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DAILY CASES SHOOT UP TO 17,220, POSITIVITY RATE HIGHEST EVER AT 36.9%

By Willie Casas

VOL. XXXV • NO. 326 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THE Philippines logged 17,220 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with the highest positivity rate to date, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Thursday’s tally brought the total number of cases to 2,888,917, as the positivity rate shot up to 36.9 percent— or more than one in three Filipinos testing positive for the coronavirus, based on 59,847 tests conducted on Jan. 4.

This was well above the World Health

Organization’s recommended positivity rate of under 5 percent, signaling a high transmission rate.

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were Metro Manila (National Capital Region) with 11,563 or 68 percent; Region 4-A (Calabarzon) with 3,165 or 19 percent; and Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 1,126 or 7 percent.

There were 81 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 51,743.

The DOH also reported 616 new reNext page

Duterte: Arrest the unvaxxed Village chiefs tasked to ban them outside, detain those who defy orders

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered barangay officials to arrest unvaccinated people who would insist on leaving their houses despite curbs on their mobility under Alert Level 3.

“I am now giving orders to the barangay captains to look for those persons who are not vaccinated and just request them or order them if you may to stay put,” Duterte said in his Talk to the People yesterday.

“If he refuses, if he goes out of the house and goes around the community, he can be restrained. If he refuses, the barangay captain, being a person of authority, has the power to arrest,” the President added.

A resolution of the Metro Manila Council barring the unvaccinated from going outside their homes under Alert Level 3 or higher took effect immediately as all 17 mayors in the National Capital Region unanimously approved the resolution and adopted their respective ordinances for its implementation.

On Monday, the MMC, composed of the 17 NCR mayors and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Next page

14 more areas in Alert Level 3 The IATF has placed 14 more areas under Alert Level effective Jan. 9 to 15 as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

The areas include the City of Santiago in Isabela, Cagayan, Olongapo City, Angeles City, Naga City, Iloilo City, Lapu-lapu City, Lucena City, and Baguio City as well as the provinces of Batangas, Dagupan, Bataan, Pampanga, and Zambales. This brings the total number of areas under the more restrictive alert level to 19, after Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna.

FINALLY GETTING VAXXED. People flock to the vaccination site at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on January 6, 2022 to receive their COVID-19 vaccine dose as the government imposes mobility curbs on unvaccinated residents of Metro Manila under Alert Level 3. Manny Palmero

New strain (IHU) found in France has 46 mutations SCIENTISTS in France have identified a new COVID-19 strain which was found to have “46 mutations.”

Named IHU, the new B.1.640.2 variant has not been found in other coun-

tries except in France where it has in- ers said the first case was linked to a perfected at least 12 people living in the son with travel to Cameroon. southeastern area.

It is “too early to speculate on viIn a paper published by medRxiv which rological, epidemiological or clinical has yet to be peer reviewed, the researchNext page

DU30 eyes interns, rebel nurses as frontliners amid COVID surge THE Department of Health on Thursday said it was preparing for a “worst-case scenario” that includes tapping interns and uniformed personnel health workers as the country grapples with a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases.

President Rodrigo Duterte even urged rebel nurses to help the gov-

ernment battle the surge in cases, likely fueled by the more transmissible Omicron variant.

“To the nurses who are with the New People’s Army, there are a lot of you, go down [from the mountains]. I assure you, if you give us an advance notice that you are going down to participate, Next page

15 PSG members infected, also staff of 5 gov’t agencies positive Berjaya Hotel shuttered; family may sue ‘party girl’ CLOSURE ORDER. Officials from the Makati Business Permit and Licensing Office serve a closure order at the Berjaya Hotel in Makati City on Thursday, January 6, 2022, after the incident involving a female returning Filipino who skipped quarantine and went out to party last month, infecting at least 15 people in the process. Norman Cruz Thursday after a returning Filipino woman from the United States, who later THE city government of Makati en- tested positive for COVID-19, skipped forced a closure order, appealable with- quarantine at the establishment and went in 15 days – against the Berjaya Hotel Next page

By Joel E. Zurbano

2,888,917 17,220

56,561

51,743

81

2,780,613

616

(As of 4 PM, January 6)

National artist Sionil Jose, 97 FRANCISCO Sionil José, the National Artist for Literature who was one of the most widely read Filipino writers in the English language, died Thurs- Francisco Sionil José day night. He was 97.

According to reports that cited his Next page

FIFTEEN members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) have tested positive for COVID-19, PSG commander Col. Randolph Cabangbang said Thursday.

Cabangbang said they found out they were infected after undergoing mandatory seven-day quarantine and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests upon returning from their holiday break.

“All personnel were fully vaccinated and are asymptomatic. This command, through PSG Task Force COVID-19 is attending to the personnel in accordance with IATF/ DOH protocols,” he said, referring to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health.

Next page

Devotees cut off, roads to 2 churches to be closed

By Joel E. Zurbano MAJOR roads to and from Quiapo and Sta. Cruz churches in Manila will be closed beginning Saturday in anticipation of crowded devotees to still gather in connection with the Feast of the Black Nazarene despite the cancellation of the traditional Traslacion.

The Manila City government decided to cancel for the second straight year the traditional procession amid the continuing surge of COVID-19 active cases in the National Capital Region.

Next page

NO MASS GATHERINGS ALLOWED.

Members of the Manila Police District and the Bureau of Fire Protection disinfect the vicinity of Quiapo Church and set up plastic barriers to control the entry of individuals following the cancellation of activities related to the Feast of the Black Nazarene, including the Traslacion. Norman Cruz

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Resupply of anti-flu pills in 3 days

By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja

R

EPLENISHING supplies of anti-flu pills in drugstores that ran out of stock may take around two to three days, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) said Thursday.

PHAP Vice President Jannette Jakosalem, during a Super Radyo dzBB interview, said manufacturers were “doubling efforts” to resupply these medicines for symptoms like fever and colds within the next few days.

“On average, we could deliver within two to three days. It may take longer to deliver to provinces, especially those that are far from our warehouse,” Jakosalem said.

On Tuesday, local pharmaceutical gi-

ant Unilab Inc. apologized to its customers over the temporary shortage of some medicine brands in selected drugstores due to “extraordinary (high) demand.”

Jakosalem said there were other branded or generic medicines available for the public and they could thus ask the attending pharmacist.

“There are several areas and drugstores that have run out of stock for specific brands. That’s why we encourage people to buy other paracetamol or anal-

gesic brands available,” she said.

Jakosalem said there would be no hoarding and price increase issues in properly registered drugstores as the pharmacy industry is heavily regulated.

She, however, said black markets selling flu medicines were possible and penalties for such would be charged by the government.

“In case of shortage, you couldn’t really avoid the entry of black markets.

We could no longer control that,” she said.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker at the House of Representatives urged authorities to run after and arrest hoarders and price manipulators of medicines used to treat coronavirus disease symptoms amid the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Quezon City Representative Precious Hipolito Castelo said there were laws, regulations, and even local ordinances prohibiting hoarding and price manipulation of drugs and other important consumer products.

Castelo also said enforcement should be a combined effort of the concerned agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, and local government units.

“The concerned authorities should enforce these to protect the interest and welfare of our people, especially the poor. Hoarding denies the poor access to essential products like medicines and increases the prices of these commodities,” Castelo said in a statement.

Rody signs law Having pets, not kids, rob us of humanity—Pope prohibiting child marriage in PH

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a bill that will end child marriage.

Malacanang released a copy of Republic Act 11596 or An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage yesterday.

Under the new law, child marriage refers to any marriage where one or both parties are children under 18 years of age, or 18 years of age or over but who is unable to fully take care and protect oneself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition.

It extends to an informal union or cohabitation outside of wedlock between an adult and a child, or between children.

The following are culpable of the offense of facilitation of child marriage 1) any person who causes, fixes, facilitates, or arranges a child marriage; and 2) any person who produces, prints, issues, and/or distributes fraudulent or tampered documents such as birth certificates, affidavits of delayed registration of birth and/or foundling certificates for the purpose of misrepresenting the age of a child to facilitate child marriage or evade liability.

Daily...

From A1 coveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,780,613.

There were 56,561 active cases, of which 1,837 are asymptomatic; 49,988 mild; 2,954 moderate; 1,470 severe; and 312 critical.

Nationwide, 31 percent of ICU beds, 34 percent of isolation beds, 27 percent of ward beds, and 14 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 42 percent of isolation beds, 50 percent of ward beds, and 18 percent of ventilators, were in use.

The Philippines has detected 29 more cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, raising its total to 43, the DOH said earlier in the day.

The additional cases are composed of 10 returning Filipinos and 19 local cases with addresses in Metro Manila, the DOH said in a statement.

Devotees...

From A1 Roads to Sta. Cruz to be closed beginning at 10 p.m. include the McArthur Bridge, Ronquillo Street from Rizal Avenue to Plaza Sta. Cruz, Bustos Street from Plaza Sta Cruz to Rizal Avenue, Rizal Avenue from Carriedo (Plaza Lacson) to CM Recto Avenue, and Ongpin Street from T.

National...

From A1 wife Tessie Jovellanos Jose, he died before an angioplasty operation at the Makati Medical Center scheduled today (Friday).

Born December 3, 1924, Jose’s novels and short stories depicted the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society.

José’s works have been translated into 28 languages, including Korean, Indonesian, Czech, Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian and Dutch.

An Ilocano born and raised in Rosales, Pangasinan, Jose used his hometown as

52,000 seniors in Metro Manila still unvaxxed

By Willie Casas THE Department of Health ramped up Thursday its COVID-19 vaccination campaign to inoculate 52,000 elderly in Metro Manila who have yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as the capital grappled with rising cases.

Dr. Gloria Balboa, DOH-Metro Manila regional director, said companions of senior citizens who have yet to be vaccinated may also get inoculated on-site.

“Those who are bedridden will be vaccinated at home. Those who can come to vaccination sites, their companies who are not yet vaccinated may also get the jab,” Balboa said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

Senior citizens who are due to receive their booster shot may also get the jab, Balboa said.

“For those who need booster shots, they need to bring their vaccination card so we know what their primary series vaccine was,” she said.

Elderly from other regions may also get vaccinated in Metro Manila and walk-ins are accepted, said Balboa.

The DOH has emphasized the importance of vaccinating the vulnerable sectors of the elderly, persons with comorbidities and health workers as the country faced yet another surge due to the presumed community transmission of the Omicron variant.

POPE Francis risked the ire of the world’s childless dog and cat owners Wednesday, suggesting people who substitute pets for kids exhibit “a certain selfishness.”

Speaking on parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican, Francis lamented that pets “sometimes take the place of children” in society.

“Today... we see a form of selfishness,” said the pope. “We see that some people do not want to have a child.”

“Sometimes they have one, and that’s it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make

people laugh but it is a reality.”

The practice, said the head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, “is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity”.

Thus, “civilization grows old without humanity because we lose the richness of fatherhood and motherhood, and it is the country that suffers,” the pontiff said at the Paul VI Hall.

Francis has been photographed petting dogs, allowed a baby lamb to be draped over his shoulders during Epiphany in 2014 and even petted a tiger and a baby panther.

But while his predecessor, Benedict XVI, was a cat lover, Francis is not known to have a pet at his Vatican residence.

Italy’s International Organization for the Protection of Animals (OIPA) said it was “strange to think that the pope considers the love in our lives limited quantitatively” while citing the sacrifices of volunteers who save the lives of animals.

“It is evident that for Francis, animal life is less important than human life.

But those who feel that life is sacred love life beyond species,” said OIPA President Massimo Comparotto in a statement. AFP

Duterte:...

From A1

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said the police are duty-bound to enforce ordinances and executive orders passed by local government units.

“We asked our personnel on the ground to coordinate properly with the LGUs so there will be a clear and uniform direction on how to implement ordinances, including the exemptions to the rule, should there be any. We don’t want to end up with varied interpretations on the actual application of the provisions,” Carlos said.

Under the new restrictions, travelers going to the National Capital Region (NCR) and Bulacan must present their COVID-19 vaccination cards at checkpoints before entering quarantine borders, the PNP said.

The PNP said the local government units of Bulacan and the cities of Metro Manila have instructed police personnel to check for proof of vaccination of inbound travelers.

“Those without vaccination cards will be barred from entering and will be asked to go back,” Carlos said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it would set aside P1 billion for the grant of cash assistance to workers who will be displaced by the implementation of the stricter Alert Level 3.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said they were readying funds for the financial aid under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).

“In extreme cases that would warrant financial assistance under CAMP, DOLE will be allocating P1 billion for the workers,” she said in a briefing.

The CAMP is a one-time P5,000 financial assistance to affected workers in the private sector.

About 100,000 to 200,000 workers in Metro Manila are expected to be affected by the more stringent Alert Level 3, which is in effect in the region from Jan. 3 to 15.

Tutay added that emergency employment assistance would be provided to affected informal sector workers.

Aside from financial aid, she said livelihood assistance is available to those looking to put up businesses.

She noted that many workers are likely to be affected as the Alert Level 3 was expanded to Metro Manila’s neighboring provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna to control rising COVID-19 i nfections.

“Alert Level 3 has been expanded to some provinces. It is highly possible that the number of affected workers will increase also,” Tutay said.

features of this IHU variant based on these 12 cases,” the researchers said.

IHU has not been labeled as a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization.

In a long Twitter thread, epidemiologist and a fellow at Federation of Amer-

ican Scientists, Eric Feigl-Ding said the new variant was being monitored to evaluate how infectious or dangerous it could prove to be.

“There are scores of new variants discovered all the time, but it does not necessarily mean they will be more dangerous. What makes a variant more well-known and dangerous is its ability to multiply because of the number of mutations it has in relation to the origi-

nal virus.”

“This is when it becomes a ‘variant of concern’ – like Omicron, which is more contagious and more past immunity evasive. It remains to be seen in which category this new variant will fall.”

The WHO said the variant in France, first identified in November around the same time that Omicron was discovered in South Africa last year, has not become much of a threat. AFP

Mapua to Plaza Sta. Cruz.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in coordination with the Manila Police District and District Traffic Enforcement Unit will impose a traffic rerouting scheme.

Motorists from P. Burgos Avenue and Taft Avenue going to McArthur Bridge shall go straight to Jones Bridge to point of destination while those in the southbound lane of Rizal Avenue going to Ronquillo

Street shall turn right to Fugoso Street, left to Severino Reyes Street right to C.M. Recto Avenue to point of destination Motorists from Ongpin Street shall turn right to T Mapua Street to Dasmarinas Street to the point of destination.

Roads to Quiapo to be closed beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday are the north and south bound lane of Quezon Boulevard from A. Mendoza/Fugoso to Carlos Palanca Street, Quezon Bridge, C.M.

Recto from Rizal Avenue to N. Reyes, Evangelista Street from Paterno Street to Recto Avenue, Westbound Lane Espana Boulevard from P. Campa to A. Mendoza, and C. Palanca Street from Plaza Lacson to Ayala Bridge.

All vehicles in Quezon Boulevard coming from A. Mendoza shall turn right to Fugoso Street, left to Severino Reyes Street to Recto Avenue to point of destination.

In other developments: * The Philippine National Police (PNP) Health Service said Thursday’s infections are nearly triple from Wednesday’s 100 new cases. This brought the active case count to 552, more than double from Wednesday’s 262. Three new recoveries, meanwhile, raised the total count to 41,968 out of a total of 42,645 confirmed cases. The death toll remains at 125. PNP records also show that 215,375 personnel (95.57 percent) are already fully vaccinated, while 8,456 (3.75 percent) are waiting for their second dose. Among those who contracted Covid-19 is PNP chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos. * The Department of Justice is eyeing the reduction of employees working at its main office along Padre Faura Street in Manila to at least 30 percent in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevara said he can only order the reduction of the DOJ’s workforce at its main office upon approval by Malacanang. In the meantime, the DOJ premises will be disinfected this coming weekend, he said.

Rey E. Requejo, Joel E. Zurbano

the setting of many of his novels.

Sionil has written 14 books, notably “The God Stealer” and “Waywaya,” and the novellas in “Three Filipino Women.”

But his fame rests on his five-novel Rosales Saga: “Po-on,” “Tree,” “My Brother, My Executioner,” “The Pretenders” and “Mass.”

Jose also won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature in 1959, 1979, 1980 and 1981, the City of Manila Award for Literature (1979), the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts (1980), the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres (2000), and the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award (2004).

Berjaya...

From A1

plan the best action with regards to our family’s position,” he said in a television interview.

Laurel claimed Chua was at the gathering because her boyfriend, who was a friend of his cousin, brought her there.

“None of us [invited her]. I or my cousins did not personally invite her to the dinner,” Laurel said.

Of the 17 people who attended the dinner, 13 were members of the clan, two were dates, and the remaining two were Chua and her boyfriend.

On Tuesday, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group already filed a complaint against Chua for alleged violation of the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events

of Public Health Concern Act. The Berjaya Hotel, where Chua was supposed to undergo quarantine, was ordered closed by Makati Mayor Abigail Binay and the Department of Tourism for violating health and safety protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

But the Berjaya Makati Hotel said the closure order “is without legal basis.”

“For one, the DOT order is not yet final as the hotel will appeal it within the 15-day period it is given. Meanwhile, the suspension is not in effect.

Secondly, there is no law that penalizes a hotel for not reporting a guest who jumps quarantine.”

(MMDA) issued a resolution urging local government units in the NCR to issue ordinances barring the unvaccinated from going outside their homes.

However, the unvaccinated and minors are exempted if they are procuring essential goods and services, going to work, or doing individual outdoor exercise.

In an earlier address to the nation this week, Duterte told barangay captains they can call the cops to help them arrest unvaccinated people who refuse to heed health protocols.

If there are no cops, he said barangay captains are allowed to “use reasonable force” on unvaccinated people who resist.

“Remember, this is not police brutality. If you refuse to be arrested, then the policeman is negligent of his duty to place the offender or the culprit under his control. And if you resist the arrest, you are now also committing a crime of resisting arrest,” the President said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is ready to assist in the enforcement of mandates that would require the public to present valid vaccination cards upon entry to malls and other establishments.

New strain...

From A1

to a party.

This as a member of the family who had a dinner party with the Filipina traveler, Gwyneth Chua, said they are considering filing a complaint against her.

Carlos Laurel, whose siblings and cousins tested positive for COVID after the dinner, described Chua’s actions as “irresponsible” as he claimed she was not invited to the gathering by the clan.

“We are talking about filing a complaint. Our main concern at this point is to attend to those who are sick and

Du30...

From A1 I will pay you. So do help. Afterwards, I will also guarantee that you can go back to your unit and fight another day,” the commander-in-chief said.

“If you do it, you will not be arrested... When you return, it’s the same guarantee, you can go back to the fields. Then let’s fight again,” the President said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the government plans to tap postgraduate interns and health care workers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

“We have a program for them to volunteer to help with our regular human resource for health and we also have an augmentation program. We are making sure that all available healthcare professionals will be on deck and prepare for a worst-case scenario,” Duque said.

15 PSG...

From A1

News

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Damage to agri, infra reach P25b T HE combined cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure attributed to Typhoon Odette last December has reached more than P25 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Thursday.

In its latest report, the agency said damage to agriculture has amounted to over P7.7 billion in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

Damage to infrastructure has reached P17.5 billion in Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

A total of 606,861 houses were damaged in Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Caraga and the BARMM. Of these, 422,797 were classified as partially damaged and 184,064 as totally damaged.

Confirmed deaths due to the typhoon remain at 76, along with 74 injured, and nine missing. Meanwhile, still undergoing validation are reports of 331 dead, 1,073

injured, and 69 missing.

An update from the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed massive destruction to crops, fisheries and agricultural infrastructures in the regions of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.

From the latest tally, there were 389,316 farmers and fishers who were affected while lost agricultural produce was estimated at 252,956 metric tons.

The typhoon also destroyed 420,465 hectares of agricultural lands.

Lost crops include rice, corn, high value crops, coconut and sugarcane. Damages to fisheries and livestock were esti-

mated to have reached billions of pesos as well as demolished agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment.

The DA said values of damages are still subject to verification based in daily updates from regional field units. The DA has released P2.9 billion assistance to affected farmers and fisherfolk to help in the recovery efforts of the sector.

Damage incurred by electric cooperatives (ECs) from the soared to P3.3 billion, the National Electrification Administration said. NEA said Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO) suffered the biggest damage at over P723 milyon, based on data from the NEA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department. With Othel V. Campos and Alena Mae S. Flores

IN BRIEF Don’t be complacent vs. Omicron—Leachon HEALTH reform advocate Dr. Anthony Leachon on Thursday warned against complacency amid data showing Omicron causes milder illness.

As Omicron spreads like wildfire, he cautioned that it’s only a matter of time before more variants emerge.

“Yes ‘mild’ symptoms in the vaccinated is a good thing, but as the virus continues to infect more and more (vaccinated or not), it will keep mutating,” said Leachon.

“The more omicron spreads, the more it transmits and the more it replicates, the more likely it is to throw out a new variant,” also said the former government adviser on National Force Against Covid-19.

“Now, 0micron is lethal, it can cause death maybe a little bit less than Delta, but who’s to say what the next variant might throw out,” he said.

“Even if it’s mild, people who get it will still have to isolate . They won’t be able to work. With higher transmissibility of the Omicron variant, we are likely to experience another wave of community infections soon. This is going to hurt our efforts in the past two years,” he explained. Macon Ramos-Araneta

SSS warns members against scammers, fixers THE SSS on Thursday called out its members to be vigilant against fixers and scammers.

President and chief executive officer Aurora Ignacio said members and even employers must protect their personal information, and stay vigilant against fixers and scammers amid the increasing reports on fraud incidents.

“We are deeply concerned with the increasing number of fraud victims who are mostly our members. That’s why we constantly remind them not to patronize these individuals.

Never share your SSS number, My.SSS login credentials and other personal information with individuals who claim to be SSS employees because these will be compromised and used in illegal activities,” she said.

She warned the public against joining Facebook groups offering assistance on various online transactions for a fee.

She clarified that SSS offers free services and does not charge from its members except for the unified multi purpose ID card (UMID) replacement. Rio N. Araja

More than 11K expected to take 2-day bar exams

BOOSTER SHOTS FOR WORKERS. Manila Mayor and presidential aspirant Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso with Vice Mayor and mayoral aspirant Honey Lacuna, led the mass booster vaccination of delivery workers held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan at Lawton in Manila, on January 6. Norman Cruz

THE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is ready to assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who might be affected by the travel restrictions implemented

by Hong Kong.

OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, in a Laging Handa presser on Thursday, said they are monitoring the situation on the possibility of Filipino workers being stranded.

“We are now monitoring the airports for those who may be affected,” he said at the Laging Handa briefing.

Cacdac added that the assistance will be provided to all OFWs, whether they are agency-hired or Balik Manggagawa.

“Although, in general, the recruitment agencies have been cooperative and have resources to help their OFWs who are stranded and cannot continue the flight, among others.

But there are also returning workers who do not have agencies. We will probably help them. If there is no accommodation in NCR (National Capital Region), we will help them

provide shelter, food, accommodation, and transport,” Cacdac added.

On Wednesday, Hong Kong announced a two-week ban on inbound flights from the Philippines, Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, United Kingdom, and the United States from January 8 to 21, amid the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Omicron variant.

A majority of Filipinos working in the Chinese semiautonomous region are household service workers.

DRIVE-THRU SWAB TEST. A

drive-thru and walkin private mobile diagnostic center for COVID-19 conduct swab tests in Brgy.

Molino 4, Bacoor, Cavite. According to those who took the swab test, they will use it for job application, local travel, and to make sure they are not infected. JR Josue

SolGen opposes bill on ‘hold-over’ franchises THE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has objected to the legislative measures seeking to stop the expiration of franchises, while their application for extension or renewal remained pending before the approving authorities, including Congress.

In a position paper submitted to the House Committee on Legislative Franchises chaired by Rep. Franz E. Alvarez, the OSG said Senate Bill No. 1530, which the Senate passed in December, and House Bill No. 7923 were “unconstitutional and illegal” should they pass in Congress.

‘LGUs need to deploy mobile booster teams amid Omicron’ LOCAL governments in Metro Manila should deploy mobile booster teams to swiftly cover more people in the ongoing inoculation drive against the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that is being fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant, Rep. Michael Defensor (Anakalusugan) said on Thursday.

“We have to bring booster services closer to the people to overcome the tsunami of infections and hold back more hospitalizations and deaths,” Defensor said.

“In Quezon City, for instance, many residents have not received their boosters because of the local government’s flawed strategy of merely asking people to gather at pre-designated vaccination sites,” Defensor said.

“We would urge local governments to position transportable booster clinics around public markets, where both vendors and consumers are at high infection risk,” Defensor, who is running for Quezon City mayor, said.

Mobile booster services should also target communities with low vaccination rates as well as neighborhoods and worksites previously hit by outbreaks, Defensor said.

“If necessary, barangay officials should conduct door-to-door campaigns, draw up a list up of booster-eligible individuals, and then bring in mobile jab teams where needed,” Defensor said.

Defensor also said there should extensive in-home booster services for individuals looking after the elderly or tending to children full-time.

The country is once again at high COVID-19 infection risk, with Metro Manila as the epicenter of a fresh surge in cases, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Based on the DOH’s COVID-19 Tracker, Quezon City again reported the highest number of new cases nationwide on Jan. 5, with 1,780 cases, followed by Manila with 1,438 cases.

Energy sector OWWA ready to assist OFWs amid PH travel ban needs ‘serious’ upgrade: group

THE Supreme Court announced on Thursday that 11,790 law graduates are expected to take the online bar examinations slated on January 23, Sunday, and Jan. 25, Tuesday in various testing centers nationwide.

The increase was due to the postponement of the 2020 bar examinations arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the decision to hold the tests simultaneously with the 2021 law graduates.

The SC decided to proceed with the country’s most grueling state examinations for aspiring lawyers, which was originally set on January 16, 23, and 30, and February 6, despite an appeal for postponement by those affected by super typhoon “Odette.”

Nonetheless, the SC magistrates decided to reduce the coverage and shorten the duration of the 2020-2021 online bar examinations.

Now, the two-day examinations—instead of four successive Sundays±will cover four comprehensive sets, unlike the traditional eight subjects.

The four sets are: 1. The Law Pertaining to the State and Its Relationship with Its Citizens (formerly Political Law, Labor Law, and Taxation Law), 2. Criminal Law, 3. The Law Pertaining to Private Personal and Commercial Relations (formerly Civil Law and Commercial Law), and 4. Procedure and Professional Ethics (formerly Remedial Law, Legal Ethics, and Practical Exercises). Rey E. Requejo

By Rey E. Requejo

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“By institutionalizing the system of ‘hold- over franchise’ in the broadcasting industry, the proposed bills violate the settled rule that the privilege to operate a broadcasting station requires a legislative franchise in the form of a law,” the OSG said in a statement.

Senate Bill No. 1530 authored by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and House Bill No. 7923 authored by Paranaque Rep. Joy Tambunting both seek amendments to the Administrative Code.

The proposed amendment to the law stated that there should only be a “final determination” when an applicant had already been given a written notice of

approval or denial of the franchise renewal.

According to Solicitor General Jose Calida, the practice of holding over a franchise would pose a danger of “allowing broadcasting entity with an expired franchise to continue using its assigned frequency without a definitive legislative finding that it remains qualified to retain such privilege.”

The chief state lawyer, acting as counsel for National Telecommunications Commission, stressed that the policy would be open to abuse because it would delay the impending denial of their application for franchise renewal.

THE energy sector needs a serious upgrade if it is expected to help the Philippines become resilient to disasters, recover from the pandemic, and take the country to a new level of growth and digital transformation, a consumer advocacy group said in a statement.

“Breakdowns of power grids are not merely an inconvenience,” said Orlando Oxales, convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines said. “These are economically devastating to all individual and enterprise consumers.”

Oxales cited how the aftermath of Typhoon Odette in December highlighted the sector’s vulnerability, when power and telecommunication services broke down and struggled to restore services.

“Predictably, recovery and relief operations were seriously hampered as electricity-powered operations ceased to function further aggravated by the badly damaged transportation infrastructure,” he said.

The problems hounding the energy sector are not limited to post-disaster operations, Oxales said. “A primary issue is the high cost of electricity in the Philippines, deemed one of the highest in Southeast Asia.” The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, in a March 2019 report, said costs here hovered at around P10 per kilowatt hour, driven by excessive reliance on imported coal and diesel.

“Power rates vary across the country,” said Oxales. “Electricity rates in the regions serviced by cooperatives are substantially higher than rates in the National Capital Region.”

TEMPORARILY CLOSED. Catho-

lic devotees offer prayers and light up candles outside the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus along Jose Laurel Street in San Miguel, Manila City on Thursday.

The church is closed until January 14, after a priest and three Church personnel tested positive for COVID-19.

IN BRIEF Solon to new LGU chiefs: Plan ahead

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A LEGISLATOR from the Bicol region on Thursday appealed to all incoming local elective executives in 2022 to focus on crafting their respective development masterplans that would further strengthen their political and fiscal autonomy.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte sad this in view of the expanded roles they would have to perform as a result of their respective governments’ increased share in the proceeds from national taxes.

A three-term governor prior to his election to Congress, Villafuerte reminded candidates running for local posts that the landmark Mandanas-Garcia ruling of the Supreme Court will give local government units (LGUs) a bigger share in all national taxes collected by the government starting this 2022.

Before the ruling, the LGUs’ Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) came from 40% of national internal revenue taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

With the ruling stating that LGUs are entitled to a “just share” of all national taxes collected, it is projected that LGUs will have a 27.61%-increase in their total share of the IRA, now called the National Tax Allotment (NTA), according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“Our LGUs should keep in mind that with more funding comes more responsibilities.

The new crop of local executives in 2022 should prepare themselves for this transition,” Villafuerte said. Maricel V. Cruz

DOST names Salceda first HEROES awardee THE Department of Science and Technology has named the House of Representatives’ resident economist, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, as the inaugural recipient of its HEROES Award.

As chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Salceda was the author of bills urges mandating key science-related reforms to fight pandemics and boost economic growth.

The department earlier sought the enactment of those bills.

Salceda was the principal author of those bills and has been awarded by the Department with the DOST – HOR Exponents of Responsive and Outstanding Engagement in Science (DOST-HEROES) Award.

He expressed gratitude to Science Secretary Fortunato dela Pena and the science community for recognising his efforts so other Congressmen will provide legislative support to S&T, R&D, and innovation.

The DOST cited Salceda’s “invaluable and untiring effort” in promoting science and technology programs and projects.

Salceda is also the principal author of Republic Act 11363, or the Philippine Space Agency Act, as well as other measures pending in the Congress such as the Charter of the Virology Institute of the Philippines, the creation of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Science for Change Program; The National Policy on Access to Philippine Genetic Resources, the Philippine Nuclear Regulation Commission Charter, the Charter of the Atomic Regulatory Commission, and the establishment of the Philippine Science High School branch in Daraga, Albay.

Salceda also pushed for research and development and higher-technology incentives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or CREATE Act. Maricel V. Cruz

‘Siargao Tourism rehab body needed’ TO spearhead the rehabilitation of Siargao Island from the devastation inflicted by Typhoon Odette, Senator Francis Tolentino has filed a resolution calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to establish a Siargao Tourism Rehabilitation Commission.

Tolentino said this is a power the President possesses under the Administrative Code of the Philippines.

In his Senate Resolution No. 966, he said the Commission will act as overall and central coordinating body of all government agencies, non-government organizations, and affected communities when it comes to the implementation and monitoring of rehabilitation and recovery programs in Siargao Island.

According to local officials in Surigao del Norte, the damages incurred in Siargao have been estimated to reach around P20 billion.

However, he said the full impact of the super typhoon has yet to be determined due to the lack of mobile phone and internet signal, power outages, and limited access to many parts of the province.

“In addition to the immediate critical needs of the affected residents such as food, water, shelter, and health care, the long-term rehabilitation and rebuilding of the affected homes, businesses, and other infrastructures in Siargao Island must also be addressed,” Tolentino said.Macon Ramos-Araneta

News More SC TROs to Comelec for 3 more party-listers

NATURAL CURES. A vendor arranges calamansi and dalanghita at Blumentrit Market in Sta. Cruz Manila on Thursday. There is an increasing demand for the fruit, which is used as a home remedy to treat cough and cold, following a temporary shortage on specific brands of paracetamol. Norman Cruz

Prexy list slashed to 11; BBM lone Marcos now E

By Rey E. Requejo

LEVEN presidential aspirants are now on the current tentative list of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the May 2022 polls.

Based on the list as of Wednesday, the aspirants that made it are, in alphabetical order, Abella, Ernie; Arcega, Gerald; De Guzman, Leody; Domagoso, Isko Moreno; and Gonzales, Norberto.

Also on the list are Lacson, Ping; Mangondato, Faisal; Marcos, Bongbong; Montemayor, Jose Jr.; Pacquiao, Manny Pacman, and Robredo, Leni.

For vice presidential aspirants, there are nine names -- Atienza, Lito; Bello, Walden; David, Rizalito; Duterte, Sara; Lopez, Manny SD; Ong, Doc Willie; Pangilinan, Kiko; Serapio, Carlos; and Sotto, Vicente.

On the other hand, the tentative number of senatorial aspirants is now at 64.

The poll body has yet to come up with the final list of national and local candidates, including party-list groups, since there are still pending cases as to their respective candidacies.

Meanwhile, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is now the only presidential candidate with surname Marcos.

The Comelec’s list of aspirants updated as of January 4, 2022, showed Marcos as presidential candidate number eight, long regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture.

The list started with 97 presidential hopefuls and was whittled down to 15 before Christmas.

Its current number stands at 11 even as the poll body previously removed four potential candidates who were all deemed nuisances.

Among those struck from the list is Maria Aurora Marcos, a businesswoman from Tarlac, who filed her candidacy

for president last October.

Meanwhile, Tiburcio Marcoswas removed by the Comelec from the list before December 25, 2021.

Various groups have filed seven petitions with the Comelec to derail Marcos Jr.’s candidacy in the 2022 national polls.

The Comelec recently denied the petition filed by declared nuisance candidate Tiburcio Marcos, which sought to cancel Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Certificate of Candidacy (CoC).

Tiburcio alleged that Bongbong is an impostor. Comelec announced it had junked the petition on January 4, 2022.

Another petition, filed by Danilo Lihaylihay, sought to declare Bongbong as a nuisance candidate only to be junked

by Comelec on December 16, 2021.

The BBM-Sara UniTeam has consistently earned Filipinos’ trust and support, shown by their stellar performance in non-commissioned presidential and vice-presidential preference surveys conducted by reputable polling firms.

SWAB RESUMES.

A woman gets a nasal swab as Vice President Leni Robredo’s COVID response effort continued Thursday with the OVP’s Swab Cab project’s second day at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

The free mobile antigen testing service is run by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with the local government of Quezon City and UBE Express.

OVP Photo

Partido Reporma: Surveys are not election results

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Free, permanent EDSA Carousel rides a priority program of UniTeam RECOGNIZING the benefits of the program to millions of essential workers and commuters, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. vowed to make the free rides at the Edsa Carousel Bus route permanent once he and his running mate Mayor Inday Sara Duterte are elected in the coming May 2022 elections.

The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard bearer said that he is always on the lookout for programs and initiatives that will benefit millions of Filipinos and

become major game changers as far as governance is concerned, just like what his father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, did for millions of Filipino workers who now get to enjoy their 13th month pay every Christmas.

The younger Marcos stressed that the government should continue the Free Ride Program at Edsa Carousel because it is “a big help for essential and frontline medical workers, especially now that there is a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in

the country.”

“I am appealing to the government to institutionalize the free bus rides and give our kababayans a leg up in their journey towards recovery. For some, this has become a lifeline, a means to augment their income,” said Marcos.

According to the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), up to 31 million commuters have benefited from the program.

“The savings people will get from this

would allow them to spend more on their daily needs such as food for their families. I hope that the government will be able to give this ‘gift’ to the people,” he added.

“Inday Sara and I really love the people of Metro Manila so we both call on the government to continue this. We promise that if we are elected, we will never stop it because it is a very good legacy for the administration of President Duterte,” Marcos said. Rey E. Requejo

Riders get drive-thru booster shots in Manila

CELESTIAL SIGHT. After countless weeks

of observing the night skies daily for comet C2021 A1 Leonid, astrophotographer John Nassr finally photographs the elusive comet in San Fermando, La Union last Jan. 4 in this handout photo. Nassr said the comet was at its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) in 80,000 years. Dave Leprozo

THE Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining order against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to enjoin it from denying the registration of three more party-list groups seeking to participate in the 2022 national elections.

In separate resolutions, the SC granted the plea for TRO by the Laban ng Isang Bayan para sa Reporma at Oportunidad (LIBRO), Friends of the Poor and Jobless party-list, and AKO BREEDER. They sought the SC’s intervention as they questioned the validity of the Comelec’s resolution issued last September and October 2021, dismissing their registration to participate in the election for the party-list system.

The SC said the injunction is “effective immediately and continuing until further orders from this Court.”

It also required the poll body to comment on the petition “within a non-extendible period of 10 days” from receipt of notice of the resolution.

In the same resolution, the SC required the LIBRO party-list to comply within five days from notice to state the material dates showing when the notice of judgment or final order was received, when its motion for reconsideration of the Comelec order was filed, and when the notice of denial of its motion for reconsideration was received.

The SC also required AKO BREEDER to comply within the same period to submit the requirement to accompany the petition with clearly legible duplicate originals or certified true copies of the assailed order and resolution of the Comelec.

It also required AKO BREEDER to submit a soft copy of the petition and its annexes if there are any in portable document format or PDF. Last December 21, three other party-list groups -- Ang Tinig ng Senior Citizens sa Pilipinas, Inc., Lingkud Bayanihan Party, and the Mindanao Indigenous People’s Conference for Peace and Development -- were also able to secure TROs from the SC. Last December 17, the SC also issued similar orders in the case of the Alliance for Resilience, Sustainability and Empowerment and Igorot Warriors International Incorporated. Rey E. Requejo

HUNDREDS of delivery riders from different cities and municipalities on Thursday went for a drive-thru COVID-19 booster shot given for free by the Manila government.

In a report on ABS-CBN, Romeo Santiago, a rider for motorcycle taxi company Angkas, said he came all the way from Antipolo City, which is more than an hour motorcycle ride to the capital city.

He arrived early at the site, around 6 a.m., and queued for his turn to get vaccinated.

“I found out through the president of our group that there’s a vaccination here in Lawton. I quickly got here,” he said.

Most of the riders who availed of the COVID-19 booster vaccine are not residents of Manila, said Dr. Arnold Pangan,

Acting City Health Officer of the Manila Health Department (MHD).

Pangan said Manila welcomes every rider to avail of the free COVID-19 booster shots.

“Maybe, of 10 riders, six or seven are not from Manila City. We catered to those from Taguig, Marikina, and other neighboring cities in Metro Manila,” Pangan said.

According to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, the “hand-to-mouthexistence” of delivery riders prompted the city government to create a system that will minimize disruption of work yet allow two-wheel workers to avail of the vaccine at their convenience. Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and Rey E. Requejo

SURVEY results should not be treated as the virtual results of the May 9 national elections, as some parties are using these to condition the minds of the electorate ahead of the actual polls, Partido Reporma president and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez said.

“They should think the elections are on May 9, which is still a long way off,” said the former House Speaker.

He noted that people can change two months, one month before, two weeks before, three weeks before, one week before or even a day before the election.

“They can still change their minds,” he said.

He slammed the “dirty tricks” of Partido Reporma’s rivals so that party chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson would stop his campaign and withdraw his presidential bid, of which he was the first to declare so, along with running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto last September.

Alvarez was addressing feelers sent by critics through the media that Lacson should withdraw from the 2022 presidential race since he has been lagging behind surveys.

He also denied reports on supposed new negotiations with Lacson and Sotto with the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo, who is seeking to unite the so-called opposition ahead of the May polls.

Alvarez assured that their party remains strong, and their supporters remain firmly behind Lacson’s candidacy, believing the longtime public servant has the ability, bravery, honesty, and experience to carry out the reforms the country needs.

Opinion Understanding a one-person corporation A ONE Person Corporation (OPC) is a corporation with a single stockholder. OPCs can only be formed by a natural person, trust, or the estate of a deceased person (Section 116). If the single stockholder is a trust or an estate, the name, nationality, and residence of the trustee, administrator, executor, guardian, conservator, custodian, or other person exercising fiduciary duties must be shown in the Articles of Incorporation, together with the proof of authority to act as such (Section 118, Republic Act 11232).

The incorporator of an OPC, being a natural person, must be of legal age. As an incorporator, a trust as used by the law does not refer to a trust entity, but to the subject being managed by the trustee. The term of existence of the OPC shall be perpetual.

However, in the case of a trust or estate, its term of existence shall be co-terminus with the existence of the trust or estate. The OPC under the name of the estate may be dissolved upon proof of partition (Sections 1 and 2, SEC Memorandum Circular No. 7, Series of 2019).

What is this entity?

Banks and quasi-banks, pre-need, trust, insurance, public and publicly-listed companies, and non-chartered governmentowned and -controlled corporations may not incorporate as OPCs. Neither can a natural person who is licensed to exercise a profession, such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, and accountants, among others, organize as an OPC for the purpose of exercising such a profession (Section 116, Republic Act 11232).

There is no minimum required capital stock or capitalization for OPCs unless a special law requires it (Section 117). To form an OPC, the applicant must file only his or her articles of incorporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (Section 118). The OPC is not required to file corporate by-laws unlike ordinary corporations (Section 119).

To keep the public informed of the nature of its incorporation, an OPC must indicate the letters “OPC” either below or at the end of its corporate name (Section 120). Since an OPC has a single shareholder, the latter will be the sole director and president of the same (Section 121). However, within fifteen (15) days from the issuance of its certificate of incorporation, the OPC shall appoint a treasurer, corporate secretary, and other

officers necessary for its operation (Section 122).

The OPC must notify the SEC within five (5) days from the appointment of its corporate officers. The single stockholder must not be appointed as the corporate secretary, but the former may be a selfappointed treasurer (Section 122). If the single shareholder is also a treasurer, he must give a bond and a written undertaking to faithfully administer the OPC’s funds to the SEC, pursuant to its Memorandum Circular 7-2019. Such a requirement is continuing as long as the single stockholder is the selfappointed treasurer of the OPC (Section 10, SEC Memorandum Circular No. 7, Series of 2019).

In addition to the functions of the corporate secretary, the OPC’s corporate secretary shall: (a) be responsible for maintaining the minutes book and/or records of the corporation; (b) notify the nominee or alternate nominee of the death or incapacity of the single stockholder; (c) notify the SEC of the death of the single stockholder and furnish them with a list of the names, residence addresses, and contact details of all known legal heirs; and (d) call a meeting with the nominee, alternate nominee, or legal heirs regarding the business and operations of the OPC (Section 123).

Who is a nominee and alternate nominee?

He or she is the person designated by the single stockholder to manage the OPC’s affairs in the event of the single stockholder’s death or incapacity (Section 124). The articles of incorporation shall state the names, residence addresses and contact details of the nominee and alternate nominee, as well as the extent and limitations of their authority in managing the affairs of the OPC (Section 118).

The written consent of the nominee and alternate nominee must be obtained and attached to the application for incorporation.

Consent may be withdrawn in writing any time before the death or incapacity of the single stockholder (Section 124). The single stockholder may, at any time, change his or her nominee and alternate nominee by submitting to the SEC the names of the new nominees and their corresponding written consent (Section 126).

When the incapacity of the single stockholder is temporary, the nominee shall sit as director and manage the affairs of the OPC until the stockholder, by selfdetermination, regains the capacity to assume his or her duties. In the case of death or permanent incapacity of the single stockholder, the nominee shall sit as director and manage the affairs of the OPC until the legal heirs of the single stockholder have been lawfully determined, and the heirs have agreed that the estate shall be the single stockholder of the OPC (Section 125).

Full version on www.manilastandard.net

Comprehensive disaster response The creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), as embodied in separate bills approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives recently, is long overdue.

WE’VE read similar news reports such as this many times in the past, and they certainly won’t be the last.

When typhoon Odette battered parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao last month, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said that nearly 400 were reported dead with 51 missing as of December 25.

The strong typhoon caused damage to agriculture pegged at no less than P6 billion as of the end of December, with over 61,000 farmers and fishermen affected, according to the Agriculture Department. More than 70,000 hectares of farmlands were hit and almost 105,000 metric tons of agricultural crops were lost due to the typhoon. The fisheries sector posted the most damage, amounting to P1.8 billion or 30.9 percent of the total damage.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education said P3.37 billion would be needed to reconstruct and repair 2,402 Odettedamaged schools in Visayas and Mindanao, with 1,086 totally damaged and 1,316 partially damaged. The typhoon affected 15 million students and 29, 671 schools. A total of 656 public schools and 3,671 classrooms were used as evacuation centers.

After typhoon Odette unleashed a trail of death and destruction in southern Philippines last December, we’ve heard strident calls for the national government to create a separate department to deal specifically with disasters, both natural and man-made.

Why didn’t the national government think of this before?

It’s puzzling why this department has been considered only now, since every year the country is visited by an average of 20 typhoons that cause flooding and landslides in low-lying areas. We’re also part of the so-called “Pacific ring of fire” consisting of active volcanoes and earthquake faults that sometimes cause extensive damage to infrastructure.

Apart from our vulnerability to natural disasters, we also have man-made disasters caused by war, such as the 2017 Marawi siege that leveled a sizable portion of the city to the ground and left thousands fleeing to safer areas. The armed rebellion in the countryside often causes innocent civilians caught in the crossfire to seek shelter from fierce hostilities between government troops and insurgents.

Today, five years later, the rehabilitation of Marawi has yet to proceed on a massive scale.

For so long, we have had to deal with piecemeal efforts at disaster response, often limited to providing disaster victims with food packs and other relief items as well as giving them temporary shelter in gyms and schoolhouses.

In years past, the government agency mainly concerned with disaster response was

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EDITORIAL

I

Penalizing the unvaccinated

T’S a day of reckoning for those individuals who have refused the vaccines against COVID-19. Science has been telling the world that the pandemic will not easily go away if a significant number of the population remains unvaccinated.

faulty reasonings that defy science, anti-vaxxers should keep away from malls and restaurants and not be given a chance to spread the virus. This will be their modest contribution to the fight against the pandemic.

This will be their modest contribution to the fight against the pandemic.

Those who ignore the vaccines or refuse to get inoculated serve as perfect hosts to the COVID-19 virus.

They have minimal protection from COVID-19, and as the virus settles within their body, the infected ones— or the COVID-19 hosts—become the spreader and the instrument of the pandemic.

Unvaccinated individuals deserve to lose some of their freedoms in these trying times, like travel and dining in public places. For rejecting the vaccine on conspiracy theories and

Metro Manila mayors were right in proposing strict measures on unvaccinated people amid the jump in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent days. Health statistics prove that the majority of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines and across the world involve those who have remained unvaccinated.

Unvaccinated residents, under tighter restrictions, must stay at home unless buying essentials or exercising.

The Omicron variant of the virus has become more virulent than the Delta strain and unvaccinated people are the ones who have greater risks of getting the infection.

Around 70 percent of residents in Metro Manila are fully jabbed but government data show less than half of the national population is fully vaccinated. The Health Department has already warned that Omicron is eight times more transmissible than Delta, and that the peak will occur at the end of January.

Containing the virus’ spread to the minimum is also essential to fully reopening the economy.

The unvaccinated must realize the implications of an economy that is unable to reopen due to rising daily cases of COVID-19. It means business closures for the small and medium enterprises, reduced job opportunities and an increase in the poverty incidence.

Malabon Mayor Oreta, wife, sued by ex-CMU president ON DECEMBER 2, 2021, outgoing Malabon City Mayor Antolin Oreta III and his wife Melissa, of the well-entrenched Oreta political dynasty in the city, were sued in court. The case was filed by Atty. Ramon M. Maronilla, the President of the City of Malabon University (CMU) from July 2008 to December 2019.

Maronilla was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines (UP) from 2015 to 2018, and held the post of President of the UP Alumni Association during the same period. He is a veteran litigation lawyer and resides in the City of San Juan, in Metropolitan Manila. Maronilla was also the President of Club Filipino during the centennial of Philippine independence.

Maronilla’s appointment as CMU President was duly approved and repeatedly renewed by the Board of Regents of the CMU since 2008.

On January 30, 2018, the Board of Regents concurred in the formal investiture of Maronilla as the fourth president of the CMU. As CMU President, Maronilla introduced substantial changes in the management of the university that made the institution more cost efficient, and more accessible to the marginalized families of Malabon.

Maronilla also spearheaded CMU’s move to get recognized by the Commission on Higher Education.

The charter of the CMU is Malabon City Ordinance No. 06-2003 enacted by the city council. It operates under the auspices of the city government of Malabon.

Section 11 of the CMU charter states that the CMU President is entitled to the same emoluments enjoyed by a member of the city council. Under the law, members of

CMU on December 15, 2019, he expected the CMU to pay him his corresponding unused and accumulated leave credits. As of December 2021, that amount is estimated at P1.3-million pesos.

Because he had planned on using that sum for his health maintenance as a senior citizen, Maronilla sent several letters to Malabon city officials for the release of the monetary equivalent of his unused accumulated leave credits as CMU President for more than a decade. He also invited the attention of Malabon City Mayor Antolin Oreta III to the matter.

Unfortunately for Maronilla, Oreta and several officials at the Malabon City Hall refused to pay him his due. They offered the lame excuse that city hall never issued a fulltime appointment to Maronilla, and that the denial of his claim for benefits is in accord with guidelines issued by the Civil Service Commission.

Among the Malabon City officials who rejected Maronilla’s request for payment include Maria Caridad Soco (the city’s human resources officer); Atty. Rosalyn de

the Office of Civil Defense, a small agency under the Department of National Defense.

Later, the government created the National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) to streamline efforts at comprehensive emergency response. The name of this agency prompted former Senator and then Defense Secretary Orly Mercado to quip that the national government had been coordinating rather than responding to disasters all along.

This led, thankfully, to a much-needed change in nomenclature as well as the scope of disaster response with the creation of the NDRRMC. This agency with an overlong acronym was tasked with coordinating efforts by various government agencies, the business sector and civil society groups in disaster response.

We have apparently belatedly recognized that disaster response should be a whole-ofsociety effort. Disaster victims require not only food and water, but also medical care, temporary evacuation centers, health and sanitation, even psychological counseling, among others.

But we’re dismayed that the creation of a new department for disaster response isn’t getting unanimous support. One government official said the existing NDRRMC should just be “elevated” to an authority and strengthened instead of transformed into a full-fledged department. Another official said he “would prefer that we maintain the NDRRMC” because it has been there for just

a couple of years.

But we commend Phivolcs director Renato Solidum for taking the opposite view and insisting that “simply coordinating things will not solve the problem...(We need) disaster risk managers and disaster managers. These are the core competencies that we need in the new department and that is what we lack. We cannot do this by simply staying with the same structure. We need to train people that would be the leaders in disaster risk management and disaster management.”

We concur with the view of House Committee on Disaster Resilience chairperson, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, that a centralized government agency is necessary to make disaster preparedness more comprehensive, responsive, and customized based on technical and scientific analysis: “A disaster is just too huge and too complex for LGUs to handle on their own. And yes, some LGUs are capable, but we just cannot leave something as critical as disaster resilience, preparedness, response and recovery to the whims of chance.”

From another perspective, we see merit in the proposal by the Makabayan bloc in Congress to establish permanent evacuation centers in areas particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, such as the provinces facing the Pacific Ocean where destructive typhoons are likely to hit. Our question is: Why didn’t the national government think of this before?

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

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

the city council of Malabon City are entitled to salaries and leave credits. In addition, Resolution No. 991986 (series of 1999) issued by the Civil Service Commission categorically states that a city councilor is entitled to accumulated leave credits.

Thus, when Maronilla retired from the

Why won’t they release the benefits?

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The greatest central banker

When will COVID-19 end?

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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

Silva (assistant city legal officer); Jayson San Juan (also of the human resources office); and Attys. Ryan Carlo Escalada and Hermilia Campos-Banayat (legal officers of the city).

As city mayor, Oreta is aware of what his minions at city hall did to Maronilla.

According to Maronilla, since his entitlement to his unused accumulated leave credits is clearly recognized under the CMU charter, it is the ministerial duty of CMU and the city government of Malabon to release those benefits to him. Being a ministerial duty, Maronilla stressed that officials of the CMU and the city government can be compelled by a court, through a writ of mandamus, to comply with that ministerial duty.

Eventually, Maronilla filed a petition for mandamus against the city government of Malabon, represented by Mayor Oreta, and the CMU, represented by its new President, Oreta’s wife Melissa Sison-Oreta. The petition was filed with the Regional Trial Court of San Juan City, Metropolitan Manila, and docketed as SCA Case No. 4231-SJ. Maronilla is also considering filing disbarment cases against Escalada and Campos-Banayat.

All that notwithstanding, I believe there are other questions that ought to be asked about the Oreta political dynasty in the City of Malabon.

Why is Melissa Sison-Oreta, the wife of the city mayor of Malabon, the incumbent president of CMU in the first place? Since the CMU operates under the city government headed by her husband, delicadeza demands that she should not have accepted her appointment as CMU president.

Is Melissa Sison-Oreta so desperate for a job and is unable to find employment in the private sector? Her online curriculum vitae states that she speaks a little French.

Malabon’s city council has two Oretas: Paolo D. Oreta and Jose Lorenzo Oreta.

Doesn’t that smack of a political dynasty which the Constitution frowns on?

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

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World

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘They’re never coming back’: 8 kids among 12 dead in US fire JACUITA Purifoy lost ten family members when a fire tore through a converted three-story house in Philadelphia Wednesday, killing 12 people in one of the United States’ deadliest residential infernos in recent years.

“My sisters and my nephews and my nieces are gone. They are never coming back again,” the 37-year-old told AFP outside a nearby elementary school where families of victims were consoling each other.

The Philadelphia mayor’s office said that 12 people, including eight children, were killed in the blaze, revising an earlier toll of 13 victims.

Purifoy lost seven younger relatives, the youngest of whom was just one year old.

Three of Purifoy’s sisters also died in the fire, which happened just before sunrise in public housing in the eastern US city’s popular museum district of Fairmount.

“I am in shock. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say,” said Purifoy.

“They were people who were supposed to continue life and die of old age, not from stuff that could have been avoided.”

Officials said eight people escaped the flames, while another two were hospitalized, one of who was a five-yearold nephew of Purifoy.

“Everybody is gone except for one child,” she said.

“He does not know what’s going on.

He wants his mom, he wants his dad, he wants his sisters, he wants his cousins, he wants everybody that he had lived with for the past five years. He doesn’t know what’s going on, because he’s still a child,” Purifoy added.

At the Bache-Martin Elementary School, a block away from the site of the disaster, a Salvation Army truck handed out supplies to relatives. AFP

AERIAL ACROBATICS. Members of the Edo Firemen Preservation Association perform Japanese traditional firefighting techniques during the New Year’s fire brigades exercise in Tokyo on January 6, 2022.

AFP

WITH EYES ON CHINA’S MILITARY EXPANSION

Australia, Japan sign defense treaty

A

USTRALIA and Japan on Thursday signed a “landmark” treaty to strengthen defense ties, saying the accord would contribute to regional stability, as China expands its military and economic clout.

While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not mention Beijing directly in a statement released ahead of the signing, the agreement is seen as another step by the regional allies to sig-

nal their concern over China’s military expansion.

Ahead of Thursday’s online summit with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, Morrison called the agreement

“a statement of two nations’ commitment to work together in meeting the shared strategic security challenges we face and to contribute to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.”

“This landmark treaty will... for the first time provide a clear framework for enhanced inter-operability and cooperation between our two forces,” Morrison said.

The partnership reflects “our shared values, our commitment to democracy and human rights, and our common in-

United States.

It “goes a considerable way towards concretizing the forms that security cooperation between Japan and Australia could take,” he told AFP. “China will likely cast it as further evidence that advanced industrial democracies seek to stymie its resurgence, although Beijing’s own conduct in recent years has contributed considerably to its growing diplomatic estrangement from those countries,” Wyne added. AFP

China punishes officials after woman miscarries outside lockdown hospital

Tokyo seeks curbs on American troops after COVID surge JAPAN’S Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi urged his US counterpart Thursday to consider restricting American troop movement in the country after a surge in COVID cases on bases and surrounding communities.

The request to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes as virus cases surge in Okinawa, which hosts most of the US forces in Japan and is now seeing a rise in community infections.

The region’s governor has blamed the rise in local cases on the clusters first seen among US troops.

Okinawa will request that the central government authorize new virus restrictions, its governor said, after the southern island region reported 623 cases on Wednesday – nearly triple the previous day’s figure.

In a call with Blinken, Hayashi “strongly requested the strengthening of measures to prevent an expansion in infections,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday.

Hayashi called on Blinken to “consider restricting outings (by US troops) to ease worries among local residents, given the situation of coronavirus infections among US forces in Japan.”

US Forces Japan said in a statement Thursday it has tightened anti-infection measures at its bases nationwide, including mask mandates on and off base and requiring a negative test for trips outside.

It added that it “now requires no less than three negative Covid-19 tests upon travelling to Japan” including immediately on arrival.

“We recognize we all have a part to play in keeping our communities safe,” it said. AFP

terests in a free, open and resilient IndoPacific”, he added.

Japan and Australia, along with the United States and India, are part of the “Quad” grouping that has worked to build an alliance in the face of China’s swelling presence across Asia, including its threats to vital international sea lanes.

Ali Wyne, senior analyst at Eurasia Group, said the treaty could enhance Tokyo and Canberra’s ability to carry out joint military exercises in Japan with the

EXTRA PRECAUTION. Students wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) arrive for a college entrance examination in Ningbo in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on January 6, 2022. AFP

CHINESE authorities said Thursday they have punished officials after footage went viral of an eight-month pregnant woman miscarrying in the lockeddown city of Xi’an when a hospital refused her entry without a COVID test.

The city of 13 million has been under strict home confinement for two weeks to stamp out an outbreak, in line with Beijing’s strict “zero COVID” strategy.

The distressing incident was detailed in a social media post by the woman’s niece on January 1, which included photos and video of the woman sitting on a plastic stool outside the hospital surrounded by a pool of blood.

The post was later removed but not before it got hundreds of millions of views and sparked widespread anger online about the hardships faced by Xi’an residents.

The city government said in a state-

North Korea confirms it tested hypersonic missile NORTH Korea has successfully tested a hypersonic missile, state media reported Thursday, in the first major weapons test by the nuclear-armed nation this year.

This was the second reported test of what Pyongyang claimed were hypersonic gliding missiles, as it pursues the sophisticated technology despite international sanctions and condemnation.

Hypersonic missiles move far faster and are more agile than standard ones, making them much harder for missile defense systems – on which the United States is spending billions – to intercept.

The missile fired on Wednesday carried a “hypersonic gliding warhead” that “precisely hit a target 700 km away,” the official Korean Central News Agency

(KCNA) reported, without identifying the launcher.

The warhead also demonstrated a “new” capability, moving 120 km laterally after it detached from the launcher to strike the target, it added.

“The successive successes in the test launches in the hypersonic missile sector have strategic significance,” KCNA said.

Hypersonic missiles were listed among the “top priority” tasks for strategic weapons in North Korea’s current five-year plan, and it announced its first test – of the Hwasong-8 – in September last year.

The Wednesday launch also tested the “fuel ampoule system under winter weather conditions,” according to

KCNA. An ampoule system involves a propellant canister attached to the missile when it is manufactured, and could eliminate the need for fueling it at the launch site.

This offers an advantage over ordinary liquid-fueled missiles, which have to be loaded with propellant on-site just before launch – a time-consuming process that gives an enemy ample opportunity to locate and destroy them.

Depending on their design, hypersonic missiles can carry conventional and nuclear warheads, and have the potential to alter the strategic balance. They are generally defined as travelling more than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5. AFP

Work, school, play: How the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our world THE most basic everyday activities, from working to shopping and going to school, have completely transformed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and may never be the same again.

As the world marks nearly two years since China announced the first death from COVID-19 – a 61-year-old man in Wuhan – on January 11, 2020, here’s a look at how our lives have been fundamentally altered by the virus.

WFH As the virus marched across the globe, governments ordered citizens to stay inside – forcing billions of people to hastily set up home offices.

Remote working, working from home (WFH) all quickly became staples in our new pandemic vernacular.

Even as lockdowns eased, working from home at least some of the time has remained the norm for many.

In 2021, the percentage of people working remotely hit 32 percent, up from just 17 percent in 2019, according to consulting firm Gartner.

For others, the pandemic prompted a change of jobs or demands for better conditions.

In the United States, tens of thousands of workers from hospitals to Hollywood walked off the job last year in a movement dubbed “Striketober” to protest long hours and

poor pay.

E-commerce boom With billions bunkered down at home, businesses of all kinds had to quickly pivot, and online sales for every-

thing from groceries to meals, clothes and furniture rapidly boomed.

Online sales rose 38 percent in the first third of 2021 compared to the same period a year before, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index.

It even brought some shoppers online for the first time who aren’t likely to leave soon, Gaelle Le Floch of consulting firm Kantar told AFP. “We saw new customers, more senior citizens, who became regular shoppers,” she said.

Planes, trains and... bicycles Between border closures and travel restrictions, the tourism sector was pummeled by the pandemic.

Experts warn the air and rail industries may not return to normal before 2024.

Air travel was worst affected, with worldwide traffic dropping by two-thirds in 2020.

By the end of 2021, it had only reached half of 2019 levels as travel restrictions remained in place in many countries.

Even as travel picked up following initial lockdowns, chaos remains the norm in airports as passengers line up to show vaccine passes or negative COVID tests. AFP

ment Thursday the incident at Xi’an Gaoxin Hospital had aroused “widespread concern and caused a bad social impact” and the local health bureau was investigating.

The hospital’s general manager was suspended and “responsible persons” at the outpatient department were removed from their posts, it said.

The hospital was also told to “apologize to the public.”

Posted on the city government’s official WeChat account, the statement got nearly 600 million views within hours of being published – illustrating the huge interest the case has generated within China.

According to the January 1 post that went viral on the Twitter-like Weibo platform, staff refused to admit the heavily pregnant woman for two hours because she did not have a negative Covid test within the last 48 hours.AFP

‘Dozens’ killed as police quell Kazakh unrest POLICE in Kazakhstan killed “dozens” of protesters who tried to storm administrative buildings overnight in the country’s biggest city Almaty, police told local media on Thursday.

“Last night, extremist forces tried to assault administrative buildings, the Almaty city police department, as well as local police commissariats,” police spokesman Saltanat Azirbek was quoted as saying by Interfax-Kazakhstan, TASS and Ria Novosti news agencies.

“Dozens of assailants were eliminated,” he said, adding that police were verifying their identities.

According to local media, the interior ministry said at least eight law enforcement officers have been killed and 317 wounded in the violence.

Long seen as one the most stable of Central Asia’s ex-Soviet republics, energy-rich Kazakhstan is facing its biggest crisis in decades after protesters angry over rising fuel prices stormed government buildings.

A Russia-led military alliance said it would send peacekeeping forces to “stabilize” the country, blaming the mass protests on “outside interference.” AFP

Business PSEi January 6, 2022

TOP GAINERS 1 2

ALCO ALI

LAST PRICE 0.64 34.9

% CHANGE CHANGE 0.02 3.23% 1.15 3.41%

3 4 5

DWC FAF I

1.79 0.7 0.83

0.08 0.03 0.03

4.68% 4.48% 3.75%

6 7

MB MAH

0.445 1.19

0.03 0.04

7.23% 3.48%

8 9 10

LOTO RCR TBGI

1.81 8.15 0.31

0.06 0.35 0.01

3.43% 4.49% 3.33%

TOP LOSERS 1 2

ALHI ATN

LAST PRICE 5.67 0.395

% CHANGE CHANGE -0.75 -11.68% -0.03 -7.06%

3 4 5

BCOR MG FRUIT

5.61 0.148 1.17

-0.39 -0.01 -0.07

-6.50% -6.33% -5.65%

6 7 8

EURO SEVN MVC

1.4 87.5 4.1

-0.08 -4.5 -0.2

-5.41% -4.89% -4.65%

9 10

RCI ACEN

0.64 9.65

-0.03 -0.45

-4.48% -4.46%

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks flat; AC Energy and Security Bank slip T HE stock market closed virtually flat Thursday as nervous investors stayed on the sidelines amid soaring daily COVID-19 cases in the country.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 5.88 points, or 0.08 percent, to 7,085.52 on a value turnover of P5.2 billion. Losers, however, overwhelmed gainers, 114 to 57, with 59 issues unchanged.

AC Energy Corp. of the Ayala Group fell 4.5 percent to P9.65, but sister unit and major property developer Ayala Land Inc. rose 3.4 percent to P34.90.

Security Bank Corp., the eighth biggest lender in terms of assets, dropped 3.5 percent to P109, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy

Group declined 2.5 percent to P33.50.

Meanwhile, tech firms led losses across most markets Thursday following a painful sell-off in New York fueled by bets that the Federal Reserve will embark on an aggressive campaign against soaring inflation by hiking interest rates several times.

The much-anticipated release of minutes from the US central bank’s December policy meeting showed that while officials were concerned about the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, they were confident the world’s top economy was in rude health and able to absorb high borrowing costs.

The Federal Open Market Committee has already started winding back the vast bond-buying stimulus put in place at the start of the pandemic as price rises remain stubbornly high, with the program due to end in March.

Traders had widely expected the bank

to then start lifting rates.

Policymakers had said they would not remove their support until the Fed was happy it had unemployment tamed and inflation was running persistently hot.

Both appear to have been achieved or close to it.

Now officials are ready to act, with the Fed minutes saying: “It may become warranted to increase the federal funds rate sooner or at a faster pace than participants had earlier anticipated.”

The move away from massive central bank support around the world, particularly from the Fed, has rattled markets in recent months—having notched up a series of records or multi-year highs on the cheap cash.

With the punch bowl being taken away, traders are in retreat, particularly those invested in tech firms, which are more susceptible to higher interest rates owing to their reliance on borrowing to fuel growth. With AFP

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

ACEN AC ALI CNVRG ICT JGS MONDE SECB SM SMPH

VOLUME 48,689,800 234,870 5,471,800 8,087,500 1,444,700 2,987,700 11,198,000 2,636,910 373,440 6,561,500

VALUE (PHP) 477,288,563 197,665,655 187,778,115 252,692,190 279,893,869 167,847,250 180,184,682 291,770,524 348,426,780 220,721,135

CES tech fair opens despite surging cases LAS VEGAS, United States—The CES tech show threw open its doors Wednesday in Las Vegas despite surging COVID-19 cases in the United States, as one of the world’s largest trade fairs tried to get back to business.

Despite some obvious gaps on the showfloor—after high-profile companies like Amazon and Google cancelled over climbing virus risk— crowds of badge-wearing tech entrepreneurs, reporters and aficionados poured through venues.

“Since the numbers of people are down, there’s a lot more space between people. My anxiety levels are fine,” said attendee Blake Olson, who noted though that the energy level was lower, likely because of the smaller crowd.

But the usual universe of tech gadgets, concepts and prototypes, ranging from humanoid robots to autonomous cars, were on display.

Organizers cited their vaccine and mask requirements, while insisting the show—with participants from nearly two dozen nations—had to go on.

“Despite a few well-publicized cancellations among our exhibitors, we have over 2,200 exhibitors here at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, and all of them are counting on us to move forward,” Steve Koenig, a vice president from the group that runs the convention.

“Why? Well, because these businesses are looking for investors, they’re looking for partners, they’re looking to conduct business,” he added.

Some health experts have voiced caution that people may not universally respect the mask mandate.

The event has been cut back by a day to end Friday, and the scale of the show will be sharply reduced with fewer than half the roughly 4,500 exhibitors that turned up for the last inperson edition in 2020—just before pandemic lockdowns hit the United States.

The hybrid nature of the gathering was in evidence even in its opening moments, with GM CEO Mary Barra delivering her keynote address remotely.

“Obviously I’m not on stage at CES in Las Vegas, I’m actually on the stage of the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit,” Barra said in her address. AFP

END OF VOYAGE. View of the Viking Jupiter cruise ship anchored in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay on January 5, 2022.

The cruise industry worldwide is struggling to get back on its feet after voyages were halted at the start of the pandemic and several vessels were hit by outbreaks. AFP

Japan urges Indonesia to end coal ban JAKARATA, Indonesia—Japan’s ambassador to Indonesia has called on Jakarta to end its recent ban on coal exports, which he said has had a “serious impact” on the world’s third-biggest economy.

Indonesia exports around threequarters of its coal output, with the biggest markets including Asian economic powerhouses China, Japan, South Korea and India.

But on January 1 it banned shipments of the fossil fuel, saying it was to avoid outages after coal producers failed to set aside 25 percent of output for the domestic market, as they were obliged to.

That sent global prices of coal higher as the northern hemisphere’s winter demand for energy peaks.

The “sudden export ban has a serious impact on Japan’s economic activities as well as people’s daily life,” Kanasugi Kenji wrote in a letter Tuesday to Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, which was confirmed Wednesday by the embassy.

Japan imports around two million tons of coal a month from Indonesia, the letter said, adding that the grade of coal purchased by Japanese companies was higher than that burned by Indonesia’s power stations. Japan was not, therefore, a factor behind Indonesia’s coal shortages, he said.

“I therefore wish to request for the immediate removal of bans on coal export to Japan,” the letter read.

There were few alternative sources to which Japan could turn, the letter said, urging a rapid end of the ban in “order to continue and maintain the cordial economic relationship” between the two countries.

The Indonesian government had said it would review the ban on Wednesday, but a planned meeting with representatives from the coal industry did not take place and no reason was given for the delay.

Indonesia requires coal producers to set aside 25 percent of output for the domestic market, but caps the price at which it buys the fuel at $70 a metric ton—far below global prices.

Since the ban, between 7.5 million tons and 13.9 million tons of coal had been diverted to domestic demand— according to the state power monopoly and media reports. AFP

Federal Reserve sees rate hikes ‘sooner’ as inflation spikes: meeting minutes WASHINGTON, United States—Federal Reserve officials last month were concerned about the Omicron impact, but believed the US economy had recovered enough from the pandemic downturn that interest rate hikes could come sooner than expected, according to minutes of the December meeting released Wednesday.

The document provides a behindthe-scenes look at the deliberations of the Fed’s policy committee, which convened as the US central bank faced increasing pressure to act against the wave of inflation that sent consumer prices surging to multi-decade highs.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) accelerated the withdrawal of the pandemic stimulus measures and released forecasts showing central bankers expect to hike interest rates— their most potent weapon against price increases—as many as three times in 2022.

One of the two criteria for raising the benchmark lending rate off zero is how close the economy is to maximum employment, and many officials believe it is nearing that point or already there.

That means “it may become warranted to increase the federal funds rate sooner or at a faster pace than par-

ticipants had earlier anticipated,” the minutes said.

With the faster pullback, the Fed’s stimulus bond-buying program now is set to end in March, setting the stage for rate hikes after that, though the minutes acknowledge they could move even quicker, if necessary given rising prices.

“Participants generally continued to anticipate that inflation would decline significantly over the course of 2022” but “almost all” forecast higher inflation this year, and many in 2023.

Meeting participants also believed the supply chain snarls that have

helped fuel the price increases will “persist well into (2022) at least,” according to the minutes.

The FOMC gathered as the Omicron variant was spreading across the United States, but before the surge in new cases seen in recent days.

Officials were split over how much of a threat the new strain posed to the world’s largest economy, with “many” believing it “made the economic outlook more uncertain.”

Several said “they did not yet see the new variant as fundamentally altering the path of economic recovery,” according to the minutes. AFP

Robot tractors and autonomous tools may be heading to a farm near you

By Patrick Fallon with Juliette Michel LAS VEGAS, United States—Driverless plows and autonomous tools to weed vegetable plots are the latest innovations ready to help farmers juggling labor shortages, climate change and environmental protection, while trying to feed a growing world population.

Venerable American farm equipment manufacturer John Deere and French agricultural robot start-up Naio debuted their latest innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show, which began Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Touted as a means to feed the world, John Deere combined its popular 8R tractor, a plow, GPS and 360-degree cameras to create a machine a farmer can control from a smartphone.

Once the tractor is driven into the field, the farmer can simply swipe right to send it on its way, with no need to be in the cab.

Equipped with six pairs of cameras and artificial intelligence capabilities, the equipment constantly checks its position to the inch, and stops automatically as soon as it perceives an obstacle and sends a warning signal.

The autonomous plow will be available in North America this year, John Deere Chief Technology Officer Jahmy Hindman told AFP. Other versions to seed or fertilize fields will come later, but combines to harvest crops are more complicated. The company has not yet specified the price for the equipment.

An autonomous all-electric agriculture robot from Naio Technologies is displayed during a press event for CES 2022 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 3, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Naio makes robots and develops software for them to be used as automated agricultural units to perform tasks like weeding, seeding, planting, thinning and real-time growth monitoring. AFP

Technology is not new to the agriculture industry. For nearly 20 years, farmers have used GPS to aid steering, allowing them to plow straighter than a human.

“The customers are probably more ready for autonomy in agriculture than just about anywhere else because they’ve been exposed to really sophisticated and high levels of automation for

a very long time,” Hindman said.

Other major farm equipment manufacturers are working on similar tractors.

American company New Holland presented a concept machine in 2016, while Japan’s Kubota in 2020 unveiled a prototype that even eliminates the cab.

Repetitive tasks Machines to automate farm tasks,

including mechanical milking machines for dairy farms, generally improve productivity while freeing farmers from repetitive and physically demanding tasks.

Gaetan Severac and Aymeric Barthes launched Naio in 2011 after discussing the problems farms faced finding workers.

And they realized that robots, guided by centimeter-accurate GPS, could limit the use of chemicals.

At the Las Vegas tech show, they introduced the American market to Ted, a robot that can step over vines to weed around plants, and turn around on its own at the end of a row.

They also have a little “farm assistant” called Oz that can hoe, weed, or furrow, as well as a dedicated row crop weeding robot, Dino.

All are equipped with sensors, lasers, cameras or probes, allowing the robot to understand its environment, as well as collect data useful to the operator.

Farmers “no longer consider us as a gadget for the future,” Severac told AFP. He said it’s likely the use of autonomous machines will first gain ground in specialized crops, with very high added value and requiring the most work, such as vegetables or vines, before moving to large cereal crops.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, drones and even satellites all contribute to the move towards automating farm work, and the agricultural sector accounts for a quarter of the revenues of satellite imagery company Planet Labs. AFP

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

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022

BankCom vows to boost lending support for SMEs SAN Miguel Corp. president and chief executive Ramon Ang said the upgrade of the banking license of Bank of Commerce, an affiliate of the conglomerate, will enable the lender to further support local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, to help drive economic growth amid the pandemic.

The bank officially received a universal bank status in a ceremony led

by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno, Deputy Gov. Chuchi Fonacier, Monetary Board members Peter Favila, Anita Linda Aquino, Felipe Medalla, V. Bruce Tolentino, Ang, BankCom chairman Jose Pardo and president and chief executive Michelangelo Aguilar.

Ang said with a recent capital infusion of P5.5 billion from SMC Equivest Corp., coupled with the potential proceeds of an upcoming initial public offering, the bank was in a strong position to provide access to capital for both existing and new clients, including major companies.

“SMC would not be where it is today without our partner SMEs nationwide—from our dealers, contract growers, service station operators, franchisees, to service providers and many more in our nationwide ecosystem. They are key not just to our overall operations, but to stimulating and sustaining economic growth, especially at this crucial period when we are still in a pandemic,” Ang said.

“Bank of Commerce has been an indispensable partner for many of them and has a proven capability and track record in servicing both our partner SMEs and major subsidiaries.

We are grateful that now, we can expand the bank’s offerings and services to more clients not just within the SMC network, but more significantly, outside of it,” Ang said.

Data showed that as of end-September 2021, the total assets of BankCom reached P195 billion, representing a 14-percent growth from P171 billion at the end of 2020. Its deposit base, spread across 140 branches, stood at P167 billion as of September, 14 percent higher than the P149 billion at end-2020.

Net income grew by 26 percent in the first nine months of 2021 from the same period last year. Julito G. Rada

New DOE circular simplifies rules on renewable energy

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy issued a new circular simplifying the rules governing Republic Act No. 9513, or Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi signed on Dec. 24 Department Circular DC2021-12-0042, amending Sections 13 (E) and 18 (C) of DC No. DC 2009-05-0008, which cover the implementing rules and regulations of the RE Law. “We are pleased to issue an amended policy that would address the longstanding concerns of the RE law’s target recipients, including RE developers, fabricators and manufacturers regarding the availment of the law’s incentives. This includes, among others the implementation of the tax provisions, particularly the automatic availment of the 10-percent corporate tax rate and zero-rate value added tax,” Cusi said in a statement.

The new circular simplifies requirements for availment of the incentives, while ensuring proper availment through an efficient government process.

It also complies with the law, which provides that savings derived from the availment of the reduced corporate income tax rate will be effectively passed on to the electricity end-users in the form of lower power rates.

The department said the amendment of the RE Act’s IRR would promote the further development of renewables with domestic and foreign investors.

It also seeks to accelerate the country’s transition toward energy sustainability by supporting the government’s principal goal of attaining clean and secure energy.

To assess the effectiveness of the latest DC, the DOE may conduct a review of the annual reports submitted by RE developers to determine whether the objectives of the RE Act were met.

Business BSP: Exit from liquidity funding is still uncertain B

By Julito G. Rada

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday there is no certain timetable for the regulator’s exit strategy from pandemic interventions, especially with the onset of new COVID-19 variants that threaten the sustained recovery of the economy.

The BSP injected around P2.3-trillion worth of liquidity into the domestic economy after the pandemic struck in the early part of 2020.

“We would also like to emphasize that the timing of the exit remains very much uncertain at this time. The threat of further COVID-19 infections continues to pose a downside risk to both growth and

inflation in the coming months,” Diokno said in an online briefing.

“Therefore, we deem it prudent to leave some room for flexibility in policymaking to account for uncertainty and risk, especially as the situation remains very fluid,” he said.

Diokno said the timing and conditions under which the BSP would start unwinding pandemic-induced interventions would continue to be guided by the inflation and growth outlook over the medium term and the risks surrounding such outlook.

He said that consistent with the BSP’s data-dependent approach to policymaking, the monetary authorities would continue to monitor the evolution of various domestic factors and emerging global developments and potential spillovers.

“When these developments warrant a scale-down of policy support as economic recovery gains traction, the BSP will ensure a smooth transition in winding down its time and state-bound measures,” he said.

Diokno said that in deciding to scale back BSP liquidity-enhancing measures, the challenge for the BSP would be striking a delicate balance between

providing adequate stimulus to the economy and preventing the buildup of inflationary pressures and risks to financial stability.

“Given the nascent economic recovery, the priority for the BSP is to ensure the sustainability of the recovery and prevent long-term scarring effects.

At the same time, during the recovery phase, fiscal policy would play a more crucial role, especially as the BSP begins to unwind its various interventions,” he said.

The BSP in 2020 reduced the policy rate by 200 basis points to a record-low 2 percent, and the reserve requirement ratios by another 200 basis points to 12 percent to unleash more liquidity into the financial system to be used by individuals and firms for productive activities.

It also extended provisional advances--a temporary arrangement between the BSP and the national government—to provide the government access to ample cash resources while revenue generation is weakened and fulfillment of the borrowing program is challenged by the scale of the borrowing need and the unpredictability of financial markets amid the pandemic.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, January 6, 2022 -5.88 PTS. 7,085.52

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

771,809,463 72,426 5,209,826,492.47

ADVANCES DECLINES

57 114

UNCHANGED

59

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.1080

Japan

Yen

0.008613

0.4402

UK

Pound

1.355900

69.2973

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128259

6.5551

Switzerland

Franc

1.090750

55.7461

Canada

Dollar

0.784191

40.0784

Singapore

Dollar

0.736594

37.6458

Australia

Dollar

0.721900

36.8949

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652872

135.5830

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266255

13.6078

Brunei

Dollar

0.733891

37.5077

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030139

1.5403

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9160

Euro

Euro

1.131500

57.8287

Korea

Won

0.000835

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.157117

8.0299

India

Rupee

0.013463

0.6881

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238550

12.1918

New Zealand

Dollar

0.679200

34.7126

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036221

1.8512 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

PCCI elects Barcelon despite controversy

THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced Thursday a new set of officers led by new president George Barcelon amid controversies surrounding the membership meeting and election of new officers.

PCCI said in a statement Barcelon was elected by the incoming 20-member board of directors during the PCCI annual meeting on Dec. 3, 2021. Also inducted into office were ex-officio officers Sergio Ortiz Luis as treasurer; Ivan Uy, corporate secretary; and Ruben Pascual, secretary-general.

Barcelon called for unity in the organization as the country faces a “not so auspicious 2022.”

“Many southern regions are still reeling from the catastrophic Typhoon Odette. The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is upon us and cases surged at the beginning of the year. Philippine businesses, especially the MSMEs, again face the crucible of the pandemic. PCCI has immediately extended to pour chapters funds and needed necessities,” Barcelon said Wednesday at the induction ceremonies of the new PCCI board for 2022-2023. Othel V. Campos

10-month revenue collection rose 5%

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT. Security Bank Corp.’s corporate social responsibility arm Security Bank Foundation Inc., the College of the Holy Spirit Manila High School Batch of 1973 and the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. join forces to distribute portable media libraries with educational resources to five public schools to help with their challenges in distance learning. Attending the ceremonial turnover of portable media libraries are representatives of CHS Manila Batch of 1973 (from left) Cecilia CarranchoChang, Grace Songcuya-Mascenon, Cecilia Ocampo-Fernandez (treasurer), Maria Theresa Abeleda-Llave (president) and Melissa Aquino (SBFI trustee and corporate secretary).

DBP, RCBC grant P700-m loan to industrial park developer STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines, the fifth largest lender in the country in terms of assets, granted a P700-million seven-year syndicated term loan to Science Park of the Philippines Inc. to finance the latter’s development projects to meet rising demand amid the steady recovery of the manufacturing sector.

DBP president and chief executive Emmanuel Herbosa said the loan was granted with Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. as co-lender and the Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines as financial adviser and lead arranger.

“DBP recognizes this financial collaboration as a strategic and huge step in advancing the country’s infrastructure landscape which can spur further economic development,” Herbosa said.

DBP provides credit support to four strategic sectors of the economy—infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; the environment; and social services and community development.

SPPI was established in 1989 and developed four Philippine Economic Zone Authority-registered industrial parks with an aggregate area of nearly 800 hectares in Laguna, Batangas, Bataan and Cebu.

It is constructing two more facilities in Bataan and Batangas, which are equipped with proper road network and storm drainage system, water distribution, wastewater treatment, power and telecommunications.

Herbosa said proceeds of the loan would be used to partially finance cur-

rent and future projects and capital expenditures such as land development, road system construction, water utilities and a centralized wastewater system.

He said DBP more locators were expected to come into industrial parks such as SPPI’s as the country continues to strengthen its position as a viable site to host firms in the manufacturing, logistics, electronics, semiconductors, packaging, food and other industries.

“DBP will continue to work with various institutions and economic key players who share with us the same mission of promoting growth opportunities, while raising the level of competitiveness of our country through infrastructure development,” Herbosa said. Julito G. Rada

NATIONAL government revenues increased 5 percent in the first 10 months of 2021 to P2.49 trillion from 2.37 trillion in the same period of last year.

Tax revenues rose 9.1 percent in the 10-month period, higher than the 7.4-percent nominal GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2021, according to the Department of Finance.

Bureau of Internal Revenue collections increased 6.8 percent, slower than the 9-month nominal GDP growth because of the closure of a domestic refinery which led to BIR collecting a lower share of petroleum product taxes.

Customs collections rose 17.1 percent as imports recovered. BOC’s collections of P525.4 billion over the period was lower by a hairline than the pre-pandemic collections of 527.7 billion.

“Despite higher fiscal deficit, a strong revenue performance enabled the country to maintain good macroeconomic fundamentals, attain manageable inflation, sustain low interest rates, and keep its investment grade credit rating. These positive developments augur well for a strong economic recovery as the country gradually loosens its quarantine restrictions,” the DOF said.

PLDT Global, Sandbox team up

PLDT Global Corp. teamed up with SandBox Middle East, the largest Filipino-owned distributor of Philippine-made food and grocery items in the Gulf region to expand its mobile and digital services in the Middle East.

Under the partnership, Filipinos in the Middle East will be able to purchase Smart and TNT mobile load, pay bills and avail of electronic gifts via SandBox ME’s extensive retail and direct-to-consumer network.

“We are happy to have a like-minded partner that fully understands the Filipino culture, character and psyche in the Middle East,” said Albert Villa-Real, president and chief executive of PLDT Global.

“This is another step towards our goal of bringing services available locally to our Filipino workers abroad as we continue to help empower and uplift our kababayans,” he said.

Customers of PLDT’s international arm will benefit from the extensive reach of SandBox ME, including a network of momand-pop convenience stores that OFWs frequent for their shopping needs.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Gatchalian asks gov’t to avert higher coal prices SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian asked the Department of Energy to come up with contingency measures to ensure sufficient coal supply and avert possible higher coal prices following the Indonesian government’s decision to ban coal exports starting this month.

“Part of the contingency measures should be to ensure the adherence of coalfired power plants to the 30-day minimum inventory requirement,” Gatchalian said.

The ban causes concerns on the country’s supply of coal for power plants which, if insufficient, could lead to widespread blackouts.

“The government should also consider looking for other suppliers especially in the coming weeks, given the possible decline in stockpiles coming from Indonesia which could result in soaring coal prices,” he said.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate energy committee, said Indonesia is the biggest supplier of coal in the country.

The Philippines derived 57.17 percent of

power generation from coal as of 2020.

He said that as of October 2021, the Philippines acquired 96.88 percent of imported coal supply from Indonesia, 1.82 percent from Australia, 0.35 percent from Vietnam and 0.94 percent from other exporting countries, based on DOE data.

Of the total 42.476 million metric tons of coal produced and imported in 2020, 69.51 percent of which were imported and 30.49 percent came from local sources.

“This could be a wake-up call as well.

The government should probably start rethinking and be more committed in reducing the share of coal by further diversifying our generation mix,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said around 28,000 megawatts of potential capacity from renewable energy sources based on awarded service contracts could diversify the country’s energy supply.

“If we maximize the 28,000 MW, we don’t need to import coal and we don’t need to import natural gas,” he said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

DTI ASSISTANCE. The Department of Trade and Industry-Rizal Provincial Office through Negosyo Center Tanay (Sampaloc) kicks-off the distribution of Livelihood Seeding Program-Negosyo Serbisyo Sa Barangay kits worth P440,000 for 55 upland barangay sari-sari store owners in Tanay, Rizal. The kits include a sari-sari store package, such as three sacks of regular milled rice and two large storage boxes each containing food and non-food products. At the turnover ceremony are (from left) Aryan Llamasares, business counselor of Negosyo Center Tanay, vice-mayor Rafael Tanjuatco, one of the beneficiaries, Marilou Toledo of DTI-4A, Mayor Rex Manuel Tanjuatco and Sharon Dioco of DTI Rizal.

PATAFA defers expulsion of Obiena

By Peter Atencio THE threat of removal from the national team and possible charges of estafa against Ernest John Obiena and members of his family no longer hangs above the head of the embattled Filipino pole vaulter. For now.

This is after the board of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association postponed for two weeks the implementation of the recommendations made by a four-man fact-finding body that looked into his case over the last two months.

This also means there is still time for both the 26-year-old Obiena and his mother federation to head back to the table to settle their differences, with the Philippine Sports Commission watching over the talks.

“The PATAFA has agreed to defer the implementation of the recommendations made by the fact-finding report for a two-week period. PATAFA urges all parties to submit to PSC mediation and explain liquidation,” said PATAFA chairman, and Misamis Oriental Congressman (second district) Rufus Rodriguez in his letter to PSC chairman Ramirez.

It was not yet known whether Obiena would submit to the new call for PSC mediation, which he has already rejected in the past.

The board decision made by the PATAFA came a day after the government sports agency urged all parties involved to enter into a PSC-handled mediation and for Obiena to settle his liquidation issues.

“This decision is and has always been consistent with PATAFA’s consent and willingness to submit to the PSC’s offer for mediation,” said Rodriguez.

The PSC, the government sports body that funds all national athletes, on Wednesday took a firmer stand on the issue and told the parties involved to settle their differences “like sportsmen.”

The conflict began when the PATAFA discovered in a casual conversation with pole vault great and World Athletics official Sergey Bubka that Obiena’s coach Vitaliy Petrov has not been getting his salary from 2018 to 2021.

Obiena later admitted paying his coach in full only last November, 2021 and saying “paying late is not a crime.”

Meanwhile, Obiena said he feels uncertain and alone as he prepares for the the Init Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe in Germany.

“It’s roughly 20 days from now. I need to open my indoor season, which kind of brings questions right now. I don’t know what is really going to happen,” said Obiena during an online interview with ANC Headstart on Thursday.

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

FRIDAY,

JANUARY 7, 2022

Philip Delarmino captured the men’s -57kg diadem in the 2021 IFMA World Muaythai Championships in Phuket, Thailand —an honor that earned him a nomination for the World Games Athlete of the Year.

PH’s Delarmino nominated for ‘21 World Games Athlete of the Year W

By Randy Caluag

ORLD muaythai champion Philip Delarmino is one of the 24 candidates from around the world nominated for the 2021 World Games Athlete of the Year.

The Muaythai Association of the Philippines is calling on Filipinos and global supporters to support the nomination of the national team captain by joining the online voting on this website: https://www.theworldgames.org/.../ Athlete-of-the-Year.

Voting begins on Jan. 10.

What made Delarmino’s nomination special was that it’s the first time

that a Filipino and a muaythai athlete is considered for the prestigious award by the World Games, an international multi-sport competition that holds sports events that are not contested in the Olympic Games.

The games are held every four years, a year after the Olympics.

The World Games has announced Delarmino’s nomination through its you-

tube channel.

The 31-year-old Ilonggo captured the men’s -57kg diadem in the 2021 IFMA World Muaythai Championships in Phuket, Thailand.

He beat Russian Alexander Abramov in the championship round to secure the gold. On the way to the final, he stopped India’s Laishram Bidyachandra Singh in two rounds, before beating Javad Vahid Reza of Sweden on points in the quarterfinals.

Then, he defeated Kazakhstan’s Almaz Sarsembekov in a tight semifinal contest to arrange the final duel with Abramov.

“Ang pagkapanalo ko pong ito ay sobrang memorable kasi ito na po ‘yung pinakamataas na competition namin, it’s

MVP Sports Foundation donates 500 Moderna booster shots to Team PH for Hanoi SEA Games THE Philippine Olympic Committee thanked the Manuel V Pangilinan Sports Foundation for donating 500 booster shots of the Moderna anti-Covid-19 vaccine for members of the national team who will see action in the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games in May. MVPSF President Al Panlilio committed the booster shots on Thursday, saying it’s part of the foundation’s commitments to the POC where he serves as First Vice President.

“I’s absolutely a big help,” POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said, adding that members of the delegation who couldn’t be accommodated by the 500 booster shots will get their third vaccines in Tagaytay City.

“Some of the athletes I think already got their booster shots, so for those who will not make it, we will shoulder it in

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Tagaytay City,” said Tolentino, a congressman representing the Eighth District of Cavite where Tagaytay City is a part.

Panlilio is in charge of the POC’s vaccination program.

“This is our early commitment to the POC and the moment all documents have been completed by the delegation members, they’ll immediately get their booster shots,” said Panlilio, also the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and president and CEO of Smart and PLDT. The POC listed 626 athletes who will compete in 39 of the 40 sports programmed by Vietnam in the May 12 to 23 SEA Games.

The date and venue in Metro Manila will be announced as soon as arrangements and documents are completed, according to Tolentino.

The POC headed a vaccination pro-

gram through the National Task Force Against COVID-19, Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and in coordination with the local government of Manila in May and June last year in anticipation of the Hanoi SEA Games that were earlier scheduled for December 2021 and the Tokyo Olympics last July.

Close to a thousand athletes and coaches and national sports association officials—except those locked down in the provinces—got their two doses of Sinovac vaccines.

The booster shots, Tolentino said, are Al Panlilio also intended for the 19th Asian Games China is hosting from September 10 to 25 former POC President Ricky Vargas, also donated 500 Moderna booster shots to the in Hangzhou.

Panlilio said that PLDT, Smart and Philippine Basketball Association as part the MVPSF, through the co-initiative of of their commitment to the pro league.

Olympic chiefs urge Beijing participants to be ‘extra vigilant’

BEIJING WINTER GAMES ON. POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (bottom left) joins a world-wide IOC meeting on Wednesday night with IOC President Thomas Bach assuring that the Beijing Winter Olympics will push through from February 4 to 20 but with Covid-19 health and safety protocols stricter than those implemented in last year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics. Filipino-American Asa Miller is the country’s lone representative to the Winter Games in men’s slalom and giant slalom. He will be accompanied by a bare essential seven-member team—coach, trainer, chef de mission, Athletes Village administration office, Covid-19 protocol officer and one representative from the Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation.

LAUSANNE—Olympic chiefs on Wednesday urged all participants at next month’s Winter Games in Beijing to be “extra vigilant” as Covid-19 infections hit unprecedented case levels in several countries.

At a closed-door meeting with national Olympic committees, Beijing 2022 organisers and international federations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) dismissed any idea of a postponement of the February 4-20 Games because of coronavirus.

Everything is on track to stage a safe Olympic Winter Games for all participants and the Chinese people, reported

Juan Antonio Samaranch, chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022.

But in the face of a surge of the Omicron strain of Covid-19, notably across Europe and in the United States, IOC president Thomas Bach said: “We must do everything to ensure that the Olympic dreams of athletes are not taken away just days before departure.”

Bach added that so-called “playbooks”, a type of manual on Covid rules and regulations for pre-departure and in place in Beijing, must become “not just a rule book, but a way of life in the lead-up to Beijing 2022”.

“Now is a critical time for

all Games participants who will travel to Beijing to be extra vigilant,” the IOC said in a statement after the meeting that comes just 30 days ahead of the Games’ opening ceremony in the Chinese capital.

“They should already follow the measures laid out in the Beijing 2022 playbooks, before their departure to Beijing.”

Britain, the United States, France and Australia have all announced record case numbers in recent days, while China has imposed lockdowns in two cities and rolled out mass testing for millions as it doubles down on its “zero Covid” policy ahead of Beijing 2022. AFP

a world championship and lahat po ng mga tumalo sa akin dati ay nabawian ko sila this time,” said Delarmino, who has been with the national team for 10 years.

For Delarmino, the victory would mean a better life for his family.

“Inaalay ko siyempre una kay God sa lahat ng blessings at sa talentong binigay nya sa akin, I know it’s his way para makatulong ako at masuportahan ko ang family ko at makapagbigay din ng karangalan sa ating bansa,” added Delarmino, who is also an enlisted Philippine Navy personnel.

The victory also earned him a slot in the World Games set July 7 to 17 in Birmingham, USA. Who knows? God willing, he might be the Athlete of the Year by then.

PBA pauses Governors’ Cup tourney PBA fans may have to wait a little bit longer to see their hardcourt idols back in action.

The PBA Commissioner’s Office, with the approval of the PBA Board of Governors in a special meeting Wednesday, has decided to temporarily postpone its games until such time when the current COVID-19 situation eases.

The league wants to help curb the spread of the virus and to contribute in arresting the alarming rate of infection. The temporary pause will also give time for everyone to heal and prepare for the Governors’ Cup resumption.

The PBA has also suspended all team scrimmages even though the government allows them to be held in Level 2 areas.

Further, the league has reduced the number of individuals participating in team individual workouts from 10 to 7. Now, only 4 players will be allowed to train with one coach, one safety officer and one staff. “’Yung health and safety talaga ng lahat ang importante. Mahirap na, we can’t put the people under our care at risk, ganon din yung mga makakasalamuha nila. Mabuti na yung nag-iingat,” Commissioner Willie Marcial said.

The league has already announced the postponement of this week’s games while the Games and Amusements Board, in an announcement Tuesday, has allowed pro leagues to resume in a ‘Bubble set-up’.

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Sports

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022

Serbia president Vucic blasts ‘maltreatment’ of Djokovic BELGRADE—Serbia’s president on Wednesday blasted Australia for the “maltreatment” of Novak Djokovic as the world number one had his visa cancelled after arriving in Melbourne.

President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram he spoke with Djokovic over the phone and told him that “the whole of Serbia is with him and that our authorities are undertaking all measures in order that maltreatment of the world’s best tennis player ends as soon as possible”.

“In line with all standards of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, justice and truth.”

“Otherwise, Novak is strong, as we all know him,” the Serbian leader added.

Earlier Wednesday, Djokovic’s father said his son was “held captive for five hours” at Melbourne airport where he had arrived to take part in this month’s Australian Open where he is the nine-time champion.

“I have no idea what is going on,” Srdjan Djokovic told Sputnik Serbia media outlet.

“This is a fight for a libertarian world, this is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world.”

He even threatened taking protests to the streets if his son was not released “in half an hour”.

Australia border officials said the entry visa of the 34-year-old Djokovic was cancelled for failing to meet strict entry requirements.

“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia,” the Australian Border Force said.

“Deportation!” Srdjan Djokovic later posted on Instagram after Australia’s decision.

“Our pride, our Novak is returning ... We should all welcome him as deserved!”

The Serb star had landed in Melbourne earlier Wednesday after celebrating on social media that he had a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open without proof he was fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The exemption, granted by tournament organisers after his application had been cleared by two medical panels, sparked fury among Australians who have endured lockdowns and restrictions for two years.

Tigers hope to continue winning tradition

Members of the local Serbian community gather outside a hotel where Serbia’s tennis champion Novak Djokovic is reported to be staying in Melbourne. Australia said it had cancelled the entry visa of Djokovic, opening the way to his detention and deportation in a dramatic reversal for the tennis world number one. AFP

Novak appeals deportation after Australia cancels visa

M

ELBOURNE—Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic fought against deportation from Australia on Thursday after the government revoked his visa for failing to meet Covid vaccine-entry requirements.

The vaccine-sceptic Serb He contracted Covid at least was stopped by border offionce. cials on arrival to Australia But instead of a conlate on Wednesday and dequering champion’s return, nied entry into the country.

Djokovic never made it past He is currently being held border control. at an immigration detention Conservative Prime facility in Melbourne and Minister Scott Morrison faces deportation. said Djokovic had failed to Djokovic had flown into provide officials with evithe city’s Tullamarine Air- Novak Djokovic dence of double vaccinaport expecting to defend his tion or an adequate mediAustralian Open crown, and to bid for an cal exemption. unprecedented 21st Grand Slam title.

“Rules are rules and there are no speHe had claimed on Instagram that he cial cases,” Morrison said. had obtained an exemption to play in the Australian border officials questournament, which begins on January 17, tioned the sports star overnight and without being vaccinated. revoked his visa citing a failure to “proThe 34-year-old has refused to reveal vide appropriate evidence to meet the his vaccine status publicly, but has previ- entry requirements”. ously voiced opposition to being jabbed.

Djokovic’s lawyers are now arguing

against that decision in court, hoping to prevent the star’s deportation.

‘Djokovic, justice and truth’ News that Djokovic had received an exemption to arrive in Australia without being vaccinated was met by public outcry.

Australians have been unable to travel or welcome family from overseas for much of the last two years, thanks to tough pandemic restrictions.

Stephen Parnis, a former Australian Medical Association vice-president, said the exemption sent an “appalling message” to people trying to stop the spread of Covid-19.

But the Serb’s treatment on arrival prompted fury among his fans and a fiercely worded diplomatic rebuke from Serbia’s president.

“The whole of Serbia is with him and... our authorities are undertaking all measures in order that maltreatment of the world’s best tennis player ends as soon as possible,” President Aleksandar Vucic said after speaking with Djokovic over the phone.

“In line with all standards of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, justice and truth.” AFP

THE Dumper Tigers COCOLIFE will start the Year of the Tiger with a bang early this month.

The powerhouse team, owned by Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista, Dumper Party List Rep. Claudine Bautista-Lim and manager Dinko Bautista, supported by COCOLIFE president Atty. Jose Martin Loon, SVP Joseph Ronquillo, VP Rowena Asnan and EVP Franz Joie Araque, will mix it up with three other teams in a short but action-packed basketball tournament scheduled on January 9 to 12, 2022 in Isabel, Leyte.

The four-team, four-day cage tournament billed as Dumper Party League hosted by businessman/ sportsman Tracker Lim, will showcase the exceptional talent and explosive action from the reigning MPBL Lakan Cup champion Davao Occidental (Dumper), MPBL and FILBASKET champion-caliber team Makati FSD, University of the Philippines from the UAAP and homegrown talents from host team Isabel, to be reinforced by selected players from commercial leagues in a rare ‘championship for a cause’ made possible by Rep. Bautista-Lim, in cooperation with the Leyte local government units.

“Our Tigers are raring to roar on Sunday (Jan. 9) in Isabel, Leyte. This is the start of our mission in pursuing basketball excellence in the Year of the Tiger,” deputy manager Ray Alao said.

Veteran Tigers Billy Ray Robles, Robby Celis, John Wilson, Bonbon Custodio, Emman Calo, Marco Balagtas, Joseph Terso, Jose Presbiterio and Jerwin Gaco will prove once more their lofty billing, with explosive support from newcomers and young guns Alwyn Alday, Irvin Palencia, Jason Grimaldo, Keith Agovida, Cris Lalata, Paolo Hubalde and Allan Santos.

They will be led by head coach Alvin Bonleon, assistant coaches Manu Inigo and Matt Makalintal at the helm.

“They are the same Tigers that dominated the VisMin All Stars last December in Pagadian City in Mindanao. Our winning tradition will surely pave the way in Isabel (Leyte)” said SVP Ronquillo who will personally witness the meaningful and fruitful caused-oriented excellent basketball event in the Visayas.

Tencent Games and Krafton, Inc. score legal victory vs PUBG MOBILE cheaters LONDON – Federal courts in the United States and Germany have ruled in favor of Tencent Games and Krafton, Inc. in their cases against members of a hacking group.

In a decisive reproach of the defendants’ activities of creating and distributing hacks and cheats that provide their users an unfair advantage when playing PUBG MOBILE, the defendants are ordered to pay Tencent Games and Krafton around $ 10 million (U.S. dollars) in damages.

The defendants are further ordered to cease future illegal activities involving game cheating, as well as provide details of how they exploited PUBG MOBILE and about any collaborators.

Tencent Games and Krafton will invest any recovered funds in further development of anticheating technology in PUBG MOBILE.

These rulings are not only a resounding win for Tencent Games and Krafton but for the broader video game industry and its collective battle against illegal hack and cheat creators.

“Millions of players worldwide enjoy PUBG MOBILE and we will ensure a level playing field for everyone. Sadly, the actions of hacker groups undermine the fairness of the game.

These Judgements send a clear message that we will not tolerate cheating in PUBG MOBILE,” stated Rick Li, Producer of PUBG MOBILE, Tencent Games.

“This legal victory bolsters our collective commitment to fiercely protect our games, PUBG IP and global community,” said Minu Lee, Head of PUBGM Product Management at Krafton, Inc. “Fun and fairness is the bedrock of the PUBG MO-

Of Wonder Boy and EJ

IF not for the pandemic, things could have been probably better for Carl Jammes Martin and for the rest of us. Martin, fondly called the “Wonder Boy,” is the current Philippine Super Bantamweight champion from Hingyan, Ifugao.

He is unbeaten in 18 fights, with 15 of his wins via knockout. Aside from this, he has a huge social media following, with his fights getting millions of views, and to think the videos being posted and followed by millions are just footages recorded from mobile devices by his fans. I was able to connect with Wonder Boy through Dennis Principe, my constant source of analysis on bouts featuring Filipino boxers and a friend since I started covering boxing in my previous life.

Martin is probably one of the best boxers now in the country and one of the best-kept

secret prospects that is due to make his mark outside the country.

While COVID-19 has impacted most boxers and athletes based in the country, things are getting interesting for Wonder Boy and his camp.

A source told me that Martin’s handlers look like they are about to strike a deal with a US-based outfit anytime soon. As to who or what, they may come out with a formal announcement next week.

While the source has declined to name the outfit, it has been disclosed in the past that former world champion and now Las Vegas-based trainer Morris East, a group led by champion maker Aljoe Jaro, MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons and emerging global boxing outfit Probellum have expressed interest in handling the career of the unbeaten young Ifugao prospect.

The source revealed that there is even a chance a partnership between two outfits might happen -- that will certainly be a huge first step for Martin’s initial foray on foreign soil.

“This early, Martin’s camp is already considering a serious offer to fight in the Middle

BILE experience and cheating in any form will not be tolerated. As such, we will continue enforcing our IP rights with unwavering resolve against any who seek to tarnish or misuse them.”

These lawsuits highlight an on-going commitment to combat cheating and come after the shutdown of the world’s biggest video game cheating operation based within China in March of last year and several global hacking groups abandoning cheats for PUBG MOBILE. Measures employed to identify and prevent cheating include: continued investment in technology to improve replay screening and evaluation; more penalties for players found exploiting cheats, including isolated match-making and collaborating with members of the community to make the reporting process simpler.

East this June,” the source added.

“One thing is certain, Martin will surely see action in a March 5 card promoted

by Caucus Elorde and in all likelihood, he will again be aiming for a regional title to boost his stock as a potential international campaigner.”

While they are eager to fight abroad or face a tough foreigner or both on March 5, 2022, Martin’s camp has to make a quick decision and take into serious consideration the current pandemic status in the country.

This could mean they may face a local boxer, a young but tough fighter in an All-Filipino regional title fight.

Among the names being mentioned as potential opponent for March 5 are Jess Rhey Waminal (14-4-1, 8 KOs), Ronnie Baldonado (15-2-1, 9 KOs), Carlo Demecillo (15-5-1, 8 KOs) and veteran world title campaigner Richie Mepranum (36-9-1, 11 KOs).

In this time of uncertainty, it is good to know that Martin is off to something he really deserves. Just make this happen peeps. *** I don’t think the same can be said to another good Filipino athlete.

Tokyo Olympian and Asian pole vault record holder Ernest John Obiena summed up best most of our sentiments when he said “I do not jump for Mr. Philip Ella Jui-

co or the PATAFA. I jump for my beloved nation. Ako ay atletang Pilipino. Tumatalon ako para sa Pilipinas at sa lahat ng aking kababayan.”

He made this in your face statement after the PATAFA or the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association decided to drop Obiena from the national pool and worse, the national sports association even recommended the filing of criminal charges against him and his coach Vitaly Petrov for allegedly falsifying liquidation statements and late payments to the Ukrainian coach.

Obiena has since denied the accusations and Petrov spoke openly to support his ward and even accused the PATAFA of tricking him in signing a document.

The Philippine Olympic Committee has since declared Juico persona non grata and has reiterated its support to ensure that Obiena and other athletes will achieve their Olympic dreams.

I know EJ way way back. I was there when he initially set the new Philippine record in the early evening of July 20, 2014 at the PhilSports Football and Athletics Stadium or more popularly known as ULTRA in Pasig City. They were only a handful of people there when the then 18-year-old Obiena made the mark. Wala po kayo Mr.

Juico noong oras na ‘yun at kung sinong opisyal pa ng PATAFA. There have been so many instances in the past when athletes speak about how they are being treated by the NSAs, even the county’s first-ever Olympic medalist Hidilyn Diaz was made to suffer after she spoke about conditions, while she was training. It was hardly a surprise that instead of training here in the country, Diaz chose to prepare in Malaysia months before the Tokyo Games.

My point is, it is happening again. And will continue to happen as long as we have sports officials who prioritize other things except taking care of the very few homegrown talents that they have, of looking to Fil-foreign athletes (to clarify, I’m not against Fil-foreign athletes playing for flag and country) while not pushing its grassroots programs, if there is one in the first place, and who torpedo the career and dreams of the athletes who have been giving the country accolades and next best chance of another Olympic medal.

Can someone propose a law that would limit the terms of local sports officials?

By the way, who checks on the liquidation expenses of our sports officials now that we are talking about the subject?

Stay safe. Stay happy peeps.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022

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ABS-CBN, iQiyi showcase original Pinoy titles Valeen Montenegro plays COVID-19 crusader in digital film

D

R. MA. Dominga “Minguita” Padilla, handpicked actress GMA 7 actress Valeen Montenegro to play herself in a 45-minute short film entitled Liwanag.

Produced by Kapitana Media Entertainment—the company behind the comedy The Women of TONTA Club—the film shows the renowned eye doctor’s journey from an unassuming medical student to a public health crusader who is now one of the country’s most active medical advocates in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Producer and writer Rossana Hwang says, “Together with friends of Dr. Minguita, like myself, and some of her family members, we decided to produce a medical drama, with touches of humor, that will shed light on what she has done for our country. Long before the pandemic happened, Dr. Minguita has been helping the sick, especially

those afflicted with eye ailments.”

As Founder and President of Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, Inc., Dra. Padilla has been leading in efforts for the procurement, processing, and distribution of corneas and eye tissues since 1994—an endeavor that has helped restore sight to thousands of patients around the

country; including indigent patients, who would otherwise remain blind.

When COVID-19 hit the Philippines, Dra. Padilla, together with her fellow doctors, raised funds for hospitals, and for PPEs, supplies, and even washing machines that were donated to the medical frontliners who were on perpetual duty at the hospitals. Dra. Padilla, who is co-convenor of Doctors for Truth and Public Welfare, also served as a resource person in several webinars and online forums in order to inform the public on the facts about Covid-19, the importance of vaccination, and how to avoid getting the virus.

She also helped the MSMEs through her work with GoNegosyo.

Her efforts at training barangay health workers and other doctors at COVID-19 antigen testing, making her own home a virtual testing area, and making herself available for those who needed help in connection with the pandemic, have been recognized by the City of Makati that awarded her with the Exemplary Makatizen Makahero Award last December 2021.

“Actually, I never thought that there would ever be a biopic about

Jadaone’s short film narrates young man’s inspiring fitness journey

Century Tuna unveils an inspiring new video by top director Antoinette Jadaone.

EVERYONE has reasons for staying strong and healthy. And in Century Tuna’s short film entitled ‘Dahilan’ directed by award-winning director Antoinette Jadaone, viewers will get to see the story of a young man and his fitness journey as it unfolds.

If you haven’t seen Dahilan yet, watch the full video on Century Tuna’s official Facebook page (https://bit.ly/ CenturyTunaLoveStrong) before you read this entire article as there are spoilers ahead.

The two-minute video, starts with a montage of the young man working out with improvised home equipment.

It then cuts to him cooking a special meal, which he brings up to the rooftop of his small apartment for a simple but heartfelt ‘date’. It is then revealed that his date is actually his mom with disability, and he has to carry her up to the rooftop. They have been doing the breakfast dates on that same rooftop ever since he was young and he wanted

to continue to bring happiness to his mom by doing the same.

“These days, we must be strong - not just physically but also mentally, and not just for ourselves but also for the people we love. Humuhugot tayo ng lakas sa isa’t isa,” shared Jadaone.

“Many of our previous campaigns showcased fit and sexy bodies. With Dahilan, we are telling the story of our consumers’ “why” – the reason for wanting to have a strong body to take on challenges. We wanted to highlight the importance of living a healthy lifestyle for the people we care about,” said Century Pacific Food Inc. (CPFI) VP and GM for Tuna Division Carlo Endaya.

The voice-over, further complemented by the short film’s original song, was a creative touch by the esteemed director: “My editor Ben Tolentino—who’s also my editor in my films like Fan Girl and Never Not Love You—and I added voiceovers of the son. So aside from the song lyrics, nakasilip tayo sa kung ano ang

nararamdaman ni son while he’s doing all these for his mom.”

As the world continues to face the challenges of the pandemic, the short film’s “Love Strong” message serves as an inspiration for Filipinos to stay strong and healthy for themselves and for the people they love.

Given the meaningful outcome of the video, Carlo Endaya considers Antoinette Jadaone the perfect choice for the “Love Strong” short film.

“We’re happy to work with Direk Tonet on this project. Through powerful storytelling, she perfectly captured the message that we wanted to convey: that we stay strong and healthy not just for ourselves but for the people we love as well,” Endaya ended.

New Minstrels Remix drops ‘Hahabol-habol’ single This month, New Minstrels Remix is releasing its first single, “Hahabol-habol,” under Universal Records Philippines.

Tagged as Asia’s Best Show Band, The New Minstrels (TNM) popularized songs that captivated the audience—performing its music and harmony rendition of different genres from pop, jazz, folk to Broadway.

The New Minstrels, on the other hand, was known not just for its music but its showmanship.

Even with its entry into the music world, the group was already a h e a d of its times in

innovation.

The New Minstrels had its initial public appearance at a luncheon fashion show called “Sari-Sari” at the Hyatt Regency back in the early 70s. Traversing in between models doing their catwalk can be likened on a bigger scale to today’s Victoria’s Secret iconic shows where music celebrities meet fashion icons.

The New Minstrels formally debuted at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines in August 1974.

TNM was the first pop group to perform at the prestigious venue.

They stunned the audience with extravagant costumes and riveting

performances, belting pop favorites to old standards matched with dazzling choreography.

The First Generation’s now-iconic version of the Kundiman love song, “Buhat” became a hit in the ‘70s. When the group decided to disband, a smooth transition to the Second Generation resulted in a seamless TNM performance and accolades.

The new single “Hahabolhabol” will be available for download and streaming on different online music platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes Store, Deezer, and Amazon, to name a few.

The music video is also in the process of its release on the group’s official YouTube Channel.

Featured TNM Remix artists in the single “Hahabol-habol,” are: Alynna Velasquez (Gen 5), Rhiza Tolentino (Gen 5), Grace Pimentel (Gen 2), Jinky Somera (Gen 5), Bobit Pablo (Gen 5), Joseph Olfindo (Gen 2), Rene Puno (Gen 1), and Kash Gatuslao (Gen 5).

Gen 5 members of The New Minstrels

Dra. Minguita Padilla (left) with Valeen Montenegro

me,” said Dr. Padilla. “I am very grateful to those who put this project together. I know it was because they truly care for me and they know my heart and my reasons for taking a very big risk, leaving my comfort zone, and running for public office.”

Dr. Padilla is running for senator under the Partido Reporma party.

In October 2021, after much soulsearching, she decided to heed the requests of various medical groups

SINGING legend Imelda Papin and daughter Maffi Papin Carrion were officially crowned as “Ambassadors for Woman of the World,” a new international search for mother and daughter tandem.

The star-celebrity pair looked gorgeous when they were crowned by reigning Mrs. Tourism Universe for 2021 Hemilyn EscuderoTamayo on Dec. 29 at Mesa Restaurant on Tomas Morato.

Dubbed the “Sentimental Songstress,” Papin is the incumbent vice-governor of Camarines Sur and is seeking the governorship in the next national elections. Carrion, a singer, actor, and model, is the former Noble Queen International 2019. She is presently completing her JD

and seek an elected post.

Watch Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla, directed by Rember Gelera.

The short film can be seen on the following Facebook pages: @ DraMinguita, @HeSaidSheSaidPH, @PadayonTaPage, and @Kapitana Entertainment Media, as well as on the Minguita Padilla YouTube and the Kapitana Entertainment Media YouTube channels.

Ambassadors for Woman of the World

Imelda Papin (right) with her daughter Maffi Papin Carrion

degree major in International Law in a Londonbased university.

Ambassadors for Woman of the World is presented by Mega Star Productions, headed by pageant director Ovette Ricalde.

•••

Filipino moms to compete in Australia Monique Cantalejo Rivera and Christine Chriz Zie Escalante have been crowned Mrs. Universe Asia and Mrs. Universe Australasia, respectively during the Mrs. Universe Australia 2021 finals held virtually recently.

Rivera was crowned by Elite Mrs. Philippines International 2019 Michelle Vitug Encarnacion assisted by Bb. Pilipinas 2021 finalist Patrizia Garcia. Rivera also won the Mrs. Aura Universe and Mrs. Universe Ambassador special awards.

Escalante was crowned by Ms. L, CEO of LaL’or, Seduction, and Hygeia with Director Erwina Arguelles. Escalante won the Mrs. Universe Ambassador and Mrs. Australasia Official special awards.

With their won titles, Rivera and Escalante earned the right to compete in Mrs. Universe 2022 to be held in September 2022 in Australia.

Mrs. Universe Australasia Christine Chriz Zie Escalante (left) and Mrs. Universe AsiaMonique Cantalejo Rivera

Grammys postponed, Sundance goes virtual amid variant surge THE organization behind the Grammys on date, accounted for around 95 percent of US cases Wednesday postponed the music awards gala in the week ending Jan. 1. scheduled for Jan. 31 due to “uncertainty The wave that began in December has cases surrounding the Omicron variant” of COVID-19 running at nearly 500,000 a day in the United that has ripped through the United States in recent States, according to the latest CDC figures, with weeks. new hospitalizations also rising — though numbers Minutes later, the prestigious Sundance film of new deaths have remained largely flat, likely due festival — which was set to begin Jan. 20 in Park in part to vaccine availability.

City, Utah — announced it was shifting all of its The Omicron variant is also milder than previous premieres and events online, a move variants, raising hopes the it deemed necessary “despite the virus could be evolving into most ambitious protocols.” a relatively benign seasonal In a statement, the Recording illness.

Academy said that “holding the Still, the World Health show on Jan. 31 simply contains too Organization in Europe has many risks,” and it would announce sounded an ominous note of a rescheduled date “soon.” caution on Tuesday, warning The heavily mutated Omicron The 2022 Grammys is postponed due the soaring infection rates could variant, the most transmissible to to the COVID-19 Omicron variant. have the opposite effect. AFP

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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Stylist Gabby Wu

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022

Dressing up the stars

By Patricia Taculao

W

E’VE often looked up to celebrities and their sense of fashion. The big screen, television, magazines, and even their endorsements all show the various styles that they can pull off. While some of the stars’ fashion choices, which either sparked controversy or adoration from the public, came from their preference, several others are taken care of by a stylist who makes sure that they stay updated to the latest fashion trends or make a bold statement.

So when you see Gabby Concepcion, Dennis Trillo, Richard Yap, and Tom Rodriguez, remember that the person responsible for their classy and dapper looks is Taiwanese stylist Gabby Wu. At an early age, Wu has already recognized his passion for styling. He studied fashion design and merchandising in college.

By 2013, he worked as an assistant stylist before realizing that styling could be a lucrative and fulfilling career. He later pursued a solo career in styling in 2014.

However, the road to achieving his dream wasn’t a walk in the park. He admitted that there were a lot of challenges that he had to face to make styling his main career.

Trying to sustain styling as a career itself is already a big challenge, according to Wu, because it consumes a great deal of both physical and mental energy, especially when you are just starting since most of the works are project-based.

“Later on, if the inquiries are stable, you will be needing to learn how to fix your schedules for it. Other challenges involve being a good communicator, besides the client him/herself, you will also need to know how to communicate with a lot of people you are collaborating with to create the look, from designers to brands, photographers to make-up artists, etc.,” Wu added.

Although being a stylist may seem like an enjoyable career, Wu believes that there are no shortcuts to anything, especially if one plans to become successful in what they’re doing. But the path ahead can become less arduous to those who are willing to learn from different people and put in the effort.

Despite all the hurdles in his path, Wu persevered to achieve his dream of becoming a successful stylist. Today, he has styled numerous celebrities such as those mentioned earlier and many others, including Kylie Padilla, Alice Dixon, and Marina Benipayo.

“It’s always an achievement whenever my clients entrusted me with their image building through styling. It brings me joy in creating looks and trying to communicate through clothing,” Wu said.

“I like styling people who are confident about the way they look. Dennis Trillio for instance, he’s a very humble person but when he dresses up, he’s oozing with confidence. That’s the kind of character that I’d like to bring out in people I work with,” he added.

Wu is known for looks that are chic yet bold as he confidently works his way around vibrant colors, flattering shapes, and different patterns to create captivating ensembles.

He shared that his work is inspired by what his clients need.

He has styled red carpet looks and even studied the script of movies and other productions to create the appropriate visuals that properly convey the character’s personality through fashion. But aside from adapting to the needs of his clients’, Wu also draws inspiration from the happenings in his environment and society, whether good or bad.

Even the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced Wu’s style. He shared that due to the lockdowns and quarantines, he wanted to create a more relaxed look if given the chance.

“What you see is happening in the world is reflected in fashion, and if you don’t know what’s happening in the world, you can look into fashion,” he said.

The Taiwanese stylist is also inspired by body positivity which allows him to celebrate the shapes and curves of the client he’s styling.

Celebrities have always been put on a pedestal when it comes to fashion. Thanks to stylists like Gabby Wu, they remain a fashion icon in the eyes of their adoring fans for years to come.

Richard Yap as styled by Gabby Wu.

Marina Benipayo

Gabby styled Tom and Dennis in an event in Thailand in 2017.

Wu also styles looks for series. Here’s Dennis Trillo in costume for GMA’s TV series’Legal Wives.’

Megan Young looks fresh in a bright, yellow dress.

Dennis Trillo

Planning to go to Star City? Have your vax cards ready

Xiaomi Exclusive Service Center aims to provide its customers a seamless experience.

Star City will feature a more spacious but simple layout.

Visitors can again enjoy the extreme rides in the amusement park.

STAR City, the country’s biggest air-condi- children and adults to savor.

A Star Pass, priced at P400, will entitle tioned, all-weather theme park, is reopening the visitor to ride-all-you-can access. Enits doors to the public on Jan. 14.

Rebuilt with rides and attractions for all age trance to Snow World, if bought at the gate groups, and providing moderate to extreme or online will be P160.

To promote contactless transactions un- Star City’s soft opening welcomes visitors from 2:00 thrills for people of all walks of life, the park’s soft opening kickstarts its move to regain a solid der the new normal, the public will be en- p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily for the entire January. reputation built over three decades as a world- couraged to buy online, where QR codes plemented, along with social distancing at class recreational complex where the public can can be sent to the guest via email, printed derive maximum enjoyment from a stimulating or saved on a cell phone, and then scanned at the queues, provision of alcohol dispensers array of indoor and outdoor attractions again the gate to gain entry. However, people may throughout the park, and sanitation of all rides in between cycles. Personnel and guests will still buy their tickets at the gate. and again.

Health protocols prescribed by IATF like be required to wear masks.

It has been two long years since Star City Because of the current IATF Alert level 3 ceased operations after being gutted by a fire, temperature checks at the gate will be imstatus, all guests must present their with further complications brought vaccination cards at the gate. In the by the pandemic thrown in, but reconstruction, management made park management was determined sure that the rebuilt and renovated to see the amusement park come to building, including Aliw theatre, is life once more. structurally sound and compliant With the soft opening, visitors with fire detection and prevention will be welcome from 2:00 p.m. to rules and regulations so the public 10:00 p.m. daily for the entire month, can be assured of their safety. but moving to a Thursday-Sunday Capable and able staff will be schedule from February to August around to handle any emergency, as it pushes toward full completion medical or otherwise. Park offithrough the rest of the year. cials will also be monitoring caComprising two floors on its pacity, and there will be real-time original 3.4-hectare footprint, Star updates over the official Star City City will feature a more roomy and website on whether the park can spacious but simple layout. Faaccommodate more guests. vorite rides will again be around for New attractions were also built to delight guests.

Xiaomi opens first Exclusive Service Center in PH GLOBAL technology leader Xiaomi recently inaugurated its first exclusive service center in the Philippines as part of its commitment to ramp up its after-sales program in the country.

Located on the ground floor, Serendra Wing of Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City, the Xiaomi Exclusive Service Center aims to provide its customers a seamless experience starting from the purchase of the products and up to the time after-sales support for the gadgets are needed.

This year, Xiaomi expanded its aftersales touchpoints, growing from 10 service centers last year to opening 20 more sites nationwide; plus appointing 10 additional authorized service centers to support Xiaomi TV products. Furthermore, the Xiaomi Contact Center was established earlier this year to service customers in the Philippines and the Americas.

For more information and exclusive deals, customers can visit the Xiaomi Philippines official stores on Lazada and Shopee.

Xiaomi’s first Exclusive Service Center is located on the ground floor, Serendra Wing of Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City.