Manila Standard - 2021 November 12 - Friday

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COMELEC: BET SUSBTITUTION BEING 'GAMED,' CONGRESS NEEDS TO FIX RULES POLITICIANS are gaming the system for candidate substitution, but Congress can amend the law to fix this, the spokesman for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday.

The substitution of candidates was originally allowed to balance the need to protect a person’s right to run or not run for office and the need to protect political parties from “whimsical” withdrawals, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.

"We believe that there is a good purpose behind it. That is not to say that

Congress cannot change it. If Congress has a different opinion, well Congress has plenary powers. They can do whatever they want," he said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart.

"It’s clear that this system that’s allowed by law is being gamed.

It’s being taken advantage of in ways that perhaps Congress originally did not actually foresee...The law as it stands had a laudable purpose in the beginning and perhaps Congress can now see a way to maybe make it more rational in light of current events," he said.

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VOL. XXXV • NO. 270 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sara quits HNP, joins Lakas

Vows to give supporters 'what they want,' hinting at presidential run

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, took her oath as a new member of the Lakas-CMD Thursday night, paving the way for a possible run at the presidency next year under a national party.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio takes her oath as a new member of the Lakas-CMD party. She was welcomed by Lakas-CMD President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (left) and Lakas-CMD chairman Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. (right).

“The officials and members of LakasCMD are elated to welcome Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as new member of our party,” said party president and House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez, who administered the oath at the Silang, Cavite farm of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., party chairman.

“We had long been inviting Mayor Inday to join our party as we are all impressed with her sterling qualities as a leader and we saw up close her exemplary work ethic as chief executive of Next page Davao City.”

Except 'Bato,' all prexy aspirants ready to face off with Sara

DE GUZMAN

DELA ROSA

LACSON

MARCOS

ROBREDO

PACQUIAO

DOMAGOSO

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

running against Davao Mayor Sara is willing to give way if she runs for Laban and replace him as its presiden- Christopher Go, said he would continDuterte-Carpio in stride, leaving only president. tial candidate, but the mayor joined ue to seek the vice presidency even if MOST candidates for president took Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the standard Dela Rosa had held up the hope that Lakas-CMD instead.

Duterte-Carpio enters the race. the possibility that they would be bearer of the PDP-Laban, who said he Duterte-Carpio would join the PDPDela Rosa’s running mate, Senator Next page

Alert level system nationwide

By Vito Barcelo, Joel E. Zurbano and Willie Casas PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the implementation of alert Level System in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Palace.

Duterte signed Executive Order 151 after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recommended the nationwide adoption of the system on October 28.

Under the EO, the alert system will limit lockdowns only in areas with high COVID-19 community transmission. Next page

New surge ‘quite low,’ booster against Delta a must

By Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo

of a possible "re-surge" of the Delta variant if the booster shots are delayed.

“As we continue to vaccinate our kababayans, we must prepare to administer THE independent OCTA Research boosters as our population immunity will Group said Thursday the risk was "quite wane after six to eight months,” OCTA low" for another wave of COVID-19 fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco said in a cases in Metro Manila even as it warned

briefing.

“Otherwise the risk for Delta re-surge will increase,” he added.

In Metro Manila, the number of daily virus cases has declined to Next page

UP grads top physician board exams

2,811,248 1,974

28,660

44,866

142

2,737,722

2,388

(As of 4 PM, NOV. 11)

GRADUATES of the University of the Philippines – Manila emerged as the topnotchers of the October 2021 Physician Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission said late Thursday evening.

At least 72.85 percent of the 2,302 examinees passed the licensure examination.

Of the 1,677 passers, 1,664 were firsttimers while 13 were repeaters.

UP Manila student Ian Gabriel Alparaque Juyad took the top spot at 87.50

percent, followed by Jian Kenzo Ong Leal and Geremiah Edison Daniel Cosia Llanes tied at second place with 87.42 percent.

Of the 17 passers rounding up the top 10, five were from UP Manila while seven were from the University of Sto. Tomas.

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila emerged as the topperforming school with a 98.6 percent passing rate, followed Next page

XI WARNS OF 'COLD WAR-ERA' TENSIONS NEWS / A2

TREE OF HEALTH. Businessman Kevin Tan assists his son in powering up a 40-feet tall Christmas 'tree of health' with pedal-powered lights at the Uptown Mall in BGC, Taguig City. Guests can pedal the stationed bikes to illuminate the giant floral decors adorning the tree. Danny Pata

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China’s Xi warns of ‘Cold War-era’ tensions

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HINESE President Xi Jinping warned against a return to Cold War-era divisions in the AsiaPacific Thursday as tensions mounted over the security of Taiwan.

In the run-up to an anticipated virtual summit with US President Joe Biden as early as next week, Xi said countries in the region must work together on common challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to trade.

"Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles on geopolitical grounds are bound to fail," he told a virtual business conference on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit hosted by New Zealand.

"The Asia-Pacific region cannot

and should not relapse into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era."

Xi's call came hours after China and the United States announced a surprise pact to accelerate climate action at a summit in Glasgow where countries are trying to agree on measures to curb the warming of the Earth.

The Chinese leader did not mention the US deal directly but said "all of us can embark on a path of green, lowcarbon sustainable development."

"Together, we can usher in a future

of green development," he said.

The Chinese and US leaders will hold virtual talks "soon," according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Some reports say the meeting will take place as soon as next week.

But while the Biden administration has identified climate as a key area for potential cooperation with China, tensions have soared over their rival visions for the Asia-Pacific region, notably Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy claimed by China.

Beijing has ramped up military activities near Taiwan, with a record number of planes crossing into the island's air defence identification zone in early October.

Secretary of State Blinken on Wednesday underscored US military support for Taiwan.

Sara...

dents -- Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In a statement, Revilla said they are more than honored that the Davao mayor chose Lakas-CMD as her national party.

"We have worked with Mayor Sara in the past, and in fact continue to be allies in coalition with her former local party -- Hugpong ng Pagbabago," Revilla said.

He pointed to his party’s long history of public service.

"Our Christian-Muslim-Democratic principles have guided our members in the past three decades, and we continue to build a proud legacy for the country," he said.

He guaranteed that the party would fully support Duterte- whatever journey

she chooses to take.

"We will work to assure her success and triumph, which will also be the success and triumph of the party, of the nation, and of all Filipinos,” Revilla said.

Earlier, Duterte-Carpio resigned from her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).

HNP secretary general Anthony G. Del Rosario confirmed her departure from the party.

In her letter, the President's daughter said: "It is with profound sadness that I hereby tender my resignation from our beloved party.

"My support will always be with you and I will always be grateful for all the things you have taught me."

Del Rosario, a former congressman, said Duterte-Carpio tendered herresig-

nation at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Sources said Duterte-Carpio's resignation from her regional party is in preparation for her run for national office.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda earlier said Duterte-Carpio will likely runfor president under the banner of Lakas-CMD as multiple sources said there are talks of a possible tandem with former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

“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 from the side of her father.”

nal list of candidates for the May 9, 2022 elections may be out by the middle of next month.

“We are expecting the final list of candidates sometime in December, the earliest that will come is in the middle of December,” Jimemez said.

At the same time, he said the commission has been screening the aspirants to spot nuisance candidates.

“After Nov. 15 that is when Comelec really starts cracking down on the list because everyone who is getting out of the list voluntarily has already gotten out.

So all that remains are those who really want to run for office. Now we will find

out at that point who among them is a nuisance,” he said.

In the same briefing, Jimenez reported that 70 cases have been filed against aspirants who have been tagged as nuisance candidates.

Aspirants who filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for national positions early last month were 97 for president, 28 for vice president, and 174 for senator.

Earlier, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier filed a bill to halt the option of substituting for an electoral aspirant who voluntarily withdraws his or her candidacy in forthcoming elections.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri and Senators Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, and Joel Villanueva are co-authors of the bill.

Gatchalian said this has been abused over the years. He said the practice has become a mockery of the process of filing of certificates of candidacies.

In seeking to amend the Omnibus Election Code, Gatchalian proposed the replacement of a candidate only if the original aspirant becomes incapacitated.

“The ballot is sacred. So, it is necessary to protect the filing of candidacy during elections," he said.

tions regarding the capability of nations to respond to the challenges caused by the health crisis.

He pointed out that the government’s actual performance in managing the people’s health and sustaining the economy have enabled the country’s GDP to expand by 7.1 percent in the third quarter, while the nationwide COVID-19 positivity rate is now below 5 percent, as mentioned by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua.

(See full story online at manilastandard.net) This, despite Metro Manila and most of the economic centers being under a more restricted quarantine status for six weeks.

“The numbers don’t lie. These are recent world data that should be the basis on how we look at a country’s overall pandemic response efforts.

The main criteria, among others, should be the low number of cases and an expanding economy,” Galvez said.

The Philippines’ year-on-year GDP growth for the third quarter was above the national government’s expected outcome, as the country imposed more stringent quarantine measures during the surge in cases caused by the Delta variant.

On Thursday, the country logged 1,974 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 2,811,248 as all laboratories were operational, while two were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health said.

The DOH also reported 142 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 44,866.

The DOH also reported 2,388 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,737,722.

Active cases stood at 28,660, of which 62.1 percent were mild, 5.9 percent were asymptomatic, 4.4 percent were critical, 10.4 percentwere severe, and 17.15 percent were moderate.

New... an average of 400 infections following a Delta variant surge, OCTA Research fellow Prof. Guido David.

"What we're seeing is the risk is at a level that is quite low. The risk of a resurgence is not as significant," he said.

"We can always calibrate our strategy when we see a spike in cases.

Cases are down, and as long as people are mindful of their health protocols, we’re not seeing a significant threat in a rise in cases."

Metro Manila, which shifted to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 3 on Nov. 5, remains under "low risk" classification for virus cases, the Department of Health said earlier this week.

The Philippine College of Physicians had warned the government against easing quarantine restrictions too quickly as transport officials sought to increase passenger capacity of public utility vehicles ahead of the holidays.

With the shift to Alert Level 2, Metro Manila has allowed more businesses to reopen with up to 50 percent indoor capacity for fully vaccinated individuals and 70 percent for outdoor dining.

COVID positivity rate in the National Capital Region has decreased to 3 percent, meeting the 5 percent recommendation of the World Health Organization, David said.

OCTA fellow Dr. David said NCR had recorded an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 2.58 and a reproduction number of 0.37.

“I think we might not have reached 3 percent in the past. I have to double-check but based on what I looked at, preliminary, I did not find that we reached 3 percent in the NCR before now, before this week,” David said.

“Although WHO recommends 5 percent or lower, CDC or some other institutions actually recommend 3 percent or lower. So we are at that level,” he added, referring to the United States' Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, OCTA Group said the number of Filipinos unwilling to get vaccinated was rising.

Of 1,200 adult Filipino respondents in their survey between Sept 11 and 16, some 22 percent said they were unwilling to get vaccinated, a 6 percent increase from the 16 percent in July who shared the same sentiment.

"Majority of Filipinos still want to get themselves vaccinated but the number of people who are unwilling to get vaccinated has also increased from quarter 2 to quarter 3," Prof. Ranjit Rye said.

Some 61 percent said they are willing to be vaccinated or have already been inoculated, the study found.

Unwillingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines is highest in the Visayasat 32 percent, followed by Balanced Luzon at 24 percent, Mindanao at 19 percent, and Metro Manila at 5 percent.

The number of people willing to get vaccinated was highest in Metro Manila at 93 percent, Mindanao at 71 percent, Balanced Luzon at 51 percent, and Visayas at 47 percent.

The primary reasons behind the public's vaccine hesitancy are the following: they are unsure if it is safe (65 percent); they are unsure if it is effective (14 percent); they have preexisting conditions (9 percent); they believe it is not needed to combat COVID-19 (7 percent); they believe vaccination can result in death (5 percent); they fear injection (4 percent); and they do not leave the house or believe they do not need the vaccine (3 percent) "There is a great need for an information drive to be initiated by the government and supported by the private sector to reduce hesitancy as far as the vaccine is concerned. A lot of people are misinformed or uninformed," Rye said.

The Philippines has already fully vaccinated 30.5 million individuals, while 36.3 million have received an initial dose as of Wednesday.

ter to just wait for a few days,” referring to the Nov. 15 deadline for filing with the Commission on Elections as a substitute candidate.

Vic Rodriguez, chief of staff and spokesman of presidential aspirant and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Duterte-Carpio’s intention to run for national office deserves respect and that “any comment for or against it is very inappropriate.”

“In the meantime, let’s just all wait for what her decision would be,” he added.

The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Mar-

cos’s party, said they are open to having Duterte-Carpio run as his vice president.

“If she finds it in her heart that she believes in what we are pushing for, then we will welcome her with open arms,” PFP secretary-general Thompson Lantion said.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who is also running for president, said she was not surprised 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.

Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer, said he is unbothered by the decision of the Davao City mayor.

"I don’t care about what they want to do with their politics. We're not involved with the group, and we are not part of their politics," Domagoso said.

Earlier, Ashley Acedillo, spokesperson of Partido Reporma where Senator Panfilo Lacson is chairman, said they are confident they have a strong campaign

From A1

Romualdez said Duterte would be a tremendous asset to the Lakas-CMD. “I am confident that with Mayor Sara’s exceptional brand of leadership, she can help our party chart a new course that will ensure a brighter tomorrow for our children and the next generation,” Romualdez said.

Speaking in Filipino, Duterte thanked her supporters.

“Whatever happens in the next few days, I hope to give them what they want,” she said, suggesting that she could run for president as her supporters have pressed her to do.

Lakas-CMD has produced two presi-

Comelec:...

From A1

Jimenez said one possible change would be to require the substitute candidate to be a long-standing member of the party that the original aspirant belongs to.

The deadline for substitution is Nov. 15, with all eyes on what Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the President’s daughter, will do by then. Her supporters have been pressing her to run for president.

The Comelec on Thursday said the fi-

Alert..

From A1

"The nationwide shift to the Alert Level System would allow for the reinvigoration of the economy through the opening of more sectors while protecting the people's health through the continuous observance of public health protocols and interventions and the heightened implementation of lockdowns in smaller areas, also known as granular lockdowns," the EO read.

The areas currently under the alert level system are classified under the first phase. These are Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon (Calabarzon), Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region.

"The shift to Phase 2 may begin at any time after the effectivity of this Order, as may be determined by the IATF, but not later than the end of November 2021," the EO read.

"The succeeding phases shall then commence every week thereafter untilfull nationwide implementation," it added.

Each city or municipality will be classified from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 5. It will be the Department of Health which will assign these alert level systems.

National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. expressed belief that the government’s pandemic response have been effective following a downward trend in COVID-19 cases and the reported expansion in the country’s gross domestic product.

“All along, our strategy of balanced pandemic response is right in saving lives, saving livelihood, saving our economy, and our future generation,” Galvez said, noting these positive developments are contrary to the recent rankings released by financial publica-

Except...

From A1

Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquio said it was not for him to judge the actions of the Davao mayor.

“That's their strategy. We're just going on with our work to let people know what we want to do to improve the lives of the poor,” he said in Filipino.

In the end, Pacquiao said, it will be the public that will decide.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, who backs Pacquiao, said it would be “bet-

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"We will make sure that Taiwan has the means to defend itself because the purpose here is never to get to that point where anyone is actually trying to disrupt the status quo by force," he told an event hosted by The New York Times.

Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States and China had the choice not to return to Cold War-era divisions.

"China has a different value system. It has different interests. And that's part of what the ongoing competition will be about," Sullivan said in an online address to Australia's Lowy Institute on Thursday.

"But there's no reason that that competition has to turn into conflict or confrontation. And that is what responsibly and collectively we need to manage as we work in the years to come." AFP

SC asked to void Rody’s gag order

By Rey E. Requejo THE Senate asked the Supreme Court Thursday to declare as null void for being unconstitutional the memorandum issued

by President Rodrigo Duterte enjoining officials and employees of the Executive branch from appearing in hearings in aid of legislation being conducted by theSenate Blue Ribbon Committee.

In a 67-page petition, the 24-man Upper Chamber headed by Senate President President Vicente Sotto III also pleaded the SC to issue a temporary restraining order and/or a status quo ante order that would compel Executive department’s officials to attend the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on the 2020 Commission on Audit report on the alleged questionable procurement of medical supplies for COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides Sotto, other petitioners were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon.

The petitioners named Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as respondents.

The petitioners are also asking the Court to prohibit respondent Executive Secretary and other officers of the Executive branch from issuing and implementing directives to law enforcement agencies as the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation that would obstruct the proceedings of the Senate and withhold assistance in the enforcement of the Senate’s compulsory processes.

They also sought for prohibition against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials of the government from complying with the memorandum, issued on October 4, 2021.

The memorandum was issued by Medialdea upon the directive of thePresident who accused the Senate Richard Gordon and some members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of conducting the ongoing probe not in aid legislation but for political mileage.

Duterte also assailed the propriety of conducting a prolonged inquiry.

The Senate argued the memorandum is unconstitutional because it was issued in defiance of the Court’s ruling in Senate v. Ermita which invalidated Executive Order 464 issued during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo requiring officials to secure the President’s consent before attending legislative inquiries in aid of legislation.

The SC ruling in the said case also established substantive and procedural requirements before officials may invoke the proper privilege.

UP...

From A1

by UP Manila and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health with 96.30 percent and 96 percent passing rates, respectively.

Completing the top 10 are as follows: 3. Alyssa May Bringas Madriaga of UST (87.33 percent) 4. Rae Erica Dumol Samontina of ASMPH (87.8 percent) 5. Vienne Ducusin Pinlac of PLM (87 percent) 6. Michael Brian Del Barrio Alvarez of UP Manila (86.92 percent), Marie Bernadine Dela Cruz Caballes of UP Manila (86.92 percent), and Emmanuel Luis Santos Mangahas of UST (86.92 percent) 7. Ivan Gabriel Lalic Simpauco of UST (86.83 percent) 8. Miguel Luis Onate Arkoncel of UST (86.58 percent) 9. Monina Mica Biscocho Castillo of Our Lady of Fatima University-Valenzuela (86.58 percent) and Stephen Dann Velasco Del Rosario of the Mariano Marcos State University-Batac (86.58 percent) 10. Aldric Mikhail Niu Aw of UST (86.50 percent), Johnvert Fulgar Batara of UST (86.50 percent), Lawrence Raymond Villaflor Mariano of UST (86.50 percent) and James Michael Gomez Suarez of ASMPH (86.50) for next year's polls.

Acedillo said it shouldn’t matter who Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III are running against, because they have a strong team and are running a smart campaign. The spokesperson said they are “also open to making calibrations or adjustments as we go along.”

Labor leader Ka Leody de Guzman even dared the Davao City mayor to run for president.

"It would be good for Sara Duterte to run for the presidency, so the masses could express their dismay at her father's governance," he said.

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House panel okays oil excise tax slash

on low-octane gasoline, used primarily by tricycle drivers, will also be reduced, while taxes on premium HE House of Representatives Committee on Ways and gasoline will be retained. The excise tax Means Committee on Thursday approved its substitute suspension will be for six months. bill to various measures proposing to reduce or suspend “It’s immediate relief for Filipino families, especially affected sectors. The bill the excise taxes on petroleum products. will cost the government around P45 billion, but what the government loses, the The substitute bill was primarily based The panel’s approved bill will reduce consumer gains,” Salceda said.

Salceda said his committee provided a on House Bill 10438, authored by the pan- excise taxes on diesel, kerosene, and liqel’s chairman, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda. uified petroleum gas to zero. Excise taxes “self-correcting mechanism” in the bill.

By Maricel V. Cruz

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Taguig mayor: Watch movies for the economy, mental health

By Joel E. Zurbano TAGUIG City Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano on Thursday encouraged people to go back to watching movies as cinemas in the city resume operations after more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let us return to what Filipinos love.

This will also enable us to help the economy and improve mental health,” said Cayetano in a statement.

On Wednesday, Cayetano joined Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Ayala executives during the first screening at the Bonifacio High Street Cinemas in Central

Square in Bonifacio Global City, marking the resumption of operation of some cinemas in Taguig since the pandemic hit in 2020.

The cinemas were not the only ones hardly hit by the pandemic but the local film industry as a whole as less films are being produced.

Cayetano said going back to the cinema will increase the confidence of producers and other stakeholders in the industry’s future.

To ensure the safety of moviegoers, the Taguig Safe City Task Force issued safety seals to cinemas that have undergone inspection, with 26 cinemas set to reopen in various malls in the city such as SM Aura, Central Square, Venice Grand Canal Mall, Market!

Market!, Uptown Mall, and Vista Mall.

FOTON OFFERS MANY VAN OPTIONS FOR EVERY INDUSTRY NEED

By Narciso Co Badeo III

MOST of us make sure to focus on the wisest and best choice when selecting our next vehicle. Promoting this wisdom to choose vehicles that offer the highest levels of versatility and dependability, FOTON Motor Philippines presents an abundant selection of vans that are well-crafted for multi-purpose drives without sacrificing quality and performance.

FOTON TransVan 13-Seater The agile FOTON TransVan 13-Seater realizes most families’ dreams of having their van turn into reality. It comes with a reliable 4-cylinder turbocharged Diesel Engine that’s best for both day-to-day driving and out-of-town trips.

The FOTON TransVan 13-seater offers essential safety features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), and individual seatbelts to ensure that families will reach their homes safe and sound.

TransVan 15-Seater Suitable for transport businesses, local government unit projects, or company shuttle service, the TransVan 15-seater has the edge to swiftly transport passengers across the me-

tropolis. It boasts front and rear airconditioning and generous legroom for utmost comfort and convenience as you travel along city streets and expressways.

TransVan Cargo Designed for maximized logistics, the TransVan Cargo is the best van for transporting urgent parcels and deliverables. It can carry hundreds of packages (or more) with its 1-ton payload capacity and spacious 4,850mm long cargo body interior. Plus, it has ergonomically designed seats for a safe and comfortable driving experience.

TransVan HR With extensive seats for 16 passengers, the TransVan HR features high-roof clearance and a spacious interior. Within its tall 2,250mm height, passengers can even enter this van standing and comfortably sit on any of its plush seats.

Equipped with capacious interiors, the TransVan HR is also convertible to an ambulance that can be fitted with essential medical tools and equipment.

Traveller 16-seater Armed with the US-designed and globally renowned Cummins ISF Diesel Engine, the Traveller 16-seater offers profound strength and reliability. Its 2,800cc engine with a maximum power output of 129hp at 3,600rpm and maximum torque of 280Nm at 1,400-3,000rpm boasts a competitive strength for a passenger van.

Traveller XL 19-seater The FOTON Traveller XL delivers extra space and seats that can easily fit large groups of families, employees, and even commuters. Geared with its fully integral ultra-high strength body, this van effortlessly accommodates a sizable number of passengers and payload. This long voluminous van features front and rear air-conditioning with ceiling-mounted vents that keep its cavernous interior cool and fresh.

Aside from its wide array of vans, FOTON also provides quality aftersales service and innovative programs that include the first-in-the-industry EC Mobile Service that provides 24/7 onsite service wherever the client requests.

For inquiries, call your nearest FOTON dealer or sales hotline at 0999-999-9998. You may also explore and reach FOTON PH on various digital platforms via https://linktr.ee/FOTONPhilippines.

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Partial increase in poll workers’ stipend praised

By Maricel V. Cruz AN OPPOSITION leader at the House of Representatives on Thursday welcomed the partial increase in the honorarium of election poll volunteers amounting to P3,000.

But House Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep France Castro appealed to the Senate to provide an even greater increase in honorarium, travel and food allowances and hazard pay for election service volunteers in the 2022 national budget.

This, considering the long hours and added risks they would be taking in the upcoming national elections.

Castro recalled that she and her fellow legislators from the Makabayan Bloc filed House Resolution 2181 urging the Commission on Elections to review the amounts of honoraria and allowances granted to public school teachers and other persons rendering election service pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act. Included in that resolution is the proposal of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers for the increases in the ESRA benefits, namely honoraria of P10,000 for Chairpersons of Electoral Boards, P9,000 for Members of Electoral Boards, P8,000 for DepEd Supervisor Officials, and P7,000 for support staff as well as travel allowance of P3,000 to P5,000 and food allowance of P2,500, Castro stated.

Also included in the proposal is payment for hazard pay “as we are still in a pandemic, providing hazard pay for poll workers is only just.”

“In the earlier statements of the COMELEC during the budget deliberation in the House of Representatives, they said that they could only provide a P2000 across the board increase in honoraria and 10-days service credits for election service volunteers for teachers,” Castro said.

HOT COMMODITIES. A saleslady arranges cooked ham products at a popular store in Sta. Cruz Manila on Thursday, as prices of ‘noche buena’ products are scheduled to increase with the coming holiday, except for the price of luncheon meat which has already risen. Danny Pata

Rody appoints frat brod to Comelec

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has nominated lawyer Rey Bulay, his fraternity brother, to fill up one of the four vacancies in the Commission on Elections’ seven-man en banc.

“We are confident that Atty. Bulay will ensure the conduct of honest, orderly, credible and peaceful elections,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

If appointed, Bulay will serve as commissioner until February 2, 2027.

He will have to go through the Commission on Appointments first.

Bulay, a graduate of San Beda Law and member of Lex Talionis Frater-

nitas just like Duterte, previously served on the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).

He was later appointed as Manila’s chief prosecutor.

Meanwhile, the Comelec announced Thursday that it will organize “hybrid debates” which will consist of one primary and three presidential debates, as well as three vice presidential debates for the 2022 national elections.

The poll body will be the one to organize the debates, which may start with the presidential debates as early as January next year, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

Jimenez said private entities may also hold the senatorial debates as he expressed his support for it.

“We are looking at one primarily debate, three presidential debates, and three vice presidential debates. It will be in hybrid, the candidates will be in person, they will be debating face to face, but the audience will be virtual,” he said at a press conference.

Asked who will be present in the one

SYMBOLIC DEFENSE. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso (third from right,

Alex Lopez clan backs Marcos in Manila polls

in white shirt), running mate Dr. Willie Ong, and Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial bets push a fishing boat symbolically toward the West Philippine Sea after meeting with fishermen and farmers in Botolan, Zambales on Thursday, as the presidential bet said he will be fearless in defending the country’s sovereignty in the waterway. Norman Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo PARTIDO Federal ng Pilipinas presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., has gained the support of a prominent political bloc in Manila led by the son of the late mayor Mel Lopez Jr. A lawyer by profession, Alex Lopez is the official mayoralty candidate of the PFP in Manila. He personally took his oath as party member on Wednesday at the BBM Headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

Lopez said he will formally file his certificate of candidacy on Friday under the Comelec rules of substitution from mayoralty candidate Calvin Punzalan. His running mate is actor Raymond Bagatsing.

Meanwhile, Marcos Jr. has expressed apprehension that the successful campaign of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) may be put to waste after the Senate slashed the agency’s budget for 2022 by P24 billion.

The former senator stressed he was saddened by the Senate’s decision to reduce the budget of NTF-ELCAC to P4 billion from the proposed P28.12 billion budget for next year.

Ping’s ‘relevant experience’ key to fixing PH woes

By Macon Ramos-Araneta UNLIKE other presidential aspirants in the 2022 elections, Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has the relevant experience in governance to solve the country’s problems and avert a messy situation like the country is going through at present with the COVID-19 crisis, his spokesman said Wednesday night.

Interviewed on ANC, Partido Repor-

ma spokesman Francisco Ashley Acedillo said the Philippines was doing “very badly” with the coronavirus pandemic owing largely to President Rodrigo Duterte’s sole background in local politics.

On the other hand, Lacson’s experience is relevant not just with his 18 years in the Senate but with his “very recent” experience in the executive branch as a presidential adviser on disaster recovery and rehabilitation under the Aquino III administration, and his

over 30 years as a police officer and eventual chief of the Philippine National Police, the spokesman said.

“Taking off from the point of the seeming lack of experience on the national stage of the elder Duterte, it has played a very big role in the mess we are in, so experience is not enough, we have to talk about relevant experience,” Acedillo said when asked why Filipinos should vote for Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III in the May 9 elections.

primary debate, Jimenez said: “That’s the one probably early of the year sort of a teaser for the debates just for president... probably January.”

“Again, all of these are still in the planning stage but yes January is probably gonna be presidential,” he added.

Reps. Alan Peter Cayetano, Maria Laarni Cayetano, Lray Villafuerte, Raneo Abu, Dan Fernandez, Michael Defensor, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, meanwhile, filed a resolution urging the Comelec to start holding debates before the end of 2021 among the presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial aspirants. Maricel V. Cruz

Isko to uphold Hague ruling, PH sea claim AKSYON Demokratiko presidential candidate Isko Moreno Domagoso on Thursday declared he will not abandon the 2016 arbitral award rendered by the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated the massive nine-dashline claims of China over the South China Sea and upheld the country exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. Moreno said he will assert the Hague ruling on the South China Sea and build the country’s capacity to defend its waters in securing unimpeded access for small fisherfolk to abundant fishing grounds.

“We will be fearless in fighting for what is ours. We will insist on the Hague Ruling. But while being fearless, we are going to be fair with our discussion and management of the situation on both sides,” Moreno said when interviewed in Botolan, Zambales with the West Philippine Sea as background.

The Manila Mayor also said his city government is ready to help and lend their expertise, even its vaccinating teams, to provinces in vaccinating their people from COVID-19. Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Pacquiao lauds Comelec nod on in-person sorties PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao has welcomed the announcement of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that it would allow limited face-to-face campaigning should lockdown restrictions be eased further with the decline in COVID-19 cases.

“This is a welcome development.

There’s nothing better than meeting

people face-to-face and convincing them to vote for you in the coming election,” he said.

Although candidates are already on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, the boxing legend said he still prefers personal contact with people “because you can explain your stand on various issues, such as corruption and poverty.”

Pacquiao said there is nothing better than face-to-face campaigning because “people can only feel your sincerity if they see you in person and shake your hand.”

“If virtual kasi paramihan lang sila ng mga bayaran na trolls at yung mga tao naman nadadala sa mga fake news,” the senator said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Experts: HR defender bill ‘flawed, unconstitutional’ NEW COURT. Tingog Party List Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (3rd from right) is assisted by (from left) Councilor Mervin Varona, Vice Mayor Edwin Jomadiao, Barangay Chairman Artemio Ayo, Public Schools District Supervisor Hernando Miranda, and Principal lll Alang Alang 1 Central School Joel Ranes, as they inaugurated a multipurpose covered court worth P5.6 million at Barangay San Roque in Alang Alang, Leyte, in partnership with House Majority Leader Rep. Martin Romualdez. Miko Noveno

THE Human Rights Defenders bill being pushed anew by the Makabayan Bloc in Congress is unnecessary, unconstitutional and will only serve and protect the interest of terrorist organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Ar-

my-National Democratic Front (CPPNPA-NDF).

This is what several legal and human rights experts explained during the special edition of the virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)

on Wednesday.

According to Undersecretary Severo Catura, NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson on International Affairs, Peace Process and Human Rights Concerns, the proposed Human Rights Defenders’ Bill has “many legal infirmities.”

Opinion DQ cases won’t stop the marriage made in heaven against him which will only aggravate the Comelec’s burden of weeding out 90 “nuisance candidates” in the presidential race, not to mention those in the vicepresidential and senatorial races.

Unsurprised, BBM’s camp aptly describes such DQ petitions as “predictive nuisances,” all recycled garbage of a well-oiled black propaganda orchestrated by yellow oligarchs whose sole objective is to prevent a Marcos’ return to Malacañang.

In pursuing such DQ cases against BBM, his detractors and rivals’ camps engage in utter garbage or gutter politics instead of presenting an inspired vision and a plan for continuity of the Duterte government’s COVID pandemic response and economic recovery.

Unfortunately, gutter politics and black propaganda are but a few of the old rotten ways that BBM has to contend with.

Note that if in some strange circumstance that the poll body remotely grants any of such frivolous petitions of disqualification, it would still be all a futile exercise as BBM’s political party would be entitled to substitute him with a candidate with the same surname until midday of May 9, 2022.

I’m sure his sister Senator Imee Marcos would be happy to fill in for BBM so all this substitute scheme is bound to fail, anyway.

That being said, I will not even try to delve into the merits and demerits of such DQ petitions and leave them to the legal luminaries and Comelec to peruse, a mere waste of time and effort.

In the same breath, I strongly dismiss sinister suggestions from some factions who support such DQ pleas versus BBM in hopes to prod Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run for President even as she has cancelled her mayoralty reelection bid for a third consecutive term.

The honorable mayor, leader of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) political party, recently signified her willingness “to boost in the best possible way” BBM’s presidential candidacy.

It is best for everyone to leave it to Inday Sara to announce at the proper time if such a “marriage made in heaven” is indeed in the offing.

FORMER-SENATOR Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., in my book, has got to be one of the coolest politicians I’ve met. He is cool under attack from rabid anti-Marcos detractors and cool around his diverse throng of supporters.

BBM, as he is now commonly referred to by both friends and foes, has remained unfazed by the black propaganda against him that began after the trending of his interview by Toni Gonzaga for the vlog Toni Talks, garnering 11 million views.

BBM is cool and unsurprised.

It’s a shame that the political opposition has also resorted to petitioning the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for BBM’s disqualification, as he emerged the frontrunner in the presidential race according to recent surveys.

In his usual cool reaction, BBM reaffirmed his commitment to become the nation’s “unifying leader” amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic crisis and the formidable challenge of economic recovery.

After failing to forge a common slate for the upcoming elections as everyone in the opposition wants to be the next President, these pathetic losers now seek to defeat BBM by default via disqualification by Comelec purportedly on the basis of his failure to file SALN and income tax return years ago.

1Sambayan convener former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio and SC administrator Theodore Te have stooped so low as to back up such jacked up cases against BBM, revealing that they were just lucky to wear the magistrate’s robe back then.

BBM’s formerly yellow enemies are reportedly lining up a “pink caravan” of additional disqualification cases

Lying under oath

EVERY so often we see witnesses in congressional investigations giving different affidavits and statements. What is more bothersome is their ability to narrate their respective stories as gospel truth, knowing full well that a part, if not the whole story, is false.

The sad reality is that some affiants and witnesses can walk away and not be held accountable for their false statements in a judicial, administrative, or quasijudicial proceeding. They intentionally distort the truth and mislead the courts and investigating agencies.

Some can walk away and not be held accountable for their false statements.

The Philippine Revised Penal Code (RPC) penalizes three forms of false testimonies. The first is false testimony for and against the defendant in a criminal case (Articles 180 and 181, RPC); the second is false testimony in a civil case (Article 182, RPC); and the third is false testimony in other cases (Article 183, RPC) (Union Bank of the Philippines, et al. v. People, G.R. No. 192565, February 28, 2012).

The definition of a false testimony in Article 183 includes the making of an untruthful statement in an affidavit on a material matter. Interestingly, this provision was copied from Section 3, Act No. 1697, which was in turn copied with necessary changes from Sections 5392 and 5393 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (G.R. No. 192565, February 28, 2012).

Act No. 1697 (the source of Article 183) was intended to make the mere execution

of a false affidavit by any person in our jurisdiction punishable. The intention was to hold liable any person for making any willful and false written testimonies, declarations, dispositions, or certificates of any material matter under oath.

Our law on false testimony is of Spanish origin, but our law on perjury (Art. 183 taken from Sec. 3 of Act 1697) is derived from American statutes. The provisions of the old Penal Code on false testimony embrace perjury committed in court or in some contentious proceeding, while perjury as defined in Act 1697 includes the making of a false affidavit (G.R. No. 192565, February 28, 2012).

For perjury to exist, it must be: (1) a sworn statement that is required by law; (2) made under oath before a competent officer; (3) a statement that contains a deliberate assertion of falsehood; and (4) that the false declaration is with regard to a material matter (Masangkay v. People, G.R. No. 164443, June 18, 2010, citing Sy Tiong Shiou v. Sy Chim and Chan Sy).

What is an oath? An oath includes any form of attestation by which a party signifies that he is bound in conscience to perform an act faithfully and truthfully (Evidence, Francisco, Third Edition).

Examples of statements required by the law or Rules to be accomplished under oath are certificates against forumshopping, verifications of complaints or initiatory pleadings, affidavits of thirdparty claim, affidavit-complaints filed in the Prosecutor’s Office, and affidavits of adverse claim, among others. The false assertions that can expose the affiant or declarant to perjury are material matters or facts.

To satisfy the element of materiality, the material matter must be the main fact subject of the inquiry. It may also be any fact or circumstance which tends to prove the main fact or corroborates or strengthens the testimony relative to the inquiry. It may also be any fact that affects the credibility of any witness who testifies (G.R. No. 164443, June 18, 2010).

The materiality and falsity of the assertions or declarations in an affidavit, pleading, or document under oath have been the sources of charge and countercharge of perjury. In the case of

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EDITORIAL

Balancing act

T

HE third quarter GDP figures validated the argument of the country’s economic managers: the Philippines can reopen and contain the the spread of COVID-19 at the same time.

Unlike in the previous lockdown episodes, the quarantine measures in the third quarter did not fully shut down the economy. They allowed workers in factories to man their jobs, opened many commercial establishments even at reduced capacity and permitted the public transportation to partially operate.

Health authorities also confined lockdowns to specific areas, instead of totally shutting down regions.

The economy was able to breathe as a result as the so-called granular or neighborhood lockdowns. The increasing vaccination rate in Metro Manila, which contributes over 30 percent to the gross domestic product, and other urban centers in the nation also helped in the economic recovery.

We are progressing step by step.

The Philippine economy grew by a better-than-expected 7.1 percent in the third quarter of 2021 as more consumers went out of their homes to visit malls, dine and purchase goods. Household consumption rose 7.1 percent, while the industry and services sectors expanded 7.9 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively.

The economic rebound is more widespread in the third quarter than in the past period, suggesting more vibrant business activities. The wholesale and retail trade, repair

of motor vehicles and motorcycles sector grew 6.4 percent while manufacturing expanded 6.3 percent. The construction sector, meanwhile, rose 16.8 percent.

The third quarter expansion brought the average GDP growth rate in the first nine months to 4.9 percent, or near the government’s upper end of the target range of 4 percent to 5 percent for the full year. The Philippine economy clearly is on the mend and on its way to full recovery next year.

This means more jobs and the resumption of operations of small and medium scale enterprises after being moribund in over a year.

It may still take months, though, before the economy reached its pre-pandemic level. The tourism sector that offers services to foreign travelers, for one, is yet to reopen, while face-to-face schooling has not begun. But the economy is progressing step by step.

UP violates academic freedom of other universities state universities want to read.

Surprisingly, the UP officials and faculty members insisted that tertiary educational institutions, UP included, should be tolerant of all sides of the political spectrum.

The right to decide “what to teach” includes the right to decide what not to teach.

LAST month, three state universities purged their onsite and online libraries of subversive publications, mostly books published by the local communist organization euphemistically called the National Democratic Front. The three state universities are the Kalinga State University (KSU), the Isabela State University (ISU), and the Aklan State University (ASU).

The banned subversive materials promote communism and entice idealistic UP students to join the communist insurgency led by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army.

Many UP students have been brainwashed by these publications into joining the local communist movement, which calls for the forceful overthrow of the duly-elected government, and its replacement with a repressive, intolerant Maoist state headed by the nation’s most prominent communist rebel, Jose Maria Sison.

Amado Guerrero (Sison’s pen name) is currently in the Netherlands enjoying a life of luxury, supported by funds extorted by local communists in the nation’s countryside.

In a memorandum it later issued, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) office in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) encouraged higher educational institutions in the region to purge their onsite and online libraries of subversive materials.

Many officials and faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City, quickly reacted by condemning the action taken by the KSU, ISU and ASU, as well as the memorandum issued by the CHEd office in the CAR. According to the UP officials and faculty members, banning the subversive publications from the libraries of the KSU, ISU and ASU violates freedom of speech and academic freedom. They claim that the administrators of the three state universities and the CHEd should not interfere with what students of those three

Masangkay v. People, the Supreme Court said that the statements for which the petitioner is tried for perjury are the very grounds he relied upon in his petition for corporate dissolution (G.R. No. 164443, June 18, 2010).

The aforementioned statements refer to acts of the MFI directors which are allegedly fraudulent, illegal, and prejudicial, and which would allegedly justify corporate dissolution under Section 105 of the Corporation Code.

Evidently, these statements are material to his petition for involuntary dissolution.

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

Earlier this week, the University Council in UP Diliman, an assembly of professors led by Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, convened an online meeting to condemn the ban on subversive publications in the libraries of the KSU, ISU and ASU. The mindset of many is that the ban is an abridgment of freedom of speech and academic freedom, and that the ban itself should be attributed to the government under President Rodrigo Duterte.

In my opinion, UP, my dear alma mater, is sticking its nose in something that is manifestly none of its business.

UP does not have a monopoly of academic freedom. The Constitution states that “academic freedom shall be enjoyed by all institutions of higher learning.”

Jurisprudence teaches that the academic freedom enjoyed by institutions of higher learning includes the right to decide what to teach, and how to teach it. Necessarily, the right to decide “what to teach” includes the right to decide what not to teach.

Thus, if the officialdoms in the KSU, ISU and ASU do not want to teach or promote communism in their respective campuses, it is well within their rights and prerogatives, as institutions of higher learning, to prohibit communist-inspired and similar subversive publications from their respective on site and online libraries.

Restated, the KSU, ISU and ASU should not be condemned for exercising their academic freedom.

UP may be the leading university in the country, but it has no right, power or prerogative to interfere in the academic freedom of other universities, whether private or state-run. By criticizing the decision of the KSU, ISU and ASU to ban subversive publications from their on site

The element of materiality is therefore present (G.R. No. 164443, June 18, 2010).

According to the Supreme Court however, the prosecution failed to prove the element of deliberate falsehood. The prosecution has the burden of proving beyond reasonable doubt the falsehood of the petitioner’s statement that the December 5, 1992 meeting “did not actually materialize” G.R. No. 164443, June 18, 2010).

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and online libraries, UP is actually violating and interfering with the academic freedom of the three state universities.

Moreover, there is nothing in the UP charter which allows UP or its officialdom and faculty to interfere with the academic freedom of other state universities. Thus, UP’s interference in the academic freedom of the Kalinga State University, Isabela State University and the Aklan State University is ultra vires and, therefore, illegal.

I wish to add that UP’s surprising claim — that UP is tolerant of all sides of the political spectrum — is false. Persons, groups and activities identified with the late President Ferdinand Marcos and the incumbent President Duterte are threatened, dispersed, bullied, or violently attacked inside the campus. Only communists, radicals and their sympathizers are welcome in UP’s much touted but imaginary “democratic space.”

Dean Carlo Vistan of the UP College of Law should know that UP’s interference in the affairs of other universities is illegal and unconstitutional. He should enlighten the non-lawyers among the UP officials and faculty.

UP President Danilo Concepcion, who was criticized in The Manila Times as a spineless university president afraid of leftwing groups in UP, should disprove that by insisting that UP should mind its own business.

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China, US announce surprise climate pact

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HINA and the United States on Wednesday vowed to work together to accelerate climate action this decade, separately announcing a surprise pact on global warming, which is already causing disasters across the world.

The joint declaration came as the crunch COP26 summit in Glasgow entered its pivotal final days, with negotiators wrestling over ways to limit global warming to 1.5-2 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial levels.

“This document contains strong statements about the alarming science, the emissions gap, and the urgent need to accelerate action to close that gap,” US special envoy John Kerry told reporters.

“It commits to a series of important actions now this decade when it is needed.”

The plan is light on concrete targets but heavy on political symbolism at a conference that began with the US and China – the world’s two biggest emitters—seemingly at loggerheads.

PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN. A man uses his mobile phone in front of books written by and

about China’s President Xi Jinping on display at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on November 11, 2021. AFP

UNSC deeply concerned over Myanmar THE UN Security Council expressed its “deep concern” about recent unrest in Myanmar and called for an “immediate cessation of violence” and for efforts to ensure that civilians are not harmed.

In a statement issued as reports emerged of clashes between junta troops and fighters from a major militant group in Rakhine state, the Security Council warned that “recent developments pose particular serious challenges for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons.”

The clashes, reported by a rebel spokesman, broke a ceasefire that had kept the peace in the western region since a February coup by the military junta.

The Southeast Asian country has been in chaos since the February putsch, with a brutal crackdown on dissent and increased fighting in borderlands involving ethnic armed organizations.

The council members also called for an “equitable, safe and unhindered delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines,” as well as “safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all people in need.”

“They underlined that vaccines should be accessible to all and called for greater international support to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and to expedite their roll out,” the statement said.

Days after the February coup, the junta reaffirmed a commitment to a ceasefire with the Arakan Army (AA), which has fought a bloody war for autonomy for Rakhine state’s ethnic Rakhine population. AFP

COVID ROUNDUP Germany: Record new virus cases

GERMANY registered a record 50,196 new COVID-19 infections Thursday, according to health authorities.

It is the first time Germany has exceeded 50,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and comes as infections and deaths have soared since mid-October.

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel has described the rise in infections as “dramatic.”

“The pandemic is returning in a new spectacular fashion,” her spokesperson said, calling on regional authorities to take further steps to quell the outbreak.

Pressure is also building on hospitals, in an outbreak blamed on Germany’s relatively low vaccination rates of just over 67 percent.

Several of the worst-hit states, including Saxony, Bavaria, and most recently Berlin, have introduced new restrictions aimed at nonvaccinated people, who have been the first to be affected by the rebound in cases.

As of Monday, Berlin will ban unvaccinated people from entering restaurants, terraces, bars, sports halls, and hairdressers.

Over 4.9 million people have been infected

by COVID-19 in Germany since the beginning of the pandemic. AFP

A PLAYGROUND OF COLORS. A young

vendor sells balloons as Hindu devotees perform rituals during the last day of the ‘Chhath Puja’ festival on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad on November 11, 2021. AFP

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BEIJING sealed off a large downtown mall and locked down several residential communities Thursday in response to a recent COVID flareup, as the latest nationwide wave spread to the capital’s central districts.

The latest spike occurred as a sensitive three-day meeting of top Communist Party leaders wrapped up in the capital.

China has largely curbed widespread transmission of COVID-19 through snap lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, but authorities remain on high alert after a nationwide spike in local outbreaks linked to domestic travel in the past month.

Six new cases were found in the central districts of Chaoyang and Haidian Thursday morning, local media reported, all close contacts of people infected recently in northeastern Jilin province.

Raffles City Mall in central Beijing’s Dongcheng district was sealed off on Wednesday evening after a close contact of a person with COVID-19 was found to have visited the mall, reported the Beijing Youth Daily.

Exits were closed and all staff and customers inside were not allowed to leave the premises until they got tested.

The mall remained closed Thursday.

Four residential communities, a primary school and an office compound were placed under snap lockdowns early Thursday, with tens of thousands of residents barred from leaving and made to undergo mass testing.

Livestream footage on local media of the areas under lockdown showed staff in hazmat suits piling up bags of food for residents stuck inside.

Four of the diagnosed cases are members of the same household, while the two remaining cases are a Jilin resident on a business trip to Beijing and their close contact, local health authorities said. AFP

2 COVID patients die in Romania fire

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Last week, US President Joe Biden criticized the decision of President Xi Jinping not to attend the Glasgow summit, accusing China of walking away.

Beijing hit back, but relations appear to have thawed ahead of bilateral talks next week, with Kerry and China’s longtime climate envoy Xie Zhenhua each saying they would rise above their differences to work together on climate.

“Both sides recognize that there is a gap between the current effort and the Paris Agreement goals so we will jointly strengthen climate action,” Xie said.

Chinese President Xi on Thursday stressed the need for cooperation between the two superpowers, who together account for nearly 40 percent of all carbon emissions.

“All of us can embark on a path of green, low-carbon sustainable development,” he told a virtual business conference on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

“Together, we can usher in a future of green development.”

A document outlining the agreement includes a focus on lowering methane emissions, which Kerry described as the “single fastest and most effective way to limit warming”. AFP

Beijing seals off mall, housing areas

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A FIRE at a Romanian hospital killed two patients early Thursday, officials said, the fourth such deadly blaze in a year in the EU member known for its dilapidated infrastructure.

The blaze ripped through a hospital for infectious diseases in the southern city of Ploiesti shortly after 4:00 am local time.

“The fire was extinguished fast, but unfortunately two people died”, Health Minister Cseke Atilla told local media, adding that an investigation was opened.

A nurse also suffered burns in the blaze, officials said.

The head of the hospital, Bogdan Nica, said that the building had undergone renovations the previous year and that its electrical and oxygen systems had been verified recently but that the building did not have the necessary fire safety authorization from the fire department, like about half of Romanian hospitals.

The blaze was the latest deadly fire at a Romanian hospital since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In October, seven COVID patients died in a blaze at an intensive care unit of a hospital in the city of Constanta on the shore of the Black Sea. In January, five patients died in a fire at a Bucharest hospital.

In November 2020, another blaze killed 15 patients at a hospital in Piatra Neamt in the northeast.

Three COVID patients also died in a mobile intensive care unit in Bucharest in April 2020 after a malfunction in the oxygen supply system. AFP

Train driver sues after wages docked for delay A JAPANESE train driver is suing his employer after his wages were docked 56 yen ($0.50) over a minute-long delay to the country’s famously punctual rail system, the company said Thursday.

The driver filed the suit against the West Japan Railway (JR West) earlier this year after it fined him for a work mix-up in June 2020 which caused the delay, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported.

He is seeking 2.2 million yen ($19,470) in damages for mental anguish caused by the ordeal, the report said.

The driver had been scheduled to move an empty train to a garage in Okayama station in western Japan, but went to the wrong platform.

The mix-up delayed the driver changeover and meant the train departed the station and ar-

rived at the depot a minute later than scheduled, the newspaper said.

The company argues it was appropriate to dock the driver’s wages because no labour was performed during the mix-up.

A JR West spokesman confirmed the lawsuit to AFP on Thursday, declining to comment “as the suit is pending.”

“The reason why this became a lawsuit is differences over how to interpret” the cause of the delay, he said, adding that the company had applied its “no work, no pay” rule in docking the driver’s wages.

The man, who has not been named, argues that the delay was a minor human error and that he should not have been considered absent from work. AFP

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News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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SC affirms Sandigan subpoena on Arroyo case SOUTHBOUND PEDESTRIAN FOOTBRIDGE. MMDA

Chairman Benhur Abalos led the inauguration of a new southbound pedestrian footbridge located along EDSA corner Buendia Avenue Makati City on Nov. 12. The footbridge is expected to make it easier for commuters to travel through the EDSA Carousel. Manny Palmero

IN BRIEF Lawmaker’s son, companion killed in CDO shooting ROLAND Sherwin Uy, 45, son of Cagayan de Oro 1st District Representative Rolando Klarex Uy was gunned down and killed on Thursday afternoon in Barangay Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro City.

The younger Uy’s caretaker, Samuel Pabalan, 73, was also killed, authorities at the scene of the shooting said.

Authorities said upon receiving a tip, they rushed to Barangay Pagatpat and found the bodies lying in the ground.

The police report further said both Uy and Tabalan had bullet wounds in the eye.

A witness, Rubie Alayuay, who is the younger Uy’s driver, said he was inside a comfort room when the shooting occurred. He said he overheard the suspects and the victim talking about buying sand and gravel, before the suspects shot the victims.

Alayuay said the suspects managed to escape on motorcycles.

Decommissioning third phase starts for ex-MILF fighters THE third phase of a decommissioning process will set the direction for social rehabilitation of some 14,000 combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) Speaking for Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim, Education Minister Mohaguer Iqbal, said: “Admittedly, the discussions over decommissioning were not easy because the stakes are very high and they are very emotional also. In addition to putting weapons beyond use, the combatants’ well-being, livelihood, and security, and families, and communities are paramount,” Iqbal, also a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament and chairperson of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, said the process of decommissioning is a “critical component of normalization.”

Undersecretary David Diciano, chair of the GPH Peace Implementing Panel, said the decommissioning of MILF combatants helped strengthen and sustain the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.

Lawyer Laisa Masuhud Alamia, also a member of Parliament and co-chair of the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Families (TFDCC), said that from rendering the firearms beyond use, the decommissioning of combatants is a continuing process, including restoration of normal life into the mainstream society. Nash B. Maulana

Low-rise housing projects unveiled in Malabon, QC HOUSING czar Eduardo del Rosario has unveiled low-rise housing projects in Malabon City and Quezon City that will benefit urban poor families staying along the danger zones in Metro Manila.

Secretary Eduardo del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development on Wednesday led the turnover of two high-density housing projects carried out by the Social Housing Finance Corp. in Malabon’s Barangay Longos for 282 families from the Marangal Village Homeowners Association Inc. and from Quezon City’s Barangay San Agustin for the 92 informal settler families from the Samahang Magkakapitbahay na Nagkakaisa Homeowners Association Inc. “Seeing these projects, within a few seconds, I can say already that these are housing projects that we can be proud of… decent yet very affordable,” Del Rosario said.

Lawyer Arnolfo Cabling, SHFC president, said “all those in the danger zones, everybody should be included, no matter what is your status in life, no matter how much is your combined family monthly income, we have to be inclusive, we have to provide a program for all the Filipinos. This is actually your project, not ours, because it is community-driven.” Rio N. Araja

Plea to remove magistrates in pork barrel case junked

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court (SC) has denied the plea of former Ilocos Sur First District Rep. Salacnib Baterina to remove the three justices of the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division from handling the graft case and other criminal cases filed against him involving the alleged misuse of his pork barrel fund amounting to P35 million.

In a 13-page decision, the SC’s Second Division through Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting held that the Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Michael Frederick Musngi, Oscar Herrera Jr., and Lorifel Pahimna “acted will within the scope of their jurisdiction” in denying Salacnib’s petition for their inhibition.

“There is no showing of bias or prejudice on the part of respondents that will necessitate the grant of the extraordi-

nary writ of certiorari and prohibition…

As things stand, petitioner failed to sufficiently show in the present petition that respondents gravely abused their discretion denying his request,” the SC ruled.

Baterina sought the inhibition of three anti-graft court magistrates following the release of a resolution on Dec. 18, 2017 that erroneously contained a dispositive portion implicating his name.

The resolution pertained to the joint

omnibus motion of his co-accused former Department of Budget Management undersecretary Mario Relampagos and several others seeking judicial determination of probable cause; to hold in abeyance the issuance of warrant of arrest; for Bill of Particulars; and motion for reduction of bail.

Baterina argued that the respondent justices already prejudged the case against him because the Sandiganbayan Resolution dated Dec. 18, 2017 wrongfully included his name in the dispositive portion even if he was not one of the parties who filed the joint omnibus motion being resolved.

The Sandigabayan justices denied appeal in a resolution issued on March 13, 2018 and his motion for reconsideration on April 23, 2018, prompting him to elevate the matter before the SC. In ruling against Baterina, SC stressed that the lawmaker failed to substantiate his allegation of bias and partiality on the part of the justices.

QR TICKETING SYSTEM. Light

Legislators urge agencies to spend budget TWO members of the House of Representatives on Thursday called on national government agencies to spend the remaining 2021 and 2020 funds that remain in their coffers as carry-over funds.

One of the legislators, Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera, a nominee of the partylist group Bagong Henerasyon, said: “All remaining unspent national government COVID ‘ayuda’ funds and regular cash aid to the poor and marginalized should be released this November and December to help boost consumer spending and give the whole economy the lift it badly needs.”

Agusan del Sur Rep. Lawrence Fortun

Provincial offices tapped in DAR land distribution

By Rio N. Araja

Rail Corporation officials present the proposed QR code ticketing system project that it set for implementation on Nov. 11. The proposed QR code system will still be approved by the Department of Transportation (DOTRs) and once it is approved, QR tickets can serve as a viable alternative to single journey tickets and can be purchased via mobile apps.

Danny Pata

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the Sandiganbayan’s issuance of a subpoena on the Anti-Money Laundering Council, in connection with the criminal case against former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo for his involvement in the Philippine National Police’s alleged anomalous purchase of two secondhand helicopters.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the SC’s Third Division dismissed the petition for certiorari filed by the AMLC assailing the March 28, 2017 Resolution and the May 12, 2017 order of the anti-graft court, which denied the AMLC’s motion to quash the subpoena duces tecum and ad testificandum and its subsequent motion for reconsideration.

“In sum, there was no showing that the Sandiganbayan gravely abused its discretion in issuing the subpoena duces tecum and ad testificandum and denying petitioner’s motion to quash and Motion for Reconsideration. Instead of avoiding compliance with the Subpoena, petitioner must firmly perform its mandate as an investigatory body and independent financial intelligence unit,” the tribunal ruled.

The controversy arose after the Office of the Special Prosecutor charged Arroyo with plunder, among others, before the Sandiganbayan for his involvement in the purported anomalous purchase of helicopters by the PNP. The seller, Lionair, Inc. (Lionair), sold the helicopters as brand new even if they were already used. Lionair’s president Archibald Po had testified that Arroyo was the real owner of the helicopters.

Po alleged that Lionair imported the helicopters from the United States and sold them to Arroyo, who, in turn, deposited partial payment to Lionair’s account with the Union Bank. Rey E. Requejo

supported the call of Herrera.

Fortun, a member of the House minority, maintained that withholding or delaying, even without forfeiting, subsidies for unvaccinated Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries is “baseless, illegal, and unjust.”

“Imposing vaccination as a requirement for the release of benefits under the program is a departure from its essence, especially now in this time of massive economic crisis,” Fortun stressed.

The two lawmakers made the remarks as the National Economic and Development Authority said the economy grew by around 7.1 percent in the third quarter of the year or from July to September and 4.9 percent

NEW BUILDING.

from January to September.

Fourth quarter sales account for most revenues of most businesses dependent on consumer spending.

“These figures confirm our economy was in COVID-19 hibernation, not disabled. In hibernation only because people were made to stay in their homes, limi ing consumer spending to the barest min mums. The economy has what it takes to grow by at least 6 to 7 percent this year,” Herrera said.

She added she expects “a big boost in November and December with the reopening of the economy that can spill over to January and February which are also holiday months because of tourist-drawing fiestas and the Chinese New Year festivities.”

Mayor Oscar Malapitan and Congressman Dale Gonzalo Malapitan led the inauguration of the new multipurpose building of Barangay 146 in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City. The new building is expected to provide a more spacious and comfortable place for activities in the barangay.

Jun David

AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Bernie Cruz has tapped the involvement of the provincial agrarian reform coordinating committees (PARCCOM) in the parcelization of 1.36 million hectares of agriculture land in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao under the collective certificates of land ownership award (CCLOAs).

He yesterday disclosed his recommendation to allow the participation of PARCCOM, the partner group of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC), which is the highest policy-making body of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

He clarified that PARCCOM is tasked in the coordination and monitoring of programs, activities, and projects implemented by the CARP-implementing agencies at the field levels.

According to the new chief of the Department of Agrarian Reform, PARCCOM’s responsibilities is to look into the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ situations in their provinces, and to ensure they have the first-hand information to help the support to parcelization of lands for individual titling (SPLIT) project implementers in subdividing the landholdings to the farmers.

“We will deliberate to work out PARCCOM’s inclusion in the SPLIT project’s budget to speed up the objective of giving the ARBs land tenure security and strengthen their rights to their property,” he said.

He vowed to discuss the matter as soon as possible because PARCCOM’s role is vital to successfully implement the parcelizations of lands that would benefit about 1.1- million farmer-beneficiaries in 78 provinces and 15 regions.

Villar encourages OFWs to join virtual family summit Nov. 19

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SEN. Cynthia A. Villar has renewed her call to all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families to attend the 10th OFW and Family Summit on Nov. 19, Friday, 9 am via Zoom and Facebook live.

“We invite our OFWs and their families to participate virtually in the summit.

Registration is currently open at https:// ofwsummit2021.villarsipag.org/registration,” she said.

Villar said the theme for this year’s event is “Masiglang Kabuhayan Sa Bagong Panahon,” which she believes is timely because we are all struggling to live a normal and happy life amid the coronavirus pandemic that crippled

the world economy.

For the first time, Villar related that the summit will be held virtually to ensure the protection of the participants as we are still facing a global health crisis.

The senator, a known advocate of OFWs, has been encouraging our migrant workers and their families to join this occasion, assuring that the knowledge they can get from here would be a useful tool in their working abroad.

“This is an opportunity for them to learn how to protect their hard-earned money against scammers and how to invest them wisely. We also want to ensure their welfare and protection abroad and those of their loved ones who were left behind in the country,” stressed Villar.

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

CARLOS Yulo led the top achievers in the month of October after atoning for his Tokyo Olympic struggles with an impressive showing in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

After falling short in his medal bid in the Summer Games, the 21-year-old Yulo beamed with pride by taking the gold in men’s vault, while bagging the silver in the parallel bars of the World Championships held in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Yulo’s 14.916 was enough to beat Japan’s Hidenobu Yonekura for the gold in the vault event, and then did 15.300 in parallel bars to place second overall behind winner Hu Xuwei of China who had 15.466.

The two medals enabled Yulo to redeem himself from failing to defend his title in men’s floor exercise, his pet event, where he finished fifth with 14.566 points after being deducted for landing out of bounds.

Back home, the TNT Tropang

Carlos Yulo took the gold in men’s vault, while bagging the silver in the parallel bars of the World Championships held in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Burlington snaps Tigers’ 5-game run BURLINGTON EOG Sports snapped Davao Occidental Tigers-Cocolife’s five-game winning run with a 76-69 victory in the FilBasket Subic Championship at the Subic gym Wednesday.

Burlington bucked a slow start and turned its 36-27 halftime deficit into a triumph to tie with Nueva Ecija Bespren at third with five wins in eight matches.

James Castro and Byron Villarias spearheaded Burlington with 19 and 14 points, respectively, while combining for nine rebounds and seven assists.

Davao Occidental remained at second despite absorbing its second loss against six wins.

In other matches, Nueva Ecija Bespren edged 7A Primus, 95-92, while Medical Depot crushed FSD MakatiArmy, 81-68.

Emil Renz Palma exploded for 30 points, while James Martinez contributed 15 points for Nueva Ecija, who erased a seven-point deficit in the last four minutes of the game.

7A Primus fell to 2-6 despite Diego Dario firing 21 points and AJ Coronel finishing with 13 points.

Medical Depot, meanwhile, leaned on Simon Camacho and Patrick Cabahug’s doubledouble performances to hike its win-loss tally to 4-4 in the middle standings.

Camacho scored 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Cabahug had 17 points and 10 boards.

Kevin Villafranca and Andrey Armenion also took charge of Medical Depot’s defense by combining for 23 rebounds.

Jopher Custodio, Jac Macasaet and Jan Colina teamed up for 34 points in a losing effort for Makati, who slipped to 1-7.

Giga capped off the PBA Philippine Cup by winning its first championship since 2015.

The Tropang Giga finished off the Magnolia Pambansang Manok in five games, allowing the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise to end a streak of 11 straight championship by teams from San Miguel Corporation.

Rookie Mikey Williams capped off his first conference in the league by winning the PBA Press Corps Finals Most Valuable Player.

October didn’t end without another triumph overseas as Jonas Sultan won the vacant World Boxing Organization intercontinental bantamweight crown.

Sultan scored a unanimous decision victory over the favored Carlos Caraballo of Puerto Rico in a 10-round fight at Hulu Theater inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.

It was Sultan’s 18th win in 23 professional fights.

Napolis bags bronze in world jiu-jitsu meet Jenna Kaila Napolis and coach Ali Sulit

By Randy Caluag

D

ESPITE the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenna Kaila Napolis has improved every year.

Napolis carried the Philippines’ campaign in the JJIF World Championships 2021 on a bright note following her bronze-medal finish in the -52kg women’s adult event at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

The 2019 World Martial Arts Mastership champion may have lost her third match in the elimination round, but she made sure she was not going back home empty-handed.

She pulled off two submissions against Aigerim Kuatkyzy of Kazakhstan to bag the bronze medal in the tough competition that brought the

best jiu-jitsu athletes from all over the world.

“Heartbreaking, but so many reasons to be grateful. So many obstacles leading here but still, we made it here to compete and move well,” Napolis said in her social media post.

“Super grateful to the people, who helped me prepare and to the people who sent me here,” she added, tagging the Philippine Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Philippine Sports Commission that financed the Team Philippines’ participation.

Napolis was the silver medalist in the 2017 Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games

in Uzbekistan. In 2018, Napolis took the silver in the Asian Championship.

The following year, she bagged the silver in the 2019 SEA Games and bronze in the Asian Championship before finally emerging as champion in the World Mastership in Korea.

There was a lull in jiu-jitsu competitions in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of this writing on Thursday, four-time world champion Meggie Ochoa won her first match via submission.

Other Filipino athletes competing in the world tourney are Jolly Co, 2017 AIMAG gold medalist Annie Ramirez, Marc Alexander Lim, Carlo Pena, and Luigi Ladera.

National coach Ali Sulit said the competition is so tough that “if you win even at least one match in the worlds, you definitely belong.”

Parks’ Dolphins clip Dragonflies’ wings

By Peter Atencio BOBBY Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins stood their ground and held off the Hirsohima Dragonflies, 82-76, at the resumption of action in the 2021-22 B.League Season Wednesday night at the Park Arena in Aichi, Japan.

Two charities from Yutaro Suda in the last 19 seconds kept the Diamond Dragons ahead by five points, 81-76.

Suda put the Diamond Dragons out

of trouble after the Dragonflies came close for the last time behind a 7-2 burst capped by Ryo Terashima’s layup with 20 seconds left.

The Diamond Dolphins made a move to get out of range, 73-69, as soon as Parks, a former guard playing for the TNT Tropang Giga in the Philippine Basketball Association, unloaded two freebies with 3:38 left.

Coty Clarke and Suda topscored with 14 points apiece for the Diamond Dolphins, while Parks made seven

points, three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes of game time.

Nagoya is now tied in fourth with the Dragonflies and the Shinsu Brave Warriors on identical 7-5 win-loss cards in the West Division.

The Brave Warriors, who have yet to field in new Filipino import Matthew Aquino, turned back Thirdy Ravena’s San-En Neo Phoen i x, 92-79.

Josh Hawkinson knocked in 28 points for the Brave Warriors, while Shota Tsuyama

Baraquiel soars to Ladies’ PH Golf Tour win TAGAYTAY—Sunshine Baraquiel soared to her first pro victory the hard way, pulling through in the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Challenge by three over two of the country’s top players at one of the toughest courses under severe conditions.

She recovered from a faulty start in the final round then flashed the form she flaunted late in the second round to stay in firm control, hitting clutch shots and putts on her way to a 72 and a spot in the elite circle of winners in only her fifth tournament on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“The tournament was mine to win, so I just hit the shots that I had to hit and made the putts that I had to make,” said Baraquiel, a lady pilot who never finished higher than seventh in her previous stints at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki, Sherwood, Eagle Ridge’s Norman and back at Aoki won by Harmie Constantino last week.

“Basically, I just breathed and slowed things down when I get nervous and my decision-making was on point – I made some

Yulo, TNT lead October PH achievers

crucial putts and made good pitch and chip shots,” added the 30-year-old shotmaker, who turned pro because of Covid. While at home, she said she realized that her heart was in golf and not in flying.

With an 11-over 221 total, Baraquiel landed P101,250 in earnings, beating Chihiro Ikeda and Daniella Uy, who pooled identical 224s after a pair of 73s, for the top honors at Highlands.

The margin of victory didn’t actually reflect the manner by which she and the rest of the field struggled trying to survive the harsh wind conditions at the upand-down layout in all three days. The outcome remained unclear as they made the turn with Baraquiel, who grabbed a two-stroke lead over Ikeda and Uy in a wild second round chase Wednesday, hanging tough despite a two-over 36 after a fierce frontside battle.

Ikeda threatened to within one with a 35 while Constantino closed to within two after a best 34 output in a tie with Uy and amateur Mafy Singson, who also carded 36s.

But Baraquiel, 30, proved steadier at the back. While her rivals stumbled one after the other in their frenetic attempt to hunt for birdies, the former Southwoods mainstay in various Interclub championships kept her poise and stayed focused, birdying the 10th for a two-stroke cushion then hitting another on No. 15 against two bogeys, including on the last hole that however hardly impeded her rise to the LPGT throne.

Ikeda fell farther back with three bogeys from No. 11, fought back with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 but bogeyed the next for a 73, which Uy matched with her own version of a three-over closing card marked by two birdies but marred by five bogeys. They each received P63,750.

Constantino pressed her bid for backto-back victories following her one-shot escape over Singson at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki last week with a two-birdie, two-bogey game after 12 holes. But she bogeyed two of the last five holes and wound up with a 72 in second-to-last flight to end up fourth with a 15-over 225.

Sunshine Baraquiel:Ecstatic

and Ravena made 14 and 10 points, respectively, for SanEn. The three squads have overtaken the Shiga Lakestars (6-6).

The Shimane Susanoo Magics prevailed over the Lakestars, 102-94, with Reid Travis topscoring for 25 points.

The Magics are now in second spot (9-3), behind solo leader Ryukyu (10-2).

Ovi Soko shot 20 points, while Filipino cager Kiefer Ravena scored 14 for the Lakestars.

Business Converge hiked nine-month net income to P5.2b

By Darwin G. Amojelar CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. said Thursday net income grew 136 percent in the first nine months from a year ago, on the back of strong growth in residential and enterprise segments.

Converge ICT said net income reached P5.2 billion from January to September, up from P2.2 billion registered in the same period last year.

It said with strong and continued subscriber take-up, the consolidated revenues climbed 76.4 percent year-on-year to P18.8 billion as of end-September.

Revenues from the residential business jumped 94.6 percent year-onyear, almost doubling to P16.4 billion during the nine-month period.

Converge Business revenues grew 8.5 percent year-on-year to P2.5 billion, mostly from the small medium enterprise segment, continuing the reversal trend seen in the second quarter of 2021.

The company said that in the third quarter, it added nearly 280,000 subscribers, bringing its total residential subscriber count to almost 1.6 million, or 75 percent higher than in the same period last year.

Converge said it reached peak levels in port deployment of over 650,000 ports in the third quarter.

“We have completed our nationwide backbone, allowing us to expand into new areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, while continuing to go deep into underserved areas in Luzon. We have also augmented our sales force so that we can serve a broader number of our people with world-class fiber broadband connectivity,” said Converge chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy. The company said that as of endSeptember, its nationwide network reached more than 9.6 million homes, allowing it to accelerate its target to cover about 55 percent of Filipino households to 2023, two years ahead of the original 2025 schedule which was announced during its initial public offering last year.

Converge also completed its P6billion, 1,800-kilometer subsea cable project with final landing in Coron, Palawan, connecting the country’s major islands to its domestic fiber backbone.

Vehicle sales grew by 24.8% to 214,186 units in 10 months

By Othel V. Campos SALES of motor vehicles recovered with a 5.1-percent month-on-month growth to 22,581 units in October from 21,493 units in September, two industry groups said Thursday.

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association said in a joint report that all segments, including the trucks and buses, registered positive month-on-month growth.

“Based on the October 2021 sales performance, the auto industry remains strong and will certainly surpass last year’s overall performance,” said CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez.

“Likewise, we continue to discuss relevant issues with the government aimed at ensuring full recovery of the industry as the country’s economic growth outlook is upgraded,” he said.

Passenger car sales rose 15.9 percent to 7,626 units in October from 6,580 units in September while those of commercial vehicles improved 0.3 percent to 14,955 units from 14,913 units.

Sales, however, fell 9.8 percent from 25,023 units in October last year.

Sales of passenger cars declined 15.2 percent from 8,988 in October 2020 while demand for commercial vehicles dropped 6.7 percent from 16,035 units.

Total sales reached 214,186 units in the first 10 months, up 24.8 percent from 173,035 units in the same period last year.

Passenger cars sold were 29.3 percent higher at 68,608 units compared to 53,067 units sold in 2020. Sales of commercials vehicles went up 21.3 percent to 145,578 units from 119,968 units.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the top seller with a market share of 48.31 percent, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 29.9-percent share.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, November 11, 2021 -44.03 PTS.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

IVERSIFIED conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said Thursday it continued its steady recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic, as consolidated net income jumped 218 percent in the first nine months to P34.2 billion from P10.7 billion in the same period last year.

Consolidated revenues rose 22 percent to P650.6 billion, driven by volume growth across major businesses.

Operating income soared 112 percent to P87.7 billion as the conglomerate continued to closely manage costs and enhance supply chain efficiencies. EBITDA or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization improved 41 percent to P118.1 billion.

“The operating environment remains very challenging, but we’ve managed to stay resilient, focus on our goals, and quickly adapt to changing conditions.

We’re determined to keep this momen-

tum going, especially with the easing of quarantine restrictions,” said SMC president Ramon Ang. Ang said work continued for the company to recover better through investments in strategic projects that would generate jobs and empower lives.

“We are committed to finding innovative ways to shape a more sustainable future not only for SMC but for our country. At the same time, we recognize the need to continue supporting the most marginalized communities and sectors that have yet to recover and rebuild from the impacts of the pandemic,” Ang said.

1,015,195,593 93,274

TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES

7,252,349,673.37 91

DECLINES UNCHANGED

97 47

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

B1

San Miguel’s net profit jumped 218% to P34.2b D

By Jenniffer B. Austria

7,331.65

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

SMC’s major businesses, particularly Petron and Power, delivered quarteron-quarter volume and revenue growth.

San Miguel Brewery Inc., Ginebra San Miguel Inc. and San Miguel Foods continued to grow volumes, albeit at a slower pace, because of mobility restrictions and liquor bans implemented in July and August.

San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc.’s consolidated revenues increased 14 percent to P221.7 billion, as its food, beer and spirits divisions all registered growth.

Consolidated operating income rose 60 percent to P32.8 billion, while net income went up 68 percent to P24.2 billion, a significant achievement despite the heightened pandemic restrictions in the third quarter and higher taxes imposed on alcohol.

SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. recorded off-take volumes of 20,533 gigawatt-hours, up 3 percent from the same period last year, driven by longer operating hours for the Masinloc, Limay and San Roque power plants.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.0680

Japan

Yen

0.008780

0.4396

UK

Pound

1.340700

67.1262

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128352

6.4263

Switzerland

Franc

1.089918

54.5700

Canada

Dollar

0.800705

40.0897

Singapore

Dollar

0.739262

37.0134

Australia

Dollar

0.732600

36.6798

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653224

132.8416

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

13.3497

Brunei

Dollar

0.736540

36.8771

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030534

1.5288

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6321

Euro

Euro

1.148200

57.4881

Korea

Won

0.000844

0.0423

China

Yuan

0.156502

7.8357

India

Rupee

0.013441

0.6730

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240848

12.0588

New Zealand

Dollar

0.705900

35.3430

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035993

1.8021 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF Meralco transitions to clean energy

MANILA Electric Co., the country’s largest electric distribution utility, started its transition to clean energy that will be implemented in three phases until 2050.

“We in Meralco are embarking on a just, orderly and affordable transition to clean energy across three horizons as we drive to a coal-free Philippines before 2050,” Meralco president Ray Espino said during the CEPSI 2021: The Energy Digicon of Asia-Pacific conference.

Espinosa said that in the first decade from 2021 to 2030, Meralco would begin the lowcarbon transition to serve the Philippine’s growing energy requirements with earthfriendly energy. To achieve the objectives for Horizon 1, Meralco committed clear shifts in both energy sourcing and power generation.

“On energy sourcing, we aim to secure 1,500 megawatts of our power requirements in the next five years from renewable energy sources. This will allow us to shift our midmerit supply representing around 29 percent of our total power supply mix to clean energy,” Espinosa said.

Meralco will accelerate its renewable energy program by building at least 1,500 MW of attributable clean energy capacity in the next five to seven years.

Alena Mae S. Flores

INEC plans to build more power projects

‘PRIDE OF CEBU.’ Metro Pacific investments Corp. and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. chairman Manuel Pangilinan describes

the new Cebu Cordova Link Expressway as ‘the pride of Cebu that is a product of the hearts, minds and hands of Cebuanos.’

Pangilinan delivered this message during the main bridge deck connection ceremony of CCLEX, the P30-billion, 8.5-kilometer major infrastructure project that will connect mainland Cebu from Cebu City to the municipality of Cordova on Mactan Island. The project, undertaken and developed by the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp., a subsidiary company of MPTC, envisions CCLEX not only as decongesting traffic in the two existing bridges of Cebu but also as increasing economic activities in Cebu and throughout the Visayas Region.

Standard Chartered Bank raises 2021 PH growth forecast to 5%

By Julito G. Rada STANDARD Chartered Bank on Thursday raised the 2021 growth forecast for the Philippines from 4.6 percent to 5 percent, following the 7.1-percent expansion in the third quarter despite the prolonged impact of the pandemic.

Jonathan Koh, the bank’s Asia economist, said in a report the 3.8-percent quarter-on-quarter growth in the third quarter surpassed expectations and reversed the 1.4-percent quarter-on-quarter decline in the second quarter.

He said the gross domestic product growth on a year-on-year basis eased to 7.1 percent in the third quarter from 12.0 percent in the second quarter as the low base effect faded.

“We raise our 2021 GDP growth fore-

cast to 5.0 percent from 4.6 percent to reflect strong Q3 growth. Our forecast is at the upper bound of the government’s 4-5 percent forecast range,” Koh said.

He said the economy should continue its recovery path as the COVID situation improved amid rising vaccination, leading to looser restrictions. Data showed that daily cases averaged 2,100 over the past week from 20,000 cases at the peak in the third quarter, and mobility levels werte at their best since the pandemic began.

“Vaccination progress is key to Philippines’ recovery, with vaccination still low; only 27 percent of the population was fully vaccinated as of Nov. 8, although Metro Manila has fully vaccinated 85 percent of its population,” he said.

He said logistical challenges and vaccine hesitancy were the key issues facing

the government, with vaccine supply no longer a bottleneck, with 110.6 million doses already delivered, but only 65 million doses were administered so far.

“We expect the central bank to maintain its accommodative stance to support the growth recovery. Furthermore, inflation appears to have peaked and we expect inflation to moderate further from November as low base effects dissipate,” Koh said.

Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research, a unit of Fitch Group, also revised upward its GDP growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 4.5 percent from 4.2 percent previously, on the back of the economy’s strong showing in the third quarter and the expected sustained recovery of private spending.

ISLA Norte Energy Corp., an incorporated joint venture of Vivant Integrated Diesel Corp. and Gigawatt Power Inc., plans to develop more projects next year after completing a 23.3-megawatt power plant in Bantayan Island, Cebu that is seen to end the power shortage in the area.

INEC plans to start construction of the power projects costing a combined P1.9 billion in Pampanga and in Culion and Linapacan islands.

“After this, we’re really looking at building the two power plants we’ve been awarded PSAs [power supply agreements],” INEC board director Walden Tantuico said.

The Bantayan power plant is a diesel engine power plant in Barangay Kabangbang that will supply the long-term total power requirements of Bantayan Island.

INEC was awarded a 15-year supply contract or power supply agreement to fulfill the demand of Bantayan Electric Cooperative Inc., following a successful competitive selection process.

INEC completed the testing and commissioning of the plant in October and was able to augment the island’s power supply during shortages. Alena Mae S. Flores

Monde Nissin books P2.9-b core net income

NOODLE and biscuit maker Monde Nissin Corp. reported a core net income of P2.9 billion in the third quarter, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year on higher sales and lower tax and interest rates.

Monde Nissin said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues grew 4.1 percent in the third quarter to P17.68 billion.

“We are happy to report record quarterly revenues, led by a rebound in domestic sales. It was also good to see some recovery in margins compared with the second quarter,” Monde Nissin chief executive Henry Soesanto said.

The high commodity margins, logistics problems and higher operation expenses from continued investments in strategic projects affected margins. Sales from branded food and beverage business increased 4.2 percent to P14.1 billion, driven by the domestic business which grew 4.4 percent to P13.2 billion. Jenniffer B. Austria

DFA chief gets support in tobacco control forum SEVERAL government officials rallied in support of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. for promoting an “inclusive and participative” country position in the ongoing World Health Organization conference on addressing the smoking problem.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, along with leaders of the House of Representatives, affirmed the Philippine position expressed by Locsin at the opening of the Ninth Conference of the Parties of the WHO’ Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to a science-based approach in reducing the harm of smoking.

Deputy House Speaker Deogracias Victor Savellano and Rep. Ace Barbers slammed “extremist critics” of the Philippine position for their disrespect of the country’s sovereignty while commending Locsin for espousing a “balance and evidence-based” position at COP 9 that reflects the concerns of broader stake-

holders to include public health, government revenues and tobacco industry livelihood.

“We support the Philippine delegation to the WHO FCTC ninth Conference of the Parties headed by Secretary Locsin for pushing for an inclusive and participative decision making in crafting global policy recommendations.

Tobacco control approach cannot be one-dimensional. Health and economic aspects should both be considered as we have more than 2.2 million individual workers and dependents who get their income from tobacco production, trading, manufacturing and distribution.”

Bello said.

In the on-going COP 9 being held virtually, proposals raised by the Philippine panel led by Locsin were viewed by an overwhelming majority of member-state delegates as a vindication of the sanctity of the deliberative process, clarity and transparency which have been the norm for COPs.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. Committed to enabling local government units to become disaster-ready, Aboitiz Construction Inc. holds a disaster preparedness capacity building program for LGU officials of Barangay Don Andres Soriano, Toledo City, Cebu in collaboration with Toledo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office. Toledo CDRRMO facilitated the training and focused on the basic life support course, where 20 participants including the barangay officials and tanods, and community volunteers participated.

Business

B2 || FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSEi November 11, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

PHA

0.69

0.05

7.81%

2

CROWN

1.81

0.11

6.47%

3

ACEX

18.4

1

5.75%

4 5

JOH PHR

5.39 0.85

0.29 0.04

5.69% 4.94%

6

SGP

13.2

0.6

4.76%

7

BCB

6

0.26

4.53%

8

ALLDY

0.74

0.03

4.23%

9

BCOR

6.45

0.26

4.20%

10

IRC

1.27

0.05

4.10%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

OPM

0.01

-0.001

-9.09%

2

CA

48

-4

-7.69%

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

PBB FRUIT I ANI JGS DWC TFHI EVER

8.5 1.27 1.09 4.55 59.05 2.2 126.1 0.325

-0.59 -0.07 -0.06 -0.19 -1.95 -0.07 -3.9 -0.01

-6.49% -5.22% -5.22% -4.01% -3.20% -3.08% -3.00% -2.99%

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

SGP CNVRG URC MONDE ACEN AC SM SMPH MBT JGS

VOLUME 60,105,400 16,249,000 4,136,060 24,443,900 31,834,300 267,040 216,660 5,946,600 4,027,970 3,368,200

VALUE (PHP) 777,993,494 562,869,625 543,886,564 411,522,682 389,196,152 235,648,240 211,834,980 210,389,270 208,387,956 201,555,820

Market retreats again; Synergy, AllDay climb

S

TOCKS fell for the second straight day Thursday on another bout of profit taking and as fears about surging inflation dogged investor in the rest of Asia.

ity grid, however, advanced 4.8 percent to P13.20, while grocery chain AllDay Marts Inc. of the Villar Group, rose 4.2 percent to P0.74.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed, though sentiment was boosted by a report saying teetering Chinese property giant Evergrande had once again avoided a default after meeting bond-payment deadlines.

US investors ran for cover and the dollar soared after a forecast-beating read on the consumer price index, which hit a 31year high last month, putting fresh pressure on the Federal Reserve to act to prevent inflation from running out of control.

The surge—which came a day after a report showing producer prices accelerating—was fanned by a spike in the cost of various items, particularly gasoline, autos and food prices, and ramped up expectations the central bank will be

forced to tighten monetary policy quicker than hoped.

While Fed officials insist the jump will be temporary as the global economy slowly returns to a semblance of normality next year, observers warned the pain could continue for some time.

“Details in the report revealed a broad-based rise in prices, challenging the notion that higher inflation is just a function of transitory factors,” said National Australia Bank’s Rodrigo Catril.

“On top of the several specials from the second quarter reappearing (cars, holidays, etc), rents are trending higher and history shows that once rents get going the trend doesn’t reverse very quickly. Meanwhile, labor costs are also rising.”

And Sarah House at Wells Fargo & Co added: “We’re going to see the inflation picture get worse before it gets better.” With AFP

LONDON—Britain’s economy grew 1.3 percent in the third quarter, a far slower pace than the previous three months, as global supply chain blockages hit businesses hard, official data showed Thursday.

Gross domestic product growth for the July-September period compared with output of 5.5 percent in the secThe Philippine Stock Exchange Inond quarter, the Office for National dex shed 44.03 points, or 0.6 percent, Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. to 7,331.65 on a value turnover of P7.2 “As the world reopens we know billion. Losers edged gainers, 97 to 91, that there are still challenges to overwith 47 issues unchanged. come,” finance minister Rishi Sunak JG Summit Holdings of the Gokonsaid in response. gwei Group dropped 3.2 percent to Despite the sharp growth slowP59.05, while major property developer down in the third quarter, the chanAyala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group decellor of the exchequer added that clined 2.6 percent to P37. the UK was “forecast to have the Synergy Grid & Development Phils. fastest growth in the G7 this year.”

Inc., operator of the country’s electricThe ONS added that the UK economy was still 2.1 percent below its level before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic at the end of 2019.

The economy contracted 0.2 percent in July before rebounding in August and September, it said.

ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said “business investment remained well down on pre-pandemic levels” in the third quarter.

He added that the trade deficit widened as exports of goods to countries outside the European Union fell and imports, particularly of fuel, increased.

As countries reopen from pandemic lockdowns, companies are struggling to meet demand for goods and services, sending inflation soaring.

“A combination of rising COVID cases and shortages of raw materials, components and labor came together to present significant headwinds to growth,” Alpesh Paleja, lead economist at Britain’s main business lobby group the CBI said following Thursday’s data.

“It’s encouraging that the economy maintained some momentum in September but there’s no denying that AIR TAXI. Test pilot Damian Hischier lands Germany-based company Volocopter 2X’s air taxi during a demonstration of South this rounded off a tough quarter for Korea’s Urban Air Mobility services at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul in November 11, 2021, in the first ever crewed public test businesses, with supply constraints flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in South Korea. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK biting hard,” he added.

AFP

Manila

Standard

China’s ‘Single’s Day’ shopping fest subdued

TODAY

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

By Dan Martin

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:

SHANGHAI, China—China on Thursday held a subdued version of its annual “Single’s Day” shopping spree, shorn of the usual boasting on sales volume as the country’s chastened ecommerce sector kept a lower profile amid a government crackdown on platforms such as Alibaba.

The world’s biggest shopping festival has for years been accompanied by aggressive promotions and breathless hourly updates by industry leader Alibaba detailing ever-rising sales figures equal to the annual GDP of many nations.

But there were no rolling tallies or triumphant comments by executives from major platforms as of midday Thursday, and the whole affair was virtually ignored by state-controlled media in an indication that the feverish former sales hype might be a thing of the past.

“Single’s Day”—so-called for its 11.11 date—began more than a decade ago and for years was a one-day, 24-hour event.

But Alibaba and its rivals have expanded that out to an extended promotion from November 1-11, while some retailers and platforms offered discounts, special offers and pre-sales as early as October.

“Single’s Day” dwarfs the pre-Christmas “Black Friday” promotion in the United States and has become a closely watched barometer of consumer sentiment in the world’s secondlargest economy.

Platforms operated by Alibaba and its closest

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”.

competitor JD.com reported combined sales of $115 billion last year.

Buzz kill But the usual buzz was muted on Thursday with ecommerce platforms keeping their heads down owing to the government scrutiny.

The government has taken aim at alleged abuse of user data and monopolistic business practices by online giants, but also appears motivated in part by wider concerns that Big Tech had become too powerful and unregulated.

Alibaba had said earlier that hundreds of brands had enjoyed a stronger start from November 1 compared with the previous year, but provided no figures.

An Alibaba spokesperson said figures would only be announced after the event’s window closes late Thursday.

The government scrutiny has rattled big players like Alibaba, Tencent and JD, slicing billions of dollars of their equity values, but experts say the ruling Communist Party is not about to significantly hobble ecommerce.

The party is waging a long-term campaign to diversify China’s economy away from an overdependence on manufacturing, exports and government investment, toward a more marketbased, consumer-driven model.

Tech giants have aided greatly in this effort, and Chinese executives have said the pandemic has boosted online purchases further, partly by discouraging in-person shopping in crowded stores. AFP

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)

UK economy expanded at a slower pace in 3rd quarter

A delivery worker drives an electric vehicle full of packages to be delivered to customers on ‘Singles’ Day,’“ also known as the Double 11, the biggest shopping day of the year, in Beijing on November 11, 2021.AFP

Elon Musk sells $5-b Tesla shares after Twitter poll NEW YORK—Tesla CEO Elon Musk has offloaded company shares worth $5 billion, days after setting off a Twitter poll—in which millions voted—asking whether he should sell 10 percent of his huge stake in the electric carmaker.

The zany billionaire, the world’s richest man with a net worth of around $300 billion, sold 4.5 million shares this week, according to regulatory filings made on Wednesday.

But they did not suggest the unconventional virtual referendum he issued on Saturday was behind the decision.

A batch of shares worth $1.1 billion were sold on Monday in a bid to settle tax obligations after Musk exercised stock options, but the sale was initiated under a pre-arranged trading plan set up in September, according to the filings.

It was not clear if the remaining share sales notified on Tuesday and Wednesday—around 3.6 million shares worth around $4 billion— were also planned ahead of the Twitter poll.

On Saturday Musk tweeted: “Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock. Do you support this?”

“I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes,” he added in another tweet after he posted the vote to his more than 62 million followers.

In the poll, almost 58 percent of 3.5 million votes were cast in favor of him proceeding with the sale.

But to hit a ten percent sale of his total stake in Tesla, the 50-year-old South African would have to sell millions more shares than he has done so far this week.

Before the sales, he still owned more than 170 million Tesla shares, about a 17-percent stake in the company, according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Musk’s wealth has swelled with the recent surge in Tesla’s stock price, from about $130 at the start of 2020 to $1,222.09 last Friday. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

B3

‘Tadhana’ turns 4 THEY say life is a myriad of experiences, possibilities, and of ups and downs.

Every chapter is a colorful narrative of one’s difficulties and triumphs—with each success deserving a celebration.

This November, as Tadhana marks its fourth year on air, the award-winning drama anthology hosted by Marian Rivera continues to celebrate the stories of every Filipino’s triumphs, sparking hope, and inspiration to viewers here and abroad.

“I’d like to extend my overwhelming gratitude to the people behind Tadhana and to the viewers who have been supporting our show since the beginning,” Rivera said during the

Drama anthology ‘Tadhana’ marks its 4th year on air with host Marian Rivera.

program’s anniversary junket.

For its month-long anniversary special, Tadhana has lined up heartwarming episodes featuring some of the country’s acclaimed actors. For its opening salvo this Nov.13 and Nov. 20, witness the complicated story of two parents and a daughter caught between them in “Sa Ngalan ng Ama.” The cast includes Gabby Concepcion, Thea Tolentino, Ariella Arida, Bubbles Paraiso, and Eula Valdez.

In the story, Concepcion plays Christian, the biological father of Tracy portrayed by Tolentino. Choosing to be true to herself after coming out as a

Viva’s newest bet for stardom banners ‘Mahjong Nights’

A

NGELI Khang is just 20 years old but unlike other up-and-coming actresses her age, she has no qualms about doing daring and sexy scenes in movies.

And that’s exactly what audiences will see in Mahjong Nights.

Hot drama and even hotter sensual emotions flare up in Law Fajardo’s new erotic drama that follows the story of Esther (Mickey Ferriols) who regularly organizes a Mahjong Night game with her long-time friends at her house, where she lives with her second husband Leo (Jay Manalo) and her only daughter Alexa (Angeli Khang).

But there is always more than mahjong games that happen in their house: Leo lusting over Alexa; Alexa’s sexual encounters with the driver of her mom’s friend; Esther feigning ignorance with everything that’s happening in their house; and an unexpected person who knows all their secrets.

All these hidden desires and hidden truths, if revealed, will ruin not just their Mahjong Night game, but also their lives.

Angeli Khang, who also had a sexy role in the movie Taya, takes on another challenge of a sexy role, paving her way as one of VIVA’s mustwatch upcoming sexy stars.

“I think every sexy scene ko po is a part of me na s’yempre kinakabahan ako. But I think I was able to meet the expectations sa’kin ni Direk Law and I think those daring scenes ang kailangan nilang abangan,” she during the film’s virtual press conference.

“I’m so honored to be the leading

actress of Mahjong Nights. Talagang nag-effort ako,” Angeli added.

According to the newbie star, doing sexy scenes is just a stepping stone. In fact, she had to defy he father, a South Korean general, who is against her entering showbiz.

“He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. Ang gusto po niyang mangyari sa akin ay sundan yung landas niya as an army. He said that it has a lot of better opportunities. But in my heart and mind, gustung-gusto ko

lesbian, Diane played by Arida leaves Christian and raises Tracy without him.

After many years, Christian tries to reclaim the daughter he never met. But this is not without a fight from Coco, portrayed in the episode by Valdez.

Coco is the lesbian guardian of Tracy who assumed responsibility for taking care of Tracy when Dianne died during childbirth.

Viewers should also catch the second episode of Tadhana’s 4th Anniversary Special, “Kabayaran” which is set to air on Nov. 27 and Dec. 4.

Tadhana airs Saturdays at 3:15 p.m. before Wish Ko Lang! on GMA Network.

Hot drama and even hotter sensual emotions flare up in Law Fajardo’s new erotic drama movie ‘Mahjong Nights’ starring Viva’s upcoming sexy star Angeli Khang.

UAE-based model tops Misters of Filipinas pageant

talaga na mag-artista kaya I got my consent from my mom,” the Fil-Korean actress shared.

Aside from Mickey Ferriols and Jay Manalo, they are also joined by Arnel Ignacio, Jamilla Obispo, and Maricel Morales, who play the roles of Esther’s friends. Also in the movie is the in-demand sexy young actor Sean De Guzman, who plays the role of the young driver and Alexa’s love interest.

Mahjong Nights streams today exclusively on Vivamax.

Scenes from the movie with Sean de Guzman (right photo) and Jay Manalo.

NADIM Elzein, a 23-year-old Filipino model, who had Lebanese and Palestinian lineage, was crowned Misters of Filipinas - Man of the World 2021 during the finals held recently at Silver Reef Dive Resort in Dauin, Negros Oriental.

Elzein, who has his roots in Cavite, was born and raised in Dubai but came to the Philippines some years back to continue his studies at the Lyceum of the Philippines Cavite where he graduated with a degree in International Travel and Tourism Management and also won his first title as Mr. LPU Cavite in 2018.

“It’s an honor to represent the Filipino community here in the United Arabs Emirate. We are being recognized here in UAE when it comes to our dedication, hard work and integrity. In all kinds of profession, Filipinos are truly world class. We got it all. Filipinos in UAE are inspiring the world globally with everything they got, especially, with their talents, skills and the values that made them strong people to influence others,” Elzein said.

“Be happy with what you have, while working for what you want. Do something today that your future self will thank you for. With that in mind, I keep my health in check for I am also an athlete,” said Elzein who helps with his brother’s business and plans to put up his own company.

Junichi Yabushita of Cebu City was named First Prince, while Derick Allen Lauchengco of Laguna City and Romel Ayag of Caloocan City were named Second and Third Princes, respectively.

Jearu Ed Magbuhat of Batangas rounded out the Top 5 as Fourth Prince.

Sean Vintola of Negros Oriental and Jomarl Pabalan of Pampanga were named PEPPS Ambassadors 2021.

Read more on manilastandard. net

ABS-CBN dedicates new Christmas station ID to everyday heroes After one of the most challenging years for Filipinos, ABS-CBN offers a loving tribute to everyday heroes who continually give hope, strength, and inspiration to others, as the nation celebrates Christmas this 2021.

On Monday (Nov. 8) night, ABS-CBN finally released “Andito Tayo Para Sa Isa’t Isa,” the theme song of the “2021 Christmas ID ng mga Pilipino” that it will launch tonight on TV Patrol.

The song tells how having faith in God and working together in love have enabled Filipinos to overcome life’s adversities such as the pandemic and natural disasters like typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

Performing the song in the recording and lyric video, which can be watched in various ABS-CBN cable and online platforms,

are Ogie Alcasid, BGYO, Kathryn Bernardo, Andrea Brillantes, Sharon Cuneta, Darren Espanto, Seth Fedelin, Sarah Geronimo, Belle Mariano, Martin Nievera, Daniel Padilla, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Donny Pangilinan, Inigo Pascual, Piolo Pascual, Erik Santos, KZ Tandingan, Gary Valenciano, Regine VelasquezAlcasid, and Vice Ganda.

The lyric of “Andito Tayo Para Sa Isa’t Isa” was written by Robert Labayen and Love Rose De Leon of ABS-CBN Creative Communication Management (CCM) division with Thyro Alfaro. Thyro also composed the song’s music with Xeric Tan. CCM’s Maria Lourdes Parawan provided the English translation of the lyrics for the video.

Led by Labayen, Johnny Delos

Santos, and ABS-CBN chief operating officer of broadcast Cory Vidanes, CCM is also behind the recording and lyric video and the “Andito Tayo Para

Sa Isa’t Isa: 2021 Christmas ID (CID) ng mga Pilipino.” The CID features inspiring stories of Filipinos and more Kapamilya stars and personalities.

ABS-CBN Christmas station ID features the biggest Kapamilya artists including well-loved onscreen pairings of Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, Seth Fedelin and Andrea Brillantes, and Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.

Nadim Elzein is a 5-foot-11 model and beach lover. He will represent the Philippines in the Man of the World 2022 pageant.

Disney+ streaming subscriber growth slows US ENTERTAINMENT giant Disney said Wednesday its flagship streaming service grew slower than expected in the recently ended quarter as pandemic headwinds have begun to bite.

Disney+ has reached 118 million subscribers worldwide, but analysts had predicted millions more would sign up, resulting in a miss that saw the entertainment giant’s share price slip in after-market trades.

‘Mulan,’ a live-action reimagining of the Chinese folk hero, Disney Company chief executive Bob streams on Disney Plus as part of a regular subscription.

Chapek told analysts on an earnings call

that the two-year-old service has faced some pandemic headwinds to landing new shows and films.

“Obviously, we are only in year two of the Disney+ launch and the hunger for content for the service is extraordinary.

And when you have that happen at the same time that you have a pandemic and you have to shut down production, that is not a good combination,” he said.

Rival Netflix has promised to significantly bolster its line-up of original programming after suffering from

pandemic-caused production delays.

Disappointing growth at Disney+ came as the company tried to regain momentum in its travel and theme park businesses, which have suffered due to the pandemic.

In its earnings release, the group attributed the decline to cheaper subscriptions in some markets, such as India and Indonesia. It also noted that Disney+ is facing cost increases in terms of content production, marketing, and technology.

Disney stock fell four percent by close

of trading Wednesday. But the very popular streaming service benefits from the controversial strategy of its parent company, which consists of releasing some films simultaneously in theaters and online, with an additional cost for subscribers to the platform.

After Mulan in 2020, Black Widow and Jungle Cruise were released this summer to the great displeasure of theaters and stars such as Scarlett Johansson, who criticized a loss of earnings for them. AFP

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

B4

Sanctuary in

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

Sipalay City

Life TRAVEL AND LEISURE

SWEET AND SANDY. Sugar Beach, the kilometer-long sugary brown beach in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental hemmed in by verdant hills and lush greenery.

A

WELLNESS destination that combines contemporary comforts with the charm and natural beauty of Negros Occidental’s city, Sipalay is opening its doors soon.

Sipalay has been dubbed the Jewel of the Sugar Island for the elegance and beauty of the landscapes that cover the entire city.

It once lived through a four-decade-long mining economy which played a vital role in the transformation of Sipalay into a city. Today, it takes pride in its eco-rich resources that attract tourists to explore its expansive land and aqua terrain.

The most famous of the “jewel’s” natural wonders are the 19 islets of Sambulawan. These lumps of land naturally float through the emerald green waters and mangrove trails. More clumps of islets together with limestone cliffs and pristine beaches are found in Campomanes Bay, a protected marine sanctuary home to one of the 43 dive sites in the city, S/S Panay.

Sipalay is also home to more than 60 caves – including Tibiongan Cave and Matlag Cave, both boast natural pools with dramatic limestone cliffs – as well as Huyop Huyop Falls and the 35-hectare Dul-ongan Mangrove Ecopark and Protected Area.

Adding to these worth-the-trip natural attractions is the soon to open Manami Resort. Built on the hillside right around the corner of Campomanes Bay, Manami is the pioneering property of Discovery Hospitality Corporation’s Signature Collection.

The Signature Collection is a portfolio of hotel and resort properties, each with its own style and personality. Manami’s personality? The property reflects the three distinct pillars that make living the Negrense lifestyle captivating:

The soon-toopen Manami Resort in Sipalay City is the pioneering property of Discovery Hospitality Corporation’s Signature Collection. It will feature 18 lush villas and 12 suites.

contemporary comforts, genuine touchpoints, and warm people.

The resort will have 18 lush villas and 12 suites sitting on top of a massive slab of Earth stones. Surrounding the private corners are wide modern spaces bracing up environment sustainability, including walkways and trails, natural mise-en-scène, and wellness amenities such as spa and pools.

Developers foresee Manami to become the next dreamy wedding destination, with elaborate flora and ravishing fauna as well as the pristine shorelines and green groves that surround the area.

While being in its organic environment is an advantage, experiences are still delivered with much thought – nature walks, meditation programs, and happy

and healthy nutrition are just some of the comforts that guests can explore and enjoy.

Signature Collection properties are thoughtfully designed to offer Discovery’s signature brand of service to complement its unique character and brand DNA. Distinct characteristics set these properties’ marks – hotel story, regional flair, taste of culture, and memorable moments.

Sipalay City is home to many natural wonders including (from left) Tibiongan Cave and Matlag Cave, the limestone cliffs in Campomanes Bay, Julien’s Wreck, and vast rice fields.

NAMED after the second president of our country and the first to be freely elected, the province of Quezon, with its breathtaking sights, has become one of the most visited places in recent years.

Although tourism is still in its “growing up” stages, the province has now become popular with fun-seekers and those who want to immerse themselves in its rich culture and history.

A major tourism attraction is Mount Banahaw, the popular mystical mountain, believed to be surrounded by good spirits because it used to be a sacred site for pre-colonial inhabitants of the area. To this day, Christian cults live on the mountain and many pilgrims visit it during Holy Week.

Of course, there are the sand-sea-sky attractions that bring in tourists, not only from other parts of the country but also from abroad.

There is Balesin, the playground of the country’s rich and famous, which features seven different deluxe resorts providing its members the luxury of choosing which differently themed villas to stay in. At the other end of the price spectrum is the Salibungot Beach in Jomalig, popular with backpackers for its white sand beach.

And there are the three famous colorful festivals: The

As destinations gradually reopen, airline offers discounted fares

Colorful Quezon

The entrance to Caliya, Ovialand’s new master-planned premier residential community in Candelaria, Quezon.

Lucban celebrates its colorful Pahiyas Festival to give thanks to San Isidro Labrador. (Photos from Wikimedia Commons)

Pahiyas is the grand thanksgiving celebration of the people of Lucban to the patron saint of farmers, St. Isidore Labrador. The residents decorate their houses with their harvest vegetables and colorful kiping, giant leaves made of ground rice flour and dyed in different colors.

There is also the Niyugyugan Festival, celebrating the province’s main product, coconut, and featuring an elaborate float parade and street dancing. And, the foodies go for the Katang Festival, which features different ways of cooking katang (crab), and banners the “Higanteng Alimango” as the celebration’s mascot.

One of the more progressive municipalities in the province is Candelaria because it is home to a large number of desiccated coconut factories and oil refineries employing thousands of its residents, posting through the years a continuous decrease in the town’s poverty incidence index.

This is why South Luzon’s top developer, Ovialand, put up Caliya, a master-planned residential community in Candelaria, offering a premium living experience for its residents and those of the nearby municipalities and provinces.

Caliya, which means “flower wreath” in Greek, embodies what family living is all about: nurturing a space where homeowners, like Olympic silver medalist Nesthy Petecio, can take a much-needed breather and spend some quality time with family and friends in Quezon.

It comes as no surprise that Ovialand remains the top-of-mind choice in South Luzon. From its location and layouts to its amenities, Caliya is built with the idea of developing safe and vibrant homes for Filipino families without breaking the bank.

Caliya is a three-hour drive from Manila, and stands alongside Pan-Philippine Highway. With its highly accessible location, this new first-class residential community affords residents and guests the convenience of being near the Candelaria town proper – where municipal hospitals and schools are located – and of course, Quezon’s top tourist destinations.

A tourist destination near Caliya is Alibijaban Island, located just off the coast of Bondoc Peninsula, and is popular for its powdery white sand beach, coral reefs, and mangrove forest.

A 15-minute drive from Caliya is a cornucopia of attractive hand-crafted souvenirs at UGU Bigyan’s Pottery Garden, which also offers pottery workshops to visitors. It has an al fresco restaurant in its Balinesedesigned garden area.

Ovialand’s Caliya not only offers dream homes to families in the Quezon area, but also space for leisure and recreation for us metro residents who wish to go off the beaten path and take a break from city life. More information on Caliya may be obtained through bea. zorrilla@imgroup.ph.

Some of Caliya’s easy-on the-pocket townhouses.

Pottery items on display at UGU Bigyan’s Pottery Garden.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

ARE you excited to travel again?

Leading budget carrier Cebu Pacific welcomes the easing of travel restrictions across many destinations this month with its trademark Piso Seat Sale, offered from Nov. 11 to Nov. 14.

Passengers can score base fare as low as P1 to over 56 domestic and 20 international routes.

Travel period for the discounted tickets is from July 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022.

“We are delighted to see more and more destinations safely open their doors once again, and more people having the confidence to fly again as well,” said Candice Iyog, CEB vice president of marketing and customer experience. “We remain cautiously optimistic while we continue to do what we can to support the recovery of the travel and tourism industry.”

Domestic destinations in this month’s #CEBSuperSeatFest include Boracay, Bohol, Camiguin, Cebu, Siargao, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and more across the airline’s wide domestic network. CEB flights to chosen international destinations, such as Tokyo (Narita), Osaka, and Nagoya are also up for grabs.

Go to cebupacificair.com to book tickets.

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific holds a four-day Piso Sale for select domestic and international destinations.