Manila Standard - 2022 January 28 - Friday

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(Story on A4) OF UNITEAM ALLIES—LAWYER LENI SEEKS TO DELETE FB ACCOUNTS A LAWYER who is a known supporter of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday accused Vice President Leni Robredo of meeting with a top official of social media platform Facebook Philippines in a bid to remove or suspend the accounts of his supporters with big following.

“I have it confirmed that the camp of a presidential aspirant has met with officials of the social media

platform Facebook Philippines to remove or suspend the FB accounts of BBM supporters with big following," lawyer Larry Gadon said.

Meta, Facebook company's new name, denied the claim of Gadon.

“No one from Meta recently met with the Vice President or her team, or made any agreement to remove political content from our platform. We do not arbitrarily censor peaceful political

speech on Facebook, and we will only remove content if they violate our Community Standards.”

Robredo's spokesman, Barry Gutierrez, likewise belied Gadon's allegation.

“Not true,” he said.

Gadon alleged that a Facebook Philippines insider informed him that Robredo personally met with Chris Kuzhuppily, Facebook Philippine public

policy manager; Roy Tan, politics and government outreach manager for Asia Pacific; and Kylie Mooney, government, politics, and advocacy partner manager.

"This is frightening because all the Facebook accounts that support Bongbong Marcos and Inday Sara's UniTeam are likely to be suspended or permanently dismantled due to Leni's camp's incitement using fictitious accusations," he said.

226,521

53,736

74

3,213,190 22,014 (As of 4 PM, JANUARY 27)

’Stealth’ Omicron more prevalent in latest pattern

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6 provinces placed under Alert Level 3

3,493,447 18,191

"Due to the large number of UniTeam supporters via Facebook, Leni's camp wants to delete the FB pages of Bongbong and Inday's supporters as well, as they did with the Twitter accounts of BBM supporters who claim to be theirs as well. Suspended,” Gadon added.

Sought for comment on the denial of Meta and Robredo's camp, Marcos

By Willie Casas VOL. XXXV • NO. 347 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Higher retail prices of basic goods set

By Willie Casas

SIX more provinces will be placed under Alert Level 3 starting today (Friday).

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Palawan, Camiguin, Davao Occidental, Dinagat Islands, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu will be under Alert Level 3 until Feb. 15, 2022.

Metro Manila and several other areas are under Alert 3 until the end of the month.

On Thursday, the head of a doctor’s group said Metro Manila is not yet ready to be placed under looser quarantine restrictions, even as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the country has dropped.

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By Othel V. Campos

THE "stealth" Omicron sub-variant has been found to be more prevalent in the latest batch of whole genome sequencing, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

The sequencing detected 618 more Omicron variant cases, bringing the country's total to 1,153. Of the newly reported cases, 13 cases remain active, two have died, 560 were tagged as recovered, and the outcome of 43 cases was still being verified, the DOH said.

The DOH said both sub-variants of Omicron, BA.1 and BA.2, or the stealth Omicron, were detected in the samples.

HE government raised the suggested retail prices (SRP) of 73 basic necessities and prime commodities Thursday as manufacturers sought to offset the increasing cost of raw materials and packaging.

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Trade Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Ruth Castelo said the price increases were kept to a minimum.

Of the 12 sardine brands in the SRP list, only five got the go-ahead to raise their retail prices: 555, Hakone, Lucky 7, Saba and Toyo. The rising cost of fish and tin packaging

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Lenient policy eyed for those who got Astra THE Department of the Interior and Local Government said Thursday it would study giving consideration to those who recently received AstraZeneca coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) jabs in the implementation of the "no vaccination, no ride"' policy.

"Since November to December last year, we have had a lot of vaccines, different brands but nonetheless, this is also a valid concern and we will raise this again to (sic) Next page

PRICE HIKE. The Department of Trade and Industry approves the increase in prices of several basic goods, including Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal, sardines, evaporated and condensed milk, and instant noodles, among others. Norman Cruz

Members of the 10k Ayuda Na Network hold a protest action at the gate of Senate in Pasay City on Thursday, January 27, 2022, to press for the approval of a proposed measure to provide P10,000 to workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny Pata

GDP GREW 5.6% IN ’21, EXCEEDS GOVT TARGET BUSINESS / A8

GUANZON BARES VOTE ON CASE TO DISQUALIFY BBM NEWS / A5

Frontliners protest unjust treatment unjust and anti-health workers’ policies of the Department of Health and the Duterte HEALTH workers from different administration.

AHW national president Robert hospitals held an online coordinated protest from their wards on Thursday to Mendoza assailed outright negligence oppose what they called the continued Next page

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

NTC: Time to allot TV frequencies granted the television frequencies formerly held by ABS-CBN Corp. to allies A SENIOR official of the National of President Rodrigo Duterte because they Telecommunications Commission had been left unused for over a year.

Next page (NTC) on Thursday said the agency

By Rey E. Requejo

FOR GOOD LUCK. SM Megamall welcomes the Year of the Tiger with the glow of over a thousand gold tasseled red lanterns in different sizes. Red lanterns are traditional Chinese New Year symbols of wealth, fame, and prosperity.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

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Govt told: Craft pandemic exit plan OCTA Research Group fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco and Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion had urged the government's pandemic task force to take initial steps in taking the Philippines out of a "pandemic mindset."

"It is time for the national government

to transition our people from a pandemic to an endemic mindset," they said in a joint letter issued January 26.

They suggested that past international travel protocols should be reinstated.

These include pre-departure testing within 24 hours of departure using either

an RT-PCR or rapid antigen test, with additional PCR-based test upon arrival; 3-day quarantine; and arrival testing on the third day of quarantine, with exit permitted upon showing a negative result.

“At this time, the omicron surge has peaked in the NCR and is expected to peak in the different regions of the country in the next 2 weeks,” they said in the letter.

A significant number of Filipinos have already acquired immunity from COVID-19, either through infection or vaccination, they said.

Opening up the country to the world by easing and simplifying travel restrictions will redound to many downstream benefits to the economy, they said.

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desal to P23.50 per pack due to high cost of flour.

Among the four instant noodle brands in the SRP list, Lomi and Lucky Me adjusted their prices by P0.25 per unit. The high cost of soft flour in the global market contributed to the marginal increase in the price of instant noodles.

In addition, Fidel Salt, one of the two salt brands in the SRP list, raised its retail price due to the rising cost of vacuum salt or food grade salt, which has increased by 148 percent since 2018.

Detergent manufacturers sought price increase for two brands, Surf and Sulit Bar, due to a 41 percent price increase in linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, the active cleansing ingredient in laundry soaps.

Meanwhile, the increase in the price of bottled water was attributed to the rising cost of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that went

up by 63 percent in December 2021.

The DTI also cited the increase in the cost of mechanically-deboned meat (MDM) as the major reason for the hike in canned meat prices.

Also , freight costs have risen by 431.4 percent.

Castelo said the DTI had to balance the request for adjustments—aimed at keeping businesses out of the red and keep their workers employed—against keeping basic goods affordable.

But the consumer group Laban Konsyumer, Inc. said the government-sanctioned price hikes were ill-timed since the country continues to be in national state of emergency, after Typhoon Odette wrought havoc on provinces and municipalities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

LKI president Victorio Dimagiba was also critical of the approved price hike on

budget breads since the Pinoy Bread project is an initiative between the government and industrial bread manufacturers to give consumers access to affordable breads.

“The amount authorized for the price increase of Pinoy Tasty and Pinoy Pandesal compromised the objective of the industry corporate social responsibility,” he said.

He also noted that the new SRP will tend to compromise the quality of the food of the poor to “become poorer, faster.”

Gardenia, the biggest bread maker, said the 35 percent hike in the cost of wheat flour would not only raise prices of generic breads but also on branded breads.

Simplicio Umali Jr., president and general manager of Gardenia Bakeries Phils. Inc, said branded breads are raising prices at the same rate or higher than the generic breads.

middle of February,” she said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases met yesterday to discuss the community quarantine alert levels but Malacañang said it will likely announce the status for Metro Manila over the weekend.

Limpin acknowledged that hospitals in the National Capital Region are feeling the impact of the lower number of daily cases.

“We are now seeing fewer number of COVID cases and this gives us some breathing space so we can attend to nonCOVID cases,” she said.

“Also, the health care workers that were previously affected, or who got infected as well, are already back to work so that actually gives us more people to really man the posts,” she said.

Limpin noted, however, that COVID-19 cases seem to be increasing in the provinces.

“What we have seen during the first week of January, we are now seeing in the provinces, particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao,” she said.

The independent OCTA Research Group, meanwhile, said the reproduction number—or the number of people that one case can infect—dropped to 0.63 in Metro Manila, down from 0.71.

A reproduction number that is below 1

indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down.

Thursday’s new cases brought the total number of infections to 3,493,447, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The positivity rate was at 35.2 percent, based on 61,013 people tested on Jan. 25. This is much higher than the World Health Organization's target of less than 5 percent.

There were 74 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 53,736.

The DOH also reported 22,014 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,213,190.

There were 226,521 active cases, of which 6,875 were asymptomatic; 214,857 were mild; 2,971 were moderate; 1,509 were severe; and 309 were critical.

Nationwide, 49 percent of ICU beds, 50 percent of isolation beds, 51 percent of ward beds, and 25 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 41 percent of ICU beds, 39 percent of isolation beds, 47 percent of ward beds, and 26 percent of ventilators, were in use.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said other regions may soon peak in the number of COVID-19 cases after Metro Manila reached its own, based on the pattern observed previously during the surge caused by

the Delta variant of COVID-19.

“When we experienced Delta, NCR was first. And then after two to three weeks, other regions followed. NCR also finished first. After two to three weeks, other regions also followed,” Vergeire told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

She noted that the vaccination rate in Metro Manila is high, and regions should keep up to help manage and keep the pandemic under control.

"Always remember, when we talk about herd immunity, it's not just one area in a country. Borders are porous.

Even if the NCR could reach 95 percent [vaccination] but other regions remain low, we will still get the infections,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.

She reminded the public that they can still get infected despite being vaccinated, noting that the primary doses only guarantee the prevention of severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

DOH Region 9 director Joshua Brillantes, meanwhile, said the current increase in COVID-19 cases in the Zamboanga Peninsula is alarming.

Hospitals are crowded, and the DOH itself has to fill in gaps in the workforce left by medical staff who are infected with the virus. This prompted the local government unit to conduct its own mass vaccination drive.

of the lawmakers who was instrumental in denying the franchise of ABS-CBN raised concern over the NTC’s move.

House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta raised concern over the NTC move to give the analog and digital broadcast frequencies previously held

by ABS-CBN to Villar-owned Advanced Media Broadcasting System, Inc. In a statement, Marcoleta pointed out the supposed lack of transparency by the NTC, saying that this could still be perceived by some as a "midnight deal."

"While I view this development with qualified optimism, we cannot ignore the fact that there appears less or even lack of transparency in the grant of frequencies by the NTC. That being so, the public or otherwise interested entities might view this arrangement as a midnight deal, a situation that we need to avoid," Marcoleta said.

Meanwhile, a Justice official said the department did not expect the legal opinion sought by the NTC from them would be used to justify the award of the frequencies previously owned by ABS-CBN. In a television interview over TV5 “The Big Story,” Chief State Counsel George Ortha II said the NTC sought the Department of Justice legal opinion last November.

“Essentially the request of NTC revolves on two issues. One, is whether it can issue certificates of public convenience and necessity or provisional authorities; the second one is the assignment of such frequencies,” Ortha stressed. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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longer be a problem as more supplies of various Covid-19 vaccine brands are now available in the country.

Malaya added the "no vax, no ride" policy could no longer be delayed, hence the decision to come up with a 30-day grace period for the unvaccinated and those partially vaccinated.

"The rationale from the very beginning has always been two things, the first is to protect the unvaccinated themselves and the second is to protect the healthcare system from being overwhelmed," he added.

He also clarified that the “no vax, no ride’’ policy would only be implemented under Alert Level 3.

Earlier on Wednesday, the government said that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers could continue riding public transportation in Metro Manila for 30 days starting Jan. 26, after which they must comply with the “no vaccination, no ride” policy.

The DOTr announcement appeared to contradict Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III’s declaration a week earlier that unvaccinated workers were exempted from the policy because they provide “essential services.”

But Transportation Undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr., the department’s official representative to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said the policy was in place to protect unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers from developing severe COVID-19 infections. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

of the Duterte government which he said had caused exasperation among the health workers.

"This greatly affects our health, safety and well-being and (as well as of) the people that they serve," said Mendoza as he demanded a more humane and just policy for the health workers.

Mendoza noted that on January 6, 2022 the Department of Health released DOH Circular 2022-002 Section E or the Amended Quarantine and Isolation Period for Health Care Workers as Contingency Measure for Sustaining Health Care Capacity.

AHW objected to the said DOH Circular as it said it was inhumane and unjust to the health workers. They feared the said circular would pose further danger to the health and safety of health workers as well as the patients.

On January 14, 2022, DOH issued Department Memorandum 2022-0013 or Updated Guidelines on Quarantine, Isolation, and Testing for COVID-19 Response and Case Management for the Omicron Variant.

DOH updated the quarantine protocol for the asymptomatic but with COVID close contact and fully vaccinated persons to at least five days with NO RT-PCR test needed until his/her quarantine ends.

The updated isolation period for the fully vaccinated general public and health workers was changed to seven days from the onset of symptoms and ten days for the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated persons.

“The updated isolation and quarantine protocol issued by the DOH caused more confusion and is no different from the previous one. We stand firm that asymptomatic but with COVID close contact health workers who underwent five days’ quarantine must get an RT PCR test before returning to work. Same goes with the asymptomatic COVID-19 positive, and those with mild symptoms COVID-19 positive health workers who underwent a seven days’ isolation,” Mendoza said.

“But generally and at the maximum, we demand for a fourteen-day quarantine and isolation protocol for the health workers and general public regardless of whether one is asymptomatic but with close contact, asymptomatic COVID positive, those with mild and moderate symptoms COVID positives in order to ensure safety of health workers, their patients and to the rest of the general public,” Mendoza added.

AHW emphasized that health workers were not immortal.

“They are human beings too that need enough rest when they get tired and sick. Getting infected with COVID-19 is not easy. The 5-10 days’ isolation and quarantine period is not enough.

DOH must hire more permanent health workers to augment the lack of health personnel.” Worst of all, AHW said the government is pushing to implement the One COVID-19 Allowance (OCA).

“We vehemently oppose the One COVID-19 Allowance because it would mean complete removal of our COVID-19 benefits such as special risk allowance (SRA), active hazard duty pay (AHDP) and meal, accommodation and transportation (MAT) allowance.

This scheme is indeed unjust, a discrimination and insult to us health workers as we were being devalued of our worth as frontliners fighting this pandeminc,” Benjamin Santos, AHW Secretary General said.

infections include 497 local cases and 121 returning Filipinos, the DOH said.

There were 35 more Delta variant cases found in the whole genome sequencing, bringing its tally to 8,647.

Also on Thursday, the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) said it plans to inaugurate its satellite facilities in Visayas and Mindanao once these have polished their operations and protocols.

PGC Executive Director Dr. Cynthia Saloma said they have already installed

the sequencing machines at the facility in the Visayas while the equipment will be installed at the facility in Mindanao by next week.

Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-de la Paz, executive director of the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health, said the plan to enhance the capability of satellite laboratories was part of efforts to expand the country's genome sequencing amid the emergence of new coronavirus variants.

By Willie Casas

A

RESEARCH expert and a government adviser has called on the government to come up with a pandemic exit strategy that would relax restrictions in the country, hit by coronavirus since March 2020.

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were the reasons for the price increase in canned sardines, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

Both evaporated and condensed milk brands increased retail prices by as much as P2.75 for a big can of condensed milk.

Brands that have increased their retail price were Alaska, Liberty and Cowbell.

Castelo said the price of processed milk was due to the high cost of buttermilk, which has gone up by 48 percent since the fourth quarter of 2020, the 133 percent increase in the cost of tin packaging and the 65 percent increase in the cost of palm oil.

Budget breads Pinoy Tasty loaf have increased prices to P38.50 and Pinoy Pan-

6 provinces...

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The country reported 18,191 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, the third straight day the tally fell below 20,000.

But Dr. Maricar Limpin, head of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) said the real number of new cases may be much higher than official figures show.

“I think we have to bear in mind that this number may not be truly reflective of the real COVID cases that we have in the country because many of the people are actually not being tested now, so I still believe that the numbers are still quite high,” Limpin said.

“The message I’d like to relay to everyone is that we have to continue practicing the minimum public health standards so that we will not get infected."

“And then number two, if ever the government is thinking of downgrading the alert level, I hope that this is not going to happen in the near future because I don’t think that this is the right time to do it,” she added.

She said she expects Metro Manila numbers to remain high until next week.

“So we can probably make a decision [about lowering the alert level]... by the

NTC:...

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“It’s been more than 1 year already since these spectrums remain unused, unutilized and unassigned so the Commission en banc decided to assign so that it can be used for public good and public convenience,” NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarrios said in an interview with ANC. Channel 2 and 16, which were formerly assigned to ABS-CBN, were granted to a firm owned by former senator Manny Villar, the billionaire and one of the biggest supporters of President Duterte.

The NTC also provided Channel 43, which used to air ABS-CBN TV Plus programs, to Swara Sug Media Corp., operating as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy – Duterte’s spiritual adviser.

Further, Channel 23, which used to air ABS-CBN's sports and action channel, was assigned to Aliw Broadcasting Corp., established in 1991 and owned by ALC Group of Companies founded by the late ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua.

Cabarrios said leaving the frequencies idle was “disadvantageous to the public.”

He also said that waiting for the next administration to be installed before assigning the frequencies would mean they would be idle for more than 2 years.

Even as Cabarrios fended off criticism that it was a “midnight deal” with the Duterte administration ending in June, one

Leni...

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spokesman Vic Rodriguez declined to comment.

Twitter earlier suspended hundreds of accounts reportedly linked to supporters of Marcos, which the social media giant said had violated its rules on manipulation and spam.

More than 300 accounts had been removed "for violating our platform manipulation and spam policy," Twitter said.

"With the Philippine elections taking place this May, we remain vigilant about identifying and eliminating suspected information campaigns targeting election conversations," Twitter added.

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the other agencies—DOTr (Department of Transportation) and DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment)—so that we can come up with the policy with them," DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a television interview.

This as the government implemented a 30-day grace period for unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers to ride public transport in Metro Manila starting Wednesday.

However, only fully vaccinated individuals will be allowed in public transport in the region starting February 26.

Given this timeframe, those who were recently inoculated with AstraZeneca jabs as their first dose would have to wait for four to 12 weeks before getting their second dose, much longer than the 28 to 30 days interval of other vaccine brands.

Malaya, meanwhile, advised those who remain unvaccinated to choose from other brands aside from AstraZeneca as much as possible.

"They must request their LGUs to vaccinate them with another brand of COVID-19 vaccine which will allow them to be vaccinated 30 days later so that they will not fall under this problem because if they are injected with AstraZeneca, definitely, they will not be fully vaccinated [once the 30-day window ends]," Malaya said.

He is also hoping that this will no

’Stealth’...

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There is "no significant difference" between the two sub-variants in terms of transmissibility or severity of disease, the DOH said.

The earliest detection of the BA.2 sub-lineage was on Dec. 31, 2021, the DOH also said.

The fresh number of Omicron

At present, only the Philippines, Myanmar, and Japan have the strictest travel restrictions, Concepcion said.

“The rest have either lifted curfews and stay-at-home orders, opened their borders to non-citizens and non-residents, and have allowed all or most commercial flights to the country," Concepcion said.

Concepcion said the country’s travel restrictions could be further relaxed without compromising safety by scrapping facility-based quarantines and instead requiring only home quarantines.

“The next few months will be critical in how the country will move on from the pandemic,” Concepcion said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

LRT-1 closed on Sunday due to signal work THOSE planning to take the LRT Line-1 1 on Sunday, read this.

Light Rail Manila Corp., the operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1, yesterday announced the suspension of the railway system’s operations on Sunday.

In an advisory, LRMC said the oneday suspension of LRT1’s was intended “to give way to the completion of the upgrade of its signaling system” – upgrade the new Alstom signaling system to accommodate the commercial use of fourth generation train sets.

“Normal operations of LRT1 will resume on January 31, 2022, Monday,” it said.

In November last year, LRMC announced the upgrade of LRT1’s signaling system to be conducted on November 28, 2021, January 23, 2022, and January 30, 2022.

The company said, together with its contractor, it would be performing test runs and trial runs along the LRT1 on the identified dates to ensure that the new signaling system for the railway system was ready. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Frontliners...

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NBI ordered to submit report on Land Bank phishing cases JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to submit within 30 days a progress report on the NBI’s investigation on the alleged phishing scheme that victimized teachers with Land Bank of the Philippines accounts.

“OIC Distor is hereby directed to submit a report on the progress of the subject investigation and case build-up directly by the Office of the Secretary within 30 days from receipt, and periodically thereafter,” Guevarra said, in a Department Order issued on January 25 and received by the office of NBI officerin-charge Eric Distor on January 26.

The DOJ chief also instructed that if the NBI agents can gather evidence on the illegal phishing activities, they should file the appropriate cases against those behind the scam.

Guevarra also directed the bureau “to conduct an investigation and case build-up on alleged phishing schemes victimizing teachers with Land Bank accounts, and if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate charges against those found responsible thereof.”

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition reported that the number of complaints against phishing has increased to 50.

There were reportedly multiple unauthorized withdrawals on the teachers’ payroll accounts, with the amounts ranging from P900 to P200,000.

The teachers’ group noted that the common denominator was that the teachers received multiple one-time pin (OTP) on their bank accounts.

Even if the teachers did not provide their OTP, the transactions with Land Bank still reportedly pushed through.

Rey E. Requejo

CHR probes woman’s death in Davao del Sur

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Human Rights is set to conduct a motu propio investigation into the discovery of a body of a woman floating near a beach in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur last Jan. 22.

“The Commission condemns this heinous and cruel violation to human life.

Torture and other cruel and inhumane acts are prohibited by the Constitution and are criminalized by the Anti-Torture Law. No individual should be subject to torture or any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment,” spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.

“CHR will be working closely with local officers to help in establishing the identity of the victim. We ask any possible witnesses or those who may have knowledge on the identity of the victim to volunteer information to your nearest police station or CHR office so we may help achieve justice for this human rights violation,” she added.

The victim was believed to have been tortured, according to authorities. Her body was reportedly found hogtied from her neck to her limbs with nylon rope and black twine, while connected to a water container with cement serving as anchor.

Her hands and feet were tied with masking tape. She bore a long laceration on her stomach with her face appearing to have been stricken with a hard object.

Meanwhile, CHR lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ decision to suspend a mining operation in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental due to massive siltation and discoloration of the Mapagba and Pintatagan rivers.

Odette death toll climbs to more than 400 UP HIGH. Workers ride on the top of a container van as they arrange the newly arrived containers at the Port Area in Manila on Thursday. The Philippine economy grew at a faster pace in the last three months of 2021, bringing the full-year figure in line with the government’s target range, after the record-low seen in the previous year.

Danny Pata

Duterte appoints Ong as CA associate justice P

By Rey E. Requejo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Michael Pastores Ong as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals.

Vice Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan was promoted to magistrate of the Supreme Court last January 8, 2020.

Malacañang through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea sent Ong’s appointment papers Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo last January 26.

Ong was assistant secretary in the Office of the Presidential Legal Counsel from 2010 to 2012. He was also with the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs before he assumed the post of senior deputy execu-

tive secretary.

Ong took his oath before the Chief Justice on Thursday. Ong holds an economics degree from ADMU and is part of the UP College of Law Class of 2002.

He first served as court attorney for former Supreme Court Associate Justice and Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales.

He was also corporate legal counsel of the PNOC Exploration Corporation.

Ong joined the Office of the President during President Benigno Aquino

III’s time. He served in the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and later in the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs.

He became Deputy Executive Secretary for General Affairs before he was appointed Senior Deputy Executive Secretary in 2018.

Ong is the second official in the Executive Department appointed to the CA this month of January Last Jan. 21, Chief Justice Gesmundo received the appointment papers of Jennifer Joy Chua as CA associate justices. At the time of her appointment, she is an undersecretary in the Office of the Appointments Secretary of the OP. Justice Chua, who took over the CA post vacated by retired Justice Ma. Luisa Q. Padilla, immediately took her oath of office before Gesmundo.

Zubiri bats for passage of Marawi compensation bill

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE Majority Leader Migz Zubiri on Thursday cited the need for the Marawi Siege Compensation Act to be approved for Marawi victims.

Senators on Tuesday approved on second reading Senate Bill No. 2420, or the Marawi Siege Compensation Act. “We thank our colleagues for passing this bill on second reading. We need this to give social justice to the victims of the Marawi siege,” said Zubiri, principal author and co-sponsor of the bill.

“The fact of the matter is, when you go to Marawi and Lanao del Sur, many of our kababayans there are still without homes, and still have no means of renovating or rebuilding their homes that were destroyed in the siege,” Zubiri said.

In 2018, Zubiri also authored and sponsored the landmark Bangsamoro Organic Law, in response to the Marawi Siege.

“We saw that if we did not address the concerns of just and lasting peace and social justice for our brothers and sisters in Muslim Mindanao, these acts of terrorism would keep happening in other cities later on,” he said.

He also considered this bill as one of the best, as “we put so many gamechangers in it, particularly on the management and governance of the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao.”

The Marawi Siege Compensation Act creates a Marawi Compensation Board to facilitate the tax-free payment of reparations to persons displaced by the Marawi Siege.

“With the BOL and the Marawi

Compensation Act, we are giving our brothers and sisters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region the tools and mechanisms that they need in order to truly recover. They will receive just compensation or financial assistance to help them recover from this tragedy,” noted the Senate leader.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the Marawi compensation bill is long overdue. “I am very happy that we are finally getting closer to its passage,” she said.

She committed to help this bill be passed during the 18th Congress because “our brothers in Marawi have long been waiting for it.”

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that the death toll due to Typhoon Odette which hit the country in December 2021, has reached to 409 from 406.

However, the number of confirmed fatalities stands at 96, the NDRRMC said.

The NDRRMC also reported that 1,384 people were injured and 65 were still missing after the typhoon which ravaged many parts of the archipelago.

These areas include Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro.

The council further reported that more than 8.7 million people (about 2.45 million families) were affected by the typhoon. The affected individuals came from 9,068 barangays.

NDRRC added that more than 220,000 were displaced from their homes. The displace have been relocated in more than 1,000 evacuation centers.

More than 1.39 million houses were damaged, and more than P17 billion worth of damage in infrastructure and more than P15 billion in damage in agriculture were also reported. Meanwhile, power supply has reportedly been restored in 319 of 379 cities and municipalities.

IN BRIEF Navotas City distributes rice, chicken to residents THE Navotas City government started Wednesday the distribution of 5-kilo packs of rice and one whole chicken to each family in Navotas in line with the city’s celebration of its 116th founding anniversary.

Mayor Toby Tiangco, Congressman John Rey Tiangco and other city and barangay officials led the first day of distribution during the “116th Navotas Day Regalo Para sa Pamilyang Navoteño.”

Some 14,157 families from barangays Tangos North and South were the first to receive the said food packs.

The city government purchased 80,317 packs of rice and chicken for the whole of Navotas in December.

“The distribution was scheduled on January 14-16 as part of the week-long activities for Navotas Day. We deferred it to focus on the house-to-house delivery of medicines and vitamins,” Tiangco said.

The city government handed out paracetamol, phenylpropanolamine, and vitamin C to 87,315 Navoteño families.

“We thank Navoteños for patiently waiting for us to bring our Navotas Day gifts to them. We also thank everyone who helped make this activity a success—from the purchase of the items to the receipt from suppliers to the delivery to each Navoteño family,” Tiangco said. Jun David

QC extends deadline on business permits

READY FOR THE CHINESE NEW YEAR. A store owner arranges Chinese charms at a store in Marikina City. This year’s Chinese New Year will be on February 1. Manny Palmero

BUSINESS permits and ancillary clearances to expire before July 20 will now be valid until Oct. 20 to complement the extension earlier granted to taxpayers for the payment of first and second quarter dues to the third quarter in Quezon City.

The city passed Ordinance No. SP3084 extending the validity of business permits and ancillary clearances, such as sanitary permits, environmental clearances, tourism accreditation certificates, Department of Public Order and Safety security clearances, traffic clearances, liquor permits, market clearances/certificates, and veterinary clearances to July 20 this year if these are originally set to expire before this date.

The original deadline for the payment of business taxes, fees, and charges is from Jan. 20 for the first quarter and March 20 for the second quarter to July 20 for the third quarter.

“Given Ordinance No SP-3067- S-2021, it is possible that a business permit or ancillary clearance may be deemed expired before the date of the extended tax payment deadline, but the business will be unable to renew its business permit and clearances because in order to do so, it is mandated to have paid its tax dues in the last quarter ended,” the measure read. Rio N. Araja

Poe baffled by fake bank bills from ATMs FISHING AND BIRDS. A fisherman casts his net in Bgy. Tanza, Navotas City.

White terns are also enjoying a good catch during a low tide yesterday afternoon.

Revoli Cortez

SENATOR Grace Poe said bank depositors should not be burdened with distinguishing counterfeit bills coming from banks.

Poe made the comments after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reminded Filipinos to regularly check their banknotes for authenticity through the “feel, look, tilt.”

She said has been baffled why ATMs are dispensing fake peso bills and wants to know how the bogus money found its way into

the banks’ machines.

“ATMs dispensing fake bills is unacceptable and must have no place in the banking system,” stressed Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services.

She noted that reminders by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to be alert of fake bills from ATMs are disquieting.

“The burden of distinguishing counterfeit bills emanating from banks from genuine ones should not be placed on depositors,”

she emphasized.

As keepers of the people’s money, she said banks must at all times ensure state-of-theart defenses against security breaches.

“It is our financial institutions that carry the responsibility to steadfastly guard against vulnerabilities and keenly upgrade their systems amidst the changing times to keep our people’s unflinching trust in the banking industry,” Poe further said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

News

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

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Persecution POLL OFFICIAL: DECISION ON DQ CASE COMING made me Guanzon reveals vote against Marcos tougher, says Lacson Isko: Manila ready to jab kids 5 to 11

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By Macon Ramos-Araneta

PARTIDO Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson on Thursday said political persecution has made him tougher.

While he is aware that tales of betrayal are par for the course when one enters the world of politics, Lacson said he still found it distressing to realize that the people who earned your trust and you thought were your friends would be capable of turning against you.

Meanwhile, the Partido Reporma chairman and standard bearer said there’s a right, corruption-free way of inserting items into the national budget.

He said some politicians insert items into the national budget for their own eventual benefit.

But the presidential candidate noted there’s a correct, legal way of doing insertions without lining the pockets of the corrupt.

Lacson said lawmakers can add institutional amendments as new items in the budget that would be insulated from misuse and abuse, instead of pouring public funds into “soft” projects that corrupt officials can take advantage of.

He said he would not wish for anyone to go through the same ordeal as he did—to be persecuted in public for crimes he did not commit—because it is one of the most painful experiences that could happen to a person.

“I hope you won’t experience this.

I just hope and pray you don’t experience what I’ve been through because it hurts to see your old friends, who you thought were your real friends, turn their backs on you and persecute you; to be ostracized like you had leprosy.

I went through all that,” he said in a television interview.

Lacson was talking about those moments when he found out that his former colleagues in the Philippine National Police (PNP) conspired with the people working for his political opponents to assassinate his character by linking him to several illegal activities despite their lack of evidence.

N ELECTION commissioner has revealed that she voted to disqualify former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from the 2022 presidential race, believing there has been “unreasonable delay” in the poll body’s decision on his case.

First Division Presiding Commissioner Rowena Guazon decided to release her opinion on the disqualification case to the public, saying she already submitted it to the other commissioners.

“That’s why this (delay) is happening because my vote is to DQ Marcos Jr. I think there really is moral turpitude based on evidence and the law. I will not keep it a secret. That is the reason why this is happening,” Guanzon said.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Con-

ference of the Philippines (CBCP) is set to discuss the upcoming national and local elections in its online plenary assembly, which opened on Thursday.

Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, CBCP secretary general, said they have invited speakers from a range of sectors to discuss election issues.

Pantin added they are looking to release a pastoral statement in connection with the upcoming polls by early February.

“The discussion aims to gather points and ideas that can be included in the statement,” he said in an article posted on the Conference’s news website.

In an interview with GMA News at the UP College of Law where she graduated, Guanzon said she received information of efforts to influence the other officials of the Commission on Elections.

The election official said she already submitted her opinion to the two other commissioners of the First Division, Aimee Ferolino and Marlon Casquejo.

She said the document was ready last

January 17, the day the ruling was supposed to be issued.

“In fact, I have a dissenting opinion, I was ready on January 17 because we raffle the disqualification cases, three are called consolidated cases and that went to a commissioner as the ponente,” she said in live streaming on Facebook.

Guanzon said the ruling was not released on January 17 and the day after as the ponente assigned it to a lawyer, who got the coronavirus disease, and the assigning commissioner then went on quarantine for being a close contact.

“Here at the Commission on Elections, we raffle the case. The ponente will write the decision. If we both agree with another member of the Commission, we will sign it,” she said.

“So that’s the procedure here. So, I don’t insist on who will write or who will be the ponente, and it does not mean that what the ponente commissioner wrote is our decision. It’s because each of us can write a separate opinion,” she added. Vito Barcelo

POLL CHECKPOINT. Cops from the Manila Police District Command (MPDC) ask every commuter and driver for their COVID-19 vaccination cards and other documents as they enter the Baseco Compound in Manila on Thursday, as they enforced an election checkpoint two weeks before the February 9 start of the campaign period for the 2022 national elections. Danny Pata

Robredo: No need to wage war with China over West Philippine Sea claim

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo has rejected war against China to defend the Philippines’ claim over the West Philippine Sea. “We don’t need to wage war. What we need to do is to enter into alliances with traditional and emerging partners, allies, so they can help us protect the West Philippine Sea,” she told television host Boy Abunda in a one-on-one interview series of presidential candidates.

Robredo said the Philippines must assert its victory against Beijing before an arbitral tribunal to build a “coalition of nations” that would protect the West Philippine Sea. To forge alliances by leveraging the

2016 arbitral ruling that nullified China’s historical claim over much of the South China Sea, including portions within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, is a “low-hanging fruit,” she said.

Earlier, the Vice President maintained that the government’s stand on the West Philippine Sea issue must be consistent so the country could rally support from other nations.

Meanwhile, Robredo said Thursday she was aware that her honest answers in the “fast talk” segment of her recent interview with television host Boy Abunda could

TINGOG ASSISTANCE. Andrew K. Romualdez (in black vest),

representing Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez, turns over various items to 48 minors who are confined at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (CICL) at Brgy. Sto. Niño, Tanauan, Leyte. The event was held January 26 and was also attended by Tacloban City vice mayoral aspirant Raymund Romualdez, councilor aspirant Kap. Albert “Abet” Eviota, and Tingog party-list President Glenn J. Capucion.

UniTeam eyes more for PWD cause, welfare PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on Thursday said he will push for the empowerment of persons with disabilities by providing equal opportunity both in law and reality “as they are an important partner in nation-building.”

“I believe we haven’t done enough for them. We have more than one million brothers and sisters who are PWDs and they and their families needed support. We want them to feel that they enjoy the same privileges and opportunities,” said Marcos, standard-bearer of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

“We have laws and policies that are structured to protect and promote them but I feel we could do more. As they say, those who have less in life must have more in law,” he added.

According to Marcos, it is not only

by allowing the PWDs to have access to all infrastructure projects and financial plans that they are empowered, but by actually allowing them to join the labor force according to their skills and knowledge.

“We see them doing massages in the malls and other places, busking in the streets and doing other odd jobs, but they can do more than that,” he pointed out.

“By protecting and empowering them, we are also protecting and empowering their children, their parents, and their love-ones. Despite the laws that are already in place, we see the need to help them in terms of healthcare, education, transportation, and other special concerns,” Marcos said.

Rey E. Requejo

elicit reactions from her fellow presidential candidates but these were her “honest opinion.”

“Alam ko na may mga mara-ruffle ako na feathers pero tinatanong kasi ako

eh. Ayoko naman na sumagot na parang umiiwas, sa akin lang ‘yung tanong, sinagot ko. In my honest opinion, ‘yun talaga ‘yung palagay ko na kailangan ko isagot,” she said.

By Rey E. Requejo MANILA Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso has assured the public the city government is ready to roll out its vaccination drive for minors 5 to 11 years old once the Department of Health and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 give the greenlight for the implementation of the program next week.

“Your city government is ready to vaccinate our youth aged 5 to 11 years old. We are just awaiting word from the DOH as to our schedule in Manila, when they will give us vaccines for children,” Moreno said in a public address via Facebook live Tuesday night.

The NTF has previously announced that vaccination for young children will start on February 4.

Moreno, however, could not say how many children can be accommodated per day as this will depend on the vaccine supplies, specifically formulated for this age group, that will come from the DOH. The 47-year-old presidential aspirant once again urged the parents and guardians of the children within the allowed age bracket to pre-register them through the local government’s online vaccine registration site https:// manilacovid19vaccine.ph.

“In preparation, I invite you to register your children aged 5 to 11 years on our Manila COVID-19 site so that, when the vaccines are deployed, vaccinations will take place quickly,” Moreno said.

Moreno allayed fears that vaccinating children below 12 years old could be risky, saying the inoculation of children in this age group has been recommended by the World Health Organization, the DOH and other health experts.

“So, let’s not worry. We were assured that the vaccine would be safe. It is more dangerous without a vaccine,” the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer stressed.

According to the DOH, some 780,000 doses of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine would arrive on January 31.

There will be weekly deliveries to complete the 15 million shots of the two-dose vaccine ordered by the government.

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Opinion

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Child in conflict with the law 7). Intervention refers to a series of individualized treatment activities or programs designed to address issues that caused the child to commit an offense.

These may include counseling, skills training, education, and other activities that are aimed to improve and enhance the child’s psychological, emotional, and psychosocial well-being (Section 4).

The following factors shall be considered in formulating a diversion program for the child: (a) the child’s feelings of remorse for the offense he/ she committed; (b) the parents’ or legal guardian’s ability to guide and supervise the child; (c) the victim’s view about the propriety of the measures to be imposed; (d) the availability of communitybased programs for rehabilitation and reintegration of the child; (e) the past records, if any, involving the child in conflict with the law; and (f) the likelihood that the child will be an obvious threat to himself/herself and the community (Section 32).

EVERY so often we hear stories about children being arrested or detained for committing crimes. Observers surmise that the child may have committed the offense because he or she was abused, exploited, abandoned, or neglected, or coming from a dysfunctional family. It is also possible that the child has been living on the streets, is a member of a gang, or resides in a community with high levels of criminality or drug abuse (see Section 4(g), A.M. No. 02-1-18-SC).

In line with this, the Supreme Court passed procedural rules and court guidelines, such as the 2019 Revised Rule on Children in Conflict with the Law, to see to it that the State shall apply the principles of restorative justice to children in conflict with the law. This objective will only be achieved if the rules and guidelines are effective, efficient, and protect the rights of children in conflict with the law.

Who is a child in conflict with the law?

He or she is a person below 18 years of age who is alleged as, accused of, or adjudged as having committed an offense under Philippine Laws. The definition does not include a person who, at the time of the apprehension or taking of custody of a child, or receipt of a subpoena pursuant to a complaint-affidavit, shall have reached the age of 18 (Section 1 in relation to Section 4(s), A.M. No. 02-1-18-SC).

On the other hand, a “child at risk” refers to a child who is vulnerable to and at risk of committing criminal offenses because of personal, family and social circumstances. It refers to children who violate ordinances enacted by local governments concerning juvenile status offenses such as curfew violations, truancy, parental disobedience, and tobacco or alcohol use (Section 4(g), A.M. No. 02-1-18-SC).

It also includes light offenses and misdemeanors against public order or safety such as disorderly conduct, public scandal, harassment, drunkenness, public intoxication, criminal nuisance, vandalism, gambling, mendicancy, littering, public urination, and trespassing.

These children shall not be penalized but will instead be brought to their residence or to any barangay official at the barangay hall to be released to the custody of their parents, pursuant to Section 57-A of Republic Act No. 10630 (Section 4(g), A.M. No. 02-1-18-SC).

The child in conflict with the law shall enjoy the presumption of minority and shall enjoy all the rights of a child in conflict with the law until proven to be 18 years old or older at the time of the commission of the offense. The age of the child shall be primarily determined by his or her certificate of live birth. However, in its absence, similar authentic documents such as baptismal certificates and school records or any pertinent document that shows the date of birth of the child may be used (Section 5).

In the absence of the said documents due to loss, destruction or unavailability, the testimony of the child, the testimony of a member of the family related to the child by affinity or consanguinity who is qualified to testify on matters respecting pedigree such as the exact age or date of birth of the child, the testimonies of other persons, the physical appearance of the child and other relevant evidence, shall suffice (Section 5).

A child 15 years of age or under at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability.

However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program (Section

Parents should be able to guide and nurture the child to avoid conflicts or entanglements with the law.

The Committee shall also include a plan that will secure the satisfaction of the civil liability of the child in the program. The parents shall be liable for damages unless proven, to the satisfaction of the court, that they were exercising reasonable supervision over the child at the time the child committed the offense, and that they exerted reasonable effort and utmost diligence to prevent or discourage the child from committing another offense (Section 32).

If it is determined at initial contact that the child is 15 years of age or below, the barangay or law enforcement authority, in consultation with the local social welfare and development officer, has the duty to immediately release the child to the custody of his/her parents or guardian, or in the absence thereof, the child’s nearest relative. The child shall be subjected to a community-based intervention program, unless the best interest of the child requires the referral of the child to a youth care facility or “Bahay Pag-asa”.

The minimum age allowable for children to be committed to “Bahay Pag-asa” is be 12 years old (Section 8).

A child who is 12 years to 15 years of age who commits a serious crime shall be deemed a neglected child under Presidential Decree No. 603, as amended, and shall be mandatorily placed in the Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center (IJISC) of a “Bahay Pag-asa”. The local social welfare and development officer of the LGU where the offense was committed shall file, within 24 hours from the time of the receipt of the account regarding the commission of the offense, a petition for involuntary commitment to the IJISC (Section 8-A).

The court shall decide on the petition within 72 hours from its filing. The court will determine the initial period of placement of the child within the IJISC, which shall not be less than one year.

The multi-disciplinary team of the IJISC will submit a case study and progress report to the court, which should include a psychiatric evaluation report, and recommend either the reintegration of the child to his/her family or the extension of the placement under IJISC (Section 8-A).

Full version on www.manilastandard. net

EDITORIAL

The economy and looser restrictions

T

HE relaxed COVID-19 restrictions last year allowed the economy to breathe freely and regained its strength. The gross domestic product expanded 7.7 percent in the last quarter of 2021 to bring the full-year growth to 5.6 percent. The expansion was a complete reversal from a 9.6-percent contraction in 2020, when the pandemic virtually shut down the entire economy.

Economic managers credited the government’s recalibrated strategies in the fourth quarter in containing COVID-19 for the economic turnaround. From a widespread containment, or the enhanced community quarantine, the

government resorted to an alert level system that featured neighborhood or granular lockdowns. The recalibrated response enabled the economy to reopen, and allowed more Filipinos to work and earn their income.

Regional lockdowns in the past failed to curb the infection rate.

Regional lockdowns in the past failed to curb the infection rate. The economy shrank as many business establishments were either forced to shutter their operations completely, or operate on a skeleton force due to mobility restrictions. The ranks of the unemployed rose as a result.

The looser restrictions in the fourth quarter, however, reopened the economy as more Filipinos trooped to

1 Sambayan endorses 7 undeserving senatorial bets IN ANOTHER desperate attempt to make it to the news, the so-called political convenor group 1Sambayan announced that it is endorsing the senatorial run of seven candidates supposedly identified with the “political opposition.”

They are incumbent Senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima; former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV; former Ifugao Representative Teodoro Baguilat; defeated senatorial wannabe Jose Manuel Diokno; labor unionist Sonny Matula; and a certain Alexander Lacson.

Why Hontiveros and company are candidates of the “political opposition” is not explained by Howard Calleja, 1Sambayan’s talking head. Calleja’s boss is 1Sambayan’s clandestine puppeteer, retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, whose past private practice of law catered to big time foreign corporations with likely vested interests in the Philippines.

Practically speaking, there is no such thing as the “political opposition” in this year’s elections because the administration of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte did not field any candidate for president.

Obviously, 1Sambayan can’t get its own labels right.

Calleja also said some politicians from the “pink” camp of Vice President Leni Robredo, who is running for president in the coming polls, may be added to the list. In simple language, the list may eventually include candidates from the much despised Liberal Party (LP), the real party running Robredo’s doomed presidential bid.

Who are Hontiveros and company anyway?

Hontiveros and de Lima were elected to the Senate in 2016 under the LP banner.

During her entire stint in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Hontiveros did not do any substantial

legislative work. All she did was to criticize President Duterte, and to agree with several left-leaning characters in Congress.

In the first place, there is no such thing as political opposition.

Hontiveros’ first run for the Senate was a failure. Just like Robredo, Hontiveros was lucky enough to con the electorate into voting for her in 2016.

De Lima has spent almost her entire six-year term in the Senate as a detainee at Camp Crame. She is incarcerated for her alleged role in high-end organized drug trafficking inside the national penitentiary when she was the Secretary of Justice of the late President Noynoy Aquino, the LP ringleader of his time.

Although de Lima wants to make it appear that she is a “political prisoner,” she conveniently keeps silent about the fact that no less than the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the validity of her continuing detention at Camp Crame.

When she ran for the Senate in 2016, de Lima had the temerity to seek the support of a politically influential religious group.

A year earlier, de Lima scored the same group when she was Justice Secretary.

Her rift with the group was eventually settled by Noynoy Aquino, but to this day, de Lima refuses to reveal the details of the deal Aquino brokered for her.

Trillanes is a chronic troublemaker.

Ex-Senator Juan Ponce Enrile exposed Trillanes’ backroom dealings with Communist China, before Beijing embarked on its current aggressive territorial expansionist activities in the

Steadfast friends, equal partners, and enduring Allies

By U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava FRIENDS help each other. Partners respect each other. And allies stand by each other. These values have been central to the U.S.-Philippine relationship for 75 years, and they remain as important as ever. As the world battles another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have concerns about the coming year.

However, as I ref lect on our historic bonds and survey the possibilities before us, I am hopeful for our shared future.

I witnessed a poetic symbol of this hope in November when I had the privilege of visiting the majestic Philippine eagles in Davao. When the newest eagle chick hatched a short time later, I shared the joy and hope of millions of Filipinos who celebrated the continued f lourishing of this national treasure thanks to the dedication of conservationists. Their incredible devotion to protecting eagles reminds us that hope springs from commitment, and I am proud of the commitment that the United States and the Philippines continue to show one another as equal, sovereign

partners with a shared future.

While in Davao, I also visited a U.S. government-supported vaccination site where I saw firsthand how COVID-19 vaccines from the United States are protecting Filipinos.

The United States has facilitated the donation of more than 65 million vaccine doses to the Philippines through COVAX, including more than 25 million donated by the American people, enough to fully vaccinate more than one in five Filipinos. We have also donated nearly Php2 billion in other COVID-19 assistance. This month, I joined a team of nurses and doctors from the U.S. Embassy who trained Department of Health and Red Cross professionals to use pediatric vaccines to protect the children of the Philippines―training that will be provided virtually to healthcare workers across the country. Soon, 15 million doses of Pfizer vaccine for children will arrive, raising the total to more than 124 million doses of U.S.branded vaccines in the Philippines.

The United States has also stood beside the people of the Philippines after Typhoon Odette as we support government relief efforts in places like Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands,

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the malls, fast-food and other dining establishments—and traveled to the provinces. The unemployment rate in November consequently declined to 6.5 percent, the lowest since the start of the pandemic, translating into a net employment creation of 2.9 million.

Much of the economy’s recovery, though, will depend on the vaccination program. A healthier population with vaccine protection will spur the economy to grow faster.

The expansion of the inoculation plan to include children ages 5 to 11 will lead to the safe and full reopening of the economy and, as our economic managers believe, allow more Filipinos to work and earn a living, and restart all face-to-face learning.

The economy is still facing many challenges before it can reach the pre-pandemic growth levels. But relaxing mobility restrictions further along with a stepped-up vaccination program to keep COVID-19 at bay can hasten the recovery process.

Southern Leyte, Bohol, Palawan, and Cebu. Thanks to years of ongoing cooperation and steady planning, we and our partners provided supplies to affected communities within 24 hours.

The United States then followed up with more than P1 billion to meet urgent needs like food, water, and shelter; and our experts on the ground continue to assess needs so we can walk with the Philippines each step along the road to recovery.

We know that true safety from natural disasters requires a longterm commitment, especially related to climate change. In October, the United States pledged Php750 million to help Philippine cities adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

In November, the Philippines set an ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 75 percent before 2030.

Over the next year, we will work together toward this goal by increasing access to green finance, planning new clean energy deployment, and bringing U.S. private-sector solutions to support climate-resilient economic development.

Of cou rse, public health and nat u ral disasters are not the only challenges we face together. In

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

November, when the PRC Coast Guard used water can nons against Philippine resupply ships, the United States quickly and f ir mly reiterated ou r suppor t for ou r oldest ally in Asia and aff ir med that an “ar med at tack on Philippine public vessels in the South China Sea would invoke Mut ual Defense com mit ments.”

Philippine sovereig nt y is not negotiable. In October, I had the pr ivilege of t u r ning over fou r Un man ned Aer ial Systems to the Philippine Air Force to st rengthen ou r shared com mit ment to a f ree and open Indo-Pacif ic. This year, the United States will continue to provide state-of-the-ar t equipment and par ticipate in combined joint exercises to st rengthen Philippine defense capabilities.

There is no guarantee that 2022 will be easy. It has already started with great difficulty for many people. However, I am confident in my hopes for the United States and the Philippines this year because I have seen how much we can accomplish together, and I know that our commitment to steadfast friendship, equal partnership, and enduring alliance will give us a safer, stronger, and more secure future.

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

West Philippine Sea. When he was a senator, Trillanes hired more than the maximum number of consultants his office was entitled to. He was also engaged in nepotism.

Trillanes repeatedly denounced President Duterte in lavish press conferences he held at expensive venues. All expenses for those conferences were paid for by taxpayer money.

When Trillanes was set to be arrested in 2018 for his alleged involvement in a mutiny, he hid in the Senate like a dog.

Last year, presidential political adviser Jacinto Paras exposed on national television Trillanes’ false claim to righteousness.

Trillanes has yet to reply to Paras’ revelations.

Diokno was part of the LP-sponsored Otso Diretso senatorial ticket in 2019. All eight of them lost miserably. Now, Diokno wants to run again. Someone ought to tell Diokno the voters don’t like him.

In 2019, the Supreme Court reprimanded Diokno for unethical behavior. Diokno appeared in a hearing before the Court as the purported lawyer of a group of fishermen. It turned out that the fishermen never hired Diokno as their lawyer. Nakakahiya talaga!

Baguilat is another LP straggler. Months after LP presidential bet Mar Roxas lost in 2016, the party held a spartan meeting inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman. Baguilat insinuated to the media that if Roxas won, the LP meeting would have been held at an expensive venue, instead of UP. Just imagine how much public funds Baguilat will waste if he becomes a senator.

The other two, Matula and Lacson, are insignificant, except perhaps for Matula’s possible involvement in promoting labor unrest in the country. It’s a waste of time to even write about these two.

1Sambayan says it will formally announce its endorsement of Hontiveros and company today. Ogie Alcasid, an elderly comedian and singer supporting Robredo, and two more forgettable singers, will provide the entertainment fare for the non-event.

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Inequality kills

Election rules should apply to all

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

World

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HANDS OFF UKRAINE, WINTER OLYMPICS—BEIJING

China warns US: Stop interfering

C

HINA’S top diplomat spoke with his US counterpart on Thursday, warning Washington to “stop interfering” in the Winter Olympics and stressing that Russia’s security concerns in Europe should be “taken seriously.”

Beijing hopes to turn next week’s Games into a soft power triumph.

But the lead-up has been clouded by a US-led diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record, particularly towards its Uyghur Muslim minority in

the Xinjiang region.

“The most urgent priority right now is that the US should stop interfering in the Beijing Winter Olympics,” foreign minister Wang Yi said during a call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ac-

cording to a foreign ministry statement.

He added that Washington must also “stop playing with fire” on the Taiwan issue.

Both officials also discussed the growing tensions in Europe over Ukraine, with Wang telling Blinken that Russia’s security concerns “should be taken seriously.”

“All parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through

negotiation,” Wang said.

“Russia’s reasonable security concerns should be taken seriously and resolved.”

In a nod to Moscow’s concerns about the expansion of the NATO alliance in Europe Wang added that “regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs.”

Blinken, for his part, told his Chinese counterpart that Russian aggression against Ukraine threatened security and the global economy, Washington said.

N. Korea continues testing blitz, fires 2 more missiles

EU starts WTO case vs. China over Lithuania

NORTH Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles Thursday, Seoul said, its sixth weapons test this month in one of the most intense spates of launches on record that has delivered an emphatic rejection of Washington’s offers for talks on its nuclear program.

Pyongyang has not fired this many missiles in a calendar month in decades, according to data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies – a Washington-based think tank.

The last time they came close was in 2019, after high-profile negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and then-United States president Donald Trump collapsed.

With US talks stalled since then, Pyongyang has doubled down on Kim’s pledges of military modernisation, embarking on a string of sanctions-busting launches this month, including hypersonic missiles.

The saber-rattling comes at a delicate time in the region, with Kim’s sole major ally China hosting Winter Olympics next month and South Korea gearing up for a presidential election in March.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected two suspected shortrange ballistic missiles fired from the Hamhung city area towards the East Sea from around 8 a.m. (2300 GMT). AFP

THE European Union on Thursday launched a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China for targeting Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan.

“Launching a WTO case is not a step we take lightly,” said EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement.

“However, after repeated failed attempts to resolve the issue bilaterally, we see no other way forward than to request WTO dispute settlement consultations with China,” he added.

Lithuania, one of the smallest countries in the European Union, made waves in July when it allowed Taiwan to open a diplomatic outpost in Vilnius.

The move outraged Beijing, which does not recognize Taiwan as a state and considers the island a rebellious territory of the mainland.

By going to the WTO, the EU lent support to accusations by Lithuanian business leaders and officials that the row has resulted in China blocking imports from Lithuania and other economic restrictions.

Dombrovskis said that the bloc would continue to pursue diplomatic solutions to the feud, and has raised the problem with his Chinese counterparts in recent weeks.

The United States has signaled its support for the European Union and Lithuania in the row. AFP

Twitter suspends spoiler account for viral ‘Wordle’ game TWITTER suspended a bot account on Wednesday for spoiling the solution to the next day’s Wordle, the wildly popular internet word puzzle.

The game, which only offers one puzzle per day, has amassed millions of players since it came online last year.

But the Twitter profile @wordlinator seemed determined to ruin the fun for participants posting their scores on the social media site.

“The account referenced was suspended for violating the Twitter Rules and the Automation Rules around sending unsolicited @mentions,” a Twitter spokesperson told AFP. The bot account automatically responded to accounts posting their Wordle scores with messages such as “Guess what. People don’t care about your mediocre linguistic escapades. To teach you a lesson, tomorrow’s word is” – followed by the actual answer for the next day.

Twitter said it does not tolerate its platform being used to harass other users.

Its policy also notes that sending unsolicited, aggressive or bulk mentions, replies or direct messages warrants suspension from the platform or deleting of the account in question.

Though Wordle gives players six chances to guess a five-letter word, does not have a mobile app and is only available on a web browser, the game has quickly caught on, partly thanks to users’ ability to share their scores in green, yellow and gray grids on social media.

It is likely the person behind the @wordlinator account found the upcoming winning words by simply looking at the Wordle web page’s source code.

“Just what kind of sick, twisted person do you have to be to hate the sight of people enjoying a harmless activity so much you hack Wordle?” asked one player on Twitter Tuesday.

AFP

“Secretary Blinken underscored the global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine and conveyed that de-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price, after Blinken’s phone call with Wang.

Global concerns are growing over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, as tens of thousands of Russian troops have been stationed at the border in recent weeks. AFP

HK shortens on-arrival quarantine to two weeks

CROUCHING FAT TIGER. Local residents take a selfie in front of tiger statues that mark the upcoming Lunar New Year in front of a department store in Taipei on January 27, 2022. AFP

HONG Kong on Thursday shortened the mandatory quarantine for international travelers from three weeks to two, even as the city struggles to contain virus outbreaks involving Omicron and Delta variants.

Like mainland China, Hong Kong is one of the few places left in the world still pursuing a “zero-COVID” strategy that has largely kept the virus at bay but left the finance hub internationally isolated.

The emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant saw the city increase its travel restrictions in December—slamming borders shut to arrivals from eight countries and banning transit passengers from more than 150 destinations.

But Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Thursday said beginning February 5, the threeweek mandatory quarantine

period for all arrivals—some of the longest isolation measures in the world —will be reduced to two weeks.

“All arrivals to Hong Kong will undergo 14 days mandatory quarantine in designated hotels and seven days of self-monitoring at home,” she said.

Arrivals will be able to leave their homes during the final days but are required to take a COVID test at least twice, she added.

However, social distancing measures across the city – like the ban on restaurant dining after 6 p.m.—will be extended for two more weeks, while schools will still be suspended.

The ban on people arriving from eight countries—Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States—will continue for another two weeks, until February 18. AFP

Six sue Fukushima nuke plant operator SIX young people sued the operator of Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday over claims they developed thyroid cancer due to exposure to radiation after the facility’s meltdown.

The plaintiffs, now aged between 17 and 27, were living in the Fukushima region when a huge earthquake on March 11, 2011 triggered a tsunami that caused the nuclear disaster.

On Thursday their lawyers marched into the Tokyo District Court, where dozens of supporters were gathered, to file the first ever class-action lawsuit over health issues against plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

The group is seeking a total of 616 million yen ($5.4 million) in compensation.

No causal relationship between radiation exposure from the disaster and thyroid cancer has been recognised by an expert panel set up by the regional government, and whether such a link exists could be-

come a focal point of the case.

A United Nations report published last year concluded that the Fukushima nuclear disaster had not directly harmed the health of local residents a decade after the catastrophe.

A higher rate of thyroid cancer detected among children exposed to the radiation was likely due to more stringent diagnostics, the UN’s Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation concluded.

But the plaintiffs’ lawyers say none of the cancers suffered by the group were hereditary, arguing it is highly likely the disease was caused by exposure to radiation.

“When I was told I had cancer, I was told clearly there was no causal link. I remember how I felt at the time,” one female plaintiff in her 20s, wearing a dark suit, said at a press conference after the lawsuit was filed.

“Since I developed the disease, I have been forced to prioritize my health,” she said, adding that she had quit her job to focus on recovery. AFP

MOVED TO TEARS.

The Speaker of Israel’s Knesset parliament Mickey Levy is comforted by Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher as he reacts after delivering a speech during the annual ceremony in memory of Holocaust victims and survivors in the plenary of the Bundestag on January 27, 2022, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. AFP

PRACTICE. In this photo courtesy of US Army, Specialist Brandon Gracia, Combat Medic Specialist, 4th Infantry Division, applies a combat action tourniquet to a downed casualty during the Army’s Best Medic Competition in Fort Hood, Texas. AFP

Germany spy passed Ariane rocket details to Russia, prosecutors say A RUSSIAN scientist working at a German university who was arrested last year for spying for Russia shared information about Europe’s Ariane space rocket program, prosecutors said Thursday.

The accused, identified only as Ilnur N., has been charged with suspected secret service activity, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Ilnur N. was working at a Bavarian university when he was contacted by Russian foreign intelligence service SVR in the autumn of 2019, they alleged.

He “passed on information on research projects in the field of aerospace technology, in particular the various development stages of the European launcher Ariane,” they said.

The European Space Agency’s Ari-

ane program consists of a series of transportation rockets designed to ferry heavy loads including satellites into space.

According to prosecutors, Ilnur N. held “regular meetings” from late November 2019 onwards with the senior officer of Russia’s foreign intelligence service stationed in Germany.

He allegedly received 2,500 euros ($2,800) in cash in exchange for the information he shared, which also included details about his scientific research at the unnamed Bavarian university.

Ilnur N. was arrested last June on suspicion of spying for Moscow.

Prosecutors said he worked as a research assistant at the university’s natural sciences and technology department. AFP

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

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Megaworld’s REIT unit set to purchase more assets

By Jenniffer B. Austria MREIT Inc., the real estate investment trust company of Megaworld Corp., is accelerating an asset acquisition plan with the purchase of P20-billion worth of office buildings this year to increase its portfolio value to P78.5 billion from the current P58.5 billion.

MREIT said in a disclosure to the stock exchange these properties will come from several office assets of Megaworld across the country.

“MREIT is looking to surpass its target for 2022 in terms of asset injection. These new assets may include some of our ‘built-to-suit’ properties, which are considered superior in both quality and lease tenure,” said MREIT president and chief executive Kevin Tan. “We earlier announced an additional 44,300 square meters by end of the year, but we are working to further bulk it up with more assets as we continuously look for ways to increase dividend yields for our shareholders,” he added.

MREIT in December completed the acquisition of four commercial properties with a total gross leasable area (GLA) of 55,700 square meters for P9.1 billion.

MREIT’s leasing portfolio as of end 2021 consisted of 14 prime, grade A buildings with a total GLA of around 280,000 sq. m. located in economic zones accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

“We believe that the current business conditions are conducive to the attainment of our growth plans. We are currently looking at several properties for potential acquisition, not just in these three townships but also in two more new Megaworld townships. We are very optimistic of our very long growth runway considering that Megaworld is building more offices and even launched new townships last year,” said Tan. The planned acquisition will be funded through equity and potentially some borrowings.

ATN Holdings eyes introduction listing of solar energy unit

By Alena Mae S. Flores ATN Holdings Inc. said Thursday its board authorized the listing by introduction of subsidiary ATN Philippines Solar Energy Group Inc. in the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The ATN board also approved the follow-on offering and appointment of an investment banking group and underwriter for the listing of its solar subsidiary, subject to compliance to rules and regulations of regulatory agencies.

ATN said its board authorized the company to co-invest with Transpacific Broadband Group Int’l Inc. P2 billion in equity participation in the consortium to be formed with the winning bidder of the 20-year contract under the competitive selection process of Manila Electric Co. for solar energy.

“The corporation deemed a JV approach as advantageous and will participate in the consortium to be formed with the winning bidder of the Meralco CSP to achieve economies of scale in a 100-MW large solar project undertaking, and diversify financial and project execution risk in a joint venture in which the participants contribute complementary resources to increase the probability of success,” ATN said.

ATN is banking on the two CSPs of Meralco for 170 megawatts of peaking power and 850 MW to comply with renewable portfolio standards.

The board authorized the company to sign a joint venture agreement with key energy partners for the establishment of 50-MW to 1,000-MW solar project in its 256-hectare property in Rodriguez, Rizal. The company obtained a service contract for a 30-MW solar project in Rodriguez.

The board, in a special meeting Wednesday, discussed opportunities open to ATN Solar amid the projected power supply deficit arising from project delays over the pandemic and other industry developments.

Business Recalibrated strategies led to 5.6% GDP growth in 2021

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE Philippine economy rebounded with a 5.6-percent growth in 2021 from a contraction of 9.6 percent in 2020, as the government’s recalibrated strategies to contain the pandemic led to more business activities in the fourth quarter.

“The door to our economic recovery is now fully open. The numbers for 2021 show an economy primed to break out,” the government’s economic managers said in a joint statement Thursday.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the gross domestic product grew 7.7 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter and 3.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis.

“This growth performance was much faster than most analyst forecasts, making the country’s expansion among the highest in the region. This sends a strong signal that we are on track to rapid recovery despite the impact of typhoon Odette,” the economic team said.

“Our strategies in 2021 have culminated in a full-year growth that exceeded targets and expectations. In the last quarter, we further recalibrated our strategies by shifting to the alert level system with granular lockdowns.

Our efforts to safely reopen the economy allowed more Filipinos to work and earn their income. In November 2021, the unemployment rate declined to 6.5 percent, the lowest since the start of the pandemic. This led to a net employment creation of 2.9 million above pre- pandemic levels,” they said.

The actual expansion in 2021 exceeded the 5 percent to 5.5 percent growth estimate of the interagency Development Budget Coordinat-

ing Committee, prompting economic managers to say that a recovery to the pre-pandemic level—where annual GDP averages over 6 percent--might happen in 2022.

National statistician and civil registrar general Dennis Mapa said the economy rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter with a growth of 7.7 percent, following a contraction of 8.3 percent a year ago. The fourth-quarter growth was also faster than the revised 6.9-percent expansion in the third quarter.

Mapa said that in terms of nominal value, the 2021 GDP reached P19.38 trillion, up from P17.93 trillion in 2020, but still down from P19.51 trillion in 2019 before the pandemic struck.

Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the expansion last year was achieved despite the impact of typhoon Odette in December.

Chua said with this performance, the economy was on track to a “rapid and resilient recovery” in the months ahead. He said the full-year growth was “among the highest in the region.”

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, January 27, 2022 19.91 PTS. 7,273.52

TOTAL VOLUME

1,660,737,905

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES

81,191 6,251,485,339.61 74

DECLINES

102

UNCHANGED

62

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.2400

Japan

Yen

0.008724

0.4470

UK

Pound

1.346500

68.9947

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128426

6.5805

Switzerland

Franc

1.082368

55.4605

Canada

Dollar

0.789578

40.4580

Singapore

Dollar

0.742115

38.0260

Australia

Dollar

0.711400

36.4521

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652942

135.9367

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266581

13.6596

Brunei

Dollar

0.739372

37.8854

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030358

1.5555

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9520

Euro

Euro

1.124100

57.5989

Korea

Won

0.000835

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.158213

8.1068

India

Rupee

0.013356

0.6844

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238663

12.2291

New Zealand

Dollar

0.665100

34.0797

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036048

1.8471 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF DMCI and Semirara join Bloomberg index

DMCI Holdings Inc. (DMCI) and Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) of the Consunji Group were included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) for the second straight year.

Bloomberg GEI is a modified market capitalization-weighted index that aims to track the performance of public companies committed to transparency in gender-data reporting.

DMCI and SMPC were two of the four listed companies in the Philippines included in the 2022 roster that covers 418 firms across 45 countries and regions.

Member companies represent a variety of sectors, including financials, technology and utilities, which collectively have the highest company representation in the index.

“While our businesses belong to maledominated industries, we do not distinguish roles and opportunities according to gender.

We empower and promote people based on their individual merits and contributions to the organization,” said DMCI Holdings and SMPC chairman Isidro Consunji.

The 2022 GEI measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies and pro-women brand.

Jenniffer B. Austria

CREIT reduces IPO price to P2.55 apiece

LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM. Pilmico Foods Corp. and Aboitiz Foundation Inc. team up with the Department of Agriculture on the ‘Kabuhayan ni Ani at Kita, a livelihood program, which extends assistance to farmers and farming communities in the Philippines.

Signing the virtual memorandum of understanding are (clockwise, from top left) Gerald Glenn Panganiban, national program director of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program; Maribeth Marasigan, president and chief operating officer of Aboitiz Foundation; DJ Sta. Ana, chief external relations officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.; Tristan Aboitiz, president and chief executive of Pilmico; and Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

CITICORE Energy REIT Corp. (CREIT) has slashed its initial public offering (IPO) price to P2.55 apiece and reduced the number of shares it plans to sell.

The final offering price of P2.55 is 19-percent lower than the P3.15 maximum price earlier set by CREIT. CREIT informed the Philippine Stock Exchange that it set the final volume of shares at 2.5 billion common shares, down from the initial maximum level of 3.2 billion. CREIT is expected to raise P6.37 billion in total proceeds based on these terms.

CREIT is the real estate investment trust company owned by Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. and Citicore Solar Tarlac 1 Inc. CREIT plans to use the net proceeds from the IPO to acquire properties in Bulacan and South Cotabato provinces. The offering period is scheduled from Feb. 2 to 8, with a target listing date of Feb. 17.

Jenniffer B. Austria

PH registers trade deficit of $43.13b on faster pace of imports

SWAT Mobility bullish on PH amid challenges

THE Philippines posted a trade deficit of $43.134 billion in 2021, up $18.5 billion from a $24.6-billion gap a year ago, as the 31.1-percent growth in imports outpaced the 14.5-percent increase in exports, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the 2021 deficit was near the record of the $43.5-billion gap in 2018.

The trade deficit again registered a new record of $5.2 billion in the month of December 2021 against the $2.44-billion gap a year ago.

The balance of trade in goods is the difference between the value of export and import.

Export sales in December 2021 grew 7.1 percent year on year to $6.27 billion, faster than the 6.6-percent increase a month ago. In December 2020, total export sales increased at an annual rate of 1.8 percent.

The figure brought the full-year ex-

ports to $74.64 billion, 14.5 percent higher than the annual total export value earned in 2020.

By commodity group, electronic products continued to be the country’s top export in December 2021 with total earnings of $3.67 billion. They accounted for 58.5 percent of the total exports during the period.

Imports in December 2021 hit $11.48 billion, 38.3 percent higher year on year. In November 2021, the annual increase was lower at 36.8 percent, while in December 2020, imports value decreased by -4.7 percent annually.

The total import value for the full year amounted to $117.78 billion, 31.1 percent higher than the annual total import value of $89.81 billion a year ago.

Most of the imported goods were electronic products with an import value of $2.71 billion or a share of 23.6 percent to the total inbound ship-

ments in December 2021. They were followed by mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials, valued at $1.67 billion (14.5 percent); and transport equipment which amounted to $927.75 million (8.1 percent).

Ricafort said the new record trade deficit on a monthly basis of $5.2 billion in December 2021 was largely brought about by the further re-opening of the economy.

He said these led to increased economic and business activities that resulted in higher importation activities “as well as elevated global oil prices among 7-year highs and prices of other global commodities among decade highs, thereby bloating the country’s import bill and trade deficit... “ Ricafort said disruptions in the global supply chains would present opportunities for some Philippine exporters to service increased demand amid improved recovery prospects for the world economy and trade. Julito G. Rada

SWAT Mobility, a Singapore-based smart mobility company that provides demandresponsive employee transportation and logistics solutions, said on Thursday it is optimistic about its operations in the Philippines despite challenges on the horizon brought by the persisting COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Philippines is an important market for SWAT Mobility. We remain optimistic that as the economy recovers and business operations resume, our mobility solutions have strong relevance in helping companies activate their workforce,” said Grace Ho, president of SWAT Mobility, in a virtual briefing.

“In addition, we have adapted our technology for the logistics sector to deliver operational efficiencies and respond to the growing demand of e-commerce in the Philippines,” she added.

According to Ho, SWAT Mobility’s technology-enabled transport has been enabling companies in the essential services sector to transport workers safely to and from work during the pandemic.

As the Philippines embarks on recovery this year, Ho said there are opportunities to work with companies to accelerate activating their workforce and operations.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Electronics exports expected to rise 10% in 2022

By Othel V. Campos THE electronics and semiconductor industry expects a 10-percent increase in exports in 2022 to nearly $50 billion, after breaching the pre-pandemic levels by 3.9 percent last year.

Semiconductor and Electronics Industry in the Philippines Inc. president Dan Lachica said exports in 2021 amounted to around $45 billion, or up 13.4 percent from $39.67 billion in 2020. Electronics exports in 2019 were about $43.32 billion.

“Exports are still the biggest dollar generator for the country including the service sector, BPO and OFW remittances.

At this phase, we should have reached $45 billion by end-2021. This will be confirmed by the Philippine Statistics Agency when it announces the report by Feb. 10,” Lachica said during the group’s general membership meeting Thursday.

Semiconductor and electronics exports account for about 60 percent of total commodity exports. The main export market

destinations are Hong Kong, the US, China, Singapore and Japan.

Meanwhile, electronics imports in January to November 2021 reached $29 billion, mostly from China, Korea, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.

SEIPI said that in 2022, it would continue to work with the Bureau of Customs towards the resolution of several industry concerns, particularly the charging of unauthorized overtime fees, exemption from the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo System, on red-tagging of shipments related to the X-Ray Selectivity System, and its ongoing appeal to reimburse the penalties and fees that were incurred during the implementation of rigid copper limits imposed the DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08.

SEIPI’s member-companies and universities will also continue working together in the IC Design Technical Working Group to identify and address industry concerns including talent development and supply and access to IC Design tools.

SMC’S ASSISTANCE. San Miguel Corp.’s Typhoon Odette relief efforts has reached P83.4 million, following the company’s increased financial support of P43.4 million for over 2,200 of its workforce and a P5-million donation to the University of the Philippines’ ‘Tabang sa Iskolar ng Bayan’ initiative for the benefit of students displaced by the disaster. The company also dispatched P35-million worth of food donations and distributed these to Odette-hit provinces.

PH’s Winter Olympics team flies to Beijing Friday A SMALL delegation that will help guarantee Asa Miller’s participation in his second consecutive Winter Olympics will fly to Beijing on Friday morning—a week ahead of the opening ceremony at the Chinese capital.

Chef de Mission Bones Floro and Athlete Welfare officer Joebert Yu will take a Japanese Airlines flight from Manila to Tokyo and finally to Beijing, which is hosting its second Olympics after the 2008 Summer Games.

“It’s all systems go for the departure of Team Philippines to Beijing,” Floro said. “We have been complying with all the COVID-19 countermeasures and protocols for travel to the Beijing Olympic bubble.”

“We made sure that Asa’s only concerns are his training and competitions,” he added.

Miller, his father Kelly and Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation President Jim Palomar Apelar are expected to fly from Los Angeles to Beijing on Sunday, along with Philippine Skating Union president Nikki Cheng, designated as the delegation’s COVID-19 Liaison Officer, who will take a separate flight from Manila.

Miller’s American coach Will Gregorak will be arriving in China from the US anytime next week.

The Winter Olympics open on February 4 with the Filipino-American Miller—the country’s lone representative to the Games—competing in alpine skiing’s men’s slalom and giant slalom starting on February 18 at the Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing field in Yanqing District. The Games end two days after that.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino praised the 21-year-old Miller for qualifying for his second straight Winter Games after Pyeongchang in 2018.

“It’s really an honor that our tropical country has a representative for the third straight Winter Olympics.

We’re lucky to have Asa [Miller],” Tolentino said.

Miller, who’s based in Portland, will be carrying the country’s colors during the parade of countries in the opening ceremony at the Beijing National Stadium or Bird’s Nest.

The delegation members underwent two RT-PCR tests prior to departure and will strictly observe stringent health and safety protocols while in Beijing.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

B1

Sports An employee, wearing an hazmat suit, walks past an Olympic mascot banner at the Beijing Capital International Airport ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. AFP

Ramirez not giving up on Obiena-PATAFA mediation

By Peter Atencio

T

HE doors of reconciliation between top Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association should be kept open.

PSC chairman William Ramirez

Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez said this as the government sports agency is still waiting for both sides to get back to the negotiating table and thresh things out.

“We would like for them to reconcile. The PSC is (still) open to mediate despite the withdrawal of EJ Obiena,” said Ramirez during the Facebook Live discussion of the weekly program “People Conversation.”

The PSC chief made his thoughts known a day after PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico was officially declared persona non grata by the Philippine Olympic Committee General Assembly on the grounds of a complaint by Obiena, crying harassment from the athletics’ chief.

Ramirez believes that through mediation, Obiena and the PATAFA “will be able to address issues without judgement and and have a place where facts will speak.”

The pursuit for mediation continues two months after the PATAFA started questioning Obiena on his “questionable” liquidation papers.

Questions were raised by the PATAFA after it received an affidavit from top World Athletics official Sergey Bubka and a written statement from Obiena’s coach Vitaly Petrov that he “did not receive any monthly coach’s fees for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021,” which contradicted the pole vaulter’s liquidation paperworks indicating he has paid his coach.

Obiena has already submitted his latest liquidation reports that are now being processed by the PSC accounting office and the Commission on Audit.

Obiena is currently preparing for an indoor meet in Germany this week.

He has backed out of the mediation process, saying that there was bad faith on Juico’s side, even though the PATAFA chief has already humbled himself and agreed to PSC mediation.

9-under Horschel grabs lead at Torrey Pines LOS ANGELES—Billy Horschel fired a nineunder-par 63 to snatch the early lead the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Wednesday.

Horschel reeled off nine birdies and nine pars in a f lawless opening round at the picturesque southern California layout’s North Course to lead by one shot from Michael Thompson on eight under.

The 35-year-old’s brilliant round saw him grab the lead on the 520-yard par-five 17th hole, when he reached the green in two before two-putting for birdie.

Horschel revealed after his round he had been close to withdrawing after struggling to overcome a shoulder problem.

“I didn’t know if I was even going to tee it up today when I woke up,” the 2014 FedEx Cup champion said. “Even when I was hitting balls I still wasn’t sure whether I was going to tee it up.”

A low-scoring opening round saw Germany’s

Stephan Jaeger and Kevin Tway finish the day on seven under after posting 65s, while there was a welcome return to form for Rickie Fowler, whose form and rankings position nosedived during a 2021 season that included nine missed cuts.

World number 101 Fowler, who also missed the cut at last week’s American Express at La Quinta, was tied in fifth place with Doug Ghim, Italy’s Francesco Molinari and world number one Jon Rahm on six under.

Fowler’s bogey-free 66 on the North Course included six birdies.

“Definitely pleased,” Fowler said afterwards. “Did a good job of kind of focusing on the things that we’re working on, being deliberate swing-wise and staying patient in there.”

Spanish star Rahm meanwhile, making a happy return to Torrey Pines, the scene of his maiden major victory at the US Open last year, had a more erratic opening round on the South Course.

After three birdies on the front nine to reach the

turn at three under, Rahm posted three birdies and two bogeys in five holes down the stretch to struggle to four under.

But a superb eagle three on the par-five 18th— reaching the green in two before curling in an awkward 12-foot put—left him just three off the lead.

Rahm was pleased at being able to salvage a low score despite the occasional wayward shot.

“I put myself in really good positions, and the few times I was off, for the most part I was able to give myself a chance to save the hole,” Rahm said.

“Nothing was really bad, I feel like everything was feeling good, everything was coming out and feeling the way it should and it showed in the score.”

A group of 22 players were a further shot behind Rahm, Fowler, Ghim and Molinari on five under.

Former world number one Dustin Johnson was in a group of seven players on four under after opening with a 68.

Bank of China, SM Supermalls celebrate PH campaign in winter games

Shown here are (from left) SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, Bank of China Manila Country Head Deng Jun, Philippine Skating Union President and SM Lifestyle Sports and Development Manager Nikki Cheng, Philippine Olympic Committee Deputy Secretary General and Beijing 2022 PH Delegation Chef de Mission Valeriano Floro, and Bank of China Managing Director Celeste Diokno.

IN anticipation of the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Bank of China and SM Supermalls came together last Saturday to celebrate the Philippines’ lone representative in the Winter Games—Olympic Alpine skier Asa Miller.

The 21-year-old is set to compete in the men’s giant slalom and slalom events in February.

The exhibition, entitled “Together on Ice,” successfully showcased the country’s winter sports athletes at the newly reopened SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink. The efforts of Bank of China and SM Supermalls, with support from the Chinese Embassy, the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Skating Union, have given aspiring athletes and sports enthusiasts further exposure to ice sports; which, in a tropical country like the Philippines, is a rarity.

According to Nikki Cheng, President of the Philippine Skating Union and Sports Development Manager of SM Lifestyle, initiatives like

“Together on Ice” and venues such as the SM Supermalls Ice Skating Rinks are crucial in developing sports that the country has so much potential to excel in.

“The importance of providing athletes [with] a venue to train is vital for their professional growth as a sportsperson. Not only does the venue serve as an enjoyment ground for fans and spectators, but it is also considered their holy ground that bears witness to their achievements, failures, and breakthroughs.”

Given the recent struggles of the sports community brought about by the pandemic, the partnership between Bank of China and SM Supermalls serves as an inspiration for the ongoing efforts toward recovery; one that is encapsulated in the official slogan of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, “Together for a Shared Future.” With the Olympic Games serving as a demonstration of unity during these unprecedented times, athletes and spectators have much to look forward to.

Parks helps Dolphins beat Alvarks, 86-80 BOBBY Ray Parks joined three other teammates, who scored in double digits, as they lifted the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins to an 86-80 edging of the Tokyo Alvarks on Wednesday in the 2020-2021 B.League at the Arena Tachikawa Tachihi, in Tachikawa, Japan.

Their efforts saw the Diamond Dolphins pick up their 21st win in 30 outings in the West District hostilities of the tournament.

Takumi Saito topscored with 20 points in helping keep the Diamond Dolphins in second spot.

Already in the quarterfinals, the Diamond Dolphins got 15 points from Shayne Washington, while Coty Clarke and Parks added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

They moved out of range in the second period, with triples from Washington and Clarke handing the Diamond Dolphins a 33-21 spread in the last five minutes.

Parks then struck twice as Nagoya went on to enjoy a 45-27 edge in the final 1:20 of the first half.

Ryukyu remained in the solo lead of the West District with its 24-3 slate, while the Shimane Susanoo Magic was at third at 19-19 and the Hiroshima Dragonflies trailing at 18-18.

The Alvarks are already assured of a quarterfinals’ place in the East District, with their 21-8 slate in third position.

Nagoya seeks to stretch its winning streak to three when it faces Utsunomiya this weekend at Park Arena Komaki. Peter Atencio

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Sports

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

‘Ina ng Isport’ award on PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up THE Philippine Sports Commission will feature Gintong Gawad 2021 ‘Ina ng Isport’ awardee Norma Alamara in the upcoming webisode of PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up on January 29.

The ‘Ina ng Isports’ award is conferred to a mother who prides herself in having the greatest number of children in the national pool and whose collective performance tops the number of accumulated medals in national and international competitions is a source of pride.

Alamara is a proud single mother from Davao City who raised five athletic champions – a testament to her gentle yet mighty strength as a mother. Her five sons, Ali, Frazier, Dexter, Mummar, and Norton have shown sports excellence and were part of the national swimming and water polo teams that participated at the Southeast Asian Games from 2002 to 2017.

PSC Women in Sports Commissioner Celia H. Kiram reiterates that the presence of inspiring women in grassroots sports help in PSC’s work with local communities in developing sports excellence and producing top-performing national athletes.

GINTONG GAWAD is a national awards platform to celebrate and pay tribute to ground-breaking, inspiring, notable, timeless, outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of women and sports at the grassroots level.

Aside from ‘Ina ng Isport’, Gintong Gawad also presented awards for the Babaeng Atleta, Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Atletang may Kapansanan, Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Tagasanay ng Isport; Babaeng Lider ng Isport sa Komunidad; Kaagapay ng Isports sa Komunidad; Produktong Pang-Isport na Natatangi at Makabago; at Proyektong Isport PangKababaihan.

Thanh Le breaks down Kim-Tang ONE Clash

Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis (left) and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios react after winning against Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos during their men’s doubles semi-final match on Day 11 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

Kyrgios makes doubles’ finals, gives crowd finger M ELBOURNE—Tennis’ bad boy Nick Kyrgios was at it again Thursday, smashing a racquet and flipping a finger at the crowd as he and partner Thanasi Kokkinakis ensured an all-Australian Melbourne Park men’s doubles final for the first time in 42 years.

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis defeated third seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to set up a final on Saturday against fellow Australians Matt Ebden and Max Purcell.

The combustible Kyrgios hit boiling point as he complained about the net cord machine, then pulled out of a service motion at 4-2 in the first set.

He also complained that the Rod Laver Arena crowd were yelling in between first and second serves, despite the fact that he and Kokkinakis had been whipping up the fans into a boorish frenzy.

He flipped a finger at one section of the crowd, petulantly threw a ball against a wall and smashed his racquet after he dropped his serve.

“When are you going to control the crowd, bro?” he pleaded with the chair umpire, James Keothavong.

“You’re gonna keep letting them scream before I serve? It happened four times that game.”

The Kyrgios complaints about the crowd echo those of some of his opponents earlier in the tournament, and seem surprising given his partner Kok-

kinakis had said “the rowdier the better from everyone”.

Daniil Medvedev took aim at sections of crowd following his singles victory over Kyrgios a week ago, saying: “They probably have a low IQ.” Quarter-final doubles opponent Michael Venus then labelled Kyrgios an “absolute knob” for his antics on court.

But Kyrgios said he would not rise to the jibe after his semi-final win with Kokkinakis.

“I’m not going to destroy (Venus) in this media conference room right now,” he said.

“But Zeballos and Granollers are singles players. They’ve had great careers.

I respect them a lot more than I respect Michael Venus.”

The controversy has not only been to do with the yobbish behaviour of spectators. AFP

Surging Cavs stun Bucks; Suns scorch Jazz LOS ANGELES—The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their NBA resurgence Wednesday with a 115-99 victory over the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks that helped propel them into third place in the Eastern Conference.

As the Miami Heat maintained their hold on top spot in the east with a 11096 victory over the New York Knicks, the Cavs slipped ahead of the Bucks and into fourth with their eighth win in nine games.

They moved up another spot when the short-handed Brooklyn Nets fell to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 124-118.

It’s not so tight at the top in the West, where the Phoenix Suns improved their league leading record with a 105-97 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Devin Booker scored 43 points to lead the Suns, setting a franchise record with the 16th 40-point game of his career.

He signaled his intentions with 21 points in the first quarter, three more than the Jazz managed as the Suns took a 3918 lead.

Utah responded and trailed by just

More than a historic WC spot THE Philippine Women’s National Football Team, which I will probably call the Malditas for as long as possible, is on course to securing a possible spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

All they need is to win two more games to book a historic first for the country in the biggest soccer tournament for women in the world from July to August 2023.

By the time this comes out, the result against Indonesia will be known and hopefully we will get the result that we wanted.

The Malditas need to beat Indonesia in their last group match to gain a hassle free pass to the knockout stage.

The Filipinas shocked Thailand in their

two at halftime. Down by 10 heading into the fourth quarter, the Jazz cut the deficit to two points with 2:14 to play only for the Suns to pull away for an eighth straight win.

In Cleveland, Kevin Love scored 25 points, Cedi Osman added 23 and the Cavaliers drained 19 three-pointers as they continued their impressive run of form.

“It was huge,” veteran Love said of the victory over the reigning champions.

“We beat a very, very good team tonight.”

“And if we stay true to our principles and true to who we are as a team, I think the sky’s the limit for us,” Love added.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a one-game injury absence to score 26 points for Milwaukee. But the Greek star had seven of the Bucks’ 19 turnovers— which led to 31 Cavaliers points.

Bobby Portis scored 22 points and Khris Middleton chipped in 21 for the Bucks, who led by 12 in the first quarter, trailed by eight at halftime and never led Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks guards Evan Mobley of the Cleveland in the second half.

Cavaliers during the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, In Miami, Duncan Robinson led the Ohio. AFP first game of the tournament to end a 12game losing streak against the regional powerhouse, despite losing 4-0 against Australia. The Malditas gave a good account of themselves after holding the Matildas, the moniker of the Australian women’s team, scoreless for more than 50 minutes in their encounter. Incidentally, Australia, which is currently ranked 11th in FIFA, was the highest-ranked team for both men’s and women’s that the country has ever faced in a football game. Thailand is ranked 38th, while the Philippines is currently at 64th place, but the big disparity in the pecking order was not evident when the Filipinas made the shocking upset and were able to stand their ground before the Matildas found the breakthrough goal, courtesy of Sam Kerr, six minutes into the second half. That eventually broke the Filipinas’ defense the rest of the game.

If the Malditas prevail over Indonesia at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, they will probably face Chinese Taipei or Iran for a spot in the World Cup. More importantly, however, a win against the Taiwanese or the Iranians will give women’s football, and even in men’s, the boost it needed most.

“The players in the squad want to change the game back at home. They want to be inspirational to the next generation and they have spoken about that often. They are at the forefront and on the precipice of being able to do that, but there’s a lot of hard work to

be done between now and qualifying. Hopefully, we can give the Philippines and all the players back home, the young boys and young girls, an inspiration and hope they can play in the World Cup in the future,” coach Alex Stajcic said.

For a country that used to be great in football, a spot in the World Cup will bring much-needed support and attention to the sport. This is the breakthrough needed by football to gain its lofty status in the country that has seemed to forget to love other sports except basketball. Filipinos are good in football, but being good is not enough. The Malditas, the Azkals and the U-23 need all our support (especially the funding) and love, too, for them to reach places and make our dreams of reaching the World Cup, either the Pinay booters or the Dan Palami led-Azkals.

Volleyball has gained so much stride in the past few years by the way. Football, however, needs a lot catching up to do.

While the pressure is great, I believe the Malditas can do it. One game at a time.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami has confirmed that at least 11 of the 13 foreign-based players will be flying directly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to join the team that will compete in the AFF U-23 Championship Cup 2022.

Palami said Oliver Bias, Dennis Chung, Yrick Gallantes, Keiran Hayes, Jacob Maniti, Griffin McDaniel, Antonio Miguel Mendoza, Antoine Ortega, Nathan Rilloraza, Sandro Miguel Reyes and David Setters have been

called to the national pool. Bias and Chung will be flying from Germany, while McDaniel and Rilloraza will be coming the United States.

Reyes and Ortega will come from Spain, while Setters and Hayes will travel from the United Kingdom. Mendoza and Maniti, on the other hand, will come from Canada and Australia, respectively. All of them are expected to be in Cambodia by February 1 or almost two weeks early for their first game against Timor Leste on February 14.

“With the quarantine protocols that they (Cambodia) have, there is no reason for the foreign-based players to go to Manila anymore.

They will have to spend 5 to 6 days in quarantine in Cambodia, so might as well they just go straight to Cambodia,” Palami said.

Oskari Johannes Kekkonen (Finland) and Quincy Julian Kammerrad (The Netherlands) will fly out from the country, along with other local-based players, who will make cut for the national pool. Kekkonen has just signed up to play for Kaya FC Iloilo for the forthcoming domestic league the other day.

The camp for local-based players is currently ongoing in Carmona, Cavite, while training is being done in Biñan, Laguna. According to Palami, the local camp will give the coaching staff the chance the identify players, know their fitness and if they can compete in Cambodia. Even with the callups, the team is not yet final.

“That’s what we are looking and trying to find out right now. Too early to make an

ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le will intently watch the crucial clash between top-ranked contender “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong and #4-ranked Tang Kai at ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE this Friday, January 28.

While Le will defend his strap against Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon at ONE: LIGHTS OUT in March, he will maintain interest in this match, given the style of both fighters.

“This is an interesting, interesting fight for the division: two high-level guys, great strikers. I’m interested in watching. You guys need to tune in.

It’s going to be fireworks,” Le told ONEFC.com.

“I’ve obviously got my hands full preparing for Garry, and if and when I get past Garry, one of these guys might be next in line, and I’m excited about the challenge.”

But while both men are known for their punching power, the Vietnamese-American noted the differences in their approach.

The South Korean loves to press forward, as shown during his knockout victory over former two-division world champion Martin “The SituAsian” Nguyen. In contrast, the Chinese rely on his movements to frustrate his foes.

Ultimately, the 50/50 and MidCity MMA mainstay expects the fighter who will impose their will to walk out of the Singapore Indoor Stadium with the much-needed win.

“We’ve got Kim Jae Woong, who’s a little sturdier, a little more based. He plods forward, always ready to fire the power shots. [He’s] got a good right hand, obviously – we saw that in his last fight [when he knocked out Martin Nguyen],” Le shared.

“And then we have Tang Kai, who’s got a lot of movement, some glimpses of taekwondo feet in there, which I like a little bit. He picks his moments really well.

Heat with 25 points, Jimmy Butler scored 22 and Tyler Herro returned after missing three games over Covid concerns to score 21 off the bench as the Heat led wire-to-wire against the Knicks.

They maintained a half-game lead atop the East over the Chicago Bulls, who beat the Toronto Raptors 111-105.

The Nets, third in the East going into the night, were still without injured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving—whose decision not to be vaccinated for Covid-19 means he cannot play home games.

James Harden, who had a 33-point triple-double in a loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, sat out with a sore hamstring, but the Nets still managed to challenge a Nuggets team led by reigning MVP Jokic’s 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Nets led 65-54 after a first half that featured 14 lead changes. But Denver out-scored them 42-26 in the third quarter and never trailed in the fourth.

Hornets go big Elsewhere, the Charlotte Hornets made 24 three-pointers in a 158-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers -- racking up the highest points total in an NBA game this season and setting a club record for most points scored in a game. AFP assessment, but hopefully our local-based players will step up and show what they have,” Palami said.

Twenty-four players are in the camp right now.

Palami also revealed that plans for the Azkals’ camp and friendlies against European teams in March have hit a snag. Palami says pandemic concerns and quarantine restrictions have greatly impacted the plan to bring the team to Spain.

“It is difficult to secure games in Europe right now. We were only able to secure one game and unfortunately we need at least a minimum of two games,” Palami said.

But all is not lost: Palami said there is an option for the Azkals to consider if the European camp will not push through.

“There is an offer, however, for us to play against a team from South East Asia and they will also help us play against another country,” Palami revealed. “Minimum of two games. We need to practice and we can have more games prior to the June competitions in China,” he added.

Palami said they are still weighing the best options for the Azkals’ preparations for the third round of the 2023 Asian Cup. And he also knows that time is something that they don’t have right now, but still, he remains hopeful that something concrete will happen soon.

Let’s include the Malditas in our prayers tonight.

Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

Entertainment Pinoy boy group BGYO

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

B3

BGYO celebrates first year with 10m Spotify streams, 12m YouTube views RISING boy group BGYO has collected ten million streams on Spotify and 12 million views on YouTube, capping a breakthrough debut year that saw the five-member P-pop act achieving many firsts since its launch in 2021.

To mark this milestone and to celebrate its first anniversary this month, BGYO will hold a livestreaming party for fans on Saturday (Jan. 29) at 6:00 p.m. on BGYO’s Facebook page, YouTube

Channel, and kumu.

This special event is the first of the many exciting surprises the group has in store for their fans, the ACEs. As the group approaches its first anniversary, the ACEs have continuously shown their support to their idols as BGYO’s song, “Kundiman,” reached one million streams on Spotify on Jan. 21. It is the fifth track from the group’s debut album, The Light, to have earned a million streams.

BGYO is also featured in this month’s

L’Officiel Philippines issue, which features K-pop sensation BTS as its cover.

After their impressive debut last year, Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate have quickly established themselves as one of P-pop’s leading male groups, breaking records on different streaming platforms such as iTunes and Spotify, landing spots in international charts like Billboard’s Next Big Sound and Next Big Sound’s Pandora Predictions Chart, and performing for fans in and out of the

country.

Together with its sibling group, BINI, the breakout group made history in the P-pop world for headlining the first sibling concert, One Dream: The BINI x BGYO Concert, which was streamed worldwide on Nov. 6 and 7 on KTX.PH, iWantTFC, and TFC IPTV. The concert will have a re-run on Feb.12 and 13. ACEs and Blooms have the chance to witness the concert once more with additional surprises. Tickets are now available on KTX.PH.

Rob Deniel bridges generations through his music

By Nickie Wang

S

INGER and songwriter Rob Deniel may be an old soul, his music is fresh, but it gives so much of a retro vibe.

Not to mention that he’s only 19 and yet, he has already written songs most seasoned songwriters would even wish to be the one to have created them.

“I’m not an affectionate person so I use music as my outlet to express my deep emotions. Mahiyain ako. Duon ko lang nabibigay yung full emotions ko. So, I feel that my emotions don’t go to waste because I’m able to channel through my songs,” the Viva artist told Manila Standard Entertainment.

Rob admitted that old music was “not my thing before.” In fact, he grew up listening to hip-hop and R&B. “My group of friends in high school was all in that kind of genre. So naturally, ganun din ang pakikinggan ko,” he stated, “But when I started writing and trying to find inspiration, my parents introduced me to Manila Sound. And I guess that was the start.”

Rob describes his music as retro pop and alternative pop, and lists Rico J. Puno, Rey Valera, Apo Hiking Society, and Hotdog as his musical influences, which is why despite being young blood, his music transcends generations.

But just like other teenagers, Rob is on TikTok. No, he’s not doing the latest dance challenge, though we won’t hold it against the teen music writer if he did. He is on the platform because one of his songs is surging on the trending list.

Singer-songwriter Rob Deniel

A mid-tempo power ballad, “Gabi” was released back in 2020 around the same time his first smash hit “Ulap” started getting noticed.

Fast-forward to January 2022, “Gabi” is starting to get the attention it deserves. And like most things that are trending in music these days, the song is heating up over at the shortform video sharing platform.

Asked what he thinks of it, Rob said,

“I think it’s only now that people are getting around to liking the song.” He added, “I guess, listeners are only now relating to the song.”

Exactly how it “relates” is how listeners have been using the song on TikTok. TikTokers have been using “Gabi” as a soundtrack to their videos as they drive about the city at night, or while they take a picturesque video of the moonlight by their window, or just being plain nostalgic about night outs with friends and such.

“People have the right idea about the song,” said Rob, adding “when I wrote the song about two years ago, I was thinking about the feeling of longing for someone to be with.”

Perhaps it’s the overall feeling of not being able to go out and be with people as much as we all want to that’s connecting “Gabi” with people.

Or at least for those who use “Gabi” on TikTok, it’s their means to convey the feeling of, as Rob said, “longing to be someone to be with.”

So, does Rob Deniel, branded to be one of the shining lights of retropop-inspired songwriting, use that much TikTok himself?

“Yeah, I do,” said Rob (in Tagalog).

“TikTok is more our generation, the same way Facebook is for my parents. I use it to share my music.

We’re actually lucky to have this kasi we can reach out to my listeners, especially during these times. And if they feel they can relate to my song, then, by all means, express it and use it as they see fit. I also enjoy seeing

Team Baguio, PEPPs President, with Carlo Morris Galang (second from right), andNadim Elzein (rightmost)

how they use “Gabi” on TikTok. The ‘60s inspired, retro-flavored sounds of Rob Deniel can be heard on

Prime Events Production Philippines Foundation, Inc, (PEPPs) president Carlo Morris Galang officially introduced Ray Casa Group of Companies as the producer of this year’s annual search.

Anchored by the campaign slogan “Masculinity with Responsibility,” Man of the World started in 2017 with 28 candidates promoting education as the pageant cause, Tifa Elizale won the very first male pageant crown for Egypt and dedicated his year-long reign to promoting education and tourism.

At present, he has his own modeling academy and country director of Man of the World Egypt. Cao Xuan Tai of Vietnam won the 2nd Annual Man of the World in Nadim Elzein a glittering world final in San Juan City. He is now a fitness and TV celebrity in Vietnam.

Reigning Man of the World is JinKyu Kim of Korea. He will fly to the Philippines soon to promote the pageant and crown his successor.

Pageant fans and followers can follow the journey of their favorite candidates with the introduction of “Road to the Crown” segment. Inaki Torres, Kristel Galang, Jaimee Floresca, and Kenneth Bautista will provide in depth reviews and backstage interview prior to the World Finals night.

The grand coronation night will be directed by international pageant director Kneil Harley.

views while on THE Jessica Tiktok, it attracted Soho Presidential thousands of Interviews set the eyeballs among bar high for future the younger election specials demographic. with GMA News On YouTube, the and Public Affairs livestream on pillar Jessica GMA News and Soho boldly Affairs’ asking four of the The four presidential candidates who attended Public channel reached leading presidential ‘The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews’ aspirants tough questions about the over 230,000 peak concurrent viewers. controversies thrown at them, their stand It became the top trending video on the on pressing issues, and their concrete plans platform shortly after the special ended.

The video has amassed over 5.2 million should they be elected.

The three-hour-long television special views as of January 25.

Viewers and netizens were all praises for became the most talked-about subject the past week: receiving rave reviews, Soho, who boldly asked the presidential dominating weekend programming, and aspirants the questions that need to be registering historic online milestones. asked – their intentions behind running for The special which aired last Saturday, the position, the controversies thrown at Jan. 22, was the most-watched program them, their stand on pressing issues, and the past weekend registering 16.2 percent their concrete plans should they be elected. people ratings based on Nielsen Phils. Soho also threw unexpected and revealing TV Audience Measurement’s overnight questions to the presidential aspirants for Urban Philippines data. Meanwhile, its viewers to get to know them better.

The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews counterparts on TV5 (Sing Galing SingLebrity Edition, Rated Korina, Kagat invited the five leading presidential aspirants ng Dilim) and A2Z (TV Patrol Weekend, based on the latest surveys, with four Pinoy Big Brother Kumunity Season 10, accepting the invitation: Manila City Mayor Maalaala Mo Kaya) only managed to tally Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, 2.1 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Senator The special’s highly successful TV airing Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, and Vice was heavily supported by advertisers at the President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

The special also aired on GMA’s flagship same time.

The Jessica Soho Presidential international channel GMA Pinoy TV Interviews also took the internet by storm. Its and was also simulcast via the Network’s official hashtag (#JessicaSohoInterviews) flagship AM station Super Radyo DZBB dominated Twitter’s trending topics both 594khz and all its Super Radyo stations in the Philippines and worldwide within nationwide.

The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews minutes of airing, generating over 290,000 tweets. It remained the top trending topic in is the maiden offering of GMA Network’s the Philippines until Sunday and re-entered Eleksyon 2022 series of election specials the list on Monday morning. Likewise on and is part of the Network’s Dapat Totoo Facebook, the much-anticipated special advocacy campaign.

Viewers who missed the Jan. 22 airing chalked up over 4.1 million engagements, the livestream across several GMA can catch the replay this Sunday, Jan. 30, at channels generated over 3.6 million 9:45 p.m. on GTV.

Tom Holland takes fans to ‘Uncharted’ behind-the-scenes ENGLISH actor Tom Holland said the action stunts he did for his new movie Uncharted, showing in the Philippines on Feb. 23, were the hardest that he did so far.

“With Uncharted, I was shooting stunts that are far bigger than anything I’ve done before,” Holland said in a video released

by Columbia Pictures Philippines on Monday.

In the clip, Holland revealed that it took them about five weeks in order to finish shooting one such sequence.

“The sequence when we’re flying out at the back of the plane in the boxes, I mean, we must have shot that for five weeks almost every day,” Holland said.

In the movie, street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully”

Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. His most recent single is called “Diwa.”

‘The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews’ sets the bar high for future election specials

Man of the World pageant heads to the City of Pines THE 4th Annual Man of the World was launched with the announcement making the Summer Capital of the Philippines - Baguio City – as host for this year’s edition.

Nadim Elzein, Misters of Filipinas - Man of the World 2021 grand winner, was also officially named as the Philippines’ representative as his predecessor Tomas Peñaflor, Misters of Filipinas - Man of the World 2019 grand winner, who is now based in the USA, relinquished his duties and responsibility as Man of the World Philippines.

Peñaflor, along with some of the other Misters of Filipinas 2019 titlists, were not able to compete as their respective international pageants were canceled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elzeim is a 23-year-old, half Filipino, half Lebanese/ Palestinian model based in Dubai.

Baguio City was chosen as the venue for this year’s Man of the World finals set on June 18 to showcase the best of the Cordillera region to the world. Man of the World Executive producer Jianlin Delos Santos-Floresca, Ray Casa CEO/ COO, made the announcement after the Ray Casa Group of companies officially inked the deal during the launching ceremony.

Rob Deniel’s music features a retro vibe mixed with pop influence.

Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, whiteknuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the A behind-the-scenes shot of Tom Holland as world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted’

find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother...but only if they can learn to work together.

Holland, Wahlberg, and Banderas are Sophia Ali, and Tati Gabrielle in the cast. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, screenplay by Rafe Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway, and screen story by Judkins, the film is based on the PlayStation video game by Naughty Dog. Uncharted is distributed by Columbia Pictures, the local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Introducing

Richard Reyes Faulkerson, Jr. I

HAD met RJ a few times before the pandemic. On many occasions, he was wearing a stylish jacket. He was always prim and proper, suave, dashing. He never minced his words when talking to people. He was always clear, honest, and engaging.

This pandemic, my encounters with RJ are via zoom. And just like in person, he still exudes this kind of confidence that you cannot see in most people in his field. He is assertive but there’s always a tone of humbleness in his voice.

That’s the picture I have of RJ or Richard Reyes Faulkerson, Jr., or Alden Richards to his legion of fans.

“RJ is very passionate and selfless. He’s a dreamer.

He’s the person that drives Alden Richards to move forward, to aim for something, to have goals in life,” Alden responded when I asked him who RJ really is.

“He taught Alden to have a checklist, which reminds him that his stay in the business is fruitful and purposeful. Purpose is important, Alden always looks for a purpose before he accepts certain projects,” he carried on.

Like myself, his fans know him as the golden boy of showbiz, and if you remind him of that, he will just smile and nod his head. But there’s a side of him most

people, at least those who are not as avid as his supporters, don’t know – he has a golden heart, too.

Inspired by his own life experiences, both his trials and successes, the 30-year-old multimedia star created AR Foundation, a program that offers scholarships to underprivileged children.

Little did many people know, RJ has been quietly helping scholars finish their education for some years now. The new foundation, with the help of his close friends, aims to expand the number of students covered by its educational assistance.

With this in mind, Alden is staging ForwARd: Meet Richard R. Faulkerson Jr., a benefit documentary concert happening this Sunday.

“This concert is the beginning of a legacy for me, sending kids to school will give them an experience that they will never forget. That’s the only thing that I can give them na hindi mananakaw sa kanila,” he stated.

Alden is an advocate for education, and the concert is his best platform to promote his advocacy.

“My previous concerts were all about Alden Richards, the things I have achieved as an artist in the past year.

Richard was mentioned but only in passing. I was able to open about him in a book pero hindi pa siya masyadong malalim. With this concert, they’ll get to know who RJ is,” he stated.

A few minutes into our conversation, Alden started to pour his heart out sharing that “Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. was lost, before all the great things that have been happening to him right now, he was lost.”

The awakening happened to him when his mom passed away 13 years ago. It was then that he realized that he needed to step up because his family needed

him. And he had to look for ways to help them.

“That was his objective. That was RJ’s objective. Thus, Alden Richards was born,” he said it so sincerely that you can see it through his eyes despite the medium we were using during this conversation.

Alden has inspired a lot of people, on and off cam, and interesting to know that while we thought he’s the one lifting people up with his body of work and his well-meaning deeds, what really drives him to move forward is the group of people that surround him.

“It’s the people I love, the people who have been supporting me wholeheartedly. It sounds cliché but it’s my reality. If I don’t look into that side of my career, showbiz will give you a lot of reasons to quit, but these people always remind me why I’m here. They push me forward. And as someone who’s very appreciative that’s why I wanted to give back in any way I can,” he ended.

Directed by Frank Lloyd Mamaril, the documentary con- Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr., popularly known as Alden cert will be held on Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. Richards For comments and feedback, you may reach the author at nickie.standard@gmail. com

Life coach Myke Celis’ book lands in most influential self-help books list

Turning your vision into reality How Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla embraced the law of attraction to produce desirable experiences THESE days, manifesting has become a buzzword and the concept has come so far from the launch of Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret.

In the book-turnedmovie in 2006, there was a story about Hollywood actor Jim Carrey issuing himself a postdated $10 million check and eventually making it happen. Stories of this kind paved the way for the law of attraction to become a hot topic.

The law of attraction is the philosophy that our thoughts become our reality. Since its entry into our consciousness, more enthusiasts have unlocked tools and techniques in making things happen. That is how I met vision board coach Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla, also known as “PositiviTrix” on social media. I attended her virtual workshop at the onset of the pandemic two years ago.

“I help people know what they want clearly and manifest them quickly.

That is through vision boarding,” Trixie told me through a video call.

“Among all the things I do, this is my purpose in life,” the entrepreneur and news anchor said, sounding giddy.

As a vision board coach, Trixie

creates programs and workshops for people who believe in goalsetting. Equipped with her Behavioral Sciences degree from the University of the Philippines – Manila, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and Medical Intuitive Thetahealing certificates, and international training, the multihyphenate acted on an epiphany she had and worked on turning her side hustle into a full-time career.

An African safari trip was a vision board goal Trixie manifested in 2015.

Trixie helps people determine their goals and manifest them quickly.

Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla

“It was like a miracle from heaven,” Trixie described how she started with the craft in 2014. At a time of heartbreak, the need to be clear about what she wanted in life led to coming up with a vision board.

“A vision board or a dream board is a powerful tool to attract whatever you want in life. Literally, it is a board where you put photos and words of everything you want to have, to be, and to do,” Trixie explained. “It is a physical or digital collage of your goals.”

Soon enough, the activity sworn by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Steve Harvey, Katy Perry, and even our own Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray also proved to be effective for Trixie.

“The moment I realized my dreams were eventually happening one by one, I was sold to the technique,” she excitedly shared. Trixie also felt a prompt to share the idea with others.

The intention was turned into action as 6,000 people from all over the world have participated in Trixie’s workshops and vision boarding parties since she began seven years ago. Virtual sessions and a VIP membership club are currently in place for individuals and companies.

“Success depends on the feelings you attach to your board,” Trixie shared with passion, revealing one of her manifesting hacks to make vision boards work.

“You have to feel it’s a done deal!”

Tapping into people’s power to create their own realities is evidently Trixie’s mission. Seeing more people transform their lives, as she said, has become her own life’s vision.

For updates and information on Trixie’s upcoming events, follow her @positivitrix on Instagram and Positivitrix on Youtube.

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray (right) and Trixie were classmates in a DaleCarnegie class in 2018.

BOOKSHELF PH, an online bookstore and publishing house in the Philippines, recently named celebrity life coach and best-selling author Myke Celis as having written one of the 75 Most Influential Filipino Books in Self-Help And Lifestyle.

Celis is the author behind the international best-selling book series, #bestmeever, who currently has five inspirational titles to his name. On the side, this professional coach-author is also a contributor to a number of renowned websites and publications.

His book launched during the pandemic, #bestmeever A Self-Discovery Workbook To Heal Your Past, Accept Your Present And Find Yourself Again made it to this prestigious list based on the following criteria: reader reception, industry impact, and operational excellence, all of which constitute the essence of being a certified bestseller with influence.

“The first workbook in Myke Celis’ Best Me Ever series is perfect for those looking to heal from their mistakes and traumas to ultimately unearth the best versions of themselves.

Celebrity life coach Myke Celis

The workbook is filled with simple daily activities and self-reflection so that readers can have a more hands-on experience while reading,” according to Bookshelf PH’s editor-in-chief, Mio Borromeo.

The celebrity life coach is beyond grateful for the recognition.

“This was totally unexpected as I launched this book during the pandemic as one of my means to cope with the sudden changes around me. Such a wonderful feeling knowing that it has helped a lot of people remain inspired as they journey towards their best still despite challenging times,” says Celis.

Set to launch two more books this year, Celis is excited to share his new masterpieces with the general public.

“My new books have new formats so the audience has something to look forward to in the months to come, with the first one set to launch this first quarter of 2022. So I am hoping and praying for everyone’s usual love and support so that I will be able to continue spreading positivity and good vibes through my books to people from all over the world.”