Manila Standard - 2021 December 3 - Friday

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OFWs barred from leaving

If bound for Omicron-hit areas, more nations may pad ‘red list’

By Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas and Rey E. Requejo

F

ILIPINOS bound for jobs in countries with reported cases of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 cannot leave for now, the government said Thursday, as it prepared to add more nations in its “red list.”

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said all flights bound for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy were cancelled due to the threat of the Omicron variant.

"Based on the latest Inter-

BEACON OF HOPE.

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a short message during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañan Palace Wednesday evening.

Agency Task Force (IATF) resolution, all international flights from countries with cases of Omicron are canceled. Since they are on the red list, all incoming flights are canceled and once all international flights are canceled, there will be no outbound flights as well. Our [ w o r k e r s ] b o u n d f o r these Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 291 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

No new strain yet but 64 under isolation

By Willie Casas HEALTH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said Thursday that contact tracing is being done for the 64 Filipinos from red list countries that are at quarantine facilities.

Three Filipinos who were earlier iso-

lated after returning from South Africa are fully vaccinated and are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

The Bureau of Quarantine said the Filipinos quarantined in Negros Oriental had arrived before the country imposed a travel ban on South Africa following the

Duterte to Go: Rody: I kept most of my promises Will run or not?

EVEN President Rodrigo Duterte appeared confused as to whether his long-time aide, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, would withdraw from next year’s presidential race.

Go announced Tuesday he will no longer seek the presidency because he did not want Duterte, whose daughter is running in tandem with another presidential aspirant, to be

WITH less than seven months left in his six-year term, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he takes pride in having delivered “almost all” of his campaign promises.

“My term is nearing its end. I can say with a little bit of pride that I have fulfilled almost all of my campaign promises),” he said in a speech in Zamboanga City.

Duterte admit-

ted he may have failed to completely wipe out illegal drugs and criminality as well as end the fivedecade communist insurgency, but said he did as much as he could with the time he had.

classification of Omicron as a variant of concern.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental took additional precautions in placing three foreign travelers from South Africa under quarantine even though they were already cleared by the Bureau of Quarantine last Next page week, the DOH said.

WHO warns of vax apathy, Europe plans mandatory jab THE World Health Organization (WHO) issued stern warnings Wednesday on the dangers of vaccination apathy and the European Union put mandatory jabs on the table as the United States registered its first case of the fast-spreading Omicron strain of the coronavirus.

"Globally, we have a toxic mix of low vaccine coverage, and very low testing -- a recipe for breeding and amplifying variants," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reminding the world that the Delta variant "accounts for almost all cases.”

"We need to use the tools we Next page

Govt sets next 3-day inoculation drive Dec. 15-17

By Willie Casas and Rey E. Requejo THE government will hold another threeday nationwide round of anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive starting December 15 after 7.6 million individuals were inoculated during the first round that was

extended until Friday.

The Department of Health said more than 2.71 million individuals were vaccinated on Monday, followed by 2.46 million on Tuesday and 2.45 million on Wednesday under the National COVID-19 Vaccination Days program.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said reports were not yet

complete but stressed authorities were happy because the daily total was more than twice the government's daily vaccination rate.

The National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC), which Cabotaje heads, called on companies to excuse their employees who would participate in the extended national vaccination drive.

She said employees would no longer be automatically excused from work as President Rodrigo Duterte only proclaimed November 29 to December 1 as the Bayanihan, Bakunahan National COVID-19 Vaccination Days.

Under Proclamation 1253, public and private sector employees may get Next page

2,833,473 564

15,188

48,752

40

2,769,533

694

(As of 4 PM, DEC. 2)

DILG: Political rallies still banned POLITICAL candidates and their supporters have been reminded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to avoid conducting rallies before the official campaign period, amid the threat of the Omicron variant, which has fueled a “worrying surge” in COVID cases worldwide.

The campaign period for national posts starts officially on Feb. 8, 2022, although caravans have been seen for the different

MARAWI CITY—Riverside residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) arrive in different pump-boats to the government-designated vaccination areas for the life-saving jabs. The Cotabato boat people from 63 barangays braved chest-deep waters to join other landlocked residents of the region for the government's Bayanihan, Bakunahan, aimed at vaccinating millions to help achieve herd immunity. Health workers were deployed to areas still with a high number of unvaccinated residents, said Dr. Bashari Latiph, BARMM health minister. Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in BARMM, around 42,000 to 59,000 people got their COVID-19 jabs during the vaccination drive. Nash Maulana

presidential aspirants in different regions.

“Political rallies are still prohibited.

It’s not yet the campaign period]. We have been seeing candidates, both national and local, staging political rallies here and there which gather hundreds if not thousands of people. The pandemic is not yet over. The Omicron variant remains a threat,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a statement.

Next page

BEST REWARD. A child kisses her father, a newly-promoted cop, after a donning of ranks of 496 members of the Manila Police District at its headquarters along United Nations Avenue, Manila on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. Danny Pata

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News

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

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PAO hits acquittal of Sulpicio owner At a news conference at the PAO central office in Quezon City, Chief Persida RuedaAcosta said the Manila City Regional Trial Court’s Branch 54 dismissed the reckless imprudence charges against lone defendant Edgar Go, the owner of Sulpicio Lines Inc.

She clarified it was the state prosecutor panel from the Department of Justice that was handling the criminal case, and not the PAO.“The prosecution will be filing a motion for reconsideration, and that the private complainants, relatives of those

who died in the sea tragedy, will join in the filing,” she said.

In a Nov. 18 order, Branch 54 dropped the raps against Go due to insufficiency of evidence “to sustain the indictment or to support a verdict of guilt.”

The PAO chief maintained that the prosecution was able to establish the identity and culpability of Go “considering that Go has the power and control over the operations of the vessels of Sulpicio Lines Inc. was, thus, already clearly established even at the preliminary investigation of this case.”

M/V Princess of the Stars owned by Sulpicio Lines capsized on June 21, 2008 off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon at the height of typhoon”Frank.”

OFWs..

countries will be allowed into the country subject to health protocols.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, meanwhile, said the government is considering putting more countries into its red list.

"We are going to propose additional countries based on the detection of this Omicron variant but as I said, we will need to balance it off with the case trends," Vergeire told CNN Philippines.

The assessment, she said, would include the incidence rate covering the frequency of infection in specific areas for a given period after the new variant was detected.

"This is still being studied. We have the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) later and we will be informing the public after," she said.

As of Nov. 28, the countries tagged in the Red List include South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy.

The Philippine government imposed an entry ban on travelers coming from those countries.

The Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa, has been classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization.

Vergeire said the Bureau of Quarantine is also monitoring the health condition of more than 60 travelers to the Philippines, including three expatriates and a Filipino

who came from South Africa and visited Western Visayas.

She said those travelers, who are all fully vaccinated, had tested negative of COVID-19 based on their initial test results, and have been re-swabbed and were isolated while the results are not yet out.

Aside from the four individuals, seven other travelers were also being monitored and now in a quarantine facility in Metro Manila before heading to Negros Occidental.

She said these travelers had arrived before the travel ban was imposed.

"What we did was we contact-traced them, we backtracked, we identified these individuals, and we endorsed them to their local governments so they can be strictly monitored," she said.

Talking to ANC, Vergeire also said a uniform travel policy would be unfair and disadvantageous to countries with a low number of cases.

She said it was important to classify countries as being under the green, yellow or red list.

The DOH has called for travel restrictions on Hong Kong, which remains in the country’s yellow list despite having detected cases of the Omicron variant.

A review of the country’s border control protocols will now be done every week instead of 15 days, Vergeire said.

She said the DOH sees no reason to change protocols as the current ones remain effective.

“Based on our experts' recommendations, we just need to be very cautious that when

an individual is identified or detected with this Omicron variant, we need to have them complete the 14-day quarantine, we need to have them tested negative before they can be discharged,” she said Also on Thursday, the Philippine embassy in Austria said Filipinos are being taken care of even as the Omicron variant is already there.

“We are always keeping in touch with them to check their conditions.

Fortunately, they said they are in good condition,” Chargé d’ Affaires Deena Joy Amatong of the Philippine embassy in Vienna said in an online briefing.

Amatong said the Austrian government is implementing measures to ensure safety of its people and foreigners following reports of Omicron cases and the new surge of COVID-19 in the country.

She said Austria has enforced stricter travel measures to prevent further entry of the new variant in its territory.

In terms of livelihood, she said Filipino migrant workers remain wellcompensated and are receiving assistance from the subsidized federal jobs program during a lockdown.

“So, in terms of livelihood, the impact is not that severe but there are still some Filipinos whose livelihoods are affected,” Amatong said.

Earlier, the WHO warned that blanket travel bans will not prevent the spread of Omicron, even as more countries rushed to impose curbs and the first cases of the new COVID strain were detected in the United States, Latin America and Japan. With AFP

February, Germany is considering a similar approach, and Greece said Tuesday it would mandate vaccines for over-60s.

The United States, officially the world's hardest-hit country, announced it had detected its first Omicron case: a fully vaccinated traveller from South Africa who is recovering from mild symptoms.

Top American infectious diseases specialist Anthony Fauci stressed that fully vaccinated adults should seek a booster when eligible to give themselves the best possible protection.

"Our experience with variants such as the Delta variant is that even though the vaccine isn't specifically targeted to the Delta variant, when you get a high enough level of an immune response, you get spillover protection," he said.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also recorded their first cases of Omicron, making the Gulf the latest region to be affected.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control meanwhile recommended that children aged 5 to 11 who are at risk of severe COVID-19 should be considered a "priority group" for vaccination.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned Omicron threatens the world's recovery and lowered growth estimates for 2021 from 5.7 percent to 5.6 percent.

Omicron has prompted governments around the globe to reimpose travel restrictions, mostly targeting southern Africa.

A day after suspending new flight bookings into the country, Japan on Thursday eased the blanket move to help citizens return.

But there is growing criticism of such bans.

On Wednesday, UN Secretary Guterres Antonio Guterres called them "deeply unfair and punitive" as well as "ineffective."

Scientists and clinical practitioners in South Africa urged the world to vaccinate the continent against COVID-19 to cut global transmission rates and to limit the emergence of new variants.

In an article in the journal Nature on Thursday, the scientists said vaccine equity across the continent and a reduction in the stigma surrounding HIV could help reduce the number of future variants.

“A failure to tackle the pandemic with sufficient urgency in countries with high rates of uncontrolled advanced HIV could lead to the emergence of variants of the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 that spread more easily between people or render the vaccines less effective,” they warned.

Rising infection rates have already seen some European governments reintroduce mandatory mask-wearing, social-distancing measures, curfews or lockdowns in a desperate

attempt to limit hospitalizations, leaving businesses fearing another grim Christmas.

Portugal, which has Europe's highest vaccination rate, reintroduced mask mandates in indoor settings, and aims to administer a third COVID-19 jab to almost one-fifth of its population by the end of the year.

From Wednesday, every adult in Italy became eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot, previously only open to those aged over 40.

Despite new restrictions recently introduced in Denmark, the country on Wednesday registered a record number of new COVID-19 cases with 5,120 infections in the last 24 hours.

Even as governments acted unilaterally in imposing travel restrictions, WHO member states came together in Geneva to work on an international accord on handling the next pandemic.

An intergovernmental negotiating body will be established to reach an agreement on responding to future pandemics with a first meeting due before March 1, 2022.

While the European summer of fleeting COVID-19 freedoms may be over, in the southern hemisphere, Pacific nation Fiji ended 615 days of international isolation on Wednesday and reopened to tourists.

Traditional dancers in grass skirts welcomed waving holidaymakers from Sydney, the first of an expected flood of desperately needed tourists in the coming weeks. With AFP

to the drug war.

Though the ICC “temporarily suspended” the investigation, its Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, said his office will ask the Philippine government to provide “substantiating information” on the proceedings it cited in seeking a deferral of the probe.

“I am a Filipino. If there is somebody who will prosecute me, it should be the Philippine Prosecution Service where I was a member. I was a prosecutor for nine years before becoming vice mayor and mayor. If I will face a tribunal, it should be before a Philippine court,” Duterte said.

The President also expressed regret over the communist rebels’ refusal to pursue peace negotiations.

Despite objections of the police and military, Duterte said he went as far as appointing leftist leaders in his Cabinet, only to have a “falling out” later on.

“I failed because the communists refused to agree. When you start talking about a coalition government, that is stupid,” the commander-in-chief said.

DILG:...

The DILG said special gatherings would need permission from the local government unit concerned, adding minimum public health standards should be observed at all times.

The Commission on Elections earlier passed Resolution 10732 which bars candidates in next year's national elections from making physical contact in meetings and other related activities during the campaign period.

This includes “handshakes, hugs, going arm-in-arm, or any action that involves physical contact among the candidate, their companions, and the public,” Comelec said.

It also prohibited taking photos with the candidates as well as giving out food and drinks, among others.

“Taking selfies, photographs and other similar activities that require close proximity between the candidate and their

companions, and the public; and distribution of food and drink, and all other goods or items (are prohibited),” read the resolution promulgated on Nov. 24.

The government has banned the entry of travelers from South Africa – where the variant was first detected – and 13 other nations to prevent the Omicron variant from entering the country.

Año said caravans or motorcades were allowed as they were held for a limited time in open areas where the possibility of virus transmission was small.

The poll body also set the allowed capacity for motorcades and caravans based on categories referring to the five-tier alert level system implemented by the government, with Category 1 being the most relaxed and Category 5 being the strictest.

No motorcades and caravans will be allowed under Category 5.

“Only candidates, campaign leaders, and supporters belonging to the same household are allowed to be in the same vehicles,” the Comelec resolution read.

Cabotaje said.

"Due to high willingness to get vaccinated there is now a voluntary extension of vaccination days so we can sustain the public's enthusiasm to get vaccinated,” Cabotaje said.

Cabotaje said top performing regions were Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas.

The government aims to fully vaccinate 54 million by yearend to achieve population

protection against the virus.

Of the 7.6 million inoculated from Monday to Wednesday this week, 85 percent received their first dose, three percent received booster doses, while the remaining were minors and those who received their second doses.

In related developments, COVID-19 vaccines set to expire in December 2021 and January 2022 will be distributed to

areas that have registered high uptake rates, the NVOC said.

“We will distribute them to fastconsuming areas, and then we’ll deploy some to more areas so they can be administered,” Cabotaje said, adding the vaccines will be administered as first doses.

Cabotaje also said they had requested provinces and municipalities to deliver vaccines that were supposed

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Public Attorney’s Office criticized a lower court in Manila Thursday for absolving the criminal liability of the owner of Sulpicio Lines Inc., now renamed the Philippine Span Asia Carrier Inc. in a sea tragedy 13 years ago.

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countries are barred from leaving as per IATF resolution,” said POEA chief Bernard Olalia.

The World Health Organization said Wednesday 23 countries across the world have reported cases of the highly mutated Omicron variant.

"At least 23 countries from five of six WHO regions have now reported cases of Omicron and we expect that number to grow," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva.

"WHO takes this development extremely seriously and so should every country. But it should not surprise us. This is what viruses do. And it's what this virus will continue to do as long as we allow it to continue spreading," he added.

Despite this, the Philippines would not stop deploying Filipino workers abroad, Olalia said.

“We have yet to receive information on countries who will be banning OFWs’arrivals, amid the risk of the new variant,” Olalia said.

From Nov. 28 to Dec. 15, travelers from countries in the red list are not allowed to enter the Philippines.

Only Filipinos returning to the country through repatriation or Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry subject to the prevailing entry, testing, and quarantine protocols for red list jurisdictions.

Olalia said Filipino workers taking their Christmas vacation from red list

WHO...

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already have to prevent transmission and save lives from Delta. And if we do that, we will also prevent transmission and save lives from Omicron," he said.

The new variant, first reported to the WHO by South Africa a week ago, has quickly popped up across continents, darkening economic forecasts and deepening fears of another difficult winter in the northern hemisphere.

The WHO says it could take several weeks to understand whether or not Omicron is more transmissible, and whether it results in more severe disease -- as well as how effective current treatments and vaccines are against it.

Its detection and spread, however, have highlighted that the now nearly two-year global fight against COVID-19 is far from over.

In Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was "understandable and appropriate" to discuss how to "encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination" in the bloc -- although only individual member states can impose such mandates.

Austria has already said it will make COVID-19 jabs compulsory next

Rody:...

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“For as long as there are men in this planet, there will always be misdeeds and wrongdoings committed by human being. Be that as it may, I said I tried my best and I don’t need to enumerate what they are but I have delivered almost every promise I made to the people,” he said.

The country’s chief executive, who will run for senator in next year’s elections, said the bloody crackdown on illegal drugs could have been more successful if not for those criticizing the efforts of his government.

“I said I will try to eliminate or finish all shabu industries. I think I was not able to finish this because every minute there is a stupid guy around [criticizing our every move],” he said.

He criticized the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) for launching in September an investigation into alleged human rights abuses related

Govt...

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vaccinated during these days without being marked absent from work, provided they present proof of getting vaccinated during these days.

Local governments have volunteered to extend the first round of the three-day vaccination push to "sustain enthusiasm,"

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“Who owned Sulpicio Lines? Why grant Go’s demurrer to evidence? Was there magic? The prosecution had overwhelming evidence against Go,” RuedaAcosta said.

She said virtual hearing never took place before coming up with the case dismissal, nor did the complainants receive any notice of hearing.

“There is still a remedy. I am very much disgruntled on behalf of our (indigent) clients. The case had dragged on for 13 years,” she lamented.

Last October, the Cebu Regional Trial Court ordered the indemnification to 55 heirs of the victims amounting to P199.1 million.

No...

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"They were immediately isolated once it was reported they were from South Africa.

They are fully vaccinated, they do not have signs and symptoms. They were just isolated because they were from South Africa," Vergeire said.

The confirmatory swab test results of the three Filipinos have yet to be released, Vergeire said.

Vergeire also said the Philippines has yet to detect the Omicron variant.

“Just to be clear, no detection yet of Omicron, we are still processing (the) next batch of whole genome sequences," she earlier said on Wednesday.

The Philippine Genome Center can "already do immediate processing of sequencing and immediately issue the results in about 24-30 hours," she said.

The Philippines has so far banned travelers from seven African nations and seven European countries until Dec. 15.

The Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa, has some 50 mutations, including those in the spike protein region which may affect vaccine efficacy and lead to increased transmissibility, Vergeire said.

Two of the travelers arrived in the Philippines on Nov. 24 while the last arrived on Nov. 26, before the government enforced a travel ban on South Africa, which recently detected the Omicron variant.

The variant is being blamed for the spike of cases in South Africa.

Rayfrando Diaz II, Negros Occidental provincial administrator, said the three foreigners did not leave their homes upon arriving in the province. “They went directly to their staff houses and did not mingle with other people,” Diaz said.

The local government said the foreigners were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provided negative RT-PCR test results upon arriving in the country Health care workers and hospitals are preparing for a possible surge in cases amid the threat of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant.

The Private Hospitals Association Philippines (PHAPI) said more nurses and medical staff were being assigned in COVID-19 wards in preparation for a possible spike in cases.

“Maybe in less than two or three weeks, our cases may increase again. We must be careful and take care of our children because if you go to the malls you will see a lot of children,” PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene De Grano said.

De Grano said there are enough supplies of oxygen and medicines that can be used by COVID-19 patients.

“The supplies of medicine are stable.

They are also preparing and disinfecting the COVID-19 areas in the hospitals,” De Grano said.

Medical staff are hoping that the COVID-19 surge last July until September will not happen again.

“We are also worried because we are the first to get infected because as health frontliners we are more exposed,” De Grano said.

The Philippines logged 564 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,833,473.

Forty new fatalities were reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 48,752.

The DOH also reported 694 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,769,533.

The COVID-19 positivity rate was at 1.7 percent out of 34,918 tests conducted on Nov. 30.

There were 15,188 active cases, of which 715 cases were asymptomatic, 7,126 cases were mild, 3,817 cases were moderate, 2,463 cases were severe, and 1,067 cases were critical. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Duterte...

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“trapped in the middle.

Two days later, Go has yet to formally withdraw his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections.

“What is it really, Bong?” Duterte asked Go during a meeting of the government anti-insurgency task force in Zamboanga City. “Will you or will you not run?”

“You have made a lot of people sad than happy [with your decision to withdraw]. But we respect your decision, especially if it involves the family, then we cannot do anything about that,” the President added.

Go, who admitted he was conflicted from the start, admitted his family did not want him to run.

If he does not formalize his withdrawal, Go will run against several presidential contenders, including former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos who is running in tandem with Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. to expire on November 30 to the regional offices of the Department of Health.

“We will check if they can still be used by looking at the shelf life...These are mostly AstraZeneca vaccine doses,” she added.

Cabotaje said they are still finalizing the number of wasted vaccine doses. (See full story online at manilastandard. net)

News Trade with EU seen crucial to PH economy TRADE relations with the European Union (EU) is crucial to the Philippines as it navigates the challenges of recovering economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the main takeaway from a forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute in partnership with the EU delegation.

Session 2 of the Pilipinas Conference 2021 was entitled Philippine Trade Relations in the Pandemic Context: A Part of EU-PH Trade and Sustainability Discussions 2021.

“We wish for the Philippines to get more investors to enter the Philippine market to create more quality jobs and to contribute to the country’s economic recovery,” said Dr. Ana Isabel Sanchez Ruiz, Deputy Head and Head of the Political, Press and Information Sector of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines.

“We heal together and recover together. With all the challenges going on around us, let us accept efforts to create a level playing field and opportunities for industries and sectors for more players to be able to participate, to provide more choices to consumers, and to promote a sustainable approach to trade.”

Ruiz said that to be able to achieve this, “the sobering reality we face now is an opportunity for the Philippines to adopt reforms and policies that will lead the country towards a resilient and sustainable recovery.”

The Philippines is the only ASEAN country given trade preference in the EU market to GSP+ – this is an important competitive advantage for the country.

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Bill filed to fight job text scams

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATOR Joel Villanueva has filed a bill to provide mobile phone subscribers an “opt-in” mechanism on push messages on SMS or calls as a response to bogus text messages circulating in the public offering high-paying jobs and other products.

The bill is expected to protect consumers against the pervasive text messages that often contain job offers and promising P500 to P8,000 earnings in a day.

Villanueva, chairman of the Senate

labor committee, explained that Senate Bill No. 2460 seeks to address the socalled present epidemic of “smishing” which lures unwitting consumers and jobseekers into giving away personal information using links and other re-

lated means.

“This scheme will undoubtedly mislead some recipients, thereby necessitating the need for the government to take affirmative action to address these types of spam messages,” Villanueva wrote in the explanatory note of the bill, which he filed on Wednesday.

Under the bill, subscribers are opted out from push messages as default, and their prior and explicit consent to receive commercial or promotional advertisements will be required, the lawmaker pointed out.

The measure also defines spam messages as either one of the following: 1. Not initiated by the recipient of the call or message containing commercial promotions or advertisements and did not opt-in to receive the same; 2. Causes an installation of programs on the subscriber’s device without consent; 3. Contains false or misleading electronic representations redirecting to websites, chat platforms, etc. and 4. Triggers the collection of personal information by accessing an electronic device illegally.

Legislator urges Senate to prioritize health bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

COUPLE SELFIE. A police couple poses for a selfie in front of the newly-lighted Christmas decoration at the ground of the Manila Police Command Headquarters in United Nations Avenue, Manila on Wednesday evening. Fourteen police stations competed in a Christmas decorations competition where the winner will have the chance to compete in the National Capital Region competition. Danny Pata

IN BRIEF Maguing power tower damaged by bomb TRANSMISSION operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on Thursday announced Tower #65 of the Agus 2-Kibawe 138kV line in Maguing, Lanao del Sur was bombed.

NGCP said repair of tower 65, which was bombed on December 2, will commence as soon as the area is secured.

This transmission line segment has been unenergized since September due to sabotage of its insulators by still unknown individuals, the company said.

The said bombings only serve to increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are bombed.

“NGCP continues its appeal to the local and national government, local community leaders, and the public, to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions,” NGCP said.

In the past years, NGCP towers in Mindanao are often bombed by suspected terrorists and other unscrupulous individuals.

NGCP had earlier sought the help of the Department of Energy (DOE) to help protect crucial energy infrastructures.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Agents nab 2 Koreans wanted for fraud BUREAU of Immigration (BI) operatives arrested two South Koreans wanted by authorities in their country for swindling their compatriots of money worth more than P1.2 million through telecommunications fraud.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the apprehended alien fugitives as Han Juyoung and Kim Sihun, both 26 years old, who were arrested in Taguig City in separate operations conducted by elements from the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU).

Morente said both Han and Kim will be sent back to South Korea immediately as an order for their summary deportation order was already issued by the BI board of commissioners last year.

“As a result of the deportation order, their names are placed in our immigration blacklist, thus they are perpetually barred from re-entering the Philippines for being undesirable aliens,” Morente added.

According to BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy, Han and Kim are also subject of red notices issued by the Interpol to all law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Sy said the duo is wanted for allegedly defrauding his victims of over 29 million won, or roughly $25,000, (equivalent to P1.2 million) through voice phishing operations wherein they impersonated agents of a financial institution that offered low interest payment on loans to borrowers. Vito Barcelo

Honest airport employee returns P.5m THE Manila International Airport Authority has commended an employee for honesty after he turned over to airport management a bag containing $10,000 or more than half a million pesos.

Airport building attendant Jhun Telewik was on duty collecting garbage at the departure area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 2 around 11:30 am of Nov. 27 when he saw a bag in one of the chairs.

Telewik initially ignored the bag and left the place. But when he came back, the bag was still there unattended, prompting him to call the assistance from Philippine Airlines ground attendants and sought for the owner through the terminal paging system.

Despite numerous announcements, no one came forward to claim nor inquire about the bag.

Telewik then proceeded to MIAA’s Lost and Found section for recording and documentation. During inventory, it was discovered that the bag contained a huge amount of cash and other personal belongings. Joel E. Zurbano

QUEZON Rep. Angelina Tan pressed for the speedy passage of the bill that mandates local governments, particularly barangays, to allocate 15 percent of their national tax allotment share for health services.

Tan, a medical doctor, and chair of the House committee on health urged the Senate to prioritize proceedings on the measure.

Under House Bill 10392 that has been passed on third and final reading by the lower chamber, local governments are required to set aside 15 percent of their Internal Revenue Allotment to health care, including the provision of free medicines to indigent patients.

The House approved on third and final reading House Bill 10392 by a 224-0 vote.

Tan also thanked Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and the House leadership for supporting the bill’s swift passage.

Tan said that “along with local development initiatives, the provision of quality, accessible, and relevant health services is enormously important, especially in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

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News

IN BRIEF Go’s PDDS allies to set ‘barricade’

BBM-LAKAS IN BATANGAS.

(From right) LakasCMD Party President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste, Lakas-CMD Chairperson and vicepresidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Batangas Gov. Dodo Mandanas and senatorial candidate Harry Roque pose for a souvenir with their supporters during a rally Wednesday afternoon at the Batangas Provincial Capitol.

Batangas gov backs BBM-Sara

By Maricel V. Cruz

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EELECTIONIST Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas on Thursday declared support for the UniTeam of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Mandanas, who filed his certificate of candidacy under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), said Marcos and Duterte have the proven track records, competence and sincerity to serve and lead the Filipinos, adding that UniTeam’s message of unity will help propel the country to full economic recovery.

He added the country needs intelligent leaders who will continue good governance and prioritize people’s welfare, particularly regarding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am endorsing and supporting BBM for President and Mayor Inday Sara for vice president. Their message of unity is the right message this time,” Mandanas, a key political leader in the vote-rich province of Batangas, said in an interview.

Meanwhile, Marcos Jr. and DuterteCarpio will conduct a motorcade along two national roads in Quezon City on Dec. 8, Rep. Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan said Thursday.

“We’ve abandoned our plans to hold a large gathering in Liwasang Aurora be-

cause Mayor Joy Belmonte’s office gave us the runaround and offered us no assurance that we will be able to use the venue, despite its availability,” Defensor said.

The lawmaker is the tandem’s candidate for Quezon City mayor against Belmonte.

“We feel that Bongbong and Inday Sara have been treated unfairly and have become victims of political discrimination by the Quezon City government,” Defensor said.

“In fact, many of their supporters in Quezon City are angry at the local government,” he added.

Defensor said Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio will instead have a motorcade along Commonwealth Avenue and Quezon Avenue.

Marcos and Duterte received a warm welcome during an afternoon rally in Batangas attended by Lakas-Christian

Moreno offers COVID-19 meds to CL hospitals

MAYORS MEET-UP. Manila

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, with running mate Doc Willie Ong and Aksyon Demokratiko senatoriables Samira Gutoc, Carl Balita, and Jopet Sison, interacts with Mabalacat Mayor Chris Garbo during a courtesy call on Thursday.

Domagoso later proceeded to a covered court in Barangay Dolores to meet with residents as part of his listening tour.

Norman Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENTIAL candidate Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso has offered anti-COVID-19 medicines to patients infected by the coronavirus and who are now in various hospitals in Central Luzon.

“Let us all be careful. There are still many COVID infections. Get vaccinated as soon as possible for extra protection” Moreno told more than 2,000 farmers and members of the transport sector in Talavera, Nueva Ecija.

The standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko made the offer during his Listening Tour in Talavera. After Nueva Ecija, Team Isko Moreno will be in Mabalacat and Angeles City in Pampanga today.

Today, December 3, Moreno’s team will be in the cities of Malolos and Meycauayan in Bulacan.

Also, Domagoso on Thursday backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to hold the three-day National Vaccination drive aimed at fast-tracking the inoculation of 9 million Filipinos in need of protection against COVID-19.

Moreno stressed that the vaccination drive proved effective, especially in the provinces where many people remain unvaccinated due to previous problems of supply.

Moreno said the City of Manila has a ready supply of known anti-COVID drugs such as Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Molnupiraivir and Baricitinib whom he described as hard to find drugs and just as hard to pronounce and remember their names.

Muslim Democrats (CMD) President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Deputy Speaker and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, and senatorial candidate Harry Roque, drawing thousands of supporters to the Batangas Provincial Capitol ground.

Wearing red and green shirts, supporters jampacked the venue and chanted “Bongbong-Sara!” as the duo campaigned together again for their two-province sortie in Calabarzon region that started in Quezon Wednesday where Gov. Danilo Suarez and his allies declared support for the UniTeam candidates.

“Subok na ang kanyang kakayahan at malasakit. Walang iba kundi si Pangulong Marcos,” Mandanas said, referring to the presidential candidate of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) under the UniTeam Alliance, during the rally he organized for the duo.

Ping: Gov’t execs must lose sense of entitlement

By Macon Ramos-Araneta GOVERNMENT officials should lose their sense of entitlement and have the sensitivity for the public’s welfare even in common things like using restricted roads during heavy traffic, Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and running mate Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Thursday.

To prove they are not above the law, Lac-

son and Sotto revealed they have received tickets and paid fines for overspeeding – one after the other on the Skyway.

Earlier, the longtime public servants were reacting to reports that some politicians and government executives were using the dedicated bus lanes on EDSA in Metro Manila, or worse employing “wang wang” (siren) police escorts to clear traffic for them as they rush to their meetings across the metropolis.

“First off, abuses should be avoided, because the entitlement… you know, that feeling of entitlement should not be there,” said Lacson.

“We should all be the same, whether you’re on a government vehicle or just in a hurry. If it says ‘bus lane’, (it’s only for a) bus lane; or if it’s an ambulance lane, the same. Let’s not get mixed into areas where we will cause congestion,” he added.

SUPPORTERS of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Thursday said they plan to barricade the Commission on Elections’ main office in Manila to convince the lawmaker that he should continue his presidential bid in next year’s elections instead of withdrawing, which he announced Tuesday.

“We are making a barricade for him not to continue getting inside the Comelec building. We will talk to him,” said PDDS Executive Director Glenn Badon.

Badon said they are staying beside the Comelec building “because we are waiting for our presidential candidate to come in case he is going to file.”

“We are now waiting here to stop him.

Not to continue his withdrawal here in the Comelec office,” Badon said.

Although they “understand” Go’s decision, he guaranteed they are willing to “make him win” for the campaign.

According to Badon, Go made the move because he was “emotional.”

They believe Go is the “right person” to continue what Duterte already started, saying that they will make him courageous to face the challenges next year. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Second DQ petition vs. Marcos Jr. filed A SECOND petition for disqualification against the presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the May 2022 polls was filed at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday.

In a 13-page petition for disqualification, the petitioners, led by the Akbayan Citizens Action Party (Akbayan), sought to disqualify the former lawmaker from running for president after being convicted of tax evasion in 1995.

They added that such conviction prohibits him from holding public office.

The petition was signed by Akbayan’s First Nominee Percival Cendaña, former Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Etta Rosales, Akbayan Youth Chairperson Dr. RJ Naguit, women leader Jean Enriquez of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW-Asia Pacific), and labor leader Nice Coronacion of the Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO).

This case is the fifth petition filed against the son of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos before the poll body.

Ka Leody nixes mandated jabs PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Leody De Guzman on Thursday opposed the recent Inter-Agency Task Force resolution mandating COVID-19 vaccination for onsite workers.

In a statement, the labor leader said although IATF Resolution 148-B states that non-vaccination cannot be a sole ground for termination, it compels unvaccinated or partially vaccinated workers to undergo a regular RT-PCR test at their own expense.

De Guzman said the IATF’s policy is “tantamount to economic coercion,” saying that ordinary workers cannot afford the cost of the regular swab test.

IATF Resolution 148-B states that “in areas where there are sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccines as determined by the National Vaccines Operation Center (NVOC), all establishments and employers in the public and private sector shall require their eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site work to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”

Pacquiao willing to reconcile with PDP-Laban sans Cusi involvement SEN. Manny Pacquiao said Thursday he would welcome talks to unite the ruling PDP-Laban factions, especially after his party mate, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.

“What I want is to unite the PDP.

Hindi dapat kami magkakaiba ng adbokasiya (We should have the same advocacy),” said Pacquiao, who filed his candidacy under Cebu-based PROMDI Party after a conflict with other PDPLaban officials led by Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi erupted several months ago

Pangasinan leaders support Marcos, Duterte-Carpio BINALONAN, Pangasinan – The Alyansang Guico at Lambino (AGuiLa) have thrown their full support behind former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor

PANGASINAN BETS. Pangasinan (5th District) Rep. Ramon Guico III (left) and Vice Governor Mark Lambino of the Alyansang Guico at Lambino (AGuiLa) show their support for former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for President and Vice-President, respectively.

Sara Duterte-Carpio for president and vice president, respectively.

The Team AGuiLa is a group of candidates from different political parties in Pangasinan, which held assemblies among local officials to call on the presidential daughter to run for President.

Currently Congressman of the fifth district, Ramon Guico III (who is with the Nacionalista Party), will be running for governor, while Vice Governor Mark Lambino (a member of Lakas-CMD) will seek reelection.

over the party’s 2022 presidential bet.

Cusi leads one faction supported by President Rodrigo Duterte, while Pacquiao and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, son of the party’s co-founder, the late Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., lead the other.

The Cusi group had endorsed the presidential bid of Go, Duterte’s longtime aide.

But while Pacquiao is open to holding unification talks for the party, he said he will only entertain those on the condition that Cusi will no longer have anything to do with the party.

BACK IN BICOL.

Vice President Leni Robredo visits the province of Catanduanes on Wednesday to cap off another series of engagements in her home region of Bicol.

VP Leni went to the first dose run of Vaccine Express-Catanduanes, held at the Virac Town Center. She also met with volunteers under Solid Leni Bicol and sectoral leaders from different parts of the province.

OVP Photo

Opinion Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgment of support UNDER the Rules on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Decisions or Judgments on Support, a foreign judgment or decision is defined as one that is rendered by the judicial or administrative authority of another Country or State on an issue of support. It shall include a settlement or agreement in writing on the payment of support approved by the judicial or administrative authority (Section 17, Rule III, A.M. No. 21-03-02-SC).

The most common question is why a winning party in a foreign judgment will have to go through another legal proceeding to have it recognized or enforced in the Philippines. This is to establish that the respondent joined the proceedings, or if he or she did not participate, that notice was properly given; and that the foreign court or administrative agency had authority to pass judgment based on the facts and law.

In simpler words, it is to prove that the foreign judgment is valid, authentic, and the awarding of support may be enforced and satisfied in the Philippines by way of garnishment of funds or deposits, levy on properties, deduction from the salary, or withholding of pension or retirement of the person obligated to give support.

This is to prove that the judgment is valid and authentic.

Any person entitled to support by reason of a foreign decision or judgment may file a petition for its recognition and/or enforcement.

The petitioner may be assisted by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) upon proper request or application, made pursuant to its mandate under the law (Section 17, Rule III).

A petition may be filed in the court of the place where the petitioner or respondent resides, at the election of the petitioner. It may also be filed in the court of the place where the properties of the respondent are located, if the respondent does not reside in the Philippines or if his or her whereabouts are unknown (Section 18, Rule III).

The filing of the Petition for recognition and/or enforcement of a foreign judgment of support may be daunting to those who are not familiar with the procedures in court, but the Rules for Recognition or Enforcement of Foreign Judgment of Support have been streamlined by the Supreme Court to simplify its application and procedure.

The verified petition must allege: (a) the names, addresses, email addresses, and dates of birth of the petitioner and the respondent; (b) the name and date of birth of the person for

whom support is sought; (c) the basis of the petition; (d) the enforceability of the foreign decision or judgment in the State where it was rendered; and (e) the financial circumstances of the petitioner and respondent, including the name and address of the employer of the respondent, and the nature and location of the latter’s assets (Section 19, Rule III).

The verified petition shall be accompanied by: (a) the complete text of the judgment or decision and related supporting documents duly authenticated or apostilled by the authorized official of the State where the judgment or decision was rendered; and (b) a certification from the appropriate judicial or administrative authority stating that the judgment or decision is enforceable in the State where it was rendered (Section 20, Rule III).

The petition must also contain a verified statement that the respondent had proper notice of the proceedings in the State where the judgment or decision was rendered, and was given an opportunity to be heard and to challenge or appeal the decision on fact and law. A document showing the amount of any arrears and the date the amount was computed should also be appended (Section 20, Rule III).

Within five (5) calendar days from the receipt of the petition, the court shall set the case for hearing not later than thirty (30) calendar days from its filing. The court shall send notices to the petitioner and respondent.

The notice shall include an order directing the respondent to file a verified comment within five (5) calendar days from receipt thereof (Section 21, Rule III).

However, if the petition is not sufficient in form and substance, or manifestly contrary to law or public policy, the court may, motu proprio, dismiss the petition. The court shall deny the petition if the bases for recognition and enforcement of the judgment or decision do not exist under Section 23, or if there are grounds for refusing the recognition and enforcement as stated in Section 24 of the Rule (Section 21, Rule III).

The petition shall also be denied if from the face of the documents submitted, there are concerns relating to their authenticity or integrity. The court may likewise deny the petition if support has already been given and fulfilled, or the obligation has been extinguished under Philippine law (Section 21, Rule III).

The foreign judgment or decision for support shall be recognized and enforced if it meets any of the following criteria: (a) either the petitioner or the respondent was a habitual resident in the State where the decision was rendered at the time proceedings were instituted; or (b) the respondent had submitted to the jurisdiction of the judicial or administrative authority of another State, either expressly or by defending the merits of the case without objecting to the jurisdiction at the first available opportunity (Section 23, Rule III).

Full version on www.manilastandard.net

Vintage cars show racy past of Iran’s toppled royalty

By Ahmad Parhizi and Sammy Ketz BEFORE they were ousted by the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran’s royal family enjoyed a lavish lifestyle with a taste for fast cars quite unlike any ever built.

Now, after half a century hidden away, the royal racers are back on show, with the Iran Historical Car Museum drawing in thousands since it opened to the public in recent weeks.

“We consider that these cars are part of Iranian cultural heritage,” the museum director Mohammed Faal said. “They belong to the people, not to the royal family.”

It is run by the Islamic republic’s Bonyad Mostazafan organisation — “The Foundation of the Oppressed” — which manages the confiscated property of the toppled regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The line-up is staggering, and includes a car combining a unique engineering collaboration.

In 1972, knowing the shah liked German engineering, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen teamed up to build an unprecedented automobile.

They created the “MPV Tehran,” a bright orange painted single-seater, that was a “gift” to help crown prince Reza, who was then 12, learn how to drive.

It has two keys. One, made of silver, limits the powerful engine to a gentle 30 kilometres per hour (18 miles per hour). The other, in

gold, allows the vehicle to speed at 170 kph.

While the car hasn’t raced since 1979, its sleek lines still inspire those who come to the museum.

The line-up is staggering.

Legal battle Some 20,000 people have visited since its opening, more than the number of people who visit the national museum each month.

“I really like this place, because it brings together some of the rare things that remained after the revolution,” said Farzaneh, a 55-yearold pensioner.

“These objects take us through our history,” she added.

Sprawling over more than a hectare (nearly three acres), the museum is located in an industrial zone west of Tehran, close to the country’s automotive factories.

So far, it houses 55 cars, two coaches and four motorcycles, one of which was once driven by Farah Diba, the last empress and widow of the shah.

But a hundred other vehicles are still in warehouses awaiting to be meticulously restored and put on show.

Another prize exhibit is a black RollsRoyce Silver Ghost, built in 1922. This car is notable not so much for its extravagant

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EDITORIAL

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Unwarranted panic

HE global community is panicking in a knee-jerk reaction to the emergence of Omicron, the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus. The US and other developed nations this early are sounding the alarm while global financial markets are gyrating on fears that the spread of Omicron will derail the pace of the world economic recovery.

But as the World Health Organization cautioned, blanket travel bans will not prevent the spread or entry of Omicron. The action may, in turn, discourage countries from sharing data about the evolving virus.

It will do more harm than good.

Travel restrictions will contain the spread of Omicron. In reality, however, they may be too late. Dutch health authorities discovered that Omicron had been present in their country even before South Africa reported its first cases on November 25.

There is also talk in the medical profession that the new virus strain may be resistant against present vaccines. Again, such chatter has no bases yet. Scientists agree that

The first sector to suffer the brunt of this unwarranted agitation is the travel industry as nations attempt to close their borders from the sources of the mutation. More countries are rushing to impose travel curbs, with Japan quickly suspending all new flight bookings into the country.

clinical trials on the efficacy of current vaccines against Omicron will take weeks before any conclusive findings can be made.

The Philippines for its part can limit the contagion through the tried-and-tested health protocols of wearing face masks, and of social distancing and hygiene. The country so far has managed to bring down the daily COVID-19 cases to below 600 in the past four days, following strict lockdown measures and an accelerated vaccination program, from a peak of over 26,000 in midSeptember.

The real score on Omicron will surface soon after global scientists reveal their findings. But like the Delta strain, Omicron can be hopefully contained through vaccines or increased immunity. Reacting to a little-known virus variant with panic will do more harm than good.

Nothing wrong with extension of time Comelec gave to BBM ANTI-MARCOS partisans don’t want to play fair, period.

Weeks ago, individuals purporting to be victims of martial law in the 1970s and the 1980s filed petitions in the Commission on Elections seeking to disqualify ex-Senator Bongbong Marcos (BBM), from running for president in the 2022 elections.

The partisan petitioners claim that BBM was convicted by a Regional Trial Court in 1992 for tax evasion, a crime involving moral turpitude. They insist that under existing laws, one who is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude is disqualified from public office.

Their petitions are groundless.

First, the decision of the trial court was modified by the Court of Appeals in that BBM was acquitted of tax evasion, but fined for his failure to file his income tax returns when he was Ilocos Norte governor from 1982 to 1985. Failure to file a tax return is not a crime involving moral turpitude because the income taxes due on BBM’s salary as governor from 1982 to 1985 were already withheld before each time he was paid his net salary.

That decision of the Court of Appeals has long become final and executory and, therefore, irreversible.

Second, the laws cited by the partisan petitioners took effect after BBM’s term as governor from 1982 to 1985. Those laws are penal in character and cannot be given retroactive effect.

Third, the laws cited by the same mob contemplate a conviction where imprisonment is imposed. The decision of the Court of Appeals does not impose any imprisonment on BBM. Fourth, in criminal cases against government officials, the judgment of the court carries a statement disqualifying the accused from holding public office. There is no such statement in the decision of the Court of Appeals.

Fifth, if the Comelec disqualifies BBM from running for president, the Comelec will, in effect, be amending or modifying the

decision of the Court of Appeals which does not disqualify BBM from public office. The decision of the Court of Appeals can only be reversed or modified by the Supreme Court, and it is much too late in the day for that. In other words, the Comelec has no jurisdiction to entertain the disqualification petitions against BBM.

luxury, but because the Islamic republic kept hold of the historic gem after an epic battle with the exiled former monarchy.

“Six months before the revolution, the car had been sent to Rolls-Royce for repairs,” said Faal, the museum’s director.

“After the fall of the monarchy in 1979, the Pahlavi family demanded that the factory return it to them, claiming that it belonged to the dynasty.”

It sparked a furious legal battle.

But a British court ruled that, according to its documents, the vehicle belonged to the Iranian state and not the ex-royal family.

“The car returned to Iran,” Faal said.

Hitler’s gift The jewel of the museum is a 1930 PierceArrow “Model A”.

At that time it was the most expensive car built in the United States -- and was bought by Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty.

Its price tag was an eye-watering $30,000, equivalent to one eighth of Iran’s state budget at the time, and came complete with a goldplated bumper and headlights.

The car, with the imperial crest fixed to the doors, was used by the shah during ceremonies including his marriage to his second wife Soraya and at the funeral of his father Reza.

But when the shah was dethroned and exiled 42 years ago, the car remained.

“It doesn’t matter who owned these cars, they belong to the Iranian nation, not to a particular king,” Faal added, explaining why the decadent trappings of monarchy were displayed by a regime that despised the shah.

“We love to admire the beauty of the car taking into account its history, and we appreciate the efforts of its manufacturers and designers.”

Another favourite for visitors is the 1934 Mercedes 500 K Autobahn Kurier, a gift from Adolf Hitler to Reza Shah.

The car is the last of its kind; of the six built by the German company, five were destroyed during World War II. “Mercedes offered to buy it at a price we would set, because the firm was eager to have it in its museum,” said Faal. “We refused.” AFP

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

The partisans don’t want to play fair.

Be that as it may, the Comelec directed BBM to file his answer to the petitions.

Under the rules of procedure of the Comelec, BBM has a “non-extendible period of five days” from notice to file his answer.

BBM, however, asked the Comelec for an extension of time to file his answer because he was only able to obtain the services of his preferred lawyer, the famous Atty. Estelito Mendoza, a day or so before the end of the five-day period. BBM explicitly wants Mendoza to be his legal counsel.

Acting accordingly, the Comelec granted the extension of time sought by BBM. That extension granted by the Comelec sparked protests not only from the partisan petitioners but also from a few commentators on the print and broadcast media. For them, an inextendible period to file an answer should be absolutely inextendible. They denounced the Comelec, and called the action taken by the Comelec a mockery of justice and an unnecessary delay in the election process.

Big deal! It’s obvious that the anti-BBM partisans do not want to play fair.

The anti-BBM partisans are represented by lawyers, including former Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te, who ought to know that technical rules of procedure are not absolute rules. While compliance with procedural rules is the ideal, technical rules of procedure are merely means by which to achieve a just and proper resolution of cases.

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Abolish the MTRCB

Agenda for BBM

Panic is the last thing we need

The next president still has to deal with armed rebellion

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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

Jurisprudence is rich with instances where the Supreme Court itself said so.

When valid reasons are raised in support of a party’s prayer for the extension of a nonextendible period, and there is no substantial prejudice visited on the opposing party if the extension sought is granted, then the interests of substantive justice are better served by granting the relief sought. As every lawyer should know, a litigation ought to be resolved on its merits, and not on mere technicalities. Again, there is ample jurisprudence that says so.

There is no indication that granting the extension of time sought by BBM will prejudice the petitioners in the disqualification cases. More importantly, resolving the said cases on their merits, which means giving BBM a chance to be heard, is preferable to deciding the case solely on the basis of the pleadings filed by the petitioners.

The disqualification cases against BBM involve a candidate for president who seeks the approval of the sovereign Filipino voters in the coming elections. Therefore, if BBM is to be disqualified at all, voters supporting BBM, or are inclined to support him, have the right to know the substantial reasons, if there are any, why BBM should be disqualified.

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Shuttered HK newspaper wins press freedom award

REMEMBERING THE FALLEN. People view the artwork while attending the rededication ceremony of the Wall Las Memorias AIDS Monument in Lincoln Parkon on World AIDS Day on December 1, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Since 1988, December 1 has been designated as World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and to mourn those who have died of the disease. AFP

JAILED Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and the staff of his nowshuttered Apple Daily newspaper have been awarded a prestigious press freedom prize by the World Association of News Publishers.

Apple Daily, formerly Hong Kong’s most popular pro-democracy newspaper, collapsed in June after authorities froze its assets under a national security law imposed by Beijing to curb dissent.

Lai, the paper’s outspoken founder, and multiple senior executives and editors have been detained on “foreign collusion” charges over Apple Daily’s support for international sanctions against China.

Warren Fernandez, president of the World Editors Forum, said this year’s Golden Pen of Freedom award highlighted the “fears and

challenges” of journalists who face increasing curbs in Hong Kong, a regional media hub.

“The jailing of a publisher, the arrest of an editor-in-chief and his senior colleagues, the shuttering of a newsroom, and the closure of a media title – the 2021 Golden Pen award recognizes, and reflects on, all of these,” Fernandez said at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.

Apple Daily was renowned for its acerbic criticism of China’s leaders and Beijing made no secret of its desire to see the tabloid silenced.

Sebastien Lai, receiving the award on behalf of his father, said there will be “less and less people shining light in these dark corners” given Apple Daily’s shutdown and the ongoing crackdown on journalism in the region. AFP

RECORD HIGH AMID PANDEMIC, CONFLICT

UN: Aid needs to surge to $41b in ‘22

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he UN warned Thursday that the need for humanitarian aid was skyrocketing worldwide, as the pandemic continues to rage, and climate change and conflicts push more people to the brink of famine.

The United Nations’ humanitarian agency OCHA estimated that 274 million people worldwide would need some form of emergency assistance next year, up 17 percent on an already record-breaking 2021.

That means one in 29 people will need help in 2022, marking a 250-percent-increase since 2015 when one in

95 needed assistance, OCHA found in its Global Humanitarian Overview report.

The number of people in need “has never been as high as this,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told reporters.

Providing aid to so many “is not sustainable, but it has to be sustained,” he said.

The annual appeal by UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations said that providing aid to the 183 million most vulnerable people across 63 countries next year would require $41 billion – up from the $35 billion requested for 2021 and double what was requested just four years ago.

The report presented a depressing picture of soaring needs brought on by conflicts and worsening instability in places like Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Myanmar.

Natural disasters and climate change also drove up displacement and humani-

Beijing summons Japan envoy over Taiwan remarks BEIJING summoned the Japanese ambassador to China over former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s “extremely erroneous remarks” on Taiwan, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as tensions rise over the democratic island.

With Chinese warplanes making historically high levels of incursions into Taiwan’s air defense zone in recent months, fears among Western allies like the US and Japan have grown that Beijing could order an invasion, even if they consider it unlikely for now.

Self-ruled Taiwan lives under the threat of military action by China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it one day.

In a video speech to a forum organised by a Taiwanese think-tank on Wednesday, Abe said an emergency for Taipei would be one for Japan as well, warning that “people in Beijing, particularly President Xi Jinping, should not misjudge that.”

“A military adventure would be a path leading to economic suicide,” he said.

In response, China’s foreign ministry summoned Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi Wednesday evening, telling him the comments “grossly interfered” in China’s internal affairs.

“In history, Japan has launched a war of aggression against China, committing heinous crimes against the Chinese,” said Hua Chunying, assistant minister of foreign affairs, according to the statement. AFP

tarian needs, as did the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, it found.

It pointed out that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – which has officially killed more than five million people globally and likely many times that – along with measures aimed at reining in the virus, had pushed some 20 million more people into extreme poverty.

It has also devastated health systems worldwide, with testing for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria for instance plunging 43 percent, and 23 million children worldwide missing basic childhood vaccines in 2021. AFP

SPICY SIDE DISH. Participants prepare kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage and radish, during a kimchi making festival at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul on December 2, 2021, before it is distributed among the less privileged from the local neighborhood. AFP

Aussie minister suspended over allegations of staff abuse AN AUSTRALIAN cabinet minister has been removed from his post while allegations he was abusive toward a former staffer during their relationship are investigated, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Thursday.

It comes just days after a high-profile inquiry found that sexual harassment and bullying are rife in Australia’s parliament, with both lawmakers and staff affected by the institution’s “sexist” culture.

Former government staffer Rachelle Miller on Thursday accused Education and Youth Minister Alan Tudge of emotional and physical abuse during their relationship in 2017 – allegations he has

denied.

Miller, who first publicly disclosed the consensual affair last year, told reporters in Canberra it was also an “emotionally and on one occasion physically abusive relationship” that was “defined by significant power imbalance.”

She described Tudge allegedly kicking her until she fell out of bed onto the floor after she answered a work call at about 4:00 a.m., saying he was “furious” at losing sleep following a night of drinking together.

“I felt someone kicking me on the side of my hip and leg, as I tried to sit up in bed. It was the minister,” she said.

Just hours after Miller’s statement to

Russia detains three suspected Ukrainian spies Standard

journalists, Morrison told parliament that Tudge had agreed to stand aside while the allegations are probed through an “independent and fair process.”

“Given the seriousness of the claims made by Ms. Miller, it’s important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously,” the prime minister said.

“This is the appropriate action for me to take under the ministerial standards. I note that Minister Tudge has welcomed this process.”

Tudge earlier denied the allegations, saying in a statement to local media that he “completely and utterly” rejected Miller’s version of events. AFP

Junta condemns UN move to keep Suu Kyi envoy MYANMAR’S junta on Thursday slammed a UN decision to deny its chosen representative a seat at the world body and keep in place an envoy appointed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted government.

The committee responsible for approving nominations of ambassadors to the New York body met Wednesday but deferred a decision over the rival claims to Myanmar and Afghanistan’s seats, diplomats said.

The deferral keeps in place envoys appointed to the body by both governments before they were toppled – by a coup in Myanmar in February and the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan in August.

“This decision does not reflect the reality on the ground and existence of our country,” Myanmar junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told AFP. “We will continue submitting (to the UN) as usual according to diplomatic procedure and the right to representation in accordance with international and local laws,” he added.

The deferral leaves Kyaw Moe Tun, appointed by Suu Kyi’s government, in place as Myanmar’s envoy.

He made headlines shortly after the putsch by flashing the three-finger salute of democracy protesters from his UN chair, brazenly defying the junta’s insistence that he no longer represents the country.

In August US prosecutors said they had charged two Myanmar citizens in a plot to attack him.

The junta has denied any involvement and chosen former soldier Aung Thurein as its envoy to the body.

The Taliban in September asked the UN to accept its former Doha-based spokesperson Suhail Shaheen to succeed Ghulam Isaczai, a cabinet member of ousted President Ashraf Ghani.

Isaczai continues to occupy Afghanistan’s offices at the UN headquarters and even participated in a recent Security Council meeting in which he openly criticised the Taliban. AFP

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NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF SKYLITE DYNAMICS INC Notice is hereby given that the resolution dissolving the corporation as of July 1, 2016 was adopted by the affirmative vote of the stockholders owning at least two thirds (2/3) of the total outstanding capital stock or at least two thirds (2/3) of the members of the corporation at a meeting held on May 5, 2016 at the principal office. A balance sheet showing that no creditors thereof will be affected by such dissolution has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All persons having claims against the corporation are requested to present the same at its principal office at 152 Sto. Domingo St., Brgy Manresa, Quezon City, for immediate settlement.

This announcement will serve as notice to all parties concerned of the legal dissolution of the said corporation.

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES. (Sgd) Karen Tui Corporate Secretary (MS-DEC. 3, 6 & 8 2021)

RUSSIA said Thursday that it had detained three Ukrainian spies – adding that one had been planning a terrorist attack – as tensions spike around Ukraine’s conflict with pro-Russia separatists.

The FSB domestic intelligence agency did not say where or when it had detained the Ukrainians.

It said two of the alleged spies – a father and son – were agents of Ukraine’s SBU security service who had “traveled to Russia to collect information and take photographs and videos of strategically important enterprises and objects of transport infrastructure.”

The pair confessed to having been recruited by the SBU, the FSB said, which offered them a fee of $10,000.

The third Ukrainian, who planned to carry out an attack, “was recruited and acted on the instructions” of a top Ukrainian intelligence officer, the FSB said.

“The attack was planned to be carried out by detonating two improvised explosive devices with a total mass of 1.5 kilograms in a TNT equivalent,” the FSB said in a statement.

It did not specify where or when the attack was to take place.

The announcement comes as tensions around Ukraine’s long-simmering conflict with pro-Moscow rebels in two of its eastern regions bordering Russia have escalated in recent weeks, with Kiev’s Western allies claiming Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine this winter.

Russia denies the allegations and says Ukraine has deployed half of all its forces near the conflict zone.

The pro-Russian separatists seized the two regions in 2014 shortly after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine. AFP

CAUGHT IN CONFLICT. Children watch Australian soldiers patrol the burnt-out area in Honiara’s Chinatown on December 2, 2021, after riots erupted last week when protests over government policies turned violent, fueled by poverty, unemployment and inter-island rivalries in the nation of 800,000. AFP

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Stock market bounces back; AC Energy up

T

HE stock bounced back Thursday on profit raking with traders trying to claw back Omicron-induced losses the other day.

KIMCHI FESTIVAL. Participants prepare kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage and radish, during a kimchi making festival at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul on December 2, 2021, before it is distributed among the less privileged from the local neighborhood. AFP

HK quarantine pushes Cathay pilots on the edge HONG KONG, China—Cathay Pacific has been hit by a wave of pilot resignations in recent weeks as resentment over Hong Kong’s strict quarantine regime boils over and crew scramble for emerging opportunities overseas.

The departures come as Hong Kong ties itself to Beijing’s closed-border zero-COVID strategy—a move that has kept the city coronavirus-free but internationally isolated.

Hong Kong’s leaders say normalizing travel with China must come before the rest of the world, a strategy that has caused growing alarm within multinationals in a finance hub that dubs itself “Asia’s World City.”

AFP interviewed four Cathay pilots who requested anonymity. Each said they knew more than a dozen colleagues

who had resigned in the last few weeks.

More were applying for jobs at rivals in places that have shifted to a strategy of learning to live with the virus, they added.

“Things are horrible, resignations are through the roof,” one pilot, who has more than 20 years’ flying experience and has applied to two rival airlines, told AFP. “There are a lot of guys at their breaking point. It’s actually amazing that we haven’t had an accident yet.”

For much of the pandemic Hong Kong has restricted inbound travel with as much as three weeks mandatory quarantine.

Pilots have some exemptions but spend days, sometimes weeks, shuttling within plane-to-hotel bubbles to avoid triggering quarantine when they return.

The most extreme form of this is “closed loop” flights where crew choose

to spend some five weeks in a bubble followed by two weeks at home.

The pilots AFP interviewed said the quarantine rules have taken a profound mental toll both on crew and families.

Resentment built throughout the pandemic but exploded last month when more than 270 people—made up of some 120 crew plus their families— were ordered into a government quarantine camp after three pilots tested positive on return from Germany.

The trio were later fired when Cathay said they had left their hotel rooms during their layover.

One cargo pilot said he planned to resign “within the next six months” and look for employment overseas now that carriers in the Middle East and North America are hiring. AFP

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index surged 85.48 points, or 1.2 percent, to 7,032.54 on a value turnover of P9 billion. Gainers beat losers, 111 to 78, with 50 issues unchanged.

AC Energy Corp., a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., jumped 6.3 percent to P11.44, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. of the Aboitiz Group advanced 3.7 percent to P50.30.

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group climbed 3.4 percent to P59, while International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. rose 2.7 percent to P198.10.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed Thursday and oil edged up but traders were still full of uncertainty after Wall Street suffered a late plunge in response to the United States reporting its first case.

News that a patient had come down with the new variant sent shivers through US investors who fear authorities will be forced to reintroduce strict containment measures or even lockdowns, derailing the recovery in the world’s top economy.

That comes on top of a widespread belief the Federal Reserve will end its vast bond-buying financial support program quicker than expected and begin hiking interest rates next year to pre-

Tel Aviv residents face soaring costs in world’s priciest city

By Daniella Cheslow TEL AVIV, Israel—Israeli musician Shir Meir lives in a Tel Aviv hostel room with three friends, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with others as they struggle to get by in the world’s most expensive city.

“We got to a point of despair” with housing prices, the 22-year-old said.

“There’s no normal apartment for young people who are starting their lives in this city.”

Meir is among nearly half a million residents of the coastal metropolis who are dealing with skyrocketing living costs.

Israel’s cultural and economic capital is now more expensive than Paris, Singapore, Zurich, Hong Kong and New York, according to an authoritative ranking compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

It climbed the list partly due to the strength of the national currency, the shekel, against the dollar, as well as increases in prices for transport and groceries.

Neighboring Syria’s capital Damascus meanwhile was listed the world’s cheapest city to live in.

Sitting on a bench on a central Tel Aviv shopping street lined with boutiques and gleaming renovated apartments, Janine Vosburgh said she now avoided luxuries like restaurants and cafes.

“We live in overdraft,” the 70-yearold said, pausing as a passer-by begged her for money.

Strong shekel Vosburgh, who runs the Israel Multiple Sclerosis Society, and said some patients could not afford their drugs.

But the former Manhattan resident told AFP she could not feel at home in any other Israeli city.

“Tel Aviv’s ideas and the freedom and the consideration for everybody regardless of age, gender, religious affiliation... it suits my way of thinking,” she said.

vent inflation—now at a three-decade high—from running out of control.

Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington and Bangkok all fell but Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Mumbai, Jakarta and Manila rose.

Traders were already feeling uneasy in recent weeks on concerns about the sharp rise in prices around the world caused by supply chain snarls, a spike in energy costs and a labour shortage.

The announcement of Omicron—and warnings that vaccines may not be as effective against it—sent them over the edge on Friday.

Experts say it will take weeks to fully understand the true danger of Omicron, though the World Health Organization said vaccines would probably fend off the worst of the variant while Australia’s chief medical officer suggested it might not be as deadly as others.

Still, markets are highly sensitive to any negative headlines on the crisis, with the VIX gauge of volatility at its highest level since the start of February.

“Equity markets continue to play Omicron tennis, and traders looking for short-term direction should just wait for the next virus headline and then act accordingly,” said OANDA’s Jeffrey Halley. “Volatility, and not market direction, will be the winner this week.” With AFP

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NOTICE OF LOSS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ST. JOHN COLLEGES STOCK CERTIFICATE NOS. F-886 (36 share), C-1011 (18 shares), F-1001 (49 shares), C-1381 (23 shares), F-1117 (172 shares), C-1862 (82 shares), F-1152 (51 shares), C-1998 (24 shares), C-2231 (2067 shares) ISSUED TO ALBERTO ALCASID RIVERA HAVE BEEN REPORTED MISSING, PER AFFIDAVIT OF LOSS DATED NOV. 4, 2021 AND RECORDED AS DOC. NO. 315, PAGE NO. 64, BOOK NO. 6, SEREIES OF 2021 OF NOTARY PUBLIC AARON S. TOLENTINO OF PARAÑAQUE CITY, METRO MANILA. (MS-NOV. 26, DEC. 3 & 10, 2021)

In this file photo taken on May 18, 2021 a general overhead view shows Israel’s Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv has supplanted Paris and Singapore as the most expensive city in the world, according to an annual study by The Economist, which points out that supply chain problems have pushed up the cost of living. AFP

High cost of living has been a persistent issue in Tel Aviv.

In 2011, a “tent revolution” saw young Israelis furious at sharp rises in rents erect shelters on the upmarket Rothschild Boulevard in the heart of the city.

A decade later, the tents are gone but the soaring prices have remained.

“The protest had a temporary effect,” said Asher Blass, former chief economist at the Bank of Israel.

Tel Aviv’s ranking this year is primarily due to the strong local currency, he said.

Last month, the shekel reached a 25-year high against the dollar.

As the cost of housing and other basics like groceries has increased, wage growth has been uneven.

“A lot more needs to be done in opening up competition for goods like agricultural produce” to bring down prices, Blass said.

‘Good bet’ Rising costs are a windfall for some in Tel Aviv.

At Rothschild Real Estate, which caters

mostly to foreigners and wealthy Israeli tech workers, co-owner Eyal Furmansky said highend housing prices rose more than 10 percent in the past year.

“Wherever you put your chips, it’s a good bet,” he said.

Furmansky said his clients were more worried about the strong shekel than the increased cost of daily goods.

“People from the UK, from the US, from Europe do feel it’s harder for them to buy,” he said.

There is “only one Tel Aviv and in this city there are very specific places people want to live,” he added.

For others, the appeal of Tel Aviv and its dizzying prices is starting to wane.

At a central outdoor produce market, student Aimy Schefner said groceries were pricier than in her home city of Haifa.

The 26-year-old aspiring actress said she saw living in Tel Aviv as a temporary big-ticket expense, similar to “a trip abroad.”

“You know it’s for a while, it’s not for your whole life,” she said. AFP

Oil producers may freeze output amid Omicron concerns LONDON—Major oil producers are due to meet Thursday to decide on output levels from January onwards, which could be frozen as the new COVID variant Omicron sparks turmoil.

The OPEC+ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia has so far resisted US-led pressure to significantly boost output to rein in surging energy prices.

The emergence of the new variant has further complicated the equation, leading to countries reinstating travel bans and mulling further restrictions that could tighten demand and hurt oil prices.

The 13 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their 10

allies are due to meet from 1300 GMT via video conference after technical discussions.

Analysts predict the alliance will decide to stop modestly increasing output by 400,000 barrels per day every month as they had planned and as they have been doing since May. “The arrival of the Omicron variant and the ensuing sell off obviously increases the odds that OPEC+ will opt to hit the pause button on the planned 400 kb/d monthly production increase when they meet on Thursday,” Helima Croft of RBC Capital Markets said.

“The market would find it virtually impossible to absorb this additional oil, espe-

cially as it will be flooded in the first quarter,” Carsten Fritsch of Commerzbank said.

The OPEC+ meeting comes a week after the United States and to a lesser extent China, India and Japan decided to dip into their strategic reserves to help bring down crude prices, after a price surge that has undermined economic recovery.

But the detection of the new variant last week caused crude prices to plunge more than 10 percent, a first since the massive drops of April 2020 when the pandemic started to hit hard.

Prices now hover around $70 a barrel.

OPEC ministers—who have been so far eager to maintain current price levels—remained vague on Wednesday. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

Converge ICT distributes 5.5m broadband ports

By Darwin G. Amojelar CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. said Thursday it deployed nearly 5.5 million ports of high-speed broadband nationwide as of end-October this year.

Converge chief executive and cofounder Dennis Anthony Uy said the pure fiber operator’s swift port deployment underpinned its overarching goal of reaching more unserved and underserved areas of the Philippines, allowing it to accelerate its target of covering 55 percent of total households with high-speed fiber connectivity by two years to 2023.

The company said with accelerated port deployment, it now services over 440 municipalities and cities across the country. The total residential subscribers reached nearly 1.6 million as of end-September, or almost double the figure a year earlier.

“We’ve achieved a record rollout of 654,188 ports in the third quarter of 2021 alone, a solid testament to the robust demand we continue to see throughout the country. In our new markets in Visayas and Mindanao, we’re glad to see a healthy uptake as 20 percent of the fiber rollouts were in these areas,” Uy said.

Converge said that in November, it completed its domestic subsea cable project connecting all the major islands of the Philippines to its national fiber backbone. With the digital highway finished, Converge is one step closer to its dream of bringing internet access to every Filipino home.

“Given the shift of every activity to the online space, access to the internet should no longer be a privilege but should be a right of every Filipino. The social and economic benefits that connectivity, particularly broadband, unlocks has to reach those at the margins,” Uy said.

Converge opened 23 business centers nationwide, with the latest one opened in Sorsogon. Converge also recently expanded its footprint to Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo.

Diokno closes application for e-money firms THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will stop accepting new applications for licenses from electronic money issuers beginning Dec. 16, Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday.

Diokno said in an online briefing the Monetary Board which he chairs decided to recalibrate the approach in handling applications from non-bank institutions for new electronic money issuer licenses in line with the thrust of the BSP to promote financial stability and strengthen public confidence in the digital economy.

He said the approach involves the closure of the regular application window for new EMI-others license for non-bank financial institutions for a period of two years and the introduction of the test-andlearn pathway for innovative e-money solutions that offer strong value propositions.

“This strategic change will enable the Bangko Sentral to monitor the performance of current market players and the risks they pose to the financial industry. This will also allow us to assess their impact in relation to our financial inclusion and digital payments transformation objectives,” Diokno said.

All applications received by the Bangko Sentral until Dec. 15 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. These will be assessed for completeness and sufficiency of documentation/information submitted and compliance with other applicable requirements.

Applications received until Dec. 15 with noted deficiencies would be returned and considered closed. The Bangko Sentral will no longer entertain nor accept new applications beginning Dec. 16.

The policy approach introduced the test-and-learn pathway for new non -bank EMI applicants with new business models, unserved, targeted niches and/or new technologies.

Applicants may still participate in the digital payments and financial ecosystem by requesting for exception under the testand-learn / regulatory sandbox framework.

The specific guidelines governing new non-bank EMI applications under the regulatory sandbox framework will be covered by a separate issuance. Julito G. Rada

Business BSP taps Australia to print P500-b polymer banknotes

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas tapped Note Printing Australia, a wholly-owned unit of Reserve Bank of Australia, to print 500 million pieces of 1,000piso polymer banknotes to be rolled out by the middle of 2022, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said in an online briefing Thursday.

“We have reached an agreement with Australia’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of Australia, and its whollyowned subsidiary Note Printing Australia for the production of the polymer banknotes,” Diokno said.

Australia is the first country to issue full series polymer banknotes, and produced and supplied polymer banknotes

to several countries.

“As such, their advanced technology and expertise in the printing of polymer banknotes will be the best benchmark for our first circulation. Delivery of the first batch of polymer notes will be in April 2022,” Diokno said.

Diokno said that in line with global best practices, the BSP continuously seeks ways to improve Philippine currency. As the sole issuer of Philippine money, he said the BSP ensures that notes and coins serve the needs of the Filipino people.

“The 1000-piso note will begin circulating in mid-2022,” Diokno said.

Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan said in October the circulation of polymer 1,000-piso banknotes would gauge the people’s acceptance of it compared to the existing paper bills.

He said that since the start of the pandemic, sanitizing frequentlytouched objects, including banknotes and coins, became a widespread need among the public. In the current setup, abaca fiber and cotton composite are used to print banknotes. The BSP

prints money using a fiber composite of 20-percent abaca and 80-percent cotton for added durability.

Tangonan also said that crime syndicates kept improving their techniques in counterfeiting the new generation currency banknotes that are in circulation. He also said the production of banknotes could be made more sustainable especially considering the increasing scarcity of water, energy and other inputs.

Aside from being more durable, polymer banknotes could also prevent counterfeiting because it would allow banknote manufacturers to incorporate security features, such as optically variable devices that are extremely difficult to reproduce, he said.

Asked why the BSP chose to circulate the 1,000-piso polymer banknotes instead of the other denominations, Tangonan said it is the bill that is mostly used by the public.

The BSP outsources the master die used in printing bank notes but it makes the plates for their security printing plant.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, December 2, 2021 85.48 PTS. 7,032.54

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

844,791,870 116,591 9,036,785,418.62 111 78 50

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.3870

Japan

Yen

0.008869

0.4469

UK

Pound

1.328100

66.9190

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128324

6.4659

Switzerland

Franc

1.086484

54.7447

Canada

Dollar

0.780214

39.3126

Singapore

Dollar

0.732440

36.9055

Australia

Dollar

0.710400

35.7949

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

133.6632

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266560

13.4312

Brunei

Dollar

0.729767

36.7708

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.029682

1.4956

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

13.7193

Euro

Euro

1.132100

57.0431

Korea

Won

0.000850

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.157015

7.9115

India

Rupee

0.013333

0.6718

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237079

11.9457

New Zealand

Dollar

0.680700

34.2984

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036118

1.8199 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

Medilines bullish on growth outlook MEDILINES Distributors Inc. said Thursday the strong demand for medical equipment will sustain the company’s long-term growth.

Medilines chairman Virgilio Villar said in a statement the company drew up a product portfolio that is resilient and less impacted by economic changes to ensure sustainable growth.

“We focus on products with resilient demand while building our capabilities to dominate certain markets rather than chasing a hot selling item that everybody else is selling,” he said.

The strategy provides stability in sales as Medilines’ products remain critically necessary for patient care amid a growing and aging population. Medilines is the largest distributor in the Philippines of cancer therapy equipment with over 90-percent market share and of dialysis machines with over 50-percent share, according to an independent study conducted by research firm Ken Research Ltd. It also distributes diagnostic imaging devices, such as CT scans, x-rays and MRIs. Jenniffer B. Austria

DA seeks additional P12b to 2022 budget

FACE MASKS FOR STUDENTS. Aboitiz Foundation donates 30,000 face masks in support of the Department of Education’s pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes. The turnover is led by Welfredo Dalumpines (left), program manager of Aboitiz Foundation, and Jan Antonio Casugbo of the external partnership service of DepEd central office.

DOE rejects group’s proposal to use palm oil in fuel mix

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy said Thursday it denied the proposal of the Federation of Philippine Industries to use palm oil in the country’s fuel mix.

It said in a statement “a thorough technical study should first be conducted, particularly on the development of standard specifications for biodiesel from palm oil.”

The agency also informed the FPI that under Republic Act 9367, or the Biofuels Act of 2006, only locally-sourced biofuel components should be used in the biodiesel-blend mandate.

FPI sent a letter to DOE last month recommending the export of coconut oil so that local farmers could reap the corresponding benefits of its current high price in the world market.

The DOE said FPI proposed to use the cheaper palm oil as an alternative for biodiesel production.

The department set a virtual meeting with the FPI to discuss the proposal in detail. The FPI suggested using cheaper palm oil as feedstock for a lower biodiesel price, and asked the Philippine National Standards to accommodate palm oil as biodiesel feedstock.

The DOE said the group’s proposal should be elevated to the National Biofuel Board through its biodiesel committee for a comprehensive evaluation and recommendation.

The NBB-BDC is composed of the DOE, Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Cirtek secures SEC nod on P2.5-b share offering

By Jenniffer B. Austria CIRTEK Holdings Philippines Corp. said Thursday it obtained the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue P2.5-billion worth of preferred shares.

Cirtek said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it would offer 50 million cumulative, non-participating, non-voting, nonconvertible perpetual and redeemable preferred shares at P50 apiece.

Cirtek will issue the preferred shares in two series, including Class B-2 Subseries C shares with a dividend rate of 6.5864 percent per annum, and Class B-2 Subseries D shares with a dividend rate of 7.7506 percent per annum.

The offering period will run until Dec. 3. Cirtek plans to list the preferred shares with the Philippine Stock Exchange on Dec. 14.

The preferred shares are perpetual, but they have a synthetic maturity of three and five years from the listing date.

Cirtek said the net proceeds would be used to finance the additional capi-

tal expenditure/equipment, partial payment of maturing Preferred Class B2-A shares and maturing loans and working capital of subsidiaries Quintel USA Inc., Cirtek Electronics Corp. and Cirtek Advanced Technologies and Solutions Inc. “With the success of the offering, Cirtek will continue to maintain its roadmap to achieve key engagement in the 5G market and will continue in developing and delivering innovative high-quality products, production flexibility, supply chain stability, and capability to work with customers on development of next generation products,” the company said.

The company tapped PNB Capital and Investment Corp. as the sole issue manager, lead underwriter and sole book runner for the offering.

Cirtek is a fully-integrated global technology company engaged in high-technology product development and focused on 5G wireless communication.

Share price of Cirtek rose 2.6 percent Thursday to P3.90.

“DOE still needs to validate the figures presented by the FPI, specifically the Rotterdam price comparison of crude palm oil and crude coconut oil,” the agency said.

FPI committed to provide the pertinent data to support its proposal, such as the latest historical price of CPO and CNO in the world market and the actual production of CPO and CNO in the Philippines, including exported CNO volume and imported CPO volume.

Rafael Diaz, managing director of the Asian Institute of Petroleum Studies Inc., said the spirit of the Biofuels Act is to lessen the Philippines’ dependence on imported fuel.

“If we allow palm oil, then it goes against the intent of the law because we substitute our domestic coconut oil with imported palm oil,” he said.

THE Department of Agriculture is seeking an additional P12 billion to the proposed P95-billion budget for 2021 to prepare the local sector and address global challenges to food and agriculture.

“We are entering a ‘new world’ wherein every country in the world is coping with huge challenges. These include the lingering and mutating COVID-19 pandemic, increasing prices of petrol, fertilizers and feeds, climate change, population dynamics, urbanization and aging farmers, and preventing entry of transboundary animal and plant diseases,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. Dar said the global challenges would continue to adversely impact food production, distribution and consumption next year that would require bigger budgetary support.

The DA’s P12-billion augmentation request will be allocated for fertilizer subsidy at P8.9 billion; P2 billion for additional budget for corn program; and P1.1 billion for urban agriculture. Othel V. Campos

Aboitiz Power to list P12-b bonds on PDEx THE Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. approved the listing of Aboitiz Power Corp.’s P12-billion fixed-rate retail bonds, including oversubscription, out of its P30billion debt securities program registered and approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The PDEx approval paves the way for the secondary market trading of the Series ‘B’ bonds, with a fixed interest rate of 3.9992 percent per annum maturing in 2025, and the Series ‘C’ bonds with a fixed interest rate of 5.0283 percent per annum maturing in 2028,” Aboitiz Power said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Thursday.

Aboitiz Power received the go signal from the SEC to issue the second tranche of its P30-billion fixed-rate retail bonds. It received the certificate of permit to offer securities for sale dated Nov. 15 from the SEC. “The permit allows Aboitiz Power to issue the second tranche of its P30 billion peso-denominated fixed-rate retail bonds registered under the shelf registration program of SEC on March 1, 2021,” the company said earlier. Alena Mae S. Flores

COD-MANILA VACCINATION. The safety seal-certified City of Dreams Manila establishes colleague immunity with 99 percent of its staff now fully immunized.

The announcement comes timely as the luxury integrated resort gears to welcome more guests and reopen more facilities with the easing of Metro Manila to Alert Level 2. The resort, which has ordered enough vaccines for its staff, is also inoculating their staff’s dependents.

Their children under 18 years old will follow suit.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

Vosotros, Eriobu top scorers of PBA 3x3

Fil-Nigerian Joseph Eriobu, shown here maneuvering his way against Terrafirma’s Matt Salem, is the leading scorer of the PBA 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo tournament.

Super League gives PBA global exposure

By Peter Atencio

A

N opportunity is opening up for the Philippine Basketball Association to be able to expand its horizons on a global scale.

PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said this after the league signed a partnership with the East Asia Super League on Wednesday.

The EASL, which also hooked up with four other leagues in the region, envisions itself as one of the top three professional basketball leagues globally by 2025.

“It’s important for us to open up relationships and operations with other leagues in the region. This gives us the opportunity to do so. It provides us opportunities for exposure for PBA teams

and players,” said Vargas in a Zoom conference on Thursday with scribes.

EASL president and CEO Matt Beyer said the $1-million top prize will spice the quest to claim the crown in the first year of the tournament.

“That’s the point of this all, and that’s what motivates the teams and everyone is the $1-million to prize,” said Beyer.

Vargas believes that the home-andaway format will be a new experience for the team, the players and fans alike.

The EASL is into a 10-year agreement with basketball’s world governing

body, FIBA. Selected teams from the Japan B.LEAGUE, Korean Basketball League and Chinese Taipei P. LEAGUE+ and a seeded and top Greater China team in Hong Kong will be joining the EASL in its first two seasons.

Beyer said the league used to have an invitation-only format, and the EASL will transition from that with the home-and-away setup when they launch in October.

“This gives the tournament a long period of time to develop. Instead of a week, we go from six months to a year,” explained Beyer.

Under the EASL format, the current eight-team lineup will be divided into two groups of four to play a roundrobin format.

Azkals brimming with confidence in AFF THE Philippine Azkals, who arrived in Singapore on Wednesday evening, are brimming with confidence coming into their first game in the ASEAN Football Federation Championships Suzuki Cup campaign next week.

Coach Scott Cooper said the players are ready to make a difference when they face the host team, with tournament action firing from December 5 and goes on until January 1, 2022.

Cooper said members of team have already bonded together and are expected to be a cohesive squad ahead of their Dec. 8 clash with Singapore.

“We will know who we are, and there are some plays that we look to do. And we have committed to plays that we are committed to do, roll up our sleeves and fight and be smart to take victories,” said Cooper in a Zoom huddle with scribes on Thursday.

Azkals veteran and team captain Stephan Schrock

leads the Azkals with fellow veterans Kevin Ingreso, Kenshiro Daniels, Iain Ramsay, Mike Ott, Angel Guirado, Amani Aguinaldo, Daisuke Sato, Martin Steuble, Bienvenido Maranon and Patrick Reichelt.

A group of newcomers are in, including Quincy Kammeraad, Mark Vincent Diano, Christian Rontini, Oliver Bias, Dennis Chung, Yrick Gallantes, Sandro Miguel Reyes, Matthew Custodio, and Oskari Kekkonen.

The newbies are members of the Azkals Development Team and the Philippines U23 men’s team which saw action in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers last October in Singapore.

Cooper takes comfort in the team’s efforts in its last seven matches, when they lost only two matches and conceded less than one goal per game.

With their performance, Cooper believes that the Azkals will be a difficult squad to deal with.

“This is a national team that is not easy

Scott Cooper

PBA chairman Ricky Vargas

There will a total of 24 games during the group stage in each of the first two seasons.

The first season will run from October 2022 to February 2023, with two EASL Group Stage games taking place every Wednesday night. to play against. We are organized and we got commitment, and there’s patriotism in the team,” added Cooper.

Cooper noted that their Singaporean foes have lost five of their last six encounters, and conceded an average of three goals per game.

The Azkals are grouped with five-time champion Thailand, host team Singapore, Myanmar, and Timor Leste under Group A in this biennial event, which will have games livestreamed via Tap Go. Team manager Dan Palami, who has been handling the Azkals since 2010, said this edition of the Suzuki Cup will be among the most difficult since they are seeing action while there is an ongoing pandemic.

“The players are still in quarantine. And the only thing that comforts me is that they will give their 100 percent everytime they step on the pitch,” stated Palami.

Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said the Azkals will definitely be facing challenges this time around.

“The COVID-19 situation has not made this campaign any easier. That’s why I salute all the players who answered the call to represent the country,” said Araneta. Peter Atencio

Uy survives wicked day, paces Riviera by 3

Daniella Uy waits not just for her turn on No. 15 but also for the chance to clutch a firstever LPGT trophy.

Daniella Uy moved into the threshold of a dream Ladies Philippine Golf Tour finish, battling back strong from a ghastly quadruple bogey on No. 8 with a string of birdies then held sway to seize a three-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda in a wild second round of the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship here yesterday.

The Langer course continued to be a nightmare of sorts for the ladies of the Philippine Golf Tour but Uy bounced back from a 7 on the par-3 No. 8 on a couple of errant tee-shots to the hazard with three straight birdies linking both nines then ran off a gutsy streak of pars for a 38-34 to zero in on an LPGT breakthrough.

Uy had never held the lead heading to the final round of an LPGT championship but the former Junior World champion is all fired up to stay ahead till the last shot and putt are made.

“Anything can happen here at Langer,” said Uy, whose 146 total put

her closer to surpassing her career-best tied for second effort at Highlands ruled

by Sunshine Baraquiel three weeks ago.

“So I need to be patient and focused,” added Uy, who proved the toughest in a day of survival as the rest came in ruffled by the wind that blew from all over and imploded on the unreceptive greens and tough pin placements.

Harmie Constantino, who stormed ahead by three after 18 holes with a 70 Wednesday, stumbled right on the first hole with a double bogey and spent the rest of the grueling day trying to recover —to no avail as she reeled with seven bogeys and a double bogey against a lone bogey. She ended up with an 81 and fell to joint third with last week’s Couples leg winner Chanelle Avaricio, who birdied the last hole to salvage a 75, at 151, five shots off Uy. Ikeda, looking for a successful campaign after finishing joint runner-up at Highlands and Couples the last three

weeks, birdied the first hole that however proved to be the lone bright spot in her scorecard marred by a doublebogey on the next and four bogeys.

She parred the last seven holes to finish with a 76 and a 149.

Marvi Monsalve turned in a second 77 for a 154 at fifth, amateur Arnie Taguines hardly improved from a 78 with a 77, her 155 likewise moving her 18 holes away from nailing her second low amateur trophy after claiming it at Eagle Ridge Norman last July.

Taguines stayed six strokes ahead of Mafy Singson, the low amateur the last three tournaments, who recovered from a woeful 85 with a 76 for a 161.

Sarah Ababa, a former LPGT leg winner, also skied to an 81 for a 158 for seventh, Gretchen Villacencio assembled a 160 after her own version of a 10-over card, while Baraquiel bowed out with an atrocious 89 marred by two triple bogeys and three double bogeys for a 167.

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JOSEPH Eriobu and Almond Vosotros emerged as the top two leading scorers three legs into the PBA 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo tournament.

Eriobu, the 29-year-old Fil-Nigerian forward of Purefoods TJ Titans, showed the way in scoring during the maiden and third leg of the three-a-side meet, while Vosotros, the top point guard of Leg 1 champion TnT Tropang Giga, did the feat during the second leg.

The 6’4” Eriobu had a total of 56 points in the opening leg when the Titans finished third place worth P30,000.

During the third leg, he finished with an accumulative points of 46 as Purefoods reached the semis, but lost in the battle for third against Terrafirma.

Veteran 3x3 players Carlos De Chavez of top contender Platinum Karaoke and Meralco’s Tonino Gonzaga also made their presence felt as far as scoring was concerned during the first leg.

De Chavez finished second behind Eriobu with 45 points, followed by Gonzaga with 42.

TNT then showed its might on the offensive end by occupying the next three spots behind Vosotros (42), Fil-Am Jeremiah Gray (41), and Samboy De Leon (37), eventually punctuating the Tropang Giga’s campaign by bagging the title after beating Meralco in the tournament’s first ever finals.

The 31-year-old Vosotros came back even stronger in Leg 2 when he edged Gonzaga as scoring leader, 57-50, though the Tropang Giga only finished third in the leg.

With Gonzaga leading the way, Meralco turned back guest team Platinum Karaoke for the championship.

San Miguel’s Jeff Manday and Kenneth Mocon of Sista Super Sealers also joined the fray with 42 and 41 points to place at nos. 3 and 4, respectively, while Limitless Appmasters’ Fil-Am player Brandon Ganuelas Rosser came in fifth with 39 points.

Platinum Karaoke’s Karl Dehesa and Chris De Chavez finished with 38 (6th) and 37 (7th) points, even as Eriobu fell to no. 8 with 32 points following the Titans’ failure to progress in the semis.

But Eriobu regained the scoring top spot in Leg 3 and crowded out by Terrafirma’s Dhon Reverente at second with 43 points, Mocon and Reverente’s Dyip teammate Matt Salem with 40 each, and Sista Super Sealer big man Leo De Vera at fifth with 36 points.

Michale Calisaan of NorthPort also waxed hot in the third leg with 34 points for seventh place, while the Pioneer Pro Tibay duo of Carlo Escalambre and Carlo De Chavez both finished with 32 points for eighth and ninth place, respectively.

Tennis stars back move to suspend China events over Peng WASHINGTON—Tennis stars threw their support behind the WTA’s move to suspend its tournaments in China over concern for Peng Shuai, as calls grew Thursday for other sports organisations to take action.

The women’s tennis tour made the decision over what its chairman called enduring “serious doubts” about the safety of Chinese player Peng, who accused a former Communist Party leader of sexual assault.

Women’s Tennis Association chair and CEO Steve Simon reiterated his calls for China to conduct “a full and transparent investigation —without censorship” into Peng’s claim that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli “forced” her into sex.

The WTA’s move to suspend its tournaments in China, including Hong Kong, won the immediate backing of some of the biggest names in tennis, among them men’s number one Novak Djokovic and women’s tour founder Billie Jean King.

It could potentially cost the WTA hundreds of millions of dollars because China is one of its biggest markets.

Djokovic called the WTA’s stance “very bold and very courageous”, while 12-time Grand Slam singles winner King tweeted that the WTA “is on the right side of history.”

Tennis great Martina Navratilova directly challenged the International Olympic Committee to respond, writing on Twitter that “so far I can barely hear you!!!”

China will host the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

The Chinese Tennis Association on Thursday expressed “indignation and firm opposition” to the WTA’s announcement, state-owned newspaper Global Times reported.

And Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the country was “firmly opposed to acts Turn to C2

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Sports

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

Explosive semis duels up in men’s volleyball

Dy: All I want for Christmas is a BRAVE CF triumph

LIPA City—Go for Gold-Air Force takes on Global Remit, while Team Dasmariñas plays VNS Manileño Spikers at the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League goes down to its semifinals action on Friday at the Aquamarine Recreational Center.

The Pool A winners Aguilas are wary of what Global Remit—which after dropping its first two matches won via straight sets over MRT-Negros on the final day of the preliminaries to clinch the last semifinals berth—can do in the 1:30 p.m. match.

“We need to our system and our service receive because it will dictate our game,” said coach Dante Alinsunurin after Go for Gold completed a two-match sweep of Pool A. “What’s important for us right from the start is we need to dominate through our service receive.”

They are also unbeaten in three Pool B contests, but coach Norman Miguel knows that their 4 p.m. duel with the Manileño Spikers will be a different story.

“The players know that this is the real fight. This is what we really prepared for.

Our goal is to make it to the Finals and get the title,” Miguel said.

“We fully trust the players. The mindset is already there. By all means, they will go all out to get the championship just to give back the support of the LGU [Dasmariñas],” he added.

The winners will battle for the gold medal at 4 p.m. on Saturday, while the losers will contest the bronze at 1:30 p.m.

The champion will be the country’s representative to the Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship in May next year.

Second placers in their respective pools, Global Remit and VNS hope to sustain the momentum of their victories against MRTNegros and Basilan Steel Spikers, respectively, last Wednesday and pull off a reversal in the semifinals of the tournament that has Rebisco, Pitmaster Foundation Inc., Top Speed, 1Pacman Partylist, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee as platinum sponsors and F2 Logistics, Asics, PLDT, MVP Sports Foundation and Mikasa as gold sponsors and BCDA, Philippine Red Cross, Lipa City, Davis Paint and Emerald PVC Pipes, Fittings and Doors as silver sponsors with PNVF godfather, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Champions League, giving his full support.

Global Remit’s head coach Eduardo Rusit said they also tinkered on their game plan entering the semifinals and hoped that his wards live up to the demands of the knockout stage.

SEEF DISTRICT, BAHRAIN—With his cage encounter against Serbian standout Slobodan Maksimovic set to take place seven days before Christmas, Filipino mixed martial arts star Rolando “The Incredible” Dy cannot think of a better present for himself than to return home with the victory.

The 30-year-old son of Pinoy boxing legend Rolando Navarrete will be entering enemy territory on December 18 to take on Maksimovic in the headliner of BRAVE CF 56, which is slated to happen at the state-of-the-art Belexpocentar in Belgrade, Serbia.

“I want to win again, that’s for sure.

There’s no greater gift I can receive this coming Christmas other than putting myself back in the win column. That’s all I want for Christmas this year,’’ he expressed.

Dy’s remarkable two-fight winning streak that saw him capture the 2020 BRAVE CF Fighter of the Year award came to a screeching halt this past March when he succumbed to a secondround stoppage loss at the hands of Kyrgyz powerhouse Abdisalam “Omok” Kubanychbek.

Moreover, the heartbreaking defeat derailed his momentum towards getting a crack at the coveted BRAVE CF Lightweight World Championship which was held by Amin “Fierceness” Ayoub at the time.

Clinching his 15th career win as a tenyear pro in the sport is what the hardhitter from Cavite, Philippines desires the most this coming Yuletide season.

“I had a great and unforgettable 2020.

This year is quite different. I started my 2021 on the wrong foot. Closing out the year with a win is certainly the goal in my next fight. It’s a win-or-bust kind of situation, but I am going all out for this one,” Dy stated.

However, re-entering the winner’s circle will be no easy task for Dy as Maksimovic will have the luxury of having a partisan crowd rallying behind him on December 18.

In addition, the No. 5-ranked lightweight in the Balkan Peninsula has won two in a row since the pandemic started and has aced seven of his last eight outings since 2016.

With that in mind, “The Incredible” plans to leave no stone unturned when he shares the stage with the highly-touted Maksimovic.

“Decision, knockout, or submission, I am open to all possible outcomes. But one thing is for sure, I will be ready for whatever my opponent brings on fight night. I will make my Christmas celebration more special this year,” he declared.

Global Remit celebrates a win at the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League.

Picson’s vision: Coaches’ growth, talent discovery

T

HE new Board of Directors of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, the national sports association for boxing, held its first meeting via zoom teleconference Thursday, Dec. 2, exactly one week after its elections.

Recently-elected president Ed Picson bared his first official appointments as he named University of the Philippines professor and long-time ABAP sports psychologist Marcus Manalo as secretary-general/executive director and Michael Angelo Vargas as treasurer.

Picson and Manalo separately presented their plans and programs for the Olympic cycle 2021-2024, which focused on coaches development, talent identification and ramping up of rigid and science-based training for the national boxers.

“The challenge handed over to me by [former ABAP president] Mr. Ricky Vargas is indeed daunting, but I dare say, not insurmountable,” said Picson, referring to the unprecedented 3-medal haul of boxing in this year’s

Ed Picson

Tokyo Olympics.

“With the kind of support we got the last four years from the PSC, POC, MVPSF and this ABAP Board, I am confident we can do well this Olympic cycle”, Picson added.

Also present online were ABAP vice chairman former congressman Raul Daza (Region VIII), who presided (Chairman Ricky Vargas was delayed by a last-minute international teleconference but caught up later), Region I director Atty. Liberato Reyna; CAR director ex-Mayor Reinaldo Bautista; Region IV-A director Deputy Speaker Robbie Puno; Region VI Director Nonong Verdeflor; Region VII Director Lorenzo “Chao” Sy; athlete representative Josie Gabuco, referees & judges representative Ludy Ceriales, coaches representative Pat Gaspi and MVPSF representative Maita Basa-David.

Part of the meeting was the installation of immediate past chairman Manny V. Pangilinan as ABAP chairman emeritus. His nomination was unanimously approved by the board.

With historic feat in sight, Stamp won’t allow Phogat to stop her STAMP Fairtex wants to make history by becoming the only fighter to win world titles in three different combat sports.

To achieve that feat, the #2-ranked atomweight will have to hurdle Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final set at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS this Friday, 3 December, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The winner will become the first-ever Women’s World Grand Prix winner and the owner of a title shot against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee. It’s an opportunity that Stamp has been eyeing for a long time.

“Ever since I heard about the tournament, I was glad to be a part of it because my dream and my path is to be an MMA champion. And I want to be labeled as a World Champion in [three sports],” she

told ONEFC.com.

But more than personal glory, the 24-year-old striker knows that this match goes beyond her because she will be representing Thailand and the sport of Muay Thai in this showdown.

“This is a very important match. If I win in this fight, this tournament, it would prove that a female Muay Thai fighter can win the MMA belt and prove to everyone the potential of Thai people – and a female fighter like me,” the Pattaya-based fighter said.

“The possible moment if I win, when the referee holds my hand up to say, ‘Stamp Fairtex is the winner of this belt,’ I think I will cry and scream out of excitement.”

Shifting her focus to the upcoming match, Stamp believes she can exploit several aspects of the #4-ranked atomweight’s game. However, she’s still wary of Phogat’s ability to recover when put in precarious positions - like how she stormed back

against Meng Bo. “Ritu is very tough and durable. She got knocked down and still recovered. So, it depends on the strikes. I’ll strike and not be too aggressive in case I give Ritu a chance to take me down, just to be safe.

“The way I will cope with [her takedown threat] is probably by applying my Muay Thai skills. Because when she approaches, it happens super fast. I’ll have to use my knees or elbows to stop her.”

She puts Phogat’s wrestling in such high regard that she’s already tweaking her strategy for their upcoming match.

Still, she’s confident that she can finish off the Indian wrestling star on her feet if given a chance.

“You might see fewer kicks, or maybe none at all. If I kick, I will have to be faster. We have to see if she will risk getting hurt when she wants to take me down,” Stamp said.

Tennis...

From C1

Stamp Fairtex

IBC 13 to broadcast Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational CHOOKS-TO-GO Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has forged a partnership on Wednesday with the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation to air the games of the Invitational Tournament at the Harbor View Restaurant in Manila.

The 2021 Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational Tournament will mark the return of the country’s regional men’s basketball league after a nine-month hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For IBC 13 chairman Arturo Alejandrino, bringing sports back to the lineup of the state-owned channel is a way of helping bring back normalcy to the country.

“We are very excited partnering with the MPBL because we are going to go back to where we came from,” said Alejandrino.

“We were in basketball before and for a while, we became very quiet and you know partnering with them is really a milestone also for IBC and we are excited as they are.

“Last year, we have started partnering with Department of Education to bring classrooms into their homes via television,

Shown here are (from left) Sales and Marketing Head of IBC 13 Roy Gonzales, IBC 13 Chairman Arturo Alejandrino, MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, MPBL legal counsel Atty. Glenn Gacal.

and because of that our viewership got up tremendously and I am glad that because of this viewership base you know the broadcast of the games of MPBL is going to be viewed by Filipinos all over the

country,” he continued.

“Ang reach natin is from north up to Mindanao, so the basketball flag can go forward and be able to see basketball once again in their television sets. And

we will develop more and more partnerships together, but again as I said we have decided in Channel 13 to be able to develop and contribute and one of them is to develop sports. And we are all excited and looking forward to December 11 for the launch.”

Games that will be televised are Bicol versus Basilan (December 11, 9 p.m.), Manila versus Mindoro and Negros versus Bacolod (December 12, 4 p.m.), Laguna versus Marikina (December 13, 7:30 p.m.), Gen San versus Imus (December 14, 7:30 p.m.), Pasig versus Bacoor (December 15, 7:30 p.m.), Bulacan versus Rizal (December 16, 7:30 p.m.), San Juan versus Muntinlupa (December 17, 7:30 p.m.), Sarangani versus Val City (December 18, 7:30 p.m.), Iloilo versus Caloocan and Nueva Ecija versus San Juan (December 19, 4 p.m.), and Makati versus Basilan (December 20, 7:30 p.m.).

IBC 13 will also air two quarterfinals games on the 21st and the entire semifinals and final of the tournament.

politicising sport,” in a brief response to reporters.

‘Serious doubts’ The 35-year-old Peng, a Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, has been at the centre of international concern for the past month.

She was not seen for weeks following her allegations on the Twitter-like Weibo platform that Zhang, now in his 70s, coerced her into sex during a yearslong on-off relationship.

Her allegations, posted on November 2, were quickly scrubbed from the internet in China and online discussions about them remain censored. There has been no response from Zhang.

The WTA’s boycott prompted further censorship on the Chinese internet, with comments on some of the organisation’s Weibo posts deleted and its account blocked from the site’s search function.

The Global Times on Thursday accused the WTA in an editorial posted only on Twitter of putting on “an exaggerated show” and “forcing (Peng) to complain in accordance with the imagination and expectations of Western public opinion.”

Peng’s claims against Zhang were the first time China’s #MeToo movement has touched the highest echelons of the ruling Communist Party.

State media have pointed to an email attributed to Peng and photos of her at a Beijing tennis event as evidence of her safety.

She also participated in a video call on November 21 with IOC president Thomas Bach, which drew criticism.

The uncertainty over Peng has reignited calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games over China’s human rights record.

“In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault,” Simon said in the statement announcing the WTA’s decision.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

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Chie Filomeno flaunts sensational curves in themed calendar

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CTRESS and youth influencer Chie Filomeno is a vision of a modern Filipina in 2022 Ginebra San Miguel calendar, which captures her many interests and hobbies as a health and fitness enthusiast, a race car driver, a roller skater, a fashion trendsetter, a surfer, and a beach lover.

The youth influencer's many interests, such as roller skating, are captured in the 2022 Ginebra San Miguel calendar.

In a virtual event held on Dec. 1, Ginebra San Miguel introduced the 24-year-old Kapamilya actress and social media vixen as its 2022 Calendar Girl.

“To be a part of the Ginebra San Miguel family is such a big fulfillment for me. This is a dream come true. I am really happy and grateful to be a part of the brand’s legacy,” says Filomeno, who is also a celebrity housemate in the TV reality show Pinoy Big Brother Season 10.

“It is definitely beyond that. It is about being strong. It is about feeling and looking good, not just on the outside, but also on the inside. I know I am more than just a pretty face. I am more than my mistakes. I know I still have a lot to prove, not to other people, but to myself. My competition is myself and not anyone else,” she

Ginebra San Miguel chose Filomeno because she embodies the attributes that their products stand for.

carries on.

Filomeno was visibly ecstatic when she was officially introduced as the face of the calendar for the entire 2022 saying that being chosen by the maker of the world’s largest-selling gin as its calendar girl “marks an important milestone in my budding showbiz career.”

“Chie Filomeno is a modern woman who is passionate about her work.

Ginebra San Miguel chose her because she embodies the attributes that our products stand for – a modern Filipina who personifies our brand attributes of being ‘matapang,’ ‘ganado,’ and having that ‘never-say-die’ attitude,” shares GSMI National Sales and Marketing Manager Allan Mercado.

This edition of the Ginebra San Miguel calendar features a QR code that consumers can scan using their smartphones to see Chie Filomeno’s calendars come to life, showing behind-the-scenes videos of her calendar girl photoshoots and a special message to her fans and followers.

Filomeno, who reveals that she is a big fan of Barangay Ginebra’s LA Tenorio, has likewise taken the basketball team’s famous mantra to heart.

“My instinct has always been never-say-die. That’s my top-of-mind.

Never-say-die in everything. What if you are an inch closer to success and then you give up? Sayang lahat ng pinagtrabahuhan mo. All the blood, sweat, and tears. Hanggang sa huling patak, dapat may bagong tapang. ‘Yun din ang reminder sa akin lagi ng parents ko,” she shares.

With a combined following of over 6 million on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, Filomeno knows that it is important especially in this time of the pandemic, to put such influence to good use.

“I use it in a positive way, to inspire people because that is what we all need

Still at home as Kapuso AICELLE Santos and Mikee Quintos remain loyal Kapuso artists as they recently renewed their management contracts with GMA Artist Center.

Aicelle began her long journey as a Kapuso when she captured the hearts of the Filipinos in GMA’s singing competition Pinoy Pop Superstar in 2005. Since then, she continued to prove her passion and excellence in her craft when she represented the Philippines in Cameron Mackintosh’s critically-acclaimed musical Miss Saigon in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Apart from these, she showcased her singing prowess in several GMA musicalvariety shows including P a r t y Pilipinas, Sunday All Stars, and currently as one of the

Mikee Quintos got her first big break in GMA when she played the role of Lira in mainstays in All-Out Sundays. the top-rating requel “As a person, I only take things day by of 'Encantadia' in 2016.

day... Just being with GMA throughout the years, how they just embraced and supported me with everything that I did and still doing now, napakalaki pong utang na loob.That’s That’s why I’m very grateful and beyond blessed that I am renewing my contract with GMA,” Aicelle said.

Mikee, on the other hand, is fairly new in her Kapuso journey but she is steadily showcasing her versatility in various projects. She got her first big break as Lira in the top-rating requel of Encantadia in 2016.

After this, she headlined various programs including Onanay, The Lost Recipe, and presently in Pepito Manaloto: Ang Unang Kuwento.

Apart from acting, Mikee also pursued her knack for singing as she released her debut single, “Just Enough,” under GMA Playlist.

“It’s hard to express what I feel right now.

Aicelle Santos rose to fame when she appeared in GMA’s 2005 singing competition 'Pinoy Pop Superstar.'

Cast, fans come together to celebrate

the legacy of ‘La Casa de Papel’

NETFLIX celebrated the final season of La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) with cast and fans in an exciting live show event with special guests and exclusive content streamed globally. Álvaro Morte (El Professor), Úrsula Corberó (Tokyo), Pedro Alonso (Berlin) along with other members of La Banda, and the cast gathered to celebrate and share special moments from the series with never before seen assets and anecdotes.

The hybrid event was attended by local celebrities and fans and streamed through a digital hub with simultaneous audio translation in 10 different languages. It was truly a global celebration of one of the most successful non-English speaking shows from Netflix.

Highlights of the night included Cecilia Krull joining live on stage and singing the theme song of the series, “My Life is Going On”; the official announcement of the Berlin spin-off series, coming 2023; Ed Sheeran dropping in virtually to share his ‘audition tape’ for La Banda in a fictional UK version of the show; Becky G sending her best wishes to everyone via video before debuting an exclusive teaser of her “Bella Ciao” cover music video; and Park Haesoo, who will portray Berlin in the Korean adaptation of La Casa de Papel coming in 2022, joining the celebrations virtually holding an iconic mask, sent to him from Pedro Alonso.

The cast of 'La Casa de Papel' (''Money Heist') came together for a live show event that celebrates the legacy of the multiawarded Netflix series.

But I’m so grateful for everything. Yung Mikee na kilala ko now, yung Mikee na love ko now, the confidence. I don’t think it’s possible na mahanap ko ‘yung Mikee na ‘yun without you, guys, because I saw it through your eyes. Because of your belief and your trust in what I can do, that’s how I saw it din sa sarili ko,” Mikee stated.

GMA Network executives celebrated this momentous occasion with Aicelle and Mikee via Zoom, video messages, and their presence at the Marquee Tent of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. Present during the contract signing were GMA Network Films Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, First Vice President and Head of Regional TV and Synergy Oliver Amoroso, First Vice President for Program Management Jose Mari Abacan, Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, GMAAC Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun S. Ferrer, Senior Talent Managers for GMA Artist Center Vic Del Rosario and Joy Marcelo. Jhune Aycardo, Aicelle’s co-manager from Stages, also attended the event.

right now. We should use our influence to inspire and give hope. That has been my goal,” relates Filomeno, who hopes to take this chance as Ginebra San Miguel’s newest brand ambassador to spread hope and positivity.

Filomeno earned the admiration of netizens recently when she helped out a group of jeepney drivers who were begging for alms along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, and urged the public through her social m e d i a accounts to give back in any way they can.

Filomeno joins actress Sue Ramirez for GSM Blue, social media sensation Albert Nicolas, and actor/ singer Matteo Guidicelli for Primera Light Brandy in GSMI’s growing roster of brand ambassadors.

The Ginebra San Miguel Calendar Girl is a long-held tradition in GSMI and an important part of the brand’s history.

Since its inception in 1988, beauty queens, actresses, and models who have

Actress and youth influencer Chie Filomeno.

made their mark in their respective fields have graced the Ginebra San Miguel calendar. Among them were Marian Rivera (2009 and 2014), Anne Curtis (2011), Solenn Heusaff (2012), Kim Domingo (2017), former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach (2019), and Sanya Lopez (2020).

Niña Taduran returns to her first love

By Eton Concepcion FIRST elected into public office in May 2019 as one of three representatives of the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Partylist, Rep. Rowena Niña Taduran wanted to see House Bill 8140, otherwise known as ‘Media Workers’ Welfare Act’, to be passed as law before the end of the 18th Congress. She has principally authored 127 other bills.

The journalist-turned-lawmaker was co-host of the hit afternoon public service show on Radyo Cinco Wanted sa Radyo with Raffy Tulfo for 20 years before she decided to go into politics in 2018 to expand her reach in providing public service, especially, to those who are deprived of their basic rights and services.

“I’m here to ask your help to rally, make a noise for the passing of HB8140 or An act providing enhanced protection, security and benefits for media workers, which I believe is long overdue. As a media practitioner, I know what is lacking, the demands and complaints of us who are in mainstream media, those in radio and TV, and in print which is very dangerous, especially, when working in the field,” Rep. Taduran said during a press conference.

“Unanimously approved by the House in January 2021, the ball is now with the Senate. While it has its counterpart bills filed by Senate President Tito Sotto and Senator Bong Revilla, HB8140 is now in the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development with Senator Joel Villanueva as chairperson. I hope, with your help, it’s going to be passed soon by our Senators

before they get busy when the election campaign begins,” Rep. Taduran said.

“I want you to know that ’m returning to my first love which is radio with a news and current affairs program called On the SPOT: Serbisyo Publiko, Opinyon at Talakayan, to air over RMN-DZXL, Monday to Friday, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

It has three segments, Spotlight, the program’s heart and soul, to showcase the person behind the news, issues and controversy; Buhay Kalinga to feature the plights of ordinary Filipinos in dire need; and Arugang OFW which seeks to find solution to problems of our overseas workers like the issue of repatriation which is I admit is very hard to make during this pandemic,” Taduran said as she announced her return to radio broadcasting this December. Read full story on manilastandard.net Rowena Niña Taduran is a journalist turned lawmaker who co-hosted 'Wanted sa Radyo' with Raffy Tulfo for 20 years before broadening her horizons.

Ebe’s most-fun-to-write single released today

EBE Dancel’s latest single “Huling Unang Sayaw” is a must-heard the fact that the singer-songwriter himself singled it out.

The song is dropped on digital stores today. It’s his third release this year care off Widescope Entertainment where he also works as an A&R manager.

“It took me a while to figure the rest of the song out, but of the three singles I’ve released, this one for me was the most fun to write and record,” emphasized the hitmaker.

The track is a radio-friendly mid-tempo recording produced by Ebe’s celebrity manager Rico Blanco.

The formidable executive and supervising producing combo of Vic De Vera and Neil Gregorio, as always, oversaw this latest cut from their prized artist and workmate, while veteran engineer Angee Rozul took over the mixing and mastering duties.

The track opens with a line that steers the whole thing. Besides, it’s a cool piece of trivia that Ebe literally sprinted to get there.

He shared, “While running one morning, I thought it would be nice to start a song with ‘Isang hakbang patungo sa ating walang hanggan.’”

Among the most established solo acts in the local music scene today, Ebe relied on the chemistry of session musicians to back him up in the instrumentation department.

The rhythm section of drummer Luke Sigua and bassist Roger Alcantara proved a steady platform where guitarist John Apura and pianist Gino Cruz stuck their

ground. Violinist Chino David provided extra spice to the arrangement he himself concocted at the Bavarian Studio.

The team of Robert Sena and King Puentespinn served as vocal recording engineers.

“Huling Unang Sayaw” comes as a follow-up to a couple of great recordings in their own right that introduced Ebe’s voice with added confidence and renewed hope. His Widescope debut “Manatili” was released last summer while “Tanging Kailangan” was uploaded to popular digital sites last August.

The latest song enjoys Ebe’s strong suit as a lyricist with the chorus promising, “Hahagkan kita sa pangako na kailanman di ka na mag-iisa.”

Ebe’s feet are just warming up as the title suggests. There will be more sweet dancing, especially that the night is young for a beloved songwriting singer who found a home where he can both sing and guide artists, the promising and the made, who all revere him.

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

Bettina describes her new life in the surfing province as “complete.”

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

By Nickie Wang

O

N A quest for a more sustainable lifestyle for her family amid the pandemic, actress-host Bettinna CarlosEduardo, her husband Mikki, and their 10-year-old daughter Gummy, all moved four hours up north, leaving their Pasig City condo for the time being.

In March, Bettinna found her new home in La Union, and describing her new life in the surfing province, she could only use the word “complete.”

Living a stone’s throw away from the beach to the sound of crashing waves and rustling leaves, Bettinna and her family now enjoy a more relaxed, rustic, stress-free lifestyle.

“My promdi life simply doesn’t compare to my previous urban situation,” Bettinna says.

In LU, she gets to wake up every morning to a different way of being—to a life where less is more, allowing her ample space to grow and be happy. A sight to behold daily: Gummy running around freely, in nature’s deep bliss and peace.

New home, new challenges Moving to a new, unfamiliar environment meant change. And Bettinna and her family weren’t spared the anxieties when they moved forward with this major life decision.

“There are so many changes. But it’s how you cope with all the changes with grace and understanding that everyone’s going through the same thing that’s paramount. From there, you realize it’s your job to put their needs first,” Bet Bettinna recalls.

In 2011, Bet-

Bettinna Carlos cherishes ‘rewarding’ new life in La Union tinna became a single mom to Amanda Lucia, whom she would nickname Gummy (yes, after the popular fruit gum candy brand). Nine years later around June 2020, Bettinna met Mikki, a food entrepreneur. After about four months of what some would describe as a whirlwind courtship happening right amid the pandemic, the two got engaged. They tied the knot in Tagaytay in December.

It has since been a beautiful ride for Bettinna, who’s ever thankful of Mikki stepping in as the perfect father figure for Gummy.

“You know, that’s one of the ways that I knew that my husband was sent by the Bettinna CarlosEduardo and her family found a new home in La Union.

Lord. We didn’t have to forge or force the relation- ily—and more opportunities for teachable ship. They just happen to both love dogs and love moments, she says. polvoron, and they were friends na! He’s like the best tito in the world already,” she gushes.

Thriving in the new normal Helping Bettinna manage her and her The rewards of working from home family’s life transitions was PLDT Home.

Since taking a break from showbiz, Bet- The fam’s move to La Union proved to be tinna has grown to become a sought-after easier and a lot more seamless with the social media influencer and online host. With country’s leading home internet provider alworking from home (WFH) as the norm, she lowing the fastest, most reliable, and stable would see her opportunities increase—along connection in their household. with her rate of productivity and efficiency.

“If there’s one thing, I have always been Goodbye, long commutes and even longer grateful for, it’s having a fast, reliable, and stawaiting time in physical events and other en- ble connection with PLDT Home. Whether it gagements. Hello to a more focused and sim- was at my old place in the city, or here, now plified work routine, thanks to a strong internet in the province, the service has always been connection right at home. fast and reliable. It allows me to just focus on For Bettinna, the WFH life is a glove fit creating my content on my live cooking show, for her mommy life. She always ends her and virtual conferences. I have peace of mind day feeling rewarded. There’s definitely knowing I’m not going to get disconnected in more time for quality bonding with the fam- the middle of anything,” Bettinna says.

As a long-time subscriber, Bettinna remains equally grateful for all the exciting rewards she gets from the loyalty program.

She just loves how she can augment purchases with PLDT Home Rewards Crystals and buy so many items and treats that she and her family can enjoy.

“As a mother, sometimes the biggest rewards we get come from getting appreciated for the little things we do,” Bettinna ends.

PLDT Home Rewards program allows subscribers to earn “Crystals” in exchange for rebates, freebies, discounts, and more.

PLDT Home subscribers enrolled in the Rewards program can earn Crystals in many ways, such as paying bills on time, signing up to paperless billing, enrolling for auto charge, and much, much more.

To learn more about the PLDT Home Rewards program, visit https://pldthome.com/ loyalty-and-rewards.

Honoring the life of Andres Bonifacio ON NOV. 30, the country marked the 158th anniversary of the life of Andres Bonifacio, the national hero considered as the Father of Philippine Democracy for being the first man to spark an armed revolution in all of Asia.

Bonifacio was an honorable Filipino with no other ambition but to fight for his beloved country’s freedom and democracy from the colonizers.

According to Congressman Yul Servo Nieto, “It is high time that we all know about the life of Andres Bonifacio, that he is more than a brave man who sparked an armed revolution against the colonizers of their time, that he is the true Father of Philippine Democracy and is the First President of the country.”

In these respects, the former actor has filed a bill to take further steps to recover and preserve the “Katipunan Documents;” a resolution recognizing Andres Bonifacio as the first president

of the country; an act mandating all colleges and universities in the City of Manila to include subjects devoted to the life, works, and heroism of Bonifacio; and an act establishing the Andres Bonifacio Museum in Manila.

“These bills and resolutions are not aimed at discrediting what has already been established in our history, rather, this will fill all the gaps and finally correct all misconceptions about Andres Bonifacio, so that we can be proud of a National Hero, this is not only for us, but for our children and a future where we finally recognize and fight for a hero that has fought for us without a second thought,” Nieto stated.

“I am urging the public to be aware of our history, and I am humbly asking for the support of the Congress and Senate. Let us all fill the gaps in our history about Andres Bonifacio and be united in this endeavor, it is our time to fight for him now,” he ended.

Prominent celebrities of the CV family Aside from spending Thanksgiving with gathered to celebrate another momentous well-known personalities, Cathy also took the opportunity to announce Jessy milestone for Cathy.

Mendiola as the newest Certified CV endorser.

Cathy Valencia with newly appointed Vice President for Operations Joaquin Anaya

Cathy Valencia celebrated Thanksgiving with Ruffa Gutierrez and Sunshine Cruz, among other celebrities.

Thanksgiving with Cathy Valencia CATHY Valencia N.D, CEO of the Cathy Valencia Advanced Skin Clinic, celebrated Thanksgiving with CV family after almost two years in the pandemic and amidst sevsev eral lockdowns.

Apart from Valencia expressing her gratigrati tude has been so grateful for all the blessings she continuously receives as she also announced the launch of its newest Certified CV endorser, Jessy Mendiola at the Manila House Private Club, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Prominent celebrities of the CV family such as Anabelle Rama, Ruffa Gutierrez, Danica Sotto, Sunshine Cruz, Elisse JoJo son, Marco Gumabao, Enzo Pineda, and other closest friends and family members gathered and celebrated another momenmomen tous milestone of Cathy Valencia N.D and Cathy Valencia Advanced Skin Clinic.

With the success of the CV brand over the years, it has become the most trusted and

Congressman Yul Servo Nieto recently filed a bill to preserve and honor the legacy of Andres Bonifacio.

widely patronized skin clinic in the country and abroad in Tokyo and Nagoya Japan.

As the company is continuously expanding and growing in line with the brand’s mission, “We Make Great Skin Happen”, the CEO herself, felt an overwhelming sense of gratefulness for all the love and support.

As a way of giving back to the community, Valencia is also passionate about donating to both local and international charities through her “Joy of Compassion” charitable works. Furthermore, she proudly introduced Joaquin Anaya, a professional polo player from Argentina and one of the Certified CV endorsers, as the newly appointed Vice President for Operations.

The press community — PEP.PH, ABSCBN, Manila Times, Manila Standard, PUSH, Inquirer, Philippines Star, and Manila Bulletin also filled the spectacular night. Certified CV endorsers, closest family, and friends jived and enjoyed the night. Cathy Valencia N.D ended the night with a grateful heart. Indeed, it was a night to remember.

LA-based Filipina entrepreneur unveils soy wax candle brand Joyce Jamlang-Tiongson is a Los Angeles-based Filipino entrepreneur who harnessed the power of scents to create delicate and aromatic soy wax candles.

LOS ANGELES-based Filipino entrepreneur Joyce JamlangTiongson has harnessed the power of scents in Ryliv Home, her recently-launched brand which offers carefully hand-poured soy wax candles with the soothing aroma of essential oils.

At the onset of the pandemic, Jamlang-Tiongson belonged to a corporation that was forced to close its doors. Now home-bound, she turned to scented candles and diffusers to ease the stress brought about by the sudden unexpected situation.

“Fragrance played a big part of me now, not knowing when

I could work again, not knowing when my kids can go back to school, always in a state of panic whenever we leave home because we might catch the dreaded virus,” she shared. “I tried to do a lot of quiet ‘me time’ to relax. I would light candles – it instantly changes the mood in any area you are in.”

This ultimately inspired her to venture into this endeavor. Armed with an Export Management Degree from the De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde and her 11 years of extended overseas experience as a sales manager, she conducted extensive research and experimented to no ends until she

perfected her first batch of homemade candles.

Thus in early 2021, Ryliv Home, named after her son Ryder and her daughter Olivia, started operations. The initial series offered four sizes and over 10 scents, headlined by the bestselling Eucalyptus, French Lavender, Gardenia, Plumeria, and Black Oud. The selections likewise include Sweet Pea, Citrus Flower, Coconut, Apple Cinnamon, Cashmere and Vanilla, Rosewater and Chamomile, Sandalwood, and Pumpkin Spice.

Jamlang-Tiongson has released her first Christmas collection,

which comes in the scents of Winter Forest and Pine Mist, with the hope to add serenity to her patrons’ home this holiday season.

She believes that passion and dedication are her key ingredients.

“There are no shortcuts. It really takes time and patience,” she assured. “If you love what you are doing, you will always find a way to make it work.”

Currently, Jamlang-Tiongson is gearing up to open a physical boutique for home fragrance and goods in the US. For more information, visit Ryliv Home at https:// www.instagram.com/rylivhome/ or https://rylivhome.com/.