Manila Standard - 2021 October 16 - Saturday

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS? Maintenance personnel aboard a gondola decorate a 40-feet tall Christmas tree at the Venice Grand Mall in Taguig City on Friday, October 15, 2021. Several business establishments are preparing to either reopen or increase their capacity as the National Capital Region shifts to a less stringent Alert Level 3 today (Saturday). Danny Pata

VOL. XXXV • NO. 243 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Not so fast: Xmas parties still uncertain

By Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo THE Department of Health (DOH) expects a happier Yuletide season this year, but it cannot say for certain whether it will allow Christmas parties despite the downtrend in COVID-19 numbers, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said Friday.

Vergeire warned that such gatherings would only put attendees at risk of contracting the disease.

“Now when we talk about parties, we know that this will comprise of gatherings, crowding, close contact, sometimes in enclosed spaces, so Next page

1,000 minors first to get vax DOH targets 1.2m kids with comorbidities, general pediatric group next

By Willie Casas and Joel E. Zurbano

ORE than 1,000 adolescents with comorbidities were vaccinated against COVID-19 Friday as the government began inoculating minors against the respiratory disease.

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Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said if the vaccination for adolescents with comorbidities is successful, the rollout will be expanded to the general pediatric age group.

The Health department estimates there are about 1.2 million children with

comorbidities between 12 and 17 years old nationwide.

Some 1,031 adolescents were vaccinated as of 4 p.m. Friday.

Most of them received their shots at the Philippine Heart Center, Makati Medical Next page

Booster shots for persons with immune illness eyed

2,705,792 7,625 40,424

78,999 203

2,586,369 13,363 (As of 4 PM, OCTOBER 15)

By Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Alena Mae S. Flores THE country is planning to give immunocompromised individuals their third vaccine dose against COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

“We just need to wait. Of course, we will need an emergency use authorization or EUA from the Food and Drug Administration before we can start implementing the recommendation,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing.

DOH's announcement came after the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that immunocompromised Next page

Over a thousand kids with comorbidities were the first to receive COVID-19 vaccine jabs on Friday, October 15, 2021. This young boy at the Pasig City Children’s Hospital bravely waits for his turn to get inoculated.

Tulfo tops Senate hopefuls survey

By Vito Barcelo ONLY one out of the eight senatorial bets endorsed by President Duterte in the coming 2022 national elections made it to the so-called “Magic 12” in a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations that was topped by broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo.

PAGASA declares start of La Niña

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Half of Filipinos wary of being critical of gov't

WEATHER STEEL yourself, La Niña is here and is likely to persist until the first quarter of 2022, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

La Niña, a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America, is considered the counterpart to El Nino, which is characterized by unusually w a r m o c e a n temperatures

The survey, commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute Inc., found that 57 percent of adult Filipino respondents picked Tulfo as their top senatorial candidate, followed by comebacking senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda in second and third place, respectively.

By Vito Barcelo

PROTEST ACTION. Members of the Health Alliance for Democracy hold a noise barrage outside the Philippine General Hospital on Friday, October 15, 2021, to demand that the government prioritize the budget of the Health department in next year's capital outlay. Danny Pata

ALMOST half of Filipinos believe it is dangerous to print or broadcast anything critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, even if it is the truth, according to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS).

The survey, conducted between September 12 and 16, found 45 percent of adult Filipinos agree that it is dangerous to criticize the current administration while only 19 percent disagree.

However, the SWS survey also

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CHED FORMS IN-PERSON ‘EXPERT GROUP’ NEWS / A2

Romualdez thanks solons for budget OK

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Friday credited teamwork and cooperation of his colleagues on the final amendments of the proposed 2022 P5.024 trillion General Appropriations Bill for 2022 designed to rebuild the economy and defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House is expected to transmit to the Senate the money measure on Oct. 27.

“Thank you to the leaders and members of the House of Representatives led by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco for working very hard in crafting a responsive and relevant national budget, which would address the needs of the country in recovering from the effects of the pandemic,” said Romualdez, representative of Leyte's first district and chairman of the House committee on rules.

House committee on appropriations chairman and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Next page

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News

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ched forms in-person ‘expert group’

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individuals should be given an additional dose against the virus.

Vergeire also clarified that booster shots are given when immunity is starting to wane after several months from receiving the vaccine.

Additional doses, or the third doses, are given to individuals who cannot mount the appropriate immunity against the sickness.

“For example, third doses, or those who could not mount appropriate immunity are our immunocompromised individuals and, of course, we are also considering our senior citizens,” said Vergeire.

“Now, when it comes to boosters, we need a study that proves that the immunity of an individual is really going down for them to receive a booster shot,” she said.

Vergeire had said that there is no evidence yet proving that booster shots may provide complete protection against COVID-19.

Vergeire also clarified that the DOH is not opposed to booster shots.

A former adviser to the government said instead of vaccinating children age 12 to 17, the government should give booster shots to health care workers.

"The kids are at home and they are low risk," said Anthony Leachon, a former advisor to the National Task Force on COVID-19, in an interview on CNN Philippines.

The vaccination of minors, he said, should wait until the first quarter of 2022.

"Health care workers must be given additional protection," Leachon said.

Despite being fully vaccinated, health care workers still got sick as many of them were directly exposed to COVID-19 patients.

Some studies showed that the efficacy of the vaccines wane six months after a person is fully vaccinated, he said.

He said this was particularly true of medical frontliners who were vaccinated with China’s Sinovac vaccine.

Also on Friday, the Japanese government said it will donate 1.96 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to the Philippines, on top of the more than 1 million doses it delivered in July 2021.

Japan Ambassador to Manila Kazuhiko Koshikawa said this is to help the country boost its efforts to save lives and curb the spread of COVID-19.

“With a total of over 3 million doses, we hope this will boost efforts to end the pandemic and save more lives," he said on Twitter Friday. "Japan continues to support the Philippines' fight vs. COVID-19."

The Japanese Embassy in Manila said the latest aid would be shipped to the Philippines in batches before October ends, which would bring its total vaccine donation to the country to 3.08 million doses.

Meanwhile, the presidential adviser for entrepreneurship said higher vaccination rates of local government units (LGUs) would allow more business to open. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

CHED chairman Prospero de Vera told ABS-CBN News the guidelines were aimed at allowing higher education institutions to open limited in-person classes for all degree programs, adding in the interview this would only be implemented in schools and areas with high vaccination rates and low COVID-19 incidence.

"We have created an experts group to

draft the guidelines for this second option.

This second option could be released

by January if the rate of vaccinations is good,” he said.

De Vera added schools must have good "working relationships" with their respective local government units for them to be allowed to open limited inperson classes.

He said October and November would be "crucial" as the commission would closely monitor vaccinations in colleges and universities.

"We require them to do an inventory of their students, faculty, and employees who are vaccinated; they report regularly to our regional office. And then we target those that have low vaccination rates to determine if it is an issue of supply," De Vera said.

"For example, if the vaccine supply is low, we help them through (vaccine czar) Sec. Charlie Galvez to move some supply to the area. Or if it is because they are not very closely coordinated with local

1,000...

Center, St. Luke's Hospital, Philippine Children Medical Center, National Children's Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Pasig City Children’s Hospital, Fe Del Mundo Medical Center, and Philippine General Hospital.

Duque also denied the notion that the formulation of the COVID-19 vaccines for children had changed.

“That notion is wrong because the vaccines we import have been studied and really tested to be safe and of good quality, it's still free and will provide protection,” Duque said in Filipino on radio dzBB. Duque said adverse reactions among the vaccinated population were very low, representing only 0.006 percent of all those inoculated.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency use authorization to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for use on those aged 12 to 17 years old.

On Thursday night, the Philippines

received another shipment of Pfizer vaccines allotted for minors.

A total of 1,015,560 doses of government-procured vaccine doses arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 3 Thursday evening.

Of this shipment, 76,050 doses were delivered immediately to Cebu City via Air Hong Kong flight LD-457 while 77,220 were sent to Davao City onboard Philippine Airlines flight PR -809.

The 862,290 doses were offloaded at Manila airport and were immediately shipped to a cold-chain facility for temporary storage.

The latest vaccine delivery will be deployed to local government units in Metro Manila for the vaccination of minors, while the rest of the supply will be shipped to Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.

“Vaccinating our children is a way for them to be able to resume in-person schooling, which is very important for their futures and the future of our

countries,” said US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Heather Variava following the arrival of the vaccines.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., encouraged LGUs to scale up their vaccination rates.

“I’m encouraging all different LGU to be creative and coordinate with the military, stakeholders, and also the private sector so that you can use the malls, hospitals, sports centers, and you can use any facility that can be used as a vaccination center,” Galvez said.

Beginning this October, the country is expected to receive 11 million doses of Pfizer vaccines per month as part of the 40 million doses the country has secured from the American pharmaceutical firm.

As of Oct. 14, a total of 88,706,560 COVID-19 vaccine doses from various vaccine manufacturers have arrived in the Philippines.

government needs to identify which localities still have a high positivity rate, so more tests can be conducted in these areas.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reported that NCR has vaccinated 78 percent of its eligible population, but it is far from the 90 percent needed to achieve herd immunity.

Metro Manila will shift to a more relaxed alert level status from Oct. 16 to 31 after a steady decline in new cases.

But Vergeire said COVID-19 alert levels are not appealable, as these are set based on metrics.

“First of all, we need to understand that the alert levels are determined by the DOH. These are not subject to discussion or debate. This is not subject to appeals,” Vergeire said during a media forum.

“The alert levels are classifications based on metrics, scientific metrics that we have,” she said.

Vergeire issued the remark amid the concerns of healthcare workers that the downgrading of the Alert Level 4 in the National Capital Region (NCR) was done too early.

In an interview on radio dzBB on Friday, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said the government has identified local government units outside NCR that will be under the alert level system.

“We have identified local governments outside NCR where the alert level system will be started,” he said.

Vergeire said the alert level in the NCR was lowered because metrics in NCR already “warranted the deescalation.”

The Philippines logged 7,625 new

COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 2,705,792.

There were 203 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 40,424.

The DOH also reported 13,363 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,586,369.

There were 78,999 active cases, of which 80.6 percent were mild, 6.4 percent were asymptomatic, 1.7 percent were critical, 3.9 percent were severe, and 7.38 percent were moderate.

Nationwide, 66 percent of ICU beds, 49 percent of isolation beds, 49 percent of ward beds, and 47 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 64 percent of ICU beds, 39 percent of isolation beds, 46 percent of ward beds, and 48 percent of ventilators, were in use.

Also on Friday, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases revised the list of countries under the Red, Green and Yellow category, as well as the testing and quarantine protocols for arriving passengers, Malacanang said.

IATF spokesman Harry Roque said Romania is the only country that has been included in the red list.

On the other hand, there are around 49 states and jurisdictions on the green list, Roque said.

Included in the green list are Algeria, American Samoa, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China (Mainland), Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Eritrea, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Kiribati, Madagascar, Mali,

Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu and Yemen.

All other countries and jurisdictions not mentioned are classified as Yellow List.

In addition, the IATF streamlined and codified testing and quarantine protocols for international arriving passengers entering the Philippines.

The testing and quarantine protocols for Green List are as follows: First, for fully vaccinated foreign nationals, a negative RT-PCR test shall be required to be taken within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. Upon arrival, no facility-based quarantine will be further required but the passenger is enjoined to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day.

Second, for fully vaccinated overseas Filipino workers or non-overseas Filipino workers, they can choose facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken in the quarantine facility upon arrival, or no facilitybased quarantine after getting a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin but the passenger is enjoined to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

will do to help our country recover from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic."

“We believe the House delivered a budget that directly responds to the greatest needs of the Filipino people amid this unprecedented global health crisis.”

Velasco said the lower chamber’s version of the budget measure included institutional amendments designed to help boost the government’s COVID-19 response, as well as upgrade the assets of the Philippine Air Force and fund state universities and colleges in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The institutional amendments were vetted and approved by the five-member committee formed by the House to consolidate individual amendments on the proposed 2022 national budget as contained in House Bill 10153.

The panel was composed of Committee on Appropriations Chair Eric Yap, Majority Leader Romualdez, Committee on Ways and Means Chair Joey Salceda, Deputy Minority Leader Stella Luz Quimbo, and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman.

Velasco thanked the committee for “painstakingly putting together the amendments introduced by individual members in order to create the highest quality budget.”

In line with its commitment to give higher spending priority to health care, Velasco said the House is providing the Department of Health additional funding of P29.5 billion for procurement of more COVID-19 vaccines, providing medical assistance to indigent patients, and ensuring special risk allowance of public and private health workers. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

PAGASA..

La Niña is usually associated with above normal rainfall conditions over most parts of the country.

Cayanan said adverse impacts were likely over the vulnerable areas.

Meanwhile, weather specialist Ana Clauren said the southwest monsoon or "habagat" has weakened, prompting PAGASA to declare that the "habagat season" is officially over.

"So (the country) is now in the transition period towards what we call the northeast monsoon or 'amihan' season.

Gradual cooling is expected in the coming days and weeks," she said.

Despite the onset of La Niña, Clauren said no tropical cyclone is forecast to affect the country in the next two to three days.

But she noted that PAGASA was monitoring the situation and urged local government units to prepare for possible impacts of La Niña.

Of the eight administration bets, only former Public Works secretary Mark Villar was included in the preferred senatorial candidate for the 2022 polls, while five incumbent senators made it into the “Magic 12.”

Aside from Escudero, Legarda and Villar -- who all got 41 percent and were statistically tied -- Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano placed fifth with 38 percent followed by Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri at sixth place with 34 percent, and former senator Jinggoy Estrada at seventh place with 29 percent.

The survey also listed senator Francisco Pangilinan, who is vying for the vice presidency in the 2022 polls and ranked eighth with 28 percent, while TV host and comedian Willie Revillame, who is not running, and Senator Risa Hontiveros were statistically tied with 25 percent each.

Other possible senatorial winners are reelectionist Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Duterte administration critic Sen. Richard Gordon who received 21 percent for the 11th and 12th place, respectively.

The survey was conducted from September 12 to 16, 2021, using face-toface interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide.

only 33 percent agreed, while 29 percent disagreed, for a record-low net agreement of a neutral +3.

Net agreement rose to a strong +39 in May 1986 and reached its all-time high of a very strong +63 in March 1987.

It averaged +33 during the administration of Cory Aquino, +38 in the time of Fidel Ramos, +41 in the time of Joseph Estrada, +34 in the time of Gloria Arroyo, and +32 in the time of Noynoy Aquino.

The poll survey was conducted almost three weeks before Filipino journalist Maria Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ressa is a critic of Duterte's anti-

illegal drug campaign that reportedly summarily killed thousands of suspected drug pushers in 2016.

The statement, “It is dangerous to print or broadcast anything critical of the administration, even if it is the truth,” was highest in the Visayas (+31), followed by Balance Luzon (+28), Mindanao (+23), and Metro Manila (+17).

On the other hand, net agreement with the statement, “I can say anything I want, openly and without fear, even if it is against President Duterte,” was highest in Metro Manila (+30), followed

by Balance Luzon (+19), the Visayas (+19), and Mindanao (+15).

N EXPERTS group of educators has been set up by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to craft guidelines for a "second option" on limited faceto-face classes for all degree programs.

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Center, St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City, and Pasig City Children's Hospital.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said children seeking vaccination must get a clearance from their doctors and give their consent and assent. She advised parents to register their children through their local government units.

“Vaccination will not proceed if the doctor finds that the child cannot be immunized or if the parents or the child do not want it,” Vergeire said in Filipino.

Minors, she said, must be accompanied by a parent during the vaccination.

Duque assured parents that the vaccines being used on their children were safe, quality vaccines.

Pilot vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 began with eight hospitals starting Friday. These were Makati Medical

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there is a possibility that people will get sick,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The independent OCTA Research Group recently announced that all cities in the National Capital Region are now at moderate risk for COVID-19.

Citing the lowered risk, OCTA fellow Guido David said Christmas parties could be held this year provided that all the attendees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, a former adviser to the National Task Force on COVID-19 warned that the National Capital Region could experience a rebound in COVID-19 cases once it shifts from Alert Level 4 to Level 3 on Oct. 16.

Speaking in an interview over CNN Philippines, Anthony Leachon said Metro Manila is not ready yet to ease quarantine restrictions and increase business capacity due to its high positivity rate.

While the positivity rate in the capital region has declined from 29 percent to 14 percent, Leachon said it is still far from the below 5 percent target set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"We need to put the positivity rate below 5 percent and increase vaccination rate to at least 70 percent," he said.

"That's the time we can open our economy or else we'll have trouble in terms of having a rebound in the next few weeks," he added.

The former president of the Philippine College of Physicians also said the

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Eric Yap earlier bared P65.5-billion worth of realignments by the small committee in the national budget, includeing P20-billion for the procurement of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines and booster shots and P4.5 billion for healthcare workers’ special risk allowance.

Romualdez, president of the LakasChristian Muslim Democrats, said the House pushed for amendments that would address the country’s need for COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, health concerns to improve the capacity to respond to pandemic and other diseases, and other items such as financial assistance to ensure that the poor and most vulnerable sectors will have access to government resources.

“The small committee did painstaking work to ensure that the national budget that we are about to transmit to the Senate will pass the legal and constitutional test,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said it was also wise for the Duterte administration to anchor the economic recovery on a massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which is now picking up steam.

“We are on the right track in recognizing mass vaccination as the key to economic rebound. Despite limited global supply, our vaccination is picking up steam and is getting the results that we wanted for our economy,” Romualdez added.

Meanwhile, Speaker Velasco said: “We are very proud of this budget and what it

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in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean.

PAGASA Deputy Administrator Esperanza Cayanan, in a virtual press conference, Friday said: "Recent oceanic and atmospheric conditions indicate La Niña has developed in the tropical Pacific.”

She said four to six tropical cyclones are expected to enter or develop in the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

Most of these are landfalling tropical cyclones, forecast to enhance the northeast monsoon and trigger floods, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides over susceptible areas, particularly in the eastern section of the country which normally receives greater amounts of rainfall at this time of the year.

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found 42 percent agree that they can say anything they want, openly and without fear, even if it is against Duterte.

In the May 2021, June 2021, and September 2021 surveys, the statement tested by SWS was, “I can say anything I want, openly and without fear, even if it is against President Duterte.”

The statement, “I can say anything I want, openly and without fear, even if it is against the administration” was first tested by SWS in July 1985, during the Marcos regime, and found

governments, we also push them or we talk to the local governments so they can work together."

Last month, CHED allowed the expansion of limited face to face classes for those pursuing Hotel and Restaurant Management, engineering, tourism, and maritime courses.

Students in Medicine and allied health courses were permitted to conduct limited in-person classes in January.

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

Booster...

Tulfo...

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY Republic

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

News

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

VILLAR CALLS FOR AID

‘More cash for farmers’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

D

UE to the huge damage to agriculture, estimated to reach more than P600 million, by tropical storm Maring that battered some areas of the country, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar cited the urgent need of cash aid to Filipino farmers there.

Based on the latest data from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Maring affected 29,063 farmers and fishers, with a volume of production loss at 36,354 metric tons (MT).

The storm also damaged 32,882 hectares of agricultural areas in Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas. Villar also noted that low palay prices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the need to provide financial aid to farmers whose lives and income were 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, moved to institutionalize giving to rice farmers the excess collections from the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) collection of the Bureau of

Customs (BOC).

“The Cash Assistance for Filipino Rice Farmers Act of 2020 recommends that any amount in excess of the P10-B RCEF collection by the BOC shall automatically be given as cash assistance to rice farmers who are tilling 2 hectares or less of rice land, which is estimated at 1.673 million as listed in the Registry System of Basic Sectors (RSBS),” said Villar.

This financial subsidy to farmers, Villar noted, is pursuant to the mandate of Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law. Villar said Filipino rice farmers are facing the many challenges brought about by the liberalization of rice importation in 2019, the series of destructive typhoons that hit their farms, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I strongly believe that our farmers need more support and assistance to cope up with the several challenges, especially now that we are in a pandemic, and their health is also at risk,” she said.

PRIMEWATER BOOST. PrimeWater Mabalacat Branch Manager Engr. Maria Lourdes Galvez (second from left) and Barangay Dolores Captain Jerry Tanglao (fourth from left) lead the ribbon cutting for the unveiling of the Dolores Pumping Station, as over 1,500 connections will benefit from the enhanced availability of sufficient water supply especially during peak hours. Also pictured (from left) are PrimeWater Mabalacat Technical Head Lea Jo Tagaroma; Galvez; Mabalacat City Water District General Manager Engr. Hector Aguilar; Tanglao; and Mabalacat City Water District Board of Director Dr. Prospero Lagman.

If elected QC mayor, solon vows to scrap land tax hike

By Maricel V. Cruz

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.

C.

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.

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.

11.

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

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.

1)

Properly accomplished bid form;

2)

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

3)

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

4)

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

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

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

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

A PARTY-LIST legislator on Friday vowed to scrap increased taxes on residential, commercial, and industrial lots in Quezon City if he is elected mayor in the May 2022 elections.

“Our people are already struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic, with many workers finding it hard to support their families’ daily needs. We should not add to their financial burden,” Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said.

Currently, Defensor said the land tax increase is just suspended until December 2022, under a city council ordinance signed by Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“They should discard that imposition permanently. If they do not do it,

I and my vice-mayor partner Winnie Castelo will do it,” he said.

The mayoral candidate added that the city government “should not overburden our residents with additional taxes in the next few years, when we expect to still grapple with the raging health crisis.”

He noted that Quezon City residents are already paying increased taxes on homes, apartments, buildings, and other improvements on their land.

“We can afford to forego the additional levy on land as a way of giving back to our taxpayers. The city has enough revenues for its projects, programs and its workforce,” Defensor stressed.

He said the scrapping of the increase would benefit all residents, from small property owners to businessmen, and even renters.

Malaysian caught doing shabu; US fugitive nabbed in Ortigas

By Jess Malabanan and Vito Barcelo ANGELES CITY – A Malaysian visitor and seven of her Filipino friends were arrested by anti-illegal drugs operatives following a bust in the entertainment district at Sto. Nino, Barangay Balibago here Thursday.

The suspects were identified as Misa Aleha Asen, 45, a transient Malaysian staying in one of the hotels here; Stephanie Emaas, 31; Jordan Corpin De La Cruz,30; Melanio Manaois Leyva, 57; Edmundo Valderama Monzor, 62; Mark Anthony Pasukin, 31; Jonel Ligayu Salvador, 30; and Aurelio Ibanez Naigui, 60, all residents of Balibago.

Glenn Guillermo, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 3 information officer, said residents in the community tipped anti-narcotics operatives on suspicious individuals believed to be engaging in illegal drugs in one of the houses along Sto Nino Street.

In another development, Bureau of Immigration operatives arrested an American fugitive wanted in the United States for committing numerous crimes, including abuse of a minor in New York City.

The fugitive, identified as Francisco Loreno, was arrested in a hotel in Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, following a mission order issued by BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021

Presidential bets unveil senatorial slates for next year’s elections

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta VICE President Leni Robredo on Friday announced six more candidates in her Senate slate in the 2022 elections.

She said lawyer Alex Lacson; reelectionist- Senators. Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Joel Villanueva; Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, and former vice president Jejomar Binay are joining the lineup of her previous senatorial bets.

Earlier, Robredo said ex-senator Antonio Trillanes IV; re-electionist Senators Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Leila de Lima; lawyer Chel Diokno, and ex-Ifugao representative Teddy Baguilat were joining her team.

“This is just consistent with what we have been pushing for a very long time already. We have long been working for this — to unify as many people as possible coming from diverse backgrounds not just in politics but sometimes in beliefs,” she said, adding that “willingness to unite” has been a key factor why they chose to run under one team.

Robredo is an independent candidate who is being backed by the opposition Liberal Party and coalition 1Sambayan. “Those we have chosen as guest candidates were among the very first who responded to our call for unity,” she said.

Duterte to lead Bato-Go poll roadshow

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will lead the kick-off of PDP Laban’s roadshow in Iligan City on Saturday to promote the candidacy of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Sen. Christopher “Lawrence” Bong Go and endorse the local candidates of the administration party.

“We will be in Iligan City tomorrow for a dialogue with our local candidates and local leaders to promote the candidacy of Sen. Bato and Sen. Bong Go,” said Atty. Melvin Matibag, PDP Laban Secretary-General, at the virtual Friday News Forum.

Also taking part in the roadshow are members of the senatorial lineup of PDP Laban, according to Matibag.

“It would be like a political rally that would include acknowledgment and raising of the hands of our official candidates in local posts, new members would take their oath, and everyone would be given a chance to give their commitment to support the candidates of the party,” Matibag explained.

Some 250 individuals, consisting of local candidates, local officials, and local leaders of PDP Laban in Iligan and nearby areas.

He stressed that PDP Laban will comply with the necessary health and safety protocols as called for under the existing quarantine restriction level in the area.

“The area (we chose) is quite big but we will limit the capacity under the (existing) protocol. There would also be antigen testing, especially that the chairman of the party, the President (Rodrigo Duterte) will be there, so we will be very strict,” Matibag said.

News

PRESIDENTIAL BETS. Senator Ralph Recto endorses Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso with his vice-presidential running mate

Dr. Willie Ong, and their senatorial canditates on Friday. (Inset) Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan introduce their senatorial slate for the 2022 elections in a joint press conference on Friday. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon will serve as the senatorial slate’s campaign manager. Norman Cruz

Leni-Pacman tandem ‘possible’

S

ENATOR Manny Pacquiao, who will be running for president in next year’s elections is “open” to teaming up and joining forces with Vice President Leni Robredo who is also vying for the post.

In interviews with local media outfits, Pacquiao said “anything can happen” and “anything’s possible” until Nov. 15.

Pacquiao also said he is “open” to running as Robredo’s vice president if this will increase the chance of their tandem winning against candidates being backed by President Duterte.

However, Pacquiao also said he is “happy” with former Manila mayor Lito Atienza running as his vice president.

“Hanggang hindi pa tapos ang November 15, anything can happen, possible sa lahat ng mangyayari. Hindi tayo nag-close ng door hanggang nandyan pa ‘yan pero happy ako sa aking Vice President ngayon si Lito Atienza.” (An-

ything can happen until November 15, anything’s possible. We are not closing our doors, but I am happy with my vice presidential running mate, Lito Atienza.),” Pacquiao, quoted in an ABS-CBN News Channel interview said.

The Commission on Elections has earlier set Nov. 15 as the deadline for political parties to “replace” or “substitute” their candidates in the local and national polls in 2022.

Also joining the presidential race are Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., the only son, and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

Pacquiao and Robredo have both

filed their certificates of candidacies, although the two camps have met in the past to discuss the possibility to field a “unified ticket” in 2022.

Robredo, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration’s so-called “war on drugs,” promised to anchor her platform on “competence and integrity.”

Robredo was earlier endorsed by the 1Sambayan coalition, which pushed for a united opposition running against Duterte’s hand-picked successor. But in her talks with other opposition candidates, she said she encountered basic differences and principles, especially on how to run the country.

Pacquiao, immediately after retiring from professional boxing, announced his intention to run as president and was reportedly the first to file his candidacy. He has vowed to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the hopes of allowing the Philippine economy to recover.

Netizens decry alleged deception in online survey

By Rey E. Requejo VLOGGERS and several netizen groups have denounced Rappler’s alleged deception for manipulating a survey on Facebook to influence netizens’ perception of support for presidential aspirants in the 2022 elections, according to a statement from the camp of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This came after Rappler launched a presidential survey on the said social media platform, assigning the different emoticons for reacting to posts to the presidential as-

pirants in the list to signify a vote.

The “wow” emoticon was assigned to Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standardbearer Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. while the “heart” was assigned to independent candidate Leni Robredo. The “Laugh” emoticon, to Panfilo Lacson, “Like” emoticon to Isko Moreno and the “Care” emoticon to Manny Pacquiao.

Rappler’s alleged manipulation was discovered after a netizen uploaded on Tiktok, another social media platform, a video of him checking out the emoti-

cons hit for each of the candidates.

In the video uploaded, the total number of votes cast for Robredo was already 161 thousand while Marcos only had 87 thousand.

Vlogger Kasangga Jay said that this was another attempt by the “biased” media outfit to deceive the public.

“It’s sad to think that this biased press, biased media is fooling us again because in their survey its content seems questionable or strange. If the truth will prevail, this nation will rise again,” he said.

MANGALDAN MAYOR GETS AWARD FROM DOH.

Mangaldan, Pangasinan Mayor Marilyn DG Lambino received an award from the Department of Health (DOH), through its Center for Health Development 1, as a champion of Disaster Risk Reduction Management on Health (DRRM-H).

The recognition was given as part of this year’s observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month.

The town also received first aid kits and supplies for the Mangaldan Municipal Health Office (MHO).

Lambino thanked the hardworking men and women behind DRRM-H of Mangaldan who tirelessly work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Their passion and commitment to serve our community is very laudable. We achieve this because of them,” Lambino said adding that her top priority during her term is the health aspect.

The mayor added that the award will serve as an inspiration and challenge to further enhance and strengthen the town’s disaster response services and programs that are

By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said he is grateful that three presidential aspirants in the May 9, 2022 elections listed him as a guest candidate in their respective senatorial slates.

“I would like to thank Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Senator Ping Lacson for including me as a guest candidate in their respective senatorial slates,” said Binay in a statement.

“Our task is to rebuild our country and restore the dignity of every Filipino. The pandemic has made responding to this challenge even more urgent, and unity more compelling.

We need to build the broadest unity possible for the sake of our children, grandchildren, and future generations,” he added.

If elected, Binay said he will prioritize helping the four million Filipinos who lost their jobs, the over three million families who are experiencing hunger, and the thousands of small businesses who had no choice but to close down during the health crisis brought by coronavirus disease 2019.

He will also help the government to improve the health care system.

Inday Sara no longer expected to run as president

By Maricel V. Cruz

related to health issues.

The MHO aims to continue to bring closer to the community the services that are appropriate in response to health needs, particularly in the disaster response.

Isko is ‘adopted son’ of Lipa City

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

MONUMENT. In commemoration of the 121st founding anniversary of the National University (NU) and the 144th birthday NU founder Mariano Fortunato Jhocson, officials, faculty, and employees unveil Jhocson’s monument at M.F. Jhocson Street, Sampaloc Manila. Danny Pata

Binay grateful for support of 3 prexy bets

MANILA Mayor and presidential aspirant Francisco “Isko Moreno” Moreno is now an “adopted son” of Lipa City, Batangas.

Political leaders from the vote-rich province of Batangas expressed their support for Domagoso and his running mate Dr. Willie Ong. The legislative council of Lipa City also recognized Domagoso for “his invaluable assistance to the people of Batangas during the Taal Volcano eruption on January 12, 2020, and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Domagoso was described as “a public servant for almost three decades,

who has been decisive and resilient in his governance to hurdle the challenges posed by (the) COVID-19 health crisis thereby saving many lives of our countrymen and encouraging other local leaders to follow his template.”

Lipa City has also become a sister city of Manila. A separate resolution authorizing Lipa City Mayor Eric Africa to enter into a sister city relationship with Manila said “the City of Lipa shall learn from the best practices of the City of Manila, which has been recognized for implementing innovative, proactive, and effective policies that greatly improved local governance and the delivery of services.”

A STALWART of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) on Friday said the party is no longer expecting Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to change her mind and join the May 2022 presidential race.

In a television interview, the party’s secretary general, Deputy Speaker, and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, said: “after so many conversations, not anymore.”

He said the Lakas-CMD would respect the decision of the President’s daughter and the party is no longer pursuing further talks with her camp after it did “before the last day of the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC).”

The Commission on Elections set on October 8, 2021, the last day of COC filing for the next year’s national elections.

Duterte-Carpio has said she is seeking reelection in the May 2022 elections, despite persistent calls from her supporters to seek the presidency.

On the final day of filing of COC, Duterte-Carpio’s supporters trooped to the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City to urge the mayor to run for president and succeed her father.

Opinion The battle is in the communities on social media; this simply would not do because we are only mostly dealing with those from classes A, B, and C and neglecting those in D and E who are rarely online.

Because of how social media functions, it is likely that we are only reaching our echo chambers. So, even if our timeline becomes a sea of pink, this does not necessarily mean that those outside of our circles are also turn“THE battle is in the communities, not so- ing pink, especially those who are not using cial media.” This is a line that I often repeat the internet – a sizable number of the voting especially to friends who are actively in- population. volved in electoral politics. This is primariSocial media platforms feed us with what ly borne out of our decades of involvement we want to see. This likely does not reflect the with women and their communities. bigger reality. The real battle is outside of it.

Now, there are interesting data that support We must talk and discuss things with our famthis. These numbers should be looked into by ilies, friends, co-workers, and anyone else we those who want to campaign for their candi- come directly in contact with. dates for the 2022 elections.

Candidates’ machinery should reach the It is obvious that those belonging to the communities where the people are. We need socio-economic classes ABC are the most to get the message out and find ways to reach opinionated and noisiest on politics espe- and convince them. They hold the power to cially on social media. However, by sheer decide the results of the elections. numbers, those who actually decide elecBecause television tions are those in the D is still the main source and E classes because of news for the big Social media according to studies, in majority of voters, we the last elections, class platforms feed us can expect the people D held almost eight to be bombarded with with what we want (8) out of every ten paid advertisements (10) votes. Combined of those with lots of to see.

This likely does with class E, they This is alnot reflect the bigger resources. held 9.4 votes. There ready happening. This is no question theremust be considered esreality. fore, that the noise by pecially by candidates the minority in social who do not have much media does not count. money. They should The critical targets of all campaigns should find ways to counter these advertisements. be those in the D and E classes.

Those in the television industry can help by This is because those in ABC (3,710,625) giving exposure to good candidates who canonly made up 6% of voters, those in class D not pay.

(48,238,125) comprised 78% of voters, and The camp of Vice President Leni Robreclass E (9,895,000), 16%. While there may be do for instance, should be able to capitalize some change for the 2022 elections, it is still on her high public satisfaction rating. The safe to assume that D and E will remain to be Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys in dominant especially with the worsening pov- 2019, prior to the pandemic, showed very erty we are experiencing due to the pandemic. encouraging numbers especially with reNot a few still think that being active in gard to those in the D and E classes. Pubsocial media is enough to help their candi- lic satisfaction with VP Leni (June 2019 dates win. However, the results of the Pulse to Dec. 2019) was 59 percent. The demoAsia Research Inc. September 2021 Na- graphics are as follows: those with some eltionwide Survey on News Sources and Use ementary education – 63 percent, with some of the Internet, Social Media, and Instant high school education - 65 percent, some Messaging Applications are revealing. This vocational/college education – 58 percent; survey was done during the period Septem- and the lowest was among college graduber 6 to 11, 2021. ates – 45 percent.

Consider these: a huge 91 percent of FilIn terms of geographic location, NCR - 55 ipinos get their news from TV, 49 percent percent, balance of Luzon - 57 percent, Vifrom radio, and 48 percent from the internet. sayas - 67 percent, and Mindanao – 61 perOf those who use the internet, 44 percent use cent. Urban – 55 percent and rural – 63 perFacebook, 10 percent use online news sites, cent; and in terms of socio-economic classes, and only 1 perent use Twitter. Moreover, only ABC – 50 percent, D - 59 percent, and E, 65 those in classes ABC rely mostly on online percent. There is potential here if the Robredo news (71 percent of the 48 percent). camp will seriously focus on classes D and E. While 63 percent of Filipinos access the Of all the presidential candidates, Robreinternet, 37 percent do not. 48 percent of do enjoys the most support from organized class E and 36 percent of class D do not communities. Campaigning for the VP should use and access the internet. These are huge be their focus because they have the reach. numbers especially since they potentially These organizations may be Robredo’s assets control more than nine (9) of every ten (10) especially at this time when we are still in a votes. Internet access is lowest in Mindan- pandemic. ao (47 percent). This means that 53 percent Focusing on classes D and E in the camdo not use the internet. paign is the smart thing to do. The battle is in What do these numbers mean? It sim- the communities. ply means that social media activism is not enough to win elections. It does not matter if @bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angwe use our whole day posting and discussing sioco on Facebook

A new momentum in transforming agri-food systems in the march to ending hunger

By QU Dongyu

Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations THIS year’s World Food Day finds us at a critical moment. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a global challenge, causing untold losses and hardship. The impacts of the climate crisis are all around us. Crops have gone up in flames. Homes have been washed away.

Lives and livelihoods have been thrown into turmoil due to conflict and other humanitarian emergencies. Global food security challenges have not been this severe for years.

Yet in the midst of this all, there is an encouraging new momentum and energy building as we strive to overhaul the ways in which our food is produced, stored, distributed and consumed.

We have started confronting the problems and making the structures more fit for purpose.

Last month’s UN Food Systems Summit convened by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, mapped out the broad outlines of how the world needs to move forward to transform agri-food systems.

The closing maxim of the gathering was: “From New York back to Rome,” where the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and sister UN food agencies are based.

We at FAO have already rolled up our sleeves and got down to the practical tasks of leading the implementation and driving the transformation.

A groundbreaking World Food Forum was successfully convened here in the Italian capital early this month, powered by the global youth, and youth representatives at FAO and our sister agencies, focused on harnessing the creativity and resilience of our younger generations. They have the most at stake. They will be the ones living with the direct consequences of the climate crisis and malfunctioning

agri-food systems. At the same time, the 1.8 billion young people in the world today between the ages of 10 and 24, of which nearly 90 percent are living in developing countries, provide an unlimited potential to tap.

We have already started to leverage that into widespread awareness, holistic solutions and concrete youth-lead actions for change. Of course the young aren’t the only ones who need to worry about our agri-food systems not being fit for purpose, and on how to make them more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

Even before COVID-19 shone a spotlight on the vulnerability of the world’s agri-food systems, hundreds of millions of people worldwide were afflicted by hunger - and that number has increased in the last year up to 811 million. Despite the world producing sufficient food to feed all of us. This is unimaginable and unacceptable.

At the same time, 14 percent of the food we produce is lost, and 17 percent is wasted. Combine this with other stressors—such as pests and diseases, natural disasters, loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction, and conflict—and you can see the magnitude of the challenge we face in meeting the world’s growing food needs, while simultaneously reducing the environmental and climate impact of our agri-food systems.

FAO, as the leading agency working on food and agriculture, has developed a toolbox which we are confident can enable us to make an impact on many of these complex systemic problems.

We have a clear sense of where we are going, framed in the objectives: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life. And our work is underpinned by a new Strategic Framework 2022-2031 for the next ten years that defines the concrete actions and inputs needed to make the Four Betters a reality, and leave no one behind.

FAO estimates that as much as $40 to $50 billion in annual investments on targeted in-

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021

B1

EDITORIAL

T

The race is on

HE COVID-19 vaccine race to protect as many among the 110 million people of the Philippines is on, with health authorities confirming that pediatric vaccination will start among 12- to 17-year-olds with comorbidities as part of Priority group A3 in mid-October.

cally attained in 2022 at the earliest.

The rationale has been that most of the health experts in the United States and those at home say the concept of herd immunity can only be realized by increasing the target population coverage by 80 to 90 percent.

We watch the steps with the highest hopes for the country’s health and economy.

But only those with comorbidities— those without are not covered by the Department of Health policy.

The point is the Philippines is raising its vaccination coverage to cover 90 percent—that’s nearly 82 million—of the country’s population, after the highly transmissible Delta variant ramped up herd immunity thresholds for the coronavirus disease.

Only a month back, the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. told the House of Representatives that the target had become higher than the original 70 percent officials had their sights on—the new target of 90 percent coverage to be realisti-

There is indeed a need to protect as wide as possible segments of the population to enable the authorities to open up doors for the resumption of economic activities, which have been hobbled to a screech since the pandemic breathed down the population in March last year.

But there is also a need to get substantial feedback on the limited face-to-face classes in pilot schools in designated areas for health authorities to appreciate and where they can proceed in mapping out subsequent measures to implement.

We understand there will be expansion beyond this 12-17 age group with comorbidities once adequate coverage of the A2 priority group or senior citizens has been achieved nationwide and vaccine supply has become sufficient to include children.

The DOH has emphasized the need for a careful and planned rollout of vaccines for children, given that the risks of contracting severe COVID-19 infection or dying from COVID-19 is significantly lower for healthy children.

Reason dictates that the benefits from vaccination relative to the risk of a healthy child is also lower, compared to a sick child, adult or senior citizen.

The DOH guidelines ensure that (1) informed consent by the parent /guardian and child prior to vaccination will be obtained; (2) supply availability of Pfizer and Moderna, the only vaccines with emergency use authorization for 12 to 17 years old issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration; and more importantly, (3) equitable access to medical clearance by a physician for children with co-morbidities.

We watch the steps with the highest hopes for the country’s health and economy.

Ulterior motive in the giving of award MARIA Ressa is a classic case of Filipino idolatry and misplaced values. Many do not even bother to examine who she is, or know about her citizenship. Our people, especially those less knowledgeable of what is going, have their praises for the award given her. The Nobel Peace Prize is an honor allegedly to promote peace.

Our people could not even remember what peace has she brokered in our land. Rappler, the online news organization she helped establish, has generated more animosity among our people. The dimension has intensified for the fact that it has injected racism to heat up the anti-China campaign promoted by her American brokers. Pierre Omidyar, the financier of Rappler donating $1.5 million, and has been identified as a CIA operative who sponsored the orange revolution in Ukraine that toppled the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych.

Omidyar apparently issued an order for Rappler to create outrage against Duterte by portraying the President as a deranged killer.

Rappler also claimed that police and vigilante death squads have killed more than 7,000 people. But this mouthpiece of the CIA only came out with a number of persons extrajudicially executed without naming, or citing the date and the place where they were allegedly executed. Rappler just came out with a summary to purposely mislead the EU, Human Rights Watch, CNN, Time, BBC — the world.

The Nobel Peace Prize award now appears to have been usurped by the US. Most of the awardees are Americans, many of whom dragged their country to war like President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The rest were mostly personalities that serve the US propaganda like Grameen Bank, Muhammad Yunus, Al Gore, Liu Xiaobo, Laymah Ghowee, etc.

Ressa as a paid hack in the service of the US imperialist is something exceptional. She has the ability to convince the money bug.

Plucked as a CNN reporter in Indonesia, she got her assignment by reporting on Islamic terrorism that often crossed to Mindanao. She later transferred to ABS-CBN where she became the news editor.

Ressa was deeply entrenched in US propaganda with some suspecting they are connected with the US intelligence services. As a journalist, she did well to involve herself in controversy. Her being employed by ABSCBN served her purpose with an eye of preempting the rise of President Duterte. The President no less admitted that he was swindled by ABS-CBN for his campaign ads. terventions are needed to end hunger by 2030.

There are plenty of low-cost, high-impact projects that can help hundreds of millions of people better meet their food needs.

For instance, targeted interventions on Research and Development to make farming more technologically advanced, innovation in digital agriculture, and improve literacy rates among women can go a long way to reducing hunger.

But there are also other essential elements such as better data, governance and institutions, that need to be added to the equation.

In addition, our approach can only be effective if it’s rooted in working together with governments, and key partners, as they forge their own national pathways towards transformation in line with their specific conditions and needs.

We also need to realize that scientists and bu-

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

During the Committee investigation review of ABS-CBN’s bid for renewal of franchise, it was discovered that the station violated its franchise, did not pay the right amount of tax, and was discovered not to own the property upon which its station was situated until Congress was forced not to renew its franchise.

After serving ABS-CBN, Ressa was entrusted to operate her media outfit. Her media carried the name Rappler Holdings funded by the American media tycoon Omidyar. As operator of Rappler, she runs the company with the single objective of disparaging Duterte. She could sense the President would be friendly to China after US intelligence operatives were involved in a spate of bombing in Davao.

Ressa dared violate our laws, unmindful about her citizenship. Many believed Ressa is sporting dual citizenship, courtesy of some

Here’s what I think about Ressa. opposition senators who acted as lawyers to many US companies. This means that Rappler would be operating without a franchise.

Obviously, she took the leniency to slander and castigate the government without let up.

The giving of the Nobel Peace Prize is intended to put pressure on the Duterte administration to drop the conviction for libel filed against their client. In a statement issued by Caoilfhionn Gallagher and Amal Clooney: “Independent investigative journalism in the Philippines is an act of bravery. At least 19 journalists have been killed since President Duterte assumed office in 2016.

Our courageous client Maria Ressa has been convicted on baseless charges, faces decades behind bars, and receive daily threats and rape simply for doing her job x x x , the Philippines must drop all cases against Ms. Ressa. And the world must hold the Philippines to account if it fails to do so.”

As recipient, many Filipinos see her case differently, which is to project her as a crusader for freedom and democracy.

First, the case against her was filed by Wilfredo Keng in 2012. She was found guilty, and the case is on appeal.

Second, the Manila Regional Trial Court convicted Ressa. Rappler alleged that an “influential Chinese businessman” is being eyed as a suspect in the ambush-slay of a former Manila councilor. On the other hand, Keng said he was never investigated or charged for any criminal activity. The businessman just asked Ressa to delete the “offensive Twitter post,” but Ressa refused to do so.

To quote what this columnist wrote on July 13, 1019: “The case filed against Maria Ressa, x x x is far from her claim that the government is suppressing the freedom of expression and reaucrats and even food producers and distributors will never be able to bring about all these desperately needed changes on their own.

The transformation can and must start with pragmatic and concrete action by ordinary consumers and the choices we make. The decisions we make every day on the foods we consume, where we buy them, how they are packaged, how much food we throw away – all these have an impact on our agri-food systems and the future of this planet.

All of us have the potential to be food heroes. Our actions are our future. The process of transforming our agri-food systems - and making an impact on global hunger, healthy diets, environmental damage and waste - starts with you and me.

But it doesn’t end with you and me. The old

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

of the press. She accuses the Duterte administration of weaponizing the issue which clearly is defamatory and intended to sow hatred toward the government.”

The fact that the US-operated mass media continues to operate belies that Ressa is being harassed. Section 11 (1) and (2). Article XVI of the Constitution, states that ownership of mass media shall be limited to Filipino citizens. This is pursuant to an order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11, 2018. Interestingly, while Ressa was awarded as one of the persons of the year in 2018 by TIME Magazine and stated in her brief biodata that her nationality and citizenship states “American, Philippine,” clearly indicating she is not a Filipino.

By accepting foreign donation from Omidyar Network, she violated the constitution that mass media should be owned by Filipino citizens. Obviously, the purpose is to treat the business as an exercise of our sovereign right as an independent state. Second, the donation of $1.5 million is an admission that Rappler is a foreign-funded organization. The violation is serious because the purpose is to slander and influence the policy of our government. Third, her winning of the Nobel Peace Prize is to put pressure on the government to dismiss the case against her.

Fourth, Filipinos are asking what sort of peace has she done to be worthy of our recognition. On the contrary, Rappler continues to slander and accuse the Duterte government of venalities and corruption to erode the trust of our people. In fact, we can say of Ressa and her foreign benefactor, are acting as agitators.

Many are also asking who this man named Alfred Bernhard Nobel is? As far as they know, he invented dynamite in 1833. His invention has caused millions of lives to be destroyed.

The dynamite took a heavy toll during the two world wars described in our contemporary history as a scourge that plagued mankind. Dynamite has been widely used, with nitroglycerine as compound to manufacture various forms of explosives for aerial bombing, artillery shells of various caliber, torpedoes and even as detonator for nuclear bombs.

Our Western mentors would rather want to remember an alien trouble maker instead of remembering Hidylin Diaz who won for this country the first Olympic Gold Medal in weightlifting for the 55-kilogram category in Tokyo. It seems our mind has been reformatted to hatred and destruction instead of us cultivating for our people what they can do for the country.

We truly have a misplaced value that betrays our supposedly Christian upbringing. rpkapunan@gmail.com

MORE OPINION ONLINE

(www.manilastandard.net)

‘Nanlaban’ as self-defense adage goes: “We are what we eat.” It also holds true that how our children and grandchildren develop will also be influenced by what we eat.

Hope is in their hands to carry on. Let us learn together, work together and contribute together.

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

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor

Emil P. Jurado

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

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

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In accordance with the NTC guidelines, here’s the mechanics for the DITO Starter Pack: Mechanics: The DITO Starter Pack will be available starting October 15, 2021 until January 31, 2022.

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LUZON: NCR: Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Marikina, Las Pinas; Pangasinan: Basista, Binmaley, Dagupan, Manaoag, Mangatarem, San Manuel, San Carlos City, Lingayen (Capital), San Nicolas, Alaminos, Bolinao, Urdaneta, Urbiztondo, Bani, Bugallon, Mangaldan, Laoac, Dasol, Aguilar, Bautista, Binalonan, San Jacinto, Tayug, Santa Barbara, Malasiqui, Bayambang; Bulacan: Pandi, San Jose del Monte, Malolos, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Plaridel, Baliuag, Guiguinto, Bustos, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Santa Maria, San Rafael, Pulilan, Norzagaray, Balagtas (Bigaa); Nueva Ecija: Llanera, Palayan City, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo Science City of Munoz, Talavera, Cabanatuan, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Jose, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Zaragoza, General Tinio (Papaya), Licab, Jaen, Quezon, Lupao, Cabiao; Nueva Vizcaya: Dupax del Norte Pampanga: Angeles, Mabalacat, Mexico, Guagua, San Fernando, Magalang, San Simon, Lubao, Bacolor, Santa Rita, Candaba; Tarlac: Capas, Tarlac City, Concepcion, Gerona, Moncada, La Paz, Ramos, San Manuel, Pura, Victoria, Mayantoc, San Clemente; Zambales: Olongapo, Subic; Bataan: Balanga, Dinalupihan, Orani, Samal, Abucay; Batangas: Alitagtag, Bauan, Cuenca, San Jose, Ibaan, Batangas City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Lipa City, Talisay, Tanauan City, Taysan, Balete, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Balayan, Calaca, San Luis, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Laurel; Camarines Norte: Talisay, Vinzons, Daet, Basud; Camarines Sur: Canaman, Pamplona, Libmanan, Sipocot, Ocampo, Bombon, San Jose, Sagnay, Naga City, Pili, Bato, Iriga City, Baao, Bula; Cavite: Kawit, Bacoor, Imus, Tagaytay City, Silang, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Amadeo, Rosario, Mendez, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, Trece Martirez, Tanza, Magallanes. Naic, Maragondon, Noveleta; Laguna: San Pedro, Sta Rosa, Binan, Cabuyao, Los Banos, Calamba City, Victoria, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo, Majayjay, Luisiana, Rizal, Nagcarlan, Bay; Rizal: Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay; Quezon: Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, San Antonio, Sariaya, Valencia, Lucban; Albay: Malilipot, Legazpi City, City of Ligao, Daraga, Camalig, Oas, Polangui; Sorsogon: City of Sorsogon, Irosin

a. Open Shopee and search for DITO in the Shopee Mall (DITO Telecommunity) account or DITO SIM. b. Click on DITO SIM product in DITO’s shop in Shopee. c. Select the SIM type compatible exactly to your handset and click Buy Now. d. The promo package shall be delivered to the customer via Shopee partner courier and may be subject to a delivery fee. Delivery is subject to the terms and conditions of Shopee and their partner couriers.

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Via DITO Experience Stores, Retail Partner Stores 6) Promo shall only be offered in the following areas: LUZON: NCR: Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Marikina, Las Pinas; Pangasinan: Basista, Binmaley, Dagupan, Manaoag, Mangatarem, San Manuel, San Carlos City, Lingayen (Capital), San Nicolas, Alaminos, Bolinao, Urdaneta, Urbiztondo, Bani, Bugallon, Mangaldan, Laoac, Dasol, Aguilar, Bautista, Binalonan, San Jacinto, Tayug, Santa Barbara, Malasiqui, Bayambang; Bulacan: Pandi, San Jose del Monte, Malolos, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Plaridel, Baliuag, Guiguinto, Bustos, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Santa Maria, San Rafael, Pulilan, Norzagaray, Balagtas (Bigaa); Nueva Ecija: Llanera, Palayan City, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo Science City of Munoz, Talavera, Cabanatuan, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Jose, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Zaragoza, General Tinio (Papaya), Licab, Jaen, Quezon, Lupao, Cabiao; Nueva Vizcaya: Dupax del Norte Pampanga: Angeles, Mabalacat, Mexico, Guagua, San Fernando, Magalang, San Simon, Lubao, Bacolor, Santa Rita, Candaba; Tarlac: Capas, Tarlac City, Concepcion, Gerona, Moncada, La Paz, Ramos, San Manuel, Pura, Victoria, Mayantoc, San Clemente; Zambales: Olongapo, Subic; Bataan: Balanga, Dinalupihan, Orani, Samal, Abucay; Batangas: Alitagtag, Bauan, Cuenca, San Jose, Ibaan, Batangas City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Lipa City, Talisay, Tanauan City, Taysan, Balete, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Balayan, Calaca, San Luis, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Laurel; Camarines Norte: Talisay, Vinzons, Daet, Basud; Camarines Sur: Canaman, Pamplona, Libmanan, Sipocot, Ocampo, Bombon, San Jose, Sagnay, Naga City, Pili, Bato, Iriga City, Baao, Bula; Cavite: Kawit, Bacoor, Imus, Tagaytay City, Silang, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Amadeo, Rosario, Mendez, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, Trece Martirez, Tanza, Magallanes. Naic, Maragondon, Noveleta; Laguna: San Pedro, Sta Rosa, Binan, Cabuyao, Los Banos, Calamba City, Victoria, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo, Majayjay, Luisiana, Rizal, Nagcarlan, Bay; Rizal: Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay; Quezon: Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, San Antonio, Sariaya, Valencia, Lucban; Albay: Malilipot, Legazpi City, City of Ligao, Daraga, Camalig, Oas, Polangui; Sorsogon: City of Sorsogon, Irosin

VISAYAS: Aklan : Nabas Ibajay; Cebu: Toledo City, Balamban, Barili, Carcar, Cebu City, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Danao, Liloan, Mandaue, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Lapu Lapu, Dumanjug, Talisay, Moalboal, Bogo City, San Remigio, Sogod, Alcantara, Santander, Ginatilan, Daanbantayan; Negros Occidental: Bacolod City, Kabankalan, Pulupandan, Silay City, Valladolid, Binalbagan, Murcia, Enrique B. Magalona (Saravia), Bago City; Iloilo: Iloilo City, Oton; Negros Oriental: Dumaguete, Valencia, Sibulan, City of Tanjay MINDANAO: Agusan Del Norte: City of Butuan; Agusan del Sur: Rosario, San Francisco, Trento, Bayugan, Santa Josefa; Compostela Valley: Monkayo; Davao del Norte: Santo Tomas, Braulio E. Dujali, Panabo, Tagum, Carmen, Island City of Samal; Davao del Sur: Santa Cruz, Bansalan, Davao City, Digos, Hagonoy; Davao de Oro: Montevista, Compostela, Nabunturan, Maco; Cotabato: Kidapawan, Makilala; South Cotabato: General Santos City, Polomolok; Bukidnon: Malaybalay, City of Valencia, Quezon, Don Carlos, Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Libona, Impasug-ong, Maramag; Lanao Del Norte: Linamon, Baloi, City of Iligan; Misamis Oriental: Balingasag, Cagayan de Oro, Claveria, Talisayan, Manticao, Sugbongcogon, Medina, Kinoguitan, Binuangan, Balingoan, Naawan, Villanueva, City of El Salvador, Jasaan, Opol, Tagoloan, City of Gingoog, Lugait; Gitagum, Laguindingan, Libertad, Initao; Saranggani: Alabel

VISAYAS: Aklan : Nabas Ibajay; Cebu: Toledo City, Balamban, Barili, Carcar, Cebu City, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Danao, Liloan, Mandaue, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Lapu Lapu, Dumanjug, Talisay, Moalboal, Bogo City, San Remigio, Sogod, Alcantara, Santander, Ginatilan, Daanbantayan; Negros Occidental: Bacolod City, Kabankalan, Pulupandan, Silay City, Valladolid, Binalbagan, Murcia, Enrique B. Magalona (Saravia), Bago City; Iloilo: Iloilo City, Oton; Negros Oriental: Dumaguete, Valencia, Sibulan, City of Tanjay MINDANAO: Agusan Del Norte: City of Butuan; Agusan del Sur: Rosario, San Francisco, Trento, Bayugan, Santa Josefa; Compostela Valley: Monkayo; Davao del Norte: Santo Tomas, Braulio E. Dujali, Panabo, Tagum, Carmen, Island City of Samal; Davao del Sur: Santa Cruz, Bansalan, Davao City, Digos, Hagonoy; Davao de Oro: Montevista, Compostela, Nabunturan, Maco; Cotabato: Kidapawan, Makilala; South Cotabato: General Santos City, Polomolok; Bukidnon: Malaybalay, City of Valencia, Quezon, Don Carlos, Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Libona, Impasug-ong, Maramag; Lanao Del Norte: Linamon, Baloi, City of Iligan; Misamis Oriental: Balingasag, Cagayan de Oro, Claveria, Talisayan, Manticao, Sugbongcogon, Medina, Kinoguitan, Binuangan, Balingoan, Naawan, Villanueva, City of El Salvador, Jasaan, Opol, Tagoloan, City of Gingoog, Lugait; Gitagum, Laguindingan, Libertad, Initao; Saranggani: Alabel Once availed, the DITO Starter Pack is non-refundable / non-replaceable / non-exchangeable. Promo is only valid for the subscriber’s DITO compatible mobile phone where the purchased DITO SIM and Promo are installed.

MLhuillier Load Central Paymaya Telepreneur LoadManna PDMN (WeChat, Alipay) Ayannah (Tambunting, Panalo Express, Brigada, Sendah Direct, GoVIP Center) Gcash Lazada Moneygment

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8) Promo cannot be used in conjunction with any unlimited promo offers, discount available and exclusive promo offers.

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Promo cannot be converted to cash, credit, or other goods and services.

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|| SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sydney to open its borders to vaxxed foreign visitors in Nov.

S

YDNEY will scrap all quarantine requirements for travelers from next month, officials said Friday, an abrupt step toward reopening Australia’s long-shuttered borders.

In a surprise announcement, Premier Dominic Perrottet of New South Wales said that from November 1 vaccinated travellers would be allowed to enter the state without quarantine of any kind.

“For double vaccinated people around the world, Sydney, New South Wales, is open for business,” Perrottet said.

“Hotel quarantine will be a thing of the past. This is a significant day for our state.”

The decision was a head-snapping turnaround for a country that slammed shut its borders 19 months ago and introduced some of the world’s toughest COVID-19 restrictions.

But Perrottet’s suggestion that tourists and students could be weeks away from returning to Australia was promptly slapped down by the country’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison – whose government controls borders, while quarantine rules are a state issue.

“All we are talking about now

is Australian citizens, residents and their immediate families,” Morrison said, insisting he would not open the borders to visitors just yet.

Since March 2020, travel to and from Australia has been virtually banned and anyone who gains permission to enter must fork out many thousands of dollars and agree to be locked in a hotel room for 14 days.

The rules meant tens of thousands of Australians were stuck overseas and tourism ground to a halt. Critics dubbed the country a “hermit state.”

Perrottet – recently appointed as premier of Australia’s most populous state when his predecessor resigned in a corruption scandal – has been quick to put his stamp on the COVID response.

Regardless of mixed messages from state and national governments, airlines and the travel industry welcomed the news as a major step toward normalization. AFP

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12) For any concerns and/or inquiries regarding the promo, information may be sent to customerservice@dito.ph. All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of DITO Telecommunity. All decisions made by DITO Telecommunity pertaining to the promo will be deemed final and irrevocable, with the prior concurrence of DTI. Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-128663 Series of 2021

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DEADLY BEAUTY. This overflight photo courtesy of the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake from the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii. Two western fissures are visible: one inactive from the December 2020–May 2021 Kīlauea summit eruption (center), and another actively feeding lava into the lake at this time (upper-right).

The older fissure is being partially overlapped by short lava flows, but it has not been completely drowned because field measurements show that it is floating within the lake. The presently erupting fissure has formed a horseshoe-shaped spatter cone around its source. AFP

IN BRIEF Anger after Taiwan inferno kills 46 TAIWANESE residents voiced anguish and outrage on Friday after 46 people perished in an inferno that tore through a dilapidated housing block, as investigators searched for what sparked the island’s deadliest fire in decades.

The blaze is the latest tragedy to highlight concerns over lax safety standards in Taiwan and has exposed the poor living conditions of many elderly in a society that is rapidly ageing.

The fire broke out during Thursday’s early hours in a 13-storey, mixed-use building in the southern city of Kaohsiung, raging through multiple floors before firefighters finally got it under control.

The run-down housing block was in poor condition and many of those killed were low-income elderly people, some of whom had disabilities and dementia. Officials said 41 people were hospitalized.

On Friday morning Lee Mao-shen, 61, was watching pigeons land on the railings of an apartment where a friend had died the night before.

Lee, who has lived in a building opposite for 40 years, said his friend Cheng Yongkang raised pigeons from his seventh- floor balcony and was among those who never made it out.

“We met every day to chat, we chatted the evening he died,” he told AFP. AFP

Suu Kyi lawyer says gagged by junta THE chief lawyer for ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Friday he had been banned by the junta from speaking to journalists, diplomats or international organizations.

The gag order came after he relayed vivid testimony from the country’s deposed president Win Myint – describing how he rejected a military offer to resign to save himself during the February 1 coup.

Suu Kyi is on trial on a raft of charges ranging from sedition to breaching coronavirus restrictions, and faces a long jail term if convicted.

But the media have been barred from attending court, and the Nobel laureate’s legal team have been a key source of information on the hearings.

“Well well, they shut my mouth with 144,” lawyer Khin Maung Zaw posted on his Facebook page.

The number refers to section 144 of the Myanmar criminal procedure code, which was used to issue the gag.

The lawyer also posted photos of the order, signed by a senior official in Pyinmana township, part of the capital Naypyidaw, which noted he had been talking to the media.

“This communication disturbs or harms some people who are acting in line with the law, and it may cause public unrest,” the order said. AFP

Ex-US president Clinton in hospital FORMER US president Bill Clinton was in hospital with an infection on Thursday, a spokesman for the 75-year-old said.

Doctors said Clinton was responding well at the center in Irvine, California. The infection was not connected to the coronavirus.

“On Tuesday evening, President Clinton was admitted to UCI Medical Center to receive treatment for a non-Covid-related infection,” the former president’s spokesman Angel Urena wrote on Twitter.

“He is on the mend, in good spirits, and is incredibly thankful to the doctors, nurses and staff providing him with excellent care.”

Doctors at the University of California Irvine Medical Center confirmed Clinton had been admitted.

Urena tweeted a statement from Clinton’s doctors at the hospital – Dr. Alpesh Amin and Dr Lisa Bardack.

“President Clinton was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center and diagnosed with an infection,” the statement said.

“He was admitted to the hospital for close monitoring and administered IV (intravenous) antibiotics and fluids. AFP

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Stock market up; ICTSI, BDO lead gainers TOP GAINERS T PSEi October 15, 2021

LAST %

PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 1 LBC 19.9 1.88 10.43% 2 MAH 1.64 0.15 10.07% 3 OPM 0.012 0.001 9.09% 4 ICT 178.9 9.8 5.80% 5 PRIM 1.6 0.08 5.26% 6 CNPF 26 1.2 4.84% 7 AREIT 41.8 1.9 4.76% 8 RLT 0.25 0.011 4.60% 9 CEB 45.8 1.7 3.85% 10 FNI 2.18 0.08 3.81%

TOP LOSERS

HE stock market rose Friday joining a global rally on optimism for corporate earnings after a strong start to the reporting season.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 30.35 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,213.46 on a value turnover of P10.6 billion. Gainers beat losers, 113 to 84, with 45 issues unchanged.

International Container Terminal Services Inc. of tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., the biggest port operator, surged 5.8 percent to P178.90, while BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, advanced 3.1 percent to P132.

Semirara Mining and Power Corp., the biggest coal producer, gained 2 percent at P30.10, while PLDT Inc., the largest telecommunications firm, rose 1.8 percent to P1,656.

The rest of Asian markets extended a global rally Friday, while traders cheered better-than-expected data indicating the US recovery remains on track despite inflation concerns and the imminent end to cheap cash.

Central banks around the world are preparing to

start—or in some cases have started—winding back the vast financial support put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, which has helped economies rebound and pushed equities to record or multi-year highs.

Soaring prices, supply chain snarls and a brewing energy crisis caused by the reopening from lockdowns have put increasing pressure on finance chiefs to act sooner than they had expected to prevent inflation from getting out of control.

And that has put a brake on a market rally that had lasted for a year and a half.

However, traders have refound some of their mojo this week as strong earnings from banking giants including JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Citigroup fuel hopes for a standout round of reports.

Meanwhile, US figures showing new applications for unemployment benefits fell below 300,000 last week for the first time since the pandemic started provided fresh evidence for the recovery narrative.

The S&P 500 on Wall Street had its best day since March, while the Dow and Nasdaq also saw big gains.

Asia followed suit, with Tokyo up 1.8 percent and Taipei more than two percent higher. Shanghai, Syd-

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PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 1 FJP 2.39 -0.41 -14.64% 2 ABG 5.26 -0.53 -9.15% 3 MWIDE 6.27 -0.56 -8.20% 4 UBP 90 -7.7 -7.88% 5 DMW 6.35 -0.47 -6.89% 6 MFC 900 -50 -5.26% 7 ROX 1.27 -0.06 -4.51% 8 HOME 10.5 -0.48 -4.37% 9 PNX 11.08 -0.5 -4.32% 10 APVI 17.22 -0.76 -4.23%

VOLUME VALUE (PHP) 30,775,900 1,128,846,085 61,058,600 1,001,269,532 30,533,200 985,323,760 65,574,900 744,010,492 590,850 509,188,635 4,349,600 369,977,783 98,270 320,712,940 1,703,180 300,568,645 2,288,280 299,607,158 1,261,480 289,584,216

MS-OCT. 9/16/23, 2021)

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES, INC. (Formerly: LUMINA HOMES, INC.) with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Lumina Cabanatuan Phase 3) with 644 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Valle Cruz, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

Notice is hereby given that BASIC HOUSING SOLUTIONS, INC., with office address at 5th & 6th Floor, Westar Building, 611 Shaw Blvd., is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (The Palm Residences) with 1,369 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREAT ACT) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP with project site located at Brgy. Calibuyo, Tanza, Cavite.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

MOST ACTIVE

1 ALI 2 MONDE 3 CNVRG 4 ACEN 5 AC 6 BPI 7 GLO 8 ICT 9 BDO 10 JFC

ney, Seoul and Singapore also rose.

Hong Kong jumped 1.5 percent, having reopened after two days off, though Jakarta, Bangkok and Wellington dipped.

Investors are now awaiting the Federal Reserve’s next move as it plots an exit from its vast bond-buying monetary easing program, with next month or December seen as the beginning, while bets on an early-2022 interest rate hike are also building.

“We’re likely going to continue to see this elevated inflation and probably well into 2022,” Wealth Enhancement Group’s Nicole Webb said on Bloomberg Television, adding that she saw November as the likely beginning of tapering.

Her comments were echoed elsewhere, with analysts warning that inflation is not Manila OF LOSS AFFIDAVIT going to be a short-term issue, Standard of theTODAY Issuer: JOLLIBEE as many observers—as well as Name FOODS CORPORATION Name of the Stockholder: LOURDES Fed officials—had suggested.

MEDALLA ABELA And markets analyst Louis Stock Certificate No.: C000056925 Navellier added that broadly No. of Shares : 1,625 Certificate No.: C000078558 healthy jobs readings showed Stock No. of Shares : 406 the Fed’s goal of taming unem- As per Doc. No. 226; Page No. 52; Book No. 114; ployment had been achieved.

Series of 2021 before Notary Public With AFP ATTY. RUBEN T.M. RAMIREZ

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

COVID PROTESTS. This photo obtained from Italian news agency Ansa shows dockers and port workers gathering for a protest in the port of Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, on October 15, 2021 as new coronavirus restrictions for workers come into effect. Italy braced for nationwide protests, blockades and potential disruption on October 15, 2021 as all workers must show a so-called Green Pass, offering proof of vaccination, recent recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test, or face being declared absent without pay. AFP

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES, INC. (Formerly: LUMINA HOMES, INC.) with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Lumina Pililia) with 881 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Quisao, Pililla, Rizal.

Notice is hereby given that AZOVA BP CORP., with office and site address at Northgate Avenue 9th Floor, Filinvest One Building, Northgate Cyberzone, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Services Export Provider under Export Activities - Services Exports (BPO-Various Voiced and Nonvoiced Services)under R.A. 11534 (CREAT ACT) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

Germany cuts electricity tax as energy prices rise FRANKFURT, Germany—The German government will drastically lower a levy on electricity consumption from 2022 to help ease the burden on consumers as Europe battles soaring energy prices, grid operators announced Friday.

The Renewable Energy Act (EEG) surcharge, used to fund the expansion of solar and wind plants, will fall by more than 40 percent to 3.723 cents ($0.043) per kilowatt hour from January 1, according to a statement by 50Herz Transmission, Amprion, TenneT TSO and TransnetBW. It is the largest reduction yet since the green levy was introduced in 2000 to help Europe’s top economy transition away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said recently that the EEG surcharge should be phased out completely over the next few years “to keep power affordable.”

The shortfall will be offset by higher government subsidies, partly thanks to a tax on carbon emissions introduced at the start of 2021.

Germans already have the highest electricity bills in the European Union and as winter approaches, pressure is growing for the government to help mitigate a looming energy price crisis.

Gas prices have surged in Europe in recent months as demand has soared with economies emerging from their COVID-induced restrictions. Stocks were also left low after a long, cold winter.

Wholesale natural gas prices, the lead indicator for overall energy prices in Europe, have more than tripled this year. Oil and coal prices have also jumped, fueling fears over spiking inflation and rocketing energy bills.

EU leaders will discuss the energy issue at a summit next week.

The European Commission has proposed that member states temporarily reduce taxes and levies to help lower energy bills for households and businesses.

In France, the government has pledged to block any further price increases for gas and electricity until April.

AFP

China growth slowed to 5% in Q3—AFP survey

By Beiyi Seow with Lan Lianchao BEIJING—China’s economic growth is expected to have slowed further in the third quarter, according to an AFP poll of analysts, with a mounting energy crisis and property market tremors casting a pall as the country’s post-COVID recovery lost steam.

While the world’s number-two economy bounced back quickly from the coronavirus outbreak last year, with gross domestic product growth returning to pre-pandemic levels, economists say further slowdown is “inevitable.”

Growth is forecast to come in at 5.0 percent on-year for July-September by the 12 analysts polled by AFP, representing a sharp slowdown from the 7.9 percent clocked in the previous three months.

They also downgraded their full-year growth expectations to 8.1 percent, from the 8.5 percent predicted in a July poll.

Official figures will be released on Monday.

Analysts said China’s growth slowdown mainly stems from policy tightening this year in key areas including the property sector and a drive to cut emissions.

Residential real estate activity has slowed with tightened regulations and credit policies for developers, along with guidance to banks to slow mortgage lending, according to Oxford Economics.

A general view shows the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai on October 9, 2021.

AFP

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES, INC. (Formerly: LUMINA HOMES, INC.) with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Lumina Residences Calumpit-Economic) with 766 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Buguion, Calumpit, Bulacan.

Notice is hereby given that BRIA HOMES, INC. with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Bria Homes Norzagaray Phase 3) with a capacity of 169 economic and lowcost housing units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Minuyan, Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES, INC. (Formerly: LUMINA HOMES, INC.) with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Lumina Cabanatuan Phase 2) with 291 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Valle Cruz, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

Notice is hereby given that BRIA HOMES, INC. with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Bria Homes Balingasag) with a capacity of 394 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Linggangao, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

costs and the government’s climate push, have led to reduced mining activities and manufacturing production.

Such disruptions “will not only put pressure on (the) domestic labor market and consumption, but also have ripple effects on global trade and prices,” Zhu warned.

But UBS economists believe Beijing will further fine-tune policies to avoid a sharp power crunch, having already introduced guidelines to raise coal production and imports.

The actual hit to GDP will depend on how this is managed, they added.

Meanwhile, the government is trying to recalibrate the economy to one driven by consumers and away from investment and exports. AFP

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

The travails of property giant Evergrande—which is struggling under a mountain of debt worth more than $300 billion—is dragging down sentiment among prospective buyers, it added.

Christina Zhu, of Moody’s Analytics, said a slowdown in property investment and house prices could hit growth as real estate investment accounts for a large share of fixed asset investment, which she said accounts for more than 40 percent of total GDP. “The two major risks for the remainder of the year are the property market debt problem and power shortages,” Zhu added.

Power rationing in recent weeks, along with surging raw material

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES, INC. (Formerly: LUMINA HOMES, INC.) with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (The Balanga Residences) with 543 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Cupang, Balanga City, Bataan.

Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES, INC. (Formerly: LUMINA HOMES, INC.) with office address at LGF Bldg., B. Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project (Lumina Cabanatuan Classic) with 136 house and lot units under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Preferred List-Mass Housing of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at Brgy. Valle Cruz, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

(MS-OCT. 16, 2021)

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

B4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021

Business

Globe registers over 50% rise in internet speed

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Friday internet speed zoomed more than 50 percent in one year amid the steady investments in network upgrade and infrastructure development.

Results of the Speedtest Intelligence Q3 2021 data by Ookla showed that Globe mobile’s median download speed across all technologies surged 60 percent to 13.53 megabits per second compared with the third quarter of 2020.

Globe mobile’s median upload speed also jumped 51 percent to 3.96 Mbps compared to the same quarter last year.

It noted an improved latency at 25 milliseconds in the third quarter this year from 31 ms. in the same quarter last year. Latency is the time it takes for information to be transmitted from the source to its intended destination.

A lower latency score is better.

Globe said in terms of 5G technology, its 5G network was three times faster than mobile WiFi. It is also six times faster than that of 4G LTE. “We are glad our aggressive and sustained network builds and upgrades continue to bear fruit as shown by enhanced overall customer data experience,” said Joel Agustin, Globe senior vice president of network technical group.

Globe attributed the continuous improvements in mobile network speeds to steady investments in network upgrades and infrastructure development.

The digital solutions provider raised its capital expenditures to an unprecedented P76 billion this year as part of its commitment to deliver first-world network to customers.

This allowed Globe to install 1 million fiber-to-the-home lines as of end-September, construct 641 new cell towers and upgrade 8,175 sites to 4G LTE as of end-June. It also established over 1,800 5G equipped cell towers nationwide and raised its 5G outdoor coverage in the National Capital Region to 95 percent.

Globe spent P60.3 billion for its capital expenditures last year to improve its network as companies adopted hybrid or work-from-home arrangements and students shifted to distance learning setup due to mobility restrictions.

Globe’s nationwide consistency score improved for three straight quarters to 76.64 in the third quarter from 75.98 in the second quarter and Manila 70.43 in the first three months of the Standard year. TODAY Mobile consistency score is determined by the number of tests taken that are above a certain speed threshold. The higher the figure is, the more likely for consumers to enjoy acceptable internet performance and quality.

JOLLIBEE SHARES. Jollibee Foods Corp. lists Series A and Series B preferred shares at the Philippine Stock Exchange. The securities will be traded using the stock symbols ‘JFCPA’ and ‘JFCPB’, respectively. Jollibee raised P12 billion from its follow-on offering, which it will use to partially fund the buyback of up to $250 in million senior perpetual securities and for capital expenditures.

Attending the listing ceremony are PSE chief operating officer Roel Refran (left) and PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon, with the Jollibee mascot at the PSE trading floor in Taguig City.

Remittances increased 5.1% to $2.6b in August M PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, October 15, 2021

30.35PTS. 7,213.46

TOTAL VOLUME 1,224,248,459 TOTAL TRADES 135,638 TOTAL VALUE 10,555,409,845.44 ADVANCES 113 DECLINES 84 UNCHANGED 45

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.6090

Japan

Yen

0.008799

0.4453

UK

Pound

1.367700

69.2179

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128548

6.5057

Switzerland

Franc

1.083189

54.8191

Canada

Dollar

0.808538

40.9193

Singapore

Dollar

0.741620

37.5326

Australia

Dollar

0.741500

37.5266

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653576

134.2948

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266617

13.4932

Brunei

Dollar

0.738880

37.3940

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030111

1.5239

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.7794

Euro

Euro

1.160100

58.7115

Korea

Won

0.000846

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.155270

7.8581

India

Rupee

0.013337

0.6750

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240819

12.1876

New Zealand

Dollar

0.703000

35.5781

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035728

1.8082 Source: BSP

By Julito G. Rada

ONEY sent home by Filipinos working abroad increased 5.1 percent in August to $2.609 billion from $2.483 billion in the same month last year, as global economies reopened and gradually recovered from the impact of the pandemic, latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

“The growth in cash remittances was due to the increase in remittances from land-based workers and sea-based workers, which rose by 4.1 percent to $2.032 billion from $1.952 billion, and 8.6 percent to $577 million from $531 million, respectively,” the BSP said in a statement Friday.

This brought cash remittances in the first eight months to $20.38 billion, up by 5.7 percent from $19.285 billion a year ago.

“The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Malaysia and South Korea contributed largely to the increase in remittances in January-August 2021,” the BSP said.

Remittances, which represent nearly a tenth of the gross national income, support the growth of various sectors such as banking, transportation, retail, real estate,

education, healthcare and automotive in the Philippines.

Data showed that in terms of country sources, the US registered the highest share of overall remittances at 40.7 percent in the first eight months, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, South Korea, Qatar and Taiwan.

The combined remittances from these top ten countries accounted for 78.8 percent of total cash remittances.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also went up by 4.8 percent in August to $2.889 billion from $2.756 billion in the same month last year.

This resulted in the 5.9-percent increase in cumulative remittances in the first eight months to $22.672 billion from $21.414 billion a year earlier.

MPIC MILESTONE. Metro Pacific Investments

Corp. maintains its crucial role as a reliable partner in nation-building, reaching a major construction milestone for its P30-billion Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway this month. CCLEX, MPIC’s first toll road project outside Luzon, closed the two-meter gap that separated the main bridge decks of Towers 1 and 2. Despite unprecedented challenges brought upon by the pandemic, the major construction feat now successfully connects the modest town of Cordova in Mactan Island to Cebu City, providing an alternative route to decongest the traffic-choked channels that preceded it.

ANNOUNCEMENT Notice is hereby given that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of Benguet Corporation will be held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 3 o’clock p.m. at the Company’s Board Room, 7th Floor Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, 1226 Makati City, Philippines.

The Company will not hold a physical meeting, but will conduct the ASM virtually via online/remote communications.

The agenda of the meeting provides, among others:

6.

7.

8.

Korean firm submits lowest bid for Casecnan

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. declared Soosan ENS Co. Ltd. of Korea as the lowest bidder for the procurement of the operation and maintenance service contract of Casecnan Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Soosan ENS submitted the lowest bid at P252,996,800,below the P462-million budget that the PSALM board approved for the operation and maintenance contract of CHPP. The evaluation of bids was held on Oct. 12 for the OMSC of the CHPP, a 165-megawatt combined irrigation and power generation facility in Sitio Pauan, Barangay Villarica, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.

“We are optimistic that with the successful public bidding for the Casecnan plant’s operation and maintenance contract, PSALM can now proceed to prepare for the ultimate plan of privatizing the Casecnan plant consistent with the clear mandate in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act,” PSALM president and chief executive Irene Besido-Garcia said.

The next stage is for PSALM to subject the bid of Soosan ENS to the post-qualification process, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9184.

Alena Mae S. Flores

CEB: 10 LGUs relax travel requirements

BENGUET CORPORATION 7th Flr. Universal–Re Building 106 Paseo de Roxas, 1226 Makati City

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

IN BRIEF

For election of the Board of Directors; Approval of Minutes of the annual stockholders’ meeting held on November 11, 2020; Approval of Management Report and Audited Financial Statements for 2020; Approval of the retention of Mr. Bernardo M. Villegas as Independent Director; Approval of re-appointment of Sycip Gorres Velayo and Company (SGV) as the Company’s independent external auditor; Approval of grant of stock option awards to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries; Ratification of all acts, contracts, resolutions and proceedings made and entered into by Management and/or the Board of Directors during the period from November 11, 2020 until the date of the 2021 Annual Stockholders’ meeting; Such other matters as may properly come before the meeting and which are not known to management beforehand at a reasonable time, including to adjourn the meeting for up to ninety (90) days from November 10, 2021 if the election of directors is enjoined as of the meeting date.

Stockholders intending to participate in the meeting via remote communication and exercise their right to vote in absentia should first register and be authorized. Stockholders should notify the Company on or before November 3, 2021 by email to ASMregister@benguetcorp.com by attaching a scanned copy of a valid government-issued identification card (ID) for registration and verification purposes. Indirect stockholders should include in their email their broker’s certification of shareholding. Stockholders who cannot attend by remote communication can still be represented and vote at the meeting by submitting a proxy. A copy of the proxy form containing instruction on each item on the Agenda that requires stockholders vote is downloadable in the Company’s website www.benguetcorp.com.

The Information Statement (SEC Form 20-IS) with the Management Report and other pertinent documents, the Annual Report 2020 (SEC Form 17-A), and the 2021 Second Quarter Report (SEC Form 17Q) as filed with the SEC and PSE are available for downloading at the Company’s website www.benguetcorp.com and in the online system of PSE Edge Portal https://edge.pse.com.ph.

By authority of the Board of Directors (Sgd.) HERMOGENE H. REAL Corporate Secretary (MS-OCT. 16 & 18, 2021)

THE Department of Trade and Industry encouraged Malaysian companies to invest more in the Philippines after five of them infused $1.66 billion worth of capital in the Philippines from 2018 to 2020.

“From five major investments from Malaysia alone, IPA [investment promotion agency]-approved investments between 2018 and 2020 is already valued at $1.66 billion,” said Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose at an investment forum.

He said the investments were made possible by the DTI in Malaysia through Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Kuala Lumpur, the Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

PTIC-Kuala Lumpur reopened in 2016 and hosted the first Philippine Investment Forum 2018 in Malaysia.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez

SM redefines dining experience

SM Markets redeveloped the dining experience for customers of partner stores by making their products available inside the supermarkets.

Products of partner restaurants such as ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meals were allowed to be marketed at the SM Markets for the customers’ easy access amid the government restriction on dining brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“By offering our supermarkets as venues for these products, SM Markets allowed its partners to reinvent the dining experience with their bestselling dishes and bring the restaurant closer to home,” said SM Hypermarket president Arnold Daluz.

Living up to the “Here to Serve” mantra, SM Markets carries some 22 brands of various restaurant partners in 68 stores. Among these are the Max’s group of restaurants such as Pancake House, Max’s, Yellow Cab, Teriyaki Boy and Dencio’s.

It aso carries other brands like DECS, Goldilocks, United Steak, Tokyo Tokyo, Tapa King, Adobo Connection, Rico’s Lechon, Ramen Nagi, Ersao, Biggs, Marina, Cibo, Kenny Rogers, Yes Efren’s barbeque, the Moment Group’s Manam, Din Tai Fung and 8 cuts.

Aboitiz Equity to prepay P1.8-b worth of bonds

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.YELLOW said Friday it will repay CYAN MAGENTA BLACK P1.8-billion worth of bonds two years ahead of maturity.

AEV said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it would exercise the optional redemption of the 10-year fixed rate retail bonds issued on Nov. 21, 2013.

“Through the optional redemption, AEV will prepay the optional redemption price of 101 percent of the face value of the 2013 10-year bonds, in the amount of P1.8 billion,” the conglomerate said.

The company said it would use cash to prepay the bonds.

AEV said it was coordinating with Metrobank Trust Banking Group and Philippine Depository and Trust Corp., the trustee registrar and paying agent, respectively, the corresponding notices and computation of the amounts due to the bondholders.

The conglomerate last month agreed to sell a 25.01-percent stake in power generation subsidiary Aboitiz Power assured Malaysian investors that Corp. to Japan-based JERA Asia Pte. Ltd the Philippines is open for busifor $1.46 billion. ness. He said despite the pandemThe transaction, which is still subject ic, there is a strong appetite among to the necessary customary approvals, Malaysian companies to invest or will reduce AEV’s ownership in Aboitiz expand their businesses in the PhilPower to 52 percent. ippines.

AEV raised P10 billion in August from “Malaysia remains to be the top the issuance of four-year and seven-year trading partner and investment fixed-rate bonds. The bonds carry a cousource of the Philippines. In 2020, pon rate of 3.2977 percent and 4.1018 Malaysia ranked as the 10th tradpercent, respectively. ing partner of the Philippines, with The bonds were issued from the combalance of trade in the favor of Mapany’s P30-billion bond shelf-registralaysia,” Lopez said. tion program approved by the Securities “In terms of investment, Maand Exchange Commission in 2019. laysia was the 12th source of IPAThe net proceeds from the bond ofapproved investments, registering fering will be used to partially refinance a growth of 43.90 percent from maturing debt and finance future funding previous year,” he said. requirements of Aboitiz Infracapital for He said that in the first six its telecom tower project. months of 2021, Malaysia ranked AEV is primarily engaged in power as the sixth top source of foreign generation, banking and financial serdirect investments in the Philipvices, real estate, infrastructure and food pines. manufacturing.

Lopez expressed gratitude to The group earmarked P48 billion for Malaysia for its continued confi2021 capital expenditures. dence and interest to invest in the The share price of AEV rose 2.3 perPhilippines, while encouraging cent Friday to P48.45. more business transactions.

Malaysian companies invested $1.66b in PH from 2018 to 2020

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CEBU Pacific said Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City, Iloilo City and Maguindanao are now included in the destinations in its network that simplified travel requirements and do not require RT-PCR or antigen testing.

The other six destinations are Butuan, Cebu province, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Pagadian and Tacloban.

Travelers bound for Cebu province will only need to present a medical certificate issued within 24 hours before arrival in Cebu, stating that they do not exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.

Pagadian City-bound travelers are only required to present a valid government-issued ID, which states their address is in Pagadian City, while transiting passengers do not need to present any requirement.

“We are happy that more LGUs are gradually opening up their borders and have simplified travel requirements. These are positive indicators in the progress of our nation’s fight against COVID, and we look forward to other places following suit,” said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience at Cebu Pacific.

Sports

Evil Geniuses, Yusop bow to Vici in The International THE Evil Geniuses, one of the top favorites for the title this year, is out of contention after Round 2 of the lower bracket best-of-three encounters in The International.

Filipino gamer Abed Yusop and his teammates took a 1-2 loss from Vici Gaming Thursday night at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania.

The exit of the Evil Geniuses came as T1 swept its best-of-three series with Alliance, 2-0, to reach the second round and earn a Round 3 showdown with Vici Gaming.

EG, which tried to hold its ground through the characters of core players Yusop and Artour “Arteezy” Babaev, settled for a tie from 9th to 12th places, their worst finish in three years.

Vici’s main player, Chinese pro Yang “poyoyo” Shaohan, played with a level 23 Spectre and came up with 12 kills and 12 assists against just three deaths in Game 3, which went on for just 37 minutes and 43 seconds.

Shaohan was effective in using the character Mercurial the Spectre, a melee agility hero most effective in dealing pure damage to lone targets and has powerful abilities, both offensively and defensively.

Mercurial proved to be challenge to the high level characters of Yusop and Babaev, who employed a level 24 Troll Warlord and a level 23 Storm Spirit.

The Troll Warlord, is a ranged agility hero, which gives out great damage competitively at range and in melee, while the Storm Spirit, is a ranged intelligence hero, which specializes in the elemental power of lightning With Yusop and EG out of contention, T1’s Carlo “Kuku” Palad and Karl “Karl” Jayme remained as the only Pinoy gamers left fighting for their teams.

The Evil Geniuses went on to earn $800,400 with their effort.

Meanwhile, T1 banked on Karl Baldovino’s big moves with his playing character, a level 25 Ember Spirit, and help in their win over Alliance.

Baldovino’s character possessed two main abilities which became handy when T1 took the game. He led scoring in Game 2 with 18 kills, after his character died twice.

Baldovino maximized his use of the skills of Xin the Ember Spirit, described as mechanically demanding hero, which is often played as either the safe lane core or midlaner in a game of Dota 2. Peter Atencio

LeBron James

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021

C1

SMB’s CJ Perez drives to the basket against the defense of TNT’s Dave Marcelo in a PBA Philippine Cup semifinal game won by the Beermen, 103-90.

Beermen maul TNT Giga to force deciding Game 7

By Peter Atencio

E

XPERIENCE counted most for the San Miguel Beermen as they outplayed the TNT Tropang Giga from start to finish and came off with a 103-90 triumph on Friday at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Mo Tautuaa struck hardest with 24 points for the Beermen, who leveled their best-of-seven semifinal s e r i e s at 3-all and set a deciding do-or-die Game 7 in the Philippine Basketball Association

Philippine Cup semifinals.

Their game of death is set on Sunday.

The 6’8” Tautuaa made his presence felt the most in the second quarter when he and JuneMar Fajardo dominated with their inside plays.

Tautuaa scored on a putback with

10:57 left and handed the Beermen a 32-21 cushion in the early part of the second canto.

Fajardo sank another putback with 5:19 to go as the Beermen continued to move away, taking a 15-point spread, 41-26.

The lead even grew to as much as 24 when Terrence Romeo scored on a pair of driving attempts that sent the Beermen to an 86-62 edge in the final four seconds of the third. Romeo ended up with 16 points.

“Experience is no. 1. In this situation, we knew what to do and we knew how to lose or win a game,” said Beermen coach Leo Austria.

Nike buys stake in LeBron’s media company SpringHill NEW YORK—US sports equipment giant Nike and video game publisher Epic Games have acquired a “significant” minority stake in the media and entertainment company founded by basketball star LeBron James, bringing its valuation to $725 million.

Other investors in James’s SpringHill Company include private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners and Fenway Sports Group, which controls England football club Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise.

SpringHill declined to tell AFP how big a stake the investors acquired.

Following the transaction, James and SpringHill chief executive Maverick Carter, a close friend of the Los Angeles Lakers player, will retain control of the company, it said in a statement.

Founded in 2007, SpringHill has been the locomotive for James’s media, television, and businesses ventures.

He used it in particular to launch, in 2015, Uninterrupted, a media platform that allows athletes to express themselves more directly than through traditional media.

SpringHill also co-produced “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” a blockbuster starring James, which was released in July and grossed $161 million at the global box office, according to the website Box Office Mojo.

SpringHill also produces documentaries, video series and game shows, including “The Wall,” which is broadcast on NBC. Its other arms include consulting and event management.

SpringHill intends to use the funds from the deal to expand to new markets, including outside the United States, it said.

Last year Forbes magazine valued James’s fortune at around $850 million. A four-time NBA champion, the 36-year-old forward remains one of the league’s best players. AFP

Tolentino encourages Diaz to compete at Paris Olympics PARIS is a good two years and 10 months away, but convincing Hidilyn Diaz to go for an Olympic repeat has started the moment she put an end to all non-sports endeavors to focus on her next goal—gold in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Tashkent in December.

To jumpstart efforts to convince Diaz, Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino even wore a red Paris hoodie when he and wife Tagaytay City Mayor Dr. Agnes Tolentino treated Diaz and now head coach Julius Naranjo to a sumptuous dinner cum despedida at the Grandmaster Hotel in Tagaytay City.

“I wanted to tease her [Diaz],” Tolentino said. ““I am encouraging her to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics, but she hasn’t decided yet.”

Before dinner, the Tolentinos toured Diaz and Naranjo at the soon-to-be-completed training center in Tagaytay City, the same

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

city where the POC head gifted Diaz and boxing silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial house and lot units each.

“I believe she will still be formidable at that time [2024],” Tolentino said. “And there will be other weightlifters like Rose Jean Ramos, who could qualify for the Olympics.”

Diaz and Naranjo are flying on Saturday to Malacca to return to the very same private and isolated home and facility where she polished her weightlifting skills that netter the country its first Olympic gold medal.

“There are no distractions there, it’s a perfect environment,” Diaz said.

Diaz and Naranjo were treated to various fish, meat and noodles menu and the world-famous bulalo during the dinner where appreciations, gratitude and pleasantries were exchanged, according to Tolentino.

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz (center) and now head coach Julius Naranjo (second from left) are treated to a sumptuous despedida and good luck dinner by POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (right) and Tagaytay City Mayor Dr. Agnes Tolentino (fourth from right) on Thursday at the Grandmaster Hotel in Tagaytay City. Also in photo is POC Deputy Secretary General for Administration Carl Sambrano.

“It’s all about expressing her gratitude to everyone before she goes to Malaysia to resume her training for the world champi-

onships,” Tolentino, also the PhilCycling president, said. “She thanked everyone and we talked about many things.”

Marcio Lassiter banged in 19 points and kept the the Tropang Giga at bay with his outside shots in the opening period and in the closing minutes of the game.

Two treys from Lassiter off a steal and after getting a pass from Fajardo saw the Beermen up by six at 8-2 as they kept their edge until the end of the period, 27-21.

Lassiter’s triple with 2:11 to go in the final canto then halted the Tropang Giga’s bid to comeback as the Beermen stayed up by 13, 101-88.

Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes showed the way for TNT with 16 points apiece.

Dagestani star Izagakhmaev signs with ONE Championship THERE’S a new Dagestani warrior in ONE Championship, and his name is Saygid Izagakhmaev.

Former UFC Lightweight World Champion Khabib Nurgamomedov broke the news of Saygid Izagakhmaev’s signing all over his social media, with the Russian grappling machine expected to make his debut in December.

“My brother @Saygid_Izagakhmaev has signed a contract with @ONEChampionship and his next fight will be [in] December,” the multi-time World Champion said before thanking ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for making this signing happen.

“Thank you so much @yodchatri it would be impossible without you, see you my friend, it was nice to meet you.”

To which Sityodtong responded: “Thank you for everything, Khabib. See you soon!”

Izagakhmaev is ready to wreak havoc in The Home Of Martial Arts, with the 27-year-old welterweight looking to carry his winning ways over to Asia’s premier promotion after posting a 19-2 record outside of it.

Izagakhmaev trains with Nurgamomedov at American Kickboxing Academy, which is also the home of reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion “Singh” Arjan Bhullar.

There’s still no word as to which division Izagakhmaev will compete in, but there will certainly be major bouts waiting for him in his ONE debut.

He can pursue a route in the welterweight division where ONE World Champion Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov reigns supreme. He can also move down to lightweight and join fellow Dagestanis like Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev and Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in scaling the loaded weight class.

C2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

By Rommel Bong Fuertes Jr.

L

ET'S call a spade a spade, an egg, erm, an egg, then we can also call the Nokia brand the grand dame of the mobile phone industry.

Tech & Gadgets

Nokia’s new devices sure to turn heads

Kaspersky marks digital money movement in APAC

It’s no wonder how this company with Finnish origins has captivated the world with products built to last, and the reliability to boot.

That’s why Filipinos loved it so much! You can basically take it anywhere, from the busy Manila streets to high mountain ranges, even doomsday preppers would make this a weapon of choice when the end times come.

But it’s no surprise that Nokia has relatively missed out on a lot of drastic and sweeping changes needed to keep its lead in the game. The boom of the touchscreen generation proved to be its bane.

Nokia in all its touchpad glory, could not keep with its fancier, sleeker, and more hi-tech predecessors. Plus, smartphone brands seem to pop up a dime a dozen with a bevy of selections to choose from, sometimes even multiple releases just in a single year.

Thankfully, Nokia never really disappeared. As they say, you could never put a good phone down.

With its recent smartphone variants, Nokia has released its newest budget phones with the latest G10 model and the Nokia 5.4.

For this latest Manila Standard Tech review, we take a look at the G10 and see how it fares not only to the lore of the legendary phone brand, but with the new boys on the block.

Enter Nokia’s new juggernauts

Nokia’s new contenders in the smartphone playing field--the 5.4 and the G10--offers high performance in an entry level price.

Let’s start with the Nokia 5.4

The 5.4 is priced at 9,990 pesos, a cut above the usual price range of mobile phones that ranges from P10,000 to 15,000. Fear not, however, as its price does not do its performance justice. If you want to talk about a sure bang for your buck, this is an option.

Armed with the latest Android OS, the 5.4 can hang with the big boys in terms of software updates. It houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 microprocessor, a chip that’s more than capable of holding its own in multitasking and gaming.

It will be a breeze to level up in the occasional Genshin Impact while playing several ranked games in Mobile Legends with this device.

There is of course a bit of a downside spec-wise as it scurries behind its competitor phones. With a price below 10k, it’s somehow expected for Nokia to dial back in the memory category as it only includes 4GB of RAM. Phones in a higher range are usually equipped with

The Nokia 5.4 and Nokia G10 (inset): Competing with the best of them, even after all these years.

8GB or more. Fret not, as it can support up to 512 GB of additional storage.

What makes the 5.4 an absolute contender to consider is its sleek set of camera lenses. With a 48MP wide lens and 2MP depth lens, it’s capable of taking high definition shots without having the burden of finding the right focus. It’s also worth mentioning that it can crystal clear selfies with a 16MP front camera.

Charging could (literally) be a quick jiff as it supports fast charging with the Type-C USB cable.

Cheaper does not mean inferior; especially not with the G10

If the 5.4 is a bit out of your pocket’s reach, then that’s what the G10 is for. A cheaper but definitely a worthwhile smartphone.

After all, what else is Nokia known for but connecting people?

Retailed at a cheaper P6,990, the G10 is a good entry-level phone, capable of starting up your basic needs and more.

Unlike the 5.4, the G10 uses a Mediatek G25 CPU. It may not be in the same ranks as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, but it’s still definitely an arsenal for multitasking woes.

It can and may very well be students’ go-to phone for online classes and school duties.

One of Nokia’s main features that remained intact throughout their formative and progressive years, is their dedication to device stability.

While the G10 may not be like the Nokia 3310 in terms of materials used, the brand’s new budget device lives up to the quality of not being easily blemished.

The device holds an IPX2 waterproof rating. Rainy season is coming up, still worried your phone would give up on you the moment you get soaked in the rain?

Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about that with the Nokia G10 Another great thing about the G10 is its battery life. Unlike the 5.4, it houses a non-removable 5050 mAH battery. The latter has 4000 mAH of battery life.

Predictably so, Nokia’s cheaper option doesn’t contain the same camera as the 5.4, but it still holds a 13MP main camera with hassle-less autofocus.

Like its “big brother” 5.4, it also has a Type-C USB charger.

While it’s true that smartphone brands all over are making waves of their own, it’s unmistakably obvious that Nokia is still competing with the best of them, even after all these years.

Don’t call it a comeback, the brand is here to stay, and it’s here to give a number of people an alternative to their usual smartphones.

ELECTRONIC payments, one of the key pillars of the digital economy, has helped enhance the economic and social wellbeing of billions of people globally, especially during this pandemic time. Closer to home, the Asia Pacific region is the largest contributor to global payments revenue, with analysts expecting the sector to exceed $1 trillion revenue by 2022 or 2023.

With the rapid proliferation and adoption of digital payments here, industry players in this dynamic ecosystem are clearly playing a high stakes game, expanding aggressively into multiple markets with creative marketing solutions in the hope that every single click would represent a small but significant step towards market domination.

To better understand the pulse of digital payment adopters from the region and this trend’s security implications, Kaspersky today holds a virtual media conference themed “Marking the money movement in APAC”.

The global cybersecurity company aims to explore the rising e-money adoption and to deep dive into the cyberthreats that come with it through topline presentations from Kaspersky’s elite researchers and an industry expert. The company’s executives will also join the session with journalists from the 12 countries in the region.

“The surging demand for digital payments has transformed the way we transact both online and offline.

Businesses are now digitalizing their operations to capture additional revenue through digital payments, while consumers are heavily reliant on it due to the ease and convenience it offers.

It is clear that the demand for quick, efficient and low-cost payment experiences will encourage further innovation in this space, and we are seeing that happening with the emergence of real-time payment rails,” comments Chris Connell, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

To zero in on the “New Generation of Financial Attacks", one of Kaspersky’s elite researchers, Vitaly Kamluk, will also explain how targeted financial attacks look today, who is the main target and how big is the scale of the theft.

LG’s QNED TV: Ultimate innovation in LCD TVs LG UPS the ante once again with the release of the QNED TV. The newest TV from the South Korean technology giant combines the best innovations into a complete, breathtaking package.

Dubbed as the LG QNED MiniLED, this TV represents the dawn of a new era for LCD TVs. The pioneering display combines a mini-LED panel with Quantum Dot NanoCell Technology to deliver an all-new TV experience. Enhanced brightness, nearperfect blacks, and brilliant color are showcased on a stunning ultra-big screen. This is truly the pinnacle of LCD TV. As TVs get bigger and bigger, the details need to get smaller. Approximately 30,000 MiniLEDs deliver brighter and clearer images, while close to 2,500 unique dimming zones deliver precise backlight control and an ultrahigh contrast ratio. This makes blacks deeper and colors more vivid for a more detailed picture, even in the darkest scenes. The result is a greater level of detail and more accurate color reproduction than conventional LCD TVs. Certified by international product testing agency Intertek for providing 100 percent

color volume and color consistency, LG QNED MiniLED TVs also eliminate color distortion across a wide viewing angle, ensuring everyone in the room can enjoy the ultimate in LCD picture quality.

Quantum Dot NanoCell Technology delivers a more stunning picture with the combined power of both NanoCell Plus and Quantum Dot. This unique combination of technologies improves color reproduction to create richer and more accurate colors. LG QNED MiniLED's improved display technology brightens whites and darkens blacks for an ultra-high-quality picture. This is how LG QNED MiniLED shows all your favorite content in a whole new light. The new TV’s exquisite color reproduction has been expertly developed to capture a wider gamut and more vivid colors. This keeps everything you watch looking exactly as intended.

Since it’s LG’s best LCD TV, it also has to have the best possible resolution. LG QNED MiniLED combines an incredibly high pixel density with our all-new Quantum Dot NanoCell Technology for an outstandingly realistic 8K picture that is more detailed than ever, even when viewed on a big

screen. The LG QNED is certified 8K Ultra HD and even exceeds international standards with a CM level of 95.8% making a stunning picture even more spectacular.

LG QNED MiniLED is artfully designed to enhance any home interior. With minimal bezels and a slim, sleek body optimized for wall mounting, every size of LG QNED MiniLED hangs flush against your wall. This means that even our biggest TV fits perfectly into your space, upgrading your home interior just like a work of art.

The LG QNED MiniLED also comes equipped with LG’s most popular TV innovations. It comes with Dolby Vision IQ & Dolby Atmos for powerful multi-dimensional surround sound, FILMMAKER MODE for a genuine cinematic experience, and a Game Optimizer feature for your gaming needs.

“LG QNED MiniLED TV represents an evolutionary leap forward, leveraging LG’s unique color reproduction technology and mini-LED backlighting to achieve the pinnacle of LCD picture quality,” said Sungjae Kim, LG Philippines’ Managing Director.

“Our newest lineup is testament to LG’s

LG QNED's pioneering display combines a mini-LED panel with Quantum Dot NanoCell Technology to deliver an all-new TV experience.

technological leadership in the premium TV market made possible by continuously improving and refining our innovative OLED and QNED MiniLED TVs.”

Visit LG’s official website at lg.com/ ph and their official social media channels to find out more about upcoming releases and new promotions.

XLOG joins forces with French shipping giant CMA CGM HOMEGROWN fully integrated end-toend shipping and logistics platform XLOG promises the Filipino people to become a global brand and provide jobs to the community as it enters into a strategic collaboration with French shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM (Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement and Compagnie Générale Maritime).

CMA CGM schedules and booking will be made available via API on the XLOG platform to utilize its plethora of digital solutions specifically developed to cater to shipping, logistics, and forwarding services, including cashflows and financing windows, that

practically revolutionizes the otherwise backward shipping sector.

"It's digitize or die," Eugenio Ynion Jr., Shiptek Solutions Corp., founder and the pioneering leader behind the development of the XLOG platform, always says. After all, his XLOG end-to-end logistics solutions are sought-after software by international investors because of their complete package capable of providing a holistic solution to almost all facets of the shipping and logistics industries.

As a global company with over 170 years of history, CMA CGM also offers logistics solutions, with worldwide cargo as its core business that "contributes to sus-

tainable globalization through better balanced international trade."

The existing digital services of XLOG create a perfect synergy for CMA CGM’s, particularly in its technology requirements.

XLOG opens opportunities for CMA CGM customers to experience seamless transactions with its available infrastructure within the platform. The French company can harness both the XLOG's expertise and platform in these areas.

One of the most significant advantages offered by the XLOG platform is its embedded financing through its partnership with the Unionbank of the Philippines.

Joey Ynion, chief of operations at XLOG,

described embedded banking as an "anchor financing" that offers a seamless trading solution in the logistics space while eliminating the risk of bogus transactions.

"It's like a community-based financing with the freight forwarders acting as the "anchor," he said. "As the anchor to the financing facility, these freight forwarders will undergo a credit assessment from UBP. The trucking firms will not be required for any credit assessment. Once they are onboard the credit line, the forwarders can onboard all the trucking companies they work with, and in turn, the bank will automatically onboard the trucking companies in the system."

World

Special Feature

Promoting global awareness and action

against hunger, malnutrition

By P.Y. Deligero

F

OOD plays an important role in people’s lives. It provides them with the proper sustenance and energy so they can carry on with their activities for the day.

Through food, people also have the chance to create meaningful connections.

This is evident in the Filipino culture.

During celebrations like fiestas, birthdays, or holidays, a wide array of food is present on the table. By sharing meals, people get a chance to talk about intimate topics and form stronger bonds with each other.

Yet despite the many benefits of food, not everyone gets to appreciate a bountiful meal.

Food waste continues to be prevalent in countries around the world. Another pressing issue that revolves around food is hunger and malnutrition.

In the Philippines alone, millions of people, especially children, suffer from not having enough food. The most fundamental reason behind hunger and malnutrition in Filipinos is poverty.

To help people understand the importance of food and become more aware of the pressing issue of hunger and malnutrition, the United Nations established World Food Day. PUTTING FOOD IN THE SPOTLIGHT World Food Day, held every October 16, marks the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. The FAO was founded in 1945, while World Food Day was established in November 1979.

The event was suggested by former Hungarian Minister of Agriculture and Food, Pal Romany.

Presently, 150 countries across the world participate in the annual World Food Day. During the event, hundreds of activities bring together governments, businesses, NGOs, the media, and the general public to promote global awareness and action against hunger as well as to secure healthy diets for people everywhere.

For this year’s celebration of World Food Day, the FAO aims to direct participants’ to the source of food: agriculture. The event hopes to emphasize the need for a sustainable agri-food system in achieving the goal of food security for all.

According to the FAO,

a sustainable agri-food system makes a variety of sufficient, nutritious, and safe food available to everyone at an affordable price. As a result, nobody suffers from hunger or malnutrition. This system leads to better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all.

But to make sure that the common goal of a better life for all is met, the FAO’s initiative through World Food Day requires the participation of governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, and academia.

With the theme “Our actions are our future–Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life,” World Food Day 2021 will be again celebrated in Brussels. The theme highlights the idea of the food we choose and the way we consume it affect our health and that of our planet. #WORLDFOODDAY CALENDAR OF EVENTS To make the event more welcoming and to entice more participants, FAO’s World Food Day has several activities in line for people

of all ages.

Starting October 15, global leaders, FAO Special Ambassadors, heads of the Romebased UN agencies, and other keynote speakers will join FAO Director-General QU Dongyu to mark the World Food Day ceremony.

It will call for the transformation of agri-food systems to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to enough, affordable, safe, and nutritious food to lead active and healthy lives.

The opening ceremony will then be followed by a lecture from Professor Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. There will also be a special dialogue on Tea and Coffee that will explore the production and rich flavors behind beverages that unite many different cultures.

As for the youth from around the world, they will be invited to have conversations with known food heroes that come from different backgrounds such as influencers to farmers to chefs, and innovators, to discover

Let there be bread BREAD is the most widely-eaten food in the world. It is a staple food served and consumed in almost all households every single day especially in Western countries such as Europe and the United States.

In the Philippines, pandesal stands as the unofficial king of pastries, alongside iconic variants like pan de regla, ensaymada, puts, and the mamon.

But bread not only fills our tummies, but also gives us the nutrients our bodies need.

Furthermore, bread is an essential source of carbohydrates aside from other starchy food such as pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals, and other grains like rye and barley. Beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, and corn are also carbohydrates, too. All these provide fuel for the brain and energy for a person to function properly throughout the day!

By combining together a dough of flour and water, a baker could have a very tasty creation; crispy on the outside that would make someone lick their lips, fluffy and soft on the inside and would melt on the tongue.

And don’t forget the inviting aroma of freshly-baked goods and pastries wafting along the street when you pass by cafés starting to open their businesses, as you stroll around and drink your joyous cup of morning coffee.

BRIEF HISTORY As early as 30,000 years ago, baking bread has already been an activity done by pre-historic humans, thus, making it one of the oldest food made by humans.

Using water and grains, they used to prepare the liquid gruel, then turned them solid by frying them on heated stones. Traces of starch have been discovered in an ancient mortar and pestle-like rocks, according to a 2010 study by the National Academy.

It is believed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to use yeast to leaven the dough. The Romans invented two types of ovens which are the brick oven and the “three-legged” pot. Also, the Normans used crop rotation practices and built watermills and windmills for improved flour production.

Bread-making further evolved from the 18th century up to the present as roller flour mills, loaf tins, steampowered mills, then steel roller mills were invented; from wooden and coalburning brick ovens to gas ovens; and then finally, highly-automated flour mills with steel rollers were created in the 20th century.

There are traditional bread recipes that have been passed down from the ancient generation to the next in many of the varying cuisines worldwide.

Bread is usually made from wheat, but other cereals, including rye, barley, oats, maize, rice, millet, and sorghum can also be used.

Today, endless varying flours and other ingredients such as additives like nuts, fruits, margarine, and dairy products such as cheese, butter, eggs, milk, and cream helped evolved bread-making to make different types, shapes, sizes, and textures of these deliciously-baked goods.

Safe additives such as artificial color and flavoring are used also, to not only improve appearance and taste but for improved shelf life as well.

Some of the best types of bread are croissants, baguettes, brioche, sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta, rye bread, garlic bread, whole-wheat bread, pita, naan, banana bread, bagels, multigrain pieces of bread and so much more!

Bread is also considered an important ritual element in some religions, including Christianity and Judaism.

Initiated by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners, this occasion has been observed throughout the years as a dedication to a staple food that has been crucial for people around the world to survive.

Also, the World Bread Day Celebration was started to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Created in 1945 to defeat hunger, it has a Latin motto, Fiat Panis, which means “Let there be bread”.

why they choose to work with food.

Other events throughout the world also include marathons, hunger marches, exhibitions, cultural performances, contests, and concerts. And since it’s the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAO also considered countries that are still observing health safety protocols.

Many events during World Food Day 2021 will also be made available online to allow more people to join in the celebration.

ANOTHER GLOBAL EVENT ON FOOD Besides World Food Day, October 16 also holds another event for food lovers everywhere.

But this event is more specific as it celebrates a staple in homes everywhere: bread.

On October 16, many people are also set to celebrate World Bread Day. The event was initiated by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners. It was created to dedicate a day to a staple food that has served as an important source of sustenance around the world since the dawn of agriculture.

During the past two years, people have started baking as a productive hobby that could keep them occupied and fed during the pandemic. Through World Bread Day, bakers from around the world can enjoy a day dedicated to their favorite bakes.

World Bread Day was also started on World Food Day because both celebrations highlight the importance of food in nation-building and how it has kept civilizations thriving throughout the years.

Bakers can try different activities such as baking their favorite loaf, trying new recipes, and posting about their creations online.

Ultimately, they can try different approaches to enjoying the global celebration.

Creating a better relationship with food and how it is consumed can help people from around the world to develop a better environment for themselves and the many others who also rely on food.

Although many people enjoy food and eating, there’s still a lot to learn before they can truly appreciate the food on their plates.

This appreciation doesn’t come solely from reveling in the flavors and benefits it has to offer, rather, it comes from empowering the source to make it available for everyone, everywhere.

Through these events, people have a more consolidated movement against hunger and malnutrition towards a better future for everyone. It may seem hard but a common goal can be achieved by examining our actions and how it affects the future.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021 ||

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Mondelez Philippines offers Halal-certified products SNACKS company Mondelez Philippines has been in the country for the past 58 years. In that time, the company has created many changes to its snack products, all in response to consumers’ needs – from flavors to pack size and even entering new snack segments. Throughout the years, Mondelez Philippines has been transitioning its products to serve not only different taste preferences but also lifestyle and religious needs, including securing Halal certification for most of its portfolio.

“We want to make products that everyone can enjoy, whatever their preferences,” explains Chit Andoy, Mondelez Philippines’ Quality Manager. “As a company it is important to us that we respond to different needs for snacking.

We encourage consumers to snack mindfully, by eating with intention and attention. This means understanding why consumers snack, to choose the right snack for their need.”

Andoy continues, “When deciding what to offer in a specific market, we consider various factors, including religious food requirements such as Halal. This is a growing requirement for food in the country, and we want to cater to consumers who require Halal food for religious needs. Locally our snack brands that are Halal certified include Eden cheese, Cheez Whiz spread, Tang powdered beverage, Oreo cookies, Tiger Crackers and Biscuits, Halls candies, Cadbury and Toblerone chocolates. Almost our entire local product line is Halal certified, with the exception of a few specialty offerings and seasonal products.”

Production of Halal compliant food products requires close attention to ingredients, source of ingredients, processing, cross contact, cleaning procedures of the equipment for production process, and many other operational issues. Halal certification is managed through external agencies and their requirements vary by agency, country, or government.

For the products manufactured by the company locally, these have been certified by the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines, Inc. “To determine if the product you are consuming is Halal, check the front of the packaging. There should be a seal or logo from the Halal certifying body clearly displayed,” said Andoy.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021

Motoring

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ISSAN launched the all-new Almera in the Philippines, offering first-in-class features that sets it apart from the competitive passenger car segment.

Introduced in a live virtual event broadcasted from the World Trade Center in Pasay City, the all-new Nissan Almera now has a 1.0L turbo engine, Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, and bolder new design elements compared to the previous model.

Advanced technology For the first time in the passenger car segment, the all-new Almera comes with Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) features that provide monitoring and intervention technology, giving car owners added driving confidence and safety.

These features include Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, as well as the Intelligent Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection.

Improved performance The all-new Almera is now powered with a lighter 1.0-liter turbo engine which delivers greater power and better fuel efficiency, available in four variants with automatic and manual transmission options.

The segment-first turbo engine has a maximum power output of 100 PS, a class leading 152 Nm of torque, and a fuel efficiency of 23.3 kilometers per liter, giving better acceleration and better power output than the previous model.

For the first time in the passenger car segment, the all-new Almera comes with Nissan Intelligent Mobility features that provide monitoring and intervention technology, giving car owners added driving confidence and safety.

All-new Nissan Almera: Smarter, more stylish and turbo-charged

Unmatched style and comfort The all-new Almera incorporates a sleek, comfortable, and spacious design that leaves a lasting first impression on first-time car owners and millennial families alike.

The new design features lower, wider, and longer exterior dimensions using Nissan’s Emotional Geometry design language, while retaining the Almera’s roomy interior space.

Key elements of the “Emotional Geometry” design language in the all-new Almera include the V-motion grille, boomerang- Tech-enhanced interior that exceeds all standards

shaped LED headlamps and tail lamps, LED Signature Daytime Running Lamps, kick-up C-pillars, and a floating roof.

The all-new Almera’s interior has also been totally redesigned to accommodate a new 7” TFT Meter with Integrated Drive-Assist Display, infotainment screen, black leather interiors with contrast stitching, as well as a new D-shaped steering wheel with handsfree, meter, and voice recognition controls. The stylish passenger cabin features high-quality design and exemplary craftsmanship with head and legroom to spare, retaining its reputation for best-

in-class roominess.

The infotainment system provides convenience and seamless connectivity with an 8-inch Advanced Touchscreen Display with Apple CarPlay, bringing infotainment, navigation, safety, security, and more under a single platform, with connection via smartphone.

“The all-new Almera is the smart and stylish sedan that first time owners, growing families, and young professionals can trust,” says Atsushi Najima, President and Managing Director of Nissan in the Philippines. “As part of Nissan’s transformation plan in the Philippines, we are offering a unique and exciting challenger in the competitive passenger car segment,” he adds.

Availability The all-new Nissan Almera starts at P728,000 and will be available in six stunning colors: Cayenne Red, Gun Metallic, Galaxy Black, Premium Corona Orange, Brilliant Silver, and Pearl White.

The all-new Almera also comes with a vehicle warranty of five years or 150,000 kilometers, whichever comes first for the VE and VL variants.

Similar to the Navara and Terra, the warranty of the all-new Nissan Almera is the first in its segment, providing customers a worry-free ownership experience.

The all-new Nissan Almera went on sale starting October 8. Customers can check with their nearest Nissan dealerships to book a test drive, following local health and safety guidelines. For more information on the Nissan Almera, visit https://www.nissan.ph/vehicles/new/almera.html

Light Rail Manila Corp. gets safety seal for LRT-1 LIGHT Rail Manila Corporation, the private operator of LRT-1, recently received the Safety Seal for its train stations and depot from the local government unit of Pasay City, highlighting the commitment of the company in providing a safe transportation system by using best in class safety protocols.

The Safety Seal Certification assures the public of the establishment’s compliance with the minimum public health standards set by the government to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19.

“In LRMC, safety is part of our mission for our dear commuters and employees. We are not just their partners in efficient and comfortable journey, but for safety as well. The Safety Seal that we received from the City of Pasay is just a testament that we are one with the government’s effort in encouraging safety of the public as the country gradually opens the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

We treat this as a milestone putting on top of mind the safety of our commuters as we slowly increase the capacity of our trains in line with guidelines

set by the government,” said LRMC Head of Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality Department Louernie De Sales.

The ceremonial installation of the Safety Seal at the LRT1 Baclaran Station was led by LRMC Head of Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality Department Louernie De Sales; LRMC Head of Operations Andrea Madrid together with DILG Local Government VI Rommel Cena; Pasay City Business Permits & Licensing Office (BPLO) Officer-inCharge Michelle Talavera-Pardo; ACOPO Lt.Col. Lepron Platon; and Fire Inspector Alejandro Ramos of the Pasay City Bureau of Fire and Protection.

LRMC continues to innovate by using technology in implementing strict health and safety protocols as it expects to receive other Safety Seals from different local government units covering LRT-1 stations.

For more updates and info on the LRT-1, follow LRMC on Facebook at facebook.com/ officialLRT1, Twitter at @ officialLRT1, or download the ikotMNL mobile app for free on Google Play and App Store.

Ceremonial installation of Safety Seal at the LRT-1 Baclaran Station with (from left) LRMC Head of Operations Andrea Madrid; Head of Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality Department Louernie De Sales together with DILG Local Government VI Rommel Cena; Pasay City Business Permits & Licensing Office (BPLO) Officer-in-Charge Michelle Talavera-Pardo; and ACOPO Lt.Col. Lepron Platon.