Manila Standard - 2022 February 21 - Monday

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File photoon datedA4) July 27, 2016 shows President Duterte during a National Security Council meeting attended by four former presidents (Story including (from left) Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Fidel V. Ramos and Benigno Aquino III. Presidential Spokesman Harry

RUSSIAN TROOPS TO STAY IN BELARUS AS UKRAINE BRACES FOR WAR

WORLD / A6

Roque says Malacanang is inclined to ask the four ex-presidents to attend a meeting on issues besetting the West Philippine Sea. NSC file

COVID ERASES 8 YEARS OF AIR PASSENGER TRAFFIC HIKE BUSINESS / B1

GOVT URGED: RELEASE FUEL SUBSIDY FUND IMMEDIATELY NEWS / A4

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 8 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HK employers fire sick OFWs

PH consulate rescues Pinoys sleeping outdoors, vows justice for them

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OME Filipino workers who tested positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong were either fired or driven away by their employers, the Philippine consul general said Sunday.

In an interview with ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, Consul General Raly Tejada said the Philippines will go after “heartless” employers who terminate the contracts of sick Filipinos, saying this was against the laws of Hong Kong.

He said the Philippines will blacklist and file cases against these employers who neglected OFWs testing positive for COVID-19.

Tejada said some 30 OFWs in Hong Kong have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few days.

While the OFWs were classified as either mild or asymptomatic cases, some of them are not being admitted to hospitals as the facilities were already full.

Spokes: Marcos arm hurt, not avoiding handshake

By Rey E. Requejo

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3,652,203 1,712

60,532

55,684

77

3,535,987

3,686

(As of 4 PM, FEBRUARY 20)

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr denied he was avoiding handshakes during a campaign sortie and was merely shielding an injured hand, his spokesman Vic Rodriguez said on Sunday.

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SEA OF RED. Presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is warmly received by his supporters at Delpan in Tondo, Manila on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022.

Danny Pata

1,712 new cases year’s lowest, ‘new normal’ eyed

By Willie Casas

Metro Manila mayors are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss the possible lowering THE Philippines logged 1,712 new CO- of the region’s COVID-19 status to Alert VID-19 cases on Sunday, the lowest num- Level 1, the loosest community quaranber of daily cases this year. tine level.

Amid the declining daily case count, Romando Artes, officer-in-charge and

will be lifted, but minimum public health standards, including wearing of face masks, will be retained.

"Once we are downgraded to Alert Level 1, almost all industries will open at Next page

Vax hesitancy drops to 10%

Survey shows economy, jobs top poll issues THE country's economy and jobs are top election issues among voters interviewed recently by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc., the country's first and only registered Lobbying and Campaigns Managements firm.

At least 65 percent of the 1,500 registered Filipino voter respondents—there are more than 65 million registered voters for the May 9, 2022 national elections—in its PAHAYAG: National Election Tracker Survey conducted between February 11 and 16, 2022, said the economy was one of their top three issues of concern.

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general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, said the mayors will also discuss details of the "new normal" plan for Metro Manila.

Under the new normal, all restrictions on establishments and public transport

By Willie Casas HESITANCY of Filipinos in getting vaccinated against COVID-19 has gone down to 10 percent, Health Undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega said Sunday.

“At the start, since last year, vaccine hesitancy was at about 30 percent, but it has gone down to 10 percent,” Vega said Next page

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CPP blasts govt over doctor’s arrest

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

FATALITIES. Firefighters carry the remains of four people who died in a fire at Sta. Cruz, Manila on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Norman Cruz

in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

The government is looking for ways to encourage this 10 percent vaccine-hesitant population to get the COVID-19 jabs, through house-to-house efforts and continuous vaccination drives, Vega said.

On Saturday, the Department of Health said the government fell short of the fivemillion vaccination target of the third

THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Sunday condemned the "unlawful arrest and unjust detention" of health worker Dr. Ma. Natividad "Naty" Castro and called for her immediate release.

In a statement, the CPP said Castro was a victim of the President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war of terror against the people” and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

"The party adds its voice to the immediate

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EL SHADDAI DECISION GIVES ISKO NEW HOPE

PACQUIAO: SARI-SARIS OK TO SELL OTC DRUGS

BENCAB LEADS OVER 100 ARTISTS FOR LENI

SARA PROVES SOLID NORTH A DEFINING VOTE

RESPONSIBLE MINING TO PROTECT IPS—PING

Presidential aspirant Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said he is hopeful of getting the support of El Shaddai members after the charismatic group’s leader, Bro. Mike Velarde, said there will be no block voting in the May 9 elections.

PROMDI presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao rejected proposals to ban small community stores, also known as sari-sari stores, from selling over-the-counter drugs since not everyone had access to the medicines they need.

The works of over 100 visual artists, including one by National Artist Ben Cab, are part of a virtual group exhibition to support the candidacy of presidential aspirant Leni Robredo

Lakas-CMD vice presidential bet Sara Duterte-Carpio has whipped up the so-called Solid North during her campaign in Northern Luzon and proved critics wrong that it was already shattered and moribund, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said.

A special program and funding should be created and set aside for indigenous peoples (IPs) “who suffer the brunt of irresponsible mining,” Partido Reporma presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said in Baguio City.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

2 LRT stations to hold vax drives T

HE Light Rail Transit Authority, in partnership with the city governments of Manila and Antipolo, will hold vaccination drives at select stations of LRT-2 starting Tuesday.

Transportation Secretary Art Tugade announced earlier that railway stations would be used as vaccination sites.

"We are making COVID-19 vaccines easily available, accessible,

and convenient to the riding public," LRTA administrator Jeremy Regino said on Sunday.

Commuters may avail themselves of the first dose and booster shots at Recto Station every Tuesday and

Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at Antipolo Station every Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration must be accomplished at https://manilacovid19vaccine.ph/ home.php for the Recto station vaccination and https://antipolobantaycovid.appcase.net/ for Antipolo.

"We encourage our commuters and their family members to get booster jabs for added protection as well as those who have no vaccines yet to avail of our

vaccination drive," Regino added.

He thanked Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Antipolo Mayor Andrea Ynares and their respective city health offices for their prompt and full support.

Philippine Red Cross vaccine buses were also deployed at the LRT-2 depot on February 12 while Manila health care workers were at Recto Station on February 15 and 17 to provide booster shots.

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wave of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” national vaccination drive from February 10 to 18.

Only 3.5 million individuals were inoculated against COVID-19 at the conclusion of the drive, the DOH said.

Vega said one of the reasons why the government did not reach its five million quota was that inoculation was still slow particularly in certain areas in the Mindanao region affected

by Typhoon Odette.

However, he assured the public that despite the Bayanihan, Bakunahan III's shortfall, the vaccination drive in the country would still continue to get at least 77 million Filipinos vaccinated by the end of March.

He also called on senior citizens or those in the A2 category to get the jab as only 65 percent of them are vaccinated.

“We need to increase the efforts to look for the senior citizens because they are very vulnerable and they are primarily at risk for COVID-19,” he said.

Vega said there were AstraZeneca doses that would expire by the end of February and early March, thus the government was aiming to administer them particularly in areas with low vaccination rates.

The government is eyeing to fully vaccinate 90 million Filipinos by the time President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30.

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“BBM does not avoid the handshake, but only avoids his hand that injured the arm near the wrist that seems to be infected,” Rodriguez said.

“But like a true leader who delivers a message to unite the country against the crisis caused by the pandemic, he ignores it and he continues to interact with the people who love him and the BBM-Sara UniTeam,” he added.

Marcos was seen in a video pulling back his hand after a supporter tried to grab it during his caravan in Caloocan City.

“BBM was soaked in the caravan and rally for twelve hours yesterday in Caloocan city after he toured almost the whole of Ilokandia the other day with Inday Sara,” Rodriguez said.

“Our camp is asking for the understanding of our compatriots and supporters to avoid squeezing the hand and arm of presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos for the meantime so that the infection does not worsen and his wound heals quickly,” he added.

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demand of human rights organizations, colleagues and friends of Dr. Castro for her immediate release and dropping of all trumped-up charges against her,” the CPP statement said.

Castro was arrested on kidnapping charges Friday by Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces intelligence operatives in Barangay San Perfecto, San Juan City on the basis of a warrant of arrest issued by an Agusan del Sur regional trial court.

The Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) said Sunday that they and Castro’s sisters were able to meet with her at the Bayugan, Agusan del Sur police headquarters on Saturday.

FLAG said two of Castro’s sisters were able to speak with and spend time with her.

FLAG denied police claims that Castro was a communist or a terrorist.

“She is a health worker who has been helping those who need help most,” said FLAG national chairperson Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno.

Diokno said that Castro served people in various areas in Mindanao as a health

FRONTLINERS ALL.

Contact tracer Tess Rivera, framed by a mural depicting pandemic frontliners, prepares to conduct her rounds in Barangay Lower Bicutan, Taguig City on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Danny Pata

3,686 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,535,987.

There were 60,532 active cases, of which 856 were asymptomatic; 55,102 were mild; 2,848 were moderate; 1,421 were severe; and 305 were critical.

Nationwide, 30 percent of ICU beds, 26 percent of isolation beds, 20 percent of ward beds, and 15 percent of ventilators, are in use.

In Metro Manila, 27 percent of ICU beds, 23 percent of isolation beds, 26 percent of ward beds, and 17 percent of ventilators, are in use.

Worldwide, the novel coronavirus has caused more than 423 million infections and over 5.88 million deaths since it was first reported in Wuhan, China in late 2019 according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, citing official reports.

The United States remains the most badly affected country with over78.4 million infections and over 935,000 deaths.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization has estimated that the overall death toll could be two to three

times higher.

In other developments: • Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said he sees a decrease in the BA.1 and the BA.2 or Stealth Omicron infections and the increase in the administration of booster shots as possible indicators that the wearing of face masks may no longer be mandatory.

Earlier, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the mandatory use of face masks would “most likely” be dropped by the fourth quarter of the year. On the other hand, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he is not in favor of lifting the mandatory face mask policy anytime soon.

• The independent OCTA Research Group said Lucena City in Quezon has now been classified as being at “very low risk” for COVID-19 due to a “very low” average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 0.79 and a positivity rate of 3 percent. ADAR refers to the daily average number of new cases per 100,000 people. The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

More than one-third of the respondents said the economy was their number one concern.

Meanwhile, 56 percent of the respondents identified "jobs" as one of their top three concerns.

Education (34 percent), poverty (24.4 percent), and corruption (23.8 percent) were the other top-of-mind issues among the respondents.

“Economic and livelihood issues appear to be at the forefront of voters’ minds going into the May 2022 election. The data suggest that voters are interested in learning more about the economic plat-

forms of candidates vying for national positions,” said Aureli Sinsuat, Executive Director of PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. Sinsuat noted the electorate’s concerns about the economy and employment are likely a consequence of the economic slowdown experienced by the Philippines when COVID-19 hit the archipelago in early 2020.

“As the COVID-19 situation continues to improve in the Philippines, voters want to know how aspiring national leaders plan to get the economy back on track in the post-pandemic era,” Sinsuat said.

Sinsuat also urged candidates vying for national office to release detailed information on their plans to stimulate economic recovery and job creation over the next six years.

“Voters have the right to make informed decisions on Election Day based on the economic platforms championed by candidates for higher office. Candidates for higher office should be ready and willing to answer tough questions over the next couple of months about their proposed economic policies,” he said.

The PAHAYAG National Election Tracker Survey is an independent noncommissioned national survey conducted

by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. The members of the purposive survey panel were randomly selected from the online research panel marketplace of 200,000 Filipinos maintained by the Singapore office of US-based PURESPECTRUM, based on parameters set by official COMELEC statistics on registered voters.

worker and she also helped the Lumad who were victims of militarization.

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) also called for Castro’s immediate release, saying she was wrongly tagged by police as a highranking official of the CPP. The group denied police accusations, saying Castro, 53, is a long-time executive director of a communitybased health program in Butuan City that helped train community health workers and established health committees in the CARAGA region.

“We health workers are infuriated with what the state forces did to Dr. Castro. We believe that she is innocent and all of the charges accused of her are all fictitious. Dr. Castro and other health workers who chose to sincerely and wholeheartedly serve the poor communities by providing health services to the underprivileged are very scarce nowadays,” said Robert Mendoza, AHW national president.

“A dedicated health worker like Dr. Naty Castro must be honored and protected by this government. Instead of looking for greener pastures by working abroad, Dr. Castro devoted her time and knowledge to educate and serve those who are in need and neglected by the

government,” Mendoza added.

Senator Richard Gordon and senatorial aspirant Dr. Minguita Padilla expressed grave concern over Castro’s arrest.

Gordon urged Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra and Chief PNP Dionardo Carlos to look seriously into the matter and ensure that the continuing violation of the Constitution and Castro’s rights cease immediately.

“The talents of people like Castro, a brilliant and humane physician, whose activities included setting up community centers and training on human rights are what are sorely needed by our country, especially in these pandemic times,” said Gordon.

He added that for the sake of argument, even if the charges—she is accused of kidnapping a member of the civilian armed force geographical unit-are true, Castro is still protected by the Constitution and laws that presume innocence, and which prohibit secret detention.

Padilla asked law enforcers to respect Castro's constitutional rights and that she be given fair and proper treatment.

The Department of Health (DOH) reminded authorities to follow due process.

“The contributions of our health workers, especially those who have opted to work with the underserved are immeasurable,” the DOH said.

“All our citizens, health workers included, enjoy the constitutional guarantees of due process and presumption of innocence until proven guilty. We trust our authorities to uphold these rights,” the DOH added.

The Manila Community of Benedictine Sisters and the Academic Community of St. Scholastica’s College denounced the charges against Castro.

“It is ridiculous to accuse Dr. Naty of kidnapping and illegal detention of those she is helping and whose human rights she is defending. It is unjust that one who has chosen to live in places that are not reached by the services that every human being is entitled to receive; one who has committed her life to give life to others, is now deprived of her right to life, a life that she has lived witnessing to Christ’s love and compassion,” the community said in a joint statement.

Castro, 53, is a cum laude graduate of the University of the PhilippinesPhilippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) and a valedictorian of St. Scholastica High School-Manila.

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100 percent capacity. Face-to-face classes will also resume, except for those at the primary level, which will require the approval of the President," Artes said.

"You can say we will be back to normal, or that our pre-pandemic activities will become regular," he added.

Sunday's number of new cases is the lowest since Dec. 30 last year.

The positivity rate was at 8.8 percent, based on 28,500 people tested for COVID-19 on Feb. 18. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), a test positivity of over 5 percent is a cause for concern.

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) with 316 or 20 percent, Region 4-A (Calabarzon) with 221 or 14 percent, and Region 6 (Western Visayas) with 180 or 11 percent.

There were 77 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 55,684.

The DOH also reported an increase to

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Tejeda said the consulate has rescued up to 10 Filipino workers who were forced to sleep outdoors after being sacked by employers for testing positive for COVID-19.

“We have rescued all of them and put them in isolation and medical facilities,” he said.

Tejada said employers are responsible for the treatment of their COVID-positive employees.

Those found guilty of firing sick workers will face fines, among other sanctions, said Tejada, adding that he has been in contact with Hong Kong's labor office.

Charities on Friday said Hong Kong's foreign domestic workers were being "abandoned" in the current COVID-19 wave sweeping the city, with some forced to sleep rough or being denied treatment after testing positive.

Hong Kong residents live in one of the world's most densely packed cities and rely on some 370,000 foreign domestic workers, the vast majority of whom are women from the Philippines and Indonesia who cook, clean, and care for their families.

The Chinese financial hub is currently in the throes of its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak, registering thousands of confirmed cases a day as hospitals reach breaking point.

Foreign domestic workers must live with their employers, cannot swap jobs easily, and are only entitled to one day off a week.

On Friday a coalition of groups representing migrant workers said the already grim pandemic conditions have plunged further in the current outbreak.

Some workers had been sacked by employers after testing positive, forcing them to sleep outdoors. Others found themselves denied treatment at hospitals because they had lost their jobs.

Activists said many Hong Kong employers were refusing to let their domestic workers leave often cramped apartments even on their day off, while some had been fired for taking their rest day.

"For us staying home means we have to work," said Dolores Balladares Pallaez from the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, adding workers needed "compassion and help" from both the government and wider society.

Construction crews from China were helping Hong Kong build two temporary isolation facilities to house thousands of coronavirus patients on Sunday as a senior official declared the city "in full combat mode."

A strict zero-COVID policy like what China uses kept infections at bay for two years but left the city cut off internationally.

And when the highly transmissible Omicron variant broke through, authorities were caught flat-footed with a dangerously under-vaccinated elderly population and few plans in place to deal with a mass outbreak.

Late Saturday city leader Carrie Lam announced that China State Construction International Holdings, the largest stateowned constructor in Hong Kong, would start work on two temporary isolation facilities to provide 9,500 extra beds.

The units will be located at Penny's Bay, which already hosts a quarantine camp, and in Kai Tak where the city's old airport once stood.

Lam also announced that three hotels would be used to create an additional 20,000 beds.

Chief Secretary John Lee, Hong Kong's number two official, wrote on his official blog on Sunday that the city's government was in "full combat mode."

"With our motherland's strong support, we will definitely win the battle," Lee wrote.

The sudden flurry of activity came after Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered Hong Kong to make tackling the outbreak its "overriding mission" in comments that were seen as something of a rebuke to the city's leadership.

It is not yet clear when the new facilities will be ready and whether they will be enough given Hong Kong's spiraling caseload.

Under China's direction, Hong Kong is sticking to a policy of trying to isolate everyone who tests positive for the coronavirus and has rejected calls to shift to a strategy of living with COVID. Over the last few days officials have announced around 6,000 confirmed cases daily with a similar number of "preliminary positives" that still need to be certified.

About 22,000 cases have been recorded since the current outbreak hit last month compared to just 12,000 in the two years before that.

Some hospitals have had to house patients on gurneys outdoors in grim winter conditions while thousands are still waiting at home in the city's notoriously small apartments with positive test results.

Ben Cowling, a coronavirus expert at the University of Hong Kong, said isolation facilities would be useful but increasing hospital beds must be a priority.

"New cases needing admission will continue to accumulate faster than beds are freed up, and delays to admission will get longer and longer," Cowling wrote on Twitter.

"Construction of isolation facilities for mild/asymptomatic cases will be useful for people that can't isolate at home... but increasing hospital beds and ICU beds must be a priority." AFP

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SC upholds graft case vs. former Cagayan de Oro solon

EU requirements for PH on trade pact ‘fake news’

By Othel V. Campos

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the 2017 resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) which ordered the filing of graft and malversation cases against former Cagayan de Oro lone district Rep. Constantino Jaraula, several government officials, and private individuals, in connection in the alleged anomalies involving the purchase of P3 million worth of bottled liquid fertilizer in 2004.

“We find that the Ombudsman committed no grave abuse of discretion in finding probable cause. Its findings were based on evidence on record and on its consideration of the allegations and assertions of all the parties,” the SC said, in a resolution, as it dismissed Jaraula’s petition.

Aside from Jaraula, also ordered charged by the OMB were Jose Quitazol, Sr. as regional technical director of the Local Government Unit Support, Antonio N. Rosal as chairman of the committee on accreditation, Eduardo Lecciones, Jr. as regional executive director--all from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Field Regional Unit VII-- Ma. Reina Lumantas as budget officer III, Claudio Artazo as accountant III, Martino Cajita as assistant regional director – all from the DA Regional Field Unit X; Joel S. Rudinas also of DA; Godofredo Bajas (Bajas) as city agriculturist, and Evelyn De Leon, Anabelle Luy, Maria Fe Escabarte, Jose Ardias, Gertrudes Kilapkilap, Henry Bucalin, and Luzviminda Bucalin as officers and members of Philippine Social Development Foundation, Inc. (PSDFI).

The SC resolution, which was made public last February, affirmed the OMB’s order, which was assailed by Jaraula. It was not known immediately if the other public officials and private individuals also filed their petition with the SC. On May 7, 2004, the P3 million fund for DA’s Farm Inputs/Farm Implements Program (FIFI) was released to the lone congressional district of Cagayan de Oro City. The money was then turned over to PSDFI for the purchase of 3,750 bottles of liquid fertilizers for distribution to farmer-beneficiaries.

FUN WITH FIREFIGHTERS. Children run to face hoses being carried by firefighters during a training session for newly-recruited fire volunteers at the Baseco Compound in Manila on Sunday. Danny Pata

Binay urges early release of PUV fuel subsidy fund S

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ENATOR Nancy Binay called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately release to funds for the provision of fuel subsidies for public utility vehicles (PUVs).

The government has allocated P2.5 billion for the fuel subsidy. Binay issued the call as PUV drivers are feeling the heat with a steady rise in oil prices for the seventh week in a row now.

“Our public transport sector workers are hurting. This is the only time they will recover since they have lost their earnings due to the pandemic,” Binay said, adding that the subsidies are needed due to the continued rise in process of gasoline.

According to Budget Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie L. Canda, the Dubai crude benchmark used as basis for the

release of funds for the fuel subsidy program of the 2022 General Appropriations Act had already been breached.

She said the agency had already received the request of both the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for the release of the funds. However, the DBM is still waiting for an additional requirement from the DOTr before it can release the subsidy.

While the budget for the program has been approved under the General Appropriations Act of 2022, the LTFRB is still

awaiting the release of the funds from the Department of Budget and Management.

The program, it said, will have a total 377,443 beneficiaries who will receive a fuel subsidy amounting to P6,500. These beneficiaries will include franchise grantees of traditional and modern PUVs, buses, mini-buses, taxis, UV Express, transport network vehicle services, and tourist transport services. Another P500 million was also set aside for fuel discounts to farmers and fisherfolk under the Department ofAgriculture.

Binay appealed for compassion and greater urgency from the national government to release the funds.

A group of jeepney drivers and operators earlier warned of a transport strike if the government fails to act on its petition for a P2 fare hike as oil firms are seen to increase pump prices anew by nearly P1 per liter on Tuesday, marking the eight straight week of increases. With Alena Mae Flores

Villanueva calls for LGU help in employment recovery plan

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SEN. Joel Villanueva on Sunday called for the institutionalization and localized employment structures in the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS).

He said that the strategy should be strengthened through the participation of local government units (LGUs).

“The NERS should be sustained beyond its deadline this year and provide guidance particular to the needs of every LGU,” he said, adding that “each LGU should have a say on how it will participate in employment recovery so that we can say it is truly national in scope.”

Based on Executive Order No. 140, series of 2021, the NERS is a medium-term employment recovery strategy anchored on the updated Philippine Development Plan

2017-2022 and ReCharge PH, which takes into consideration “the changes in the labor market brought by the pandemic and the fast adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies”.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources said that LGUs should be empowered under an institutionalized NERS, which is part of the senator’s campaign platform of income security and employment empowerment.

“While we need a consistent policy for emergency job generation, each local government unit has their own specific supply and demand from the job market, with each having their own experience in the pandemic,” he said.

“LGU participation in national employment recovery is a no-brainer,” he further said.

Angeles City set to begin Feb. 21 pediatric vax

By Butch Gunio

ART EXHIBIT AT THE MALL. A young visitor poses in an art exhibit in SM Taytay.

The mall’s art exhibit showcased the works of Jose “Pitok” Blanco and selected works of visual artists from the province of Rizal. The UNESCO named the province of Rizal as the country’s cultural capital of the Philippines. Danny Pata

DAR inspects completed P32m Wacal Bridge in N. Vizcaya

By Nueva Vizcaya and Maricel V. Cruz THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has conducted the initial inspection on the recently-completed P32 million Wacal Bridge in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, which was built under the Tulay ng Pangulo para sa Kaunlarang Pang-Agraryo (TPKP) project and is intended to provide the farmers

with easier access to transport their products to the market.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rustico Turingan said the project was funded by the DAR in the implementation of the TPKP project in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local government of Solano.

Turingan disclosed that the construction of the steel bridge started in Octo-

ber 2021 and was completed this year.

The official turnover of the bridge to the local government of Solano will immediately follow after the final inspection to be conducted by the DPWH. “The P32 million steel bridge is 22.4 lineal meters and seven meters wide and has a capacity of 20 tons. Thus, it can accommodate all types of vehicles,” Turingan said.

The bridge, he said, will benefit

more than 4,500 residents including agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) at the Uddiawan agrarian reform community (ARC) and neighboring barangays.

“The bridge is intended to ease the transportation of the farmers’ products from their farms to the market so that they would be able to sell them at a fair price and increase their income,” Turingan said.

Solon seeks OK of healthier food bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

FISH PENS. A view of the numerous fish pens in Taal Lake, from Talisay, Batangas. There are said to be thousands of aquatic structures in the lake, which can cause ecological issues. Revoli S. Cortez

REPORTS of non-compliance of the Philippines to resolve human rights violations and lack of press freedom as a requisite for the renewal of the preferential trade agreement with the European Union (EU) are all fake news, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said over the weekend.

Trade secretary Ramon Lopez said derogatory news like those reported recently “only give false impressions on the real situation in the Philippines.”

“It is unfortunate that the politicians of a huge economic block are the ones destroying the image of small democratic country of peaceloving Filipinos, and it is like bullying a small country. They should ask the Filipinos in their companies or communities.

They should also ask the EU citizens, the EU business chambers in the country. The 72 percent of population who gave a high approval rating for President Duterte cannot be wrong,” he said over the weekend.

The Philippines has a pending petition for the renewal of the EU Generalized System of Preference plus (GSP+), which is on its 8th year run in the Philippines. The trade system is set to expire in December 2023.

Lopez said the Philippines, despite the negative news, remains confident it will continue to enjoy the benefits of the trade program following the massive efforts taken to comply with all the required measures.

“At any rate, we continue to provide the facts and figures to the authority, the EU Commission. As mentioned, we continue to facilitate their regular GSP+ monitoring mission and there is one forthcoming at the end of the month,” Lopez said.

He added that the Philippines has developed a process that is more systematic and organized in obtaining accurate information regarding the real situation in the country.

REP. Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur appealed to his fellow legislators to support a bill that promotes good health among the people.

Villafuerte made the call in the wake of the approval by the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means of the bill that aims to eliminate transfat from the food chain, before Congress took a three-month election break.

Villafuerte authored the bill that seeks to eliminate industrially-produced transfatty acids (TFAs) from the country’s food supply to promote healthy living among Filipinos and protect them from serious ailments.

The panel specifically approved the tax provisions of the bill and similar other measures that also aim to strictly regulate food products with TFAs. Approved by the House ways and means committee was Section 25 of Villafuerte’s bill, which provides that the importation of laboratory equipment for testing TFA would be exempt from the payment of customs duties and taxes.

The panel also approved HB 8093’s Section 30, which mandates, among others, that within two years from the effectivity of the proposal, food manufacturers would comply with the additional requirements for certificate of product registration (CPR) as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

ANGELES CITY – The city government here under the leadership of Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr. will start vaccinating Angeleño kids aged 5 to 11, beginning February 21.

Lazatin expressed his confidence in the vaccination drive of children with the city’s logistics, manpower, and resources prepared at the City College of Angeles mega vaccination site.

The vaccination will be done via schedule per barangay, Lazatin said.

Reina Manuel, Executive Assistant IV, also the head of the vaccination committee on ways and means, said that part of the preparation for the kids’ vaccination is the site having a circus design — with a colorful motif for them to have a friendly and pleasant experience.

Manuel shared that upon vaccination, each kid will also receive a loot bag. Inside the loot bag are vitamins, paracetamol, candies, coloring pens, and coloring pads.

“It’s like giving them treats and rewards after being vaccinated.

The preparation we did is also to encourage them that vaccines are safe,” Manuel said.

Lazatin’s Chief Adviser IC Calaguas, also the chief implementer of the city’s vaccination program, said the City Health Office, led by Dr. Verona Guevarra, already coordinated with volunteer pediatricians who are set to be deployed at the vaccination site once the children’s inoculation starts.

Guevarra also explained that the city government will abide by the guidelines set by the Department of Health, citing Pfizer as allotted vaccines for the kids.

The supply of the vaccines, she said, will be coming from the National Vaccination Operation Center.

Opinion A tool for persecution, scamming

FILING legal suits, criminal or civil, is supposed to be our defense against people who abuse, assault, malign, defraud or whatever attack someone might instigate against us. Unfortunately, this legal remedy accorded to us, is being abused by some individuals to persecute rivals, political or personal, or even scam others. They have weaponized the filing of legal cases in furtherance of their wicked agenda.

While in some cases, the ending results in a favorable result for the target victims, in some, it is not.

Take the cases of Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, Lopez, Quezon Councilor Arkie Manuel Yulde and Sec. Raul Lambino, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority current Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.

In Evardone’s case, there is reason to celebrate as after four years, the graft and misconduct charges before the Office of the Ombudsman have finally been dismissed for lack of merits.

The complaints against the Easter Samar Governor were filed on January 14, 2018 by a certain Edilberto Grata Jr., citing a notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit regional office.

Grata questioned the propriety of Evardone’s approval of a cash advance amounting to P5.37 million for payment of transportation expenses of village officials for their Community Based Monitoring System and Good Governance Orientation Seminar in Baguio City.

However, in its resolution, the Ombudsman however said Evardone was just discharging his duties when he approved the disbursement for the seminar’s expense, as it clarified that that mere issuance of a notice of disallowance alone does not automatically tantamount to manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence.

A visibly elated Evardone remarked that “the Ombudsman’s decision is a clear affirmation that I did not commit any misconduct or acted in bad faith as alleged in the complaint which was obviously very politically motivated.”

In this particular instance, Grata, who tried to vilify and persecute Evardone by misinterpreting the provisions of the law, failed.

Unfortunately, that was not the case of Yulde.

Sometime last year, Yulde was slapped with two counts of rape charges, one in Pasig and one in Rosales in Pangasinan.

These twin charges landed Yulde’s five months in imprison and resulted in the death of both his parents, having suffered

from stress and depression from the fate that befell their son.

Fortunately, lawyer Freddie Villamor said that cases were dismissed after it turned out the complainants themselves were fictitious and the complaints were deemed fabricated.

Lambino also suffered the same misfortune after he and his wife were slapped with rape and maltreatment of their house maid.

Lambino bared he a victim of a bogus complaint for ten counts of rape of a minor was filed against him at the Prosecutor’s Office by an alleged former house helper, through the help of one Prof. Singson-De Guzman

Who employed this man’s services?

For how much? Is it worth it?

And guess who was behind the filing of the charges against Yulde and Lambino?

In a press briefing held at the National Press Club, Undersecretary Joel Egco of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security identified the mastermind of the scam as, ironically, a member of the media, Jaime Aquino.

According to Egco, Aquino is engaged in a “modus operandi” that targeted public officials through the filing of bogus criminal complaints using fictitious complainants, all with the assistance of a certain Prof. Salvador Singson – De Guzman who represented himself to be the Chairman of “Citizens Movement Against Crime, Corruption, Illegal Drugs and Gambling Inc. The PTFOMS head said that there is enough evidence to conclude that Prof.

Singson-De Guzman is no other than Aquino himself who uses the alter-ego to conduct his “nefarious” scheme known in media circles as “AC-DC” or Attack and Collect, Defend and Collect as PCPT Jervel Rillorta and PMAJ Katelyne May Awingan of the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office of the Philippine National Police have confirmed that Aquino and Prof. Singson De Guzman is one and the same person after conducting an initial probe.

Egco furthers that the modus operandi was reported to have been employed by Aquino against jueteng whistle-blower Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz when he accused the prelate of sexual abuse.

If the allegations against Aquino are true, this could be the most horrible and dastardly act ever employed by someone for whatever their end goal is. Who employed his services? For how much? Is it worth it?

Two lives lost and immeasurable sufferings brought upon his victims?

I have no idea how he can repay them.

But I promise to deal with this issue more as soon as I get more details.

Peace science: Closing the ‘gap’ in academics and lay inventors Everyman

By Nash B. Maulana PANDEMIC regulations bring one back to thoughts of exploring possibilities, working along old tracks of innovation during the past two years. Friends’ trust helped bridge gaps across barriers and challenges that made things more feasible in more terms.

Designing a utility model (UM) for homeor school-based mini-power generation somehow benefitted a few senior high school students literally seeking refuge from sectional brownouts that widely interrupted the first weeks of the country’s first online classes in early 2020.

The UM is made up of a 10KW dynamotype generator; a driving DC motor; a 54v 100 Amp alternator and a 48v battery-pack system—all harmonized into a network of DC meshes and AC loops on calculated and crafted mechanical and electrical links.

This, I call the Tri-Mode Power Generation (T-MPG) System-UM. The concept of the T-MPG SystemUM is shared with appropriate government agencies in letters sent to an attached agency to the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) in Metro Manila in search of collaborative partners in applied research. The Ministry of Science and Technology, DoST’s BARMM counterpart, requires me to collaborate with any government academic institution to come up with an applied research and development (R&D) output to complement my T-MPG UM System innovation. However, our local academic institutions are hardly prepared to veer time off their scholars’ regular programs and activities— understandably, into some gatecrashing project not prior envisioned in terms of policy-formulation and planning in previous programs preparation.

But with relevant policies hardly stretched to collaboration with inventors and

innovators, the MoST-BARMM is unable to respond to official requests for a formal dialogue window between them as the party of experts and a party of lay innovators willing to devote more time working along navigable possibilities towards developing renewable energy options, which the region needs most at this point in time.

Here’s a project by some high school students.

Moving forward, objectives are made clear that the T-MPG UM System is not about generation of free household electricity.

Rather, it somehow has helped (learning) cope with emergency situations of sectional blackouts. And as a “miniature” system, the device is more intended to help young people understand and get familiarized with the industry of power generation. Thus, it can be a practical learning tool at laboratory works in electromagnetic physics for high school students in remote (BARMM) areas hardly exposed to power energy facilities and other industries. Thereby, it can effectively develop support to the social rehabilitation along the Normalization Track of the 2014 Comprehensive (Peace) Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Call it “peace science.”

Didn’t the Nobel Peace Prize start with Science?

There is this anecdote that in Japan electronic toys and gadgets are assembled by children. This is probably because Japan has succeeded in narrowing the “gap” between classroom-based learning and the images of the real thing in some fashion made attractive to young learners.

In dialogues at government offices, we’d make it a point that effective conflict management has its best historical model in the oldest and longest human experience at centuries of devastating wars (between kingdoms and imperial nations) that ended in Europe’s rise to

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EDITORIAL

A spotty human rights record

S

AN Juan City Police on Friday morning arrested physician Natividad “Naty” Castro from her home. Without access to family or lawyers, Castro was flown first to Butuan City and then moved to Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur. The doctor is facing charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Later it was revealed there were at least two more charges – supposed violation of Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, and the expanded AntiTrafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

Castro’s background speaks of her competence - she graduated valedictorian in grade school (College of the Holy Spirit in Mendiola) and high school (St. Scholastica’s College Manila), both Catholic schools. She was awarded one of the most outstanding graduates of her high school. She graduated cum laude in BS Zoology from UP Diliman and then completed her medical training at the UP-PGH College of Medicine in 1995.

Her subsequent work speaks of her commitment – as a health worker, she set up community health centers and programs in Mindanao. Years ago, she brought lumad who were militarization victims to the United Nations in Geneva.

She spoke at this event, seeking help for the indigenous people.

“Naty is not an ordinary doctor,” her classmates in medical school said in a statement calling for her immediate release for the immediate dropping

of her cases. “She is a servant leader actively involved in health and human rights and working towards providing health care for all by serving in rural and geographical areas.”

This is a truly ugly legacy that, if left to persist, would be the hallmark of a leader in the twilight of his power.

She blazed a trail on being aware of what is happening, her classmates said, while they are now just trying to catch up. She espoused simple living, a diligent struggle, and plain service every day.

That is not what the police are saying.

They accuse Castro of being a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and head of its health bureau.

Being a CPP-NPA member is not a crime, says the Free Legal Assistance Group who is now helping Castro. Nonetheless, her family and lawyers categorically deny she is a member of the communist group.

Castro is not the first individual to be red-tagged; not the first whose rights would be violated in her arrest and detention. She is not the first person to stand out – stick out, for some – for her work among the poor and be accused of sinister things. There have been many, and there will be more.

Such is the record of this outgoing administration. This is the same set of officials who so generously fund and

support the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict that has no visible task aside from shaming individuals, even those who put up pantries so the poor may eat, branding them as enemies of the state, and sowing fear among those who dare criticize the government or its leaders.

The administration has done many unprecedented things in the past few years. It has unilaterally abrogated an agreement that guarantees a safe space for the country’s premier university, because it supposedly breeds the next generation of communist rebels. It has also exerted its influence on higher education authorities to remove books deemed undesirable for the youth just because they talk about the insurgency.

The public outrage over the case of Dr. Castro should shine a spotlight on the evil deeds being done in the name of the fight against communism, and the many excesses committed by officials.

Castro’s case is made ignominious by the fact that she is a health worker – a group of professionals who have sacrificed and suffered much during this pandemic.

We lament, as well, those who were similarly taken and held under the same claims but whose families and friends do not have the ability to go public with the injustice. Their lives and safety are at stake, too, and they demand equal attention.

Many Filipinos could be distracted by the circus that is the coming elections and the continued decline in COVID-19 cases. But we must not be blind to the grim realities happening right under our noses. This is a truly ugly legacy that, if left to persist, would be the hallmark of a leader in the twilight of his power.

Digital transformation to save the planet

SUPER typhoon Odette was the latest of the series of extreme weather disasters, which scientists have linked to climate change, battering our country. The government reports that 405 people have been killed, thousands more have been injured, and nearly 3 million Filipinos, mostly in the marginalized sector, have been displaced.

After two months, 77,000 are still in evacuation centers while 133,000 remain homeless.

Damage to agriculture is staggering.

According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council data reported 9 February 2022, 10 million hectares of food crop areas were destroyed, and more than 120,000 poultry and livestock wasted. Add to that the estimated damage to fisheries estimated at P2 billion.

The country is already deeply scarred by the pandemic crisis in so many dimensions.

The extensive swath of destruction from typhoon Odette was certainly something we did not need. And after so many super typhoons hitting us, we should have been better prepared for such disasters. We should have developed more resilient infrastructure and well-integrated response protocols that could deliver faster response and recovery for the victims.

Unfortunately, we seem to be in this cycle of panic and complacency.

Climate change is already causing more frequent and more severe weather patterns ever seen in recorded history. The pace of technological advancement that drove industrialization and created the technology driven world that we live in today has spewed a shroud of greenhouse gasses (GHG) that scientists say is now beyond the tipping point. If this is not reversed, it will have existential consequences for all humans.

As humans have wielded the power of Renaissance of the Golden Age of Science and Mathematics.

In modern-day BARMM, any of several R&D programs may suit the T-MPG UM System but will also be capped by limitations in terms of policies. MoST-BARMM integrates the institutional functions of the DOST and auxiliary offices at regional level, albeit only into a “Harmonized R&D Agenda (2021 – 2025), thus far. The region’s R&D mandates, however, are designated to a small office “section.”

There’s relatively much leniency on related policies in the national government which opens applied research to participation by private

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

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

technology in constant reinvention of what a better life should be, the solutions for cleaning up the pollution we spilled to the planet is also technology. The widely espoused strategy is called “Net Zero,” which requires all industries to transform their operations to be carbon neutral by integrating emission reduction measures that will hopefully return the balance of carbon emission and natural carbon capture.

The government must now step up to the challenge.

Here is where digital technologies are indispensable tools in transforming obsolete and emission heavy operations into efficient and environment friendly enterprises. A clear example is when we, together with all countries, went on strict lockdown during the breakout of the COVID 19 pandemic more than two years ago. In a matter of days, the atmosphere cleared up and we were awed by the starry night skies that were hidden by smog and city lights for decades. I remember back in the 60s when night skies, even here in Manila, were full of stars and seeing our Milky Way galaxy was a regular night stroll treat. We survived and continued; thanks to the level of digital technologies, we already have.

Again, it is the private sector that must play a leading role in being digitally empowered stewards of the environment and achieving Net Zero emissions on a planetary scale.

In a recently released statement of the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship, Eng. Felix Vitangcol, the group’s Secretary General, emphasized how all ecosystems must move now by using digital technologies to strengthen resilience to the climatic consequences of climate change and integrate a carbon reduction and anti-pollution culture in all sectors of society. companies. My latest feedback is that on the very first day my letter was received, the office-addressee was already “looking into it especially if ____can assist.”

Taking up the T-MPG UM System with Moro academics back home, one broadly understood the predicament. Another asked if one was open to giving up the intellectual credit to an institution that may host an applied research undertaking.

It would have been easier to decide if things were not prior communicated with the Bureau of Patents of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

Recommendations for the second Formality

Indeed, we see the big enterprises and business groups investing heavily to align with the historic Paris climate agreement and the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution to cut carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030. Globe, for one, has counted 14 key facilities now powered by renewable energy in its track to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 among other advocacies and interventions that go beyond compliance to environmental regulations – an environmental stewardship mindset now being espoused by many private companies.

Vitangcol points out that digital platforms and applications distributed through broadband connections provided by the private telecommunications companies should be deployed to better observe, analyze, and respond to our environment.

“Advancing the much-needed immediate transition to a data-driven and digitalenabled economy can help our communities better monitor the real-time environment and climate conditions that would allow swift responses to areas where needed, control pollution generation by enhancing circular economic and business models, and efficiently manage and utilize available resources,” Vitangcol said.

Digital technologies are indispensable in developing more packaging and manufacturing processes that produce ecofriendly products and a circular approach to minimize the leak of harmful solid waste to waterways. New electric powered transportation will drastically reduce GHG emissions.

For the Philippines, we are still at a stage where expanding and improving the connectivity need to be a priority. We need a synergized and aggressive investment and digital infrastructure building roadmap to at least be at par with global internet speeds.

The government must now step up and start investing at a level that at least keeps pace with the private sector. We need fast digital transformation not just to recover and compete in a digital economy but to save our planet.

Examination Report (FER) have been complied with for the Bureau of Patents.

Indeed, a “gap” widens between inventors or innovators on one side and the R&D science experts on the other hand. Workable policies should be harmonizing the two parties in some collaborative forum similar to the Philippine Inventors Commission, created by Republic Act 3850 during the First Macapagal Administration in 1964.

Nash B. Maulana is a journalist by profession. Because of his early environment, a small industry managed by his parents, he studied engineering but shifted to journalism which he finished at PUP Manila.

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extension and several opportunities given to finish the Project until 03 September 2018, Ms. Bautista failed to do so and as it appears, only about twenty five percent (25%) thereof has been completed by her.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 100, Quezon City

8. Left with no other recourse, plaintiff Carreon started looking for another contractor to continue the works left behind and abandoned by Bautista.

CARREON BUSINESS VENTURES, INC. Plaintiff, -versus-

R-QZN-20-02768-CV

TECHNOSERVE CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY and NOEL C.PETILLA, Defendants. x-------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER For resolution is plaintiffs Motion for Exclusion of Annexes in the Service of Summons by Publication and for the Summons to be Published Only Once.

In support thereof, plaintiff averred that the fees assessed by the newspaper for the publication of the Summons, Order dated 15 June 2021, Complaint and Annexes to be done twice amounted to Php179,675.60. Said amount was quite exorbitant and not within the financial means of plaintiff. Should the annexes be excluded and the publication be done only once in a newspaper of general circulation, the fees would be effectively reduced to Php59,925.20, which the plaintiff is able to afford.

The Court resolves to grant the instant motion for humanitarian considerations.

It bears noting that the 2019 Proposed Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure gives the Court discretion as regards how much time the publication in a newspaper of general circulation may be effected. Section 16, Rule 14 thereof provides: Section 16. Service upon defendant whose identity or whereabouts are unknown. - In any action where the defendant is designated as an unknown owner, or the like, or whenever his or her whereabouts are unknown and cannot be ascertained by diligent inquiry, within ninety (90) calendar days from the commencement of the action, service may, by leave of court, be effected upon him or her by publication in a newspaper of general circulation and in such places and for such time as the court may order.

9. Sometime October 2018, plaintiff Carreon was able to meet defendant Petilla, who represented himself as a licensed electrical engineer and building contractor as well as the authorized representative and Sales and Operation Director of defendant Technoserve, with office address at Lot 4, Block 7 Maunlad Homes, Mojon Malolos, Bulacan. During said meeting, plaintiff Carreon discussed its intent and inquired from defendant Petilla regarding their company profile, their work experience and their company’s past projects with the end in view of determining the capacity of defendants to undertake the said project, which proposed construction/fit-out ostensibly require the expertise of a professional building contractor.

10. From his representations, defendant Petilla is connected with Technoserve Construction and Supply, which he claims to be duly registered under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines and he offered their services to plaintiff as Building Contractor to continue the works on the fit out construction of the Pretzel Factory Café of plaintiff (hereinafter referred to as “Project for brevity) at Space No. C2-12 in Centris Walk Expansion located at Eton Centris, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City, and no sooner based on the representations by defendants of their expertise, plaintiff Carreon hired and engaged their services. Copy of the DTI Certification dated 19 March 2019 is herein attached and marked as Annex “D”.

11. Conformably thereof, on 10 October 2018, plaintiff Carreon and defendant Technoserve, through defendant Petilla formally entered into an agreement specifying therein the project scheme, specification, scope of work on the construction of the project, details of the work, contract price and duration of work all embodied in the contract denominated as “Agreement for the Construction of the Pretzel Factory Café In-Line Store (CENTRIS)” duly signed by the parties, copy of which is hereto attached and marked as Annex “E”.

12. Verily, as stated and clearly spelled out in the duly executed Contract (hereto marked as Annex “E”), defendants agreed to perform all their obligation to supply the labor and materials for the construction of the Project with date of completion on 23 November 2018, for the total Contract price of SIX HUNDRED NINETY THOUSAND PESOS (Php690,000.00), Philippine Currency, to be paid under the following terms, WEEK NO.

Any order granting such leave shall specify a reasonable time, which shall not be less than sixty (60) calendar days after notice, within which the defendant must answer.

DATED

PAYMENT AMOUNT (Php)

Week 1

5 October 2018

345,000.00

Anent the exclusion of annexes to the Complaint in the publication, the Court likewise allows the same considering the voluminous records of annexes consisting of 55 pages.

Week 2

12 October 2018

49,286.00

Week 3

19 October 2018

49,286.00

While it is true that rules of procedure are intended to promote rather than frustrate the ends of justice, and the swift unclogging of court dockets is a laudable objective, it nevertheless must not be met at the expense of substantial justice. Time and again, the Supreme Court has reiterated the doctrine that the rules of procedure are mere tools intended to facilitate the attainment of justice, rather than frustrate it. A strict and rigid application of the rules must always be eschewed when it would subvert the primary objective of the rules, that is, to enhance fair trials and expedite justice.

Technicalities should never be used to defeat the substantive rights of the other party. Every partylitigant must be afforded the amplest opportunity for the proper and just determination of his cause, free from the constraints of technicalities.1

Week 4

26 October 2018

49,286.00

Week 5

2 November 2018

49,286.00

Week 6

9 November 2018

49,286.00

Week 7

16 November 2018

49,286.00

Week 8

23 November 2018 TOTAL

49,286.00 Php690,000.00

WHEREFORE, premises considered, plaintiffs instant motion is GRANTED. Accordingly, let a copy of the Summons, together with the Complaint sans the annexes, and a copy of this Order, be published at plaintiffs own expense once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, chosen by raffle, pursuant to Section 16, Rule 14 of the of the 2019 Proposed Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. Defendants Technoserve Construction and Supply and Noel C. Petilla are hereby ordered to file their Answer in Court within sixty (60) days after notice hereof.

Let also a copy of the Summons, Complaint and its annexes and this Order be sent to defendants by registered mail at their last known address, all at the expense of the plaintiff.

SO ORDERED. 03 February 2022, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

(Sgd.) EDITHA G. MINA-AGUBA Presiding Judge Copy furnished:

13. The full amount of the downpayment amounting to Three Hundred Forty Five Thousand Pesos (Php345,000.00) was paid by plaintiff in favour of defendant on 05 October 2018 (Php100,000.00) and 15 October 2018 (Php245,000.00), as per receipts and Disbursement Schedule, copy of which are herein attached and marked as Annexes “F to F-1”, “G to G-2” and “H” respectively.

14. Accordingly, on 05 October 2018, defendant proceeded to work on the Project but unfortunately, well beyond the date of completion on 23 November 2018, the same has yet to come to be completed, as it appears in fact only about thirty percent (30%) thereof has been completed, from its original state of 25% completion from the first contractor Bautista. Copy of the Construction Update and Construction Inspection Checklist prepared by TON and is hereto attached and marked as Annexes “I” and “J” respectively.

15. Alarmed and haunted by this development, plaintiff demanded from defendants to personally report on the project site to address its concerns on the seeming disproportionate work accomplishment and the money that had already been paid.

USSIAN military exercises in Belarus will continue, Minsk announced Sunday, leaving Moscow with a large force near the northern Ukraine border as Western powers warn of an imminent invasion.

The announcement came as and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf French President Emmanuel Ma- Scholz to urge their Russian cron called Russia’s Vladimir Pu- counterpart to pull back from the tin for talks the Elysée described brink of war. as “the last possible and necesMore bombardments were sary efforts to avoid a major con- heard by AFP reporters overflict in Ukraine.” night close to the frontline beMoscow had previously said tween government forces and the the 30,000 troops it has in Belar- Moscow-backed rebels who hold Job Vacancy us were simply carrying out read- parts of the districts of Lugansk iness drills with its ally, which and Donetsk. would be finished by February “Every indication indicates Qualifications: 20, allowing the Russians to head that Russia is planning a full• 1 – 2 years experience in customer service. back to their bases. fledged attack against Ukraine,” • College graduate an online booking But, as the day arrived• Experience for the withNATO chiefsystem.

Jens Stoltenberg • Experience in the Travel or hospitality (Hotel) industry. operation to end, the •Belarus said, echoing US(verbal President Fluent in Chinese Mandarin and English and written)Joe • 35 WPM defense ministry said Putin andTypingBiden, who believes the invasion • Ability to use MS Office applications including Excel, Word, Belarusian leader Alexander is imminent.

OutlookLuCan operate computer in Chinese Mandarin Characters Boris kashenko had decided to •“continBritish Prime Minister ue inspections,” citing increased Submit Johnson said Russia your applications thru email atis preparmanila.careers@webbeds.com military activity on their shared DOTW ing to plunge Europe into its SHARED SERVICES, INC. CityNet 1 – Unit G10, conflict 183 EDSA, since BarangayWorld Wack-wack, borders and an alleged “escalaworst War Mandaluyong City, Philippines 1555 tion” in east Ukraine.

II, warning that any invasion of The move will be seen as a fur- Ukraine would freeze Moscow ther tightening of the screws on out of global finance.

Ukraine, already facing increased “The fact is that all the signs shelling from Russian-backed are that the plan has already in separatist rebels and a force of some senses begun,” he said in what Western capitals says is a BBC interview broadcast Sunmore than 150,000 Russian per- day from the Munich Security sonnel on its borders.

Conference, after two Ukrainian It will also be seen as a rebuff soldiers were killed in attacks to efforts by leaders like Macron around rebel-held enclaves. AFP

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Passenger found alive on ablaze Greek ferry

16. Unfortunately, despite the defendants’ promises, the latter did not do so, and worse from then on, the latter abandoned the project site, leaving the said project unfinished, disarrayed and muddled.

Copy of the pictures depicting the present state of abandonment of the project is hereto attached and marked as Annex “K”.

ATTY. SERENE A. GO Castillo & Associates Counsel for the plaintiff castilloandassociates@gmail.com

17. Totally frustrated, annoyed and exasperated with the unjustified refusal, if not illegal act, of defendants to perform a validly just obligation dictated by contract, and after being paid in the amount of Three Hundred Forty Thousand Pesos (Php345,000.00), a demand letter re: Notice of termination of contract due to breach dated 08 January 2019 was sent to defendant, copy of which sent via registered mail is herein attached and marked as Annex “L”.

CARREON BUSINESS VENTURES, INC., Plaintiff TECHNOSERVE CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY NOEL C. PETILLA Defendants 1

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, petitioner, versus, Marita A, Angara, Beatriz La Victoria, respondents, G .R. No. 142937, 15 November 2005

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION Branch 100, Quezon City

18. Upon Certification dated 20 February 2019 issued by the Malolos City Post Office, said letter was returned to sender (RTS) on 22 January 2019 for reason of “Addressee cannot be located”, copy of which is herein attached and marked as Annex “M”.

19. Defendants’ act of abandonment of a duly contracted work for which they were paid, and have misappropriated, in the amount of Php345,000.00, is an act of utter act of bad faith, if not criminally actionable wrong, and for quite another, the former must be made held accountable for actual and exemplary damages that plaintiff suffered and continue to suffer by reason of the said wanton disregard by defendants of common decency and fair play.

20. As it stands, the actions by defendants in abandoning a duly contracted work for which they were paid, in utter act of bad faith and willful breach of contract brought extreme financial burden to plaintiff.

CARREON BUSINESS VENTURES, INC., Plaintiff, -versus-

R-QZN-20-02768-CV For: Breach of Contract wI Damages SUMMONS

TECHNO SERVE CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY and NOEL C. PETILLA, Defendants. x-------------------------------------------------------x TO: Technoserve Construction and Supply - Lot 4 Block 7 Maunlad Homes, Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan Noel C. Petilla - Lot 4 Block 7, Maunlad Homes, Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan

21. Due to the delay in the completion of the Project and the concomitant delay in the planned grand opening of Pretzel Factory Cafe on December 2018 for business, and if only to cut down on its losses in the continuous payment of rental fees plaintiff was constrained to pre-terminate its Contract of Lease with ETON, which resulted to losses, among others, of the payment of rental fees of Php172,794.13 for the period from October 2018 to December 2018 and for Work Permit amounting to Php21,980.00, copy of the Official Receipts issued by ETON, Vouchers for Work Permits and Disbursement Schedule are herein attached and marked as Annexes “N to N-2”, “O to O-4” and “P” respectively.

22. On account of defendants’ malevolence, plaintiff was constrained to engage the services of counsel in the agreed retainer of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php100,000.00) and Five Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00) per hearing, for which the former should be held accountable, in addition thereof, defendants must be ordered to return the amount of the downpayment paid amounting to Three Hundred Forty Five Thousand Pesos (Php345,000.00) and pay the losses incurred by plaintiff.

GREETINGS : You are hereby required, within thirty (30) days after service of this Summons upon you, to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiffs your answer to the Complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes. You are hereby reminded that pursuant to Section 12 (a), Rule 15 of the 2019 Proposed Amendment to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, Motion to Dismiss is considered a prohibited motion, except on those grounds enumerated in paragraphs 1 to 3 thereof. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the Complaint.

23. If only to deter others from committing the same acts in the future, the defendant should be assessed the amount of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php100.000.00) as and by way of exemplary damages.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed that this Honorable Court be pleased to render judgment, after due proceedings, in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants, in the manner following:

WITNESS, my hand under the seal of the Court this 8th day of July 2020.

(Sgd.) MA. ISABEL A. OLIVEROS Interpreter III-OlC

Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Quezon City, Branch 100 CARREON BUSINESS VENTURES INC., Plaintiff, -versus-

R

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

a. Directing the defendants to return, jointly and severally, the full amount of the downpayment paid to them amounting to Three Hundred Forty Five Thousand Pesos (Php345,000.00), plus interest reckoned from date of their receipt; b. Ordering defendants to pay, jointly and severally, the plaintiff for the losses it incurred in the amount of (Php172,000.00) as rental fees from October 2018 to December 2018 and of Php21,980.00 as work permit fees. c. Ordering defendants to pay the plaintiff the amount of Php100,000.00 as and by way of exemplary damages; d. Ordering defendants to pay the plaintiff the amount of Php100,000.00 and Php5,000.00 per hearing, as and by way Attorney’s fees, costs and expenses of litigation.

Other measures of relief just and equitable under the circumstances are likewise, herein prayed for.

Civil Case No. R-QZN-20-02768-CV For: Breach of Contract with Damages

Pasig City for Quezon City, 27 February 2020.

TECHNOSERVE CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY and NOEL C. PETILLA, Defendants. x--------------------------------------------------x

CASTILLO & ASSOCIATES Counsel for the Plaintiff Carreon Business Ventures, Inc. Unit D, Auvir Bldg., Blumentritt St., Kapasigan, Pasig City 1600 (02) 8628-2218; 0917-8913738

COMPLAINT PLAINTIFF, by counsel, most respectfully avers, that:

By

1. Plaintiff CARREON BUSINESS VENTURES, INC., (hereinafter referred to as “CARREON”) is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of Philippine laws with business address at No. 19 Roosevelt St., Barangay Sta. Cruz, Quezon City, as per Certificate of Incorporation, where it may be served with summons and other processes of the Honorable Court.

1.1. Plaintiff Carreon is represented in this Complaint by its General Counsel, Ms. Jenna Mary Leen Renong, as per Secretary Certificate.

Copy of the Certificate of Incorporation and Secretary Certificate are herein attached and marked as Annexes “A” and “B” respectively.

(Sgd.) SERENE A. GO PTR No. 5242464; 14 Jan 2020; Pasig City IBP Manila II; Lifetime Member No. 06005 Roll of Attorney’s No. 51479 MCLE Compliance No. VI-0024287; 08 Apr 2019

VERIFICATION / CERTIFICATION OF NON FORUM SHOPPING I, JENNA MARY LEEN L. RENONG, of legal age, Filipino, single, under oath, hereby depose and say that:

2. Defendant TECHNOSERVE CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY (hereinafter referred to as “TECHNOSERVE”) is a business entity duly organized and existing under and by virtue of Philippine laws with office address at Lot 4, Block 7 Maunlad Homes, Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan, where it may served with summons and other processes of the Honorable Court.

1. I am duly authorized representative of plaintiff CARREON BUSINESS VENTURES, INC., in this case who caused the preparation of the foregoing Complaint;

3. Defendant NOEL C. PETILLA (hereinafter referred to as “PETILLA”) is Filipino, of legal age, with office address at Lot 4, Block 7 Maunlad Homes, Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan, where he may be served with notices and other processes of the Honorable Court.

3. I hereby certify that I have not commenced any other action or proceeding involving the same issue before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any other tribunal or agency and that to the best of my knowledge, no such action or proceeding is pending before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or different division thereof or any other tribunal or agency; and if I should thereafter learn that a similar action or proceeding has been filed or is pending before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any other tribunal or agency, I undertake to report that fact within five (5) days therefrom to the court or agency wherein the original pleading and sworn certification contemplated herein have been filed.

ALLEGATIONS COMMON TO ALL CAUSES OF ACTION 4. On or about 18 June 2018, plaintiff Carreon formally entered into an agreement denominated as “Contract of Lease” with Eton Properties Philippines, Inc., (hereinafter referred to as “ETON”) for the lease of a commercial unit with Space No. C2-12 in Centris Walk Expansion located at Eton Centris, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City for a total of 56.45 square meters (Main Area – 47.81 sq.m. and Alfresco 8.64 sq.m.) for its restaurant/café business to be known as “Pretzel Factory Café”, copy of which is herein attached and marked as Annex “C”.

5. As agreed upon, the hand-over date of the leased premises is on 29 January 2018 wherein the plaintiff shall be given a rent-free construction/fit-out period of seventy (70) days up until 08 April 2018.

Rental fees shall only commence to be charged from 08 April 2018 up until the end of the lease period on 30 April 2021.

6. In order to take advantage of this limited rent-free 70-day construction/fit-out period granted unto it by Eton from 29 January 2018 to 08 April 2018, plaintiff Carreon lost no time in looking for a licensed general contractor who can render competent and professional services to assist plaintiff in doing the fit out construction of Pretzel Factory Café.

7. Unfortunately, despite the lapse of the date of completion on 8 May 2018 and despite an

2. I have read and understood all the allegations therein and all are true and correct based on my personal knowledge and on the authentic records in my possession;; and

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of March 2020 at Pasig City.

(Sgd.) JENNA MARY LEEN L. REMONG SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 2 day of March 2020 at Pasig City by the affiant who is personally known to me, exhibiting her IBP I.D. with Roll of Attorney’s no.60846. nd

Doc. No. 6; Page No. 3; Book No. II; Series of 2020.

ATTY. RICARDO A. CASTILLO NOTARY PUBLIC Until December 31, 2020 PTR No. 6247701/01-02-2020 Roll of Attorney’s No. 41226 IBP Rizal No. 099899/12-26-19 Appointment No. 62 (2019-2020) Unit D-Auvir Bldg., Blumentritt St., Kapasigan, Pasig City Tel. No. 628-2218 MCLE Compliance No. VI-0018234/04-04-2022

(MStandard - Feb. 21, 2022)

STILL BURNING. Firefighting vessels work to extinguish a fire onboard the Italian-flagged ferry Euroferry Olympia off the Greek Ionian island of Corfu. AFP A PASSENGER was on Sunday found alive on a ferry that has been ablaze off Greece for three days, coastguards said, with 11 truck drivers still missing.

Rescuers spotted the man on the stern of the stricken vessel as it was being towed to port.

“Tell me I’m alive,” the 21-yearold truck driver who said he was from Belarus, told rescuers, according to the Proto Thema news website.

Clad in tan shorts and a black tshirt, he climbed down a ladder into a rescue boat, according to images from the iefimerida news website.

The fire broke out on the Italianflagged Euroferry Olympia late on Thursday as it sailed from Igoumenitsa in Greece to Brindisi in Italy, with nearly 300 people aboard.

Following the blaze, criticism had mounted over conditions aboard the vessel, which was reported to be carrying fuel and “corrosive dangerous goods.”

Rescuers managed to save 280

passengers on Friday, evacuating them to Corfu, but 12 lorry drivers remained missing.

The man rescued on Sunday was one of those drivers, the coastguards said.

Authorities initially gave the missing as seven from Bulgaria, three from Greece, one from Turkey and one from Lithuania.

On Sunday, they said there was an error and the missing Lithuanian was actually the man saved, who was from Belarus.

The drivers are believed to have been asleep inside their lorries when the blaze broke out.

On Sunday the vessel was being towed toward the Kassiopi inlet near Corfu.

Olympia was carrying an estimated 800 cubic meters of fuel and 23 tons of “corrosive dangerous goods,” according to Italy’s environment ministry which said on Saturday that a “possible spill” was detected after a fly-over by an Italian coastguard aircraft. AFP

UAE warns of rising drone threat

THE United Arab Emirates warned Sunday of the rising threat of drone attacks, such as those launched against it by Yemen’s Huthi rebels, at a defense industry conference on unmanned systems.

“We have to unite to prevent the use of drones from threatening civilian safety and destroying economic institutions,” said Mohammed bin Ahmad al-Bawardi, UAE’s minister of state for defense affairs.

The Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) kicked off in Abu Dhabi, with regional and Western military and industry representatives, including from the United States, Britain and France.

While the event will showcase the latest in high-tech drone technology, the host country warned that such weapons are becoming cheaper and more widespread.

They are now part of the arsenals of “terrorist groups that use the systems to terrorize civilians or to impact the global system in a negative way,” said the UAE’s minister of state for artificial intelligence, Omar bin Sultan al-Olama.

“That is a challenge that requires us to... work together to ensure that we can create a shield against the use of these systems.”

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition that has been fighting in Yemen since 2015 to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

While the Emirates announced it withdrew its troops from the country in 2019, it remains an influential player, backing fighters there.

The UAE has been on heightened alert since a Huthi drone and missile attack killed three oil workers in Abu Dhabi on January 17. AFP

News

MONDAY, FEBUARY 21, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Lacson-Sotto: Responsible mining will protect IPs

Pacman: Allow OTC drugs sale in small stores

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PROMDI presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao rejected Sunday proposals to ban small community stores, also known as sari-sari stores, from selling over-thecounter drugs since not everyone had access to the medicines they need.

Responding to the call of the Department of Interior Local Government for local government units to restrict sari-sari stores from selling over-the-counter medicines without any permit, Pacquiao said this was anti-poor and very impractical for rural folks.

He said this was also an added burden for small store owners who still had to pay to secure permits.

“Sari-sari stores are the most accessible source of medicines needed for ordinary ailments like flu, influenza, diarrhea or stomach ache, and body pains,” he said.

Over-the-counter medicines which are also known as nonprescription medicines are medicines that you can buy without a prescription. They are safe and effective for ordinary ailments.

“Let us consider that not all are near drug stores. In other places, a drugstore is maybe 10 kilometers away, and not open 24 hours,” he said.

He added that not all had vehicles to go to town to buy medicines, especially during nighttime.

The former boxer-turned-legislator said regulation and an effective crackdown against smuggling should solve concerns about the allegedproliferation of fake medicines.

As a minimum requirement, Pacquiao said sari-sari stores could be required to submit a list of drugs they were selling to their barangays to allow proper monitoring.

Pacquiao said that the government should crack down against the smuggling of counterfeit medicines and government officials who are protecting these smugglers must be immediately arrested.

El Shaddai decision gives Isko new hope

By Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said he is hopeful of getting the support of El Shaddai members after the charismatic group’s leader, Bro. Mike Velarde, said there will be no block voting in the May 9 elections.

Domagoso, who attended an El Shaddai meeting over the weekend, said he is thankful that Velarde said members will have to make their own personal choices in electing their future leaders.

“Brother Mike said earlier that ‘the choice is yours,’ and because of that, Brother Mike, you gave me hope,” the 47-year-old presidential candidate said.

“If I am lucky, I will make you feel human equality. Whether from Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon or abroad, every Filipino is equal in government services, programs and policies,” he added as he thanked El Shaddai members residing in Manila for bringing him to victory in the 2019 midterm elections.

Velarde, founder and leader of the 6-million strong Catholic charismatic movement El Shaddai, on Saturday clarified its members are free to choose their own candidates, including their preferred presidential bet.

Velarde told his flock they are free to vote according to the dictates of their conscience after thoroughly examining each candidate’s track record and platform of governance and praying over their decision.

“The choice is yours,” Velarde said, adding that moving forward the charismatic members should expect more candidates to grace their prayer meeting so they will be able to hear their platforms.

“Don’t be surprised that every Saturday, we have guest candidates. We welcome them all to attend our work. I am presenting them to you, examine their hearts,” Velarde said.

A7

ROUSING WALK. Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong joins presidential aspirant Panfilo Lacson and his running mate, Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, in a ‘walk, greet and meet” activity along the city’s pedestrian walkways and promenade park. ‘A Lacson-Sotto choice is the intelligent choice if we desire to make the government serve, rather than be served,’ Magalong said.

Sara whips up Solid North as defining vote for May 9

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey Requejo

L

AKAS Christian Muslim Democrats vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio whipped up the so-called Solid North during her campaign in Northern Luzon and proved critics wrong that it was already shattered and moribund.

“Barnstorming the country’s northern provinces – Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan – for several days, the Davao city mayor disproved notions that the politically-defining vote was already an afterthought and instead further solidified it, this time behind the UniTeam,”said House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD president Martin Romualdez.

The tandem of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and DuterteCarpio secured the support and endorsements of political leaders from governors down to municipal officials, various

groups and grassroots organizations.

Duterte-Carpio launched her northbound sortie by making whistle stops in the heart of Nueva Ecija as her convoy moved around Cabanatuan.

In between meeting voters where she observed COVID-19 protocols, Duterte inaugurated the separate offices in the province of her support groups Kay Inday Sara Lilipad ang Pilipinas (KISLAP) and Marcos Sara Duterte Alliance (MASADA).

Up in the north, Duterte secured the support of Nueva Vizcayanos led by partymate and Nueva Vizcaya lone district Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresman, who, along with

the province’s key leaders, welcomed her at the town hall of capital Bayombong.

Campaigning in the heart of Cagayan Valley, Duterte-Carpio, who is also the chairperson of the Lakas-CMD, got the solid and overwhelming support of Cagayanos and the residents of Isabela led by their leaders.

“I can say that even before the campaign began, we in Isabela were already all-in for BBM-Sara UniTeam,” said Isabela Gov. Rodolfo Albano III, whose province has a million voters.

In Cagayan, Governor Manuel Mamba moved to consolidate the Solid North by assuring Duterte-Carpio the votes of Cagayanos.

Duterte is married to a Carpio from the town of Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Duterte-Carpio also campaigned in Ilocos Sur where the province’s political kingpin and Narvacan City Mayor Luis Singson vowed to deliver more than 90 percent of the province’s total votes to the UniTeam tandem.

BenCab leads over 100 artists in supporting Leni THE works of over 100 visual artists, including one by National Artist Ben Cab, are part of a virtual group exhibition to support the candidacy of presidential aspirant Leni Robredo.

The show, “Mas Radikal ang Magmahal,” online at www.radikal.ph, is a “strong collective statement of support from the creative community,” said organizer Gigo Alampay.

Participating in the show are artists who work with different materials and who are at different points in their careers, from the up and coming to the established.

“Hers is a brand of leadership that stands in stark contrast to what we have now. It is one defined by example, competence and incorruptibility,” said Alampay.

“It is the only one today that is genuinely worthy of our children, our country, and our future,” he added.

BenCab’s depiction of the Philippine flag, titled “Fragile and Strong”, made in 2014, is featured in the show.

Writer Butch Dalisay’s brief essay on what it means to be “radical” accompanies the artworks.

Robredo has been receiving endorsements from various groups, including more than 600 Catholic bishops, priests, deacons, and nuns; 137 economists, including several ex-NEDA chiefs; over 200 former officers and staff of various United Nations agencies; and women indigenous people leaders.

“All things considered, among the candidates who have laid out their political platforms and applied for the highest and the second highest posts of the land, we adjudge that it is Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ G. Robredo and Sen. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan who best fit the job to be the next president and vice president

‘Add domestic shipping in fuel subsidy program’

By Maricel V. Cruz

FOR A STRONG WOMAN.

BenCab’s depiction of the Philippine flag, titled ‘Fragile and Strong,’ is featured in an online show ‘Mas Radikal ang Magmahal’ in support of the presidential bid of Leni Robredo.

of the Philippines,” said the Pari Madre Misyonero Para Kay Leni in a statement posted on their Facebook page with 602 signatories as of February 19.

“We believe that VP Leni Robredo is our best hope to turn the tide and bring

A SPECIAL program and funding should be created and set aside for indigenous peoples (IPs) “who suffer the brunt of irresponsible mining,” Partido Reporma presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said in Baguio City that grew from a mining settlement in the mineral-rich Cordillera mountains.

Lacson also underscored his support for responsible and sustainable mining, which could help boost the country economically as it continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that irresponsible mining was another offshoot of the corruption that he aims to eradicate from government.

In the hybrid dialogue and press conference with members of Rotary Club International District 3790 Cluster 1C and the media, the longtime public servant and his running mate, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, were asked about their stand on mining, which Baguio and Benguet province are known for, and their take on the seemingly slow development of the industry.

Lacson noted the ban on mining had recently been lifted by the Duterte administration in a bid to raise more revenues and help the country recover from the pandemic and stressed that responsible and sustainable miners should be supported.

Meanwhile, the three-term senator said indigenous peoples such as the native tribes of the Cordilleras were suffering from irresponsible mining, since corruption gave illegal miners an escape at the cost of residents near areas replete with gold, silver, copper, and otherprecious-metal deposits.

“The problem is mining is irresponsible. Again, we go back [to the root]. Why? Corruption again, right? The program for IPs, because they are the ones there [near mine areas], they are the ones who suffer when irresponsible mining firms leave their [operations], leave the environment [in ruin], the IPs are those who suffer in the long term,” Lacson said.

back the people’s trust in government in order to restore and sustain vigor to people’s lives and livelihoods at the soonest possible time,” according to the economists who endorsed Robredo.

A PARTY-LIST group that advocates for the welfare of seamen on Sunday urged the government to include the domestic shipping sector on the list of fuel subsidy recipients, just like those engaged in public land transportation operations.

In a statement, the MARINO party-list group hailed the national government’s efforts to alleviate the plight of land transport operators ensuing from the successive fuel price hikes but assailed its “silence on the plight of the domestic maritime transport industry, particularly the banca operators and small-scale fishermen.”

“Apart from them being among the primary consumers of fuel for their livelihood, they are also affected by the steep increase in the cost of goods in the market—a negative effect of the rising price of fuel,” the group said in a statement.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the group said “has brought distress to all sectors of the country, but we see less emphasis on meeting the needs of the domestic shipping operators, including banca operators and fishermen, in these difficult times.”

“As such, we call on the national government, as well as our colleagues in the House of Representatives and the Senate, to include our domestic shipping operators and fisherfolk in the Fuel Subsidy Program of the government that is scheduled for release this year.”

“This will be a big help to the banca operators who find it difficult to eke out a living. The high cost of fuel is felt not only in the streets but also on the high seas,” the group said.

Pregnant women, kids not spared by HIV—Defensor

SOLID NORTH SUPPORT. UniTeam members received a warm welcome during their caravan in Ilocos Sur. (From left) Uniteam senatorial bets Robin Padilla and Harry Roque, vice presidential bet Sara Duterte-Carpio, LMP president Chabot Singson, presidential bet Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Singson, and senatorial bets Larry Gadon, Dante Marcoleta, and Gibo Teodoro.

THE country’s raging human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has not spared pregnant women and children, Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor said on Sunday.

Citing figures from the National HIV/ AIDS Registry, Defensor said the growing number of Filipinos living with HIV now includes 610 women who were found infected while they were pregnant and 236 children under 10 years old.

“The 236 children were infected via mother-to-child transmission,” said Defensor, vice chairperson of the House committee on welfare of children.

“In addition to the 236 children under 10 years old, nine other adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old were also infected via

mother-to-child transmission,” he added.

Of the 610 pregnant women diagnosed HIV-positive, Defensor said 52 percent or 310 cases were aged 15-24 years old while 41 percent or 248 cases were 25-34 years old.

A mother living with HIV has a 15 to 45 percent chance of transmitting the infection to her child during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding, in the absence of intervention, such as maternal treatment, according to the World Health Organization.

Mother-to-child transmission is one of the ways by which HIV may be spread.

The other ways are through sexual contact, the sharing of infected needles among illegal drug users, and to a lesser

extent, the transfer of contaminated blood products, and needlestick injury.

Defensor previously warned that due to disruptions in health services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines could see a fresh surge in HIV infections, with the country’s cumulative HIV caseload expected to top the 100,000-mark by mid-year.

In Quezon City where he is running for mayor, Defensor on Sunday vowed to improve public access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services.

“We will increase the number of HIV treatment hubs in Quezon City.

Right now, we only have six facilities providing HIV outpatient and inpatient care services,” Defensor said.

A8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

By Patricia Taculao

A

S THE saying goes, “health is wealth.”

Many people are slowly beginning to realize the truth behind this simple statement, especially when their health remains at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the public turned to healthcare centers to improve their health or find solutions to known illnesses.

SM Foundation partners with UNIQLO to boost health clinics

Yet, as beneficial as healthcare centers may be to communities all over the Philippines, not all of them have access to quality health service that promotes holistic wellness. This is the reason why SM Foundation (SMFI) launched its Health and Wellness Program back in 2001. Through this social good initiative, SMFI upgrades health centers in grassroot communities.

They also complement this program with medical caravans which in turn provides quality healthcare to everyone, especially for the marginalized sector. Through the years, SMFI was able to renovate more than 170 health and wellness centers and served more than 1.1 million patients during its medical missions.

Newly improved laboratory in Montalban Infirmary Hospital

Mobile Play Cabinet and Lounge in the newly improved Barangka City Health Center in Marikina

And now, through SMFI’s #CollabforSocialGood program, the organization recently partnered with UNIQLO and parent company Fast Retailing Co., Ltd to help build and improve seven health clinics across the country. UNIQLO believes in turning the power of clothing into a force of good in every step of development. From design and production, made with people of diverse backgrounds, working with energy and enthusiasm. This philosophy enables UNIQLO to extend the same spirit to customers and all stakeholders by working with them to aspire to a better society where we all thrive.

“It has been UNIQLO’s mission to develop ways to make the society better,” said Nakamura Masayoshi, UNIQLO Philippines Chief Operating Officer. “UNIQLO is grateful and honored to play a role in improving the health infrastructure in the country. Through our partnership efforts with SM, we hope to uplift the lives of Filipinos and ensure that everyone has access to primary medical care.”

“As a responsible corporate citizen, it is our duty to empower grassroots communities— giving them the opportunity to take hold of their own destiny, allowing them to move towards progress. And this includes empowering them to have healthy and productive lives,” said SM Foundation’s Executive Director for Health and wellness programs Connie Angeles.

Barangka City Health Center

Barangay Ugac Sur Health Center in Tuguegarao

Five of the seven health centers have already been turned over to their respective communities, namely: Montalban Infirmary Hospital last October 14, 2021; Barangka City Health Center last January 13, 2022; Brgy. Ugac Sur Health Center and Brgy. Bagay Health Center in Tuguegarao and District 2 Health Center in Cauayan, Isabela last January 20, 2022.

The two other health centers, Brgy. San Roque Health Station in Camarines Sur and Brgy. Bolo Health Center in Legazpi City, are set to be turned over early this year.

Angeles said that closing the health gap in grassroot communities is a vital concern, especially in building a genuinely free, fair, and equitable Philippines. The SM Foundation, along with partners like UNIQLO Philippines, hopes to provide communities access to medical care services, whenever and wherever they need it. Their main focus is on the improvement of government health facilities and hospitals to provide Filipinos from all over the country with quality and sufficient health services.

Some of the improvements made in these centers include the patients’ waiting lounges, reception areas, outpatient departments, wards for both sexes, pharmacies, emergency rooms, treatment areas, birthing facilities, laboratories, and mobile play cabinets for children. These developments are all also stocked with the necessary medical equipment to provide each community with the necessary healthcare service needed.

Supporting local frontliners Health infrastructures aren’t the only things that helped in preserving Filipino health. Since the pandemic started, our medical frontliners gave their all to make sure that those of us who are sick are given the proper medical attention, while those who are healthy remain to be so.

Their bravery is also recognized by the SM Foundation and its partners. So when it came to establishing the health centers, the frontlin-

ers were among the people they dedicated it to.

According to Angeles, the medical frontliners must be supported by a strong medical infrastructure that secures the welfare of the patients and the communities that they serve.

“We hope that through this project with UNIQLO Philippines, we are able to provide our medical frontliners with a fully equipped medical infrastructure that will empower them to spread social good through health and wellness,” she said.

Due to the organization’s dedication to the Filipinos, SM Foundation, together with its partners like UNIQLO Philippines, embody the known Filipino value of bayanihan. They believe that working as a single entity yields lesser benefits than working as a team. Forming relevant partnerships through their multi-sector approach aided them immensely in realizing their corporate social responsibility programs. These partnerships resulted in bringing businesses, people, and organizations together who share the same goals that benefit communities in the Philippines.

Fulfilling their CSR Established in 1983 by Henry Sy Sr. and Felicidad T. Sy, the SM Foundation has a mission based on its founding principle of people helping people. They are committed to supporting and empowering their host communities through education, healthcare, disaster response, farmer’s training, environment programs, and promoting inclusivity by caring for people with special needs.

Over the years, the organization has partnered with different companies and communities to fulfill its vision of creating opportunities for self-improvement and a sustainable environment for future generations.

It’s no secret that the Philippines still has a long way to go before it becomes a progressive and inclusive country.

But with organizations like the SM Foundation and their partners like UNIQLO Philippines, achieving that goal is slowly turning into a reality.

LandBank grants P247-b worth of agriculture loans

By Othel V. Campos STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines said over the weekend it facilitated P247.85-billion worth of loans to the agriculture sector in 2021, up 4.3 percent from the P237.62 billion released in 2020.

LandBank said it released P38.83 billion of the total to small farmers and fishers, including those channeled through cooperatives and farmers’ associations, rural financial institutions and other conduits.

About P155.66 billion supported small, medium and large agribusiness enterprises, while the remaining P53.36 billion aided agri-aqua related projects of local government units and governmentowned and controlled corporations.

The bank said in terms of economic activities, P60.4 billion financed crops, livestock and fisheries, while P88.25 billion were channeled for agri-processing and trading.

The remaining P99.19 billion supported the construction and improvement of essential infrastructure such as public markets, farm-to-market roads, warehouses, cold storages, irrigation systems and slaughterhouses.

LandBank said it assisted more than 3.2 million farmers and fishers nationwide through loans, subsidies and training programs, or 7 percent more than its threeyear commitment to assist 3 million agriculture stakeholders by end-2021.

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

B1

Pandemic eradicates 8 years of air passenger traffic growth, says CAB

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

he COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the air passenger traffic growth in the Philippines in the last eight years, according to the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Data from CAB showed that domestic passenger traffic reached 5.53 million in 2021, or 1.35 percent lower than 6.89 million in 2020.

It said the domestic passenger traffic in the last eight years grew at an average of 6 percent annually. In 2019, the domestic passenger traffic reached 29.53 million, higher than 27.28 million domestic passengers in 2018.

Cebu Pacific carried the most number

of domestic passengers last year with 2.68 million, down from 3.14 million domestic passengers in 2020.

This was followed by PAL Express with 1.35 million domestic passengers, compared to 1.44 million passengers in 2020.

AirAsia Philippines ranked third with 713,409 domestic passengers, followed by Philippine Airlines with 494,759 passengers and Cebgo with 257,378 passengers.

International passenger traffic also fell

sharply from 6.24 million in 2020 to 2.19 million passengers in 2021.

Prior to global pandemic, international passenger traffic reached 30.52 million in 2019, up from 26.85 million in 2018.

Domestic carriers carried 925,007 international passengers, while foreign carriers flew 1.26 million passengers last year.

Philippine Airlines served 786,001 international passenger, lower than 1.75 million passengers in 2020.

This was followed by Cebu Pacific with 115,909 international passengers, down from 906,665 passengers a year ago, and Air Asia Philippines with 11,843 international passengers, also down from 381,018 passengers in 2020.

Willie Walsh,, director general of the International Air Transport Association,

said the momentum toward normalizing traffic is growing as air travel restrictions are lifted around the world, including in Australia, France, the Philippines, the UK, Switzerland and Sweden.

“Vaccinated travelers have the potential to travel much more extensively with fewer hassles than even a few weeks ago. This is giving growing numbers of travelers the confidence to buy tickets. And that is good news. Now we need to further accelerate the removal of travel restrictions,” he said.

“While recent progress is impressive, the world remains far from 2019 levels of connectivity. Thirteen of the top 50 travel markets still do not provide easy access to all vaccinated travelers. That includes major economies like China, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and Italy,” Walsh said.

Business

B2 || MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Russia-Ukraine tensions grip market

By JENNIFFER B. AUSTRIA

S

hare prices at the Philippine Stock Exchange will likely move sideways this week as investors keep a close eye on the growing tensions between Russian and Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden said over the weekend he believes Russian president Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.

A more aggressive US Federal Reserve rate hikes could also influence

market trading this week. The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday maintained the benchmark interest rate at a record low of 2 percent on manageable inflation outlook.

BSP Governor and MB chairman Benjamin Diokno, however, said the increased volatility in international oil prices requires close monitoring and appropriate interventions when necessary to arrest potential second-round effects.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week jumped 2 percent to 7,418.79 as local investors bought property and consumer stocks on a manageable inflation outlook and personal spending. The broader All Shares Index rose 1.3 percent to 3,923.69.

Except for the industrial index which slipped 0.6 percent, all other sub-indices ended in the green led by mining and oil which surged 5.1 percent; property, which gained 3.1 percent; holding firms which climbed 3 percent; services which rose 2 percent; and financials which advanced 1 percent.

Foreign investors were net sellers for the week by P1.42 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P9.2 billion, down from the previous week’s average of P11.58 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Bllomberry Resorts Corp., which surged 18.9 percent to P6.94; JG Summit Holdings Corp., which rose 8.8 percent to P62.15; and Robinsons Land Corp., which advanced 8.2 percent to P19.50.

Weekly top price losers were Monde Nissin Corp., which fell 11.5 percent to P16.06; Emperador Inc., which dropped 10.2 percent to P20.20; and Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc., which slipped 3.9 percent to P27.890.

Meanwhile, global stock markets retreated on Friday at the end of a highly volatile week rocked by twists and turns in the Ukraine crisis and concerns about coming interest rate hikes.

Wall Street had already seen a steep drop on Thursday on renewed fears that Russia would soon invade Ukraine, as well as long-running angst about the Federal Reserve’s plans to hike interest rates. With AFP

Group censures public lobby vs. vaping for return of smoking in US

PAGCOR DONATION. Executives of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. join local officials of Victoria, Tarlac during the groundbreaking ceremony of the two-story Multi-purpose Evacuation Center in the municipality on Feb. 18, 2022. Attending Manila the ceremony are (from left) PAGCOR acting assistant vice president of community relations and services department Eric Balcos, andard assistant vice president for corporate communications department Carmelita Valdez, vice president for corporate social responsibility TODAY group Ramon Stephen Villaflor, director James Patrick Bondoc, Victoria Mayor Christian Tell Yap, vice mayor Rex Villa Agustin and Barangay Balayang chairman Marshall Guzman.

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT of ESTATE with ABSOLUTE of SALE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MAIDA S. MONTEIRO has been adjudicated unto her sole heir WITH ABSOLUTE SALE consisting of:

DOTr urged to resolve public transport woes

FORMER Senator Nikki Coseteng has asked the Department of Transportation to resolve the public transportation problem.

• TCT No. 0602010004552 – Brgy.

Addressing the Pandesal Forum of the KaSto. Domingo Bay, Laguna. muning Bakery Café in Quezon City last week, • As per Doc. No. 218; Page Coseteng, who once chaired the Senate commitNo. 44; Book No. CXXX; tee on public services that included transportation, Series of 2022 before Notary Public ATTY. JULIE alleged that Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade O. CUA. and other officials were oblivious of the reperREPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES cussions of the erratic REGIONAL TRIAL COURT transport policies that NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT adversely affected the & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF riding public.

MANDALUYONG CITY She challenged Tugade BANK OF COMMERCE, to a P2-million bet to take Mortgagee, daily public transport in -versusFRE-MC22-1353 30 days to determine the EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE magnitude and seriousUNDER ACT 3135 AS AMENDED BY ness of the public trans4118 port woes.

MA. CYRELLE JED S. REGLOS Coseteng said legitiRepresented by her Attorney-In-Fact, CELSO L. REGLOS, mate buses that ply their Debtor/s/Mortgagor/s. provincial routes are now x----------------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE down to 10 percent of Upon Extra-Judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended their fleet, creating a deby Act 4118 filed by BANK OF COMMERCE, Mortgagee, MA. mand for illegal vehicles, CYRELLE JED S. REGLOS, represented by her Attorney-In-Fact, CELSO L. REGLOS, Debtor/s/Mortgagor/s with postal address which have no contribuat (1) Acqua Private Residences, Iguazu Tower, Unit IGZ 2701, tion to the government 27 Floor, Brgy. Hulo, Mandaluyong City (2) B10 L23 Saint Mary St., Addas II-A Molino, Bacoor, Cavite, to satisfy the mortgaged because they operate as indebtedness which as of December 15, 2021 amounts to part of the underground FIVE MILLION SIX HUNDRED SIXTY NINE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY PESOS & 39/100 (Php 5,669,150.39) ONLY economy.

Philippine Currency, inclusive of interest, penalty and other Transport planner charges, the Ex-Officio Sheriff of Mandaluyong City or his duly authorized deputy will sell at PUBLIC AUCTION to the HIGHEST Robert Siy and activist BIDDER FOR CASH OR MANAGERS CHECK and in Philippine Dom Hernandez joined Currency on March 10, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter in th

front of the main entrance of the Hall of Justice Building, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City, the following Condominium unit with all the improvements existing thereon to wit: CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. -008-2020004524Registry of Deeds – City of Mandaluyong FLOOR LEVEL UNIT NO. UNIT TYPE UNIT AREA

: 27TH FLOOR : IGZ2701 : 1BR : 42.12

OF “ACQUA PRIVATE RESIDENCES” CONDOMINIUM PROJECT In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE 2011001018 which embraces and describes the land located at MANDALUYONG CITY with an area of ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED THIRTYFIVE (1,635) Square Meter more or less xxxxx.

“All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date.”

“In the event the public auction should not take place on said date, it shall be held on March 17, 2022 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter without further notice,” Prospective bidders or buyer are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the said real property and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Mandaluyong City, Philippines, February 9, 2022.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF BY:

Copy furnished:

(Sgd.) RAMON D. PATERNO Sheriff IV

BANK OF COMMERCE Atty. Giovanni V. Gallego GALLEGO & VILLAMOR LAW OFFICES Suite 15, 2nd Floor, Facilities Centre Bldg., 548 Shaw Blvd., Highway Hills Mandaluyong 1552 MA. CYRELLE JED S. REGLOS, Represented by her Attorney-In-Fact, CELSO L. REGLOS (1) Acqua Private Residences, Iguazu Tower, Unit IGZ2701, 27th Floor, Brgy. Hulo, Mandaluyong City (2) B10 L23 Saint Mary St., Addas II-A Molino, Bacoor, Cavite WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriffs Sale on or before the date of Auction Sale under penalty of the law.

(MStandard - Feb. 14, 21 & 28, 2022)

Coseteng in the same forum in assailing the proliferation of an undetermined number of illegal vehicles called “colorums,” and called for public buses to ply EDSA and the routes between Metro Manila and the provinces.

By drastically reducing the number of legitimate buses that ply Metro Manila and the provinces and allowing illegal vehicles to take over the buses’ routes and charge exorbitant fares, the riding public has been suffering, Coseteng said.

Coseteng alleged that law enforcers were arresting legitimate provincial buses along Mindanao Ave. and imposing an “unjust fine of P1 million per bus.” These buses are doing a legitimate business to serve the public and yet they are made to suffer due to the policy to compel buses to use remote central bus terminals with no facilities for passengers and drivers, she said.

Meanwhile, Hernandez, the first nominee of Pasada Party List, said provincial buses should be allowed to drive through EDSA again to ease the transportation problems.

He found an ally in Siy, who stressed the need to use higher-capacity vehicles and public transport in all major roads in preparation for the full economic reopening. Siy is also a part of the Move As One Coalition, a group of “Filipino organizations and individuals advocating for a safer, more humane, and more inclusive public transportation system in the Philippines.”

Siy asked the government to come out with policies that will encourage the public to take public transport, citing that buying and owning cars are not the solution to the transport problems.

With the world getting warmer, there will be great shifts in our environment and our food and water security. Livelihoods will also shift as farming becomes more challenging with warmer temperatures, and coral reefs will be non-existent (Buis, 2019).

Now let them sink in. What kind of world are we looking forward to? What would be a world with no marine ecosystem? A world where there will be more food and water shortages, where only the rich can survive and still enjoy their “benefits,” temporarily. Just like this pandemic which revealed our true colors… who were left to die and get fewer privileges because they were in the “laylayan,” as one presidentiable aspirant calls them?

I have been extremely bothered since this seminar, and I kept thinking about how I could help in my little ways, hoping I could make a difference too. Sometimes, I envision myself being a part of the congress where I would propose a law where it would be mandatory for all Filipinos to plant a tree every year during their birthdays until their lifetime.

Sometimes, I dream of working again for the projects of the United

Villar’s AllDay bullish as Q4 foot traffic rose AllDay Supermarket, the fastest growing supermarket operator in the country, is optimistic about its prospects this year as more customers regain their confidence in going to stores for shopping.

The grocery chain owned by the Villar Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange, the Villar-led grocery chain said footfall in fourth quarter jumped 28 percent year-on-year..

“AllDay’s fourth-quarter store performance, particularly store footfall, is an indication of the quickening pace of the country’s return to normal, as well as continued validation of our unique supermarket concept and experience,” said AllDay chairman Manuel Villar Jr. “We are seeing consumers regain their confidence to again frequent our stores and the unique experiences they offer― a distinct and key advantage of AllDay Supermarket,” he added.

AllDay said a higher foot traffic was a positive indication for the group’s fourth-quarter performance, which is historically 40 percent to 50 percent higher than in previous quarters of the same year. Jenniffer B. Austria

A CONSUMER group blamed public health lobby against vaping and Filinvest REIT bares aversion to innovation in the marlatest cash dividend ket for contributing to the return of smoking in the United States, with FILINVEST REIT Corp. declared a third cigarette sales picking up in 2020 for quarterly cash dividend, bringing total the first time in two decades. dividends to P0.336 per share or equiva“If we want to reclaim a true public lent to an annualized dividend yield of health victory and help smokers quit 6.4 percent. This is higher than the 6.3 percent dividend yield it projected for to give them long and fruitful lives, 2021 in its REIT Plan and and the initial it is time to cast aside this aversion public offering price of P7.00 per share. to the innovations of the market. The The board FILRT on February 15, 2022 future health of our nation depends approved the dividend declaration to all on it,” the Washington D.C.-based CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW stockholdersBLACK in the amount of P0.112 per Consumer Choice Center said in its outstanding common share. The cash diviwebsite. dends will be payable on March 20, 2022 to stockholders on record as of March 1, “Smoking is up for the first time in 2022. The amount is equivalent to a quara generation. The public health lobby terly yield of 1.6 percent. FILRT distribis to blame,” said the CCC, a conuted its previous two quarterly cash divisumer advocacy group supporting dends of ₱0.112 per outstanding common lifestyle freedom, innovation, prishare per declaration in September and vacy, science and consumer choice.

November last year.

It focuses on main policy areas such “The declaration of quarterly cash as digital, mobility, lifestyle and condividends is our continuing commitment to our valued shareholders. It is sumer goods and health and science. compliant with the minimum dividend Top publications highlighted the payout as required by the REIT Act and “comeback” of cigarettes among the fulfills what we set forth in our REIT bourgeois hipster crowd in BrookPlan,” said FILRT president and chief lyn, New York amid the misconcepexecutive officer Maricel Brion-Lirio. tion that switching back to cigarettes would be healthier than vaping, acPNOC’s 2021profit cording to CCC. increased to P928m Yaël Ossowski, deputy director of CCC, said the 2020 Cigarette Report STATE-RUN Philippine National Oil of the Federal Trade Commission Co. (PNOC), the government’s oil and showed that cigarette sales grew in gas unit, posted higher income of P928 2020 from the previous year. “The million in 2021 from P524 million in total number of cigarettes reported 2020 on the back of improved revenues sold by the major manufacturers, and lower expenses.

203.7 billion units in 2020, increased PNOC reported in its unaudited financial statement that total income rose 28 by 0.8 billion units [0.4 percent] percent to P1.526 billion last year from from 2019, the first increase in cigaP1.192 billion in 2020. rettes sold in 20 years,” according to Service and business income contribthe report. uted P717 million, while other non-op“Whatever your conclusion, the erating profit stood at P789 million and trend that lowered the percentage of gains accounted for P20.23 million.

US smokers down to 14 percent in Expenses dropped to P335.9 million from P510.8 million with the biggest re2019 when the last complete nationduction coming from direct costs that dewide survey was completed is haltcreased to P23.14 million from P106.96 ing. And that should concern us all,” million and non-cash expenses to P51.38 the CCC said. million from P113.4 million in 2020.

The CCC said a likely contribuPNOC earlier announced it would tor to the increase in smoking rate continue with the company’s ongoing is the public health lobby against projects in 2022, such as the developharm reduction or the use of less ment of vital energy infrastructure, especially the development and rehaharmful alternatives to cigarettes bilitation of the Energy Supply Base. such as e-cigarettes and heated toAlena Mae S. Flores bacco products.

#Sustainable2050 I LOVE how Breeze’s latest commercial hits so many aspects with their smooth, real talk: “We all need to change for a better world, but real change…

It doesn’t just happen by typing comments, Hashtags can’t plant trees; Tweets won’t clean oceans.

For real change to happen, We all need to play our part and get dirty.”

As I watched this, it was a wake-up call―may it be taken in the context of politics or environment.

I have wanted to write about sustainability from this term’s leadership seminar that struck me. The seminar was held last October 22, 2021, via Zoom and was entitled: Leading Business for the Common Good featuring the covenant for shared prosperity.

At first, it was just another meeting for me, similar to what we had during our undergraduate years. So while listening to the seminar, we were bombarded with facts on sustainability, how real this risk of having insufficient resources for human consumption, and how 2 degrees Celsius will reshape the future, unfortunately, for the worse… or worst?

IN BRIEF

Nations so I can have a better platform to speak and raise awareness.

Sometimes, I think of taking Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering to know more about these facts, hoping I get to inform more people and be more credible if I have more “commas” and competencies on my name. Like that Breeze advertisement, I am just like everybody else who uses hashtags and all, but my impact on sustainability is almost zero. These efforts are just not enough.

When I took my MBA degree, I only wanted to pursue my dream of having that certificate because I wanted to prove that Chemical Engineering is not for me and that I will have my coffee shop soon. Then, my passion for building my line of businesses was fueled more. In my mind and heart, I wanted to reach out and help people by creating more jobs that would give them more value and make them feel less of themselves (especially for the physically challenged).

But I realized everybody else could do this. Lack of jobs is not just the problem but also how to secure a future for everyone, especially for the next generations. We do not need another “me-too” entrepreneur for CSR

CHARMAINE ANG

GREEN LIGHT activities. What we need most are game-changers.

Game changers who will become advocates for the environment.

Game changers will make sure that the next generations will experience a better tomorrow than what we have today.

Game changers who will be pursuing more projects on environmental protection.

Game changers will fight corruption and bring down all laws that prohibit us from moving forward (e.g., power generation, incineration plants ― waste to energy).

Game changers will be the next leaders of this country towards a greener, sustainable future.

Let’s start the #sustainable2050 movement, shall we?

The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at charmaine.lim.ang@gmail.com The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

Sports

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

B3

TNT edges Meralco to clinch PBA 3x3 crown ALMOND Vosotros and TNT Tropang Giga survived a late-shooting charge by Tonino Gonzaga to overcome a toughfighting Meralco unit, 21-19, and win the opening leg of the PBA 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo second conference.

The 32-year-old Vosotros had a teamhigh 10 points and drained the title-clinching 2 that gave the TNT franchise another leg crown in the standalone tournament.

New acquisition Mark Acuno added four, and Samboy De Leon and Lervin Flores with four and three each for TNT, which bagged the top prize worth P100,000.

The victory was a repeat of the similar victory the Tropang Giga pulled off against the Bolts, 21-18, during the maiden leg of last year’s opening conference.

Until Vosotros caught fire, the Tropang Giga trailed the Bolts early on, 3-8.

But the tide was turned when the veteran guard went to work late in the game, enabling TNT to take the lead, 16-15.

Gonzaga however, wasn’t about to let Meralco down as he tied the game at 17.

The playmaker out of Ateneo then engaged Vosotros in a shootout as the two exchanged long 2s to keep the score knotted at 19, before TNT finally sealed the game with another huge outside basket from its top player.

“Luckily pumasok yung tira ni Almond. He’s been missing shots, but I told him to keep on shooting kasi yun ang laro niya. And the right moment will come, papasok din yan,” said TNT coach Mau Belen.

“And what more a right moment can come than the last two points for the championship.”

Gonzaga led all scorers with 11 points for the Bolts, who claimed the runner-up purse of P50,000.

The Tropang Giga and Bolts arranged their title showdown after ousting their respective semifinals opponent.

Meralco edged out top seed Barangay Ginebra, 21-20, while TNT held its ground against Limitless App, 20-19.

The Kings earlier, clinched their highest finish in the three-a-side meet after taking third place by beating the Appmasters, the inaugural grand champion, 21-17.

Members of the TNT Tropang Giga take a selfie after getting their award as champion of the PBA 3x3 2nd Conference Leg 1.

Reyes promises healthy Gilas roster for FIBA meet M

By Peter Atencio

EMBERS of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball will be a healthy group of individuals when they compete in the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers this week at the SmartAraneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Players who are in the best of shapes will be put in the roster, with national coach Chot Reyes making this assurance before going into a series of practice sessions starting last Saturday.

“We are going to see in the next few days how the health of the players are.

We don’t want any kind of restrictions on ourselves. We want to keep our options

open,” said Reyes.

Reyes revealed that most of the young players are not in game shape since they last saw action in Jordan.

Those who played in the B.League like Thirdy Ravena and Dwight Ramos are fit for action.

Gilas is evaluating its 22-man pool and checking the status of Roger Pogoy,

a point guard of TNT Tropang Giga, who has missed TNT’s last four games in the PBA Governors’ Cup resumption because of a left calf injury.

“We will find out in the next couple of days who are in the best shape to play four games in three days. The next five days will be our final ramping up of preparations,” added Reyes.

Team Philippines starts its Asian Qualifiers campaign against visiting Korea on February 24.

The Koreans’ COVID-19 woes have continued as Kang Sang Jae became the ninth player from their 24-man pool to test positive for the virus and will no longer be available to join the national squad being assembled for their Manila trip. Four more players have symptoms of the virus, while another one is injured, leaving the

Yulo, Saso to receive PSA President’s Award TWO reigning world champions are going to be recognized with the esteemed President’s Award in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night.

Gymnast Carlos Yulo and golfer Yuka Saso will be honored by the country’s sportswriting fraternity in the March 14 event for their respective feats of lifting Philippine sports in the world stage.

Saso, 20, made history when she clinched the US Women’s Open Championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, becoming the first from the Philippines to win any of golf’s major championships.

Yulo, 22, was just as impressive, bagging the gold in the men’s vault of the 50th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, while adding the silver medal in the parallel bars.

“Both Yuka Saso and Caloy Yulo are deserving to be honored for their hard work and commitment to uplift Philippine sports around the world. And for bringing

Carlos Yulo

Yuka Saso

pride and joy to the country especially president Rey C. Lachica, sports editor in this time of the pandemic, the PSA of Tempo. pays homage by bestowing them the Yulo and Saso make up the compact President’s Award,” said association list of 2021 awardees to be feted in the

event that has the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Cignal TV as major backers.

The country’s first Olympic gold medal winner in Hidilyn Diaz is the recipient of the coveted Athlete of the Year award solely bestowed by the country’s oldest media organization.

The special event will be held at the Diamond Hotel and is presented by the Philippine Basketball Association, MILO, 1 Pacman, Rain or Shine, ICTSI, Chooks To Go, Smart, Philippine Racing Commission and the MVP Sports Foundation.

Saso showed nerves of steel when she authored her historic victory in the early morning of June 7, beating 19-year-old Japanese Nasa Hataoka in a suddendeath to win the prestigious US Open crown.

The Filipina-Japanese who idolizes Rory McIlloy, tied Inbee Park of South Korea as the youngest to win the US Open.

Yulo meanwhile, bounced back strongly after falling short of his Olympic campaign in Tokyo.

Towns wins 3-point contest, Toppin dunk king LOS ANGELES—Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns scored a record 29 points in the final round to capture the NBA All-Star Weekend’s ThreePoint Contest, holding off the sharpshooting duo of Trae Young and Luke Kennard.

Towns’ record point total for a final round placed him just ahead of the Atlanta Hawks’ Young and Los Angeles Clippers’ Kennard, who both had 26 points on Saturday night in Cleveland, Ohio.

First out of the gate, Towns—a nearly 7-foot center who loomed over his fellow competitors—made four of his first five attempts en route to the victory.

“I’m super happy to win,” Towns said. “It’s great, but I just have such high standards for myself. ... I’m the biggest critic of myself. There’s no writer, no blogger, no one who could critique and be harsher on their game

than me on my game.

“I thought 30 was what I was going to need to win in the final round. I was able to scrape by with 29.”

Before being reduced to the three finalists, the three-point lineup consisted of CJ McCollum, Zach LaVine, Desmond Bane, Fred VanVleet and Patty Mills.

Saturday’s events also included the slam dunk competition and skills challenge.

The NBA All-Star Game is Sunday, with the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant captaining the two teams in the showcase event.

In the slam dunk contest, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin soared to victory, beating Golden State Warriors big man Juan Toscano-Anderson.

Toppin iced the victory by going between the legs and tapping the glass before the dunk, completing an altered version of his earlier attempt for scores

of all 9s and 10s.

Evan Mobley hit a clutch halfcourt shot as part of the Skills Challenge to lift Team Cavs to the victory.

Team Cavs needed one basket in the halfcourt shot phase and Mobley drained it. After Jarrett Allen missed, Mobley swished the team’s second attempt. That meant Team Cavs did not need to use the rest of its attempts.

This was a new event that featured three three-man teams. It involved shooting, passing, a relay and a halfcourt shooting drill.

On Friday, Cade Cunningham was named most valuable player of the Rising Stars game as Team Barry defeated Team Isaiah 25-20 in the final.

The Detroit Pistons’ Cunningham, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, scored five points in the final while teammate and crowd favorite Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers also scored five. AFP

Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks is about to dunk the ball during the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the 2022 NBA All Star Weekend at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

team with only 10 able bodies.

The 6’8” Kang, a power forward, is a three-point specialist of the Wonju DB Promy team in the Korean Basketball League. He was part of the Korean squad that bagged the bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games.

The remaining healthy players of the Korean national squad is emerging from quarantine in Goyang and will test their game fitness with a tuneup match against Korea University.

The coaching staff headed by Cho Sang Yun is set to name Moon Jung Hyun, Park Moo-Bin and Lee Doo Won as possible replacements players.

The Koreans will miss the likes of naturalized player Ra Gun-Ah, Kim Jong Kyu, Kim Sun-hyung and Yang Hong Seok.

PH Malditas’ McDaniel to undergo knee surgery SURGERY is being scheduled for the anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained by Philippine national women’s football team key member Chandler McDaniel.

Medical care and rehabilitation are being sought for the 24-year-old McDaniel, after she suffered a knee injury during the Malditas’ match against South Korea in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup in India last February 3.

Because of her injury, McDaniel won’t be available for the Malditas when they see action in the Southeast Asian Games Games, the ASEAN Football Championships in Manila and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China later this year.

Chandler’s dad Clint said they are now seeking a final schedule for her surgery within the week.

“Hoping for next week, doing a little PT (physical therapy) to get her ready and cleared for surgery now,” said Clint in a statement.

Sports medicine doctors have checked up on Chandler last week following her arrival with sister Olivia in their hometown in Corona City at Riverside County in California.

She was diagnosed to have sustained an ACL injury on her right knee, which will need eight months of healing and rehabilitation.

The McDaniel siblings, Chandler, Olivia, Griffin, and Declan trace their Filipino heritage to Pampanga and Davao, where mom Lindy Isip’s parents are from.

Clint said he gave up his job as a junior club coach of the Corona SC football team and became a skills’ coach instead to focus on his four children when their passion to play soccer grew as they got older. Peter Atencio

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

B4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

BALAY SAN NICOLAS

Ilocos Norte’s new tourism haven A

FTER a week-long visit to Ilocos Norte many years ago, I have to say that I am impressed by what the Marcos Family did there. Driving around its thoroughfares made me feel like I was in the U.S. because the roads are clean and smooth, nary a bump nor a pothole. Even when I drove to the outskirts of Laoag, I could see that the houses along the road were all nicely preserved and painted, none of those shanties in a state of dishabille that one sees by the roadside in many other provinces.

I promised myself I would go back to this beautiful province, especially because I enjoyed de-stressing in the calming ambience of the picturesque Windmill Farm in Bangui, after screaming my lungs out at the extremely exciting and fun “roller coaster” ride on the Sand Dunes of Paoay. Of course, my culinary cravings were continuously taken care of by its popular delicacies--Bagnet, Empanada, Poqui Poqui, and Dinengdeng.

Not too long ago, the 18th century heritage house owned by the Valdes and Lardizabal families in the town of San Nicolas, a 12-minute drive from Laoag, was renovated and restored to its old glory and is now called Balay San Nicolas. The restoration of this vintage residence, declared an Important Cultural Property (ICP) by the National Museum, was a joint project of the local government, the San Nicolas Bin-I Foundation and Dr. Joven Cuanang, a local art patron.

Town Mayor Alfredo Valdes, Jr. declared Balay San Nicolas, known by the local townsfolk as “kabite” (Ilocano for big, strong rock), as the most important among his town’s many heritage houses because it preserves and encapsulates the residents’ cultural identity for the appreciation of fu-

The imposing facade of the newly restored 18th century Balay San Nicolas

ture generations.

It is now, officially, a cultural tourism “gem” of the province because it features the very impressive, interesting, and valuable Valdes-Lardizabal Family Memorabilia. The restored residence now has a souvenir shop, a restaurant, an events venue, and an exhibition space where local artists could display their masterpieces. It now also houses the local office of the Department of Tourism.

The Caida, located in front of the giant staircase, serves as an Entertainment The spacious receiving salon Balay San Nicolas’ inauguration was at- Hall for guests tended by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, Vice-Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, Congressman Angelo Marcos Barba, Mayor Valdes Jr., Vice Mayor Marlow Valdes, Consul Annette Ablan, and National Museum representative Paolo Mar Chan.

A cultural show staged by the Bin-I Foundation followed the opening ceremonies and featured a fashion show of attractive Abel Ilocos classic pieces designed by Edgar Madamba, Vic Barba, and Nina Corpuz.

With the opening of Balay San Nicolas to tourists and to MICE events, the town The well-ventilated Balcony faces The unveiling of the historical marker led by A bird’s eye view of the massive Courtyard which is Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has become an important tourism hub in the Town Plaza available as an Events Venue and Congressman Angelo Marcos Barba

the province, especially because there are ----------O---------many other ICPs that it can be proud of--the YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: San Nicolas Tolentino Church, the Via CruDoesn’t it scare you that the person encis structures, the San Nicolas Central School trusted to invest all your money is called a building, the Municipio, and the Nagrebcan “broke-r?”

Archeological Site.

----------O---------Another visit to beautiful Ilocos Norte is For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com definitely on the horizon.

(Images by JC Dacuycuy)

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Feleo is now an accredited acting facilitator of the renowned Eric Morris System and has taught numerous actors in the Philippines from various television networks and production companies. Currently, she is a facilitator and acting scholar of the Bova Actors Workshop in New York City and teaches at the Actors Lab of the Laurice Guillen Actors Studio. Feleo also serves as the head acting teacher for Sparkle.

The programs Sparkle Prime Workshop offers are as follows: Introduction to Acting (Kids) - P13,000.00; Fundamentals of Acting (Teens and Adults) - P15,000.00; and Craft and Scene Work (Adults) P18,000.00.

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1. Resume 2. 2 Photos - Close up and Full body 3. 2 Valid IDs 4. Birth certificate for applicants aged 17 and below 5. A one-minute video where applicants must introduce themselves and share why they want to join the Sparkle Prime Workshop. (Videos must be in .mp4 format and shot in landscape) Important reminders: 1. Videos must be uploaded on Google Drive but please make sure that the Google Drive link is set to “Anyone on the internet with this link can view.”

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Seasoned actress and acting coach Anna Feleo