Manila Standard - 2022 January 10 - Monday

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

(Story on A4) PNP CALLS FOR VIGILANCE AS ’22 POLL PERIOD STARTS WITH GUN BAN (Story on A4)

BBM-SARA HQ CLOSED WITH 68 INFECTIONS AMONG STAFF NEWS / A4

GOV’T EYES MORE BEDS, RT-PCR TESTS AMID SURGE NEWS / A2

VOL. XXXV • NO. 329 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH logs record 28,707 cases Positivity rate up to 44%; NCR, Calabarzon, C. Luzon top in infections

By Willie Casas

T

HE Philippines logged 28,707 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,965,447, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

LOCKED DOWN. A mother and young child look through the main entrance gate of Layug Street in Barangay 02, Zone 01 in Pasay City on Sunday as a community watchman (left) makes sure residents present their vaccination cards as the area was placed under granular lockdown with active COVID-19 cases. Danny Pata

2,965,447 28,707

77,369

52,150

129

2,785,183

2,579

(As of 4 PM, JANUARY 9)

Next page

DOH hit over shorter isolation for ill frontliners Village execs liable for being lax on mobility

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

THE Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) slammed on Sunday the Department of Health (DOH) order to shorten the duration of isolation and quarantine of fully-vaccinated health workers, saying

this would endanger the health of these workers and their patients.

Under a new circular, the period of quarantine and isolation for fully vaccinated health workers has been shortened as a way to deal with the shortage of hospital staff.

The AHW noted that the isolation period for vaccinated and unvaccinated

people who test positive for COVID-19 is 10 days, but health workers who are infected must undergo only five days of isolation.

Worse, the quarantine days of the general public in close contact with COVID-19 positive patients was shortened to seven days, while health

Next page

STILL DEVOTED. A priest holds an online concelebrated mass for the Feast of the Black Nazarene at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene or Quiapo Church in Manila on Sunday. In lieu of the traditional Traslacion or annual procession of the image of the Black Nazarene owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees – and their pets -- were content to raise their hands and pray several feet away from the church. In areas outside Manila with Nazarene images, church workers require the faithful to present vaccination cards before entering, as was the scene in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

Norman Cruz, Danny Pata and JR Josue

a surge in COVID-19 infections but noted there are other ways to keep an active faith despite quarantine restrictions.

“Faith is the conviction of things that we hope for, even if unseen,” he said in his Feast of the Black Nazarene message.

He urged Filipinos to pray for the recovery of the country and of the world.

Next page

CA dismisses estafa case vs. Okada

By Rey E. Requejo JAPANESE pachinko king Kazuo Okada has scored big in the corporate tug-of-war over a posh casino hotel in Paranaque City after the Court of Appeals ordered the dismissal of the criminal cases filed

BARANGAY officials who could not restrict people unvaccinated against COVID-19 from going outside their homes may also be punished under law, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Sunday.

“We can file many cases against them—administrative, criminal, civil cases,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

This as another DILG official said the department is eyeing to make COVID-19 antigen testing for Filipinos free of charge amid the rising infections fueled by the more contagious Omicron variant.

“We will push hard to make the antigen testing free. I will make sure that this will be brought to the Inter-Agency Task Force,” DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño said during a virtual forum.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered barangay officials to direct persons yet to be vaccinated Next page

Duterte: Pray for our country Schools drop AS FILIPINO Catholics observed the Feast of the Black Nazarene, President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday renewed his call for them to pray that the country will be able to overcome the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Duterte acknowledged that the traditional procession of Black Nazarene or “Traslacion” was suspended due to

The positivity rate was at a record high 44 percent, the fifth straight day that the number broke records with the onset of the ultra-contagious Omicron variant. A total of 77,479 people were tested on Jan. 7.

Sunday’s new-case total is the highest number of daily cases reported since the pandemic began in the country. The previous highest daily case count was 26,458 – just last Saturday.

Before that, the previous highest daily case count was 26,303 on September 11, 2021, during the socalled Delta wave of the coronavirus, when Metro Manila was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine.

All laboratories were operational, but 14 were not able to submit their data on time, the DOH reported.

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were Metro Manila (National Capital Region) with 16,803 or 59 percent; Region 4-A (Calabarzon) with 5,821 or 20 percent; and Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 2,841 or 10 percent.

There were 15 new fatalities reported,

against him for lack of merit.

In a 24-page decision dated December 9, 2021, the CA’s Sixteenth Division reversed and set aside the ruling of the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court, Branch 257, which earlier found merit to Next page

classes amid COVID surge

SEVERAL universities and colleges have canceled classes today (Monday) and for several days after to protect against the spread of COVID-19 as fueled by the contagious Omicron coronavirus variant.

The University of the Philippines on Sunday also announced in a Facebook post the closure of the Academic Oval and other public spaces in its Diliman campus in Quezon City starting January 10.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines said classes in all levels would be suspended from Jan. 10 to 16, Next page

GUN CHECK. PNP personnel perform spot checks on motorists along Naguilian Road (Jose Aspiras Highway), one of the major thoroughfares of Baguio City and Benguet, and along Roxas Boulevard in Manila as the gun ban for the 2022 national elections began Sunday (see story on A4). Dave Leprozo and Norman Cruz

A2

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Gov’t eyes more beds, RT-PCR tests T

HE national government will be ramping up hospital bed capacity, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, and vaccination in the wake of record high daily Covid-19 infections.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the acting Presidential Spokesperson, said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Sub-Technical Working Group (sTWG) on Data Analytics recommended implementing an increase in the availability of bed capacity in the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding areas (NCR Plus).

NCR Plus is composed of the NCR

and the nearby provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal.

He said the IATF-sTWG also recommended coordinating with the relevant stakeholders to integrate monitoring of the capacity of Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) in its measurement of health systems capacity.

Nograles noted that the task force

suggested ensuring that patients needing care are promptly and appropriately referred as well as reassessing the capacity of TTMFs, increasing TTMF capacity where needed, and removing any referral quotas from hospitals.

He said the Department of Health (DOH) Field Implementation and Coordination Team (FICT) and the National Task Force (NTF) Health Facilities Sub-Cluster have been instructed to immediately communicate with NCR hospitals to determine how the Covid-19 bed capacity is being allocated.

The NTF Health Facilities SubCluster, together with the DOH Knowledge Management and Information

PH...

Rizal, on the other hand, is at 27.62 percent.

Antipolo, Dasmariñas, San Jose del Monte, Taytay, Santa Rosa, Rodriguez, San Pedro, Marilao, Santa Maria, Biñan, Malolos, and San Fernando, Pampanga also recorded an increase in COVID-19 infections.

The highest one-week growth rate was found in Calamba, Laguna with 1,750 percent. The area only reported an average of four cases from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. However, it went up to 74 average cases from Jan. 2 to 8.

As of January 7, the positivity rate of the coronavirus in NCR reached 50.5 percent, the first time it hit above 50 percent, OCTA Research said Sunday.

The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

David said the peak of COVID-19 cases in NCR may possibly occur within the week.

"The data from DOH shows that the rate of increase of the positivity rate could be slowing down. We will know in the next few days if the positivity rate is indeed slowing down or if this is just an artificial effect,” he said.

“If the increase in positivity rate is slowing down, then the peak in the NCR might occur within the week. Let us hope that is the case.

Today (January 8) we expect 17,000 new cases in the NCR and 27,000 in the Philippines (give or take)," David wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, an analyst from the University of the Philippine said COVID-19 infections in Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions are nearing the highest daily level reached during the surge last September that was driven by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

“We've surpassed our peak... for Delta in NCR. And for Region 4A and Region

3, we're nearing the peak,” said Jomar Rabajante of the UP Pandemic Response Team.

“What's happening in our nearby regions, provinces, will speed up the peak for the entire country and we may reach this target around mid-January,” he told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo in Filipino.

The highest number of new cases recorded in Metro Manila during the Delta-triggered surge was 9,031, on Sept.

11. Calabarzon had 5,833 while Central Luzon logged 3,111, he said.

The NCR surpassed that record on Jan. 6, with 11,630 additional infections, according to ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido, who cited Department of Health (DOH) data.

COVID-19 infections in the country may reach their peak as early as Jan. 15 or as late as the third week of February, citing a possible range of 20,000 to 40,000 reported cases in a day, Rabajante said earlier.

On the other hand, the DOH projected that the country's COVID-19 cases will peak by the end of the month.

Rabajante said the regions may have different timelines for reaching their peaks.

"Some provinces may reach the peak later on, probably around February, because Omicron did not begin to spread at the same time for all,” he said, referring to the more transmissible COVID-19 variant suspected of causing the current wave of infections.

Rabajante said the UP Pandemic Response Team also saw an acceleration in the increase of COVID-19 cases in Cagayan Valley and Central Visayas. He said it is possible for cases to subside in a month or two.

The good news, he noted, is that the hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rates are not increasing as fast as the number of cases.

“This is a far cry from what happened

From A1

bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 52,150.

The DOH also reported 2,579 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,785,183.

There were 128,114 active cases, of which 4,213 were asymptomatic; 119,276 were mild; 2,851 were moderate; 1,465 were severe; and 309 were critical.

Nationwide, 35 percent of ICU beds, 39 percent of isolation beds, 38 percent of ward beds, and 18 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 52 percent of ICU beds, 50 percent of isolation beds, 65 percent of ward beds, and 26 percent of ventilators, were in use.

The independent OCTA Research Group reported that the average daily attack rate (ADAR) of COVID-19 has reached the highest in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cainta, Rizal in the past week with 59.81 percent and 55.37 percent respectively.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David, in his tweet, reported that NCR had the most COVID-19 infections from Jan. 2 to 8 averaging 8,468 new cases.

The figure was a 785-percent oneweek growth rate as compared to its previous average of 957 new cases from Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 1, 2022.

NCR was followed by Cainta, which showed a 1,343-percent one-week growth rate from the previous 14 weekly average of cases to 202 in the recent week.

Other local government units (LGUs) with high ADAR were found in Cavite, namely General Trias with 32.35 percent, Imus with 31.74 percent, and Bacoor with 31.71 percent.

In Bulacan, the city of Meycauayan showed an ADAR of 28.45 percent while Marilao is at 27.59 percent. San Mateo,

DOH...

From A1

workers who are at high risk and in contact with COVID-19 positive patients are no longer required to be quarantined.

AHW said shortening the duration of isolation for the health workers with positive cases—asymptomatic, mild, and moderate—will pose further danger to the health and safety of health workers as well as their patients.

The group also warned it will further accelerate the proliferation and spread of

CA...

From A1

put Okada, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Okada Manila hotel resort, on trial for estafa.

The appellate court also quashed the lower court’s order of arrest against the pachinko king based on complaints by Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI), the Philippine firm that owns and operates the hotel and gaming company.

“Wherefore, the instant petition for certiorari is granted. The order dated 06 May 2019 and order dated 04 July 2019 in Criminal Case Nos. 2018-3100 to 3102 issued by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 257, Parañaque City are reversed and set aside, and the warrant of arrest issued against petitioner Kazuo Okada and Takahiro Usui are hereby recalled and quashed,” the CA said in a decision penned by Associate Justice Alfredo D. Ampuan.

“In view of the foregoing, we find that the lower court acted with grave abuse of discretion in issuing the warrants of arrest against petitioner and Usui despite the clear absence of probable cause against them,” the CA ruled.

“There are practical considerations to the dismissal as well, since the state

infections.

Furthermore, AHW said the policy drafted by the DOH and the IATF to create a distinction between the general public and health workers was illogical and unscientific because the virus infects everybody the same way.

In accordance with the DOH Circular, Philippine General Hospital (PGH) issued a memorandum ordering the fully vaccinated health workers who had high-risk exposure to COVID-19 and are asymptomatic to report back to work effective immediately.

Worst, they are not required to undergo COVID testing anymore because they are will be spared from exerting its resources persecuting an innocent individual,” the appellate court said.

The CA said that Tiger Resort has the opportunity to seek recourse in a civil case if it truly believes that the disbursements were unauthorized.

“Unfortunately, it cannot insist on pursuing the instant criminal case against petitioner and Usui in light of the absence of probable cause to indict them for the crime,” the CA emphasized.

In June 2017, the TRLEI board unceremoniously booted out Okada from his post and removed him from the board along with TRLEI president and chief operating officer Takahiro Usui.

Subsequently, the board accused Okada of misappropriating TRLEI funds and went to court to compel him to account for the money.

Nearly three years ago in May 2019, Paranaque Regional Trial Court branch 257 judge Rolando How ruled against Okada, finding probable cause to prosecute him for estafa for alleged unauthorized disbursement of $3.1 million in TRLEI funds.

Consequently, the lower court also issued warrants of arrest for the Japanese businessman. Also ordered arrested was former TRLEI president/ COO Usui. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

planned face-to-face classes and would announce later if it still would have an From A1 academic break.

Far Eastern University opted to hold while several schools led by De La Salle its classes exclusively online from Jan. 17 University will shutter campuses from Jan. 10 to Feb. 12. to 15.

San Beda College’s Alabang campus University of the East postponed its called for a "health break" for select

Schools...

Technology Service, were instructed to increase the capacity of telehealth and telemedicine outside NCR, he added.

The One Hospital Command Center was recommended to ensure as close to real-time updating of health systems capacity as possible based on functional bed capacity to take into consideration the level of available health care workers.

Nograles said the IATF sTWG on Data Analytics tasked the Community Response Cluster and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure that Emergency Operations Centers with functional triage areas are in place in all local government units (LGUs).

during the Delta surge,” Rabajante said.

Authorities and experts continue to remind the public to follow the minimum public health standards and get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Also on Sunday, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) said it is limiting its admission of non-COVID patients so it can reassign some of its health workers to COVID-19 operations.

“Gradually, we're limiting our admissions to the non-COVID patients.

In fact, we already have a directive that we will only take real emergencies,” said PGH spokesman Dr. Jonas del Rosario.

He said the increase in COVID-19 cases is also affecting its manpower.

Del Rosario said an estimate of 2,000 health workers are involved in PGH's COVID-19 operations, but 40 percent are either in isolation or under quarantine due to the respiratory illness (see related story on A1 – Editors).

The hospital has allowed virusexposed workers to skip quarantine if they are asymptomatic to be able to continue operating.

“If we're going to follow the conventional recommendation of 10 to 14 days of quarantine, we will really run out of health care workers,” he said.

“If we won't quarantine everyone, only around 25 percent of health workers will be isolated. So that's probably manageable,” he added.

Del Rosario said he understands the concerns surrounding the new policy but assured the public that the health workers have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

He said the staff would also stop working once they experience COVID-19 symptoms.

The PGH currently has 300 COVID-19 beds with 251 admitted virus patients, but the number of beds will be adjusted as more cases come in, Del Rosario said.

‘AstraZeneca jab hikes antibodies against Omicron’ ASTRAZENECA’S COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant]) significantly boosted levels of antibodies against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant (B.1.1.529) following a third dose booster, according to data from a new laboratory study.

Neutralization titres for Omicron were boosted following a third dose with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine compared to titres after a second dose, the company said in a statement.

The levels seen after the third dose booster were higher than the neutralizing antibodies found in individuals who had been previously infected with and recovered naturally from COVID-19 (Alpha, Beta, Delta variants and original strain).

Sera obtained from individuals one month after receiving the third dose booster vaccination neutralized the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed one month after the second dose against the Delta variant.

Two doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine have been associated with protection against the Delta variant in real world studies.

The study analyzed blood samples taken from individuals infected with COVID-19; those who had been vaccinated with a two-dose schedule and a third dose booster; and those who had reported previous infection from other COVID-19 variants of concern.

The study included samples from 41 individuals who had received three doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Duterte:...

From A1

BioNTech vaccine arrived in Manila past 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. This brings the total number of vaccines delivered to the Philippines at 213,487,520.

Latest data available from the Department of Health (DOH) indicates that the country has so far administered a total of 110.089 million doses as of January 4, 2022.

This includes 57.254 million first doses, 50.627 million full vaccinations, and 2.207 million booster doses.

Meanwhile, Diño said the government is already looking into allowing antigen testing at home and the Department of Health (DOH) is set to release the policies for this by next week.

He expects that the price or demand for the antigen testing may increase in the next coming days as it is cheaper compared to other tests.

Diño stressed that the public should also make use of the free COVID-19 testing offered in various government hospitals.

The DOH on Friday said the government will not adopt mass testing as a strategy against COVID-19, claiming that it is not rational and science-based.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said it is a recognized fact that resources in the country are limited. Willie Casas (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

“Although we may not be able to take part in the usual Traslacion activities that have marked the celebration for centuries, let us keep on demonstrating our faith by praying for our country's recovery and for humanity's complete healing, especially from the ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Duterte expressed hope that Filipino Catholics remain “united in spirit and in truth.”

On Wednesday, the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 approved the recommendation to suspend the Traslacion procession and all other activities related to it this year.

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church was closed, and no Holy Mass shall be physically conducted from Jan. 7 to 9.

The Traslacion is the Catholic faithful's annual religious festival involving a traditional procession of the Black Nazarene, an image of Jesus Christ, from Quirino Grandstand in Luneta to Quezon Boulevard, Manila.

This is the second year that the traditional procession of the Black Nazarene has been suspended due to the global health crisis.

Several devotees still tried to go to Quiapo Church on Sunday for the Feast of the Black Nazarene despite the cancellation of all activities related to it.

“We anticipated that despite the announcement, information, and guidance we gave. Many were still trying,” said Police Lt. Col. John Guiagui, commander of Manila Police District 3, in an interview on radio dzBB. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said that online Masses would proceed to mark the observance of the Feast of the Black Nazarene even if devotees are banned from entering the Quiapo Church.

“We are not allowing them to enter.

If we see some, we immediately tell them to go. We encourage them to attend the online masses instead in their own homes.,” Guiagui said.

Tarpaulins were put up around the area saying that masses will be celebrated online, according to a video posted by radio dzBB. Some 2,000 police were also deployed to ensure that no devotees could pass through.

However, some devotees instead tried to transfer to the Santa Cruz Church in Manila as roads were closed leading to Quiapo Church.

In his homily, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula said that while everyone is saddened parishioners could not personally go to Quiapo Church to attend mass and touch the image of the Black Nazarene, they should not worry as He would visit them in their own homes.

departments but clarified that its School on inclusive dates are: of Law would continue having classes • Jan. 10 - Saint Pedro Poveda College following a set schedule.

• Jan. 10 to 11 - Xavier School San In a letter posted by its Student Council, Juan and Nuvali the Philippine Science High School-Main • Jan. 10 to 12 - De La Salle Zobel, Campus in Quezon City likewise suspended Philippine Women's University synchronous classes from Jan. 10 to 14.

• Jan. 10 to 14 - Marist School Other schools to suspend classes based • Jan. 10 to 15 - De La Salle - College

of Saint Benilde (Benilde Manila, Benilde Antipolo, Benilde Deaf School, and Benilde Senior High School); Miriam College (grade school, high school, SDTEC at MC Nuvali); Chiang Kai Shek College (all levels); San Beda College - Alabang (IBED K-10 and SHS 11-12, College of Arts and Sciences, and Graduate School). Jimbo Gulle

asymptomatic, AHW said.

The health workers noted the DOH cannot simply assume that symptoms will appear immediately.

"Health workers with high risk exposure to COVID-19 with or without symptoms should be quarantined and undergo an RTPCR test. A free, regular and mandatory RTPCR test should be provided to all health workers in every high-risk exposure to COVID-19,” the group said.

AHW President Robert Mendoza assailed the DOH circular as completely inhumane and unjust to health workers who are risking their lives in battling the

Village...

From A1

against COVID-19 to stay home amid the spike in infections.

On the other hand, Malaya said that barangay officials arresting unvaccinated individuals who insist on going out would only be a “last resort” and would be conducted “within the bounds of the law.”

“I know they are getting tired too but this is really the call of our duty. We need to do that to save our country from a more serious problem because of COVID-19,” he said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also said unvaccinated persons who leave their homes without a valid reason under the ordinances of their local government units will only be arrested if they resist or fight with the persons in authority.

Malaya added there are no more barangay officials in Metro Manila who refuse to get vaccinated, but many of them still remain unvaccinated in provinces due to fear of a “zombie apocalypse” and their religious beliefs.

Meanwhile, the government on Sunday received 2.7 million doses of vaccines donated by the United States through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility.

A total of 2,703,870 doses of the Pfizer-

infectious and deadly virus.

Mendoza said he is both saddened and angered by the shortened quarantine period for medical frontliners exposed to COVID-19.

Even if health workers are asymptomatic, they can still transmit the virus, Mendoza said.

Mendoza urged the Department of Health to resolve the problem of understaffing in hospitals and to give benefits to health workers who are unable to work after being sickened by the virus.(See full story online at manilastandard.net)

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

A3

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Police arrest suspect in Cavite lawyer’s killing MANILA—A drug buy-bust operation led to the arrest of the suspected killer of the deputy prosecutor who was exercising outside his house when gunned down in Barangay Cabuco, Trece Martires City, Cavite on New Year’s Eve. Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, on Sunday identified the suspect as Marvin Tagayon Linaban, 44.

He was one of two persons nabbed

by Cavite Drug Enforcement Unit operatives during an operation in Barangay H2, Dasmariñas City at about 10:30 p.m. of January 7.

Another suspect, Elvin Esguerra, 40, was wounded and arrested in an ensuing shootout with the arresting officers.

Several plastic sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P69,000 were also confiscated.

Both suspects were in possession of guns. Linaban admitted his alleged participation in the shooting of Assistant City Prosecutor Edilbert Mendoza and expressed willingness to execute an extra-judicial confession in the presence of a lawyer of his choice.

“If all evidence and facts check out, the arrest of Linaban could be a major breakthrough in the investigation of the murder of Atty. Mendoza,” Carlos said.

Mendoza, 48, died on the spot with gunshot wounds to the head.

CINEMA QUEUE. Moviegoers queue at the ticket booth

at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City to watch the latest “SpiderMan” movie on Sunday. Most of the movie houses in the mall are showing the same movie. Danny Pata

Salceda sees recovery in terms of jobs, prices

By Rio N. Araja

‘Remedial plan can help amid COVID-19’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Win Gatchalian cited the need for a nationwide remedial program to accelerate learning recovery, following the Department of Finance (DOF) warning of economic scarring because of a prolonged lack of face-to-face classes.

Under his proposed Senate Bill No. 2355 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, Gatchalian proposes well-systematized tutorial sessions for learners who are struggling to achieve the minimum level of mastery required in Language, Mathematics, and Science.

The proposed ARAL program aims to cover the most essential learning competencies on Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10 and Science for Grades 3 to 10.

It also seeks to focus on reading to develop learners’ critical and analytical thinking skills. Numeracy and literacy skills will be given focus for Kindergarten learners. The proposed program also aims to target learners who did not enroll for School Year (SY) 2020-2021.

Secretary of Finance Carlos Dominguez recently said that the government must find a way to regain the school days lost due to the pandemic.

He noted that the lack of faceto-face classes will affect the quality of education and eventually the youth’s earning capacity.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) estimated that the yearlong lack of face-to-face classes will cost the Philippine economy P11 trillion in productivity losses over the next 40 years.

MORE PFIZER VACCINES.

A Silk Way West Airlines carrying more than 2.7 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, donated by the US government via COVAX lands at NAIA Terminal 2 on Sunday.

Avito Dalan

A

LBAY Rep. Joey Salceda on Sunday said jobs have recovered, and that prices have stabilized when the economy has opened in the past months.

“The jobs and prices reports reflect what we have already observed for the past several months: When the economy is able to operate at a higher capacity, jobs are created and prices stabilize. If we want jobs to return and the price situation to improve, we have to do what we can to keep the economy open,” he said.

“Although in my view, actual job creation remains fluid, the most significant number in the November 2021 survey is

that more people have decided to take part in the labor force than at any other time in 2021. That is a positive sign of the growing confidence and the growing need of our workers to rejoin work,” he added.

The national joblessness rate is also down to 6.5 percent from 7.4 percent last month, he noted.

The October to November period saw an increase in jobs by 1.651 million.

“I would attribute some seasonality

Kiko: Don’t cut credit budget for agri sector

to this, and predict that, if the Omicron variant causes an overreaction and as the Christmas season effects fade, we may see unemployment return to 7.0 percent by January 2021,” he said.

“Jobs are being created, but they are not yet very durable jobs. We will only see more concrete jobs recovery once the COVID overhang is resolved and people are no longer speculating whether more stringent restrictions will be implemented in the future,” he cited.

According to Salceda, House committee on ways and means chair, since more people are seeking work, more people would also be unable to find enough work.

Such is the underlying reason for higher underemployment, he stressed.

GUARDED GATES. The gates of the Hesus Nazareno Church in Brgy. Sampaloc 4, Dasmariñas, Cavite are closed and strictly watched over by the staff. Churches are allowed to operate at only 30-percent capacity, as COVID-19 cases continue to surge due to the Omicron variant. Jr Josue

SENATOR Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said the veto of provisions in the 2022 budget related to agriculture represents the Duterte administration’s latest assault on the country’s farmers and fishers.

“Ang dapat bawasan ay yung mga klarong wala o maliit ang kontribusyon sa Covid recovery tulad ng confidential at intel budget. Kukunan mo pa ng budget ang para sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda?

Dapat mas maraming pagkakataong makabangon ang sektor ng pagkain.

(What needs to be cut are programs with little or no contribution to COVID recovery. Why do we need to cut the budgt for fishers and farmers? There should many options for the food sector to recover),” he said.

In his veto message, Duterte thumbed down the budget provision including farmers and fisherfolk organizations or associations on the authorized credit facilities that will manage the Agro-IndustryModernization Credit Financing Program under the Republic Act 8435 or Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization law.

The President said expanding such authority was not needed as there are already banks, cooperatives, and financial institutions to handle credit.

“We studied this carefully in Congress and we defended it before the plenary. This means that every provision is what it thinks is best for all sectors in the country,” Pangilinan said.

He said one of the provisions is to allow farmers to be involved in credit management and to widen farmers’ understanding of how to grow their earnings. “The President should believe in our farmers,” Pangilinan said.

Survey: Defensor leads Belmonte in mayoralty race in Quezon City

MIKE Defensor has widened his lead over Joy Belmonte in the race for mayor of Quezon City, according to the results of the latest Pulso ng Bayan survey conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center.

In the Dec. 13-19 survey, 51 percent of the city’s voters favored Defensor for mayor, with 32 percent going for Belmonte, and 15 percent still undecided.

In the previous Pulso ng Bayan survey done Sept. 27-Oct. 8, Defensor was preferred by 41 percent of voters while Belmonte was picked by 27 percent.

Quezon City is the country’s largest city in terms of assets, population, and voters.

In the city’s vice mayoralty race, 43 percent of the voters opted for Defensor’s running mate, former Rep. Winnie

Castelo, while 22 percent chose Belmonte’s Gian Sotto.

The latest survey was conducted a week after former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio held a huge motorcade in Quezon City.

Defensor is the mayoralty candidate

of the tandem of Marcos Jr., who is running for president, and Duterte-Carpio, who is gunning for the vice presidency.

Responding to the survey results, Castelo said: “There’s no question voters are embracing Mike as a dynamic leader and problem-solver who can get lot of good things done for the residents of Quezon City.”

Sakahon hailed one of best youth-founded agri-firms ANGELES City-Out of 1,800 teams, Sakahon made it to the best 15 teams in the country during the 1st Young Farmers Challenge competition of the Department of Agriculture (DA) held in Calasiao, Pangasinan last month.

DA Secretary William D. Dar led the ceremony in awarding young agri-preneurs along with Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista, Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes, Mr. Anthony Ng, and DA-AMAS OIC Executive Director Ramon Yedra. Sakahon’s CEO, Elaine Carlos Timbol, and COO Elvin Laceda represented the team during the ceremony.

Sakahon is an agritech social enterprise that focuses on two major challenges in the agricultural sector. First, the ability of food

producers, farmers groups to consolidate their produce and participate in a competitive trading system. Second, the opportunity to know what the market needs ahead of time, even before farmers plant their crops.

Sakahon is not just any farm-to-table web platform. It is said to be an innovation that will change the process flow of the farm-to-table system providing opportunities to both farmers and food manufacturers.

Sakahon partners with Filipino farmers who provide fresh harvest for the weekly deliveries to the cities in Pampanga and Metro Manila. Their partner-farmers are learning how to grow quality crops to satisfy the demand of growing markets.

A4

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

SKELETAL FORCE. The camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and running mate Inday Sara Duterte-Capio has maintained a skeleton staff to address preparations and additional distribution of relief goods as well as construction materials for typhoon Odette victims after 30 staff and volunteers have tested positive. File Photo by Ver Noveno

Lacson thanks supporters for kind messages

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH the country facing a new wave of coronavirus cases these days, sparing no one even government officials, it warms Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson’s heart that all Filipinos including politicians are showing solidarity to fight the pandemic.

In an interview with dzRH radio Sunday, Lacson took the opportunity to publicly thank his friends, colleagues and supporters for sending him ‘get well soon’ messages and expressions of concern that lifted his spirits following his recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

“You know, it really warms my heart, especially when you have no one to talk to because you’re isolated in a room to receive those kinds of personal [‘get well soon’ messages] that sometimes were sent directly to me,” he said.

Lacson revealed that among those who sent their well wishes to him were fellow presidential aspirant Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Moreno Domagoso, Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

He said Moreno even offered him ‘molnupiravir,’ the antiviral pill believed to be effective against COVID-19, which the senator politely declined because he would rather let him distribute it to his constituents or other citizens, who are probably going to need it more.

“One of the people who wished me well and for my recovery, even offered medicine like molnupiravir, was Mayor Isko. He told me, ‘This is Isko Moreno, I hope you get well soon, and if you need medicine I have here molnupiravir.’”

PNP calls for vigilance as poll gun ban starts

P

HILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, has called for vigilance as the 150-day nationwide election gun ban kicked off Sunday, with two reported arrested, according to the National Capital Region Police Office.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Jenny Tecson said the first incident happened in Navotas around 2:20 a.m. wherein a person was asked by law enforcers at a checkpoint to present pertinent documents and ID.

In Caloocan, another person was stopped and arrested at a checkpoint for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle.

Carlos said law enforcers would be conducting checkpoint operations in strategic locations to strictly implement

‘RATIONALIZATION.’ Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, in a press conference Friday, said the government must rationalize the use of the National Budget to address crises and other issues without being sidetracked every time a new crisis arises. Norman Cruz

the gun ban from Jan. 9 to June 8 to maintain peaceful national and local elections on May 9, 2022.

“The PNP and other agencies are ready to protect all vital installations and economic key points and other places of convergence. We call on the public to be vigilant at all times to prevent unscrupulous individuals and lawless elements from taking advantage of the election season,” Carlos said in a statement Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the country’s poll body said Sunday he doubted the 2022 national elections would be canceled even if the country should experience a rise in COVID-19 infections on voting day.

The question comes as the Philippines is currently experiencing a new wave of rising COVID-19 infections, suspected to be driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said while it was possible to halt the elections in specific areas where electoral board members become infected with the virus, it does not mean that the nationwide polls will be canceled or postponed.

Carlos said the PNP headquarters, thru the Directorate for Operations, had instructed Police Regional Offices to put-up joint PNP-Commission on Election-Armed Forces of the Philippines (PNP-Comelec-AFP) checkpoints to implement weapons check and other anti-criminality and police security operations, against loose firearms, deadly weapons, unauthorized security personnel, private armed groups, criminal elements and wanted persons.

Cayetano: Migrant Workers Act to ensure ‘ethical recruitment’

By Rio N. Araja

THE newly approved Department of Migrant Workers Act would “ensure ethical recruitment for overseas Filipino workers” in addressing and regulating various issues on hiring, employment and deployment, according to Taguig City Rep. Ala Peter Cayetano.

“When people get desperate or are into an economic crisis, there would be many recruiters or employers duping those vulnerable, or in countries that have troublesome histories with the rights of migrant workers, we see them getting abused. So, I wanted to make sure that ethical recruitment was included in the law,” he said.

He filed the bill creating such a de-

Motivate the unvaxxed—Robredo

By Rio N. Araja VICE President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo said Sunday the government must offer incentives to motivate unvaccinated people to get their jabs against COVID-19.

“We need to give incentives to encourage those unvaccinated,” she said.

She reacted to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for barangay officials to “restrain” and “arrest” unvaccinated people who would refuse “to stay put.”

She claimed the Office of the Vice President was able to convince Aetas in Tarlac province to be vaccinated employing incentives.

“We need to think of something, instead of being punitive at once,” she said.

“For me, COVID has been here in the past two years, we should have been experiencing different problems,” she said.

She said the government had not really defined the benchmark of a mass testing.

The government believes mass testing is the testing of the whole population of 110 million people, while others would call for a mass testing in highrisk areas only, she noted.

“By this time, testing should no longer be a problem. By this time, (even) contact tracing and isolation centers are no longer a problem. We have enough time to prepare,” she said.

partment when he was a senator in 2017, and that he filed a similar bill in Congress in 2019.

Cayetano, as then Speaker, led in passing the measure in March 2020.

The bill is designed to create a Department of Filipinos Overseas and Foreign Employment, a single agency that would focus solely on the concerns of

Filipino migrants.

When the Senate approved its version on Dec. 14, 2021, the House of Representatives adopted it the following day in order to bypass the need for a bicameral conference committee meeting and to allow the measure to be transmitted to Malacañang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature.

UniTeam HQ remains closed for 7 more days

By Rey E. Requejo THE BBM-Sara UniTeam headquarters in Mandaluyong City will remain closed for another week to ensure everyone’s safety and protection, after some volunteers and staff tested positive of COVID-19.

Initially, more than 30 HQ staff members and volunteers tested positive in last Monday’s antigen testing which prompted former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. to order the lockdown of the building.

On Friday, a comprehensive RT-PCR test was conducted resulting in the discovery of at least 68 staff being confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus.

A bulletin was immediately issued and all employees were sent home, except for a skeletal force who were tasked in the preparations and additional distribution of relief goods for typhoon ‘Odette’ victims.

“This (distribution of relief goods) cannot stop because the typhoon victims needed it badly and we have to keep our promise to help them get back on their feet,” former Davao congressman and UniTeam’s political officer Anton Lagdameo said, in a statement.

Among those who were infected with COVID-19 virus was chief of staff and spokesman lawyer Vic Rodriguez, with whom Marcos was exposed to, and several close-in security personnel.

Lagdameo said “Bongbong was saddened by the unwelcome developments, but advised everyone to stay focused and let not their spirits be dampened because right now our major concern is still our fellowmen who were affected by typhoon Odette and by the new surge ofcoronavirus.

In his Facebook page, Bohol Rep. Aris Aumentado (2nd District) said the generator set and satellite dish given by the UniTeam was a big help to the people of Talibon as they could now communicate and seek help from their relatives and friends through their internet and Wi-Fi connections.

Arroceros Forest Park to reopen

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja MANILA Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso is looking forward to the reopening of the redeveloped Arroceros Urban Forest Park, considered as the capital city’s “last lung.”

“This is what the ‘tolongges’ used to hang out, mounds. It’s nice. You can go sightseeing at night, flirt. It’s nice oh. Then here are the things ... even at night, senior citizens and children can go around,” Moreno said while inspecting the progress of the work being done at the park.

The 2.2-hectare Arroceros Urban Forest Park has more than 3,000 trees of 61 varieties and 8,000 ornamental plants and is home to 10 bird species.

After undergoing construction for six months, the park now has fountains, elevated walkways, a coffee shop and play areas for children.

Meanwhile, senatorial bet Dr. Carl Balita of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Quezon City is urging the Professional Regulation Commission to expedite the digitalization of board licensure examinations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a statement sent to Quezon City media, Balita said the PRC website used to present 100 board exams every year, but almost examinations were cancelled since March 2020.

In 2021, there were 48 exams rescheduled, while there were 12 others that rescheduled in 2022 with eight board exams postponed, he lamented.

HOTEL GUARD.

A Makati Police secures the entrance of the Berjaya Hotel in Makati City Sunday, after the local government unit served a closure order to the management of Berjaya Hotel Thursday. That, after the Department of Tourism suspended the hotel’s accreditation for its failure to stop a returning Filipino from skipping the mandatory quarantine in the facility.

The DOT also revoked Berjaya’s permit as a multiple-use hotel.

Danny Pata

Opinion Christmas in our hearts

THE yearly Christmas celebration in the Philippines is arguably the longest in the world.

It is often remarked that with the start of the ‘-ber’ months, so does Christmas in the country begin. The actual celebration however starts nine dawn masses celebrated in anticipation of Christ’s birth on December 25.

But the more intriguing question is, when does Christmas in the Philippines actually end? For most homes, the festivities and fanfare would last into New Year’s Day, when families and friends continue to come together for reunions and gatherings. Most people would take a weeklong break from work, taking the opportunity to return to their hometowns and provinces.

For Filipino Catholics, Christmas would last until January 6, the traditional date for the feast of the Epiphany, thereby completing the 12 of Christmas. Others would wait until February 2, the feast commemorating the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem, to finally put down their Christmas decorations and finally bid adieu to three to four months of the Christmas holidays.

January would also be the month of our cherished Catholic feasts – that of the ‘traslacion’ or the transfer of the revered image of the Black Nazarene to its shrine in Quiapo and of course, the festival honoring the Santo Niño, one of the oldest icons of the Child Jesus brought to these islands 500 years ago.

The continuing restrictions caused by the recent surge in the coronavirus pandemic has significantly changed the way we celebrate these feasts and festivities of recent weeks.

From in-person gatherings of family and friends, many had to content themselves with online Christmas parties. From waking up early to complete the nine-day Misa de Gallo, others decided to settle for an “online attendance.” From the yearly tradition of going back to their hometowns and provinces, many families decided to forego their annual trips and stay home for the holidays.

More than two years of the pandemic has clearly changed our way of life as we know it. While many of the restrictions have somewhat been subdued compared to how things were last year, still an air of uncertainty and even discomfort about the lingering coronavirus pandemic remains to affect not only our holiday plans but even the way we interact with each other.

True, these worries and fears were not totally unfounded. As the year ended, another surge of coronavirus infections happened, owing to either the new Omicron variant or simply the careless disregard for the minimum health standards. With the cases number about

a hundred a few days before yearend, cases were back at more than 20,000 just more than a week after. This left many perplexed and concerned that we will be back to where we were at the beginning of this crisis.

However, it is important to note that despite the surge in infections, an overwhelming number have resulted in mild cases. This is a welcome scenario in our many health facilities, where it was once feared that a resurgence of cases would once more burden our limited hospital capacity. While this is no reason for complacency, clearly our ability to deal with the virus, given also the number of vaccinated persons in previous months, have left our community with a good fighting chance.

In God’s great love for us, He will never leave us alone.

Christmas comes and goes every year – and although we may celebrate it the same way – putting the same Christmas decorations, singing the same carols and exchanging the same gifts – Christmas comes to us differently every year. It comes to us amid the circumstances that surround us every given year – and we receive its message of joy and hope differently as our times warrant.

As it is often said, it is not a question of when this pandemic will end but how. Our ability to be resilient despite the shifting demands of this crisis will shape our capacity not only to survive but more importantly even to thrive. Our willingness to embrace the new normal of doing things as required by our safety and health protocols as well as to have ourselves vaccinated could prove to be the only lasting cure to this pandemic. Our generosity to share what we have to those who are left with too little could do more to correct the injustices and inequalities that for so long inflicted our society.

In the end, Christmas gives us the same reason to hope, and to find joy in the company of family and friends. It assures us the continuing presence of Christ who lived among us, and shared the griefs and pains, as well as the joys and fulfillment of our human experience.

Christmas reminds us of that truth that God meets us in all the challenges and adversities of life.

After Christmas, comes the New Year, and soon after the feast of the Santo Niño. It fittingly reminds us that while we may have to resign to fate and say life may have to go on no matter what, hope will continue to spring eternal. The same Christ who was born in Bethlehem, and grew up in Nazareth knew exactly every aspect of our human condition.

Our celebration of Christmas may have to end at one point, but not its message of God’s enduring presence in human history, and that in his great love for us, he will never leave us alone.

quested that they be allowed the use of the Liwasang Aurora Stage inside the Quezon Memorial Circle but this request was thumbed down by the QC government prompting the organizers to hold the caravan on the streets of QC. And the supporters of both Marcos and Duterte turned out in large numbers which clogged the major thoroughfares in the city creating a traffic Armageddon.

Will there be a shakeup at the Quezon City Hall?

By the time the QC government realized their error in judgment, it was too late. Administrative miscues such as this and the city’s earlier decision to build crematoriums instead of quarantine facilities, alleged overpricing in the purchase of face shields ayuda packs, heavily affected the public’s perception index of their incumbent mayor.

To recoup what it may have lost in terms of public opinion as a result of the glaring mismanagement of the traffic arrangements for the Unity Team Caravan and such other bloopers related to the city government’s handling of the pandemic, some enterprising supporters of the Mayor tried to negate the negative impact of the traffic Armageddon that the public blamed on the Belmonte Administration by making it appear that the mayor is in an alliance with the BBM-Sara Unity Team. This, however, did not sit well with the Quezon City residents, whom Malay said he believes has finally decided to put an end to the 30-year reign of the Belmontes who turned the city into a family fiefdom.

In the 2019 elections, Mayor Belmonte cornered about 54 percent of the 907,912 registered voters who voted out of the city’s 1.33 million voters. The city’s first district Congressman Bingbong Crisologo was the

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

B1

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Joyfully Joyless

IF THE results of the survey conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center or The Center holds true, Quezon City might find itself waking up to a Joyless morning after May 9.

No, I’m not referring to that gloomy scenario but the possibility of having incumbent City Mayor Joy Belmonte Alimurung finding herself voted out of office.

In fact, on the contrary, Quezon City residents might even find themselves in a celebratory mood if we are to believe Malayang Quezon City’s claim they are out to rid the country’s most populated city of corruption, inefficiency and everything in between.

In the latest non-commissioned Pulso ng Pilipino conducted by The Center from December 13 – 19, Malayang Quezon City mayoral bet, AnaKalusugan Party-List Representative and former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Mike Defensor posted 51 percent favorable response from the respondents compared to Belmonte-Alimurung’s 32 percent.

According to Ed Malay, director of The Center, the survey ratings are no different from the actual elections because both are influenced by a common factor – the media and the environment.

This, Malay said, is the reason why Belmonte isn’t doing very well in the surveys because of the negative media reportage of the miscues that she has committed as the local chief executive of the city, particularly in the way the road caravan of presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos and his running mate Inday Sara Duterte, was handled by the city authorities.

The organizers of the caravan have re-

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

Devotion

D

ESPITE the COVID surge-driven cancellation of the Traslacion associated with the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Sunday, January 9, a handful of devotees attempted to go to Quiapo Church nonetheless.

Police said they had anticipated that a few insistent faithful would turn up – they were turned away immediately, anyway.

GMA-7 reported that others, finding the road to Quiapo Church closed, even tried going to Santa Cruz Church.

All these happened despite an earlier information drive by the police and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, telling the people to practice their devotion online instead through streamed masses, because of the surge in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases in recent days. On Sunday, the country registered an alltime high of 28,707 new cases.

It is unclear whether the information drive was not effective enough, or whether those who tried to physically go to Church believed that their devotion would shield them from the very real threat of contracting the virus, especially its more transmissible form.

Meanwhile, in his message, President Rodrigo Duterte said: “Faith is

the conviction of things that we hope for, even if unseen.”

Many other things should accompany prayers for healing and recovery.

“Although we may not be able to take part in the usual Traslacion activities that have marked the celebration for centuries, let us keep on demonstrating our faith by praying for our country’s recovery and for humanity’s complete healing, especially from the ill effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

We are guided by our faith, of course, but we know all too well that many other things should accompany prayers for healing and recovery.

For instance, now that the virus appears to be so widespread even among

those who swear they practice health protocol religiously, it is so easy to be driven by fear and speculation. We should know that only through relying on science and facts can we allay our fears and meet risks head-on.

We also have a responsibility not only to our immediate families but to our neighbors and community. We should acknowledge that all of our actions have consequences, so we should be careful in all that we do, and we don’t do.

Finally now that elections are fast approaching, we will be reminded once again that good leaders are those who are able to show up, think strategically and yet roll their sleeves up and work at the grassroots to know the nation’s problems intimately are our best hope and option.

We cannot control a pandemic, in the same way that we cannot control disasters or other external factors. But we can plan and we can plot ways to get through the worst of times with some forethought, practical sense, decency, and genuine compassion.

We have not faith, but certainty, that these will increase the likelihood of a faster recovery from the pandemic, to smaller damage, fewer deaths, and in the longer term, genuine development that has eluded us for so long.

Mineral resources for sustainable and inclusive prosperity

THROUGHOUT history, thriving mining industries all over the world have been a critical contributor in generating revenues for the government. They support local industries, create quality employment, and build progressive communities in the most remote and underdeveloped areas. As for the Philippines, its rich endowment of mineral resources are highly valuable national assets that remain to be an underdeveloped cross-industry driver that could have cushioned the impact of the economic damage caused by the pandemic.

This policy impasse has finally been remedied with the lifting of the moratorium on new mining permits and the ban on open-pit mining. These are two ill-advised policies that stopped what could have been a wave of multi-billion dollar investments that by now would be thriving centers of growth even with the ongoing pandemic.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2021-40 signed (December 29, 2021)

by DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu pointed out that the “open-pit mining method is a globally-accepted method of mining, considered to be the most feasible option for mining near-surface or shallow ore deposits.” A scientific fact that was somehow overpowered by the hard-line environmental posturing of former Environment Secretary Regina Paz Lopez and her advisers.

According to the DAO the rectifying policy aims: “To revitalize the mining industry and usher in significant economic benefits to the country by providing raw materials for the construction and development of other industries and by increasing employment opportunities in rural areas where there are minchoice of 42.19% of those who actually voted.

But while Crisologo was the people’s choice, his campaign was hampered by lack of funds especially during the end-game phase of the campaign.

Malay noted that the odds in this year’s mayoral elections in Quezon City seem to favor Defensor as he is running in tandem with one of the city’s accomplished political leaders – Winnie Castelo who currently leads incumbent Vice Mayor Gian Sotto by a whopping 27-percent margin. In the same pre-poll survey of Pulso ng Pilipino, Castelo was favored by 49 percent of those polled as against the 22 percent of Sotto.

Five of the big guns running for the city’s six congressional districts are allied with Defensor with only incumbent Congressman Bong Suntay of the city’s fourth district who is seeking a second term under the ticket of Belmonte and Sotto. But Suntay is facing stiff

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

The Philippine mining sector proved to be resilient to the ongoing economic doldrums and posted increases in its production value.

According to data from the Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB), the country’s metallic mineral production value managed to gain 22.34 percent from P99.03 billion the previous year. This illustrates the huge opportunity loss through these years when these two policy walls stopped what could have been some billions of dollars’ worth of investments in new large-scale mining projects.

In a 2016 list of only 11 pending mining projects, the total capital investments valued at that time was already at US$ 23 billion. This is more than double compared with 2017 data from the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines that reported total Foreign Direct Investments of only US$ 10 billion.

To further illustrate, the US$ 5.9-billion project in the Tampakan copper-gold deposit in South Cotabato, reputed to be one of the largest undeveloped deposits in the world with 2.94 billion tons of copper and gold ore, would have already been benefiting not just its host communities but also the adjacent

regions in Mindanao and the national government. With a projected average yield of 375,000 tonnes per annum of copper and 36,000 ounces per annum of gold in concentrate over a 17-year period, a simple computation based on recent copper and gold prices translates to some P1.25 billion and P3.2 billion in annual potential respectively.

Philex Mining’s Silangan project in Surigao del Norte with estimated mineable reserves (2019) of 917.67 million pounds of copper and 2.995 million ounces of gold, is valued at approximately P205.9 billion and P274 billion respectively. Mindoro Nickel’s $2.5-billion project has estimated reserves of some 2.9 million tonnes or 6.6 billion pounds of nickel.

Other multi-billion-dollar investments that would hopefully see a restart are: Nadecor’s Kingking project in Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental’s Asiaticus project, Lepanto Mining’s FSE project in Benguet, and Masbate’s Philsaga Mining contract, among others.

These impressive figures of the legitimate large scale mining companies under the Chamber of Mines of the Philippine (CoMP) does not account for the multiplier effects that would greatly benefit the national and local economy in terms of taxes, infrastructure development, employment, and linked industries needed to support each project. Even if all these projects are in full operation, we would only be scratching the surface of the country’s vast mineral wealth with a footprint below 1 percent of the country’s total land mass.

With these policy walls demolished, the mining sector can now start developing a critical mass of responsible mining operations that will simultaneously lead long term development for millions of families in the remote countryside and without expense to government. As the CoMP has successfully led a science based advocacy to reverse these bad policies, there are great expectations for its members to lead a renaissance of the mineral development industry and for the Philippine mining sector and its linked industries to be a leading force in harnessing our mineral resources for sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

competition from Councilor Marvin Rillo who boasts of a very strong support from the masses on the ground.

In The Center’s survey, Suntay enjoys a slim three percent lead over Rillo, getting 39 percent over the councilor’s 36 percent.

Elsewhere in the city, Malayang Quezon City candidates appear headed for victory come may 9 except for District 5, which seems to be a neck and neck battle just like Suntay and Rillo in District 4.

In District 1, incumbent Congressman Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crisologo garnered 46 percent to actor Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde’s 23 percent; in District 2, incumbent Mari Grace Preciosa “Precious” Hipolito leads with 43 percent over Ralph Wendel “Ralph Raffy” Tulfo who got 25 percent; In District 3, another incumbent congressman, Allan Benedict Reyes leads with 41 percent over Franz Pumaren with 25;

In District 5, Patrick Michael “PM” Vargas, brother of outgoing congressman, actor Alfred Vargas, holds a precarious two-point lead with 33 percent over businesswoman Rose Lin who got 31 percent.

Sources however say Vargas might actually pull away from Lin as the campaign heats up as the latter would have to deal with the controversial Pharmally issue. Lin was a former executive of the Pharmally Biological Company which was implicated in the multi-billion-peso face shield issue.

In District 6, Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo will be looking to reclaim his seat as he leads Marivic co-Pilar, 43 percent to the latter’s 24 percent.

So, if this survey result can hold until the actual polls on May 9, Malayang Quezon City might be in for a really joyful but Joyless 2022.

But then, they wouldn’t mind, would they? I don’t think they would even miss her.

ing activities thereby stimulating countryside development.”

Now the Philippine mining industry can restart and hopefully sustain an accelerating momentum of expansion to catch up with economies that have taken maximum advantage of their mineral riches such as, Australia, Indonesia, and South American countries. Becoming a new powerhouse in this trillion-dollar global mineral ecosystem aligns perfectly to our dire need to recover towards inclusive economic growth, infrastructure development, and poverty reduction.

The mining sector can now start developing a critical mass of responsible operations.

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

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher 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

B2

World

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Colombian dies publicly under court’s new euthanasia policy CALI, Colombia—Victor Escobar decided to die and to do so publicly, becoming one of the first Latin Americans to end their life without suffering from a terminal disease, under a ground-breaking court ruling in Colombia.

Hours before dying on Friday, 60 year old Escobar celebrated what he called victory in his two-year battle with a lung ailment that left him unable to breathe on his own.

“Little by little, it becomes everyone’s turn. So, I do not say goodbye but rather, see you soon. And little by little we will end up with God,” Escobar, who is a practicing Catholic, said in a video sent to news organizations.

He died in the city of Cali with doctors present, his lawyer said on Twitter.

The last footage of him alive shows him smiling and surrounded by family.

He was sedated and then given a lethal injection.

Colombia de-penalized assisted death in 1997, and in July 2021 a high court expanded this “right to dignified death” to those not suffering from a terminal illness.

It is the first Latin American country to take the step and one of the few in the world and did so despite being mostly Roman Catholic. The church categorically opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide.

“I was already feeling sick. I felt like my lungs did not obey me,” Escobar told AFP in October as he waged the final chapter of his legal battle.

- Non terminalDiabetes and a cardiovascular ailment left him in a wheelchair and suffering from spasms that wracked his body.

His family backed the idea of euthanasia.

In Europe only Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Spain have legalized euthanasia. AFP

SHINTO RITUAL.

Shinto believers of the Teppozu Inari Shrine stand next to a pool before taking a bath in cold water to purify their souls and bodies during a New Year ritual in Tokyo on January 9. AFP

ON UKRAINE WAR FEARS

US, Russia in high-stakes Geneva talks

G

ENEVA -- The United States and Russia open talks Sunday in Geneva on soaring tensions over Ukraine, with Moscow seeking a wide-ranging new security arrangement with the West but facing strong pressure to pull back troops.

The high-level discussions start a week of diplomacy in which Russia will meet with NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the US trying to

assure European allies they will not be sidelined.

Russia since late last year has amassed tens of thousands of troops at the Ukrainian border and demanded guarantees

that NATO will not expand eastward or set up further bases in the former Soviet Union.

The United States, to be represented by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, agreed to talks even though it made plain that many of Moscow’s proposals are non-starters.

Originally scheduled to start on Monday, Sherman is now due to have a working dinner with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Sunday eve-

W. Africa leaders to discuss Mali crisis in summit ACCRA, Ghana—West African leaders will gather Sunday to discuss Mali’s political crisis, with the military junta submitting a new timeframe for a transition back to civilian rule at the last minute after its first proposal was rejected.

The extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in Ghana’s capital Accra is expected to discuss possible sanctions on the Sahel state over potentially delayed elections, among other issues.

The meeting comes after months of increasing tensions over the timetable for restoring civilian rule in Mali after a military takeover in 2020.

In August that year, army officers led by Colonel Assimi Goita toppled the elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita amid street protests against his unpopular rule.

Under threat of sanctions, Goita subsequently promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 after holding presidential and legislative elections.

But he staged a de facto second coup in May 2021, forcing out an interim civilian government.

The move disrupted the reform timetable and was met with widespread diplomatic condemnation.

ECOWAS insisted that Mali hold elections in February.

But the government then said it would only set an election date after holding a nationwide conference -- arguing that a peaceful vote was more important than speed.

Swathes of Mali lie outside of state control, with the government struggling to quell a jihadist insurgency that has raged since 2012. AFP

ning, said a State Department spokesperson.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, dismissing Moscow’s demands as “gaslighting”, has insisted that talks will yield no progress so long as Russia has a “gun to Ukraine’s head”.

“We’re prepared to respond forcefully to further Russian aggression. But a diplomatic solution is still possible and preferable if Russia chooses it,” Blinken said Friday. AFP

COVID MEMORIAL.

Participants place candles at the Neumarkt Square as part of the “Show Attitude” initiative in Dresden, eastern Germany on January 8 during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Supporters of the initiative gathered to promote solidarity and reason, to oppose violence, racism, anti-Semitism, and conspiracy ideologies, and to also commemorate silently more than 1,400 deceased of the city. AFP

Brazil cliff collapses, kills at least 7 tourists on boats RIO DE JANEIRO—At least seven people were killed and three were missing after a cliff collapsed onto boats carrying tourists on a lake in Brazil, authorities said Saturday.

Rescue teams including a dive squad and members of the Brazilian Navy rushed to Furnas Lake in Minas Gerais state, where panicked tourists had watched helplessly as a large rock fragment broke off a ravine and plunged atop three boats.

The latest official toll is “seven dead and three missing,” Minas Gerais firefighters’ spokesman Pedro Aihara said on Saturday night.

Another 32 were wounded, including nine who had to be hospitalized, author-

ities said.

Firefighters had initially reported 20 missing, but “that number was substantially reduced because a good part of the victims who were unaccounted for were people who moved by their own means to hospitals,” Aihara said in a voice message sent to reporters.

Tourists flock to see the rock walls, caverns and waterfalls that surround the green waters of Lake Furnas, formed by the hydroelectric dam of the same name.

Dramatic videos shared on social networks caught the exact moment when the cliff fell on the three boats.

Another video posted on social media shows the minute before the fall, in

which several people warn that “lots of stones are falling” and yell at the occupants of the other boats to move away from the wall.

President Jair Bolsonaro retweeted some of these videos on his account, and reported that “as soon as the unfortunate disaster occurred, the Brazilian Navy moved to the site to rescue victims and transport the injured.”

The divers’ search will be interrupted overnight for safety reasons and resumed in the morning, but other rescuers continue to work at the site.

Very heavy rain has fallen in recent days in southeastern Brazil, making the collapse more likely, according to firefighters. AFP

Taliban arrest Afghan professor after critical social media post

AFTER YOU. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) gestures as he is greeted

by Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Malinda Rajapaksa ahead of a meeting in Colombo on January 9. AFP

KABUL—A prominent Afghan university professor who openly criticised the Taliban’s hardline regime has been arrested in Kabul, a spokesman for the government said.

Professor Faizullah Jalal has made several appearances on television talk shows since the previous US-backed government was ousted in August, blaming the Taliban for the worsening financial crisis and criticising them for ruling by force.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have cracked down on dissent, forcefully dispersing women’s rights protests and briefly detaining several Afghan journalists.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Jalal had been detained Saturday over statements he made on social media in which he was “trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people”.

“He has been arrested so that others

don’t make similar senseless comments in the name of being a professor or scholar that harm the dignity of others,” he added.

Mujahid shared screenshots of tweets he claimed had been posted by Jalal, which said the Taliban intelligence chief was a stooge of Pakistan, and that the new government considers Afghans as “donkeys”.

In one television appearance, Jalal called Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem -- who was also participating -- a “calf”, a grave insult in Afghanistan.

Clips of his passionate criticism went viral on social media, sparking concern he risked Taliban retribution.

Jalal’s wife Massouda, who once stood as Afghanistan’s first woman candidate for the presidency, posted on Facebook that her husband had been arrested by Taliban forces and detained in an unknown location. AFP

Snow buries Pakistan hill town, 22 die ISLAMABAD—Pakistan rescuers were working Sunday to clear routes to a locked-in hill town sheltering thousands of tourists after 22 people died in vehicles trapped by heavy snow.

The resort town of Murree, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) northeast of Islamabad, was inundated with tourists and day trippers last week after unusually heavy snow turned it into a winter wonderland.

But a blizzard from Friday onwards felled trees and blocked narrow roads leading in and out of the town, which clings to steep hills and valleys at an altitude of 2,300 metres (7,500 feet).

“It was not snow, and not even heavy snow, it was unprecedented... with four to five feet in few hours,” Tariq Ullah, an administrative official in nearby Nathia Gali, told AFP Sunday. “(I) never saw such a huge snowstorm in my life. There were strong winds, uprooted trees, avalanches.

People around were terrified, each having his or her own account of suffering.”

Officials said nearly 100,000 visitors in thousands of vehicles had thronged the town by Friday, causing an enormous traffic jam even before the blizzard.

They said 22 people died in vehicles trapped in the snow overnight Friday -either from cold, or carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes generated by drivers running engines to keep warm.

They included 10 children—six who died alongside their mother and father, a policeman. AFP

UN: Iran smuggling weapons to Yemen despite embargo WASHINGTON—The United Nations found thousands of weapons recently seized in the Arabian Sea likely came from a single port in Iran, evidence Tehran is exporting arms to Yemen and elsewhere, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Yemen has been wracked by civil war since 2014, pitting Iran-backed Huthi rebels against the internationally recognized government.

The UN imposed an arms embargo on the Huthis in 2015.

The United States as well as ally Saudi Arabia -- which leads the military coalition backing the Yemeni government -have long accused Iran of supplying the Huthis with weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Citing a confidential report by a UN Security Council panel of experts on Yemen, the Journal wrote that boats and land transport were used to smuggle weapons made in Russia, China, and Iran into Yemen.

The arms included rocket launchers, machine guns and sniper rifles, which had been seized by the US Navy in recent months.

Boats used to transport the weapons had left from the southeastern Iranian port of Jask, the UN report found, based on interviews with the boat crew and data from the onboard navigational instruments, the Journal said. AFP

Business

B3

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market likely to drop this week National Capital Region to Alert Level 4 as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment HARE prices are strategist Jonathan Ravelas said while expected to move on the Philippine Stock Exchange Index a downward trend index could consolidate between 7,000 this week on the possibility points and 7,300 points, a sustained drop below 7,000 would signal further that Metro Manila could decline to the 6,500 to 6,800 level.

First Metro Investments Corp., however, be placed at an even higher still expects the stock market to trade higher quarantine restrictions due this year despite the threat of Omicron on the to the spike in COVID-19 gross domestic product growth.

“Nonetheless, we expect PSEi to concases.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III tinue on an upward trend in 2022, with over the weekend raised the possibility the expected fast GDP growth in 2022 of raising the quarantine status of the (boosted by May Presidential elections),

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

aided by robust consumer spending (as mall traffic surged in preparation for the Christmas season celebrations),” said FMIC in a report.

The 30-company PSEi dropped last week fell 1.6 percent to 7.011.11 after Metro Manila and other areas were placed under Alert level 3.

Except for the holding firms which rose 0.6 percent, all other sub-indices ended on a negative.

Property decreased 4.7 percent; industrial declined 2.8 percent; services went down by 2.2 percent; financials down 1.5 percent ; and mining and oil slipped 0.80 percent.

Foreign investors were net sellers for

the week by P345 million, while the average daily value traded reached P5.5 billion from the previous week’s average of P4.89 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Semirara Mining and Power Corp., which rose 10.7 percent to P23.65, JG Summit Holdings Inc., which jumped by 7.5 percent to P56.20 and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., which climbed 4.1 percent to P56.70.

Weekly top price losers were AC Energy Corp., which sank 15.2 percent to P9.33, Security Bank Corp., which declined 12.5 percent to P104.10, and Union Bank Corp., which fell 8.8 percent to P90.70. With AFP

Anti-graft body probing China’s biggest insurer SHANGHAI, China—The chairman of China’s biggest insurer is under investigation by the Communist Party’s anti-corruption commission, the agency said Saturday, as the government pushes a campaign against graft and a clean-up of the country’s chaotic financial industry.

Wang Bin is being investigated for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law,” the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a brief statement, wording that typically indicates impending graft charges.

Wang chairs China Life Insurance, which is listed in Shanghai, Hong Kong and New York.

The announcement gave no further details.

Bloomberg financial news agency reported recently that China Life and other major insurers were struggling with a decelerating Chinese economy and shrinking levels of new business, among other woes.

Their shares have also been hit by fears of their exposure to China’s crisis-hit property sector.

In October, China Life posted a 54 percent drop in third-quarter profit.

Chinese regulators have struggled for years to clean up massive debt and mismanagement in its corporate sector, a battle that has focused lately on property giant Evergrande Group.

Evergrande has been plunged into crisis over the past year after regulators curbed property speculation and leverage, cutting off crucial avenues for accessing cash.

It has recently defaulted on debt, causing fears of wider financial contagion, and a major restructuring under the government’s watchful eye is expected.

More than a million officials have been punished in recent years in a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign launched under President Xi Jinping. AFP

PSEi January 7, 2022

TOP GAINERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ABSP CEU MVC ALLDY ION GMAP FEU PHR FPH GSMI

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

13.48 6.97 4.28 0.6 0.71 13.5 550 0.74 71.9 109.2

1.28 0.46 0.18 0.02 0.02 0.38 15 0.02 1.9 2.7

10.49% 7.07% 4.39% 3.45% 2.90% 2.90% 2.80% 2.78% 2.71% 2.54%

TOP LOSERS

‘WIPED OUT.’ Shoppers wearing face coverings to combat the spread of the coronavirus, walk past stores in Camden Market in London, on January 7, 2022, as UK businesses and consumers face mounting fallout from surging inflation, including higher interest rates. Restrictions imposed in the wake of the Omicron coronavirus variant have ‘wiped out’ much of a recent recovery enjoyed by UK bricks-and-mortar stores, the British Retail Consortium revealed Friday, January 7. AFP

Oil prices up over Kazakhstan unrest; uranium unfazed LONDON, United Kingdom—Unrest in OPEC+ member Kazakhstan has pushed up oil prices as investors fear supply interruptions, but the uranium market appears less affected despite the Central Asian country being the world’s second largest producer.

“Riots obviously can stop production and exports,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, an analyst at Swedish bank SEB. Over the week, crude prices gained about five percent and on Friday Brent exceeded $83 per barrel, “putting it at its highest level since the price slide triggered by the first appearance of the Omicron variant in late November,” said Carsten Fritsch, commodities analyst at Commerzbank.

Protests spread across the country of 19 million this week in outrage over a New Year increase in prices for liquid petroleum gas (LPG), which many use to fuel cars.

Thousands took to the streets in Almaty

Gym from home: Pandemic fuels online exercise boom An attendee uses a hydrow rowing machine with an instructor on screen during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 7, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. While home workouts long predate the coronavirus, they have taken on a social aspect that looks set to become the standard in a world reshaped by the pandemic. AFP

By Joshua Melvin LAS VEGAS, United States—Interactive comment sections and virtual reality headsets: internet-connected fitness gear and services have boomed during the pandemic as at-home athletes seek a proxy for gym life.

While home workouts long predate the coronavirus, they have taken on a social aspect that looks set to become the standard in a world reshaped by the pandemic.

“A big part of going to the gym together is sort of suffering together... you build a camaraderie around that,” Jeremy Needham, who does customer education for US boxing fitness company Liteboxer, told AFP at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

“And now that we don’t share that space, at least in real time, we have to do it virtually,” he added.

Like other companies that sell internet-connected fitness gear, Liteboxer offers customers access to workouts, competitions and other features for a monthly charge—on top of the roughly $1,200 wall-mounted machine.

The market for fitness tech has been growing for years, but the industry has gotten a boost in the last couple of years, similarly to how the pandemic accelerated e-commerce and remote working trends.

“Connected equipment exploded onto the scene in a big way as consumers had to shift the way to work out during the pandemic,” CES organizer Consumer Technology Association (CTA) noted in an industry forecast.

Internet-connected exercise equipment was a nearly $3.8-billion market in 2021, and double-digit percentage growth is expected this year, CTA’s forecast said. “(Customers) want connectivity,” said Richard Kowalski, an analyst with CTA. “They want to engage with other people online.”

Need for pandemic release Connected rowing machine maker Hydrow allows customers to comment and like others’ workouts, and users have developed their own social media groups.

“You start talking to each other and then all of a sudden, you have a group of maybe six guys, you know, from all over the world,” Aquil Abdullah, who leads workouts on the system, told AFP. AFP

and in the western province of Mangystau in protests that broadened to include antigovernment slogans.

Violence erupted when police fired tear gas and stun grenades at thousands protesting in Almaty on Tuesday.

The next day protesters stormed government buildings, setting them ablaze, and a nationwide state of emergency was declared.

Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday rejected calls for talks with protesters after days of unprecedented unrest, authorizing his forces to shoot to kill without warning.

The country is the largest oil producer in central Asia with a twelfth of the world’s proven reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Kazakhstan produced around 1.8 million barrels a day in 2020.

The country is also the second largest oil producer in the OPEC+ group of top oil producers, behind Russia.

Hydrocarbons made up 21 percent of its GDP in 2020, according to the World Bank.

Production by Tengizchevroil, the largest oil venture in Kazakhstan, “has been temporarily adjusted as a result of protests at the Tengiz field,” said Stephen Brennock of PVM brokerage.

But several analysts said there was no indication that oil production had been seriously affected.

On Friday, production at the country’s top three fields was “said to be continuing,” said Brennock.

“Unrest in Kazakhstan is bullish in the short-term,” said Neil Wilson, an analyst at Markets.com.

At close of trading on Friday, crude oil prices had fallen slightly, with Brent falling 0.28 percent to $81.76 and West Texas Intermediate down 0.54 percent at $79.03.

Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth largest country, is rich in manganese, iron, chrome and coal. AFP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DIZ FJP VUL OPM OPMB FPI BSC BKR ARA LFM

LAST PRICE 4.57 2.28 0.8 0.01 0.01 0.265 0.53 1.58 0.96 27

CHANGE -0.88 -0.32 -0.08 -0.001 -0.001 -0.025 -0.05 -0.12 -0.07 -1.85

% CHANGE -16.15% -12.31% -9.09% -9.09% -9.09% -8.62% -8.62% -7.06% -6.80% -6.41%

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

ACEN ALI SECB TEL MONDE SMPH AC PGOLD ICT CNVRG

VOLUME 67,482,000 10,437,800 3,288,160 151,705 17,097,800 7,227,200 256,040 5,596,100 1,001,670 5,335,800

VALUE (PHP) 625,535,571 355,819,490 347,105,026 280,182,245 273,176,420 240,318,540 211,862,085 207,235,760 194,160,110 164,779,975

A Lasallian business leader DURING the first two sessions of our class, our professor introduced us to the Lasallian Business Leadership Framework and the life of St. John Baptist De La Salle.

I only knew of St. John Baptist De La Salle as the patron of De La Salle University. But I never heard about him in my undergraduate classes.

Watching the movie, I learned more about him and the process of how he founded the Congregation of Christian brothers and how these Brothers continued his work to establish a network of schools around the world, including here in the Philippines. I was amazed to learn that St. John Baptist De La Salle pioneered the classroom set-up and other innovative teaching methodologies. He left behind his wealth, comfort, title and even his family to pursue his vocation as an educator despite the opposition from the ecclesiastical authorities. He was declared a saint in 1900 and the proclaimed Patron of Christian Teachers in 1950.

In one of our break-out sessions, we reflected on the traits of St. John Baptist De La Salle as a risk-taker, innovator, servant-leader and mentor.

As a Lasallian business leader, the following are my thoughts on modeling our lives based on St. John Baptist De La Salle’s examples.

Risk-taker If you want your business to succeed, risks are necessary. Some risks may not pay off, but an optimistic risk-taker will always look at failure as an opportunity to learn. We are all threading in uncertainty during this COVID-19 pandemic, and business leaders need to take calculated risks

MARNELLI MANGUBAT

Green LiGht

to survive and thrive.

It might be tempting to stay in your comfort zone, but you need to take the chance to grow and achieve your goals. I always take calculated risks and sometimes leap of faith depending on my gut. One example would be applying for a job in Manila without any relatives and with barely any savings. Fast forward to today, I was glad I made that decision because that shaped my career.

Innovator This is critical in business to reap the benefits of efficiencies, stay relevant and have the edge against competitors. Innovation also improves the standard of living and addresses community needs. I am lucky that my current company allows us to lead the innovation and transformation of our finance processes and procedures.

Servant-leader The term “servant leadership” refers to a “philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and ultimately creates a more just and caring world. Servant leadership is important because it creates a nurturing environment where workers feel like they are head, appreciated, and respected.

It can help businesses build stronger work cultures with high employee morale and engagement. For one to be a servant-leader, one must meet the needs of your employees. You

need to lead by example, establish trust, be collaborative, accountable, forward-thinking, and committed to growth.

I’d like to believe that I am a work-in-progress servant-leader. I possess these traits but still have room for improvement. I will continue to work on these traits and hopefully enrich others and our organization.

Mentor As briefly mentioned in my other blog, our CFO started the mentorship program in our department. I am a mentor to an accounts payable manager in our department. According to Matthew Reeves, being a mentor serves as a way to give back and is an important development and learning experience. Teaching others is the best way to learn yourself. In the same way, mentors become more competent as leaders and communicators as they guide and help rising talent. I can attest to these benefits of mentoring, and I see the positive impact it made on my mentee and our department.

I hope that I will be able to emulate these traits of St. John Baptist De La Salle and apply these to my daily life and beyond my MBA studies.

The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at marnelli_mangubat@ dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

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

B4

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

IN BRIEF

NLEX announces more projects in 2022

NLEX Corp. said over the weekend more big-ticket infrastructure projects are expected to be completed this year.

“Continuous improvement will always be our priority. As the company ends 2021 with a positive note, we welcome 2022 with optimism as there are big-ticket projects that we will complete and commence this year,” NLEX president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista said.

Among these projects are the NLEX C5 Link Mindanao Avenue-Quirino Highway Section, the Candaba Third Viaduct and NLEX Connector.

Set to start construction within the year is the new two-kilometer expressway section between Mindanao Ave. toll plaza and Quirino Highway in Novaliches, Quezon City. This is part of the 11.5-kilometer NLEX C5 Link between Mindanao Ave., Quirino Highway, Regalado Ave., Congressional Ave. and C.P. Garcia Ave. in Quezon City aimed at cutting travel time between Mindanao Ave. and Commonwealth Ave. to 10 minutes from the usual 45 minutes.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PCCI lends support to ‘buy local’ initiative

THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it supports the Department of Trade and Industry in pushing for the amendment of RA 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, to help locallymade products thrive in the age of global health and economic crisis.

PCCI president George Barcelon said the chamber, whose membership is composed majority of small and medium businesses, fully supports the initiative of DTI as it will bring hope and propel MSMEs to start again and eventually contribute to economic growth.

“The ‘Buy Local, Go Local’ is certainly a good platform that PCCI and DTI can work with. We hope that we can convince our legislatures to pass this measure or at least come up with a policy that will provide support and boost the recovery of our MSMEs. This is one way of helping them recover and thrive again,” Barcelon said.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a virtual meeting with the newly-installed leaders of PCCI that the DTI was pushing for the amendment of RA 9184 to incorporate provisions that would allow bidding solely for Philippine manufactured products that are certified by the government.

Othel V. Campos

SN Aboitiz starts battery storage

RENEWABLE energy provider SN Aboitiz Power Group said it continues to seek opportunities to expand its renewable energy portfolio through battery energy storage system and floating solar.

SNAP-Magat said its 20-megawatt BESS project in Ramon, Isabela is to be used primarily for ancillary services. SNAP said early work activities were completed in line with the target to start commercial operations by the second half of 2024.

SNAP said it was also working on the expansion of the Magat floating solar project.

SNAP piloted the 200-kilowatt floating solar over the Magat reservoir in 2019, its first non-hydro renewable project.

The project proved its technical and commercial viability, and based on the results of the pre-feasibility studies, phase one of the project will be for 67 MW. SNAP president and chief executive Joseph Yu underscored the importance of a sustainability framework to support the company’s present and future operations.

“As we pursue more RE projects, we plan to continue our maturity with environment, social and governance or ESG standards,” said Yu. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business Metro Manila subway hits completion rate of 25.09% T

By Darwin G. Amojelar

HE Department of Transportation said over the weekend the overall progress of the country’s first underground mass transport system reached 25.09 percent as of November last year.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the P355-billion Metro Manila Subway Project is considered one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country.

A subway in Metro Manila was planned and proposed as early as 1973 in the Urban Transport Study in Manila Metropolitan Area.

Tugade, however, said the Metro Manila Subway Project had no completed

feasibility study, no approval from the National Economic and Development Authority board, no financing and not a single contract when the Duterte administration came in June 2016, .

“This means that for more than 40 years and six administrations, all we had were talks, proposals, plans, studies, drawings and powerpoint presentations,” said Tugade.

“Now, the MMSP is already NEDA board-approved, already funded by the Japanese, and its partial operability civil works, trains and electromechanical systems already contracted. Actual construction works by the design-build contractor for the partial operability section began in 2019 with site clearing works at MMSP’s Valenzuela depot,” he said.

The government, on July 27, 2021, signed a 253-billion-yen (P116 billion) in additional loan package to finance the subway’s construction. The second

tranche of the project’s ODA loan has an interest rate of 0.10 percent per annum, payable in 40 years with a 13-year grace period. This followed the first tranche amounting to 104.530 billion yen which was signed on Nov. 13, 2017.

The department earlier said the East Valenzuela station, PRI building and depot of the Metro Manila Subway was targeted to be completed by 2022.

Dubbed as the “Project of the Century,” the underground rail line is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations.

Once completed and fully operational, the Metro Manila Subway Project will have 15 stations, including a terminal station at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

Funded by the Japanese government, the subway is expected be completed by 2024 or 2025. It is part of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

DMCI SUPPORT. D.M. Consunji Inc., through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, provides logistical support to transport relief assistance to areas affected by Typhoon Odette. The engineering-based integrated construction company and PDRF’s member company shipped 90 gallons of drinking water and 2.4 tons of assorted relief goods from One Meralco Foundation and Nestlé Philippines. The items were transported to Cebu via sea freight cargo. DMCI also provided barge units to transport nine trucks loaded with assorted relief items from the World Food Program and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and three boom trucks of electric cooperatives of Task Force Kapatid to Palawan.

Consumers told to avoid panic-buying as PH has ample food stock

By Othel V. Campos AGRICULTURE Secretary William Dar asked consumers over the weekend to avoid panic-buying as the country has enough food supply.

“Buying more food than what we require deprives others, thus causing an artificial shortage and price spikes. Our inventory for basic food commodities, particularly rice, shows that we have more than enough supply that will last for more than the next three months,” Dar said.

He issued the statement amid the surge in new COVID-19 cases and following the declaration of Metro Manila and nearby provinces under Alert Level 3.

Data showed that as of Jan. 8, the country’s rice inventory would suffice for the next 115 days, enough until the next harvest season in April, according to the Philippine Integrated Rice Program.

The same level of sufficiency is noted for lowland and highland vegetables, which were at 85 percent and 107 percent sufficiency, respectively.

The DA also asked local government units to ensure unhampered and continuous flow of food and agricultural inputs to and from production and consumption areas, particularly those affected by Typhoon Odette.

The DA said there should be no un-

RELIEF GOODS.

Members of the Philippine Army load bottled water for distribution in Dinagat Islands.

Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz Group, teamed up with the uniformed men and women of the Armed Forces to deliver aid in the typhoon-stricken provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Surigao.

necessary restrictions in the movement of goods, services and people.

“We will see to it that food supply lines are kept open, in partnership with the LGUs and ensure continuous delivery of major food items and temper prices,” Dar said.

“We already went through similar situations during previous community lockdowns and we were able to make it through with everybody’s cooperation.

Thus, we reiterate anew that we should not be overzealous, but simply adhere to the required health and medical protocols. Once again, let us remain calm, conscientious and understanding,” Dar said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, January 8, 2022

-74.41 PTS. 7,011.11

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES

647,434,969 80,183 5,846,014,802.59 51

DECLINES UNCHANGED

136 46

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.1310

Japan

Yen

0.008634

0.4415

UK

Pound

1.353500

69.2058

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128195

6.5547

Switzerland

Franc

1.085658

55.5108

Canada

Dollar

0.785546

40.1658

Singapore

Dollar

0.735024

37.5825

Australia

Dollar

0.716000

36.6098

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

135.6296

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266361

13.6193

Brunei

Dollar

0.732332

37.4449

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.029842

1.5259

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9223

Euro

Euro

1.129500

57.7525

Korea

Won

0.000830

0.0424

China

Yuan

0.156666

8.0105

India

Rupee

0.013444

0.6874

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237473

12.1422

New Zealand

Dollar

0.674500

34.4879

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036149

1.8483 Source: BSP

DOF: Retail liberalization to lure more investments

By Julito G. Rada FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said over the weekend the enactment into law of a measure that seeks to further liberalize the retail sector will open the country to more foreign direct investments and generate new jobs.

“As we continue our path to recovery, the economic liberalization bills either passed or being considered by our lawmakers will be crucial to bringing in much-needed foreign investments that would supercharge the economy and create a lot more jobs for Filipinos, more so at this time when the country is recovering from the pandemic-induced global health and financial crises,” Dominguez said in a statement.

Republic Act 11595, which amended the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, was signed into law by the President in December and was released by the Palace last week.

Dominguez said the provisions of the measure would simplify and ease restrictions for foreign retailers that wish to set up shop in the Philippines.

RA 11595 is one of the three investor-friendly measures endorsed by President Duterte and whose passage was pushed in Congress by Dominguez and the rest of the economic team.

The two others are the amendatory bills to the Public Services Act and the Foreign Investment Act. The bicameral committee report on the amendments to the FIA was ratified by both Houses on Dec. 7, 2021 and is pending review by the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, the Senate and House passed their respective versions of the bill amending the PSA, but still has to go through bicameral proceedings before being ratified by both chambers and then submitted to the president for his approval.

Under RA 11595, the minimum paid-up capital requirement for foreign corporations planning to do business was lowered from P125 million to P25 million. The qualification requirements were also simplified by removing required net worth, number of retailing branches and retailing track record conditions.

Investree venture obtains SEC license to operate as a crowdfunding platform

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission granted Investree Philippines Inc.― a joint venture of Filinvest Development Corp. and Investree Singapore Pte. Ltd.―a permanent license to operate as a crowdfunding platform.

It approved IPI’s application for a permanent license to operate as a funding portal and act as a crowdfunding intermediary, following a review of the company’s operations since the issuance of its provisional license on Jan. 7, 2021.

Crowdfunding is a fundraising activity typically conducted through an online platform for startups and small and medium enterprises.

IPI is the first crowdfunding intermediary and funding portal registered with the SEC after the rules and regulations

covering crowdfunding took effect in July 2019.

The company operates a lendingbased crowdfunding platform whose crowdfunding activities involve banks or qualified buyers as lenders, and small, medium and emerging enterprises as borrowers.

Investree Philippines’ crowdfunding portal had 43 issuers and one investor with 110 notes issued for a total amount of P172.15 million as of Dec. 20, 2021, The company had three investors during the same period, including Investree Singapore, Andremere Holding Corp. and Netbank (A Rural Bank) Inc. The grant of the permanent license is part of the SEC’s efforts to promote crowdfunding as a suitable investment among Filipino investors and to provide more fundraising options for SMEs.

Banks adjust operating hours this week, assure customers of continuous services despite virus surge SEVERAL banks announced plans over the weekend to adjust operating hours to continue services to the public despite the surge in COVID-19 infection that also affected their employees.

BDO Unibank Inc. said as part of efforts to keep clients and personnel safe, its branches in Metro Manila would close by 3 p.m. starting Jan. 10.

“Additionally, NCR branches will not be open for Saturday banking starting Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022,” it said in a statement.

“Our clients’ safety is very important to

us. Our safety protocols in the branches remain intact and our employees are vaccinated. They also go through the regular Antigen testing to ensure a safe workplace scenario,” BDO said.

Bank of the Philippine Islands said branches would be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but advised customers to plan branch trips accordingly.

“We encourage you to stay at home and use BPI Online and BPI mobile app for your everyday banking needs,” BPI said.

Philippine National Bank said starting

Jan. 10, its nationwide branch banking hours (except for mall-based and NAIA branches) would be from 9 a.m. To 3 p.m. “due to reported increase in number of COVID-19 cases in the country”.

“PNB’s Bank On Wheels will be rolled out to service areas where there are no ATMs. Our 1,731 ATMs and cash accept machines will continue to serve you,” it said.

The Bankers Association of the Philippines assured the public that its member banks were committed to providing continuing services despite the recent rise of COVID-19 cases.

“In light of the current situation, our member banks are enhancing their health protocols to protect both clients and employees from the virus. These may include temporarily closing down certain branches and shortening operating hours for routine cleaning and disinfection,” it said.

“These enhancements are in addition to existing health protocols strictly implemented by our member banks in their branches, such as the mandatory wearing of face masks and social distancing in all premises,” the BAP said.

The Chamber of Thrift Banks also promised continued banking services and that most of its member-banks’ branches/units and branch lite units would remain open to serve the public.

“While there are some bank branches that are closed in certain areas due to affected employees of the banks, the banks rotate their people to keep other branches open. Customers can transact in any open branches nearby, plus, digital platforms—mobile banking, online onboarding and ATMs are available,” the CTB said.

Sports

Premier Volley League eyes 3 conferences for 2nd season SPORTS Vision has penciled a threeconference offering to mark its second pro season with the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference tentatively set to kick off hostilities on Feb. 16 featuring at least 10 teams set at either the Paco Arena Events and Sports Center in Manila or at Royale Tagaytay under a full bubble setup.

Chery Tiggo rallied from two sets down to beat fancied Creamline in a thriller of a five-setter that capped the country’s premier volley league’s inaugural pro staging that survived a slew of challenges amidst Covid-19 conditions and quarantine restrictions last year.

Variants like Omicron, however, may disrupt plans to put up a better, trouble-free staging with experts expressing concerns that the variant’s mutations could allow it to dodge some protective antibodies generated

by Covid vaccines.

But Sports Vision remains confident it could successfully hold the three tournaments under the bubble set up the way it did the first time out at the PCV Socio-Civic and Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

“We’re looking at three conferences this year which will start with the Open Conference, hopefully, next month in a bubble set up,” said PVL president Ricky Palou. “We have Royale Tagaytay as our backup venue in case we won’t be allowed to hold our games in Manila.”

“We are still waiting for clearance from the IATF and GAB,” he added.

The Open Conference will run through three months, featuring a single round robin preliminaries with the Top 4 clashing in a pair of best-ofthree semifinal series. Winners will dispute the crown.

Aside from Chery Tiggo and Creamline, other teams gearing up for PVL resumption are BaliPure, Choco Mucho, Cignal HD, Perlas Spikers, Petro Gazz, Black Mamba Army, and PLDT. There are also two new teams applying for the league.

“There are new teams that want to join. We are still deliberating on it and doing our due diligence to see if they are willing to commit to the league for years,” said Palou.

The league goes regional on July 2-Aug. 7 for the PVL Asian Invitational crown at a still unspecified venue. The field will be divided into two groups for the single-round elims for local teams with the top two of each side mixing it up in another singleround phase.

The top three will advance to the next round that will feature the national team and two foreign squads.

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

C1

CUTTHROAT COMPETITION.

Bull rider Derek Kolbaba competes on Cutthroat during the second round of the PBR Unleash The Beast Monster Energy Buckoff at Madison Square Garden in New York. AFP

PSC gets P500-m budget for Asiad, SEAG, AIMAG

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Philippine Sports Commission will have to do some belt-tightening measures as the country prepares to see action in at least three major international events this year.

This is because the national government has approved a budget that’s less than what the sports agency proposed for the coming Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games (AIMAG).

“The PSC sought a budget of P900 million. Pero hindi lahat ay

na-approve,” said PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who is also the country’s chef de mission for the SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Only close to P500 million was approved to support the training and campaign of national athletes in the three international meet.

Aside from this amount, the PSC

can still utilize the P175 million that was left over from SEA Games’ budget last year.

Meanwhile, training under a bubble-type of setup is set to continue for national athletes on Monday after the government raised the COVID-19 alert level status to Alert Level 3 starting Jan. 3.

Under the guidelines of the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the agency will not allow the staging of “contact sports, except those conducted under bubble-type setup, as provided for under relevant guidelines adopted by the IATF, Games and Amusement

Barty sends warning with dominant triumph ADELAIDE (AFP) — World number one Ashleigh Barty showed why she Ashleigh Barty of is the Australian Open favourite when Australia display she demolished Kazakhstan’s Elena her trophy after Rybakina in the final of the Adelaide winning against International on Sunday.

Elena Rybakina of Barty took just 64 minutes to see Kazakhstan in the off the seventh seeded Rybakina 6-3, women’s singles 6-2 and claim the 14th singles title of final match at the her career.

WTA Adelaide The 25-year-old Australian has International tennis been in superb form this week and has tournament in had to beat a host of top players in a Adelaide. AFP stacked top half of the draw.

She received a first round bye, but then faced Coco Gauff (world number 22), Sofia Kenin (12) and Iga Swiatek (9) on her way to the decider.

“We’ve obviously had a brilliant week, been able to work progressively through each match,” Barty said.

“I got better and better.”

But Rybakina was unable to convert either break Against the big-serving Rybakina, the world point and Barty made her pay. number 14, Barty dominated every aspect of play She held her serve then pounced immediately as and took control of the match midway through the Rybakina seemed to lose focus, breaking and then first set. holding to love to take the first set in 29 minutes.

Both players started well, dropping only two Barty was in complete control by this stage as points each on serve in their first three games, so she went on a run of seven straight games. it came as a surprise when at 3-3, Barty stumbled She broke Rybakina’s first two service games of slightly and found herself at 15-40. the second set to take a stranglehold on the match

as she raced away to a 4-0 lead.

As against Swiatek in the semi-finals, Barty’s range of stroke-making confounded Rybakina, who struggled to cope with the sliced backhand in particular.

She was forced to go for big winners rather than try to out-rally the Australian, and made 26 unforced errors as a result.

Barty’s serve has also improved and on the few times she was under pressure, she was able to serve her way out of trouble.

“I probably felt like overall this week my serve has been a real weapon,” she said.

“I felt like I struggled with rhythm early on in the week and I’ve been able to progressively get better and better.

“I think all in all I was able to squeeze myself out of some tough moments.”

Both women will now head to the Sydney Classic, the final warm-up before the Australian Open, where they are drawn to meet in the quarter-finals.

But before then, Barty will play in the doubles final alongside fellow Australian Storm Sanders, where they will take on Darija Jurak Schreiber and Andreja Klepac.

Miado wants to fight heavy hitters in his class TO MOVE up in the rankings is one of Jeremy Miado’s goals when he confronts Japanese f ighter Senzo Ikeda in one of ONE Championship’s f irst offerings for the year.

Miado is looking forward to having more challenging f ights once he’s done with Ikeda in their confrontation at ONE: HEAVY HITTERS on Jan. 14 in Singapore.

Miado is one of two Filipino f ighters in the f ight card, the other being Robin Catalan.

“Kung mananalo ako kay Senzo, sa tingin ko ay mabibig-

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

yan ako ng chance na makalaban iyung mga nasa Top 5,” said the 29-year-old Miado, who concluded his last day of practice on Saturday.

There are f ive choices waiting for Miado if he hurdles Ikeda when he improves on his 10- 4 record.

And his foes could be top f ive bets in the strawweight division in Bokang Masunyane, Yosuke Sar uta, Jar red Brooks, Hiroba Minowa and Alex Silva.

To prepare against Ikeda, Miado trained with other Filipino f ighters at the Mar rok Force

camp in Bangkok, Thailand.

This includes the Drex and his sister Denice Zamboanga.

“Tulungan kami ng mga Pinoy dito. Kung may laban, nagtutulungan kami dito,” said Miado, who is coming off back-to-back knockout wins over Miao Li Tao in 2019 and 2021.

And he has gained his conf idence from those twin victo-ries.

“Lumalakas na ang loob ko.

Alam kong magka-rank na ako sa mga laban at panalo,” added Miado. Peter Atencio

Jeremy Miado

Board, and Philippine Sports Commission, and approved by the LGUs (local government units).”

Among the combat sports events that were supposed have physical training sessions are karatedo, judo, sambo, taekwondo, boxing, kickboxing and muay.

The agency is taking a cautious stand in many places inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in the City of Manila and in the Philsports Complex in Pasig Complex once they are opened.

That’s because the government is still utilizing certain areas as isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients.

Ramos-led Toyama splits weekend tiffs with Akita 5

Dwight Ramos

THE Toyama Grouses chalked up a 9991 win over the Akita Northern Happinets on Saturday, before absorbing a 64-80 setback against the same team on Sunday in the 2021-22 B.League basketball season at the Toyama City Gymnasium in Japan.

Filipino player Dwight Ramos topscored with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, 16 in the fourth quarter during the Grouses’ Saturday game.

The 6’4” Ramos also had five steals, three rebounds and an assist for Toyama, which now has a 10-17 record in contention for an eighth and last slot in the quarterfinal round of the West District standings.

Bryce Johnson also had 22 points with 15 rebounds, while Naoki Uto got 14 points and nine assists for the Grouses.

Ramos was, however, limited to six points in their Sunday clash with Akita, led by Jordan Glynn, who tallied 22 points.

Many B.League games were cancelled this weekend because of a surge in COVID-19 infections. Peter Atencio

C2

Sports

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

Czech player detained with Novak: It’s like prison PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) — Czech tennis player Renata Voracova, placed in the same Melbourne detention center Novak Djokovic is believed to be holed up after both had their Australian visas revoked, said Friday her stay felt like being “in prison”.

Voracova entered Australia claiming an exemption from the country’s tight Covid-19 vaccine requirements.

But, like Djokovic, she ended up in detention after Australian border authorities determined both players had not in fact met entry requirements.

“I’m in a room and I can’t go anywhere,” the 38-year-old Voracova, ranked 81st in doubles, told the Czech dailies DNES and Sport.

“My window is shut tight, I can’t open it five centimetres (two inches).

“And there are guards everywhere, even under the window, which is quite funny.

Maybe they thought I would jump and run away,” added Voracova, labelling the hotel as “a better dormitory”.

“They bring me food and there’s a guard in the corridor. You have to report, everything is rationed. I feel a bit like in prison.”

‘Like an action movie’ It is unclear why authorities began investigating Voracova after she was initially allowed into the country.

Unvaccinated against Covid-19, Voracova was permitted to enter on an exemption provided by Tennis Australia for her to play in the Australian Open after recovering from the disease late last year.

But the Australian government says recent infection is not an acceptable reason for foreign nationals to gain entry without being fully vaccinated.

“The federal officials let me in immediately. I was held at the Victoria state checkpoint as they sent my papers somewhere, but then they confirmed I was free to enter without problems,” she said.

She even managed a doubles match at the Melbourne WTA event in the run-up to the Australian Open starting on January 17.

But on Thursday, local authorities revoked her visa, interrogated her for several hours and sent her into quarantine at the Park Hotel in Melbourne.

“It felt like in an action movie and it wasn’t pleasant at all,” she said, who has won 11 WTA doubles titles during her career.

Unlike the vaccine-wary world number one Djokovic, who is awaiting a court verdict on his options to clinch a record 21st Grand Slam title, Voracova is planning to go back home.

Jackson stars as Grizzlies win 8th straight Basket | NBA Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Sunday 1/9/2022 - 09:03 UTC+8 | 225 words

An activist holds a placard during a rally outside a government detention center where Serbia’s tennis champion Novak Djokovic is staying in Melbourne, in support of refugees detained at the center. AFP

Djokovic readies vax exemption case

M

ELBOURNE (AFP) — Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic prepared his legal guns Sunday for a battle to stay in Melbourne and defend his Australian Open title, arguing he has the all-clear because of a positive coronavirus test in December.

Djokovic’s fight to overturn the shock cancellation of his visa and his ensuing detention in a notorious Melbourne immigration facility will culminate in a highly publicised online hearing in federal court on Monday.

The vaccine-sceptic Serbian star awaited the showdown holed up in the former Park Hotel, a five-storey facility that holds about 32 migrants trapped in Australia’s hardline immigration system — some for years.

Nobody is allowed in or out except staff.

A handful of protesters gathered Sunday morning on the street outside, where hundreds of fans, anti-vaccination demonstrators and migrant rights activists had rallied in party mood the previous day.

With eight days to go before the January 17 start of the Australian Open, any delay could dash the 34-year-old’s hopes of winning his 10th crown in Melbourne, and a record 21st Grand Slam title.

In an order released to the public Sunday, Judge Anthony Kelly said the case will go ahead as scheduled at 10 am Monday (2300 GMT Sunday), refusing a government request to adjourn until Wednesday.

Djokovic’s lawyers submitted a 35-page document Saturday arguing his visa was wrongly cancelled and should be reinstated, allowing him free to compete.

The team has argued that Djokovic’s positive PCR test on December 16, 2021 means

he meets the criteria for a vaccine exemption under the guidance of Australia’s own immunisation advisory body.

Tennis Australia cleared him for an exemption to play in the tournament, after his application was approved by two independent medical panels, his lawyers said.

‘Incommunicado’ Australia’s government, however, insists a recent coronavirus infection only counts as an exemption for residents, not for foreign nationals trying to enter the country.

Foreigners are still mostly banned from travel to Australia, and those granted entry must be fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption.

Despite Djokovic’s claim of a positive test on December 16, pictures shared by the Belgrade tennis federation showed Djokovic at a young players’ event in the city on December 17.

It reported that he had handed over cups and prizes to the best young players. No one was wearing a mask.

JAREN Jackson scored a team-high 26 points as the Memphis Grizzlies used a strong second quarter to win their eighth straight game with a 123-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Desmond Bane finished with 23 points, including five three-pointers, to become one of four Grizzlies players who finished with 18 points or more.

After a slow start which saw them down by 12 points in the first quarter, Memphis went on a 10-0 scoring surge early in the second to take the lead.

They led 66-56 at the half and never trailed in the second half.

Tyus Jones tallied 18 points and had five assists while Brandon Clarke came off the bench to finish with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Memphis was missing leading scorer Ja Morant, who was out with a thigh injury.

They lost starter Dillon Brooks early in the second quarter after the Canadian forward injured his ankle and had to be helped off the floor.

Marcus Morris scored a game-high 29 points for Los Angeles, which included draining four threes. But the Clippers as a team went just 10-of-32 from three-point range.

Reggie Jackson scored 18 points and Brandon Boston came off the bench to score 13 in the loss. Terance Mann and Nicolas Batum each scored nine points.

The Grizzlies converted 13 Los Angeles turnovers into 23 points, while the Clippers scored just nine points off turnovers.

Record-equalling Rahm ties Smith for PGA Tournament of Champions lead LOS ANGELES (AFP) — World number one Jon Rahm fired a course record-equalling 12-under par 61 to grab a share of the third-round lead alongside Cameron Smith in the US PGA Tour Tournament of Champions on Saturday.

Rahm, who started the day three behind Smith, matched the course record set just hours earlier by Justin Thomas on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii.

He finally caught Australia’s Smith on the final hole, Smith posting a nine-under par 64 as the leading duo finished 54-holes on 26-under 193.

They were five shots in front of American Daniel Berger, who closed with five straight birdies in a seven-under 66 for 198.

“It was pretty remarkable,” Spain’s Rahm said of a round that saw him at even par through four holes and 12-under through the remaining 14.

That included a run of five straight birdies from the seventh through the 11th.

He blasted out of a greenside bunker to four feet to birdie 14, the stuck his approach at the par-five

15th four feet from the pin for eagle, then roared home with three more birdies.

“It was really fun when Cam is doing pretty much the same thing,” Rahm said of the fireworks in the final group. “We were going back and forth.”

Smith opened with four pars before the first of his nine birdies at the fifth.

He birdied three in a row from the ninth through the 11th -- where he rolled in a 20-footer and also birdied from a greenside bunker at 14 to launch a run of four straight birdies.

After Rahm rolled in a 16-footer at 16 to briefly pull level, Smith made his six-footer at the same hole to keep his lead at one shot.

At the 17th, Rahm drained a 29-foot birdie only for Smith to answer again with a 28-footer of his own.

But Smith couldn’t capitalize on the par-five 18th, where Rahm made an eight-foot birdie putt to seize a share of the lead in the elite event for last season’s tournament winners.

“That was some really good golf from both of

us,” Smith said.

Just hours earlier world number eight Thomas has charged up the leaderboard with his 61, breaking the record set in 2003 by South Korean KJ Choi and since matched by four players.

- Easy 12-under? “I played well. Didn’t do anything crazy. Just took advantage of all the, I felt like, easy opportunities and chances that I had and hit a lot of really good drives, quality iron shots, and wedges,” Thomas said.

“If there’s such a thing as an easy 12-under, I definitely felt like it was,” added Thomas, who had followed up a one-over opening round with a six-under effort on Friday.

He got going with a 14-foot birdie at the third hole, birdied the fourth then rolled in a 43-foot eagle at the par-five fifth.

After a birdie at the ninth he blitzed the back nine with birdies at 12, 13 and 14, an eagle at the Jon Rahm of Spain takes off his hat on the 18th green during 15th and another birdie at 16, finally capping his the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club in Lahaina, Hawaii. AFP round with a birdie at 18.

Thompson returns for Warriors in first NBA game since 2019 Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors shoots a three point basket during the game against the Miami Heat at Chase Center in San Francisco, California.

AFP

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Three-time NBA champion Klay Thompson will be back on court for the first time in two and a half years on Sunday when he returns for the Golden State Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thompson, a five-time All-Star guard, missed all of the 2019-20 season recovering from a torn ligament in his left knee then missed the 2020-21 campaign with a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

While it has been clear that Thompson was poised to return, the Warriors made it official with an Instagram announcement that featured a clip from Michael Jordan’s “Space Jam” movie in which comedian Bill Murray asks the NBA icon, “Perhaps I can be of some assistance.”

“How I’m pulling up to Chase tomorrow,” Thompson captioned the video. Then, in all caps, “I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE Y’ALL DUBNATION. LET’S GET IT.” Knowing Thompson had the big reveal planned, Warriors coach Steve Kerr dodged questions about his return when he spoke to reporters after practice on Saturday.

“It’s not my announcement to make,” Kerr said.

But Kerr has been giving thought to Thompson’s return, saying in late December that the star shooting guard — who formed the Warriors’ Splash Brothers duo with Stephen Curry — wouldn’t be coming off the bench.

“Klay’s going to start when he comes back,” Kerr said. “I’m not going to mess around, bring him off the bench for a period of time, I’m not doing any of that. He’s going to start.”

It’s likely to be an emotional night for all of the Warriors. When Curry broke Ray Allen’s all-time record for NBA three-pointers in December, teammate Draymond Green noted the only thing missing from the night at Madison Square Garden was Thompson.

The trio played together on title winning teams in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Kerr this week discussed what makes Thompson and Curry such a potent duo.

“I think obviously the shooting for both of them makes their jobs easier. They each make the other one better by being such a threat and drawing so much attention.

“Then I think it’s really important that they have

the continuity that they have together. Especially when you put Draymond in the mix,” Kerr told ClutchPoints.

How far he has come Thompson last played in an NBA game on June 13, 2019 in game six of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

He tore his left anterior cruciate ligament when he was fouled by Danny Green on a dunk attempt.

His return to the court to shoot free throws despite his injured knee were an indelible image from the Warriors’ championship series defeat.

More than 17 months later, Thompson was on his way back from that injury when he tore his right Achilles tendon in a pick-up game on November 18, 2020.

Despite his absence so far this season, the Warriors are jockeying with the Phoenix Suns for best record in the NBA. While Curry has been largely outstanding, he’s been in a shooting funk for several games that Thompson’s return could help alleviate as the Warriors vie to return to the finals after missing the playoffs the past two seasons.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

C3

Will it be a ‘merrily ever after’ in Marry Me, Marry You?

‘Marry Me, Marry You’ starring Janine Gutierrez and Paulo Avelino

Agony and ecstasy of pink love “MELANCHOLIA,” “The Loneliest Man on Earth,” and “We Need To Talk About Tony,” the three first episodes of the much buzzed about Love At The End Of The World, have already been shown on Gagaoolala, the premiere online entertainment platform that presents anything and everything pink and gay.

Award-winning producer Shandii Bacolod’s directorial comeback under Temporary Insanity Pictures & MSB Entertainment Production, mind you, is not for the dye-in-the-wool conservative flock and the faint-hearted prudes. Yes, even the most cosmopolitan members of the pink community might find the series disturbing, intense, even preposterous with its depiction of gay men and their love stories.

In this erotic series, one can easily pinpoint who are the scheming predators, easy preys, willing victims, and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Men of various shapes and sizes namely Kristof Garcia (Bidaman Ampalaya Chronicles), Rex Lantano (Daddy Love, MMK), Nico Locco (Culion, Sabado), Mike Liwag (Culion, Unlocked), Elijah Filamor (Alpha: The Right to Kill), Yam Mercado (Culion), Khalid Ruiz, and Markki Stroem (Slumber Party, Unlocked), with Gold Azeron (Metamorphosis, Unlocked) give passion and love in the darkest hue of crimson and not the usual baby pink and powder sky blue colors that describes the feel of current homoerotic and homosexual boy’s love entertainment offerings.

As a matter of fact, the subject matters in the Bacolod series, are taboos in juvenile BL staples – parental rejection, emotional co-dependency, moral ambiguity, pain and loss, sorrow and suffering, and yes, that suicide is not just an alternative but a solution.

The most striking element in this dark gay drama is that all characters are damaged, flawed, fearful, and insecure.

And all these emotional scars make them the most beautiful set of intriguing and interesting men who love and have sex with other men.

Of the many characters, most drawn to Ian Magalang, the one played by Gold Azeron who personified pure and innocent love. Nico Loco’s emotional truth in showing the anguish, turmoil,

torment, and resolve of Tony Smith is the outand-out opposite of the head-over-heels Ian. ALWIN When Azeron first IGNACIO appeared on screen, his energy and magic as an actor was quite palpable. Azeron and Loco give a whole new spin to the words sexual chemistry and tension because what they showed in their episode comes from two bewildered souls longing for truthful and meaningful connection and they are not slaves to the callings of their loins.

Impressed with the intensity and volatile nature of Renzo Macapinlac and Cris Loyola, portrayed with the right amount of anger, chaos and tenderness by Elijah Flamor and Yam Mercado. Yes they are truly tiring to watch because the characters are hysterical, but when they show their soft and gentle side, telling us that they complete and make each other the happiest, you buy it, hook, line and, sinker.

And the ghost of a romantic past, Mike Liwag as George Gonzales who continues to plague Rex Lantano, who gave an emotionally committed portrayal of Sam Marcelo. With Lantano, remembering a person that you used to love and that forgiving is always the easier part, the forgetting, an arduous process that even a new lover or love cannot be of assistance, strikes a delicate emotional nerve.

Physically, Garcia is the heartthrob.

Ruiz, magnetic and simpatico. Stroem, diva suits him well.

This series created by Bacolod shows to its audiences that people who are engaged

ARIAS

in a different kind of love have their lion’s shares of agony and ecstasy, tears of joy and loneliness, broken promises and shattered dreams, fears brought about by uncertainty of the present, the nagging of the past, and the hopes and wishes of a brighter and not a bleak future.

And for it to work, the keywords are commitment, honesty, vulnerability, and love that truly, madly, deeply accepts and knows that what they have and share, is worth it.

Kudos as well to the cinematography and musical score. They were topnotch and helped heighten a great deal of emotions, moods, shifts, and turns in the series.

Love At The End Of The World episodes are released Thursday at 12 midnight.

THE dream of having a large happy family of Andrei and Camille—played by Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez—is jeopardized in the dramatic finale of Marry Me, Marry You. When Camille suddenly suffers a miscarriage, the couple struggles to keep their family together. As she grieves and copes with the traumatic loss of the baby, she also becomes estranged from Andrei and will have second thoughts about starting a family with him.

Camille’s insecurities about becoming a mother will also reach new heights with the heartbreaking revelation that Andrei is the real father of the newborn baby of Patricia (Iana Bernardez), Andrei’s ex-girlfriend, and not his best friend Cedric (Jake Ejercito). Because of this, Patricia will become increasingly obsessed with stealing Andrei away from his wife and will even resort to violent measures to get her way.

Camille will become even more distraught as her

Dingdong shared playing twins in the miniseries is one of most difficult roles he played so far.

conflict with Laviña, Andrei’s evil stepmom, intensifies when she discovers that she could have avoided the miscarriage but Laviña refused to help her.

Marry Me, Marry You’s emotional finale trailer also shows the series of life-threatening accidents that will put Andrei and Camille’s lives in danger.

Despite the mounting problems that are about to unfold in the series, Camille’s relationship with her godmothers Elvie, Marvi, and Paula (Cherry Pie Picache, Vina Morales, and Sunshine Dizon) remains intact as they give her the love and support to help her overcome her issues.

Will Andrei and Camille’s love story have a happy ending? Is there still a chance for the families of Andrei and Camille to make peace?

Marry Me, Marry You airs weeknights at 8:40 on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, and Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

Kapuso actor Dingdong Dantes as Nate in the latest installment of drama anthology ‘I Can See You.’

DINGDONG DANTES’

duality in latest ‘I Can See You’ installment

A

LTERNATE is the latest installment of drama anthology, I Can See You. It stars Dingdong Dantes playing twins who meet only as adults, which may be the explanation why one is the polar opposite of the other.

The new miniseries, airing tonight, narrates the story of Nate, a refined man whose marriage will be tested when his wife (Beauty Gonzalez) unknowingly cheats with someone who looks completely like him and is apparently his long-lost twin brother, Michael.

“It’s one of the most difficult roles I played so far,” the 41-year-old actor said during the series’ virtual junket.

“It’s also one of my dream roles. Hindi lang siguro sa trabaho ko bilang artista pero sa buhay din in general dahil ang daming elemento na kaakibat ng experience na ito. Isa na diyan, it’s my first time to be in a lock-in taping and be away from my family for 30 days,” he added.

Dingdong admitted that he does his homework before heading to a taping, but with AlterNate, he felt like a newbie who didn’t exactly know what to do on the set.

“I have done so many things for these characters but when I arrive on set, I felt like I didn’t know what to do. That’s why

(From left) Jackie Lou Blanco, Ricky Davao, Joyce Ching, Dingdong Dantes, and Beauty Gonzales

I have to give credit to our director who made everything possible in this series,” he said.

“Pero alam mo ‘yung magic kasi ng filmmaking, it really allows us to explore so many things with our fellow artists.

And I think ‘yung totoong paghahanda ay nangyari sa set, sa pamamagitan ng paginteract namin, when we were reading the script while we were in quarantine,” he went on.

Joining Dingdong and Beauty in this mini-series are Jackie Lou Blanco, Joyce Ching, and Ricky Davao. At the helm is Dominic Zapata “This is the first time Dingdong and Beauty met and worked with each other.

But since ganoon yung acumen nila sa

kanilang craft, kaya nilang magbatuhan ng linya on zoom, tapos kapag in-person na they allow it to organically form habang nangyayari yung eksena. It gets even better as the day progresses,” the director said of the series’ main cast.

“That’s one of the best things to see in a series. In fact, by the end of the lockin, kahit ang hirap ng taping, nabitin ako. Kasi na-enjoy ko talaga. Hindi siya dumali in terms of the amount of work, but it’s just so enjoyable you forget that it’s tiring to shoot. If there’s a lot of joy and love, it shows in the work.

Definitely, this is one of those projects where it’s evident,” he went on.

I Can See You: AlterNate premieres tonight at 8:50 on GMA Telebabad.

‘The Kangks Show’ among most watched titles on WeTV worldwide

’The Kangks Show’ stars Angelica Panganiban (right) and Maris Racal

IT’S a hot and sexy start for Angelica Panganiban and Maris Racal, stars of WeTV’s latest original series, The Kangks Show Show.

The no-holds-barred, irreverent, and sex-positive comedy is one of the most-watched shows on the streamer worldwide.

Since the series premiered in midDecember, it quickly became a favorite among viewers. Week on week, it has consistently stayed at the top 2 spot on WeTV Philippines, powered by word-ofmouth rave reviews on social media from fans, and industry folks.

The Kangks Show has also consistently been in the Top 10 shows viewed on WeTV in Indonesia, the United States, Canada and the UAE. It is also the Top 11 most watched shows on WeTV in Australia. With a few more episodes heading to the service, there are more wild and crazy stories are in store for viewers everywhere.

WeTV Original series The Kangks Show is the reunion project of Angelica and director Antoinette Jadaone.

The actress eagerly embraced the role of feisty sex guru Dr. Kara Teo, who hosts a long-running midnight sex

advice program, The Kangks Show.

Ratings are at an all-time low as Gen-Z influencer Cassandra (Maris Racal) launches her own sex advice channel on TikTok. When Doc Kara and her best friend/producer Nikki (Angeli Bayani) are called in by their shady boss Mr. B (played to the hilt by veteran actor Nonie Buencamino), he tells them the network is pulling the plug unless they can bring in the numbers. They put their heads together to solve the problems of the most outrageous and over-the-top letter senders they could find. In the midst of it all, she finds

herself torn between two guys –JC De Vera and Kit Thompson - who satisfy her in different ways.

Each episode features the story of a letter sender who is counting on Doc Kara to solve their intimacy issues.

Playing these lovelorn characters are a talented group of supporting actors, including Sheenly Gener, Yesh Burce, Arkin del Rosario, Mariella Laurel, Teetin Villanueva, Carlon Matobato, Mean Espinosa, Phi Palmos, Kych Minemoto, Abed Green, AJ Sison, Rachel Coates, Gene Padilla, Dolly de Leon, and Awra Briguela.

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022

The mountains and the seas beckon in Baler

Tourists flock to Baler to experience adventure in outdoor activities like surfing.

Baler is an ideal place to visit if you’re looking for adventure and relaxation.

By Lito Cinco

B

ALER in Aurora is long way off from Manila, about six to sevenhour drive, depending on what time one leaves, where he comes from, and how slow or fast he drives.

Ditumabo Falls or Mother Falls in Baler, Aurora.

The picturesque province is located between the mountains of Sierra Madre and the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

But definitely, a provincial destination that is caught between the mountains of Sierra Madre and the waters of the Pacific Ocean is a good place to visit, more so when one’s family is complete for a two-night three-day staycation there right at the start of the new year. Plus celebrating a birthday, too.

Exactly what we did, the missus, the three kids who are no longer kids, my children’s partners, and my only grandchild Livi who turned six on Jan. 1, staying at the Costa Pacifica, owned by the Angara family.

We left Pasig early morning in my son’s Everest, and in five hours’ time, we were at the PNP checkpoint in Canili, one hour away from Baler town proper, a reminder though, if from Manila, take the Pantabangan route and not Bongabon in

Nueva Ecija.

Also, Baler has several requirements for visiting tourists including a pass, vaccination cards, I.D. cards, and unfortunately visitors from areas under Level 3 covid alert, including NCR, will not be allowed entry, for the time being, meaning we just did the trip on time.

After lunch at the hotel’s coffee shop, which fortunately allows pet dogs (my daughter Janis brought three French bulldogs with her), we all went for a rest. Then, later in the afternoon, while our apo was having her swim at the hotel pool, Janis brought us to the famous hanging bridge of Baler along Zabali Road, just a few minutes away from the town plaza. This is a must-experience for first-time visitors, particularly for the more adventurous ones.

And Baler visitors are predominantly looking for adrenaline rush action, surfing adventures that is, as the roaring waves of the ocean continuously hitting the beaches have made the place a major surfing destination, same as Siargao and La Union. This is why in the morning of the second day of the family staycation, everyone, except me and the missus, headed to the beach right across the

Israel’s much vaunted chutzpah WE ALL know Israel as fense Forces’ elite in inthe favorite destination telligence corps. After of Filipinos for pilgrimcompleting her military age, but not too many of duties, and for the past us know that this tiny twenty-plus years, she country, almost the size tackled leading execu execuof New Jersey, has the tive roles in the flour flourhighest percentage of ishing Israeli tech sector business start-ups per and has founded a series capita worldwide. of programs for innova innovaFor many years, it tors, used in enterprises was believed that, because everybody where she currently holds board seats. in the country is required to serve in She is the founder of Synthesis, a global its Armed Forces and, therefore, ac- leadership assessment firm.

Madame Inbal Arieli quire the all-important values hinged on discipline, the citizens develop an trepreneurship. Her book takes one on entrepreneurial mindset. That’s partly a journey of the Israeli childhood, from correct. More important are the personinfancy to military service, showcasing ality traits that Israelis practice and nurthe unique entrepreneurial DNA of the ture from a very young age---traits like Israelis. risk-taking, creativity, resourcefulness, Although some people do not believe and teamwork. that one’s experience in military service The Oxford dictionary defines has a place in running a business, Arieli “chutzpah” (a Yiddish word that sounds believes it has. She banners her mandalike “foot spa”) as “extreme self-contory stint in the military, combined with fidence or audacity.” Although some 20 years of business experience, as havmay affix a negative connotation to the ing brought her to the conclusion that word, having chutzpah actually prothe mindset of being in the armed forces vides one the opportunity to constantly can and should be applied to innovative practice the soft skills that the World businesses that make good use of the Economic Forum describes as the skills characteristics of the team and those of for the future. the organizational structure.

Chutzpah offers proven strategies for Others see Arieli’s book as somesuccess to aspiring entrepreneurs, busithing that could empower children to ness executives, innovators, parents, become leaders by instilling the entreand policymakers. In our ever-changing preneurial spirit in them at such an early business climate, whether you are a sucage. But most of us could discover and cessful entrepreneur or a business execstrengthen our own soft skills that are utive, whether you work independently badly needed at this time when we have or for others, whether you are young or ‘Chutzpah’ is the Israelis’ secret weapon for to rebuild our businesses and ourselves more experienced, it is always imporentrepreneurial success. from the devastation brought about by tant to have chutzpah.

Not too long ago, the Israel ChamArieli lectures widely to business and this pandemic.

Now is the time to find and nurture ber of Commerce of the Philippines in- government leaders around the world, our own chutzpah. Inbal Arieli says, vited Madame Inbal Arieli to talk “Creativity isn’t about ‘thinking outabout her bestseller book, Chutzpah, YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE side the box.’ It’s having the Chutzwhich has earned international edipah to imagine a box-less world.” tions distributed in South Korea, Why is it that the time of the day with the Her book is available at Amazon China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. slowest traffic is called Rush Hour? or through Brian.Perrin@harpercolBorn in Israel and raised on humlins.com mus and, of course, chutzpah, she fostered her entrepreneurial skills dur- analyzing and discussing the most critiFor feedback, I’m ing her mandatory military service, cal leadership skills, based on how Isat bobzozobrado@gmail.com serving as lieutenant in the Israeli De- raeli culture breeds risk-taking and en-

hotel and tried their hands anew in riding the waves, though from their stories afterward, it was more of the waves riding them.

But yes, all of them did manage to stay upright on their boards, maybe for a few seconds, enough to make them happy and thrill over their P500 hour-long efforts.

For me, at my age, it was worth just watching them try and fall again and again, and it certainly was more worth it to see the more seasoned surfers really riding the waves.

On our last morning, it was off to the mountains this time but only again for the younger ones as my two daughters Janis and Jemi, the latter with her daughter Livi and partner Toby, took a trike then did a one hour walk to reach the tallest waterfalls in Aurora, the Ditumabo Falls, also known as the Mother Waterfalls.

I asked my apo how was her experience in the waterfalls, she said it was pretty but the waters were very very cold, and that she did not like walking in the muddy parts of the trail, but yes, for Baler visitors, waterfalls adventure would complete the sea and mountain adventure parts of the trip. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Chef Sheilla Kitchwares

by Chef Sheilla Lopez

Have pretty gadgets, will cook and bake

By Joyce Babe Pañares WHO would not be inspired to bake armed with dreamy blue cupcake muffin pans and silicone oven mittens and sweet pink hand mixers and whisks?

These are just some of the products under the newly-launched Chef Sheilla Kitchwares by Chef Sheilla Lopez.

“I’m not going to lie, I have collected many branded kitchenware pieces over the years, and they are quite pricey.

Many of my followers get intimidated by this. They think they can only make these recipes using expensive tools,” she said in explaining why she launched her own line of kitchenware.

“I always remind them that they can still create perfect dishes with affordable and reliable kitchen wares,” she added.

Known as the Soulful Kitchen Diva, Chef Sheilla wears multiple hats: Cuisine and Pastry Chef, Chef Instructor, Chef Consultant, Food Stylist, Food Photographer, Recipe Developer, and Food Writer, among others.

The kitchen is her domain, and everything that goes in her kitchen –

from ingredients, kitchen tools, gadgets, utensils and equipment – must be functional, durable, top-of-the-line quality, and multiple-purpose.

Having a very high standard when it comes to the kitchen tools she uses, Chef Sheilla assured her followers that she handpicked each piece in her kitchenware line.

“And they’re not going to be super expensive,” she said of the items that come in pleasing-to-the-eyes pastel hues.

Chef Sheilla Kitchwares includes, among others, the following items: hand mixer (with stand), silicone cupcake/muffin pan, five-piece mixing bowls with lids, silicone oven mittens, stainless steel cake knife and server set with ceramic holder, chopping board, and a waterproof digital kitchen scale.

Price ranges from P230 for the stainless flour sifter to P1650 for the durable non-stick 12” wok pan with lid.

Chef Sheilla Kitchenwares are available on www.chefsheilla.com as well as on Lazada (https://s.lazada.com.ph/s. e6rlK) and Shopee (https://shopee.ph/ chefsheillakitchwares?smtt=0.0.9)