.737900

37.4027

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652661

134.4581

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266624

13.5146

Brunei

Dollar

0.737246

37.3695

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.029985

1.5199

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.8009

Euro

Euro

1.160100

58.8031

Korea

Won

0.000843

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.155557

7.8849

India

Rupee

0.013283

0.6733

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240442

12.1875

New Zealand

Dollar

0.696300

35.2941

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035705

1.8098 Source: BSP

Jollibee ends P12-b worth of share offering

IN BRIEF Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

B1

BSP governor eyeing switch to long-term recovery efforts

By Julito G. Rada

C

ENTRAL banks need to switch focus from shortterm crisis management to long-term efforts aimed at resuming sustainable and inclusive growth and preventing future crises, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday.

Diokno said in an online briefing the shift was one of the key takeaways from the recent international research conference hosted by the BSP and Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee from Sept.

27 to 29, 2021.

“The major challenge for central banks is how to prevent the next crisis by creating an institutional setting that

will enable us to deal with the next crisis,” said Diokno.

The research conference pointed out that while central banks should continue to pay attention to price stability, there might be more risks in financial stability and that central banks should be prepared for the exit strategies of advanced economies.

The BSP International Research Conference is a biennial event that engages central bankers and leading experts from the academe in the discussion of emerging and pressing policy issues.

Speakers for the 2021 conference, the first to be co-hosted by the BSP and RBWC, included Dr. Jakob Frenkel, chairman of the board of trustees of the Group of Thirty and former governor of the Bank of Israel; former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers; and president James Bullard of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

The high-level conference discussed central banking and dealing with the enduring impact of COVID-19; new monetary policy era for emerging markets;

forecasting future crises; and payment innovation, financial inclusion and financial stability risks.

It also tackled monetary sovereignty and the path towards digitalization of money, central banking in a post-COVID economic world, climate change risk as a redefining issue for financial stability and the global economy postCOVID. RBWC is a non-profit organization that orchestrates an open and cross-national dialogue among high-level stakeholders committed to promoting a stable global financial architecture and to helping key institutions prepare for changes in the economic landscape.

Meanwhile, Diokno said the government’s financial inclusion push continued to gain traction as cash agents expanded their presence in unbanked and underbanked areas in the country.

Diokno said the number of active cash agents grew by 242 percent to 58,000 in 2020 from 17,000 in 2019, a positive development in the central bank’s financial inclusion drive.

By Jenniffer B. Austria JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. said it completed a P12-billion fund raising program amid a strong demand from investors.

Jollibee chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong said during the listing ceremony of 8 million preferred shares the offering was oversubscribed by more than 3.1 times.

“Today, we list our first ever preferred shares on the Philippine Stock Exchange with the even stronger conviction that the future of Jollibee Group of Companies will even be brighter,” Tanmantiong said.

Jolibee will use the net proceeds from the offering to buy back up to $250 million in senior perpetual securities from the $600-million notes issued in January 2020.

Jollibee said once the buyback was completed, it would have fewer debt, more distributed financial maturities over the next few years, lower foreign exchange risks and better leverage and debt servicing ratios.

The balance of the proceeds will be used to finance an aggressive rollout of stores here and abroad.

The fast-food giant plans to open 450 stores across various restaurant brands.

It allocated P12.2 billion in capital expenditures to fund the store network expansion.

The company was operating 17 brands across 33 countries as of endJune. It had a total store network of 5,816 outlets, including 3,192 in the Philippines and 2,624 abroad.

PSE chairman Jose Pardo said the success of Jollibee’s preferred share offering reflected the confidence of investors on the company’s leadership and management’s strategic initiative.

“The food is among industries severely impacted by headwinds caused by these pandemic. Jollibee’s brands were not spared by the temporary closure of stores during the lockdown which eventually led to the permanent closure of some of the branches,” Pardo said.

PAL expects more cities to ease travel PHILIPPINE Airlines said Thursday it expects more local government units to ease travel restrictions as the government ramps up the nationwide vaccination drive and allows point-to-point travel for all ages, provided seniors, pregnant women and persons with identified health risks are fully-vaccinated.

“We welcome the latest moves by key LGUs to relax travel protocols, including those for travel to Cebu, Iloilo, Butuan, Dipolog, Tacloban, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Palawan and other areas. We are hopeful that more LGUs will follow suit in easing travel protocols,” said PAL senior vice president for strategy and planning Dexter Lee. “The government’s intensified vaccination drive across various provinces is an important factor in these decisions to make travel more convenient while ensuring the safety of everyone,” he said.

The flag carrier urged the flying public to take advantage of their fully-vaccinated status when traveling to domestic destinations.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Hyundai reports 38% growth in PH sales HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc. on Thursday reported a 38.3-percent increase in sales in September to 830 units from 600 units in August on the back of easing health restrictions in the National Capital Region and the resulting boost in consumer confidence.

“We remain driven forward as we approach the finish line of yet another challenging year,” said HARI president and chief executive Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.

“With news regarding the further decline of infections and the lowering of health-related restrictions in the country by the end of this month, we can look forward to providing our customers better journeys this holiday season,” she said.

The robust growth was fueled by the passenger car segment which rose 64.8 percent to 529 units from 321 units in August 2021.

Sales of the locally-assembled Hyundai Accent increased 91.8 percent in September from the previous month.

Light commercial vehicle sales also increased 16.5 percent on the strong performance of the Hyundai H-100.

Othel V. Campos

SPC Power ventures into renewable energy

TOP EMPLOYER.

In a year dominated by challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, San Miguel Corp. emerges as Top Employer of the Year at the 2021 Asia CEO Awards— besting other major conglomerates across several criteria, including outstanding leadership, improving employees’ professional careers, providing recognition, talent development, social commitment and promoting work-life balance.

LISTED SPC Power Corp. fortified its plans to venture into renewable energy by amending its articles of incorporation to include RE development.

The company also included selling, brokering, marketing or aggregating of electricity to end-users in its primary purpose.

SPC Power said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its stockholders voted to approve the resolution to amend the primary purpose and principal office on Oct. 11.

SPC’s primary purpose now includes development and utilization of RE resources, such as but not limited to biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, ocean energy sources or hybrid systems.

The company also decided to transfer its principal office from Cebu to Makati. SPC executives previously announced plans to invest in solar, hydro and battery storage projects.

“Our company has been looking seriously at projects in the solar and battery areas of the renewable space. In fact, we’ve closely reviewed a couple this year and we will be making investment in that,” SPC Power chairman Alfredo Henares said earlier.

Alena Mae S. Flores

High tariff on corn imports contributing to increased cost of livestock, poultry

By Othel V. Campos A STUDY commissioned by the National Economic and Development Authority shows high tariff on corn imports in the Philippines was a driving force in the increased cost of producing local livestock and poultry.

The study was conducted to benchmark the performance of the domestic livestock, poultry and dairy producers against those of China, Thailand and Vietnam, Corn is a major ingredient of feeds for both swine and poultry, and the Philippines is unable to benefit from the low cost of imported corn owing to high tar-

iffs of 50 percent for out-quota imports and 35 percent for in-quota (minimum access volume) imports, currently set at 217,000 tons, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

The Philippines in the last decade paid for the upper range of corn prices at $0.42 to $0.44 per kilogram, while China’s purchase price was only at $0.28 to $0.38 per kg., Vietnam at $0.22 to $0.29 per kg. and Thailand at $0.19 to $0.24 per kg.

The study, conducted in cooperation with the Southeast Asian Regional Center, showed that the cost of producing swine in the Philippines at P112.40 per kilogram of carcass weight was the

highest among the countries covered, with that in Thailand at P99.16. The study also pointed out that the feed cost per kilogram in the Philippines was P64, compared with P54.54 in Thailand.

For commercial scale broiler farms, the cost per unit of broiler was highest in the Philippines at P92.40, and the lowest in Vietnam at P56.04. The share of feeds in the total production cost in the Philippines was 65 percent, while that in Vietnam was just 41 percent.

Topping the recommendations made

by PIDS in the study was the need to undertake a comprehensive review of trade policies affecting the value chain to support greater competitiveness of the live-

stock, poultry and dairy industries.

The study also stressed that the government should earmark collections from tariffs on pork and chicken imports for funding of regulatory services and production support and for investment in research and data collection as inputs to policy and program development.

The Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc. and the more than 400 small- and medium-scale animal feed producers in the country reiterated the need to review the current high tariff rates on corn at a time when global supply was tight, local production was lower and prices of both local and imported corn increased by double digits.

Business

B2 || FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks rally; Jollibee, Globe top gainers

T

HE stock market bounced back Thursday after health authorities agreed to loosen lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila starting Oct. 16, improving the prospects for a faster economic recovery.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 114.19 points, or 1.6 percent, to 7,183.11 on a value turnover of P10.3 billion. Gainers beat losers, 111 to 86, with 45 issues unchanged.

Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fast-food chain, advanced 6.4 percent to P229.80, while Globe Telecom Inc. climbed 4.8 percent to P3,350.

GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty Group rose 4.2 percent to P5673, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. gained 3 percent at P853.

The rest of Asian markets rose Thursday as investors maintained optimism in the global recovery outlook but prepared for the end of an era of cheap cash with inflation continuing to surge on the back of supply chain problems and improving demand.

But investors remain upbeat in Asia after a broadly positive lead from Wall Street.

Tokyo piled on 1.5 percent, while Seoul and Jakarta added more than one percent. There were also gains in Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Mumbai, while Singapore advanced as investors brushed off the surprise policy tightening by the city’s central bank. However, Shanghai dipped.

After a year and a half of ultra-loose monetary policies from the world’s central banks, which helped spur a rebound from the pandemic collapse and send equities flying, concern about consistently high price rises is forcing officials to tighten their belts.

Several have already started—including South Korea and New Zealand, with Singapore joining in on Thursday—but all eyes are on the Federal Reserve, with minutes from its most recent meeting showing it plans to move either next month or December.

A higher-than-expected reading on US consumer inflation pushed the case for a November start to tapering its massive bond-buying program, but the main question on traders’ lips is now when it will begin to hike interest rates.

“Wednesday’s still-elevated consumer

price index marks about six months’ worth PSEi October 14, 2021 of hot inflation data–suggesting that inflation is not as transitory as many investors previously expected,” Nancy Davis of Quadratic Capital Management said.

LAST % “The overall inflation story is being PRICE CHANGE CHANGE driven by supply-chain disruptions and a swift rise in prices, due to the labor 1 FERRO 3.5 0.25 7.69% shortage.”

2 BLOOM 6.5 0.43 7.08% On Thursday, China said factory-gate UBP 97.7 6.2 6.78% inflation had in September hit its highest 3 level in a quarter of a century owing to a 4 MWIDE 6.83 0.42 6.55% spike in commodity costs and rocketing 5 JFC 229.8 13.8 6.39% demand as economies reopen.

And with China a crucial exporter to 6 SFI 0.121 0.007 6.14% the world, there are concerns the rises 7 RRHI 63 3.5 5.88% will transfer to other economies.

Meanwhile, some observers have 8 APVI 17.98 0.98 5.76% warned of a period of stagflation in HOME 10.98 0.58 5.58% which costs soar but economic growth 9 remains torpid. With AFP 10 ACEX 17.38 0.84 5.08% CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

Manila

Standard

TODAY

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO SUBMIT COMPARATIVE PROPOSALS (IAESP)

1

FFI

LAST PRICE 7

The Atimonan Water District (AWD), created pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 198, as amended, otherwise known as the Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973, received an unsolicited proposal from the Original Proponent for the Financing, Development, Improvement, Rehabilitation, Expansion, Operation and Maintenance of the Water Supply System of Atimonan Water District.

2 3 4 5

MVC TBGI OPM ABS

4.9 0.3 0.011 15

-0.52 -0.03 -0.001 -0.8

-9.59% -9.09% -8.33% -5.06%

6 7 8 9 10

HOUSE FGEN ALCO TECHW DWC

10.9 27.95 0.64 1.3 2.29

-0.54 -1.35 -0.03 -0.06 -0.1

-4.72% -4.61% -4.48% -4.41% -4.18%

Pursuant to the 2013 Guidelines issued by the National Economic Development Authority under Section 8 of Executive Order No. 423 dated 30 April 2005, negotiations ensued between AWD and Original Proponent on the JV Proposal. Subsequently, an agreement was reached between AWD and Original Proponent to form an unincorporated joint venture to undertake the JV Project.

In compliance with AWD Board Resolution 2021-014 s. 2021, AWD, through its Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC), invites Interested Private Sector Participant/s (IPP’s) to challenge the JV Proposal by submitting comparative proposals for the following: Name of Project:

FINANCING, DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVEMENT, REHABILITATION, EXPANSION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM OF ATIMONAN WATER DISTRICT

Location of Project:

Atimonan, Quezon, Philippines

Project Description:

The project involves a joint venture undertaking between AWD and the Winning Private Sector Participant for the Financing, Development, Improvement, Rehabilitation, Expansion, Operation and Maintenance of the Water Supply System of Atimonan Water District.

MOST ACTIVE

Applications for eligibility shall be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

An IPP shall be considered eligible upon compliance with the following minimum qualification requirements: 1.1.

The IPP must be either of the following: a. A duly licensed sole proprietorship owned by a Filipino citizen; or b. A partnership or corporation created pursuant to the Corporation Code of the Philippines and registered with the SEC. c. A Consortium of two or more entities with at least sixty percent (60%) of both voting and non-voting interest in the said Consortium being owned and held, by citizens of the Philippines and/or by Philippine registered corporations at least sixty percent (60%) of both the total number of outstanding shares of stock, whether or not entitled to vote in the election of directors are owned by Philippine nationals.

1.2.

The nationality of the IPP shall be determined via the Grandfather Rule.

1.3.

If the IPP is a Consortium, each member of the Consortium must be disclosed during the pre-qualification stage and the Lead Member thereof must be specifically identified. For this purpose, the Lead member must have at least fifty one percent (51%) equity interest in the Consortium, and the total percentage interest of all Consortium Members must be one hundred percent (100%).

1.4.

The IPP or each Consortium member must execute Omnibus Sworn Statement.

2. Technical Eligibility 2.1.

The IPP must have completed a similar or related project costing at least 50% of the cost of the JV Activity/Project within the last ten (10) years. For the avoidance of doubt, cost of the JV Activity/Project pertains to the present value of the amount of contribution of AWD and the Original Proponent using a discount rate.

For this project, the cost of the JV Activity/Project is equal to One Hundred Eighty Three Million Five Hundred Seventy Two Thousand Nine Hundred Seventeen Pesos (Php 183,572,917)

3. Financial Eligibility 3.1.

The IPP should have the capability to finance the completion of the entire project evidenced by financial documents to be submitted and will form as an integral part of the Financial Proposal.

3.2

A letter from a domestic universal/commercial bank, or an international bank with a subsidiary/branch in the Philippines, or any international bank recognized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), attesting that the IPP is one of its current clients, and is in good financial standing and has existing unused and available credit line in an amount of at least PESOS: Two Billion (Php2,000,000,000.00).

4. Additional eligibility criteria are specified in the instructions to IPPs. Only those lPSP’s that are deemed eligible shall be entitled to submit Comparative Proposals, which must be in accordance with instructions contained in the Request for Proposal Documents (RFP Documents).

The JVSC shall evaluate the proposals using the Quality Based Evaluation/ Selection (QBE/QBS) procedure. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of the proposals shall be provided in the Instructions to Interested Private Proponent/s (IIPPs).

The following procedures, schedules and instructions shall be strictly observed: SCHEDULE (Using Philippine Standard ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS Time) 1. Publication October 15, 2021 2. Posting October 15 to October 22, 2021 3. Purchase of Eligibility Documents October 15 to 29, 2021 The Eligibility Documents may be for a non-refundable fee of One (from 8:00am to 12nn) purchased ONLY from AWD -JVSC Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos Office at Atimonan Water District, (PhP 150,000.00) in cash Juez Andres St. Zone IV Poblacion, or Managers’ Check made Atimonan, Quezon, Philippines payable to Atimonan Water District 4. Submission of Eligibility On or before November 29, Deadline of Submission of Eligibility Documents 2021 10:00 am ONLY Documents to AWD -JVSC Office at Atimonan Water District, Juez Andres St. Zone IV Poblacion, Atimonan, Quezon, Philippines 5. Opening of Eligibility Documents November 29, 2021 at 1:01pm JVSC will determine the completeness onwards of the eligibility documents based on a pass or fail criteria. For those IPPs with incomplete, irregular or patently insufficient submission shall be considered failed. For those IPPs whose eligibility documents appear to be complete shall be further evaluated to determine its eligibility.

6. Determination of Eligibility On or before December 14, JVSC will evaluate the eligibility 2021 documents of the IPPs to determine if they are eligible or ineligible.

7. Purchase of Tender Documents December 15 - December 22, Tender Documents may be purchased

by IPPs declared “eligible” 2021 (until 4pm) ONLY from AWD –JVSC at the AWD for non-refundable fee of Two -JVSC Office at Juez Andres St. Zone Hundred Thousand Pesos IV Poblacion, Atimonan, Quezon, (PhP 200,000.00), in cash Philippines or Managers Check made payable to Atimonan Water District 8. Pre-selection conference will January 4, 2022 (10:00 am) All Eligible IPPs are encouraged to thereafter be held. attend the conference to be held at the AWD -JVSC Office Juez Andres St. Zone IV Poblacion,, Atimonan, Quezon, Philippines 9. Submission and Opening of February 7, 2022 (until 10:00 Comparative Proposals shall be Comparative Proposal am only) addressed to: ACTIVITY

EVELYN A. VERDAGUER Chairman - JVSC ATIMONAN WATER DISTRICT

For any queries and/or clarifications, please address your communication in writing to the Chairperson of AWD -JVSC at the address indicated above and email the same to atimonan_ water@yahoo.com AWD reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, waive any minor deviations, and award the contract for the JV Project to the IPP whose financial proposal is the best among the qualified interested private proponent/s whose technical proposals are complying.

All proposals must be accompanied by a Proposal Security in the form as required by the government entity which may be cash, certified check, manager’s check, letter of credit, or bank draft/guarantee issued by a reputable local/foreign bank, or surety bond callable on demand issued by GSIS or an entity duly registered and recognized by the office of the Insurance Commissioner, or a combination thereof payable to the Government Agency concerned equivalent to 2% of the estimated participation of the Original Proponent, amounting to Three Million Three Hundred Seventy Four Thousand Three Hundred Nine Pesos (PhP3,374,309.75).

AWD assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any IPP for expenses incurred in the preparation of the comparative proposals.

(SGD) EVELYN A. VERDAGUER JVSC Chairman (MS-OCT. 15, 2021)

% CHANGE CHANGE -0.95 -11.95%

A vendor waits for customers at a market in Beijing on October 14, 2021. China’s factory inflation hit its highest level in a quarter of a century on surging commodity costs last month. (Story below). AFP

US firms struggling with supply woes

By Juliette Michel NEW YORK—Wayne Sosin of Worksman Cycles says he has tried everything since the pandemic began to find a way to make and deliver his bikes.

He has been looking for a container to send a shipment to Saudi Arabia for the last six weeks to no avail so far.

That’s not even to mention his tire supplier who expects a year-long wait. Nor the price of shipping a container from Asia to the United States, which has risen from about $6,000 to $25,000 or even $30,000.

“We are not dealing with it very easily,” said the 60-something, whose New Yorkbased company made a name for itself with industrial and delivery tricycles.

Between factory closures due to the coronavirus, an explosion in demand for certain products such as bicycles and computers, and personnel shortages at warehouses and in the truck-driving industry, COVID has disrupted the global economy.

Many companies are struggling just to simply get supplies. And global multinational behemoths have not been spared.

Nike has warned that some of its products, among them shoes and sportswear, may temporarily be unavailable.

To insure that shelves are stocked for the holidays, Walmart meanwhile has chartered its own ships.

For small business owners, however, the logistical challenges are diminutive in scale, but still just as nightmarish.

Higher bills Jack Hillman is the manager of Hall-Woolford, a company that has been manufacturing wooden tanks for liquid storage in Philadelphia since 1854 and now employs about 10 people.

At the beginning of the year, he had to deal with the soaring price of wood, which has since come down in the United States.

Now he must contend with iron however, which he uses for the metal bars that encircle the tanks, helping hold them together.

Iron orders usually arrive in eight weeks.

However the last one took more than five months.

“When the truck came in, it was not even a full load, but we still had to pay for it. We have no choice,” he said.

His suppliers no longer bother to quote a price.

He searched for three months before placing his last order of white pine boards: “There just was none available, no matter where you look.” AFP A cargo ship moves towards the Bayonne Bridge as it heads into port on October 13, 2021 in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Surging inflation and supply chain snarls are disrupting global economic recovery.

AFP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

GLO MONDE CNVRG JFC ACEN AC ICT ALI MBT SMPH

VOLUME 248,480 43,906,900 19,256,400 2,667,280 45,432,400 615,750 2,356,750 10,817,700 7,645,200 7,031,300

VALUE (PHP) 821,311,990 731,700,044 623,998,165 604,013,744 534,483,886 522,814,770 401,586,913 397,818,660 381,744,895 255,585,505

Singapore’s central bank moves to tighten monetary policy SINGAPORE—Singapore’s central bank tightened monetary policy for the first time in three years on Thursday, the latest country to act against inflation as coronavirus-hit economies reopen amid continuing supply chain bottlenecks.

The world’s central bankers are walking a fine line between supporting economic recovery with easy financial conditions while preventing a long-term increase in prices.

The move by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) came as the economy grew 6.5 percent yearon-year in the third quarter, according to preliminary estimates, extending the city-state’s recovery from its worst-ever recession last year due to the pandemic.

Singapore has taken a strategy of living with the virus by ramping up its vaccination rate—currently at around 85 percent—as it opens up the economy and eases travel for those who have been vaccinated.

Inflation has been rising across the world as supply chains struggle to meet surging demand, prompting central banks such as those in New Zealand and South Korea to tighten monetary policy.

“MAS’ move is in response to concerns that inflation globally may stay elevated for longer than what may be currently perceived,” said Song Seng Wun, a regional economist with CIMB Private Banking. AFP

China’s factory inflation increased to 25-year high in September BEIJING, China—China’s factory inflation hit its highest level in a quarter of a century on surging commodity costs last month, with Thursday’s figures fanning concerns that higher prices could filter through supply chains and into the global economy.

The reopening from lockdowns around the world has ramped up demand for energy just as stockpiles are low, made worse by China’s drive to meet environmental goals by slashing emissions targets.

The producer price index (PPI), which measures the cost of goods at the factory gate, hit 10.7 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics

said, marking the biggest jump in its data going back to October 1996.

The index had already hit a 13-year high in August, reflecting a surge in commodity prices—and piling pressure on businesses. Many factories have been forced to halt operations because of power outages caused by emissions reduction targets, the surging price of coal and supply shortages.

Chinese authorities have since ordered mines to expand production, with energy firms told to ensure there are adequate fuel supplies for winter.

“In September, affected by factors such as rising prices of coal and some energy-intensive

industry products, the price increase of industrial products continued to expand,” NBS senior statistician Dong Lijuan said in a statement.

Dong added that among 40 industrial sectors surveyed, 36 saw price hikes—including coal mining, which had a 74.9-percent rise.

For now, there are “few signs” power shortages are feeding into the prices of finished consumer goods, said Sheana Yue, assistant economist at Capital Economics.

The consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of retail inflation, hit 0.7 percent in September, slightly down from August. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

B3

Love wins in Andrea Torres-Kylie Padilla starrer 'BetCin' What is the right mix for a perfect relationship?

That is the question at the center of the new WeTV Original series BetCin, an eight-episode romantic comedy series that starts streaming tonight at 8:00 exclusively on the platform.

In the story, Kylie Padilla and Andrea Torres play a social media celebrity couple in a seemingly perfect relationship, online that is.

Behind the filtered posts, things are

Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones perform in St. Louis, Missouri during the British rock band's 'No Filter' 2021 North American tour.

not so smooth sailing for Beth (Padilla) and Cindy (Torres).

Their differing priorities and needs begin pulling them apart, the gap widening the higher their number of followers, the Umamis, get.

As they figure out what’s next for them, BetCin has been selected as a finalist for “#RelationshipGoals.” The problem is, can they fake it until they make it all for the sake of “likes” and the large cash prize in the end?

Beth and Cindy must find the right

love recipe to convince their Umamis that they are the internet’s sweetest sweethearts.

Joining the colorful cast of BetCin are Elora Españo and Chai Fonacier.

Line-produced by Rein Entertainment Productions, BetCin is directed by Shugo Praico and story creator Fatrick Tabada co-wrote the eight-episode series with writer John Carlo Pacala.

New episodes drop every Friday Kylie Padilla (right) and Andrea Torres play lovers in WeTV original series 'BetCin.' exclusively on WeTV.

Beauty Gonzalez misses Loving Miss Bridgette’s youthful energy

Rolling Stones drops hit ‘Brown Sugar’ from US tour THE Rolling Stones has cut its popular track “Brown Sugar” from its US tour, at least for now, in the wake of criticism over its lyrics referring to slavery.

“You picked up on that, huh?” Keith Richards told the Los Angeles Times in a recent interview when asked about the song’s absence at the British band’s stadium shows.

“I’m trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is. Didn’t they understand this was a song about the horrors of slavery? But they’re trying to bury it.

At the moment I don’t want to get into conflicts,” the superstar told the paper.

“I’m hoping that we’ll be able to resurrect the babe in her glory somewhere along the track,” Richards, 77, added.

The gritty rock chart-topper officially released in 1971 opens with the lyric “Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields” and references beating enslaved people, and sex with young enslaved women.

In recent years magazine critics and others in the industry have criticized the song as “racist,” including one writer for New York Magazine who called the track “gross, sexist, and stunningly offensive toward black women.”

“We’ve played ‘Brown Sugar’ every night since 1970, so sometimes you think, We’ll take that one out for now and see how it goes,” frontman Mick Jagger told the LA Times.

“We might put it back in,” he said, adding “the setlist in a stadium show, it’s kind of a tough one.”

In 1995 Jagger told Rolling Stone magazine that “I never would write that song now.” AFP

S

CREEN star Beauty Gonzalez once experienced being wooed by a much younger man. But she didn’t take it seriously. She thought it was cute but being with a much younger partner has never crossed her mind.

But it’s an entirely different story in “Loving Miss Bridgette,” the opening salvo of the drama anthology Stories from the Heart.

In the episode, which paired 30-year-old Gonzalez with 22-yearold Kelvin Miranda, age seems to not matter as their characters explore the kind of affair some people feel “inappropriate,” considering of course their status in life.

In the story, Miranda is Marcus Villareal, a self-righteous Biology student who is bent on pursuing his counselor. Gonzalez, on the other hand, is Bridgette de Leon, an old-fashioned guidance counselor who is recently annulled and has a chance encounter with Marcus.

As both characters proceed with their undeniable connection, things do

Beauty Gonzalez and Kelvin Miranda embrace the beauty and challenges of a May-December love affair in 'Loving Miss Bridgette.'

not come easy as complications start to arise. Their love has to withstand the demeaning remarks of those who deem their relationship unacceptable.

Asked how Gonzalez relates to her character, the actress just based her answer on how Bridgette is as a person and how she processes things in her mind.

“Well, Bridgette is very hopeful and she always sees the good things in everyone, sa lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay niya. I haven’t experienced being in love with a much younger guy but I can relate to her as a person,” she said.

Today, GMA airs the finale episode of “Loving Miss Bridgette” and Gonzalez

could only reminisce on the fun times she had on the set.

“I will definitely miss the youthful energy and pureness and rawness of puppy love of the story. You can’t plan love, lightning can strike anyone at any time, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Gonzalez said of the series most important takeaway.

The actress is thankful to the viewers that made “Loving Miss Bridgette” one of the most talkedabout series now. She teased them with these parting words alluding to the finale: “Expect the unexpected. It’s a perfect mix of true life and fantasy, of expectations and reality, a closing and perhaps an opening.”

Smart gives subscribers exclusive free access to Apple Music LEADING mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) announced on Thursday that it will be introducing an exclusive six-month free Apple Music subscription for all Smart Prepaid and Smart Postpaid subscribers powered by the country’s fastest mobile network.

Smart customers may claim this by simply logging in to their updated GigaLife App and activating the offer to start enjoying Apple Music’s incredible catalog of 75 million songs, ad-free.

Designed for music lovers, Apple Music offers thousands of songs in immersive Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos providing listeners a revolutionary experience that brings true multidimensional sound and clarity — now with Dynamic Head Tracking capabilities.

Apple Music also offers its full catalog in Lossless Audio so that users can unlock amazing definition and stream songs in their original, uncompromised quality.

This offer is one of the many ways Smart continues to bring amazing digital experiences to those in the Philippines, and enable them to live the Giga Life as they pursue their passions.

“Our partnership with Apple to bring Apple Music to our subscribers is our latest step in bringing them closer to their musical passions. Filipinos are big music lovers, and Apple Music’s massive library and advanced features offer a unique experience that makes listening to our favorite songs more enjoyable and immersive – just the way our favorite artists envisioned them,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart. Read full story on manilastandrad.net Smart has announced that it will be introducing an exclusive six-month free Apple Music subscription for all prepaid and postpaid subscribers.

Celebrating Mars Ravelo’s 105th birth anniversary

Mars Ravelo was a comic book cartoonist and graphic novelist who created (right photo) Captain Barbell, Darna, Lastikman, and other characters that made a great impact on popular culture.

THE 105th birth anniversary of Filipino comics legend Mars Ravelo was commemorated last week, Oct. 9, as we look back on some of his greatest works— from supermen to icons—that proved to be revolutionary in local pop culture.

One of the famed novelist’s greatest creations is the heroine Darna, who is known for her superhuman strength, speed, and agility.

Darna, whose tale has crossed over from comics, to movies, TV series, games, and collectibles, is set to have a fresh adaptation in 2022 under ABSCBN Entertainment, with Jane De Leon

in the titular role and will also star Iza Calzado, Joshua Garcia, and Zaijian Jaranilla.

In May this year, ABS-CBN’s Ravelo Komiks Universe also partnered with Rules of Survival (ROS) for a mobile game collaboration featuring Darna and other popular creations of Ravelo— Captain Barbell who is known for his extraordinary strength and Lastikman who is popular for his shapeshifting and flexibility skills.

Gamers in the Philippines and Cambodia were able to get a glimpse of these characters and their superpowers.

Television viewers also got to witness Lastikman’s exceptional powers in the 2007 top-rating action-dramedy series Lastikman starring Vhong Navarro.

Another well-loved character popularized by the King of Philippine Komiks is the mermaid-turned-human Dyesebel, whose story has been featured in several film and TV adaptations as well.

Anne Curtis starred in the fantasy series Dyesebel, which aired on ABSCBN in 2014.

Apart from Darna, Captain Barbell, Lastikman, and Dyesebel, the legendary novelist was also behind the characters of Kapitan Boom, Varga, Tiny Tony, Dragonna, Flash Bomba, and Maruja, who were also seen on the small screen via ABS-CBN’s Komiks series from 2008 to 2009.

Mom from Davao wins Mrs. Universe Philippines title believe that this is my destiny, God put me in this situation because He knew what’s inside my heart. True beauty is not about looks, it’s all about personality character, and attitude,” said Molero who will compete in Mrs. Universe International 2021 pageant to be held in Seoul, Korea in

Mrs. Universe Philippines' newest queens

CLAUDELINE Cuntapay-Molero, 41, a mother of three from Tagum City, Davao del Norte, was crowned Mrs. Universe-Philippines 2021 by Mrs. Universe Philippines National Director and Mrs. Universe 2020 Maria Charo Calalo during the grand coronation night held at Okada Manila recently.

Molero, an entrepreneur who describes herself as an adventurous catalyst of change, also won Best in Advocacy Video, Mrs. Enagic Ambassadress Mindanao, and Best in National Costume. Her costume was a modern Filipiniana made from vibrant fabrics from the seven Lumad tribes of Davao del Norte with skeletal butterfly sleeves and headdress. It was designed by Mark Joseph Sayad.

“I’m an empowered woman, I’m passionate and I know my worth. I

December.

Crowned Mrs. Universe Philippines Pacific Continental 2021 was Michelle Lucas, 43, a single mother from Rizal. She is a graduate of Interior Design at the University of the Philippines and currently the president of ECOP Rizal.

Ellen Payaoan-Santos of Pangasinan, a Doctors Degree holder in Business and Public Administrations and a licensed Aesthetician was named Mrs. Universe Philippines North Pacific Asia 2021.

Rosemarie Dumadara Koerner of Aurora took the title of Mrs. Universe Philippines Pearl of the Orient 2021. She is the Director of Aurora-Inter Organizational Alliance, an organization of migrants in Aurora and manages Angel’s Residence, a home care facility for the elderly.

Joanna Marie Razon (Muntinlupa City), Heaven Peñaflorida (Makati City), and Monique Cantalejo Rivera (Laguna) were named 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Queens, respectively, while Marissan Conche (Bicol), Sarah Javier (Cavite), and Mutya Kristina Pacis (Valenzuela City) were awarded MrsUPh Luzon 2021, MrsUPh Visayas 2021 and MrsUPh Mindanao 2021,

respectively.

Ambassadress of Health 2021 were Sofia Lee of Negros Orienta and Frenelyn Soloria of Quezon City. Ambassadress of Tourism 2021 were Virgie Chua (Gen. Santos City), Christine Escalante (Manila), and Odezza Ramos Narag (Tarlac). Ambassadress of Education were Rosana Eugenio (Bulacan), Maria Fe Aliba (Baguio City), and Alec Nicole Bathan (Batangas).

••• Aliwan Fiesta Digital Queen 2021 crowned Shanyl Kayle Hofer of Minglanilla, Cebu was named Aliwan Fiesta Digital Queen 2021 during virtual coronation finals held at Cebu Century Plaza Hotel on Saturday, becoming the third consecutive beauty contestant from the Queen City of the South to win in national pageants held recently.

Hofer, a 20-year-old, BS Accountancy major at the University of San Jose - Recoletos, also won Best in Evening Gown for her gorgeous royal blue, strapless gown designed by Jovert Hubahib Redelosa. She succeeded Jannarie Zarzoso of Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte. Aliwan Fiesta Digital Queen 2021 Shanyl Kayle Hofer.

Read full story on manilastandard.net

Life

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

B4

TRAVEL AND LEISUREFASHION AND BEAUTY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

Charmed in Subic A section of the hotel lobby with the cuddly teddy bears that ensure physical distancing.

The hotel’s roof deck swimming pool is heated and offers a spectacular view of the Freeport Zone and its environs.

I

T COULDN’T have come at a better time. I was starting to feel bouts of listless depression resulting from this never-ending quarantine restrictions when my good friend, Pete Dacuycuy, invited me and his other friends to a weekend in Subic. With the recent lowering of the metro’s alert level, freeing people like us from “bondage”, I practically jumped out of my seat and gave him a big YES!

In no time, I found myself and my driver on the expressway en route to SCTEX, the shortest way to Subic. What made this weekend escapade even more fulfilling, aside from the fun activities Pete laid out for us, was that the hotel we stayed at was not only easy to find (just make a right turn after entering the Subic Bay Freeport Zone), it also had a lot of pleasantly unique service attributes that make it stand out from other hotels I have been to.

Le Charmé Suites is a 5-year-old boutique hotel, perfect for families because it has 45 large, functionally designed rooms, each with a balcony overlooking Subic’s business hub. On every floor is a playpen furnished with colorful toys and activity sets to keep the toddlers busy, while making it easy for parents or nannies to watch over them.

Before the pandemic set in, the hotel had a very healthy year-round occupancy rate, running in the high 70s, mostly families and couples from the National Capital Region looking for a more sedate and peaceful environment far away from the metro’s polluted concrete jungle. Now that staycation is once again allowed, the hotel is well on its way to regaining its foothold of the metro’s leisure market.

Josephine Floresca, Le Charmé Suites’ perky and amiable managing director, recalls that, on a two-week visit to Paris, she was fascinated by the beauty of the world’s most romantic city. She decided to deploy her newly found preference for anything French by utilizing tasteful French décor in the hotel and displaying her beautiful handpicked art pieces in its every nook and cranny.

Le Charmé Cafe offers Tsokolate Batirol like my mother used to make.

During our chat, she pointed out that the hotel’s Taiwanese investors, on their first visit to Subic, confided to her that they were charmed by the refreshing and sedate ambience of the area, especially by the relaxing view of the surrounding The hotel’s spacious rooms, each with a balcony, are ideal for families. mountains and lush greenery. That feeling, and her proclivity for anything French, made her decide to give the hotel its name. the massage I felt like a new man! This therapist certainly had As mentioned earlier, the hotel a helpful and effective strategy! has charming qualities that can There are many more of these remarkable hospitality easily captivate any guest. features that make the hotel a class of its own. It has When I entered the lobby, I its own sailboat which could be arranged for guests’ was delighted to see that the exclusive use in case they want to go sailing along lounge seats have cute and Subic Bay. And I was thrilled to discover that the cuddly teddy bears propped hotel’s roof deck swimming pool, which has a up on some positions, instead of the usual, cheapfascinating view of the entire Freeport Zone, is looking giant “X” marks used by other hotels to heated, making it easy for anyone to do several laps ensure physical distancing. any time of the day.

The moment I entered my room, I got a call These and other marks of distinction can easily immediately from the front desk asking me if everything mesmerize any jaded traveler like me. In fact, after in the room was to my liking, and telling me they were having discovered this “estate of French charm, flair, and just a call away if I needed anything else. I found this superb service measures”, I certainly wouldn’t unexpected gesture refreshingly endearing. settle for anything less the next time I visit Subic.

Le Charmé Suites’ effervescent managing The culinary specialties put together by the hotel’s director Josephine Floresca added French Wouldn’t you want to be charmed by Le young chef, Diana Marie Frias, can easily be the flair and charm to Filipino hospitality.

Charme’, as well? Find out more about it at www. favorite of foodies of all ages. I had the opportunity lecharmehotels.com to sample her signature dish, Paella Marinara, and her version of cochinillo, and they were no different from those I tasted in YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE the restaurants of Madrid. And the cheesecake I had for dessert was just as good as that of Eileen’s Special Cheesecake, known WOMAN TO HUSBAND ON HIS LAPTOP: What do you mean “You to make the best cheesecake in forgot where you parked.” You’re shopping online!

New York City!

But what gave me a pleasant surprise was For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com when I found out that the hotel’s Le Charmé Cafe serves Tsokolate Batirol, the way my mother used to make. I felt nostalgic because the last time I had this Filipino breakfast staple was when I was still in high school. The hot chocolates I had through the years The hotel’s hardworking here in Manila or any of chef, Diana Marie Frias the cities abroad never is a role model for creativity. tasted as good as the ones my mother used to make using a batirol and I’m pleased to say that Chef Diana certainly picked up where my mother left off!

Ending the hectic day was also an enjoyable experience.

The hotel employs massage therapists who specialize in the Filipino “Hilot”, which I prefer to the other types of massage.

I valued the style of the therapist who attended to me because she asked me first if I had muscular aches and pains that I wanted her to spend more time on. Naturally, by the end of A colorful and well-equipped children’s playpen is found on every floor.

CURATED CHOICES Check that list, shop early for holiday gifts ONE way to avoid, or at least lessen, the holiday stress is by shopping early. Avoid the crowd, avoid the lines, and have a merry Christmas.

The country’s premier integrated resort, Resorts World Manila (RWM) houses a variety of retail outlets and brands open to shoppers.

Streetwear brand Vans, and classic casual wear Dickies recently opened their retail outlets at RWM. The casual fashion brands’ iconic footwear and apparel are displayed at the Garden Wing on the third floor of Newport Mall.

Other popular brands and shops are also open to cater The latest iPhone is now available for reservation at to everyone’s shopping needs. Mall-goers are assured of The Exclusives. safety within the entire RWM complex, as the Newport RWM has also opened its signature retail outlet, The Mall boasts 100 percent vaccination rate of all retail Exclusives Store, at the ground floor gaming area of the Grand frontliners.

Wing. It carries a curated selection of premium branded items from gadgets to apparel and accessories, as well premium signature delights from RWM’s food outlets.

The premium gift boxes of Marriott Cafe’s popular pastries are available in seven different sets starting at P658 net. For reservations and inquiries, contact 0917-872-8753.

Customers can pay for purchases at The Exclusives Store using RWM membership points, cash, and credit cards.

Those eyeing the newApple iPhone 13 can also place their orders at The Exclusives Store, open daily from 11:00 a.m. to Marriott Cafe’s pastries 10:00 p.m.

Credit card for frequent flyers, promo fare hunters BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific recently launched two credit card products that reward points for flights.

The new Cebu Pacific Gold and Platinum credit cards, in partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank of the Philippines, and Visa, enable “everyJuan to earn Go Rewards points to fly faster” as they get one point for every P100 spent with Cebu Pacific.

If used anywhere else, one point will be earned for every P200 spent.

Credit card holders are eligible to be a Black Card member of Go Rewards, which in turn allows them to get the preferential earn rate of 1 Go Rewards point for every P20 spent (for the base fare and some ancillaries) when flying with Cebu Pacific.

Cardholders will get early alerts for promo fares, and other Go Rewards, UnionBank, and Visa exclusive offers. Platinum cardholders will also gain exclusive access to Pacific Club Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 on top of travel insurance of up to P10 million.

Cardholders get exclusive Those who Unionbank and Visa offers.

Cebu Pacific offers credit cards that earn points for flights.

sign up for a card today until Dec. 31 will receive Go Rewards bonus points which can be used to book a Cebu Pacific flight online. A Gold cardholder will receive 5,000 points, while a Platinum cardholder will get 10,000 points.

In addition to flights, points earned can also be used to purchase essentials.

“We are very happy to announce this partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank, and Visa. Through this, everyJuan will now have easy access to endless valuefor-money deals and rewards – whether for booking those much-awaited trips, or just buying day-to-day needs,” Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience at Cebu Pacific, said in a statement.