Manila Standard - 2021 October 21 - Thursday

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By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

T

HE government’s review of 52 anti-drug operations has cast doubt on police claims they acted in self-defense when they shot and killed suspects, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 248 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Guevarra said 154 officers have been tagged for “possible criminal liability” over police operations carried out during President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

Most of the cases reviewed by the Justice Department and made public Wednesday were drug war operations that ended in the fatal shooting of the suspect.

Next page File photo shows police officers investigating the body of an alleged drug dealer whose face was covered with packaging tape in Manila and whose body bore a placard that reads ‘I am a pusher.’ AFP

DOJ matrix on the 52 drug war cases (Full list on www.manilastandard.net) Docket Number

Name/s of deceased suspects and place and date of incident

IAS findings/ recommendations vs. police respondents

Observations

RIAS2-MP-ADM- 180032-DB

Nave Perry G. Alcantara, alias Peri (17-years old)

Sixty (60)-day suspension for one of the police operatives; dismissal of administrative complaint against the other police operatives.

IAS noted that, at the time of the shooting, the suspect and the police operative who shot the suspect were standing only a meter apart. Considering the relative positions of the two persons at the time of the alleged shooting, IAS expressed doubt with regard to the police operative’s claim of self- defense.

Atulayan Sur, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 21 August 2018

DOJ doubts self-defense claim of cops in EJK cases

It was also noted that the suspect sustained three gunshot wounds. According to IAS, excessive force appeared to have been used by the police operatives.

Paraffin test showed that both hands of the suspect were negative for gunpowder nitrates.

RIAS13-MPI2B- 2019-065

Jose Nelson G. Garbo, Jr.

One (1)-rank demotion

Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur

IAS noted discrepancies between the spot report and the investigation report, particularly with regard to the claim that the suspect was armed with a .45 caliber firearm with ammunition.

The recovered/seized illegal drugs were never submitted for chemical analysis. No request can be found in the records.

09 August 2016

Duterte raps senators for reported budget cut, dares for a ‘showdown’

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte accused senators Tuesday night of threatening to cut the budgets of Cabinet secretaries who do not attend Senate hearings, and challenged them to a “showdown” even as Senate President Vicente Sotto III immediately denied the Chief Executive’s accusation.

Sotto said when a Cabinet member does not attend the budget delib-

erations in plenary, they simply call their budget when they are present. “[There’s] no such thing as cutting the budget because of nonattendance,” Sotto said.

“That’s the trouble of not calling a regular LEDAC,” Sotto added, referring to the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council. “Rumors become information.”

In his late night public address Tuesday, the President said senators were Next page

Pharmally execs gone into ‘hiding,’ Senate, lawyer debate on arrest

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

IN-PERSON LEARNING.

Medical technology students do their laboratory exercises during face-to-face classes at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Danny Pata

SENATORS on Wednesday rejected the assertion of the legal counsel of Pharmally executive Linconn Ong that the Senate has no authority to arrest persons outside the Senate premises as siblings Mohit and Twinkle Dargani—company treasurer and president, respectively -- reportedly went into hiding.

Senate Blue Ribbon committee

chairman Senator Richard Gordon described the statement of Ong’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, as absurd.

If a person is subpoenaed to appear in person to produce documents needed for an investigation does not appear, the Senate does not have to wait for that person to show up in the Senate building before citing him or her for contempt. If it did, he said, anyone could avoid accountability by simply Next page

Gov’t eyes ‘3rd dose’ for frontliners, Rody orders to shuffle vax to avoid brand favoritism vulnerable sectors by Nov. or Dec.

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

VACCINE czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. says the government is planning to begin administering a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for healthcare workers and the country’s vulnerable sector

by November or early December.

“Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and I are already preparing [revaccination] since the World Health Organization has given its inclination for the vaccination for third dosing, considering that the immunity will lapse,” Galvez reported to President Rodrigo Duterte during the taped Talk to the People.

The Department of Health is awaiting WHO’s official recommendation to give

No discrimination to hire only vaxxed applicants–Galvez

By Rey Requejo COMPANIES that will reject applicants who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 cannot be accused of discrimination, National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.

“It is the prerogative of companies to hire, train, promote and fire emNext page

additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised persons, senior citizens, and healthcare workers.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the WHO was expected to release its final recommendation by November.

Vergeire clarified that booster shots and additional doses were different and the WHO had yet to recommend a third shot for the general population.

According to experts, a booster shot is an additional dose after the protection of the original shot has decreased over time, while a third shot is for those with

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ordered vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to shuffle the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to different areas to prevent people from choosing

vaccine brands.

“If COVID-19 vaccines are not effective, there would have been significantly more deaths,” the President said in his late Tuesday night taped public address.

“I told Secretary Galvez to shuffle

2,735,369 67,061

40,977

5

2,627,331

228

(As of 4 PM, October 20)

Next page People offer flowers to their loved ones at Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City week ahead of All Soul’s Day. The Metro Manila Council earlier passed a resolution ordering the closure of 29 public cemeteries in the National Capital Region from October 29 to November 2 to prevent mass gatherings that could lead to a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases.

Manny Palmero

Next page

3,656

the boxes of vaccines. Throw a box there, So, when it arrives, mix it,” Duterte said.

He also warned government personnel against “favoritism” over some brands.

PH protests China’s new ‘provocative acts’ in SCS THE Philippines filed a protest against “unlawful” and “provocative acts” by Chinese state vessels in the West Philippine Sea, including the issuance of 200 radio challenges.

“The DFA protested the unlawful issuance of over 200 radio challenges, sounding of sirens, and blowing of horns by Chinese government vessels against Philippine authorities conduct-

ing legitimate, customary, and routine patrols over and around the Philippines’ territory and maritime zones,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a Next page

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Brace for big-time LPG price hike’

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Maricel V. Cruz

C

ONSUMERS are facing another round of big time price hike for cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) of P3.65 per kilogram in November due to the higher LPG contract price in the oil market.

“As of yesterday, the contract price or international price of LPG based on Saudi Aramco pricing is up by $65 per metric ton or equivalent to P3.65 per kg price increase,” Arnel Ty of the LPG Marketers Association said.

He said the projection might still change and LPG prices might be higher by the end of the year, based on the trajectory of world market prices.

In October, oil firms raised the price of LPG by around P7.36 per kilo which was implemented in two tranches.

The move comes as pump prices are seen to go up for the ninth consecutive

week next week.

The Department of Energy has monitored a possible P1 per liter increase in petroleum products as of Wednesday.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in an interview with ANC the government was seeking an amendment to the Oil Deregulation Law of 1998 and allowing the government to go into retail oil trading.

“The amendment to give us more authority in cases like this and participation of the government back to oil trading,” Cusi said.

Cusi gave assurances there was enough oil supply domestically but

Pharmally...

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DOJ...

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not entering the Senate premises.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that as long as they are within the jurisdiction of the Philippines, the Darganis who have reportedly gone into hiding can be apprehended.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms retired Major General Rene C. Samonte said the Darganis went missing after they were ordered arrested for contempt charges on Tuesday for refusing to submit the documents that were subpoenaed by Gordon’s committee.

Mohit, Pharmally’s corporate secretary and treasurer, and Twinkle, the firm’s president, insisted they are not refusing to submit the documents, but merely invoked their rights as advised by their legal counsel.

Samonte said they have not yet served the arrest orders against the Darganis as they were not found in any of their three condominium units as of Tuesday night.

“The condo staff and the security personnel have confirmed that they own the condominium units which are located in BGC and Greenhills. It appears that they are in hiding. That is why we will continue to look for them in the following days,” Samonte said.

While he is not the lawyer of the Darganis. Topacio warned that senators and the Senate sergeant-at-arms may face serious illegal detention charges if they arrest the two Pharmally executives.

In a virtual media briefing, Topacio said President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered law enforcers not to arrest resource persons who ignore the Senate’s subpoena.

He also cited the Supreme Court jurisprudence in the case of Neri vs. the Blue Ribbon Committee, saying detention can only be done if the person is in contempt of the Senate and is within its premises, while arrests cannot be done because the Senate sergeant-at-arms has no statutory authority to arrest anyone outside its premises.

“Mr. Mohit Dargani is outside of the Senate. The OSSA has no authority to take him into custody,” he said.

Topacio added that Dargani can only be arrested if a court issues an arrest warrant, or he is committing, just about to commit or has committed a crime.

“We are therefore warning the sergeant-at-arms, and any senator ordering the arrest of anyone outside of the Senate premises, that they can be charged with serious illegal detention, a non-bailable offense, if they detain any person at large,” he said.

There were 56 deaths in all, most of them suspects.

“Most... indicate circumstances that do not support the police officers’ claim of self-defense,” Guevarra said. “That is why we have endorsed these cases to the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) for a proper case build-up.”

Most of the officers involved in the cases had been recommended for demotion or temporary suspension by the police internal affairs service.

In one incident, the suspect was shot 15 times after allegedly firing at police, who received a 31-day suspension from duty.

Guevarra last year told the United Nations Human Rights Council that an inter-agency review of 5,655 deadly anti-drug operations was under way.

His announcement came after the UN human rights office released a damning report on the drug war.

Carlos Conde, Human Rights Watch senior researcher for the Philippines, said the reviewed cases showed the drug war was an “illegal, murderous state policy.”

Duterte was elected in 2016 on a promise to get rid of the Philippines’ drug problem, openly ordering police to kill drug suspects if officers’ lives were in danger.

At least 6,191 people have died in more than 200,000 anti-drug operations conducted since July 2016, according to the latest official data.

Rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men have been killed in the crackdown.

International Criminal Court judges authorized in September a full-blown investigation into the anti-narcotics campaign, saying it resembled an illegitimate and systematic attack on civilians.

Guevarra said the Justice Department’s actions were not “to impress or influence the ICC, but because it is the right and just thing to do.”

“Time and resources permitting, the DOJ will also look into the files of the thousands of other cases where no liability was found (by police internal affairs),” he said.

While defending the drug war Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday urged victims to “cooperate in holding policemen who committed abuses accountable for their action.”

Three Philippine policemen were sentenced in 2018 to decades in prison for murdering a teenager during an anti-

Gov’t...

From A1 certain health conditions to help further protect them from severe COVID-19 cases or death.

Following a four-day meeting, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization on Oct. 11 said those with weakened immunity should receive an additional shot.

SAGE said they were “less likely to respond adequately to vaccination following a standard primary vaccine series and are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease.”

The government has so far allowed the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines of the following companies: Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, and Gamaleya Institute.

It needs to wait for the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines to be amended to include a third dose, Vergeire had said.

Duterte...

From A1 threatening the Cabinet secretaries with their respective agencies’ budget due to their absence in Senate investigations.

“You threaten the budget of different agencies of the Executive because the officials refuse to attend your hearings.

This is really an abuse of democracy.

This separation of powers, co-equal and everything; and they threatened to paralyze the government,” Duterte said.

“Reduce the budget by one third, I challenge you, do it. You people are smart. As for me, I’m ordinary, my grade was 75. But if your brains can handle it, go ahead, I challenge you,” Duterte said.

The President even told senators they

No discrimination...

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His statement ran counter to that of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra who said yesterday that business owners cannot turn down the employment

Rody...

From A1 Many Filipinos prefer Western-made vaccines like those from Moderna and Pfizer, but Duterte said “all COVID-19 shots were developed in the laboratories with people who are really wellequipped medically to do their job.”

“I said, do not choose. Now, someone does not want to deliver other brands. What he or she wants is Pfizer or Moderna. I’m telling you if vaccines like Sinovac and Sinopharm are not effective, many people should have died,” Duterte said.

Duterte urged the public anew to get vaccinated, stressing that achieving population protection is the only solution to the prevailing health crisis.

In related developments: * The Philippine government currently administers 70,000 to 90,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for the general adult population daily, the National Vaccines Operation Center said Wednesday.

“Around 70,000 to 90,000 vaccines are administered) on a daily basis,” NVOC representative Dr. Kezia Rosario said during the Laging Handa briefing. * A total of 3,416 children with comorbidities have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday, the DOH said Wednesday. The government began the inoculation of children aged 12 to 17 with health risks last Friday in eight hospitals. It will expand to 13 more hospitals later this week, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya earlier said.

called for more fuel discounts to the public transport.

Cusi, however, said the government could not suspend the implementation of the excise tax as the provision for suspension had expired.

Some sectors are seeking a two-week suspension of the excise tax to ease the burden of the public.

“We need the law to do that. We have studied that, what we can do within the legal framework...The President cannot do that through an EO (executive order),” the energy chief said.

He said the excise tax was used by the government for the fight against COVID-19 but assured the government was looking at ways to mitigate the impact of the high oil prices to consumers.

Cusi is hoping oil prices will be tempered once the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries increases its production.

Meanwhile, an opposition leader in the House of Representatives renewed his appeal to Congress to prioritize the enactment of measures seeking to regulate the downstream oil industry.

Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said “with today’s big time oil price hike, it is imperative that the downstream oil industry be again placed under regulation to protect our much burdened consumers,” “The increase has added a total of P8.65 a liter to diesel pump prices.

Since the start of 2021, diesel has seen a net increase of P18 a liter. Gasoline prices now totaled P7.20 a liter. Gasoline also saw a net increase of P19.70 a liter since the start of the year. This is too much especially since many consumers are now jobless and others are under employed,” said the Davaobased solon.

narcotics sweep, the first and only conviction so far against officers carrying out Duterte’s war on drugs.

Duterte said this month he would prepare his defense against an ICC probe, after previously insisting he would not cooperate.

The information made available by the DOJ Wednesday included docket numbers, names of the deceased suspects, places and dates of the incidents and the review panel’s summary of observations on these cases. The names of the police officers involved were not released, however, because of “due process considerations.”

Among the 52 cases, the most number of deaths in a single incident involved the operation in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte on July 29, 2016 which resulted in the deaths of three persons.

Police said the suspects on board a vehicle refused to stop at a checkpoint and opened fire on the officers, but the DOJ review panel said the medico-legal report showed the victims appeared to have been shot at close range.

The PNP-IAS ordered the police involved in the case dismissed.

An early case involved a man killed in a shootout with police in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City in December 2016. But the DOJ review showed the records of the case contained no detailed narration, no indication of the cause of death in the death certificate, no pre-operation report, no ballistics or paraffin test results or autopsy findings.

In this incident, the officers involved were found guilty of “grave irregularity in the performance of [their] duty.”

Different areas in Laguna accounted for the most number of cases—at least 15.

The earliest case reviewed involved the death of a man in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on July 20, 2016. The police said the suspect had been accosted at a checkpoint for operating a motorcycle without license plates and on the way to the police station, he tried to grab the firearm of one of the arresting officers, prompting the use of deadly force. There was no autopsy or death certificate on record, however.

Eleazar welcomed the DOJ decision to release the information on the cases, saying it is “in the interest of truth, transparency and justice.”

The DOJ on Wednesday urged witnesses to come forward to help in the prosecution of the 154 policemen linked to criminal acts during 52 drug operations that resulted in the deaths of 56 people, most of them suspects.

“These cases are to undergo further investigation and case buildup by the

National Bureau of Investigation for the possible filing of criminal charges against erring police officers,” the DOJ said, in a statement.

The PNP-IAS submitted the records of the 52 cases to the DOJ for review after finding administrative liability on the part of the policemen involved in the drugs operations.

In some instances, suspects that were killed in the administration’s drug war tested negative for gunpowder nitrates—even though police said they fired first.

One such case was that of 17-year-old Nave Perry Alcantara, who allegedly fired at police during a buy-bust operation in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan in August 2018.

“IAS (PNP-Internal Affairs Service) noted that at the time of the shooting, the suspect and the police operative who shot the suspect were standing only a meter apart,” the DOJ panel said.

“Considering the relative positions of the two persons at the time of the alleged shooting, IAS expressed doubt with regard to the police operative’s claim of self-defense,” the panel added.

The IAS recommended a 60-day suspension for one of the cops and the dismissal of an administrative complaint against the other policemen.

Benjamin Calisnao was killed in a buybust operation in Aparri, Cagayan in August 2017. The three policemen who fired at and killed Calisnao said he fired at them first, but a paraffin test showed the suspect had no gunpowder nitrates.

The review panel noted that Crispin Vedaño was killed in an alleged buybust operation in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro in January 2020. Though no autopsy records were submitted, photographs showed that Vedaño had sustained two gunshot wounds to the back. He also tested negative for gunpowder nitrates.

The DOJ said the police officer did not provide documents showing that it was a legitimate buy-bust operation.

Police authorities recommended a sixmonth suspension.

Another suspect, Dionisio Corpin, was killed during a buy-bust operation involving firearms in San Pedro City, Laguna in February 2019. He was negative for gunpowder nitrates. The DOJ noted that the case did not appear to be related to the drug war.

In a buy-bust operation in Tanza, Cavite in July 2020, Celvin Pernes allegedly drew a gun against a police officer. Paraffin test results, however, showed that he was negative for gunpowder nitrates.

can remove the allocation for the Office of the President but said that at the end of the day, everything would still be up for his approval.

“Give the Office of the President zero budget. Come on. Do you think your money will reach you without going through me first? What if I don’t release [it]?” he said.

“Tit-for-tat. No threats, just do it.

Let’s have a showdown,” he said.

The President can veto items in the budget which he disagrees with before the measure is signed into law.

At a forum Wednesday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said senators are unlikely to pass a reenacted 2022 budget, after the President dared them to make good on their alleged threats to slash the budgets of certain agencies.

Roque said the senators would not

dare to challenge Duterte’s call, saying “it’s election time and these lawmakers have personal stakes in the 2022 budget.”

“They will have to pass it because they need all the resources that they can get for the elections,” Roque added.

The President’s latest outburst came after he ordered members of his Cabinet not to attend Senate investigations into the government’s COVID-19 response.

On Tuesday night, Duterte also threatened to withhold the disbursement of funds under next year’s national budget, after accusing lawmakers of trying to paralyze the government with decreased allocations.

The President’s threats came as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee continued its inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the multi-billion-peso

purchase of personal protective equipment in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sotto said some people were giving the President the wrong impression.

“I don’t know who,” he said, adding that Cabinet members usually attend budget hearings to explain their proposed spending plans.

Roque, meanwhile, expressed optimism that Congress will exhaust all efforts to pass the proposed 2022 budget on time.

“If they’re not able to pass it on time, the fault will lie with Congress and not the President. So, I think… they will do everything to pass it,” Roque said.

Also on Tuesday, Duterte said he is open to having the Office of the Ombudsman conduct its own investigation into the alleged questionable deals in

of persons who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Guevarra warned that doing so will violate Section 12 of Republic Act No. 115251 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, which states that “vaccine cards shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment, and other simi-

lar government transaction purposes.”

“Note also that the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) has already issued its policy guidelines on some of these matters,” Guevarra added.

DOLE on Tuesday said it would sue employers who will impose the policy of withholding the salary of unvaccinated employees.

“If we receive any report, we will immediately respond,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

Galvez, however, insisted that the next round of the pandemic battle will involve those who are unvaccinated, who he said “will become the state’s liability and weakness in our fight against COVID-19.”

PH...

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“These provocative acts threaten the peace, good order, and security of the South China Sea and run contrary to China’s obligations under international law,” the DFA added.

On Tuesday, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said it is working closely with the DFA to file new diplomatic protests against the continuous presence and activities of foreign vessels in the WPS. BFAR expressed “serious concern” over the continuous presence of foreign vessels conducting fishing operations in the Philippine waters.

It said Chinese maritime militia vessels had been monitored in big numbers in the WPS, among other concerns.

“These foreign vessels have no clearance from the Philippine government or any existing fisheries cooperation agreements with the country that allow them to conduct any fishing operations,” the agency said, adding that their fishing activities, therefore, are considered Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing within the Philippine territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In a 2016 arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that Beijing’s nine-dash line, a demarcation that covers almost 80 percent of the South China Sea, is illegal.

Beijing, for its part, said the presence of a US submarine and other military operations pose a threat to regional security in the South China Sea. A report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted the Chinese defense ministry as saying that the US should end military operations in the area as these operations “increase the risks of collisions and even nuclear leaks in the strategic waterway.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PhilHealth owes P834m in private hospital dues

By Willie Casas

FLOOD CONTROL. A Maynilad construction personnel works on a pipe realignment project as part of the flood control plan of the Department of Public Works and

Highways along Cristobal Street in Sampaloc, Manila. Water services will temporarily be cut off in five Metro Manila cities as well as six municipalities and cities in Cavite from October 25 to 28. Norman Cruz

Cusi says firm offered P50m to fund PNOC

By Alena Mae S. Flores ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi said he was offered P50 million for state-run PNOC Exploration Corp. to match the offer of Udenna Group to acquire the 45-percent stake of Chevron Philippines in the Malampaya gas project.

Cusi said in an interview with ANC that “it’s not fair to say we are favoring Udenna.”

The Department of Energy (DOE) has already approved the sale of Chevron’s stake in service contract 38 to Udenna led by businessman Dennis Uy but senators questioned the technical, financial, and legal capability of the buyer.

“When this transaction was being negotiated, when Udenna bought this, there was a company who wanted to buy it and failed to acquire it. What did this company do?” the energy chief said.

Cusi said the person came to his office trying to say, “I will fund the PNOC requirement to match the Udenna offer to get Chevron and you deliver it to me.”

Cusi said DOE did not agree, saying “we cannot do that” and that they might go to jail for it. “In fact, [they] offered P50 million to do that,” he said.

“They offered to the company, for PNOC EC to match it and turn around and give it to them,” he said.

Cusi declined to name the company. “Let them come out if they want to,” he said.

Cusi and Uy are facing graft charges over the allegedly anomalous sale of shares of the Malampaya gas-to-power project.

The complainants, Balgamel de Belen Domingo and Rodel Rodis and Loida Nicolas Lewis – both based in the United States, filed the complaint with the Ombudsman in Iloilo City through their lawyer Rico Domingo.

Aside from Uy, included in the complaint were former and current officials of PNOC-Exploration Corp. (PNOCEC) as well as officials of Chevron Philippines.

Filipino war veterans honored amid pandemic

By Ronald O. Reyes PALO, Leyte- Government officials paid tribute to the veterans and their families in this year’s 77th Leyte Gulf Landings commemoration at the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park in Palo, Leyte on Wednesday.

“In the 77 years since the Leyte landings took place, we take joy in the knowledge that the wounds of war have healed.

While many of us cannot be physically present, we still come together in solemn commemoration with our friends and allies from the US, UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Japan,” said Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla.

The official said “we can listen to stories of veterans and their legacy of heroism and gallantry, while also renewing our commitment to remember them for generations to come. We also renew our commitment toward ensuring that their sacrifices in war will not be in vain and that war will not destroy lives anymore,” Petilla made the tribute amid the absence of the usual crowd of spectators, foreign dignitaries, and war veterans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cases in NCR Plus 8 bubble ‘on downward trend’—OCTA

By Willie Casas and Rey E. Requejo

A

REAS under the NCR Plus Eight bubble are now “on a downward trend” with reproduction number less than 0.55, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the independent OCTA Research Group said Wednesday.

OCTA said the National Capital Region’s latest reproduction number was at 0.52, lower than the previous 0.55 that was the lowest since May. Reproduction rate refers to the number of people infected by one case. A reproduction number below 1 indicates the transmission of the virus is slowing down.

OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David, in his tweet, said all areas covered by the NCR Plus Eight bubble had reproduction numbers “less than 0.55” as of October 19, 2021.

NCR Plus Eight refers to the NCR plus Cebu City, which has a reproduction number of 0.52; Davao City, 0.49; Batangas, 0.51; Bulacan, 0.50; Cavite, 0.43; Laguna, 0.45; Pampanga, 0.52; and Rizal, 0.55.

In terms of positivity, Laguna has the highest at 17 percent, with Cebu City and Cavite having the lowest at 6 percent both. NCR’s positivity rate is at 8 percent.

Davao City, meanwhile, has the highest ICU utilization rate among the nine areas with 68 percent, followed by Rizal with 67 percent and Batangas with 65

percent.

Bulacan has the lowest with 43 percent.

As far as average daily attack rate (ADAR) is concerned, NCR has the highest with 8.79 and Cebu City the lowest at 2.47.

NCR, Davao City, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal are under Alert Level 3. Batangas and Cebu City are under Alert Level 2.

The Alert Level System has yet to be implemented in Pampanga and Bulacan.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health logged 3,656 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the lowest daily tally recorded since July 13, as two laboratories failed to submit data on time.

“The low number of reported recoveries and deaths today are due to technical issues with COVIDKaya. Additional recoveries and deaths shall be reflected in the case bulletin in the following days,” the DOH said.

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) still to pay at least P834 million worth of dues to private hospitals across the country, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPI) said Tuesday.

“We still receive complaints from private hospitals that their expected payment from Philhealth dating back to COVID-19 cases in 2020 have been delayed. There have been payments in trickles on recent non-COVID-19 cases, but those COVID-19 claims back in 2020, most of these remain unpaid,” PHAPI President and Dr. Jose Rene De Grano said during the Laging Handa briefing.

De Grano said that these unpaid claims included the P834 million unpaid dues to eight hospitals in General Santos, seven hospitals in Iloilo City as well as several hospitals in Northern Luzon.

“Malaki pa po ang problema natin diyan (We have a big problem with this.),” De Grano said.

“We are still waiting for the decision of the PhilHealth main office on how it will address this situation,” he said.

De Grano also said that the public should stay vigilant even if the percentage of health care utilization in Metro Manila amid the COVID-19 pandemic had decreased.

Based on government records, the utilization of Intensive Care Unit beds in Metro Manila and nationwide was at 59 percent and 62 percent, respectively.

The utilization of ventilators in Metro Manila and nationwide, on the other hand, were both at 45 percent.

Ombudsman firm on stance on release of SALNs

By Rio N. Araja

MANGROVE PLANTING. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Southern Leyte has planted more than 150 mangroves in the 500-square-meter mangrove forest in Barangay Manhilo, Maasin. In addition to helping prevent soil erosion on shorelines, mangroves are a breeding habitat for many marine life and are a natural coastal defense in storm surges. Philippine Coast Guard

Groups hits BIR on 30% tax for private schools THE country’s largest associations of private schools called for the swift enactment of a clarificatory bill on income taxation of proprietary educational institutions, as some regional offices of the Bureau of Internal Revenue continued to impose a 30-percent income tax rate despite the suspension of the order by the Department of Finance (DOF).

“We received reports from our members that despite the ongoing legislative process and DOF’s suspension of BIR Revenue Regulation 5-2021, some BIR regions continue to impose a 30% income tax rate citing BIR RMC-67 series of 2012,” said Dr. Anthony Jose M. Tamayo, chairman of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA).

The COCOPEA represents more than 2,500 private educational institutions with over 300,000 school personnel.

“These BIR regions continue to argue that RR 14-2021 which suspended RR 5-2021 applies prospectively and does not apply to assessments involving prior fiscal years,” said Tamayo who is also the president of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities.

THE Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday maintained its stance to restrict the release of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials.

The Ombudsman also wants to impose a jail term of not less than five years against any person who would comment on the SALN of a particular official.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires wanted an amendment to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, particularly on SALN. A draft bill showed that SALNs could only be made available for copying or reproduction after 10 working days from the time they are filed as required by law provided, that each official repository shall have exclusive authority in approving any request for copying, reproduction, inspection of or any other form of access to SALN and shall enact reasonable conditions, guidelines, rules and regulations for such purpose.

Martires suggested that the availability and access to SALN shall not be approved if a finding is made by the official repository of the document/s that revealing personal and sensitive information could endanger the individual who filed the SALN or his/her family member.

In addition, he proposed imprisonment of not less than five years should be imposed against individuals who would make a comment regarding the SALNs of officials.

SKAL names 2021 tourism awardees SKAL International Makati has recognized individuals in the travel and tourism industry who have stood out during these challenging and unprecedented times.

The organization announced the recipients of the 30th SKAL Tourism Personality Awardees, which will be presented on Nov. 18 at the ballroom of the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City. The awards presentation coincides with SKAL International Makati’s 40th founding anniversary.

“This year, the SKAL awards are given to leaders who continue to thrive during the pandemic. They are business leaders who have shown great commitment to the tourism industry and offered genuine support to ease the stress caused

by the pandemic,” said SKAL International Makati president Jimmy Bautista.

Selected to receive the prestigious award are Michael Jaey Albaña, commercial director of Conrad Hotel Manila, for 5-Star Hotel Category; Former Tourism Secretary Dr. Mina Gabor, now president of the International School of Sustainable Tourism Philippines (ISST), for Farm Tourism Category; Sarah J. Monzon Po, director for Operations of Hotel Fleuris Palawan, president of TEAM Philippines-MIMAROPA Chapter, owner, and general manager of Aji Travel and Tour Corporation, for Travel Agent Category; Angel Ramos Bognot, president of Afro Asian World of Events; and NITAS, for M.I.C.E Category.

MORE VACCINES. Officials receive 2,000 AstraZeneca vaccines which arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Wednesday. The vaccines were donated by the government of Brunei Darussalam. Danny Pata

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News

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

MORE AID, PLEASE. Health workers from the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) hold up placards during a protest rally at the hospital’s main gate in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Wednesday. They pressed senators to scrutinize and increase the 2022 Department of Health budget and prioritize the health of the people ‘above all.’ Norman Cruz

BINAY, HEALTH WORKERS URGE GOV’T TO STEP UP

‘Release long-delayed benefits’

By Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

F

ORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday urged the government to immediately release the long-delayed benefits for nurses and other health workers.

Binay made the appeal following reports of mass resignations of nurses and medical workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Binay, who joined the senatorial race for the May 2022 national elections, also batted for decent wages and job security for nurses as a long-term solution to the continuing departures of nurses and

health workers for higher-paying jobs abroad even during the pandemic.

This would make overseas employment “a personal choice rather than a necessity,” he said.

“I am certain that given wages and benefits commensurate with their skills and education, our nurses and other health care workers will choose to stay home,”

he added.

Meanwhile, health workers from Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) pressed senators to scrutinize and increase the 2022 Department of Health budget and prioritize the health of the people above all.

During a protest rally, they also demanded the immediate release of their withheld and unpaid COVID-19 benefits such as the meal, accommodation and transportation allowance (MAT), special risk allowance (SRA), and active hazard duty pay (AHDP).

“Today, the Senate Committee on Fi-

Recto: Isko’s ‘vision’ makes him best bet AKSYON Demokratiko presidential bet and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso is the best candidate for the presidency because he has a clear vision for the country and the track record to back it up, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said on Wednesday.

“We are offering the people in this election our brand of leadership and what program can he offer to the people,” Recto, a stalwart of the Nacionalista Party, said.

As the country is still dealing with the pandemic, Recto said the top priority of the Moreno administration is health, as clearly shown by his choice of Dr. Willie Ong as his running mate.

The second would be economic recovery, with a mass housing program playing an important role, he stressed.

“We know that by investing in housing, at least, the multiplier effect is 17 times, so your peso will go 17 times much longer in housing.

That has never been done in the Philippines in the past,” Recto noted.

Rey E. Requejo

Castelo to DOH: Give QC kids jabs DISTRICT 2 Councilor Winston Castelo on Wednesday urged the Department of Health to consider the vaccination of children at the community or barangay level in Quezon City.

He is also proposing that the DOH pilot-test community vaccination in the current deployment of vaccines for children with comorbidity.

“The DOH would just have to make sure that the sites like basketball courts and village clubhouses are safe. It would also have to ensure the safety and potency of the vaccines,” he said.

Villages could enlist the help of volunteer doctors and nurses to screen children and do the vaccination as they did in the inoculation of adults, added Castelo, who is running for vice mayor in the May elections.

“They will not lack volunteers among their residents and their colleagues in the health-care sector,” he said.

Rio N. Araja

nance headed by Senator Pia Cayetano will hold its second briefing on the 2022 proposed budget of the DOH. We urge the honorable senators to scrutinize the DOH budget and prioritize the health and safety of health workers and the people,” said Cristy Donguines, President, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center Employees Union-Alliance of Health Workers.

Administrators of various hospitals expressed concern over the continued resignations after the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte failed to give them their benefits.

PINK STREET ART. A member of

the Baysulangpu Artists Society applies pink color to the Forbes Bridge. which continues to promote street art in the Iloilo City metropolis. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas recently supported Vice President Leni Robredo’s candidacy in next year’s presidential elections. The city has partnered with Boysen Paint in its beautification program.

Iloilo Mayor’s Office

Du30, NTF-ELCAC visit ‘freed’ villages in Reg. IV-A

By Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday personally visited barangays that have been freed from the threat and influence of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Region IV-A to make sure that the programs and projects promised to those villages are being properly implemented.

National Security Adviser and Vice Chairman of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the President’s visit was “to put emphasis on the development programs implemented in support to counter-insurgency operations in the region.”

“There are only three guerilla fronts remaining in Region IV-A, two of which were already considerably weakened by

the administration’s security forces,” Esperon said in a statement made available to reporters covering the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ latest report on human rights which mentioned abuses committed by the NPA boosts the government’s ongoing efforts through the NTF-ELCAC to aggressively address this terror group, the agency said on Wednesday.

Ping moves up in survey, now ties Leni

PARTIDO Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has steadily gained ground in the latest “Pulso ng Pilipino” nationwide pre-election survey of the Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER).

Lacson is moving upwards with a 12.5 percent popularity rating, statistically tied with Vice President Leni Robredo. He previously received 4% and then 8% in previous surveys in the months leading to the latest poll.

Lacson broke into double digit figures for the first time “on the basis of a strong showing in Luzon and Visayas regions,” according to The CENTER based on its overview of the findings.

The survey was conducted between September 27 to October 8.

Partido Reporma welcomed this development, proving that a traditional

yet principled campaign amid extreme political divisions these days is still working no matter how difficult it seems to pull off.

Lacson is expected to see a rise in his numbers in Mindanao after securing Davao del Norte as his bailiwick, where the ruling PDP-Laban lost all of its members to Reporma.

Davao del Norte is governed by Governor Edwin Jubahib, SecretaryGeneral of Reporma, and former Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, President of Reporma and House representative of the province’s 1st district.

Both are Lacson allies.

The CENTER noted that the 2022 presidential contest remains “too close to call” adding that it is premature to count Lacson, Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ de la Rosa out in favor of the top three candidates leading the race.

CHRISTMAS TRADITION.

Workers from the Araneta Center start putting up the 100-foot giant Christmas tree on Wednesday as the company’s tradition in preparation for the coming holiday season.

Manny Palmero

Transport groups throw support behind Marcos

By Rey E. Requejo VARIOUS sea, air and land-based transport groups have thrown their full support to the presidential bid of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standardbearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who they considered the transport sector’s “best bet” in the upcoming 2022 elections.

Heads and other officials of big transport groups met with PRP officials Gen. Thompson Lantion and lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Secretary-General and Executive Vice President, respectively, to discuss integration with the party to formalize their support.

The groups included Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association (Pasang Masda); Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP); Philippine Confederation of Drivers and Operators – Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (PCDO-ACTO); Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP); Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP); and Tiger in Asia.

“For me you should turn around and look at the past. Let’s look at the achievements of [the late] Pres. [Ferdinand] Marcos. We believe that BBM can do a lot for the country. Let’s work together for meaningful change because he can bring unification,” Pasang Masda National President Obet Martin said.

For her part, Liberty De Luna, ACTO national president, lamented thatpublic transport drivers have been neglected and are still badly inneed of assistance amid the continued fight against COVID-19.

De Luna added that a large number of drivers have been forced to begin the streets because they could not yet resume their trade as the Department of Transportation has yet to reopen all the routes they used to ply.

Cusi: Sara not considered as Bato substitute THE faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party allied with President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said they never considered his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, as a substitute for their election standard-bearer, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

“The issue of Mayor Inday Sara substituting for Bato, that is something which we never really considered because her statement was very clear that she will not run under PDP. So, if she will not run under us, how could we substitute her for Bato?” party faction president and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

However, Cusi said “anything is possible at this time” when asked if the faction is looking for another candidate for the country’s top post.

“We are looking at all other candidates, we are looking at the landscape, this is political,” he added when asked about considering former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as their presidential bet.

He said Dela Rosa was fielded because their original plan for a Senator Christopher “Bong” Go-Duterte tandem was not realized.

“When that did not happen and the President said ‘I’m not going to run anymore’, we made an adjustment in the party because we cannot be orphaned with no President and Vice President in the upcomingelections,” Cusi said.

“At that time, Sen. Bato was there. Well, he also has an advocacy that is why the party agreed to field him and push him to run for President,” he added.

Opinion Lackluster 4Q dampening 2021 GDP hopes

AT THE end of 2020, economists and business analysts fervently hoped that the Philippine economy would begin to execute the long-awaited turnaround and would post even modest growth in the new year’s first two quarters. In the face of the government’s below-par management of the anti-COVID-19 program — inadequate testing and tracing, and slow vaccine rollout, non-payment of frontliner benefits, inadequate hospital supplies, poor coordination with local government units and the private sector, and, lately, corruption — there was just no way that the economy could turn the corner in 2021’s first two quarters.

The current quarter is not living up to the best expectations.

But the economists and financial analysts persisted in their incredibly sanguine expectations of the Philippine economy’s performance in the second year of the pandemic. Forecasts of gross domestic product growth ranging up to 6.5 percent continued to emerge from the forecasters’ officers, with the third quarter as the source and starting point of the great 2021 rebound.

The July-to-September period would see a strong turnaround in businesscommunity sentiment and a significant rise in consumer confidence. There was widespread talk of a third-quarter GDP growth figure that would sufficiently

compensate for the preceding two quarters’ disappointing outturns. Then came the surge of the Delta variant and the placement of the National Capital Region under another tough lockdown in early August. Even without the lockdown, economic activity in the Philippine economy’s most important component was exhibiting signs of a surge about to happen. At that point, less than 20 percent of the national population had been fully vaccinated.

When it became abundantly clear that the third quarter was not going to be 2021 GDP’s savior, the economic forecasting country’s attention began to turn to the current quarter. The fourth quarter has got to be it — the period when the economy would snap out of the COVID-19 doldrums and get back to work. Nonetheless, it lowered its 2021 GDP growth targets — mostly lower than 5 percent — just in case.

Like the third quarter, the current quarter is not living up to the best expectations, thanks in no small measure that NCR remains under quarantine with Alert Level 3 limitations. The region that accounts for an estimated 25 percent of the nation’s GDP is still not a beehive of activity; its economic performance thus far in the year’s final quarter is, in fact, lackluster. With almost a third of the quarter gone, not much should be expected of this three-month period.

The economists and bank forecasters should stop expecting the evidently unlikely. They should resign themselves to the fact that 2021 will be the latter half of a two-year period of comparatively low growth for the Philippine economy.

If some bonanza were to come the Philippine economy’s way in the year’s remaining ten weeks, it would not make much of a difference. This year is almost played out.

GDP growth of around 4 percent in 2021? That’s where things seem headed.

WHILE new COVID-19 infections have significantly dropped this week, our rejoicing is cut short with the eighth consecutive increase in prices of fuel.

Since last month, oil price hikes have resulted in an P8-increase in both diesel and gasoline. Motorists, especially jeepney and PUV drivers, bewail the rising costs of transportation, as traffic starts to build up again in the metro, along with the easing of quarantine restrictions.

We should think long term.

The Department of Energy assured us that these consecutive oil price hikes have minimal impact on power rates. However, as we all know, the upward trend of transportation costs will most likely affect prices of consumer goods in the long run.

Just this month, food prices have already significantly increased due to the effects of typhoon Maring in Luzon. With salary rates steady and the continuous economic impact of the pandemic, these successive price hikes will definitely hit many Filipino families who are still financially recovering.

It is time that we looked into these transportation costs. Domestic fuel prices are mostly based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) which is used by the deregulated oil industry as reference, and on prices of Dubai crude oil which is the country’s benchmark. These standards are altogether affected by global demand and supply. In a nutshell, while the country laments the rising costs of fuel, we have no control over it as they are dictated by international standards and global oil consumption.

While it may seem that there is no fast and easy solution to this decades-long

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

What is the Ombudsman hiding?

“N

O law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

This article in the Bill of Rights in our Constitution is crystal clear.

Why then is the Ombudsman obsessed with subverting this fundamental tenet enshrined in the basic law of the land? Why has he been maneuvering to limit access to public documents that are required for open and transparent government?

If it is the role of the Ombudsman to weed out corruption and other wrongdoing in public agencies, why is he instituting measures that benefit officials who have something to hide?

Since 2020, Ombudsman Samuel Martires has moved to stop the public—including journalists — from gaining access to the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of government officials, arguing that they have been used to smear their reputations.

At the time, he issued Memorandum Circular No. 1, which says a SALN can only be released if the official being investigated agrees to its release, if the release is covered by a court order, or if a government investigator requests the SALN as part of an ongoing investigation.

The order, in effect, shields government officials—including President

Duterte and Martires himself—from the public scrutiny of their finances, thus obscuring any evidence of possible wrongdoing.

Why has he been maneuvering to limit access to public documents that are required for open and transparent government?

Now Martires wants to go a step further, and is asking Congress to amend the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, to jail for five years anyone who would issue “further commentaries” on the SALNs of those in government.

“Such use by news and communications media shall be strictly limited to reporting of facts provided in the statement, and no further commentaries could be made thereon,” Martires said in a draft bill that he sent to the House of Representatives.

According to the draft bill, anyone violating this provision will be punished with imprisonment not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding P5,000, or both.

With this amendment, Martires seeks to dictate to the press what it may or may not do in relation to SALNs. But the last time we looked, the job description for Ombudsman did not include being an official censor. His denial of any attempt at censorship is ludicrous on the face of it. Small wonder that groups such as the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines have denounced Martires’ campaign for what it is—a frontal assault on press freedom.

In pitching this dangerous amendment to Congress, Martires may be counting on lawmakers who also have something to hide.

We trust, however, that there are enough honorable and honest legislators who still believe in the need for more transparency, not less, in government affairs.

As for this Ombudsman—he should remember that he is not immune from accountability. Somewhere in the Charter that he has chosen to interpret selectively, there is a provision about how the Ombudsman can be impeached for culpable violations of the Constitution. The press would surely cover that story and provide “further commentaries”—while it is still legal to do so.

Ressa’s Nobel

More electric vehicles problem, we do have viable solutions.

Apart from promoting bicycle use, perhaps we can seriously consider investing in hybrid and electric vehicles.

Hybrid and electric vehicles have been in the country for several years now.

Around 2014, the COMET mini-buses were launched to augment public transportation in Quezon City. Since then, the use of electric vehicles has only gained this much attention again with the recent influx of electric bikes or e-bikes on main roads.

Hybrid or electric vehicles are known for their sustainability and benefits to the environment with their zero emissions that help cut down greenhouse gases, reduce air pollution, and eventually arrest climate change. Apart from this, of course, is the significant reduction in oil demands and, consequently, oil importation and fuel prices. In a report by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, electric vehicles also have cheaper maintenance costs and lesser noise.

In the United States, TESLA has made great strides in advocating for zeroemission electric vehicles as it recorded growing sales in the past years. China is reportedly one of the biggest markets of electric vehicles. Reports also show that Norway, an oil exporter, recorded 54 percent market share of electric vehicles in 2020, with the goal of pushing for an electric-dominated car industry in the country. The Norwegian government has reportedly been giving incentives to electric vehicle users such as tax exemptions, free toll charges, and lower parking fees.

In the Philippines, there are already several automotive companies in the country which produce electric vehicles such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai.

According to a Land Transportation Office report, almost twelve thousand registered electric vehicles have been registered from 2010 to 2019. The electric vehicle industry has actually so much potential at this point in producing jobs, improving local technology, and helping the environment.

With this, I hope our national government looks into crafting more

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

IT IS now generally accepted that the late President Corazon Aquino is one of several individuals who should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize -- but was not. She is in the company of Mahatma Gandhi, U Thant and Eleonor Roosevelt among others.

Gandhi, for instance, was nominated five times but never received the award.

In the case of Cory Aquino, I remember reading a news item about a Filipino priest who went to Oslo to protest against the award to Cory. One might ask why a priest, of all people, would take all the trouble to go to Norway to protest against a fellow Filipino. I do not have any answer except to say that we Filipinos perhaps belong to a different breed of humans. So, instead of Cory Aquino being the first Filipino Nobel laureate, we now have multiawarded Filipino-American journalist Maria Ressa as our first recipient.

As the past several days have shown, instead of everyone celebrating that a Filipino is now a Nobel laureate, the reaction has been mixed with some people questioning whether Maria Ressa is deserving of the award. Is this crab mentality? Perhaps, but it is really a lot more complicated than that.

To understand why there have been many criticisms of some recent Nobel Peace Prize recipients, it is helpful to know how it evolved over time. The award is one of five Nobel prizes established according to the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in 1901 with a few exceptions to those who have “done the most or the best work for the fraternity between nations,

for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for holding and promotion of peace congresses.” The recipient is selected with much secrecy by the five member Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Why Norwegian? Because Sweden and Norway at the time of Nobel’s death were under the same monarch.

As of 2020, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 107 individuals and 28 organizations. Of the 107 individuals, 17 were women, 18 now that Maria Ressa is the 2021 awardee. Only one person refused the award and that was Le Duc Tho of Vietnam.

At first, the conditions of the will were

We’d like to understand her and what she is fighting for. followed. But because times change, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee also changed with it. This is why we find many awardees whose accomplishments did not have anything to do with reducing standing armies or promoting peace congresses. What we have are many social activists fighting for social justice.

There have also been unusual awardees like the European Union. There is the Prime Minister of Ethiopia who is now embroiled in a war in the Tigray province.

The young Pakistani Malala Yousafzai who was shot for wanting to go to school also received the award.

The Nobel Committee has a lot of leeway on who gets the award. For this reason, it has been accused at times of bowing to pressure and making controversial selections. This year, it is about press freedom.

People here can debate to their heart’s content on whether Ressa is deserving of

policies that will promote use and manufacture of electric vehicles. As we hurdle economic crises in this pandemic, it will be better if we think long-term in drawing solutions. Let us go for solutions which can address more than one problem and give sustainable fix to persistent

problems. If we want lasting solutions, we need leaders who are prudent enough to put the general welfare of Filipinos first.

May this be a reminder that we need to be more circumspect in selecting candidates and casting our votes in the coming elections.

the award or not but the fact remains that the award is not up to us but a European non-government organization.

The implication of course, is that there is no press freedom in this country. That’s why Ressa was seen as fighting for press freedom by the Nobel Committee. It does not help if 49 per cent of our citizenry believe that it is dangerous to criticize the government and only about 19 per cent believe otherwise, with 29 per cent having no opinion. The important thing that has happened here because of the award is that for a few days, world attention was focused on press freedom in this country.

The real challenge now is whether this government and succeeding governments will work to improve press freedom here.

Let us therefore set aside our differences and congratulate Ressa for her award. It would help however, if she can issue a statement as to what and who she really is. We know that she was born here to Filipino parents.

But in one of her interviews, she was quoted as saying that when she was in the United States, she found out that she did not belong there because of the color of her skin. But she also said that when she came back here, she also found out that she did not belong here. So, how does she identify herself?

American because of her US upbringing and her passport, or true-blue Filipino? She appears to want the best of both worlds which is not bad in itself. But knowing what and who she is will somehow help us better understand what exactly she is fighting for.

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THURSSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Brazil prexy faces criminal case over COVID response

A

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Following six months of eventful hearings, with emotional witness statements and chilling revelations about the use of ineffective medication on “human guinea pigs,” the committee of inquiry will deliver its eagerly awaited report.

Renan Calheiros, the centrist senator who is the lead author of the 1,200-page report, has already revealed that he has retained at least nine charges against the far-right president, including “quackery” and “crimes against humanity.”

But he announced a last-minute withdrawal of “homicide” and “genocide” charges, after some infighting within the panel.

BRAZILIAN senate committee will on Wednesday ask that President Jair Bolsonaro be charged with “intentional” crimes over his management of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left 600,000 of his compatriots dead.

While the accusations are serious, the process may be just symbolic since Bolsonaro enjoys enough congressional support to avoid the opening of impeachment proceedings.

Likewise, Attorney General Augusto Aras, an ally appointed by Bolsonaro, could shield him from any indictment.

The report could also ask that several ministers be charged, as well as three of Bolsonaro’s sons, including Flavio— who sits on the committee.

“This report will seem like a sentence, but the government is calm. You can criticize the president’s attitude, but not incriminate him,” Fernando Bezerra, head

116 people die in India, Nepal floods, landslides MORE than 100 people have died in several days of massive flooding and devastating landslides that swept away roads and houses in India and Nepal, officials said Wednesday, with scores more missing.

In Uttarakhand in northern India, officials said that 46 people had died in recent days with 11 missing. In Kerala in the south chief miniser Pinarayi Vijayan said that the death toll had hit 39 there.

At least 30 of those in Uttarakhand were killed in seven separate incidents in the Nainital region early Tuesday, after cloudbursts—an ultra-intense deluge of rain—triggered a series of landslides and destroyed several structures.

Five of the dead were from a single family whose house was buried by a massive landslide, local official Pradeep Jain told AFP. Another landslide in the northern Almora district killed five people after huge rocks and a wall of mud demolished and engulfed their home.

At least six others were killed on Monday in two remote districts of the Himalayan state.

The Indian Meteorological Department extended and widened its weather alert on Tuesday, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region.

The weather office said several areas were drenched by more than 400 millimetres of rainfall on Monday, causing landslides and flooding.

Authorities ordered the closure of schools and banned all religious and tourist activities in the state. AFP

of the government’s parliamentary bloc in the senate, told the Uol website.

The inquiry does not have the power to bring charges, but its revelations could have a serious political impact: the report will be sent to the public prosecutor, the federal court of accounts, and could even be sent to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, where other complaints against Bolsonaro have already been lodged.

It is yet another headache for the president, whose popularity has plummeted to an all-time low and who trails leftist former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in polls ahead of next year’s general election. AFP This screen grab picture taken from a handout video released by the Japan Meteorological Agency shows an eruption of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on October 20, 2021.

AFP

Japan’s Mount Aso erupts, spews giant ash column JAPAN’S Mount Aso erupted Wednesday, spewing a giant column of ash thousands of metres into the sky as hikers rushed away from the popular tourist spot.

No injuries were immediately reported after the late-morning eruption in southwest Japan, which sent rocks flying in a dramatic blast captured by nearby CCTV cameras.

People were warned not to approach the volcano as it ejected hot gas and ash as high as 3,500 meters and sent stones tumbling down its grassy slopes.

Authorities were checking if any hikers had been trapped or injured, officials

told local media, as TV footage showed dozens of vehicles and tour buses parked at a nearby museum that has a clear view of the volcano.

Pale grey torrents of ash were seen rushing down Aso’s slopes towards the museum, but did not reach the site.

For those near the mountain, “caution must be exercised for large flying rocks and flows of pyroclastic materials,” said Japan Meteorological Agency official Tomoaki Ozaki.

“Caution is warranted even in faraway areas downwind, as the wind may carry not just ash but also pebbles,”

Ozaki told a televised press conference, warning that toxic gases may also have been emitted.

The last time the JMA raised its warning for Aso to Wednesday’s level – three out of five – was when it erupted in 2016, having rumbled to life the previous year after being dormant for 19 years.

The agency has been warning of increasing volcanic activity there in recent days, including a small eruption on Thursday.

Mount Aso’s huge caldera dominates the southwestern main island of Kyushu, where the 1,592-meter volcano is a popular tourist draw. AFP

Planned fossil fuel output shatters 1.5 ºC climate target—UN body

SPACE RACE.

This handout photo made available by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute on October 20, 2021 shows South Korea’s first homegrown space rocket “Nuri” being transported out of the assembly building to a launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung in South Jeolla Province, 473 kms south of Seoul, a day before its expected launch.

AFP

THE world’s nations are currently planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the United Nations said Wednesday.

Ten days before a climate summit that is being billed as key to the viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the UN’s Environment Programme said that government fossil fuel production plans this decade were “dangerously out of sync” with the emissions cuts needed.

The UN says emissions must go down nearly 50 percent by 2030 and to net-zero by mid century to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

But its Production Gap report found that total fossil fuel production would likely increase until at least 2040.

Development plans would produce 110 percent more fossil fuels this decade than consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C, and 45 percent more than for a world where temperatures increase 2C. “The research is clear: global coal, oil

and gas production must start declining immediately and steeply to be consistent with limiting long-term warming to 1.5C,” said Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead report author from the Stockholm Environment Institute.

“However, governments continue to plan for and support levels of fossil fuel production that are vastly in excess of what we can safely burn.”

With 1.1C of warming so far, Earth is being pummelled by ever-more-frequent drought, floods and storms supercharged by rising sea levels.

The 2015 Paris deal saw countries commit to limiting warming to between 1.5C and 2C through sweeping emissions cuts.

Under the deal, every signatory must submit renewed emissions cutting plans – known as National Determined Contributions, or NDCs—every five years.

In an assessment last month the UN said that, taken together, countries’ latest NDCs—assuming they are fulfilled —put Earth on course to reach a “catastrophic” 2.7C of warming by 2100. AFP

Israel reports case of Delta sub-variant ISRAEL has confirmed a case of a sub-variant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus previously reported in some European countries, the health ministry said.

“The variant AY 4.2. that has been discovered in a number of countries in Europe has been identified in Israel,” a ministry statement said late Tuesday.

An 11-year-old boy arriving from Europe was the carrier, the ministry said, adding that the case was identified at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

The boy was quarantined and no further contacts have been discovered, the ministry said.

The AY 4.2. variant has turned up several times in the United Kingdom.

Francois Balloux, professor of computational systems biology at University College London, has told AFP that the sub-variant is rare and does not appear to pose the same risk of significantly increased transmission as other strains.

The variant was discovered as Israel considers loosening restrictions on tourism following a drop in cases.

An earlier plan to reopen the borders foundered amid a rise in cases driven by the Delta strain.

In late August and early September, new cases topped 11,000 a day.

Authorities launched an aggressive campaign to inoculate citizens with a third booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which drove down infections.

On Wednesday, authorities reported 1,487 new cases over the previous 24 hours. AFP

14 killed in army bus bombing in Damascus: media A BOMB attack on an army bus in Damascus killed 14 people Wednesday in the bloodiest such attack to strike the Syrian capital in four years, the SANA state news agency reported.

There was no immediate claim for the bombing but moments later shelling by government forces killed eight people in the Idlib region controlled by groups that have claimed such an attack in the past.

“A terrorist bombing using two explosive devices targeted a passing bus” at a key bridge in the capital, the news agency said, reporting that 14 people had been killed and at least three wounded.

Images released by SANA showed first responders searching the charred carcass of the bus and what the news agency said was a bomb squad defusing a third device planted in the same area.

A military source quoted by the state agency said the bomb had been planted on the bus itself and was detonated as it passed near the Hafez al-Assad bridge, close to the national museum in the heart of the capital.

Damascus had been largely spared such violence in recent years, especially since troops and allied militia retook the last significant rebel bastion near the capital in 2018.

The attack is the deadliest in the capital since a bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group targeted the Justice Palace in March 2017, killing at least 30 people.

Around an hour after the Damascus attack, Syrian regime shelling struck the war-ravaged town of Ariha, in the northwestern region of Idlib.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rockets struck a busy area at the time children were heading to school.

Three children were among those killed, the Britain-based war monitoring group said. AFP

Sex, hope and activism: Meet ‘Uganda’s rudest woman’ Stella Nyanzi

HER sexually explicit protests have been likened to pornography, but Ugandan activist and writer Stella Nyanzi says sex is the most effective – and entertaining – way to shake people out of their apathy.

“I learnt very early that there are some topics in Uganda that are tiring and... the only way to capture attention is to introduce some shock value,” the 47-year-old told AFP in an interview in Kampala.

And plenty of people have been shocked

by Nyanzi’s methods, which range from calling President Yoweri Museveni “a pair of buttocks” to baring her breasts during a court hearing.

But the former university researcher, who holds a doctorate on sexuality in Africa and boasts nearly 300,000 followers on Facebook, is unrepentant.

“We don’t see or pretend we don’t see what’s happening in society, especially the excesses and the violations” under Museveni’s decades-long authoritarian rule, she said.

“To say to a violent, militant, brutal regime that you are violent, stop, does not (have) as much impact as to say... fuck the rapist, militant penis of the dictatorship.”

She has paid a high price of her willingness to challenge authority – imprisoned for “cyber-harassment” in 2019 after she posted a profane poem on Facebook about Museveni and suffering a miscarriage after being beaten in jail.

Although she insists that her losses are “not worth writing home about,” grief is at the heart of her quest to bring down Museveni. AFP

PAPAL BOOP. Pope Francis is greeted by a child during his weekly general audience at Paul-VI hall in the Vatican on October 20, 2021. AFP

Business UK inflation dips to 3.1% but rate hike still possible LONDON—British annual inflation cooled slightly in September, official data showed Wednesday, remaining close to a nine-year peak that still risks a UK interest rate rise next month.

The annual inflation rate fell to 3.1 percent from 3.2 percent in August, which was the highest level since early 2012, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Despite the headline figure easing, analysts still expect the Bank of England to next month raise its main interest rate from a record-low level of 0.1 percent.

“As the dip... still left inflation above the 3.0-percent rate the BoE forecast back in August, it’s unlikely to significantly reduce expectations that the BoE will raise interest rates before the end of the year,” said Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics.

Analysts noted that inflation dropped only because a government scheme one year earlier encouraging people to visit restaurants had dropped out of the calculation, adding that the annual rate was forecast to rise again in the coming months.

High inflation is weighing on companies and consumers globally, while rate tightening is used by central banks to try and dampen price rises.

“Global shocks have pushed up prices around the world, and we are working with businesses and international partners to address these pressures,” British finance minister Rishi Sunak said following the latest UK inflation data.

Prices of raw materials as well of finished products and services are rising sharply as economies reopening from pandemic lockdowns struggle with supply constraints.

Energy prices in particular are surging, in some cases causing companies to reduce or even temporarily pause operations. AFP

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market climbs again; Converge, Monde Nissin up

S

TOCKS sustained their gains Wednesday on declining daily COVID-19 cases in the country and easing lockdown restrictions that are boosting consumer confidence.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 30.77 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,297.08 on a value turnover of P9.4 billion. Gainers beat losers, 106 to 80, with 52 issues unchanged.

Fiber broadband services provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. advanced 6 percent to P32.85, while noodles maker Monde Nissin Corp. rallied 2.5 percent to P15.52.

DMCI Holdings Inc. of the Consunji Group, however, fell 3.6 percent P8.77, while unit Semirara Mining and Power

Corp., the biggest coal miner, declined 6.3 percent to P27.40 Most Asian markets rose again on Wednesday, joining a global rally fueled by strong earnings, while investors kept tabs on comments from the Federal Reserve as it prepares to bring an end to its vast financial support program.

Signs of progress on US President Joe Biden’s massive spending bill provided an extra lift to sentiment, while bitcoin came within touching distance of a new record after a new financial instrument to invest in the cryptocurrency started trading in New York.

Strong profit reports from big-name firms over the past week have reinforced optimism that the corporate sector is, for now, weathering a recent slowdown in economic growth, supply chain issues and surging inflation, providing a much-needed boost to worried traders.

Johnson & Johnson, United Airlines and Netflix were the latest positives from the reporting season, adding to top Wall Street banks including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley last week.

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Wellington and Bangkok all rose, though there were slight losses in Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Seoul.

Rising prices and the end of central bank largesse continued to cast a shadow.

Concerns about surging inflation running out of control have forced several central banks to hike interest rates already—with others to soon follow— and the prospect of an end to the era of cheap cash has caused an 18-month equity rally to stutter.

While some countries have already started the tightening cycle, all eyes are on the Fed owing to its oversized role in the global economy. With AFP

CHECK-OUT FREE STORE.

A customer carries the purchases as they leave from supermarket chain Tesco’s first checkout free food store in Holborn, central London, on October 19, 2021. Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco on Tuesday opened its first check-out free food store in the wake of similar UK moves by Amazon and German supermarket group Aldi. The small Tesco supermarket in central London uses cameras and weight-sensors to identify items customers are carrying on exiting the store, before charging them via the company’s smartphone app without interacting with a cashier. AFP

A general view of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, north of Scotland on September 9, 2021. AFP

By Veronique Dupont LERWICK, United Kingdom—In the far north of the United Kingdom, where the wind blows and the sea rages, the islands of Orkney and Shetland have long relied on oil and gas for prosperity.

But as supplies dwindle and the fight against climate change becomes more urgent, the islands off the northeast coast of Scotland are increasingly turning to renewables.

Daniel Wise is head of offshore operations at Orbital Marine Power, a start-up that is testing its 02 tidal energy generator off Orkney.

The submerged propellers turn with the current, producing enough electricity to power some 2,000 homes.

VID lockdowns, while the problem has been exacerbated by government targets to cut emissions and a sharp drop in imports from Australia owing to a political standoff.

On Tuesday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said it was studying measures to cap coal prices, which have hit record highs.

In an online statement published after meeting with industry leaders, the NDRC noted that costs “have risen rapidly, hitting successive record highs, greatly pushing up production costs... and adversely affecting power supply and winter heating.”

It warned it would take a “zero tolerance” approach and “severely crack down on” activities like spreading false information or price collusion, so as to maintain market order.

“The current price increase has completely deviated from the fundamentals of supply and demand,” it added, pledging to have prices return to a “reasonable range.”

In a separate notice on Tuesday, the agency stressed that coal mines in the country should strive to achieve more than 12 million tons in daily output, with local authorities to ensure production is maximized.

The country’s thermal coal futures fell

From oil to renewables, winds of change blow

on Scottish islands

“Half a billion tons of seawater moves per hour on this site, so it’s very good for testing these turbines,” Wise told AFP. On Orkney and Shetland, which are nearer to Norway than London, giant standing stones are a visual reminder of the ancient Neolithic past.

Now, gleaming white wind turbines are seen as symbols of a brighter, more sustainable future.

“A lot of people describe Orkney as a living laboratory,” said Jerry Gibson, operations technician at the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC), which tests wave and tidal energy converters on Orkney.

“And we have lots of test sites and various different companies that are all working together... in this sort of green

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

MFIN

2.7

0.5

22.73%

2

TECHW

1.37

0.14

11.38%

3 4

ACEX PHA

18.98 0.94

1.8 0.08

10.48% 9.30%

5

PHES

0.54

0.04

8.00%

6 7

BLOOM LAND

6.8 1

0.48 0.07

7.59% 7.53%

8

MB

0.435

0.03

7.41%

9 10

TECH LFM

4.64 29.95

0.31 1.95

7.16% 6.96%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

PHR

0.91

-0.13

-12.50%

2

MVC

4.5

-0.4

-8.16%

3 4

EVER SCC

0.325 27.4

-0.025 -1.85

-7.14% -6.32%

5 6 7

BSC ATN MJIC

0.69 0.48 1.2

-0.04 -0.02 -0.05

-5.48% -4.00% -4.00%

8 9 10

C AB DMC

1.97 6.67 8.77

-0.08 -0.26 -0.33

-3.90% -3.75% -3.63%

MOST ACTIVE

China mulls over coal market intervention to restrain price spikes BEIJING, China—China’s top economic planner said it is considering an intervention to bring down soaring coal prices, as Beijing frets over a cost spike that has put increasing pressure on the country’s energy security and growth, while posing a threat to the global economy.

The world’s number two economy expanded slower than expected in the third quarter as an energy crisis began to bite, official data showed this week, with electricity shortages and production cuts dragging industrial output.

The crisis comes as global commodity prices soar owing to a surge in demand as the world reopens from CO-

PSEi OCTOBER 20, 2021

economy that we’ve got going on.”

EMEC itself produces “green” hydrogen from renewable sources via a tidal turbine and electrolysis using seawater from Eday, one of Orkney’s 20 inhabited islands.

The hydrogen is pressurized and transported 16 miles (26 kilometers) south to the port of Kirkwall, where it is transformed into electricity to power the ferries at the quayside.

Reliability Given its plentiful natural resources from wind and waves, Orkney—home to some 22,000 people—produces more energy than it uses.

“Hydrogen is important because it’s another means of storing energy rather than using batteries or going straight to the electricity grid,” said Gibson.

in overnight trading.

Nearly 60 percent of China’s energyhungry economy is fueled by coal, and it has struggled to wean itself from the fuel despite a pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060.

In recent months, China has been hit by widespread power cuts that forced factories to delay production as businesses are ordered to minimize energy usage.

Officials have been looking for ways to combat the price rally as the winter months approach, ordering mines to expand coal production and for top stateowned energy companies to ensure adequate fuel supplies at all costs. AFP EMEC is also testing wave energy generators in the laboratory, which is more complex to model than tidal energy.

On the island of Yell, some 100 miles northeast on the former Viking stronghold of Shetland, another company, Nova Innovation, is also betting on the ebb and flow of tides.

“The beauty of tidal energy is that it’s totally predictable,” said Tom Wills, offshore manager at the company.

“So I can tell you tomorrow or 2,000 years from now, how much tide is going to be flowing through that channel out there, our energy resources are not dependent on the weather.”

That predictability is crucial for the stability of energy supply as economies try to move away from high-polluting hydrocarbons.

Nova has set up a charging point in the village of Cullivoe on Yell for electric vehicles, powered by its underwater turbines.

Fiona Nicholson, who lives nearby, is a regular user.

“Where we live, we look out on the sea and we hear it every day and we know the power of it,” she said.

“So, it’s nice to be able to use it to charge the car for all my long commutes.”

The Sullom Voe oil terminal on the main island of Shetland is one of the largest in Europe. Locals acknowledge that North Sea drilling and infrastructure have brought benefits.

Revenue from the operations have funded roads, schools and sports centers, as well as supported thousands of jobs for the Shetlands’ nearly 23,000 inhabitants.

But equally, residents know time is running out and renewables offer a potential solution, even if some projects are contested.

Worse than oil?

One such project is the giant Viking Wind Farm, a partnership between SSE Renewables and the Shetland authorities.

It is scheduled to come on stream in 2023 and will have 103 turbines generating enough low-carbon energy to power nearly 476,000 homes.

1

MONDE

VOLUME 51,144,800

VALUE (PHP) 792,583,134

2 3 4

DMC CNVRG ACEN

84,736,200 18,976,900 46,051,300

743,144,298 614,897,730 555,209,694

5 6 7

ICT TEL ALI

2,839,790 214,645 8,737,100

503,164,534 352,103,830 330,871,975

8

AC

361,630

311,936,865

9 10

BDO SCC

2,285,180 9,149,700

298,912,927 251,646,790

Oil giant Total played down climate threat, study claims PARIS, France—The French oil and gas major Total deliberately downplayed the threat of global warming from the 1970s onwards, according to research based on interviews with former company executives and internal company documents.

The findings, published by a trio of historians Wednesday in the peerreviewed journal Global Environment Change, follow similar revelations about US oil giant ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.

The pattern that emerges is one of oil and gas giants well aware—often informed by their own scientists—of the dire risks posed by rising temperatures, on the one hand, while undermining confidence in climate science in their public pronouncements, on the other.

Total—today TotalEnergies—began promoting doubt regarding the scientific basis for global warming by the late 1980s,” moving from “denial to delay,” the researchers reported.

The company “ultimately settled on a position in the late 1990s of publicly accepting climate science while promoting policy delay or policies peripheral to fossil fuel control.”

In 1971, Total published an article in the company’s internal magazine on “atmospheric pollution and the climate” that drew a straight line between burning fossil fuels and potentially “catastrophic consequences.”

The piece appears to have set off alarm bells: over the next 17 years, the magazine never mentioned the issue of climate change again, according to the researchers.

“In the company’s public communications, global warming was downplayed and the impact of human activities on this disruption was denied,” they wrote. AFP

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

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, October 20, 2021 30.77 PTS. 7,297.08

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,339,706,775 121,778 9,441,214,548.95 106 80 52

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.7550

Japan

Yen

0.008745

0.4439

UK

Pound

1.379500

70.0165

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128602

6.5272

Switzerland

Franc

1.083424

54.9892

Canada

Dollar

0.809127

41.0672

Singapore

Dollar

0.743771

37.7501

Australia

Dollar

0.747100

37.9191

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653435

134.6751

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

13.5329

Brunei

Dollar

0.741015

37.6102

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030021

1.5237

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.8192

Euro

Euro

1.163200

59.0382

Korea

Won

0.000851

0.0432

China

Yuan

0.156688

7.9527

India

Rupee

0.013315

0.6758

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.239837

12.1729

New Zealand

Dollar

0.714800

36.2797

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035998

1.8271 Source: BSP

Business DOTR signs P3.1-b deal to run Mindanao Railway T

By Darwin G. Amojelar

HE Department of Transportation on Wednesday signed a P3.08-billion management consultancy contract with China Railway Design Corp. on the Mindanao Railway Project Phase 1.

“I am happy today that we signed the agreement of project management consultancy with China Railway Design Corp.

I will be much happier in March 2022, when we see the actual partial operations of Tagum-Davao-Digos Mindanao Rail-

way Project,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said during the virtual signing ceremony.

Eymard Eje, Transportation assistant secretary for project implementation-Mindanao Cluster, said the agency was ready to start operating the railway in Mindanao.

Eje said the 100-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project: Tagum-Davao-Digos was expected to start partial operations by March 2022.

The P82-billion Mindanao Railway Project: Tagum-Davao-Digos segment is expected to reduce travel time from Tagum City, Davao del Norte to Digos City, Davao del Sur from 3.5 hours to 1.3 hours once it starts operations by 2022.

The MRP-TDD segment is the first of the three segments of the Mindanao Railway Project.

The MRP-TDD is expected to not only make travel faster, but also provide safer, more convenient and comfortable travel for passengers in the corridor. It will have eight stations at Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Mudiang, Davao Terminal, Toril, Sta. Cruz and Digos. A 10-hectare depot will be built in Tagum.

The rail line will be built with a single track, with provisions for future tracks and electrification. It will have six fivecar passenger trains (diesel multiple units) with three spare cars, four locomotives and 15 freight cars.

Upon project completion, daily ridership in the Tagum-Davao-Digos segment was expected to reach 134,060 by 2022.

The agency expects the daily ridership to further increase to 237,023 by 2032 and 375,134 by 2042.

BPO sector expects revenue to increase 8% to $28.8b in 2021

By Othel V. Campos THE information technology-business process management industry is optimistic of an 8-percent export revenue growth to $28.8 billion this year as global demand for outsourcing services sustains the upward trend.

Employment in the sector is also projected to increase 8 percent to 1.43 million by end-2021, according to the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines.

ITBPAP chairman Benedict Hernandez said while the slow growth of the sector in 2020 resulted in only 20,000 new jobs, the sector’s growing appetite for Filipino talents in the ITBPM space this year would generate an additional 130,000.

“This 2021, our forecast as a collective ITBPM industry, we’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll hit high single digit growth. We expect more jobs this year, over 100,000 more compared to last year,” he said in a pre-event briefing for the 2021 International Innovation Summit.

“Towards the end of 2020, we saw an uptick in demand and growth in the Philippines for ITBPM. We still had some modest, low, single digit growth that translated to 23,000 jobs we’ve created for the economy. And our revenue increased from the prior year reaching $26.7 billion in 2020.

This represented 7.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product,” he said.

A recent survey among ITBPM companies showed that the industry players were expecting to grow between 5 and 15 percent this year.

Hernandez said the group continued to be mindful of the need to navigate the future through key strategic imperatives involving digitalization, talent upskilling and the need to for the right policy framework to support the industry.

He said the industry would continue to lead the recovery of the Philippine economy as the country advances towards a post-pandemic era.

VACCINE DONATION. As part

FNI to pursue steel mill after partner quits

By Jenniffer B. Austria GLOBAL Ferronickel Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it will pursue its planned $50-million steel mill on its own after its Hong Kong-based partner backed out from the project amid the pandemic.

FNI president Dante Bravo said the company has the capabilities to develop the project on its own and plans to start constructing the facility next year.

“The project is still going to push through except that we are going to own it 100 percent. We decided to put all the investments by ourselves instead of partnering with other parties,” Bravo said.

“We believe we have the capacity to do that. Only at this point we are hampered by this pandemic because of the movement of the people but all the plans are there,” he said.

FNI reported in 2019 it would team up with Hong Kong-based Huarong Asia Ltd. to venture into steel processing.

FNI would have a 51-percent interest in the joint venture company while Huarong Asia would acquire the remaining 49 percent.

The plan was to build a rebar steel rolling plant in the Philippines, which is estimated to have an annual output of 600,000 tons. Its construction was supposed to start this year with full commercial operations slated in 2022.

To support the operations of the planned steel mill, the nickel miner acquired a 40-percent stake in Freeport Area of Bataan port operator Seasia Nectar Port Services.

FNI, the second-largest nickel producer in the country, said it decided to diversify into steel processing given the fast-growing steel demand in the Philippines amid an infrastructure boom.

The company through unit Platinum Group Metals Corp. operates a mine in Surigao del Norte.

The share price of FNI slipped 2.3 percent Wednesday to P2.13.

IN BRIEF Filinvest Land eyes P10-b bond offering ASEAN DIGITALIZATION. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (center) calls on ASEAN member states to accelerate the digital transformation of the region at the interface of the ASEAN Economic Community Council Ministers and Digital Ministers hosted by Brunei Darussalam via video conference. Lopez says the Philippines and ASEAN have long recognized the importance of the digital economy with early agreements such as the E-ASEAN Framework Agreement (2000) and the ASEAN Single Window Agreement (2005) . With the COVID-19 pandemic boosting the growth and reach of the digital economy and its potential as a viable engine for economic growth and recovery, Lopez emphasizes the growing importance of effective collaboration among ASEAN sectoral bodies.

Dominguez, Diokno lead launching of sustainable PH finance roadmap ergy Program.

The British government supported the FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez establishment of the “Green Force”—the III said Wednesday the Philippines’ Inter-Agency Technical Working Group newly-launched Sustainable Finance for Sustainable Finance led by the DOF Roadmap and its guiding principles on and the BSP. The sustainable finance masterplan will building a green, sustainable and climate-resilient economy will encourage address the policy and regulatory gaps other countries to adopt similar plans in promoting sustainable investments and policies that help reduce carbon through finance, implementing sustainable government initiatives, facilitating emissions.

Dominguez, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi- investments in public infrastructure and nas Governor Benjamin Diokno and Brit- developing projects that promote sustainish Ambassador-Designate to the Philip- able financing in the Philippines.

Dominguez said he would bring the pines Laure Beaufils led the virtual launch blueprint to the forthcoming 26th United of the roadmap.

Dominguez said the development of Nations Climate Change Conference of the roadmap underscored the pivotal role the Parties n Glasgow, Scotland, where that appropriate fiscal policies play in re- he would ensure that the voices of climate versing the effects of the climate crisis change-vulnerable countries like the Philand in enabling the shift to a low-carbon ippines would be heard.

“The roadmap underscores our comeconomy.

Dominguez said this was “a major step mitment to deliver on our carbon reducforward in our comprehensive national tion pledges. We hope this roadmap will effort to combat climate change and sup- inspire other countries towards adopting port our sustainable recovery and devel- the appropriate finance policies that will help in the reduction of carbon emisopment.”

The roadmap is the outcome of the sions,” Dominguez said.

Diokno said adopting green or susPhilippines’ partnership with the government of the United Kingdom in helping tainable finance principles and practices the country implement the Association of could unlock various opportunities for the Southeast Asian Nations Low Carbon En- BSP and the banking sector.

By Julito G. Rada

of the Aboitiz Group’s commitment to support the national and local governments to fast-track the country’s journey towards herd immunity against COVID-19, Aboitiz Foundation Inc., the group’s corporate social responsibility arm, and holding company Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. donate 7,600 AstraZeneca vaccines to the Taguig city government.

Attending the virtual turnover ceremony are (clockwise, from left) Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano, Aboitiz Foundation president and chief operating officer Maribeth Marasigan, Taguig head of the city health cluster Dr. Peachy Sy and AEV government relations first vice president Christopher Camba.

NTC sees brewing price war among telco companies A PRICE war is expected to erupt in the local telecom sector in the coming months with the implementation of the mobile number portability service as the major industry players aim to prevent subscribers from switching to another network, industry experts said.

“Ultimately, Filipino consumers stand to gain from the MNP Act implementation. Beginning September 30, 2021, subscribers now have a choice to partner with a telecommunications provider they feel offers the best connectivity and customer experience possible,” said Edgardo Cabarios, deputy commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission in a webinar titled “Breaking Free From Limitations Together: Successfully Navigating the Mobile Number Portability Act.” “Meanwhile, these service providers can focus their strategies on coming up with the best plans, bundles and promos to gain customer loyalty based on current needs,” he said.

Cabarios said the agency is looking at whether there is a need to introduce MNP in the landline service.

Richard Mathew Dimagiba, vice president and head for postpaid marketing at Smart Communications Inc. said the implementation of the MNP Act ushered in exciting times for both the consumers and the different service providers.

“This will push all of us to present more innovative, personalized services, and customer experience touchpoints that will elevate our engagements with new and current subscribers,” he said.

Ermin Hamzic, product sales expert at Infobip, said this could be achieved if mobile service providers are agile enough when engaging with their customers.

“They now have the opportunity to be immersive when it comes to customer engagement and be hyper-aware of their evolving demands. This includes being highly responsive to all customer feedback, through whichever communications channel or platform that may be,” he said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PROPERTY developer Filinvest Land Inc. plans to offer up to P10 billion worth of fixedrate retail bonds.

Filinvest Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission the preliminary prospectus for the offering of up to P8 billion.

The company also eyes another P2 billion as oversubscription option in case of strong demand from investors.

The bonds will have maturity periods ranging from four years to six years. The bonds will be rated by Philippine Rating Services Corp. and will be listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

The latest bond issuance will be issued as the second tranche from the company’s P30billion bond shelf registration program approved by the SEC last year.

It assigned BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., East West Banking Corp., First Metro Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp. and SB Capital Investment Corp. to manage the offering. Jenniffer B. Austria

CNPF launches pet food products CENTURY Pacific Food Inc. has ventured into the fast-rising pet food business.

CNPF said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it launched a new pet food range under the brand called ‘Goodest’.

“Pet Food is one of the fastest growing consumer goods categories in the Philippines and around the world. With long-term trends such as rising incomes as well as demographic trends of people staying single longer or having children later, as well as people spending more time at home due to the pandemic, we see pet ownership on the rise,” CNPF executive chairman Christopher Po said.

Po said while more Filipino households are now caring for pets and treating them as family, the penetration of pet food is still very low in the Philippines versus the more affluent ASEAN countries.

The company’s move to venture in pet food business is also in line with its thrust to diversify its product portfolio and to develop future growth drivers, it said.

“We are always on the lookout for opportunities to expand our portfolio, whether organically or inorganically, but it needs to be purposeful,” Po said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Beneco employees asked to return to work ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi urged the employees and supporters of Benguet Electric Co. to go back to work and give the new general manager a chance.

“Let her assume the work and find out the problem and how we can better service the people,” Cusi said during an interview with ANC. Member-consumer-owners organized a rally at the Beneco office to protest the takeover by the National Electrification Administration of the distribution utility.

They demanded that NEA-appointed Maria Rafael-Banaag and other representatives leave the premises of Beneco. NEA is now headed by Emmanuel Juaneza, an undersecretary of the DOE after former administrator Edgardo Masongsong resigned.

“DOE is watching the development and making sure there is no interruption in service,” Cusi said.

The Beneco board of directors appointed Melchor Licoben as the new general manager after the retirement of former GM Gerry Verzosa. Alena Mae S. Flores

Sports

Sacrifices pay off for Abueva, Magnolia BEING in the 2021 finals of the Philippine Basketball Association is a special thing for Calvin Abueva.

This is because the sacrifices that his team went through since their training bubble in Batangas last June is finally paying off, not just for the 6’3” Abueva, but for the entire Magnolia Hotshots’ squad, as well.

“Pinaghirapan ito, simula noong nag-praktis sa Batangas for two weeks, tapos lumipat sa Pampanga. Hassle at sakripisyo. Sacrifice kasi, nakikita mo sa dulo ang bunga ng mga pinaghirapan,” said Abueva before the start of the Hotshots’ bestof-seven final series with the TNT Tropang Giga.

The 33-year-old Abueva said that all the hard work has been worth it, now that he has been able to firm up his bid for the Davco-PBA Best Player of the Conference honors.

Abueva has stayed on top of the race for the Philippine Cup top individual honor by the end of the semifinals.

And this is after he accumulated an average of 34.2 statistical points when the Hotshots barged into the best-of-seven finals after eliminating no. 2 seed Meralco Bolts in six games.

“Ngayong nasa finals na kami, bawi na lahat ng mga sacrifices namin dito,” added Abueva.

In the 19 games that Abueva played in his first season with the Hotshots, the ‘Beast’ averaged a double-double of 15.2 points and 10.0 rebounds, while adding 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 block shots.

Abueva averaged 16.09 points, 9.33 rebounds and three assists at the end of their best-of-seven semis series against the Meralco Bolts. Peter Atencio

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

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Magnolia’s Ian Sangalang is fouled by TNT’s JP Erram in a PBA Philippine Cup Game 1, 88-70 win by the Tropang Giga.

Rookie’s monster show lifts Tropang Giga to Game 1 win

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Talk N Text Tropang Giga took charge from the getgo and never let up as they posted an 88-70 smothering of the Magnolia Hotshots Wednesday night at the start of their best-of-seven championship series in the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.

Rookie Mikey Williams was unstoppable from the start and up to the time he had to leave the court in the final minutes, hitting 21 points and hauling 10 rebounds to go with five assists and two steals in a masterful all-around Game 1 performance at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Before Williams left for the bench in the final 3:16 of the third on a minor injury, he gave TNT a 32-point, 73-41

advantage on a triple.

The 6’2” William had already played for 28 minutes when he hurt his back following a steal by Hotshots’ Andy Barroca.

With TNT in full control, the coaching staff decided to rest Williams for the remainder of the game.

“Our objective was to execute our game plan, offensively and defensively. And I thought the most important thing was that

we matched their effort. Magnolia really comes out with a lot of effort. So we focused on matching their energy and effort,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

As the Tropang Giga controlled the boards in the fourth, they went on to cruise to a 18-point lead as the game ended.

JP Erram tallied 14 points and seven rebounds for the Tropang Giga, who will go into Game 2 with momentum in their favor.

The Tropang Giga took the charge from the get-go and never looked back, building on an 18-point lead they gained at the end of the first period.

After forcing the Hotshots to a season high 24 turnovers in the next three quarters, Tropang Giga’s edge soared by as much as 26 points as the fourth quarter got under way, 74-48.

Scoring 20 of 45 attempts from their

Miao seeks revenge against Miado CHINESE fighter Miao Li Tao will be out for revenge when he meets Filipino fighter Jeremy Miado inside the cage next week in Singapore.

It has been two years since Miado brought down Miao. Since then, the Chinese has won payback against another fighter, who has beaten him in the past.

And this is why, the 5’8” Miado, also known as “The Jaguar,” is carefully preparing for a return match with Miao in the ONE: NEXT GEN, slated at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Oct. 29.

“Dapat hindi mangyari iyun. Hindi dapat.

Kaya focused ako at pinaghahandaan ko kung ano ang puwede niyang gawin,” said Miado on Zoom, during a break in training in Thailand.

Miado, who has a 9-4 win-loss record in the flyweight division, has not had a fight in two years, since his victory with Miao.

And Miado noted that since then, the Chinese had exacted sweet revenge against Japanese Ryuto Sawada, who beat Miao at the ONE Championship - Reign of Dynasties 2 in October last year.

Miao got his payback when he won via unanimous decision over Sawada last April.

The 29-year-old Miao carries a fight record of 6-4-0 and is reeling from a recent setback to Alex Silva via unanimous decision during the ONE Championship-Battleground 2 last Aug. 13.

The Filipino f ighter said he never expected to f ight Miao, and was sur prised to lear n that the Chinese was seeking another bout with him.

“Nagulat ako nu’ng nalaman kong maglalaban kami ulit. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Siguro, request niya,” added Miado.

Peter Atencio

Wesley So crowned US Chess champ

Jeremy Miado

Bocaue chops down Cebu in Chooks 3x3 SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Mark Yee and Homegrown Grains Bocaue utilized their outside shooting to chop down ARQ Builders-Cebu, taking a 21-16 (7:15), to open their Chooks-toGo Pilipinas 3x3 Invitational campaign, Wednesday at the Laus Group Events Centre here.

ARQ-Cebu relied on the hulking duo of Frederick Elombi and Landry Sanjo to gain the early lead. Ralph Tansingco and Dennis Santos were able to find their range later on to eventually knot the game at 16-all That’s when Yee took charge, matching Sanjo’s physicality on the defensive end while knocking down big buckets. Yee closed the game by knocking down two free throws after baiting the 6-foot-7 Cameroonian while attempting a deuce.

Bocaue gained the early lead in

Cebu’s Landry Sanjo and Bocaue’s Mark Yee jockey for the rebound.

field goals allowed the Tropang Giga to move away to a comfortable 53-34 halftime spread.

Williams unloaded 14 points in the first half, with his trey with 8:18 in the first period putting the Tropang Giga up by 10, 12-2.

As he went 5 of 6 from the three-point region, Williams put the Tropang Giga ahead by 64-39, with another triple with 6:56 remaining in the third.

The Tropang Giga connected with nine of 22 three-point tries at halftime and managed to maintain a 22-point bubble off two treys from Williams and Glenn Khobuntin, 42-21, at the 5:17 mark.

Paul Lee and Jackson Corpuz had 12 points for the Hotshots, who shot 20 of 73 from the field, while the Tropang Giga converted 35 out of 82 attempts.

Pool B of this tournament that is endorsed by FIBA 3x3 and regulated by the Games and Amusements Board.

In other games, Joseph Eriobu and Pacquiao Coffee Bacolod defeated Pasay Adam Esli Pasay, 22-14 (8:51), in Pool A. Jayjay Manlangit knocked down the gamewinning deuce.

Brothers Ryan and Nikki Monteclaro powered the Pasig Kingpins to a 21-9 (6:34) rout to open Pool C action while Marvin Hayes scored the game-winning deuce with 17.9 seconds left in AMACOR Mandaluyong’s 21-20 win over the Henry Iloka-led RBR Cabiao Nueva Ecija.

There are still eight elimination round games remaining as of publishing. Also set to take place later in the day are the side-events and the knockout playoffs in this tournament that has P100,000 waiting for the champion.

PHILIPPINE-BORN Grandmaster Wesley So prevailed in a three-man playoff tiebreak matches to become the 2021 US Chess Champion on Wednesday in Cherry Hills, New Jersey.

The world no. 8 So promoted a white queen in the endgame to beat Sam Sevian in just 33 moves of a Modern Defense Opening in the third tiebreak game.

The 2772 FIDE-rated So was tied in first place at 6.5 with fellow GMs Fabiano Caruana and Sam Sevian after 11 rounds of play.

And they needed to play a rapid playoff to determine the winner, with So winning the first playoffs with Caruana in 46 moves of an English Opening.

Caruana then bounced back in the second tiebreak by stopping Sevian in 49 moves of a King’s Pawn Game.

The 28-year-old So, who was born and raised in Bacoor, Cavite, took control of the queenside when he gobbled up a pawn to promote his white passed pawn into a queen and claim a check one move later.

So, who became a US citizen last March, took home the cash purse of $50,000 for first place, while Caruana and Sevian both earned $30,000.

In women’s play, 18-year-old Carissa Yip tallied 8.5 points in 11 games to win the women’s title a month after her birthday.

The Boston-based Yip, who is now the highest-rated under-20 women’s player in the world, ended her campaign with a 52-move draw with Katerina Nemcova.

It was So’s second major win this year.

On February 14, So defeated the world champion Magnus Carlsen to win the Opera Euro Rapid.

Peter Atencio

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Sports

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

Bellinger blast fuels Dodgers; Astros tie series with Red Sox

Simmons suspended from NBA opener LOS ANGELES—Unsettled Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons was hit with a one-game suspension by the team on Tuesday, ruling him out of the club’s season opener against New Orleans.

A Sixers statement said Simmons would miss Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

US media reports said Simmons was suspended shortly after a bust-up with Sixers coach Doc Rivers, which ended with the Australian point guard being tossed from practice.

It marks the latest twist to the intrigue surrounding Simmons and his future in Philadelphia.

The 25-year-old -- the No.1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft -- informed the club in the summer that he wanted to leave, although he reported back for training last week.

Simmons’ future has been the subject of speculation since the team lost a decisive Game 7 to Atlanta in last season’s playoffs, with Simmons’s offensive output shrivelling in the crucial final quarter.

That led to Sixers coach Rivers publicly questioning whether Simmons could be a championshipwinning point guard.

Tensions between Simmons and team-mate Joel Embiid have also emerged, with Embiid accusing the Australian of “disrespecting” his team-mates in remarks last month.

On Tuesday, a clearly unimpressed Embiid brushed off the latest controversy involving Simmons, insisting the rest of the Sixers roster were focused on preparing for the season ahead.

“At this point I don’t care about that man, honestly,” Embiid said of Simmons.

“He does whatever he wants. That’s not my job. I’m only focused on trying to make the team better, win some games, play hard every night, trying to lead the guys that we have here.

“I’m sure they feel the same way.

Our chemistry has been excellent despite everything that’s been happening the last few months. So I don’t really care.” AFP

James Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets is defended by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of the season opener at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

Bucks turn back Nets; LeBron’s LA stumbles L

OS ANGELES—Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points as the Milwaukee Bucks launched the defence of their NBA crown on Tuesday with a 127-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, as LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were outgunned by the Golden State Warriors.

Antetokounmpo picked up where he left off in guiding the Bucks to victory in the NBA Finals last season, leading an emphatic all-round offensive display that included 14 rebounds and seven assists.

The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player was one of five Bucks who cracked double figures on a night when Milwaukee’s fans celebrated as the team raised its first championship banner in 50 years at the Fiserv Forum.

Khris Middleton had 20 points while Pat Connaughton also made 20 off the bench. Jordan Nwora added 15 points while Jrue Holiday, who left the game with an injury early on, had 12 points.

Antetokounmpo was pleased with the

way the Bucks turned their attention to the challenge of the Nets after the pregame festivities.

“It was hard—we all were excited to get the rings, and seeing our banner,” Antetokounmpo said.

“It’s kind of hard to balance that, to go from that excitement and emotional state to go and play a game.

“But I think we did a great job. We were able to focus on our gameplan and ourselves and get a win.

“We’ve got a deep team. Everyone’s ready to step up and ready to play. We play hard and play together.”

It was a chastening loss for Brooklyn, who have started the season without the services of Kyrie Irving.

‘It wasn’t good’

The Nets have left Irving out of the line-up for the foreseeable future because of his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine, which makes him ineligible for home games in New York due to city laws.

In Irving’s absence, Kevin Durant led the Brooklyn scorers with 32 points while James Harden had 20. New signing Patty Mills added 21—making seven-from-seven from three-point range—while Nic Claxton had 12 points.

“It wasn’t good obviously,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “We weren’t as sharp as we needed to be, we weren’t as physical as we needed to be, we weren’t as organised as we needed to be.

“We just didn’t play well tonight.”

In Tuesday’s other season-opener, the new-look Los Angeles Lakers suffered a humbling 121-114 loss to the Warriors at the Staples Center.

James led the Lakers scorers with 34 points while Anthony Davis chimed in with 33. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Cody Bellinger smashed a three-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Tuesday while the Houston Astros recovered to score a series-levelling 9-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Bellinger’s monster eighth-inning home run off Atlanta reliever Luke Jackson turned a 5-2 deficit into a 5-5 tie game just as the Dodgers appeared to be sliding towards a third straight defeat in their National League Championship Series.

Chris Taylor singled to keep the inning alive before Mookie Betts drove in a runscoring double to put the Dodgers ahead at 6-5 heading into the ninth, allowing closer Kenley Jansen to lock down the win.

After Atlanta stunned the Dodgers with walk-off victories in the opening two games of the best-of-seven series, Tuesday’s game three at Dodger Stadium had acquired must-win status for the reigning World Series champions.

But until Bellinger’s homer, the Dodgers looked to be heading for defeat after a fitful display from starting pitcher Walker Buehler and a spluttering offensive performance.

“Man, pure elation, joy—it’s just hard to imagine a bigger hit that I can remember,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Bellinger’s game-changing homer.

“We were dead in the water. You could see it,” Roberts added. “It just flipped everything. We needed that kind of shot in the arm.”

The Dodgers’ victory left Atlanta 2-1 ahead in the series, with games four and five in Los Angeles scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday before two final games in Atlanta.

“Right now, any win is huge, but the way we won tonight shows we’re still fighting,” said Dodgers leadoff hitter Betts, paying tribute to team-mate Bellinger.

“He’s been huge. This is the Belli we know. Throughout the season he’s battled some injuries, but now he’s ready to go,” Betts said.

The Dodgers had taken the lead in the first inning with a two-run homer from Corey Seager.

But with Buehler looking vulnerable, the Braves poured it on with a flurry of scoring in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead, before Adam Duvall’s single scored Ozzie Albies to make it 5-2 in the top of the fifth. AFP

FESSAP student-athletes to compete in 30th Winter Universiade in Switzerland

By Graham C. Lim THE Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines, the national university sports federation recognized by the International University Sports Federation, has confirmed its participation in the 30th Winter Universiade to be held in Lucerne, Switzerland from December 11-21.

The FESSAP Board of Trustees, led by its president Edwin C. Fabro, a prominent businessman-sports patron, has approved the resolution that calls for the Philippines’ participation in the Winter Universiade for a second time.

Two student-athletes were chosen by the FESSAP Winter Ski & Skating Committee to represent the country. They are Filipino-German cross-country skier Amadeo Kaus, a student at the University of Cologne in Germany, and figure skater Skye Frances Patenia of De La Salle University in Manila.

Kaus, an advocate of climate justice, will compete in his favorite event that will be staged in Andermatt in the Swiss Alps.

Shown here are (from left) figure skater Skye Frances Patenia, cross-country skier Amadeo Kaus and TUP Patenia is an active member of the Philippine president Dr. Jesus Rodrigo Torres. national team in figure skating, having participated In 2019, figure skater Misha Fabian of Ateneo de in various competitions overseas under the auspices Universiade. The athletes will be coming from more Manila University became the first Filipino studentof the Philippine Skating Union. She will compete than 540 universities and colleges in 50 countries.

The games, a joint project of the six cantons of Central athlete ever to compete in the Winter Universiade held in the City of Lucerne, the main venue of this year’s Switzerland - Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Fabian is set to compete once Winter University Games.

Close to 1,600 university athletes between ages Zug, and the City of Lucerne, will be comprised of 10 more in the 31st Winter Universiade to be held in Lake Placid, New York City in January 2023.

17 and 25 are expected to see action in the Winter events to be contested at eight venues.

Keon: No need for Fil-foreign athletes THE BOTTOM LINE LITO CINCO I WAS a young and struggling sportswriter wannabe in the late 1970s when I first came across the brash and brutally frank Mike Keon and his Gintong Alay program.

I even had the opportunity to go up to Baguio, the training hub for the program that started with track events and eventually became a national sports training program that reaped huge success at that time. And over time, the relationship has remained.

When Keon first came back after the EDSA revolution, I was the first to

interview him and his assessment then was that because of his family name, it would be difficult to get back into sports, though he did eventually, becoming the national sports training director for our 2005 SEA Games athletes, who won the overall championship.

He also cemented his reputation in sports when he helped Ilocos Norte to 11 consecutive overall titles from 2000 to 2010 in the Ilocos Region Athletic Association.

When he became Laoag City Mayor in 2019, he planned to do the same for the city, though being a transitional mayor then after breaking the Farinas dynasty, he had a lot of work to do and sports had to take a secondary role.

This was further aggravated by the coming of COVID-19, which he said practically stopped all sports to avoid mass gatherings, allowing only jog-

ging, walking and running for the city residents.

But for Mike, it was a very big factor in the city’s successful fight against the pandemic. He even initiated a “no movement day for people and vehicles every Sunday”. In the end, from a high of 1,300 virus cases, it is now less than 200 cases.

Success though is not something unfamiliar for the 67-year-old Mike, who will be running for a second term, and he did not hold back when he expressed his thoughts on Philippine sports.

For one, he believes we do not need Fil-foreign athletes to be successful, citing the big success of his wards then, like Lydia de Vega, Isidro del Prado and Hector Begeo in both local and international competitions.

Further proof he said was the fact that some of the records set by these athletes

The FESSAP Board has designated businessmanPhilanthropist Antonio L. Tiu, the FESSAP Honorary President, as the country’s Head of Delegation, along with FESSAP Vice President and Technological University of the Philippines president Dr. Jesus Rodrigo Torres as Honorary Head of Delegation.

Both Antonio Tiu and Dr. Torres will be assisted by the FESSAP Winter Ski & Skating Committee Chair Dodjie Fabian and Co-Chair Prof. Robert Milton Calo, who is the FESSAP Executive Vice President, as Delegation Officials, and PSU’s Pom Domdom as coach.

Other Committee members of FWSSC are Cecilia Sarmiento, Sharon Fabian, and Antonio Quiza, the Secretary-General of the National Orienteering of the Philippines.

Edwin C. Fabro and Alvin Tai Lian, the FESSAP Chairman of the Board, are thankful for the hard work that members of the FWSSC in nominating two student-athletes that qualified to see action in the 30th Winter Universiade in Switzerland. The winter multi-sports event is the largest in the world for university athletes, second only to the regular Winter Olympics. It is held every two years.

The FESSAP also extends its appreciation to Jiho Kim, the FISU Games Winter Event Manager, for providing the organization with constant information changes and new regulations, particularly regarding the travel guide and insurances for health and travel protection.

then, still stands up to now, and that is certainly something, considering the presence of imported talents presently.

What he decried was the fact that in his favorite event, running, the Philippines used to dominate short- to longdistance events at the South East Asian level, even in Asian Games, but not true anymore now.

Add, too, that in recent years, the training camp in Baguio has not been fully utilized for runners, when high altitude training is one of the best for runners.

Politics in sports is a very big factor for Mike, and in his own words, sports here is riddled with politics and the principle followed is whom you know and not what you know.

During his time, he was head of Gintong Alay, president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association and even the Philippine Olympic Committee, all of which enabled him to oversee sports here in an authoritarian way. After all, he was the nephew of the President.

Sports he says has better chances of succeeding under an authoritarian government, citing the likes of Russia before and China at present.

But even as he accepts that this won’t happen, he still offered practical solutions to address the problems in Philippine sports.

The basic need is to set up a good sports foundation program, then build on it. He cited the needs to go with this, the program should have specific goals and training sites for the different disciplines, coaches with long-term tenures, regular international exposure and competition and the right equipment for the athletes, and be consistent about it.

But for him, the most important need for such a program is that nobody meddles in it. The program should continue no matter, who the people are elected or appointed. No disruption, whatsoever.

These are practical words from someone who speaks from experience and has succeeded. But the question is, who is listening?

Entertainment Calm of Cagayan THIS folk pop fusion duo from the north, the pride of Tuguegarao, Cagayan calling themselves Letrang Norte, may actually be headed for the big time.

After winning the Kanto Canta songwriting contest initiated by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the tandem of Ruth Lee Resuello and Louie Kem Anthony Babaran comes out with an interesting new song they composed called “Kalma.” It’s available in digital music stores

by October 22.

The track, which fuses R&B and bossa nova in easy listening beauty, is co-produced by the group and music icon Ebe Dancel, and distributed by Widescope Entertainment.

“Kalma’ boasts an unforgettable chorus melody presented with very few words and sung in timely fashion. It’s even a stronger cut than “Tahanan” which bagged the grand prize last June when Kanto Canta executives declared the winners from a pool of 15 song-act finalists promoting the Filipino language and its indigenous instruments.

“Kalma is a song about unspoken love,” shared Louie, “It is a story of two people secretly in love with each other, but covertly show their feelings.”

It is a track Letrang Norte arranged, engineered, mixed and mastered. They recorded at Northern Root Records studio which Ruth Lee runs. The Widescope tag team of Vic de Vera and Neil Gregorio sat as executive and supervising producers.

“We like to mix and experiment with different genres and unusual chord progressions as we infuse creative melodies and phrasing,” expressed the lady singer whose

vocal style is well-showcased in the new single.

Ruth Lee by herself is a force to reckon with, having established her presence in the digital realm with several recording releases under her name. Louie, too, is far from being just the other fellow, and holds his ground tight as the singing male counterpart.

Both of them are multiinstrumentalists and recording engineers, with Ruth Lee being able to play drums apart from playing guitar, while Louie handles piano and bass guitar parts, as well as glockenspiel.

Incidentally, Ruth Lee is a registered pharmacist while Louie a registered nurse. Call it coincidence but being healthcare workers make them a musically gifted front-lining duo facing the challenges of the new normal on a good note.

Back in 2018, after finishing her Pharmacy degree with distinction, the girl with a calming voice decided to open a music tutorial arm she dubbed Northern Root. She spearheaded training hundreds of kids marked by seven triumphant recitals.

At first she was just in her bedroom toiling with melodies.

But then she started getting serious about music production so she had training abroad. She was finally able to achieve the sound and style she likes.

As for Louie, while working as a nurse, he would do birthday and wedding gigs with his band Sunset Sessions.

They found each other on social media and realized being on the same page, so together they recorded a song called “2020.”

This year turned out to be their come-out party.

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

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A total of 33 framed mixed media works, with several of them triptychs, comprise her second solo exhibition at Manila Hotel.

SOARING HIGH

Artist on a mission spreads her wings in second solo exhibit

V

ISUAL artist and missionary Kristine Lim opened her second solo exhibit entitled “Soar” at the lobby lounge of the famed The Manila Hotel.

Mixed media artist Kristine Lim's second solo exhibition, "Soar," is on view at the lobby lounge of The Manila Hotel.

Lim joined by Sec. Mark Villar at the launch of her second solo exhibit.

Letrang Norte is a vocal folk pop duo from Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

Definitive destination for real-life entertainment DISCOVERY, Inc.’s subscription streaming service from discovery+ is now live to all Filipinos, as the company recently announced the launch of its direct-to-consumer offering across app stores and platforms in the Philippines. discovery+ brings Filipinos more than 20,000 episodes of current and classic shows from Discovery’s portfolio of networks, including Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Food Network, Magnolia Network, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, and Asian Food Network, to name a few.

At launch, the service features more than 100 new and exclusive discovery+ Originals from iconic franchises and personalities, such as Chip and Joanna Gaines, Sir David Attenborough, Joe Kenda, Bobby Flay, and Giada De Laurentiis, as well as a growing selection of Korean reality series, including Sing Again and It Takes A Village.

“The launch of discovery+ builds on more than 25 years of Discovery’s iconic real-life brands, loved personalities, and larger-than-life storytelling in the Philippines,” said Tony Qiu, General Manager, East, and Southeast Asia, Discovery, Inc. “As one of the world’s fastest developing SVOD markets with a growing appetite for premium content on-demand, we are excited to bring Filipinos a differentiated service with unlimited access to Discovery’s iconic global shows, fresh original content, and local stories all in one place,” Qiu added. discovery+ is the exclusive new home to Discovery’s most popular franchises in the Philippines - 90 Day Fiancé, Naked and Afraid, and Ghost Adventures. The service will also bring Filipinos the hit series Drag Race, featuring international adaptations, as well as the highly anticipated Drag Race Philippines in 2022.

Under a partnership between Discovery and Globe announced last month, Globe’s customers on select plans can access exclusive, limited time, discovery+ offers. Globe At Home customers who purchase a Globe Streamwatch 2-in-1 Entertainment Box are eligible for a year of access to discovery+ at no additional cost.

For more information, visit discoveryplus.com/ ph.

'Sing Again' gives a second chance to singers who had released albums in the past but never attained popularity.

The exhibit, which features Lim’s recent art pieces — a collection of 33 framed mixed media works finished in just six months — will run until the end of this month.

In her latest exhibit, Lim created a cohesive and compelling presentation using the Philippine eagle as the central motif, with complementing verses from the Bible scribbled lightly at the edge of each work.

Visible in each work is her signature style. She used her unique technique of combining a special textured ground with layers of transparent metallic bronze and gold-colored glazes over the graphite pentimenti, or underdrawings.

Lim deliberately allows them to be seen as a trace of her journey in the creation of any work. She occasionally adds special details like straight gold lines, reminiscent of her graphic design practice, as well as small-shaped mirrors and textured, bright-colored red resinous epoxy to attach them; both illuminate and serve as surfaces of reflection.

“It’s very ironic because the concept of 'Soar' came to me during the time when I was really hitting rock bottom over and over. I lost my son and after a few months, I almost lost his twin brother. Then we have this pandemic, there are so many things going on,” she told Manila Standard Entertainment in an exclusive interview right after the launch of her exhibit on Oct. 7.

“During those moments, I felt I was soaring the highest because God was with me. He made me realize that the best way for me touch the sky is when my knees hit the ground to pray. That’s the

beauty of our downfalls and our struggles. We pause. We see clearly beyond the limits of our sight,” she carried on.

Lim’s exhibit is not only a showcase of her artistry. It’s also a way for her to give back.

Nine of the art pieces are for auction and the rest are for sale.

Proceeds of the Closing Auction will go to Malasakit Para Sa Bayan Foundation Inc. to help indigent Filipinos have access to medical supplies.

“In everything that I do, I always endeavor to magnify and glorify God. I want to share His words with everyone,” she said.

A Filipino Christian with an evangelical inclination, she considers herself as an “artist with a mission.” Her faith and patriotism serve as the foundation for the art she makes, while remaining true to her own life experiences. By using these as her jumping points, she creates multiple avenues of connection with her audiences who might share these with her.

In all her paintings, Lim artist seems to also imply the need to be in our own space, to reflect, and to have an honest appraisal and reckoning with ourselves. She proposes a total surrender just as she has experienced when she overcame personal tribulations and emerged from them unscathed because she lifted them all up in faith.

Lim also shared that “Soar” is not just her story or a personal reflection. It’s an experience everyone can resonate with.

“The exhibition is both a testament to God’s love and saving grace, as well as the capacity of the Filipino spirit to transcend limitations, especially in the lowest points of our lives. That's when we feel that we soar the highest,” Lim concluded.

Presented by Art Lounge Manila “Soar” runs until Oct. 30.

Leaders, personalities unite on World Pandesal Day THE famed Kamuning Bakery Café once again spearheaded the World Pandesal Day on Oct. 16 with no less than the country’s top leaders and known personalities in the world entertainment taking part to share their messages of hope and encouragement.

The civic and cultural event by 82-year-old Kamuning Bakery had education advocate Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, culture advocate Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, urban renewal & food security advocate Quezon

City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and social justice advocate Atty. Neri Colmenares as special guests.

Instead of its annual tradition of giving 70,000 free pandesal and other food items the whole day to the urban poor plus free medical/dental/optical missions, due to Alert Level 4 now, owner Wilson Lee Flores said donations of breads shall be delivered to orphanages, diverse children’s shelters and urban poor communities.

World Pandesal Day seeks

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (right) and Kamuning Bakery Cafe owner Wilson Lee Flores at Pandesal Forum.

to honor the humble yet great Filipino bread pandesal, also to highlight the need to address global hunger and poverty.

Messages of support for the annual #WorldPandesal Day came from various leaders led by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Senator Sonny Angara, GMA Network, Inc. Chairman & CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon (who was guest of honor at 2019 World Pandesal Day to lead the giving of free breads and other foods to the urban poor), and Regal

Entertainment founder Mother Lily Y. Monteverde. Actor Dingdong Dantes had also grace World Pandesal Day and helped to distribute free breads and food items.

Among Kamuning Bakery Café’s partners in this annual philanthropic and cultural project include Philippine Foremost Milling, San Miguel Mills, Mondelez, Pagcor, Mega Sardines, and Caltex Iba Malhacan Road in Meycauayan Exit. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Flores with Regal's Mother Lily Monteverde, and the entertainment press led by the late Ricky Lo.

Life

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

C4

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

FASHION AND BEAUTY

Celebrities’ secret to quick and clean laundry? Steam

By Bernadette Lunas

The SteamCure Hygiene+ technology releases steam from the bottom of the washing machine’s drum before it starts washing to help remove stubborn stains on clothes. It releases steam again after the wash cycle to help smooth out creases and folds.

D

EPENDING on the amount of clothes and the type of items to be washed, doing the laundry could easily take a huge chunk out of a person’s time. Mikael Daez and Megan Young agree.

“The reason why we dread washing our clothes is because, admit it, washing clothes takes up so much time,” the celebrity couple said at a virtual event.

However, it is never smart to compromise on cleanliness (of laundry) just to finish the task quickly – pandemic or not.

“The accumulation of dirt on clothes can propagate allergens that once transmitted can be harmful to our health,” said Cecil Placia, product marketing head at Beko Pilipinas. Beko, a European appliances brand, harnesses technology to make families’ lives “easier, healthier, and safer”.

To make laundry easier, and families safer and healthier, the brand introduced its washing machines with SteamCure Hygiene+ technology.

SteamCure Hygiene+ aims to cut down on time spent removing stubborn stains on fabrics by releasing steam from the bottom of the washing machine’s drum before it starts washing. This acts as a pretreatment.

Another batch of steam is released after the end of the wash cycle, this time, to help smooth out unsightly creases and folds. This helps for easy ironing.

“To help us out, we got the Beko washing machine,” shared Daez and Young. Other Beko washing machine celebrity users include Dianne Medina and Kimpoy Feliciano.

In addition to possibly shortening the time spent on clothes-related

chores, Beko’s steam technology also helps protect families from bacteria and allergens. The SteamCure Hygiene+ technology works at a range of 20 to 90 degrees Celsius. Allergy UK says 60 degrees Celsius is enough to reduce 99.9 percent of allergens (dust mites, pet dander, bacteria and fungi) in the fabric.

“We are more conscious about our health and safety, not just for us but also for our family,” noted country manager Gurhan Gurnal, adding, “This technology is important because it can help us lead a quality and healthy life.”

The steam that rises from the bottom of the washing machine, according to marketing head Dyeun Zapanta, does not affect or make the unit hot to touch. “It doesn’t really heat up because the water is located in the bottom special compartment; if you touch the side, top, or front, it will not emit the heat that’s used to heat the water for the steam.”

The steam also makes sure the laundry is odor-free once done. To help clothes dry faster, especially during the rainy season, the Beko Heat Pump dryer works well with the SteamCure Hygiene+ washing machine.

The SteamCure Hygiene+ technology is available in select Beko freestanding washing machine models. The brand is present in select All Home, Anson’s, Savers, Gidi Distribution, and Asian Homess Appliance Center in Cebu, and on Lazada and Household Appliances Trading (hat. com.ph).

STARS, STAINS, STEAM. Celebrity couple Mikael Daez and Megan Young, TV actress and host Dianne Medina, YouTuber Kimpoy Feliciano, and host Valerie Tan swear by steam technology in ensuring

cleanliness of their laundry.

SM supports startups

Package offered to aspiring entrepreneurs

THE pandemic has ended and started many Filipinoowned businesses.

According to a 2020 Asian Development Bank study of 1,804 Philippine MSMEs (micro, small, medium enterprises), 70.6 percent were forced to temporarily close during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Despite the odds created by the changes in the landscape, the enterprising Filipino found many opportunities online, with the Department of Trade and Industry recording over 88,000 new e-commerce registrations at the end of 2020. This figure is projected to be a million by 2022 (from 500,000 in 2020).

SM Supermalls understands the potential of Filipinos to be successful business owners, owing to the story of its late founder, Henry Sy. Sy, fondly called “Tatang” in SM, started out as a small business owner with his first footwear shop ShoeMart. Because of its humble beginning, inspiring small businesses has been in SM’s DNA. On Oct. 15, not coincidentally Tatang’s birthday,

SM launched The SM StartUp Package, which aims to provide small online businesses the valuable support they need so they can set up their shop in an SM mall. It is available to the first 100 digitalbased MSME owners who currently don’t have any physical store.

The package offers start-up friendly rental rates and use of kiosks or carts free of charge; free brand exposure on SM online assets and ad spaces inside malls; financial assistance from BDO; and mentorship from SM’s operations and marketing experts.

The StartUp Markets, as they will be called, will be situated in prime mall locations within 13 regional and premier malls in major cities: SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Southmall, SM Pampanga, SM Clark, SM Grand Central, SM Sta. Rosa, SM City Cebu, SM Iloilo, SM Bacolod, SM CDO Downtown Premier, and SM Lanang Premier.

“We created The SM StartUp Package because we saw how Filipinos persevered in the past year,” said SM Supermalls president Steven T. Tan. Tan continued, “Many MSMEs did not let the pandemic stop them from providing good service and products – even from their own homes. We want to give them a chance to further grow their businesses and brands, and enable them to start their own SM shops which they can one day grow into business empires, just like our founder did.”

ChizMozza founder Hannah Ramos started selling her mozzarella sticks online before establishing a food cart in SM North Edsa in 2016. She now has 21 branches.

Following in ‘Tatang’s’ footsteps After arriving in the Philippines at just 12 years old from China, Henry Sy helped sell products in his father’s retail

Present at the virtual launch of The SM StartUp Package hosted by Sam YG (top, left) were SM tenant-partners Patty Ang of Patton and Jerald Sze of Straightfoward. Meanwhile, (middle, from left) DTI assistant secretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco, SM Supermalls president Steven T. Tan, and BDO Network Bank SVP and MSME business head Karen Cua gave words of advice to startups and aspiring entrepreneurs. (Below, from left) SM Supermalls AVP for leasing strategy and operations Gina T. Katigbak, BDO merchant partnerships retail sales head Bob Tolentino, and SM Supermalls VP of corporate marketing Grace F. Magno provided the details of the program.

store. With enough money saved, he opened his first business in 1958: a footwear shop called ShoeMart, which would later become the foundation for today’s 77 SM Supermalls.

The success of the mall didn’t come without challenges. A notable one was when Sy opened SM Megamall along Edsa in 1985, a turbulent time in the Philippines. Instead of letting the political and economic climate discourage him, he worked harder to overcome the crisis. This disposition would carry over in the next few decades and inspire a new generation of MSME owners to look for opportunities even in adversity.

This is evident in the stories of entrepreneurs like Chizmozza founder Hannah Ramos, who sold her mozzarella sticks online before opening her food cart at SM, Ian Darcy, who started his namesake fragrance brand after being forced to resign from his marketing job; and Oishii Maki chef Ramon Molina, who started a sushi and maki business at SM after working overseas as chef in 5-star hotels.

“I took a chance to grow Chizmozza from an online store to having one humble food cart in SM North

Edsa back in 2016. Now Chizmozza has 21 SM branches,” shared Ramos. “They saw the potential of our unique cheese products and through our mutual hard work and perseverance, we grew, even through the pandemic.”

Joining Tan at the virtual launch of SM StartUp Package were Nina Cabrera of Colourette, Patty Ang of Patton, and Jerald Sze of 365 Designs Retailing who talked about how their businesses began online and how they successfully grew them at SM Supermalls.

Other notable guests during the launch included DTI assistant secretary Jean Pacheco and the SM Super Team, composed of BDO Network Bank’s senior vice president and MSME business head Karen Cua, BDO first vice president of merchant partnerships and retail sales head Bob Tolentino, SM Supermalls vice president of corporate marketing Grace F. Magno, and assistant vice president for leasing strategy and operations Gina T. Katigbak, who discussed the details of the SM StartUp Package.

More information about the package is available at www.smsupermalls.com.