Manila Standard - 2021 October 24 - Sunday

FESTIVE MOOD. Customers choose from several Christmas decors at a stall in the Dapitan Arcade in Quezon City on Saturday, while local government workers start to install Christmas lights along Aguinaldo Highway in Dasmarinas, Cavite (inset). The Philippines usually kicks off preparations for the Christmas holidays as early as September, but the COVID-19 pandemic has somehow muted the celebrations. Rico H. Borja and JR Josue

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October 24, 2021

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IN MET R MANILAO

‘No pandemic parties for Halloween, Xmas’

‘Vax to Max’ rollout, kids getting jabs gain steam n ByJOEL. E. ZURBANO AND MARICEL V. CRUZ

DOH frowns on mass revelry even with looser restrictions

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n By WILLIE CASAS

Can the public finally enjoy Halloween and Christmas parties? Not so fast, the Department of Health said Saturday.

Even with COVID-19 restrictions eased in Metro Manila and some provinces, “pandemic parties” and similar celebrations should only be shared with family, as inviting people from outside the home may still carry

risks.

“If it is a mass gathering, it’s still not allowed unless you celebrate it within your family bubble. We just have to follow safety protocols,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario

Vergeire explained in a public briefing.

“The parties, Halloween events, should take into consideration our restrictions,” she added.

This developed as the Philippines logged on Saturday 5,807 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 2,751,667. All laboratories were operational, while two laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the DOH reported.

Alert Level 2 chance ‘very high’ The department also said yesterday the chances of Metro Manila being placed under

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SM Foundation welcomes 250 new scholars

‘BEAUTIFUL COINCIDENCE.’ Presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos (right) and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio find themselves together in Cebu in what the former’s camp termed as ‘just another beautiful coincidence.’

Sara, Marcos in Cebu birthday bash n By REY E. REQUEJO AND VITO BARCELO AMID fervent speculation on her plans to run for a national post, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Saturday met with presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos in Cebu City -- for the birthday party of Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez.

“It’s confirmed that I met with presidential aspirant and former senator Bongbong Marcos at the fun celebration of the birthday of Cong. Yedda, wife of House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez in Cebu, Duterte-Carpio shared in separate posts on her official Facebook page.

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The daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte did not share details on what they discussed in their meeting.

Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, is a cousin of the Marcoses.

Earlier Saturday, Duterte-Carpio also posted a photo of her with Sen. Imee Marcos in Cebu City.

“Manang Imee how are you? Thank you for the continuous support,” the mayor said in Filipino, without further details.

Duterte-Carpio arrived in Cebu on Friday, wearing a green hoodie with a print that said: “Sara All 2022.”

Though Duterte-Carpio earlier filed her certificate of candidacy for reelection as Davao City mayor, there has been speculation might run for president via substitution, as her father did in 2016.

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SM FOUNDATION, the corporate social arm of SM, awarded scholarship grants to 250 college freshmen for the school year 2021-2022 on Saturday.

The event was broadcasted live on SM Foundation’s Facebook page.

Of the 250 new SM scholars, 40 percent are from the National Capital Region and 60 percent are from the provinces across the country. This puts the total current number of SM college scholars at more than 1,300.

Under the flagship program of SM Foundation, scholars enjoy full tuition and miscellaneous fees subsidy. They also receive monthly stipends and are exposed to various enrichment activities and job opportunities at SM malls during their semestral or Christmas breaks.

After graduating, they also have the chance to land their dream jobs in companies within SM. SMFI, through its scholarship program, has provided deserving and qualified students with access to college education and technical-vocational studies since 1993.

To date, SMFI has produced more than 8,000 scholar-graduates.

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DOH: Cast ballots quickly; Comelec runs simulation NEWS | 2A

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NEW SCHOLAR. Marjorie Co (middle) of Pasay City, one of the 250 new SM scholars for this school year, shares her joy with her family.

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THE Philippine government continues to scale up its vaccination rollout through the “Vax to the Max” strategy it is implementing together with the private sector.

The country’s rollout for the youth sector also continues to gain momentum, as 23 hospitals in Metro Manila are now conducting simultaneous inoculations of minors within the 12 to 17 age group.

According to National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., the government is hoping other vaccine manufacturers will apply for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) with the Food and Drug Administration so their vaccines can be used to inoculate children.

On Friday, 698,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines procured by the private sector arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

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Motorcades, rallies for Leni, Isko, Leody NEWS | 2A

US seeks to defuse ire of Beijing over Taiwan NEWS | 3A

Pump prices going up for ninth week, says Unioil

OCTOBER 24, 2021

DOH: Cast ballots quickly; Comelec runs simulation

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HE casting of ballots for each voter in the 2022 elections should be accomplished “the quickest time possible” to avoid coronavirus infections at the polling precinct, the Department of Health recommended on Saturday.

This developed as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) held a voting simulation in San Juan City to prepare for the country’s first national elections under the COVID-19 pandemic.

The simulation was held in Barangays Balongbato and Ermitaño, which have a total of 4,235 registered voters.

“If we observe, based on the characteristics of the virus, we get into close contact -- by definition -- with an exposed person for 15 minutes or less. But this is not the case with the Delta variant, which is highly transmissible,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a

Laging Handa briefing.

“Our recommendation is that the casting of ballots of each voter should be done the shortest time possible and in an orderly manner, so that people would not congregate,” she added.

The run-through sought to determine the average time it takes to verify voter identities on the Election Day Computerized Voting List base, which has 800 registered voters per clustered precinct, the Comelec said.

The poll body also sought to identify other areas of concern in the verification process, considering the need to observe minimum public health and

Maynilad shifts service breaks Oct. 29-Nov. 1

Tingog hands out financial aid to 100 Tulong-Dunong scholars THE Tingog Party-list group on Saturday led the distribution of financial assistance to at least 100 scholars under the Tulong-Dunong Program in Leyte.

The scholars received the assistance from Tingog led by Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, chairperson of the House Committee on the Welfare of Children, as part of the continuing financial educational grant under the Commission on Higher and Technical Education (CHED) led by chairman Popoy de Vera.

The student-beneficiaries of the scholarship program came from the Visayas State University.

Previously, Tingog party-list nominee and popular actress-singer Karla Estrada vowed to work on the delivery of a cash-for-work program for displaced workers in Region VIII and other parts of the country.

safety protocols with the ongoing pandemic.

During the simulation process, all participants were required to wear face masks and face shields upon entering school premises. Their body temperature was taken to ensure they don’t have a fever, a COVID-19 symptom.

An isolation polling place (IPP) was also designated for those who may exhibit symptoms.

“If the voter has symptoms, they will be brought to the IPP, isolation polling place. After that, they will be directed to the appropriate health officers on standby,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

If the voter still wants to cast their vote despite showing symptoms, polling staff will assist them.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 marshalls were placed on standby to remind participants to observe proper physical distancing.

Jimenez said the COVID-19 pandemic would definitely have an impact on the voting hours and the whole election process.

MOCK POLLS. A woman fills up a sample ballot in a mock voting exercise held by the Commission on Elections at San Juan Elementary School in Brgy.

Balong Bato, San Juan City, which Mayor Francis Zamora also observed (inset).

Other voters were placed in a special area for the elderly, persons with disability and pregnant women.

AFP with Manny Palmero

photo

WATER firm Maynilad has rescheduled its service interruptions to October 29 to November 1 for a pipe realignment activity in Manila.

The water service interruptions were originally planned for October 25 to 28, but Maynilad decided to move it to the All Saints’ Day or Undas holiday weekend following a “deluge of requests from customers to defer the activity so they have more time to prepare.”

“This 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,” Maynilad said in a statement.

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

The list of affected areas and their corresponding service interruption schedules remain the same, with only the dates of implementation pushed back, Maynilad said.

Estrada led the payout of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) to more than 100 beneficiaries in Dulag, Leyte.

Last Tuesday, Estrada led the TUPAD payout to at least 500 beneficiaries in Dagami, Leyte.

Tingog also cited the importance for the students to finish their studies, explaining education is the greatest equalizer in life.

“Despite the uncertainties of the future caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Tingog hopes that the fear, confusion and other threats posed by the global health crisis will not hold you back from finishing your studies. Education is your ticket to a brighter future,” Estrada said.

Tingog vowed to work harder to ensure that more students will benefit from its scholarship program.

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ MOTORISTS must brace for another round of increases in pump prices this week, which would make it the ninth straight round of oil price hikes, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday, citing its projections.

In its fuel price forecast for the October 26 to November 1 trading week, Unioil said the price per liter of gasoline may increase by P1.10 to P1.20. Diesel prices may also go up

by P0.40 to P0.50 per liter, it said.

Fuel firms usually announce price adjustments every Monday, to be implemented on the following day’s morning.

Year-to-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P19.65 per liter for gasoline, P18.00 per liter for diesel, and P15.49 per liter for kerosene.

Meanwhile, the Department of Energy (DOE) was urged Saturday to take more decisive measures, including establishing its longplanned national oil reserve, to ensure the adequate supply of fuel in the domestic market.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte cited the country’s absence of an oil stockpile to offset the impact on petroleum prices in the global market of low crude oil production among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+).

“The DOE needs to do more than just appeal to oil companies to make sure that we have enough supply of oil. Had the DOE accelerated its plan to establish an oil reserve, we wouldn’t have this problem now, which is currently driving up fuel prices in the domestic market,” Villafuerte said.

Almost two years ago, he called on the DOE to push through with its plan to set up its own oil stockpile in the face of the volatile supply and prices of petroleum products.

Last June, he reiterated his call after observing that the vaccine-driven economic recovery in the United States and Europe had started to ease travel restrictions and increase demand for fuel.

Oil companies separately announced they will implement another round of petroleum price adjustments, citing the insufficient supply of crude oil versus swelling demand in the world market.

Motorcades, rallies for Leni, Isko, Leody parties SUPPORTERS of presidential aspirants Vice President Leni Robredo and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso held motorcades and rallies on Saturday, while labor leaders Leody de Guzman and Walden Bello unveiled their platform for the 2022 elections.

Thousands of Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan supporters, or “kakamPINKs” held a nationwide simultaneous motorcade on Saturday, declaring that the Vice President was the most qualified and ready to serve “from then until now.”

Organized by Team Leni Robredo (TLR), the official volunteer arm of the VP’s presidential campaign, the motorcade “took inspiration from various grassroots

volunteer-initiated motorcades held in towns across the country to show support for her brand of leadership.”

Boats in Cebu and in Boracay, bikes in Iloilo, tractors in Tacloban, and extensive motorcade participation in northern provinces such as Pangasinan gathered at least 10,000 vehicles across 50 cities nationwide. Metro Manila alone accounted for at least 2,000 vehicles, TLR said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Antiqueños have thrown their full support behind Domagoso, saying their own son has the competence and right skills to lead the country. The mayor’s father, Joaquin Domagoso, hails from the town of Hamtic Jose in Antique.

The elder Domagoso tried his luck in Manila in the 1960s and worked as a stevedore in the ports of Manila. He met and fell in love with Rosario “Chayong” Moreno, a native of Allen, Northern Samar, who bore him a son named Francisco Moreno Domagoso, according to the statement released by the mayor’s media bureau.

Antique Board Member Vincent Hernandez Piccio III said the people of Antique province and the whole Western Visayas region stand behind Moreno and his vice-presidential candidate Dr. Willie Ong in their quest to lead the country toward inclusive growth and sustainable economic development. Rey E. Requejo

CAMPAIGN TRAIL. Around 400 Ilonggo cyclists join the Bike for Leni national caravan in support of the Vice President in Iloilo City, while Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso talks to farmers, fishermen and public utility vehicle drivers and operators at Barangay Banaba in Tarlac City. Iloilo Mayor’s Office and Norman Cruz TINGOG AID. The Tingog Par-

ty-list group leads the distribution of financial assistance to 100 scholars in Alangalang, Leyte under the CHED Tulong-Dunong Program.

Meanwhile, Tingog nominee Karla “Mamshie” Estrada leads the payout of the TUPAD program to more than 100 beneficiaries in Dulag, Leyte.

Also pictured (inset from right) are Brgy. Combis chairman Marfe Tupaz, Momie Andrade, Brgy. San Antonio chairman San Antonio Regaldo Custodio Jr., and Brgy. Sungi chairman Roy dela Cruz.

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’50-year communist insurgency nearing its end’ GOVERNMENT agencies and state security forces’ efforts are paying off in finally ending the 50-year-old communist insurgency in the country, Philippine National Police Chief General Guillermo Eleazar said Saturday.

“The PNP agrees with President Rodrigo Duterte’s assessment that we are winning the war, and his acknowledgement of the contributions of all state agencies and LGUs in this endeavor,”

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

Eleazar said in a statement.

He cited the President’s remark at a meeting of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that the communist insurgency is “no longer relevant to the lives of the Filipinos” and that the government is winning the war.

However, Eleazar pointed out that the PNP should not lower its guard de-

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

spite the impending defeat of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

“We are not underestimating the capability of the remaining few especially in the coming election period when they could extort money to finance their atrocities, and erode the democratic process come May 2022,” said the top cop.

Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Emil P. Jurado

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

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

WORLD

OCTOBER 24, 2021

VAX ‘GODDESS’. Nursing staff involved with vaccination against the coronavirus pose as Goddess Durga at the Ramaiah Hospital in Bangalore on October 21, as they celebrate India administering its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the health ministry, half a year after a devastating surge in cases brought the Indian health system close to collapse. AFP

US seeks to stem Beijing ire after vow to defend Taiwan

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ASHINGTON—The United States on Friday sought to prevent an escalation with China, saying there was no change in Taiwan policy after President Joe Biden promised to defend the island from attack by Beijing.

Tensions have soared in recent months as Beijing steps up air incursions near Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that the growing Asian power has vowed one day to take over, by force if necessary.

At a CNN televised forum in Baltimore on Thursday evening, Biden was asked whether the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense if China invaded. “Yes,” he responded.

“We have a commitment to that.”

Facebook ‘drowning’ in rising tide of leaks SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

An array of US news outlets cited documents from former Facebook worker Frances Haugen, adding to a series of critical revelations already published based on information she provided.

Articles in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere on Friday focused on how Facebook apparently intensified political division.

Examples included an internal finding that 10 percent of political content viewed by US users in the days after the election perpetuated the falsehood that the vote had been rigged.

What has come to be known as the “Big Lie” has been repeated relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and enraged his supporters, who stormed the US Capital in a deadly attack on January 6.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms banned Trump from their platforms for encouraging the violent effort to thwart the democratic process.

Revelations published Friday indicated that Facebook could have anticipated such trouble.

‘Carol’s journey’ The information was reportedly found in the thousands of internal documents Haugen provided to regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. AFP

FromtheFRONTPAGE ‘NO...Alert Levez 2 soon is “very high” as the growth in fresh COVID-19 infections continued to slow down.

Vergeire, however, emphasized this could only happen if positive efforts on the virus response are maintained in localities.

“If we look at the projections in FASSSTER, the cases would continue to decline but our assumptions are based also on the detection to isolation of localities, which is at 4 days,” she explained, referring to the disease surveillance system.

An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) agreed, saying Metro Manila may further ease lockdown restrictions if COVID-19 cases continue to go down.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said the National Capital Region remains on a downward trend in cases, with the daily toll averaging 1,500 to 1,600 in recent days from a high of more than 10,000 during the surge.

“If that goes down to less than 1,000, it’s possible,” Densing said.

The intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization rate in Metro Manila and nationwide is at 49 and 56 percent respectively as infections dropped with more people getting vaccinated, he said.

While parties are still limited within the family bubble, health protocols should still be considered, such as the 3Cs or activities that are crowded, involve close contact, and held in closed

Biden’s statement appeared at odds with the long-held US policy of “strategic ambiguity,” where Washington helps build Taiwan’s defenses but does not explicitly promise to come to the island’s help in the event of war.

The United States clarified Friday that it was still guided by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, in which Congress required the United States to provide weaponry to “enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities.”

“The president was not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, reiterating earlier White House comment.

“We will uphold our commitments under the act, we will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense and will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo,” Price said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, declined to discuss “hypotheticals” but said the United States “will continue to help Taiwan with the sorts of capabilities that it needs to defend itself.”

- New firmness? Beijing said that Biden’s comments risked “damaging Sino-US relations,” warning Washington on Friday to “act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue.” AFP

JUDE AND ‘AMAL.’

English actor Jude Law holds the hand of ‘Little Amal’, a giant puppet depicting a Syrian refugee girl, as she walks along the sea front at the harbor in Folkestone, southeast England, on October 19 after arriving from Calais, as part of the international art project The Walk.

‘Little Amal’ is making an 8,000-km journey across Europe to the United Kingdom to raise awareness of the challenges

Biden, Macron eye ‘stronger’ Euro defense

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed strengthening European defenses in a telephone call Friday, the White House said, as Washington seeks to mend ties after a bitter row over submarine contracts.

The two leaders “discussed efforts to enable a stronger and more capable European defense while ensuring complementarity with NATO,” the statement said.

Biden will meet Macron in Rome later this month, and the statement said he looked forward to the chance to “take stock of the many areas of US-France cooperation, and reinforce our shared interests.”

A similar statement was issued by the French presidency.

Biden and Macron last spoke on September 22 for their first conversation since the furious spat over selling submarines to Australia severely strained relations.

Specifically, Australia agreed to acquire US nuclear sub technology and in doing so scrap a huge, already existing deal with France to buy conventional submarines. The new accord infuriated the French.

Macron recalled France’s ambassador to Washington and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian compared Biden’s unilateral methods to ex-president Donald Trump’s but “without the tweets.”

- VP Harris to visit Paris Although Biden did not apologize for secretly negotiating to sell nuclear submarines to Australia, he did acknowledge that the issue “would have benefited from open consultations among allies,” according to a statement after the dispute erupted. AFP

Alec Baldwin says ‘heart is broken’ for fatal shooting

SANTA FE -- Hollywood star Alec Baldwin said Friday his “heart is broken” after he fatally shot a cinematographer with a prop gun he had been told was safe on the set of a Western about an accidental killing.

The US actor and producer said he was “fully cooperating” with a police investigation, as law enforcement officials carried out a search warrant, and reports emerged of allegedly dangerous working conditions on the set.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin tweeted.

Baldwin had been handed a prop gun by an assistant director who did not know it was loaded and shouted “Cold gun” -- meaning it contained no live ammunition -- according to a search warrant seen by the Santa Fe Reporter.

Performing a rehearsal scene, Baldwin fired the gun, striking Hutchins in the chest, and the film’s director in the shoulder. Hutchins, 42, was transported to hospital by helicopter but died of her wounds.

“My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna,” wrote Baldwin.

Production of “Rust” -- a 19th-century Western in which Baldwin is playing the lead -- has been suspended. Souza, the 48-year-old director, was taken by ambulance to hospital and later released.

Santa Fe sheriff spokesman Juan Rios told AFP that Baldwin came in voluntarily and “provided statements and answered their questions,” but no charges have been filed and no arrests made.

He confirmed that investigators were executing a search warrant at the site of the shooting.

The warrant allows investigators to gather camera footage, cellphones, weapons and ammunition, and clothing worn by Baldwin and others which may have been splattered with blood, according the affidavit. AFP

Swedish rap teen star Einar, 19, killed in Stockholm shooting STOCKHOLM—Award-winning Swedish rapper Einar, who has topped the country’s charts, was shot and killed in Stockholm, police and media said Friday as police hunted for suspects.

The 19-year-old Einar, who raps in Swedish, was the most streamed artist on Spotify in Sweden in 2019.

or indoor areas, Vergeire said.

“If the area is not well-ventilated and there are people who you need to interact with physically, we have to remember that we should refrain from going to these (areas) so we won’t be infected,” she said.

Premature campaigning People running for office, meanwhile, should also be wary of premature campaigning, as this could become super spreader events, according to the health official.

“I would like to remind local governments that while we understand that we need to campaign for the elections, we should hold ourselves responsible for these safety protocols,” she said.

During the same briefing, Vergeire said the chances of Metro Manila being placed under Alert Level 2 soon is “very high” if the pandemic response continues to improve.

Based on the agency’s projections, the country’s new cases would continue to decline.

Metro Manila logged an average of 996 daily new cases in the past seven days, as of DOH data on Friday.

This is the first time in nearly 3 months that the 7-day average fell below the 1,000-mark, ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido pointed out.

This week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also warned that crowding, together with the public’s complacency in following health protocols, could lead to a fresh wave of cases in a few months.

This as visitors have kept flocking to the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach and other areas due looser quarantine restrictions.

He was shot several times outside an apartment building shortly before 11 pm (2100 GMT) on Thursday.

Ambulance personnel administered first aid but he died at the scene, Stockholm police spokeswoman Towe Hagg told AFP. Police have opened a murder investigation.

‘VAX..The Philippines also received

over 1 million more Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on Friday. About 813,150 doses of the US-made jabs arrived at the NAIA in Pasay City at 10 p.m., while 101,790 vials were delivered to the Cebu airport.

Another shipment of 101,790 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses were sent to Davao on Saturday.

The delivery of about 11 million doses of vaccines purchased by the private sector is expected to be completed by February next year.

“We have to vaccinate all the willing, and at the same time, we will concentrate on the successful vaccination of our children,” Galvez said.

As of Friday, 54,444,161 doses have been administered nationwide, of which 29,342,939 have been given as the first doses, while 25,101,222 individuals are now fully vaccinated.

Since Oct 1, the Philippines has recorded an average daily jab rate of 421,098 doses, in which 32.54% of the country’s target population is now fully vaccinated.

The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines continues to increase by the month, as the country has received a total of 23,353,750 doses this month alone as of Oct. 22, wherein 8,843,065 doses were administered.

Out of the 94,678,340 doses that have arrived in the country since February, 58,723,760 were purchased by the national government, 24,330,280 were donations from the COVAX facility, 7,983,160 were purchased by local government units and the private sector, and 3,641,140 were donated by partner countries.

Meanwhile, a congressional leader on Saturday called on local government

“We are actively working to figure out why it happened and who can be behind it,” Hagg said.

In line with usual practice, the police have not yet confirmed the identity of the victim. But Sweden’s mainstream media identified him as Einar, whose full name is Nils Kurt Erik Einar Gronberg. AFP

units to step up information drive on the importance of being protected against COVID-19.

Deputy Majority Leader and Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles noted this as the national government recently admitted the country’s vaccination rate has slowed down in the past few weeks.

“No less than our Vaccine Czar, General Carlito Galvez, pointed out at vaccine hesitancy in some of our communities. It will be very helpful for all of us if our good local officials will sweep through barangays and inform our people on the efficacy and safety of the vaccines our government offer," Nograles said.

Galvez, during President Duterte’s Talk to the People earlier this week, made public that about 39 million vaccine doses are currently stockpiled and admitted that vaccination rate has slowed down.

Official data from the National Task Force against COVID-19 confirms that weekly inoculations were down to an average of 375,773 last week from a peak of 523,018 during the first week of August.

“We need to assure our people that being vaccinated is crucial not just for public health but also for the economy. An effective information drive that will connect faster vaccination rates to speedy economic recovery will hit the mark as this is closer to their gut,” the Rizal solon explained.

According to a survey by OCTA Research released Saturday, 22 percent of Filipinos are still unwilling to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while 18 percent are undecided.

Nograles said: “While the number of those willing to be vaccinated increased from just 43 percent in July to 60 percent now, we still have to ensure that more and more people will be inoculated to ensure herd immunity.”

SARA...Her father’s party PDP-Laban had fielded Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa as its standard bearer in an eleventh-hour filing on October 8.

Meanwhile, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer Marcos Jr. again emerged as the number one presidential candidate in the 2022 elections based on the results of the 3rd Quarter survey released by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. on Friday.

Marcos, who is offering a unifying brand of governance once elected, was chosen by 49.3% of the respondents followed by Vice President Leni Robredo with 21.3%, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso with 8.8%, Sen. Ping Lacson with 2.9%, and Sen. Manny Pacquiao with 2.8% (see related story on A2 – Editors) Marcos was way ahead of the other presidential hopefuls in the survey, as more voters showed an overwhelming preference for him in key voting areas.

In NCR, Marcos cornered more than 40% of the votes. While in North and Central Luzon, he got a whopping 55.7%. In South Luzon, he obtained 38.2%, while in the Visayas, he registered 44.7%. Topping this monstrous performance with a 62.5% voter preference in Mindanao.

The PUBliCUS survey is the latest presidential preference survey released after Duterte-Carpio declared she will not be running for President in the 2022 polls and instead run for re-election.

Marcos’ performance in the PUBliCUS survey confirmed the growing grassroots support for his candidacy, his camp said in a statement.

Also, informal surveys such as the Kalye surveys conducted by independent Youtube vloggers in various parts of the country consistently showed him as the top choice of the people.

Nestlé moves to plant 2.5m bamboo trees

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Actor-entrepreneur invests in wellbeing of employees

Maxicare brand ambassador and entrepreneur Marvin Agustin

By Othel V. Campos

M

AXICARE Healthcare Corp. encourages micro, small and medium enterprises to protect and safeguard the health of their employees and families.

The company said its SME healthcare plans are designed with entrepreneurs and their employees’ health in mind.

Actor and entrepreneur Marvin Agustin, the newest brand ambassador of Maxicare, said he chose to provide healthcare plans to all his employees, even when his businesses were not as profitable as they used to be.

“It [pandemic] was a huge challenge, a major disruption in food scene,” said Agustin, who runs several restaurants. “We had to follow the safety protocols and at the same time, the threat of COVID is serious.

So we have to pay attention to the safety of everyone. We won’t be able to operate if people, your employees and your staff would get sick, and it is also not safe for the customers.”

The food entrepreneur admitted that at first, he was not keen on getting healthcare plans for his employees.

“I’ll be honest, before this partnership with Maxicare, even for myself I was afraid of extra expenses.

But you know, hearing and learning about Maxicare’s SME plans, they just made it convenient and affordable and you would not think twice to get the plans. They made it within reach for yourself, for your company and for your employees.

You don’t need to worry about medical expenses anymore,” he said.

Agustin said that like other entrepreneurs, he thought there wasn’t a healthcare plan suited for his business.

“Given that there’s COVID, there’s this threat of us getting sick anytime. If there are challenges

like this, many people are affected.

There are no sales, yet you have to pay rent, supplies and the salary of your employees. But, if you get sick and you don’t have Maxicare, you would have bigger expenses and bigger problem,” he said.

“I’m happy that Maxicare reached out to me, and I have learned more.

Now, I am more ready to do my business, to succeed with my team, and my team and my staff would also have peace of mind that if ever something happens to them, there’s Maxicare that would help them,” said Agustin.

Maxicare now has 1.6 million members with over 33 years presence in the Philippines. It is accepted by over 1,000 hospitals and clinics around the country.

Maxicare assistant vice president for consumer marketing Milky Gallegos dismissed the preconceived notion that Maxicare is expensive.

“Recently, we conducted a study among hundreds of employees across the country, and it turns out that SMEs, I mean those who don’t invest

in HMO, spend an average of about P21,600 per employee per year on healthcare expenses. So this is on top of payroll, and expenses such as cash advance, whenever an employee or an employee’s family member gets sick.

When compared to Maxicare’s array of healthcare plans, SMEs will get quality healthcare with an affordable premium,” Gallegos said.

“Maxicare SME healthcare plans are a lot less than P21,000. In fact, depending on the size of your business, we have plans that start as low as P4,600 to P6,000 per employee per year. So this big difference in the amount of spending is something that a lot of SMEs are not aware of. And the key point that I want to make and to highlight is that investing in Maxicare SME healthcare plans not only gives your employees access to quality healthcare, but also protects your business from unplanned expenses. It really is an investment for the employees and the business itself,” she said.

Maxicare assistant vice president for consumer sales Jen Limbar-

Zoomcar rolls out to serve self-drive rental market in PH ZOOMCAR, the largest car sharing marketplace covering emerging markets, is set to launch its operations in the Philippines.

The start-up, which dominates the self-drive car rental market in India, expanded to Southeast Asia and appointed Gene Angelo Ferrer as country head in the Philippines to help scale their business.

As vice president and country head, Gene will lead Zoomcar’s operations in the Philippines.

Prior to joining Zoomcar, Gene led Dostavista’s, a Russian-based crowdsourced delivery platform’s entry into the Philippines in 2018.

Locally known as MrSpeedy/Borzo Delivery, the company under Ferre’s leadership grew exponentially with record setting year-on-year growth rates both on daily revenue and total deliveries per day.

Ferrer comes with over a decade’s experience and expertise in startup management will prove vital in establishing Zoomcar as the firstto-market car-sharing platform in the Philippines.

Commenting on Zoomcar’s international expansion and appointment of new country head, Greg Moran, co-founder and chief executive of Zoomcar said: “We have always been focused on personal mobility and this is the perfect time for us to expand internationally.

Against the backdrop of COVID, there are a lot of inherent tailwinds, which is really helping us capture

Philippines country head Gene Angelo Ferrer

more of the consumer mindset and gain market share.”

“People want to get out and travel and they want to be social again. The Philippines has low levels of vehicle ownership but large, upwardly mobile populations and it’s the perfect opportunity for us to leverage because there’s simply no vehicle accessibility and affordability is a huge constraint,” said Moran.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gene as our new country head in Philippines and look forward to benefiting from his experience of scaling up aggressively and building synergistic partnerships contributing to our growth.

Philippines will be a benchmark for us to expand into other countries in Southeast Asia,” he said.

Ferrer said that in recent years, the Philippines has been economically classified as an emerging market and was referred to as Asia’s rising tiger. “Zoomcar entering the Philippines market is yet another step forward to advance another local industry to become world-class. Excitement is an understatement to describe how I feel about joining Zoomcar at this important stage of its growth. I welcome the challenge to redefine the Filipino definition of mobility; self-drive has been widely popular in North America and Europe and I don’t see why it cannot be as popular in Southeast Asia”.

“What I am most looking forward to is to see how Zoomcar can uplift the Filipino people through our proposition of establishing a secondary income stream without sacrificing their existing day jobs. I look forward to learning from Greg and the Global Zoomcar team to further enhance the brand’s market trajectory but now adding some Filipino flavor. Great things have to be built, and today we take the first step to making Zoomcar Philippines the Filipino mobility app of choice,” said Ferrer.

ing said healthcare plans also cover pandemic-related diseases.

There are many product options to choose from, depending on the financial capabilities of each SME, she said.

Micro businesses can get a plan for as low as P4,651 per employee per year. For small businesses, it start from P6,260 for those with 10 to 19 employees or P5,301 for those with 20 to 99 employees.

Nestlé Philippines chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki

NESTLÉ recently launched a new initiative to plant two and a half million native bamboo clumps and a million trees over the next three years in the Philippines in support of its global goal to plant 200 million trees by 2030.

The project is targeting the island of Mindanao for the reforestation initiative. Nestlé sources coffee beans from the region. Planting bamboo native to the Philippines in Mindanao aims to absorb greenhouse gas emissions, conserve local biodiversity, improve water quality and restore degraded soils.

The initiative is part of the company’s plan to scale up actions in regenerative agriculture and deploy nature-based solutions to absorb greenhouse gases and contribute to achieving Nestlé’s net-zero target by 2050.

“We are facing a global climate emergency today. Forests stabilize the climate because they store significant amounts of carbon, maintain healthy water and soil systems, and provide habitat to plants and wildlife. Millions of livelihoods also depend on healthy forests. Planting trees in areas where we source our ingredients helps protect and restore food systems. It helps our supply chain and the local communities that grow our ingredients to be more resilient,” said Nestlé S.A. executive vice president and CEO of Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa Chris Johnson.

Nestlé is conducting the reforestation initiative with One Tree Planted, a non-profit environmental organization focusing on global reforestation and EcoPlanet Bamboo Group who champions the industrialization of bamboo as a sustainable fiber source.

The global initiative aims to help address the growing issue of deforestation in the Philippines and is part of the broader Nestlé global reforestation commitment.

Nestlè believes that forests play an important part in the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They are vital in holding off the floods caused by the storms to lessen the damage in disaster-prone areas. Forests provide resources as well to different communities.

Nestlé kicked off its global reforestation program across the Americas, supported in part by its ongoing partnership with One Tree Planted, before expanding it to several countries.

Nestlé’s reforestation initiative is a pillar of the company’s Forest Positive strategy, which looks beyond stopping deforestation, to protecting and restoring forests over the long term. It aims to make a positive impact on the critical agricultural areas where Nestlé sources its ingredients.

It also contributes to advancing regenerative and equitable farming systems that help conserve and restore the world’s forests and natural ecosystems, while promoting sustainable livelihoods and respecting human rights. This supports the company’s efforts to accelerate the transition to a regenerative food system.

Othel V. Campos

Picturesque memorial park rises in Batangas A SPRAWLING terrain, an air of tranquility and lush green space make for an exceptionally beautiful memorial park. When these attributes come with picturesque views of rugged mountains and a sparkling sea, the setting bears the unmistakable signature of Golden Haven Bauan--the first prestigious and premium memorial park in Bauan, a coastal municipality in Batangas province.

Set to be officially launched by the country’s most trusted memorial park developer, Golden Haven Memorial Park Bauan once more showcases Golden Haven’s ingenious and tasteful architectural designs, complemented by Bauan’s rich naturescape.

Golden Haven’s much-awaited development fuses the best qualities of its host town, a quiet little destination in the south, making Golden Haven Bauan an affirmation of the beauty and prestige of owning a property at Golden Haven. The company has solidified its reputation by offering only the finest death care services in the country and building the most serenely beautiful and dignified memorial parks where families can celebrate the lives of their dearly departed.

Golden Haven Memorial Park Bauan’s

easy-own payment terms and inherent appreciation value make it a dream investment package.

Red Rosales, chief operating officer of Golden Haven Memorial Parks, said residents of Bauan and adjacent towns who have invested in Golden Haven Bauan can look forward to observing Undas at the memorial park on Nov. 1.

Batanguenos and their guests can also reminisce on memories of their dearly departed as they bask in the refreshingly nippy breeze wafting from the sea and relax in the vast green spaces of Golden Haven Bauan.

The memorial park’s well-trained park personnel will be fully equipped to see to the needs of Undas attendees who are expected to comply with all relevant health protocols to enable everyone to celebrate safely.

The timely opening of Golden Haven Bauan is primed to be another milestone in the history of Golden Haven Memorial Parks, builder of the most beautiful memorial parks in the country.

Golden Haven Memorial Park is a subsidiary company of publicly-listed Villar-owned Golden MV Holdings Inc.

Golden Haven Bauan brings the leading developer’s thoughtful touch together with the best qualities of Batangas landscape.

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Vanessa Sarno says creating videos on social media relieves her from stress

Athletes show how to use SocMed to

PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH

S

OCIAL media platforms like TikTok or Facebook are more than just for fun, or for others, a tool for business.

Young, rising weightlifting star Vanessa Sarno is an avid TikTok user and she uses it to relieve herself from the daily stress in training.

“Pag nakakakita po ako ng mga tiktok videos po or pag gumagawa po ako ng mga tiktok nakaka wala po ng pagod at stress, yung iniisip mo ay yung steps lang talaga ng tiktok yung d mo na maiisip mga problema mo at di ka po nakakapag isip ng mga negative thoughts po.

Sarno, who is currently training in Bohol with other national team mainstays and aspirants, creates videos for Tiktok in between practices.

“Sobrang stress reliever po ng tiktok at natutuwa po ako pag naki-

Hidilyn Diaz shares her experiences and success methods through Power Move Project.

kita ko po yung mga tiktok na ginagawa ko po.”

Just like Hidilyn in her younger days, Sarno also dreams of making it to the greatest show on earth—the Olympics.

“Yung goal ko po sa weightlifting sa mga darating na taon ma improve ko po yung record ko ng 50% sa record ko po ngayon at syempre po yung number one goal ko po is to make it to the Olympics.”

Power Move Some elite Filipino athletes are now actively taking part in meaningful conversations on TikTok through the Better Today program, powered by PLDT Inc., (PLDT) its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF).

Olympic gold medalist and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, Tokyo

2020 s silver medalist and boxer Nesthy Petecio, basketball stars Dwight Ramos and Kai Sotto, esports player Jhayzee Rivera, and PLDT Home Fibr Hitters’ chief setter Rhea Dimaculangan headline Power Move: Better Today conversations on sports and mental resilience to encourage Filipinos to engage in sports and to recognize the role of sports in building mental resilience.

Diaz, on Saturday, kickstarted the PowerMoveProject with her testimony about remaining in control of her destiny amid the pandemic.

“Mental resilience is gold,” she said. She shared in the Tiktok conversation how she remained “mentally strong and resilient amid challenges with one power move at a time to win that historic gold.”

Ramos, who is currently playing in the Japan B.League, shared how basketball brought a sense of purpose and happiness in his life.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve loved the game. It made me a better person. Before training and competitions, I like to think of my family, I’d like to think of the reasons why I made these sacrifices in the first place. My advice for those who want to be a professional athlete: always believe in yourself. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs along the way. Believe in yourself, believe in your abilities,” he said.

The Power Move Project is the third series under the program, following the success of Better Today Conversations in 2020, and Better Today Time Capsule Project 2021 with over 186,000 record views collectively.

Better Today is a collaborative initiative and platform that concretizes PLDT and Smart’s commitment to promoting wellness, safe spaces, and change-making in the digital world.

“We are proud to be driving inter-generational conversations on mental health awareness anchored on our advocacy on sports through the Power Move Project,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT and Smart President and CEO. Message of hope “We Filipinos love sports so much that it has the power to bring us together as a nation. It gives us a deep sense of community, camaraderie, and pride. We want to share a message anchored on a deep sense of connection, and more importantly, a message of hope that you are not alone,” added Panlilio – who also serves as the president of MVPSF and first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The Power Move Project also encourages Filipinos to join the #BetterTodayAffirmations Challenge on TikTok. Beginning October 25, TikTok users can do their part in spreading mental health awareness with their family, friends, and followers on the social media platform.

PLDT and Smart seek to uplift and improve the overall physical and mental wellness of Filipinos through initiatives that ensure food security, improve nutrition, and create awareness online.

These initiatives emphasize the commitment of PLDT and Smart to the UN Sustainable Development Goals #3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Catch the Power Move Project on Better Today’s Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit www.smart.com.ph.

dsfd

LIMA Estate plays host to football bubble training

WITH its numerous open spaces, recreation areas, and strict implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols, LIMA Estate has become a safe haven for the Philippine Football Federation and its member clubs.

LIMA Estate, a 794-hectare industrial-anchored township located in Lipa-Malvar Batangas, is known for being the largest and best-selling privately owned industrial estate in the Philippines, but it also has its own Central Business District (CBD), which includes worldclass sporting facilities.

The Aboitiz Pitch is one of the largest artificial turfs in Luzon and can be utilized to play multiple sports including football. The sporting facility is integrated into The Outlets at Lipa, a lifestyle mall with

167 shops and restaurants, just a short walk from LIMA Park Hotel, a 138-room 4-star hotel. These unique features make LIMA’s CBD the ideal location for teams to train ahead of local and international competition.

LIMA Park Hotel (left) is a 138room 4-star hotel conveniently located within the LIMA Central Business District (right).

As a result, a number of Philippine Football Federation member clubs have been training at LIMA, as well as the U23 Men’s National Football team in preparation for the Asian Football Confederation Under-23 Cup 2022 Qualifiers in Singapore on October 25 - 31, 2021.

To ensure safety, the players, coaching staff, and team officials undergo RT-PCR testing before entry to the bubble and routine testing during training. They are all required to wear

face masks and shields at all times, except while in sessions. A health and safety officer is also present to monitor the health of all the people in the bubble.

To further secure the teams’ health, the training areas and hotel are closed to spectators, guests, media, and non-essential individuals.

During the pandemic, LIMA hosted Kaya Football Club Iloilo, while prior to the pandemic, LIMA had hosted a number of games for the Philippine Football League (PFL) and the Youth Football League (YFL).

“We are honored to be hosting the Philippine Football Federation and its member clubs in LIMA and at the Aboitiz Pitch. It ensures that our athletes can continue their training and development programs in a safe and conducive environment”, shared Rob del Rosario, Luzon Operations Head of Aboitiz InfraCapi-

U23 Men’s National Football Team training at the ‘Aboitiz Pitch’ located within LIMA Estate’s The Outlets at Lipa.

tal’s Commercial Business Unit.

“We continue to work hard to ensure safety within the Estate, so they can focus on training and winning matches,” he added.

LIMA Central Business District (CBD) is LIMA Estate’s

30-hectare commercial area and the first CBD to rise in the province of Batangas. It currently houses various commercial components such as The Outlets at Lipa, LIMA Exchange, LIMA Park Hotel, and LIMA Transport Hub.

Mindoro checks skid, outlasts Parañaque in double OT

Jielo Razon (left) tries to force his way to the basket

THE Mindoro Disiplinados snapped their four-game losing streak, defeating the Paranaque Aces in double overtime, 9087, on Saturday in the Chooksto-Go NBL Chairman’s Cup at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Luigi Natada buried a reverse lay-up with 23.5 seconds in the second overtime to take an 88-87 lead for Mindoro which it sustained until the end.

After Jielo Razon missed a three for Paranaque, Jay Axalan scored two free throws with 1.9 seconds

left for Mindoro. The final play of the game saw a miss by Razon from rainbow country.

Mindoro now moves to a share of eighth place with Paranaque with a 2-5 win-loss slate, as the Disiplinados look to move up and join the top six teams who will move to the playoffs.

Natada finished the game with 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Jhon Jerrick Caspe tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Rodel Vaygan also had 17 points as Dwight Jasper Garcia dominated the boards with a game-high 15 rebounds.

Razon had 18 points and nine assists as Vincent Alves added 15 points and 18 rebounds in a loss by the Aces.

Meanwhile, Mindoro will look to sweep its weekend games as it faces the Stan Spartan 4th District (1-7) at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday.

The La Union PAOwer go up against the Bulacan DF Republicans at 4 p.m. while the Taguig Generals face the Paranaque Aces at 6 p.m. The games are streamed on NBL-Pilipinas Facebook and YouTube and aired on television on Solar Sports.

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Golden girl H

Reliving the winning moment

The image of Diaz clenching her fists in victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will forever be remembered by the nation, which she got to relive in the Pepe Dioknodirected short film for Kwentong Jollibee, titled “Ginto”.

When asked how it was like re-enacting her own journey, she said, “Bumalik Bumalik lahat ng emotions — ‘yung saya, ‘yung hirap, at ‘yung pagpapalakas ng mga tao na tumulong sa akin para maabot ko yung pangarap ko.”

“Masaya dahil ibang experience din for me ‘yung mag-act, act, and rewarding dahil nakita ko ‘yung personal journey ko through another lens,” she added.

When she first saw the film in full, Diaz revealed tearing up upon seeing the support of fellow Filipinos. “Lalo na yung doon sa part na chini-cheer ako ng mga frontliners, ng mga bata. Masaya po ako na nainspire ko sila gaya ng pag-inspire nila sa akin.”

By Theriz Lizel R. Silvano MAKING or building something using do-ityourself kits has been a popular pastime during the pandemic, with many homebound folks turning to hobbies to cope with quarantine.

Even before COVID-19, experts attest to the benefits of creating something “tangible” to mental health.

“A lot of our brain is devoted to movement,” said Kelly Lambert, professor at RandolphMacon College of Ashland in Virginia, USA. “So hobbies and activities that use our hands … (like) gardening, building model airplanes, and knitting could be the key to mental health because they activate a lot of our brain.”

While hobby kits are NOT a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment, they may help in keeping your mind occupied and getting the family together. These are a few examples:

SHE LIFTED HERSELF TO LIFT THE COUNTRY. Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines' first gold Olympic medalist, looks back on her humble beginnings in a short film directed by Pepe Diokno. (Inset) Diaz receives another gold, a customized engagement ring with a diamond on a golden barbell.

IDILYN DIAZ has done it again.

Our first Olympic gold medalist, our “golden girl”, makes us proud and inspired as she shares the story of her humble beginnings in a short film by a fast food giant.

The short film, posted on YouTube on Oct. 15, shows how Diaz persevered and never gave up – even if she failed, even if some people told her “hindi ito para sa’yo” – until she clinched her golden dream.

“Ang gamit kong weights noon ay mga gallon ng tubig. Mayroon akong mahabang bakal, ‘yun ang bar ko, tapos sa magkabila ay mga bote na may lamang tubig o kaya buhangin,” related the 30-year-old weightlifter. There were a lot of challenges at the start of her career, she shared, and many instances when she wanted to give up. But these did not discourage her.

She lifted herself until she was able to lift the nation.

After she ended her run at the 2012 London Olympics with an official result of “Did not finish” (DNF), she worked harder and bagged the silver medal four years later in Rio. “Noong nanalo ako sa Rio, doon mas naging malinaw sa akin na maraming nakababatang atleta na nakatingin sa akin para sa inspirasyon. Kaya sabi ko, hindi ako pwedeng sumuko.

Ilalaban ko hanggang makuha natin ang pinakamimithing ginto,” shared Diaz.

Hobby and DIY kits to calm the mind

A light in these dark times

Long-time Kwentong Jollibee director Pepe Diokno shared how great an honor it was working on the new short film.

“I’ve done a lot of Kwentong Jollibee films, and each story is different,” he related. “But what sets ‘Ginto’ apart is that it’s a story of a sports icon that’s being revealed to the world. Hidilyn’s journey to success is the inspiration we need in these difficult times, and I treasure that I was able to do it with her and, of course, Jollibee.”

As of this writing, “Ginto: A Hidilyn Diaz Kwentong Jollibee Special” has over 4 million views on Jollibee Studios’ YouTube page and more than 4.5 million views on Facebook. The short film was done in collaboration with the chain’s partner agency, McCann Worldgroup Philippines.

What’s next after gold

Now that she got her dream, the thing she worked hard for, what does Hidilyn Diaz want next?

“Gusto ko po makatapos ng aking studies,” she said. She is currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

“Gusto ko po makuha ang aking diploma at makapag-develop pa ng training schools para sa mga aspiring na atleta gaya ko noong nag-uumpisa ako. ako Weightlifting ang passion ko at gusto kong i-share ito sa mga kabataan,” added Diaz.

She also mentioned plans of setting up an outreach activactiv ity similar to a community pantry in the coming months.

And, of course, she is preparing to tie the knot with her boyfriend and trainer, Julius Naranjo who recently propro posed to her with a custom-made engagement ring (by Manila Diamond Studio) with a diadia mond set on a gold barbell.

Hobby Buddy's plant kit

Choose your kit

Hobby Buddy (@hobbybuddyph) is a one-stop shop for hobby kits. It offers embroidery kits, resin kits, paint by numbers kits, and plant kits, so you can create your own set of earrings, paint landscapes and other sketches, plant your own herbs, or sew and embroider.

Prices of each kit range from P400 to P600.

The Accidental Bakester's Halloween cookie kit

Eat your kit

Diaz shares her plan to develop training schools for aspiring athletes.

Diaz watches the short film about her journey to her dream.

Online exhibit mounts works of grassroots, emerging artists THE Grounded Artist Network, a group of artists from various creative subcultures and practices, shines the spotlight on grassroots and emerging artists at its ongoing online exhibit.

“States of Cadence: Exhibit 1”, the first of the two-part series, features works by 18 artists chosen in line with the group’s focus on holistic lifestyle and community, and its ocean environmental awareness advocacy.

The artists were tasked to create a series that reflects the way they see the collective energy of today’s world.

Featured artist Archie Geotina showcases limited edition prints of the PEARLS series of black and white photographs of Filipino women surfing in traditional terno and Filipiniana gowns.

Also among the artists in the group show are Michael Eijansantos, an ocean photographer who published the Philippines’ first surfing coffee table book (Locals Perspectives); Natalia Larrauri, a budding film photographer in Siargao who aims to normalize the expression of the woman’s body; and artist and designer Mikee Silva whose works take an optimistically comical look into our everyday existence.

“States of Cadence” also presents the glow-in-the-dark works of Alecca Adarna and Corina Borromeo; and the watercolor paintings of Nikki Ocean and Swedish artist Camila Öster Yu. Grounded has also connected with Filipino artists living abroad, such as husband and wife artist-duo Christopher and Maddie Camcam from the

Online pastry shop The Accidental Bakester (@the.accidental.bakester) offers DIY cookie kits, in addition to its cakes and cupcakes. The kit, ideal as a party favor, includes sugar cookies, colored frostings, toppings and candies, and an instruction guide. Customers may even request a special packaging with a letter.

The cookie kit may come in any theme the customer wants (shapes, animals, BTS members, Among Us, etc.) It starts at P400.

'Cobra Reef, Baler, Aurora' by Michael Eijansantos

United States and Chiara Daez Capony from Belgium. Completing the list are Ana Abigail, Luis Antonio Pastoriza, Gringo Benedicto, Melissa Lara, Lucia Fischer, JP Sarmiento, and Jof Sering.

The exhibit opened on Sept. 23 at www.groundedph.com and will run until Nov. 15. The second part will be launched in December.

The Curated Stop's sensory play box

Learn from your kit

'Escape the Night and Follow the Light' by Corina Borromeo

'Kape't Gatas' by Natalia Larrauri

'PEARLS Aping 1' by Archie Geotina

The Curated Stop (@thecuratedstop) is all about fun and learning with its customized party kits, STEM activity kits, and sensory play boxes.

Kits include the Little Learner, with tubs of water beads, kinetic sand, sand toys, Play-Doh clay tubs, clay tools, and others. It also has the Little Astronaut, which consists of Elmer’s glitter glue and magical liquid, kinetic sand, glow-in-the-dark stars and gemstones, handsewn felt toys, and others. Also available are Rainbow Filly, First Explorers, Little Artist & IKEA, and The Submariner, among others. Kits range from P480 to P4,380.

OCTOBER 24, 2021

SOULKZ Tandingan SUPREME releases first international single

S

OUL singer KZ Tandingan takes her music to a whole different level with her soulful delivery and exceptional vocals in “11:59,” her brand new single released on Oct. 22.

KZ Tandingan makes her debut as an international artist with ‘11:59,’ a single produced by an A-list team that includes Grammynominated producer Luigie ‘Lugo’ Gonzales.

Sam Fischer is ‘Hopeless Romantic’

Grammy-nominated producer Luigie “Lugo” Gonzales, Paulino Lorenzo, and Idrise Ward-El produced KZ’s first single under Tarsier Records, which is slated for international release as ABS-CBN continues to showcase Filipino talents on the world stage.

“It’s the realization of a vision.

Parang after my ‘X Factor’ 2012 stint, the dream was always to go international, to represent the country on the world stage.

And now I get to release this,” KZ shared.

Recounting the moments before she finally recorded the song, she said, “I just wanted to be ready, na alam nila na ‘She did the work.’ Sobra akong kinakabahan kasi it’s a new environment, new people, i-add mo pa na I was working with a Grammy-nominated artist so I didn’t wanna disappoint him.”

The hard-hitting soul track “11:59” takes listeners through a journey of lovers trying to figure out what the next move is in their relationship, where one is seeking answers from the other.

Its music video, directed and conceptualized by Dominic Bekaert of Zoopraxi Studios, will play around the message of the song and visually picture the concept of time through a circular set.

Known for her edgy and authentic sound and style, the “X Factor Philippines” season one grand winner achieved international fame when she joined China’s singing competition “Singer 2018,” where her performances went viral. In 2019, KZ made history anew as the first Filipino to perform a sold-out concert in Dubai World Trade Center Arena.

The Kapamilya singer has had several huge projects under her belt this 2021. She sang the first full Filipino Disney song, “Gabay,” for the film “Raya the Last Dragon” and released the wedding EP “Simula” together with her husband and fellow Filipino artist TJ Monterde. She also interpreted the song “Marupok,” which emerged as Best Song in Himig 11th Edition.

KZ’s “11:59” single is now available for music streaming on major platforms worldwide.

Australian singer-songwriter Sam Fisher releases his new track ‘Hopeless Romantic,’ which delves into the struggles he’s faced as an artist.

FOLLOWING the release of his duet with Demi Lovato on “What Other People Say,” hit single “This City” and recent fan track “Simple,” Sam Fischer has shared his emotional and uplifting new single “Hopeless Romantic,” available now through RCA Records.

In true Sam style, “Hopeless Romantic” wears its heart on its sleeve and discusses the struggles Sam has faced as an artist and romanticizes what every-day life should be. Whilst it is lyrically deep and emotional, musically it is a melodic and uplifting pop song that builds to a catchy and bold chorus.

“There have been times over the past two years where I really felt like I’d never get to do the things I’d always dreamed about doing as an artist. With every virtual performance that ended with a deep silence from my furniture, it just started making me really sad, and at the same time guilty, because I wasn’t appreciating what I have at all,” says Sam. “I was actively refusing to accept the reality and instead ro-

manticizing a version of life that just simply didn’t exist. That’s really what Hopeless Romantic is about. Though I will say, having just come off of my first headline tour, where I got to meet my fans for the first time, who are the people who give me this life, I’m in a much better place,” he added.

Sam’s debut single “This City” currently stands at over 500 million worldwide streams and stayed in the UK Top 20 for 11 weeks. The track is also double platinum in Australia, platinum in the UK and Gold in the US, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Now based in LA, Sam not only has received acclaim for his own work, but he continues to solidify his spot as one of the hottest current writers, having worked with global pop superstars including Ciara, Lennon Stella, Louis Tomlinson, Elle King, Jessie J, and Virginia To Vegas, to name a few.

However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Sam, who endured his own heartache to achieve his dreams. With the promise of a recording contract in the bag, he set off to LA only for the deal to be pulled away. After months of couch-surfing, he finally and deservedly received his break with “This City” and project “Homework,” which has been just the amazing start of an exciting new chapter in Sam’s career.

Lightsum is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment and is composed of eight members: Sangah, Chowon, Nayoung, Hina, Juhyeon, Yujeong, Huiyeon, and Jian.

Rookie K-pop girl group drops sophomore single LIGHTSUM returns with its second single “Light a Wish” four months after presenting its “first special and thrilling meeting.”

Having shown its light to the world with debut single “Vanilla” last June, K-pop group has expressed the sweet moment of falling in love as a special,

eye-opening vanilla taste, showing the freshness of Gen Z with a unique style.

Besides, Lightsum set a record for the highest initial sales of 19,000 copies among rookie girl groups in 2021, and the music video of its title track “Vanilla” achieved 10 million views in about a week after its release.

The title track ranked 8th on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart, proving its power as a “2021 Hot Rookie Girl Group.”

With its second single, Lightsum aims to showcase its original powerful performances, stable vocals, and more upgraded, cool, and shining charms.

Mikee Quintos unveils her most authentic self in debut track KAPUSO star Mikee Quintos is all set to show the world her truest self as she releases her very first single entitled “Just Enough” under the new sublabel GMA Playlist.

Launched in September, the bubblegum pop track makes the listeners feel lit as Mikee sings about her definition of love in a feel-good tune.

The single also gives her fans a fresh and never-before-seen look into her musicality and how she has grown as a performer.

Mikee is thrilled to introduce to her listeners this exciting track, “I want them to hear and feel the love from the words of the song down to the beat, down to every pluck of the guitar.

Gusto kong maramdaman nila na it’s all made with love, and it’s made for love. I want them to feel that and get reminded na it’s still possible to love and the power of love!”

She added that they will meet another side of her that she feels most connected with, “It’s not new but it’s the first time I’m introducing this side to them and I hope they welcome it with full hearts and acceptance.”

“Just Enough” is now available for download on iTunes and for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other digital streaming platforms worldwide.

Screen star and singer Mikee Quintos goes blonde for the music video of her first single ‘Just Enough.’

FEAT EATURES ATU AT TUR OCTOBER 24, 2021

File photo shows hippos at the Hacienda Napoles theme park, once the private zoo of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, in Doradal, Colombia. In a first, an American court has recognized animals as legal persons – specifically, the descendants of Escobar's hippopotamuses who have been spreading in Colombia since the notorious drug lord was killed almost thirty years ago. AFP

Escobar's lawyered-up hippos recognized as people by US court

I

N A first, a US court has recognized animals as legal persons – specifically, the descendants of Pablo Escobar's hippopotamuses who have thrived in Colombia since the notorious drug lord was killed almost 30 years ago.

The ruling came after the nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) filed an application seeking to allow two experts in nonsurgical sterilization of wildlife to provide testimony supporting a Colombian lawsuit to stop a cull.

At a federal court in Ohio, magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz last week granted the request of the plaintiffs, the "Community of Hippopotamuses Living in the Magdalena River."

The ruling was based on a US law that allows an "interested person" in foreign litigation to request US depositions to help their case.

"In granting the application...the court recognized the hippos as legal persons with respect to that statute," ALDF said in a statement.

Christopher Berry, ALDF's managing attorney, told AFP on Thursday the district court order "will help the hippos in their lawsuit not to die – that's the im-

mediate impact of it.

"More broadly speaking, it's the first concrete example of a US court authorizing animals to exercise a legal right in the animal's own name," he added.

The lawsuit was filed last July on behalf of the hippos by attorney Luis Domingo Gomez Maldonado in Colombia, which already recognizes legal personhood for animals.

Its aim is to stop the government from euthanizing the animals, who now number around 100, up significantly from the single male and three females Escobar initially acquired.

Before he was shot dead by police in 1993, the cocaine baron purchased exotic animals to live on his ranch, including flamingos, giraffes, zebras and kangaroos.

After his death, all but the hippopotamuses were sold to zoos.

The semiaquatic ungulates were left to roam Escobar's Hacienda Napoles estate and continued breeding. They are now believed to be the largest socalled "bloat" of hippopotamuses outside of Africa.

This has had detrimental consequences for the local ecology, as well as reported attacks on local fishermen.

While the litigation is ongoing, authorities announced October 15 they had begun sterilizing the pod using

the contraceptive drug GonaCon administered by dart guns, and through surgical sterilization.

The lawsuit contends it is unknown if the Colombian government will use the drug safely and whether it still intends to kill some of the animals.

It is seeking to provide the hippos with another contraceptive, called PZP (porcine zona pellucida), which has successfully been used in zoos and is recommended by Animal Balance, an international organization that focuses on sterilization of animals. AFP

Cartoon dreams: Netflix's Japan anime school targets demand US streaming giant Netflix has partnered with WIT Animator Academy, which offers a group of junior artists free training and a stipend for living expenses as they learn. WIT Studio animated the 2018 Pokémon movie, among others. AFP

A self portrait of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch hangs at the new Munch museum in Oslo on October 19, 2021. The enormous new Munch Museum opens to the public smack dab in the city center, in a specially-designed tower that is luxuriously spacious and modern. AFP

World's largest museum for an artist?

Munch gets new digs

TO EDVARD Munch, they were his children. And like any doting father, he hated the idea of them straying too far from home.

Now, more than 26,000 artworks from the master expressionist's "family" – including his best known piece, "The Scream" – have moved under one roof in the enormous and custom-built MUNCH museum on the shore of Oslo Fjord.

Gone is the old, rundown and poorly secured Munch Museum in the Norwegian capital's outskirts – from where a version of "The Scream" and another masterpiece, "Madonna," were stolen by armed robbers in 2004.

On Friday, the new museum opens to the public smack dab in the heart of Oslo, in a luxuriously spacious modernist building that has sparked much controversy.

"This might be the biggest museum for a single artist," museum director Stein Olav Henrichsen says as he gives

a tour of the building.

With 13 floors covering more than 26,000 square meters, the new building offers five times more exhibition space than the gloomy museum that until now housed Norway's national treasure.

A bachelor who had no children, Munch (1863-1944) bequeathed his work to the city of Oslo. He had originally intended to leave it to the Norwegian state, but changed his will at the last-minute to avoid the art falling into unwanted hands.

At the time, Norway was occupied by the Nazis, who considered the pioneer of expressionism to be a maker of "degenerate art.”

Rising from the shore of the fjord and next to the city's iconic opera house, the new museum aims to make up for a historical injustice by finally giving the world-renowned artist the building his admirers feel his oeuvre

deserves.

Half a million visitors are expected each year – with the museum hoping for more than a million – to view the 200 works on permanent display across 4,500 square meters.

Amid some of the recurring darker themes like angst, despair and death are less depressing ones exploring love, self-portraiture and landscapes.

Pallid and sickly naked bodies mix with fiery red strokes depicting mops of hair or sunsets.

And of course, there is "The Scream."

The museum owns several versions of the iconic artwork: one painting, one drawing, six lithographs and several sketches.

It also features other masterpieces such as "Madonna" – both it and the stolen "Scream" were recovered by police two years later – "Vampire" and "The Sick Child," as well as some lesser known Munch pieces. AFP

ARMED with a set of pencils and a feather to sweep away eraser dust, Hitomi Tateno is training the next generation of anime artists at a new Netflixfunded academy as global demand for the Japanese genre soars.

From runaway box office triumph "Demon Slayer" to recent Cannes sensation "Belle," anime has shaken off its reputation as a geeky subculture, drawing in hordes of new fans during virus lockdowns.

But Japan is facing a shortage of skilled animators, in part because most face years toiling in low-paying jobs to learn the ropes, meaning much of the painstaking frame-by-frame drawing work is outsourced overseas.

That's something the US streaming giant thinks it can change with its WIT Animator Academy, which offers a group of junior artists free training and a stipend for living expenses as they learn.

George Wada, president of top anime production house WIT Studio, which is running the training with Netflix, compares it to other fast tracks into demanding industries.

"If you become an apprentice with a top sushi chef, it may take years before you master all the recipes, but you can go to a sushi academy and finish the whole curriculum in one year," he explained.

The six-month course focuses on "in-between" art – the frames between each "master" picture that create the illusion of movement.

Tateno, who has worked on top titles from Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away" to cult classic "Akira," has built a successful career by in-betweening.

"This job is like weaving a rug. It's very delicate and requires patience," the anime veteran told AFP as she checked lines drawn by a student.

"Many aspiring animators want to quickly step up to a key animator position, and even if some want to spe-

cialise in in-betweening, not many can survive."

There's no doubt about the growing demand for animators.

More than 100 million households worldwide watched at least one anime on Netflix in the 12 months to September 2020, a figure that grew 50 percent year on year, the US entertainment behemoth says.

The firm hopes the academy will "help the future of Japanese animators to spread their wings to the world through their works," with eventual plans to expand and offer tracks into other animation specialties.

"We will continue our efforts to support and strengthen the talent that supports the animation industry," Taiki Sakurai, Netflix's chief producer for anime, told AFP. It is part of a strategy to compete with the likes of Crunchyroll, the world's largest online anime library, bought by Sony this year in a $1.17 billion deal.

With the first six-month programme finished, the WIT Academy is now welcoming its second cohort of students.

The graduates will be offered jobs at WIT studio or one of its affiliates to produce Netflix shows in a team.

But they will be entering an industry where staff retention is a dire problem, with salaries still dismal and in-betweeners staying in the job just four years on average.

Most in-betweeners in Japan are freelance or part-time, with only 18 percent holding full-time positions, and 80 percent of in-between work is sent abroad, mainly to China or South Korea, the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) says. AFP The safety net offered by free training, funding and a pathway to a career is rare, and WIT Academy student Maki Ueno said it made her "feel secure." AFP