Manila Standard - 2021 November 10 - Wednesday

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SARA DROPS MAYOR BID, SEEN AS PRELUDE TO PRESIDENTIAL RUN Bong Go hints being replaced as VP bet, cries ‘politics dirty’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday withdrew her certificate of candidacy (COC) for re-election, further fueling speculations she would run for president with only six days before the deadline for the substitution of candidates for the 2022 elections.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter posted on her Facebook account

ALTHOUGH he is “100 percent sure” of running for vice president, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go conceded Tuesday he cannot control those who want to run, as he said there might be changes in his political plans for the 2022 elections.

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SARA AXES EXEC IN DRUG PARTY Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

NEWS / A2

“My candidacy for vice president might change. Changes in politics are inevitable because as I have said, politics is dirty,” an emotional Go said in an event in Antipolo City.

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President Rodrigo Duterte (right) and Sen. Christopher ‘Bong’ Go hold up vials of the Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine, one of 2.8 million doses that arrived from Russia on Monday night.

See related story below.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 268 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Economy grows 7.1% in Q3

Consumer spending spurs rebound, ‘validates’ gov’t tack vs. pandemic

By Julito G. Rada and Maricel V. Cruz

T

2,806,694

HE economy grew more than expected in the third quarter, the government said Tuesday, as a rebound in consumer spending overcame pandemic lockdowns and other restrictions to rein in the fast-spreading COVID-19 delta variant.

Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 7.1 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported, better than the 4.9 percent predicted in a Bloomberg survey and following a blockbuster 12 percent rate in the previous three months.

The second-quarter reading was the best performance in more than three decades and came as the country emerged from a deep recession that saw five quarters of contraction caused by the virus.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said the third quarter growth validated the government’s approach to fighting COVID-19 with strict containment measures.

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1,409

30,544

44,567

46

2,731,583

2,941

(As of 4 PM, November 9)

Goggles, double face masks vice face shield eyed

BIZ BOUNCEBACK. A family enjoys their bonding time while sitting on a bench amid colorful Christmas decor inside SM Marikina on Tuesday as malls across the country welcomed more shoppers amid relaxed COVID-19 restrictions. Inset shows a maintenance man of the Eastwood Mall in Quezon City sanitizing a plastic barrier at the ticket booth of their cinemas, a day before the re-opening of cinemas at malls in areas under Alert Level 2.

Danny Pata and Manny Palmero

By Willie Casas, Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo

Galvez: Gov’t to mandate vaccination as state’s constitutional duty

By Joel E. Zurbano and Willie Casas people, especially those who are highly are needed to protect the majority of sis for the implementation of mandatory vulnerable to the disease. the population. vaccination in the country.

THE government remains steadfast in National Task Force against COVHe said the government’s constituThe vaccine czar pointed out that its plan to make COVID-19 vaccination ID-19 chief implementer Secretary tional mandate to protect the health and unvaccinated individuals pose a major mandatory, saying it will protect the Carlito Galvez Jr. said mandatory jabs welfare of the people should be the baNext page

DILG sets discounts, raffle prizes as incentives for being vaccinated to ramp up vacTHE DepartOn mandatory vaccinations, President Rodrigo cination against ment of the InDuterte said late Tuesday: “As a lawyer, if you’re COVID-19 naterior and Local already at work and you don’t want the vaccine, G ove r n m e n t that’s too bad for the employer. But I think it is legal tionwide. “ B a s e d (DILG) said for employers not to accept people (applying) who on the latest the proposal to are not vaccinated. To those who don’t want the jab, I hope you come to your senses.” data from the withhold a porDSWD (Detion of the benefits received by beneficiaries of the Pan- partment of Social Welfare and Developtawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) ment), only 12 percent of the 4.4 million is only one of several measures suggested Next page

THE use of goggles and double face masks in lieu of face shields is being considered, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday, as experts are finalizing their recommendation on wearing of face shields in enclosed spaces.

That, although there appears to be a new wave of concern after the DOH confirmed the direction of talks between their officials and experts.

Vergeire, replying to a question Monday, said goggles use was part of talks between the Department of Health and health experts reevaluating evidence on protection offered by face shields.

The DOH official said: “We mandated the use of face shields primarily to protect our eyes, because evidence shows we can get the infection through our eyes. We are talking about all these, such as the possibility of the use of goggles and others.”

She said the DOH would submit its updated recommendation on face shield use to the Inter-Agency Task Next page

SPEAKER’S DAY. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep Martin Romualdez (left) and House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Cavite Rep. Crispin “Boying” Remulla (center) greet Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (right) a Happy Birthday during a celebration at the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno

COVID CASES HIT 9-MONTH LOW NEWS / A2

BPOS STILL ‘WFH’ ‘TIL MARCH 2022 BUSINESS / B1

Palace okays ‘no vax, no bonus’, says Xmas benefit ‘discretionary’

By Vito Barcelo THE Palace on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong with proposals to withhold Christmas bonuses from people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, saying such bonuses are discretionary.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that giving a Christmas bonus is

not mandated by law and depends on the willingness of employers to grant it.

“Because the Christmas bonus is discretionary, that may be used as part of the incentives to convince more people to get the jab,” Roque said.

“I do not see anything wrong with it because it is a Christmas bonus. It is not a requirement under the law,” he added.

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DUTIFUL. Jeepney passengers in Divisoria, Manila still wear face shields on Tuesday even after Mayor Isko Moreno issued a directive mandating its use only in hospitals, medical clinics and other medical facilities. Danny Pata

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

COVID cases hit 9-month low

By Willie Casas

T

HE Philippines logged on Tuesday 1,409 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total to 2,806,694, the lowest number of daily cases reported in almost nine months or since the 1,414 infections on February 23.

and ensure it will not reach the critical level as well as protect its vulnerable population.

“To avoid this, we need to ensure that we will not reach the red line in terms of the health system capacity and to continue the protection of the vulnerable population,” he said.

Duque said the government must continue its vaccination program, implement the minimum public health standards, improve the health system capacity, implement the border control measures, and continue surveillance measures.

500 per day, the DOH said.

Duque, during the Laging Handa briefing, said the de-escalation of the alert level would depend on the data.

“If the numbers will continue to go down, for example, we had a little over 2,000 yesterday. So, it’s possible that if it’s below 1,000 or 500 per day, we may go down to Alert Level 1,” he said.

Duque said lowering the alert level would allow more sectors to open up.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said NCR had recorded a sevenday average daily case count of 385.

“That is very good news for us because these are the numbers that we had been seeing since the start of the year before the increase in cases happened,” Vergeire said in an interview on CNN.

City info officer who attended drug party axed DAVAO City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio has fired the city’s information officer, who on Tuesday confirmed she attended a party over the weekend that was later raided for illegal drugs.

In a statement, the Office of the City Mayor said Jefry Tupas was terminated a day after attending a party where anti-narcotics officers confiscated some P1.5 million worth of party drugs and marijuana.

“Last Sunday, Jefry signified her resignation and on the same moment [she] was informed that [she] is terminated from work with the City Government of Davao,” Duterte-Carpio’s office said.

“I was there. I left early with my boyfriend and another friend,” Tupas told ABS-CBN News.

Duterte-Carpio’s office said details of the raid “are known only to the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) officers in Davao de Oro and Ms. Tupas.”

Suspected party drugs, shabu and marijuana were seized during an antidrug operation at a resort in Davao de Oro last Saturday.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation and PDEA arrested 17 people, many of whom authorities claimed were caught amid a drug session.

Duterte-Carpio’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte, has been waging a massive war against illegal drugs since coming to power in 2016.

On Thursday, the Duterte patriarch said he was taking full responsibility for the bloody war on drugs that has killed thousands of people but maintained he will never be tried by an international court.

All laboratories were operational, while 14 laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health reported.

The DOH also reported 30,544 active cases, of which 60.7 percent were mild, 8 percent were asymptomatic, 4.2 percent were critical, 10 percent were severe, and 17.05 percent were moderate.

But Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the public should not expect COVID-19 to simply disappear at

this stage.

“It is wrong to think at this stage that the COVID will disappear. It is best to assume that it will stay with us and therefore we must learn to coexist with it,” Duque said at the Laging Handa briefing.

Duque said the Philippines was doing the same preparation for the possibility that the virus may become endemic.

Duque said, should the virus become endemic, the Philippines must strictly monitor its healthcare capacity system

Goggles,...

From A1

Syringe shortage could hurt vaccine drives, says WHO

Force on Thursday. In the meantime, local government units were told to enforce the mandate.

The discussion about the wearing of goggles for COVID-19 prompted concerns from eyeglass wearers who complained about experiencing struggles with the current mandatory use of face shields.

A POSSIBLE shortage of one to two billion syringes needed to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in 2022 could also impact routine immunizations and undermine needle safety, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday.

Locally, the Department of Health said local government units (LGUs) have been given funds to buy syringes, but a shortage has hampered immunization in some regions.

The syringes in question are specifically used for mRNA vaccines such as those for COVID-19.

The issue came up after Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Camarines Norte Provincial Health Officer Dr. Arnel Francisco said they received Pfizer vaccines without syringes.

This incident happened a few months ago and has already been addressed, adding that the situation in Sorsogon and Camarines Norte might just be isolated cases, Vergeire said.

UNICEF, the United Nation’s fund for children, is predicting an “imminent shortfall” of up to 2.2 billion of the single-use syringes used to give jabs,

WHO Africa said.

These include auto-disable syringes used to administer Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid vaccine, it said.

The shortage will remain through at least the first quarter of next year, it said in a weekly online briefing.

National health authorities should plan their needs well in advance to avoid the “hoarding, panic buying and type of situation” seen early in the pandemic with the lack of personal protective equipment, WHO expert Lisa Hedman said. Willie Casas with AFP

Economy...

From A1 “Our strategy was correct. The results are clear,” Chua said in an online briefing. “This careful balancing between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 needs led to the continued expansion of most sectors.”

With GDP growth reaching 4.9 percent in the first nine months, Chua said the Philippines is likely to attain the higher end of the government’s 4-5 percent target this year.

“The recovery is accelerating, and it is very likely that we will hit or even exceed the high end of our growth target for 2021,” he added.

Chua has previously said it will take the Philippines more than a decade to return to its pre-pandemic growth path.

He said the “long-run total cost of COVID and quarantine” will reach P41 trillion ($810 billion), which would be felt over the next 10 to 40 years.

More than 2.8 million people have been infected in the Philippines, with more than 44,000 deaths. But cases have fallen sharply in recent weeks -- to levels last seen in February -- allowing the government to reopen parts of the economy.

In an online briefing, national statistician and civil registrar general Dennis Mapa said the industry and services

sectors contributed much to the third quarter expansion, growing by 7.9 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively.

Mapa said the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles grew by 6.4 percent; manufacturing, 6.3 percent; and construction, 16.8 percent.

Meanwhile, agriculture, forestry, and fishing declined by 1.7 percent in the third quarter of 2021, due to bad weather during the period.

On the demand side, household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) grew by 7.1 percent in the third quarter of 2021. Other items that also recorded growths were gross capital formation, 22.0 percent; government final consumption expenditure (GFCE), 13.6 percent; exports, 9.0 percent; and imports, 13.2 percent.

Net primary income from the rest of the world declined by 52.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the gross national income posted a growth of 2.8 percent during the period.

The third-quarter expansion was, however, slower compared to the revised 12-percent growth in the second quarter. This brought the year-to-date average GDP to 4.9 percent, near the upper end of the target range of 4 to 5 percent for the entire year.

Chua said the third-quarter growth was “among the highest third-quarter growths

in the ASEAN and East Asian region.”

“On a seasonally adjusted quarter-onquarter basis, the economy expanded by 3.8 percent. This indicates sustained recovery despite two weeks of the ECQ and a month of MECQ in the country’s economic centers,” Chua said in the briefing, referring to tough quarantine restrictions.

“While observing the health protocols, our people continued to work, and businesses continued to operate. At the same time, we saw the new daily infections fall from a peak of 26,000 on Sept. 11 to less than 1,800 last Nov. 4. This is due to the rapid inoculation drive from July to September, where about 19 million Filipinos were fully vaccinated,” Chua said.

Chua said the typhoon damage and African swine fever more than offset the increase in palay production, which was aided by the government’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.

Government expenditure, meanwhile, returned to positive territory, growing 13.6 percent, and reversing its contraction in the previous quarter.

Total investments increased by 22 percent, driven by public and private construction that grew by 55.3 percent and 12.2 percent respectively. The government’s decision to allow all construction activities to resume regardless of the area’s quarantine status must be credited for this, he said.

He also said mandatory vaccination would be timely, as the country’s vaccine inventory has significantly increased.

As of Nov. 8, the Philippines has received 113,451,500 COVID 19 vaccine doses, which include the latest shipment of more than 2.8 million doses of Sputnik V jabs.

President Rodrigo Duterte personally welcomed the arrival of the biggest shipment of Russian-made vaccine at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

The latest shipment, according to Duterte, is a testament of Russia’s strong commitment to help countries such as

the Philippine have greater access to these vaccines.

“Let me express my gratitude to the Russian government for the continued supply of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines,” the President said.

The shipment, the biggest delivery so far made by the Russian-based Gamaleya Research Institute, was composed of 1.4 million doses of Sputnik V’s Component I and 1.4 million doses of Component II. The Chief Executive acknowledged the concerted efforts of the NTF, Department of Health, Department of

Foreign Affairs, and other institutional partners in ensuring the steady arrival of vaccine supplies in the country.

The President said that addressing the challenges caused by the pandemic is everyone’s concern, as he appealed to all Filipinos to strictly follow health protocols and get the COVID-19 jab.

“I appeal to all our kababayans to cooperate and do their part to help overcome this pandemic. The government cannot do this alone and we need your active participation by getting vaccinated and strictly following minimum health standards,” he said.

4Ps households nationwide have been vaccinated despite the various campaigns and interventions implemented by government and the private sector,” DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a news release on Tuesday.

The actions include town hall meetings and family development sessions, as well as incentives in the form of Bakuna Benefits (discounts for the vaccinated), Bakunado Panalo (raffle promos), and the use of influencers to convince more people to be vaccinated, Malaya said.

He added that their proposal does not aim to delist or remove a 4Ps beneficiary from the program but merely to withhold a portion of the benefit – the health and nutrition grant – until such time that the individual has been vaccinated.

“The intention behind this proposal is sincere and clear -- to boost the inoculation drive in order to rise above the COVID-19 nightmare and reach population protection as soon as possible. Nonetheless, we defer to the wisdom of the President (Rodrigo Duterte) if our suggested policy will be adopted or not,” Malaya said.

He, meanwhile, urged and challenged local government units (LGUs) to adopt other creative ways to change the minds of their constituents, including the 4Ps beneficiaries, from hesitancy to vaccine acceptance and willingness.

This may be in the form of new incentives such as food or rice packs, raffle bonanza for the inoculated population, and one-stop shops offering a smorgasbord of government services to include vaccination.

ed by President Duterte.

Some groups and personalities have been pushing for Sara Duterte to run for president, but she has so far dismissed such calls, and even discouraged a caravan being planned for her.

Under existing elections rules, a candidate can be replaced during the substitution period, as long as the replacement belongs to the same political party as the candidate who will be replaced.

Malacañang said in October there is no more speculation as to whether DuterteCarpio would still change her mind in rejecting offers to run for president.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement a day after the mayor met with two presidential candidates –Marcos Jr. in Cebu and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in Davao City – fanning speculations that she may opt to be a substitute candidate for the presidency, or run in tandem with either candidate.

Palace...

From A1

On Monday, Rama announced that P20,000 will be released as a Christmas bonus of Cebu City Hall employees, on condition that all of them get vaccinated Roque said that the requirements for against COVID-19. government employees are 13th month Rama’s move was aimed at further and 14th-month pay. boosting the COVID-19 Vaccination His remarks came after Cebu City acting drive in Cebu City. mayor Michael Rama said the city’s policy Roque said Rama’s policy was an acwas “no vaccine, no Christmas bonus.” ceptable way to convince more people to

get inoculated against the coronavirus.

The Philippines aims to vaccinate 70 percent of its general population within 2021.

As of Monday, a total of 64,947,366 Covid-19 vaccine jabs have already been administered nationwide.

Around 29,809,085 people have already been fully protected against the coronavirus, while 35,138,281 others have received the first dose of the vaccine.

president as what the President wanted, I need to avoid it. You will know about it in the next few days,” he told the audience in Filipino.

The senator made these remarks on the same day Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte withdrew her certificate of candidacy for reelection in the 2022 national and local elections (see related story – Editors).

Go stressed the problem is that people don’t want to believe that he is already a candidate for vice president of the rul-

ing PDP-Laban party’s Cusi faction “for exactly 38 days (today).”

“So why don’t you want to believe that I am already a candidate for vice president? But if you don’t want to believe, just wait until (Nov.) 15, if you don’t want to believe that I am a candidate for vice president,” he insisted.

Go also noted that he got 20 million votes when he ran for senator. He is eligible to return to the Senate after the elections if he is not voted into higher office. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Raising concern

Others expressed concern that goggles would cost the Filipinos more than face shields.

Some members of the medical community also expressed disapproval at the idea of wearing protective eye gear in everyday settings.

“Would like these proponents to wear goggles even for one week so they would realize how these are even more difficult and uncomfortable compared to wearing face shields,” physician Jai Cabajar tweeted.

Dr. Tony Leachon, former special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, also reshared website links saying that health experts do not recommend the wearing of goggles and face shields in everyday activities.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only requires US healthcare workers to don eye protection in “areas of substantial to high transmission.”

“In healthcare settings, eye protection is used by HCP (healthcare personnel) to protect their eyes from exposure to splashes, sprays, splatter, and respiratory secretions,” it said on its website.

Current policy

Malacañang on Tuesday urged local government units to respect President Rodrigo Duterte’s current policy on the wearing of face shields in the country.

This, after Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso signed an executive order limiting the mandatory use of face shields to “hospital setting, medical clinics, and other medical facilities.”

Galvez:...

From A1 health risk to the general population and should therefore be compelled to get the COVID-19 jab.

“Vaccination is critical in protecting and saving the lives of people. Mandatory vaccination is necessary because this will have a huge impact on our economy and our health,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“We can’t get through this pandemic if we don’t all get vaccinated,” he added.

Sara...

From A1 that she will be replaced by her brother, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, as mayoral candidate, without elaborating.

“Ngayong hapon wini-withdraw ko ang aking kandidatura sa pagka-Mayor ng Davao City. Si VM Baste ang papalit sa akin. Ito lamang po muna sa ngayon. Maraming salamat po,” she said in the FB post.

Earlier in the day, the President’s son withdrew his COC for reelection, saying it was upon the advice of her sister.

Duterte-Carpio did not say if she would seek the presidency or vice presidency.

There were also reports of a possible tandem of Duterte-Carpio and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos who is vying for the presidency under Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the political party found-

Alert Level 1 possible

The Alert Level 2 in effect over the National Capital Region may further deescalate to Alert Level 1 if the country’s COVID-19 infections decrease to

Bong...

From A1 At one point, President Rodrigo Duterte’s longtime aide mentioned something about “a problem in substitution,” but he did not elaborate.

“This problem about the substitution in politics ... there might be changes in the candidacies in the coming days.

The problem here is I have to avoid that.

Even if I want to serve as your vice

DILG...

From A1

News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PhilHealth, hospitals settle claims T

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

HE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and members of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) made headway on claims issues that would ensure the continuing health insurance of the public especially during this pandemic.

The biggest state insurer and private hospitals agreed on the immediate release of the second wave of Debit-Credit Payment Method to hospitals that will signify intention to avail themselves of such.

PhilHealth CEO Dante Gierran vowed that a corresponding internal memo would be released soon to inform and prepare all regional offices for the second wave of applications.

Using PhilHealth data, 60 percent of in-process claims shall be released to hospitals that have not yet availed themselves of DCPM. The remaining 40 percent will be released upon processing and reconciliation of initial payment.

For hospitals that have availed themselves of the DCPM, PhilHealth agreed to lower the liquidation threshold to 20 percent of the initial tranche of payment to enable them to immediately avail of the second wave of DCPM. In addition, PhilHealth said the “Undertaking” that hospitals sign and submit as attachment to qualify for DCPM payments shall be amended based on suggestions from the hospitals.

The hospitals have likewise emphasized the need for regularity and predict-

ability of payments to ensure uninterrupted hospital operations.

A series of steps to solve the issue given PhilHealth’s current challenges was submitted for consideration by the state agency.

PHAPi President Dr. Jose Rene de Grano attended the meeting with PhilHealth to jointly resolve the claims payments issue and to end public fears over some hospitals’ plan of not renewing accreditation next year.

Aside from Gierran, those who attended the meeting were Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, The Medical City PCEO Dr. Eugene Ramos; St. Luke’s Hospitals PCEO Dr. Art dela Pena; and Mt. Grace Hospitals, Inc. PCEO Carlos C. Ejercito and Executive VP and COO Rhais Gamboa.

It was agreed the meeting would be the first step towards more frequent dialogues and collaborations to address pain points and operational issues that brought challenges to both the Insurer and service providers.

Both parties agreed to work together on the issue of returned and denied claims through a Technical Working Group composed of representatives from the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Hospital Association, PHAPi and PhilHealth.

SANTOLAN FESTIVITIES. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora flips the switch as he leads the Christmas Lighting Ceremony as Santolan Town Plaza kicks off its Yuletide festivities on Tuesday. The Rockwell retail property in San Juan launched its first ever tree lighting ceremony with Nestor Padilla, President and CEO of Rockwell, company vice president Beaver Lopez, and other Rockwell executives. Manny Palmero

MMDA plans to reimpose number coding during rush hours

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is considering reimposing the number coding scheme during rush hours this peak buying holiday season when traffic is heavy.

The agency suspended the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) policy since the government implemented a community quarantine in Metro Manila amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

The MMDA’s number coding system was devised to keep vehicles out of major thor-

oughfares on certain days based on the last digit of the license plate.

The system corresponds to 1 and 2 for Monday, 3 and 4 for Tuesday, 5 and 6 for Wednesday, 7 and 8 for Thursday, and 9 and 0 for Friday.

“If traffic continues to worsen, we are looking at the implementation of the number coding but not for the whole day. It will only be during peak hours of the day – 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm,” said MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. He said MMDA personnel will be monitoring the traffic situation for a

couple of days more before coming up with a decision.

Abalos made the statement during Tuesday’s opening of the new Kalawaan Station for the Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) to draw more commuters from Pasig City.

The addition of the Kalawaan Station, located at N. Cuevas Street, with entrance near the Kalawaan Bridge, Pasig City, brought the total number of ferry stations to 12.

Chairman Abalos said the role of the ferry service is critical this time since public transportation in Metro Manila is not yet normal.

“The Pasig River Ferry Service is one

of the solutions to the problems in public transportation,” said Abalos, adding that the ferry has been developed to provide a fast, smooth, reliable and affordable nautical transport system to help decongest road traffic in Metro Manila.

Two more stations -- Quinta and Marikina – are also expected to be opened soon.

“We want to serve residents of San Mateo and other parts of Rizal.

This will be our new gateway, not just to address traffic, but also keep intact the rich cultural heritage of the Pasig River,” said Abalos.

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‘Twilight Glory’ book launched, lauded by VFP COL. Hermogenes P. Pobre (Ret.), president and chairman of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) has lauded the publication of Twilight Glory: A Tribute to Filipino Heroes and Veterans by Philippine Veterans’ Affairs Office (PVAO) and Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. (MTVi).

According to Pobre, the book, authored by Melandrew T. Velasco, PVAO Administrator Ernesto G. Carolina and Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo N. Bataoil, is a welcome addition to the tribute books to heroes and veterans who contributed to nation building.

He exhorts Filipinos to help preserve and enhance what the veterans’ sacrifices in the past have gained for the nation.

Pobre is himself a veteran. As a young man, he and a cousin, Tomas Diaz, joined the 98th Chemical Mortar Battalion (CMB) of the United States 32nd Arrowhead Division at Guimba, Nueva Ecija as maintenance crew of camps.

Activated on 18 December 1941 at Fort Lewis, Washington, the 98th CMB was part of the U.S. Army forces that landed in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Although civilian members of the maintenance crew, they were allowed to wear the herringbone twill uniform of the U.S. Army. His stint with the 98th CMB gave the young Pobre the opportunity to join an Army aviator aboard L-4 Piper Cub Grasshopper which provided fire direction for the battalion during the ongoing operations in Nueva Ecija against Japanese forces.

Pobre’s father was also a Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War freedom fighter.

Col. Pobre belongs to the PMA class of 1952. He served in the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 1948 to 1977.

He was a faculty member and Dean of the Corps of Professors at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the premier military school for future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In 2012, during the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association homecoming, he was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Comelec 2nd division to handle petition to cancel Marcos’ COC

By Vito Barcelo

A

PETITION to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was raffled off to the Commission on Elections second division, multiple sources said.

Several human rights groups last week raised Marcos’ conviction on July 27, 1995 for his failure to file income tax returns several times from 1982 to 1985.

The petitioners said Marcos was ineligible to run for office on ground of moral turpitude due to the controver-

sial tax case.

The raffle, conducted Monday afternoon, included other similar COC cancellation petitions against other national and local aspirants.

The second division is composed of commissioners Socorro Inting and An-

tonio Kho Jr. Earlier, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the process might take six weeks to resolve.

Meanwhile, a petition-in-intervention was filed before Comelec seeking to join the plea to cancel Marcos’ COC. Like the previous petitioners, the group led by Dr. Rommel Bautista cited the conviction of Marcos on his nonfiling of tax returns for six years.

But at least two legal experts said the non-filing of ITR is not tantamount to moral turpitude.

Dean Nilo Divina of the Faculty of Law of the University of Santo Tomas efforts to delist Marcos from the roster of candi-

dates for the 2022 presidential race would most likely fail for lack of merits.

“As I see it, the petition to cancel BBM’s Certificate of Candidacy is bound to collapse once evaluated by the Comelec because it appears to be defective in form and offers insufficient legal basis to obtain its desired judgement,” Divina said in a statement.

“It’s ad hominem, or an attack against the character of the respondent, that may weaken the petitioners’ position.

It is the law, always, that matters. However, it is the intent that invokes the law that often justifies or bungles it. But at the end of the day, the law remains the law,” Divina said.

Romualdez now caretaker of lone S. Leyte district

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE of Representatives Majority Leader Martin Romualdez was designated caretaker of the lone district of Southern Leyte.

The appointment of Romualdez, representative of Leyte’s first district, came as Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado was picked as the new chief Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief, replacing Mark Villar who resigned from his post to pursue a Senate run.

Romualdez is a lawyer from University of the Philippines and president of Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) – the oldest and most respectable association of legal luminaries in the country.

In the 18th Congress, Romualdez is the principal author of the following laws: the Malasakit Centers Act, the Modernization of the Bureau of Fire and Protection Act, An Act Extending the Period of Availment of the Estate Tax Amnesty, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, among others.

Romualdez also authored Republic Act No. 10754, which exempts more than 1.5 million persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the payment of 12-percent value added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services during the 16th Congress.

Romualdez is running unopposed for congressman of Leyte’s first district in next year’s elections.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. President Rodrigo Duterte (2nd from left) welcomes the arrival of more than 2.8 million doses of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine doses at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City Monday evening. He was joined by Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. As of Nov. 6, a total of 63,733,776 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with 29,331,626 Filipinos already fully vaccinated. Joey Razon

Lacson withdraws bill seeking to revive death penalty SENATOR Panfilo “Ping” Lacson withdrew this week his authorship of a bill seeking to reinstitute the death penalty for heinous crimes.

In a letter to Senate Secretary Myra Villarica, Lacson also requested that his bill, Senate Bill 27, no longer be considered for deliberation by the Senate panels concerned.

Last week, the former Philippine National Police chief withdrew his support for the revival of death penalty for heinous crimes, saying it is better to spare the life of a criminal than to wrongly ex-

ecute an innocent person.

“Better that the guilty be imprisoned for life than to have innocents executed because of a wrong judgment,” he said.

He also pushed for life imprisonment and penal reforms as better alternatives even as he supported the suggestion of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to confine drug lords in a “super max” penitentiary, with no means of communication with the outside world.

Lacson and Sotto earned praise from the Commission on Human Rights and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the

Philippines for their stance on the issue.

Meanwhile, Lacson urged the national government to move quickly in its procurement and approval of scientifically proven antiviral drugs such as molnupiravir.

“The permission itself must now be released. The Food and Drug Administration should be ready for it, so that once it [molnupiravir] becomes available in the market, our national and local governments will be prepared to purchase and distribute it to our public hospitals,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Leni’s ‘People Council’ to organize sectors backing her presidential bid

By Rio N. Araja

EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT. Beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay

sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) project undergo orientation on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. It was attended by Vice Mayor Dr. Honey Lacuna, Cong. Yul Servo Nieto, and councilors from the third district.

Bello vows to cooperate with ICC probe IF HE wins in next year’s elections, activist and vice presidential bet Walden Bello said he will coordinate with the International Criminal Court in its probe on alleged crimes against humanity committed by President Rodrigo Duterte in relation to his administration’s drug-related killings.

“We will cooperate with the International Criminal Court. And if he [Duterte] is found guilty then he gets sent to The Hague,” Bello, running mate of Laban ng Masa standard bearer Leody de Guzman, said.

“There is so much evidence at this point,” he added.

In September, the ICC announced it granted the request to start the probe of then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda into alleged crimes against humanity resulting from the drug war campaign.

Last week, Duterte said the killing of suspected drug traffickers and so-called narco-politicians were on him as the ICC began its probe.

“Those drugs who were killed during raids, those mayors – they are all on me.

All raids that killed mayors are on me,” the President said.

“I assume full responsibility. And if there’s anybody who should go to prison, it should not be the police nor the PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency].

It should be me because they were acting upon my orders,” Duterte added.

The President, however, insisted that he will not be tried by a non-Filipino judge nor will he accept jurisdiction of the ICC. “They want me to go to prison. Well, maybe. But it has to be a Philippine prison and I must be judged by a judicial court of the Republic of the Philippines.

And I must be prosecuted by a Filipino.

What is their [ICC] problem? Why do they want to come here?”

“That is why I will never accept ICC jurisdiction. Hell can freeze over before I will accept their stupidities,” the President added.

VICE President Leni Robredo will be launching the “Robredo’s People Council” to organize her supporters and volunteers for the 2022 presidential election.

“We are forming a Robredo’s People Council for every sector and provinces to have a clear and organized movement,” she said in a video message on her official Facebook page.

She said the council would better organize those supporting her presidential candidacy and even avoid the duplication of campaign programs and awarenessbuilding efforts.

Robredo said there have been various groups on Facebook supporting her bid, too.

The council is patterned after the Naga City People’s Council, a movement institutionalized by her late husband, Jesse Robredo.

Robredo thanked all her supporters and posted different slogans, posters, hashtags and pieces of artwork from her

volunteers which she dubbed a “people’s campaign.”

“I cannot thank you one by one, but I just want to tell you that I can see all that you do (for me). All of you, you offer to volunteer, and that makes our people’s campaign strong,” she said.

Earlier, Robredo offered her “ambitious” P500-billion COVID-19 response plan which she will prioritize should she win as president in the next year’s elections.

“We have to be ambitious because our problem is huge,” she said.

The Vice President said many aspects of the plan are already being implemented by her office despite the OVP’s meager budget.

“We are able to execute some of the programs despite our meager budget, which we decided to shift to COVID response. It is possible. We just need to be all hands on deck, all agencies committed, so that unused funds can be channeled for COVID response,” Robredo said.

CENTENARIAN. Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco hands Benjamin Fausto Sr, who celebrated his 100th birthday, P100,000 from the national government and a P10,000 cash gift from the city government. Andrew Rabulan

Pacquiao hits slow vax rollout in Bangsamoro at only 10.06%

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao slammed the slow vaccine rollout in the Bangsamoro region as he urged National Task Force Against COVID-19 head and vaccination czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to be fair in distributing the supply of the lifesaving jabs across the country.

Pacquiao said the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has been left behind in the government’s anti-COVID vaccine rollout.

To date, BARMM has the lowest vaccination rate, he said.

While other regions have already breached the 20 percent vaccination mark for their target population, BARMM is still lumbering behind at only 10.06 percent.

While he maintained that vaccination should remain voluntary, he said the government should address the reluctance of some people to get their vaccines.

He said this can be done by conducting localized information dissemination campaign to inform them on the importance of vaccination to protect not only their families but also their communities.

“Now that there is a marked decrease in COVID infection in areas previously considered as hotspots, the time has come for the government to pay attention to areas with greater potential to be fully COVID-free,” he said.

“It is easier to keep areas like BARMM COVID-free especially if the people are vaccinated,” Pacquiao added.

“If we can get 89.08% vaccination completion in Manila, why can’t we get it in the province?” asked the senator.

Outside the National Capital Region, no area has completed at least 50 percent in community vaccination.

Amid international body bid, Roque distances self from war on drugs PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson Harry Roque shrugged off the objection posted by 152 lawyers against his nomination to the International Law Commission (ILC) even as he insisted he cannot be held liable for alleged crimes against humanity arising from the government’s bloody war on drugs.

“There is no such thing as guilt by association,” Roque said.

“They are saying guilt by association because I am the spokesperson of the President. There is no such thing,” he added.

The 152 lawyers alleged that Roque is not worthy of the post for “enabling extrajudicial killings, attacks on the rule of law and due process and his unacceptable positions on human rights, justice, pandemic responses, and good governance.”

However, the Palace official said the alleged extrajudicial killings of suspected drug lords and users have yet to be proven.

“The International Criminal Court matter is just a preliminary investigation on the war on drugs, not on President Duterte.

It is an allegation that would still have to go through the eye of a needle,” he said.

He said that the country has a right to due process and presumption of innocence which should be applied to the president as well.

He also downplayed the impact of the opposition registered by his fellow lawyers.

“Well, for the knowledge of our fellow Filipinos, we have over 78,000 lawyers in the Philippines. If 152 contradicted my nomination, its equivalent is just 0.001 percent,” he said.

Vito Barcelo

Opinion Is Congress foot-dragging on rural power woes?

THERE appears to be a not-so-silent “revolt” in the regions against rural power cooperatives.

The “revolt” did not escape the attention of President Duterte himself.

The President was in Palawan recently where he publicly lambasted the local power distributors for subjecting Palaweños to decades of suffering.

Duterte issued what appeared to be the “final warning” against such mediocre entities.

Besides the Palawan power distributors, about four other rural power coops in Visayas and Mindanao are apparently up for an “overthrow” in this not-so-silent revolt.

Reliable and affordable electricity is key to the socio-economic progress of every local community.

It is important to note that the House of Representatives has an important role to play in this “revolt.” The eyes of the suffering public are now on the legislators’ next moves. They hope that the Committee on Legislative Franchises led by Palawan solon Franz “Chicoy” Alvarez could put the last nail on the coffin of these wellentrenched rural power coops which miserably failed their customers.

Among those in the spotlight is the rural power coop serving several towns in Davao del Norte and Tagum City—right next door to President Duterte’s hometown of Davao City.

According to media reports, the clamor of the residents and business communities of these areas has been heard by their respective local government leaders who have already filed several resolutions for the removal of the rural power coop and its replacement by a private sector power distribution utility.

Last we heard, the leaders of Davao del Norte and Tagum City have made significant headway in their bid to obtain the services of the Davao City-based Davao Light and Power Company.

Party-list Representative Francisco Garbin, Jr. has already filed a bill amending the franchise of Davao Light which will pave the way for the expansion of its services outside of

its current assigned service area.

What baffles the Tagumeños and the people of Davao del Norte is why the Legislative Franchise Committee headed by Alvarez has not yet started deliberation on the Garbin bill.

It is interesting that another Alvarez— former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte’s First District—has already asked Congress to cancel the legislative franchise it gave to the ailing power coop serving that province and Tagum City.

Even more interesting, the franchise of the other power coop serving Davao del Norte has also been already earlier recommended for cancellation by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Jr. The said coop was part of Cusi’s list of “underperforming, financially and technically distressed electric cooperatives” in the country.

We recall that these underperforming coops had earned the ire of the Department of Energy for their apparent reluctance or inability to complete the rural electrification process by connecting far-flung sitios and islandbarangays to their power distribution grid. It looks like these coops cannot even be expected to give decent basic power distribution service to the areas already connected to their grid.

With the move to have the franchise of the Davao del Norte coop canceled, it seems like the people of the province and Tagum City can now look forward to more reliable and more reasonably-priced electricity distribution service from Davao Light.

All that is needed now is for the Chicoy Alvarez-led committee to pass the Garbin bill.

Once that happens, Congress is set to lend proof to its promise to give Filipinos in the countryside the “power of choice”.

The ailing power coops should have anticipated that it will be just a matter of time when the rest of Davao del Norte and Tagum City would make a decisive move to end the sad plight in their hands and opt for a service provider like Davao Light which can give them efficient power supply at a cheaper price.

Congress’ action on the Garbin bill will likewise spare President Duterte from a major embarrassment.

It is unthinkable that a Davaoeño President whose native city had enjoyed reliable power distribution services was unable to provide the same to the nearby cities and municipalities.

Reliable and affordable electricity is key to the socio-economic progress of every local community. Davao Light’s presence in the President’s hometown has been a major factor in the rise of Davao City as a hub of social and commercial activities in Southern Mindanao.

Congress should now allow Davao City’s neighbors to enjoy the same. (Email: ernhil@ yahoo.com)

These tipping points make climate scientists afraid

By Marlowe Hood LEADERS may be going into the UN climate summit in Glasgow with the do-or-die goal of limiting global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, but breaching that cap is not what keeps scientists awake at night.

The real disaster scenario begins with the triggering of invisible climate tripwires known as tipping points.

“Climate tipping points are a game-changing risk — an existential threat — and we need to do everything within our power to avoid them,” said Tim Lenton, director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter.

What’s a tipping point?

Anyone who has leaned back in a chair balancing on two legs knows there is a threshold beyond which you irrevocably crash to the floor.

That portal between two stable states — in this case, an upright versus a fallen-over chair — is a tipping point, and Earth’s complex, interlocking climate system is full of them.

These temperature thresholds have potentially widespread impacts.

If temperatures rise enough to melt the ice sheets atop Greenland and West Antarctica, it could lift oceans more than a dozen metres (40 feet).

The Amazon tropical forest, upon which we depend to soak up carbon pollution, could turn into savannah.

Or shallow subsoil known as permafrost — mostly in Siberia — tenuously holding twice the amount of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere could see those harmful emissions seep into the air.

“We have seen a number of tipping points already in coral reefs and polar systems, and more are likely in the near term,” the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a draft report on climate impacts, due out in February, obtained by AFP. In most cases, reversing the changes set in motion would be beyond the grasp of humanity for many generations, if not millennia.

Why so scary?

One of the first scientists to unlock the secret of tipping points recalled suddenly understanding some 15 years ago why they

were so ominous.

“It was an ‘Oh Shit!’ moment,” Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP in an interview.

“Planetary machinery — the monsoon system, ocean circulation, the jet stream, the big ecosystems — abounds with non-linear systems,” he said, referring to the potential for abrupt, dramatic change.

“That means you have so many points of no return.”

We have so many points of no return.

In Antarctica, more than half the ice shelves that prevent glaciers — some larger in area than England and Scotland combined — from sliding into the ocean and lifting sea levels are at risk of crumbling due to climate change.

“It is like uncorking a bottle, and we are uncorking them one by one,” said Schellnhuber.

Earth-altering tipping points have different temperature thresholds. Scientists know these tripwires are there, but not exactly where they lie.

Even more unsettling is how easily our already belaboured efforts to eliminate carbon pollution could be overwhelmed by the changes we are setting in motion.

If thawing permafrost surrenders as much CO2 as humanity stops emitting, we find ourselves fighting a war on two fronts: on top of the struggle to slash our own emissions we’d have to cope with those generated by the planet itself.

How many are there?

Scientists count about 15 significant tipping points in the planet’s climate system.

Some are regional, others are global, all are interconnected.

Those least resistant to global warming and closest to a point of no return are tropical coral reefs, the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, alpine glaciers, Arctic summer sea ice and the Amazon forest.

Parts of the climate system more resistant to rising temperatures include the global currents

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EDITORIAL

I

Our own playbook T’S a few days before Nov. 15, the last day of substitution of candidates for the May 2022 elections.

As the different national candidates begin making their presence felt online and offline, other politicians wait for the last minute to bare their real election plans, keeping the public guessing about what is to come and what the final lineup will be.

Just yesterday, for instance, the daughter of the President, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, said she was withdrawing her re-election bid and that her brother would substitute for her. Another ally will substitute for the brother.

That’s all she has said as of press time Tuesday evening.

The public, meanwhile, is left speculating about who will end up running for what post, and who will eventually decide not to run,

after all. At this point, anything can happen. Allies can turn into bitter rivals. Opponents can go together for convenience. Placeholders will eventually yield to whomever it is they are waiting for.

This is the only script that matters.

Amid this contrived circus, our problems remain.

COVID-19 remains a threat, businesses have suffered, people have lost jobs, government corruption remains rampant and progress, if any, has been uneven and sporadic.

These problems will not be solved

by the playbook that is being foisted upon the people. Neither will these be addressed by distracting the people who are now talking about who will do what next instead of exacting accountability from the leaders who are, right now, in a position to make a difference — but haven’t.

The harrowing crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic should prompt Filipinos to be wiser and more circumspect this time around.

We should ignore the hype and the drama, and focus on the qualities we want in a leader.

For 2022 onward, we should draw up our own playbook that includes measuring candidates’ sincerity, truthfulness, integrity and preparedness for the job. It is a playbook that will tell us how best to choose public servants — not lords or saviors or heroes or entertainers. It would be a guide to how we can claim our future, once and for all.

Sara Duterte will run for president

THE political climate has become muddled, five days before the Nov. 15 filing of substitutions for candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy in early October. New battle lines are being drawn.

Davao Mayor Sara Duterte will run for president. She will run solo –without a vice presidential tandem, meaning even without Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the picture.

Interestingly, Senator Bong Go announced yesterday in Antipolo he is withdrawing his candidacy for vice president—creating in the process a slot for whoever is Sara’s running mate.

The Sara camp has decided that Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr. is a flawed candidate for president.

Firstly, because of his tax issue disqualification; secondly, the non-issue over his supposedly lying about what exactly did he finish at Oxford; and thirdly, because of the 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos which if you believe the Yellow Army was marked by plunder, up to $10 billion (of which wealth little has been proven or recovered), and alleged human rights violations (up to 10,000 were claimed to have been victims).

My answer to the last two issues –Oxford and plunder, is this: Former President Joseph Estrada was a college dropout. He was convicted of plunder, though later pardoned.

Yet, when Erap ran again for president in 2010, he almost won, were it not for the fact that Cory Aquino died in August 2009. Her son, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III rode on the crest of goodwill generated by a grieving nation. In addition, the head of the Filipino church, Iglesia ni Cristo, Eraño de Guzman Manalo, died on August 31, 2009.

The INC has command votes of more than two million and it had always supported Erap until 2010. If those command votes were not given to Noynoy and transferred to Erap instead, the former president would have won handily in 2010.

What is the lesson in Erap’s case? There are two. One, voters don’t mind about your college education (you can be a dropout or a little deficient in intellectual articulation); and two, that redistribute heat through the oceans, the Arctic jet stream, the Indian monsoon, El Ninos in the Pacific, and desertification in the Sahel.

While permafrost probably doesn’t have a single temperature tripwire, the IPCC estimates it will release tens of billions of tonnes of CO2 for every extra degree of global warming.

The last holdout would be East Antarctica’s ice sheet, which holds 56 metres worth of sealevel rise.

Why are we hearing about them now?

The IPCC’s most recent mega-report is the first to give tipping points more than a cursory mention.

“Abrupt responses and tipping points of the climate system... cannot be ruled out,” the UN’s climate science advisory body now warns.

While scientists have long been aware of the danger that tipping points pose, part of the problem has been the inability of climate models -- which are built to track gradual, linear change -- to anticipate the timing or impact of

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

plunder could be a non-issue if voters like you or trust you as their president.

Before Erap, the most popular president in history was Ramon Magsaysay, president from 1954 to 1957. A mechanical engineer, he was not exactly famous for intellectual heft.

As to human rights violations, well, Digong Duterte is similarly accused. But he remains very popular, with 67 percent still satisfied with his job performance.

How winnable is she?

So we are left with Bongbong’s disqualification on the issue of taxes, specifically, non-filing and therefore, nonpayment of taxes.

For failure to file his income tax returns and accordingly, not paying taxes, the young Marcos is said to be guilty of a crime called moral turpitude. This highfalutin word could mean any wrongdoing that violates the accepted standard of a community.

Former Supreme Court Justice Tony Carpio thinks Bongbong should be disqualified from running for president. On the ground of moral turpitude.

He cites the Court of Appeals decision that ordered Marcos Jr. to pay “deficiency income tax due with interest,” apart from the fine that he paid because of non-filing of ITRs. Even if the CA removed the jail sentence imposed by a regional trial court against Marcos for his conviction for not filing his income tax returns, Carpio contends it’s still a valid basis to kick him out of the race.

“Since Marcos Jr. was ordered to pay deficiency income taxes due, there was tax evasion which inherently involves moral turpitude. Marcos Jr. cannot escape moral turpitude under the CA decision,” he explains.

Is Sara Duterte winnable as president?

A study commissioned by the Sara camp shows that she is a stronger candidate than Bongbong for the highest post in the land.

The paper looked at the Pulse Asia surveys of June 7 – 16, 2021 and September 6-11, 2021. These surveys both mention Mayor Duterte and former Senator Marcos, and were conducted by the same firm and are therefore comparable in methodology.

Both polls show Mayor Duterte to be leading, initially with a 15-point lead over Senator Marcos, and a smaller 5-point lead in the latter survey. abrupt shocks.

“Just because tipping points are challenging to predict doesn’t mean they can be ignored,” Lenton said.

What is the ripple effect?

A new wave of research is focusing on how sudden shifts triggered by tipping points ripple across the climate system, leading to possible chain reactions.

Accelerating melt-off from the Greenland ice sheet, for example, is almost certainly slowing down the conveyor belt of ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

This, in turn, could push Earth’s tropical rain belt southward and weaken the African and Asian monsoons, upon which hundreds of millions depend for rain-fed crops.

Scientists cannot rule out the possibility that the AMOC will stall altogether, as it has in the past. If this happened, European winters would

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become much harsher and sea levels in the North Atlantic basin could rise substantially.

There are dozens of other ways in which facets of the climate system are intertwined.

What is a ‘hothouse Earth’?

Earth’s past tells us that continuing greenhouse gas emissions “could tip the global climate into a permanent hot state,” according to the recent IPCC report.

Think of it as the ultimate tipping point: “hothouse Earth”.

The last time atmospheric concentrations of CO2 matched today’s levels, some three million years ago, temperatures were at least 3C more and sea levels five-to-25 metres higher.

A combination of more carbon pollution and emissions from permafrost and dying forests “might set us on such a trajectory in little more than a century,” said Jan Zalasiewicz, a palaeobiology professor at the University of Leicester.

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Both results consider Mayor Duterte then denying that she will run for President; hence these numbers may conceal actual support for Mayor Duterte if she were to declare herself a candidate.

The June Pulse Asia survey shows Mayor Duterte winning in all income classes (ABC, D, and E). This would have been weaker, but consistent, with President Todrigo Duterte’s performance in the 2016 elections, where, according to the SWS exit poll, he won all income classes.

The September Pulse Asia survey still shows Mayor Duterte leading among classes D and E, and within the margin of error for the lead in classes ABC (16 percent), behind Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (20 percent) who actually lost 1 percentage point from his June performance in the same class, and Fmr. Senator Marcos (18 percent, a gain of 1 percentage point from June).

Both surveys appear to show Mayor Duterte having broader inter-class appeal than any other option in the surveys.

Thus, both Duterte-Marcos would have a stronger chance of winning because: 1) Duterte voters are more likely to carry the running-mate with their candidate on top; 2) Duterte-solid areas account for a larger share of the national vote than Marcos-solid areas; 3) There are more Marcos-averse areas than Duterte-averse areas, with the former being potentially more emphasized if a MarcosDuterte ticket were to be agreed upon.

In other words, a Duterte-Marcos tandem would have a bigger core, a bigger neighborhood of non-core areas that can be appealed to.

On the other hand, 27 percent of voters speak Ilocano. That is 13.5 million voters based on a 50-million voter turnout. Another 25 percent speak Cebuano. That is 12.5 million. Ilocanos are 90 percent loyal to a Marcos. So Bongbong could get 12.15 million votes. Using Digong Duterte’s 67 percent approval rating, 8.14 million Cebuano-speakers of Visayas and Mindanao would go to Sara. So 12.15 minus 8.14 is 4.01 million votes—BBM’s advantage.

Add the 4 percent who are Warays, or two million. They should be 98 percent loyal to a Marcos whose mother Imelda is a Waray, the most famous Waray. So add 1.96 million to BBM’s 12.15 million to get 14.11 million, 5,97 million more than Sara’s potential 8.14 million loyal votes.

If Manny Pacquiao pursues his presidential bid, he will further cut into Sara’s votes.

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Poland blocks migrants at Belarus border Coded anti-Biden W insult ‘Let’s Go ARSAW—Poland said it blocked a bid by hundreds of migrants to illegally enter the country from Belarus on Monday, warning of an “armed” escalation as thousands more massed near the border.

As the latest grim chapter of Europe’s migrant crisis unfolded, Washington and Brussels called on Minsk to stop what they described as an orchestrated influx.

NATO on Monday also hit out at Minsk, accusing the government there of using the migrants as political pawns, while the European Union called for

fresh sanctions against Belarus.

Brussels says Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has encouraged the migrant flow in retaliation for existing EU sanctions imposed over its dismal human rights record.

Poland, a member of both the European Union and NATO, has drawn sharp criticism for its tough rhetoric on migration in recent years.

“Interior ministry forces and soldiers managed to stop the first mass attempt to breach the border,” Poland’s defense ministry tweeted.

“Migrants have set up a camp in the Kuznica region. They are constantly guarded by Belarusian services.”

Polish border guards posted video footage on Twitter showing migrants using wire cutters to breach a razor-wire border fence.

Many of the migrants seeking entry into Poland are desperately fleeing war and poverty-wracked countries in the Middle East.

They say they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, with the Belarusian side refusing to allow them to return to Minsk and fly home, while Poland does not let them cross and make asylum claims.

- International condemnation Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller told reporters that a further 3,000 to 4,000 migrants were massing near the border.

“We expect that there may be an escalation of this type of action on the Polish border in the near future, which will be of an armed nature,” he added.

Muller blamed “people linked to Belarusian special services” for organising

the breach.

NATO accused Belarus of using migrants to put pressure on the EU, describing the actions as “unacceptable” and expressing concern about an escalation.

And in a statement on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on EU member states to impose new sanctions against Belarus.

The use “of migrants for political purposes is unacceptable”, she said in a statement. Brussels would also look at how to sanction “third-country airlines” that brought migrants to Belarus, she added.

Minsk has reportedly issued special visas allowing migrants to fly into Belarus from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. AFP

ORIENTALMINDORO MINDOROELECTRIC ELECTRICCOOPERATIVE, COOPERATIVE,INC. INC. ORIENTAL (ORRM MEECCO, O,Inc.) Inc.) (O ✉Brgy.Sta. Sta.Isabel, Isabel,Calapan CalapanCity, City,Oriental OrientalMindoro Mindoro ✉Brgy. ☎043.288.7801//288.7802 288.7802//288.7803 288.7803 Fax FaxNo. No.043.288.7804 043.288.7804 ☎043.288.7801 E-mail:ormeco_coop@yahoo.com ormeco_coop@yahoo.com Website: Website:www.ormeco-inc.com www.ormeco-inc.com E-mail:

INVITATION TO TO BID BID INVITATION 1. ORIENTAL ORIENTAL MINDORO MINDORO ELECTRIC ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, COOPERATIVE, INC. INC. (ORMECO, (ORMECO, INC.), INC.), 1. through its its BIDS BIDS AND AND AWARDS AWARDS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE (BAC), (BAC), hereby hereby intends intends to to apply apply through thesum sumof ofEighteen EighteenMillion MillionSeven SevenHundred HundredForty-Seven Forty-SevenThousand ThousandTwo TwoHundred Hundred the Thirty-Twoand and80/100 80/100Pesos PesosOnly Only(₱18,747,232.80) (₱18,747,232.80)funded fundedby by5% 5%Reinvestment Reinvestment Thirty-Two Fund && General General Fund Fund inclusive inclusive of of all all applicable applicable taxes taxes and and fees, fees, being being the the Fund ApprovedBudget Budgetfor forthe theContract Contract(ABC), (ABC),for forthe theprocurement, procurement,supply, supply,and anddelivery delivery Approved ofmaterials/supplies/equipment. materials/supplies/equipment. of 2. ORMECO, ORMECO, INC. INC. now now calls calls for for the the submission submission of of Letter Letter of of Intent Intent by by interested interested 2. biddersthru thruemail emailat atormeco.bac.official@gmail.com. ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com.The Thelist listof ofthe theORMECO, ORMECO, bidders INC. Eligibility Eligibility Requirements Requirements may may be be viewed viewed at at www.ormeco-inc.com, www.ormeco-inc.com, https:// https:// INC. web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial,and andmay maybe berequested requestedthrough throughemail email web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial, ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, including including the the numbers numbers listed listed above. above.An An amount amount of of ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, twohundred hundredfifty fiftypesos pesos(₱ (₱250.00) 250.00)isisrequired requiredas asAccreditation AccreditationFee; Fee; two 3. ORMECO, ORMECO,INC. INC.now nowinvites invitessuppliers suppliersfor forthe thefollowing: following: 3.

LOT LOT

ITEMDESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION ITEM

ABC ABC (INCLUSIVE (INCLUSIVE OFVAT) VAT) OF

COSTOF OFBID BID COST DOCUMENTS DOCUMENTS (NON(NONREFUNDABLE) REFUNDABLE)

FUNDING FUNDING SOURCE SOURCE GeneralFund Fund General

SupplyofofSecurity SecurityAgency Agency Supply

3,202,432.80 ₱₱3,202,432.80

₱5,000.00 ₱5,000.00

II-A II-A

SupplyofofSingle SinglePhase, Phase, Supply KwhMeter Meter10(60)A 10(60)A––(2,000 (2,000 Kwh pcs) pcs)

₱2,000,000.00 ₱2,000,000.00

₱5,000.00 ₱5,000.00

II-B II-B

SupplyofofElectronic ElectronicKwh Kwh Supply Meter,Single SinglePhase, Phase,Class Class Meter, 100––(1,363 (1,363pcs) pcs)&& 100 Meter, Socket Base, CL 100 Meter, Socket Base, CL 100 Jaws,100 100Amps, Amps,600 600VV–– 44Jaws, (1,363pcs) pcs) (1,363

₱2,998,600.00 ₱2,998,600.00

₱5,000.00 ₱5,000.00

IIIIII

SupplyofofBolt BoltMachine Machine Supply 5/8x10”––(50 (50pcs), pcs),Bolt Bolt 5/8x10” Machine5/8x12” 5/8x12”––(50 (50pcs), pcs), Machine NutEye Eye5/8 5/8Conventional Conventional Nut (500pcs),15 15KVA KVA ––(500pcs), TransformersPole PoleType Type Transformers CSP––(40 (40units), units), 25 25KVA KVA CSP TransformersPole PoleType Type Transformers CSP––(21 (21Units), Units),37.5 37.5KVA KVA CSP TransformersPole PoleType Type Transformers CSPConventional Conventional––(10 (10 CSP Units),Fuse FuseCutouts Cutouts&& Units), Arresterscombination combination15KV 15KV Arresters Class100––(24 (24pcs) pcs) Class100

5,639,250.00 ₱₱5,639,250.00

IV-A IV-A

GalvanizedSteel SteelPole, Pole,55 55 Galvanized ft.,thickness thicknessBare.

Bare.-4.0mm -4.0mm ft., (twosection) section)86 86micron, micron, (two 1200- -kgs kgs(minimum (minimumload load 1200 break)––(50 (50pcs.) pcs.) break)

4,200,000.00 ₱₱4,200,000.00

IV-B IV-B

Bolt,Double DoubleArming,5/8 Arming,5/8xx Bolt, 16”,withnut nutand andwasher washer 16”,with (200pcs.), pcs.),Eyenut, Eyenut,5/8 5/8 ––(200 dia.––(300 (300pcs.), pcs.),Machine Machine dia. bolt,5/8xx16” 16”with withnut nut&& bolt,5/8 washer––(100 (100pcs.), pcs.),CrossCrosswasher arm,steel,4-1/2xx5-1/2 5-1/2xx arm,steel,4-1/2 10 ft.,0.3mm thickness, 10 ft.,0.3mm thickness, hotdip dipgalvanized galvanized––(50 (50 hot pcs.),Cross-arm,steel,4-1/2 Cross-arm,steel,4-1/2 pcs.), 5-1/2xx88ft.,0.3mm ft.,0.3mm xx5-1/2 thickness,hot hotdip dipgalvanized galvanized thickness, (50pcs.), pcs.),Insulator, Insulator, ––(50 suspension,15,000 15,000lbs., lbs.,10” 10” suspension, (375pcs.) pcs.)

––(375

II

CELEBRATION. Balloons are released at the Independence Monument during a ceremony mark5%Reinvestment Reinvestment 5% Fund Fund

10,000.00 ₱₱10,000.00

5,000.00 ₱₱5,000.00

GeneralFund Fund General 706,950.00 ₱₱706,950.00

1,000.00 ₱₱1,000.00

4. Due Due to to COVID-19, COVID-19, inin compliance compliance with with the the Community Community Quarantine Quarantine (CQ), (CQ), Online/ Online/ 4.

Virtual Bidding Bidding Conferences Conferences will will be be conducted. conducted. Stable Stable internet internet connection connection isis Virtual requiredto toall allprospective prospectivebidders biddersduring duringthe theconferences. conferences.BAC BACshall shallnot notbe beliable liable required anyunexpected unexpecteddisruption disruptiondue dueto topoor/unstable poor/unstablesignal signalwhich whichmay maycause causeloss lossof of ininany connectionand andinability inabilityof ofBidders Biddersto toengross engrosswith withthe theconferences. conferences. connection For Additional Additional info info please please be be guided guided inin the the following: following: (please (please refer refer to to Online Online For Biddingprocedures) procedures) Bidding a. Payment Paymentof ofbidding biddingdocuments documentsshall shallbe bedeposited depositedto toBAC BACbank bankaccount account(to (to a. beemailed emailedby byBAC BACsecretariat). secretariat). be b. Prospective Prospectivebidders biddersmust mustsubmit submitto tothe theBAC BACvia viaemail emailthe thescanned scannedcopy copyof of b. validatedbank bankdeposit depositslip slip/ /screenshot screenshotof ofsuccessful successfulelectronic electronicfund fundtransfer transfer validated as proof of payment. as proof of payment.

Scanned copy copy of of Bidding Bidding Documents Documents will will be be sent sent by by the the BAC BAC secretariat secretariat c.c. Scanned uponvalidation validationthat thatthe thepayments paymentsare arecredited creditedto tothe thecoop’s coop’sbank bankaccount. account. upon d. ID IDnumber numberor orlink linkof ofthe theOnline/Virtual Online/Virtualconference conferencewill willbe beprovided providedby byBAC BAC d. secretariat secretariat 5. Online Online Bidding Bidding will will be be conducted conducted through through open open competitive competitive bidding bidding procedures procedures 5. usingnon-discretionary non-discretionary“pass/fail” “pass/fail”criterion criterionas asspecified specifiedininthe theNEA NEAMemorandum Memorandum using NO. 2017-019: 2017-019: Revised Revised Procurement Procurement Guidelines Guidelines and and Simplified Simplified Bidding Bidding NO. Proceduresfor forElectric ElectricCooperatives, Cooperatives,IRR-RA IRR-RA10531 10531(2017); (2017);All Allvideo videoconferences conferences Procedures shallbe berecorded recordedininCD/DVD CD/DVDfor forreference referenceand andother otherpurposes. purposes. shall 6. The Theschedule scheduleof ofbidding biddingactivities activitiesisisas asfollows: follows: 6.

ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE SCHEDULE 10November November2021 2021(Wednesday) (Wednesday) 10

SubmissionofofLetter Letter Submission Intentthru thruemail email/ / ofofIntent AvailabilityofofBidding Bidding Availability Documents Documents

11-17November November2021 2021Office OfficeHours, Hours,atatORMECO, ORMECO,INC. INC. 11-17 Office(ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com) (ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com) Office 9:00am amfor forLot LotI I 9:00

DeadlineofofBid Bid Deadline Submission(ormeco. (ormeco.

Submission bac.official@gmail. bac.official@gmail. com), com), Openingand andEvaluation Evaluation Opening Bids(Online/Virtual) (Online/Virtual) ofofBids

18November November2021 2021 18 (Thursday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, (Thursday) INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

11:00am amfor forLot LotII-A II-A&&II-B II-B 11:00

December2021 2021 22December (Thursday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, (Thursday) INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

9:00am amfor forLot LotI I 9:00

December2021 2021(Friday) (Friday) 33December ORMECO,INC. INC.Board Board atatORMECO, Room Room

9:00am amfor forLot LotIIIIII 9:00

1:00pm pmfor forIIIIII 1:00 2:00pm pmfor forLot LotIV-A IV-A&& 2:00 IV-B IV-B

1:00pm pmfor forLot LotII-A II-A&&II-B II-B 1:00 1:00pm pmfor forLot LotIV-A IV-A&& 1:00 IV-B IV-B

Post-Qualification Post-Qualification

December2021 2021 66&&77December

Approvalthrough throughBoard Board Approval Resolutionand andIssuance Issuance Resolution NoticeofofAward Award ofofNotice

BoardMeeting Meetingfor forthe theMonth MonthofofDecember December2021 2021 Board

SigningofofContract Contract Signing

AfterIssuance IssuanceofofNotice NoticeofofAward Award After

DeliverySchedule Schedule Delivery

Tobe beannounced announcedduring duringthe thePre-Bid Pre-BidConference Conference To

EU: Anti-Semitism has increased during COVID pandemic VIENNA—Anti-Semitism has grown during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly online, a new EU report said on Tuesday, but gaps in data make it difficult to measure how bad the problem really is.

As well as old lies being revived, “new anti-Semitic myths and conspiracy theories that blame Jews for the pandemic have come to the fore”, said the report.

“Anti-Semitism, especially online, grew during the pandemic,” said the report, by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

At the same time, the agency’s own research showed that anti-Semitic acts were consistently under-reported.

The lack of data on the issue made it

harder to tackle the problem, said the report.

The report based its findings on a review of official data compiled by EU member states, and what it called unofficial data collected by civil society organizations.

There was no official data available from two member states, Hungary and Portugal.

Rights groups in Germany noted the link between the surge in anti-Semitism and the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the first months of the pandemic, the Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism Berlin (RIAS), said 44 percent of the incidents it had recorded were linked to the coronavirus.

A federation of Jewish communities in the

Pursuant to to Sections Sections 1608/1609 1608/1609 of of Republic Republic Act Act No. No. 10863, 10863, otherwise otherwise known known Pursuant as the the "Customs "Customs Modernization Modernization and and Tariff Tariff Act Act (CMTA)", (CMTA)", the the Tariff Tariff Commission Commission will will as conductaaPublic Hearing via Video Conferencing (PHV) Public Hearing via Video Conferencing (PHV)on onthe 2022 Version of the the 2022 Version of the conduct ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN 2022).The TheAHTN AHTNisisan aneight-digit eight-digit ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN 2022). commoditynomenclature nomenclatureadopted adoptedby bythe theASEAN ASEANMember MemberStates States(AMSs) (AMSs)to toharmonize harmonize commodity their tariff nomenclatures at the eight-digit level.

It adheres to the six-digit commodity their tariff nomenclatures at the eight-digit level. It adheres to the six-digit commodity classificationcode codeof ofthe theHarmonized HarmonizedSystem System(HS) (HS)but butadds addstwo twodigits digitsthat thatrepresent represent classification ASEANsubheadings. subheadings.The TheAHTN AHTN2022 2022adopts adoptsthe theHS HSamendments amendmentsfor for2022 2022as aswell wellas as ASEAN therequirements requirementsproposed proposedby byAMSs. AMSs. the

Schedule Product Coverage (AHTN2022 2022Chapter) Chapter) Schedule Product Coverage (AHTN 9:30AM AM--11:30 11:30AM AM •• Agriculture, Agriculture,Food Foodand andTobacco TobaccoProducts Products(Chapters (Chapters11to to24) 24) 9:30 Mineral Products; Products; Chemical Chemical and and Chemical Chemical Products; Products; •• Mineral Pharmaceutical Products; Products; Rubber Rubber and and Rubber Rubber Products Products Pharmaceutical (Chapters25 25to to40) 40) (Chapters RawHides Hidesand andSkins, Skins,Leather Leatherand andArticles ArticlesThereof; Thereof;Wood Wood •• Raw and Articles Articles of of Wood; Wood; Pulp Pulp of of Wood, Wood, Paper Paper and and Printed Printed and Matter;Textile Textile and andTextile TextileArticles; Articles; Footwear Footwear (Chapters (Chapters 41 41 Matter; to64) 64) to 1:30PM PM--3:30 3:30PM PM •• Headgear Headgear and and other other Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Articles; Articles; Stones, Stones, 1:30 Cement, Ceramics, Ceramics, Glass, Glass, Precious Precious Stones Stones and and Metals, Metals, Cement, BaseMetals, Metals,and andArticles ArticlesThereof Thereof(Chapters (Chapters65 65to to83) 83) Base Machineryand andElectrical ElectricalEquipment; Equipment;Transport TransportEquipment; Equipment; •• Machinery MiscellaneousManufactured ManufacturedProducts Products(Chapters (Chapters84 84to to97) 97) Miscellaneous Interestedparties partiesare arerequired requiredto toregister registertheir theirparticipation participationusing usingthis thisregistration registration Interested link, https://forms.office.com/r/JQxgMnebyN https://forms.office.com/r/JQxgMnebyN or or by by scanning scanning the the QR QR Code Code below. below. link, Registrationwill willbe beopen openuntil until18 18November November2021 2021(12:00 (12:00PM).

PM).

Registration

8. All All bids bids shall shall be be opened opened and and read read inin the the presence presence of of Bidders Bidders or or their their duly duly 8. authorizedrepresentatives. representatives.All Allbids bidsshall shallbe beaccompanied accompaniedby byaascanned scannedcopy copyof of authorized validated bank bank deposit deposit slip slip or or screenshot screenshot of of successful successful electronic electronic fund fund transfer transfer validated representingpayment paymentof ofbid bidbond bondequivalent equivalentto to2% 2%of ofABC. ABC. representing 9. The Thewinning winningbidder biddershall shallissue issuePerformance PerformanceSecurity Securityininthe theform formof ofCash, Cash,Cashier’s Cashier’s 9.

Check,Manager’s Manager’sCheck, Check,issued issuedby byaaUniversal Universalor orCommercial CommercialBank, Bank,equivalent equivalent Check, tofive fivepercent percent(5%) (5%)of ofthe theContract ContractPrice; Price;and and to 10. ORMECO,INC. INC.reserves reservesthe theright rightto toaccept acceptor orreject rejectany anybids, bids,declare declarefailure failureof of 10. ORMECO, biddingand andnot notto toaward awardthe thecontract contractwithout withoutthereby therebyincurring incurringany anyliability liabilityto tothe the bidding affectedbidder bidderor orbidders. bidders.ORMECO, ORMECO,INC. INC.also alsohas hasno noresponsibility responsibilitywhatsoever whatsoever affected tocompensate compensateor orindemnify indemnifybidders biddersfor forany anyexpenses expensesincurred incurredininthe thepreparation preparation to oftheir theirbids. bids. of

(SGD.) INA C. YUMANG (SGD.) LLINA C. YUMANG ChairpersonBids Bidsand and Chairperson Awards Committee (BAC) Awards Committee (BAC)

Czech Republic recorded 874 incidents in 2020, up from 694 the previous year.

Almost all of them were published in the media or online and many concerned antiSemitic conspiracy theories specifically related to the pandemic, said the report.

“Anti-Semitism is a serious problem,” FRA director Michael O’Flaherty said in a statement introducing the report.

“But without the data, we do not know how serious it is.”

EU countries needed to encourage reporting of such incidents and improve the recording and collection of the data collection, he added.

“With that we will be better able to tackle hatred and prejudice against Jews.” AFP

NOTICEOF OFPUBLIC PUBLICHEARING HEARING NOTICE

7. Only Only those those who who have have bought bought the the Bidding Bidding Documents Documents shall shall be be allowed allowed to to attend attend 7. or participate participate during during the the Online/Virtual Online/Virtual Pre-Bidding Pre-Bidding Conference, Conference, where where their their or presenceisisMANDATORY; MANDATORY; presence

Certifiedby: by: Certified

WASHINGTON—In less than six weeks, a derisively tongue-in-cheek chant has taken over the United States, from sports stadiums to the halls of Congress —“Let’s go Brandon!”

The dig at President Joe Biden started during a television interview with NASCAR driver Brandon Brown. After winning a race in Alabama on October 2, the 28-year-old was speaking to an NBC reporter when the crowd began to chant.

Raising her voice in order to be heard, the reporter said: “As you can hear the chants from the crowd: Let’s go Brandon!”

In fact, the crowd could clearly be heard chanting, “Fuck you Biden!”

The speed at which the coded vulgar insult has spread through an ultrapolarized country reflects both the deterioration of political debate in a post-Donald Trump world, as well as Biden’s own plummeting popularity.

Viral The journalist’s gaffe, combined with Brown’s joy, was enough to make the clip go viral. And the slogan “Let’s go Brandon” became an easy way to deride Biden, but without using a swear word.

In recent weeks, even prominent Republican politicians have used the phrase, drawing condemnation from Democrats.

Among them is conservative and pro-Trump Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom many see as a White House contender in 2024. AFP

ThePHV PHV(via (viaMicrosoft MicrosoftTeams) Teams)will willbe beheld heldon on19 November 2021 19 November 2021from from9:30 AM 9:30 AM The to3:30 PM, 3:30 PM,as asfollows: follows: to

ReleaseofofInvitation Invitation Release Bid totoBid

Online/VirtualPre-Bid Pre-Bid Online/Virtual Conference Conference

ing Cambodia’s Independence Day in Phnom Penh on November 9. AFP

Brandon’ grows in just 6 weeks

The reference reference materials materials for for the the PHV PHV (Draft (Draft Philippine Philippine AHTN AHTN 2022, 2022, Two-Way Two-Way The AHTN2017-2022 2017-2022Correlation CorrelationTables, Tables,and andPosition PositionPaper PaperTemplate) Template)are areposted postedon onthe the AHTN Commission’swebsite websitehttps://tariffcommission.gov.ph/. https://tariffcommission.gov.ph/.Parties Partiesare arerequested requestedto tosubmit submit Commission’s their positions/comments positions/comments on on or or before before 26 26 November November 2021.

2021. Online Online submissions submissions are are their encouraged. encouraged.

For inquiries, inquiries, please please inquire inquire from from the the Research, Research, Investigation Investigation and and International International For TradeAnalysis AnalysisService Service(RIITAS) (RIITAS)at atemail emailaddress addressTC.Assist@tariffcommission.gov.ph, TC.Assist@tariffcommission.gov.ph, Trade telephonenumber number(02) (02)8926-8731, 8926-8731,or orthrough throughViber Viberat at0949-118-3891.

0949-118-3891. telephone Issuedthis this8th 8thday dayof ofNovember November2021, 2021,Quezon QuezonCity, City,Metro MetroManila Manila Issued

Notedby: by: Noted

(SGD.) ATTY. NORBERTO M. MENDOZA (SGD.) ATTY. NORBERTO M. MENDOZA HeadOf OfProcuring ProcuringEntity Entity(HOPE) (HOPE) Head

(MS-NOV.10, 10,2021) 2021) (MS-NOV.

(MS-NOV.10, 10,2021) 2021) (MS-NOV.

MARILOU P. MENDOZA MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson Chairperson

COOKOUT. Children prepare a charcoal stove to cook outside their homes in Hanoi on November 9. AFP

IN BRIEF

Source: Verdict in Dec. in Suu Kyi trial YANGON—A Myanmar junta court will give its verdict next month on whether ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi broke coronavirus rules during elections her party won last year, a source said Tuesday.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military’s February coup, which sparked huge protests and a bloody crackdown on dissent.

Suu Kyi, 76, went on trial in June, and faces a raft of charges from illegally importing walkie talkies to sedition.

Media have been barred from attending proceedings at the special court in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, and the junta recently banned her legal team from speaking to reporters.

On Tuesday Suu Kyi appeared at the latest hearing in the trial for allegedly flouting coronavirus rules during the 2020 elections, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

She would testify in her defense next week, the source said, adding a “final order pronouncing the verdict of the court” was set for December 14.

Suu Kyi faces three years in jail if found guilty.

The junta court will also hear closing arguments in a separate trial for incitement next week, as it begins to wrap up proceedings that could see the Nobel laureate jailed for decades. AFP

Mexico nabs Pegasus spyware suspect MEXICO CITY—Mexican prosecutors said Monday that they had detained a man accused of spying on a journalist using the Pegasus software at the center of a global spyware scandal.

The suspect, identified as Juan Carlos “G,” is thought to be the first person arrested in Mexico for using the controversial software developed

by Israeli firm NSO Group.

He was detained in the central city of Queretaro on charges of illegally monitoring communications and transferred to a prison in Mexico City, the attorney general’s office said.

The suspect’s actions against the unnamed journalist were aimed at “limiting and undermining her freedom of expression,” it said in a statement.

In July, an international media investigation called the Pegasus Project revealed that 25 journalists in Mexico were among the targets of NSO clients .

One of them, Cecilio Pineda, was murdered in March 2017.

In total, around 15,000 Mexican smartphone numbers were reported to be among more than 50,000 believed to have been selected by NSO clients for potential surveillance.

The numbers included President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s inner circle when he was opposition leader and political rival of then-president Enrique Pena Nieto. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTAYELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK CYAN

News Red Cross ready for another ‘Yolanda’ crisis

By Willie Casas HUMANITARIAN organization Philippine Red Cross (PRC) would be 90 percent prepared if a cyclone as strong as Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) hits the country.

Red Cross Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, in an online forum on the eighth anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda, said the PRC “surmounted” challenges when the super typhoon hit in 2013 with trained personnel and volunteers.

“In terms of gamit at manpower, I think si PRC naman as I had said dahil hindi naman sabay sabay mangyayari sa buong Pilipinas ‘yon (Typhoon Yolanda), may mga tao na nasa ibang lugar na within the Philippines na puwede mong kunin sa mobilization sa lugar (Since these things are not happening in the whole country, we can delegate other personnel from other areas in the Philippines to the affected area.),” said Zavalla, when asked if PRC is ready in case another Yolanda devastated a part of the country.

“So hindi natin sasabihin na one hundred percent, sabihin na natin na 90 percent siguro may preparation na nagawa para sa future disasters (We are not saying we are 100-percent ready but 90 percent, we have preparations for future disasters.),” she said.

Zavalla said since the typhoon ravaged the country, the PRC boosted its assets, personnel, and logistics to improve its readiness for other big disasters.

Yolanda struck in 2013 and is said to the the country’s worst storm after 7,350 people were reported dead or missing.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BSP: PhilSys ID sufficient for banking

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reminded both its supervised financial institutions and the public that the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID is considered a sufficient proof of identity to open a bank account.

In Memorandum No. M-2021-057 issued on Oct. 21, 2021, the BSP endorsed the Oct. 4, 2021 advisory issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority which reminds all government and private entities to accept the Philippine Identification card as sufficient proof of identity, subject to proper authentication.

This is in line with Republic Act No. 11055 or the PhilSys Act. “PhilSys will help more Filipinos, espe-

cially the marginalized and low-income, to begin saving money in banks and other BSFIs,” BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday.

Diokno said the national ID system will support the wide-scale opening of transaction accounts, particularly the Basic Deposit Account, which is designed to meet the needs of the unbanked.

In support of the earlier PSA advisory, the BSP’s issuance instructs its

supervised financial institutions that the PhilID, in both physical and mobile formats, shall be accepted as sufficient proof of identity without the need for another ID. It also emphasized that PhilSys will offer online and offline methods for identity authentication through the PhilID physical security features, QR code digital verification, biometric verification, and SMS one-time password.

These features will facilitate stronger and more secure methods of identity verification than traditional methods such as manual matching of a handwritten signature against a specimen.

BSP-supevised financial institutions are likewise directed to include the PhilID in their list of valid IDs to be displayed on their counters, public entrances of their establishments, websites, social

media accounts, and other consumer information channels.

The PhilSys is considered a major infrastructure component in the BSP’s Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap, which was launched in October 2020 with the twin goals of digitizing 50 percent of the total volume of retail payment transactions by 2023 from 19 percent in 2019, and bringing account ownership among adult Filipinos to 70 percent by 2023 from 29 percent in 2019.

As of Oct. 21, 2021, the number of transaction accounts opened due to the co-location of PSA registration sites and Land Bank account opening facilities totaled 5,922,304 accounts.

The BSP further said that it wishes to inform the public that it has not issued new banknote designs or a new design series.

IN BRIEF DOF chief rushed to hospital, now ‘OK’ JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra was brought to the hospital Tuesday morning because he was not feeling well, according to Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay.

Guevarra himself confirmed that he was brought to a hospital and he is “still confined for more test, including angiogram.” He said he had “breathing and fatigue problems the past few weeks.”

Sugay earlier confirmed that Guevarra, 67 years old, was rushed to the hospital, but Sugay did not provide where the Justice secretary was confined.

But Sugay immediate clarified that the Guevarra is “now alright” and “is under observation and will undergo routine tests.” Rey E. Requejo

Modernization MORE PASSENGERS FOR LRT. plan to beef up NBI arsenal House committee OKs bills to benefit medical workers

Metro Manila has been eased into a more relaxed Alert Level 2 starting Nov. 5 to Nov. 21. Intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be now be allowed, and there will be a 70-percent increase in the capacity of the Manila Light Rail Transit. Norman Cruz

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) plans to reorganize and modernize its equipment, systems, and procedures, as well as its professionalization efforts, as it celebrates its 85th founding anniversary.

NBI spokesperson and Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin, during Tuesday’s “Laging Handa” briefing, said that they were keeping up with the demands of time by implementing Republic Act 10867 or the “NBI Modernization Law” which was enacted in June 2016.

“Ang NBI, kahit na sabihin nating matagal na ito, 85 years na, ay patuloy kaming nage-evolve ayon sa pagevolve na rin ng krimen, especially in the area of computerization, the area of cybercrime (Even if we say that the NBI is now an institution after 85 years, we continue to evolve along with the evolution of crimes, especially in areas of computerization and cybercrime.),” said Lavin.

The modernization program would also cover its fight against cybercrime, as the NBI experienced a surge in sexual exploitation cases and online scams during the pandemic during which people stayed at home to work or conduct virtual classes, said Lavin.

According to the modernization law, the NBI will carry out a modernization program that is “geared toward the acquisition of state-of-the-art investigative and intelligence equipment and the establishment of forensic and scientific laboratories.”

The law also has provisions for the training of NBI personnel. Willie Casas

A7

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives Committee on Health has recommended for plenary action bills providing benefits, including special risk allowance, active duty hazard pay, and insurance to public and private health workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Angelina Tan of Quezon, approved House Bills 9640, 10198, 10285, 10331, and 10365 during its virtual meeting Tuesday.

In approving the measures, Tan proposed the benefits that will be provided to health workers, who are at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 pandemic, “should not only be monetary.”

Tan was referring to additional benefits that will cover psychiatric treatment for affected health workers which she proposed to be incorporated in the final version of the bill.

She stressed “a comprehensive health care benefits to medical personnel who were also infected with COVID-19” must be extended to the medical frontliners.

Tan said the various measures on the “COVID-19 Benefits for Health Workers Act of 2021” mandate that these benefits should remain available so long as the presidential declaration of a national public health emergency is in place.

“The benefits include monthly special risk allowance for all public and private health workers directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients; actual hazard duty pay for all health workers serving in the front line; and life insurance,

accommodation, transportation, and meals to all health workers,” Tan said.

Also, health workers who contract mild or moderate COVID-19 will be given P15,000 each; P100,000 for severe or critical cases; and in case of death, the amount of P1 million to the heirs, she added.

Several benefits were given to health workers under Republic Act 11494, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” or Bayanihan 2, which lapsed on June 30 this year.

Tan said that “2021 has been designated as the International Year of Health and Care Workers (YHCW) in appreciation and gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. The World Health Organization has launched a year-long campaign, under the them—“Protect, Invest, Together”, which highlights the urgent need to invest in health workers for shared dividends in health, jobs, economic opportunity and equity.”

THE Quezon City government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have officially launched COVID-19 mobile testing and vaccination units.

The deployment of mobile vaccination and testing teams are expected to expand and strengthen the city’s pandemic response efforts, benefit households with senior citizens and vulnerable people, and reach disadvantaged families residing in hard-to-reach areas.

Also in line with the national government’s plan to prepare for potential surges and to ramp-up the vaccination roll-out, USAID would be supporting the city’s ProtekTODO campaign by mobilizing 30 health care workers to assist in vaccine and testing operations in sixdistricts.

The mobile vaccination teams would help contribute an estimated 12,000 shots monthly for people of Quezon City, while the mobile testing initiative will help contribute about 5,000 tests on top of the local government’s 20,000 monthly testing coverage.

The city government said it is optimistic that the move could lead to a further decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases. Rio N. Araja

Yokohama plants 44k trees in Clark area

NEW PASIG RIVER FERRY. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin “Benhur”Abalos Jr. and Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto graces the inauguration of the new Pasig River Ferry station at Jimenez St. In Barangay Kalawaan, Pasig City on Nov. 9. Manny Palmero

45,000 Las Piñas minors sign up for vax

By Joel E. Zurbano

VACCINATED. Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman gets vaccinated against COVID-19 along with the DepEd T V Bicol Production Team. Norman Cruz

QC COVID-19 mobile testing units launched

LAS Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar on Tuesday announced that the city government had reached 45,000 registrants for the vaccination of the general public pediatric population aged 12 to 17 years old.

Aguilar said parents and guardians warmly accepted the call of the city government in registering their children to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

She added the local government has recorded a total of 45,000 registrants out of the 65,000 targeted to be inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines for them to be protected from the virus as part of the city government’s “Bakunahan sa Kabataan” program.

The city chief executive and Vice Mayor April Aguilar are conducting regular visits at the seven identified vaccination sites in the city to give the children as well as their parents

the confidence on the importance of getting the jabs against the dreaded virus.

Mayor Aguilar told residents that the city government had three ways to register their children ages 12 to 17 years old through DepEd registration, barangay extended assistance and the online registration via https://bit.ly/e-covid19reg.

The mayor said since the city government started its vaccination roll out for the general pediatric population last Oct. 22, 2021 the record shows that the eagerness of the youths to get vaccinated is still getting higher.

Mayor Aguilar likewise came out with a reminder to parents or guardians that once their children suffer any side effect after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, just scan the QR code which was posted at the Las Piñas City government Facebook page and answer the questions indicated therein.

CLARK FREEPORT—Yokohama Tire Philippines Incorporated had planted more than 44,000 trees of various species within the compound of its factory here since 2008, key officials said in a statement.

Dubbed as “Forever Forest”, the project is one of the YTPI banner environment programs for 13 years, said Angelina Casasola, YTPI vice president for Administration.

Casasola said YTPI planted 250 more tree seedlings in nearby Sitio Saw Mill, Barangay Sapang Bato, Angeles City. She said this was part of the company’s expansion of Forever Forest project.

YTPI President Tetsuya Nagao and Executive Vice President Kazutoshi Morimoto led the tree-planting activity in collaboration with the Angeles City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) headed by their Officerin-Charge Archimedes Lazatin.

The project, Casasola said is in line with the Angeles City’s vision to develop the area into a Forest Park and to protect the Angeles watershed. “The tree planting activity was part of the Japanese tire manufacturing company’s 25th year anniversary celebration here in the Philippines.”

Casasola said the tree planting project is a long term, global initiative

by YTPI’s parent company, the Yokohama Rubber Company, as part of its mandate of preserving the environment. Jess Malabanan

Sports

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021

CURRY SCORES 50! Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Curry scored a season-high 50 points and had 10 assists as the Golden State Warriors improved to a NBA-leading 9-1 with a 127-113 rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. It was the 10th career 50-point game for the 33-year-old Curry, who passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the oldest player in NBA history with a 50-point, 10-assist game. Chamberlain did it when he was 31. AFP

Eala to end 2-month layoff soon

By Peter Atencio ALEX Eala will return to action as soon as she has recovered from a foot injury.

The 16-year-old Filipina teen sensation has been on a twomonth layoff following her memorable stint in the 2021 US Open in New York.

Eala admitted that she was not at her best when she lost to Swiss foe Sebastiana Scilipoti in the girls’ singles quarterf inal.

“It happened before the US Open. I was not 100 percent. But I did what I could,” said Eala on her uncle Noli Eala’s weekly program, “Power and Play.”

The world no. 4 junior player, who is currently based at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, said she will be back in a few weeks’ time.

“The biggest takeaway is that I’m not always going to be playing my best. I need to learn to how to play in certain situations and find solutions,” added Eala.

She said her stint in the US Open was a memorable one because she was with her family that provided her lots of inspiration.

Eala’s quarterfinal finish in the US Open was the best ever for a player from the Philippines in the tournament.

Scilipoti eventually swept Eala, 7-5, 6-3, in the girls’ singles quarterfinal, thereby denying her a chance of maiden semifinal slot at the Flushing Meadows tourney.

She also reached the girls’ doubles semis with Belgian partner Hanne Vandewinkel, but eventually bowed to Reese Brantmeier and Elvina Kalieva.

With her layoff, Eala said she has been able to find time to work on improvements on her game.

Her coaches are making plans on whether she will concentrate in the women’s circuit, or return to juniors’ play.

PBA wants fans back T

HE Philippine Basketball Association is adopting a number of measures that will help it become vibrant anew moving forward.

having our fans back. Yan ang pangarap namin. It’s been two years. We’re looking forward to having them again as part of our tournaments.”

The league’s second conferThe 46-year-old league is set ence is tentatively set for a Nov. for a dialogue with the Inter28 opening depending on the arAgency Task Force to discuss rival of all 12 imports. What is about finally having fans back certain though, is the opening of in the playing venue for the comthe inaugural PBA 3x3 tournaing Governors’ Cup, even as the ment on Nov. 20 at the Ynares Board of Governors already apSports Arena in Pasig City. proved that Fil-foreign players “That’s another milestone,” Varnow only need to present a valid gas said of the launching of the Philippine passport in order to league’s first ever three-a-side meet. be available for the rookie draft.

In the same forum, the league These are some of the fresh chairman announced the apdevelopments announced by proval of the Board allowing FilCommissioner Willie Marcial PBA commissioner Willie Marcial (left) and chairman Ricky Vargas foreign players with Philippine and Board Chairman Ricky passport to become eligible for Vargas when they appeared tothe annual draft. ako kung ilang percentage ang puwede, gether in the online Philippine Sports- kung paano ang seating arrangement, Previously, besides a Philippine passwriters Association Forum on Tuesday. kung ano ang protocols and safety mea- port, Fil-foreign players are also required Marcial said he’s going to sit down with sures na kailangan natin,” the commis- to get a certification from the Bureau of the IATF within the coming days and talk sioner said.

Immigration and affirmation from the about the protocols to be implemented for “It’s a joyous occasion to see the Department of Justice. the import-flavored meet and at the same fans back,” added Vargas in the sesThat’s everything in the past now, actime, request the agency that it be allowed sion presented by San Miguel Corpo- cording to Vargas. to have the fans back in the venue after ration, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, “We will basically look at Filplaying two consecutive conferences under Braska Restaurant, Daily Tribune, and foreigners less stringently now,” a bubble set-up minus an audience. the Philippine Amusement and Gaming said the TNT governor. “As long as “Hihingi ako ng Corporation. they have Filipino blood and they can get dulog sa ating IATF “We’re excited about the second con- their passport, they are able to come and kung puwede na ang ference. It’s going to be a conference with play for us, we will look at them with less fans. Makikipag-usap imports, and we’re looking forward to rules to disqualify them.”

COCOLIFE Tigers edge Knights in double OT PLAYMAKER Rob Celis played the hero’s role for Davao Occidental COCOLIFE against arch rival San Juan as he led the Tigers to a double-overtime victory, 120-115, in the elimination round of the FilBasket Championship Monday night at the Subic Bay Gymnasium, SBMA in Olongapo City.

A silent operator in the early going, Celis roared in the second half to prevent the Knights’ attempt to break away, highlighted

by Orlan Wamar’s three-point bombs with under three minutes left in the regulation period as San Juan grabbed an 87-78 advantage.

COCOLIFE gunner John Wilson exploded in the third quarter, but fouled out in the crunchtime.

However, Celis, Alwin Alday, Marco Balagtas and Joseph Terso levelled the score at 88-88, with 11 seconds left in regulation.

A quick two by Wamar was erased by the slashing Celis to the hoop to force the first overtime, 90-all.

Ato Ular and Wamar gave San Juan the early advantage at the foul line, 95-90, but Celis gallantly fought back along with Alday and Gab Dagungon’s triple, sending the game to a second overtime, a first in the FilBasket.

Terso Dagangon, Alday and Celis then joined forces to stop the last stand by Knights’ Adrian Nocum and JM Calma and help hammer another comefrom-behind victory by the Mindanaoans.

The Tigers of team owners Davao Occidental Gov. Claude Bautista, Rep. Claudine Bautista-Lim, manager Dinko Bautista and supported by COCOLIFE president Atty. Jose Martin Loon, SVP Joseph Ronquillo, VP Rowena Asnan and EVP Franz Joie Araque, grabbed a tie for the top spot in the standings at 6-1, while the Knights fell to a 2-4 slate.

“Kung sino ang may pinakamalaking puso ang nagwagi sa mahirap na panalong ito. Salamat sa tiwala nina coach Matt (Macalintal), boss Rey (Alao) at Bhong Baribar,” said Celis, the FilBasket Player of the Game, who posted a near triple-double of 26 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists.

Singson grabs Highlands lead in brutal conditions

Mafy Singson

TAGAYTAY—Mafy Singson sparkled in fog and wind, grabbing the lead in the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Challenge despite a six-over 76 in a wild start under near-extreme wind conditions at Highlands where bogeys proved as norm and birdies a rarity here yesterday.

The talented amateur actually had no inkling of reprising the role she had played in last week’s ICTSI Aoki Classic at Eagle Ridge but late-hole mishaps by erstwhile frontrunners Sunshine Baraquiel and Arnie Taguines enabled her to take charge again despite a birdie-less pair of 38s.

“I didn’t play so well,” said Singson, who barely lost to Harmie Constantino by one stroke last week. “The wind was really strong and I just tried to hit my ball in the fairway and tried to play with the wind.”

Baraquiel, a lady pilot, had navigated herself quite well over the par 34-36

course with severe elevation changes and held on to the lead with a five-over card after 15 holes. But she bogeyed two of the last three and wound up with a 77 for joint second with Constantino, Korean Jane Jeong and another amateur Laurea Duque.

The organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. had to push back the start by an hour due to rain and fog that rendered the course unplayable with Taguines seizing early control with a two-birdie, twobogey card at the front.

But the wind condition turned virtually ruthless at the back, sending the scores soaring and the players tumbling and leaving Baraquiel, in pursuit of a maiden win, at the top as baffled as the rest of the field in the 54-hole championship put up

by ICTSI. But those late bogeys paved the way for Singson’s surge although Constantino, out of the picture with an atrocious 37-40 marred by two double bogeys and without

a birdie in one of the earlier flights, suddenly got back into the thick of things.

Duque, who also placed second to Singson in the first 18 holes at Aoki, likewise stayed in early contention despite yielding four straight strokes from No. 13. She holed out with another bogey on No. 18 for a 37-40, also blemished by two early double bogeys against two birdies.

“I didn’t really hit my best but I managed to hold my score in the early going,” said Duque. “The course is playing tough for everyone so anything can happen.”

Jeong also found herself in the mix in her first tournament as a pro despite bogeys on No. 16-17 as she gunned down two birdies against five more bogeys and a double bogey.

With high scores, the rest practically remained in the race with Daniella Uy at solo sixth with a 78, just two strokes behind Singson, and Chihiro Ikeda and Apple Fudolin submitting identical 79s.

Ifugao prospect gets PH title shot vs. Ancajas conqueror IT’S official, Ifugao boxing prospect Carl Jammes “Wonderboy” Martin will now get his shot at the Philippine superbantamweight title.

Defending champion Mark Anthony Geraldo and manager Leonil Lazarito last week signed the contract and submitted it to promoter Cucuy Elorde, sealing the fight that will see the Bukidnon-born boxer stake his belt against Martin on Dec. 4 at the Elorde Sports Complex.

The Games and Amusement Board, in last month’s regular ratings, made Martin the mandatory challenger to Geraldo, who will be making the third defense of the prestigious crown, which he won when he knocked out the highly-touted Virgel Vitor last February, 2019 in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

“Simula po ng lumaban na ako sa Ma-

nila, nakita ko po kung gaano kagaling ang mga boxers dito kaya pinangarap ko na agad na maging isang Philippine champion,” said Martin, who remains unbeaten in 17 bouts, 15 of which ended via knockout.

Though this will be his first fight since the pandemic erupted in March of last year, Geraldo is sure to offer Martin one tough battle.

Geraldo’s claim to fame was when he beat current IBF world superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas via majority decision during their 12-round regional title fight last March, 2012 in Cebu.

“Malayong malayo po talaga ang kalidad ni Geraldo kumpara sa kahit siguro lahat ng nakalaban ko. Bukod po sa Philippine title, gustung-gusto ko talaga itong laban na ito dahil ang defending cham-

pion ay kilalang-kilala sa kaniyang experience,” said Martin.

In compiling a record of 38-9-3, 19 via stoppage, Geraldo has fought the best in his division, among them former world champions McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico and Nourdine Oubaali of France and world title challengers Takuma Inoue of Japan and Bacolod’s pride Arthur Villanueva.

Martin, meanwhile, is being egged on by his throng of followers to take on quality foreign foes or start campaigning abroad.

But the 22-year-old Hingyon, Ifugaonative pugilist, who remains a promotional free agent, insists they have a long- Carl Jammes “Wonderboy” Martin (left) and Philippine superbantamweight champion Mark Anthony Geraldo term, prudent plan for his career.

“Aabot naman po tayo siguro du’n pero kasi nga, Philippine champion. Pinag- fers para hindi po pagsisihan lahat kung sa ngayon, best option itong si Geraldo aaralan na din po naman ang mga of- makapasok sa isang deal,” said Martin.

Business DMCI’s 9-month income soared 245% to P13.5b

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE DMCI Holdings Inc. of the Consunji family said Tuesday nine-month net income soared by 245 percent to P13.5 billion from P3.9 billion in the same period last year, as core businesses delivered strong results.

DMCI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange nine-month consolidated revenues registered an all-time high of P80 billion, up by 82 percent from P44 billion last year.

The conglomerate attributed the robust revenues to the strong rally of coal, nickel and electricity prices, coupled with the steady increase in construction accomplishments.

Excluding non-recurring gains, core net income in the first nine months reached an all-time high of P12.31 billion, up from P4.5 billion in 2020.

The company said that in the third quarter, consolidated net income grew 113 percent to P4 billion, as revenues went up by 46 percent from P18 billion to P26.4 billion.

“This is our highest third-quarter revenue ever. If current market and operating conditions continue for the rest of the year, we expect our fourthquarter results to be even better,” said DMCI Holdings chairman and president Isidro Consunji.

Net income contribution from Semirara Mining and Power Corp. surged 252 percent in the first nine months to P6 billion from P1.7 billion on higher coal shipments and average selling prices for coal and electricity.

The company’s residential business under DMCI Homes contributed P3.2 billion in core earnings, up 199 percent year-on-year on higher construction accomplishments and down payment recognition from new accounts.

DMCI Mining also delivered a 290-percent increase in net income contribution to P983 million on higher selling prices, shipment and production as two of its mines operated at full capacity this year.

Jollibee rebounds with P1.57-b profit in the third quarter RESTAURANT chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. said Tuesday thirdquarter net income reached P1.57 billion, a reversal from the P1.58-billion net loss it booked in the same period last year as both domestic and international businesses recovered from the impact of the pandemic.

The company said that system-wide sales, a measure of all sales to consumers both from company-owned and franchised stores, climbed 26.6 percent in the third quarter to P51.38 billion.

Same-store sales in the Philippine business increased 32.4 percent in the third quarter from a year ago, while the international business grew 12.4 percent.

Compared to pre-pandemic levels, total system-wide sales and revenues in the third quarter were still lower by 10.4 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively than in the third quarter of 2019.

Sales in China grew by 2.9 percent, North America by 19.6 percent, Europe, Middle East and other parts of Asia by 8.8 percent and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf by 20 percent.

Jollibee said nine-month net income reached P2.7 billion, a turnaround from the P13.54-billion net loss as system-wide sales jumped 18.4 percent to P149.68 billion.

Jollibee opened 249 new stores in the first nine months, including 47 in the Philippines, 67 in China, 29 in North America and 15 in EMEAA. SuperFoods and CBTL opened 48 and 43 stores, respectively.

The company, however, closed 221 stores in the third quarter, including 63 in the Philippines and 158 abroad.

It said that by end-September, the group had a store network of 5,853 outlets, including 3,202 in the Philippines and 2,651 overseas.

Jenniffer B. Austria

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, November 9, 2021 45.45 PTS.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021

B1

Gov’t extends work-from-home arrangement of BPOs until March

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE Cabinet-level Fiscal Incentives Review Board, chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, issued Resolution No. 19-21 that allows registered business enterprises of the Information Technology and Business Process Management sector to continue implementing work from home arrangements without adversely affecting their fiscal incentives until March 31, 2022.

Under the resolution approved on FIRB’s Oct. 15 meeting, up to 90 percent of the RBEs’ total workforce may work from home amid the pandemic, subject to conditions provided by the FIRB. Trade Secretary and Philippine Economic Zone Authority board chairman Ramon Lopez, who is also vice-chair of the FIRB, said that at the onset of the pandemic, the IT-BPM sector was among the first few industries that successfully put in place systems and mechanisms that effectively allowed workers to adopt full WFH arrangements.

“The IT-BPM sector was consulted even prior to its August 2021 meeting where Resolution 19-21 was adopted noting that the IT-BPM sector is one of

the key employment generators in the country and that the adoption of WFH arrangements has contributed to the creation and preservation of jobs during the pandemic,” he said.

Enterprises exceeding the 90-percent threshold could not enjoy income tax incentives during the months of their noncompliance with the FIRB resolution.

PEZA director-general Charito Plaza earlier asked the FIRB to allow the investment promotion agency to implement its previous policy of allowing WFH for all employees, with the limitation that only 90 percent of the enterprise’s revenues may be granted tax incentives, even if registered enterprises are supposed to operate within the ecozones.

7,441.67

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Finance Secretary and FIRB chairman Carlos Dominguez III said PEZA’s proposal was not consistent with the emerging economic strategy of the government to gradually and safely reopen the economy.

“The idea of opening the economy is allowing the people to go out and spend money in the restaurants and other businesses in the area. This [proposal] won’t achieve the goal of opening the economy,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez also reminded the members of the FIRB that the activities registered with PEZA, which is an ecozone authority, were supposed to be conducted within the economic zones.

Finance assistant secretary and FIRB Secretariat head Juvy Danofrata said that the 90 percent WFH arrangement is only a temporary measure for exceptional circumstances approved by the FIRB, as authorized by the implementing rules and regulations of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act. Danofrata said “the PEZA rule that 90 percent of total revenue from the registered activity is entitled to incentives – revenue, rather than workforce, as basis for the 90 percent – has no reasonable connection to COVID-19 prevention and mitigation.”

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,310,034,221 111,997 9,492,662,636.85 103 87 48

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2410

Japan

Yen

0.008832

0.4437

UK

Pound

1.356500

68.1519

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128399

6.4509

Switzerland

Franc

1.094691

54.9984

Canada

Dollar

0.803794

40.3834

Singapore

Dollar

0.742225

37.2901

Australia

Dollar

0.742000

37.2788

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653294

133.3041

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266638

13.3962

Brunei

Dollar

0.739481

37.1523

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030294

1.5220

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6792

Euro

Euro

1.159000

58.2293

Korea

Won

0.000847

0.0426

China

Yuan

0.156421

7.8587

India

Rupee

0.013531

0.6798

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240790

12.0975

New Zealand

Dollar

0.716500

35.9977

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035935

1.8054 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF Petron recovers with P5-b profit

PETRON Corp. said Tuesday it ended the first nine months with a consolidated net income of P4.99 billion, a reversal of the P12.6-billion net loss it incurred in the same period last year amid the continuing increase in world oil prices.

“Despite external challenges, sustaining the financial resilience of the company has helped ensure that we have the means and the capacity to continue growing the business while providing our investors with the best returns.

These include strategic investments in our service station expansion, refinery enhancements, and supply chain management. We are looking forward to ending 2021 in a much stronger and stable position than last year,” said Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang said in a statement.

Petron said it continued to show recovery amid the pandemic as its volume and revenues remained on the uptrend in the second and third quarters despite the re-imposition of mobility restrictions.

Consolidated revenues from its Philippine and Malaysian operations rose 35 percent to P291.57 billion from P216.43 billion a year ago as international oil prices continued to rally with Dubai crude breaching the $75 per barrelmark in the third quarter. Alena Mae S. Flores

Phoenix Petroleum’s earnings hit P170m

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. said Tuesday net income reached P170 million in the first nine months, a reversal of the P95million net loss it suffered in the same period last year.

The company said it continued to exceed pre-pandemic volume in the third quarter despite stricter mobility restrictions for most of the period.

“We are proud of the sustained growth in the third quarter. This is the product of the team’s hard work for the past 18 months as we position the business stronger during the pandemic, and aim for growth as the economy emerges from it,” Phoenix president Henry Albert Fadullon said.

The company said revenues grew by 81 percent year-on-year as the sustained volume growth was compounded by sharply rising commodity prices and forex depreciation. Operating income was up 78 percent year-on-year to P1.64 billion.

It said overall volume rose 33 percent from the prior year, led by growth in the domestic B2B segment and the overseas trading business. Alena Mae S. Flores

TREE PLANTING. Employees of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. plant over 500 seedlings of fruit-bearing and forest trees marking the start of the partnership with the Abacan River and Angeles Watershed Advocacy Council Inc. and the Kapatirang Aetas ng Angeles-Porac para sa Kalikasan at Agrikultura. Under the partnership, Converge will be rehabilitating two hectares of the Angeles watershed, with KAAPKA as the land stewards and ARAW-ACI as the project implementer.

PH seeks renewal of trade preferential agreement with US

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines seeks to renew its participation in the US Generalized System of Preferences as the Board of Investments sets a virtual meeting with its American counterparts.

Trade experts from the BOI are set to meet with the US Trade Representative soon to discuss the merits of a petition for renewal of the Philippine’ participation in the trade scheme.

Under the GSP, the Philippines, as one of the beneficiary countries, enjoys lower duties on many of its products entering the US market.

“In their calendar, it is not likely that the US will renew petitions for renewal of GSP contracts this year. We

certainly believe that next year will be a good year for renewals,” said Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

The US GSP expired on Dec. 31, 2020, but the Philippines expressed optimism that its petition would be heard and approved by 2022.

Rodolfo said that bilateral relations between the Philippines and the US improved over the years.

“We will emphasize the importance of the GSP to the Philippines. What we are after is industrial cooperation, being able to attract US investments into the Philippines for supply chain that is also critical for the US,” Ceferino said.

The Philippines was among the top five users of the US GSP in 2020,

along with Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and Cambodia.

GSP, the largest and oldest US trade preference program, is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry into the United States for 3,500 products from the 119 designated beneficiary countries and territories.

To remain eligible for these advantages, beneficiary countries should comply with 15 statutory eligibility criteria, including taking steps to afford internationally-recognized worker rights, providing adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights and assuring equitable and reasonable access to its markets.

BDO warns clients vs. ‘deactivation’ emails

BDO Unibank Inc. reminded clients that it will never send a warning message about account deactivation as banks do not deactivate accounts via email, text or call. Bank will also never urge clients to click on links that lead to websites asking for personal information to verify their identity and prevent account deactivation.

BDO advised clients to check the email sender’s address as scammers can change the sender name but not the email address. “If the email sender’s address doesn’t end with @bdo. com.ph, it’s a scam email,” it said.

The bank asked clients to double-check a link before clicking on it. Using a computer, clients can point their mouse cursor at the link to reveal the website address. Using a mobile device, clients can “long press” a link to see a preview of the web page it goes to. BDO said it would never send links to a web page asking for confidential information.

“Be wary of the message. Scammers alarm clients by informing them of an unauthorized transaction using their bank account. They will include details such as total amount as well as date and place of purchase. BDO assures clients that it will never send this kind of message via text message and email,” BDO said.

BDO encouraged clients to report suspicious incidents to ReportPhish@bdo.com.ph or get in touch with its representatives by logging in Messenger and looking for BDO Customer Care with the blue verified checkmark from Facebook.

Clients may also call its hotline at 8631-8000 or email BDO at customercare@bdo.com.ph.

Romero to step down as Pilipinas Shell president

By Alena Mae S. Flores PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. said Tuesday Cesar Romeo is stepping down as executive director, president and chief executive effective Nov. 30 this year.

The company said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that Lorelie Osial would succeed Romero effective Dec. 1.

Osial is the vice president for finance process expenditure at Shell Shared Services (Asia) B.V. and has 20 years of experience with Shell. She previously worked at United Logistics and Pepsi Cola.

Osial joined Shell in Upstream Philippines and since then worked in various business-facing finance roles in production, projects, regional, shareholder and joint venture environments in Upstream and Midstream Asia, Middle East and North Africa.

Romero will stay on until Jan. 31, 2022 to ensure a smooth and streamlined transition and handover to Osial.

Pilipinas Shell also disclosed that Randolph Del Valle, vice president for mobility would replace Rolando Paulino Jr. who left the group on Sept. 8.

The board also approved the contracts of the corporation with Shell International Eastern Trading Company, the trading arm of the Shell Group, after a favorable endorsement from the related party transaction committee.

Pilipinas Shell posted a P2.2-billion net income in the first half, rebounding from a P6.74-billion net loss in the same period last year, driven by the recovery of marketing businesses as the government rolled out initiatives to reopen the economy, including its vaccination programs.

“The company reported a net income of P2.2 billion as a result of strong marketing delivery supported by inventory holding gains net of the offsetting adjustments from the implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act or CREATE bill,” Pilipinas Shell said.

RIVER CLEANUP. San Miguel Corp. reported that its river cleanup initiatives at the Pasig River and Tullahan River, both major tributaries crucial to the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay, exceed initial targets even as it prepares to ramp up efforts in the coming months with the easing of quarantine restrictions. SMC’s P1-billion initiative removed over 500,000 metric tons of silt and solid waste from the Tullahan River to help reduce severe flooding in nearby Navotas, Malabon and Valenzuela cities in recent months. SMC is also undertaking a similar P2-billion rehabilitation initiative that aims to extract 600,000 metric tons of silt and solid waste yearly from the Pasig River to support flood mitigation efforts and the Manila Bay rehabilitation project.

Business

B2 || WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Third-quarter GDP data boost stock market S TOCKS rose Tuesday to hit a new peak this year, bolstered by reports that the Philippine economy grew 7.1 percent in the third quarter, following a revised 12-percent expansion in the second quarter.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 45 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 7,441.67, while the broader all shareindex climbed 20 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 4,531.86, on a value turnover of P9.5 billion.

Advancers led gainers, 103 to 87, while 48 issues were unchanged. Eight of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Jollibee Foods Corp. which advanced 4.5 percent to P259.80 and Globe Telecom Inc. which rose 3.7 percent to P3,422.

Most Asian markets also rose Tuesday following another record on Wall Street, while bitcoin hit a new peak with optimism over the recovery outlook edging out long-running inflation fears, with predictions for even more gains to come.

Traders have been in buoyant mood since the US Federal Reserve last week unveiled its plan for withdrawing its vast financial support but said it would move cautiously in raising interest rates.

Analysts said other central banks had

been less keen to tighten policy than investors had expected.

Still, the Fed on Monday warned in a closely watched report that the rally across markets could quickly reverse if there was another Covid surge or the recovery stalls, and also raised concerns about the possible impact of China’s property crisis.

All three main indexes in New York hit record highs for the second day in a row helped by news that US lawmakers had passed President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure overhaul, and as the country reopened to vaccinated visitors from more than 30 countries.

That all came on top of a strong earnings season and after Pfizer’s announcement that a pill to treat Covid had proved

to be hugely effective, putting the world another step closer to overcoming the disease.

Markets analyst Louis Navellier said he was very upbeat about the outlook.

“I think that at the end of January, we’re going to be 18 percent to 20 percent higher than we are today,” he said in a note. “That’s a bold statement. But we’ve got a lot of earnings coming out, seasonal strength and an accommodative Fed.” Asia, which struggled Monday, mostly managed to follow Wall Street’s lead.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Wellington, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta all rose, though Tokyo, Sydney and Singapore edged down. Mumbai was flat. With AFP

Toshiba to split business into three companies TOKYO, Japan—Toshiba plans to split into three companies as early as 2023, a report said Tuesday, after a series of crises at the firm including the ouster of the board’s chairman and a contentious buyout offer.

The Nikkei business daily said the three units would focus on infrastructure, devices and semiconductor memory and are expected to be listed, possibly within two years.

Toshiba told AFP the option of splitting its business up was under consideration but said nothing had been decided.

The Nikkei, which did not cite sources, said the move could be announced Friday when Toshiba reports earnings.

“We are drafting a mid-term business plan to enhance our corporate value, and dividing our businesses is one of the options, but there is nothing officially decided at this point,” Toshiba spokesman Tatsuro Oishi told AFP. “We will swiftly announce if we decide anything that should be disclosed,” he said.

The decision, if confirmed, would cap a period of enormous upheaval for the firm, once a symbol of Japan’s advanced technology and economic power.

In June, shareholders voted to oust the board’s chairman after a series of scandals and losses, in a rare victory for activist investors in corporate Japan.

The move followed the damaging revelations of an independent probe that concluded Toshiba attempted to block shareholders from exercising their proposal and voting rights.

The investigation’s report detailed how the firm had pursued an intervention from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to help sway a board vote.

The revelations came after an unexpected buyout offer in April from a private equity fund associated with then-CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani.

The offer sparked uproar, with allegations it was intended to blunt the influence of activist investors.

Other offers emerged subsequently, and Kurumatani resigned in April, though he insisted it was not related to the buyout controversy. AFP Manila

Standard

TODAY

PSEi NOVEMBER 9, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

BSC GEO

0.73 0.225

0.05 0.015

7.35% 7.14%

3

DMC

8.18

0.53

6.93%

4 5

GSMI NRCP

109.3 0.68

6.5 0.04

6.32% 6.25%

6 7

LR PIZZA

1.59 8.79

0.09 0.39

6.00% 4.64%

8 9

JFC CEBCP

259.8 49.8

11.2 1.95

4.51% 4.08%

10

GLO

3422

122

3.70%

TOP LOSERS

Timber logs are pictured at the Fazenda Nicolau which is managed by a carbon forest NGO linked to French company Peugeot, in Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso Aug. 30, 2021. Thanks to its lush vegetation and the miracle of photosynthesis, the Amazon basin has, until recently, absorbed large amounts of humankind’s ballooning carbon emissions, helping stave off the nightmare of rampant climate change. But studies indicate the rainforest is near a “tipping point,” at which it will dry up and turn to savannah, its 390 billion trees dying off en masse. AFP

New gold rush fuels destruction of Amazon forest in Brazil SAO Felix do Xingu, Brazil—Standing over the gaping pit in the middle of his small farm, Brazilian wildcat miner Antonio Silva struggles to explain why he joined the new gold rush sweeping the Amazon.

The 61-year-old grandfather of six had planned to retire from illegal mining, and the environmental destruction that comes along with it.

He bought this farm in rural Sao Felix do Xingu, in the southeastern Amazon, and was starting a cattle ranch on a long-deforested patch of jungle where he would not have to cut down more trees.

But then the pandemic hit, gold prices soared, and Silva -- a pseudonym, as the man is involved in illicit activity -- couldn’t resist the temptation of easy money.

He put his retirement plans on hold

and spent 50,000 reais ($9,000) of his meager savings to rent an excavator, hire four workers, and dig a hole the size of a large house that now dominates his emerald pastures.

Filled with murky gray-green water, the hole is outfitted with a pump sitting on a ramshackle raft that delivers muddy sediment to a sluice to be panned for gold. To his chagrin, he has found only trace amounts so far.

“I know it’s wrong. I know the problems mining causes. But I don’t have anything else,” says Silva, who got his start mining in the gold rush of the 1970s and 80s at the infamous Serra Pelada mine, known for images of tens of thousands of mud-soaked men swarming its cavernous sides like ants, hauling sacks of dirt from its bowels.

Now, illegal mining is surging again in the mineral-rich Amazon basin, fu-

eled by poverty, greed, impunity and record gold prices.

As investors have sought a haven from pandemic-induced economic chaos in gold, illegal miners have responded by hacking giant rust-colored scars into the plush green of the world’s biggest rainforest.

Mining has already destroyed a record 114 square kilometers (44 square miles) of the Brazilian Amazon this year -- more than 10,000 football pitches.

Silva’s operation is relatively tiny, and the land he’s damaging is his own.

But much of the destruction is on protected indigenous reservations.

There, gangs with heavy equipment and brutal tactics are installing huge mines, attacking villages, spreading disease, poisoning the water -- and devastating the very communities experts say are key to saving the Amazon. AFP

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

FERRO ATNB

3.25 0.46

-0.24 -0.03

-6.88% -6.12%

3 4 5 6 7

ATN WIN COAL FPI LODE

0.48 0.25 0.275 0.285 0.64

-0.03 -0.015 -0.015 -0.015 -0.03

-5.88% -5.66% -5.17% -5.00% -4.48%

8 9

MAH HOME

1.51 10.02

-0.07 -0.46

-4.43% -4.39%

10

PHA

0.68

-0.03

-4.23%

MOST ACTIVE 1 2 3 4 5

GLO MONDE ICT MBT JFC

VOLUME 244,700 38,757,800 3,073,710 9,612,620 1,515,970

6 7 8 9 10

TEL BDO SM ALLDY ALI

200,775 2,367,110 309,280 415,343,000 7,758,000

VALUE (PHP) 835,203,290 649,399,274 596,597,843 498,656,440 387,503,476 330,961,950 312,287,766 304,330,950 297,452,380 293,190,180

Organic farmers find fertile ground in North Africa

By Kaouther Larbi and Francoise Kadri TUNIS, Tunisia—Proudly displaying her freshly picked pomegranates, Tunisian farmer Sarah Shili says going organic is “the future of farming”—and as demand surges in North Africa and beyond, the sector is blooming.

Shili runs Domaine Elixir Bio, a 94-hectare (230-acre) farm near Tunis that produces organic-certified vegetable, fruit and cereal crops in a way she said “respects nature.”

The farm’s revenues have surged thanks to strong demand and the growth of online sales, multiplying five times in as many years to hit 100,000 euros in 2020.

That is despite the higher price of organic products in a middle-income country where many people’s wallets have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and years of economic crisis.

Indeed, with export demand also on the rise, Shili says the main challenges are on the supply side.

“We lack water, like all farmers, and to get organic seeds and plants we have to do everything ourselves,” she told AFP. Despite the challenges, the sector has surged in Tunisia since the turn of the millennium.

In 2001, just 16,000 hectares were dedicated to organic farming—a figure that has multiplied 20-fold over two decades.

The number of producers and venders has grown at a similar pace to some 8,000, said Samia Maamer, in charge of organic products at the agriculture ministry.

Maamer said the sector has helped diversify the country’s economy and now makes up 13 percent of food exports.

(MS-NOV. 10, 2021)

A farmer checks a pomegranate tree at an organic grove in Oudhna, near Tunisia’s capital Tunis, on October 14, 2021.

Out of CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK 250 categories of organic products grown in Tunisia, around 60 are exported, and despite its small size, the country ranks 30th in the world and first in Africa in terms of area certified for organic farming.

AFP

‘Tunisia’s favorable climate’ Out of 250 categories of organic products grown in Tunisia, around 60 are exported—mainly olive oil but also dates, aromatic and medicinal plants as well as some vegetables and fruit.

Despite its small size, Tunisia ranks 30th in the world and first in Africa in terms of area certified for organic farming.

Maamer said that apart from its chronic water shortages, “the climate in Tunisia is very favorable” to the trade.

She added that only five percent of the country’s two million hectares of olive groves had been treated with pesticides, meaning the remainder could potentially win organic certification.

“It’s a sector with ongoing and growing international demand,” said Maamer.

And due to the coronavirus pandemic, people began increas-

ingly looking for organic products “because... they don’t contain (artificial) chemicals,” she added.

While there is strong demand in the US and Europe for bio products, they are also gaining attention among 25-30 year-old Tunisians “who are well-informed” about their benefits, she added.

As the market grows, Tunisia hopes that by 2030 the sector will contribute to help develop tourism, renewables and handicrafts, she said.

Morocco, Algeria trail behind Bio farming is also on the rise in Morocco, where the area of farmland certified for organic production has more than doubled since 2011 to reach over 10,300 hectares.

However, “that’s far behind the potential of a farming country like Morocco,” said Reda Tahiri, who heads a union for or-

ganic farmers.

The majority of the country’s olive, citrus and almond groves are in the southern area around Marrakech and near the capital Rabat in the north-west.

But given the country’s 300,000 hectares of aromatic and medicinal plants and the iconic argan tree, there is potential for going organic.

Moroccan authorities are trying to develop the sector with the Green Morocco Plan, which helps farmers cover the costs of getting certified.

For exports to the European Union to be labelled as organic, they must be inspected once a year by an EU-licensed certification agency.

Tahiri said certification for export to European or North American markets can cost up to 1,000 euros ($1,115) per hectare annually. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021

B3

Something is popping for AC Bonifacio AFTER impressing the online world with her versatility and gaining a following in various platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube through her powerful dance covers, dance floor darling AC Bonifacio is keener to level up her game.

AC’s achiever personality, coupled with her undeniable talent, has allowed her to gain the attention of internationally renowned acts such as Selena Gomez, Cardi B, B.I, Black Pink, and BTS. Earlier this year, she delivered an amazing performance as Star Vixen on the hit TV series Riverdale.

Donning a new hat this time, on top of being a dancer, actress, host, and vlogger, the 18-year-old star is all set to conquer the stage as a singer and composer.

Marking her foray into the music

scene is the release of AC’s first-ever single “Fool No Mo” under Star Magic Records.

The song, which is composed

by Jonathan Manalo and Trisha Denise, talks about the kind of love that leaves someone with nothing-the kind of love that fizzles out as quickly as it blazes.

Apart from adding her musicality to the song, the young singer also made sure to push the envelope further by composing the song’s rap portion and by doing the backup vocals herself.

“I am so excited to be part of Star Magic Records and to finally release music. It’s something that I definitely wanted to do for a while now. Pero ayoko po kasi yun biglaan and yung hindi ako,” AC explained.

Floored and grateful, AC, how-

ever, stressed that creating the song has been a team effort, especially for her part, since she admits to needing guidance as she’s no expert in rapping and writing songs.

“It sounded so different when it was given to me in July. But what I love about working with Star Magic Records and Sir Jonathan Manalo is that they are very collaborative.

We really took the time to make the song to be how we wanted it to be,” she described.

AC is the first artist to be launched under the newly established Star Magic Records, a sub-label of Star Music. With the aim of diving deeper, discovering more potential, developing talent even further, and shedding new light once again to make star magic artists shine even brighter. This time, you can HEAR the magic.

Megastar joins cast of country’s longest-running action-drama WHAT will Sharon Cuneta’s role be in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano? Will she be Cardo’s (Coco Martin) friend or foe?

Well, viewers need to watch the series for them to find out.

Cuneta’s highly anticipated debut in a Kapamilya teleserye is finally happening as she joins the star-studded cast of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, the country’s longestrunning action-drama series that recently marked its historic sixth anniversary.

To formally welcome Cuneta into the show, ABS-CBN rolled out the red carpet for her on Tuesday (Nov. 9) with ABS-CBN COO of broadcast Cory Vidanes, TV production head Laurenti Dyogi, Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal, and Ang Probinsyano star, director, and creative director Coco Martin in attendance.

The event was followed by a story conference where Megastar discussed her upcoming role with Martin and directors Albert Langitan, Kevin de Vela, John Prats, and Malu Sevilla.

News about the Megastar’s addition to the cast has been one of the most talked about and most anticipated by Kapamilya

fans especially since the show has featured hundreds of stars in the last six years. It is also one of the biggest highlights in the show’s anniversary celebration as it continues to deliver top-quality entertainment and important values and lessons, such as love for family and community, to every Filipino home around the world.

FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano continues to achieve milestones in its sixth year as it became the first Filipino teleserye to livestream on YouTube, where it repeatedly smashed its own live viewership record, peaking at 162,831 concurrent viewers. Through the years, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano and its stars have also received over 100 awards from various award-giving bodies.

Megastar Sharon Cuneta (center) is officially welcomed by ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’ main man Coco Martin with co-star Julia Montes.

Rodjun Cruz, standing on steady ground ACTOR, performer, and businessman Rodjun Cruz is filled with gratitude as he renewed his contract with GMA Artist Center on Nov. 4.

Being part of the GMAAC family for eight years, Cruz shares the reason why he stays loyal to his home network.

“I’m very thankful and grateful to GMA for the opportunity and for al always putting their trust in me. I’m still with them because they allowed me to show showcase my talents and I was also able to learn a lot of things from the projects they’ve given me,” he start started. “ G M A has given me different roles, which gave me confidence and honed my talent as an actor, at the same time, nakaka nakakapag-perform ako kasi love Rodjun Cruz is a solid Kapuso.

ko rin talaga ang mag-perform,” he added.

As he celebrates the renewal of his contract, Cruz looks back at all his proud Kapuso moments.

“When I started my career here in GMA, first time ko magtrending ng ganoon sa My Husband’s Lover. I received a lot of messages from people who like my performance. Tapos, dream ko rin kasi magkaroon ng action na palabas so first time ko rin naranasan ‘yun na may power pa, noong ginawa ko ‘yung role as Paopao sa Encantadia. And siyempre, ‘yung Legally Blind. Nakaka-proud din ‘yung moments na magkasama kami ni Rayver sa isang stage at nagpeperform.”

Aside from his guestings in the weekend variety show All-Out Sundays, Cruz is gearing up for his lead role in the upcoming GMA series Little Princess, with Jo Berry and Juancho Trivino.

“This series is just a blessing. And I like my character here because he has a very interesting personality,” he said.

Earlier this year, Cruz took his fitness advocacy to the next level and launched his very own sports apparel - Cruzfit.

“The process of bringing this brand to life took years of planning and conceptualizing. And it’s a good feeling when you’re doing something close to your heart and at the same time, kasama mo pa yung family mo,” he concluded.

The grateful teen star couldn’t mask her gratitude as she embarked on a new journey as an artist. This time, AC is all set to show the public that she’s capable of reaching new heights and pushing her limitations.

A fulfillment of one of her personal goals, “Fool No Mo” isn’t just a song for AC. It’s also a shining reminder that when you dream big and work hard, bigger things will eventually find their way to you.

Star Magic Records´debut into the music scene together with AC is only the beginning of the journey towards a fresher take on musicality and artistry as more promising performers and exceptional singers would be announced soon.

“Fool No Mo” is under Star Magic Records and is now available for streaming on all digital platforms worldwide.

AC Bonifacio drops her first-ever single ‘Fool No Mo’ under Star Magic Records.

Delving into the mind of Richard Somes I N THE words of acclaimed film director Erik Matti, if Richard Somes went on a ship because he graduated a seaman, the latter might not have become a film director. If he listened to what his teachers said as a kid that he can only draw nipa huts, suns, and clouds, then Somes would not have painted what’s on his mind now.

“As a production designer and director for films, Richard Somes is a master of textures. If Pantera and Nine Inch Nails formed a band, the music that will come out of it would be like a Somes set design: gritty, theatrical, chaotic, metallic, in your face and uber gaudy with a double wink at humor only he and the ones who know him can fully understand,” Matti said of Somes in a curated remark.

Matti is considered by Somes as his best friend, which is kind of expected since they are related by blood and they are in the same industry. Somes once worked as an assistant to Matti when he was just starting out.

“The films he directed give us a peek of what’s in that crea creative mind of his. No matter how he pulls all the strings from his creative bag, we don’t really see its full unrestrained potential.

We all know how the popular medium of film or tv can be lim limited by what the resources can provide and what the audience can accept. As a director, he is constricted by the norms of economics and business,” Matti carried on.

Somes, best remembered for his works like Yanggaw (2008), Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012), El Peste (2018), We Will Not Die Tonight (2018), and Ang Panday (2009, taught himself how to paint which eventually led him to sideline as a tattoo artist. He became a production designer and a film director with 24 directorial credits to his name.

Now, the TV and film director returns to visual art by hav having his first solo exhibit in a move he calls a fulfillment of his childhood dream and a way for him to cope with the pandemic.

“When the pandemic struck in 2020 and the entertainment

industry locked down, I took up painting to cope with anxiety and depression. I used it as a way to relax, to escape from the horror and trauma of COVID-19,” the director shared in a virtual junket.

Entitled Inside the Mind of Richard V. Somes, the exhibit that featured 10 of his works, was on view at the Secret Fresh Gallery at the Ronac Art Center in San Juan City.

Alluding to the theme of the exhibit, Somes described it as his homage to women.

“I just find women very fascinating, and I’m very proud to say it. I guess it’s also a reflection of how I was raised,” he shared.

Somes believes that his paintings also serve as a reflection of his films.

“The set design, the colors, the texture, the emotion, and even the chaos. Every component is present. But while in making movies there are a lot of restraints in terms of economics, I’m free to do anything with my canvas. I can share what’s really inside my head,” he ended.

Film and TV director Richard Somes opened his first solo exhibit titled ‘Into the Mind of Richard V. Somes’ unleashing his creative side as a visual artist.

Inspired by K-Pop, Chavit wants to use culture to attract foreign visitors Narvacan Mayor Chavit Singson

DID you know League of Municipalities President and Narvacan Ilocos Sur Mayor Luis Chavit Singson is also a firm believer and follower of K-Pop? Remember he brought and hosted K-Pop girl group Momoland in the country some years ago?

As proof, his LCS Group of Companies where he is the founder and the chairman is planning to expand its investment more on hotels, residential buildings, malls, resorts,

and who knows, maybe producing K-dramas, too, in South Korea.

In a statement sent Manila Standard Entertainment, Singson said that the Korean wave - the popularity of the country’s cultural economy exporting pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas, and movies – will attract visitors from the world again.

Back to his hometown in Narvacan, Singson is determined to position Narvacan as a first-class municipality by pushing to finish his project model, the ongoing construction of the Narvacan Public Market, and the distribution of electric jeepneys to drivers after the public market is completed on December 8 of this year.

The Narvacan Public Market has a total development area of 15,916 square meters, the building floor area of the trading center is 6,150 square meters. Once it is completed, it will become the most sophisticated public market in the Philippines because of its modern design, its special features, and its solar panel roofing making Narvacan at the forefront of modern innovation among other local government units. By using the solar panel roofing, the former governor believes that he can save up to 30 to 40 percent less of the regular electric bill and to whoever would want to use the solar panel as the source of power supply.

As the LMP president, Singson encour-

ages all the local government units to follow Narvacan’s lead in using solar panel roofing so there will be more funds to save for other projects. He even added that the LCS Group of Companies is willing to invest in distributing solar panels to LGU’s all over the country as a startup.

In front of the Narvacan Public Market is the parking area with solar panel roofing.

This will serve as the power source for the charging of 5000 electric jeepneys, which will be distributed by the town’s local government to jeepney drivers upon the initiative of the mayor in response to the government’s plan to modernize old jeepneys and replace them with newer, more eco-friendly models. This will make Narvacan the first LGU to use an all e-jeepney as public transportation. Recipients will get the unit on a monthly installment basis without any downpayment to help them upgrade easily. This e-jeepney project is funded by the LCS Group of Companies and can also be extended to local government units nationwide.

The LCS Group of Companies also leads the construction of common towers in the country with over a hundred LCS common towers now ready for telcos and is also engaged in other ventures like mining, transportation, communication, online entertainment, malls, and hotels.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

B4

FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Lounge life elevated W HO says house clothes (pambahay) have to be boring?

After more than a year of mostly wearing sweats, shorts, pajamas, T-shirts, and tank tops, fashion brands and retailers have come up and offered loungewear that are comfortable to, well, lounge in.

Surplus, for instance, has a range of chic, cozy, and comfortable clothes to wear at home. There are flowy lounge dresses in soft fabrics for girls, tees and muscle

Updated ‘pambahay’ — a flowy loungewear dress.

shirts for guys, hoodies, track pants, knits and button down shirts, and shorts.

To complete that elevated lounge life experience, the retailer also has home and wellness essentials.

Stay-at-home must-haves include soft Japanese tatami chairs, wooden aroma humidifiers, rest easy massagers, rechargeable hot compress packs, foldable laptop tables, telescopic fans, mason jars, and stainless steel tumblers.

Surplus’ loungewear collection and home items, plus more, are available in its stores located at SM Supermalls nationwide. The items are also available online on Shopee, Lazada, SM Malls Online, and ShopSM. Comfortable PJs and a rest easy massager.

Hoodie and shorts for quick errands.

Stay-at-home essentials (from left): muscle tee and pajama on him plus a coffee tumbler; cozy pajama and tank top on him; strappy loungewear set on her while binge watching in a Japanese tatami chair.

What’s in Bea Alonzo’s 11.11 cart?

International superstar Jackie Chan stars in Shopee’s fun and action-packed 11.11 Big Christmas Sale commercial, the sequel to his 9.9 TVC.

Jackie Chan returns for Shopee’s

Christmas sale Bea Alonzo adds items to her cart which she plans to check out on Nov. 11 to take advantage of Lazada’s 11.11 deals and discounts. (Photos from @beaalonzo/Instagram)

BEA Alonzo is counting down the hours she can finally check out the items in her cart.

In her cart are camera accessories and shooting devices, which, presumably, she’ll be using for her vlogs. “They’re kind of expensive, I have to say, but since I can get the best deals at Lazada 11.11, parang gusto ko na lang maghintay ng konti para makuha ko yung best deals for those items,” she shared.

Discounts up to 90 percent off, extra P50 bonus off for every P500 spent, and free shipping vouchers await shoppers at Lazada 11.11 (November 11) sale. Several items and brands across different categories will be offering discounts and special deals during the big sale event on the platform.

Fashion pieces from trusted and authentic brands are at 80 percent off in Lazada

Styles. Check out clothes, shoes, and accessories from Onitsuka, Ralph Lauren, Converse, Tommy Hilfiger Philippines, Sunnies Studios, Penshoppe, Bench, Tala

by Kyla, and DNEMNLPH. Shoppers can also score makeup and skincare essentials at lower prices. Just like Alonzo, host and radio DJ Jaz Reyes is also waiting for 11.11 to check out items in her cart. “What I’m really excited to see this 11.11 sa Lazada is a lot, a lot, a lot of vouchers, free shipping, and plenty of price slashes!” she enthused.

Browse through the wide selection of quality beauty products by local brand Happy Skin, shop for skin and hair care needs from Unilever Beauty and P&G Beauty, score an Olay Deep Hydration with Vitamin B3 and Hyaluronic Acid Serum at

lower price, or get a 14-bulb Hollywood vanity mirror from Gladking to showcase that ultimate glow up.

Health essentials like vitamins and supplements from Puritan’s Pride and Potencee, as well as workout equipment from Toby’s Sports are also available on Lazada.

As Alonzo and Reyes wait for the clock to strike 12 on Nov. 11, the platform is staging the “Lazada Super Show Concert” on Nov. 10 at 9:30 p.m. on LazLive, GMA 7, and Lazada’s social media accounts. The audience will be treated to performances from SEVENTEEN, together with local brand ambassadors Bea Alonzo, Alden Richards, and Maine Mendoza, and the newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines Beatrice Gomez.

VANITY CORNER

Filipinos’ ‘most loved’ serum

Garnier Vitamin C Serum

WHY is Garnier Vitamin C the “Most Loved Serum of 2021”, according to Watsons Philippines?

Tried by over 100,000 Filipinos, the brand says its Vitamin C Serum is continuously being praised because of its effective results. It is powered by 30x vitamin C concentration of typical vitamin C serums, making it Garnier’s most concentrated formula and giving it the brightening power to fade and lighten dark spots and acne marks in just three days.

“According to those who have tried the product, after just a few days of use, you’ll wonder how you’ve ever lived without it,” Garnier said in a statement. The serum enjoys over 21,000 5-star reviews on Shopee and Lazada.

To use, apply a pea-sized amount on a cleansed face and neck. Garnier Vitamin C Serum comes in 7.5ml sachet, 15ml bottle, and 30ml bottle. It is available on Shopee Mall, LazMall, Watsons, and other leading supermarkets nationwide.

FOR its “biggest sale of the year”, e-commerce platform Shopee taps once again its global ambassador to invite everyone to shop and score items at discounted prices on Nov. 11.

Jackie Chan stars in a fun, actionpacked commercial for the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. According to Shopee, Chan’s 9.9 commercial was a success, garnering 435 million views online, that a sequel was only appropriate.

Shoppers can look forward to a wide variety of discounted products from over 25 categories, as well as promos such as Piso Deals, free shipping with no minimum spend, and 10 percent off daily.

“As the holidays approach, we aim to bring more joy to shoppers and help them save more on things they love by curating the best deals,” Martin Yu, Shopee Philippines director, said in a statement.

Shopee says the number of new buyers on the platform is expected to peak further during 11.11. In fact, the number of sellers and brands on Shopee surged by 60 percent in 2021.

The officials foresee the Christmas sale to “act as a springboard to accelerate growth for businesses” on the platform. This year alone, more than 8 million new local shops opened on Shopee.

As brands grow and more shops open, customers get to enjoy more choices and discounts online.

For instance, exclusive deals from leading brands on Shopee Mall, such as Xiaomi, POCO, realme, Samsung, Nokia, Vivo, DJI, PerySmith, Deerma,

Coocaa Home, and Bata Philippines, await on Nov. 11.

Users can turn to “Deals Near Me” to check for special in-store deals from Puregold, National Bookstore, Fully Booked, Power Mac Center, The Generics Pharmacy, Family Mart, Lawson, Olympic Village, Shoe Salon, Potato Corner, Mary Grace, Bonchon, Papa John’s, Siomai House, and Fruitas Group of Companies.

Shoppers looking for quick and easy holiday shopping can check out Shopee’s “Christmas in our Carts” gift guides, where they can get discounts up to 90 percent off on a wide range of branded gifts and bundles.

Check out Shopee Mall for 10 percent off vouchers, special deals on holiday gifts, and vouchers from different brands. During the 11.11 Midnight Mall Exclusive Sale from 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., shoppers can enjoy huge price drops and exclusive bundle deals.

In addition to deals and discounts, Shopee will be treating its loyal patrons to a special show.

The “11.11 Big Christmas Sale TV Special” will feature K-pop boy band NCT 127. Viewers can also catch performances from Jessy Mendiola, Aira Bermudez, Rocco Nacino, Klea Pineda, Andre Paras, Gil Cuerva, and more during the Nov. 11 show at 9:30 p.m. on GMA 7 and Shopee Live.

Prizes and giveaways worth over P12,000,000, including two new house and lots and a brand new car are up for grabs during the show.

K-pop boy band NCT 127 is coming to Shopee TV special on Nov. 11.