Manila Standard - 2021 November 11 - Thursday

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SARA LIKELY TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT UNDER LAKAS—SALCEDA

By Maricel Cruz and Rio Araja DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will likely run for president under the banner of Lakas-CMD, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said yesterday as multiple sources said there are talks of a possible tandem with former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is in the works.

“We have presumptions that she’s running for president… There is no VP option for her. And picking a VP for her is not a problem,” Salceda said.

Salceda said the Davao City mayor “wanted to be president in the first place since May” but there were “stumbling blocks” that were “thrown at her Next page

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VAX MANDATE

Duterte-Carpio

Teodoro

Marcos

Duterte, Pacquiao meeting ‘renewal of friendship’—Go

By Macon Ramos-Araneta HOURS after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced her decision to withdraw from the mayoralty race, her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, was in huddle with Senator Manny Pacquiao in Malacanang Tuesday evening.

The Palace meeting, which was also attended by

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Eric Pineda, was a first after months of heated public exchanges that led to the split of the ruling party PDP-Laban.

Pacquiao’s camp said the meeting was set to discuss “certain matters related to people’s interest and Mindanao development, specifically infrastructure and power industry.”

DOH: Ordinance up to LGUs’ okay

By Willie Casas, Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

H

EALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III said local governments have the power to pass ordinances that would make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory.

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“If they think that the policy of mandatory vaccination is okay for their constituents, then they may do so,” Duque said in Filipino in an online briefing Tuesday. “That’s within their power, while we have no national law on mandatory vaccination.”

Responding to Duque’s statement, the president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr., said they are open to issuing such ordinances.

In an interview on radio dzBB, Velasco said the Local Government Code includes a general welfare clause that allows local government units (LGUs) to pass ordinances for the welfare of their constituents.

Still, Velasco cautioned LGUs to be careful about passing such ordinances as they will affect the lives of people and may be questioned in court.

Duque, meanwhile, said there are other ways to encourage the public to get vaccinated, such as giving incentives and launching information drives.

“As much as possible, we don’t want to force people [to get vaccinated],” he said.

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Months after a very public spat that saw the split of the ruling-party PDP-Laban, President Rodrigo Duterte met with Senator Manny Pacquiao in Malacanang Tuesday night to ‘discuss certain matters related to people’s interest.’ Also present were Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go and Pacman party-list Rep. Eric Pineda.

Xmas caroling allowed with face shield, mask on

By Willie Casas

that carolers wear face masks and face shields, the Department of Health CHRISTMAS caroling in the streets (DOH) said on Wednesday.

“When caroling, we need to rewill be allowed this year, as long as member that it’s outdoors, so carolers should wear face masks and face shields,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Filipino.

Vergeire also reminded the public that people expel more respiratory droplets when singing, which increases the risk of transmission of the COVID-19.

Minors in the National Capital Region have been allowed to go outside after Next page

2,809,311 Comelec tags 205 ‘nuisance’ bets, 2,646

29,138

sets voting hours from 6 am to 7 pm

By Vito Barcelo

44,665

99

2,735,508

4,029

(As of 4 PM, November 10)

AT LEAST 205 aspirants for national positions may be declared as nuisance candidates -- 82 presidential, 15 vice presidential and 108 for senators -- the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

At the same time, the Comelec said the petitions for the cancellation of the certificate of candidacy of presidential

aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should be resolved immediately.

“These should be resolved before the official list of candidates is released,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

“If proceedings will not take long, if there are not many hearings or clarificatory hearings, it looks like we will Next page

READY FOR FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES. Cipriano Bisco, the principal of Ricardo P.

Cruz Elementary School, inspects one of the kindergarten classrooms in Taguig City on Nov. 10, 2021, as the school awaits approval from authorities ahead of the opening of limited face-to-face classes on November 15 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. AFP

Doctors’ group cautions gov’t to put breaks on easing curbs

By Willie Casas THE Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) cautioned on Wednesday against further easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila to Alert Level 1, saying the government should take it slow or risk another surge.

“We’re approaching lowering the

alert level too fast. Less than 1,000 cases is still a lot of cases, and now more people are going outside so the risk for transmission might increase. We should take it slow,” Dr. Maricar Limpin, PCP president told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.

Limpin issued the warning after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III Next page

Rody names new PNP chief vice retiring Eleazar

By Vito Barcelo SUCCESSFUL LISTING. Synergy Grid and Development Philippines, Inc. publicly listed its shares from its follow-on offering on

the Philippine Stock Exchange on November 10, 2021. Leading the online listing event and bell-ringing ceremony at the trading floor were Atty. Paul P. Sagayo, SGP President and CEO, and Mr. Ramon S. Monzon, PSE President and CEO. SGP Chairman Henry Sy, Jr. and Vice-Chairman Robert Coyiuto, Jr. also participated in the event online, together with other executives from SGP, PSE, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and other partner institutions instrumental in the listing.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has named Lt. Gen. Dionardo Carlos as the next chief of the Philippine National Police, vice Gen. Guillermo Eleazar who is retiring on Friday, Malacanang said Wednesday.

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Dionardo Carlos

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Xmas...

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ART IMITATES LIFE. A woman walks past a mural depicting frontline health workers wearing masks along a street in Manila on November 10, 2021. AFP

Comelec...

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DOH:...

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resolve the petitions on time. We will give the parties only three days to submit their respective memoranda, their pleadings.”

Meanwhile, petitions to declare as nuisance candidates have been filed by the poll body to declare a total 205 aspirants for national posts as nuisance candidates, according to Comelec Director Elaiza Sabile-David.

David said that if candidates did not have a legitimate intention or platform to run, they would be considered a “nuisance” and would be seen to cause a “mockery” of the electoral process.

Section 69 of the Omnibus Election Code states that the Comelec may, motu proprio or upon a verified petition of an interested party, refuse to give due course to or cancel a certificate of candidacy.

Meanwhile, the voting hours for the May 9, 2022 national and local elections will be from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said.

During a briefing of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, Casquejo said the Comelec en banc already approved the general instructions for the board of election inspectors that will be enforced on Election Day. “We do not expect that it will end at 7 o’clock, it will continue until such time all those inside or within 30 meters will be catered. We have procedures on that,” he said.

In related developments, the Comelec is now accepting applications from those qualified to avail themselves of local absentee voting for the May 9 national and local elections.

Among those who may avail themselves of the LAV are government officials and employees, including members of the Armed Forces, Philippine National Police, as well as media members and their technical and support staff.

Applicants must be duly registered voters whose registration records are not deactivated and will be temporarily assigned to perform election duties or to cover and report the holding of the elections in places where they are not registered voters.

Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had earlier pushed for the vaccination of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries before they get their subsidy.

National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. urged local executives to focus on carrying out the directive of President Duterte to scale up their vaccination throughput.

“We cannot slow down our vaccination, we are pushing you to vaccinate because we are racing against time,” Galvez said.

“We are appealing [to you to show a]... sense of urgency. We are in the midst of a pandemic. We need to move faster. We are fighting an unseen enemy and there is some sort of cycle that after two months the cases will rise again,” he added.

World Health Organization (WHO) country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe also appealed to local government units to ramp up their vaccina-

Rody...

From A1 Eleazar, who served in the uniformed service for 38 years, bows out on Nov. 13 on his 56th birthday, the mandatory retirement age for the PNP chief, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

“We are confident that Gen. Carlos will continue making the PNP a professional, capable and reform-oriented organization that we envision it to be. We wish Gen. Carlos all the best as the new PNP Chief,” he said.

Carlos served as director for Integrated Police Operations in Visayas and in Southern Luzon.

He held the fourth highest position in the PNP before being named as the country’s top cop.

Carlos was also the former spokes-

Doctors’...

From A1 said the alert level might be lowered further if the daily number of COVID-19 cases decrease to 500 to 1,000.

The National Capital Region (NCR) was placed under Alert Level 2 on Nov. 5.

It will remain under this alert level qualification for further review until Nov. 21.

“Remember when our cases went down to about 1,000 a day, and this brought more people outside that later caused a spike in cases,” Limpin said.

Limpin warned that since children 12 years below are not yet allowed to get vaccinated, their chances of infection are much higher.

She also cautioned against the rush of Filipinos who will be returning home from the holidays.

“Cases in other countries are rising again. We worry that they might bring the strains and sub-variants of the infection from their countries of origin back home with them,” she said.

person of the PNP during the tenure of erstwhile police chief and now Senator Ronald dela Rosa.

Carlos, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Maringal” Class of 1988, also became the PNP Director for Integrated Police Operations in Visayas and in Southern Luzon.

He also served as head of the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group, the Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management, and the Directorate for Police Community Relations.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also confirmed the appointment of Carlos whom he described as “very professional police officer.”

“I have observed the way he performed, and I can say that he is capable of doing the job as next chief PNP, he went through the ladder,” he said in a statement.

nearly two years of being forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 threat.

Last year, several local governments banned caroling ahead of the Christmas holiday.

At that time, the new COVID-19 cases recorded daily ranged between 1,000 and 2,000.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the use of face shields may be made mandatory in closed spaces, crowded areas, and close-contact settings, also called the “3Cs.” Duque also said he preferred the risk-based use of face shields, where it will only be voluntary in areas under alert level 2 and mandatory in areas under higher alert levels.

“This is called risk-based use of face shields. When cases increase again, we can make it mandatory in Alerts Level 3 and 4,” he said.

The Department of Health (DOH) will present its recommendation on face shields on Thursday.

Vergeire said local governments that are pressing to remove face shields as a mandatory requirement could submit an appeal or a recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Vergeire, in an interview on CNN, said face shields are effective in stopping the spread of droplets with the coronavirus.

President Rodrigo Duterte urged the public to participate in the three-day national mass immunization campaign later this month.

“We are planning to conduct a threeday national vaccination drive from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 coinciding with our Nov. 30 commemoration of Bonifacio Day,” Duterte said.

“With this, we want to convey the message that every Filipino who will get vaccinated…[is a hero],” he said.

The government aims to completely immunize more than 50 million Filipinos before the year ends.

Almost 30 million individuals are now fully vaccinated and more than 35 million have at least one dose, the President reported.

He also expressed elation on the implementation of the vaccination campaign that covers children aged 12 to 17, saying this will not only protect millions of Filipino children but also help convince their parents and grandparents to get COVID-19 shot.

“May I repeat that we cannot lose our focus especially now that cases are down. And this is a further reason to speed up vaccination to prevent another surge,” he said.

tion program.

“We are committed again in ensuring the fast rollout of vaccines to every LGU and we urge the LGUs to roll out the vaccines as efficiently as possible so that more Filipinos are fully protected,” Abeyasinghe said.

The government aims to administer about 10 million to 15 million vaccine doses during the upcoming National Vaccination Days from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, coinciding with Nov. 30, Bonifacio Day. The three-day event is part of the national government’s aggressive efforts to achieve population protection

by December.

Galvez also said he is pushing for the mandatory vaccination of more than 4 million beneficiaries of the government’s 4Ps. Rather than punishing the poor, they would be offering incentives to the beneficiaries, he said, noting that once they are vaccinated, they will be entitled to receive their financial assistance.

The proposal, however, has come under heavy criticism from Congress and has been questioned by some government departments, such as the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which

administers the 4Ps. But Galvez said mandatory vaccination would spare the 4Ps beneficiaries from the high cost of COVID-19 treatment.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año supported the proposal, saying that only 12 percent of the 4.4 million 4Ps beneficiaries have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We consider them as a vulnerable sector because they don’t have enough money if they get sick and go to the hospital,” he said in Filipino.

“To avoid that, they must be protected through the vaccine.”

Both officials said they are leaving it to the Department of Justice to study the legalities involved in requiring the mandatory vaccination for 4Ps beneficiaries.

On Wednesday, a shipment of three million Sinovac doses from Beijing arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The Philippines also received on Tuesday the second batch AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX facility.

A total of 793,900 AstraZeneca doses arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3, which completes the 1.6 million doses donated by the German government.

Limpin recommended that Filipinos returning home should still be required to present negative RT-PCR results upon entry, and to undergo quarantine procedures.

The Philippines logged 2,646 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,809,311.

There were 99 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 44,665.

The DOH also reported 4,029 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,735,508.

There were 29,138 active cases, of which 60.8 percent were mild, 7 percent were asymptomatic, 4.4 percent were critical, 10.4 percent were severe, and 17.36 percent were moderate.

The active case figure is the lowest since Feb. 9, with 29,167 active infections.

The positivity rate was at 4.3 percent, based on test results of samples from 35,772 individuals on November 8. This is the lowest since Feb. 1, 2021, which registered a 4.4 percent positivity rate.

The World Health Organization says a positivity rate of 5 percent or higher means that virus transmission is high.

Nationwide, 42 percent of ICU beds, 32 percent of isolation beds, 24 percent of ward beds, and 24 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 40 percent of ICU beds, 26 percent of isolation beds, 25 percent of ward beds, and 23 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In other developments: * A coalition of health and education advocates on Wednesday urged the government to hold regular COVID-19 testing for those joining the pilot run of inperson classes, a recommendation that officials have already rejected. Dr. Joshua San Pedro, co-convener of the Coalition for People’s Right to Health, said testing was necessary to ensure that students and personnel would not spread COVID-19 in schools. Earlier, Education Assistant Secretary Malcom Garma rejected testing students, saying the swab tests would be “very traumatic” for children. But San Pedro said illness and death would be more traumatic and said there were other ways to do testing, including rapid antigen and saliva tests.

Go described the meeting as a “renewal of friendship.”

“It was a quick catch up. Renewal of friendship. No politics discussed.

Manny and I are friends and kumpare,” Go said.

The PDP faction led by Duterte ousted Pacquiao and his allies. This forced Pacquiao to run for president under the Cebu-based PROMDI party.

Go, on the other hand, is the vice presidential candidate of the PDP faction, in tandem with Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

According to Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, Pacquiao will “announce a surprise in the next days.”

Earlier, Pacquiao said he is open to the possibility of teaming up with Vice President Leni Robredo. Last week, however, the senator said his decision to run for president is already final.

then we will welcome her with open arms,” Lantion said.

For her part, Vice President Leni Robredo said she was not surprised at all that Duterte-Carpio withdrew her mayoralty bid to possibly seek a national post.

“Our plans are not affected since these are not hinged on whoever the opponent is. I think it can even work to our advantage,” said Robredo, who is seeking the presidency as an independent candidate.

A faction of the PDP-Laban backed

by President Rodrigo Duterte, on the other hand, said the presidential daughter’s decision “will most certainly affect the political landscape.”

Both the PDP-Laban faction and Lakas-CMD have expressed their openness to having Duterte-Carpio as their substitute presidential candidate.

“PDP-Laban watches with keen interest the developments on Sara Duterte’s deci-

sion to withdraw her certificate of candidacy for Davao City Mayor, especially considering the public support she enjoys,” said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

PDP-Laban presidential bet Sen. Ronald dela Rosa earlier said it would be “better” if Duterte-Carpio would replace him as standard bearer. The mayor, however, has made it clear she would not have anything to do with PDP-Laban.

Lakas-CMD secretary general and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. said the party is open to having the presidential daughter as substitute candidate in case she changes her mind about not gunning for a national position.

Teodoro, who filed his certificate of candidacy for senator, paid a courtesy call on Duterte-Carpio in Davao City in June where he offered himself as her potential running mate should she decide to seek the presidency in next year’s polls.

Sara...

From A1 from the side of her father.”

“In order to clear [those stumbling blocks] – she could not dictate on her dad, so she had her [own] way of clearing those roadblocks. She wanted to be president,” he added.

While speculation was rife that Duterte-Carpio would run in tandem with former Senator and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard bearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., it appears that is no longer on the table as neither would want to slide down to vice president.

PFP secretary-general Thompson Lantion said the focus is on Marcos’ presidential run even as they are open to having Duterte-Carpio as vice president.

“If she finds it in her heart that she believes in what we are pushing for,

Duterte,...

From A1

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Arroyo: Asean partnership with China will only grow

25 groups band together, back Marcos poll bid

By Rey E. Requejo SUPPORT for former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has continued to snowball after 25 cause-oriented organizations have formed an alliance to back his bid for the presidency in the 2022 national elections.

Dubbing themselves as the Progressive Alliance for BBM, the convenors recently visited Marcos’ campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City and submitted a manifesto expressing its full support behind the standard-bearer of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

The alliance consists of 25 organizations representing various sectors such as OFWs, Seafarers, Barangay Youth, Christian Churches, Loyalists, and Healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, the Marcos camp has launched a positive campaign program to support his presidential bid in the forthcoming elections, and to counter the so-called “hate politics” being advocated by supporters of his rivals.

Marcos, who is promoting “Pagkakaisa at hindi Pagkansela” on his 184th BBM Vlog, hailed the different forms of “positive campaigning” initiated by his supporters to strengthen his candidacy.

The groups submitted a document entitled “Manifesto of Unity, Support, and Commitment to ‘Bring Back the Momentum’ To Our Country’s Progress and Development” to Marcos’ wife, lawyer Louise Araneta-Marcos, through a simple ceremony.

“Believing in a unifying leadership, we, the leaders of the parallel groups and organizations, hereby coalesce and express our deep commitment and unwavering support to a true public servant, a forwardthinking leader and a genuine man for the people, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.,” the manifesto states.

Isko vows bridges for Bataan, Cavite, Batangas provinces PRESIDENTIAL candidate Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Wednesday vowed to connect the provinces of Bataan, Cavite and Batangas as part of his plans to continue the Build, Build, Build program of administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We will continue the Build, Build, Build. But in our case, while continuing what has been started, let’s build, build, let’s build: build more schools, build more hospitals, build more industries, build more jobs, and build the bridge from Bataan to Corregidor, to Batangas and Cavite,” said Moreno, who is the standardbearer of Aksyon Demokratiko.

Moreno made the statement before local officials and employees of the Bataan provincial capitol here in Balanga City. Governor Albert Garcia personally welcomed Mayor Isko who came with his vice presidential candidate Dr. Willie Ong and the three senatorial bets of Aksyon Demokratiko: Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc, and Jopet Sison.

The Aksyon Demokratiko candidates were in Bataan to meet with farmers and fisherfolks as part of their “Listening Tour” to ascertain the real state of the people in the rural areas of the country.

Moreno stressed that linking Bataan to Cavite and Batangas would pave for faster transport and easier exchange of goods between the three provinces.

“Your dream of connecting the two ends of Batangas, Cavite, Bataan, is no longer impossible,” the Manila City mayor said.

By Maricel V. Cruz

BATAAN VISIT. Presidential aspirant and Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, with running mate Dr. Willie Ong and the Aksyon Demokratiko slate, visits the Bataan Provincial Capitol at Balanga for a courtesy call on Bataan Governor Albert ‘Abet’ Garcia on Wednesday. (See story below). Norman Cruz

COA TO COLLECT LIABILITIES

Gordon, ex-SBMA execs owe P146.8 m—Duterte T HE Commission on Audit has ordered Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to collect some P146.8 million in disallowed expenses from its former and current officials, including Senator Richard Gordon, the agency’s former chairman, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Tuesday night.

“As for Gordon, the Commission on Audit in an order of execution, instructed SBMA chairman Wilma Eisma to immediately cause the collection of settlement of the P146.8 million liability of various former and current SBMA officials including Senator Richard Gordon

for the liability that amounts to roughly P86 million,” Duterte said in his prerecorded Talk to the People.

“COA also instructed SBMA to withhold payment of salaries. Your salaries will not be given if it won’t be collected,” he added.

The President had directed the Office of the Solicitor General to tell the Commission on Audit to collect P140 million in government funds from Gordon, who chaired SBMA from 1992 to 1998.

Duterte said COA had issued a notice of disallowance for P140 million in funds to the SBMA. The statement continues a word war between the President and the Senate over the latter’s investigation into government’s COVID-19 pandemic deals led by a committee under Gordon.

Last week, Gordon blamed the President for the supposed “delay” in the Senate’s probe after he barred executive

officials from attending the hearings.

In his opening speech at the 14th hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation, panel chair Gordon said Duterte’s order makes it difficult for lawmakers to look into the allegedly anomalous transactions.

“I would like to inform our fellow Filipinos that if there is indeed a delay in the investigations, it is the fault of the President of the Philippines,” he said.

“If there is no one that would appear from the executive branch, it will be hard for us to get data. This would drag on and because it is hard to investigate because of the absence of these officials, the Filipino public is on the losing end. They have the right to know where the corruption lies,” the senator added.

Gordon also emphasized that the Senate is ready to file “something” in the Supreme Court that would question the President’s order.

MULTI-SECTORAL GAB. Vice President Leni Robredo speaks during a multi-sectoral dialogue with farmers, fisherfolk, vendors, accountants, and doctors’ groups in a Robredo People’s Council meeting at the Batangas Provincial Capitol auditorium in Batangas City on Wednesday. Jay Ganzon/OVP

Group: VP jabs on NTF-ELCAC ‘baseless generalizations’ “BASELESS generalization and misconception.”

This is how a regional unit of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) viewed the recent pronouncement of Vice President Leni Robredo when she announced that she will abolish the group created by President Rodrigo Duterte if ever she is elected President.

“There is really a duplication of many

efforts — the duplication of the mandate - and it has to be abolished,” Robredo explained during a forum organized by the Rotary Club of Makati.

“I fear that this will become Tokhang Version 2 in the sense that the mandate given to the body will be abused, will be used to harass people,” the presidential aspirant added.

On Tuesday, the Senate also decreased NTF-ELCAC’s proposed 2022 budget by P24 billion in favor of funding health pro-

grams amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Regional Task Force of the Western Visayas Region (RTF6-ELCAC) told Robredo in their statement released Wednesday: “We are aghast by your pronouncement that you intend to abolish NTF-ELCAC (once you become president).

You said the Task Force might be used to harass the people ala Tokhang Version 2.

Allow us to correct your misconceptions about the mandate of the NTF-ELCAC.”

Legarda: Climate change a big election issue

SALVAGE EFFORT. Firefighters and barangay volunteers try to salvage medical supplies following a fire that razed a portion of Cuneta Astrodome along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City on Wednesday. Norman Cruz

A CONGRESSIONAL leader on Wednesday said climate change should be an issue in the forthcoming May 2022 elections as the country tries to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Deputy Speaker and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda urged candidates in next year’s polls to include climate action in their respective COVID-19 recovery plans.

“I would like to see a candidate who will really espouse the climate agenda [which is currently] not in the national conversation,” Legarda said in a virtual news forum.

She added: “I am certain that every Filipino sees the impacts of climate... I ask all our national candidates to lay out their climate agenda and what they’ve done in their lives for the environment or what they intend to do and can do. That would be ideal.”

According to the lawmaker from the lone district of Antique province, any pandemic recovery will only be effective if it is aligned to the climate pathway.

“Let us bring the issue of climate and environment in the national pandemic recovery,” Legarda said.

“There is no recovery from COVID-19 unless we attack it on the issue of environment and climate. A pandemic recovery is essential to our survival if we align it to the climate pathway.”

Legarda emphasized that the country is not starting from scratch in terms of addressing climate issues since she has “authored, co-authored and sponsored and funded laws on environment and climate” in her three terms in the Senate.

She also urged Filipinos to embrace the issue of climate, noting that “we cannot go back to business as usual before the pandemic.”. Maricel V. Cruz

FORMER President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will continue to have a productive relationship with China, noting their continued cooperation and partnership for at least the past 30 years.

Speaking during the Third Manila Forum of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU), of which she is the Chairman Emeritus, Arroyo said despite the many challenges which include the COVID-19 pandemic, China remains to be the largest trading partner of Asean for the past 12 years.

“Today, 15 years later on the 30th anniversary of Asean-China dialogue relations, China has become Asean’s largest trading partner for the past 12 years in a row,” she said.

Asean, Arroyo added, benefited when China became an economic powerhouse with the many investments it has poured in the region for the past three decades.

“Today, China is on the cusp of becoming the largest economy in the world and we can expect beneficial effects on the economies of its neighbors in the region, especially Asean,” she stated.

Arroyo said when she co-chaired the commemorative summit of the 15th anniversary of the Asean-China dialogue relations in Nanning, China in 2006 when she was President and Chair of Asean, she noted the importance of keeping a close relationship with China especially in the area of trade cooperation.

“As chair of Asean then, I expressed how proud Asean was of the role Asean has played helping China integrate its economy and become an economic powerhouse. That role of China has helped Asean, and our trade was surging with China and we were starting to see more Chinese investments in Asean.”

“But after the 15th anniversary of the Asean-China dialogue, China has surged onto the world stage and Asean surged with it,” she said.

In the light of the challenges brought about by COVID-19, Arroyo said she is keen on seeing the regional comprehensive economic partnership come into force. This plan, she said, focuses on the needs of the people with the deepening of Covid response cooperation.

Lacson: High time LGUs take lead in supplies, projects

By Joel E. Zurbano SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said it is high time the government designate local executives in procuring of supplies and implement projects to prevent corruption and underutilization of the national budget.

Lacson said national agencies have shown bad procurement decisions, including the transfer of P42 billion to the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service - which in turn allowed shady firms such as Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. to bag multibillion-peso contracts despite lack of qualifications.

“Why don’t we devolve the procurement of medicines, drugs and other items? It’s about time. Time and again we have witnessed bad procurement by the DOH and other line agencies,” he said at the Senate deliberation on the P5.024-trillion budget for 2022.

Meanwhile, equal protection of fundamental rights regardless of social status awaits many Filipinos under the possible administration of Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Lacson, Carmona Mayor Roy Loyola said.

Loyola, who also hails from Cavite province as Lacson, told a morning radio show that the veteran lawmaker is in the best position to lead the country for the next six years because of his commitment to implement the laws of our land without prejudice.

Lacson, who champions the empowerment of LGUs as they are in the best position to determine their constituents’ needs and priorities, noted the Commission on Audit had flagged the DOH’s “deficient” procurement of near-expiry drugs worth P95 million.

Opinion Martial law economics

AS ITS name suggests, the recentlypublished “In Dialogue: The Economic Managers of the Marcos Administration” has provided the Filipino people with valuable insider information and insights into the management of the Philippine economy during the period 1972-1983, which began with President Ferdinand Marcos’s placement of this country under martial law and ended with the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. “In Dialogue” is a collection of the reminiscences - official and personal - of five of the technocrats of the martial law era - Cesar Virata (Prime Minister and Minister of Finance), Vicente Paterno (Chairman, Board of Investments), Jaime Laya (Governor, Central Bank of the Philippines), Gerardo Sicat (Director General, National Economic and Development Authority) and Placido Mapa Jr. (Chairman, Development Bank of the Philippines) - and then-Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza.

Two of my recent columns were mostly made up of excerpts from the book. In this column - the third in a trio - I will feature further excerpts from “In Dialogue.” These excerpts will be about former First Lady Imelda Marcos and the role that she chose to play in the martiallaw government. Imelda Marcos, who President Marcos clearly was grooming to succeed him, was a very large presence in the Philippines of the martial law era. That presence progressively grew as martial law proceeded, to the point where - as the following excerpts indicate - the “In Dialogue” technocrats began to speak of a “second government” operating alongside President Marcos’s administrations.

The following are the technocrats’ reminiscences, in their own words, of Imelda Marcos, who President Marcos appointed Minister of Human Settlements: Virata: “(I)n the case of this Human Settlements, during the discussion as to its creation I was already objecting.

I said that, even if there is a UN resolution about human settlements, it is not appropriate that we have a Ministry of Human Settlements because, as mentioned earlier, there would be a second-level government because there are so many basic human needs. There would be confusion; but what happened was that it was enacted

I implore the public to get vaccinated.

One of the significant factors that contributed to this progress is, without doubt, the zealous vaccination drive by the government. As we know by now, vaccines provide a form of protection against COVID-19. Let me reiterate, numerous studies have shown the efficacy of these vaccines in preventing severe and critical COVID-19 infection, much less deaths. While the vaccines

so we had to live with it and of course they demanded funding.”

Laya: “(F)unds allocation is a critical decision, and soon after the Ministry of Human Settlements was created President Marcos told me, out of the blue, to be sure to clear with him any requests for the release of unprogrammed and lump-sum funds. I asked for clarification. I still remember our conversation. Suppose the request comes from a Cabinet member, Mr. President, I asked. He replied, oh yes, of course you clear it with me. I hesitated but then went on. Including the Ministry of Human Settlements, I asked. He replied, ah, yes. He paused, looked at me and, after another pause, again said yes, THat solved the problem as far as I was concerned.”

Imelda and the technocrats had an interesting relationship.

Virata: “Imelda Marcos would request additional funding for some of her projects. When you examined it, it was not part of the Budget. So I would tell her that it could not be done but you may ask the President if it can be included in the Budget. And that was the end of it.”

Paterno: “During the time that I was Minister of Public Highways she wanted us to asphalt a road. Her sister was going to be the hermana mayor in a Santacruzan and the road where they were going to pass needed to be asphalted. So she went to me and requested the asphalting of the road. I told her, Ma’m, sorry, wala po sa budget yan. So I am not allowed to spend money on that. She was so mad. And she got Baltazar Aquino to build the road somehow. That began the end of my career in government.

On November 11, 1980 my successor was appointed. Happily I joined the swearing in of Jesus Hipolito.”

That was Imelda Marcos of the martial law era - First Lady, Minister of Human Settlements, Governor of Metro Manila and Assemblywoman.

There are more stories about Ferdinand Marcos’s consort in the technocrats’ book, but there unfortunately is not enough space here to reproduce them all.

“In Dialogue: The Economic Managers of the Marcos Administration” is a must-read book for those who want to get a feel of what is was like to make policy in the Marcos administration and to learn about the professional and personal challenges that confronted the technocrats and the good results that they managed to achieve under very problematic political circumstances.

do not promise absolute immunity from the disease, available evidence to date has provided that vaccination reduces the risks of COVID-19 infection.

Hospitals in the country note that most of the COVID-19 patients they have been admitting are those unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, breakthrough infections among vaccinated were reportedly mild. The bottomline: Vaccines work.

Hence, I am imploring the public to get vaccinated. Let me echo the President’s appeal to the public to do their part in order for us to get through and survive this pandemic. While vaccination is not mandatory, I urge my fellow Filipinos to look out for one another by doing what is for the common good. Majority of the cities in the National Capital Region have already achieved 80 to 100 percent full vaccination rate of the target population. In Quezon Province, we have a total of 723,529 individuals vaccinated as of November 4, 2021.

With the continuous arrival of vaccines in the country, we are expecting more allocation for the province. We are hopeful that by the end of the year, we will be able to achieve herd immunity among the target population.

I am sure that all of us want to return to normalcy at the soonest possible time. However, we will only be having a ping-pong of surges of cases if we are careless and remiss of the necessary protective measures against this virus.

Vaccines are now available. While I do not wish that people be deprived of the intended assistance and benefits from the government, may this be an urgent

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EDITORIAL

The right ‘jab’

AS MANY areas in the country shifted to a less strict quarantine level last weekend, thousands of Filipinos flocked malls, public parks, and other public spaces. The apparent excitement of many—families, kids, the youth, the elderly—somewhat led to an alarming general neglect of public health protocols, particularly the required physical distancing.

While we laud and celebrate the downtrend in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, we should not be complacent. We are merely gaining a foothold in containing this pandemic.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Money best spent elsewhere

T

HE Senate committee on finance has slashed P24 billion from the proposed 2022 budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), with the senators clearly believing the money that the Palace seeks for it is better spent elsewhere.

Under the latest Senate version of the spending bill, the allocation for the NTF-ELCAC, which is under the Office of the President, is down to P4 billion, from the P28 billion that the Palace sought— and that the House so pliably granted.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, said his colleagues were insistent about cutting funding for the task force, which has been behind the red-tagging of critics of the government, including lawfully elected representatives of Congress; the initiation of background checks on organizers of community pantries that sought to provide food aid to people hurt by the pandemic; and the campaign to purge university libraries of “subversive materials” that can only be described as an assault on academic freedom, scandalously supported by the leadership

of the Commission on Higher Education. Remarkably, these “subversive” materials include draft peace agreements that this government and the communist rebels produced, back in the day when negotiations to end the fivedecade-old insurgency were still being pursued.

Are these the sorts of activities that taxpayers ought to be funding?

Are these the sorts of activities that taxpayers’ money ought to be funding?

For this year, the task force received P16.4 billion for its barangay assistance projects, which ostensibly are aimed at helping villages that have been cleared of communist rebels.

The Senate, however, has yet to receive a report on how this money was actually spent.

Senators say the billions saved by slashing the NTF-ELCAC budget will go toward paying health workers at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response their special risk allowance and other benefits that were not funded in the Palace-proposed national budget for 2022.

It is too early to say if the Senate-initiated budget cuts will make it through the process by which the two different versions of the national spending plan are reconciled. But there are good reasons to cut the NTFELCAC budget. Surely, among all the competing requirements for resources in this challenging economy, an anti-communist clique operating under the Office of the President cannot be at the front of the line. But the most compelling reason to make the cuts is that we can realign these funds toward our battered health care system and the people who are essential to its survival. Given that they are the reason we have weathered this pandemic so far, it will be money well spent indeed.

‘The best president ever’

LAST week, erstwhile Chief of the Philippine National Police and presidential candidate Senator Bato de la Rosa said that President Rodrigo Duterte is the best President ever.

Normally, sitting presidents are not included when evaluating who is the best or worst. It is only when they leave office that they are included.

But the Senator is of course entitled to his opinion as we all are. His judgment is hardly surprising.

Still, Senator de la Rosa may have also opened a can of worms. Unlike in the United States wherein there is an academic discipline in the study of presidents, we still do not have an equivalent here or if there is, it is still in its infancy. Because of the numerous presidential scholars that the United States has, it is they who rank their presidents from best to worst.

The closest thing that I have seen here is a TV program by one of our cable TV stations going over how our various presidents governed the country. It is aired in the early hours of the day and unless you are an insomniac, the program is probably not familiar to you. Still, it offers very helpful and insightful materials on the successes and failures of our presidents. In the US, their greatest president is usually a tossup between George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, with Washington slightly ahead. Those in the tail end were presidents like James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Franklin Pierce.

The positioning sometimes changes especially those being adjudged as the worst but not by much.

With us, how should we judge who is the best and worst presidents among our 15 former presidents, 16 if the call to encourage many of you to get the COVID-19 shots.

As governor, I have seen how vaccinations helped the local government units, hospitals, and health facilities breathe from the overflowing patients. I cannot overemphasize how vaccination can relieve the country from the burdens of this pandemic.

Once herd immunity is achieved, more

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

current president is included? Great deeds after all are often difficult to capture. For example, in the more than 1,000 years of British monarchy, only one monarch is called the great and that is King Alfred. There are two in Russia. Czar Peter the Great and Czarina Catherine the Great.

De la Rosa did not explain why he considers President Duterte as our best president ever.

The measure of greatness will depend on character, vision, competence, among others.

Finding out who is the best or worst involves a complicated process. The period in our history when a president held office for instance plays an important part.

President Emilio Aguinaldo’s time is different from the era of Manuel L. Quezon. Aguinaldo, for instance, failed in his revolutionary war while Quezon succeeded in getting the law passed granting us our independence on July 4, 1946. Had Aguinaldo won his revolutionary war, perhaps he would be the best or greatest president. Quezon, on the other hand, is considered one of our most successful presidents. Among our postwar presidents, we have Ramon Magsaysay, a man of the masses and beloved by the people. Unfortunately, he did not get to complete his first term. When Ferdinand Marcos was elected in 1965, he promised to make this country great again. He went on to rule for the next 20 years culminating in his ouster in 1986. His 20-year rule reverberates to this day.

When Corazon Aquino became President, she returned the country to democratic rule which is considered her greatest legacy. She refused to run for reelection even when the ban did not apply to her. She passed the industries can be reopened which translates to more jobs, return of income, and, consequently, emergence from recession and poverty.

At the end of the day, we all seek the common good. Let us all do our part. We wanted solutions. Now, we have them. Let us end this pandemic with our collective effort to get vaccinated and conscientiously follow public health protocols.

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torch to President Fidel V. Ramos who came up with his vision of Philippines 2000 which started the country to a sustained economic growth. He was followed by President Joseph Estrada whose term was cut short when Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was catapulted to a nine-year Presidency. The path to economic growth started by Ramos accelerated during her Presidency which was further enhanced during President Benigno Aquino’s time.

President Duterte is now about eight months away from relinquishing his presidency. The judgment on his place in history, however, will have to wait until he leaves office. But even now, I can almost see that his administration will be debated vigorously for many years to come. Among the postMarcos presidents, he was able to get the nation to march to his kind of tune like a pied piper bringing the country to unchartered territories.

Nonetheless, academic scholars should be able to find his rank among our 16 presidents. That way, the people will have some scientific basis for saying whether a president is the best or the worst. All presidents have their pluses and minuses.

In the end however, the measure of greatness will depend mostly on character, vision, competence and whether a certain president has the most pluses and the least minuses. In the case of President Duterte, it would be interesting to know how scholars will eventually rank him. Will he be the best as de la Rosa believes or end up being something else? Let’s wait and see.

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DENR Administrative Order No. 2021 – 32 SUBJECT : GUIDELINES ON THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE NATIONAL FOREST MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHILIPPINE REDD+ STRATEGY Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 881, series of 2010 designating the Department as the operational implementer of the strategy to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and the Role of Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forests, and Enhancement of Carbon Stocks (REDD+), and Executive Order No. 174, s.2014, designating the Department as the lead agency in conducting the inventory of Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions from wastes, industrial processes, and the land use and forestry sectors, the following guidelines are hereby promulgated to establish the National Forest Monitoring System as the National Measurement, Reporting and Verification and Monitoring System for the Philippine REDD+ Strategy, providing for its operationalization and institutional arrangements.

SECTION 1. Basic Policy. It is the policy of the State to protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. Also, it is the policy of the State to strengthen, integrate, consolidate, and institutionalize government initiatives to achieve coordination in the implementation of plans and programs to address climate change in the context of sustainable development.

SECTION 2. Objectives. The main objective of this Order is to establish and operationalize a National Forest Monitoring System. Specifically, the DAO aims to: a.

b. c. d.

e.

Establish and operationalize within six (6) months from the issuance of this Order, the Satellite Land Monitoring System, and produce activity data on forestland use and land-use change every two (2) years; Adopt the Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) as the National Forest Inventory of the Philippines, providing data on emission factors for the country every five (5) years; Enable the Department to publish National Greenhouse Gas Inventories for the forestry sector containing emission and removal estimates every two (2) years; Develop and operationalize within six (6) months from the issuance of this Order, a Forest Information System or a web portal where all verified data on Philippine forestlands are published, stored, and accessed for the consumption of various stakeholders, including but not limited to other national government agencies, local government units, research institutions, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and the academe; and Enable the Department to produce data relevant to the generation and submission of the Biennial Update Reports, National Communications, and reporting requirements from other international commitments.

SECTION 3. Scope & Coverage. This Order shall apply to the establishment, operationalization, and maintenance of a National Forest Monitoring System for the implementation of plans, programs, and activities using the REDD+ strategy. Information derived from this system, however, shall not be limited for use in the measurement, reporting, and verification requirements of REDD+ results-based payments.

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World

APEC ministers seek fossil fuel subsidy halt

P

ACIFIC Rim trade and foreign ministers agreed to push for a freeze on fossil fuel subsidies at a virtual summit Wednesday but host Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand said more “bold” action on climate change was needed.

Ministers from the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group met online to discuss their COVID-19 response ahead of a meeting of national leaders on Saturday including US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor said highlights included a plan to voluntarily freeze fossil fuel subsidies and commitments to liberalise tariffs on vaccines and other pandemic medical supplies.

Ardern hailed the move on fossil fuel subsidies, saying it had the potential to divert billions of dollars from a heavily polluting sector into green technology.

But as APEC leaders face pressure for meaningful action on climate change amid COP26 talks in

Glasgow, Ardern said it did not go far enough.

“Do we need to be more ambitious than this?

Absolutely,” she said.

“We would of course like to see a world where there are no fossil fuel subsidies in our economies, that’s long been a position of New Zealand, which we will continue to advocate.”

She added: “If the world is not ready to take bold action on climate change, then the world must be ready for the disastrous results of climate change.”

The issue was highlighted at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, where the heads of 91 major global companies called for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies.

O’Connor said there was overarching agreement on the need to avoid erecting trade barriers in response to the challenges thrown up by the pandemic.

“It is free, fair and open trade that will help economies move forward out of this pandemic... we need openness to drive global growth, indeed it is trade that presents the solution to our challenges,” he said.

“Some 81 million jobs have been lost across the region due to COVID-19 and the impact on supply chains has been significant, but APEC members have rejected protectionism during this crisis.” AFP

SECTION 4. National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). The Department hereby establishes a National Forest Monitoring System for the collection, production, storage, and access of reliable information on Philippine forests.

SECTION 5. Definition of Terms a. Activity Data – refers to all quantitative data that pertains to the forest and land cover, the changes that occur within it, and the factors that cause said changes. b. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – an international environmental treaty for the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. c. REDD+ - more formally known as “reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries,” is a mechanism developed through the UNFCCC to incentivize developing countries to keep their forests standing by offering results-based payments for actions to reduce or remove forest carbon emissions. d. National Communications – document to be periodically submitted

by Parties to the Convention, containing figures on GHG emissions and sinks, as well as updates on actions they have undertaken to implement the Paris Agreement. e. Biennial Update Reports– a more extensive report submitted by nonAnnex I parties every two (2) years. It contains updates of national greenhouse gas inventories, national inventory reports, information on mitigation actions, needs, and support received. REDD+ reports are also included in this document through a technical annex.

SECTION 6. Functions of the NFMS

SECTION 7. Components of the NFMS. Consistent with international frameworks and conventions, the National Forest Monitoring System shall have the following as its main components and sources of information: a. Satellite Land Monitoring System – Utilizing the latest available technology on Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing, the Satellite Land Monitoring System shall generate data on land use and land use change, specifically the country’s forest cover and forest cover change, and shall be able to do so at least every two (2) years. It shall also serve as the premiere source of activity data for the reporting requirements of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, especially the REDD+ programme, and other international commitments. b. National Forest Inventory – The Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) Methodology is hereby officially recognized as the Philippines’ official National Forest Inventory. For uniformity, all field inventories conducted by the government in the future for the purpose of measurement, reporting, and verification shall utilize the revised field manual for the FRA. c. Other Data Sources – The National Forest Monitoring System shall also incorporate in its system other sources of information pertaining to the country’s forests, such as but not limited to the following: i.

Forest tenure programs of the Department ii.

National Greening Program iii.

Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System iv.

Foreign-assisted & Special Projects v.

Findings/Studies of private entities, voluntarily submitted to the Department vi.

Other National Government Agencies’ database

paddles with a Christmas tree at the Sea of Galilee on November 10, 2021. AFP

Judge: OK to release Capitol attack records A US judge has ordered White House records that could implicate former President Donald Trump in the January 6 attack on the Capitol be released to a Congressional committee, despite the ex-leader’s attempts to keep them secret.

The documents have been sought by the House Select Committee investigating the violence, in which hundreds of Trump supporters forced the shutdown of Congress and delayed a joint session to confirm that Joe Biden had won the November 2020 election and would become president.

Trump sued, seeking a stay to halt the release of the documents, arguing that as a former president, he retained executive privilege to keep the communications and visitor logs related to that day under seal.

In a 39-page opinion made available by sev-

eral US media outlets, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Trump’s request was denied, stating it was in the public’s interest to hand over the documents, the release of which Biden has already approved.

Trump’s “position that he may override the express will of the executive branch appears to be premised on the notion that his executive power ‘exists in perpetuity,’” Chutkan wrote.

“But Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.”

“The court holds that the public interest lies in permitting – not enjoining – the combined will of the legislative and executive branches to study the events that led to and occurred on January 6, and to consider legislation to prevent such events from ever occurring again,” the opinion said. AFP

SECTION 9. Forest Information System. All data gathered and generated through the National Forest Monitoring System shall be published through a web portal called the Forest Information System. The web platform shall be maintained and housed by the Lead Implementer of this system, who shall also be responsible for its regular updating.

SECTION 10. Lead Implementer. The Forest Management Bureau shall be responsible for the implementation of this policy. The Bureau shall collect data relevant to the generation of reliable information on the Philippine forests and organize, store, and publish these findings through the Forest Information System. The Bureau shall also submit to the Climate Change Commission their data needs in preparation of the Biennial Update Reports and National Communications to be submitted in compliance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

BIG CATS GET COVID. This undated handout photo released by the Mandai Wildlife Group on

November 10, 2021 shows Asiatic lions in the ‘Night Safari’ exhibition at the Singapore Zoo where four lions have tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into contact with infected zookeepers, and have symptoms including coughing and sneezing, officials said Wednesday. Animals have become infected with the virus on previous occasions. Lions, tigers and gorillas have tested positive at US zoos, while domestic cats and dogs have also been hit. AFP

SECTION 11. Allocation of Funds. The Department through the FMB shall allocate funds for the operationalization and implementation of the National Forest Monitoring System.

THE World Health Organization’s chief scientist said she was looking forward to the “second generation” of COVID-19 vaccines, which could include nasal sprays and oral versions.

Soumya Swaminathan said such vaccines could have advantages over the current crop as they would be easier to deliver than injections and could even be self-administered.

Swaminathan said there were 129 different candidate vaccines that have got as far as clinical trials —being tested on humans —while a further 194 are not yet that advanced in their development and are still being worked on in laboratories.

“This covers the entire range of technologies,” she told a live interaction on WHO social media channels.

“They’re still in development. I’m sure some of them will prove to be very safe and efficacious and others may not. There could be advantages to some of the second generation vaccines... Clearly if you have an oral vaccine or an intranasal vaccine this is easier to deliver than an injectable. Ultimately we’ll be able to choose the ones that are most appropriate. If not for COVID, we’re going to use these platforms for other infections in the future.”

Swaminathan explained the advantages of a vaccine being sprayed into the nose, as happens in some countries with influenza vaccines.

“If there’s a local immune response then it will take care of the virus before it even goes and establishes itself in the lungs and starts causing a problem,” she said. AFP

PEOPLE over 65 in France will need to show proof of a COVID-19 booster jab to be able to visit restaurants, attend cultural events and take intercity trains, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

The pass has become a routine part of life for many people in France since August, with a complete course of vaccinations generating a QR code that is shown on entry to gain access to venues.

“From December 15, you (over-65s) will need to provide proof of a booster jab to extend the validity of your health pass,” Macron said in an address to the nation warning that COVID-19 infection rates are climbing again in France.

Due to the rebound, masks will also again be compulsory for all students at elementary schools from next Monday, the education ministry announced after Macron’s speech.

The new rule for over-65s will further tighten what is one of the strictest such regimes in Europe. There were protests in France when the measures were first introduced over the summer but they have since diminished.

“We have not finished with the pandemic,” Macron said, explaining that while France is currently in a better position than either Germany or the UK, infection rates have gone up 40 percent over the past week.

Macron noted that “all the studies show” that six months after getting the vaccine, “immunity decreases and therefore the risk of developing a serious form (of COVID) increases.” AFP

Pfizer requests US emergency use for booster shots DRUGMAKERS Pfizer and BioNTech announced they have formally submitted a request asking US officials for emergency authorization of their COVID-19 booster vaccine for people aged 18 and older.

The move follows research published by the companies in late October indicating a third shot is 95.6 percent effective against symptomatic infection, based on clinical trials carried out on 10,000 people.

The companies asked the US Food and Drug Administration to add the new population segment, amending emergency use authorization already granted in September for a third dose for everyone aged 65 and up, as well as people at high risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Pfizer’s initial proposal for approval of boosters to everyone aged 16 and over, which was backed by President Joe Biden’s administration, was rejected at that time.

Several countries have already approved COVID-19 booster shots to increase immunity in people who have already been vaccinated, but whose protection may have dipped after several months, per some studies.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a booster for over-18s at the beginning of October, allowing national regulators to decide which groups should be eligible first.

AFP

Myanmar charges US journalist with terrorism, sedition–lawyer

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. All Orders, Circulars, Memoranda, and other Issuances inconsistent with this Order shall be amended or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 13. Separability Clause. Should part of this Order be declared unconstitutional, those parts unaffected shall remain valid and enforced.

SECTION 14. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its publication in a newspaper of general circulation and registration with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR) of the University of the Philippines – Diliman Law Center.

ROY A. CIMATU Secretary

(MS-NOV. 11, 2021)

WHO: 129 oral, nasal COVID vax in the pipeline

France’s over-65s will need booster for pass—Macron

BOAT-PADDLING SANTA. Issa Kassissieh, better known as the Santa Claus of Jerusalem,

a. Monitoring Function – The National Forest Monitoring System shall be able to provide a clear picture of the present status of the Philippine forests and the years leading up to that. Information derived from this system shall enable its users to monitor the implementation of projects, programs, and activities done in the country’s forests and assess their impacts, especially those established in accordance with the REDD+ Strategy. b. Measurement, Reporting, and Verification Function – The National Forest Monitoring System, for the purpose of accessing results-based payments through the REDD+ strategy, shall enable the measurement, reporting, and verification of all qualitative and quantitative data on the implementation of projects, programs, and activities in the country’s forestlands. It shall also allow the Philippine government to comply with Article 12 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which requires Parties to communicate to the Conference of Parties all information on their climate actions through the Biennial Update Reports and National Communications.

COVID ROUNDUP

Danny Fenster

A US journalist detained for months by Myanmar’s junta has been charged with terrorism and sedition, his lawyer told AFP on Wednesday, and could face life in prison if convicted.

Danny Fenster, who was arrested as he tried to leave the country in May, was hit with “two charges under section 50(a) of the Counter Terrorism Law and 124(a) of the Penal Code,” his lawyer Than Zaw Aung told AFP. Conviction under the counterterrorism law carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Fenster, 37, is already on trial for allegedly encouraging dissent against the military, unlawful association and breaching immigration law.

The new charges come days after former US diplomat and hostage negotiator Bill Richardson met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyidaw, handing the increasingly isolated junta some rare publicity.

Fenster is believed to have contracted COVID-19 during his detention, family members said during a conference call with

American journalists in August.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power in a February 1 coup and ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.

More than 1,200 people have been killed by security forces in a crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.

The press has also been squeezed as the junta tries to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licences of local media outlets. AFP

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Biz groups eye deeper probe of Malampaya buyout by Uy BUSINESS groups released a statement urging the Senate and government agencies to conduct a deeper inquiry into the controversial buyout of Malampaya.

Included in the joint statement are the Makati Business Club, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the Energy Lawyers Association of the Philippines, the Filipino CEO Circle, Integrity Initiative, Investment Houses Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Women’s Economic Network, and the Women’s Business Council Philippines.

One of the concerns that the groups raised is the question of why the government did not exercise its right of first refusal or the right to match.

The groups said that the government— by not exercising the right to match option, is giving “tens of billions of pesos.”

This can also “put the country’s energy and national security at risk.”

“The government should scrutinize the buyer’s financial and technical capabilities and interests and should reserve, enforce, and exercise its right to block and invalidate transfers of shares and control that may be disadvantageous to the Filipino people,” the groups said.

The statement did not specify which “buyer” or “company” but reports said it will include Udenna Corporation led by businessman Dennis Uy. Uy’s company has taken over Chevron Malampaya and SPEX, meaning it has a majority share of Service Contract 38 (Malampaya gas-to-power project).

The groups also pointed to the government’s failure to extend the service contract which is reportedly the reason which compelled Chevron and Shell to sell.

The government may have “breached its fiduciary duty,” the groups said.

Uy and Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, currently face a graft complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman over the said alleged anomalous buyout.

Udenna earlier said its acquisition of the interest of Chevron Malampaya LLC and Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. in the Malampaya natural gas project is above board.

MMDA opens 2 U-turn slots along EDSA

Urban poor community in Cavite gets water

By Rio N. Araja

COLORS OF CHRISTMAS. Shoppers walk along an aisle adorned with colorful Christmas decorations inside the Rockwell Power Plant Mall in Makati City on Monday, as the government eases restrictions in the metro due to the downtrend in COVID-19 cases. Danny Pata

SC bans sensitive photos, recordings in online trials

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered all trial courts in the country to disallow the presentation of “sensitive photographs and recordings” as evidence in sexual abuse cases involving women and children through video conferencing or online hearings, saying it should be presented only during in-court proceedings.

In a circular issued for the SC by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, the high court enjoined trial courts to comply with existing laws, rules and regulations requiring presentation of evidence involving sensitive photographs and recordings, including sexual abuse images and sound recordings involving women and children only through in-court proceedings.

Marquez, as head of the Office of the

Court Administrator, exercises administrative supervision over all trial courts in the country.

“In line with the provisions of existing laws, rules and regulations, and taking into paramount consideration the welfare of women and children, all judges and branch clerks of court of the first and second level courts are hereby directed to ensure that evidence containing sensitive

photographs and recordings, including sexual abuse images and sound recordings involving women and children, shall be only presented through in-court proceedings and not through video conferencing,” the circular stated.

The SC resorted to hearing via video conferencing to keep all courts functioning to resolve urgent cases since the start of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020.

The SC also eventually allowed the public to view online hearings.

While quarantine restrictions have eased up somehow, courts in the country still utilize video conferencing to expedite resolution of cases.

In-court proceedings on urgent cases have been allowed but the hearings are limited only to parties, lawyers, and witnesses whose physical presence is necessary and mandated by the courts.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FISHERFOLK. Navotas

City Mayor Toby Tiangco, Congressman John Rey Tiangco, and other officials signed a memorandum of agreement providing scholarships to Navoteño students from fisherfolk families. The Ulirang Pamilyang Mangingisda Scholarship is given to family members of registered fisherfolk who won at the annual search for the Top Ten Most Outstanding Fisherfolk.

Navotas provides Ulirang Pamilyang Mangingisda scholars with P16,500 transportation and food allowance, and P1,500 book stipend per academic year. Andrew Rabulan

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Wednesday inaugurated the new traffic signalization system at two “u-turn” slots along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue in Quezon City to facilitate smooth flow of traffic in the area without interrupting the operations of the EDSA Bus Carousel.

MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. led the ceremonial switching on of the new traffic lights at the two u-turn slots - one in front of the Quezon City Academy and another near Dario Bridge.

“We are gearing toward this holiday season. Hence, we have installed traffic signal lights on the said areas to improve road safety, pedestrian movement as well as reduced travel time. It is operational 24/7,” Abalos said.

“Also, I thanked Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte for being our partner, especially on traffic management initiatives,” he further said.

Abalos mentioned that the agency will reduce the number of traffic enforcers presently manning the area.

“Currently, we have eight personnel deployed on the said areas. We will deploy our personnel to other strategic locations along the major thoroughfares to man the traffic,” the MMDA chief noted.

Quezon City Assistant Administrator Alberto Kimpo, who joined the inauguration, expressed gratitude to the MMDA for the project.

A7

Navotas awards scholarships to fisherfolk pupils

By Jun David THE City Government of Navotas signed Tuesday a memorandum of agreement providing scholarships to Navoteño students from fisherfolk families.

Three college and four high school students have qualified for the Ulirang Pamilyang Mangingisda Scholarship under the Navotas Scholarship Program.

The Ulirang Pamilyang Mangingisda Scholarship is given to family members of registered fisherfolks who won at the annual search for the Top Ten Most Outstanding Fisherfolk.

“Education is the best gift parents can

give their children. We know that Navoteno fisherfolks also think that way and we are here to help them fulfill their aspirations for their children,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said.

“We hope to give the children and other family members of our registered fisherfolks the opportunity to finish their education, achieve their dreams, and create a better future,” he added.

Navotas provides Ulirang Pamilyang Mangingisda scholars with P16,500 transportation and food allowance, and P1,500 book stipend per academic year.

Scholars, on the other hand, are expected to attend their classes and school activities,

maintain at least a passing grade, and fulfill other undertakings.

The scholarship is renewable yearly, depending on the compliance of the beneficiary to the terms and conditions set by the city government.

Navotas established the program in 2018 and has since had 25 beneficiaries.

The city government also gives academic scholarship to students who excelled in their studies and teachers who want to pursue graduate school, as well as athletic and art scholarships. The programs were launched in 2011, 2016 and 2017, respectively.

WEST zone Maynilad Water Services Inc. on Wednesday said it has already connected another urban poor community in Cavite to its network, thus providing water access to some 2,000 residents.

Residents of Aplaya Village, Noveleta, Cavite finally received pipedin supply of potable water from Maynilad through the water company’s Pag-asa sa Patubig Partnership (P3) with Filipino social business group, Tubig Pag-asa.

Under P3, waterless urban poor communities are connected to Maynilad’s water distribution system through bulk water scheme with public faucets or submeters.

“Some blighted communities are prevented from getting water access due to right-of-way conflicts and permitting issues, and this often leads to the practice of connecting illegally to the network.

Our P3 program enables us to address that problem while reinforcing our commitment to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of water access and sanitation for all,” president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez said.

Before Maynilad connected this P3 beneficiary community in Aplaya Village, the residents relied on water “syndicates” that sold overpriced water.

DOH distances from delegates’ pro-tobacco stance for PH

By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH) has opposed and dissociated itself from protobacco industry statements made by the Philippine delegation in the ongoing 9th Conference of Parties (COP9) of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

During the discussion on the global progress in implementation of the WHO FCTC, the Philippine delegation made statements that promoted the interest of the tobacco industries, including those of vapor products and heated tobacco products, describing them as “salutary” and “source of good.”

The statement also praised the tobacco industry for their efforts in self-regulation and developing novel, nonetheless still harmful alternatives.

In a statement on Wednesday, however, the DOH maintained that there is “no good” in tobacco.

The DOH said that giving misleading information that dilutes the risksof tobacco products and undue recognition to tobacco industries, including those of vapor products and heated tobacco products, is harmful.

The statements made by the Philippine delegation negate the very principles of the WHO FCTC and undermine the progress the Philippines has made to curb tobacco use.

Moreover, the DOH said that praising the tobacco industry for its importance in public health funding is misleading and urged that “we must have a whole-ofgovernment approach in regulating the marketing and sale of products that are harmful both to the health and economy of the Filipino people.”

Group blasts UP’s opposition to ban ‘red’ propaganda THE group Liga Independencia Pilipinas Inc. on Wednesday blasted officials and faculty of the University of the Philippines who were reportedly opposed to the banning of communist propaganda in the state school’s libraries.

The group also denounced the bullying of the chancellor of UP Iloilo by professors who the group said were “pro-CTG” (communist terrorist groups).

In a statement, Jose Antonio Goitia, Secretary General of LIPI, said: “The acts of numerous UP officials and academic members astonish us. It is upsetting that we are entrusting our children’s education to people who openly embrace the CPPNPA-NDF’s deadly agendas.”

“What they are doing is treasonous.

The government has designated the CPPNPA-NDF (Communist Party of the

Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) as terrorists and a threat to national security,” he added.

Goitia also said that LIPI heard that “a few left-leaning faculty members” of UP Iloilo had been bullying Chancellor Dr. Rommel A, Espinosa as an “example of the intimidation to silence people in order for the elements of the CPP-NPA-NDF to operate in the campuses.”

“This is an alarming trend of cancelling people. The United States is dealing with the same issues in their campuses. Communism is not dying. It is gaining ground among our youth,” he said.

LIPI urged law enforcement agencies “to investigate the motives of these individuals running our state universities whether they are in violation of the law or not.”

“It is imperative that we protect the

lives of our children which are being exploited by elements of the communist terrorist group,” the group said.

“We have no intention of limiting our students’ liberties. Indeed, we urge them to engage in a free flow of ideas. No one’s right to freedom of expression, speech, petition, or peaceful assembly should be restricted in any way,” LIPI added.

However, Goitia said: “It is our obligation as parents and educators to create inspiration and a sense of responsibility in our children in order to assure their success in their chosen fields of study.”

“It is our responsibility to guide and lead them down the path of righteousness and to mold them into excellent citizens and leaders of our nation. However, it is also our responsibility to safeguard our children’s safety and well-being.

FOR BICYCLES ONLY. Members of the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic conduct an operation apprehending a motorcycle rider traversing a bike lane at VV Soliven along Edsa in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Sports

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

A8

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Late assault nets Baraquiel 2-stroke lead at Highlands TAGAYTAY—Sunshine Baraquiel, whose wobbly windup cost her the first day honors Tuesday, sizzled at the finish this time, birdying two of the last four holes to salvage a two-over 72 and surge ahead by two in the second round of the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Challenge here yesterday.

It was in stark contrast to her meltdown in the first round that saw her bogey two of the last three and yield the lead to amateur Mafy Singson with a 77. The 30-year-old, back on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour after completing flying lessons in the US, actually tied for the lead with a birdie on the first hole but fell with a thud with a dismal five-bogey slide from No. 2, the last a threeputt miscue.

She, however, didn’t stray too far behind with a run of pars until she made her move with a birdie on No. 15 then stormed upfront with another feat on the last hole for a 38-34 and a 36-hole aggregate of nine-over 149.

“I made a long putt for birdie on No. 1 then I don’t know how I blew it and I ended up having five bogeys in a row,” said Baraquiel. “I got mad but I told myself to ‘wake up’ and ‘start fresh.’ After that I shot two-under.”

Chihiro Ikeda also produced a 72 in another topsy-turvy day at the exacting Highlands course as she poised herself to ending a two-year title spell with a 151, the same

output put in by Daniella Uy, who dropped three strokes in the first two holes but parred the last 12 to save a 73 and nurture hopes of ending a long title drought.

Singson birdied the last hole to check an impending skid and post a second 76 but the top amateur dropped from second to fourth with a 152, just three strokes adrift of Baraquiel while Harmie Constantino blew a gutsy even-par 34 start with a backside 42 marred by two double bogeys and a couple of bogeys.

The Eagle Ridge-Aoki leg winner ended up with a six-over 76 and tumbled to fifth with a 153 while Chanelle Avaricio bounced back with a 75 after an 81 but lay seven strokes off the pace with a 156 in a tie with Lovelyn Guioguio, who rallied with a 73.

Amateurs Burberry Zhang and Laurea Duque posted identical 157s after a 77 and 80, respectively, while Korean pro Jane Jeong skied to an 81 for a 158.

Baraquiel credited her driving and approach shots for her surge and added her putting and short game, which have been missing majority of her campaign, clicked when they mattered most.

“My putting and short game, which I said needed some work, worked for me in the end,” added Baraquiel, now 18 holes away from nailing a breakthrough in the circuit put up by ICTSI.

Sunshine Baraquiel: I made a long putt for birdie on No. 1, then I don’t know how I blew it and I ended up having five bogeys in a row. I got mad but I told myself to ‘wake up’ and ‘start fresh.’ After that I shot two-under.

PBA execs want harmonious relationship with Asian leagues

By Randy Caluag

P

HILIPPINE Basketball Association commissioner Willie Marcial said the Korean Basketball League and the Japan B.League have reached out to him, adding he expects this to open doors to better communication among leagues in Asia.

“‘Yung KBL sumulat sa akin and gusto makipag-meeting. ‘Yun namang Japan B.League iniimbita ako for their All-Star games. Maganda ito para may usapan na ang iba’t ibang liga,” said Marcial during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

This development came following a recruitment binge by Japan B.League teams of Filipino players as Asian imports, including Kiefer Ravena, a manytime Gilas Pilipinas member.

Ravena’s hiring by the Shiga Lakestars’ squad posed a problem for the PBA because he had an existing contract with the NLEX team then.

A compromise had been reached wherein he was allowed to play for one

season in the Japan B.League. After this, he is expected to come back to his NLEX team later on to finish his contract.

Marcial said he hopes to iron out kinks with the said leagues.

“Simula na sana maging ayos ang samahan natin dito sa Asia,” Marcial added.

Other Filipino players currently seeing action in Japan and doing well are Kiefer’s brother Thirdy (San-En), Javi Gomez de liaño (Ibaraki), Juan Gomez de Liano (Tokyo Z), Bobby Ray Parks Jr. (Nagoya), Kobe Paras (Niigata), Dwight Ramos (Toyama), and Kemark Carino (Aomori).

Some of them are expected to be in the lineup of the Asia Rising Star Game on January 14 next year during the All-Star Weekend of the B.League.

Willie Marcial

Ricky Vargas

Matthew Aquino, son of former threetime PBA champion and Defensive Player of the Year Marlou Aquino, signed up with first division team Shinshu Brave Warriors not as an Asian import, but as a local because his mother is Japanese.

PBA board chairman Ricky Vargas said the PBA also forged an alliance with other leagues through the East Asia Super League, which has given board seats to member leagues in Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines.

Fil-Am helps Blue Devils win opening game

By Peter Atencio FIL-AMERICAN sophomore Vanessa de Jesus joined four other teammates in lifting the Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team to a 95-39 smothering of the Winthrop Eagles in the opening game of their 2021-22 US NCAA Division I campaign.

De Jesus finished with seven points and tallied a team-high eight assists as the Blue Devils finished the game with five players in double figures Tuesday evening at the Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Transferee cager Lexi Gordon banged in a game-

high 17 points, while senior Imani Lewis added 16 points in their debut game. Junior Celeste Taylor and sophomore Nyah Green each notched 11 points, while Miela Goodchild chipped in 10.

With their opening triumph in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Blue Devils have posted 17 wins out of their last 18 inaugural games.

“I told the team after the game, there’s always things that you’re pleased with, and we understand there’s things you can improve on, so we’ll look at the tape to see what specifically to improve on,” said coach Kara Lawson in a dispatch sent to the Manila Standard.

Duke took charge early, with De Jesus capping a 5-0 run with a layup, with Gordon’s jumper in the last 4:30 of the first period setting them up for a six-point edge, 12-6.

Working on stingy defense, Duke then forced 14 turnovers through the first 20 minutes and held Winthrop to just 22-percent shooting as it went on to control the match, 44-16, at halftime.

After three quarters, the Blue Devils were ahead with a 40-point lead, 68-28.

Duke will next have a road game against the Dayton Flyers on Friday night.

There they go, so there we went THE BOTTOM LINE LITO CINCO THERE they go.

For old-time racehorse goers, these are very familiar words from the race announcer, signalling the start of every race, and so there we went.

With my wife Marissa and her niece Ella, we went to the Silver Cup Stakes Race at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite last Sunday afternoon, a deja vu experience for the missus, a very first time experience for Ella, while for me, I have only seen a few live races as horse racing was not among my

regular beats in sports -- even as I dream of interviewing a winning horse together with the winning jockey.

The nice part, we were among the guests of Philippine Racing Commission chairman Reli de Leon, an old friend from way back when he was still marketing giant sports shoes brands here, until he hit the jackpot in a race in 1999 by picking seven straight winners, netting him over a million pesos, part of which he used to buy his first race horse.

And to prove it was not a fluke, he repeated it in 2007, and won over a million pesos again, but when he became the PHILRACOM Chairman last year, he had to sell all his seven horses to maintain his impartiality.

Anyway, as his guests, we were at the VIP room at the 3rd floor, with free-flowing food and cold drinks to the delight of my wife and niece, arriving there on time for Race 3, ended up watching five races in

all, including the Philippine Sportswriters Association Cup in Race 5, and the much awaited Silver Cup, the country’s second biggest stakes race in Race 7.

Second only to the Presidential Gold Cup race slated on December 12 and that offers P10 million as top prize, the Silver Cup put up a P4 million total cash prize, with P2.4 million to the winning entry.

I gave my wife 100,000 cents, to place her bets, having done horse betting in her much younger life, and I wanted to make her happy, but not at my expense, got a racing program from Reli’s assistant Ronald Santos, and without any logic or science at all, my wife started betting, losing her initial bet in race 3.

She won in Race 4 with her bet on Greatest Joy which brought her a lot of joy as she recouped her loss, then lost back-toback in Races 5 and 6, all this time, shout-

ing her encouragement to her bets while watching live from the balcony.

Then time for the big race, the Silver Cup, with 11 entries and ran over 1750 meters. She placed all her money on 5 different combinations, you have to guess the winning horse and the second placer.

And guess what, Super Swerte owned

by Mayor Sandy Javier, trained by Ruben Tupas, with jockey Bom Boom Villegas on top, won the race, followed by rival Boss Emong, entry numbers 6 and 8, one of the combinations fortunately picked by my wife and Ella.

My wife was ecstatic as we ended up winning in the end, maybe 10,000 centavos, she even had a photo taken with the winning jockey, who won big time for the very first time in his long career at 35 years old. When I asked him his plans for his winnings, he said everything has been planned already, by his wife.

Reli, who presented the trophies to the winners of the Juvenile Stakes Race, then the PSA Cup, and the Silver Cup, came

Manila grabs solo lead at FilBasket tilt AICC Manila survived MTrans Batangas City’s late charge to post an 81-78 victory Tuesday and gain the solo lead in the FilBasket Subic Championship at the Subic gym.

MTrans scored six straight points in the last one and a half minute to cut its 81-74 deficit but time was not on its side as AICC Manila prevailed for its seventh win in eight outings.

Chris Bitoon and Hesed Gabo scored 18 and 12 points for AICC Manila, who banked on its outside shooting by firing nine triples.

MTrans, however, absorbed its fourth defeat in seven matches despite Jeff Viernes’ 32-point explosion.

Meanwhile, Pasig Sta. Lucia toppled Medical Depot, 78-65, to fan its winning streak to three games and improve to 4-3.

Cedrick Ablaza powered the Realtors with 18 points and nine rebounds while Rudy Lingganay also paced with 18 points, five boards and four assists.

Egie Boy Mojica and Dawn Ochea combined for 26 points while Simon Camacho hauled 13 rebounds on top of seven points, but their efforts went futile as Medical Depot skidded to 3-4 to tie with MTrans.

In the other game, the San Juan Knights ripped the Muntinlupa Defenders, 92-66, to hike their winloss tally to 5-2 at third place.

The Knights led by as many as 31 points with four players scoring in double figures.

Jun Manzo and Paolo Hernandez topscored for San Juan with 16 and 12 points, while Arvin Gamboa and Christian Bunag contributed 11 points apiece.

complete with face mask and shield, plus a fedora hat, that I could not recognize him at first.

According to him, horse racing here is steadily improving but still not at prepandemic level for sure, but as far as that Sunday race was concerned, he said it delivered more than what was expected.

Earlier, Ronald said one problem area in the industry was the need for more Off Track Betting booths as this is subject to the different LGUs with differing guidelines.

Like most of those who were with us in the VIP Room, we also left after the Silver Cup race. I was happy because I made the missus happy and provided Ella a good first time experience watching horse racing live.

Now I believe what champion horse breeder Benhur Abalos and Reli when they said horse racing can be a family oriented activity. But for me, as long as I can watch it from the VIP section and my wife limits her bets to 20,000 centavos per race.

And that my readers, is the bottom line.

Business IN BRIEF Megaworld’s profit up 57% in 3rd quarter

OFFICE and condominium developer Megaworld Corp. said Wednesday it booked a net income of P3.2 billion in the third quarter, up 57 percent from P2 billion in the same period last year as residential and retail businesses recovered from the impact of the pandemic.

Megaworld said in a disclosure to the stock exchange third-quarter revenues climbed 50 percent to P14.5 billion from last year’s P9.6 billion.

“The recovery momentum has started to pick up and we hope that the lowering of the alert levels especially in Metro Manila will continue until the year-end. As more people safely go out and enjoy the normal life, the better for business and our economy as a whole,” Megaworld chief strategy officer Kevin Tan said.

The company said nine-month net income expanded 10 percent to P8.2 billion from P7.4 billion a year earlier as consolidated revenues improved 10 percent to P36.9 billion from P33.4 billion.

Real estate sales led the recovery, increasing 102 percent to P9.6 billion in the third quarter from P4.7 billion in the same period last year, reflecting the expansion in construction activities.

Jenniffer B. Austria

LandBank earned P16.7b in 9 months

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, November 10, 2021 -65.99 PTS. Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

8-month investments rose 39.7% to $6.4b—BSP data

By Julito G. Rada

N

ET inflows of foreign direct investments jumped 39.7 percent in the first eight months to $6.4 billion from $4.6 billion a year ago, as investors remained confident on the prospects of the domestic economy, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

“The cumulative FDI net inflows rose on the back of the 71.6-percent growth in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments to $4.5 billion from $2.6 billion,” the BSP said in a statement.

Reinvestment of earnings rose 11 percent to $776 million from $699 million a year earlier. However, non-residents’ net investments in equity capital other than reinvestment of earnings declined by 12.2 percent to $1.1 billion from $1.2 billion a year ago.

Net investments in equity capital fell as placements dropped 8.2 percent

to $1.4 billion from $1.5 billion while withdrawals increased by 12.1 percent to $272 million from $243 million.

Equity capital placements came mostly from Singapore, Japan and the United States. These were invested in manufacturing; financial and insurance; electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning; and real estate industries.

The BSP said that in August, net FDI inflows expanded by 19.8 percent year-on-year to reach $812 million from $677 million in the same period in 2020, driven by non-residents’ net

investments in debt instruments, which grew by 38 percent to $636 million from $461 million in August 2020.

Meanwhile, reinvestment of earnings contracted 24.7 percent to $99 million from $132 million while non-residents’ net investments in equity capital declined by 9.7 percent to $77 million from $85 million.

“This was due to the rise in equity capital withdrawals by 51.2 percent to $50 million from $33 million, which more than offset the increase in equity capital placements by 7.3 percent to $126 million from $118 million,” the BSP said.

Equity capital placements in August originated mostly from Japan, the Netherlands and the United States and were directed largely to manufacturing, information and communication and real estate industries.

Net FDI inflows hit $6.6 billion in 2020. This year, the BSP expects net FDIs inflows to improve to $7 billion, taking into account the gradual reopening of major economies that could boost global trade.

FORD CARING.

STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines said Wednesday net income in the first nine months jumped 21.2 percent to P16.72 billion from P13.8 billion a year ago, on the strength of core businesses.

LandBank said in a statement lower cost of funds and provision for losses helped it turn in a better performance for the period.

This put it on track to meet its 2021 net income target of P19.68 billion.

“LandBank has shown remarkable resilience against the economic shocks of the pandemic. As we continue to exceed our yearend targets in total assets and deposits, we are optimistic that the bank’s overall financial performance will keep in step with the country’s continuing recovery,” LandBank president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo said.

Total assets went up 13.6 percent to P2.564 trillion as of end-September from P2.257 trillion a year ago, propelled by deposits which expanded 14.7 percent to P2.267 trillion. Julito G. Rada

917Ventures bullish on KonsultaMD

GLOBE Telecom’s 917Ventures said Wednesday it expects telemedicine provider KonsultaMD to replicate the success of sister company Mynt, the operator of GCash, in the coming years.

“We’ve had high hopes for KonsultaMD even before the pandemic. We saw it as a way to address the pain points in Philippine healthcare, which was suffering from a lack of healthcare professionals, inadequate health infrastructure, and limited accessibility, not to mention the high cost of medical consultation,” said 917Ventures managing director Vince Yamat in a virtual briefing.

Mynt earlier reached the “double unicorn” status after raising more than $300 million in its latest funding round from new and existing investors.

“People were wary of using the service before as they are used to traditional faceto-face consultations, but with the pandemic, things have changed. Telehealth has become an important innovation that will stay and evolve,” he said.

Less than two years into the global health crisis, medical consultations through the KonsultaMD app already skyrocketed to 1,549 percent from pre-pandemic level.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Ford Philippines employees participate in an inperson volunteer activity, following the proper safety and distancing protocols, in GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan. Employees sort and pack vegetables for distribution to families and communities. Ford Philippines celebrated the Global Caring Month with a mix of virtual and in-person volunteer activities. Held every September, the Global Caring Month is an annual social responsibility event that sees thousands of Ford and dealer employees from around the world take time to participate in various community projects.

1,174,565,895

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE

113,474 11,157,644,947.79

ADVANCES

7,375.68

DECLINES UNCHANGED

77 116 56

SM Investments’ profit climbed by 79% in 9 months

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. said Wednesday net income in the first nine months climbed 79 percent to P27.2 billion from P15.2 billion in the same period last year, boosted by improved performance from core banking, property and retail businesses.

SM Investments said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues rose 5 percent to P289.4 billion in the first nine months from P276.4 billion a year ago.

The banking business accounted for 60 percent of the group’s reported net earnings from core businesses, followed by property at 27 percent and retail at 13 percent.

“Our third-quarter results reflect the resilience of all our businesses and early signs of the economy opening up.

With improved vaccination rates across the country and lower COVID-19 cases, we are optimistic about conditions for the fourth quarter, but continue to be vigilant about risks,” SM Investments president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio said.

BDO Unibank Inc. delivered a net income of P32.4 billion in the first nine months, up from P16.6 billion a year ago on the bank’s resilient business franchise and normalized provisions.

Property unit SM Prime Holdings Inc. also reported a 9-percent increase in consolidated net income to P15.6 billion, even as revenues declined by 6 percent to P56.8 billion.

SM Retail more than doubled its net income to P4.8 billion in the first nine months from P2.2 billion a year ago on continued store expansion and cost-management measures.

Retail revenues reached P204.9 billion, slightly lower than P206.1 billion in the previous period on a higher base in 2020 from pantry loading of grocery items.

As part of the conglomerate’s sustainability program, SM Prime committed to source more than 50 percent of electricity requirement from renewable energy by the end of 2022.

Synergy Grid lists shares from P13.85-b offering Standard Manila

TODAY

By Alena Mae S. Flores SYNERGY Grid & Development Phils. Inc. on Wednesday listed its shares from its follow-on offering at the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Synergy set the price of over billion primary common shares, with an over-allotment option for another 101 million secondary shares at P12 apiece. The offering enabled the company to raise P13.85 billion from the sale of 1.15 billion shares, including the over-allotment option.

“Synergy Grid is very excited to be doing this follow-on offering on the Philippine Stock Exchange. As the indirect controlling shareholder of NGCP, this milestone marks SGP’s dedication and commitment to fulfill NGCP’s mandate as the sole power transmission service provider in the Philippines,” said Synergy president Paul Sagayo during the bell-ringing ceremony at the trading floor. Also present was PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon.

Synergy chairman Henry Sy Jr. and vicechairman Robert Coyiuto Jr. also participated

in the event online, together with other executives from PSE, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and other partner institutions instrumental in the listing.

As a result of the FOO, the public ownership percentage of Synergy reached 22.13 percent, in compliance with the minimum public ownership rule of the PSE. The company said it would use the proceeds of the FOO to directly subscribe to non-voting preferred shares that would be issued by NGC, the sole and exclusive operator of the Philippines’ transmission network, linking power generators and distribution utilities to deliver electricity to end-users nationwide.

Proceeds from the issuance of the non-voting preferred shares will be used by NGCP to finance capital expenditure and related cost and expenses.

NGCP is committed to invest P440 billion over the next 13 years across 211 projects to support the growing electricity demand and make the country’s power backbone continuously reliable.

San Miguel Food’s net income soared by 68% to P24.2b in three quarters SAN Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. said Wednesday net income reached P24.2 billion in the first nine months, up 68 percent year-onyear on the back of a double-digit growth in revenues.

SMFB said in a statement nine-month consolidated revenues rose 14 percent to P221.7 billion from a year ago, as all businesses registered double-digit sales growth.

“Our results highlight the strength and breadth of our food and beverage portfolio.

While there are still impacts from the pandemic, we are hopeful that the worst is behind us and we are on the path to a new, better normal,” said SMFB president and chief executive Ra-

mon Ang. The food business registered a 13-percent increase in revenues to reach P108 billion. The nine-month revenue was also 8 percent better than the 2019 pre-pandemic figure.

Meanwhile, the beer business posted consolidated year-to-date revenue of P82.1 billion, up by 13 percent from the previous year.

The growth was achieved despite the re-imposition of the enhanced community quarantine and liquor bans in National Capital Region and several key provinces in August, coupled with various COVID-19 restrictions implemented in international markets.

The group continued to implement cost man-

Fitch unit ups PH growth forecast to 4.5% FITCH Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research, a unit of Fitch Group, revised upward its 2021 GDP growth forecast for the Philippines to 4.5 percent from 4.2 percent earlier, taking into account the strong 7.1-percent expansion in the third quarter and the expected sustained recovery of private spending.

Fitch Solutions, however, revised downward the 2022 GDP forecast to 6.5 percent from 6.8 percent on the back of “low” vaccination rates in the country amid the continuing global health crisis.

“We at Fitch Solutions now forecast the Philippine economy to grow by 4.5 percent in 2021 and 6.5 percent in 2022, revised from 4.2 percent and

B1

TOTAL VOLUME

6.8 percent, respectively. In the third quarter of 2021, the Philippine economy posted strong quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.8 percent, following a contraction of 1.4 percent in second quarter 2021 because of lockdown measures,” it said.

It said “a gradual relaxing of domestic mobility restrictions and continued support measures from policymakers helped propel activity, bringing the economy closer to its pre-pandemic output levels. There were signs of a continued recovery in the fourth quarter, with mobility data signaling increased domestic activity and vaccination rates rising in the key economic hub of Manila, it said.

Julito G. Rada

BANK MERGERS.

agement initiatives, resulting in a 23-percent increase in operating income to P18.2 billion.

Meanwhile, its spirits business saw a strong momentum as it reported a double-digit increase in volumes. Net income jumped 43 percent to P3.2 billion as revenues went up 21 percent to P30.7 billion.

“With our balance sheet in a strong position, we remain focused on further strengthening our momentum and continue to invest in areas that we believe will be critical to reaching our longer-term goal of delivering shareholder value while making sure that we do our part in supporting communities that need our help the most,” said Ang. Jenniffer B. Austria

Financial regulators sign a memorandum of agreement to implement a more efficient and streamlined process for merger, consolidation and acquisition among banks. Leading the signing of the agreement are (first row, from left) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno and Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. president and chief executive Roberto Tan (second row, from left) Cooperative Development Authority chairperson Joseph Encabo, Philippine Competition Commission chairperson Arsenio Balisacan and Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson Emilio Aquino.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING Please be informed that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of STI EDUCATION SYSTEMS HOLDINGS, INC. (the “Company”) will be held and conducted virtually via remote communication on Friday, 3 December 2021, at 2:30 p.m. for the following purposes: 1.

2.

3.

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on 20 November 2020 4.

Management Report 5.

Approval of Parent and Consolidated Audited Financial Statements of the Company as at and for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2021 6.

Ratification of all legal acts, resolutions and proceedings of the Board of Directors and of Management, done in ordinary course of business since the 20 November 2020 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting up to 3 December 2021 7.

Amendment of the Second Article of the Articles of Incorporation to include as part of the secondary purposes the authority of the Company to act as a corporate surety and to guarantee the loan obligations of its subsidiaries and affiliates 8.

Delegation to the Board of Directors of the power to amend the By-Laws of the Company 9.

Appointment of External Auditor 10. Other Matters 11. Adjournment The record date for stockholders entitled to notice and vote at the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting is set on 29 October 2021 (“Stockholders of Record”).

In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the welfare and safety of our stockholders, the 2021 Annual Stockholders‘ Meeting of STI Holdings will be conducted virtually. Stockholders of Record may attend/ participate via proxy, remote communication or vote in absentia. For the detailed registration and voting procedures, please visit http://www. stiholdings.com/2021ASM and refer to the “Guidelines for Participation via Remote Communication and Voting in Absentia and through Proxy”.

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to vote in absentia should notify the Office of the Corporate Secretary through a Letter of Intent to be sent via e-mail to corsec@stiholdings.com.ph on or before 19 November 2021. Validated stockholders will be provided access to the live streaming of the meeting through Microsoft Teams and can cast their votes in absentia on or before 26 November 2021 through the Company’s secure online voting facility.

All votes cast shall be subject to validation.

The Company is not soliciting for proxies. Stockholders who are unable to join the meeting but wish to vote on items in the agenda by proxy must submit their duly accomplished proxy forms via email to corsec@ stiholdings.com.ph, not later than 26 November 2021.

Stockholders of record may send their queries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to corsec@stiholdings. com.ph on or before 26 November 2021.

The Definitive Information Statement containing the attendance/ voting (via remote communication) and election procedures, along with the Notice, Agenda, Proxy, Management Report, SEC Form 17-A, and other information related to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting can be accessed at http://www.stiholdings.com/disclosures.php and the PSE Edge portal.

Very truly yours, (Sgd) ARSENIO C. CABRERA, JR. Corporate Secretary (MS-NOV. 11 & 12, 2021)

Business

B2 || THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSEi November 10, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

MARC

1.04

0.1

10.64%

2

OPM

0.011

0.001

10.00%

3

FERRO

3.48

0.23

7.08%

4 5

ABG ROCK

5.89 1.59

0.38 0.08

6.90% 5.30%

6

IPO

7.27

0.35

5.06%

7

MWC

25.05

1.15

4.81%

8

MHC

0.44

0.02

4.76%

9

I

1.15

0.05

4.55%

10

VUL

1.24

0.05

4.20%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

SGP

12.6

-383.2

-96.82%

2

PTC

101

-8

-7.34%

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

TECHW PHA LTG PHR MAC GEO CIC LAND

1.08 0.64 10 0.81 6.16 0.215 22 0.93

-0.07 -0.04 -0.54 -0.04 -0.29 -0.01 -0.95 -0.04

-6.09% -5.88% -5.12% -4.71% -4.50% -4.44% -4.14% -4.12%

Stock market declines; LT Group and BPI drop

T

HE stock market corrected Wednesday as investors cashed in on gains in recent days after daily COVID-19 cases slowed down and the economy reopened further.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 65.99 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,375.68 on a value turnover of P11.2 billion. Losers beat gainers, 116 to 77, with 56 issues unchanged.

Fiber broadband services provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. dropped 2.9 percent to P33.90, while LT Group Inc. of tobacco and airline tycoon Lucio Tan declined 5.1 percent to P10.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, shed 4.1 percent to P91.85, while Syner-

gy Grid & Development Phils. Inc., operator of the country’s electricity grid, sank 96.8 percent to P12.60. Synergy, however, rose 5 percent from its followon offering price of P12.

The rest of Asian equities mostly fell Wednesday after a record-breaking rally on Wall Street finally came to an end, with inflation returning to the fore as prices in the United States and China continued to surge.

Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Seoul, Mumbai, Wellington and Jakarta were all in negative territory.

However, Hong Kong reversed an early sell-off to end in positive territory thanks to a rally in beaten-down tech firms, while Taipei also edged up.

While markets—particularly in the United States—have chalked up alltime highs in recent days and weeks, traders remain nervous about the constant stream of data showing global in-

flationary pressures building as supply chains are snarled and demand spikes.

In reaction, central banks have turned increasingly hawkish with some raising interest rates and others paring back vast support measures put in place at the start of the pandemic, which have been key to the rally in world equities for the past 18 months.

On Wednesday, China released a report showing the prices paid at factory gates had jumped 13.5 percent on-year in October to their highest level in more than two decades owing to soaring energy prices and as supplies were hit by coronavirus lockdowns in parts of the country.

The figures also showed a further pick-up in consumer inflation.

The readings will cause a headache for leaders as they fight to prevent prices from running out of control but also provide support to the economy as its recovery stutters under pressure from the recent COVID flareups. With AFP

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

SGP MONDE MWC ACEN GLO ICT TEL DNL SMPH CNVRG

VOLUME 203,483,010 24,522,100 15,774,700 30,583,200 89,110 1,550,980 176,940 33,078,400 7,878,900 8,228,100

VALUE (PHP) 2,635,023,116 416,628,806 378,940,165 372,870,984 310,653,150 302,467,475 298,355,880 287,259,267 282,179,845 278,762,025

SINGLES’ DAY. Workers sort packages for delivery ahead of the Singles’ Day shopping festival, which falls on November 11, at a JD.com warehouse in Beijing on November 9, 2021. AFP

China’s factory-gate inflation reached 26-year high of 13.5% in October BEIJING, China—China’s factory-gate inflation hit a 26-year high in October while fresh virus outbreaks and soaring food and energy prices sent consumer prices up more than forecast, official figures showed Wednesday.

The producer price index (PPI) has been rising for four straight months, putting pressure on authorities to stop costs from running out of control, just as officials battle to kickstart a recovery in the world’s number two economy.

The reopening from lockdowns around the world has ramped up ener-

gy demand just as stockpiles are low, with supply struggles made worse by China’s drive to meet environmental targets.

The PPI, which measures the cost of goods at the factory gate, jumped a bigger-than-expected 13.5 percent on-year in October, said the National Bureau of Statistics.

“The rise in PPI expanded due to the combination of imported global factors and the tight supply of major domestic energy and raw materials,” said NBS senior statistician Dong Lijuan.

These include a sharp increase in domestic coal prices, rising oil and gas prices globally and supply chain disruptions, said Rajiv Biswas of IHS Markit.

Another recent factor, he added, was a sharp uptick in shipping costs around the world “due to the strong rebound in trade flows” between China, the United States and Europe.

PPI reached 10.7 percent in September, which was then the highest on record in NBS data since the mid-1990s.

“The surge of PPI inflation is especially negative for investment demand

as developers and local governments are financially stretched this year due to the unprecedented property curbs,” Nomura chief China economist Lu Ting told AFP. Factory prices have also been pushing up export costs and “impairing Chinese exporters’ competitiveness,” although the PPI may have now peaked as Beijing moved to contain coal prices.

Dong said 36 out of 40 industrial sectors surveyed saw price increases, including spikes in coal mining and oil and natural gas extraction. AFP

At New York airport, separated relatives finally find ‘human connection’

By Juliette Michel NEW YORK—As soon as she spots her son Liam at New York’s JFK airport, Alison Henry runs towards him and gives him a long hug, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I just can’t believe it, two and half years!” she says after stepping off a British Airways flight from London, as the United States reopened to vaccinated visitors Monday.

“It’s just so emotional, overwhelming,” Henry, 63, tells AFP. She and 31-year-old Liam have spoken every week since the United States drastically limited travel from several countries, including the UK, at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. “(But) this human connection, when it’s real and in front of you, is what I missed the most,” says Liam, who has lived in Brooklyn for several years, his eyes glistening above his face mask.

He has lots of places to show his parents and grandmother Patricia— who didn’t hesitate to make the trip despite being almost 88 years old— but mostly they just plan to spend time together.

“Every day we have been watching the news, waiting and waiting for America to open up,” said mum Alison. They booked their tickets as soon as the announcement was made official last month.

At terminal seven inside JFK, the first passengers off BA’s first flight since the borders reopened are greeted

David Henry (center) embraces his son Liam as they meet after arriving on a flight from the UK, following the easing of pandemic travel restrictions at JFK international airport in New York on November 8, 2021. Long lines formed at border crossings as the United States reopened to foreign visitors vaccinated against COVID-19, ending 20 months of restrictions that separated families, hobbled tourism and strained diplomatic ties. AFP

with clapping and cheering and company-colored red, white and blue balloons.

They also receive cookies in the shape of a yellow taxi, a big apple and the Statue of Liberty, three symbols of the metropolis that is desperate to welcome back tourists to boost its ravaged economy.

Businessmen are among the first to disembark.

“It’s great to be back. It’s fantastic,” several of them say to waiting TV crews.

Next come the passengers eager to

reunite with loved ones.

They include a grandmother who has never seen her grandson before, a man who waits with a bouquet of red roses for a close friend he has not seen for 11 years, and an aunt who finds her two nieces and plans a big family reunion dinner tonight.

After 730 days of separation, Jill Chambers is finally able to hug her sister and nephews. “I’m so happy,” she repeats over and over, her eyes red.

‘Milestone’ Before finding Chambers, her sister

Louise Erebara had warned: “I’m going to cry like a hysteric.”

“It’s been terrible not knowing when we were going to see them again due to COVID, not knowing if the borders were ever going to open,” Erebara tells AFP. For Max, a young man in a hurry to reunite with friends and family, the separation was also “very, very hard.”

“We communicated on Zoom, but it’s not the same as in real life,” he told AFP before rushing towards the exit.

To mark the occasion, British Airways gave the flight the prestigious number “BA1,” which belonged to the Concorde when it was still flying between London and New York.

The trip was “fantastic,” says BA CEO Sean Doyle, making his first visit to New York since the beginning of last year.

BA never completely stopped its services throughout the pandemic, but the first flight of the reopening is “a very important milestone,” he tells AFP. Transatlantic flights are essential to the company’s finances.

“Our sense is that demand should be getting back there by 2023-24,” Doyle adds.

But for at least one passenger, the reopening wasn’t a moment of celebration.

“I’ve had a nice two years of not having to fly anywhere,” says Tom Hargreaves, among the first business class passengers to get off the plane.

AFP

UK sets out post-Brexit regulations on finance LONDON—Britain on Tuesday outlined plans for new financial regulation laws following its departure from the European Union, with the aim of securing long-term UK economic growth and international competitiveness.

The country finalized its divorce from the European Union late last year, but a Brexit trade deal omitted the powerhouse financial services sector and has hampered its access to the continent.

The UK’s key financial sector known as the City and based in the heart of London is already facing fierce competition from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, New York and Singapore.

“Reflecting the importance of the sector as an engine for growth, the government will set UK regulators an objective to facilitate the longterm growth and international competitiveness of the UK economy,” a statement from Britain’s Treasury said Tuesday.

UK regulators will be handed powers to set their own rules, it added.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak said the “proposals will support the future strength of the UK as a global financial center.”

This, he added, would ensure “an agile and dynamic approach to regulation that supports the growth of the UK economy, without diverging from our continued commitment to high international standards.”

The Treasury said its proposals would allow for the “repealing of the majority of retained EU financial services law that is no longer appropriate for the UK.” In its recent budget, the government cut taxes on Britain-based banks, meeting a demand of financial sector’s lobby group.

TheCityUK also wants the government to make it easier to hire foreign finance staff after the finance sector lost thousands of jobs to Europe in the wake of Brexit. AFP

White House channels infra funds to ports WASHINGTON—As overwhelmed American ports leave ships carrying goods for the Christmas shopping season idling, the White House on Tuesday said funds from a recently passed infrastructure overhaul would be used to sort out the snarls.

The $1.2-trillion bill Congress passed last week with both Democratic and Republican votes was a boost for President Joe Biden as he faces low approval ratings amid rising inflation driven in part by the troubles at ports nationwide.

In a call with reporters, senior administration officials said ports will be allowed to direct leftover funds from other projects towards efforts to relieve congestion immediately.

While the president has yet to sign the bill into law, the officials said that within the next 60 days, the Army Corps of Engineers will begin designating port and inland waterway projects where $4 billion it allocates for their modernization can be spent.

The government will also begin the process of modernizing the country’s border inspection facilities over the next 90 days.

“It’s important to point out that the entire goods movement system is assisted greatly through the bipartisan bill,” one of the officials told reporters.

The supply chain snarls are a global phenomenon spurred by economies reopening following the historic downturn last year, but they have been blamed for causing delays and shortages of goods that have pushed US inflation higher.

The White House had earlier announced the Port of Los Angeles would begin 24-hour operations to address the many ships waiting offshore to unload.

The steps unveiled Tuesday will allow the Port of Savannah, on the US East Coast, to use money from a previous government grant to build a pop-up container terminal about 100 miles (160 kilometers) inland to relieve its backlogs.AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

B3

Is Bea-Lloydie reunion finally happening?

A

FTER months of speculation, John Lloyd Cruz finally inks a contract with GMA Network igniting talks among fans the possibility of his much-awaited reunion with Bea Alonzo in a project pointing out their being connected with the same network now.

Showbiz A-lister John Lloyd Cruz is making his showbiz comeback via a special GMA series.

The 38-year-old actor signed a partnership agreement with GMA for his highly-anticipated program. And Alonzo was among those who virtually welcomed him to the Kapuso network through a video message.

The actress transferred to GMA last July after being an ABSCBN talent for almost two decades.

“Hi Idan, ito na naman tayo, magkasama na naman tayo.

Mukhang totoo yata ‘yung sinabi nila na magkadugtong ‘yung bituka nating dalawa,” Alonzo said in her video message. “I cannot wait for everyone to see and experience the greatness of a John Lloyd Cruz just like I did through the years.

Cruz also received a warm welcome from Kapuso stars including Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, and Alden Richards.

“Maraming salamat sa pagbibigay ng tahanan sa aming munting pamilya at programa. Napakalaking bagay ‘ho na nakahanap kami ng tahanan sa GMA. Sa lahat ng mga nagpaabot ng pagbati… sana talaga lahat tayo ay mabigyan ng pagkakataon na magkatrabaho. Kung may time kayo sana madalaw ninyo kami sa aming programa. I-we-welcome namin kayo sa aming munting pamilya,” said Cruz.

GMA Network executives showed their full support and excitement to Cruz via Zoom, some greeted the actor via video messages and some were physically present at the EDSA ShangriLa Hotel, the venue of the grand welcome.

Present during the contract signing were GMA Network Films Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Senior Vice President for GMA Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, First Vice

Grace of Norway

Grace, like most Filipinos, can decently sing. But she found her character more attuned to photography which led to “Half Circles” — a tight showcase of her work that significantly captures NORWEGIAN acts whose images unmistakably music touched my life popped Filipino. She specializes up when I conversed with an in portraits, documentary, old friend who relocated to events, and corporate Norway. Grace Emmelot, imaging – four areas in who flew to the Scandinavian daring display via halfcountry just months ago, shown still shots. Scanning has reason to feel excited. the exhibit’s QR (Quick She’s currently holding a Response) code allows photography exhibit at the visitors to see the whole Philippine embassy in Oslo. picture.

Sounds music to my ears.

Grace Tagum Orbon — Twice, face-to-face, I Pinay photographer and multimedia designer Grace Emmelot’s rising the name I was introduced interviewed the lead singer-main star sounds music to the ears as her one-woman show ‘Half Circles.’ to when we met during the melodist of the duo Fra Lippo scriptwriting sessions under Lippi. Yes, Per Sorensen, the iconic voice behind ‘80s classics Ricky Lee a score ago — met true love in one Norway-based “Beauty And Madness,” “Angel”, “Light And Shade,” among European gentleman. Love led to her first-ever interactive, virtual others, is Norwegian. So are members of the band A-Ha who photo exhibition. Some of her photographic prints are available burst into the scene with “Take On Me,” and later the theme for for purchase on-site. the James Bond movie The Living Daylights. “’Half Circles’ is about my journey, feelings, thoughts and Three personal favorite ‘90s tracks are all sung by female loved ones na naiwan ko sa Pilipinas. Kaya natuwa ako nung Norwegians. “The Day You Went Away” is a melodic, mid- may nagsabi sa akin na na-miss niya ang Pilipinas dahil sa mga tempo number wistfully delivered by the voices of Marit Larsen photos ko,” she relayed. and Marion Raven, better known as M2M. I’ve seen a witty The concept reminds me of Yoko Ono’s “Half-A-Room” art Facebook post stating that something happened on “September exhibition of things cut in half. Grace’s life crossed over the next 22nd, Sunday, 25 after nine,” referencing the song’s remarkable half upon moving to a new home. line.

“Through this exhibit,” she elaborated, “I would like to reach A forgettable Gwyneth Paltrow-starrer actually gave us “Turn out and collaborate with fellow artists and photographers by Back Time” vocally brought by Aqua’s Lene Nystrom whose creating a common ground for organizing workshops in the field impassioned delivery was a delightful departure from the group’s of arts and photography.” squeaky Europop dance numbers. She appeared in a Norwegian Grace has been shooting freelance since 2012. She took game show. hotos at the set of Heneral Luna,” portraits of the late Eddie Then there’s “Unforgivable Sinner,” the debut by girl Garcia, and even participated in a Banawe International Music with guitar Lene Marlin. In 1998, the song became the fastest competition as lenswoman-producer. She’s bound to take bigger selling-single in Norwegian music history. shots in one of Europe’s finest places.

Shopee’s 11.11 Big Christmas Sale TV Special tonight on GMA NCT 127, one of today’s hottest K-pop boy bands, will delight Filipino audiences with their chart-topping hits at the 11.11 TV show tonight from 9:30 to 11:30 on GMA 7 and Shopee Live.

Filipinos can also look forward to appearances from top local celebrities such as Jessy Mendiola, Aira Bermudez, Rocco Nacino, Klea Pineda, Andre Paras, and Gil Cuerva.

By just tuning in, viewers can stand a chance to win prizes and giveaways worth over P12 million including two new house and lots and a brand-new car.

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast

Top K-Pop boy band NCT 127 headlines Shopee’s 11.11 TV show along with some local stars.

Asia and Taiwan, kicks off its annual 11.11 Big Christmas Sale, the most anticipated shopping festival in the region. The 11.11 Big Christmas Sale headlines a year where more people and businesses use the platform to connect with each other. In fact, the number of sellers and brands on Shopee surged by 60 percent in 2021, while 1 in 3 shoppers at its recent 9.9 event was new to the platform.

The 11.11 Big Christmas Sale, which ushers in the year’s busiest shopping season, presents Shopee’s greatest selection of deals, fun, and entertainment for everyone. To add to the festive mood, users can look forward to the widest variety of discounted products from over 25 categories and unbeatable promos such as P1 Deals, free shipping with no minimum spend, and 10 percent off daily. With such an irresistible line-up, the number of new buyers on Shopee is expected to peak further during 11.11. Brands and local MSMEs stand to benefit from the increased traffic, supercharging business growth and scaling their online presence.

International superstar Jackie Chan also returns with a fun commercial for the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. After his 9.9 commercial met with viral success by garnering 435 million views online, the action-packed sequel sparked excitement for all users as well.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Christmas holds a special place in Filipinos’ hearts. During this season of giving, Shopee Philippines hopes to make this year’s festivities even more memorable for both our users and sellers. 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. We’ve also pioneered efforts to expand our digital ecosystem to help more consumers, businesses, and communities access and benefit from e-commerce.”

President for Program Management Jose Mari Abacan, First Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno, First Vice President and Head of Regional TV and Synergy Oliver B. Amoroso, First Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia, First Vice President for Legal Affairs Atty. Lynn P. Delfin, First Vice President for Sales and Marketing Riza D. Garduque, Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angela Javier Cruz, Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, Senior Assistant Vice President for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, GMAAC Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun S. Ferrer, Assistant Vice President for Program Management Mitzi Garcia, and GMAAC consultant Johnny Manahan.

Wacky Solutions, Inc. Director and Line Producer Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz, CEO of Crown Artist Management, Inc., Rambo Nunez Ortega and COO of Crown Artist Management, Inc., and Mikki Gonzalez were also present for the momentous occasion.

GMA Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon expressed his delight over the partnership and hopes that the milestone deal paves way for more future projects, “John Lloyd is one of the most sought-after actors of his generation. That’s why I’m very happy he chose to partner with GMA for his TV comeback. I’m sure all our Kapuso viewers are excited to watch and support you as you begin a new season in your life.

May we continue to work on more projects in the future.” Read full story on manilastandard.net

John Lloyd Cruz (center) was welcomed by GMA Network in a grand event held at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel

Marian Rivera places trust in strong connection THE Filipino adaptation of the hit Mexican telenovela Marimar launched Marian Rivera to stardom. Since then, she has become one of the country’s most popular and respected celebrities in Philippine television today.

Now blessed with two wonderful children, Rivera remains to be “madiskarte” as she joins the Globe family and places her trust in Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi. “We welcome Marian as the

Marian Rivera is the new face of Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi.

new Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi ambassador. As someone who serves as an inspiration to many Filipinos, Marian embodies what many people aspire to become,” said Barbie Dapul, Vice President for Marketing of Globe At Home.

With grit, passion, and perseverance, Marian is already reaping the fruits of her labor. Like Rivera, you can already start investing in your future through Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi and its “pinakasulit” offers.

These days, food, water, electricity, and shelter are not just the top necessities. A reliable and affordable internet connection to earn and learn best fits you as a “madiskarteng Pinoy.”

For a one-time payment of P999, you can already own a Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi with free 10GB of data.

You can enjoy ultra fast LTE, shareable and reloadable connection that you can enjoy with the whole family. It is also very easy to use, just Plug and Play.

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, highlighting the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact principles and contributing to 10 UN SDGs. For more information visit https:// www.globe.com.ph/broadband.html.

Branagh draws on ‘other lockdown’ of Troubles for Oscar frontrunner ‘Belfast’ BELFAST, a hot favorite to become the first Oscar best picture winner made during the pandemic, was inspired by the “other lockdown” of Northern Ireland’s Troubles, its writer-director Kenneth Branagh said Tuesday.

The critically acclaimed black-and-white drama — out Friday — received its glitzy Los Angeles premiere at the newly minted Academy Museum this week, as ‘Belfast’ is a 2021 coming of age drama-comedy film written its studio Focus Features and directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Caitríona Balfe, gears up for a lengthy Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, and award season campaign newcomer Jude Hill. for the movie based on groups had lived side by side.

Branagh’s childhood.

“I was 16 when 1969 arrived and I have “It came out of that silence that a lot of us memories of the thrill of this explosion, stared into at the beginning of the lockdown and it was only a day later that I started to and it certainly sent me back to this other see the menace of it,” said co-star Ciaran lockdown that we experienced where both Hinds, who, like many of the cast, grew up ends of the street were barricaded,” said in Belfast.

Branagh. The Shakespearean stage actor“My childhood at that time was the sound turned-movie star and director moved with his of the city at night, and explosions in the family to England in the late 1960s to escape distance echoed off the hills of Belfast, or escalating violence in Northern Ireland. gunfire at night.” The so-called “Troubles” The movie begins with a scene of street would blight the British province for the violence in the summer of 1969, when next three decades, dividing communities Protestant gangs attack Catholic families along religious and nationalist lines. Read to force them out of streets where the two full story on manilastandard.net

Life

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

B4

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

FASHION AND BEAUTY

Christmas with the stars and more

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and Ortigas Land president and chief executive Jose Emmanuel Jalandoni led the launch of Ortigas Malls’ ‘Christmas with the Stars’ holiday celebration at Greenhills.

By Lito Cinco

C

HRISTMAS time is fast approaching and Ortigas Malls was among the first to start the celebration of the local holiday season, the longest in the world.

The entrance to the Greenhills Night Market.

Mayor Zamora trying out the food available at the Night Market.

Ortigas Land president and CEO Jose Emmanuel Jalandoni

Aio Hernandez of Independent Production Workers Group

And what could be a better way to start it than by literally sharing the joys of Christmas with the mall’s customers and merchants, plus a special group that has suffered greatly from the pandemic.

“It is certainly a day of hope for a lot of people,” said Ortigas Land president and chief executive Jose Emmanuel Jalandoni at the well-attended launch of the mall group’s Christmas activities on Nov. 4 in Greenhills, San Juan.

It was indeed a hopeful day for the members of the Independent Production Workers Group (IPWG), an organization that provides assistance to people who work in live events, representing thousands of workers in the industry that was hardly hit by the pandemic, rendering 80 percent of its members practically jobless.

Ortigas Malls partnered with the Ogie Alcasid-Ian Veneracion-led Kilabotitos to create a fundraiser event to benefit IPWG members. And thus, Christmas with the Stars was born, scheduled on December 8 at 8:00 p.m., to be headlined by Alcasid and Veneracion alongside some of the country’s best OPM singers and performers.

Mall customers with a P1,000 single or accumulated receipts from establishments in Ortigas malls are entitled to a free ticket to the online concert.

Every Friday, starting Nov. 12, there will be mini concerts on the social media pages of the malls.

Renee Bacani, vice president of Ortigas Malls, reiterated the group’s intention to not only treat mallgoers to a night of good music but to help the entertainment workers get back on their feet.

Part of the celebration was the launch of Ortigas Malls’ very first loyalty card for mall-goers, honored at Greenhills, Tiendesitas, Estancia, and Industria.

In addition to discounts at various establishments in the four malls, the community card rewards holders with free parking, carwash, free use of Shopbox, and other benefits.

The launch coincided with the opening of the Greenhills Night Market, an al fresco dining venue with more than 50 stalls selling food customers can enjoy in a safe environment.

The presence of San Juan City Mayor Francisco Zamora added prestige to the launch; he came early and even went around the area. He also had his dinner there with his wife after the opening ceremony that was concluded by a fireworks display.

“It has been a long wait for us for this kind of event because of the pandemic, and with the easing of restrictions, people can look forward to a happier celebration of Christmas right here at one of the country’s first malls,” said Zamora.

And with the lifting of curfew, people are expected to come in droves to Ortigas malls.

‘Yolanda’scholars share their stories THEY survived Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), considered the most powerful and one of the deadliest Philippine typhoons on record, they worked hard to get back on their feet, and now they are a source of inspiration and hope for other people.

They are the Yolanda survivors and scholars of SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI).

The beginning Three months after the onslaught of the disaster, a lean team of seven development workers from SM Foundation went to Leyte Normal University (LNU) to conduct preliminary screening of new scholars for the coming school year.

The snake-like queue leading to LNU was something they had not anticipated. To accommodate everyone, the team had to multitask: overseeing the examinations, checking the examination scores, and conducting the initial interviews for those who qualified.

When the home visits were conducted, the team had to cover not only Tacloban proper but also communities within the region.

Sadly, most of the addresses could not be located because houses were swept away, but with the team’s ardent efforts, they found out that while many were living on make-shift houses located along the roads, some were fortunate enough to live with relatives or friends nearby.

Seeing the clamor for scholarship slots, the executive team of SMFI decided to open more for Region 8. SMFI welcomed 100 additional college scholars from the Yolanda-

stricken area into its scholarship program.

Eight years after the onslaught, SM college scholars from Region 8 have already graduated and are now employed and changing the economic status of their families.

The journey “Being a Yolanda survivor and becoming a scholar of SMFI had given me the hope that I almost lost after the devastation of super typhoon Yolanda. SMFI became the light that guided me to where I am now,” shared Denchris M. Lopez, one of the foundation’s scholars.

Lopez finished Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at Saint Paul School of Professional Studies. She now works in the Accounting Division of the Department of Education Regional Office VIII. “Hopefully in the near future I can be part of the foundation or work under SMFI,” she said.

Felicisimo P. Castroverde is a teacher by profession but has ventured to become an entrepreneur at the same time.

Because of financial difficulties, he had to put on hold his college schooling. The devastation caused

by Yolanda opened an opportunity for him to continue his studies.

Many scholarship programs were offered for those affected by the typhoon, and he qualified to be a scholar of SMFI. After graduating from LNU with a degree of Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in Biological Sciences, he taught for two years at a private international school in Tacloban and later moved to LNU as an instructor.

Today, he owns a mini grocery and a small resto-bar. “For now, I am focusing on these but I am also applying for a new job. I am looking for a new environment, way different from being a teacher,” shared Castroverde.

The whole journey of being a scholar of SM Foundation is already unforgettable for Camille Malate, a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy graduate from Saint Paul School of Professional Studies. “But my favorite part was when I received the news that I passed the interview and qualified for the scholarship. It came like a life-saving news for me.”

She was among the more than 200 passers in the scholarship qualifying exams who advanced to the interview stage.

“I was on my way home at that time when I received calls from my mom, telling to come home quickly as Ma’am Ling (Lingling Lansang) along with the other scholarship coordinators came to visit our house and gave us the news that I was considered for the scholarship for the second semester till I finish college. I was very much thankful to Ma’am Ling and SM Foundation for the gift of scholarship.”

Now employed, she helps in the family expenses. She is the branch internal auditor of Fast Distribution Corporation-Leyte but will soon join Mancera Group of Companies as accountant incharge.

“I will forever be honored and grateful to be an SM scholar. I couldn’t be where I am today without the help of SM Foundation,” enthused Malate.

SM Foundation scholars (from left) Denchris Lopez, Felicisimo Castroverde, and Camille Malate.

Foldable Jada dining table paired with Iona dining chairs, ideal for small spaces.

Light and welcoming ambience with the white Panfield 6-seater dining set.

How to choose the right dining room table A HUGE part of our life revolves around the dining room table. It is where the family shares meals and their day’s stories, and where friends gather for dinners and parties.

The current situation, however, has redefined the importance and functionality of a dining table, transforming it into a work-from-home station, an online school stop, and a hobby hub – these on top of it being the place where meals are served and enjoyed.

With that, we are rethinking our dining rooms with the modern multifunctional table as the centerpiece. But how to choose the right one?

Our Home offers the following tips and table suggestions: Consider the size of the room – Dining tables should complement and be proportional to the size of the dining room.

Rectangular tables to sit more people – Rectangular dining tables are practical and functional, according to Our Home. It can seat a large number of people and can easily adjust the seating capacity. Its linear shape allows for ample room to walk around the table. Rectangular dining tables available at the store include Panfield and Alvea dining sets.

Round tables for small rooms – Homes with small spaces allocated for the dining area are recommended to use round tables. Our Home’s Ancona dining table works well in small rooms since there is less bumping without the corners.

This table shape also creates a more intimate setting and cozy ambiance.

Got an even smaller room? Try foldable –

Rectangular Alvea 6-seater dining set for big dining rooms.

Every inch of floor space in small homes like a studio condominium unit is valuable. To make a dining room table work, homeowners are advised to try foldable alternatives, like the Jada table, as well as bar tables that can also function as dining tables.

Make dining fun – Play around with different seating options. Mix and match host chairs, guest chairs, and benches to maximize creativity in the dining room. Our Home’s Fredrik Dining Set, for example, combines the casual bench setting and the elegance of dining chairs.

The aforementioned dining sets and more are available at Our Home stores located at select SM Supermalls nationwide. Those who prefer to shop online may go to www.ourhome.ph, or contact 0917-831-5260 for the call and deliver option, or shop via video call with the help of a personal shopper.

The Fredrik dining set combines bench and dining chairs for a fun and versatile set-up.

Ethane dining set, a stylish bar table ideal for small spaces like studio units.