Manila Standard - 2021 November 15 - Monday

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PLOT THICKENS: RODY UPSET OVER SARA VP RUN, BLAMES MARCOS FOR IT PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ex expressed his displeasure Sunday at the news that his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio would run for vice president next year, saying this was the doing of former senator and presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bong “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. In an interview streamed over YouTube with a pro-Duterte blogger, the President also said he would support only his long-time aide, Sena Senator Christopher Go, for the presidency, and would announce soon why he will not back Marcos or boxing

champ-turned Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Duterte's interview with blogger Byron Cristobal came after Go withdrew his candidacy for vice president at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila, on Saturday, and instead filed a certificate of candidacy to run for president in next year's elections.

“I’m just asking for a few hours,” Duterte said in Filipino. “The people will know who’s doing the manipulating. That’s not me,” he said. “I’m just asking for a few more hours and I can tell the truth.

In the campaign I will tell you why I can’t support Marcos. The same goes for

Pacquiao and the others.”

“I never said that I will support anyone–Marcos or Pacquiao,” he continued.

“They’re nothing. I just talk to them out of respect and because they wanted to talk to me.”

He said he did not blame his daughter because they were not talking to each other.

“I do not approve of their decision to have Sara run. I am sure Bongbong decided for her,” he said.

Duterte said the only thing he is sure of is that his daughter asked for two COCs from Lakas-CMD – one for president and one for vice president Next page

Unvaxxed kids face trip ban NCR mayors discuss issue, other guidelines on children this week

By Willie Casas and Othel V. Camps

Face-to-face pilot classes begin today

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ETRO Manila mayors are set to decide whether to reimpose travel restrictions on unvaccinated young children after a 2-yearold boy tested positive for COVID-19 following a visit to the mall, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Sunday.

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Año told radio dzBB that Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. said the mayors would tackle the issue this week at a meeting.

The mayors on Friday said they will review the guidelines for allowing children outdoors, including inside malls.

Minors have been allowed to go out Next page

Shoppers, including parents who brought along their young kids, troop to Divisoria in Manila over the weekend under the more relaxed Alert Level 2 prevailing over the National Capital Region.

Metro Manila mayors, however, are reviewing existing guidelines for children outdoors to prevent pediatric COVID-19 infections.

Norman Cruz

‘I love Metro Manila’ to uplift residents’ spirit

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has launched the “I Love Metro Manila” advocacy to uplift the spirits of the 13 million residents recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program, MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. saud, was also created to strengthen initiatives on urban renewal that aim to transform the metropolis to be a more livable, greener, and resilient region as Metro Manila enters the new normal period.

Abalos said the advocacy was “the united pandemic response among the 17 Metro Manila local government units.”

“Let us talk about mobility, mass transportation, river ferry, water quality, bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, greening and urban spaces, opening parks, pathways along the river, jogging path, pocket gardens, trash traps, culture, film fests, public safety, and many others. We shall deal with all of the things that we dream about for Metro Manila,” Abalos said.

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THE Philippines begins today (Monday) a pilot run of limited in-person classes in select public schools, the first time that basic education institutions will hold classroom sessions after nearly two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementation of the trial or exploratory run will take place in 100 schools selected by the Department of Education and the Department of Health, mostly from far-flung areas in the provinces deemed “low risk” to COVID-19.

DepEd Planning Service Director Roger Masapol said the resumption of in-person classes did not signal a return to how schooling was conducted prior to the health crisis.

The in-person or face-to-face classes will only complement distance learning modalities, with classroom sessions set to be held every other week.

So far, only students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and senior high school will attend physical classes, which will also see reduced class sizes. Schools have also retrofitted their facilities to implement health protocols and avoid the possible spread of COVID-19.

In Tamulaya Elementary School in Quezon province’s Polillo Island, school officials enforced distancing between students' chairs and installed plastic barriers around each of them.

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2,816,980

Vax hesitancy still at 10-15%—DOH A DEPARTMENT of Health official said Sunday only between 10 and 15 percent of some 110 million Filipinos were hesitant to get inoculated against COVID-19, a decline from the 35 percent vaccine hesitancy recorded during the first months of national vaccination.

Health Undersecretary Leopoldo

Vega added most Filipinos who were refusing COVID-19 vaccines had "personal belief" that it might harm them although the DOH had assured the public that all government-approved COVID-19 vaccines were safe and effective.

“We had high vaccine hesitancy when we first started. It is about 35 per-

cent but most of these vaccine hesitant people are doubtful on the safety of vaccines,” he told Dobol B TV. "It improved through the months.

When we started vaccinating, the 35 percent decreased, and now only 10 to 15 percent refuse to get inoculated.”

1,926

28,102

45,581

309

2,743,297

3,140

(As of 4 PM, NOV. 14) 14

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P1 price cut on gas up; diesel, kerosene steady

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect a rollback in gasoline prices starting Tuesday of as much as P1 per liter amid the softening of prices in the world oil market.

Diesel prices, however, will not move, according to the recent price forecast of Unioil Petroleum Philippines.

"Expect fuel prices to have a mixed movement next week (November 16 to 22). Diesel will have no price change. Gasoline should go down by P0.90 to P1 per liter," the company said.

On November 9, the oil companies also cut pump prices. Gasoline went down by P1 per liter, as did diesel and kerosene by P0.60 and Next page P0.65 per liter respectively.

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PARADE OF GIANTS. Giant figures made of papier-mâché parade along Quezon Avenue in Angono, Rizal for the Higantes Festival on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021.

The annual feast is in honor of St. Clement, the patron saint of fishermen. Joey Razon

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Taal volcano spews 12k tons of sulfur dioxide

BLESSED ARE THE POOR.

Pope Francis blesses faithful at the end of the mass marking the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of the Poor, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on November 14 2021.

By Rio N. Araja

COP26 strikes global climate deal N Rich countries stood accused of failing at the COP26 summit in Glasgow to deliver much-needed finance to vulnerable states at risk of drought, rising seas, fire and storms.

Britain's COP26 president Alok Sharma rounded up the marathon negotiations telling delegates: "It is now decision time.

And the choices you are set to make are vitally important."

But China and India insisted that language on fossil fuels be weakened in the final summit decision text.

As the final deal was clinched, a tearful Sharma said "I apologize for the way this process has unfolded. I am

deeply sorry," before banging down his gavel.

Delegates entered the talks charged with keeping the 2015 ParisAgreement goal of limiting temperature rises to 1.5-2C degrees within reach.

They were also tasked with finding the funding for nations most at risk of climate-related droughts, floods and storms supercharged by rising seas.

Observers said the agreement fell far short of what is needed to avert dangerous warming and help countries adapt or recoup damages from the disasters already unfurling globally.

UN Secretary General Antonio

Unvaxxed...

experienced allergies, hyperventilation, and post-vaccination body pain but they all got better the next day.

At present, the FDA has approved only Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 12 to 17.

“So far, with about 400,000 minors already vaccinated, we have not seen any adverse events that really caused problems,” Domingo said in Filipino.

Domingo also said that minors with no underlying conditions need not present medical certificates from their doctors before getting vaccinated.

The government started its pediatric inoculation program on Oct. 15 for those with comorbidities, and on Nov. 3 for all minors in the 12-17 age group.

Government data show that there are 12.7 million children ages 12 to 17 in the country, with 1.2 million of them having comorbidities. The government is targeting to vaccinate 80 percent or about 10 million of them by December 2021.

For the vaccination of kids ages 5 to 11, Domingo said they might be receiving only half of the dose due to their lighter body weight.

Año also said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has recommended that face shields be required only under certain alert levels. He

would not say, however, at what level the shields would no longer be required.

More tourist destinations, meanwhile, have decided to waive RT-PCR tests for travelers in favor of proof of full vaccination.

On Nov. 13, 2021, the popular tourism sites in Tarlac, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija no longer require Rt-PCR tests while starting Nov. 15, the islands of, Camiguin, Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Iloilo and the province of Batangas will also waive the said test.

Boracay, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Oriental, Bulacan, and Cebu Province will be waiving the RT-PCR test as a travel requirement on Nov. 16, 2021.

“With the lifting of the testing requirements for fully vaccinated visitors to these destinations, travel has become more affordable and accessible for domestic tourists, especially with the coming holiday season,” said Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.

In lieu of the RT-PCR test, the destinations require only vaccination cards issued by the Department of Health (DOH) or the local government unit (LGU) where the vaccination was administered.

Puyat, however, reminded tourists to

observe minimum health and safety protocols when traveling.

Puyat also reminded tourism businesses, workers, and other stakeholders not to be complacent with the easing of domestic travel to prevent COVID-19 cases from increasing—which could halt the recovery of the country's tourism industry.

“Seeing how the reopening of tourism all over the country is helping Filipinos return to their jobs, we cannot afford a new surge of COVID-19 infections and a return to the restrictions imposed by a stricter quarantine. Let us do our individual parts to ensure that there will be no outbreaks in our destinations,” she said.

She added that in Boracay Island alone, the vaccination rate among tourism workers reached 100 percent for those who have received the first dose, which means more workers—who were not included in the DOT’s initial target—are now able to return to their jobs.

Other destinations that have started accepting vaccination cards for travel purposes are San Vicente, Palawan, Naga City, Camarines Sur, Baguio City, Benguet, Cebu City and Mandaue City, Clark Freeport Zone, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Dingalan in Aurora, Maasin City and Ormoc in Leyte, Calbayog City in Samar and Mati, Davao Oriental.

“I will make an announcement,” he said when asked about reports that he would be Go's running mate. “Maybe I'll make an announcement to let people know that I do not like what is happening.”

In a video posted on her Facebook account, Duterte-Carpio said her decision to run for vice president was to meet her supporters—who wanted her to run for president—halfway.

"I have thousands of supporters who cried last Oct. 8 [during the deadline for the filing of COC] and I cannot find it in my heart to make them cry again on Nov.15. After the deadline, the offer to run for vice president became an opportunity to meet you halfway," she said.

On Nov. 9, Duterte withdrew her COC for mayor and her younger brother, Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, took her place.

The mayor’s VP candidacy under Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) was filed by a representative on Saturday, quickly followed by the announcement of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas that they are adopting Duterte-Carpio as Marcos's running mate.

Running for the No. 2 position, the mayor said, is a path that would allow her to heed her supporters’ call to serve the country and make her a stronger person and public servant.

"I am here to answer your call. I appeal to all supporters to stay calm. Let us be circumspect and stay the course," she added.

She said she did not want to get involved in the problems besetting the ruling party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino– Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

"The problems of PDP are their own.

Let them resolve their issues within their party," she said.

"This is all politics and this will not matter in the years to come or even now when we need to focus on our country’s recovery and the people's welfare," she added.

Also on Sunday, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who leads one faction of the PDP-Laban, asked his party mates to "toe the party line and remain steadfast" after the party's presidential candidate, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, withdrew from the race.

"We assure you that nothing has changed, our objective remains the same-victory in the coming national and local elections," Cusi said in an open letter to PDP Laban members.

He said the President, who is party chairman, would lead the PDP-Laban campaign next year.

EARLY 200 nations came together Saturday on a global deal to combat climate change after two weeks of painful negotiation, but fell short of what science says is needed to contain dangerous temperature rises.

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of their homes and move around under Alert Level 2 as the government opens up more establishments to spur the economy.

Año said they would also have to consult with pediatric experts.

Local government units (LGUs) have the authority to reimpose restrictions if they are needed, Año said.

He added that they are also investigating the report about the 2-year-old boy to see if the test produced a false positive.

“It's too early to make any conclusions, but it's good that we study the matter,” he said.

The Department of Health said the case of the 2-year-old boy would not affect the Alert Level 2 status of Metro Manila.

Also on Sunday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that, so far, there have been no adverse reactions reported among children in the 12-17 age group who got their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo told radio dzBB that only a few children -- nine from those who got the Pfizer vaccine, and one who got Moderna --

Plot...

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president—but he did not know which one she would choose.

On Saturday, Duterte-Carpio filed a COC under the Lakas-CMD party as a substitute for its vice presidential candidate for 2022, who withdrew from the race.

Duterte said he was puzzled by his daughter's moves.

“I'm wondering…. She's number 1 in the surveys, so why did she agree to run only for vice president,” Duterte said.

While Duterte's Communications Secretary Martin Andanar had said the President would run for vice president against his own daughter next year, Duterte said he would make an announcement “in a matter of hours.”

P1...

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These resulted in year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P20.95 per liter for gasoline, P17.50 per liter for diesel and P15.09 per liter for kerosene.

The Department of Energy said in its monitoring report crude prices declined after the US increased its inventory by 3.29million barrels to 434.1 million barrels for the week ending October 29.

A slowdown in the Chinese economy eased the market tightness and rising cases in China impacted on demand.

DOE said the decision of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and

its allies to stick to its decision of increasing the December output by 400,000 barrels per day also affected oil prices.

Possibilities of the US releasing crude oil stocks from its strategic petroleum reserves to augment crude oil supply is seen to further impact world oil prices.

Gasoline demand in Asia remained strong supported by overall ongoing recovery in the region amid easing of travel restrictions and movement control order.

DOE also said India continues to lead the recovery in gasoline market with gasoline demand already reaching pre-COVID levels while Malaysia’s demand is expected to hit pre-pandemic level soon.

Indonesian gasoline demand is also expected to be higher for November.

Guterres welcomed the deal, but stressed it was "not enough."

"We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe," he added.

Laurence Tubiana, the architect of the Paris deal, told AFP that "COP has failed to provide immediate assistance for people suffering now."

But a statement from the European Commission said the deal had "kept the Paris targets alive."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose government hosted the talks, insisted the deal was a "big step forward" even if much more work needed to be done. AFP

Face-to-face...

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Schools in Zambales, meanwhile, installed triages, and handwashing and isolation facilities.

Some of the participating schools also conducted simulation of physical classes and oriented students to ensure that they follow health protocols.

Meanwhile, a DepEd official said there was a strong possibility that limited face-to-face classes would be conducted in Metro Manila as the COVID-19 situation in the region is seen as improving.

DepEd Director Roger Masapol said in an interview on Dobol B TV: “There’s a big chance that pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes will be conducted in NCR.” The DepEd executive said the agency had written a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte asking him to allow more schools to participate in the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes, which will start next week.

TAAL Volcano in Batangas emitted 12,260 tons per day of sulfur dioxide in the past 24 hours on Saturday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Sunday.

This is one of the highest SO2 emissions this month, followed by 19,463 tonnes on November 7 and 14,054 tonnes on November 6.

The Taal Volcano Network recorded three volcanic tremor events having durations of two to three minutes and low-level background tremor that has persisted since July 7.

Activity at the main crater was dominated by upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake which generated plumes 700 meters tall that drifted southwest.

Taal Volcano Island has begun inflating since August.

Phivolcs said alert level 2 (increased unrest) prevails over Taal Volcano.

It reminded the public that at Alert Level 2, sudden steam- or gas-driven explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within and around Taal Volcano Island.

It strongly recommended that entry into Taal Volcano Island, a permanent danger zone, must be strictly prohibited, especially the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure, and occupancy and boating on Taal Lake.

‘I love..

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Among the initiatives undertaken by the MMDA under the “I Love MM” is the Adopt-a-Park Project in partnership with different LGUs; the Urban Regreening and Renewal Program, which raises environmental awareness and encourages inclusive and participatory planning among the stakeholders to address urban decay through creation of green public parks and revitalization of Metro Manila ecosystem against rapid urbanization.

The advocacy will also highlight the continued support and participation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and all 16 cities and one municipality comprising Metro Manila; and engagement of all stakeholders in the process.

Metro Manila, being one of the regional drivers of economic development and home to a significant portion of the country’s population, needs to improve its capacity to recover from the socioeconomic fallout from the pandemic while building its resilience to health emergencies and reducing poverty, Abalos said.

The MMDA recognized the concerted efforts of the IATF members and 17 Metro Manila LGUs for the efficient implementation of COVID-19 pandemic response initiatives, making the NCR the first region to achieve population protection.

Abalos said that as of Nov. 13, Metro Manila has fully vaccinated 91 percent of its eligible population. By Dec. 12, this will reach 100.87 percent of the target, and by Feb. 12, 2022, almost 105 percent of its target.

Vax...

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Vega said they were aiming to fully vaccinate 65 percent to 70 percent of the country's population by the end of the year, adding the government also expected to fully inoculate 80 percent of the population by next year, following the vaccination of young adults.

Vega reiterated the government's National Vaccination Days this last week of November, which seeks to administer 1 million vaccines per day.

Malacañang said the 3-day national vaccination drive against COVID-19 from November 29 to December 1 might be declared non-working days.

At least 31 million Filipinos have completed their COVID-19 jabs, still way off the target of herd immunity.

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Defensor urges gov’t to prolong suspension of fuel excise taxes

Gov’t takeover of Malampaya a ‘foolish idea’ —Rep. Pimentel SURIGAO del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said a proposed government takeover of Malampaya is ‘a foolish idea’ that will cost taxpayers $1 billion (P50 billion in public debt obligations.

There have been calls for the government to match the $460 million offered by a private firm to acquire Shell Petroleum N.V.’s 45-percent operating stake in the offshore Malampaya gas field.

“Right now, the government is already in a sweet spot, merely collecting 60 percent of the net proceeds from Malampaya’s petroleum business, regardless of the private operator. The government is not spending anything, and is not incurring any liabilities,” Pimentel said.

“There’s no point in the government suddenly having to borrow and spend a lot of money to match any private party’s offer to buy Shell out,” Pimentel, who is the vice-chair of House good government and public accountability committee, said.

Several groups earlier urged lawmakers “to fully explore if the government could easily get financing” to takeover Shell’s operating stake in the gas project.

“But the takeover cost is around $1 billion because, on top of paying $460 million to Shell, the government would have to borrow and spend another $500 million to $600 million to explore and develop additional production wells,” Pimentel warned.

“And the government simply cannot afford to incur additional debt obligations now, considering its worsening budget deficit,” Pimentel said.

The government reported an unprecedented P1.37 trillion budget deficit in 2020, due to aggressive spending to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and stimulate the economy.

The gap between government spending and income is expected to further widen this year, after the Bureau of Treasury reported a P1.14 trillion budget deficit from January to September.

Pimentel warned that the government’s deficit-spending, while needed, “is bound to haunt businesses and the economy in the months ahead, if left unchecked.”

ART OF MAKING A ‘BELEN.’ An entry for the best presentation of the Nativity of Jesus for this year’s “14th Belenismo sa Tarlac” the art of making a Belen. The final judging was held on Saturday night and the winners will be announced in December. The event that made the province of Tarlac known for being the Belen-making capital of the Philippines” started in 2007. Lino Santos

Agents seize P4.7m smuggled vegetables in Malabon City raid

By Joel E. Zurbano

G

OVERNMENT agents raided a warehouse in Malabon City and seized smuggled vegetables and other agricultural products worth more than P4.7 million.

The Manila International Container Port - Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (MICP-CIIS) raided the storage facility located along Gov. Pascual Avenue in Barangay Catmon based on the Letter of Authority and Mission Order signed and issued by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero on Nov. 11.

The seized agricultural products include broccoli, carrots, and red onions suspected to be smuggled from China.

The MICP-CIIS led by its chief intelligence officer Alvin Enciso conducted the operation with the help from the Coast Guard, Department of Agriculture, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Department of Trade and Industry, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“Our mandate has always been to clear our ports of all kinds of smuggling. Recently, we’ve been getting information about smuggled fruits and vegetables, which we have been acting upon diligently,” Enciso said.

“As I’ve said earlier, smuggling agricultural products into the country is very personal to a lot of our countrymen since we depend heavily on our agricultural industry,” he added.

The raiding team discovered at the facility seven reefer vans used as temporary cold storage of the vegetables. Of the seven containers, three were loaded with smuggled broccoli, carrots, red onions, and other imported products.

The authorities invited a number of

warehouse personnel for questioning.

Guerrero commended the team for the latest successful operation, saying that the bureau must put in place measures to secure certain industries and sectors.

He assured the public that his agency will remain vigilant in protecting the country against the entry of smuggled agricultural products.

The government has intensified its border security measures against agricultural smuggling following reports that illegally imported vegetables are being sold openly in public markets.

Last month, the MICP-CIIS men also seized P50 million worth of onions and other illegally imported items during a raid in Meycauayan, Bulacan.

Raided was the warehouse owned

by Elite Globus Primeholdings Corp. located at Bahay Pare Road, Sitio 4 in Barangay Bahay Pare.

Aside from 2,000 sacks of imported red onions, boxes of frozen seafood, and health and beauty products were also discovered at the establishment.

Sandiganbayan Biz leaders hail newly-opened Cebu bridge clears former Caloocan solon The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Caloocan representative Mitch Cajayon-Uy on graft charges.

Anti-graft court justices were unanimous in clearing giving Cajayon-Uy, acquitting her on two counts of graft, one count of malversation of public funds, and one count for malversation through falsification of documents.

“The decision of the Sandiganbayan today is proof that we have an effective and fair justice system in place,” Cajayon-Uy said as she acknowledged the Sandiganbayan ruling handed down on Friday.

In their 92-page decision, the magistrates were one in saying the prosecution failed to substantiate their allegations against Cajayon-Uy. They said the prosecution failed to prove the accused guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The court also directed the lifting of the hold departure against the CajayonUy and her five co-respondents.

The suits stemmed from alleged misused of her P10-million share of the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in May and June 2009. The cases were filed in 2015 with the Office of the Ombudsman which elevated it to the Sandiganbayan in 2018.

“Our acquittal today is vindication that we never committed any of the criminal allegations hurled against us. This is a testament that the criminal prosecution against me was nothing but persecution by the former administration directed at known allies of former President GMA” Cajayon-Uy said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate that our judicial system, especially the Office of the Ombudsman, has been utilized as a political tool contrary to its original mandate as protector of the people,” she added.

According to her, the Office of the Ombudsman was mandated to be the “protector of the people, armed with the power to prosecute erring public officials. But in doing so, it must ensure that the decision to prosecute is independent of public opinion, personal vendetta or political influences.

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BUSINESS leaders in Central Visayas are bullish over the socioeconomic benefits from the operations of the CebuCordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), not just for Cebu province but for the entire region.

Edward Du, governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) for Central Visayas, said the joke used to be that it was “faster to travel from Dumaguete to Cebu by plane than to take a car from the Mactan airport to Cebu City.”

“Flying from Dumaguete to Cebu would take only about 40 minutes, but traveling by car from the Mactan airport to Cebu City would easily be more than double that time passing through the congested MandaueMactan bridge and the Marcelo Fernan Bridge,” Du said.

“Knowing Cebu, the city will bounce back and go back to normal faster than the other provinces,” Du said.

But that will all change come March 2022 when the “3rd bridge,” as the CCLEX is also known, will be inaugurated and opened to the public. The P30 billion CCLEX offers an alternative route to Mactan-Cebu International Airport and to the world-class resorts and beaches in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova.

Felix Taguiam, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), declared that the CCLEX is “truly a sight to behold, and a positive

force for Cebu’s economic recovery.”

One no longer needs to pass by Mandaue to get from Cebu City to Cordova, saving travel distance of at least 25 kilometers.

Both local business leaders say the economic benefits that will enable Cebu to bounce back economically will undoubtedly have ripple effects that will be felt across the Visayas.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) Chairman Manuel “Manny” V.

Pangilinan flew from the nation’s capital in Manila to Cebu for the CCLEX connection ceremony, which also marked the launching of the radio frequency identification (RFID) system for vehicles.

“We are happy to bring to Cebuanos this contactless and cashless payment through RFID when using our expressway as part of our vision to modernize the country’s transport sector and as part of our commitment in nation-building,” Pangilinan said.

NEW CEBU BRIDGE. Business groups hailed the opening of the main bridge deck connection of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway. The link is expected to ease traffic going to the Mactan Airport.

ANAKALUSUGAN Rep. Michael Defensor on Sunday batted for the prolonged suspension of the collection of the increase in excise taxes on petroleum products–until Dec. 31, 2024–“to provide extensive economic relief to consumers battered by soaring fuel prices.”

“We are counting on consumer spending to contribute in a big way to the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis in the years ahead. We want that spending to be energized by a lengthened suspension of the collection of the increase in fuel excise taxes,” Defensor said.

As proposed by Defensor in House Bill No. 10411, the suspension of the collection of the increase in excise taxes on gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and other oil products – as imposed under Section 43 of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law – would be effective instantly and “shall remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2024.”

“We want the government to sacrifice the increase in fuel excise taxes so that the consumers will get to keep billions of pesos in their pockets for their own spending,” Defensor said.

“The government can always resort to more borrowing to sustain its own spending, but ordinary consumers cannot do the same,” Defensor pointed out.

The excise tax on fuel products now stands at P10 per liter for gasoline, P6 per liter for diesel, and P5 per liter for kerosene. The Department of Finance earlier said that the government would give up some P131.4 billion in revenues in 2022 alone, should the collection of the increase in fuel excise taxes be suspended.

Due to rising cost of crude in the global markets, the average retail price per liter of gasoline has soared by P20.80 since the start of the year.

UP geo student represents PH in nuke forum

By Ronald O. Reyes A 20-YEAR-OLD geology student from the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman represented the country as a special youth panelist during the “International Conference on a Decade of Progress a ter Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety” at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

“I was the youngest not only among the youth panelists but in the entire conference too,” said Lira, a member of UP Geological Society.

Out of almost 300 entries across the globe, only 30 young professionals up to age 30 were invited to join the conference, based on the “high-quality work” of the participants.

“Together we had an intense discussion on what important point we should include in the conference’s Call of Action report, and my arguments on incorporating nuclear energy in inclusive education plus trust in nuclear authorities were agreed on together,” said Lira, who is a native of Alangalang town in Leyte.

During the conference from Nov. 8 to 12, Lira also had the opportunity to speak in front of global leaders and high-level experts.

She also thanked the support from his family, friends, university, and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology.

Lira was able to join the conference after her essay entitled “Decontaminate, Transmutate, Irradiate: Challenges in Refining the Public’s Image of Nuclear Energy” was selected by

OCD confirms Twitter account hacked THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the hacking incident in its social media account did not have any impact on the agency’s operations and disaster management service.

The OCD reported that one of its social media platforms, particularly its Twitter account was hacked.

In a statement, the OCD said “We regret to inform the public that the Civil Defense PH Twitter account has been hacked,” the OCD said in a statement, referring to the account with the handle @civildefensePH.” “This is the reason why unusual tweets referring to matters not related to the Philippines’ disaster

risk reduction and management (DRRM) system had been appearing today,” the OCD said. There have been screenshots of the OCD Twitter page showing posts about currency trading.

The OCD further said its computer specialists are now “working” to get the OCD Twitter account “running back to normal at the soonest possible time.”

“We assure our people that DRRMrelated services continue along with our usual information dissemination drives to promote public safety and preparedness against hazards and disasters,” the OCD said.

POWER LINE INSTALLATION.

Workers from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) install electric cable wires on top of a newly-installed post along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Ping has most organic Twitter followers among presidential bets

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PARTIDO Reporma chairman and standard bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has the most number of authentic followers on microblogging site Twitter, according to a random bot analysis and independent monitoring conducted by a Reddit user.

Using a sample size of 5,000 accounts out of the 44,155 Lacson followers on his verified personal Twitter account (@iampinglacson), the Reddit user under the found the senator has the most organic following among four presidential aspirants.

The Reddit user applied free-to-use online digital tools to also analyze the social media presence of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, Manila Mayor Francsiso “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on the microblogging platform.

The selection process was randomized using SurveyMonkey and Tweepy to pull and organize data from the Twitter application program interface. Botometer, meanwhile, was the software program applied to weed out the bots from the real accounts.

“Botometer uses Complete Automation Probability (CAP) to visualize and analyze account behavior. To put it simply, this is the variable they use to determine a ‘bot score,’” the Reddit user using the codename PancitLucban explained in his report.

In his analysis, the Reddit user set a 90-percent CAP, which yielded a 9.08-percent Twitter bot follower result for Lacson and 2.77-percent if the CAP was set at 95-percent. This means a significant majority of his followers are organic.

Results for the three other presidential aspirants were varied. Robredo is on Twitter (@lenirobredo) with 628.3K followers, Moreno (@IskoMoreno) with 934.4K followers, while Marcos, Jr. (@bongbongmarcos) has 957.9K followers.

Of the three, Moreno has the most number of “sleeper” followers or bots, according to the analyst. He registered a 10.94-percent bot score at 90-percent CAP and 23.88-percent of bots at 95-percent CAP. As for Marcos, the bots working for him are “more sophisticated” and are able to mimic “human-like” behavior upon deeper evaluation. He has a 17.56-percent bot score at 90-percent CAP and 7.47-percent at 95-percent CAP. PancitLucban said Marcos, Jr. and Robredo are “almost equal” in terms of having fake followers based on his assessment. The vice president, however, has more organic followers between the two but majority of them are private accounts.

News Marcos seeks holistic policy on agriculture

By Rey E. Requejo

SEA OF BLUE. Thousands of supporters of Manila Mayor Francisco ‘IskoMoreno’ Domagoso and Dr. Willy Ong hold a ‘Blue Wave Caravan’ inManila all the way to Quezon City on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. (Story below). NormanCruz

DESPITE RODY’S BLOODY WAR ON DRUGS

Leni: Drug lords unafraid, only small-time pushers hit

By Rio N. Araja

V

ICE President Leni Robredo on Sunday took a dig at the Duterte administration, saying drug lords continue to operate with impunity.

Robredo made the statement as her critics claimed she would fail to solve the country’s drug problem should she be elected as president.

“When we have a male president, were the drug lords afraid of him?

That is my question here,” she said.

Only small-time drug pushers were intimidated under the govern-

ment’s war on drugs, she added.

“That would be easy to tell since our society looks down at women as weak,” she said.

“But this is my question. The number one priority of this administration is the drug war, and the President is a man. But were the drug lords afraid of them? Perhaps,

the small-time pushers are the ones afraid because authorities run after them,” Robredo said.

As a former co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, she said despite the numerous drug-related deaths, the government’s anti-narcotics campaign was still a failure.

“Isn’t it that the promise was to wipe out drugs in three to six months?” she said.

Should she become the next President, she said she would eliminate corruption at ports to be able to go after big-time drug operators.

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on Sunday said he intends to pursue a holistic approach for the development of the country’s agriculture.

Marcos, who is the standard-bearer of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, underscored the need to develop the country’s agriculture to improve the lives of the Filipino farmers who are among the heavily affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former senator said this comprehensive approach to developing the country’s agriculture would heavily invest in research and establish programs to assist farmers until post-harvest production.

Marcos said these programs would complement each other, resulting in a sustainable and viable agricultural development path.

“Agriculture is a big system and we need to rebuild it to make the lives of our farmers better. The help that the government can provide is to build a system like we had before,” Marcos said.

Recalling the establishment of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the 1960s, Marcos said research is the first step in improving the agriculture sector. Researchers will find other crops that can withstand the changing weather and different ways to help farmers as they are the most affected sector during calamities.

After research, Marcos said loan packages through farm inputs and technological support must be readily available.

“The seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, all of that, the government should be able to buy a lot to make it cheaper and then include that in the production loan. The government should not make money so they can give it cheaper,” Marcos said.

“We had a system then. We had Masagana 99 for high production, we had IRRI, we had NFA that stabilized the price of rice and corn,” Marcos said, referring to International Rice Research Institute and National Food Authority.

Isko supporters hold 2nd ‘blue wave caravan’ THOUSANDS of supporters of presidential candidate Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso have stepped up their political campaign activities with the holding on Sunday of simultaneous “blue wave caravans” in Metro Manila and Cebu City.

In the National Capital Region, more than 5,000 motorcycle riders and at least 500 cars and vehicles participated in what organizers billed as the second blue wave caravan.

The first one was held last October 24, which was timed for Domagoso’s 47th birthday and that of his running mate, Dr. Willie Ong, who turned 58 years old.

In Cebu City, more than 500 members of PRIMO-Isko Cebu led by Eduard Ligas lined up along the sidewalks of the MandaueMactan Bridge holding tarpaulins and placards showing the tandem photos of Domagoso and Ong.

Some supporters on board motorcycles, meanwhile, went around the major thoroughfares of Cebu City, and motorists passing by the bridge honk their horns as a show of support.

Domagoso and his Aksyon Demokratiko slate were in Cebu Province on Nov. 5 and 6 as part of their listening tour, with focus on ordinary people. Rep. Pablo John “PJ” Garcia of the third district accompanied Domagoso throughout his two-day Cebu visit.

In Manila, participants wore blue polo shorts and blue T-shirts that literally turned the caravan route into a sea of blue.

From Road 10, the caravan proceeded to Circumferential Road 4 going to the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City.

The blue motorcade then traversed the southbound lane of Edsa all the way to Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. Rey E. Requejo

FLASH MOB. Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’Lacson (center) and his running mate Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III (right)are left speechless after hundreds of young dancers performed a flashmob to show their support for them on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021 at the LausGroup Event Centre in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Minimal honoraria hike for poll volunteers hit ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro on Sunday took a swipe at the Commission on Elections for its Resolution 10727 stating minimal increase in honoraria of election service volunteers and less benefits.

“This is very alarming considering that the Comelec just stated in a committee hearing earlier this week that voting hours for the upcoming elections would be at least 13 hours long. The Comelec through Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said in that same meeting that they would increase the honoraria of election service volunteers to at least P3,000,” she said.

Resolution 10727 Section 33 cited that the chairperson of the election board shall only receive P7,000; members, P6,000; Department of Education’s supervisor officials, P5,000, and support and medical staff, P3,000.

Such is only a P1,000 increase from the existing honoraria of election service volunteers, Castro said, adding the provision for food allowances has been removed.

“Resolution 10727 is not acceptable. This does not meet the call of our teachers, mostly election service volunteers who used to receive P10,000 for a chairperson, P9,000 for a member of the electoral board, P8,000 for a DepEd supervisor official, and P7,000 for a support staff, including a travel allowance of P3,000 to P5,000 and food allowance of P2,500,” she said.

“We would like the Comelec to clarify Section 33 of Resolution 10727. They committed in the House committee hearings that they would increase the honoraria by P3,000 but it is not reflected in the resolution they released last Nov. 10,” she said. Rio N. Araja

Opinion The messiness of democracy

THE Roman concept of “res publica,” literally “public affairs,” was one of the early political arrangements to closely resemble the modern concept of the state.

Unlike the Athenian ideal of the citystate, defined largely by the people living with a city’s geographical metes and bounds, the “res publica” of Rome, on the other hand, was more of a theoretical abstraction, probably familiar to us as the “government of laws” that secured the rights and determined the obligation of citizens. Over time, the concept evolved into the republican model of government.

Basically, a republic is a system of government that is based on two key ideas: representation, which involves having a process of electing a government, and participation, that is the obligation of the people to take part in running the government. That is why having elected governments as well as protecting the rights that come with citizenship are among the key features of modern republics.

It is loud and it is difficult – as it should be.

It might be interesting to note that republics may not necessarily be democratic. Two of the largest republics in the world – Russia and China cannot be, strictly speaking, categorized as democracies. Most republics, however, are democratic, thus explains the confusion.

Therefore, what makes a republic democratic in the truest sense of the world?

First, it has a government elected either by the people or through their representatives. Second, the people have the freedom to make political choices – that includes the right to criticize and replace their leaders.

This is where it gets problematic. Any system that allows the people to freely decide on the quality of the future they would want and the means to realize them, including being able to choose the government that would help achieve them – is meant to be messy.

Messy. That is how many Filipinos would describe the state of democracy in the country especially in the last few months. The realignments and counter alignments in our country’s political space have left many confused and frustrated.

But here is the inconvenient truth: democracy is meant to be messy. Necessarily, to be a democracy, people must be free to exercise their beliefs, to speak, and to organize. Democracies encourages participation, as a result, anything can happen.

It is not a neat or ideal process. This is because a democracy involves everyone who wants to participate. As wide and rich is the diversity in our backgrounds, opinions, ideologies, and persuasions, thus there is no doubt democracy can be messy.

In fact, governments that are controlled, neat and organized usually requires the citizens to subscribe to one way of doing or thinking and consequently, to give up part of their own freedoms.

That is why some republics would turn out to be dictatorships.

That is why the vigorous and sometimes heated discussions on issues, the sharply opposing viewpoints shared on social media and the propaganda efforts to convince others to agree with them is ironically “good” for democracy.

That is because, democracy is necessarily messy, and that “messiness” is its greatest strength. Strong differing opinions, the freedom to speak one’s mind, and the right to participate in governance are all part of the “messiness” of democracy.

The lack of civility in politics is another thing. That is a question of one’s moral character.

In fact, if one would trace the establishment and evolution of democratic societies, divisions and disagreements have always been part in our growth as a political community.

If the freedom to choose our political leaders is foundational and critical to our democracy, the dealing with the nuances that come with its processes is important as well. Thus, it is important to understand how the “messiness” can create an overall positive impact to a nation’s democracy.

While democracy can be a messy thing, and despite all its many faults and misgivings, a democratic system gives us hope because in the end, these mistakes can be corrected through wider political participation.

That is why even if democracy can be messy for all the noise and controversies that sometimes comes with it, we can always to make it better through our choices.

For example, voting during elections.

Elections are not just the be-all and end-all of democracies. It may be one of the fullest expressions of a democracy, but what matters even more is participation.

Discussing current issues intelligently, for example, can help further democracy.

Motivating others to understand for them the current issues that confront them and the roles they play in the community will definitely go a long way in shaping the political choices of people. Civics is also critical in building a strong democracy. It is important to note that a thoughtful, respectful, law-abiding, engaged, and responsible citizen is an irreplaceable criterion in furthering democracy.

Democracy can indeed be messy, difficult and loud - but the reality is all the messiness that comes with it is what forges democracy.

Developing Pagudpud beaches as‘the next Boracay’ EvEryman

By Dindo Danao A FEMALE lawmaker and tourism advocate wants Saud Beach and Blue Lagoon Beach in Pagudpud town, Ilocos Norte to be the next major tourist destination in the country, but says their development should be guided with sustainability and preservation objectives.

House Deputy Majority Leader Ria Christina Farińas, representing the First District of Ilocos Norte, says the twin beaches of Saud and Blue Lagoon have the makings of the “next Boracay,” given their creamy white and powdery sand that is comparable to that of Aklan’s island resort.

Ria believes that tourism can unleash the economic potential of Ilocos Norte province which has spectacular natural wonders as well as key cultural and historical sites.

This is why Ria, daughter of former Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, co-authored House Bill No. 10095 and House Bill 10008, declaring Saud Beach and Blue Lagoon Beach as tourist destinations.

While the idyllic beaches already draw foreign and local visitors, Ria believes that the formal declaration of the sites as tourist destinations will direct government resources to their sustainable development. The proposed measures will also generate thousands of jobs and livelihood opportunities for the residents of Ilocos

Norte’s first district, she says.

The first district includes Laoag City and the municipalities of Bacarra, Bangui, Pasuquin, Piddig, Sarrat (San Miguel), Vintar, Burgos (Nagparitan), Pagudpud, Adams, Carasi and Dumalneg.

There should be a tourism plan for these places.

Under the proposed bills of Farinas, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Public Works and Highways should craft a comprehensive development plan, including infrastructure projects, for the twin beaches.

Ria says Saud Beach is what Boracay used to look like in its prime. It is known for its two-kilometer fine and creamy white sand that frames the pristine water of the heart-shaped bay. From the shore, one will be greeted with the beautiful windmills of Bangui, the clear water of the South China Sea and the rolling hills of Ilocos Norte. The beach is dubbed as the “Boracay of Northern Philippines.”

In 2008, the Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun Newspaper named Saud Beach as one of the top beaches in Asia. In April 2021, it was listed among the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world by New York-based travel magazine Travel & Leisure.

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EDITORIAL

No substitute for good sense

P

OLITICAL developments in the past few days have left many Filipinos outraged, confused, and exasperated.

It is tempting, even comforting, to think that the surprises and plot twists will all end today, the deadline for the substitution of candidates. And then we can all go back to our individual businesses, wondering whether the recent positive developments in our fight against COVID are here to stay, whether our students can look forward to resuming faceto-face learning, and whether the reopening of the economy and the coming holiday season would translate to better income prospects for many.

The more realistic picture, however, is that the politics will get noisier, messier, and more frustrating even after today and as we enter the campaign period.

The wiser response would be to step back and let the politicians

wrestle and wrangle among themselves. Ultimately their moves will betray their own values – or the perversity of them. Their words, no matter how well crafted, will tell us if they truly intend to serve the people or their own egos.

The truly big event is choosing the most honest and most deserving among the lost.

It is an utter waste of time and emotion to get caught up in what is happening, or not happening, and to wonder what the outcome of the current circus will be. Let us consciously stop ourselves from speculating, and work instead at

perfecting our own set of criteria for what we want in our leaders.

Didn’t a previous survey tell us that Filipinos want a leader who is concerned for the poor, who is not corrupt, and who is honest?

These qualities remain supreme, and can serve as a guide in our decision-making.

So let us go about our business, do our work conscientiously, care for ourselves and our families, continue to observe health protocols – and imagine a Philippines where, as a product of our prudent, thoughtful decisions, we no longer have to second-guess anybody’s intentions and doubt their sincerity to serve.

Let us remain calm and work on thinking critically instead of merely adding to the noise. The really big event is not in knowing what each candidate will do next, but in exercising our right and obligation to vote only the most honest, most deserving candidates who will lead us for the next six years.

Perspectives in power supply security

POLICY reforms to ensure the security of power supply security to sustain the country’s push for economic recovery was the locus of discussion in the latest Stratbase ADRi virtual town hall. Stakeholders from industry and consumer groups participated in the discussion.

Stratbase ADRi president Prof. Dindo Manhit opened the forum by calling on government to prioritize the modernization of the country’s electricity supply system. This is crucial, he said, for the revival of the economy.

“Initiatives towards the modernization, efficiency, and reliability of our power supply would foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the whole nation, uplifting the lives of millions of Filipinos,” Prof. Manhit said.

In his keynote address, Senate Committee on Energy Chairperson, Sen. Win Gatchalian pointed out that red tape is still the enemy of putting up new power supply. We should undertake aggressive oil and gas exploration to ensure power security, he said.

Showing concern over the precarious power situation and the upcoming national elections, he emphasized the need for sufficient supply of electricity to ensure that votes will be counted properly.

“During election time, we will experience red alerts and brownouts if we do not get the new plants online,” Sen. Gatchalian warned.

Mr. Jose S. Alejandro, Chair of Utilities of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, forwarded an interesting point saying that our economic development will not depend entirely on lower power rates. He cited how Japan and Singapore became economic tigers even with high power rates.

“We must focus on what responds best

“It is within the best interest of the government to ensure the sustainability and preservation of this natural beauty by providing a comprehensive development plan to ensure that the beach maintains its stature while promoting it to both local and foreign tourists,” says Ria. HB 10095, authored by Ria and Party List Binsyano Ako Rep. Rudys Caesar Farińas I, aims to declare the Saud Beach as a tourist destination, mandating the Department of Tourism and its attached agencies, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways and in consultation with the local government unit of Pagudpud, to come up with a development plan for the beach and its surroundings.

Meanwhile, the Blue Lagoon is adjacent to Saud Beach. HB 10008, authored by Ria and Rudys Caesar, also seeks to declare

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

to industrial needs – we should act and decide with a positive sense of urgency, focus, integrity, unity, and courage,” Alejandro said.

Mr. Ernesto Pantangco, Chairman of the Energy Committee of the Management Association of the Philippines, presented the issue of energy security from the perspective of supply, power generation cost, and demand side management.

He noted that Philippine industries cannot compete with ASEAN neighbors because their fuel costs are heavily subsidized and have significant indigenous fuel sources like in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

This is crucial to economic recovery.

“The solution, we think, comes not only from trying to increase the supply but also from demand side management – tempering the growth of our energy demand, particularly the peak loads,” Pantangco said.

Mr. Meneleo Carlos, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, Federation of Philippine Industries, likewise emphasized the need for energy conservation measures by reducing energy consumption in every aspect of energy use. He raised the importance of integrating the culture of energy saving in our education program and promoting green energy to replace ageing “dirty” power plants.

Foundation for Economic Freedom Vice Chairman, Mr. Romeo Bernardo for his part said that we fail to realize that with more renewable energy in the system, energy supply becomes increasingly dependent on the weather, which is a challenge.

“Our country will need all forms of energy that we have in our portfolio to meet the needs of our developing country. All of these need to work safely and reliably, while we build more and cleaner energy sources. It is not fossil fuel energy ‘or’ renewable energy. It has to be ‘and’,” Bernardo said.

Mr. Bienvenido “Nonoy” Oplas, Jr.,

Maira-Ira Cove or Blue Lagoon as a tourist destination to enhance its development with the support of the national government. Ria says this will ensure the area’s sustainability and preservation by providing a comprehensive development plan to guarantee its maintenance while promoting it for both local and foreign tourists.

The majestic beach used to be a secret getaway for the locals, but because of its rustic beauty, it has eventually gained attention of adventurers and sightseers. The Blue Lagoon is slowly becoming the next surfers’ haven because of the area’s strong winds that also power the Bangui windmills, providing electricity to the whole province.

Ria says to ensure the development of Saud Beach and Blue Lagoon Beach, the DOT, in coordination with the concerned

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

President of Minimal Government Thinkers, presented an alternative point of view said that “whether you’re looking at Asia or Eastern Europe, the trend is that the more you de-carbonize, the more you tinker with “degrowth economics – the more you use fossil fuels the more you deal with dynamic growth economics.”

He related frequent blackouts in Europe to the instability of renewable energy and push away from coal while the Philippines solved the 1991 power crisis with coal power plants. He posits that.

“Climate change is true, but it is cyclical and natural meaning it is not man-made.”

Atty. Terry Ridon, Convenor of Infrawatch PH called on national candidates to know energy policies and not bluff their way through the elections and pretend that they are “white knights” for the consumers and the public.

“We would like to see platforms on what senatorial candidates or national candidates would want to do on the VAT on electricity and whether they are open to removing the feed-in tariffs for renewables,” Ridon said.

Atty. Victorio A. Dimagiba, President of Laban Konsyumer, Inc. reiterated their call to junk the feed-in tariff (FIT) policy or repealing the existing Renewable Energy Act no. 9513 or the RE Law to better safeguard the consumers. He appealed for more empathy and compassion and that putting consumers first is key to economic development.

Prof. Louie Montemar, Convenor of Bantay Konsumer, Kuryente, Kalsada called on government to accelerate the pace of technology adoption by developing the necessary regulatory framework, including raising the incentives for both the customer and the supply chain stakeholders.

The common sentiment was that the business sector and consumers must prepare for a double whammy of a thin power supply and increasing power costs. In my opinion, if the Chinese were not allowed to encroach in our gas rich territories in the West Philippines Sea, we would already be developing new energy resources.

local government units and agencies of the government, should prepare a tourism development plan involving the construction, installation and maintenance of appropriate infrastructure and facilities to encourage tourism in the area.

She says the development plan should ensure the preservation and conservation of the natural beauty and resources of the area and conform with the concept of ecotourism as provided in the national ecotourism strategy jointly issued by the DENR and the DOT. “Moreover, it will provide job opportunities for the residents of Ilocos Norte,” says Ria. Dindo Danao is a public relations strategist. He is the managing partner of A. Danao Media, a public relations firm.

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AHEAD OF BIDEN, XI MEETING

US, China trade Taiwan warnings T

he top diplomats from China and the United States have exchanged stern warnings over the flashpoint issue of Taiwan, ahead of Monday’s hotly awaited summit between Manila their leaders. tandard

The virtual meeting of presidents Joe TODAY Biden and Xi Jinping comes against a backdrop of rising tensions – in part over Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy claimed

by Beijing, but also over trade, human rights and other issues.

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ERWIN D. SAMONTE has been extra-judicially settled among his wife and heirs on the 30th of March, 2021 as per Doc. No. 292; Page No. 59; Book No. 25; Series of 2021; under the Notarial Register of Atty. Marty Franz F. Toralba, for and in Camiling, Tarlac.

In a phone call Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss preparations for the summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns over Beijing’s “military, diplomatic, and economic pressure” on Taiwan.

Wang warned of the dangers of US actions that might seem supportive of “Taiwan independence.”

Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but an act of Congress passed that year requires the United States to provide weapons to Taiwan for self-defense.

The US government is careful not to show it recognizes Taiwan but it enjoys broad, bipartisan support in Congress,

with a group of lawmakers visiting the island this month -- angering Beijing.

“Any connivance of and support for the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces undermines peace across the Taiwan Strait and would only boomerang in the end,” Wang told Blinken, according to a readout of the call released by China on Saturday.

China has ramped up military activities near Taiwan in recent years, with a record number of planes intruding into the island’s air defense identification zone in early October.

Washington has repeatedly signaled its support for Taiwan in the face of what it has described as Chinese aggression.

Biden has largely kept the tougher

Performers from the Blue Rebels conduct a funeral ceremony at Glasgow Necropolis to symbolize the failure of the COP26 process at Glasgow Cathedral during the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference. AFP

(MS-NOV. 15/22/29, 2021)

Manila

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Standard REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

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NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 225 – QUEZON CITY

UN chief warns ‘catastrophe’ close, Thunberg hits COP26 deal

approach on Beijing of his predecessor Donald Trump, with both administrations seeing a rising China as the top challenge of the 21st century.

UN SECRETARY General Antonio And while the world’s top two emitters Guterres warned of an impending of greenhouse gases unveiled a surprise “climate catastrophe,” while environagreement last week to work together on mental campaigner Greta Thunberg climate change, Washington and Beijing dismissed Saturday’s COP26 climate have indicated they willCYAN not give ground YELLOW BLACK MAGENTA conference deal as “blah, blah, blah.” on flashpoint issues.

And even those who welcomed the US officials have framed Monday’s deal in Glasgow said a huge amount of summit as an opportunity to “responsiwork remained to be done. bly manage competition” while trying to Guterres acknowledged the shortcooperate in areas where the two align. comings of the agreement, in a stateXi last week warned against the return ment following the deal reached on of Cold War-era tensions in the Asia-PaSaturday evening at the Glasgow concific region. AFP ference.

“The #COP26 outcome is a compromise, reflecting the interests, contradictions and state of political will in the world today,” he tweeted.

“It’s an important step, but it’s not enough.”

“Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread,” he warned, adding “we are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.”

In a follow-up tweet, the UN chief sent a message to “young people, inCYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK digenous communities, women leaders, all those leading on #ClimateAcRepublic of the Philippines 79516916 30 January 2014 Php3,233,689.63 REGIONAL TRIAL COURT tion.”

National Capital Judicial Region Php9,676,709.13 “I know youTOTAL might be disappointed.

Branch 100, Quezon City But we’re in the fight of our lives & For the first check, plaintiff issued Official Receipt No. 107618 dated 13 November 2013 and the second check, Official this fight must beforwon.”

IGROS MARKETING CORPORATION Reoeipt No. 107644 dated 12 March 2014. However, the Plaintiff, Thunberg, arguably the best remaining balance of Php3,209,329.87 was world’s unpaid. Despite several demands the last of which were dated 27 known to defendants, environmental campaigner, - versusR - QZN - 14 - 06813 - CV March 2014, to settle the same, the same fell on deaf ears. was more blunt in her assessment.

PEREGRINE DEVELOPMENT The issue is whether plaintiff is entitled to its claim.

“The #COP26 is over,” she tweeted.

INTERNATIONAL INC., (Foreign Corporation), PERIGRINE “Here’s a brief summary: Blah, blah, This Court answers in the affirmative.

DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL, blah.

INC. (Domestic Corporation), A contract is a meeting of minds between two persons whereby MARSHALL EDWIN BIRKINS IV work outside one binds “But himself,the with real respect to the continues other, to give something and DENNIS LLOYD WRIGHT, or to render some service.

As we shown by the Purohase Order Defendants. these halls.

And will never give up, herein, parties entered into a contract of sale for the delivery of x----------------------------------------------x ever.” construction materials, whereby defendants bound themselves, to DECISION pay the purchase price indicated therein. The effectsThunberg of which are This case for Sum of Money and Damages arose out of During the conference, elaborated, thus: defendants’ broken promise to pay their joint and solidary monetary and other activists had denounced the obligations with plaintiff.

A contract of sale is defined in Article 1458 of the Civil Code, way it was playing out, to wit: Plaintiff prayed in their Amended Complaint that: British Prime Minister Boris JohnART. 1458. By the contract of sale, one of the contracting WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable sonobligates remained relatively upbeat. parties himself to transfer the ownership of and to Court that after trial on the merits, judgment be rendered as deliver a determinate thing, and the other to pay therefor a “There is still a huge amount more follows: price certain in money or its equivalent. (i) Defendantsafter PEREGRINE DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL, to do in the coming years,” Johnson tried to enter Block 2 of the jailINC., where serving part of his sentence for A contract of sale may be absolute or conditional.

- PHILIPPINE BRANCH (FOREIGN CORPORATION), The Court in Sps. Ramos v. Sps. Heruela (Ramos) said.

AFP their rivals were held, firing gunshots, auto parts.

PEREGRINE stealing DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL, INC. differentiated an absolute sale from a conditional sale as (DOMESTIC CORPORATION), EDWIN BIRKINS DENNIS in detonating explosives and swinging Other groups, sensingIV and weakness follows: LLOYD WRIGHT be ordered to pay to IGROS MARKETING machetes, and prompting police to thetheTiguerones with that Million man Two gone, Article 1458 of the Civil Code provides that a contract of CORPORATION principal amount of Three sale may be absolute or conditional. A contract of sale is Hundred Nine Thousand Three Twenty - Nine 87/100that move in. went on theHundred attack to try toandcrush absolute when title to the property passes to the vendee Pesos (P3,209,329.87) plus legal interest of 6% p.a. computed At least 68 prisoners were killed and gang, Arosemena said. upon delivery of the thing sold. A deed of sale is absolute from the filing of the case ON 25 JULY 2014 up to the time the there is no stipulation in the contract that title to the principal amount isHe fully said paid and actually paidwas to the “to plaintiff; another 25 were wounded, according their goal go in and when property remains with the seller until full payment of the (ii) Defendants be ordered to pay to plaintiff the amount of Three a statement which the Ecuador Proscarry out a total massacre.” purchase price. The sale is also absolute if there is no Hundred Thousand Pesos (P300,000.00), as and by way of ecutor’s Office posted on Twitter.

Earlier Saturday, police officers in stipulation giving the vendor the right to cancel unilaterally exemplary damages; the contract the moment the vendee falls to pay within a (iii) Defendants be ordered to pay to plaintiff the amount of One In the new outbreak of fighting, riot gear were seen climbing up the fixed period. In a conditional sale, as in a contract to sell, Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php100,000.00), as and by way of ownership remains with the vendor and does not pass to the inmates from two other blocks were blood-stained prisonbywalls, while reimbursement for attorney’s fees incurred the plaintiff; and the vendee until full payment purchase price parktakes WHILE the USof the Supreme Court pon-of (iv) Defendantsbody be ordered to reimburse plaintiff for the litigation attacking each other, said presidential of an inmate in an orange prison a suspensive condition, and Texas’ non-fulfillment of the condition expenses incurred by plaintiff and proved during the trial, plus legal derstheaobligation rulingtoon controversial prevents sell from arising. spokesman Carlos Jijon. jumpsuit lay on the roof of the jail eninterest and cost of suit. abortion law, some communities in Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise Lasso has appealed to civil society circled by barbed wire.

Pursuantthis to Ramos, the DAS is an absolute sale because there conservative state are deciding prayed for. is no stipulation in the contract that title to the property remains groups to try to establish contact with Images posted on social networks, not until to full wait andof are declaring themwith the sellers payment the purchase price and there is antecedents: prisoners and end the bloodshed,TheJijon whose authenticity has not been conselves “sanctuary cities forunilaterally the un-the no stipulation giving the vendors the right to cancel This case was originally raffled 0ff to the Regional Trial Court, said. firmed a the moment the vendee fails to pay within a fixed period.

Quezon City, Branch 224. by the authorities, showed contract born.”

It will be recalled that after the execution of the DAS, Norma Officials said the violence started pile of bodies in a night-time prison Inspired by ofSB the highly restricImmediately took possession the8, subject lot and there was no Upon service of the summons, original defendants Peregrine when one of the gangs inside the pris- courtyard being consumed by flames retention oftive ownership the heirs Vicentico until full payment Texasbylaw thatofbans abortion after Development International, Inc., Marshall Edwin Birkings IV , and of the purchase price by Norma that was stipulated in the DAS. Dennis Lloyd Wright the Motion standing to Dismiss (ad cautelam)beat on, the Tiguerones, was left without whilefiledinmates nearby six weeks and makes no exception What then is the legal effect of the non-payment of the purchase dated 16 September 2014. The same was denied in the Order their leader because he was released the bodies with sticks. AFP for rapeby or incest, around forty local price of P50,000.00 Norma to petitioners? dated 14 January 2015.

16

IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF DECEASED PATRICIA LYN VICTORIO MONASTERIAL (also known thru her Married name Patricia Lyn Monasterial-Eusebio)

17

18

ROSARIO YUMI MONASTERIALVILLANUEVA, ROWENA MONASTERIAL-GARCES, MARIA RAQUEL JOY MONASTERIALRASING, and JOSE ANTHONY V. MONASTERIAL, Petitioners, -versus-

19

Case No. R-QZN-21-05039-SP

DOMINADOR ALMODIEL EUSEBIO, THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS FOR QUEZON CITY, Thru its Registrar of Deeds of Quezon City LRA Complex, East Avenue, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City; THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS FOR TAGAYTAY CITY, thru its Register of Deeds, Atty. Roberto R. Salcedo, Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City; THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS FOR THE PROVINCE OF CAVITE, thru its Registrar of Deeds Region 4 Corporate Office, Cavite Provincial Capitol Compound, Governor’s Drive, Brgy. San Agustin, Trece Martirez City, Cavite Respondents. x-------------------------------------------------x

New Ecuador prison riot in Ecuador leaves 68 dead

ORDER A verified petition was filed on June 21, 2021 by petitioners through counsel praying that a Judgment be rendered or an Order be issued to settle the real and personal properties of the deceased Patrica Lyn V. Monasterial-Eusebio to and in favor of herein petitioners in accordance with existing applicable laws and jurisprudence particularly granting ½ share/portion from the exclusive property of the decedent covered by TCT No. N-290740 of the Registry of Deeds of Quezon City, situated at No. 14-A Scout Chuatoco St., Brgy. Paligsahan, Quezon City – to and in favor of herein petitioners; and ½ share/portion from that real property covered by TCT No. 076-2017000798 of the Registry of Deeds of Tagaytay City, and ½ share/portion from that real property identified as Lot No. 2225-A, Plan No. Psd -042465431, situated at Brgy. Pasong Kawayan 1, Municipality of General Trias, Province of Cavite, containing an area of 5,000 square meters-particularly that portion thereof registered in the name of respondent Dominador Eusebio - to and in favor of herein petitioners, and from each of these aforementioned ½ shares/portions from the properties covered by TCT No. 0762017000798 (Tagaytay lot) and TCT No. 057-2017058281 (Gen. Trias, Cavite lot), to be further divided or distributed equally among herein named petitioners.

That the names and residences of the surviving heirs of the decedent are as follows: Names

Addresses

Rosario Yumi V. Monasterial-Villanueva

140-7 General Pio Valenzuela St., Caloocan City

Maria Raquel Joy Monasterial-Rasing

Winnipeg, Canada

Rowena MonasterialGarces

Melbourne, Australia

Joseph Anthony Monasterial

Blk. 2 Lot 7 Francisco Compound, Road 23, Project 8, Brgy. Bahay Toro, Quezon City

V.

Dominador Almodiel Eusebio (surviving spouse)

No. 14-A Scout Chuatoco St., Brgy.

Paligsahan, Quezon City

Finding the verified petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the Court gives due course thereto.

WHEREFORE, let copy of this Order and petition be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioner’s expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City. Hearing on the verified petition is hereby set on December 2, 2021 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning, at 7th Floor, Hall of Justice Annex Building, Quezon City, at which time and place, any person having interest in the petition may appear.

Let copies of this Order be posted by the Branch Sheriff thirty (30) days before the hearing date at the following places at the expense of petitioners: 1. at the main entrance of the City Hall Building of Quezon City; 2. on the Bulletin Board of the Court, Hall of Justice, Quezon City, and 3. at the Barangay Hall of the barangay where the petitioners resided.

Let copies of this Order be furnished all the surviving heirs who are hereby ordered to be present on the hearing date and time above-mentioned.

Further, petitioners through counsel are ordered to furnish the surviving heirs, namely: Maria Raquel Joy Monasterial-Rasing and Rowena Monasterial-Garces with a copy of this Order and their petition as well as its annexes at their given addresses outside the Philippines and to show proofs of compliance before the hearing date.

SO ORDERED. August 3, 2021, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

(Sgd.) MARIA LUISA LESLE G. GONZALEZ-BETIC Presiding Judge CC: Atty. Portia Flores-Diesta / Atty. Eliseo S. Calma Jr., - Padilla Adaza Diesta Calma & Associates AFIC Padilla Bldg., G/F No. 77 Anahaw St., Veterans Village, 1105 Quezon City Rosario Yumi V. Monasterial-Villanueva 140-7 General Pio Valenzuela St., Caloocan City Maria Raquel Joy Monasterial-Rasing – Winnepeg, Canada Rowena Monasterial-Garces – Melbourne, Australia Joseph Anthony V. Monasterial – Blk. 2 Lot 7 Francisco Compound, Road 23, Project 8, Brgy. Bahay Toro, Quezon City Dominador Almodiel Eusebio – No. 14-A Scout Chuatoco St., Brgy. Paligsahan, Quezon City The Registry of Deeds of Quezon City – LRA Complex, East Avenue, Quezon City The Registry of Deeds of Tagaytay City – Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City The Registry of Deeds for the Province of Cavite – Region 4 Corporate Office, Cavite Provincial Capitol Compound, Governor’s Drive, Brgy. San Agustin, Trece Martirez, Cavite (Mstandard-Nov. 15, 22 & 29, 2021)

PRISON inmates from rival gangs in Ecuador fought each other with guns, explosives and blades in a bloodbath that left at least 68 dead in the same prison where a riot in September claimed 119 lives, officials said Saturday.

Hours after the government said it had regained control of the prison in Guayaquil, President Guillermo Lasso’s spokesman said inmates from rival gangs tied to drug trafficking rings were fighting again in a new surge in violence.

In the initial riot that began Friday night prisoners fought with “savagery,” said Pablo Arosemena, governor of the province of Guayas where the prison is located.

The riot began around 7:00 pm Friday (0001 GMT) when prisoners

Queen to miss Remembrance event—Palace BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth II will miss Sunday’s Remembrance service, which was supposed to be her first public appearance since resting on medical advice, due to a “sprained back,” Buckingham Palace said.

“The Queen, having sprained her back, has decided this morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend today’s Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph,” the palace said in a statement.

“Her Majesty is disappointed that she will miss the service.”

Her son Prince Charles will lay a wreath on her behalf, as in previous years.

The 95-year-old was due to view the annual service in central London from a balcony, as she has done since 2017, when she handed over some of her duties to younger members of the family.

The service honoring fallen troops is close to the monarch’s heart, and her absence will deepen concerns over her health after she stepped back from duties on medical advice and spent a night in hospital undergoing unspecified tests at the end of last month.

She then resumed “light duties,” but pulled out of a scheduled attendance at the UN climate change summit in Glasgow after being advised to rest.

Charles and her grandson Prince William instead represented the family, making a series of speeches to delegates.

A two-day trip to Northern Ireland was also shelved. AFP

Texas ‘sanctuary cities’ pass own anti-abortion laws

After asking for several extensions, said defendants filed their Answer Ad Cautelam (With compulsory Counterclaim) dated 15 May 2015. The mediation proceedings before the Philippine Mediation Center failed as shown by the Mediator’s Report1 dated 08 October 2015.

Defendants then filed their Motion for Production and Inspection and to Reset Pre-Trial (ad cautelam) dated 19 October 2015.

The subsequent Judicial Dispute Resolution conducted by the Court was unsuccessful.2 Hence, the case was re-raffled to this Branch.

The case was covered under A.M. No. 14-03-02-SC.3 In the Order dated 18 July 2017, defendants’ Motion for Production and Inspection and to Reset Pre-Trial (ad cautelam) was denied.

Plaintiff then submitted its Omnibus Motion dated 11 September 2017 praying that: WHEREFORE, Plaintiff Igros Marketing Corporation respectfully prays that this Honorable Court: 1. Grant Plaintiff leave to file its Amended Complaint; 2. Admit the attached Amended Complaint into the records of the above – captioned case and be considered in resolving the same; 3. Order the issuance and service of summons and the Amended Complaint anew to all Defendants in the instant case; and 4. Order the deferment of the filing of the Plaintiff’s Terms of Reference to another time convenient to this Honorable Court, but only after the resolution of the present Omnibus Motion.

Plaintiff likewise prays for other measures of relief just and proper under the premises.

Attached thereto is the Amended Complaint whereby the following

made defendants: International, Inc. A reveler holds a rainbow umbrellaare during the PridePeregrine ParadeDevelopment in Santiago, on (Foreign Corporation), Peregrine Development International, Inc. November 13, 2021. AFP (Domestic Corporation), Marshall Edwin Birkins IV and Dennis Lloyd Wright.

Pursuantmunicipalities to Article 1468 of the have CiVil Code, a contract of sale passed measures is a reciprocal obligation to give; and the prestation or obligation effectively procedure of the seller or vendor is prohibiting “to transfer the the ownership of and to deliver a determinate thing” while the prestation or obligation of on their territory. the buyer or vendee is into pay therefor a price certain in money This week, Anson, a town of about or its equivalent.”

2,400 ofresidents central Texas, beThe full payment the purchasein price is the buyer’s prestation.

The non-payment of the purchase price by the buyer after the came the latest community to adopt seller has delivered the object of the sale to the buyer constitutes legislation, moveof that made a breach ofsuch the buyer’s prestatlon in a a contract sale. The buyer has contravened the very tenor of Mayo the contract. resident Mariah proud.

Generally, under Article 1594 of the Civil Code, “[a]ctions for “I stand here today for ... the innobreach of the contract of sale of goods shall be governed who are unable particularlycent by the unborn provisions of this Chapter [Chapter 6to onhave ‘Actions for Breachtheir of Contract of Saleheard,” of Goods],Mayo, and as to amatters voices localnot specifically provided for herein, by other applicable provisions of nurse, was quoted as saying by Livethis Title [Title VI on Sales].”

action.org, an anti-abortion organiza-

One remedy is provided Article 1595,percent to Wit: tion.

“I agree 100 with what A . 1595. Where, under a contract of sale, the ownership my preacher said and I tooand want aborof the goods has passed to the buyer, he wrongfully neglects or refuses to pay for the Let’s goods according tions to be outlawed. add thistotothe terms of the contract of sale, the seller may maintain an our many reasons why we are proud action again him for the price of the goods. to livethehere the city of Anson, In addition, buyerin may be great held liable for damages under Article 596, to wit: Texas.”

ART 1596, Where the buyer wrongfully neglects or refuses Laws restricting havean to aceppt and pay for the goods, theabortion seller may maintain action against him for damages for nonacceptance. been passed in multiple RepublicanThe measure of damages is the estimated loss directly and led states over the years, but they naturally resulting in the ordinary course of events from the 20 have been struck down by the courts buyer’s breach of contract.

because they violated previous Su-

Yet, defendants failed to comply with their obligations. Only preme Court rulings that guarantee partial amount was paid by them, that is, the amount covered by the two (2)the checks. of Php3,209,329.87 rightThe to balance an abortion until the remained fetus unsettled. Despite several demands made upon them to pay the is viable outside the womb, typically said obligation, the latter failed to do so. In the absence of any around 22 to 24 weeks. evidence to the contrary, plaintiff’s evidence AFP suffice. Defendants’ liability is already established by preponderance of evidence. The concept of “preponderance of evidence” refers to evidence which is of greater weight, or more convincing, that which is offered in opposition to it, at bottom, it means probability of truth.21

Japan’s former princess Mako moves to New York with husband In the Order dated 27 December 2017, the said Omnibus Motion was granted. Per Officer’s Return dated 09 May 2018 summons to the said defendants could not be served. The service thereof was endorsed to the Office of the Clerk of Court (OCC) and ExOfficio Sheriff, Third Judicial Region, Regional Trial Court (RTC), City of San Fernando, Pampanga per letter of the Branch dated 15 May 2018. However, in a letter dated 25 June 2018, the same was returned to the Branch as it appears that OCC, RTC, San Fernando Pampanga had no jurisdiction over the given address of defendants. Hence, plaintiff filed its Ex-Parte Motion for the Issuance of Alias Summons dated 10 July 2018 praying that the summons be served upon defendants’ resident agent, Rodrigo Berenguer & Guino Law Offices. The same was withdrawn in open Court on 26 March 2019.

Said amount is still subject to 6% interest from date of extrajudicial demand until full satisfaction. As stated by the Supreme Court: Thus, in the absence of any stipulation as to interest in the agreement between the parties herein, the matter of interest award arising from the dispute in this case would actually fall under the second paragraph of the above-quoted guidelines in the landmark case of Eastern Shipping Lines, which necessitates the imposition of interest at the rate of 6%, instead of the 12% imposed by the courts below.

JAPAN’S former princess Mako Ko- commoner under post-war succession ble comparisons with another royal coumuro departed for the United States on laws that also only allow male members of ple: Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Sunday with her husband, swapping an- the imperial family to ascend the throne.

Japanese media said the Komuros, After announcing their engagement in cient imperial rites for the bright lights of New York after leaving the royal 2017, the Komuros were confronted with who met at university in Tokyo, have alThe 6% secured interest rateashall further imposed fromBig the place tobelive in the a barrage of reports alleging that Kei’s ready family. of the judgment herein until satisfaction thereof, in Apple.

The pair tied the knot in Tokyo last family had run into financial difficulties. finality light of our recent ruling in Nacar v.

Gallery Frames.

For the meantime, the Branch endorsed the service of the The original plan had been for Kei royalsSheriff, areRTC, held toAngeles, exacting month in muted fashion, following summons to the Japan’s OCC and Ex-Officio City of Note, however, that contrary to FBI’s assertion, we find a letter dated 2018. PerHousehold Sheriff’s to travel to the United States ahead of standards, and 06 theAugust Imperial years of tabloid gossip and onlinePampanga, snip- through no error in the RTC’s ruling that the interest shall begin (Unserved) dated 02 April 2019 of Claude B. former joining Agency said Mako ing over their union that KomuroReturn saidof Summons toMako, run from with August the 30, 1991 as thisprincess is the date when FBI Balasbas, Sheriff IV, of OCC, RTC, Angelesdeveloped City, the diligent complex efforts made itsgot claimher against through a letter office addresses of defendants rendered futile, him after shefor firstFBIpassport, restress were disorder because extrajudicially caused her “sadness and pain.” to locate the post-traumatic demanding payment its services. the summons was unserved. ports said. of the media attention.

A move to the United States hadhence long While defendants maystayed be madein liable for the longer foregoing, than they, But Kei Japan “I itshave scared, feeling sadness been rumored. The two 30-year-olds fi- submitted Plaintiff Motionbeen for Leave of Court to Effect Service however, cannot be made answerable for other damages. There Summons by Publication dated 23 April 2019. In the Order expected to attend the funeral of Mako’s and pain whenever one-sided rumors turn nally boarded a commercial flightof Sunare no factual bases forwarded to support the same.

As the dated 27 May 2019, it was ruled: Court held: a grandfather. day from Tokyo to New York, where into groundless stories,” Mako said at Supreme WHEREFORE, premises considered, let Alias Summons press conference after their marriage.

Kei Komuro attended law school and On Japan’s the matter ofemperor the spouses’ holds prayer forno moralpolitical damages, issue together with the Amended Complaint and annexes Court holds aside from their bare allegations,figthe butthat is an important symbolic Keidefendant said heforeign felt “very sad Peregrine that Mako thepower, now works. concerning corporation, Spouses Serrano failed to show compelling reason to Development International be served c/o the urehead. has been in a Inc., bad tocondition, mentally Heavily guarded by police and airport warrant the award of the same, considering that the filing Securities and Exchange Commission. of a civil action should not be a ground for an award a dwindling supply of male royofficials, the couple passed before some and physically”, declaring: “I love aloneWith moral damages in the same way that a clearly unfounded In the Order dated 05We July only 2019, plaintiff’s Motion LeaveIofwant ofals, there has been some debate over Mako. get one life,for and 100 journalists and cameramen without civil action is not among the grounds for moral damages.

Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication was granted. changing rules in Japan, withdamages polls us to spend it with the one we love.” responding to questions.

The same holds the true for their claim for exemplary view of the fact that they failed to prove their entitlement Plaintiff filed itsThe Compliance dated 20 February 2020 as regards the public broadly support controversy surrounding the pair, intoshowing Mako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, moral, temperate or compensatory damages as required the service of the summons and other documents to defendants. being allowed tofinds rule. lost her royal title when she married a and their US move, has drawn inevita- bywomen Article 2234.

Similarly, the Court that AFP the Spouses In its Manifestation dated 27 October 2020, it stated among others 22

that publication of the required documents were already made on 13 October 2020.

Plaintiff submitted its Manifestations with Motion to Declare Defendants in Default dated 21 March 2021. The same was granted in the Order dated 26 May 2021 and it was allowed to

Serrano are likewise not entitled to attorney’s fees for it is a settled rule that no premium should be placed on the right to litigate and that not every winning party is entitled to an automatic grant of attorney’s fees.23

WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby

Business PSEi November 12, 2021

TOP GAINERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

ALLDY SGP VVT VMC AT SHLPH FRUIT

LAST PRICE 0.82 14.5 16 2.4 6.55 23 1.32

8 9 10

FILRT COAL GTCAP

7.68 0.29 580

CHANGE 0.08 1.3 1 0.14 0.3 1.05 0.05

% CHANGE 10.81% 9.85% 6.67% 6.19% 4.80% 4.78% 3.94%

0.28 0.01 19

3.78% 3.57% 3.39%

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FEU PRIM ABG SCC DITO

LAST PRICE 545.5 1.42 5.51 22.1 6.33

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ALCO PHA AUB MAC TUGS

0.64 0.66 43.1 5.88 1.01

CHANGE -54.5 -0.11 -0.37 -1.3 -0.37

% CHANGE -9.08% -7.19% -6.29% -5.56% -5.52%

-0.03 -0.03 -1.9 -0.24 -0.04

-4.48% -4.35% -4.22% -3.92% -3.81%

B3

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market investors shift attention to inflation, politics

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARES prices are expected to trade sideways this week as investors look for catalysts that could boost the benchmark above the 7,400-point level.

Investors may shift their attention to the mounting inflation rate and the upcoming presidential elections where the list of candidates will be firmed up this week, after the earnings season comes to an end and the release of the third quarter gross domestic product figures last week .

“The political climate should heat up dramatically over the next few weeks as the candidate pool gets finalized, so will

of P8.02 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Globe Telecom Inc., which rose 8.9 percent to P3,430; Converge ICT Solutions Inc, which climbed 6.9 percent to P35.50; and AllDay Marts Inc., which rose 6.5 percent to P0.82.

Weekly top price losers were Semirara Mining and Power Corp., which declined 8.8 percent to P22.10; Petron Corp., which dropped 6.6 percent to P3.51; and Aboitiz Power Corp., which fell 5.2 percent to P31.55.

Meanwhile, global stock markets mostly climbed on Friday—a positive end to a week in which the threat of inflation spooked investors, but not enough to scuttle the rally.

Major US indices all gained, with the broad-based S&P 500 adding 0.7 percent, paring their losses for the week. But London’s FTSE bucked the bullish feeling, falling 0.5 percent. With AFP

speculation over regulatory and business risks of the next six years,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

Meanwhile as mobility restrictions are eased, analysts said “revenge shopping” coupled with early election-related spending could boost the economy in the fourth quarter of the year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index is expected to trade between 7,200 and 7,300 points this week.

The bellwether PSEI last week inched up 0.6 percent to 7,383.84, boosted by positive third-quarter earnings.

Sectoral indices ended mixed, with services, property and financial posting week-on-week gains, while mining and oil, holding firms and industrial registering week-on-week losses.

Foreign investors were net buyers for the week by P1.17 billion, while the average daily value traded rose to P9.3 billion from the previous week’s average

MOST ACTIVE 1 2 3 4 5 6

MONDE SGP ACEN CNVRG ALLDY SMPH

VOLUME 119,376,600 123,286,900 77,932,500 20,739,700 492,763,000 6,889,800

7 8 9 10

BDO ALI TEL MBT

1,802,560 5,741,400 119,035 3,529,080

VALUE (PHP) 2,040,684,610 1,809,674,460 951,561,842 737,571,890 389,472,160 247,646,640 233,871,883 214,902,370 200,819,845 181,210,483

SHORTAGE. A container truck arrives at the Long Beach Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach on November 12, 2021 in Long Beach, California. The shortage of truck drivers is exacerbating the supply chain crisis in the United States, with a report released last month by the American Trucking Association estimating the industry is short 80,000 drivers, a figure which can double by 2030 as more retire. AFP

Spain’s nightlife faces alcohol shortages

By Valentin Bontemps MADRID, Spain—At the Cafe Comercial, one of Madrid’s oldest cafes whose marble columns and ornate chandeliers draw throngs of tourists and locals, bottles of some popular drinks are in short supply.

“It is hard to get deliveries. Certain brands of gin, tequila and whisky are impossible to find,” the manager of the emblematic cafe, Raul Garcia, told AFP. “The lack of stock affects wellknown international brands we never would have thought would one day be unavailable.”

He is not alone.

Due to supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, bars and nightclubs across Spain have struggled to stock their shelves since COVID-19 restrictions on social life were fully lifted last month.

This is raising hackles in a country where social life is concentrated outside of the home, and big groups often meet up for tapas or dinner followed by rounds of drinks.

“The shortage is not generalized, but is concentrated on some brands.

The problem is that these are brands people are very attached to,” said Roberto Ucelay, the manager of the Los Olivos Beach Resort in Tenerife, part of Spain’s Canary Islands.

Among the popular names affected are Beefeater gin, Absolut vodka

CHRISTMAS MARKET. People

visit the newly opened ‘Christkindlmarkt’ Vienna’s classic Christmas Market, on the square in front of the City Hall in Vienna, Austria, on November 12, 2021, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said on November 12, 2021 he wanted to introduce a nationwide lockdown for those not vaccinated or recovered from coronavirus, as the country struggles with rapidly rising cases.

AFP

and Patron tequila.

‘Problem of delivery’ The shortages are due to the global shipping crisis, sparked by an uptick in demand from China and the United States which “affects all international trade,” Spain’s association of spirits makers, Espirituosos Espana, said in a statement.

Suppliers have struggled with shortages in bottles and cardboard boxes needed to package alcohol, as well as a lack of drivers, containers and trucks to ship it.

“It is not a problem of the availability of products, it is a problem of delivery,” said a spokesman for France’s Pernod Ricard, the world’s number-two spirits maker.

Other European nations like Britain have also been hit by alcohol shortages, but in Spain the problem is compounded by the country’s consumption patterns, he said.

Bars and restaurants account for almost half of all alcohol sales in Spain, compared to just one-fifth in France, where supermarkets account for the bulk of sales, the spokesman said.

When business picked up in Spain after virus restrictions were removed, this more complicated supply chain “had to get up and running again”—a process that takes time, he said.

‘There are alternatives’ Daniel Mettyear, analyst at London-based alcohol industry consul-

tancy IWSR, agreed, saying Spain’s supply system “is fragmented and involves many players,” which adds to the difficulties.

“Spain is the country in the world with the most bars and restaurants per inhabitant,” he said.

During the months that virus restrictions on social life were in place, bars reduced their orders and liquidated their stocks of alcohol and it will take time to replenish them now that business has picked up, he said.

“They have a long way to go,” he said.

Spain’s association of spirits makers predicts the problem will not last long, but with the busy Christmas holidays fast approaching, businesses are worried.

Ucelay, the manager of the Los Olivos Beach Resort, said he has been told it will take six months to get some brands of champagne.

“That is too long,” he said.

Vicente Pizcueta, spokesman for Noche de Espana, an association which represents the nightclub sector, said the problem will continue “as long as the market is not more fluid.”

“We have a problem with certain brands, not with types of alcohol.

Spain is an important spirits maker and has brands that remain available in all categories,” he said. “There are alternatives.” AFP

India says WTO fishing plan favors rich nations NEW DELHI, India—The latest World Trade Organization proposals on ending fishing subsidies are unfair, weak and favor rich nations, an Indian official told AFP on Friday.

Governments spend billions of dollars every year subsidizing fishing industries that provide a livelihood to millions of people.

But the subsidies contribute to overfishing, which is threatening to lead to a collapse in the world’s fish ecosystem.

A draft text that would seek to end subsidies for illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing will be discussed in late November at the WTO in Geneva.

But an Indian commerce ministry official told AFP on Friday that the ongoing discussions hadn’t yet addressed the concerns of developing countries like India.

“It doesn’t change anything for large fishing nations. It is weak, not balanced and favors the advanced fishing countries,” the official said, without wishing to be identified.

New Delhi had said earlier this year that it wants “big subsidizers—countries like the US, Japan, South Korea, China and the European Union—to “take greater responsibility to reduce their subsidies and fishing capacities.”

“Any agreement must recognize that different countries are at different stages of development and that current fishing arrangements reflect their current economic capacities,” Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told a WTO meeting on fishing subsidies in July.

Global fisheries subsidies are estimated at between $14 billion and $54 billion a year, according to the WTO. WTO member states have been striving for over 20 years to reach a deal on the issue and in 2020 missed a deadline to reach an agreement by year-end.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who took the reins of the global trade body in March, has made reaching a fisheries agreement by the end of this year a priority and is under increasing pressure to deliver. AFP

US, Japan launch talks to resolve steel and aluminum tariffs—official WASHINGTON—The United States said Friday it had opened talks with Japan aimed at reducing US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed under former president Donald Trump, after Washington reached a deal on the same issue with the European Union.

Citing “distortions” caused by global overproduction fueled by China, “the United States and Japan will seek to resolve bilateral concerns in this area,” US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

“The United States and Japan have a historic alliance, built on mutual trust and respect,” Tai and Raimondo said in a statement, before taking aim at Beijing.

“These consultations present an opportunity to promote high standards, address shared concerns, including climate change,

and hold countries like China that support trade-distorting non-market policies and practices to account.”

The US officials said market distortions from global non-market excess capacity “driven largely” by China “pose a serious threat to the market-oriented US steel and aluminum industries and the workers in those industries.”

Raimondo is due in Tokyo next week for talks with Japanese officials.

Her first official Asian trip will also take her to Malaysia and Singapore, where she will meet with officials from Australia and New Zealand.

In June 2018, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from several economies, including the European Union and Japan. AFP

Manila

Standard

TODAY

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN THE MATTER OF

: : :

SPLENDIDO TAAL COUNTRY CLUB, INC. -Registrantx---------------------------------------------------------------------x

REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on 04 August 2020, a revised Registration Statement was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of Splendido Taal Country Club, Inc. for the registration of its Three Thousand (3,000) Common Shares broken down as follows: Title of each class of securities to be registered Common Shares

No. of shares to be Registered 3,000

Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit Php195,444

Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price Php586,332,000

According to the papers presented, the following persons are the officers/ directors of the corporation: Director/Officer Katrina C. Ponce Enrile Exequiel D. Robles Kara Ponce Enrile Rhounimi Mariza S. Tan Orestes R. Santos Aurora D. Robles Persiverando M. Lukban Leo Gerald Rios De Castro Manuel Encarnado

Position Chairman and Director President and Director Treasurer and Director Director - Corporate Secretary Director Director Director / Managing Director Independent Director Independent Director

Said registra tion statement and other papers / documents attached thereto are open to inspection by interested parties during business hours and copies thereof, photostatic or otherwise, shall be furni shed to every party at such reasonable fees as the Commission may prescribe. The Registration Statement and Preliminary Prospectus dated 31 July 2020 may also be downloaded from www.splendidotaal.ph.

Very truly yours,

(MS-NOV. 8 & 15, 2021)

RACHEL ESTHER J. GUMTANG-REMALANTE Director

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

B4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, November 12, 2021 51.19 PTS. 7,382.84

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

1,547,745,980 128,676

TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES

10,415,773,248.07 81 109

UNCHANGED

50

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.1880

Japan

Yen

0.008768

0.4400

UK

Pound

1.337500

67.1265

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128343

6.4413

Switzerland

Franc

1.086130

54.5107

Canada

Dollar

0.795102

39.9046

Singapore

Dollar

0.738498

37.0637

Australia

Dollar

0.729400

36.6071

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652801

133.1388

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266638

13.3820

Brunei

Dollar

0.735781

36.9274

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030423

1.5269

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.6655

Euro

Euro

1.145200

57.4753

Korea

Won

0.000846

0.0425

China

Yuan

0.156495

7.8542

India

Rupee

0.013460

0.6755

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240038

12.0470

New Zealand

Dollar

0.701900

35.2270

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035935

1.8035 Source: BSP

LT Group’s Q3 net profit rose 2.3% to P6.21b

By Jenniffer B. Austria LT GROUP Inc. of tycoon Lucio Tan said over the weekend net income rose 2.3 percent in the third quarter to P6.21 billion from P6.07 billion in the same period last year on lower cost of sales and services.

LT Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange third-quarter revenues were flat at P22.8 billion while cost of sales and services declined 2 percent to P10.49 billion from P10.7 billion in 2020.

The figures brought the ninemonth net income to P10 billion, down 38.2 percent from P16.1 billion recorded a year ago.

It attributed the decline largely to the negative net contribution of the banking segment in the group because of higher provisioning for credit losses and the elimination of the gain from the transfer of real estate assets at the consolidated level.

Consolidated revenues amounted to P66.9 billion in the nine-month period, down 4.5 percent from P70.1 billion earned in 2020 on decreased revenues in the banking and property development segments, partially offset by the higher distilled spirits and beverage segment revenues.

The tobacco business contributed P13.27 billion of total net income, or 9.7 percent higher than the comparative figure of P12.2 billion.

Tanduay Distillers Inc. also added P998 million, down from P1.1 billion as expenses grew faster than revenues.

Asia Brewery Inc. contributed P411 million, up from P4 billion in 2020 while Eton Properties Philippines Inc.accounted for P366 million, lower than previous year’s level of P633 million on decline in rental revenues.

The group’s 30.9-percent stake in Victorias Milling Company Inc. added P169 million to total net income.

LTG declared in June a P0.24 per share special cash dividend or a total of P2.60 billion. It was paid in July.

This brought total cash dividends in 2021 to P0.48 per share or P5.19 billion. This was equivalent to 24.7 percent of the conglomerate’s 2020 attributable net income.

Former Cebu Pacific crew asked to reapply CEBU Pacific said it resumed hiring for cabin crew in preparation for the travel demand and tourism recovery.

It said that as domestic travel restrictions continued to ease and more destinations opened up, the the airline ramped up its network, which in turn, provided an opportunity for the airline to hire additional cabin crew.

The airline unit of the Gokongwei Group said it reached out and encouraged former CEB cabin crew to apply as the airline gets ready for growth and recovery.

“We know the year 2020 has been one of the most challenging years for everyJuan.

As we continue being cautiously optimistic and prepare to paint the skies yellow again, we are pleased to reopen the hiring of additional cabin crew,” said Felix Lopez, vice president for people and admin at Cebu Pacific.

Lopez said the steadily rising number of fully-vaccinated Filipinos and the encouraging downward trend of new COVID cases “brought about an uptick in travel demand and opened opportunities for us to hire additional cabin crew to support CEB’s recovery and growth.” Darwin G. Amojelar

ATI booked P1.5b in 9-month income SUSTAINABLE FINANCE. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno (top left) urges policymakers, regulators,

banks, development agencies and other stakeholders to intensify collaboration to promote the wider adoption of sustainable finance principles. With Diokno are (clockwise) Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Asian Development Bank’s green and innovative finance unit head Anouj Mehta, United Nations Development Programme resident representative to the Philippines Selva Ramachandran and British Ambassador Designate to the Philippines Laura Beaufils.

6% economic expansion possible in 2021—Diokno B

By Julito G. Rada

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the gross domestic product may grow between 5 percent and 6 percent this year, based on the economic output in the last two quarters.

The growth would be a turnaround from the 9.6-percent contraction last year at the start of the pandemic, the worst economic performance since World War 2.

“The GDP prospects appear bright.

With the adjusted second-quarter GDP real growth of 12 percent, followed by a

7.1-percent growth in the third quarter, a 2021 full-year growth rate of 5 to 6 percent is attainable,” Diokno said in a statement over the weekend.

Diokno said based on recent developments including the ramped-up vaccine rollout and the ebbing COVID-19 cases, the Development Budget Coordinating Committee’s GDP growth targets of 7 percent to 9 percent in 2022 and 6 percent to 7 percent in 2023 “look doable.”

“These latest forecasts suggest that the country’s real output will revert to its pre-pandemic level by the third quarter of 2022, if not sooner,” Diokno said.

The economy expanded by 12 percent in the second quarter and 7.1 percent in the third quarter, bringing the average in the first three quarters to 4.9 percent.

Diokno also cited the easing inflation in October on stabilizing prices for meat

and fish prices with the availability of imported supply.

He said with sufficient slack in the labor market and the expected higher participation rate as workers re-entered the work force, there was little likelihood of a wage hike as the vaccine rollout quickened and consumer confidence rose while economic activity expanded.

“This is in sharp contrast to the inflationary pressures in developed countries like the US, EU and UK owing to supply chain bottlenecks and the rising labor expenses,” he said.

“There appears to be no pressure on rising real estate prices: increase in real property prices in the National Capital Region are either flat or slightly down, though there is a slight increase in prices in few places outside NCR,” Diokno said.

Southeast Asia’s largest solar project will soon rise on a former ranch to be developed by Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp., which obtained approval from the Philippine Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct an initial public offering. SPNEC is developing a 500MW solar project that is planned to be the largest solar project in the region.

PSE, SEC approve Solar Philippines’ application to hold P2.7-b IPO

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Philippine Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the initial public offering of Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp., the developer of a 500-megawatt solar project that could be the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

SPNEC said in a statement over the weekend the IPO could raise up to P2.7 billion, with the first P1.3 billion raised primarily to complete the first 50 MW of the project, including the transmission line. The rest of the amount will be used to acquire land to expand the project beyond 500 MW. “We thank the PSE and SEC for approving this IPO, which aims to give the public a new option to invest in RE and increase the RE capacity of the Philippines,” said Solar Philippines founder Le-

andro Leviste.

“We’ve decided to make this our group’s first venture into the public markets because this is the asset that we are proudest to showcase: a site where will rise the largest solar project in Southeast Asia, with potential for expansion given its proximity to Manila, to meet the growing demand for renewable energy in the Philippines,” Leviste said.

The offering will be held from Dec. 1 to 7, while the listing on the PSE main board would be on Dec 17, 2021, based on the listing notice posted on the PSE EDGE website.

The PSE gave the go signal for SPNEC to conduct an IPO for up to 2.7 billion shares at P1 apiece. The final offer price will be determined on Nov. 23 after the company completes its bookbuilding process.

The public will own 33.23 percent of SPNEC while Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. will own 66.77 percent once the IPO is completed.

“I am pleased that PSE can support a renewable energy company with its fundraising requirements. The need for RE is more amplified now as more companies are turning to RE as part of their climate action program,” said PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon.

This is the first time that a company was approved to list under the supplemental listing and disclosure requirements for renewable energy companies approved by the PSE in 2011. These rules allow development-stage project companies to list, subject to certain requirements including having a valid and subsisting service contract awarded by the Department of Energy.

AllHome and AllDay of Villar Group delivered strong net earnings in first nine months ALLHOME Corp. and AllDay Marts Inc., two retail units of the Villar Group, delivered strong profits in the first nine months despite the re-implementation of quarantine lockdowns in the third quarter.

AllHome, a leading home store chain, reported a 65-percent increase in ninemonth net income to P973 million, as net sales jumped 22 percent to P10.12 billion.

The company said third-quarter net income rose 12 percent from the previous quarter’s level while net sales climbed 9 percent to P3.4 billion.

AllHome stores remained opened de-

IN BRIEF

spite the mobility restrictions implemented in August and September.

“AllHome’s inherent innovative nature fueled its ability to quickly adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team continuously evaluates our strategies and implement operational efficiency initiatives to maximize earning potential and minimize costs,” said AllHome chairman Manuel Villar.

The company also implemented various programs such as strategic pricing and increased in-house brand sales contribution to improve margins.

It also executed operational efficiency

initiatives in view of changing customer shopping behavior. This resulted in the optimization of store capacity and the repurposing of portions of store space as additional store warehousing and fulfillment/logistics areas to allow for service efficiencies for e-commerce fulfillment.

AllMarts Inc., the supermarket chain of the Villar family, reported a net income of P265 million in the first nine months, up from P165 million posted in the same period last year.

Nine-month sales rose 22 percent to P6.9 billion from P5.6 billion in 2020.

“AllDay’s stellar performance to date continues to validate our concept of an elevated supermarket experience. This consistent growth shows that the AllDay experience―in-store and online―continues to resonate with the upgraded tastes and purchasing power of the Filipino consumer,” Villar said.

Same-store sales in the first nine months registered 3-percent growth, bucking a downward trend across the industry.

Online sales accounted for 3.8 percent of total nine-month sales and 5.7 percent in the third quarter. Jenniffer B. Austria

ASIAN Terminals Inc. said net income fell by more than a fifth in the first nine months on higher operating expenses.

ATI said net income income in the ninemonth period amounted to P1.5 billion, down 24 percent from last year because of volume-driven expenses, rising fuel price, sustained COVID resiliency measures and unfavorable foreign exchange rate impact.

Driven by higher cargo volume, ATI’S revenues increased 3.2 percent to P8.22 billion from P7.97 billion it posted in the same period last year.

The flow of international cargoes facilitated by Philippine trade enabler ATI remained bullish with volumes breaking through the one-million-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) mark by end of third quarter, reflective of sustained trade recovery.

ATI’s international gateway ports in Manila and Batangas handled over 810,000 TEUs and nearly 200,000 TEUs, respectively, indicating resilient growth since the novel health emergency disrupted global and local supply chains last year.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Thousands win in SMB promo THE country’s top beer producer San Miguel Brewery Inc. keeps the beer flowing and the surprises rolling throughout Oktoberfest. In place of the usual festivities, SMB serves up a different kind of delight this year with what’s inside its bottles and what can be found under its crowns.

SMB offers added thrills to drinkers with its instant Gcash Panalo ng San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest under-the-crown promo. With up to P100 million in GCash prizes to be given away, over 50,000 thousand drinkers nationwide already won by simply enjoying their favorite bottles of San Miguel Beer and checking under the crowns.

Beer lovers can enjoy their favorite brews and get a chance to win instantly in just five easy steps – buy, look, scan, type and win.

Winners can use rewards at the nearest store accepting GCash to buy anything, including more San Miguel Beer. Promo is available in areas where allowed from Sept.

1, 2021 until Dec. 31, 2021.

PAL Holdings cut losses to P27b in three quarters

By Darwin G. Amojelar PAL Holdings Inc., the operator of Philippine Airlines, said net loss slightly declined in the first nine months because of lower operating expenses.

PAL Holdings said total comprehensive loss amounted to P27.19 billion from January to September, down 6.3 percent from P29.03-billion loss it incurred in the same period last year.

Consolidated revenues fell 29 percent to P32.16 billion from P45.29 billion last year on the impact of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic that started in mid-March of 2020.

Passenger revenue amounted to P21.76 billion this year, lower from last year’s P35.55 billion while cargo revenue climbed 47 percent to P8.9 billion from P6.05 billion.

Consolidated operating expenses fell 36.7 percent to P42.75 billion from P67.52 billion on the significant reduction in the number of flights operated.

“Expenses related to grounded aircraft which were recognized this year under other charges as well as lower manpower costs as a result of PAL’s retrenchment program in mid-March of the current year also contributed to the decrease in operating expenses,” PAL Holdings said.

PAL Holdings earlier secured an approval from its board of directors to increase its authorized capital stock from 13.50 billion shares with a par value of P1 per share to 30 billion shares with a par value of P1 apiece. any will issue 10.20 billion new common shares in exchange for the cash infusion of P12.75 billion from Buona Sorte Holdings Inc. The P12.75 billion cash to be received by the company from BSHI will be down streamed to PAL pursuant to the court-supervised reorganization of the airline.

PAL, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy before the US Court, expects to exit from the proceeding by the end of the year.

Christmas Special Issue

The Season of Giving

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

C1

Manila Standard’s ultimate gift & Noche Buena guide for Christmas

By P.Y. Deligero

W

E’RE nearly a month away from the most anticipated holiday in the Philippines Christmas. By this time, many of us are already listing the gifts that we plan to give to our friends, family, loved ones, or even for our ‘monitos and monitas’ in schools or offices. In our culture, Christmas is not only a religious celebration, but a way for us to bond with the people in our lives. As a result, we tend to find the perfect gifts to make others feel special.

But let’s be honest, finding the ideal gift isn’t always easy, especially if the recipient is the type that appreciates almost everything and anything given to them.

Thankfully, we can play into their interests and determine the kind of gift that they would truly enjoy.

Here are some gift ideas to help make the gifting process easier: For the plant and pet lover Many or some of the people we know have an affinity for raising pets or plants, sometimes both. And since the pandemic started, many of us have been finding hobbies to spend time indoors by gardening or spending time with our furry friends.

Luckily, we don’t have to choose between the two interests this gift-giving season, since there’s an option where you can get the best of both.

Planters made from abaca are already a common sight and gift idea, but pair it with a cute design (and eco-friendly element) and it’ll surely captivate the hearts of recipients.

Take this abaca planter for instance. Made from local materials and by local weavers, the planters make for an eye-catching addition to any space. The planters are available in all leading e-commerce platforms and even on social media sites. You can even choose from a variety of designs that meet the criteria of your recipient’s interest.

For the coffee lover Aside from finding a way to spend time during the lockdown, many of us have also invested in home appliances that we can indulge in as a source of comfort during challenging times. People started to cope by building home bars or coffee corners, so they can get a taste of their favorite drinks without having to go outdoors or consistently spending too much.

Give your coffee-loving friends, family members, or loved ones something to add to their home cafés. This can be in the form of a cute mug or other coffee-making essentials like containers to organize their ingredients.

You can also gift them their favorite coffee blend or a new one they should try to help them expand their horizons.

If you’re feeling generous, you can check out some coffee makers, so your recipient can have a better experience in making their favorite beverages.

The school/office techie In the previous year, many of us have had to shift and adapt to a home setting. To help make the situation easier, we invested in items like a sturdy and spacious work desk, several items that help with organization, and even new computer sets that have the specifications to meet our requirements.

These items come at a great advantage because of the comfort and accessibility that it brings. This Christmas, gifting items that will help improve a home office or study area will be well appreciated.

One example is a charging station that fits the smartphone they’re using.

This will help get rid of those pesky wires that make a space look cluttered.

There are also several charging stations that double as an organizer where other items like pens, earphones, and more can be stored to maintain a clean space.

Charging stations also come in different designs, so there’s a lot to choose from before you find the right one for your recipient/s.

Preparing for the big feast Apart from gift-giving, Christmas is also the time when we can connect with our friends, families, and loved ones over a good meal that welcomes the day of the celebration. As a result, many people prepare for the meal by serving a variety of delectable dishes that everyone can enjoy.

Some don’t even spare any expense just to get the perfect dish to commemorate the holiday. And since we’re already busy thinking about what to serve during Noche Buena, others make it easier by gifting food items that can be added to the table.

But with a wide array of recipes to choose from, others find it hard to choose. Good thing there’s already a long-standing tradition of gifting food items such as ham or queso de bola, as these only become available during the holiday season.

Another item that we can gift to others this Christmas is a bottle of wine.

Although this is strictly given to those who are of legal drinking age, a bottle of wine makes for a good addition to a Noche Buena table. Wine is a common sight during special occasions, thus having it around on Christmas Eve can help make the festivities more lively—as long as it’s drunk moderately.

Another gift idea for Noche Buena is a charcuterie board with a fine assortment of

cheese, meat, fruits, and other finger food.

This can be a good conversation starter and will cater to the different preferences of the people around the table. Charcuterie boards are also customizable, allowing for a personal touch to each board.

If you’re unsure what to get, there’s always the possibility of giving a gift basket that has an assortment of food items that the recipient will surely appreciate and make use of. Don’t forget to check beforehand if they have any food allergies to

avoid any complications.

There are a plethora of gifts that we can give to the people we care about this Christmas. It’s only a matter of budgeting, finding the right thing to give, and keeping in mind that it’s the thought and feelings that count the most. But gifts aside, we should all remember what this holiday means to us Filipinos—a time for us to be thankful for our blessings and spend time with the people who matter the most.

Christmas Special Issue

C2 || MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

The Season of Giving

Give yourself and your loved ones a lasting gift by investing your Christmas bonus Another advantage of investing is that it provides a source of income that can cover day-to-day living expenses. It can serve as another avenue for profit that could help make things easier for people. In return for these investments, people can lead a better life.

BY P.Y. Deligero

C

HRISTMAS is a highly anticipated holiday in the Philippines for many reasons. It’s the season for giftgiving and a time for families to spend time together over a meal on the eve of the celebration. But aside from the time and festivities that come with the season, several incentives are also exclusive during the holiday.

Employees and workers also share the excitement, if not more, for Christmas. During this time, they receive salary bonuses from their employers as a sign of thanks for their service during the year.

Most of the money from these bonuses is usually used for the purchase of gifts or new items that they or others can enjoy during the holiday or for a longer period. At times, Christmas bonuses are also used to pay for trips where they can create new memories and experiences.

But there’s also another way that people can make the most of their Christmas bonuses -- by investing.

Investing has already been a common practice among people, who want to use their extra funds to secure their future and that of their loved ones. It’s not a new practice for people to invest their Christmas bonuses into something other than their holiday splurges. Some people even set expectations throughout the holidays to maximize their full potential.

A gift for the future Come Christmas, we all flounder on what gift to get our family and loved ones. Christmas bonuses usually pay for these gifts, and at times, trips. But people are looking for more practical ways to offer gifts that last longer.

This can be achieved through investing. Aside from our worldly comforts and daily expenses, we have to worry about our future, such as school, retirement, or even health emergencies. A good way to show our love to our family is by putting our money to where it truly matters.

An investment as a gift can provide a sense of security that they’ll be well-equipped to handle the future and what it has in store for them.

Why invest?

Practicality should be always exercised in almost every decision, especially during present times. While the community quarantine protocols are slowly becoming lax due to higher vaccination numbers and lower COVID-19 cases, some people are still exploring various avenues to increase their assets in preparation for when everything goes back to normal.

Investing is a good way to be practical because it puts people’s hard-earned money into a secure location that benefits them in the long run. Moreover, investing a Christmas bonus can serve as a gift to yourself and the ones you love.

Financial security, in the long run, is a great gift to give and receive because it opens up new opportunities for them in the future.

There are several benefits of investing. Some of them include preparing for retirement, buying a house, or paying for school fees.

Money usually goes to banks where people feel it’s safe, but they’re just sitting there, untouched and not earning enough. This can change with investing. There might be some risks, especially with investing in stocks, but with the proper approach, it can become a long-term source of money.

But there’s more to investing than just future returns.

The Philippine economy can be unpredictable at times, with inflation consistently posing as a challenge to Filipinos and their way of life. Investing in the right platforms can help them stay ahead of inflation by providing a higher return rate, especially if these have the ability to outperform inflation.

NEW NORMAL, NEW SNACK HABITS

Bring home and snack on Cadbury Dairy Milk with the People Closest to You SNACKING is growing. All around the world there is a universal snacking need: the lines between meals and snacks are blurring. Especially with more people staying at home during this new normal, snacking has even made way for new traditions shared with the family.

Spending more time at home with the people closest to you presents the best opportunity to make new snack routines and to bond with your family by sharing the Philippines’ favorite chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk.

According to a survey on snacking behavior during the pandemic, 69% of parents who are currently working from home have developed new snacking habits with their family. Some ¾ have also said that snacking is one of the few times that the family comes together. This survey is called the State of Snacking and was commissioned in 2020 globally

by Cadbury Dairy Milk’s parent company Mondelēz International.

“While working from home has enabled more families to be together under one roof, each member’s activities may sometimes get in the way of actually being together,” expounds Raf Baradas, Cadbury Dairy Milk Brand Manager.

“Thankfully with more families under one roof also comes the opportunity to get together more often and have enjoyable bonding moments to make their time more special. Chocolate’s a great snack because it’s ready to eat anytime, it’s delicious so everybody loves it, and with Cadbury Dairy Milk’s packs you can easily track how much you’re snacking on. Just grab it from the refrigerator and it’s ready for delicious snack time.”

Cadbury Dairy Milk is encouraging families to drop the mobile gadgets and have fun bonding with family with the brand’s many products that are great for sharing—especially during the holidays.

Whenever it’s time for a snack at home, grab these Cadbury Dairy Milk packs to enjoy with the family.

Let’s see what kinds of sharing can you do?

The Fair Sharer: You want equal chocolate bites for every member of the family. With chocolate this good, you want to avoid arguments over who gets more—you’re already arguing over what to watch on TV as it is. So, you get the Cadbury Dairy Milk

Share Bag, with individually wrapped pieces you can easily count and share.

The Reluctant Sharer: Okay so you maybe don’t really want to share but know it’s the right thing to do. So, you get the big Cadbury Dairy Milk 165g bar and snap off pieces for your family while playing video games together after dinner. With you holding the pack, who can tell if you’ve had a few more bites than they have?

Promise, we’ll never tell.

The Loving Sharer: You want sharing to be intimate. Chocolate time is sitting closely together in the living room while talking about your lives, school, or work. Your perfect pack is the Cadbury Dairy Milk Bites. You and your family can pass it around while enjoying your chat and snack.

The Special Sharer: Family time is gold—literally.

This is why you prepare to make it more special than the usual! You step into the kitchen and whip up your favorite cupcake recipe but with a twist… you top it off with Cadbury Dairy Milk Panned Nuts. Your snack reflects the special place that family time has in your heart. Enjoy it on the weekends to make sharing a more memorable experience.

With Cadbury Dairy Milk, delicious snack time with the family is just a grab away. Make new traditions and enjoy bonding moments together as you stay safely at home while enjoying chocolate goodness. Make sure you stock up and store your fridge with Cadbury Dairy Milk to share and delight in the creamy goodness with the people closest to you. Buy them at leading supermarkets, mobile delivery apps and e-commerce stores and give Cadbury to someone you love today!

Where to invest money There are several platforms where people can invest their money in. The most common ones that we know are insurance funds that have specific purposes, such as for retirement, life insurances, and even for education.

Insurances such as these are one of the safest and most consistent forms of investment.

It’s equipped with steady growth rates, flexible payment terms, and fluid assets that can be withdrawn anytime during an emergency.

This allows people to passively build their savings while being able to afford daily expenses and other comforts.

In the Philippines, there are numerous companies that offer insurance policies of different kinds to cater to the different needs of the people. There are also various policies that have price options so that people won’t feel too pressured to meet their demands.

But insurances aren’t the only place where we can invest our Christmas bonuses. Since the pandemic started a year ago, many peo-

ple have been starting businesses for another source of money and better control of their finances.

Starting a business can sometimes be challenging and requires capital to get it running.

But with the dedication to grow it, a small investment that comes from a Christmas bonus can help it flourish.

Other than insurances and businesses, there has also been a rising interest in stocks and cryptocurrency. Although the market for these is volatile and unpredictable, numerous individuals have decided to invest in them anyway. This is because these platforms have high returns that many people are after.

While we enjoy the benefits of our Christmas bonuses, there are better ways to reap its potential for our own gain. Investing may have its risks and doesn’t bear results outright, but in time, it can provide for ourselves and our families so that we can achieve the financial freedom that we dream of.

And with the different platforms that we can put our money in, we have the choice as to how our investments cater to our changing needs, as long as we also exercise some caution on our initiatives. Saying goodbye to our Christmas splurge is just temporary compared to the advantages that we’ll get in the future, one where we have control over the money we earn.

Shop for the holidays with a ‘parcel-lubong’ from Buyandship PH

Get these Arai helmets via Revzilla and get an additional 10% discount via buyandship.ph

Veteran sports Journalist and motorcycle enthusiast Jinno Rufino is a loyal BuyandShip. ph member.

CHRISTMAS is just around the corner, and gifting our loved ones with a ‘parcel-lubong’ from the brands and stores you love from the United States and the United Kingdom is now made convenient and hassle-free with Buyandship Philippines.

Buyandship, a Hong Kong-based company established in 2014, provides global shipping services to customers who wish to shop across the UK, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Thailand, Indonesia, Canada, and the US with ease and comfort.

Recently launched in the Philippines, Buyandship aims to bring worldwide deals to Filipino customers from the US-based shops they love, such as Walmart, Amazon, Ebay, and Etsy, through efficient and affordable delivery services.

Filipinos can now use the Buyandship.ph platform to shop from these stores, have their items shipped via Buyandship location warehouses from 12 locations worldwide, and have it delivered right to their doorstep.

With Buyandship Philippines shop and ship services from abroad, more and more Filipino celebrities and personalities are signing up -- like veteran sports journalist Jinno Rufino who likes to buy motoring gadgets and accessories gift himself an Insta360 and Arai Helmets; former PBA player RenRen Ritualo and vlogger mom and host Patty Laurel-Filart also signed up with Buyandship.ph to shop for the best global brands for their family.

Here’s how to shop online for Christmas’ parcel-lubongs from your fave US stores this Black Friday and Cyber Monday with Buyandship.ph: • Mark your calendar and set that shopping alarm on these dates in the Philippines.

Celebrate Thanksgiving on November 26 by shopping holiday gifts for your family and get Black Friday deals on the 27th for fashion and home brands you loved from Walmart, Anthropologie, and Amazon. On the other hand, Cyber Monday deals on the 30th will let you update to the latest gadget from Apple and Samsung.

• Don’t forget the time zones of the shops you love. Have your alarm set on these countries’ time zones to shop from your fave stores in the US and even from the online shops in the UK, Japan, and Australia that offer Black Friday discounts.

• Keep an eye on Flash Deals. Black Friday flash promotions happen a day or two before the holiday, so make sure to buy it quickly and have it shipped to Buyandship location warehouses before it runs out of stock.

• Make shopping online a breeze by jotting down your shopping list and creating an account from the online stores you wish to shop. Don’t forget to put the nearest Buyandship warehouse address for shipping to get

Moto-heads can unlock their creative freedom and capture every moment with this Insta 360 One Motorcycle kit.

Former UAAP and PBA Basketball Player Renren Ritualo.

Play with style and confidence with Riualo’s Christmas Wish a Nike Waffle One. Shop for your fam this holiday season with JD Sports US and they’re on sale up to 50% off.

Designed by Amber Lewis in collaboration with Anthropologie, this blanket overflows with fluffy trim that’s just as snuggly as it looks.

Play with the whole family with the Anthropologie Modern Dominoes set.

This domino set includes 28 pieces and is made of paperboard and wood.

Enjoy the vivid colors and crisp contrast as you play on the go with the newest Nintendo Switch OLED that comes with two Joy-Con and dock.

more savings and deals from Buyandship.ph.

• Have a Paypal account, or you may use your Credit Card for a hassle-free payment method upon checking out the items on your cart. For Bulk B2B transactions, pay via Virtual cards like GCash Mastercard, GCash AmEx, and Paymaya.

• Sign up for a Buyandship account now and get more savings and deals this Black Friday.

Shop and ship from US-based online stores such as Amazon, Walmart, Ebay and Etsy. Enjoy up to 90% off discounts this Black Friday deals with BuyandShip Philippines. For more info and online discounts, check out their website at www.buyandship. ph or follow them on Facebook at Buyandship Philippines or on Instagram at Buyandship.ph.

Christmas Special Issue

The Season of Giving

Laura Mercier pure canvas primers and loose powder for a smooth and flawless coverage. Available at SM Beauty.

G

Get mesmerized with Mac’s hypnotizing holiday lipstick collection.

The perfect duo for a smoldering eye look from Bobbi Brown- Double The Drama Smokey Eye Mascara.

Vice Cosmetics’ Pop Kendi, Kookie Dough, and Peppermint Collections with lip tint, lip balm, and lip oil. Available at SM Beauty.

Gifts of Beauty at SM

IVE yourself and your loved ones with a gift of beauty from SM. With things opening up as Christmas approaches, it’s a good time to look good and feel great with gift sets from SM Beauty.

Luxe brands like Laura Mercier and Estee beauty box, and Nars’s fashion forward gift set Lauder lead the way with their spectacular that will enhance your holiday look.

selections; while iconic MAC has a new dazzling lipstick collection, Benefit delights us with a

You’ll double the drama with Bobbi Brown’s smokey eye mascara, and make heads turn with

Create lips you’ll love with Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Collection.

Available at SM Beauty.

Christmas is nearing and Shopee is your friend

By Rommel Bong R. Fuertes GATHER around the Christmas tree, it’s time to get your relatives, friends, or even significant others a present for the Yuletide season!

Heading out is good and all, but why do that when you can get them what you like via online merchant applications?

The country’s capital may be under Alert Level 2 now, which eases restrictions from heading out, but it would still be optimal to limit your movement outside the confines of your homes as Christmas arrives soon.

Your best companion as the calendar nears Dec. 25, is the ever-so-reliable Shopee and other online buy and sell applications.

With that said, here are some of the top potential gifts you can buy now, curated by the Manila Standard.

For the kids For Christmas, one could pick up presents for the kids, and even the young at heart.

Gamextreme is offering the best deals for you to cop the most-sought after console and console games at more affordable price rates.

The Nintendo Switch Lite--the proverbial smaller brother of the more famous Switch--is now priced at only P9,850 pesos, a whopping 34% discount down from its retail price of P14,995.

Of course, what’s a console without a game?

The Switch’s most famous game “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” is also on sale for P2,450. All these can be procured with Shopee’s no minimum spend, free shipping promo, available on Gamextreme’s official flagship store.

For the women You can’t forget your girlfriends or girl relatives for sure, as well. Blk cosmetics is probably one of the best brands in the market today with its affordable pricing but elegant results.

Blk cosmetics’ best-seller Fresh All Day Lip and Cheek Tint can be bought for P225. The brand also offers free shipping with 15% cashback for a min. spend of P249 pesos.

The more accessible Fresh Sunkissed Creamy All-over Paint Golden Hour also has a sale price of P359. It retailed for 399 pesos.

Both these and other Blk cosmetics products are available on their official flagship store in Shopee.

For the men As one of the biggest lifestyle and sporting brands in the world, adidas does not hold back in giving its consumers a fair deal before the Yuletide season.

Now, you can grab an original pair of adidas shoes for your friend for a cheaper price. If you look hard enough, you can even get them a collaboration pair for less than retail.

The adidas Tennis Advantage’s collaboration with the famous TV show “The Simpsons” is slashed from P3,500 to P2,450 . Add in the free

shipping and 15% cashback promo and you have yourself an absolute steal for your friends.

The brand offers free shipping with the right store coupons via the ShopeePay method.

For your significant other The Christmas season is all about giving and receiving presents to show how much you care for a certain person. That applies to your boyfriend/girlfriend for sure.

Luxury sunglasses brand Ray-ban is live on the Shopee app as well and they’re giving out sweet deals to help you out in giving your loved one stylish addition to their wardrobe.

The iconic Round Metal frame is on sale from a whopping P9,900 down to P7,425. With SPayLater’s payment method, you can even pay in installments so you can get it before Christmas.

Timex, a well-recognized watch brand is also participating in the monthly sale on Shopee.

Select items on the brand’s catalog are on sale for 50%. Classic silhouettes are also available for less.

Timex’s signature Ab Series Gold for Women looks to be the absolute eye-catcher of the catalog, as it drops to P2,645 from P5,290. Free shipping promo applies and it could also be procured via SPayLater.

However, the largest and most valuable steal one can find in Timex’s flagship store is the Viewpoint Silver Alloy Watch for Women as it can be purchased below P1,000 at P995 (sale applied).

With just a month left before the holiday festivities, it’s best to buy your gifts early so as not to panic-buy when December comes. You can buy these before the Christmas rush so why waste the opportunity?

LINKS FOR PRODUCTS https://shopee.ph/product/54415693/2753 597496?smtt=0.111939614-1636378216.9 Nintendo Switch Lite https://shopee.ph/product/54415693/4220722 271?smtt=0.111939614-1636378249.9 - Animal Crossing New Horizons https://shopee.ph/product/62677292/52345 53869?smtt=0.111939614-1636378289.9 - Blk cosmetics Fresh All Day Lip Tint https://shopee.ph/product/62677292/934069 4506?smtt=0.111939614-1636378372.9 - Fresh All-Over Paint https://shopee.ph/product/319506484/1102 3182624?smtt=0.111939614-1636378408.9 adidas Tennis advantage The Simpsons https://shopee.ph/product/126390397/21033 51361?smtt=0.111939614-1636378622.9 - RayBan Round Metal https://shopee.ph/product/301282701/696048 2800?smtt=0.111939614-1636379654.9 - Timex Ab Series Gold https://shopee.ph/product/301282701/686 0276213?smtt=0.111939614-1636379900.9 Viewpoint Silver Alloy Watch

Make Up Forever’s holiday collection. Vice Cosmetics has sweet treats with names like Kookie Dough and Peppermint for the lips, while Pretty Secret unlocks the key to great browworks for the blushing diva.

Give your skin some TLC with Clinique’s Merry Moisture Set and Olay’s serums and moisturizers for younger looking skin.

All these and other personal care products like fragrances, hair care, vitamins, supplements, and more are available at SM Beauty located at The SM Stores in most SM Supermalls nationwide.

Just in time for Christmas, SM Beauty also has exclusive gifts for all SMAC members- a free bear or luggage for a minimum purchase of P10,000 single receipt, available in select SM stores. Keep shopping because you can get more points for selected items all season!

You can also enjoy an exciting but worry-free shopping experience with our online shopping platforms; shop with SM Beauty Personal Shoppers and discover more products when you check out the SM Catalog https://thesmstorecatalog.com/ collections/beauty-and-health.

You can also buy your beauty gifts through Shop SM, our Viber community, Messenger, and the SM Store’s Call to Deliver service by calling #143SM or #14376.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

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Your Make Up Forever holiday collection comes with hydra booster primer, mist and fix setting spray, pressed powder, loose powder, extravagant mascara, and ultrapigmented lipstick at SM Beauty.

Gifts of beauty from Nars - orgasm blush duo, orgasm afterglow lip balm, mini eyeshadow palette, and make-up brush set.

Holiday beauty: Laura Mercier lip gloss collection, illuminating eye cream set, and the limited-edition day to night cheek palette.

A bounty of beauty from Estee Lauder: Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, Pure Color Envy palettes, and lipsticks.

Benefit holiday box: Precisely My Brow Pencil, Bad Gal Mascara, Pore Primer, and Hoola Bronzer.

Everything is merry and bright with Mac’s vibrant lipstick shades. Available at SM Beauty.

Christmas Special Issue

C4 || MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

The Season of Giving

Batangas, San Juan, Pasig boost FilBasket bids SAN Juan City, Pasig-Sta. Lucia and MTrans Batangas City downed their rivals Saturday to bolster their respective quarterfinal seedings in the FilBasket Subic Championship at the Subic gym.

The San Juan Knights pounced on the Nueva Ecija Bespren, 104-65; the Pasig-Sta. Lucia Realtors turned back AICC Manila, 78-74; and MTrans Batangas City scuttled the Davao Occidental Tigers-Cocolife, 101-96.

San Juan’s win forged a two-way tie on top with AICC Manila on identical 7-2 marks, while PasigSta. Lucia and MTrans Batangas City arranged a four-way logjam for fourth place on 5-4 records along with Nueva Ecija and Burlington EOG Sports.

Davao Occidental, meanwhile, fell to solo third with 7-3.

The 11-team tournament will have the top 4 teams at the end of the round-robin eliminations earning twice-to-beat quarterfinal incentives against the next four squads.

Victories from San Juan, Pasig and MTrans improved their respective quotients needed at the end of the elims as 7A Primus (2-7), FSD Makati-Army (2-7) and Muntinlupa Defenders (0-9) are already out of contention.

Renato Ular finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Orlan Omar contributed 17 points and seven assists as San Juan directed the tempo throughout and led by as many as 41 points, 104-63, in the last 1:17 of the game.

Rhenz Abando and JM Calma also added 11 and 10 points.

Meanwhile, a Jeckster Apinan steal led to a three-pointer from Tyron Chan to give Pasig-Sta. Lucia the 7270 upperhand with 1:56 left.

Cedrick Ablaza followed it up with a layup to put enough cushion, 74-70, as the Realtors protected their lead for good.

Ablaza and Ryan Costelo led Pasig with 14 points apiece, while Rudy Lingganay and Chan chipped in 12 points each. Justin Arana took charge inside the paint by collaring 10 rebounds.

In the other game, Jeff Viernes and Chito Jaime erupted for 30 and 21 points for MTrans Batangas City while Fran Yu added 12 points and five boards.

Sports

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

Filipino cagers shine in Australia, Japan, US

By Peter Atencio and Argie Paul Candare

F

ILIPINO basketball players on Sunday showed that they can dominate in various leagues around the world.

In the National Basketball League in Australia, Philippine phenom Kai Sotto and the Adelaide 36ers bagged a win in their first preseason game against Cairns Taipan via an overtime thriller, 91-87.

The 7’3” Sotto, who started the game, scored seven points, hauled five rebounds and rejected one shot in almost 20 minutes of action for the winning team.

In the extension, the 36ers dominantly opened the session on to a win, with Daniel Johnson spearheading his squad with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Tad Dufelmeier contributed 14 markers.

Sotto introduced himself in the league loud as he recorded his first points via an and-one dunk off a baseline attack.

The 19-year-old big and his squad will be back in action on November 16 (Tuesday) against the Perth Wildcats Meanwhile, Fil-American Bobby Parks Jr. played strong all throughout and poured in 23 points for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in their 101-75 crushing of the Mikawa Seahorses in the 2021-22 B.League tournament at the Park Arena in Aichi, Japan.

This made up for Parks’ so-so performance when the Diamond Dolphins bowed to the Seahorses, 71-91, last Saturday.

Parks’ two charities in the last 1:02 of the game, saw the Diamond Dolphins taking a comfortable 99-75 cushion.

The Diamond Dolphins bagged their eighth win in 14 outings in the West Di-

vision, moving them to fourth position.

The 6’3” Parks, who only had four points on Saturday, joined forces with Tenketsu Harimoto during a 13-0 run in the opening minutes of the first quarter, allowing the Diamond Dragons to move out of range with a 20-7 spread.

In the second quarter, the 28-yearold Parks knocked in a driving shot in the last 3:10 of the second period, sending the Diamond Dragons ahead by 13, 35-22.

Parks then hit three triples in the third period, giving the Diamond Dolphins a 20-point edge, with 7:58 left.

Jarrod Uthoff knocked in 24 points for the Seahorses, who share third with the Shinsu Brave Warriors at 9-5.

Shinsu, which will also field in Matthew Aquino, son of former pro Marlou Aquino, turned back Kiefer Ravena’s Shiga Lakestars, 90-80, with Yuta Okada leading with 27 points.

The Lakestars, who are in sixth spot at 6-8, got 22 points from Novar Gadson, while Ravena had only seven.

Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Davis blasts Lakers after embarrassing loss to Wolves LOS ANGELES—LeBron James may be “progressing nicely” in his rehab from an abdominal strain, but in his absence Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis isn’t happy with the team’s performance.

Davis excoriated the Lakers’ performance in a 107-83 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday that James could only watch from the sidelines.

“We’ve got to decide who we want to be,” Davis said after the contest.

“A championship team? That’s not us right now.

“We’re not winning a championship the way we’re playing. We’ve got to be better, and we’ve got to care more for our wins at home.

Wins in general. That was embarrassing.”

The Lakers led by five at halftime but were out-scored 40-12 in the third quarter by the Timberwolves, who went into the contest with the third-fewest wins in the Western Conference.

“We sucked,” Davis said of the pivotal third period. “No defense. Can’t score. That’s not just this third quarter, (it’s) every third quarter we’ve played this season.

“We come out slow, lackadaisical offensively and defensively. We’ve got to get it together.”

The only good news for the Lakers on Friday was coach Frank Vogel’s revelation that James’s return might be on the horizon.

“His rehab is prog ressi ng n icely,” Vogel said. “He’s back to doing on-court basketball activity and this does not seem like it’s going to be an extended stretch and he’s to be considered truly day to day.” AFP

Alibaba Cloud launches collaboration platform for sports events ALIBABA Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, recently unveiled at Apsara Conference 2021 Premium DingTalk for Sports Games, a digital solution aimed at streamlining the organization and communications for large-scale sports events.

The new solution will be used for the 2022 Asian Games, to be held in Hangzhou next September, serving over 100,000 participants from across the world.

Leveraging DingTalk’s established cloud-based enterprise collaboration platform, the new sports solution provides a one-stop collaboration tool to connect stakeholders at all stages of the event hosting lifecycle —from or-

ganizers and suppliers to volunteers and venue operators—enhancing the operational efficiency of sports events.

“Alibaba Cloud’s ambition is to transform the experience of sports in the digital era. As part of our continued efforts to achieve this goal, our new DingTalk solution is designed to help users manage and operate large-scale sports events in a more structured manner, leveraging DingTalk as an enterprise collaboration tool as well as utilizing our cutting-edge cloud technologies and infrastructure,” said Selina Yuan, General Manager of International Business Unit, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “Following our success in delivering technological solutions and services to digitalize the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020, we are excited about

the opportunity to support the upcoming 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.”

This solution allows different groups of event participants to join the platform through a single gateway, from anytime and anywhere. Organizers can manage these groups individually through a back-end platform, streamlining workflows while facilitating effective communications within and between groups.

To help event participants including volunteers and venue operators from across the world better communicate with each other, the platform also provides instantaneous multi-language translation, remote video conferencing and many other functions to ensure smooth and real-time information exchange.

“At DingTalk, we are aiming to facilitate the digitalization of organizations and corporations. With the launch of Premium DingTalk for Sports Games and our upcoming cooperation with the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, we are ready to provide the latest in digital platform services to global sporting event organizers,” said Alex Li, Vice President of DingTalk.

Other sports solutions unveiled during Apsara Conference 2021, held from October 19-22, include an AI-based simulation training solution for volunteers, which can provide virtual training for event volunteers in a cost-effective manner.

Based on AI algorithms, robots create an immersive training environment by simulating scenarios in the real world

and generate insights into trainees’ achievements using a standardized and systematic ranking system. By analyzing training insights, these AI robots offer real-time feedback to volunteers and provide tailored retraining sessions to help them improve performance.

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Sports

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

PSC holds Gintong Gawad ‘21 awards rites RECOGNIZING the contributions in the propagation and development of sports, the Philippine Sports Commission through Women in Sports is organizing the “Gintong Gawad 2021 Awards” for women, who distinguished themselves in grassroots sports.

The awards are divided into eight categories, to be given to women for their outstanding contributions as they served as catalysts in sports in their areas.

The categories are Babaeng Atleta, Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Atleta Modelo ng Isport sa Kumunidad; Kaagapay ng Isport sa Kumunidad (sponsor/benefactor); Natatangi at Makabagong Produktong Pang-Isport; and Proyektong Isport pang Kababaihan.

PSC commissioner Celia Kiram, chairperson of Women in Sports, is inviting Provincial Government Units, Highly Urbanized Cities, Independent Component Cities and Component Cities to send their nominees, together with their credentials and accomplishments as outstanding sports leaders in their communities.

The monthlong search for women, who helped in grassroots sports ends on November 30.

“Gintong Gawad was crafted and envisioned ostensibly designed to give due recognition to women for their outstanding contributions to grassroots women in sports,” explained Kiram.

“Sports is a platform for fun, fitness, unity, peace, camaraderie, teamwork, and many positive values that are extremely needed in this challenging period of pandemic,” adde the lady commissioner.

A female nominee athlete should be 21 years old and below as of December 31, 2021. She must have never been an athlete of the national pool regardless of Class A, B, C, Grassroots and Developmental classification, and never received allowance from PSC as an elite athlete and with no derogatory records in school or community.

Quick strength fitness talk at Sunshine Place Online

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (right) powers his car during the sprint qualifying at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, or Interlagos racetrack, in Sao Paulo, ahead of Brazil’s Formula One Sao Paulo Grand Prix. AFP

‘A Verstappen F1 title good for motorsports’ S AO PAULO, Brazil—A Formula One title win for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, breaking the stranglehold of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, would be good for motorsports, three-time champion Jackie Stewart says.

Verstappen leads Hamilton by 19 points heading into Sunday’s Brazil Grand Prix and the Dutchman looks increasingly capable of denying the Briton the title for the first time since 2016.

Stewart, the world champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973, said in Sao Paulo he was looking forward to seeing a “great end” to the championship.

“Verstappen, of course, is very hungry and he is young and he is ambitious, so I think there is a very good chance that he should win the championship

this year and I think that would be good for motorsport, good for Formula One,” said Stewart.

“Because the Mercedes, I think, have almost been, certainly not boring, but there needs to be a change at some point or another and I think that point has arrived.”

Stewart warned though that everything was still to play for: “We are four Grand Prix away at the present time, that’s a lot of points.”

David Coulthard, the British driver

who finished runner-up in 2001 behind Michael Schumacher, said at the same media event that he would also welcome a new champion.

“I think Max is on a roll, I think he would be a good champion, and I think he represents change so, from a broadcaster’s point of view, I think it would be nothing new if Lewis wins another title,” Coulthard said.

Hamilton was due to start Saturday’s sprint race from the front of the grid with Verstappen next to him on the front row.

However, Hamilton was called to see the stewards investigating a potential breach of technical regulations while Verstappen was facing questions for allegedly touching his rival’s car while it was parked up. AFP

JOIN fitness coach Cathy Mariano on Monday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon as she hosts and facilitates another informative fitness webinar and virtual workout at Sunshine Place Online.

Mariano of Lifecare Fitness has a degree in Sports Science. She will talk about why adding a strength regimen to one’s fitness routines can help minimize the effects of age-related muscle loss.

Keeping a person’s strength is essential in maintaining health and the ability to live independently. As a person gradually ages, so does his muscle mass. It is thus important to add strength regimen to one’s fitness routines.

The webinar and fitness talk is free for the 1st 100 participants. To secure a slot, and to know more, please call mobile 0917-8016440 or email marketing.sunshineplace@gmail.com or visit http://WWW.sunshineplaceph.com and Facebook Sunshine Place: Se n ior Recreation Center.

Athletics’ body elects officials, reboots programs GIVING its 17-person board of directors and officers a fresh mandate last week, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association on Saturday said it will reboot its Olympic program by reaffirming the PATAFA, World Athletics and Olympic values of honesty, transparency, ethical use of science, hard work and the judicious use of its resources for its athletes’ success and character development.

Dr. Philip Ella Juico, former Philippine Sports Commission chairman and member of various governance and integrity commissions of the then International Association of Athletics Federations, now known as the World Athletics, was again elected President of the Association.

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, Congressman of the second district of Cagayan de Oro, was reelected Chairman.

Senator Christoher Lawrence “Bong” Go remains PATAFA honorary chairman.

Businessman Rommel Sytin is the PATAFA Secretary General.

Also elected were Agapito Capistrano, ex-

Philip Juico

ecutive vice president; Atty. Melinda DiazSalcedo, corporate secretary; Engr. Noel silva, Treasurer; and Elmer Ngo, Auditor.

The Trustees are former Oriental Mindoro Governor Dr. Benjamin Espiritu; Cebu businessman Felix O. Tiukinhoy Jr; Ilagan City Mayor Josemarie Diaz; sportsman Rafaelito Villavicencio; Joseph Anton Bengzon; Jaime Villegas; Datu Yusoph Mama; Dr. Guillermo Torres Jr.; Atty. Roberto Uy and former PATAFA president Go Teng Kok. Juico said the board will re-emphasise— with even greater vigor—its said core values in its decisions as “times continue to change rapidly especially with the vast improvement seen in the Filipino athletes recently that, coupled with the advancements in training, science and opportunities, offers a lot of chances for our elite athletes.”

“Grassroots sports development and a revitalized Kids Athletics program, however, continue to be the most integral and interlinked part of the PATAFA development program chain,” added Juico, who during his stint at the PSC, pioneered the Government’s “Sport

for All” Program that was embodied in the country’s first-ever Philippine Master Plan for Sports Development and triggered the creation of the Philippine Sports Institute, inaugurated by then President Fidel V. Ramos.

For his part, Sytin emphasized the protection of the government funds infused in the PATAFA’s program as well as the sponsorships by the private sector.

“We’ve been judicious in our spending, and that translates to all of us in the Board—from the president down. We also inculcate that to our athletes as we should follow all rules and standards being sportsmen and gentlepersons.

We follow rules and laws, and uphold the PATAFA to the highest standard. Our newlypublished Athletes and Coaches Handbook, our code of ethics, says it all,” Sytin said.

The board also bared an initial plan to be presented to PSC to send a compact group of 2019 SEA Games medalists for training in Auston, Texas, early next year in preparation for the Hanoi SEAG in May 2022 and the Asian Games in China in September next year.

1st Asia Pacific University 3X3 Basketball League set in May

By Graham C. Lim THE inaugural competitions of the Asia Pacific University 3X3 Basketball League are set, to be organized by the Asia Pacific University Sports Union and its affiliate member, the Asian University Basketball Federation and other subsidiaries in the Philippines.

The Technological University of the Philippines, a newly registered member of the Asia Pacific University Sports Union, has confirmed hosting the 3x3 Basketball League to be held from May 17 to 20, 2022.

The TUP basketball venue is well-situated as it is located nearby the City Government of Manila in the Philippines.

The Asian University Basketball Federation, APUSU’s affiliated associate member, has been designated to handle the technical aspect of the tournament through its partner in the Philippines, the Basketball Association of the Philippines.

Dr. Jesus Rodrigo F. Torres, TUP President, will act as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee with Prof. Robert Milton A. Calo,

FESSAP Executive Vice President, as co-Chair. Dr. Torres is also a member of the FESSAP Board of Trustees as one of its Vice Presidents.

Dr. Torres appointed his Athletic Director, Allan Soria, as the League Director tasked to supervise the tournament operations and establish the format of competitions. Soria is also the Executive Assistant of the FESSAP State University Affairs and a member of the FESSAP Board of Trustees.

To entice foreign universities to take part in the games, they will not be charged a participation fee. The pickup arrival and departure of the Dr. Jesus Rodrigo F. Torres Edwin C. Fabro foreign delegations will be arranged participate in the 3x3 League.

Each school will by the Organizing Committee. The be allowed to field in no more than two teams, foreign teams, however, will have to take care according to Soria. of their hotel accommodations. They should Leonardo Andres, the National Basketball book their hotel within the vicinity of the TUP area as there are various hotels and hostels League-Philippines Commissioner, will hold the local Qualifying Tournament in February 2022, nearby and food is easily accessible.

Members of the State Colleges & Universi- with the top four university teams eligible to parties Athletic Association have been invited to ticipate in the APU3x3 League.

Only those universities that have registered with the FESSAP will be invited to participate in the Qualifier.

Edwin C. Fabro, the FESSSAP President, has been informed of the developments in the staging of the 1st APU3x3 League.

Fabro has given his full support to the TUP as the tournament host, in particular, TUP President Dr. Torres.

Alvin Tai Lian, the FESSAP Chairman of the Board and President Emeritus of the APUSU, likewise is 100 percent behind the decision of the Philippines’ Technological University of the Philippines to host this prestigious 3x3-League.

Mustaza Ahmad, the APUSU president from Malaysia, where the APUSU headquarters is located, will issue his official stamp of approval once all the details of the 1st APU 3x3 League have been finalized with the host-TUP. Top executives of the APUSU and the president of the Asian University Basketball Federation have been invited to grace the opening ceremonies in May 2022.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

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Coming home to a love story designed to sweep hearts away I

LEFT My Heart in Sorsogon is not just a television series, it’s also about fashion, a cultural showcase, and a tantalizing peek into the wonderful sights of the city province that stole the hearts of many including that of Heart Evangelista’s.

you can do. Hindi mo lang ma-expect na you will receive the same love, but as long as you give it sincerely, you’ll be happy with whatever it is that you get.”

When Celeste reluctantly returns to her hometown, Sorsogon, she is forced to face the emotional baggage that she left behind when she moved to Manila. She still resents her father, who is now critically ill, and her father’s second family for looking down on her glitzy fashion life. She wants nothing more than to leave, but she finds herself face-to-face with her old flame, Mikoy, portrayed by Paolo, who stirs up feelings In the series, Evangelista’s character will be she thought she had long forgotten.

“It’s the story that I always choose.” wearing gifts that designers from all over the world have sent to her during the pandemic. It will also Paulo shared. “Kung maganda ‘yung feature the beauty of the province, its delectable kuwento, that’s when I get hooked sa isang project. But more than cuisines, and the smiles of its people.

Beginning tonight, come home to a love me choosing this project, I’m story designed to sweep hearts away as GMA happy that GMA chose me, to Entertainment Group proudly presents the be honest. May nakita sila na highly-anticipated romance drama top-billed by Mikoy in me and I’m very Evangelista along with Richard Yap and Paolo thankful that they gave me this opportunity to do a Contis.

Viewers are in for a visually romantic treat as ‘mabait’ role on television.”

The longer that Celeste Evangelista steps into the role of Celeste, a fashion designer and socialite engaged to a dashing stays in her hometown, the more that she unexpectedly debonair, Tonito, brought to life by Yap. “I can relate to Celeste in some ways because rediscovers her roots, rekindles she’s so fashionable, she’s always dressed up yet her love for family, its people, and somehow she uses her clothes as armor because Mikoy, who just simply won’t you don’t really know the turmoil that is happening leave her heart.

The series is made more inside her,” Evangelista shared during the series’ exciting by a roster of talented virtual junket.

For Yap, his character is a different game, stars including Kyline Alcantara “Tonito is very giving minsan to a fault... I and Mavy Legaspi. Also starring in the show are Michelle wouldn’t be able to do that in real life.”

“But one thing you can learn here is to just give Dee, Rey PJ Abellana, Isay and give love until it hurts because that’s really all Alvarez, Shamaine Centenera-

Reformative theater THEATER icon and seasoned arts and culture maven SDGs Manila event, Ms. Cecille Guidote Alvarez is most passionate about the SDGs Resiliart Earth Saving Manila Event that runs until Dec. 10.

As its director, Alvarez believes that this pioneering effort harnesses the power of theater arts to bring about change, healing, and reform,.

“At the same time, the experiencing and realizing of results in the lives of people who have been given the opportunity to be guided and honed by masters as participants of this festival get as they encounter the power and wonder that the theater arts bring in the lives of people,” she proclaims.

The theater arts endeavor and festival, which is under UNESCO Patronage, has been rescheduled three times due to COVID-19. Now, it has a go signal and Alvarez is just glad to announce that the Philippines is the host o f t h i s

significant event on the occasion of the UN Human Rights Week organized by the Earthsavers UNESCO Artist for Peace and the Philippine Center of the International Theater Institute (ITI) Social Change Network.

“This week-long festival actualizes the roadmap identified in the May 2018 Manila Declaration for the Launch of the International Peace and Climate Justice Movement: Not by Force but by Art, under UNESCO Patronage,” Alvarez says in her opening remarks during the press conference held at the Café Ylang Ylang of the Manila Hotel.

“There is an Art Camp that will be held in the Philippine Normal University. Here, Filipino and ASEAN visual artists will collaborate in the creation of murals and the exchange of best visual arts practices will also be realized,” she adds.

Foreign and local dance groups, musicians, singers, poets, and other artists will come together and grace the festival of performances, which is one of the main highlights of the Manila festival, and it is where a harvest of artistic expressions and manifestations on the SDGs will be set to stage.

Discussions to forge a platform of action for actualizing the SDGs focused on people, the planet, peace, and prosperity through partnerships are part of the Forum component of the festival.

Alvarez and Viktor Sebek, Chair of the South-South Cooperation Council and the Co-President of the ITI Colombian Centre look forward to the workshops. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Festival director Cecille Guidote Alvarez

Buencamino, Marina Benipayo, Debraliz Valasote, Issa Litton, Jennifer Maravilla, Zonia Mejia, Bryce Eusebio, Dayara Shaine, Elias Point, and Victor Sy. Under the helm of director Mark Sicat Dela Cruz, I Left My Heart in Sorsogon airs weeknights, after 24 Oras, on GMA Telebabad.

‘I Left My Heart in Sorsogon’ marks the return of Heart Evangelista to primetime with Richard Yap (left) and Paolo Contis as her leading men.

Finest lyricism

No Rome releases highly-anticipated single ‘I Want U’ “I WANT U” is the second track to be revealed from No Rome’s highly anticipated debut album It’s All Smiles, set for release on Dec. 3 by Dirty Hit. Recorded in a small apartment in No Rome’s hometown of Manila after the pandemic prevented him from returning to London, the album was co-produced by Rome with BJ Burton (Kanye West, Bon Iver, Charli XCX), and George Daniel (The 1975).

In every sense of the phrase, It’s All Smiles finds No Rome returning to his roots, both in terms of location and influences. As is immediately obvious from “When She Comes Around,” the record is the most refined expression of Rome’s self-coined term “Shoegaze R&B.” The single cover of ‘I Want U’ that features No Vocal lines are indebted to the intense Rome’s finest lyricism to date. emotions expressed in R&B and run beautifully across highly textured production Bloody Valentine,” No Rome paints with and instrumentation. his production, taking straight-forward Like Kevin Shields, the architect of “My guitar playing and complicating it with the

tools at his disposal.

New single “I Want U” received its first play from Zane Lowe this week.

As Rome explains, it began life in 2019 and helped form the foundations of the album “this is the first song me and BJ worked on – that’s when we knew we were going to make this album together. I wanted to do the lyrics more like talking, storytelling almost, painting the picture of what was happening that moment thru lyrics.”

Originally written in the back of a tour bus in Las Vegas but never progressed beyond a demo, Rome picked the single back up last summer in Manila, and this time it clicked. The final version features some of Rome’s finest lyricism to date and includes a host of found sounds in the beat—a nod to the DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing and other plunderphonics records that Rome obsessed over.

NextUp Philippines 2021 winners unveiled THE search for the next local content creators has come to a close as YouTube and leading mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) officially announced the 12 finalists for NextUp Philippines 2021.

NextUp is a contest that gives Filipino content creators a chance to realize their full potential and grow their YouTube careers.

This year’s batch features an equally diverse pool of emerging talents from across the Philippines, which reflects Video streaming giant YouTube and leading telco Smart unveil the 12 YouTube’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. winners of NextUp Philippines 2021.

The 2021 finalists include a dermatologist, an author, a transgender man, and a chicken farmer among others, who (Keoni Tamayo); work-from-home mom Rookie Mommy Ph are ready to inspire people and create great content using their (Arra Solis); proud transgender man VandomVincent (Van stories and unique perspectives.

Vincent Go); and chicken farmer Wandering Soul (Aj Añavesa).

The 12 winners of NextUp Philippines 2021 are: artist, author, The winners will be participating in a week-long Creator Camp and business owner Abbey Sy; life hacker Diskarte with Mendy where they will get a crash course on production techniques and proponent Mark Mendoza; board-certified dermatologist Dr. receive in-depth training to further build their channels. Each winner Gaile Robredo-Vitas; Maranao creator Egypa Balindong; singer will also receive an equipment stipend worth P100,000, and artist Guji Lorenzana; baker and cook Mai Goodness; travel free data packs, and a chance to be one of and lifestyle guru Meljean Solon; lifestyle and fashion vlogger three winners who will be awarded a 12-month Michelle G.; fitness and movement coach Reps to the Rhythm endorsement contract with Smart.

What’s next for Britney? Check Instagram AFTER nearly 14 years living under a strict conservatorship she deemed abusive and exploitative, Britney Spears is free.

And now that a California court has lifted the controversial legal arrangement barring one of the world’s best-selling pop stars from managing her own life and finances, many fans are asking what’s next.

Speculation abounds — Kids? Travel?

Suing her family? — but the answer is

elusive, particularly given the guarded lifestyle Spears was legally bound to during more than a decade that saw her largely governed by her father, Jamie.

The magnetic superstar, who turns 40 on Dec. 2, has not given an interview in years, rarely makes public appearances, and last performed in October 2018.

Today most of what the public knows about Spears — who soared to global fame as a teenager on a burst of hits

including her breakout “...Baby One More Time,” before a highly publicized mental breakdown saw her become a paparazzi punching bag -—comes from her eccentric Instagram account.

For years the bubbly star has posted regularly, sometimes uploading videos of herself twirling or doing dance routines, other times waxing poetic on hopes and dreams.

The line of communication from

Spears’s lavish Los Angeles mansion to the outside world — she has more than 90 million followers across Instagram and Twitter — has offered the singer a modicum of control over her image and is perhaps where the most accurate reading of her plans lies. Read full story on manilastandard.net

AT LAST, BRITNEY IS FREE. The Free

Britney movement is a social movement to grant American singer Britney Spears autonomy from her conservatorship, which began in 2008.

Life

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

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Thé Hive has survived the pandemic, and has even expanded, with the help food delivery apps that conveniently bring their products to customers.

FOOD

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Cravings delivered conveniently G

IRLY Bay Bulaong-Tiongson’s love of food translated into a business when she opened a milk tea outlet in Bulacan in October 2019. She was only 24 years old then.

It was a leap of faith for the college professor. But just as she was starting Thé Hive, the pandemic struck a few months later and hampered her operations. Bulaong-Tiongson was soon having financial troubles and thought of closing down.

With no customers coming to stores, the young entrepreneur decided to onboard foodpanda. With the help of the app, she has been able to reach more Bulakenyos craving milk tea and other beverages.

“I used to rely on word of mouth and on my social media channels to promote Thé Hive. Now, when I meet people, they tell me that they always order from us using foodpanda. They even know that we are part of the Super Sundays and Mega Mondays promos,” shares Bulaong-Tiongson.

Thé Hive has since expanded operations to three outlets with one location in Bacoor, Cavite. Another two branches will open this November and by the end of the first quarter of 2022, Thé

Hive will have another three branches that will serve cool concoctions.

The food and grocery delivery app has helped many entrepreneurs like Bulaong-Tiongson survive and even grow amid an economy-crippling pandemic.

But even before COVID-19 plagued the country, foodpanda has been supporting many food businesses with convenient delivery, allowing them to be prepared when the crisis struck.

Just like Dimsum Break in Cebu.

Dimsum Break’s first branch opened on February 12, 1996, with a unique setup that provides a convenient venue for people to enjoy fresh dim sum dishes for a quick bite or a full meal.

As with other businesses, the pandemic completely upended the landscape in which the brand was operating.

“From relying heavily on dine-in customers as the main source of revenue, we found ourselves having to adapt to new ways of serving customers,” says marketing manager Kyra Velasco.

The food brand partnered with food-

Barefruit’s Merry Mango is available for franchise for those looking to offer mango-based drinks and desserts.

panda as early as 2015, allowing to continue serving their customers by bringing their dim sum favorites to their doorsteps.

Velasco adds, “receiving orders through foodpanda ahead of time helps keep our store operations efficient.”

The app likewise adds value to established businesses with several physical stores.

The Barefruit Group of Companies, a homegrown brand in General Santos City, was founded by Hannah Mamon to start a business that would enable her to spend more time with her family.

The fruit shakes and smoothies brand focused on the exotic fresh produce available in GenSan such as langka and guyabano.

Her initial foray into a mall space shut down, but with determination and faith, she got back into business, and in the last 10 years has expanded her product line to include JM Shawarma, Kutsara PH, Pink Pot Milktea, Paluto, Bake Barn, Barefruit Guyabano, Merry Mango, and EE Takuyaki. Through franchising, she

JM Shawarma, one of the brands of Hannah Mamon’s Barefruit Group of Companies.

now has 300 stores nationwide.

“We started with foodpanda in 2019 and currently around 130 stores are under foodpanda nationwide,” begins Mamon. “It has helped us in terms of reaching our customers during the pandemic in the most efficient way. It even saves our stores inside the malls from

Pink Pot Milk Tea and Merry Mango products.

Dimsum Break is able to support its dine-in operations, its main source of revenue, with delivery during the pandemic.

Dine-in discounts for a ‘jab’ well done FULLY vaccinated mall-goers are invited to take advantage of food discounts and free dishes and drinks at restaurants in a mall in Quezon City.

SM City North Edsa’s Vax, Shop, and Dine, which is part of the Ingat Angat Bakuna Lahat program, aims to promote

and educate people about the COVID-19 vaccine and boost the country’s vaccine drive.

As an added incentive to those who got their jab, several establishments at the mall will treat them to exclusive promos upon presentation of their COVID-19 vaccination cards.

Participating restaurants include David’s Tea House, King Chef Dimsum Kitchen, Tim Ho Wan, Hawker Chan, Easy, Tiger, Soban K-Town Grill, Marugame Udon, Kichitora, Genki Sushi, Banapple, Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings, Potato Corner, McDon-

ald’s, Blake’s Wings & Steaks, Pound, Mesa, Blackbeard’s Seafood Island, Hukad, Manam, Koomi, Tiger Sugar, Macao Imperial Tea, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, The Brewed Buddies, and Bo’s Coffee.

After grabbing a meal, mallgoers can also enjoy shopping

discounts with up to 20 percent off on Havaianas, 10 percent off on all regular priced Levi’s items, and an additional 10 percent off on Samsonite sale items.

Go to SM North Edsa’s Facebook page for the full list of promos.

Participating restaurants at SM North Edsa offer fully vaccinated diners exclusive discounts and free dishes and drinks upon presentation of their vaccination cards.

Tocino pairings to try TOCINO and egg served with garlic rice is already a winner. But for those who want to try a little bit different for breakfast, Mekeni, with its two tocino variants, offers the following combinations.

closing. It also gave us opportunities to open cloud kitchens to cater to more customers, and expand and reopen closed stores.”

Brands that want to increase their customer base through a value-driven partnership with foodpanda may go to this link: bit.ly/3C0sSyS.

too sour, salty, or sweet – which will not overpower the sweet pork slices.

Toss in the right amount of onions, tomatoes, and a light dressing of vinegar, salt, and sugar to make a scrumptious side dish.

Tocino + Salted Egg + Chopped Tomato Tocino + Tinapa Rice Traditionally joined by tuyo, this This fried rice version makes use of combination can also be paired with smoked fish flakes, whose saltiness can tocino. The cured pork slices’ sweet fla- be balanced by pairing it with a sweet vor will go well with the saltiness of the meat dish. duck egg and the tanginess of chopped plum tomato.

Tocino + Atsara This pickled-to-perfection sweet Tocino + Ensaladang Talong and sour appetizer enhances the sweet This combination has the right bal- and salty flavor of tocino with its reance of roasted smokey flavor – not freshing taste.

Tocino + Grilled Tomato With a dash of olive oil, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to dress the grilled tomatoes, this unique pairing will surely be a hit to any family gathering.

Pair the tangy grilled tomato with a slightly salty tocino.

Mekeni offers Classic Sweet Pork Tocino for those who like their tender pork slices sweet, while the TamisAlat Pork Tocino is for those looking for a balance of sweet and salty.

Both variants are available in leading supermarkets and wet markets nationwide, and through online stores and Mekeni’s Home2Home delivery service.

Mekeni offers two tocino variants — Classic Sweet and Tamis-Alat Pork Tocino.

The Marketplace showcases locally sourced produce

Farm to Table is an indoor market at Shangri-La’s Grand Atrium offering discounted produce from local brands and farms.

HEADS up, shoppers! You have freshtwo more days to buy the fresh est locally sourced produce at The Marketplace at Shangri-La Plaza.

The grocery mounts Farm to Table, an indoor market at Shangri-La’s Grand Atrium, from Nov. 11 to 16 to offer mall guests discounted vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients from local brands and farms.

Present at the produce fair until Tuesday are Dizon Farms, Organicus, MCK, Sureleaf, Mayani, and Chantelle.

Farm to Table is open during mall hours. For more information, call (02) 8370-2597/98 or go to Shangri-La Plaza’s Facebook and Instagram pages.