Manila Standard - 2021 October 22 - Friday

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Requiring jab for job ‘legal’ DOLE: OK under Alert Level 3; Palace: Can’t be done without a law

By Vito Barcelo

Rody: I take responsibility for drug war, will face raps

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USINESSES now have a legal basis to require their workers to be vaccinated, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Thursday, citing government pandemic guidelines for establishments operating under Alert Level 3.

In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, the Labor chief said under guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), establishments such as restaurants and other service providers may operate at 30 percent their indoor capacity as long as all their workers are fully inoculated.

“There is an obligation on the part of the employer that their workers must be vaccinated. They can require their employees to get the jab because now there is a legal basis,” Bello said.

Bello issued the statement when asked if employers can fire unvaccinated employees since the expansion of capacity will only be allowed in several establishments if all their workers are fully vaccinated.

The DOLE chief also said employers now can also withhold the salary of employees under the IATF resolution for

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VOL. XXXV • NO. 249 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY FRIDAY,, OCTOBER 22, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

File photo shows President Rodrigo Duterte listening to the report of then Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa in Malacañang.

Duterte on Thursday said he will take 'full responsibility' for his administration's bloody war on drugs that is now being scrutinized by the International Criminal Court. Malacañang photo

Duque warns ‘superspreader’ events to trigger fresh surge

By Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo PUBLIC complacency amid a slowdown in COVID-19 infections could lead to a fresh wave of cases in a few months, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned Thursday.

2,740,111 4,806

65,835

41,237

260

2,633,039

5,934

(As of 4 PM, OCTOBER 21) 21

By Rey E. Requejo, Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he takes full responsibility for his war on drugs that has killed thousands, and is now the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a speech in Lucena City, Duterte said his ally and presidential candidate Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who led the drug war in 2016 as chief of the national police, was worried about the ICC probe.

“Bato is nervous because he is included in the investigation because of his Tokhang,” Duterte said in Filipino, referring to Dela Rosa by his nickname and the program in which police knocked on the doors of suspected drug users. “I told him not to worry. If there’s anyone going to prison, it would be me.”

"But it should be a Filipino court manned by a Filipino judge and me prosecuted by a Filipino prosecutor. I am willing to go to prison. There are many penal colonies anyway, I will just stay there,” Next page he added.

Higher prices of Xmas foods loom

Duque issued the warning after reports that visitors were flocking to the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach and other areas, as lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila eased.

"These are super spreader events. This is potential for a possible surge in the future [maybe] 4 to 6 months," he said.

The Philippines logged 4,806 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 2,740,111.

There were 260 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 41,237.

The DOH also reported 5,934 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,633,039.

There were 65,835 active cases, of which 78.7 percent were mild, 6.2 percent were asymptomatic, 2 percent were critical, 4.6 percent were severe, and 8.53 percent were moderate.

The positivity rate was at 10.9 percent, based on samples of 52,262 individuals screened on Oct. 19, Monday.

Nationwide, 58 percent of ICU beds, 45 percent of isolation beds, 43 percent of ward beds, and 42 percent of ventilators, were in use.

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Manufacturers are asking for higher prices on Noche Buena products, including pork-based food products like ham, due to the inflationary effect of the African Swine Fever, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.

By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Trade and Industry’s Consumer Protection Group on Thursday informed consumers of a possible price increase in most pork-based food preparations traditionally served during

the Christmas season, particularly those included in the Noche Buena list.

Trade Assistant Secretary Claire Ann Cabochan said the CPG was looking at petitions for price hike to assess how many products would be allowed to adjust their prices in relation to the current

state of economy amid the pandemic.

“It’s true that some manufacturers are asking for higher prices on Noche Buena products. Every year they have the same petition. There might be some products that will be allowed to adjust pricing Next page

Palace allays fear of nurses shortage, cites ‘reserves’

By Willie Casas Some 476 trainees of the Philippine Coast Guard participated in basic military drills in Bagac, Bataan. PCG Commodore Nimrod Enriquez said members of the Coast Guard Class 86-2021will undergo six months of training. PCG photo

ASIA'S BEST AIRPORT HOTEL. For the

first time in the history of the Philippine hospitality industry, the country bagged the distinction of having the best airport hotel in the region as Savoy Hotel Manila by Megaworld Hotels & Resorts emerged as ‘Asia’s Leading Airport Hotel’ at the 2021 World Travel Awards. Located at Newport City in Pasay City right across Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Savoy Hotel Manila bested other top airport hotels in the region to take home the highly coveted award. Shown in photo with the official awards badge are (left) Avinash Menon, General Manager, Savoy Hotel Manila, and (right) Cleofe Albiso, Group General Manager, Megaworld Hotels & Resorts. “We are beyond ecstatic to be recognized by the World Travel Awards.

To receive these distinctions during these challenging times makes it even more special. These recognitions are testament to our deep passion and commitment to serve our guests no matter what the circumstances are.

Now more than ever, our team is steadfast in continuing to give our best to each and every guest. We sincerely thank all our patrons for their trust and we share this victory with them,’’ Menon said.

that could take the place of health workers who leave for better paying overseas jobs.

MALACANANG said Thursday the PhilPalace spokesman Harry Roque made ippines had enough reserve manpower the statement after a group of private

hospitals raised concerns over the resignations of staff who are mulling employment abroad after complaining of low pay and poor working conditions. Next page

Martires seeks to exclude kin’s deals in SALNs OMBUDSMAN Samuel Martires is seeking the exclusion of transactions among members of a family from declaration of public officials' statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, a leader of the Right to Know Right Now coalition said Thursday.

Lawyer Eirene Aguila said excluding transactions from the SALNs was the “most problematic amendment” to the SALN Law aside from a proposed ban on commentaries on SALNs. "I think, next to the fact that you’re throwing shade on commentaries, this is

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ROMUALDEZ RUNS UNOPPOSED IN LEYTE NEWS / A4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Maynilad defers water interruption

Duque...

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The Maynilad administration deferred start on October 25 to October 28, 2021. the activity to commence on October 29 “We coordinated with the Department till November 21, 2021 from the previ- of Public Works and Highways and the ously announced schedule that should Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage

Service regarding this request, and it has been agreed that the project implementation be pushed back slightly,” Maynilad said.

The new schedule coincides with the break for Undas when people typically go to the provinces and fewer customers are expected to be home, thus mitigating the impact of the service interruptions on consumers.

“The list of affected areas and their corresponding service interruption schedules remains the same; only the dates of implementation were pushed back. The

change will be reflected in all of our communications collaterals so that affected customers are guided,” the water company said.

Given the deferment, Maynilad will also use the extra time to further increase the deployment of mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks, with the assistance of local government units and the local fire bureaus.

Maynilad will provide updates over the course of the succeeding weeks, right up to the project implementation until its completion November 1, 2021.

Alert Level 3 even though labor groups say doing so is unconstitutional.

Before the IATF resolution, Bello said that a “no vaccine, no pay” policy was illegal.

In contrast, the Palace said a law is needed to make vaccination against COVID-19 a requirement for employees.

Malacañang on Thursday maintained that a law is needed to make vaccination against COVID-19 a requirement for employees.

“We need a law mandating vaccination among job applicants," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in Filipino.

His statement contradicted those of Bello and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. Galvez said prohibiting employment of non-vaccinated people could not be considered discriminatory.

His position was echoed by Bello, who

said employers can use as legal basis for such a requirement the government task force's resolution that only allows businesses with fully vaccinated staff to operate under Alert Level 3.

Pressed if mandating vaccination for employees is feasible given that the government's vaccination program has yet to meet its target of administering 500,000 vaccine doses a day, Roque said the pace of the vaccination is expected to pick up with improved vaccine supply.

"We are speeding up our vaccination because we don't have a problem with supply anymore. There is an abundance of vaccine supply, and we are pouring in supply in Regions 3, 4A and other provinces," he said.

As of the latest count, the Philippines has administered 53,838,248 doses.

From this number, 28,961,359 people have received first doses while 24,876,889 have received complete doses.

Earlier, Galvez said companies are free to hire only vaccinated workers.

“It is the prerogative of companies to hire, train, promote and fire employees,” he said.

His statement ran counter to that of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra who said business owners cannot turn down the employment 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 similar government transaction purposes.”

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.”

"They are the burden that we have to carry on this long battle,” he said.

“Why hire people who do not accept moral responsibility with the company?

The private sector has its own rules. If

the applicant does not follow rules, he or she will be automatically disqualified,” Galvez said.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on labor and employment on Thursday rejected making vaccination a mandatory condition for work.

1PACMAN Party-list Rep. Enrico Pineda said the “no jab, no job” policy requiring a person to be vaccinated so that he or she may be able to make a living was wrong.

“Although I am in favor of vaccination so that we can attain herd immunity, I don’t believe that it should be forced upon our people. Restricting access to a livelihood on the basis of one’s choice not to be vaccinated is violative of their basic right to choose, their right to free will. My body, my decision," Pineda said.

He said he believes that neither the government nor an employer should be able to dictate what individuals must do to their bodies.

Palace...

Rody:...

drug operations.

Last month, the ICC pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds to probe the Duterte administration for alleged crimes against humanity due to systematic killing of citizens in pursuit of a state policy of waging war on illegal drugs.

Neri Colmenares of the National Union of People's Lawyers also earlier said that reviewing only 52 of 7,000 cases of drug war killings that happened in police operations is already a fatal admission on the part of the government that killing its citizens is a state policy.

President Duterte earlier said that he will prepare his defense on possible ICC indictment after he steps down from office on June 30, 2022.

Sugay said the ICC may use the data released by the Department of Justice on the 52 cases of illegal drugs operations that resulted in deaths of 56 persons.

“It’s up to them if they want to use it.

It’s up to the ICC. It’s already part of open source information because it has been made public,” Sugay said.

As it released the data on the 52 cases last Wednesday, the DOJ called on witnesses to help in the prosecution of 154 policemen who allegedly committed criminal acts.

“These cases are to undergo further investigation and case buildup by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the possible filing of criminal charges against erring police officers,” the DOJ said.

In making public data on the cases, the DOJ said that it is “inviting any witnesses or persons with first-hand information helpful to the resolution of the 52 cases to come forward and approach the NBI for the taking of their statements.”

It said the release of the circumstances and other details in the 52 cases is also meant to inform “the families and loved ones of the deceased suspects that the circumstances surrounding each incidence of death are undergoing a determination of possible criminal liabilities on the part of the erring police officers.”

Nonetheless, Sugay said the DOJ will continue to review other cases of deaths that occurred during the police anti-drug operations.

He admitted, however, that it may not

be able to finish the review of thousands of cases.

“It’s so many. We have a few months to do it,” Sugay said, noting that the number of cases has already reached over 6,000.

“There are 6,000 more that have to be looked into,” he said.

With President Duterte’s term to end next year, Sugay said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had decided to select what other cases will be reviewed.

“The secretary directed that we should go after cases that took place in urban areas,” Sugay said.

He said Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has already expressed to the DOJ his “willingness, readiness to make available the records of these cases.”

The Palace on Thursday said the investigation of the 52 drug war-related deaths shows the President is not “soft” on police officers who violate human rights.

“The decision of the DOJ proves that we are not soft because we will be filing cases against the 52. That is what Secretary Guevarra meant when he said he would refer them to the NBI for case building,” Roque said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former PNP chief, said there is only one rule that applies in any criminal investigation.

"It is called the rule of evidence, which should be bound by the rule of law," he said.

Once such evidence is clearly established to warrant the filing of criminal information against identified suspects.

Lacson said there is no other course of action for the Department of Justice to pursue but to take those cases to their logical conclusion, no matter the consequences.

“That being said, the role of the DOJ is crucial in showing the community of nations in general and the International Criminal Court in particular that as a civilized, democratic country, we can independently and responsibly hold criminally accountable our law enforcement officers--and their superiors, if the evidence so warrants--when they commit excesses in the performance if their sworn duties,” he said.

"And the total war against drugs should not be an exception.”

In Metro Manila, 52 percent of ICU beds, 37 percent of isolation beds, 40 percent of ward beds, and 37 percent of ventilators, were in use.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the alert level for the National Capital Region could be lowered if the number of infections continues to decline.

In an interview on CNN Philippines, she said the NCR's current seven-day moving average in COVID-19 cases is 1,156.

Vergeire said a less than 500 average, like in the months before the case surge in March and April, is a "comfortable number" for the lowering of the alert level.

The independent OCTA Research Group on Thursday said COVID-19 cases in the Philippines are expected to decrease to pre-Delta surge levels by the end of October amid the continued decrease in reproduction numbers.

In a tweet, OCTA fellow Guido David noted that reproduction numbers both nationwide and in the National Capital Region (NCR) continue to go down.

As of the latest monitoring by the independent research team, the reproduction number—which is the number of people one COVID-19 case can infect— was at 0.55 in the entire country and 0.47 in the NCR. The government will also look at the health care utilization rates before deciding on alert levels, she said.

An infectious disease expert, meanwhile, said there was no need to panic over reports of a Delta coronavirus subvariant detected in some European countries and Israel.

Dr. Edsel Salvana, a member of the Department of Health (DOH) Technical Advisory Group, said in an interview on radio dzBB, that more study is needed regarding AY 4.2. subvariant.

A report from Agence France-Press report said the AY 4.2. variant has turned up several times in the United Kingdom.

“There is a need to study it but there's no need to panic," he said.

Salvana said the information is that the subvariant "has increased transmissibility similar or just slightly higher than Delta."

“It is not yet formally considered a variant. It's just like Delta," Salvana said.

The Delta variant remains the most common lineage among the samples sequenced in the Philippines at 29.2 percent, the Department of Health said.

The Palace, meanwhile, said that regions and provinces now included in the pilot run of COVID-19 alert level system (ALS) and were consulted before its implementation.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the clarification after the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) appealed to the government to postpone the implementation of ALS in their respective areas and localities until next month.

“May I clarify. All the regions and provinces that will implement the alert level system have been consulted,” Roque said.

“Maybe not all the league of governors were informed and consulted because it will not be implemented in all the provinces,” said Roque.

“But the areas under the expanded pilot testing were consulted since local governments will be the ones to implement the alert level system anyway,” he added.

The alert level system, a granular type of quarantine restriction, was piloted in the NCR but will be expanded to provinces starting next week.

Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr., the league’s chief said that they have reservations on the implementation of the ALS, adding that provincial chief executives need to study the rules and disseminate these to their constituents.

Under the alert level system, certain areas under Level 3 and lower will be allowed more mobility compared to those under Level 4. Some establishments will be allowed to operate under a 30 percent capacity indoors and 50 percent outdoors.

but the DTI will make sure that price increases are within the bounds of fair pricing,” she said.

She added the DTI would continue to safeguard the interest of consumers particularly during the holiday season when prices of goods and commodities traditionally go up due to popular demand.

Among the products that might see upward adjustments in pricing would

be ham, tomato sauce, pasta and cream based on requests for price hikes from manufacturers.

The CPG said ham and related products were the most likely to impose upward price adjustments due to the inflationary effect of the African Swine Fever, a lethal animal disease affecting swines, to pork and pork-based products.

The CPG said since there were many ham makers, consumers would have more options from affordable ham brands to premium quality.

Notably, there are 33 ham brands un-

der the DTI SRP list of Noche Buena products. There are also 12 brands of fruit cocktail, 15 cheese brands, 25 brands sandwich spread, 19 mayonnaise brands, 12 keso de bola, 19 pasta or spaghetti brands, 22 elbow and salad macaroni brands, 27 spaghetti sauce brands, 16 tomato sauce brands and 6 creamer brands.

“Last year, the DTI requested manufacturers to hold off price increases since the majority of consumers do not have the purchasing capability to afford any form of price increase. This was like a Christmas wish that the DTI strove real hard to

give to consumers,” she added.

She added it would be the Secretary of the Trade Department who would decide, along with CPG, on what products would be accorded price adjustments.

The Department will be releasing the new suggested retail price on Noche Buena products next week.

Cabochan reminded retailers and manufacturers that the SRP on basic necessities and prime commodities should be fully enforced lest they will be charged with profiteering should there be a deviation from the SRP.

On Wednesday, the Office of the Ombudsman maintained its stance to restrict the release of the 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.

Martires has pushed for an amendment to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, particularly provisions on SALNs. According to Aguila, “90 percent,

80 percent of our provinces are run by political dynasties so are we saying that the transaction between the mayor who’s married to the vice mayor whose child is a councilor, we can no longer expect to see those?”

“I think that’s where the problem lies because there’s very little to check on what motivates them to decide on policy.

We can’t ask because it’s not declared," she said.

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.

Any issues concerning the SALN, including allegations of willful misrepre-

sentation, perjury, and incongruence of net worth with earning capacity or inability to explain the changes in the SALN shall be first brought to the review and compliance committee of each repository agency, Martires said.

“No criminal or administrative charges may be brought to the Office of the Ombudsman related to the statements required under this law without an endorsement to this effect by the pertinent review and compliance committee,” he said.

By Othel V. Campos

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HE Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has moved the P200 million pipe realignment project in Sobriedad, Sampaloc City to a later date following a deluge of requests from customers to allow them more time to prepare for the scheduled water interruption.

Requiring...

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"We believe we have enough graduates and board passers to take the place of nurses going abroad,” Roque told a press briefing, adding the country had a 6,500 annual overseas deployment cap for newly hired health workers.

The Private Hospital Association of the Philippines on Wednesday said about five percent of its workers resigned in the last two to three weeks alone.

The group's president, Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, said: “If we cannot stop this exodus, perhaps in another six months, we might run out of nurses and our health facilities will be crippled.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Health said out of 526,627 eligible health workers, it had yet to pay 70,714 with their special risk allowance.

Health Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran said during a Senate budget hearing they were requesting P2.7 billion from the Department of Budget and Management for the SRAs of over 119,000 additional healthcare workers.

“We already have provided 456,013 healthcare workers or 87 percent of our estimated 526,627 eligible potential healthcare workers. As of now, we are still processing 13 percent which is around 70,714 of the total 526,627,” she said.

“We've already given our request to DBM with supplemental justification and supporting papers submitted to DBM last October 15 for another total amount of P2.7 billion to cover additional healthcare workers, which has been requested by various health care facilities and we are still awaiting the response from DBM,” she added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson asked the DOH about the challenges they face which resulted in the delay of SRA payments to the medical frontliners.

In response, Beltran said the delay in payments were due to lack of supporting documents from local government units’ hospitals as well as private healthcare facilities.

“Supporting documents would include memorandum of agreement because we cannot download to these healthcare facilities which are not under the DOH as well as private hospitals without a MOA,” she said.

Lacson also asked the DOH to consider providing SRAs to outsourced nonmedical frontliners such as janitors and personnel who handle waste disposal, among others.

“Maybe for those outsourced by the hospital, we advise to include in their contracts the SRA type of assistance to their personnel,” said Lacson.

Duterte was speaking at a meeting of the anti-communist task force at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, Quezon.

Duterte repeated his warning to those engaged in the drug trade.

“If you destroy my country, I will really kill you. Do not ever think I will let you go. That is what I say to the ICC. I am not hiding anything. That is what I have been saying,” he said.

Duterte’s comments came after the Department of Justice released its finding on 52 cases in which drug suspects were killed by police under suspicious circumstances.

On Thursday, an official of the Department of Justice said it will only disclose the results of its review of another 300 drug war killings during police operations if President Duterte allows them to do so.

"The 300 cases we first reviewed, we submitted our report directly to the Office of the President. It is up to them when they will release that [report]," Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said, in a media briefing.

"We leave it up to them. If we receive a directive to release it from the Office of the President, then we will release it," Sugay stressed.

The DOJ official said the release of the results of the DOJ review on the 52 cases of drug war killings during police operations was authorized by the Office of the President.

The DOJ review showed at least 154 police officials violated rules of engagement and other standard operating procedures such as having a pre-operation report and coordinating the conduct of the anti-drug bust with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The findings and recommendation of the DOJ review panel on the 52 cases have been turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation for case buildup.

However, the DOJ did not identify the more than 150 erring police officials, citing the need for due process.

Based on police records, at least 7,000 suspects were killed in anti-

Martires...

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the most problematic amendment. Why? Because I think the value of the SALN, more than talking about illegal wealth, more than talking about the wealth of a politician or public official, is actually looking at the possible motivations they might have, which you might see in possible conflicts of interest,” Aguila said on ANC Rundown.

HIgher...

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Energy exec dismissed from Senate hearing

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ELVIN Matibag, the president of the National Transmission Corporation was kicked out of a Senate hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Energy for 2022.

Senator Manny Pacquiao was asking Matibag on the involvement of the DOE with the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), a private company, where Matibag’s wife is reportedly one of the incorporators.

Pacquiao then claimed the DOE had given IEMOP the authority to be an “independent electricity stock market operator” which Pacquiao claimed seems to be anomalous, since IEMOP did not the requirements set by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 Matibag then talked back at Pacquiao

calling the inquiry a “political hearing” and said “let’s not pretend to be clean and untainted here,” while Pacquiao was still in the process of presenting his allegations.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, presiding over the hearing then ordered the removal of Matibag in the virtual meeting.

Gatchalian, quoted by a GMA News report, castigated Matibag and said Matibag “have no right of calling this a political hearing. You are out of order. You are no longer recognized.”

Gatchalian also said Matibag “insult-

ed” the Senate committee by calling the inquiries “a political hearing.”

Pacquiao also offered an apology after the ruckus and called Matibag “disrespectful” and “acted like he is not a lawyer.”

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who was also in the meeting, apologized for Matibag’s behavior.

Aside from Matibag, Pacquiao also accused Cusi of tolerating the anomalous scheme of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) that caused a spike in the price of electricity.

During the Senate budget hearing Pacquiao cited that the DOE has the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation and Philippine Electricity Market Corporation which are both under the operation and management of WESM. “We are aware of the continuing prob-

lem on electric supply. While Secretary Cusi has been busy on politicking, power outages have been frequent in all parts of the country,” said Pacquiao.

Pacquiao said “running the electricity spot market has been turned into a racket of relatives, friends and allies.”.

He divulged that one of the modus operandi is to establish a new company.

The new company, despite having only a small capital and with no experience and capability, then gets a contract from the government worth billions of pesos.

Due to this, electricity consumers are paying .0086 centavos for every kilowatt hour or about P1.70 per 200-kilowatt hour.

“If we are to compute this, the hidden charges and illegal collections each month will reach P34 million,” he said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

P10b hike in aid for displaced workers hailed

By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Thursday lauded the leadership of the House of Representatives for increasing by P10 billion the 2022 allocation for the Department of Employment’s Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD) program Rep. Jose Singson Jr. of Probinsyano Ako party-list group, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said the move to re-align budgetary allocations is “an apparent acknowledgment of the DOLE’s outstanding achievements in addressing the urgent needs of millions of Filipinos workers who absorbed the adverse economic impact of the 2022 COVID-19 pandemic.”

“It is also a manifestation of full trust and confidence in the leadership of Secretary Bebot Bello who has been doing a highly commendable job at the helm of DOLE,” said Singson.

Singson said “Secretary Bello’s earnest efforts in uplifting the plight of our workers amid the COVID-19 attack cannot escape notice. He responded with sincerity and true concern for the welfare of our workers, especially in the implementation of TUPAD and similar programs.”

Singson also hailed the House leadership under the stewardship of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and the Committee on Appropriations, headed by Rep. Eric Yap of ACT-CIS for their efforts to ensure that workers affected by the pandemic can count.on the government to uplift their situation.

The House will submit on October 27 the proposed 2022 General Appropriations Act that contains amendments to re-align P65.5 billion to more urgent programs under a pandemic setting.

Among the amendments is the additional P10 billion to be allocated for the TUPAD program which is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers.

Somalian, Korean caught smuggling drugs inside jail

By Vito Barcelo A SOMALIAN and a South Korean detained at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) warden facility were caught smuggling illegal drugs while in jail.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the filing of criminal charges against Ali Osman Mohamed, 37, and Nam Sangmin, 42, who attempted to smuggle and distribute suspected methamphetamine inside the facility.

The two reportedly attempted to pass the drug to each other by placing it inside cigarettes.

“Officer Jayson Atienza noticed Mohamed acting suspiciously, who insisted on passing a pack of cigarettes to Nam,” said BIWF Officer-in-Charge Jan Kevin Gomez.

“When inspected, it was revealed that a sachet of white crystal-like substance was hidden inside it,” he added.

Gomez suspects that the drug was smuggled inside food and supplies given by the detainee’s visitors.

“We have coordinated with local authorities to investigate if there are other cohorts outside that might be supplying them this drug,” said Gomez.

“We are investigating how the suspects managed to get hold of the drug supply despite strict screening of food items and supplies delivered to the wards through courier service. The screening includes the use of K9 or dog sniffers that can detect the presence of drugs in packages. We are also investigating the facility to see if there are any other detainees involved in this unscrupulous activity,” he added.

MIGRATORY BIRDS. The DENR CENRO Calaca Conservation and Development Section team conducts monitoring of migratory birds found in several barangays in Batangas including Brgy. San Diego in Lian; and Brgy. Alas-as in San Nicholas. PAMO-TVPL

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PH files over 200 protest notes to China on ‘incursions’ THE Philippine government has already filed more than 200 diplomatic notes against China, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The DFA said the 211 diplomatic notes were filed amid China’s continuing incursions in the country’s waters.

Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez of the DFA Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy (OPCD), quoted by an ABS CBN report, said that “more than half or 153 notes verbale were filed this year alone.”

The latest protest was issued on Sept.

30, the DFA said.

The DFA further said the latest protest included incidents in August. The Philippine military’s Western Command in Palawan reported that “the Chinese issued warnings” against patrols in the West Philippine Sea, a disputed area.

Reports said Manila and Beijing continue to be locked in a maritime dispute over the South China Sea, where the West Philippine Sea is located.

The Philippine government earlier 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 conducting legitimate, customary, and routine patrols over and around the Philippines’ territory and maritime zones,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Wednesday evening.

“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.

SC assures bar Drilon seeks to halt fund ‘parking’ for agencies examinees on testing sites

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court on Thursday said the more than 11,000 examinees in the 2020-2021 online bar examinations will know their respective testing sites on or before October 24, despite “technical issues” that recently been addressed in the Supreme Court’s (SC) Bar Personal Login Unified System (BarPLUS).

The SC, through the Office of the Bar Confidant, stressed that it could have determined the examinees’ testing site last October 20 but BarPLUS, an SC-developed online application system, encountered some technical issues.

The online bar examinations will be conducted by the Supreme Court in 29 testing sites all over the country on January 16, 23, and 30, and on Feb. 6, 2022.

The examinations had been originally set for next month, November, but the SC had to reset the tests “after considering the COVID-19 situation nationally and in all the testing sites, as well as receiving advice from various experts.”

In the Bar Bulletin issued for the SC by Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, chairperson of the 2020-2021 bar examinations committee, the SC said that the Venue Matching Module will be closed on October 24, except when the technical issues persist.

“In view of some technical issues in the BarPLUS, the Venue Matching Module shall close on Oct. 24, 2021, Sunday, subject to further extension if the technical issues persist. This supersedes the original Oct. 20, 2021 deadline,” the SC said.

SENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon proposed a provision in the national budget that will prohibit agencies from “parking” their funds to skirt procurement laws and the expiration of the authority to use the funds.

Drilon said the provision is aimed at preventing a repeat of the controversies surrounding the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) and the Philippine International Trade Corp. (PITC).

“This is a practice which prevents the budget from being an instrument to move projects forward and contribute to our economy because the budget is not being utilized. The agencies would make it appear that they disburse the funds when in truth and in fact, they only parked it in

PS-DBM or PITC,” Drilon said during a Senate Committee on Finance budget hearing on Wednesday.

The lawmaker said that “the PS-DBM went beyond its mandate and became the procurement agency of different agencies” and that “this is one reason why this PS-DBM is what it is today. If only we can abolish this, we should abolish this.”

Drilon stressed that fund transfers to these two agencies grew exponentially in the last five years.

Based on his computation, Drilon said the total fund transfers to PS-DBM reached a whopping P91.8 billion between 2016 to 2017.

Meanwhile, PITC data showed that the PITC received P50.7 billion from various government agencies from 2014 to 2020. Of which, P33 billion or 65 percent of that total amount constitutes govern-

ment accounts, while the remaining P17 billion or 35 percent constitutes military accounts.

Budget Undersecretary Tina Marie Canda, officer-in-charge of the DBM, shared Drilon’s observations and responded positively to the senator’s proposal.

“We have veered away from the very mandate of the procurement services.

The procurement is supposed to be for common use supplies,” Canda said.

“There is no excuse for agencies to transfer these funds,” Canda said, adding that as a result, the funds ballooned over the years.

Drilon said that PS-DBM and PITC should stick to their mandate. The PSDBM should focus on CSE or commonused supplies and equipment. He noted how these procurement agencies got involved in numerous controversies involving allegedly overpriced procurement.

AMUSEMENT CENTER.

Players enjoy an arcade game in an amusement center in Cavite.

Amusement centers are open but are only limited to cater to 30 percent, as Cavite remains on alert level 3.

Jr. Josue

SHFC commends groups on mortgage programs ByRio N. Araja

OCEAN PARK. The Manila Ocean Park resumed operations on Thursday after a year of temporary closure due to the pandemic. Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna personally participated in the opening. Only fully vaccinated individuals between 18 to 65 years old are allowed to enter the premises. Norman Cruz

IN CELEBRATION of “National Shelter Month,” the Social Housing Finance Corp.

(SHFC) awarded 27 homeowners’ associations (HOAs) with certificates of accomplishment for demonstrating a commitment to creating a responsible payment culture among community members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The awardees were determined based on their collection efficiency for the first six months of 2021.

The SHFC the various community associations in Metro Manila are under its flagship financing initiative, the community mortgage program (CMP).

Topping the overall list of awardees was Ruby

Minahan HOA in Malanday, Marikina, which posted a collection efficiency rating (CER) of 849.93 percent.

The Rodrigo Compound HOA in Rizal got second overall with a CER of 762.68 percent, while Villa Benelda HOA of the National Capital RegionSouth finished third in the ranking by posting a CER of 402.31 percent.

Josefina Banglagan, SHFC-Mega Manila II vice president, lauded the awardees for fulfilling their responsibilities as CMP loan beneficiaries despite the financial hardships brought about by the pandemic.

She maintained that SHFC’s efforts would not go to waste, saying the collections shall be used by SHFC as reflows to finance new housing projects for underprivileged Filipinos.

Romualdez running for congressman unopposed

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Maricel V. Cruz

News LISTUP DRIVE. With nine days left before the end of the month-long extension of voter registration, members of Akbayan Partylist put up signs on Thursday at the Boy Scout Circle Monument in Quezon City in their ‘Sakay Rehistro’ program to mobilize more people to register to vote in the 2022 elections, especially first-time voters. Manny Palmero

Makabayan denies nod for Pacquiao THE Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives on Thursday denied a statement by Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza, who said the left-leaning lawmakers would support the candidacy of presidential aspirant and Senator Manny Pacquiao in the May 2022 national elections.

Atienza, Pacquiao’s running mate for vice president, made the disclosure at a news forum when asked if Makabayan would endorse their candidacy.

At the same time, Atienza had nothing but praises for Pacquiao, so the latter decided the lawmaker should be his running mate.

“He (Pacquiao) is a good man. I have campaigned for him even before. The public will benefit from his attitude, track record, and capability as a lawmaker,” said Atienza.

The Makabayan bloc is composed of the party-list groups Bayan Muna, Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Gabriela, and Anakpawis.

Former congressman and Bayan Muna Secretary Neri Colmenares -- who is a guest candidate on the senatorial slate of Pacquiao’s ticket -- denied Atienza’s claim.

“Makabayan has not declared support for any candidate,” he said.

In a tweet, Bayan Muna’s first nominee for next year’s elections, Teodoro Casiño, also denied Atienza’s remark.

“Not true. Makabayan has not declared support for any presidential or vice-presidential candidate,” Casiño said.

Earlier, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed Makabayan intended to support presidential aspirant Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso by trying to block opposition coalition 1Sambayan’s nomination of Vice President Leni Robredo as its presidential bet.

Maricel V. Cruz

Domagoso: Over P100m in fees went to charity

By Macon Ramos-Araneta AKSYON Demokratiko presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has donated to charity about P100 million of his talent fees from various product endorsements since 2019.

Domagoso said Thursday he feels good that his endorsement fees helped the sick and those affected by calamities that ravaged the areas around Taal Volcano, Cotabato and Cagayan.

He said a school for the nuns was also among the beneficiaries.

At the start of his stint as Manila mayor, Domagoso donated his talent fee for his first endorsement from a clothing apparel company to a cancer ward for children in a national government hospital.

The mayor said he had lost count of the number of endorsements he’s had since he assumed the mayoralty of the capital city.

Some of the products he has endorsed include food supplements, drinks, clothes, aesthetic products and even pandemic-related items like ionizer and vitamins.

Asked if any of the owners of the products he endorsed have already pledged to donate to his campaign kitty, Domagoso said he still doesn’t know.

Bongbong, Isko propose ways to blunt oil impact T

By Rey E. Requejo

WO presidential candidates on Thursday proposed measures to blunt the impact of rising oil prices on Filipinos.

Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standardbearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. called on Congress to pass a law to suspend the excise tax on oil products to mitigate the impact of runaway fuel prices, particularly on the transport sector.

Meanwhile, Aksyon Demokratiko bet Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno

Domagoso urged the government to lower the excise tax on electricity and petroleum products not only to unburden the public but also to provide immediate and tangible economic relief for farmers, fishermen, and public utility vehicle drivers and operators.

Marcos was prompted to call for the suspension of the implementation of excise tax on fuel following the surge in the prices of oil in the world market that may result in a spike in gasoline prices by P10 per liter and diesel products by P6 per liter.

Reports, however, noted that kerosene will likely go down by P5 per liter, and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) or cooking gas will be reduced by P3 per kilogram.

“Amending the Oil Deregulation Law with the intent of addressing the issue of runaway oil prices will take some time. This move to suspend the excise tax makes sense and will have an immediate positive impact on our people,” Marcos stressed.

Marcos, who met with leaders of various transport groups recently, lamented the impact rising fuel prices would have on the income of drivers and operators of public utility vehicles.

For his part, Moreno made the call during a town hall meeting in Barangay Banaba, where he met with some 100 farmers and agricultural workers to listen to their problems and suggestions on how to increase their income and productivity.

SPECIAL BEER. This holiday season, to commemorate the brand’s timeless taste and signature style, San Miguel Pale Pilsen merges classic with contemporary through its limited-edition IconiCan. Bringing beer lovers together through creativity, the IconiCan is an exciting collaboration between the late editorial cartoonist Larry Alcala and touted graphic novelist Rob Cham.

PRP’s Santiago backs Teodoro, dubs Gibo ‘new Miriam’

By Rio N. Araja PEOPLE’s Reform Party president Narciso Santiago Jr., husband of the late Senator Miriam Santiago, is endorsing the senatorial bid of former Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro.

At a forum held at PRP headquarters on West Avenue, Quezon City, Santiago said Teodoro is “the candidate that can con-

tinue the legacy that she (Miriam) had left behind in the Senate.”

He called on the Filipino voters “who loved and continue to love Miriam” to vote for Teodoro as her “chosen one” over the other senatorial bets.

Santiago said their partymates “were thrilled to find a ‘new Miriam’ that would fit in the Senate.”

“I know Gibo Teodoro to be an honest

and wonderful person,” he said.

“Like Miriam, Gibo is brilliant and honest. He wants to prove his worth as a senator. That’s why we are giving our people time to examine his credentials so they could look for the very same qualities of a public servant that had endeared Miriam to many Filipinos,” Santiago added.

He believes Teodoro’s fight for good governance is every Filipino’s fight.

HOUSE of Representatives Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez is running unopposed for congressman of Leyte’s first district in next year’s elections.

Romualdez is the lone candidate who filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the position based on the official records of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) provincial office.

“From the bottom of my heart, I thank my constituents for their continued trust and confidence in me,” said Romualdez, chairman of the House Committee on Rules, who is eyeing his fifth term as congressman in the coming 19th Congress.

“Thank you for the great opportunity to be your representative in the First District of Leyte. Rest assured that I will always strive to do my best to provide malasakit (compassionate) service and make a better life for our people,” added the president of the growing Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD).

During the 14th Congress or his first term as representative, Romualdez ran without opposition in the 2007 midterm poll.

While he had opponents in 2010, 2013, and 2019 elections for the same post, Romualdez did not face a single “serious” candidate.

Heeding the clamor of his constituents, Romualdez filed on October 7 his COC for reelection, as he thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for considering him as a viable vice-presidential candidate.

“I filed my certificate of candidacy for Representative of the First District of Leyte. I decided to seek reelection in response to my constituents’ clamor for me to continue serving them as their congressman,” Romualdez said.

Estrada, Tingog hand out TUPAD to 500 in Leyte TINGOG nominee and actress-singer Karla Estrada on Tuesday afternoon led the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) payout to at least 500 beneficiaries in Leyte.

Estrada said she hopes Tingog’s cashfor-work program under the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) led by Secretary Silvestre Bello III will help displaced workers battle the pandemic.

She assured the people the Tingog partylist group led by Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez will continue to work diligently to deliver compassionate programs for the people, including the distribution of cash assistance through DoLE Region VIII. Norman Uyvico, an official of DoLE North Leyte Field Office, recognized the crucial role of the Tingog Party-list group in the smooth implementation of the program in Eastern Visayas.

Tingog staff Jingle Sudario, who contributed to the hugely successful TUPAD payout, said the party list group also distributed 10 wheelchairs during the event.

Bello said TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

He said only the following types of projects can be supported with such assistance: • Social community projects, such as repair, maintenance, and/or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers, debris clearing, de-clogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing; • Economic community projects like repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, bridges, postharvest facilities, public markets and common service facilities such as production and display centers, fishports; • Agro-forestry community projects, such as tree planting, seedling preparation, and reforestation. Maricel V. Cruz

Survey sees QC’s Belmonte being unseated WHILE majority of Metro Manila’s reelectionist local executives are expected to keep their posts in the 2022 elections, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is in danger of losing to her challenger, according to the results of an independent non-commissioned survey.

The biggest upset in Metro Manila could be the unseating of Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who is falling behind challenger Rep. Mike Defensor, the polling firm Issues and Advocacy Center (IAC) said.

Defensor is enjoying a double-digit lead over Belmonte based on IAC’s Sept. 27 to Oct. 8 “Pulso ng Bayan” survey.

On the question of whom they will vote if the elections for mayor were held on the survey period, 41 percent of Quezon City respondents said they will vote for Defensor, while 27 percent said they will vote for Belmonte.

Responding to the survey results, De-

fensor’s vice mayoral running mate, former three-term Rep. Winnie Castelo, said: “The people of Quezon City clearly want change, and we believe in their ability to create change.”

The survey results showed Defensor leading Belmonte in all socioeconomic classes from ABC, D and E, according to IAC director Ed Malay.

“If this trend continues, there could be a new mayor for the storied city in 2022,” said Malay, a member of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR).

Malay recalled that Quezon City’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic was disorganized and chaotic, which led to a spike in new infections.

“Belmonte never recovered politically from her ‘disappearing act’ last year while city residents were bracing for a harsh lockdown and desperately seeking strong leadership at the onset of the crisis,” Castelo said.

LAPID’S VISIT. With Christmas around the corner, Senator Lito Lapid went to Babo Sacan, Pampanga to give the elderly there an early holiday celebration. Senior citizens were happy to see Lapid spending time with them as he led a simple gift-giving activity.

Opinion Professor Balane: A polymath

NOT too long ago, I wrote an article on “the teachers who shaped us.” I reminisced about my law school days with some of my professors. One of these was Atty. Ruben F. Balane, who recently passed. He was a long-standing professor, a civil law expert, and was often compared to Justice Jose B.L. Reyes (JBL Reyes), who was known as a civil law expert during his lifetime. He was also a polymath – a person with a wide knowledge of various fields.

A toast to good life.

Our first meeting with him was for an orientation to his class – in Jesuit schools known as schola brevis – which we expected to be a quick discussion predominantly riddled with the minutiae and requirements of his subject. What we got instead was a revelation of the man’s deep understanding and mastery of Succession. We sat starstruck and in awe of a man who was articulate and ready to share his knowledge on the subject.

I never felt that I was studying to pass; I studied because I wanted to learn. I had my own notebook for his subject, writing down everything there is to write. There was no judiciousness in my note taking for Succession – everything was worth taking note of and everything was worth remembering.

His eloquence and clarity greatly contributed to my surplus of notes for that subject. To this day, 30 years later, his explanations ring crystal clear in my mind, as if they were being taught by him right in front of me.

Our learning did not stop with Succession. We had sessions where he was able to weave linguistics, literature, history, travel, anthropology and philosophy to our subject matter. I was asked to recite one day, presumably about the subject, but prefaced the relevant discussion with an interrogation on the equivalents of my name in Italian (tranquillo) and Spanish (tranquilo).

He was again our Professor in a Civil Law Review class and was my group’s adviser for our “Artificial Insemination” thesis. The concept was new then, since the Family Code that introduced artificial insemination took effect only on August 3, 1988. It was also during this time that he personally invited me to join him in his firm, Balane, Barican, Tamase, and Alampay.

I barely saw him after graduating, but his reputation and the esteem regarded him always preceded him. He was nominated as a Supreme Court Associate Justice, but fate would not lead him to the Supreme Court. However, his stature as a civil law expert never waned; he continued to be recognized as a “friend of the court” or an Amicus curiae.

In the case of Anselma Diaz v. Intermediate Appellate Court, Prof. Balane, barely 50 years old in 1990, stood side by side with Civil Law giants Justice Jose B.L. Reyes, former Justice Minister Ricardo C. Puno, Dr. Arturo Tolentino, and former Justice Eduardo Caguioa. They were all invited as amici curiae by the Supreme Court to explain the term relatives in Article 992 of the New Civil Code, which reads: “An illegitimate child has no right to inherit ab intestato from the legitimate children or relatives of his father or mother; nor shall such children or relatives inherit in the same manner from the illegitimate child” (G.R. No. L-66574, February 21, 1990).

Amicus curiae Prof. Ruben Balane has this to say: The term relatives, although used many times in the Code, is not defined by it. In accordance therefore with the canons of statutory interpretation, it should be understood to have a general and inclusive scope, inasmuch as the term is a general one. Generalia verba sunt generaliter intelligenda.

That the law does not make a distinction prevents us from making one: Ubi lex non distinguit, nec nos distinguera debemus. x x x. (cited in Scaevola, op. cit., p. 457)(p. 377, Rollo).

According to Prof. Balane, to interpret the term relatives in Article 992 in a more restrictive sense than it is used and intended is not warranted by any rule of interpretation. Besides, he further states that when the law intends to use the term in a more restrictive sense, it qualifies the term with the word collateral, as in Articles 1003 and 1009 of the New Civil Code (G.R. No. L-66574, February 21, 1990).

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Teach Learn Love

LOU Sabrina Ongkiko had finished her BS Biology at Ateneo de Manila University and done one year as a Jesuit Volunteer when she made a surprise announcement to her parents, crossing her fingers that they would understand: She was not going to medical school as planned.

She wanted, instead, to study education so she could teach poor children. And so she went back to school, through her own efforts, and thereafter started teaching at Culiat Elementary School on Tandang Sora Avenue, Quezon City.

More than a decade after this crossroad, Ongkiko was named one of 2021’s Outstanding Filipinos by Metrobank Foundation.

“I am grateful, but I am also scared,” Ongkiko, who teaches science and English, said in a Zoom interview last week. “To be branded as ‘outstanding’ carries a lot of weight. I know it’s a bigger mission.”

When children get overwhelmed by life events, they may not be able to articulate it. And so they cope in various ways.

Learning from students She had anticipated the massive workload, but in her first year of teaching, 12 years ago, Ongkiko was shocked at the realization that so many things were out of her control as a teacher.

“You want the best for your students, but they themselves have to deal with many issues: Family conflict, poverty, hunger, the need to work at a very young age to help their parents,” she said.

“If I only had to teach inside the classroom, that would be easy. But I realized that these external things also determined the way they learned – and there is nothing I can do about them.”

Her daily interaction with her students opened her eyes to the stark reality.

“I used to walk with them after school, and during these conversations, I made an effort to really get to know them.”

She treasured the “lectures” they gave her during these walks. “’This is our life, Ma’am. Have you tried eating rice with salt and soy sauce?’ They

talked about these things in a matter-of-fact way – without self-pity. And so I took notes. I understood why they couldn’t perform well – they did not have sufficient nutrition.”

She grappled with a profound sense of helplessness. “That is what is magical about the love of a teacher. You care so much about other people’s children and you get so affected by their aspirations, hopes, sufferings. If you get involved in their lives, you will find the load heavy, you will feel exhausted.”

And then COVID-19 came.

Her school first made a survey of how many among the students had gadgets and internet connection. What is the level of reading ability if they chose to use modules? How could they reach those who did not have smartphones?

These circumstances brought on by the pandemic – parents losing jobs, families not knowing where to get their next meal – made life generally more difficult for students. These realities now overlapped with the difficulties of learning. In response the school created a way to still deliver online learning – through Facebook, which one could still use for free even if one did not have mobile load. This complements other ways of delivering education during this difficult time.

Ongkiko also heads the school’s learning continuity program.

A system of care One of the most glaring gaps that emerged was poor attendance – even though the sessions were held via Facebook Messenger – and nonsubmission of requirements. The problem was consistent with the observations of teachers in other schools.

“We refused to believe that all of those who were not showing up just decided to throw away the opportunity to learn,” Ongkiko said.

And so they consulted experts, who offered insight into the workings of the children’s minds: Children become so overwhelmed with the changes that they are experiencing because of the pandemic, and they are unable to articulate this. Thus, they cope in various ways, distracting themselves. Learning is not necessarily at the forefront of their response.

The school’s response was to build a system of care and compassion. “Taking care of children means more than their academics. This is not just mental but also psycho-emotional. We must have other things to support them and help them cope,” Ongkiko said.

But what does it mean to be truly compassionate?

Extending deadlines for missed requirements, for instance, may be seen as a compassionate act. “But the extension is not itself compassion. Compassion is, instead, taking the effort to get to know why this particular student’s performance is slipping, and asking how you can help.”

Ongkiko has simple advice for teachers who

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EDITORIAL

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The unvaccinated

EQUIRING vaccination in workplaces, public transport and other sectors of the economy is a sensible move that will help contain the spread of COVID-19. But it is also a tinderbox that labor and consumer activists may exploit to advance their political and social agendas.

Italian worker to take an unpaid leave or pay a fine of between 400 and 1,500 euros.

The government has no moral authority yet to mandate vaccination.

Mandating vaccination is a tricky legal issue, unless there is a law that expressly states it. As it is, the Philippine government has no moral authority yet to mandate vaccination. Only about 20 percent of Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, either due to lack of supply or logistical problems in delivering the doses outside of the capital region.

The low vaccination rate in the Philippines is in stark contrast to that of Italy. The European nation, one of the hardest hit during the early stage of the

The vaccine mandate has already drawn massive protests and riots in Italy after Rome required health passports in workplaces. All Italian workers are required to have a so-called green pass before returning to their workplaces.

The health card will serve as proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test for the virus. The absence of a green card will force an

pandemic, has fully inoculated more than 81 percent of people over the age of 12.

Here in the Philippines, the same debate over the vaccination mandate will erupt as soon as we reach herd immunity, or inoculating 70 percent of the population.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra this early cautioned that businessmen cannot turn down the employment of persons who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Department of Labor and Employment also warned that it will sue employers who impose the policy of withholding the salary of unvaccinated employees.

The other side of the debate contends that companies that reject applicants who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 cannot be accused of discrimination, saying firms have the prerogative to hire, train, promote and fire employees.

This debate will probably rage for some time. But the unvaccinated at the end of the day will be a liability in the fight against COVID-19.

Exploiting their claim to poverty

POVERTY alleviation is always part of every traditional politician’s platform. He promises a solution to the poverty problem, but once elected, he reneges on that campaign promise.

Many traditional politicians focus their campaign on their humble origins as poor folks who were industrious enough to improve their economic status.

By portraying themselves to the electorate as dirt poor in their youth, then as hardworking individuals early on, to the success story that they are today, these traditional politicians want the masses, who compose the bulk of the voters, to identify with them, and in the end, to vote them to office.

Senator Manny Pacquiao’s political advertisements on television are on point.

Aside from emphasizing that he is a boxing champion (although he is now a has-been), which has no bearing on one’s competence in public office, Pacquiao’s commercials remind the electorate that Pacquiao was once so impoverished that there were times when he went to sleep on the sidewalk, hungry and dejected.

When asked about his qualifications for seeking the presidency, Pacquiao replies, “Bakit, naranasan mo na bang magutom?” (“Why, have you ever experienced hunger?”)

Pacquiao’s hypothesis is that if a public official knows how it is to be hungry once, then he will know how to address the problem of poverty in the country. HIs problem, however, is in his populist attitude. He believes that by constantly donating food to the impoverished, the poverty problem is solved -- period.

At best, Pacquiao’s idea is a temporary remedy.

His strategy will only create a mendicant society in lieu of responsible citizenship. Pacquiao’s campaign pledges are designed only to get votes in the coming elections, and not for seriously addressing social woes beyond the electoral horizon.

While Pacquiao likes to remind the voters that he was once poor and hungry, he is suspiciously may have a dilemma in managing their students.

“Always ask: What is the loving thing to do?”

In a TED Talk delivered before Ateneo Senior High School students just before the pandemic kicked in, Ongkiko posed the question: What Do You Want To Be? The most common response to this question is a profession — lawyer, doctor, engineer — but before that audience of kids with options, starkly different from her own students in Culiat, Ongkiko emphasized that it was more important to envision the kind of person one wanted to be. She herself had always wanted to be a loving person – and her profession is her way of manifesting this love.

She says this love abounds among her colleagues, Ongkiko says, who show acts of compassion and heroism in their own ways. Some are more obvious, while some are more quiet than others. “I am sure this is not unique to our school. There are many more like them. They are my idols!”

The pandemic highlighted that learning is a community effort, and that the task is to multiply the teachers’ sources of learning for their students.

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

quiet about the extent of his wealth, accumulated mainly through his prize money from boxing matches, advertising endorsements, and his undeserved salaries and allowances as an absentee congressman and senator.

Today, the once-poor Pacquiao owns plenty of very valuable real estate, including a luxurious mansion on the billionaires’ row that is Forbes Park in Makati. He owns numerous luxury vehicles, and his family lives an ostentatious lifestyle. The guy continues to rake in money from his advertising endorsements, and has big time business investments.

All that luxury actually conveys the message

Pacquiao and Moreno are guilty of these. that a poor person who eventually becomes very wealthy, will inevitably become ostentatious.

In the political community, there is a saying in Tagalog that “(A)ng matagal nang gutom, kapag nasa kapangyarihan at kumakain na ay di basta-bastang aahon.” (“A person who has been hungry for so long, once in power, his banquet will be prolonged.”)

Another presidential candidate, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, provides a similar example.

For the past two months, Moreno’s early campaign commercials have been broadcast daily in the major television networks. His self-praising commercials have one common message -- Moreno was once a poor boy from the slums who ate left-over restaurant food, but because he persisted in finishing his studies and got employed after that, he has achieved what seemed like the impossible.

The “poor boy” strategy employed by Pacquiao is apparent in Moreno’s commercials; the only difference is that each of Moreno’s commercials shows him wearing eyeglasses and a college graduation toga, apparently to suggest that he is a scholar.

As I mentioned in a last week’s essay, Moreno has been spending millions on his campaign advertisements, which are aired throughout the day on the major television networks.

The production and broadcast costs of those The virtual space, for instance, showed it is possible to invite people from other places to share their knowledge. This is just one thing educators could carry to the next normal.

Ongkiko knows her job is far from done. She wants to study even further – specifically, how human behavior and education intersect. The longer she stays at her job, the more she acknowledges that there is a lot more to learn.

Of course it is difficult, and it will continue to be difficult – for her and all other teachers who care too much about the children under their wing. Ongkiko has had anxiety attacks, burnouts, and almost went into depression. She is lucky to be able to surround herself with people who love her, with whom she can talk and eat and unwind, and who remind her why she started doing this in the first place.

When things get unbearable, Teacher Sab tells herself: “If a small, invisible virus can change how we live, how much more a small thing done with great love?”

And then she rises to begin another day. adellechua@gmail.com

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

commercials are gigantic.

Moreno has been Manila mayor for only two and a half years. HIs salary for that period is not enough to pay for those commercials. He lost in the 2016 senatorial elections. Where then does he get all those millions to pay for those advertisements? How does Moreno plan to recover those expenses? If some vested interest groups are financing him, how will Moreno return their favors once he becomes President?

The mayor’s critics say that there are complaints from officials at Moreno’s Manila City Hall regarding ghost employees and unliquidated expenses.

Moreno also has a large house in the upscale section of Alabang in Muntinlupa City. It looks like he isn’t the poor boy he likes to portray himself to be.

Pacquiao and Moreno remind me of exPresident Diosdado Macapagal, who liked to be called “the poor boy from Lubao” (in Pampanga).

Macapagal lived in Forbes Park after his presidency.

Please don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong about starting poor and ending up successful. I am, however, disgusted by politicians who want to project the image that they are from humble beginnings and that they continue to live humble, simple lives, when the truth is otherwise.

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RIBBON LOOP. A woman twirls a ribbon in front of a housing complex by Chinese property developer Evergrande in Beijing on October 21, 2021. AFP

Flights canceled, schools shut as China fights virus outbreak AUTHORITIES in China cancelled hundreds of flights, closed schools and ramped up mass testing on Thursday to try and stamp out a new COVID-19 outbreak linked to a group of tourists.

Beijing has maintained a relentless zero-COVID approach with strict border closures and targeted lockdowns, even as other countries tentatively try to ease restrictions.

Domestic outbreaks have largely been eliminated, but as China logged a fifth straight day of new cases – mostly in northern and northwestern areas – authorities beefed up coronavirus controls.

The latest outbreak was linked to an elderly couple who were in a group of several tourists. They started in Shanghai before flying to Xi’an, Gansu province and Inner Mongolia.

Dozens of cases have since been linked to their travel, with close contacts in at least five provinces and re-

Melbourne lifts months-long hard lockdown ONE of the world’s most locked-down cities will reopen late Thursday, with Melbourne residents hoping this sixth bout of stay-at-home restrictions will be their last.

Five million people in Australia’s second-biggest city have endured lockdowns totalling more than 260 days since the beginning of the pandemic.

But now that 70 percent of eligible people in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state are fully vaccinated, restrictions that began on August 5 will be lifted.

“When the clock strikes midnight tonight, the lockdown is over,” state deputy premier James Merlino said, hailing the state’s “extraordinary efforts.”

“I hope everyone enjoys those first reunions with their families, the first footy, netball, cricket training with the kids, the first pot and parma (beer and chicken parmesan) at the pub.”

Half a dozen lockdowns have taken their toll on the once-buzzing city, which prided itself on a vibrant arts scene and cafe culture.

In 2021, it lost the mantle of Australia’s most liveable city amid violent antilockdown protests and a small exodus of residents to COVID-free regional towns.

Authorities on Thursday announced a fresh boost to mental health funding and services, in a nod to the burden placed on Melbourne residents.

Multiple studies have found elevated levels of psychological distress during the pandemic, official government research shows.

David Malaspina, owner of loved Melbourne eatery Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, said lingering COVID-safe rules were “exceptionally challenging” but he was excited to welcome back customers. AFP

South Korea launches first own space rocket SOUTH Korea launched its first domestically developed space rocket on Thursday, carrying a 1.5-tonne payload into orbit as it seeks to join the ranks of advanced spacefaring nations.

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle II, informally called Nuri and emblazoned with a South Korean flag, rose upwards from the launch site in Goheung trailing a column of flame.

“It looks like it’s soaring into the sky without problems,” a commentator said.

“It is already remarkable that we have achieved this much in our first attempt.”

The three-stage rocket successfully deployed its dummy satellite cargo, broadcasters reported, and cheering and applause broke out in the control center.

In the national assembly, lawmakers stopped proceedings to watch the launch.

Korea has risen from the ashes CYANSouth MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK of war to become the world’s 12th-largest economy and a technologically advanced nation, home to the planet’s biggest smartphone and memory chip maker, Samsung Electronics.

But it has lagged in the headline-making world of spaceflight, where the Soviet Union led the way with the first satellite launch in 1957, closely followed by the United States. AFP AUCTION SALE ACME PAWNSHOP

NOTICE OF ADDENDUM TO THE EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

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Benavidez St., Legaspi Village, Makati and L&R Bldg., 1018 Pasay Road, Makati and 4:00 pm Circle C G14, #17 Congressional Ave. Bahay Toro D1, Quezon City All items Pawned June 01-30, 2021

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gions, including the capital Beijing.

In response, local governments have rolled out mass testing and closed scenic spots and tourist sites, schools and entertainment venues in affected areas, and also imposed targeted lockdowns of housing compounds.

Some regions including Lanzhou – a city of some four million people in northwestern China – have told residents not to leave unless necessary.

Those who need to leave must present a negative COVID-19 test.

Airports in the affected regions have cancelled hundreds of flights, according to data from aviation tracker VariFlight.

Around 60 percent of flights to the two main airports in Xi’an and Lanzhou have been cancelled.

In a notice published Monday, Erenhot in Inner Mongolia said travel in and out of the city was banned and residents should not leave their housing compounds. AFP

India administers 1 billionth jab

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NDIA administered its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose on Thursday, half a year after a devastating surge in cases brought the health system close to collapse.

According to the government, around three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and around 30 percent are fully vaccinated.

However, hundreds of millions of Indians under

18 – who make up some 40 percent of the population – have not had a single shot.

I n d i a suffered a huge spike in cases in April and May, reporting more

than 400,000 infections and 4,000 deaths per day, with many hospitals unable to cope and crematoriums overwhelmed.

Cases have since fallen sharply, with fewer than 20,000 infections per day, and most activity has returned to normal.

Mumbai, one of India’s myriad teeming cities, recently reported zero deaths in a day for the first time since the pandemic began.

The government was reportedly set to celebrate the milestone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanking health workers, special announcements at railway stations and airports and monuments lit up in the national colours.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted: “Congratulations India! This is the result of the visionary PM Modi’s able leadership.”

Only China has administered more doses – the Chinese government says it has given more than 2.3 billion shots.

India began vaccinations in January and after a slow start, it is now administering around eight million jabs per day.

“During the first wave, I remember hearing people talking about whether coronavirus was real or not,” said Reham Ali, a 49-year-old taxi driver in New Delhi who said he has had one shot.

“Now, people know that it is and there is less hesitancy. The second wave was an eye-opener.” AFP

Trump bares plans to launch social network

File photo shows a triceratops skeleton ahead of its auction sale at Drouot auction house in October. AFP

Curators squeezed out by high dino bones price tag

THIS week the largest triceratops skeleton ever unearthed goes up for auction in Paris – but museum curators like Francis Duranthon can only dream of getting their hands on such a prize.

With an estimated price tag of up to 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million), Duranthon, who directs the Toulouse Museum of Natural History, told AFP the skeleton would cost 20 to 25 years of his acquisitions budget.

“We can’t compete,” he said.

The triceratops is among the most distinctive of dinosaurs due to the three horns on its head – one at the nose and two on the forehead – that give the dinosaur its Latin name.

“Big John” is the largest known surviving example, 66 million years old

and with a skeleton some eight metres long.

It was discovered in South Dakota in 2014 and flown to Italy where it was assembled by specialists.

It is only the latest dinosaur to be sold by the Drouot auction house which, according to its website, handled an allosaurus and a diplodocus each worth 1.4 million euros in 2018.

Last year, they sold a second allosaurus for three million.

That these and other skeletons could adorn the private mansions of the ultra-wealthy rather than museum halls is a common source of frustration.

For Steve Brusatte, a consultant on the forthcoming “Jurassic World” movie, “dinosaur fossils belong in museums.”

The author of “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs” remembers being a teenager and seeing the fossil that would inspire him to go into palaeontology.

“The T. rex skeleton Sue was put on display at the Field Museum in Chicago,” Brusatte told AFP. “It awed me and, standing under it, it gave me a new perspective on the ancient world.”

If very rare artefacts go directly into private collections, there could be a loss for the scientific community, said Annelise Folie, curator of palaeontology collections at Belgium’s Royal Institute of Natural Sciences.

“If it’s a new species... we may never even be aware that it existed on Earth,” she told AFP. AFP

FORMER US president Donald Trump on Wednesday announced plans to launch his own social network, in the latest push to reclaim his internet dominance after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the Capitol insurrection.

The move is likely to further strengthen speculation that Trump is gearing up for another presidential run in 2024.

“TRUTH Social” will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), and is expected to begin its beta launch for “invited guests” next month. It is already available for pre-order in Apple’s App Store, the group said in a statement.

TMTG also intends to launch a subscription video on-demand service that will feature “non-woke” entertainment programming and will be led by Scott St. John, an executive producer from “America’s Got Talent,” the statement said.

For years, Trump, who wielded Twitter in particular as a rhetorical weapon during his presidency, has battled tech giants that he argues have wrongfully censored him.

“I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech,” Trump, banned from Twitter and Facebook for stoking the January 6 US Capitol attack, was quoted as saying in the statement. AFP

US confirms drones, artillery attacks on coalition Syria base THE United States said Thursday that a base in Syria used by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group was attacked with drones and artillery.

No US personnel were injured in the attack Wednesday at the Al-Tanf base, said Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for CENTCOM. “We can confirm that the Al-Tanf Garrison area was subjected to a deliberate and coordinated attack. Based on initial reports, the attack utilized both unmanned aerial systems and indirect fire,” Urban said in a statement.

The attack was initially reported Wednesday by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Al-Tanf base is a desert garrison in southern Syria set up in 2016 as part of the fight against the IS group.

Damascus and its allies have repeatedly said US troops had no reason to be there.

Iran-backed forces are deployed in close proximity to the outpost, which sits on the strategically important Baghdad-Damascus highway. AFP

MASK ON. A man wearing a face mask walks past a statue depicting half a head in Bangkok on CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK October 21, 2021. AFP

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Supply woes, labor shortages slowed down growth—Fed WASHINGTON—Supply bottlenecks and labor shortages have slowed US economic growth and contributed to a sharp rise in prices, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

The constraints and shortage of goods caused “significantly elevated prices” in most areas of the country, the Fed said in its “beige book” report on economic conditions, which noted rising uncertainty about the outlook.

While economic activity increased at a “modest to moderate” rate over the last several weeks, in much of the country “the pace of growth slowed... constrained by supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and uncertainty around the Delta variant of COVID-19,” the report said.

The analysis, based on discussions with business and community contacts in the central bank’s 12 regions, was prepared in advance of the Fed’s next policy meeting November 2-3.

Despite again reporting the the US pandemic recovery was losing steam, Fed officials are expected to announce plans to start to pull back on stimulus measures amid concerns about rising inflation.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been saying for some time that the price spikes are expected to be transitory and retreat as pandemic-related disruptions are resolved, but economists increasingly are warning that they could become a lasting issue.

While few are expecting the central bank to raise the benchmark borrowing rate off zero until late next year at the earliest, policymakers in late November or December are expected to begin to slow the massive monthly bond purchases implemented at the start of the pandemic last year to support the economy.

The Fed is walking a fine line as it vies to ensure economic growth continues to support new jobs, while also keeping a lid on inflation, which it wants to see return to its two percent target from more than double that currently. AFP

US bars imports of glove products from Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR—The United States has barred imports from a Malaysian latex glove maker over alleged labor abuses, the latest firm from the country to face such a ban.

The relatively affluent Southeast Asian nation is home to millions of migrant workers employed in manufacturing and agriculture, but critics say they are often mistreated.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the ban on Supermax gloves on Wednesday, after a probe found indications of forced labor in the firm’s manufacturing operations.

“CBP has ample evidence to conclude that Supermax... and its subsidiaries produce gloves in violation of US trade law,” said agency official AnnMarie R. Highsmith.

“Until Supermax and its subsidiaries can prove their manufacturing processes are free of forced labor, their goods are not welcome here.”

The agency did not give details about the alleged labor abuse at the company, which exports to over 160 countries and can produce up to 24 billion gloves a year.

But migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who investigated Supermax, said workers’ complaints ranged from being unable to leave factory compounds, to cramped living conditions and unlawful salary deductions.

Hall said he hoped “this trade enforcement action against the company will lead to a swift change in the abusive living and work conditions faced by the company’s workers in Malaysia.”

Supermax did not respond to a request for comment.

Its shares were down more than 10 percent in afternoon trade on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.

Malaysia’s glove makers, whose business has boomed during the coronavirus pandemic, typically employ workers from South Asia.

The US barred imports from the world’s top latex glove manufacturer, Malaysia’s Top Glove, earlier this year over alleged labor abuses, but the ban was lifted in September. AFP

PSEi October 21, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

BCB

5.8

1.06

22.36%

2

BC

6

0.67

12.57%

3 4

LAND MAHB

1.12 1.77

0.12 0.17

12.00% 10.63%

5

ZHI

0.189

0.016

9.25%

6

OPM

0.012

0.001

9.09%

7

BSC

0.75

0.06

8.70%

8

PXP

7.11

0.56

8.55%

9

EEI

6.78

0.48

7.62%

10

MAH

1.75

0.11

6.71%

TOP LOSERS HUNGER STRIKE. Yellow cab drivers raise their hands in support of a hunger strike as they attend a rally demanding debt

forgiveness for cabbies outside City Hall in New York on October 20, 2021. AFP

Market climbs, cheers declining COVID cases

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TOCKS rose for the sixth straight day as investors cheered declining COVID-19 cases in the country and the further reopening of the economy.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 14.64 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,311.72 on a value turnover of P6.2 billion. Gainers beat losers, 105 to 85, with 55 issues unchanged.

Noodles maker Monde Nissin Corp. climbed 5.9 percent to P16.44, while LT Group Inc. of airline and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan advanced 5.2 percent to P10.42.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. of the Aboitiz Group gained 3.5 percent at P51.25, but fiber broadband services provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. fell 5.6 percent to P31.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed Thursday as investors weighed more positive earnings against ongoing concerns about inflation and central bank tapering, while Hong Kong dropped along with Evergrande after the property giant resumed trading.

Surging global prices have sent shivers through trading floors for much of this year as central banks have been forced to tighten their ultra-loose, pandemic-era monetary policies, but a string of broadly on-target or forecast-beating corporate reports have provided a much-needed salve.

The Dow and S&P 500 closed within spitting distance of record highs after the latest results, while dealers brushed off a Federal Reserve summary of the economy that said transport constraints and shortage of goods had led to “significantly elevated prices” in most areas of the United States, slowing growth.

The advances filtered through to most of Asia in the morning but some mar-

kets were unable to maintain momentum. Sydney, Wellington, Taipei, and Bangkok eked out minor gains.

But Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Mumbai and Jakarta all fell into the red with the news about China Evergrande casting a pall over proceedings.

The property giant resumed trading after a more than two-week suspension to say the planned sale of its property services arm had collapsed.

It also warned it could not guarantee it would meet its debt obligations, days before a 30-day grace period on an offshore bond ends at the weekend, raising expectations it will default and spark a massive restructuring.

Shares in the embattled company tanked more than 13 percent in the afternoon and Justin Tang, of United First Partners, warned that “without the infusion of cash from the sale” of assets, the firm’s share price “is going to take the elevator down.” With AFP

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

REG

2.52

-0.36

-12.50%

2

CNVRG

31

-1.85

-5.63%

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

AREIT PHA LBC MWC BLOOM IRC MAXS PHES

40.2 0.89 19 24.85 6.5 1.2 7.28 0.52

-2.35 -0.05 -1 -1.15 -0.3 -0.05 -0.3 -0.02

-5.52% -5.32% -5.00% -4.42% -4.41% -4.00% -3.96% -3.70%

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

CNVRG MONDE ACEN SMPH DMC AC LTG SCC ALI TEL

VOLUME 21,560,200 29,519,400 35,500,000 8,543,000 32,388,900 255,740 21,470,100 7,488,200 5,394,100 118,910

VALUE (PHP) 675,479,325 479,462,948 412,011,930 308,415,260 283,455,913 223,351,140 222,354,213 208,666,755 205,504,085 195,865,515

Self-made Chinese billionaire battling to save his Evergrande empire

By Helen Roxburgh and Danni Zhu BEIJING, China—From rural poverty to real-estate billions, the fortunes of Xu Jiayin mirrored China’s runaway economic growth for much of the past two decades—but now he is battling to save his Evergrande conglomerate from a quagmire of debt.

The 63-year-old was once China’s richest man, with a taste for luxury labels and yachts, and a nose for praising the Communist Party that steered the economy to a home-ownership boom.

Xu’s wealth was estimated at $43 billion four years ago, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

But that is now down to $8 billion as Evergrande sags under hundreds of billions of dollars of debt and fears mount of a collapse that could ricochet across the global economy.

Xu, whose mother died when he was a year old, recalled in a 2017 speech how he ate only sweet potato and steamed bread in his school years.

“The sheets I laid, the quilts I covered, and the clothes I wore were all covered with piles of patches,” said Xu, also known as Hui Ka Yan in Cantonese.

“At that time, my greatest wish was to go out of the countryside, find a job and be able to eat better food.”

After leaving school in 1976—the end of the decade-long Cultural Revo-

A man pedals his bike in front of a housing complex by Chinese property developer Evergrande in Beijing on October 21, 2021. AFP

lution—he struggled to find work.

As colleges reopened, Xu studied metallurgy and was later assigned to a state-run steel factory.

He left in 1992 for Shenzhen, the buzzing heart of China’s reform and opening-up experiment in the 1990s, before founding Evergrande in 1996. $60 million superyacht Evergrande threw itself into mass development, building in-demand apartments across China and capitalizing on its rapid wealth accumulation.

The group listed in Hong Kong in 2009, raising HK$70.5 billion (US$9

billion) in its initial public offering, making it China’s largest private realestate company and Xu the mainland’s richest man.

In 2010, Xu bought the struggling Guangzhou football team, renaming it Guangzhou Evergrande and pouring money into world-class players and coaches.

A football novice when he bought the club, Xu helped the team win eight league championships.

According to the SuperYachtFan website, Xu is the owner of a $60-million yacht.

He also has a private jet, which Australian media reported he used for scouting out Sydney development opportunities in 2014.

Xu also became known for a love of luxury labels, particularly French brand Hermes—earning the nickname “Belt Xu” after wearing a Hermes belt for the national political congress in 2012.

Some have speculated his success has come from useful close relationships, including with the brother of former premier Wen Jiabao.

Xu has attributed his success to education—and the Communist Party.

“Without the resumption of the national college entrance examination, I am still in the countryside.

Without a state grant of 14 yuan, I couldn’t go to university. Without the country’s reform and opening up, Evergrande is not what it is today,” he said.

“Everything of Evergrande is given by the Party, the state and the society.”

But Xu is now facing a government crackdown on extreme wealth, with President Xi Jinping leading a drive for “common prosperity” against vast wealth.

Evergrande started to falter under the new “three red lines” imposed on developers in a state crackdown in August 2020—forcing the group to offload properties at increasingly steep discounts. AFP

Australia accuses China of undermining trade and foot-dragging on reforms SYDNEY, Australia—Australia delivered a withering denunciation of China’s trade policies Thursday, accusing Beijing of undermining the World Trade Organization and footdragging on promised economic reforms.

During a usually routine WTO review in Geneva, Canberra’s representatives said China had benefited “significantly” from 20 years of WTO membership but was not keeping its end of the bargain.

In an unusually blunt statement made public after the meeting, Canberra insisted a slew of sanctions on Australian goods were politically

motivated and showed a “growing gap between China’s rhetoric and its actions.”

In the last 18 months, China has imposed restrictions on a long list of Australian exports as political relations between the two countries have hit their lowest point in a generation.

“China has increasingly tested global trade rules and norms by engaging in practices that are inconsistent with its WTO commitments,” the Australian government said in a statement.

“By undermining agreed trade rules China also undermines the multilateral trading system on which all WTO members rely.”

Australian officials also revealed for the first time that the list—barley, coal, copper ores, cotton, hay, logs, rock lobsters, sugar, wine, beef, citrus fruit, grains, and table grapes—now includes dairy products and infant formula.

Experts see China’s sanctions on Australia as a thinly veiled message to countries across the Pacific: that challenging Beijing politically will come with serious economic cost.

Canberra has long pushed back against China’s efforts to assert influence in the region—banning telecom tech titan Huawei from key contracts, questioning how the COVID-19 pandemic began,

announcing a massive increase in military spending and curbing Chinese “influence operations” in Australia.

At the closed-door Geneva meeting, China reportedly vowed to accelerate efforts to open its markets and implement a “more proactive import policy.”

But Australia insisted China’s “market-oriented reforms have not progressed” in the last few years.

This December will mark 20 years since China joined the WTO, an event policymakers in Washington had hoped would bind China to Westerndesigned international institutions and spur political reform. AFP

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

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BPI’s income increased 1.8% to P17.5b in 1st three quarters BANK of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, said Thursday net income rose 1.8 percent in the first nine months to P17.5 billion year-on-year, driven by lower provisions.

The bank said in a statement revenues declined 6 percent in the ninemonth period to P71.6 billion, while net interest income fell 5.6 percent to P51.2 billion, as net interest margin contracted by 21 basis points from 3.51 percent to 3.31 percent, brought about by lower yields across loan portfolios and treasury assets.

“While non-interest income was down by 7 percent to P20.5 billion on lower trading income, this was cushioned by a 27.2-percent increase in fee income, reflecting the strong recovery across all business lines,” it said.

Total operating expenses as of Sept. 30 reached P36.5 billion, up 3.5 percent led by higher technology cost as the bank continues to invest in digitalization. Cost-to-income ratio stood at 50.95 percent.

The bank booked provisions of P10.3 billion, lower by 49.9 percent than the P20.5 billion it booked over the same period last year. Nonperforming loan ratio declined from 2.98 percent to 2.73 percent, with NPL coverage ratio increasing from 100.45 percent to 130.72 percent.

Total loans as of Sept. 30 reached P1.4 trillion, or 0.9 percent higher year-on-year, on increased mortgage, credit card and microfinance loans.

Total deposits went up by 6.6 percent to P1.8 trillion. Notably, current and savings account or CASA grew 12.1 percent, offsetting the 11-percent decrease in time deposits. The bank’s CASA ratio was 80.1 percent, while the loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 77.2 percent.

Total assets hit P2.3 trillion, up 3.3 percent year-on-year. Total equity increased to P291.8 billion, with an indicative Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio of 16.81 percent and a Capital Adequacy Ratio of 17.69 percent, both above regulatory requirements.

Return on equity was 8.3 percent, while return on assets was 1.1 percent. Julito G. Rada

Medilines obtains PSE approval on P3-b worth of IPO

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange said Thursday it approved the P3-billion initial public offering of medical equipment provider Medilines Distributors Inc. “The healthcare industry has been in the spotlight since this pandemic broke out. We are pleased to see a company in this space tap the stock market for capital raising. We are hopeful that this IPO will pave the way for other companies in this sector to seek funding from the equities market,” said PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon.

Medilines will offer up to 550 million primary common shares priced up to P2.45 each. Majority shareholder Virgilio Villar will also sell secondary shares of up to 275 million shares.

Net proceeds from the sale of primary shares amounting to P1.28 billion will be used to finance the company’s working capital in relation to the procurement of products and the build-up of medical consumables inventory and repay debt.

It will not receive proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling shareholder, which could amount to P641.2 million.

The offering is scheduled to run from Nov. 22 to 26, 2021 while listing on the main board of the local bourse is set on Dec. 7, 2021 under the stock symbol “MEDIC.” It said up to 10 percent of firm offer shares will be reserved for local small investors.

The company tapped PNB Capital and Investment Corp. as the sole issue manager, lead underwriter and sole bookrunner for the offering.

Medilines distributes medical equipment to both public and private healthcare facilities in the Philippines. Its portfolio, which includes equipment from multinational medical device companies, caters to specialized medicine, including diagnostic imaging, dialysis and cancer therapy.

Business Oil excise tax suspension to deprive gov’t of P131b

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE proposed suspension of excise tax collection from petroleum products may result in substantial revenue loss to the government amounting to P131.4 billion for 2022, a top Department of Finance official said Thursday.

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko said made the estimate in a memorandum to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III Thursday, following the earlier proposal of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to suspend the imposition of excise taxes on fuel amid the weekly increases of petroleum prices.

Cusi referred to Republic Act 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and

Inclusion Law provisions on the suspension of excise tax increases.

The provisions provide that in case the average Dubai crude oil price, based on the Mean of Platts Singapore, reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel for three months before the scheduled excise tax increase, the imposition of petroleum excise taxes can be stopped.

Cusi also said under RA 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the President was granted emergency powers to undertake measures to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 situation.

Tionko said by virtue of such provisions in Bayanihan 1, Section 1608 or RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act was invoked to issue Executive Order 113, which temporarily modified the rates of import duty on crude petroleum oil and refined petroleum products.

Cusi said on Oct. 20, 2021, after realizing that the TRAIN Law or any executive issuances could not be invoked to suspend the imposition of excise taxes, any suspension could only be through

new legislation amending the Oil Deregulation Law. Cusi further said suspending the excise tax could lower pump prices by around P8 to P10 per liter.

“We confirm that the TRAIN law cannot be invoked to suspend excise taxes on petroleum,” Tionko said in the letter.

“We agree that the only possible way DOE may be granted powers to suspend is through legislative means. The power of taxation is vested in Congress and absent any law [such as in the case of Bayanihan 1], the DOE, the DOF or any other agency of the government has no power to suspend the imposition of excise taxes,” Tionko said.

“The suspension of the imposition of excise taxes on petroleum may result in substantial revenue loss amounting to P131.4 billion for 2022,” Tionko said.

Tionko recommended that any suspension of the imposition of excise taxes be appropriately studied as the revenue to be foregone would be substantial and “may affect the government’s budget for COVID-19 recovery measures.”

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, October 21, 2021 14.64 PTS. 7,311.72

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,063,523,347 104,708 6,256,437,576.30 105 85 55

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.8020

Japan

Yen

0.008747

0.4444

UK

Pound

1.383000

70.2592

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128637

6.5350

Switzerland

Franc

1.087666

55.2556

Canada

Dollar

0.811886

41.2454

Singapore

Dollar

0.744602

37.8273

Australia

Dollar

0.751400

38.1726

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

134.7640

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

13.5454

Brunei

Dollar

0.741840

37.6870

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029994

1.5238

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.8327

Euro

Euro

1.165000

59.1843

Korea

Won

0.000850

0.0432

China

Yuan

0.156406

7.9457

India

Rupee

0.013371

0.6793

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240385

12.2120

New Zealand

Dollar

0.719600

36.5571

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035962

1.8269 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

Seaoil eyes 1,000 PH stations by 2023

SEAOIL Philippines, one of the country’s aggressive oil players, plans to deploy 1,000 retail stations nationwide by 2023 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company launched new services while expanding its network of stations nationwide to 600, with the opening in Sepung Calzada, Tarlac City. The company opened 100 stations in just 12 months.

“We also hope to see improved market share for our lubricants business, as we are launching a new line of products this month that are also powered with the racing-grade STP additives. Of course, we also want continued financial stability,” Seaoil Philippines president and chief executive Glenn Yu said in a statement.

Seaoil, affiliated with fintech company LOCQ, OPC for a fleet management solution called PriceLOCQ for Business. The solution provides companies power over fuel prices by allowing them to lock in the price while they are low, store the fuel price in their virtual tank and refuel their fleet at Seaoil even when gas prices are high. Alena Mae S. Flores

Ayala targets zero emissions by 2050

LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM. Metro Pacific Investments Foundation takes its Puhunang Pangkabuhayan program to its coastal community partner in Alaminos, Pangasinan. MPIF president Melody del Rosario (front row, center) in a turnover ceremony donates 10 bikes, 10 Smart pocket Wi-Fi units, 10 Smart retailer kits, three sewing machines and two edging machines to beneficiaries in the municipality, alongside Mayor Bryan Celeste (left) and Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc. executive director Menchie Silvestre.

Beneficiaries include displaced tourism workers, such as tour guides and hotel staff, small store operators, marginalized families and persons with disabilities.

Malampaya natural gas output starting to decline—Cusi

By Alena Mae S. Flores PRODUCTION from the Malampaya natural gas field in northwest Palawan has dropped 13 percent from January to September this year, according to the Department of Energy.

“This decline was caused by the depletion of the Malampaya reserves and decreasing reservoir pressure. A decrease in reservoir pressure will decrease the quantity of gas being produced. Malampaya’s natural gas production is expected to continually decrease until the end of Malampaya field life in 2027,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said during the agency’s budget hearing.

Production from the Malampaya gas field dropped to 79,054 million standard cubic feet as of September com-

pared with 141,732 mmcsf in 2020 based on previous DOE data. The bulk of the production this year went to power at 76,040 mmcsf.

Cusi said the service contract which covers the Malampaya gas project is set to expire by 2024. To address the decline in natural gas, Cusi said the DOE issued DC 2017-11-0012 or the “Rules and Regulations Governing the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry” that would facilitate the entry of LNG terminals in the country.

“Our foresight assures that the existing natural gas power plants will be fueled from the expected commercial operation of the AGP and First Gen LNG facilities in the second and third quarters of 2022, respectively,” the energy chief said.

He said AG&P would provide the LNG storage and re-gasification services for the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan power plant, while the First Gen terminal would take care of the supply requirements of the Sta. Rita, San Lorenzo, San Gabriel and Avion natural gas plants.

“Developing our LNG sector will help us attain energy security, while supporting the objectives of the Clean Energy Scenario indicated in our Philippine Energy Plan 2020-2040,” Cusi said.

He said the DOE approved the permits of six proposed LNG regasification terminal projects, including the two AG&P and First Gen LNG projects, which were expected to begin operations from 2022 to 2023.

CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said Thursday it aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ”As Ayala’s concrete contribution to the well-being of future generations of Filipinos, we are announcing our commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” Ayala Corp. president and chief executive Fernando Zobel de Ayala said during the group’s sustainability summit Thursday.

“We are aligning ourselves with the global movement for climate action as our way to help secure our country’s future from the threats brought by climate change. We believe that we have the capabilities and collective will to make this happen,” he said.

The conglomerate said it is aligning its business strategy with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial levels.

Prior to Ayala’s net zero by 2050 announcement, its core business units initiated climate-action initiatives.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Sitel joins Asia Diversity Forum

SITEL Group, one of the largest global providers of customer experience products and solutions, joined the Asia CEO Forum Asia Diversity Forum 2021 alongside industry experts and leaders to highlight the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and share the steps the company took to strengthen its diversity and inclusion roadmap for over 160,000 employees globally.

“At Sitel Group, we pride ourselves on our values of ‘Be Bold, Build Trust, Work Together and Wow Customers,” said Erin Wallace, senior director for Americas.

“And when we discuss diversity and inclusion, we need to include our company values in the discussion because these values capture who we are and what we want our culture to be. They drive us in creating our diversity and inclusion programs based on what we care about most.”

Sitel Group nurtures a welcoming and inclusive workplace enabling their people to create and deliver unique experiences where everyone’s voice is heard and acknowledged. The company launched MyID or My Inclusion and Diversity community to celebrate each unique voice and experience.

Metrobank named the ‘Strongest Bank’ in PH THE Asian Banker recently recognized the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. as “the Strongest Bank in the Philippines” in 2021. The award is part of The Asian Banker’s pioneering and most credible annual ranking analysis of all major banks in the Asia Pacific Region based on their strongest balance sheet performance.

Metrobank president Fabian Dee attributed the award to the customers.

“On behalf of all Metrobankers, especially those who are at the frontlines, ensuring that the flow of financial activity remains uninterrupted at the height of a global pandemic, we would like to thank our valued clients for their trust and confidence throughout our almost six decades of service. It is because of their continued support, that we have been ranked as the Strongest Bank in the Philippines by The Asian Banker,” he said.

The Asian Banker Strongest Banks ranking is based on six key areas of

balance sheet performance: scalability, balance sheet growth, risk profile, profitability, asset quality and liquidity. While Metrobank performed well across these metrics, the bank was recognized for its exceptional asset quality and liquidity amid the pandemic as the key factors for its bolstered financial strength.

“Compared to its peers in the Philippines, the winning bank showed stronger performance in capitalization and liquidity. Its capital adequacy ratio improved further from 17.5 percent in 2019 to 20.2 percent in 2020, while its liquid assets to total deposits and borrowings ratio rose to 54.5 percent from 31.5 percent,” The Asian Banker said.

“In addition, its loan loss reserves to non-performing loans ratio was the highest among its peers in the country, and it also had the second lowest gross NPL ratio, at 2.4%”, the financial publication said.

SBFI DONATION. Security Bank Foundation Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of Security Bank, turns over two school buildings with six classrooms each to Washington National High School and University of Eastern Philippines Senior High School in Catarman, Northern Samar. Attending the turnover ceremony are (from left) Security Bank Catarman branch business manager Regidor Edward Chan, Catarman LGU representative Sherry Sosa, University of Eastern Philippines president Dr. Cherry Ultra, Department of Education Northern Samar Social Mobilization and Networking supervisor Dr. Davy Aplan and UEP Senior High School principal Dr. Fe Adriano.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

Randle, Evan star as Knicks edge Celtics in 2OT thriller Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics attempts to steal the ball from Julius Randle of the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games moved to November 2023

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HE postponed sixth edition of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Thailand will now be held from November 17 to 26 in 2023.

This was confirmed by the Olympic Council of Asia and Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who earlier urged the House of Representatives and Senate to include the AIMAG as one of the budget priorities for 2022.

The AIMAG was originally scheduled for March 10 to 19, 2022, but Thailand’s government and its national Olympic committee sought for the postponement because of COVID-19

Student-athletes of UAAP member schools inoculated COVID-19 vaccinations have begun for student-athletes belonging to member-schools of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

School officials reported that the Commission on Higher Education got things started last Wednesday, with around 300 student athletes getting their anti-COVID-19 shots.

The vaccinations started at the University of Santo Tomas campus, which has a ongoing program that is preparing its student-athletes for the coming 84th season of the UAAP. According to officials, UST Tiger cager Soulemane Chabi-Yo and UST women’s badminton team captain Elij Maridaine Peña were among those who were inoculated.

Meanwhile, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez joined officials during the ceremonial vaccination at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus in Quezon City.

The league is looking to fire off Season 84 in the first quarter of 2022 with basketball.

Volleyball events are being planned to be held after Holy Week.

Member schools of the UAAP are getting ready to hold physical training activities in a bubble type environment by the last week of October, or in the early days of November.

The league has been continuously refining this setup over the last 10 months, as organizers pursue plans to stage competitions.

School authorities are now waiting for the approval of the Commission on Higher Education and Interagency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases before they can finally execute their plans.

Executive director, Atty. Rene “Rebo” Saguisag Jr. said they are looking at a two-month interval before they can hold actual games in the league. Peter Atencio

pandemic concerns.

“The OCA fully understands and respects the decision of the NOC of Thailand, Thailand AIMAG Organizing Committee and the Royal Thai government to postpone [the Games] … due to the COVID-19 global pandemic,” OCA acting president Raja RandhirSingh said in his letter to Thai NOC president Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon.

The AIMAG is staged every four

years and for the sixth edition, the games will be hosted by Bangkok and Chonburi.

“The postponement would allow our athletes to be better prepared for the AIMAG, which ranks as one of the most important multi-sport competitions in the continent,” said Tolentino.

A 160-athlete delegation by the Philippines to the AIMAG will compete in 21 of the 31 sports programmed by the Thai organizers.

On Monday, Tolentino confirmed that the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games will open in mid-May next year.

The POC chief made the announcement following Monday’s online SEA Games Federation meeting among the games’ 11 member countries.

The Vietnamese organizers, according to Tolentino, were amenable to any date for the opening ceremony in mid-May. “Cambodia will host the 32nd edition in 2023 and they want to have at least a year’s window for them to prepare,” Tolentino said. “Initially, they wanted the opening ceremony to be on May 5 or earlier.”

Cambodia will host its first SEA Games and has set its opening ceremony on May 5, 2023.

NEW YORK—Julius Randle and Evan Fournier led the way as the New York Knicks launched their season with a thrilling 138-134 double-overtime defeat of the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Randle had 35 points, while debutant Fournier added 32—including a crucial three-pointer in the final minute of the second overtime period—as the Knicks held on for a dramatic win.

Boston forced overtime after Marcus Smart drilled a 25-foot buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the game at 116-116.

The Celtics were sparked by a 46-point display from Jaylen Brown, who led the scorers and finished with nine rebounds and six assists.

The Knicks, meanwhile, spread the scoring around with all five starters —including former Celtics ace Kemba Walker—posting double-digit points tallies.

“I can’t wait to go home and lay on the bed, I swear,” a shattered Randle said after the victory. “First game back?

Sheesh, goodness. I’m tired.

“Every time before we go out, coach always puts on the board, ‘Find a way to win.’ And we got it done. This is why we take the pre-season seriously, so we can win games like this,” Randle added.

Fournier, meanwhile, described his debut as “incredible.”

“The energy in this building—I can feel it, I’m loving it,” Fournier said. “I’m just very happy. I think about all the work we did in the pre-season, doing all the extra conditioning. At the end it was just mental.”

No Simmons, no problem Elsewhere Wednesday, Joel Embiid scored 22 points as the Philadelphia 76ers shrugged off the simmering controversy surrounding Ben Simmons with a season-opening 117-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Sixers’ pre-season has been dominated by the soap opera involving unsettled star Simmons, who was suspended from Wednesday’s opener after a reported bust-up at a team practice on Tuesday. AFP

Tropang Giga brace for Hotshots’ fightback

By Peter Atencio WITH momentum on their side, the Talk N Text Tropang Giga will now move on and focus on things that they can do even better in Game 2 of their best-of-seven finals’ series with the Magnolia Hotshots in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup. Tropang Giga coach Chot Reyes said this as he took note that the Hotshots had a bad start in Game 1 and played in one of their worst performances for the entire tournament.

Reyes believes that the Hotshots will quickly try to get over this setback, which led to the Tropang Giga’s lopsided 88-70 triumph on Wednesday at the DHVSU Gym in

Bacolor, Pampanga.

“Because it’s in the books (Game 1), we shouldn’t worry about that anymore, we’ll just think about Game 2 now,” said Reyes as the Tropang Giga brace for a possible comeback of the Hotshots in their 6 p.m. game today.

Misfortune and injuries hounded the Hotshots in Game 1, where key player Ian Sangalang played limited minutes due to back spasms.

Sangalang, one the Hotshots’ key big men, sat out in the second half as his absence tolled heavily on the team.

Playing for just 10 minutes and 38 seconds, the usually productive Sangalang scored only five points and hauled a rebound. In the second half,

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Chot Reyes

he watched helplessly as the Tropang Giga won by an 18-point margin.

Reyes said that despite the woes that Magnolia experienced in the opener, the Tropang Giga haven’t achieved anything yet for them to say that they already have a big advantage over the Hotshots.

“All we’ve done is get the first game.

We now have to focus our energy preparing for Game 2,” added Reyes.

The Hotshots are expected to find ways to cope with their situation with Sangalang, and Reyes knows that anything can happen to them in Game 2.

“Tomorrow is another day. We will get better tomorrow. We will move forward together,” said Hotshots’ coach Chito Victolero.

Alsons Power-Hidilyn Diaz scholars win at world tilt TWO weightlifting scholars of the World Championships in Jeddah, Alsons Power Hidilyn Diaz Program Saudi Arabia. won four medals at the 2021 InternaFourteen-year-old Jeaneth Hipolito tional Weightlifting Federation Youth bagged the bronze medal for the Philip-

Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz (center) with the second batch of Alsons Power Hidilyn Diaz Power Scholars including 2021 World Youth Weightlifting Bronze Medalist Jeaneth Hipolito (extreme right).

pines in the women’s 40-kg snatch.

Hipolito lifted 52 kg in her third try for a podium finish in the snatch behind gold winner Turkey and Colombia which got the silver.

In the 45-kg division, 16-yearold Rose Jean Ramos gave the Philippines two gold medals, one in the snatch and the other as the overall champion in the category.

Ramos also bagged the silver in the clean and jerk behind Oliwia Drzazga of Poland.

Both young weightlifters, are among 15 “power scholars” from Zamboanga City under the Alsons Power-Hidilyn Diaz scholarship program spearheaded by the Mindanao-based power firm and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

Alsons Power partnered with Diaz in 2016 to spearhead this scholarship program as part of the power company’s commitment to help provide more educational opportunities for young people in Mindanao.

The partnership aims to produce world-class Filipino weightlifters and support the country’s efforts

to continue winning gold in the Olympics and in other international sports competitions.

Speaking of the program Diaz had said, “I’m happy to see that more girls are going into weightlifting and aiming to become Olympic medalists as well. I am hopeful that weightlifting will grow with more kids getting into the sport not just from Zamboanga City but all over the Philippines.”

Alsons Power Group executive vice president Tirso G. Santillan, Jr. added, “We remain fully committed in helping our Alsons Power-Hidilyn Diaz scholars achieve their hopes and dreams. It has always been our mission to empower the young people of Mindanao through our scholarship programs.”

Alsons Power is Mindanao’s first private sector power generator with a portfolio of four power facilities serving over eight million people in 14 cities and 11 provinces in the Philippines’ second largest island.

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Sports

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

PSC set to rehab MSU swim pool CONTINUING its partnership with Mindanao State University, the Philippine Sports Commission is set to rehabilitate the university’s swimming pool this year, as part of the national government rehabilitation program for Marawi City.

PSC’s Engr. Eduardo Clariza and Arch. Noel Elnar have already conducted initial inspection at the MSU Marawi campus this week and assessed the status of the swimming pool, which played host to several National UAAP competitions in the early 80s, as well as other regional meets.

“The plan is to rehabilitate the facility to meet international standards for competition. A covered pool is being designed in consideration of the environment and cultural sensitivity of Islamic practices,” said Clariza.

The agency’s technical staff also inspected the newly rubberized MSU Track Oval, which was also refurbished with PSC support.

MSU President Dr. Habib Macaayong expressed thanks and appreciation for the all-out support of the PSC and the national Government to MSU and the people of Lanao, during the courtesy visit of the PSC experts to his office.

“We are forever grateful for this assistance from the PSC. MSU expresses full support of to the sports development programs of the Philippine Sports Commission,” said Macaayong.

The PSC is looking forward to the completion of the rehabilitation of both sports facilities this year, and its designation as a “Center for Sports for Peace and Development” in Mindanao.

PSC Consultant and MSU Prof. Henry Daut, together with University Engineer Engr. Presciosa Dimaporo assisted the PSC team during their visit.

Last September 30, the MSU Marawi Campus conferred Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa to PSC Chairman William Ramirez for his contribution to the Mindanao Sports for Peace movement, during the university’s celebration of its 60th founding anniversary.

Astros, Braves near World Series faceoff

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OS ANGELES—The Atlanta Braves thrashed the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros handed out another drubbing to the Boston Red Sox as both teams moved within one victory of a World Series showdown on Wednesday.

The Braves, who had suffered an agonizing late defeat to the Dodgers in game three on Tuesday, roared back with a 9-2 thrashing of the reigning World Series champions at Dodger Stadium to take a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

The Astros were similarly impressive on the road, demolishing the Red Sox 9-1 at Fenway Park.

The Braves can clinch a World Series berth with victory over the Dodgers in game five in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The Astros, meanwhile, will take a 3-2 lead back to Houston, needing just one win to clinch the American League crown and a place in the World Series.

The Dodgers’ stirring fightback in game three on Tuesday had been viewed in some quarters as a possible momentum shift in the series.

But the Braves stomped all over that idea early on Wednesday, smashing Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias for three home runs from Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall and Freddie Freeman.

A run-scoring single from Joc Pederson and a sacrifice fly from Duvall put Atlanta 5-0 up in the fifth, and although A.J. Pollock closed the gap with a tworun single to make it 5-2, the Braves were always on top.

Atlanta capped the victory in the ninth after Freeman drove in another run, before Rosario lashed a three-run homer off reliever Tony Gonsolin to spark celebrations in the Braves dugout.

The Braves bullpen restricted the Dodgers vaunted batting line-up to just four hits, while Atlanta scored 12 as the Los Angeles challenge wilted.

“It was an incredible night, very emotional for me and I’m glad the

team won,” said Atlanta’s two-homer hero Rosario.

“All I really want to do is get to the World Series, I have that deep desire. It’s been an incredible postseason for me to be honest,” the 30-year-old Puerto Rican outfielder said.

Valdez gem In Boston, meanwhile, Houston pitcher Framber Valdez shut down Boston’s batting line-up as the Astros romped towards a third World Series appearance in five seasons.

Dominican lefthander Valdez delivered a superb performance from the mound, striking out five through eight innings.

Valdez’s gem was backed by another ruthless performance from the Astros bats, with Cuban slugger Yordan Alvarez leading the charge.

Alvarez opened the scoring for Houston in the second inning, smashing an opposite field home run off Red Sox starter Chris Sale.

The 24-year-old drove in three more runs with three hits from five visits to the plate as the Astros picked up where they left off on Tuesday in game four, which ended in a 9-2 victory.

After three scoreless innings following Alvarez’s early homer, Houston cut loose in the sixth inning with five unanswered runs.

A leadoff walk by Sale saw Jose Altuve get to first, before a fielding blunder by Kyle Schwarber allowed Astros slugger Michael Brantley to get on base.

With runners on first and third, Alvarez stepped up with a double down the line to score Altuve and Brantley for a 3-0 lead.

Yuli Gurriel drove in another run with a double to send Alvarez home for a 4-0 lead, prompting Red Sox manager Alex Cora to replace Sale with reliever Ryan Brasier. Brasier was unable to stop the bleeding, however, and Jose Siri’s single brought Kyle Tucker and Gurriel home to make it 6-0.

Brantley then drove in another Astros run in the seventh, before Rafael Devers finally got Boston on the board with a home run lashed to home field.

But any hopes of a miraculous turnaround were snuffed out by Houston in the ninth inning, with Gurriel’s double scoring Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa. AFP

Quartararo eyes MotoGP title as Rossi leaves Misano

Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates following Game Four of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Braves defeated the Dodgers, 9-2. AFP

Verstappen seeks Texan triumph to extend edge over Hamilton AUSTIN—Max Verstappen will seek to beat Lewis Hamilton in one of the defending champion’s favourite backyards this weekend to realise his own American dream and consolidate his lead in the Formula One drivers’ world championship.

Having finished fourth, third and second, but never won at the Circuit of the Americas, the Dutchman is aiming to claim a maiden Texan triumph to extend his six-point advantage with six races to go.

“We have always been competitive in the US and have got close to some good results—so it’s about converting that into a win now,” he said. “We go to every track knowing we can fight for a podium at least, but also a win -- and that is different to past years.

“We are focused on doing the best we can and always trying to win and it will be no different in Austin. It’ll be another close battle and I am looking forward to it.”

Verstappen and his Red Bull team know, however, that Mercedes have enjoyed a dominant run of results since the inaugural race in 2012, when Hamilton recorded the first of his five wins in the eight races to date.

Of the remaining three, his team-mate Valtteri Bottas was victorious once, in the last event held in 2019, while Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won in 2013 and Kimi Raikkonen in 2018.

That statistical evidence, added to the way Mercedes bounced back in the last two contests in Russia and Turkey, with one win apiece for Hamilton and Bottas, suggests the Honda-powered team will have their work cut out this weekend.

Second-placed Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen gets out his car after the Formula One Grand Prix of Turkey at the Intercity Istanbul Park in Istanbul. AFP

“It was encouraging to see our momentum continue last time out in Turkey,” said the Silver Arrows’ team chief Toto Wolff.

“We haven’t scored back-to-back race wins in a little while so naturally spirits have been high in the factories.

“It was a dominant performance from Valtteri in tricky conditions, taking his first win of the season—a

faultless drive. He was in control from the start and it’s a great boost to him and the team.”

Improved Mercedes Mercedes’ recent return to form has in part been due to improved power and pace, albeit that Hamilton’s grid penalty for taking a new engine in Turkey restricted him to finishing only fifth. AFP

MILAN—Fabio Quartararo is within touching distance of his first MotoGP world title at Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix which will host Valentino Rossi’s final farewell to his adoring Italian fans.

Yamaha rider Quartararo, 22, is 52 points ahead of Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia who sits second in the championship standings with three races left in the 2021 season heading into the race at Misano on Italy’s Adriatic coast.

With 25 points the maximum available Quartararo will become the first ever French MotoGP winner if he finishes ahead of home hope Bagnaia, who is hunting his own debut triumph at the age of 24.

Quartararo should be in confident mood after his impressive second place behind Marc Marquez at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas last time out, which set up his bid to claim the title this weekend.

He also finished second at Misano in the San Marino MotoGP last month.

“For this final part of the competition my mindset has changed a little.

The last time we were in Misano, I was racing for the win and not thinking about the championship at all,” said Quartararo.

“Of course I will still do my best as always to get the best result possible this weekend, because that‘s what I enjoy most, but I will try to be smart about it.”

Bagnaia has good reason to think he can extend the title race for at least one more GP as he held off Quartararo from pole position to win at Misano in September, having recorded a track record time in qualifying.

The former Rossi protege will be keen for another success in front of an emotional home crowd who will be there mostly to say goodbye to a motorcycling legend.

Seven-time MotoGP champion Rossi, 42, grew up riding at Misano and still only lives a short drive away from the track, with his own motorcycling team VR46 based a few miles down the road in his home town of Tavullia. AFP

FIFA wants biennial World Cup consensus by December 20

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a Council meeting of the World’s football governing body at the Home of FIFA in Zurich. The International Football Federation will hold a summit on December 20 to consider its controversial proposal for a World Cup every two years.

GENEVA— FIFA will try to find a consensus on controversial plans to stage the World Cup every two years, in time for a December 20 summit, its president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday.

The head of world football’s governing body said there had been heated discussions and sharply contrasting opinions on the idea emanating from different global regions.

But Infantino nonetheless said he thought it was possible to reach a compromise position before the virtual global FIFA summit being convened in late December.

“That must be our main objective: to reach a consensus,” he told a press conference in Zurich, following a meeting of the FIFA Council, the organisation’s main decision-making body.

FIFA has been actively pushing the idea of a biennial World Cup, rather than staging the competition every four years.

It is an incendiary topic given the various interests at stake, between clubs and national teams, domestic leagues and international competitions.

Infantino stressed that so far, FIFA had not

asked countries whether or not they agreed with the proposals but had simply presented them to trigger discussion on the future of the game.

Open solution “We have received some legitimate criticism; we have received a lot of enthusiastic comments as well,” he said.

“I do believe we can reach a consensus because what I’ve said from the beginning is that we’re going to change things only if we are completely convinced that it will be beneficial for everybody,” said Infantino.

Whether a consensus is even possible given the vehement positions of various sections of the game remains open to debate—but the FIFA president seemed nonetheless upbeat.

“I am confident that on December 20 we... can present a common solution. How this will look like? For me, everything is open,” he said.

“I hope we can present really a joint position on December 20 and we will work hard, all of us together, to reach this position.”

Infantino recalled the debate around the es-

tablishment of the Champions League in Europe but said rather than destroying national leagues, it had been an “incredible success”.

“It is very, very difficult for people to change —especially things that have been the same for the last 100 years,” he said.

The World Cup has been played every four years, apart from cancellations during World War II, since the inaugural edition in 1930.

Multi-country tournaments Infantino also suggested the days of one country hosting a World Cup on its own were numbered.

“World Cups organized in one single country are probably a thing of the past. Probably we’ll see more World Cups organised by two or three different countries,” he said.

“If we do so, every region in the world... can not only dream but really plan to organize a World Cup.” He said co-hosting meant one country was not being asked “to ruin itself in order to organize an event”. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

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Bamboo, Arnel Pineda stage successful concert series in US T

HE country’s premier rock stars Bamboo and Arnel Pineda were the first local artists to stage live shows in the United States since live events were canceled due to pandemicrelated protocols.

Center Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, then it traveled to San Jose, California for another one-night affair on Sept.

25 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, and finally on Oct. 1 at Snoqualmie Casino in Seattle.

“We have been in lockdown for more than one year and a half, and people are eager to go out now. They are excited to go back to work and watch live shows. And I’m extremely happy that all three shows were sold out,” Pen De Leon Manahan, better known as Ms. M, of Spotlight Media Entertainment, told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual junket.

The duo shared the concert stage for three live events produced by Spotlight “The concert tickets, especially the VIPs, were sold out the moment we Media Entertainment. announced it. I didn’t expect it to be so successful. I can’t believe there were Dubbed First Light, the concert’s first leg was on Sept. 17 at Sams Town foreigners watching the show,” Manahan added.

Asked if she would take First Light shows to the Philippines, Manahan said that her team must look into this possibility first.

“There are still travel restrictions in the Philippines. We are also planning to stage the shows in other countries,” she answered.

The concert producer, Bamboo and Arnel Pineda are the first local artists to stage live shows in the United States since live events were canceled who has been in the US for due to pandemic-related protocols.

From left: Bamboo and Arnel Pineda with Spotlight Media Entertainment Pen De Leon Manahan.

more than 22 years, said that part of the proceeds will be used to help Filipinos back in the Philippines recover from the current situation.

“We have to keep strong and positive during these trying times. We can’t stop doing what we’re passionate about. I’ve always been passionate about bringing great entertainment to everyone while giving opportunities to Filipino artists to showcase their incomparable talents here in the US and growing my business at the same time. It’s the circle of life. We all need to help each other rise, especially during a storm. We all need to keep the faith,” Ms. M related highlighting the reason why she wanted to continue producing concerts amid the pandemic.

Arnel Pineda rose to international fame when his talent at singing the Journey’s hit songs was discovered on YouTube. He was then invited to join the iconic rock band in 2017 to replace its American frontman Steve Perry who had left the group.

Pineda has since been performing with the Journey while maintaining a solo career and keeping his ties to the Philippines with concerts and charity events.

Bamboo Mañalac is a popular musician in the OPM scene with a long string of hits as the frontman of his first band, Rivermaya, and his own group, Bamboo.

Why Jomari Yllana is not keen

on showbiz comeback Beatrice Gomez aims for acceptance, inclusivity MOST newly crowned beauty queens would always say, “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” not for Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez.

“It has sunk in and I want now to feel my role as newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2021.

I only have a short time before I go to Israel for the 2021 Miss Universe pageant. I want to focus on my training because I want to be very much prepared,” Gomez said during the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 press conference held at Hilton Manila recently.

Becoming part of the Naval Reserve Command, with the rank of corporal, after completing the citizens military course training under the 82nd Marine Battalion of the Naval Reserve Center of Eastern Visayas in January, Gomez was promoted as Sergeant Reserve Philippine Navy this month.

She can be called up for duty anytime there is a shortage of soldiers during a conflict or calamity.

Gomez is competing in Israel where its women undergo military service for two years and many past representatives of Israel in Miss Universe had a military background like Miss Israel 2004l Gal Gadot.

“When it comes to my advocacy, I have it already even way before the Miss Universe Philippines pageant started. And this platform is what it is for, for us to serve our fellow Filipinos,” the 26-yearold Gomez said regarding her advocacy on youth empowerment through sports.

A boxing, airsoft shooting, and scuba-diving enthusiast, Gomez is one of the founders of the BEYouthfulPH non-government organization which aims to raise funds for the rehabilitation of youths who had trouble with the law, through the conduct of sports clinics to promote discipline, values, and healthy lifestyle.

“One of the best tools to develop characterforming values, independence, and build physical and emotional strength is through sports,” Gomez said.

“I wish I would be more confident because it’s quite hard to be out in public and to be graceful all the time. People think we already mastered everything that we do. We still make mistakes when people expect us to be perfect. I still have my insecurities and doubts and I want to recognize that,” Gomez said when asked what she would want to wish to help her in the Miss Universe pageant.

As an openly gay beauty queen, a Navy reserve sergeant, and community development worker, Gomez thinks she’s in a much stronger position than before to be able to help improve the lives of LGBT+ youth members and to fulfill her aspiration for acceptance and inclusivity, especially, equal rights and protection for the younger generation who are victims of bullying, harassments and other forms of violence. Read full column article on manilastandard. net

Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez.

GMA investigative show wins anew at New York Festivals

By Nickie Wang FORMER actor Jomari Yllana is not considering making a showbiz comeback unless he is done with his mission as a public servant.

Unlike other actors who continue to act in both TV and movies during breaks or their free time, the former actor totally shunned showbiz work since getting elected, first in 2016, and again in 2019.

When he assumed office in his first year as councilor, he was named minority floor leader.

He was also the first independent candidate who won in the city of Paranaque.

Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, the 45-year-old former actor said that he is seeking re-election as council member of 1st District of Parañaque because he would like to continue the works he’s done and serve his constituents who rally behind his efforts as a politician.

“What’s good about being in the position I’m at right now, when people approach you and express their gratitude for the things you’ve done.

It’s interesting because you’re just doing your job and these people would tell you stories of how you’re able to help them. That’s very fulfilling,” the councilor said.

Yllana, who rose to become a top matinee idol in the 90s, turned down quite a handful of offers to act again since he got elected. He politely turned all of them down to embrace his new advocacy, public service. His last acting assignment was on GMA Network’s Half-Sisters, a long-running 2014 drama series.

“From the very start, I had been a hands-on public official. I run my own office. I don’t have a chief-of-staff, everything is coursed through

Former actor Jomari Yllana is seeking re-election as Member of the Parañaque City Council.

me,’’ he said.

To strengthen his foundation in government service, Yllana attended all the classes offered at the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance between 2016 and 2019.

The former actor described his second term as a council member as very challenging as it had caught up with the pandemic.

“Our focus in Paranaque is on livelihood and recovery, medical care and education,’’ he said.

Yllana is head of the council committees on information technology, tourism, and social services. He is optimistic hybrid education, a blend between online and classroom schooling shall soon be in place in the city.

Jomari, whose full name is José María Garchitorena Yllana, rose to fame as one-third of the 1990s teen group Gwapings together with Mark Anthony Fernandez, Eric Fructuoso, and later with Jao Mapa.

Among his more memorable films as an actor of note in drama are The Healing, Ikaw ang Pagibig, Sigaw, Minsan Pa, Gatas... Sa Dibdib Ng Kaaway, Bulaklak ng Maynila, Sambahin Ang Ngalan Mo, Sa Pusod ng Dagat, Diliryo.

Ali Sotto, Pat-P Daza tackle relevant issues in new TV-radio program TO GIVE the audience a new morning-TV radio experience in a landscape almost dominated by male broadcast journalists, NET25 launched Ano Sa Palagay N’yo? or A.S.P.N. on Monday, Oct. 18.

The commentary show anchored by Ali Sotto and Pat-P Daza airs weekday mornings, from 8:00 to 10:00 on DZEC Radyo Agila 1062 and Eagle FM 95.5 and is also available for streaming over at NET25 TV’s YouTube channel and Facebook Sotto and Daza are armed with detailed and meticulous investigation and assessment of current issues we are facing and they would like to exchange thoughts with their listeners and viewers.

“The show promises to deliver detailed and meticulous analysis on the day’s most pressing issues but I want to take it to a softer point of

Morning news tandem Ali Sotto and Pat-P Daza of 'Ano Sa Palagay N’yo?'

view,” Sotto said.

“Maraming isyu na hindi natin pwedeng palampasin. We have to know what’s happening para at least meron tayong kaalaman kung paano natin pwedeng labanan ang mga nangyayari,” Daza added.

A.S.P.N. also wanted to make sure that their discussions will be light and palatable for every listener.

To join the discussion simply follow NET25 on Facebook (@NET25), Youtube (NET25), Twitter (@net25tv), Instagram (@net25tv) and Telegram (Telegram: t.me/net25eaglebroadcasting).

Eight-time New York Festival World medalist, Reporter’s Notebook took home the bronze medal for 'Mga Sugat ni Miguel' in the Documentary Health Medical Information category.

MEDIA giant GMA Network proudly represented the Philippines in the 2021 New York Festivals (NYF) “World’s Best TV and Films” Competition, with multiawarded Reporter’s Notebook earning yet another World Medal in addition to the five finalist certificates the network won this year.

An eight-time New York Festival World Medalist, Reporter’s Notebook adds another feather to its cap after taking home the bronze medal for “Miguel’s Wounds (Mga Sugat ni Miguel)” in the Documentary: Health/ Medical Information category.

The winning episode, which first aired in April 2019, investigated the plight of a 21-year-old man afflicted by a mysterious condition that left his skin peeling and his body full of wounds.

Reporter’s Notebook is hosted by multi-awarded host Maki Pulido and one of GMA Network’s most seasoned reporters, Jun Veneracion.

The investigative program has been reporting on significant issues that need to be put under a spotlight and has been a recipient of various awards here and abroad.

Further, GMA Network again tallied the most number of short-listed entries among local media outlets this year.

Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’s (KMJS) story on “Babaeng Tinaga sa Mukha (The Woman Slashed on Her Face)” earned a finalist certificate in the Documentary: Social Justice category.

The two-part episode narrated the harrowing story of a woman named Celia who was slashed on her face by her husband.

Also receiving a finalist certificate is GMA Public Affairs program Reel Time for its “This Abled” documentary under the Documentary: Heroes category.

Telling the story of a man with no legs and arms seeking to reach a mountain’s peak, the docu put the spotlight on the discrimination and how limited the job opportunities are among PWDs (persons with disability) in the country.

Meanwhile, public affairs program The Atom Araullo Specials received a finalist certificate in the Program: Sports Documentary category for its episode “The Atom Araullo Specials: Dreams of Gold.”

It showed the story of Filipino athletes and how competitive the country is in the international sports scene.

GMA Network’s original musical competition The Clash also represented the Philippines and earned a finalist certificate in the Entertainment Program: Variety category. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Rangers work to save people in new series ‘Jirisan’ JIRISAN JIRISAN, iQiyi Original Korean drama series starring Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon, and created by director Lee Eung-bok ((Descendants of The Sun, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) and writer Kim Eun-hee (Signal, Kingdom), debuts new stills on Oct. 21.

Spotlighting the moment Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon first meet, the latter did not even have enough time to change out of his formal wear before scrambling on mission with the park rangers as a rookie.

Encountering the neat and capable Gianna Jun, their intertwined destinies set out from that moment on.

Jirisan is set to premiere on Oct. 23

globally and exclusively on iQiyi, simulcast with Korea.

On Jun and Ju’s on-screen relationship, the production team described them as “aren’t quite colleagues”, “not really seniorjunior”, and “toeing the line”. The pair perfectly brings out the amazing chemistry of the lead characters.

In Jirisan, Ju Ji-hoon stars as Kang Hyun-jo, a former army officer out of the military academy, who arrives at Jirisan National Park as a new ranger, but keeps a secret. Asked to describe his role, Ju chose the words ‘Jirisan’, ‘perseverance’, and ‘youngest’.

“As the youngest among the park rangers, Kang Hyun-jo likes ‘people’.

He came from Seoul to Jirisan because of ‘people’, he possesses greater perseverance and sense of responsibility to help those in need, than others,” Ju shared.

In addition to Gianna Jun, Ju Ji-hoon, Sung Dong-il, Oh Jung-se, and Cho Han-cheul playing rangers of the Jirisan National Park Haedong branch office, Joo Min-kyung and Go Min-si are also core team members.

Jirisan follows the team of national park 'Jirisan' is a South Korean television series rangers who are responsible for search starring Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon. and rescue on Jirisan. Experienced ranger (played by Gianna Jun) and rookie ranger exclusively simulcast with Korea from Oct. (played by Ju Ji-hoon) are set to unravel the 23 with new episodes airing Saturdays and secrets of the peak.

Sundays at 8.00 p.m. on iQiyi International The iQiyi Original K-series will app or iQ.com worldwide.

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

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

Life TRAVEL AND LEISURE

Discovering the Paris of the East I

HAVE been reading so many beautiful features on Shanghai and have been watching travelogues about it. I have always wanted to go there, but my ever-busy schedule in my previous foreign business forays, never gave me the chance to make that side trip. When I finally retired from my full-time job two years ago, I made it a point to visit this “Paris of the East” and enjoy its popular attractions.

The breathtaking view at The Bund, with the Oriental Pearl TV Tower (left) and the Shanghai Tower (right) dominating the evening skyline.

These attractively designed buildings make the perfect backdrop for photo ops in downtown Shanghai.

Shanghai, a coastal city, is China’s biggest, with a population of close to 25 million, based on last year’s census, and is the country’s global financial hub. Its main attraction is The Bund, a famous waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River, which is often featured in magazines and in movies. This river divides the city into two, one side has old, colonial-era buildings and the other side is the Pudong district’s futuristic cityscape, dominated by the 632-meter Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

It is one of the world’s most spectacular cities, which offers an incredible array of activities to suit every type of traveler creating memorable and meaningful moments. From the sensational shopping The best Peking duck in China at Nanjing Road and and in the world is made by the sparkling skyline Da Dong Roast Duck in the Hongkou District of Shanghai. of Lujiazui, to the chic waterfront of The Bund (courtesy of Da Dong) and the leafy avenues of the Hengshan Road–Fuxing Road historic area, this is a destination that never fails to stimulate the senses and ignite the imagination.

Currently, China’s resurgent domestic tourism industry is helping drive tourism recovery from this global pandemic.

During the recent Golden Week, the country’s biggest holiday, a staggering 230 million trips were taken by the locals all around the country, and Shanghai Disney Resort was one of the top attractions. Domestic air traffic in China is also soaring; according to the latest data from the International

Biking in Nuvali

Air Transport Association (IATA), flights around the country were near full capacity during the recent holidays.

This supports the Radisson Hotel Group’s earlier decision to put up a total of seven hotels in Shanghai alone, a solid testimony to the city’s potential in hosting thousands of tourists at any given time, whether they already know and love Shanghai or are exploring the city for the first time.

The Radisson Collection Hotel, Hyland Shanghai and Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World put shoppers in the retail heart of Nanjing Road; and Radisson Collection Hotel, Yangtze Shanghai feels the buzz of Hongqiao, an interesting western suburb of the city.

For families, Radisson Blu Shanghai Pudong Jinqiao provides a great “home base” for trips to Shanghai Disney Resort, while Radisson Exhibition Center Shanghai is tailormade for those who want to combine their business trip with a leisure break.

Gary Ye, vice president of operations, China at Radisson Hotel Group, invites everyone to any of their hotels in Shanghai and assures all visitors that the city’s perfect blend of classic charm and contemporary style offers a wealth of activities for all ages.

As for me, that short side trip to Shanghai I did two years ago was not enough. I am looking forward to going back and having the time to spend memorable moments at the Yuyuan Garden, a Ming Dynasty garden with decorated bridges, colorful pagodas, and enclaves separated by dragon walls.

There’s also Nanjing Road, the city’s equivalent to New York’s 5th Avenue, with its wide array of name brand shops that beckon shopaholics like me.

Of course, I want to have more of the soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung, the smoked fish slices at Fu 1039, and the best Peking duck in China and the world at the Michelin-starred Da Dong Roast Duck. And, on my bucket list is the Sky Walk at the Jin Mao Tower, a 190-foot glass walkway on top of a building, with no handrail nor fences and only a harness to keep you safe 1,115 feet above the ground. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate thrill?

So, when international borders open up soon, making foreign trips much easier, “Shanghai” yourself to an exquisite holiday at the Paris of the East!

YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE Will glass coffins be a success? Remains to be seen.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Discovery World properties bag int’l awards

Santa Rosa eco-city launches biker education program WITH tracks that offer majestic and scenic views, Nuvali has become a popular and preferred biking destination in the South.

Thus, Ayala Land has endeavored to pilot a Bike Smart Program in its Santa Rosa Laguna estate, where there are 45,000 bikers monthly traversing through the 42.1-kilometer bike lanes on its main and connecting roads.

“We decided to do a focused group discussion amongst bikers and the residents. We learned from that session that the main problem is a number of bikers does not follow the proper etiquette on the road. At the same time, some car riders also need to be courteous and give way to these bikers,” relates Nuvali project development manager Mark Manundo.

The Camp N Trail System in Nuvali The program is designed to educate has obstacles and challenges like the bikers about biking etiquette and advocate 8-kilometer track that serves as an safe riding in the estates and, ultimately, introductory trail for mountain bikers. everywhere else they go.

Athlete and cyclist Miko de los Reyes (helmet, eyewear, reflective gear, closed shoes), says it is a vital task to focus on biker and responsible road sharing. education, “especially for the newbies, many “Cycling can be fun but you have to be of whom may not be aware of proper road Bans Mendoza responsible enough to know your limitations and etiquette.” your skill level, as well as how to co-exist in a The Bike Smart Program highlights following road signs (and proper hand signals), wearing proper safety gear ‘bike-friendly environment/city’ by knowing the rules/safety etiquette and basic troubleshooting of your bike,” opines coach and professional mountain biker Parabanne “Bans” Mendoza.

To ensure road safety, new signages were put up along with “sharrows” or shared right of way markers on the shared roadway lanes in Nuvali. There is also a designated bike path with a separate area allotted for off-road biking that is pedestrian and jogger-friendly.

The program is inclusive of assistance to the biking community to make their experience in Nuvali a breeze. To provide ease to the bikers, various amenities are available for public use, such as bike racks.

Nuvali also has available bike repair stations at Solenad 1 and Camp N. Further, the estate boasts a Post-Crash Emergency Response Service and courteous security personnel to help with directions around the area.

Camp N Trail System is Nuvali’s ultimate destination for aspiring and advanced bikers. It features obstacles and challenges like the 8-kilometer track that serves as an introductory trail for mountain bikers. It also offers the Beginners’ Bike Skills Training to hone newbies’ biking skills. Since its launch in November 2020, it has served over 10,000 bikers.

The Bike Smart Program will be rolled out in all of the Ayala Land estates, including Vermosa in Cavite and Arca Nuvali has bike repair stations at Solenad 1 and Camp N. South in Taguig.

Club Paradise Palawan is the only Philippine property in Green Destinations’ Top 100 Sustainable Stories.

LUXURY resort Discovery Shores Boracay of Filipino-owned Discovery World Corporation (DWC) has been voted among the Top 25 Resorts in Asia for 2021 at the Readers’ Choice Awards of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

The annual tourism survey reveals a list of the best of the best in the world in terms of hospitality, tourism, and travel destinations. More than 20,000 readers were asked to nominate the hotels and spas “they escape to ... and the islands, cities, and countries that spark their curiosity”.

At the same time, Club Paradise Palawan has made it to the Top 100 Sustainable Stories of Green Destinations. DWC’s Coron resort is the only Philippine property on the list.

Green Destinations is a non-profit foundation for sustainable tourism that assess current tourism policy, management, and sustainability performance on relevant sustainability themes.

“We are deeply grateful for these international recognitions for both resorts,” enthused DWC president Jun Parreño.

“Our dedication for service and our commitment to our guests, the environment, and the community where we belong have been our driving force, especially during this very challenging time. We proudly carry the Philippine flag in all our wins and we are extremely delighted to be able to put the Philippines on the map of world-class tourism,” he added.

Discovery Shores Boracay is among Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 25 Resorts in Asia for 2021.