Manila Standard - 2021 December 11 - Saturday

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CHRISTMAS BLOOMS.

A man harvests poinsettias in Baguio City for shipping to flower shops across the country for the Yuletide Season. Dave Leprozo

VOL. XXXV • NO. 299 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Signs point to ‘happy Xmas’ DOH okays street parties, caroling as vax drive, protocols rein in cases

By Joel E. Zurbano and Willie Casas

F

ILIPINOS are heading for a happy Christmas this year as COVID-19 cases remain low and vaccination rates improve, health officials said Friday.

“Now we see the fruits of our labor. Christmas," said Assistant Secretary Now we see we will be having a happy Wilben Mayor, National Task Force

against COVID-19 head of strategic communications.

Amid the low COVID-19 numbers, a Department of Health (DOH) official said street parties are allowed this Christmas so long as organizers follow the guidelines, including a maximum of 70 percent of the venue capacity for outdoor events.

DOH director Dr. Beverly Ho said,

however, that if organizers or local officials do not have the capacity to enforce the guidelines, then they should forgo these parties.

She added that event organizers should allow only fully vaccinated people into indoor celebrations.

She also urged people to refrain from close-contact activities and loud singing

and shouting, and face masks should stay on except during mealtime.

The DOH added caroling was allowed, but revelers should wear face masks and observe social distancing protocols.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. pointed to major milestones marked under the national vaccination program as a reason for optimism.

Next page

Early booster Omicron spoils easing up curbs further to Alert Level 1 shot on hold till study done new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Cabinet Secretary and acting THE Palace said Friday it is not yet presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles ready to ease quarantine restrictions due said the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) to inconclusive findings on the nature of for the Management of Emerging

By Vito Barcelo

Infectious Diseases cannot make a decision yet because it is still waiting for “final conclusive data” about the Omicron variant from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Metro Manila and other provinces and cities in the country are under Alert Level 2, which will end on Dec. 15, but this will likely be extended to the end of the year, Next page he said.

By Willie Casas THE Philippines plans to lower to three months the interval period before a fully-vaccinated individual can receive a booster shot against COVID-19, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday.

But until the policy is changed, it is status quo for the DOH: Fully-vaccinated individuals may get their booster shots after six months for several vaccine brands and three months for the Janssen Next page vaccine.

2,836,200 379

11,905

49,961

25

2,774,334

631

(As of 4 PM, DECEMBER 10)

MOBILIZATION. Protesters carry placards during a rally in observance of International Human Rights Day inside the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City on December 10, 2021. AFP

‘Name, shame’ Palace: Rody promoted human rights, equalities Govt awaits travelers giving By Vito Barcelo critics’ appeal false info eyed on terror law

By Willie Casas

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III is looking at the possibility of publishing the names of travelers who will not provide correct details in their health declaration forms upon arrival in the Philippines.

This as five of the eight returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) from South Africa initially unaccounted for have Next page

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has fulfilled his promise “to reduce inequalities and advance human rights” despite criticism over his administration’s

war against illegal drugs, Malacañang said.

In celebration of International Human Rights Day, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Duterte “consistently introduced and implemented programs

and projects to reduce inequalities and advance human rights” in the country.

A statement signed by Medialdea and read by acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said: “More than five

Next page

Cops eyeing motives, suspects in Malabanan killing Friday as the special task group of Samar police public information the Samar police investigating the chief Lt. Ailleen Velarde said three THE widow of slain journalist Jesus murder is eyeing possible motives are already leads but declined to “Jess” Malabanan called for justice and persons of interest.

Next page

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE government expects petitions will be filed against the Supreme Court decision that ruled all but two provisions of the anti-terror law as constitutional.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the government’s next move will be made after all parties have had the chance Next page to seek a reconsideration.

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426k health workers yet to receive allowance According to Health Undersecretary health workers would be funded by the Leopoldo Vega, MAT benefits for P1.5 million contingency fund from the

Office of the President.

"We are going after this now. We reached out to the Office of the President for the P1.5 million contingent fund that we wanted repurposed. The President agreed," Vega said during the Laging Handa briefing.

"Anytime next week, we hope to distribute these benefits sourced from the Office of the President for our 426,000 health workers who are yet to

get their dues," Vega said.

On November 26, St. Luke’s Medical Center Employees Union Benjie Foscablo told senators during the budget hearing for the proposed 2022 budget that they had not received the MAT benefits provided by the Bayanihan laws for the last five months.

Melbert Reyes of the Philippine Nurses Association also said during the same hearing that some nurses only received

P900 in benefits since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

In a statement issued last November 28, the DOH said health workers who had yet to receive the benefits due them should file a written complaint to the DOH-Complaints Handling Unit at dohpau.chu@gmail.com with the name of the concerned health facility, the incident and supporting evidences so their concerns can be properly addressed.

a total of 94,236,990 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, and 39,560,598 Filipinos are now fully vaccinated. At least 15 million more have had their first shot.

In another sign of declining COVID-19 numbers, about 598 or close to half of the 1,232 hospitals nationwide have no new admissions of patients with the coronavirus from Dec. 5 to 9, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

“We have observed that nationally, 48.5 percent of hospitals reported no new COVID-19 admissions in the past five days from Dec. 5 to 9,” Vergeire said.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), 62 or 39.2 percent of the 158 hospitals have logged no new COVID-19 admissions for the same period.

"Our epidemic curve shows that the current average of daily cases has further decreased by 180 cases or 27 percent this week [to] 498 average cases per day. This average cases per day is already 10 times lower than those reported in July of 2021 and also lower by more than half of the

cases per day as of Jan. 2, 2021," Vergeire said.

She said the NCR is now considered at minimal risk for COVID-19, with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 0.87 per 100,000 individuals.

Minimal risk means that the ADAR is less than 1.

Vergeire also said that cases have declined over a two-week period in the NCR. NCR recorded a bed utilization rate of 21.11 percent, a mechanical ventilator utilization rate of 16.82 percent, and an ICU utilization rate of 29.31 percent.

San Juan, Las Piñas, Taguig, Pasay, Mandaluyong, and Pasig are at low risk while Quezon City, Makait, Parañaque, Manila, Valenzuela, Navotas, Marikina, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, and Pateros are at minimal risk.

Vergeire said that San Juan, Pasig, Paraãnque, Valenzuela, and Malabon all showed a positive one-week growth rate.

The DOH is monitoring Eastern Samar, Western Samar, and Zamboanga

Sibugay after these showed positive oneweek and two-week growth rates.

The Philippines logged 379 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,836,200.

There were 25 new fatalities due to late encoding, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 49,961.

This was the third lowest daily tally so far this year, data from the DOH showed.

The DOH also reported 631 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,774,334.

There were 11,905 active cases, of which 757 were asymptomatic; 4,860 mild; 3,797 moderate; 2,060 severe; and 431 critical.

Nationwide, 25 percent of ICU beds; 24 percent of isolation beds; 14 percent of ward beds; and 14 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 28 percent of ICU beds; 20 percent of isolation beds; 22 percent of ward beds; and 17 percent of ventilators, were in use.

The positivity rate was at 1.3 percent, based on 35,903 people tested on Dec. 8.

Palace:...

vaccinated," he added.

He said the government aims to fully vaccinate 54 million Filipinos by the end of the year, 77 million by March 2022, and 90 million by June 2022.

Meanwhile, the IATF placed Portugal on the "red" list for COVID-19, which means travelers from this country are barred from entering the Philippines due to the high risk of infection.

In a virtual press briefing on Friday, Nograles said passengers who have been to Portugal within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines and who arrive on or after 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 12, but before 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 15, will be required to undergo facility-based quarantine for 14 days with a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on the 7th day, with Day One being the date of arrival.

Notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result, the completion of the 14-day quarantine is required.

Starting 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 15, entry in any port of the Philippines will not be allowed for passengers coming from or who have been to Portugal the last 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines, regardless of vaccination status.

Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated or nongovernment-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry, subject to existing testing and quarantine protocols for red list countries/territories/ jurisdictions, he said.

Other countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Italy are also on the Philippines’ red list until Dec. 15.

Japan on Friday confirmed eight more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections from the new strain in the

country to 12.

All eight entered Japan from late November to early this month, the government said.

Singapore said two more COVID-19 cases have tested positive for the Omicron variant.

One was a local case while the other was imported. Both cases were fully vaccinated and had received their booster shots.

The EU medicines watchdog said Thursday the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may cause milder disease, as the WHO warned against a re-run of vaccine hoarding by rich nations as the new strain spreads.

The tentative judgment from the European Medicines Agency comes after the WHO said this week there was some evidence that Omicron causes less severe disease than Delta, the currently dominant variant.

The EMA echoed the finding, but said more investigation was being done.

With AFP

will file a motion on the ATA provision on the extended period of detention even without sufficient evidence as well as the powers of the ATC. Another petitioner, lawyer Howard Calleja said his group, said they will pursue all legal remedies.

“Definitely, we feel strongly about having other questionable provisions declared unconstitutional as well. We will continue to make our case in our motion for reconsideration. Hopefully the Supreme Court will reconsider. But for now, we take our victories and use them as inspiration moving forward,” Calleja said.

Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno said he is not discounting the possibility of filing a motion for reconsideration.

“We were hoping that the Court would accept our arguments, especially with respect to inciting to terrorism and Section 29 among other provisions,” Diokno said.

A copy of the Court decision and the opinions handed down by almost all the justices have not been made public. The decision and the opinions may be released next week.

The Department of Justice on Friday again assured the public that there is nothing to fear from the ATA, except those who are actually involved in acts of terrorism.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay said, in a media briefing.

“Because of this, the people who are not involved in acts of terrorism and are not affiliated with groups involved in terrorism have nothing to worry about,” Sugay added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, the principal author of the law, welcomed the Supreme Court ruling, saying the law provides the government the legal backbone to fight armed groups. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Early...

"They are looking into it. So we will submit to the vaccine expert panel what would be the totality advantage of giving earlier booster shots,” Duque told CNN Philippines in an interview.

“Saying instead of six months from the second dose of primary series, what if we did it three months after the second dose? Would that confer much better, much higher protection?”

Duque said.

The country began the inoculation of healthcare workers with booster shots on November 17 while seniors and immunocompromised individuals started receiving booster shots on November 22.

Starting December 3, the government started administering booster shots to all fully-vaccinated adults.

Meanwhile, the public will be welcome to walk in and get inoculated against COVID-19 in any government vaccination site during the second round of the three-day “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” drive.

In an interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, National Task Force Against COVID-19 special adviser, Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, said the program, scheduled from December 15 to 17, would have dedicated areas for those who have a scheduled appointment and walk-ins.

“No one will be allowed to leave without getting vaccinated during the national vaccination days. So, if they visit, they have to be vaccinated,” Herbosa said.

While unvaccinated senior citizens and those aged 12 years to 17 years are still the main priority, all eligible individuals will be vaccinated, including

those seeking a booster shot, he said.

“There will be an area for booster shots, second shots, and the priority first shots. Because we’re still prioritizing the elderly,” Herbosa said.

But he noted that only a few members of the public were eligible for booster shots as these have only been approved for those who have received both doses six months ago, or three months for those given the Janssen single-dose vaccine.

He warned that the threat of the Omicron variant was "real” and noted the significant increase in COVID-19 cases in South Africa, which necessitates continued vaccination efforts against the disease.

“Luckily, the mortality rate is not as bad, even the WHO (World Health Organization) said it's milder. But still, people get infected. It's highly transmissible. So, the best defense is still getting your vaccines,” Herbosa said.

While the supply of syringes and other ancillaries became a problem during the first mass vaccination program, he said the country has since secured more as part of the preparations made by the National Vaccination Operations Center. “(The NVOC) is making sure that all the vaccines delivered have the concomitant ancillary supplies,” Herbosa said.

In related developments, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año clarified that the 23 cities in the country with at least 70 percent vaccination coverage had reached only population protection and not herd immunity.

“I would like to correct that -- that is not yet herd immunity but population protection because more than 70 percent of the target population [priority groups] are already vaccinated,” he said.

been located, the Department of Health said.

"We have already located another five, so we are just trying to locate two of these travelers," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a message to reporters.

The DOH earlier announced that one of the ROFs was located on Wednesday.

The eight were among the 253 travelers from South Africa who arrived in Manila from November 15 to 29, before the Philippines enforced temporary travel restrictions over several other countries over the Omicron variant.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Duque said he would consult with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government on the legal implications of the proposal to name the travelers.

“There are legal implications in having their names printed or published so that the neighbors would know and alert them. That could be helpful but it's not without possible legal consequences," Duque said.

"For now, we just continuously remind people to please provide the correct answer to the questions in the health declaration form," he added.

Duque said the government would have to make sure up to what extent personal information could be disclosed to the public, but he said he personally felt this should be done under the health crisis.

"We will push for it," he said.

"I will see to what extent I can do that because I strongly feel that this is a weakness in the system and sometimes unintended consequences of laws that weaken the ability to do more effective contact tracing or backtracing."

But DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire believes there is no need for now to expose the identities of erring travelers since all of them are eventually traced, adding an investigation is needed to find out the circumstances why the person gave incorrect information.

The DOH earlier said the eight ROFs provided incorrect or incomplete information upon their arrival, making it difficult for authorities to trace them.

“I hope you could help me ensure that this case won’t die. Everyone knows what the situation is here in Calbayog City. I am appealing for help from the NBI, Crame to help investigate the case," she said.

Malabanan, a correspondent and stringer for the Manila Standard, Reuters, and Bandera, was killed by unidentified gunmen in his home in Purok 12, Barangay San Joaquin

in Tinambacan District around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a party-list lawmaker condemned the killing of Malabanan as she called on the authorities to immediately resolve what she described as a"horrible crime" committed against another member of the Fourth Estate.

Rep. Rowena Niña Taduran of ACT-CIS party-list said Malabanan’s

death was “totally unacceptable, especially at this time when the government has taken a pro-active stance to prevent violence against journalists.”

“I am shocked at how journalists are being silenced by bullets. Their courage stems from their desire to tell the truth. We must not allow violence to kill that flame,” said Taduran, House Assistant Majority

Leader.

Mila, who said she was with her husband during the shooting, said: “We have a small store in the barangay. We were together but not too close to each other as we were waiting for the news.

He was shot just below the ear.”

She rushed her husband to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival in hosp[ital by attending doctors.

By Willie Casas

A

ROUND 426,000 health workers have yet to receive their meal, accommodation and transportation (MAT) allowance amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health said Friday.

Signs...

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During the recent nationwide vaccination days, the country was able to administer 10,254,560 COVID-19 vaccine doses in a span of five days, he said.

"This is equivalent to a daily average jab rate of 2,050,912 doses, the highest recorded since the national vaccination program was rolled out in March," he said.

Government officials have attributed the decline in COVID-19 cases to the intensified vaccination program and the public’s adherence to minimum public health protocols.

The government urged those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get the jab during the second round of the National Vaccination Days scheduled from Dec. 15 to 17, which aims to inoculate 7 million more people.

Based on latest data from the National Vaccination Operation Center (NVOC),

Omicron...

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He said the government’s pandemic task force is being extra cautious about placing areas in the country under the least strict coronavirus (COVID-19) alert level due to the many uncertainties about the new Omicron variant.

Under Alert Level 2—the second lowest in the new alert level system— certain establishments and activities are allowed at 50 percent capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated) and 70 percent capacity outdoors.

Nograles said the fight against the pandemic is largely anchored on getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

"The direction of the Omicron variant is that it is less severe, and so the vaccines still remain highly effective against all variants. Vaccines work so we should get

Govt...

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“It is expected that parties affected by the Supreme Court’s decision will file motions for reconsideration. So nothing is final yet as of this time,” Guevarra told reporters in a text message on Friday.

“Assuming, however, that the ruling on the invalidated provisions would remain, the corresponding provisions in the IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations) will automatically cease to exist, too, without any action on the part of the ATC (AntiTerrorism Council),” he added.

Guevarra said it is a litigant’s statutory right to seek a reconsideration of any judgment that is deemed adverse.

“That is the essence of our judicial system,” he said.

The SC en banc on Thursday upheld the validity of Republic Act (RA) 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 except for Sections 4 and 25.

At least 37 petitions were filed questioning the law.

Twelve of the 15 justices ruled as too broad and “violative of freedom of expression” Section 4 that states public protests, dissent, work stoppages and other exercises of political rights would not be considered as acts of terrorism as long as these “are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm.. or to create a serious risk to public safety.”

A vote of 9-6 also struck out Section 25, which allows the ATC to designate people and groups as terrorists based on the requests of other countries or international organizations.

Several petitioners who challenged the constitutionality of Anti-Terror Act have signified their intention to seek a reconsideration of the SC’s decision.

In a press conference, Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares said his group

Cops...

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disclose these so as not to compromise the probe.

Malabanan's widow Mila said aside from his work as a journalist, her husband was also helping poor farmers in Calbayog City whose lands were being taken away from them.

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years ago, the President made a promise that his administration will pursue social justice based on equal treatment and protection for our country’s poorest and most vulnerable, bring about improvement in our people’s welfare and standard of living, and make human rights work to uplift human dignity.”

“We all have seen those promises fulfilled even in the midst of a pandemic, which has affected us all,” Medialdea added.

Medialdea said these initiatives included unprecedented free tertiary education; universal access to health care; a massivescale infrastructure development in the form of the Build, Build, Build program; social amelioration to broaden the Filipino middle class; and an aggressive campaign to contain the COVID-19 pandemic’s surge and its ill-effects on people’s health and the economy.

"Further, the administration had given its utmost effort to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs and criminality, to put an end to the decades-long struggle against local and international terrorists, and to eliminate deeply-entrenched corruption in many government offices,” he said Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, however, has earned him the criticism of human rights champions here and abroad due to alleged extrajudicial killings that the Department of Justice continues to investigate.

‘Name,...

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IN BRIEF Agents arrest Korean wanted for drugs BUREAU of Immigration (BI) operatives arrested a South Korean fugitive wanted in Korea for illegal drug trading.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the fugitive as 43-year-old Lee Jungkuk, who was arrested by members of the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Bgy. Cauyan, Angeles City, Pampanga.

“He will be deported for posing risk to public safety and security, being a fugitive from justice wanted for illegal drugs,” Morente said. “He will then be placed in our blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines,” he added. Vito Barcelo

Malabon City cited for anti-smoking program

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. Neighbors and passers-by marvel at the festive Christmas lights along Merced Street in Barangay 683, Paco, Manila, where residents have decorated their homes for the Christmas season. Danny Pata

Poe quizzes NOW Cable on unpaid dues, ownership

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Senate Committee on Public Services chaired by Sen. Grace Poe has deferred the approval of the franchise applications of NOW Cable and News and Entertainment Network Corporation (NEWSNET)—sister companies of NOW Telecom which allegedly owes the government at least P2.6 billion in unpaid supervision and regulation fees (SRF) and penalties.

“For now, and I don’t want anymore to delay this public hearing, we will have to defer this one,” Poe told a representative of the company during a public hearing on Dece. 9.

The hearing was conducted to review applications for franchises submitted by various private companies.

Poe raised the issue of NOW Cable’s ownership and asked if the owners are also behind NOW Telecom. Atty.

Henry Abes, president of parent company NOW Corporation said the owners are the same “You see, the same owners of NOW Broadcast or NOW Cable are also the owners of NOW Telco. I have to bring this up because the characters behind it is also crucial to whether or not they will be given a trust by Congress for a franchise,” noted Poe in the hearing.

Stressing that franchise is a privilege, Poe underscored the need to trust the characters behind a franchise application. A non-payment of even P5,000 in penalties with the Securities and Exchange Commission is a “basis in itself not to grant the franchise or not to submit the report yet,” she said.

“So I think this is something that really needs scrutiny. If you have that much money owed to the government, why will the government trust you with another franchise and to the same owner?” asked Poe.

Despite Omicron, in-person classes to continue—DepEd

T

HE Department of Education (DepEd) said face-to-face classes will continue, despite the looming threat of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones cited experts saying that the Omicron variant may not be as dangerous as other variants, such as Delta.

She said the DepEd will not “wait” until Omicron is detected in the country, and that news that the variant is not as dangerous as other variants is “comforting news.”

The DepEd is also poised to include other grade levels to have face-to-face classes by December or early next year.

Briones also noted that the government has yet to report a COVID-19 case

with the Omicron variant.

In a statement, the Department of Health said “of the 48 samples sequenced, 38 (79.17%) Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases; the rest had non-VOC (variant of concern) lineages or had no lineages detected.”

The Ateneo de Manila University meanwhile is returning to gradual faceto-face classes in January next year.

The university would pilot its face-to-face classes with the Loyola Schools or ADMU’s tertiary level school unit which offers undergradu-

ate and graduate degree programs and the Professional Schools which include School of Law, Graduate School of Business, School of Government, and School of Medicine and Public Health.

It would also open its campus for other academic activities, such as research, teacher consultation, and counseling and psychological services.

“Strict safety and health protocols are in place to protect the Ateneo community. All employees and guests entering our campuses (Loyola Heights, Rockwell, Pasig, and Salcedo) should be fully vaccinated, or undergo the appropriate COVID-19 testing to be prescribed by the University physician,” its message read.

COLD WEATHER.

Due to the cold weather, a vendor in a public market in Tagaytay, Cavite wear a sweater and a face mask to deal with the low temperature.

JR. Josue

PAL airplane veers off Mactan runway; passengers, crew ‘safe’

By Joel E. Zurbano AIRPORT and aviation authorities temporarily closed a runway at the Mactan Cebu International Airport after a Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane veered off the runway on Friday morning.

No one was reported hurt in the incident.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said Flight PR-2369 experienced a runway excursion upon arrival at the airport in rainy weather at 11:39 a.m. after a flight from Caticlan.

She added all the 29 passengers and four crew members, including two pilots, “are safe and were able to disem-

bark from the airplane using the aircraft’s airstairs.”

“Our operations teams are assisting the passengers and will provide assistance and support as needed,” said Villaluna in a statement.

Villaluna said the flight involved a De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop oper-

ated by PAL Express with registry number RP-C5911.

“The aircraft wheels veered off into the grass at the side edge of the runway.

We thank airport authorities and the CAAP for spearheading the towing of the aircraft back into the runway surface,” she said.

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has commended Malabon City for promoting the government’s anti-smoking regulations to protect people from lung cancer and other ailments.

Malabon City has been implementing its City Ordinance No. 142018 which bans smoking (including vape and e-cigarettes) in certain public spaces, government buildings, schools, hospitals, and in public vehicles and transport terminals.

As stipulated in the ordinance, barangay officials and members of the Barangay Security Force have the authority to enforce their smoke-free policy. Joel E. Zurbano

QC initiative on biz reg gets recognition THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has recognized Quezon City’s Ease of Doing Business initiatives.

The city’s Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD) and Department of Building Official (DBO) bagged the awards during the Ease of Doing Business Summit recently organized by ARTA. The city government thanked ARTA director-general Jeremiah Belgica for citing its initiatives to effectively streamline government services, and make them more accessible, convenient, and efficient. Rio N. Araja

High Court holds Yule break from Dec.13-Jan. 12

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court (SC) will have no a session starting on Monday, Dec. 13 until Jan. 2, as the justices start their traditional Yuletide recess which usually has been devoted to studying and writing resolutions or decisions on pending cases before it.

The SC led by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo held its traditional Christmas party on Friday, Dec. 10, with the theme “A Toast to a Peaceful Christmas & a New Year Full of Hope: Sana All.” Due to COVID-19 protocols, a virtual party – which started with a thanksgiving mass -- was held with monitors set up in different areas of the court’s compound where employees can watch, while others joined via the video conferencing platform Zoom.

“We should not allow the simplicity of the celebration to dampen our spirits, for as much as an occasion to rejoice, Christmas is a time for contemplation -- a time to contemplate on God’s love, a love that impelled Him to give us the greatest gift of all, His son Jesus Christ,” Gesmundo said, in his Christmas message to SC employees.

MILF, Christians celebrate peace

By Nash B. Maulana CARMEN, Cotabato—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) celebrated peace by honoring Christian communities for taking care of Muslim families during the height of the insurgency in the 1970s.

Interior and Local Governments Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is giving back to communities on orders of BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim, who is also the MILF chairman.

During the groundbreaking of

BARMM’s barangay hall projects in Manarapan village here on Tuesday, Commander Kenig Inalang, chairman of the MILF Kapalawan Provincial Committee sat side by side with Philippine Army Col Juvencio Gonzales, chief of the 602nd Brigade. Both men spoke of development and peace.

Cotabato Board Member Kelly Antao said he had given up chairmanship of the Peace and Order Committee since the war is now over. He said he has shifted membership to the agriculture committee and headed the infrastructure committee at the same time.

GERM-KILLING PRODUCT. Luis Matti, chair of Durasiafresh Inc. and his wife Leni Matti VP for sales, company president Val Villapa,

retired PBA players Jerry Codiñera, EJ Feihl and personalities from the entertainment industry led the launching of the US-made Dioxyclin disinfectant at the Kingsford Hotel in Paranaque City. The product, said to be a trusted-germ killing solution against COVID-19 and other viruses, is now in the Philippines. Norman Cruz

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‘No politics in helping Manileños’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo AKSYON Demokratiko presidential bet and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso yesterday assured he sets aside politics when it comes to help being extended to Manilenos.

Domagoso said this as the city aided the residents of Sagrada Familia in San Andres, Manila whose homes were recently razed by fire.

In another development, Domagoso also vowed to implement a massive modernization of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard purportedly to improve the country’s defenses on its western coast, particularly the West Philippine Sea. “It’s high time for us to redirect most of our resources in the Armed Forces to reinforce our capacity in that part of our country. Our waters from Tawi-Tawi to Batanes, we need to have the presence of our Navy,” he said in a radio interview over DZRH. “That’s why, about two months ago, I said we will reinforce our capability with regard to our Navy and Coast Guard. We need to invest (in naval defense) because we are an archipelago country,” Moreno said.

Based on information relayed to him, Senator Bong Go was also set to give the residents of San Andres some form of assistance.

The Manila mayor said he is thankful for the help and noted it does not matter if the one helping belongs to the same political camp or not.

“During these times, politics should not prevail. Hindi lang welcome ang lahat, thank you very much if they will help my people in Manila because they indeed need assistance,” said Domagoso.

Meanwhile, the Manila mayor related that for the sixth straight day on Friday, the number of active, COVID cases in Manila remained below 100. On December 9, the total was at 91 with one death.

‘Hanapbuhay Para Sa Lahat’ key for Robredo

By Rio N. Araja IF she wins the presidential race in 2022, Vice President Leni Robredo wants more employment opportunities for the Filipino people.

She cited her “Hanapbuhay Para Sa Lahat” program designed to generate more jobs for Filipinos.

“We must stop corruption, cronyism and abuse in the system. We will eradicate syndicates using the government as a form of business. We will make an equal market and ensure that the government would honor its words,” Robredo said.

She said there should be clearer strategies to be able to produce competitive Filipinos and an improved implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act. The Vice President vowed to support the digital transition in the government system.

“Through this, investors would have the confidence in our system so that there would be fresh investments, businesses would flourish, thus there would be new available jobs,” she said.

“We will focus on making our maritime training at par with international standards.

We will integrate the maritime industry in the curriculum for senior high school,” Robredo added.

Among her plans are the modernization of ports, the creation of an electronic transport industry and a sustainable agriculture, and the development of the technical industry.

The Vice President vowed to end discrimination at the workplace through the passage of more comprehensive antidiscrimination laws, such as the anti-age discrimination act.

SELFIE WITH SARA. Vice Presidential Candidate and Lakas-CMD Party Chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte indulges supporters who wish to have a selfie with her during a campaign rally with thousands of supporters at the covered court of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao in Laguna on Friday (see story below). Ver Noveno

Mock polls set on Dec. 29; Palace frowns on caravans T HE Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the request of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hold a nationwide mock election on December 29, Malacañang said on Friday.

Meanwhile, preventing crowds and mass gatherings during caravans of aspirants seeking office in the 2022 national elections amid a COVID-19 pandemic is a responsibility for all, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.

Nograles said this in a Palace press briefing after being asked if penalties or sanctions were needed on candidates, given that caravans draw crowds that put people at risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

Also the Cabinet Secretary, Nograles said the mock polls would help in the preparations for the May 9, 2022 national and local elections.

“In order to ensure the safe and effective conduct of the 2022 National and Local Elections, the IATF poses no objection to the request of the Commission on Elections to conduct nationwide mock election exercises on December 29, 2021,” he said.

Teofisto Elnas Jr., Comelec Deputy Executive Director for Operations, earlier said there would be an end-to-end demonstration of the whole process.

“We will test on how accurate, true, and secure the (voting) process is,” Elnas said.

In the National Capital Region, Pasay City’s barangays 70 (1st District) and 110 (2nd District); Taguig City’s Ususan (1st District) and Western Bicutan (2nd District); and Pateros’ San Pedro and San Roque villages.

In Luzon, the mock polls will be held in Isabela: barangays District 1 (Pob) and Minante 1 in Cauayan City and barangays Magsaysay and Gayong in Cordon; in Albay: Barangay 16 of Kawit East, Ba-

rangay 13 of Ilawod West (Barangay 13), and barangays Biodoran, Banawan and Caratagan in Legazpi City.

In the Visayas, Negros Oriental: barangays Taclobo and Balogo of Dumaguete City, and barangays Poblacion and Mayabon in Zamboanguita; Leyte: barangays 6 and 6-A in Tacloban, barangays Poblacion Zone 11 and Gaas in Baybay City, and barangays Ipil II and San Juan in Palompon.

In Mindanao, Maguindanao: barangays Rosary Heights 2 and Tamontaka I in Cotabato City, Mother Poblacion and Poblacion 1 in Shariff Aguak, and Poblacion and Dical in Buluan; and Davao del Sur: barangays Zone 3 and San Miguel in Digos City, and Poblacion and Talas in

Sulop.

Elnas said the results would be counted, transmitted, and received in different destinations.

“This is where we would be able to test our VCMs (vote-counting machines), from the start, opening until voting, consolidation of results, then printing of election returns, and also the printing of the voting receipts,” he said in a previous interview.

On caravans, Nograles said: In our fight against COVID-19, we need to help each other. To those who participate in caravans, wear a face mask, observe proper sanitation and social distancing, make sure you are fully vaccinated. We really need the support and cooperation of everybody.”

“On part of local government units, the local chief executives, they know how challenging it is to bring down the number of COVID-19 cases. Let us not waste our accomplishments and make sure that guidelines are in place,” Nograles added.

IN BRIEF Pacquiao: Billionaire friends to put up jobs AT LEAST five of Manny Pacquiao’s foreign billionaire friends have already committed to invest in the country should he win the presidency in 2022, the senator and boxing legend said Friday.

These businesses, he said, will employ all Filipino workers.

“They have different business concepts, but they can give us a lot of jobs.

The good thing about my friends is, if they put their investments here, they want only Filipino workers involved,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.

These billionaires would also help strengthen the country’s small and medium enterprises and thus provide “millions of jobs” to the country, he added.

Pacquiao said these investments will finally help solve the problem of underemployment in the Philippines, where around 7 million workers have jobs but are still underpaid.

The sad plight of many Filipino workers, he said, can be blamed on the lack of opportunities and the ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My goal is for the jobs to look for workers, not workers looking for jobs.

When the time comes, our countrymen who are working abroad, who were forced to go abroad to survive, will want to come back home and have jobs waiting for them here,” the boxing champ said.

‘More opportunities for fishers, farmers’ THE tandem of presidential and vice-presidential aspirants Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman and Walden Bello will push for more opportunities for fishermen and farmers to address the problems of food security if they get elected in Eleksyon 2022.

During the online Pandesal Forum, De Guzman shared that if they win the May 2022 polls, their first 100 days will address the problems in food security to achieve the level of “food sovereignty” in the country.

“Our priority is to create food security in the country so that our people will have the opportunity to buy the food they need.

To do that, we need to support our farmers and fishermen for food productivity and to reach a level of food sovereignty in our country,” he said.

The labor leader underscored that the country should also export agricultural products to give livelihood for the farmers and fishermen.

“We will no longer import galunggong, garlic, onion, peanuts, we can no longer import that, we must export because we are an agricultural country,” he added.

De Guzman said they will also implement the labor first policy, adding that Filipinos should work hard to earn a living.

“I just want to clarify that all people who are obliged to work should work hard to make a living, that’s what we meant and it’s not like typical factory workers, government employees or call centers, that’s not all, everyone has to work hard to earn a living,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bello said they have a proposed P1.4-trillion economic and health stimulus plan to help the country emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEBU HQ. Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (in blue shirt) stands at the doorway of the party’s new headquarters in Cebu as a priest blesses the building along Banilad Street in Cebu City on Friday. Also pictured is party president Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (in red shirt) and other party officials.

Lacson-Sotto vow to work hard to woo 3.2m Cebuano voters RECOGNIZING Cebu as an election battleground, Senator Panfilo Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III vowed to work hard to woo the province’s 3.2 million registered voters.

Lacson is the standard bearer of Partido Reporma, while Sotto is running under the banner of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Both senators will be counting on the assistance of their political allies in the province, including Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, to muster grassroots level of support for their respective electoral bids.

Garcia leads One Cebu, the dominant political party in the province, which has been allied to the ruling PDPLaban since 2017. One Cebu is expected to shift political alliances this season as cracks between and among PDPLaban party members continue.

Lacson and Sotto already had a previous meeting with Garcia, who continues to receive political personalities and parties currently participating in the 2022 national elections. She has not made any official endorsement yet.

While an endorsement from Garcia would be welcome, the reform-oriented partners said they are willing to work even harder to get their messages of good governance and anti-corruption efforts across the voters of Cebu.

“If we don’t get her endorsement, I guess we will have to work harder and go down to the grassroots. Like what Senate President Sotto said, what is more powerful are the individual voters, not the endorsement coming from one particular government official or local official,” said Lacson.

“But it doesn’t mean that we do not need the endorsement of Governor Gwen,” added Lacson.

Sotto said there are over 40 local government officials in Cebu whose constituents would benefit from their Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program because the potential development plans that would be supported by their proposal are not confined to urban areas.

They also visited their campaign HQs to lead quick inauguration ceremonies, hold a joint press conference, and personally meet some of their supporters who appeared on-site to give both senators the warmest welcome possible.

Sotto traces his roots to Cebu where his father and grandfather both became prominent political figures.

The provincial government hospital Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City was named in honor of his late grandfather.

Marcos, Duterte welcome new allies in Laguna

By Maricel V. Cruz

BELENISMO WINNER. Dr. Isa Cojuangco-Suntay, cofounder of the Tarlac Heritage Foundation, and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista stand with the team of Belen DSWD, the first-prize winner of the Belenismo sa Tarlac 2021 in the Grand Non-Municipal Category during the awarding held in Tarlac. Lino Santos

CROSSING party-lines, political bigwigs in the vote-rich province of Laguna on Friday gave the warmest welcome to UniTeam presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and vice-presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, whom they described as the “winning team” in next year’s elections.

“Laguna is more than elated and excited to welcome our winning team and the perfect tandem, the UniTeam of BBMSara,” Laguna Vice Governor Karen Agapay, national president of the League

of Vice Governors of the Philippines, told the UniTeam BBM-Sara meet-and-greet with Lakas-CMD officials and members, friends and the Fraternal Order of Philippine Eagles at the Palmeras Garden Restaurant here.

Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez, a party-mate of Agapay under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), also met with Duterte as Agapay announced their decision to make the President’s daughter an adopted honorary daughter of Laguna.

Pakil, Laguna Mayor Vincent Soriano,

Lakas-CMD provincial chairman, assured the victory in Laguna of Marcos and Duterte who are consistent survey frontrunners.

“We will work hard in Laguna to ensure their victory. Naniniwala kami sa kanilang galing at naniniwala kami na sila ang magpapatuloy ng mga reporma para sa kaunlaran ng ating bansa,” Soriano, the brother-in-law of Hernandez, where his wife works as chief of staff, said during the meet-and-greet.

Soriano said Lakas-CMD is working in collaboration with PDP-Laban in the province to ensure a better Laguna.

Opinion Pink Christmas

THIS may be the first time that pink is being used as a Christmas color in the country.

This is quite unusual because traditionally, the dominant colors have been red, green, silver, gold, and even copper. Pink has never been associated with Christmas before.

This year, however, during the few times that I ventured to the malls the past months, pink holiday decorations have been prominently displayed and selling briskly. I know because when I went back to buy, the ones I liked were already sold out.

Yes, there is hope.

Pink “parol” are also very popular. In fact, this is the first Christmas decoration that has become publicly visible hanging in front of houses and on trees. We bought some early on but when we needed more, we had to wait a while for stocks that would come from Bicol and Pangasinan.

Apparently, the demand has been great.

This is good news for small businesses producing lanterns this season.

At home, I have been using a lot of red for past Christmases and since I was not intending to change color schemes this year, it took me a while to decide to also use pink. However, pink ribbons are also hard to find these days.

Using pink this season is a political statement in support of the candidacies of Vice President Leni Robredo for President, Senator Kiko Pangilinan for Vice-President, and their senatorial slate. It is not simply a fad or a trend.

Filipinos are proclaiming their political convictions in the hope of better governance, higher chances of fully recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic revitalization, full respect for human rights, strong defense for the country’s sovereignty, and, overall better life for Filipinos.

Thus, pink has become the color of hope. Hope for a people in despair because of the tens of thousands of lives lost to the pandemic and drug-related killings; disillusioned by incompetent and corrupt government; wallowing in poverty because of the millions who lost their jobs; and frustrated with how the country is being sold to China.

Some may not be aware, but this pink revolution also gives us hope to significantly weaken, if not totally dismantle some of the major political dynasties including the Dutertes, Arroyos, Estradas, and the Marcoses.

Particularly for the dictator Marcos’ family, this may very well be their last chance to be back in Malacañang palace. Marcos, Jr. is their last card and if

he loses, it will take many years for them to make a big comeback. Marcos Jr. is no longer young and for now, there is no one in sight among their youngsters who can take the cudgels for the family.

As far as the Dutertes are concerned, if “daughterte” loses, their bailiwick will just be Davao. Rodrigo Duterte might still become a senator. However, with his advanced age and supposedly deteriorating health his supporters may not be able to expect much from him. With a new administration that he will not be able to control or significantly influence, Duterte’s clout will surely weaken.

The Estradas are already a spent force even if Jinggoy makes it to the senate.

JV is of a different mold and cannot be expected to work with his half-brother.

Lastly, with a new administration, the Arroyos will not be able to maneuver things in the House of Representatives (HOR) as GMA successfully did before.

Thus, a pink vote, your one vote for VP Leni and Sen. Lacson, is a vote that can dismantle political dynasties.

This pink Christmas is also a demonstration of kindness and cooperation between and among different groups of Filipinos. This may very well be inspired by VP Leni herself who constantly tells her supporters to act kindly.

Her “mas radikal ang magmahal line” hit the bull’s eye and serves as a constant reminder to people to be civil and decent even to political “enemies.”

Many times, we see people who initially did not personally know each other work on initiatives to help others.

These take various forms from doing Leni Lugaw stands, pooling resources to produce shirts given away for free, providing free medical consultations, gathering books for children, and other schemes aimed at easing the burdens of Filipinos in need.

This pink Christmas season is a showcase of the real spirit of “bayanihan” and this is inspired by VP Leni Robredo herself.

The positive energies emanating from the pink campaign is being internalized by the VP’s supporters and volunteers.

Whereas other camps are busy trying to destroy Robredo through fake news and malicious posts, many “kakampinks” busy themselves with work that will have a positive impact on others. This is a “hate” versus “love” campaign and many voters are seeing and feeling the big difference. Surely, the effects will be seen in the results of the 2022 elections.

My hunch is as early as now, this pink Christmas season is a preview of how a Robredo-led government will work. From where I sit, I am liking what I am seeing.

With our one vote each, we can dismantle the big political dynasties. With our one vote for a President Robredo, we are establishing a government of positivity and partnership. May this pink Christmas pave the way for a government that Filipinos deserve and can be proud of. @bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

herself as the better choice because he/ she has all the answers to the problems of the country or the respective locality where he/she is running. Each tries to fashion himself/herself as the messiah, the bearer of the panacea and elixir to everything that ails society.

Leaders or wouldbe leaders must be like John the Baptist.

John the Baptist from the very start recognizes the folly of this claim. He does not arrogate unto himself the identity of the Christ but humbly acknowledges his nothingness before Him who is to come, One who is infinitely greater. John is just the messenger and not the message but Christ.

In the same vein, leaders or would-be leaders must be like John the Baptist.

They cannot claim to be the messiah, for there is only one. Nor can people assert with doctrinal certitude to have the authority to solve all the problems that plague society. Instead, when presenting themselves to the people, the leader or aspiring leader must humbly acknowledge

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EDITORIAL

Gaudete Sunday in a pandemic IN THE Gospel reading for Gaudete Sunday, which is the Third Sunday of Advent, we once again meet John the Baptist exhorting the crowd to do penance and prepare the way of the Messiah.

Many among the crowd were asking whether John is the promised Christ, the Messiah. But the Baptist humbly answered them that he was not the One, telling his listeners, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The gospel message is fitting not only for the moment but also for the entire year, if not the coming months. Although it has yet to officially begin since Feb. 8, 2022 is the start of the campaign period for national positions, the election campaign is now going on in earnest.

Aspirants for national and local posts are traipsing the islands, holding campaign rallies and political meetings, caravans and other activities to win the electorate.

Every aspirant is presenting himself or

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Economy endures pandemic T

HE Philippine economy bobbed and weaved like a seasoned boxer throughout the 21 months of the pandemic episode. It took hard blows from COVID-19 and persevered, but somehow survived the onslaught.

downgrade in credit ratings from respected global financial institutions since the start of the pandemic in March last year.

It is fundamentally sound.

The gross domestic product contracted by a record 9.6 percent in 2020, the worst performance since World War II. It slowly recovered since then, with the GDP now expected to rebound by 4 percent to 5 percent this year, driven by the faster vaccination rollout that could boost consumer and business confidence.

The World Bank is even more optimistic of the Philippine recovery.

It raised its 2021 growth forecast for the Philippines to 5.3 percent from its previous estimate of 4.3 percent, taking into account the

It may be safe now to declare that the Philippine economy has weathered the storm, judging from the pace of business reopening we are seeing now and the increasing vaccination rate across the nation. The economy suffered scars from the battle after millions of Filipinos lost their jobs, yet it is intact and is nowhere close to collapsing.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has noted the strength of the Philippine economy throughout the global health crisis period. The Philippines has never experienced a

7.1-percent third-quarter expansion that exceeded market expectations despite the prolonged impact of the pandemic.

It will take several months or two years, though, before the economy reaches its pre-pandemic growth trajectory. The tourism sector, for one, is yet to take off because of border restrictions. Many dependent on the travel industry have not regained their jobs as hotels and beach resorts remain partially closed.

Face-to-face classes will also resume next year. Many in the underground economy, too, cannot reclaim their jobs pending the full reopening of the economy.

Throughout these challenges, however, the economy will be ready to absorb the displaced small businesses and workers. It is fundamentally sound and up to the task of rebuilding.

Democracy blooms like a spring flower wage they received from their employers for their survival.

The emancipation of the slaves by US President Abraham Lincoln saw the rapid migration of the blacks to the urban centers in search of employment. Free labor is much better than being paid as a sharecropper. It marked another historical epoch in US history and indubitably reshaped their concept of democracy.

At the turn of the 20th century, the US became an imperialist power. The industrialization of the US opened the gates to engage in conquest and imperialism.

Others say, it added full weight to colonizing countries to make full use of the doctrine called “imperialism”.

DEMOCRACY in the US is treated as something immutable to their political system. It cannot be subjected to change because the people are made to believe their version is and by itself a perfection of their model. They refuse to acknowledge that their system is one rooted on slavery, and not a historical drawback. American political scientists reject that their system is imbued with racist DNA manifested through various forms of discrimination.

Their system was borne out of slavery, and every American must know his past.

They should look at the past with a sense of historical lesson. Without slavery, the US would not have become a powerful agricultural economy. It was not the early pioneers that explored the vast lands from the native Indians but people from Africa they kidnapped and enslaved to work on the vast cotton fields and later on for their sugar plantation to quench the thirst of the consumers.

The US represents the blood, sweat and tears of the toiling American people. The crucible test of the young republic was the American civil war on April 12, 1861. Many say that the civil war was the emancipation of the blacks enslaved by the big landlords in the south. Others like Fredric Douglas and Howard Zinn saw their emancipation in a different perspective. The white northerners wanted free labor and demanded the emancipation of the blacks while the landlords who owned the vast plantations wanted to keep them.

To every form of conquest and oppression, there has to be some reason.

For example, the emancipation of the blacks was sugarcoated with the concept of freedom. What many did not realize that in exchange, the emancipated slaves would depend on the meager

that he is merely acting as an instrument or tool for God to use as he pleases.

A good leader is a John the Baptist; one who is fully aware of his purpose and mission that God directs him to do.

He is not a sepulcher - beautiful outside but rotten inside but one who gives full credit to God for all his accomplishments and possesses moral integrity and uprightness, working always in accordance to God’s will.

Pope Francis, in his homily delivered during the holy mass for the repose of the souls of the cardinals and bishops who died over the course of the year held last November 4 at St Peter’s Basilica, Altar of the Chair, urges us to look at adversity in a different way, i.e. to see through trials with much home, not despair or cynicism – but to wait patiently for the Lord for he never abandons his people.

God does not disappoint for “the Lord makes a turning point, at the very moment

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

Every American must know his past.

As Jeffry Sachs would put it, it was a nasty form of conquest that the US chose to occupy territories of a declining imperial power like its occupation of Cuba and the Philippines from Spain.

It was a deception because the US used the pretext of introducing their democracy to “widen” our freedom and elevate Christianity to higher plane to justify their colonization.

Victory in the two world wars only allowed it to control and manipulate international finance. It then stretched its control to currencies of other countries.

Instead of refining their theory of democracy as a political system, the US ignored that democracy has its own postulates about literal equality as against excessive inequality. It has been proven that absolute economic equality can never create political stability. On the other hand, extreme equality can only breed mass poverty, chaos and a complete dissatisfaction to many. Neither did it entice people to measure their free will.

Despite the symptomatic danger, American political leaders instead opt-

when, while continuing to dialogue with Him, it seems as if we are at rock bottom.

In the abyss, in the anguish of non-meaning, God draws near to save us at that moment. This turnaround, according to the Holy Father, is not because the problems have disappeared, no, but “because crisis has become a mysterious opportunity for inner purification. Prosperity, in fact, often makes us blind, superficial, proud.

This is the road to which prosperity leads us. On the other hand, the passage through adversity, if lived in the warmth of faith, despite its harshness and tears, allows us to be reborn, and we find ourselves different from the past.”

Gaudete Sunday is a day for rejoicing.

As I wrote last year, to find joy and happiness even when the world’s storms are buffeting our inner peace and creating so much fear and disturbance in us, we must strive to recognize the hand of God in everything that we do and in every situation

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ed to deregulate the economy. The economic doctrine that subscribed to the privatization resulted in the eradication of the social obligation of big corporations to limit their profit without regard that they enjoy franchise and monopoly in their operations. The “neoliberal doctrine” was enunciated by the Chicago-based economic crackpot led by Professor Milton Friedman and fortunately was accepted by US President Reagan and UK’s Prime Minister Thatcher.

Earlier, there was already premonition that the US would abandon the gold standard to measure the value of its currency.

The US economy was already having financial difficulty because of its involvement in the Vietnam War. It was already incurring a huge budget deficit that its only way out was to abandon the gold standard.

The US was also having difficulty in balancing its huge trade deficit with Japan. In the 70s, the US stood as the biggest manufacturer and exporter in the world to lessen Japan’s trade deficit and abandoning the gold was not a bad idea.

Countries that were members of the US-controlled World Bank have to adjust their currency to the value of the US dollar. Consequent to the decoupling of the US dollar from the gold, the volatility of the currency compelled central banks to abolish interest rate, otherwise known as the “anti-usury law”. Even after the value of the currency was stabilized, restoring the fixed interest rate on loans was all but forgotten.

Public utilities have to deregulate their charges. Private corporations always boast of increased tax collection notwithstanding that the amount was the result of continuing inflation. The full implementation of the neoliberal policy resulted in a system of democracy which only the handful elite could exercise.

This explains why the elite and the rich always stand out in the community like their being elected to public office as though they are the only intelligent class in a given political community.

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we find ourselves in. It is important that we become more alert and ready to rouse ourselves from the slumber of mediocrity and the slumber of indifference. This is especially true as we grapple with the shared experience of death and sickness.

We can only recognize Christ in the manger if, like John the Baptist, we wear the vest of charity, selflessness, trust and total dependence in God and most of all love for the suffering.

In these times when so much is happening around us, good and bad, Evangelist John is calling us to try to recognize Christ in our midst and discern his divine will, to see everything from the perspective of our faith. As God is the God of history, he is also the God of forgiveness and providence, and most of all the God of love and joy.

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James Webb telescope to look for first light of cosmic dawn

SANTA SELFIE.

A visitor poses in front of a diver dressed as Santa Claus feeding fish in an aquarium at the Hakkeijima Sea paradise in Yokohama on December 10, 2021. AFP

PEERING into deep space and billions of years back in time, the James Webb telescope promises to offer the clearest glimpse yet of the Universe’s cosmic dawn, when the earliest galaxies began to form.

The largest and most powerful telescope ever to be launched into space, which will take over from Hubble, will “directly observe a part of space and time never seen before,” says NASA. This is the Universe in its youth, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

With “very lofty science goals in mind,” Webb will look back 13.5 billion years to when the first galaxies evolved in the Universe, said Begonia Vila, instrument systems engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in a briefing.

It aims to allow us to observe “how they change and evolve to get to the type of galaxy where we live in today,”

she said, as well as looking at the first stars and trying to detect “the type of elements that we identify as a sign of the life as we know it; water, carbon dioxide, methane.”

Looking farther into space means looking farther back in time because of how long it takes for light to travel – sunlight, for example, takes eight minutes to reach our eyes on Earth.

Hubble reached its limit at 13.4 billion years, with the discovery of the oldest galaxy yet observed, GN-z11.

That ancient galaxy may have been an unprepossessing little dot but it was also “a surprise, with a luminosity that one did not expect at such a distance,” said the Swiss astrophysicist Pascal Oesch, who first reported GN-z11.

Hubble, which was launched in 1990, looks mainly at visible light – but Webb, set to launch on December 22, focuses on infrared. AFP

US: Expand engagement with Taiwan

T

he US State Department called on “all countries that value democratic institutions” to “expand engagement with Taiwan” in a statement Thursday after Nicaragua announced it was cutting diplomatic relations with the island in favor of China.

The statement said the move by President Daniel Ortega “cannot reflect the will of the Nicaraguan people” due to the Central American country’s recent presidential election being a “sham.”

“This deprives Nicaragua’s people of a steadfast partner in its democratic and economic growth,” the department’s statement said.

Nicaragua’s diplomatic switch from

Taiwan to China leaves the island with just 14 diplomatic allies but comes as Taipei strengthens ties with multiple unofficial Western friends including the United States.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington have soared over the fate of democratic self-ruled Taiwan, which China has vowed to one day retake, by force if necessary.

Court thumbs down Trump bid to keep Capitol riot documents A US federal appeals court rejected former president Donald Trump’s bid to prevent the release of White House records relating to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The appeals court agreed with a lower court ruling that President Joe Biden could waive executive privilege on the records, so that they could be handed over to a Congressional panel investigating the violence by Trump supporters.

Trump, who has been accused of fomenting the attack on the US Congress, sought to exercise his privilege as a former president to keep the documents and phone records that might relate to the attack a secret.

But the court said Biden’s judgment carried more weight in the case.

“The right of a former president certainly enjoys no greater weight than that of the incumbent,” the appeals court said in its ruling.

“In this case, President Biden, as the head of the Executive Branch, has specifically found that Congress has demonstrated a compelling need for these very documents and that disclosure is in the best interests of the nation,” the court said.

The ruling did not trigger the immediate release of the records.

The appeals court said that Trump’s lawyers would have two weeks to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. AFP

wan, but the sham election on November 7 did not provide it with any mandate to remove Nicaragua from the family of American democracies,” the State Department statement said Thursday.

“We encourage all countries that value democratic institutions, transparency, the rule of law, and promoting economic prosperity for their citizens to expand engagement with Taiwan,” the statement said.

China has spent decades successfully encouraging Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to switch sides, including three others in Latin America in recent years – Panama, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. AFP

Myanmar junta condemned over reported killing of 11 villagers

THE United States and United Nations condemned the Myanmar junta over what Washington described as “credible and sickening” reports of the killing of 11 villagers, including children, in a restive central region.

The State Department and the UN secretary general’s statements came as local media and residents said that soldiers seized 11 people from Dontaw village in Sagaing region following mine and bomb attacks on a military convoy a day earlier.

“We are outraged by credible and sickening reports that the Burmese military bound 11 villagers – including children – in northwest Burma and burned them alive,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday, using the country’s former name.

The Myanmar junta, which seized power in a coup that deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government 10 months ago, denied the claims.

The junta has been locked in a bloody stalemate with militias dotted around the country, fighting to overturn the coup.

The state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Friday the reports were “fake news” and evidence of a “conspiracy by local and international connections.”

ART IMITATES LIFE. A woman and child commute past a wall mural promoting awareness Speaking to AFP on condition about COVID-19 in Banda Aceh on December 10, 2021. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK of anonymity, a resident told AFP they saw “dead bodies lying with their hands tied, still smoking” after troops left the village.

A video posted on social media AT LEAST 53 migrants were killed Thursday tor for Chiapas. purported to show several badly Officials said it appeared that the driver was in Mexico after the truck they were hiding in charred bodies lying on the ground. hit a retaining wall and overturned in the south- speeding when he lost control of the vehicle on “It hurts us all... They don’t even ern state of Chiapas, a major transit point for the highway connecting the city of Chiapa de look human,” says one voice in the Corzo with the state capital Tuxtla Gutierrez. those trying to reach the United States. clip that purports to show the reAnother 58 people also were hurt, three of He later fled the scene. mains.

Local television images showed large them seriously, according to a preliminary reAFP digital verification reportport from the prosecutors in Chiapas, which numbers of ambulances, firefighters and ers found no evidence the clip had rescue workers gathered around the crashed borders Guatemala. appeared online before Tuesday, “So far, 53 people have died and three more vehicle, together with some confused and though they were unable to identify are seriously injured,” the office said in a state- shocked migrants who were awaiting mediwhere it had been filmed, or whether ment which also announced it was taking over cal attention. it was authentic.

Bodies were wrapped in white sheets or oththe investigation of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Voice The migrants were crammed into the truck, er blankets. of Burma outlet also reported troops State Governor Rutilio Escandon said the civil protection officials told reporters. had seized villagers who had been “According to the statements of the survi- injured should get “prompt attention and assisunable to flee following an attack on vors, most of them are from Guatemala,” said tance,” adding: “Law enforcement will deterjunta troops. AFP Luis Manuel García, the Civil Protection direc- mine who is responsible.”AFP

53 migrants killed in Mexico road accident

Manila

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TODAY

IN THE MATTER OF THE PROTEST AGAINST IMPORTATIONS OF CLEAR FLOAT GLASS (AHTN 2012 SUBHEADING NO. 7005.29.90) AND BRONZE FLOAT GLASS (AHTN 2012 SUBHEADING NO. 7005.21.90) FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PROC) FOR: ANTI-DUMPING DUTY Investigation No. AD-2016-OCFloatGlassCN AGC FLAT GLASS PHILIPPINES, INC. (AGPH), Protestant. ___________________________________

NOTICE OF THE IMPENDING EXPIRY OF THE EFFECTIVITY OF THE DEFINITIVE ANTI-DUMPING DUTY Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 8752 (Anti-Dumping Act of 1999), as adopted by Section 711 of RA No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act), and Section 19(b) of its Implementing Rules and Regulations, notice is hereby given of the impending expiration of the anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of clear float glass (AHTN 2012 Subheading No. 7005.29.901) and bronze float glass (AHTN 2012 Subheading No. 7005.21.902) from the People’s Republic of China.

The imposition of said duty took effect upon the issuance of Bureau of Customs Memorandum Circular No. 138-2017 on 06 September 20173, and is set to expire five (5) years from date of effectivity, or on 05 September 2022.

Accordingly, concerned parties may file a petition for an expiry review before the Secretary of Trade and Industry.

For inquiries, please contact Acting Director Elvira C. Ignacio of the Research, Investigation, and International Trade Analysis Service (RIITAS) at Telephone No. 8936-3319 or at email address TC.Assist@mail.tariffcommission.gov.ph.

Issued this 3rd day of December 2021, at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson

1 Same Subheading No. in AHTN 2017 2 Same Subheading No. in AHTN 2017 3 Date of Customs Memorandum Circular No. 138-2017 providing for the imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty pursuant to the Department of Trade and Industry’s Order dated 14 August 2017

(MS-DEC. 11, 2021)

At the same time, the United States has slammed Nicaragua’s November elections that saw long-time leader Ortega re-elected as illegitimate, slapping sanctions on the federal public prosecutor’s office and nine officials in response.

In the months ahead of the November 7 election, Nicaraguan authorities detained nearly 40 opposition figures, including seven would-be presidential challengers, virtually assuring victory for Ortega and the vice president, his wife Rosario Murillo.

“The Ortega-Murillo regime has announced it has severed diplomatic relations and ended official contact with Tai-

Vietnamese tourist city vows to phase out dog and cat meat A POPULAR Vietnamese tourist city has pledged to phase out selling cat and dog meat, officials said Friday, a first in a nation where some consider the animals a delicacy.

An estimated five million canines are consumed every year in Vietnam—the second highest in the world behind China—with some believing eating the meat can help dispel bad luck.

Authorities in Hoi An, a historic trading port and World Heritage site, signed a deal with animal rights group Four Paws International promising to phase out sales and consumption of cat and dog meat.

“We want to help promote animal welfare through rabies eradication, phasing out the dog and cat meat trade, and making the city a premier destination for tourism,” vice city mayor Nguyen The Hung said.

Julie Sanders from Four Paws International said it was a watershed moment that might set an example for other places in Vietnam. AFP

THINK PIECE. A sculpture by artist Fabio Viale is pictured during the exhibition ‘In Between’ at Piazzetta Reale in Turin on December 9, 2021. AFP

Business

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TODAY Republic

B3

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

of the Philippines GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM GSIS Building, Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City 1308

Market slips; Synergy Grid, Jollibee drop

S

TOCKS fell Friday in step with the rest of Asia, following a weak lead from Wall Street and as investors awaited a key US inflation report due later in the day.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 42.75, or 0.6 percent, to 7,192.17 on a value turnover of P15.5 billion.

Losers, however, edged gainers, 103, to 99, withy 43 issues unchanged.

Synergy Grid & Development Phils. Inc., owner of the company that operates the country’s power grid, dropped 3.5 percent to P13.90, while Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fast-food chain, declined 2.6 percent to P233.20.

Ayala Land Logistics Holdings Corp., a unit of property giant Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group, however, rose 6.6 percent to P6.30, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. of the Aboitiz Group climbed 4.5 percent to P57.90.

The rest of Asian markets dropped on Friday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed 1.07 percent down at 23,995.72, while Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell one percent at the close.

Shanghai also slipped.

During the previous trading day, European and US stock markets dropped as traders tracked developments surrounding the Omicron coronavirus variant and fallout from the Chi-

nese property crisis—snapping a three-day rally.

Traders were awaiting the latest US consumer price data, set for release Friday, which is expected to show inflation climbing higher last month.

And next week’s Federal Reserve meeting might offer clues as to the pace of tapering and interest rate increases.

“It goes without saying that today’s inflation report in the US is the main event,” said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index. “It hit a 30-year high in October and expectations are for those numbers to be inflated further.

“We can see today’s report as a proxy for next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, because the hotter inflation is the more pressure it piles on the Fed to increase their pace of tapering.”

Elsewhere in Asia Friday, Seoul, Taipei and Singapore were down slightly, while Wellington was marginally up.

Investors were also concerned about the debt crisis in China’s property sector, after Fitch Ratings’ Thursday announcement that two major Chinese property firms defaulted on $1.6-billion worth of bonds to overseas creditors. With AFP

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1. Sale of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) shall be through competitive public bidding.

18. The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within fourteen (14) calendar days from the bid date the following documents: a. If the winning bidder is an individual,

2. Acceptance of Purchase Offers shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

1. duly accomplished Personal Profile (with attached recent two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures of the winning bidder) 2. a photocopy of two (2) valid IDs (at least one should be a government-issued ID)

3. Dropping of bid envelopes will be on the date of bidding from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM only. Opening of Bids will immediately follow. Late bid envelopes will not be accepted.

b. If the winning bidder is a corporate entity or partnership,

4. The sale IP-RUs is on an “as-is, where-is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale.

1. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile 2. Registration Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 3. Articles of Incorporation (if a corporation), Articles of Partnership (if partnership), General Information Sheet, and By-Laws duly certified by the SEC 4. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located

“As-Is, Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail unit being purchased.

5. Strictly “One bidder, One specific property” only. It means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each for as many properties he/she wants to buy, as long as he/she posts the required 10% bid deposit of the total bid price for each property. The bidder must present a valid government-issued ID upon registration on the date of public bidding.

c. If the winning bidder is a cooperative.

1. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile 2. Cooperative Development Authority Registration or any proof of such registration 3. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located.

6. A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data:

VICTORY FOR STARBUCKS. Starbucks employees celebrate after the votes are counted, on December 9, 2021 in Buffalo, New York.

The ballots have been cast and employees of three Starbucks cafes in Buffalo have created the first union at outlets owned by the retail coffee giant in the United States. AFP

A. Date of Bidding B. Name of the bidder C. The exact address of the property you are interested to bid D. Transfer Certificate of Title No. E. Mode of Payment F. Amount of bid (in numbers and words) G. Signature of the bidder/representative 7. All participating bidders shall insert the following documents in a bid envelope: 1. Properly accomplished bid form;

American workers leaving their jobs in droves; companies struggle to hire

2. Manager’s Check is payable to Government Service Insurance System representing the deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid-Offer plus 12% VAT, if applicable.

WASHINGTON—American workers are quitting their jobs by the millions every month taking advantage of new opportunities created by the pandemic recovery, and creating an unprecedented labor shortage for companies.

In October, 4.2 million Americans resigned, after 4.4 million in September and 4.3 million in August, according to data from the Labor Department.

Meanwhile, new applications for unemployment benefits last week fell to just 184,000, the lowest level since September 1969, the Labor Department said Thursday.

There are 11 million job openings, and the number of vacancies is peaking as demand picks up in bars, hotels, restaurants and other service industries.

The economy remains about four million jobs short of the

4. Two (2) proofs of occupancy, if the bidder is the occupant of the subject property:

pre-pandemic level, and even though job gains have averaged 555,000 a month this year, hiring, especially unskilled staff willing to work in person, has become a headache for many employers.

“We’ve never had a gap like that where there’s just so many more openings and there are unemployed workers,” said Curtis Dubay, economist at the US Chamber of Commerce.

The pandemic is changing attitudes to work, he told AFP. “Jobs that are traditionally less pleasant and with less skills are having a harder time retaining workers. Workers are just not putting up with it anymore.”

Since April, a record number of workers, the overwhelming majority in low-skilled jobs in the service sector, have quit, no longer concerned that they will struggle to find a new position. AFP

Indonesia’s Garuda enters rehab JAKARTA, Indonesia—Garuda Indonesia has entered a courtsupervised restructuring process as the debt-ridden airline tries to rescue itself from bankruptcy.

The new attempt to save the Indonesian flag-carrier began after a Jakarta court granted a debt petition filed against the airline by one of its creditors Thursday.

The ruling gave Garuda and its creditors 45 days to submit a debt restructuring proposal. The period can be extended by up to 270 days.

Garuda said the court’s suspension of debt payment obligations would give it a solid framework to complete negotiations for the debt-restructuring process.

The “decision gives us 45 days to submit a composition plan that includes the restructuring of Garuda’s business obligations to creditors,” Garuda president and chief executive officer Irfan Setiaputra said in a statement. AFP

3. Special Power of Attorney (SPA), if the bidder is being represented by another person.

a. Barangay certificate that the bidder is occupying or residing in the subject property; and b. Valid Government Issued ID indicating the address of the subject property, or c. Latest Billing Statement under the Bidder’s Name indicating the address of the subject property.

8. The following information shall be written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope).

19. Failure of the declared winning bidder to comply with the terms and conditions of sale stated in the NOAS shall automatically forfeit the declared winning bidder’s 10% deposit.

20. In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the said NOAS shall be deemed automatically revoked and the highest/winning bidder shall be informed in writing. The second highest bidder, if any, shall be informed in writing if he/she is still interested to acquire the property.

If still interested, he/she must remit the required non-refundable 10% deposit within three (3) working days after receipt of notice from GSIS. 21. GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received.

The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

22. For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396 or send an email at gsiscstrpamd@gsis.gov. ph.

HEALTH PROTOCOLS UNDER NEW NORMAL 1.

Only the participating bidder shall enter the bidding room.

2.

The bidder must properly wear a facemask and face shield at any time.

3.

Social distancing must be strictly observed.

4.

Bringing of ballpen is encouraged.

5.

Please follow the health and safety protocols on and off the GSIS premises.

6.

Additional health and safety measures shall be published on the GSIS website page once the IATF issues additional or new guidelines.

1.

Please register at the Registration Area between 8:30 AM and 9:30 A.M.

2.

Present the sealed Bid Envelope upon registration.

GUIDE FOR BIDDERS

9. The bid offer must not be lower than the Minimum Acceptable Offer. It shall be written in words and figures. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

• Ensure that you have read and follow the General Guidelines; • Ensure that the Bid form is properly accomplished and it must not have erasures; and • Ensure that the Bid envelope contains complete documents as mentioned above;

10. Pursuant to Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10963 otherwise known as the Tax Reform Act for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, the selling price of the GSIS properties above PhP2 million shall be subject to 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT).

11. Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid-Offer plus the 12% VAT, if applicable, shall be in the form of a Manager’s Check payable to Government Service Insurance System, and shall be paid not later than 3:00 P.M. on the day of the bidding.

3.

Review the contents of the bid envelope before sealing and dropping it in the Bid Box.

4.

Only participating bidder is allowed to drop the sealed bid envelope in the Bid Box.

12. The 90% balance of the bid amount plus 12% VAT shall be paid either in cash or in Manager’s Check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without the privilege of extension.

5.

Any change in or retrieval of the bid envelop shall not be allowed once the sealed envelope has been dropped in the Bid Box.

6.

Opening of Bids will commence at 10:00 A.M.

Sample Computation: Bid Amount is PhP2,610,000.00 Deposit - (10% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP 261,000.00 + 31,320.00 = PhP292,320.00 Balance - (90% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = PhP2,349,000.00 + 281,880.00 = PhP2,630,880.00

13. Full settlement of the winning bid price either in CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK shall be payable within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of Notice of Approval of Sale, without the privilege of extension.

14. The current tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided that: a. he/she participated in actual bidding, and b. inserted the two (2) proofs of occupancy in his/her bid envelope as indicated in number 11.4 above.

15. If the occupant will exercise his/her Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she shall adjust his/her initial deposit equivalent to the 10% of the bid amount of the declared highest bidder, and pay the adjusted deposit on the day of bidding in cash.

16. A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued in favor of the declared winning bidder after the bidding.

17. The bid envelope of the non-winning bidder/s shall be immediately returned once the public bidding has been adjourned.

(MS-DEC. 9/10/11, 2021)

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

B4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, December 10, 2021 VOLUME -42.75 PTS. TOTAL TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE

7,192.17

3,566,198,232 85,842 15,525,422,303.48

ADVANCES 99 DECLINES 103 UNCHANGED 43

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2770

Japan

Yen

0.008815

0.4432

UK

Pound

1.322300

66.4813

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128256

6.4483

Switzerland

Franc

1.083189

54.4595

Canada

Dollar

0.786596

39.5477

Singapore

Dollar

0.732923

36.8492

Australia

Dollar

0.714900

35.9430

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

133.3643

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266574

13.4025

Brunei

Dollar

0.730247

36.7146

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.029878

1.5022

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

13.6894

Euro

Euro

1.129400

56.7828

Korea

Won

0.000849

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.156794

7.8831

India

Rupee

0.013230

0.6652

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237248

11.9281

New Zealand

Dollar

0.679300

34.1532

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036056

1.8128 Source: BSP

E

XPORTS in the first 10 months jumped 16.1 percent year-on-year to $62.10 billion, with electronic products contributing the highest sales, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

The Department of Trade and Industry said despite some disruptions in the reopening of the global economy and in international trade, merchandise exports increased 2 percent year-on-year to $6.4 billion in October this year from $6.3

SM VACCINATION MILESTONE. In strong support of the country’s recovery agenda and vaccination drive, SM malls reach an important milestone in COVID-19 jabs administered through its network nationwide. SM Supermalls, which supports the vaccination program of various local governments units, reaches over 6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in 71 malls around the country. SM malls are also serving as pediatric vaccination sites in support of the national vaccination program for minors.

billion a year ago.

“This positive development despite global trade challenges is also attributed to the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases not to disrupt exporters’ operations by allowing 100-percent capacity even during the enhanced community quarantine and stricter alert levels. This, thus, boosted the performance of the sector and allowed them to fulfill their commitments to the global market,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

The PSA said that by commodity group, electronic products remained the country’s top export in October with total earnings of $3.65 billion, accounting for 57.0 percent of the total exports in the month. This was followed by other manufactured goods with an export val-

ue of $350.18 million (5.5 percent); and other mineral products which amounted to $298.48 million (4.7 percent).

Exports in October increased 2 percent to $6.41 billion, following a 6.4-percent growth in September. In October 2020, export sales were down 0.9 percent.

The PSA said that of the 10 major commodity groups in terms of the value, seven recorded annual increases led by coconut oil (76.9 percent); cathodes and sections of cathodes, of refined copper (56.0 percent); and chemicals (53.7 percent).

With manufacturing activity in China starting to pick up, the Chinese market topped the list of Philippines’ export market in October, accounting for 15.8-percent share. The US, Hong Kong and Japan closely followed at 15.0-percent, 13.5-percent and 13.4-percent

shares, respectively.

With exporters continuing to face challenges brought about by shipping issues, Philippine exports to China and Hong Kong increased of the top 10 export markets of the country.

“Philippine exports are highly concentrated not just on a few sectors but also on a few firms, particularly in electronics. COVID-19 has further highlighted the importance of actively seeking new markets and diversifying export products in building a resilient and agile export industry,” said Lopez.

In 2020, more than 3,700 exporters accessed new markets (both traditional and non-traditional) to dampen the economic impact of COVID-19. The Philippines also recorded new exports in 32 product lines that were not previously exported in the last five years.

Meralco announces P0.31 per kWh hike in December rates

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday it reduced the 2021 balance of payments surplus forecast to $1.6 billion from $4.1 billion, as growth prospects in some advanced economies were downgraded amid the high uncertainty over the global health crisis.

It said in a statement it considered the latest spikes in COVID-19 cases in some Euro areas and the recent emergence of the Omicron variant in the latest BOP forecast.

“These warrant continued vigilance of the Philippines’ major trade and investment partners,” it said.

The latest forecast for 2021 BOP surplus of $1.6 billion is equivalent to 0.4 percent of the gross domestic product, down from $4.1 billion (1.1 percent of GDP) in the September 2021 projection exercise.

The narrower BOP surplus reflects the projected reversal of the current account into a deficit in 2021 of $4.0 billion (-1.0 percent of GDP) from a surplus $3.5 billion (0.9 percent of GDP) in the previous projection arising from the foreseen further widening of the trade-in-goods deficit. Julito G. Rada

THE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the P15-billion bond shelf registration program of AREIT Inc., a real estate investment trust owned by Ayala Land Inc. The SEC said the bonds may be issued in one or more tranches within a period of three years. For the first tranche, AREIT will raise up to P3 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds due 2023.

It said the net proceeds from the offering would be used to refinance debt and partially finance the acquisition of The 30th, a mixeduse commercial development in Pasig City.

The 30th is a commercial building with gross leasable area of 74,704 square meters composed of a 19-story office tower with a GLA of 47,871 sq. m. and a 4-story retail podium with GLA of 26,833 sq. m.

The acquisition of The 30th is part of AREIT’s strategy to expand its leasing portfolio to boost shareholder value.

Jenniffer B. Austria

UK asks Manila to join CPTPP THE United Kingdom asked the Philippines to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade alliance similar to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to better align bilateral interest.

British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said joining the CPTPP is a great opportunity for members as it is “the gold standard of international trade agreements.”

“And we’d very much like it if the Philippines were to consider doing something similar. And indeed, we’d be happy to share our experience in terms of the process that we followed,” she said Friday at the webinar Breaking Economic Barriers: The Philippines Road to Further Liberating its Economy organized by the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Othel V. Campos

PAL, AirAsia PH adding flights for Christmas season

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE average power rate in the franchise area of Manila Electric Co. will increase P0.3143 per kilowatt-hour in December on the back of higher generation charges from power plants.

Meralco said Friday the overall rate for a typical household rose to P9.7773 per kWh in December from P9.4630 per kWh in November. This is equivalent to an increase of around P63 in the monthly bill of a residential customer consuming 200 kWh. Meralco said the generation charge for December increased P0.1997 per kWh to P5.5343 in December from P5.3346 in November. The latest rate includes the first of the four monthly installments covering the deferred costs from the November bill.

The Energy Regulatory Commission earlier directed Meralco to defer the collection of portions of their suppliers’ generation costs and to bill these on a staggered basis beginning December until March 2022 to cushion the impact of the previous month’s Malampaya facility maintenance shutdown.

Meralco head of regulatory management office Jose Ronald Valles said that if not for the timely intervention of the ERC and the cooperation of power suppliers in deferring part of their charges, upward power adjustments would have been much higher especially in November.

“We thank the ERC and our suppliers for easing the burden to consumers,” Valles said.

Meralco said charges from power supply agreements increased by P0.2142 per kWh, brought about by higher international coal prices and lower dispatch of some PSAs. The company sourced bulk of its supply requirements at 45.7 percent from the PSAs last month.

Charges from Meralco’s independent power producers decreased by P0.1541 per kWh, with the resumption of gas supply from Malampaya and improved dispatch of Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo plants. Even with the resumption, the First Gas plants still used alternative fuel over continuing supply restrictions.

BSP cuts 2021 BOP surplus goal to $1.6b

AREIT gets approval on P15-b bond sale

10-month exports rose 16% to $62b

By Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF

By Darwin G. Amojelar

A4S NETWORK. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. joins the Accounting for Sustainability Chief Financial Officers Leadership Network’s new Asia-Pacific Chapter as one of its founding members. Announced during the A4S Annual Summit opened via a video message by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, MPIC, represented by chief finance, risk and sustainability officer Chaye CabalRevilla (second row, left), along with other founding members, will collaborate with global peers to advance the integration of finance and sustainability in ways of doing business.

BSP revises FDI forecast after 9-month figure surpassed $7b THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas revised upward the target for 2021 foreign direct investments to $8 billion from $7 billion on improving global economic outlook despite the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It released the revised target in an online briefing Friday, after latest data showed that net FDI inflows in the first nine months hit $7.3 billion, up 43.8 percent from $5.1 billion net inflows registered a year ago.

The BSP attributed the remarkable performance of FDIs in the period to the 78.6-percent increase in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments to $5.3 billion from $3 billion last year.

Reinvestment of earnings reached $865 million, up by 12.3 percent from $770 million a year earlier. Meanwhile, non-residents’ net investments in equity capital other than reinvestment of earnings fell 15.7 percent to $1.1 billion from $1.3 billion.

“Net investments in equity capital declined as placements contracted by 8.1 percent to $1.5 billion [from $1.6 billion] and withdrawals rose by 30.7 percent to $337 million [from $258 million],” the BSP said.

The bulk of the equity capital placements came from Singapore, Japan, the United States and the Netherlands and were invested in manufacturing;

financial and insurance; electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning; and real estate industries.

Net FDIs continued its growth momentum for the fourth consecutive month in September, recording a 30.4-percent expansion year-on-year to $660 million from $506 million in the same month last year.

“FDI net inflows in September 2021 rose on the back of the 60.2-percent increase in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments to $538 million from $336 million in the same month last year. Likewise, reinvestment of earnings grew by 25.2 percent to $89 million from $71 million,” the BSP said.

Julito G. Rada

PHILIPPINE Airlines and AirAsia Philippines said Friday they are ramping up domestic flights to meet the surge of demand for air travel during the Christmas season.

AirAsia Philippines said it restored 30 percent of its pre-pandemic capacity, doubling and tripling its frequencies for most of domestic destinations. The budget airline also returned to Hong Kong and Singapore to service overseas Filipino workers and business travelers.

AirAsia Philippines said it is flying Manila-Puerto Princesa six times weekly; Manila-Iloilo, nine times weekly; Manila-Cagayan, six times weekly; Manila-Caticlan, 28 times weekly; ManilaTacloban, 21 times weekly; Manila-Tagbilaran, 11 times weekly; Manila-Cebu, 21 times weekly; Manila-Cagayan, five times weekly; Manila-Davao, seven times weekly; Manila-Zamboanga, four times weekly; Manila-GenSan, twice weekly; Manila-Singapore, weekly; and Manila-Hong Kong, once every two weeks.

“We are banking on ‘revenge travel’ for a very strong 2022 recovery. People now have the confidence to plan for their future trips as reflected in the forward bookings from 31 to 120 days,” said Steve Dailisan, spokesperson of AirAsia Philippines.

“This booking behavior can be significantly attributed to the continuing downtrend of daily COVID-19 infections and the ongoing progress of the government’s nationwide vaccination program,” he said.

PH vehicle sales climbed 23.8% in 10 months to post second-fastest growth in ASEAN

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines posted the second highest automotive sales recovery in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 10 months, rising 23.8 percent to 214,187 units from 183,305 units in the same period last year.

Data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed signs of recovery in four major markets in the region, with Indonesia leading the growth at

703,089 units sold from January to October, up 67 percent from 421,054 units a year ago.

Cumulative vehicle sales in the region grew 15.7 percent in the 10-month period to 2.17 million from 1.87 million last year.

Singapore and Vietnam reported sales growth of 12.2 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Singapore sold 51,069 units from 45,506 units, while Vietnam sales increased to 218,734

from 212,410 units.

The rest of ASEAN Federation members continued to sustain slower growth over the pandemic period. Malaysia’s sales dropped 4 percent to 382,379 from 401,714 units in 2020.

Myanmar and Thailand posted declines of 49 and 2.1 percent to 7,874 from 15,433 units and 596,393 from 608,880 units, respectively.

The Philippines continue to lead in terms of recovery of sales of mo-

torcycles and scooters in the region after posting year-to-date incremental output of 23.5 percent. Sales hit 1.16 million units of two-wheeled motor vehicles from 941,260 units in 2020.

Singapore posted second fastest sales with 9,724 units sold, up by 13 percent from 8,499 units in 2020. Thailand managed to keep sales positive at 3.5 percent to 1.31 million from 1.27 million.

Sports

Quizon grabs solo lead in PH National Chess meet DANIEL Quizon outlasted fellow International Master Joel Pimentel in 83 moves of a Gruenfeld Defense on Friday to seize the solo lead after the second round of the 2021 Philippine National Chess Championships at the Solea Hotel and Resort in Mactan, Cebu.

Quizon, 17, outplayed Pimentel in the opening in gaining a pawn edge for a lasting positional advantage that he nursed and transformed into a full point by displaying superb endgame technique.

When it was over, the foxy Quizon had two unstoppable connected kingside passed pawns, and a rook against Pimentel’s helpless rook and bishop.

The win gave Quizon, a Southeast Asian Games and World Cup veteran, the solo hold on first place with two points after he turned back IM John Marvin Miciano in the opening round Thursday night.

Erstwhile co-leaders IMs Ricky de Guzman and Paulo Bersamina failed to cash in on their advantages and settled for draws to slip to a share of second spot with 1.5 points apiece.

Bersamina, who downed Grandmaster Joey Antonio the round before, blew his pawn edge and split the point with IM Michael Concio, Jr in 88 moves of a Trompovsky Attack.

De Guzman, who bested Concio the day before, had just gained full control of the second rank but he left his own back rank unprotected that allowed unheralded Allan Pason to salvage a draw via perpetual check in 46 moves of a Giuoco Piano.

Quizon was playing GM Darwin Laylo, one of his coaches, in the third round at press time in this six-day tournament backed by PSC chair Butch Ramirez, NCFP president Butch Pichay, POC president Bambol Tolentino, Chess Movement, Inc. chair Dr. Ariel Potot, PCSO general manager Royina Gaerma and Atty Roel Canobas.

Other results saw Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna halving the point with IM Ronald Dableo in 23 moves of a French duel, Laylo splitting point with Miciano in 59 moves of a Dutch Defense, and GM Joey Antonio smashing IM Jan Emmanuel Reyes in 43 moves of a Ruy Lopez.

The winner in this 11-round event will earn a spot to the national team seeing action in next year’s Hanoi Southeast Games and the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand apart from the top purse worth P80,000.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021

Stephen Kamphuis with some of his young students at his gym in Makati

Jiu-jitsu coach in race against time to form PH team for SEAG

By Randy Caluag

S

TEPHEN Kamphuis, the newly designated head coach of the Philippine Jiu-Jitsu team, is racing against time to complete a highly competitive crew that will compete in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in May. “We really have to get through this (pandemic). We have to get the team back and start competing overseas.

That’s how our team will excel,” said Kamphuis, who will be taking on a new role as a lead mentor of Team Philippines.

In the 2019 SEA Games hosted by the country, he acted as competition manager in jiu-jitsu, where the Philippines hauled 5 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronze medals.

In the coming Hanoi SEA Games, Kam-

phuis will be hard-pressed to surpass that outstanding finish by Team Philippines.

“This time around, we’re coming from behind. With the limited time we have, we have to keep pushing through and start working with the athletes and our coaches,” he said.

Team Philippines is in good hands because of Kamphuis’ rich background and achievements in the sport. He was originally from New Zealand and came to the Philippines in

2004 to help promote the sport. He was also highly responsible for forming the national federation and its recognition by the world body.

Kamphuis is ranked no. 1 in the world masters and a 4th-degree blackbelt. He was trained under the highly respected Fabricio Jiu-Jitsu system from Brazil.

In Vietnam, his main concern, however, is the selection of weight categories.

“Some weight classes that were chosen are not in our favor this time. So we have to prepare our team in this kind of situation and we can do that by getting overseas competition and train with the best,” he said.

To get the team going, the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of the Philippines will be holding the 2022 National Team Trials to select the athletes that will compose the national team for the

Former Sixer scores 40 points to carry Warriors to 2nd straight win

By Peter Atencio FORMER Philadephia 76er KJ McDaniels believes that he is finally blending in with the NLEX Road Warriors. The 6’6” McDaniels showed his confidence and trust with his teammates when he unloaded 40 points and hauled down 15 rebounds as the Road Warriors brought down the NorthPort Batang Pier, 120-113, in overtime Friday night at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

McDaniels drained 11 points in the extension, including six of the Road Warriors’ last eight points in the final two minutes to carry NLEX to its second straight win in the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. “It’s a team effort. That’s what it comes down to. One person can’t do it all. We belong to each other. We come out and execute and follow a game plan,” said the 28-year-old shooting guard/ small forward McDaniels.

He started making his moves right after Calvin Oftana’s putback put the Road Warriors ahead, 111-108.

McDaniels then hit a pair of layups and two freebies with 12 ticks left, sending the Road Warriors ahead by five, 118-113.

After that, Kevin Alas put the finishing touches for NLEX with his charities in the last six seconds.

“Today, he was attacking the basket. In the first game that he played, he tried out his three-point shooting. So, with those two things put together, they’re weapons that he can use, and the defense is going to have a problem with him,” said Road Warriors’ coach Yeng Guiao.

Alas tallied 21 points for the Road Warriors, who forced the extra period at 102-all after he unloaded three charities in the final second of regulation.

Greg Slaughter topscored for the winless NorthPort with 22 points, while Arwind Santos added 20 and Robert Bolick shot 20.

Santos came up with another big effort when he made 12 points in the last period as the Batang Pier fought their way out of 75-84 third-quarter deficit. A trey from Santos with 5:53 to go saw NorthPort ahead by five, 91-86.

THE Ladies Philippine Golf Tour heads to the last stop of its fiveleg swing in its third restart in new normal at Tagaytay Midlands on Dec. 14 with those seeking a breakthrough hoping to jump on the trend that has marked the circuit’s past three stagings at various championship courses.

The Tour produced first-time winners at Highlands (Sunshine Baraquiel) and Riviera’s Couples (Chanelle Avaricio) and Langer (Daniella Uy) courses with the likes of Gretchen Villacencio, Marvi Monsalve, Florence Bisera, Pamela Mariano and Apple Fudolin going all out to produce three-day of brilliance at Midlands in an attempt to join the growing roster of new winners in the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.organized circuit.

With multi-titled Princess Superal, who swept the Sherwood and Eagle

Ridge-Norman titles last July before the circuit took another break due to pandemic, opting to campaign elsewhere, Harmie Constantino looked headed to dominate right on her maiden pro season with back-to-back victories at Eagle Ridge-Aoki last March and last month.

But she was stopped on her tracks as new winners emerged in the next three tournaments with Baraquiel ruling the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands in tough conditions, Avaricio coming away with an emphatic sevenstroke victory in the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Challenge at Couples, and Uy fashioning out a five-shot triumph in the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship at Langer.

In those three championships, Chihiro Ikeda figured in the title hunt but the Fil-Japanese came up short on each occasion, either winding up solo

Vietnam SEA Games. Registration for the trials is now ongoing.

The good news for Kamphuis is that he has an array of high-caliber athletes and upcoming practitioners available for selection.

“We have a lot of potential players.

Kaila (Napolis) is the best example. It’s a great opportunity to be working with wonderful Philippine athletes,” said Kamphuis.

Napolis recently bagged the bronze medal in the -52kg women’s adult event of the JJIF World Championships 2021 at the Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

Napolis’ weight category, however, is not included in Vietnam and she has to try it out in the bigger 62-kg category if she wants to be part of the team.

“Mahirap po kasi mabigat na ‘yung sa 62 kgs at maraming magagaling sa Philippine Team sa weight na ‘yan pero mag-try pa din po ako,” said Napolis.

Hall stresses importance of hard work for PH vs Timor

NLEX import KJ McDaniels drives against NorthPort’s Greg Slaughter.

Dark horse bets seek top finish at ICTSI Midlands

Gretchen Villacencio

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second or joint runner-up, thus also making her the player to watch in the upcoming ICTSI. Midlands Ladies Classic, which she ruled via playoff over Pauline del Rosario in 2019.

Villacencio, whose best finish was second to Superal at Riviera Couples in 2019, placed fifth at Langer with Monsalve posting another seventhplace effort, Bisera winding up 11th, Mariano ending up 12th and Fudolin finishing at tied 14th.

But no player has a distinct advantage at Midlands which offers a combination of tests from the weather to its hazards and its unpredictable surface, ensuring a wild chase for top honors.

Constantino is also determined to close out the season on a winning note, so do Baraquiel, Avaricio and Uy, who are all eyeing to nail the morale-boosting second win.

A BIT of improvement in their next game will most likely turn things around for the Philippine Azkals national men’s football team.

Acting coach Stewart Hall said this as the Azkals prepare to meet Timor-Leste on Saturday in the Group A hostilities of the 2020 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup. “This team keeps on improving every time. We need to work hard against them. That’s my message to the players.

Hard work, hard work, hard work,” said Hall a day before the Azkals’ second group stage match at 5:30 p.m. at the Singapore National Stadium.

The Azkals are seeking to bounce back from their 1-2 loss to host Singapore, which found its bearings in the second half and scored the winning goals in their encounter late Wednesday evening.

This time around, Scott Cooper will finally be able to join Hall in calling the shots for the Azkals after being absent in their encounter with Singapore.

Hall said during the early morning practice that the team may need to win all their remaining three games to be able to advance to the semifinals.

“The objectives now are quite clear to the players in the next three games.

You may get lucky and get two wins and a draw. That may be enough. But you can’t rely on that. You’ve got win all three games,” said Hall following a Zoom huddle with scribes on Friday.

After Timor-Leste, the Philippines will next clash with Thailand and Myanmar on Dec. 14 and 18.

Singapore leads the standings after winning its first two games and is in contention for the semis.

Thailand, which also seeks to enter the semis, started its bid Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Timor-Leste.

Earlier, Hall said the squad did not have much issues in its game with Singapore. Peter Atencio

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Home/Design

Book on first master-planned suburb in PH planned A COFFEE table book on the origins, evolution and unique zeitgeist of the first masterplanned community in the country, is currently being undertaken by a group of current and former residents of this still existing Quezon City suburb.

The project focuses on Philamlife Homes. The book (still untitled) will be in landscape, embossed format.

“We envision the book to be about 100 to 120 pages, and will predominantly be carried by photography, artworks, mementoes/memorabilia of the culture, history, architecture, interior design, and nature of living in Philamlife Homes from the early 1950s to the present,” said Rafael Bauza, business head of the project.

Painstaking research “Currently, we are conducting interviews with many Philamlife Homes alumni; and doing research of all files we can get our hands on from Philamlife/ AIG, as well as from the files of Carlos D. Corcuera Arguelles, who was the chief architect of the village,” Bauza added.

Bauza said the other members of the team include renowned artist Pandy Aviado, art consultant; Sabrina EstrellaKintanar, Philam Homes barangay liaison; Joel Lacsamana, editor; and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren as project consultant.

First middle-class development outside Manila It was in the early ’50s when insurance firm Philam Life set up the innovative residential development just off Highway 54. The Philamlife Homes village (later shortened to “Philam”) was the first middle-class development outside of Manila.

Roughly at the same time, Forbes Park was being built in Makati, targeted at the relatively wealthy. But Philamlife Homes was envisioned by founder Earl Carrol as the first master planned community in the country, aimed at the rising, young middle class of the era—civil servants, ordinary wage-earners, businessmen and women, and celebrities, with a modest but growing spending power.

Carlos D. Corcuera Arguelles was tapped by the Philam Life Insurance Company as the chief architect of Philamlife Homes.

Under the guidance of Carrol and his board of trustees, the project would became the template used by countless developers ever since.

Arguelles designed the bungalows in variants to suit middle-class Filipino lifestyles that had maids, a central toilet and bath facility and a modern garage.

Meanwhile, urban planner Angel Nakpil, was designated to lay out the roads and open spaces and subdivision of the lots. Arguelles was the architect of the houses and the shopping center.

Philamlife Homes had a large central park with amenities, a clubhouse, swimming pool and even a supermarket (Jopson’s), and soon its own parish church. Arguelles designed the shopping center, which would be a hub of a commercial activities for Philam residents for the next 60 years.

Long-term mortgage scheme pioneered Revolutionary, too, was the concept of a long-term mortgage scheme introduced by Philamlife company, with young couples scrupulously profiled and vetted to ensure that buyers (mostly men) had enough capacity, and stability in their jobs to make monthly payments from about P150 to P300 per month, for properties costing some P25,000 spread across a 25 year mortgage.

Unique, as well, was the concept of drawing lots for properties around the then cogon landscape of Philamlife Homes. Add to this an agreement signed by buyers waiving one’s rights, as well as submitting to the authority of a companyappointed administrator to manage the village’s development, architectural design of the tract bungalows, provision of services, and even a commitment to join in community activities organized by the community.

Compelling story Philamlife Homes today has changed: the pretty houses, cozy bungalows that radiated warmth and egalitarian wellbeing, are gone. The park, a place to stroll in and commune with nature, remains but has steadily been encroached upon by unforgiving concrete.

“This coffee table book project aims to tell a compelling story of a fledgling community that exuded a strong sense of camaraderie, where neighbors talked to one another heartily and candidly over low fences—if they had fences at all,” said Aviado, a long-time resident who

continues to create art from his bungalowtype studio in Philam.

In a press statement, Bauza called on Philam Homes alumni and culture buffs to help beef up the team’s research (especially in terms of photographs and stories), as well as contribute funds “to get the project off the ground.”

Microcosm of PH society Philam Homes is actually a microcosm of Philippine society. Today, many communities like Philam have spawned a generation of children with hardly any attachment to the community, preferring to lose themselves in a cyber world where nothing is enduring amidst an everchanging imagery of information, escapist games and the chatter of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Our not-so-old world is disappearing as consumerism gnaws on our souls and scientific-technological advances unmoor us from the past. What is left is a new world that is producing both an angry, alienated youth and a lost generation of children who have become modern-day nomads—without any roots tying them to the community of their parents.

“It is our modest hope that this project will help tie some of the halcyon strings that remain, and slowly rebuild a bond among us that once was,” Bauza said.

Livingsprings bags best luxury real estate developer plum LIVINGSPRINGS Communities Realty and Development Corporation (LCRDC) was recently named best luxury real estate developer in the Philippines at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2021 in New York, USA. Twelve companies from the Philippines were selected and reviewed, six were shortlisted, and one winner was chosen.

“We believe that providing homes where people and families can thrive

and feel the love is what God designed us to do, and we just need to do it as best we can,” managing director Monique C. Albert-Lopez (Shown in photo).

Livingsprings’ award-winning property, the 10 Acacia Place Quezon City (Inset) reflects the company’s commitment to excellence in developing luxurious projects.

Another is Tres Palmas residential cluster in Taguig. For this year’s awards, LLA analyzed and conducted research on more than 10,000 nominees in 400 categories from 60 countries.

THE HUB. Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation (PDO), the property development arm of the ICCP Group, recently held groundbreaking rites for The Hub at Bamboo Lane, its commercial center in Cagayan de Oro. Pueblo de Oro Townsquare and The Hub in Bamboo Lane are both scheduled for completion in 2022. PDO president Prim Nolido said they are planning similar retail centers in their developments in Pampanga and Batangas. At the groundbreaking ceremonies were (from left) PDO vice president and general manager for Mindanao Chrysler Acebu; Forestview HOA president Ricky Salon; Westwoods HOA officer Malvern Esparcia; ILMI senior project engineer Fortevillar Napoles; Engr. Lina Estoque of JDE Construction; Familia Apartments HOA’s Lelybeth M. Avancena; San Agustin Valley Homes HOA vice president Raphael Almonte; and Bamboo Lane HOA’s Dr. Glaizel Palmes.

HOME OWNERSHIP MADE EASY. The Home Development Mutual Fund recently recognized Ovialand Inc. as one of the top PAG-IBIG Fund accredited developers in South Luzon for 2021. The award was given in line with Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable, and Inclusive Filipino communities (BALAI), the national government’s shelter program that envisions strong family togetherness and sustainable communities nationwide “We are grateful for our partnership with PAG-IBIG Fund,” said Pammy Olivares-Vital, president of Ovialand, said. “They have made homeownership easy and accessible for all their members – especially during the time of the pandemic when many Filipinos desired security and stability in their own homes.” Ovialand currently has a presence in Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon. In Batangas, Ovialand launched Terraza de Sto.Tomas in 2014. Overall, Ovialand now has 2,500 house and lot units for its housing portfolio in Laguna.

Tech & Gadgets

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

HOW ETHICAL HACKERS COUNTER THEIR ATTACKS

Dissecting the mind of a cybercriminal C

YBERCRIMINALS have many different reasons, methods, and connections to commit cybercrime.

and compromise it.”

ous as ransomware is, it is not the only attack that cybercriminals do. Others are email and internet fraud, financial theft, cryptojacking, and cyber-espionage.

Misconception #2: Breaches can be discovered in just days or weeks.

A company that takes days to discover the breach and its resultant damages stands to lose $4.24 million per incident on average. However, the actual average damage that a company suffers from a breach is much higher. According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2020, the average time to identify a breach in 2020 is 228 days, roughly seven months.

As customer trust and their reputation are also severely hit, not many enterprises recover with the start-ups having a tougher time.

Misconception #3: Cybercriminals usually work alone.

While individual identity thieves do exist, organized cybercrime groups are a very present and a major threat to companies and governments around the world.

Misconception #4: A company is only attacked once and just by a single attacker.

When a company is breached, cybercriminals usually sell the “schematics” of the breach in the black market to their colleagues who can then use it to attack the victim at a later date. With the discovery rate very low, companies may have been breached several times by several individuals and groups without their knowledge.

Secuna research enumerates long standing fatal misconceptions about cybercriminals that the public must discard to gain security: Misconception #1: Cybercriminals typically do ransomware.

In ransomware, cybercriminals announce their actions and demand payment to restore the company systems to normal.

Very little can be done to retrieve the company’s data once it has been sold or leaked publicly by the cybercriminals. As danger-

Given these cybercriminals’ considerable skills and the support from their own network, their attacks can be countered by an equally knowledgeable and skilled community---but this time, one that is on the side of the digital angels.

Secuna has nurtured and vetted trusted international cybersecurity professionals called White Hat Hackers (WHH) to identify potential security flaws. These ethical hackers can prevent what the cybercriminals do because they know how their opponents think and attack.

A look into their mind and see how White Hat Hackers use that knowledge to protect your system.

To prevent security and data breaches that can inflict millions of dollars in damages to a company, the business owners must be able to understand how the mind of a cybercriminal works. To date, Philippine enterprises with vulnerable IT systems stand to lose hundreds of thousands, even millions, if their information is hacked and stolen. According to Secuna, the Philippines’ largest cybersecurity testing platform, these risks can be mitigated by doing deep dives into how these digital terrorists think, plan, and operate.

After securing that knowledge, companies would be in a stronger position to detect and identify security flaws, fix their systems, and come up with countermeasures that will prevent digital invasion.

Motivations and methods

Allan Jay Dumanhug, Infosec Head of Secuna, names the first step in this learning, “To a cybercriminal, every computer system is like a pot of gold. In our hightech age, data is the new gold. He or she sees in every computer, database, and IT infrastructure treasure houses that hold valuable information that can be stolen, exploited, used, and sold.”

Because of this mindset, all companies, regardless of industry or scale, are attractive to these data thieves. “Entrepreneurs should not make the mistake of thinking that cybercriminals will ignore them because they are small or starting up. Every company owns valuable data, even if the owners themselves don’t see it that way. No company is safe.”

Many motivations also spur cybercriminals into launching their attacks. A

Drones can be used in agriculture in a variety of ways, including crop protection, management of pests, plant diseases, and other pest organisms that harm crop production. (Photo from fao.org)

lot of them do it for greed, targeting financial institutions and selling their sensitive information on the dark web. Some do it for revenge, defacing a website in retaliation for real or perceived wrongdoings while promoting messages about their beliefs.

Others are lured by the thrill of breaking into a supposedly secure system and doing what no other IT pro can.

Regardless of motivations, however, cybercriminals share a modus operandi that business owners should watch out for. Mr. Dumanhug elaborates, “They patiently observe a company’s IT system, waiting for a vulnerability, like misconfigurations or in-

Staying confident when shopping online this Christmas WHATEVER the crisis is, Christmas is still the ultimate holiday event for Filipinos.

Hard times won’t ever cancel this season of celebrations and generosity. Feasting and gifting are staples which means one thing —shopping.

According to a recent survey conducted by Kaspersky, Filipinos are the top new e-cash adopters in the Asia Pacific region at 37% followed by India (23%) and Australia (15%). Survey respondents from the region said they have used digital payments due to convenience.

The pandemic has ushered in an extraordinary online shopping experience where windowshopping (checking out products), comparing prices before buying, and having the goods delivered right on the customer’s doorstep can all be done at home anytime with just one click.

Unfortunately, this rise in digital adoption is where cybercriminals are directing their efforts to.

The recently reported sim-swap incident worth almost two million pesos in just one attempt is an example.

Sim-swap is a scam used to intercept online banking SMS verification codes. To

get hold of one-time passwords for financial transactions, cybercriminals create or fraudulently obtain a copy of the victim’s SIM card from the mobile operator.

It’s no surprise that a third of the survey respondents (31%) in APAC admitted being concerned about losing money when it comes to making online transactions.

"The pandemic has triggered more people to embrace online shopping. Although physical safety is essential, the safety of our

Filipinos are the top new e-cash adopters in the Asia Pacific region at 37%.

sufficient cyber defenses, to show itself. The criminal will then exploit that weakness to create an entrance into the system. Once they are in, they copy all the sensitive information such as employee financial records, clients’ email addresses, bank information, credit card numbers, and passwords.”

Cybercriminals also are not satisfied in attacking a company just once. Mr. Dumanhug cautions, “After getting all that data, they will often install a backdoor in the company system to maintain access so they can enter again easily or perform some lateral movements and pivoting to discover connected services

finances, devices and information is also important, especially as phishing scams become more and more sophisticated and targeted. We expect cybercriminals to continue using tricks that will lure more victims to take the bait hence this festive season, we urge everyone to put their guards up against messages, calls, and even emails asking for critical information such as account number, OTPs, passwords, and more,” said Chris Connell, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

Here are some practical tips from Kaspersky for online shopping: 1. Stick to familiar brands you know or have heard of.

2. If you’re checking out a new brand, research it carefully and get its contact details like email, phone number, or address. Also, look for its return policy and feedback history which are good indicators of honesty and credibility.

3. Ensure your online accounts are off limits to your children and restrict their access to your credit card and bank information.

4. Consider getting an antivirus or anti-malware protection for your device. Try Kaspersky Total Security (KTS) which has the useful Kaspersky Safe Money feature. It provides an extra layer of protection when shopping online -ensures you’re visiting a secure website, or it can open the site in a special, protected mode to prevent your passwords, credit card number, or personal data from being accessed by cybercriminals.

Intel unveils 12th Gen Intel Core—world’s best gaming processor, i9-12900K SANTA CLARA, California—At Intel Innovation, Intel unveiled the 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family with the launch of six new unlocked desktop processors, including the world’s best gaming processor, the 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900K. With a max turbo boost of up to 5.2 GHz and as many as 16 cores and 24 threads, the new desktop processors reach new heights of multi-threaded performance for enthusiast gamers and professional creators.

The full 12th Gen Intel Core family will include 60 processors, set to power more than 500 designs from a broad set of partners. As detailed during Intel Architecture Day 2021, the new performance hybrid architecture, the first built on Intel 7 process, delivers scalable performance from 9 to 125 watts to enable every PC segment from ultra-thin-andlight laptops to enthusiast desktops and out to the edge.

“The performance hybrid architecture of 12th Gen Intel Core processors is an architectural shift made possible by close co-engineering of software and hardware that will deliver new levels of leadership performance for generations,” said Gregory Bryant, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group. “This begins with the arrival of our flagship Core i9-12900K—the world’s best gaming processor—and you will see even more incredible experiences as we ship the rest of the 12th Gen family and beyond.”

Game, Create and Overclock with Unlocked 12th Gen Desktop Processors The six unlocked desktop processors launched today are the first based on Intel’s performance hybrid architecture featuring a combination of Performance-cores (Pcores), the highest performing CPU core Intel has built, and Efficient-cores (E-cores),

designed for scalable multi-threaded workload performance.

“We’re at the beginning of a new era for the PC led by the introduction of Windows 11,” said Panos Panay, executive vice president and chief product officer, Microsoft. “With Windows 11 and Intel’s new Thread Director technology, users will see their PC performance reach new heights on the new 12th Gen Intel Core family of processors.”

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Online forum: Only sustainability, cooperation will help PH face environmental risks PUBLIC and private institutions in the Philippines need to make sustainability part of their strategy and operations as the planet deals with environmental risks, and partnership with the European Union would enhance our efforts to go “green.”

This was the meat of the discussion during the Pilipinas Conference 2021 entitled Strengthening Cooperation for a Green & Sustainable Recovery: A Part of EU-PH Trade & Sustainability Discussions held recently.

The online forum was organized by Stratbase ADR Institute in partnership with the EU Delegation.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno, speaking on behalf of the Philippine banking system, said they are keen to see sustainability principles integrated in the operations of our supervised entities and the entire financial system.

He underscored the need for banks to understand the impact of environmental and social risks on their business viability before they can fully heed the call for action.

Diokno said the BSP is committing to go green “by guiding the financial system and promote a conducive backdrop for sustainable finance to flourish; raising awareness and building capacity; enabling a regulatory environment through policy issuances; engaging all stakeholders as we recognize that the environmental and social risks are not just business risks, but risks that affect everyone and the future generations to come; and lastly, navigating the path towards a post-COVID-19 economy and Philippine financial system that is more stable, resilient, and inclusive.”

Maurizio Cellini, First Counsellor, Head of Trade & Economic Affairs, EU Delegation to the Philippines, said it is essential to bring together science, industry, and public donations to speed up the work and leverage all available resources to enable the EU to respond to these threats in anticipation of new variants, and other threats to public health.

“The EU will also invest environmentally friendly technology, roll out greener vehicles and public transport, and make our buildings and public spaces more energy efficient. In our cooperation with other partners, we will focus on green and sustainable economic recovery,” he said.

With regard to the Philippines, two priority areas of cooperation have been agreed in close dialogue with the government.

“One is about a peaceful and just society and good governance, but the other one is about a green resilient economy and

green jobs. This area in particular has three mutually reinforcing objective relating to circular economy and plastic waste management, digital connectivity, and green digital transformation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.”

Cellini reiterated that it is fundamental that the Philippines complete the tax reform package and passes swiftly the bills for the liberalization of foreign investments: the amendment to the Public Services Act and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act. Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems & Climate Change, Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) Analiza Teh talked about the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The effect would lead to a collapse in ecosystem services that could result in a significant decline in global GDP: 2.7 trillion dollars by 2030.

“For the Philippines, we expect to incur about 177 billion pesos per year in loss to public and private assets due to typhoons and earthquakes. In the next 50 years, we have a 40% chance of experiencing a loss exceeding 989 billion pesos and a 20% chance of a loss exceeding 1.5 billion pesos. The estimated cost to implement our climate change mitigation programs is at 4.1 billion USD from 2015 to 2030.” she said.

“We are pursuing the Philippine action plan for sustainable consumption and production. One of its major components is the promotion of circular economy where we aim to eliminate unnecessary plastic products, innovate for circularity by designing for re-use, recycling, repair and remanufacture. We also have to pursue sustainable financing.”

Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman, Vice Chairperson & Executive Director, Climate Change Commission (CCC), said the Philippines is challenged to pursue a coordinated and effective transition to green and climate smart economy. “This is a transition that will drive decent and green jobs, livelihoods, and social justice, all crucial in the pursuit of sustainable growth.” He proposed a five-point plan toward this aim.

“Partnerships and cooperation are key to resilience building,” he said.

In his opening remarks for the session, Professor Dindo Manhit, President of Stratbase ADR Institute said that stakeholders across sectors need to become more aware of the long-term risks of failing to understand and incorporate sustainability as well as green and circular measures in their policies, frameworks, and operations.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021

Motoring

Down-to-the-wire Championship Battles and Fresh Faces

Highlight GITI-Formula V1 Race Challenge 2021 Season-ender

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FTER a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the much-awaited Formula V1 race series made its return this year with Tuason Racing’s efforts to bring back the adrenaline-filled competition - all for the love of Philippine motorsports.

Presented by Phoenix Fuels, GITI-Tires, powered by PLDT Home and supported by Family Mart and Limitless, GITI-Formula V1 Race Challenge’s 2nd and Final Round was held last December 4-5 at Clark International Speedway.

The pulse-racing set of races enabled all competitors gun for overall titles and become this year’s on-track kings. Leading up to the weekend, intense title battles were present wherein Joaquin Garrido of Phoenix Pulse Racing and Julian Colvin Tang of Obengers Racing leading the AM class, while Daniel Miranda of Obengers Racing and Milo Rivera of Frontrow Racing - Edgesport battling neck

and neck for the PRO and overall championship.

Round 5: THE SAGA CONTINUES PRO Class racers have shown the intensity of a true racing battlefield with Daniel Miranda hitting it off first during the start of Race 5 followed closely by newcomer and British Formula 4 mainstay Eduardo Coseteng of Eagle Cement Racing - Edgesport. Other cars attempted to take the lead from Miranda, yet he never looked back. He and fellow title contender Rivera continuously led the next laps with Miranda eventually clinching the 12-lap race over the Frontrow Racing ace driver. Coseteng rounds up the podium by finishing third.

The AM Class had the most number of drivers mixed with the young guns and race veterans. Phoenix PULSE Racing Team’s Joaquin Garrido did not hold back as he tried to compete side by side with PRO Class racers on the track. Julian Tang also tried to make a pass with Sebastian Soto, while Cesco Dino and Julian Neri stayed close to them as well, wanting to claim the top spot.

By the end of race 5, Garrido prevailed on top. Round 6: READY, SET, RACE! AM Class Race 5 Champion Garrido had a pretty bad start, dropping a few places during the first lap which made it a tough race for him, however the Phoenix Pulse young racer still managed to crawl his way back clinch the top spot of his category, followed

by Cesco Dino of Edgesport Racing in 2 nd , and Julian Tang in 3rd place.

The PRO division saw Milo Rivera take the lead from lights out and maintain it ahead of Coseteng then Miranda all the way to the checkered flag. However, a mid-race penalty saw Rivera relegated to 2nd place, promoting Coseteng to his maiden win in the

series.

Round 7: HARDWORK TAKES YOU PLACES Title leader Miranda had to start the race from the pits due to a technical infringement but it did not stop him from making an epic rally on Race 7. Starting from far back of the pack, Miranda managed to climb his way up to 3 rd place following the lead of Rivera and Coseteng.

Amid the intense battle in the PRO class, young driver Joaquin Garrido of Phoenix Pulse Racing Team once again proved that he is the man to beat in the AM class after showing that he can be at par with the racing veterans – clinching his third straight win of the weekend ahead of Julian Tang and Cesco Dino, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Round 8: ENDING THE SERIES WITH A BANG. The 15-year old AM Phoenix Driver Garrido set his weekend up on fire even more by making a lightning start and taking the early overall race lead ahead of Miranda and Rivera. However, it was short lived

NLEX gets ISO certification for Road Traffic Safety NLEX Corporation achieved another milestone after recently receiving its ISO 39001 accreditation for effective road safety standards and initiatives, aimed at reducing fatalities and serious injuries caused by road accidents. This trailblazing development came after the tollway company successfully passed rigorous audits for Road Traffic Safety Management Systems (RTSMS).

The company is also conforming to the United Nations’ Five Pillars for Road Safety that include road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.

NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista noted that the recognition would mean being more accountable to the company’s stakeholders. “We are elated and proud to have achieved another milestone in the company’s history. This validates and solidifies our firm commitment to make NLEXSCTEX safe for our road users. We will make sure to uphold these principles, processes, and practices as we consistently adhere to the ISO 39001 standards,” he said.

Recently, NLEX was also recertified for ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001: 2018 for the effective implementation of its integrated management systems (IMS) on quality, environment, and occupational health and safety.

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MPT South Inks Partnership with USAID SIBOL for CALAX Biodiversity Program Metro Pacific Tollways South Management Corporation (MPT South), a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), signed a project agreement with the United States Agency for International Development’s Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans and Landscapes (SIBOL) last Monday to further its sustainability efforts to turn Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) into a ‘green highway’.

Through the partnership, MPT South and USAID SIBOL, a natural resources management and biodiversity conservation project, will collaborate on a program that will trailblaze natural resources management — tree planting activities to be undertaken

in CALAX; advanced sciencebased decision making; fostering community engagement and promoting good environmental practices; and transforming CALAX’s biodiversity program as an income-generating project of communities.

CALAX is a 45-kilometer highspeed road network connecting the two provinces of Cavite and Laguna, aiming to serve around 45,000 motorists upon its completion. As of today, CALAX operates from Binan, Laguna up to the east of Silang, Cavite.

Sealing the partnership were Metro Pacific Tollways South Management Corp. President and General Manager, Mr. Roberto Bontia; MPTC Chief Finance Officer and Senior Executive Sponsor for Sustainability Mr. Christopher Lizo; USAID Philippines Office of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Chief Mr. John Edgar; and USAID SIBOL Chief of Party Dr. Ernesto Guiang.

The agreement with MPT South is in line with USAID SIBOL’s goal to improve biodiversity conservation by working towards voluntary industry standards and replicating the rewilding model in similar projects. The project works with government agencies, academia, local communities, and the private sector in turning this objective into concrete activities that positively impact the environment.

2nd Gen GS4 joins GAC Motor Family Exterior THE new GAC GS4 possesses a redesigned look from front to back, featuring sleek LED headlights and daytime running lights. In addition to flexing a muscular look due to its bolder front grille, sharper edges further highlight the silver-finished grille and brand emblem.Completing its modern look, the rear has been equipped with new dynamic LED tail lights, a metal chrome on the tailgate, and slimmer turn signal lights. Completing the aesthetic masterpiece are 17-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof with jam protection.

Interior The 2022 GAC GS4 dashboard is inspired by a light prism dual-star design to make it more appealing to the younger generation of customers.

The dashboard is equipped with a 3.5-inch instrument panel display, and an 8-inch LCD infotainment display, with Bluetooth and Apple Carplay connectivity. It also has a 6-speaker system, a multi-functional steering wheel, with audio and cruise control.

Unlike its predecessor, the new GS4 is now available

with either two-tone (black and caramel brown) or black leatherette seats. The front is equipped with 6-way and 4-way manual adjustable sport-inspired leatherette seats, with lumbar support for a more comfortable driving experience. Meanwhile, the rear seats have central armrests with cup holders and three independent adjustable headrests.

Engine The 2022 GAC GS4 is powered by GAC Motor’s self-developed 3rd-generation of Euro 5-compliant 1.5L turbocharged engines that is mated to a 6-speed automatic Aisin gearbox capable of producing 166 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, and 270 Nm of torque. It enables the vehicle to produce smooth power output, better fuel economy, and lesser carbon emissions to the environment. The vehicle also offers three driving modes: economic mode, manual mode, and sport mode.

The GS4’s strong power output and fuel efficiency are brought by Bosch’s 2ndgeneration high-pressure system; a single-cycle triple injection technology that ensures high combustion

efficiency; and a low-inertia turbocharger that gives a faster response and earlier peak torque.

Safety Features The 2022 GAC GS4 ensures utmost safety for all its occupants as it is equipped with dual and side airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), a traction control system (TCS), a rear parking camera, parking sensors, electronic parking brake, three-point seatbelts with alarm, ISOFIX child seat anchors, brake hold assist, engine immobilizer with anti-theft alarm, and window jam protection, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The 2022 GAC GS4 1.5L 270T GB is now available at an SRP of Php 1,098,000 in five colors: Lightning Blue, Rosefinch Red, Benite Gray, Ivory White, and Elegant Black. The unit also comes with a 5-year or 150,000kms warranty, whichever comes first.

as the two PRO frontrunners along with Eduardo Coseteng regained the top spots which eventually paved the way for the most intense battle of the weekend and of the series. The next laps turned out to be Milo Rivera’s defining moment as he took the lead from Miranda, followed by six laps of neck-and-neck battling for the last win of the season. Everyone at the Clark International Speedway tuned in to witness the grueling battle, with Rivera having to successfully defend his lead all the way to the very checkered flag, taking the season-ender over Miranda, with Coseteng finishing 3rd.

Although missing out on the intense battle between the PRO drivers, Garrido did not feel disappointed at all as he still finished on top of the AM class, sweeping and dominating his competitors all weekend.

Fans and spectators need not to worry of missing the on-track action as they can watch the race highlight broadcasts on the 15th of December for rounds 5 and 6, and 22nd of December for the championship rounds 7 and 8.

'Ambition 2030' Vision Unveiled by Nissan: Empowering Mobility and Beyond YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has unveiled the “Nissan Ambition 2030” long-term vision for empowering mobility and beyond. Responding to critical environmental, societal and customer needs, Nissan aims to become a truly sustainable company, driving towards a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world. With this vision, Nissan wants to deliver strategic value by empowering journeys offering confident, exciting, and more integrated experiences to customers, and through collaborations, empower society to build a smart ecosystem with integrated mobility.

Over the next ten years, Nissan promises to deliver exciting, electrified vehicles and technological innovations while expanding its operations globally. The vision supports Nissan’s goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050.

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida stated: “The role of companies to address societal needs is increasingly heightened. With Nissan Ambition 2030, we will drive the new age of electrification, advance technologies to reduce carbon footprint and pursue new business opportunities. We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society.”

As a pioneer of electric vehicles (EVs), Nissan has democratized EVs and invested in building charging infrastructure and energy management. By placing electrification at the core of the company’s long-term strategy, Nissan Ambition 2030, the company aims to accelerate the electrification of its vehicle lineup and rate of technology innovation with investments of 2 trillion yen over the next five years.

Based on customer demands for a diverse range of exciting vehicles, Nissan will introduce 23 new electrified models, including 15 new EVs by fiscal year 2030 aiming for an electrification mix of more than 50% globally across the Nissan and INFINITI brands.

Representing the next stage of Nissan’s electrified future, the company today also unveiled three new concept cars that offer enhanced experiences through sophisticated technology packaging. These concepts showcase the thrilling possibilities that Nissan strives to provide across a wide range of new advanced vehicles and ecosystems.

As Nissan increases its pace of innovation in mobility, it intends to hire more than 3,000 employees in advanced research and development globally while continuing to upskill its current workforce. The company will also build on collaboration across the Alliance to enable cost-savings and shared expertise in areas such as carbonneutral technologies, electrification, software and services.