Manila Standard - 2022 March 17 - Thursday

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Rody okays P200 aid for poor Monthly ayuda until yearend to make up for retaining fuel excise tax

By Vito Barcelo, Julito Rada and Alena Mae Flores

UKRAINE REJECTS NEUTRALITY OFFER NEWS / A2

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte offered very little relief from skyrocketing fuel prices Wednesday, rejecting mounting calls to suspend the excise tax on oil products and offering instead a P200per-month subsidy to poor families for the rest of the year—or the equivalent of only P6.66 a day.

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INNOCENT PASSAGE AT SULU SEA—CHINA VOL. XXXVI • NO. 32 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NEWS / A3

P29b wage subsidy for 3 months pushed

By Vito Barcelo

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has suggested a P24 billion wage subsidy that would benefit at least 1 million workers for three months.

The proposal, presented to

President Rodrigo Duterte, was aimed at providing workers some relief from the rising costs of fuel and basic commodities.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said this subsidy will run for three months, starting April until June 2022.

Tutay said the agency recognizes the clamor for minimum wage increase due to the rising fuel prices but it also supports the government’s continued economic recovery efforts.

"With the current wages, Mr. President, now it is extremely Next page

SILENT PROTEST. Jeepney drivers plying the route of Leon Guinto in Manila to Guadalupe in Makati City and vice versa park refuse to drive their vehicles as they await the promised P6,5000 fuel subsidy from the government amid spiraling oil prices. Inset photo shows two drivers who have yet to receive the subsidy showing their empty Pantawid Pasada card on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Danny Pata

Govt eyes 4-day workweek scheme

By Julito G. Rada and Macon Ramos-Araneta FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is open to the idea of implementing a four-day workweek, as people find it hard to manage their expenses amid the

spiraling price of oil in the global market, which has been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"I believe… working 10 hours a day for four days a week is a good idea,” he said in a message to reporters.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s

Talk to the People aired on Wednesday morning, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority director general Karl Kendrick Chua made a suggestion to implement a four-day workweek to

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E-sabong stays, DOH won't go yet for Alert Level 0

By Willie Casas Duterte nixes Truckers to hike rates by 30%, and Rio N. Araja its suspension expect prices of goods to rise

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has rejected calls to suspend the operations of e-sabong or online cockfighting, citing the billions in revenue it generates.

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ALL AREAS in the country must be placed under Alert Level 1 before the government could impose a lower COVID-19 risk status classification, a health official said Wednesday.

During a Palace briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government is looking forward to having all provinces, highly-urbanized

cities and independent component cities under Alert Level 1.

"When we talk about the next level after Alert Level 1, that will be considered, not per area but for the country already,” she added.

This developed as National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon on Wednesday said at least nine provinces and highly urbanized cities (HUCs) were added to the list of areas under Alert Level 1 due

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By Darwin G. Amojelar PRICES of goods are expected to increase once the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines implemented a 30-percent increase in trucking freight rates on skyrocketing fuel prices.

Maria Zapata, president of CTAP, said the group’s members would implement a 30-percent increase in their respective truck rates to enable them to provide an exceptional and quality service to customers.

"We hope you understand that due to

the uncontrollable spiraling increase of fuel prices in our country, our members have been absorbing the burden of the weekly increase of fuel prices," she said.

"For the record, diesel price [per liter] in January 2021 was P31 [more or less] compared to the current P70 [more or less] as of March 8, 2022 with P39 price difference," Zapata said.

She said given this, members of CTAP might renegotiate for another truck rate increase as the oil price hikes continue.

Data showed that in March, gasoline Next page

Red-tagged groups’ pol support OK—DOJ

By Rey E. Requejo

HERE COMES THE SUN. A local tourist

appreciates sunflowers at the Elmiro de Shei Integrated Farm in Camalig, Albay where the majestic Mayon volcano can be seen in the background on March 16, 2022. Norman Cruz

PAGASA: HOT DRY SEASON BEGINS AS AMIHAN ENDS NEWS / A2

JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday there was nothing wrong if groups aligned with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army would express their support to a political candidate or party participating in the May 9 elections.

But Guevarra warned that the AntiTerrorism Council would step in if these groups would engage in violent and terrorist activities that would disrupt the electoral exercises.

“There's nothing unlawful for any groups associated with the CPP/NPA to support any political party or individual in the forthcoming elections,” Guevarra said in a text message.

“It is when they commit acts of violence to sow terror and destabilize public order in the guise of exercising their political rights that will prompt the Anti-Terrorism Council to take action,” he added.

Guevarra made the statement after reports alleging that the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo, who is running for Next page

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News

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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Ukraine rejects ‘neutrality’ proposals

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"Ukraine is now in a direct state of war with Russia. As a result, the model can only be 'Ukrainian' and only on legally verified security guarantees," its top negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak said in comments published by President Volodymyr Zelensky's office.

He called for a legally binding security agreement, signed by international partners, who would "not stand aside in the

event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today."

NATO allies refused Wednesday to back a Polish call for the alliance to send an armed peace mission to Ukraine, but vowed to keep supplying arms despite threats from Moscow.

Poland's Vice Premier, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, suggested a peacekeeping deployment in Ukraine to provide humanitarian

aid during a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday.

But NATO defense ministers were wary over the idea as they arrived in Brussels for urgent talks on Russia's war against its neighbor.

"I'm afraid we're still in too early stages to talk about that," said Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren.

"First we have to have a ceasefire. We have to see a withdrawal from Russia.

There has to be some kind of agreement between Ukraine and Russia, and I think the talks are still going on."

She added: "It's always good to think about what comes after that, but first, we need to achieve that."

Russian forces upped the pressure on

Rody...

should be suspended until Russia’s war in Ukraine deescalates.

“Just suspend the excise taxes for three months until the conflict between Russia and Ukraine deescalates because that’s the primary cause of the fuel price increases. The war is after all not permanent,” he said in Filipino.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, who is running for vice president, said the cash assistance was too miserly, given the amount the government earns from the excise tax on fuel products.

According to the DOF, he said, excise tax collections on fuel products came to P143.9 billion in 2021 while the valueadded tax on gasoline reached P3 billion in the first two months this year alone as a result of the continually rising prices.

“How can the government stomach earning this much while squeezing the poor?” he said in Filipino.

He said the daily subsidy of P6.66 wouldn’t even be enough to buy an egg.

“Again, we call for the suspension of the excise tax on fuel. The prices will go down and everyone would benefit. This would lighten, even if just by a little bit, the day-to-day hardships our countrymen endure,” he added.

All it would take to obtain this relief, he said, was President Duterte’s signature.

But Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who was present during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, said the P200-a-month subsidy for the poor was the best the government could do for now.

“This is something that we can sustain, and this is something that we can afford as of this time,” he said.

“Suspending the fuel excise tax under TRAIN would reduce government revenue by P105.9 billion in 2022,” he added.

“If we suspend this, and we don’t collect it, what will happen is our debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio will go up from an estimated 7.7 percent to 8.2 percent.

If we continue to spend the same amount of money, we will have to borrow more money, and that will bring up our debt-to-GDP ratio to about 61.4 percent,” he said.

Dominguez said the depletion in revenues would imperil the government’s currently strong fiscal position and further widen the budget deficit, especially at this time when global interest rates are rising. He also said this would force the government to borrow more to fund its programs intended to provide improved social services, create more jobs and invigorate the economy.

Dominguez said the P200-a-month subsidy would go to the bottom 50 percent of all households, or about 74.7 million Filipinos.

"We realize that this is not enough. But this is what we can afford as of this time, and to make sure that our finances going forward and especially for the next administration are still going to be healthy.

This, I believe, is what we can afford," Dominguez said.

He said the P33 billion in cash subsidies would come from higher value-added taxes collected as a result of higher fuel prices.

The excise tax on gasoline before the implementation of the TRAIN Law was P4.35 per liter, while there were no excise taxes collected from diesel, kerosene and liquified petroleum gas.

This tax remained unchanged from 2005 to 2017, even when the prices of petroleum products increased.

But under TRAIN, the excise tax rates were raised to include all fuel products.

The current rates for the major petroleum products are P10 per liter for gasoline, P6 per liter for diesel, P5 per liter for kerosene, and P3 per liter for LPG. These excise taxes are fixed on a per liter or per kilogram basis, and do not change with the cost of fuel.

At the same Cabinet meeting, the Department of Transportation said it opposed petitions to increase the fare in pub-

lic transportation, saying this would raise the inflation rate.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade acknowledged the statement of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua that increasing the minimum jeepney fare and minimum wage would mean an increase in the country's inflation rate to 5.1 percent.

On Wednesday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said about 35,000 out of 136,000 drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) have received the P6,500 fuel subsidy to cushion the impact of high fuel prices.

LTFRB executive director Maria Kristina Cassion said the expect the Land Bank of the Philippines will complete the distribution by Friday.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar, meanwhile, said a P3,000 fuel subsidy for farmers and fishermen would be distributed starting Thursday, March 17. About 160,000 farmers and fishermen will receive a P3,000 fuel subsidy from the government to ease the impact of the series of fuel price hikes.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said an oil price rollback of P12 per liter for diesel and P5 per liter for gasoline was possible next week as world oil prices declined sharply early this week.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the lockdown in China because of COVID-19 with projections of lower demand and the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine tempered oil price increases globally.

He said gasoline has gone up by P31.85 per liter, diesel by P40.35 per liter and kerosene by P32.93 per liter and cooking gas or LPG by P20 per kilo since January.

He also said there is enough oil supply despite the uncertainties brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

term yet” by the IATF-EID. Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities.

All establishments, persons, or activities, meanwhile, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/ seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.

Earlier, Secretary Duque said the IATF is studying Alert Level 0 and whether health protocols like wearing of face masks would stay as the threat of COVID-19 continues.

Vergeire noted that discussions on further easing of restrictions and refocusing of resources would start when all areas nationwide are under Alert Level 1.

She said the government would review whether dedicated hospital beds for COVID-19 cases, quarantine facilities in local government units and testing surveillance are still needed.

Dr. Maricar Limpin, PCP President, said health care workers agreed with the current alert level status, even as most Filipinos act as if the pandemic has ended.

"That is the right move because we all agree that we should remain under Alert Level 1 because we can see the behavior of Filipinos now that it seems like we are already in Alert Level 0,” Limpin said in an interview with Teleradyo.

"I'm hoping if ever, in the near future, that the government places the country under Alert Level 0, we hope we continue to wear face masks. We saw in other countries, when they removed the face mask requirement, COVID-19 cases went up, and it did not just go up, a lot of people also died,” she said.

Limpin said companies should ensure that the workplaces have proper ventilation before requiring employees to go back on-site.

She added it would be better if there is still some distance between desks so as to protect the employees, aside from constantly wearing face masks.

It is also better not to eat together, or to move farther from each other when eating in the same area.

"I think we can ask the employees to return to the office but we must ensure that they always wear face masks, and there should be some distance between their desks, and they should avoid eating together,” she said.

In Quezon City, the Public Attorney’s Office said the petition would be raffled off to another judge from Branch 96 Judge Primo Sio, who used to work at the Office of the Solicitor General in 2000. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Truckers...

rejected by the Department of Finance which said the move would only set back the Philippines’ economic recovery from the pandemic and would instead end up subsidizing the expenses of affluent families more than those of low-income households.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the suspension of fuel excise taxes would lead to a massive revenue loss of P105.9 billion, or about a half-percent of the country’s gross domestic product this year.

He said the depletion in revenues would imperil the government’s strong fiscal position and further widen the budget deficit.

YIV—Ukraine said Wednesday it wants its security to be guaranteed by international forces and rejected proposals pushed by Russia for it to adopt a neutral status comparable to Austria or Sweden.

From A1

Acting Palace spokesman Martin Andanar said the President turned down the proposal to suspend the excise tax on fuel, saying the subsidy for poor families was “a more equitable response” since lowering the price of gas and diesel by cutting taxes would only benefit “richer people” who have cars.

The explanation did not take into account the owners of 4 million registered motorcycles in 2021 who also need to gas up.

“President Duterte has approved of the Department of Finance’s recommendation to retain the fuel excise tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law amid the continuing increase of oil and petroleum products prices,” Andanar said.

The DOF had argued that suspending excise tax on fuel provided under the TRAIN Law will result in a loss of P105.9 billion in government revenues that could be used to fund several administration programs.

Andanar said the President instead approved the DOF recommendation to provide P200 in monthly subsidies or ayuda to poor households for one year, at a cost of P33.1 billion.

Andanar said the President made the announcement during his Talk to the People address late Tuesday night.

Several senators criticized the government’s approach.

“Coming in after 11 weeks of successive oil price increases, the government’s P200 per month cash assistance to poor families is a pittance,” Poe said in a statement.

“At P6.66 per day, it can’t even get one a jeepney ride to the minimum distance.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson, who is running for president, said the P200 subsidy was too small and said excise taxes

DOH...

From A1

to the result of the fourth wave of the national vaccination drive.

During President Rodrigo Duterte's Talk to the People aired Wednesday morning, Dizon said among these provinces and cities were Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Lucena City, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Ormoc City, Tacloban City, and Butuan City.

On Tuesday, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases placed the National Capital Region and 47 other areas under Alert Level 1 from March 16 to March 31.

“They passed our metrics on fullyvaccinated and vaccination of our elderly.

We have now a total of 64 cities and provinces throughout the country that are already at Alert Level 1,” Dizon said.

“We are trying to push all the other provinces and cities to really achieve these levels of vaccination so that they can also deescalate to Alert Level 1 at the soonest possible time. Hopefully, within the month of March so that they can all help the economy move forward,” he added.

In other developments: • The Omicron sub-variant affecting Hong Kong might find its way into the Philippines, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Wednesday, when the President asked about the possibility the BA.2.2 sub-variant will "visit" the country.

• The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) welcomed the government's decision to maintain Alert Level 1 in Metro Manila and other areas, but reminded the public to continue wearing masks.

• The Quezon City Regional Trial is set to raffle off a petition stopping the vaccination of children aged five to 11 years old against COVID-19.

• The emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVID-19 vaccines needs to be amended once the government approves a fourth dose or a second booster for the vulnerable, DOH spokesperson Vergeire said on Wednesday.

• The COVID-19 pandemic pushed 4.7 million people in Southeast Asia into extreme poverty in 2021, as 9.3 million jobs disappeared, compared with a baseline no-COVID scenario, according to a new Asian Development Bank report presented at the Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS).

Vergeire also clarified that Alert Level 0 is “not a formal term and not an official

From A1

prices went up by P11.90 per liter and diesel prices shot up by P19.80 per liter, reflecting the volatility of oil prices in the world market.

CTAP transports 20-footer containers from Manila International Container Terminal and South Harbor to select points in Metro Manila and northern and southern Luzon.

There were proposals to suspend the excise tax on fuel as a way to reduce the impact on consumers of spiraling oil prices in the world market, but this was

Govt...

From A1

conserve energy and reduce the impact of rising fuel prices.

"Maybe we should try to conserve energy and one way of doing it is [implementing] the four-day workweek. People will still work for 40 hours per week but instead of working five days, it will be four days," Chua said, adding that instead of eight hours, it will be 10 hours a day.

Chua said the work scheme was already implemented during the Gulf War in the 1990s and the global financial crisis in 2008 that also triggered higher oil prices.

Chua also said that increasing the minimum jeepney fare and minimum wage would result in higher inflation.

In the first two months of 2022, inflation averaged 3 percent, which is the midpoint of the target range of 2-4 percent for the year.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources, supported the proposal.

Under the proposed amendment to the Labor Code, businesses can implement alternative work arrangements as long as

E-sabong...

From A1

In his regular public address, the President said lawmakers would understand his position if they had an idea of just how much e-sabong generated in terms of revenue, adding the government needed the money.

The President issued the statement after Congress called for the suspension of e-sabong operations.

Kyiv Saturday and pummeled civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities, amid fresh efforts to deliver aid to the devastated port city of Mariupol.

Both Ukrainian and Russian officials on Saturday described the quickly worsening humanitarian situation as "catastrophic."

In Moscow, the defense ministry described an unrelenting push on the ground, reporting that Russian forces had advanced 12 kilometers (seven miles) over "a broad front" during the day, without specifying exactly where.

It said pro-Russian separatists in the east had reached the edge of Severodonetsk, a city of 100,000. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Hot dry season begins, amihan ends—Pagasa THE dry season—when humidity levels are particularly high in this tropical country – has begun, the weather bureau said Wednesday, adding the northeast monsoon season, commonly known locally as amihan, has ended.

"The public is advised to take precautionary measures to minimize heat stress and optimize the daily use of water for personal and domestic consumption," the bureau said in a statement.

According to the state weather bureau, easterly winds are now prevailing over most parts of the country, as a result of the advancing high pressure area over the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

"Day-to-day rainfall distribution across the country will be influenced mostly by easterlies and localized thunderstorms," the bureau said.

The highest temperatures and heat indexes are usually recorded in the middle of the dry season.

During last year's dry season, the highest heat index was recorded in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on May 12 at 52°C. The Department of Health previously warned that hotter days might cause heat stroke: the most severe form of heat illness when the body overheats and cannot cool down.

P29b...

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inadequate, particularly for the minimum wage earners and the government’s economic recovery in full swing, subsidies may still be extended to vulnerable workers, particularly those most severely affected by fuel prices and its domino effect on prices in food and basic goods and services just like those in the transport sector," she said.

Tutay said they submitted in February 2021 a proposal for a wage subsidy to workers in the private sector affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

These proposals are in lieu of calls to increase minimum wage amid the rising costs of petroleum products.

“The proposal has been supported and endorsed by the economic managers, of course, subject to the availability of funds. And at this time, and given the indirect impact of the global tension to the Philippine economy, Mr. President, we see that the wage subsidy is important for the Filipino workers,” Tutay added.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the unconditional cash transfers would be preferable to raising the minimum wage or increasing the fare on public transportation, which he said would trigger higher inflation.

Red-tagged...

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total work hours per week do not exceed 48 hours.

They should also follow rules governing overtime pay, night shift differential, and other related benefits.

He also said other examples of alternative work arrangements include a compressed workweek, rotation of workers within the workweek, flexible holiday schedules, and flexible time.

Villanueva renewed his call for the Department of Labor and Employment to work with businesses for the full implementation of the Work From Home Law, which was enacted back in 2018.

He noted that the Telecommuting or Work From Home Law was relevant even before the pandemic started, and said skyrocketing fuel prices are one of the main reasons he pushed this to become a law.

"We have yet to see the end to the problems of traffic and high price of fuel, and WFH is one way for industries to adjust and cope.” he said.

“Businesses and workers are already familiar with alternative work arrangements by this time," he said.

"It is our job to empower them to contribute to the national economy without the burden of fuel prices and the daily commute," he added. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

president, had coalesced with communist rebels. Robredo already denied this allegation.

Robredo early on denounced the efforts to link her to the CPP-NPA, describing the fake news as a ploy to stop what she called the momentum of her campaign.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, March 13, Robredo posted the screenshots of the malicious text blasts claiming she allegedly endorsed Joma Sison, founder of the CPP-NPA, as “a true patriot of the country” and that Sison had supposedly endorsed her presidential bid.

Robredo said she has been told that so many people have received these malicious text messages red-tagging her and her volunteers.

Robredo reiterated she did not believe in violence as a solution to problems and that she would oppose anyone who would use arms to push their agenda.

She said all her colleagues are aware of this, including those in the uniformed services who appeared to also be the target of this type of disinformation and propaganda.

Cavite Gov. Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier alleged that some of those who attended Robredo’s sortie in their province were either paid or members of the communist groups.

Even Senator Panfilo Lacson, who is also running for president, said that there were intelligence reports on the alleged presence of CPP-NPA at Robredo’s rally.

Last March 13, President Rodrigo Duterte said he received an intelligence report about an alleged conspiracy between communist insurgents and “yellow” forces to sow discord especially during the May 9 elections.

Twenty-three senators have signed Resolution 996 urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to suspend the license to operate of e-sabong operators and immediately stop all related activities until the cases of the 34 missing cockfighting aficionados are resolved.

“I appeal to congressmen to stop meddling with it. It is generating revenue, no one is benefitting there except Pagcor and the big players,” the President said.

Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa ex-

pressed dismay over Duterte's decision, but said he respects it.

Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate public order committee, has been leading the inquiry into the missing cockpit afficionados.

Dela Rosa's committee has held two hearings on the issue. It was during the first hearing that the Senate issued a resolution urging Pagcor to suspend e-sabong operations, which a representative from the agency supported. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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Boy, 15, ‘dies’ of dengue vaccine—PAO

By Rio N. Araja

ROAD CLEARING.

MMDA chairman Romando Artes leads the clearing operation along Panay Avenue in Quezon City, one of MMDA’s Mabuhay Lanes identified as alternative routes for motorists trying to avoid traffic jams along EDSA. Manny Palmero

MMDA steps up road clearing operations

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday resumed its campaign against illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions along Mabuhay Lanes, the alternate routes used by private motorists avoiding the perennially congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA).

In Panay Avenue, Quezon City, the MMDA apprehended 23 illegally parked vehicles within just 30 minutes.

Owners of illegally parked vehicles were slapped with P1,000-fine, while owners of unattended illegally parked vehicles would have to pay double that amount. Towed vehicles would be brought to the agency’s impounding area in Tumana, Marikina City.

MMDA chairman Romando Artes said they would conduct regular clearing operations on all Mabuhay Lanes in close coordination with local government units, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police.

“The MMDA is serious in its bid to decongest EDSA and provide motorists with alternate routes that are passable and free from obstructions.

We are closely coordinating with the local government units and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure that these roads will be maintained obstruction-free,” Artes said.

China justifies naval vessel’s ‘innocent’passage at Sulu Sea

By Rey E. Requejo

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HINA on Wednesday justified the presence of one of its naval vessels in Philippine waters as an “exercise of the right of innocent passage.”

“The Chinese naval vessel’s sailing through the Philippine waters was an exercise of the right of innocent passage pursuant to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.

Philippine authorities accused Beijing of “illegal incursion” by China’s People’s Liberation Army- Navy’s (PLAN’s) in the Sulu Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs

(DFA) on Monday summoned Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xillian over the Chinese vessel’s entry into Philippine waters without permission, and lingering in the area for three days, Jan. 29 to Feb. 1. 2022.

The DFA said the Philippine Navy’s BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) challenged the Chinese naval vessel’s presence in Philippine waters.

“Its movements, however, did not follow a track that can be considered

as continuous and expeditious, lingering in the Sulu Sea for three days,” the DFA noted.

According to the DFA, the Chinese vessel “continued its activities in Philippine waters despite being repeatedly directed by the BRP Antonio Luna to leave Philippine waters immediately.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted however that the passage of the vessel was safe and standard, and consistent with international law and international practice.

“We hope relevant parties can view it in an objective and rational manner,” Zhao said.

But the DFA maintained that the Chinese vessel’s actions “did not constitute innocent passage, and violated Philippine sovereignty.” With GMA News

NEW TRAINS. Rail commuters can now expect more comfortable trips as modern train coaches are deployed on the tracks of the Metro Rail Transit-7 along Commonwealth Avenue in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. The MRT-7 will have 14 stations from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan. Ben Briones

BI nabs 2 South Koreans wanted for fraud charges BUREAU of Immigration agents have arrested two South Koreans wanted in their country for alleged involvement in large-scale fraud.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the suspects as Son Hyungjun, 36, and Choi Jong Bok, 40, who were nabbed during separate operations conducted in Pampanga.

BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy said Son, who was collared in Angeles City, was tagged as a member of a telecommunications fraud syndicate that defrauded its victims of more than 22 million won, estimated at $18,000.

Son, who was subject of an arrest warrant from the Busan district court in South Korea, and his cohorts allegedly operated their illicit trade from their headquarters in China where they made calls to their victims in Korea through voice phishing.

On the other hand, Choi, who was caught in Porac, Pampanga, was allegedly wanted for swindling a compatriot of more than P7 million in a fraudulent stock investment scheme.

A warrant for Choi’s arrest was issued by the Nambu district court in Seoul where he was facing fraud charges.

Sy said the passports of the two South Koreans have been revoked, thus they were considered undocumented aliens subject for immediate deportation. Vito Barcelo

ANOTHER teenager has died due to alleged Dengvaxia vaccine, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) revealed.

PAO forensics chief Dr. Erwin Erfe identified the deceased as Aaron Dave Susana,15, of General Trias City, Cavite.

Erfe said Susana was “the 166th victim” of the dengue vaccine.

PAO plans to exhume for the remains of three other children who passed away after getting the Dengvaxia vaccine in Cebu.

Susana died last Monday (March 14).

He was inoculated with the vaccine in April and October 2016, then again on Sept. 27, 2017.

In 2018, the boy started to suffer nosebleeds, headaches, stomach aches and seizures, Erfe said.

In 2019, Susana eventually got paralyzed.

“The forensics examination are consistent with the findings on the 165 victims,” Erfe noted.

Albay solon bats for digital reforms at BIR

By Maricel V. Cruz ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, an economist, has asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to create a Medium Taxpayer Service and a Digital Taxpayer Service in connection with ongoing efforts to tax foreign vendors of digital services.

Salceda, chairman of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, made the request during the panel’s hearing on the issue.

“Please relay my request to Commissioner (Caesar) Dulay that the BIR create a Medium Taxpayer Service for enterprises that are not large enough for the Large Taxpayer Services, but who comprise a substantial amount of business taxes. I also hope to have a Digital Taxpayer Service to complement our efforts to impose VAT and other taxes on digital service providers,” Salceda told BIR officials who attended the hearing.

Salceda noted that the Singaporean tax authorities have a “vendor registration system” for digital taxpayers that also acts as a specialized tax service for them.

“The main appeal of digital services is that they are easier and faster. The tax collection on these services also has to be fast and easy. That is why a specialized tax service for them might be in order.”

Salceda also requested the BIR to fully digitalize tax processes for small taxpayers, including overseas workers.

Earlier last year, the House tax chair requested the BIR to digitalize the process for applying for a TIN (tax identification number) so that OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) can invest in the Philippines even as they are abroad.

Manila Health department launches pediatric vaccination drive THE MANILA Health Department (MHD) launched on Wednesday its exclusive school sites for pediatric vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old as the city government intensifies its inoculation program against COVID-19.

The MHD eyes more than a thousand children to be vaccinated against

COVID-19 in the four exclusive school sites in Manila identified as Earnshaw Elementary School, with 200 children; Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School, with 300 children; A. Lacson Elementary School, with 300 children; and Isabelo Delos Reyes Elementary School, with 500 children.

The children will be given their first dose of the vaccines.

The Philippine government commenced last February its pilot implementation of COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old through the “Resbakuna Kids” campaign.

The government said the drive would

be implemented in phases, utilizing both hospital-based and local government unit (LGU)-based vaccination sites, to maximize accessibility to the general public.

The Philippine government aims to vaccinate more than 70 million Filipinos nationwide against the Covid-19 virus.

Nickel Asia Corp. reaches out to Odette survivors in Dinagat

SIGNAL EXERCISES. Operatives of the Philippine Coast Guard conduct on Wednesday hand signaling training at the Manila Bay as part of its traditional summertime training exercises for new recruits. Danny Pata

TYPHOON Odette overwhelmed the Province of Dinagat Islands a few days before Christmas, leaving a devastation that continues to be a disheartening spectacle to this day, 3 months after the typhoon made a landfall in the island province.

Ricardo Piquero, Purok Chairman of Barangay Legaspi, where sitio Cagais is located, is the leader of this small community of 22 households. And on behalf of the residents of Cagais he receives more than 200 sheets of corrugated sheets (yero), a gift from employees of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC).

Piquero says they did not expect the

gifts but it was what they pray for and what they need now.

“As you can see, all our houses have been razed down by Odette, every day is a struggle emotionally as each of us finds ways to rebuild our homes, these corrugated sheets are heaven-sent, you are our angels,” Piquero expresses in the dialect.

NAC employees initiated a program called PSR – Personal Social Responsibility – a few years back starting with “Lapis at Papel, Kapalit ay Ngiti” where employees would donate writing papers and pencils to poor students in far-flung areas before the pandemic suspended face-to-face classes.

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News

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

Samar governor promises big win for BBM, Sara

By Maricel V. Cruz SAMAR Gov. Reynolds Michael Tan has guaranteed a 100,000 margin of victory for the UniTeam tandem of presidential candidate former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in his province come May 9.

Tan explained just how expansive the Samarnons’ support for the UniTeam duo is.

“I have expressed that Team Aksyon Padayon, which is the local group of Samar would be supporting both BBM and Sara tandem. Samar has 951 barangays and 80 percent of all barangay chairmen are with us and all of us are expressing support for BBM and Sara,” Tan said at the sidelines of the Lakas-CMD vice presidential bet Sara Duterte’s meet-and-greet with mayors and barangay officials of Samar at The Tent, Manila Hotel.

As for the mayors in the province, the governor said that 19 out of the 21 incumbent mayors are backing Marcos and Duterte.

Asked to explain what he thinks is the reason for the province’s groundswell for the UniTeam, he said it has a lot to do about the people being fed up already with “noisy politicking.”

He also explained the Samarnons regional affinity for Marcos and Duterte even as he said that more than 100,000 support for BBM-Sara tandem is achievable.

Survey firm Pulse Asia Research meanwhile said that the only way for opponents of Marcos, Jr. to catch up is for his poll ratings to plummet dramatically, but the chances of that happening are not very likely or probable.

With Rey E. Requejo

UNITEAM. Presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his unity message during a grand rally held at the open field in Barangay Andal Alińo in Talavera, Nueva Ecija. In Pasay City, Marcos’ running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, is joined by Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto (3rd from right), Rep. Tony Calixto (2nd from left) and Vice Mayor Boyet Del Rosario (left) as well as Lakas-CMD President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and senatorial candidates Mark Villar and Harry Roque. Ver Noveno

Comelec to test VCMs for May

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will conduct testing of the ballots and vote-counting machines (VCMs) for the forthcoming May 9, 2022 elections next week, to ensure transparency and integrity of the entire election process.

Comelec commissioner Marlon Casquejo, who chairs the steering committee for the election, said that the National Printing Office has printed out 73.7 percent of the 67,442,616 automated election system ballots for the May 9 national and local elections.

He said “49,737,783 ballots have been printed. Of these, 55.28 percent have undergone verification and 31.996 mil-

lion or 47.44 percent have been marked as good ballots.”

A total of 31,996,605 has been verified as good ballots, while 5,288,268 are verified as defective ballots that need to be reprinted after some sheets were found with smudges or miscuts.

Defective ballots will be shredded and will not be deployed to precincts.

Some 34,725,551 or 51 percent of

the total number of official ballots are done with the verification and upon completion of ballot printing, ballots will be transferred to Comelec’s temporary warehouse in Maybunga, Pasig.

“These will be deployed between 20 April to 5 May to local units ahead of the 9 May polls, saying that a voter is only entitled to one ballot in the upcoming May polls,” he said.

He also said they already completed the printing of ballots for local and overseas absentee voting, as well as the ballots that will be used in 63 barangays in North Cotabato intending to be part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Lacson pitches agri programs in Cagayan PARTIDO Reporma standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson and running mate Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III offered to agriculture industry workers in Cagayan Valley region this week their solid programs for the farmers and fisherfolk nationwide to lift the sector out of the pandemic slump.

In a town hall forum held at the Tuguegarao City leg of their campaign, Tuesday morning, Lacson and Sotto assured voters only their tandem has the concrete, implementable policy agenda towards improving the living and working conditions of our local food producers.

The vice-presidential candidate said he and Lacson are deliberately avoiding using ‘motherhood statements’ in their national campaign to set themselves apart from their political rivals who are only good at making promises to the electorate without explaining how to fulfill them.

As they previously announced in their earlier visits to other provinces, the presidential duo plans to buy 50 percent of the agricultural output of farmers and fishermen at their own price, so they would not be exploited by enterprising middlemen who are jacking up prices once the products hit the market. With Jessica Bacud and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A GLIMPSE OF LENI. Supporters and volunteers stood patiently under the blazing sun to see presidential aspirant Vice President

Leni Robredo as she visited the Tacurong City Hall in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat on Wednesday. Robredo is going to Basilan after the meet and greet as part of her 4-day visit to Mindanao. (VP Leni Media Bureau)

SENATORIAL candidate Jejomar Binay on Wednesday expressed his support to the position of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and its workers opposing a full return to physical office work.

The former vice president urged the government to consider the appeal, saying “It will be in the best interest not only of the industry but of the economy if our economic managers heed the position taken by the industry and its workers.”

The former vice president said threatening BPO firms with the possible removal of incentives could

By Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER Sen. Chiz Escudero described as “far-fetched and incredulous” the alleged communist links of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo .

In his Twitter account, Escudero posted that although he and Robredo may have different positions on whether to retain or abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC, he does not believe Robredo plans to forge an alliance with rebels.

“I am in favor of the retention of the NTF-ELCAC ... [and] @lenirobredo may have a different position, but I find the allegation that she ... has entered into an alliance/agreement w/ the [communist] both farfetched [and] incredulous, to say the least,” said Escudero.

The Sorsogon governor is a guest candidate in the senatorial slate of the vice president.

Escudero has earlier expressed support for the NTF-ELCAC, saying the program has benefitted 16 barangays in his province. The agency implements the government’s Barangay Development Program.

Robredo has repeatedly said she is supportive of the “whole-of-nation” approach by the NTF-ELCAC, adding that what she is against is for the program to be used for “red-tagging.”

Robredo also urged her supporters to be respectful of the other presidential candidates amid their campaign for her. “Campaign for us, but be respectful of those who have different beliefs,” she said. With Rio N. Araja

Moreno completes 3-day campaign sortie in Bicol Sara woos crowd

By Rey E. Requejo

AKSYON Demokratiko bet and Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso wrapped up his three-day sortie in Bicol Region with a motorcade along the streets of Oas, Albay followed by a town hall meeting attended by thousands of Bicolanos who gave a warm welcome to Moreno and the rest of the Aksyon candidates.

“Well, my first 22 years with the Bicol-

ano inside the house, my wife is from Sorsogon and I’m happy to be here and many, many thanks to Bicolandia. It’s been three days now, Masbate, Sorsogon, Albay, and you saw that somehow in our modest way of reaching them they are really coming, there are many of them especially now that the barangay s quite far away so, thank you very much Bicolanos,” Moreno told reporters in Oas. Moreno will be in Bacolod City on

Wednesday along with senatorial bets Jopet Sison and John Castriciones. A series of motorcades and town hall meetings will be the highlight of Team Isko’s barnstorming of Negros Occidental.

Aksyon Demokratiko vice presidential bet Dr. Willie Ong will be in Bohol province together with senatorial bet Dr. Carl Balita as part of Team Isko’s strategy to cover as much ground as possible since the half-way of the national campaign draws near.

Binay supports work-from-home for BPO industry employees

By Joel E. Zurbano

Chiz: Robredo link with Reds is ‘far-fetched’

send the wrong signal to investors.

“Threatening BPO companies with a possible rescinding of incentives for non-compliance is too coercive. This sends the wrong signal to potential investors,” he added.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua was reported as saying that a return to physical office work is “part of returning to the new normal.”

But Binay said this view is already outdated and that workplace realities have evolved because of the pandemic.

“Economic managers should realize that the new normal also means accepting changing realities in the workplace,” he said.

FUEL SUBSIDY. Tricycle drivers receive P500 worth of fuel subsidy, distributed by the local government of Quezon City. More than 3,000 drivers received the fuel subsidy.

Manny Palmero

in Laguna and Pasay sorties

By Maricel V. Cruz

LAKAS Christian Muslim Democrats vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte has said the country can rise above the challenges brought by COVID-19 pandemic and the seeming unending battle against poverty, and security threats.

Duterte, addressing thousands of supporters in a series of campaign sorties in Laguna last week, said the achievements of Davao City during her one term as vice mayor and three terms as mayor are doable for the entire country.

“Nagagawa po yan ng mga tagaDavao, kaya po yan ng Pilipinas. Dahan-dahan po, tuloy-tuloy na kaunlaran para sa ating bansa,” she said, referring to Davao City’s citations as the fourth most competitive city in the country, eighth richest, and debt-free from more than P1 billion liabilities in 2016.

(We made it in Davao, we can also do it in the entire Philippines. Slowly but surely so to speak) Unity and peaceful life for Filipinos, she added, are the core advocacies of her vice presidential bid.

Julieta Mendoza, 44, housewife, said she looks forward to Mayor Duterte’s vice presidency given the milestones that Davao City has achieved.

Opinion PCGG’s factual answers to BBM’s false claims

A FEW days ago, an item appeared in one of this country’s leading newspapers that, for reasons best known to the newspaper ’s news editor, failed to get the prominent space that it clearly deserved. The item dealt with presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos – a.k.a.

BBM – and the claims that he had been making about his knowledge of and role in the concealment and disposition of the wealth illegally amassed by his parents President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.

The news item consisted almost entirely of the rebuttals of one-time Presidential Commission on Good Government commissioner Ruben Carranza to the I-didn’t-know and I-wasn’t-aware claims of the dictator ’s son and namesake. To make sure that the readers of the Manila Standard and other leading newspapers get to read what was said by Mr. Carranza, a first-rate attorney now associated with the US-based International Center for Transnational Justice, I am reproducing here the claims-versus-facts exchange between BBM and Carranza.

Claim No. 1 of the dictator ’s son is that he had “no role” in his family’s ill-gotten wealth. His second claim is that he should not be made to answer for his father ’s crimes.

Claim No. 3 is that he was not old enough to know about the deposits that his parents were making abroad during his father ’s dictatorial regime. BBM’s fourth claim is that he was not old enough in 1998, when the PCGG learned about the deposits made by his parents with the Panamanian corporation Arelma S.A. Carranza marshalled PCGG facts and factual figures to demolish BBM’s claims one by one. This is what he said by way of rebuttal of Mr. Marcos’ claims: Supreme Court records will bear out that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was very much involved in the case that resulted in a decision declaring Ferdinand Marcos’ and Imelda Marcos’ $678-million secret deposits

in Swiss banks as ill-gotten – and therefore forfeitable in favor of the Philippine government – wealth.

It was BBM who was asked by the Supreme Court to answer, and he did answer, questions regarding the contents of the said Swiss accounts.

When the dictator died in September 1989, it was BBM and his mother who assumed the management of his estate. That was to be expected, considering that BBM was the only male among the dictator ’s children.

Lies. Barefaced lies.

Bongbong Marcos was already 15 years old in 1973 when his father deposited assets worth $2 million with the New York Cityoffice of Merrill Lynch & Co. The deposit was made to the account of the Panama-registered corporation Arelma S.A. BBM was already 40 years old – very much a grown man – in 1998, when the PCGG discovered the placements.

The big difference between BBM and Ruben Carranza is that BBM has been making claims whereas the latter, a seasoned attorney, has been speaking with PCGG facts and factual figures as basis. Making claims is easy, but facts are facts.

Ferdinand Jr. has been saying that he had no knowledge of what his parents were doing; Carranza says that he did have knowledge. Ferdinand Jr. has been saying that he was unaware of what was going on around him during the martial-law years; Carranza insists that he was aware. Ferdinand Jr. claims he was not old enough to know that his parents were depositing large amounts of money abroad; Carransa asserts that at 15, Bongbong was old enough to know. And Carranza says BBM knew about the 1998 PCGG discovery of his parents’ Panamanian deposits because he was already 40 years old at that time.

In the face of the PCGG facts and factual figures, BBM’s I-wasnot-old-enough and I-didn’t-know claims can be dismissed as barefaced lies. The dictator ’s son and his supporters should stop making them. BBM was old enough to know about, was aware of, and was very much involved in the concealment and management of his parents’ ill-gotten wealth.

with any other election, the Comelev evidently bears a heavy burden as it performs its duty to ensure fair and transparent conduct of elections. At the same time, the agency has been frequently on the receiving end of various controversies that mar its integrity.

The Comelec faces numerous challenges.

While I believe that the agency remains faithful to its mandate, I call upon the commissioners to ensure proper discharge of their duties in accordance with our election laws. This coming election, as I mentioned before, is crucial to the recovery of the country against COVID-19. More than ever, Filipinos would want to be assured of the sanctity of their ballots. Now that the country is under a lenient alert level, I am confident that Comelec will have no impediments to maintaining transparency.

In our lifetime, this is our first election under a pandemic. Our current situation inevitably demands more from the agency compared to previous elections. Apart from complying with the usual safeguards provided for by law, Comelec is also met with the challenge of protecting voters from the spread of the virus.

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EDITORIAL

A fair and transparent election process

WITH less than two months to go, preparations for the 2022 national and local elections are still under way. This week, the Commission on Elections gave us a glimpse through its walk-through of the printing of the ballots and deployment of the vote-counting machines in the National Printing Office and its warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. This took place in response to the call of various election observers for transparency over the entire election process, as mandated by the law.

Election watchdogs have earlier decried the lack of transparency and the refusal of the Comelec to allow observers during the printing of the ballots. The agency, however, attributed this to the risks of the pandemic and strict protocols implemented at the time of printing.

The new officials of the Comelec gave their assurance that protocols will be re-evaluated to allow public monitoring of the remaining election preparations.

While 73.7 percent of the official ballots have already been printed, there is still much to be done. As

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

Courage and cowardice

T

HREE weeks into Russia’s unprovoked and criminal invasion of Ukraine, we have been witness to acts of tremendous courage from the Ukrainian people and their leaders.

As the Russian invaders pummeled civilian targets—hospitals, apartment buildings, schools and food warehouses—with rockets and artillery fire, killing thousands of non-combatants, including almost 100 children, the Ukrainian spirit to defend freedom and their way of life remained unbroken.

Unlike the disgraced ex-president of Afghanistan who fled his capital last year even before the Taliban entered the city, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was a beacon of hope and courage, remaining in Kyiv as the Russian forces moved to surround the capital, and vowing that Ukrainians would “fight to the end… in the forests, in the fields, on the shores (and) in the streets.”

Under perilous conditions, ordinary Ukrainians have shown a remarkable willingness to fulfill this promise.

In stark contrast, the Russian invaders and their leader, the dictator Vladimir Putin, exhibited only craven behavior, specifically targeting innocent civilians whose lives they upended, using barbaric siege tactics that were long banned by the Geneva

Convention.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines terrorism as “the use of violence, or the threat of violence, to frighten people in order to achieve a political, social, or religious goal.” By this definition, Putin and the soldiers carrying out his illegal orders are terrorists of the first order, cowardly using their military might to subjugate a smaller, sovereign state.

The invaders have exhibited craven behavior.

Putin, as tyrants are wont to do, has cracked down on dissent in his home country, arresting thousands who protested his illegal war and threatened to throw them behind bars for years under draconian measures only recently announced, and used the state-run media to brainwash millions of his subjects in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable.

Amid all this, the Ukrainian courage

has been infectious. Just this week, the prime ministers of three neighboring European Union countries—Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia—made a perilous journey by train to meet Zelenski in Kyiv, a city under siege.

In a press conference after the meeting Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told Ukrainians “Europe stands with you.”

“The main goal of our visit and the main message of our mission is to say to our Ukrainian friends that they are not alone,” he added.

The words of encouragement are most welcome, as are the lethal and non-lethal aid that other countries have provided, but throughout Ukraine’s ordeal, the United States and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have refused to provide Kyiv with the one request that could turn the war—a no-fly zone to prevent Russia from ruling the skies over Ukraine.

This they have been reluctant to do for fear it could trigger a wider war in Europe, as Putin brandishes his nuclear weapons.

In their reluctance to move, however, the US and NATO are allowing the madman in Moscow to slaughter thousands of civilians and lay waste to Ukrainian cities. Certainly they can rise above their fears and do better than that.

Leni Robredo’s surge

LAST weekend, I had a very interesting conversation with an old friend who has been in many political battles and is now in the camp of VP Leni Robredo. I complimented him about the huge crowds attending Robredo’s campaign rallies in places like Bacolod and Cavite.

This must have hit a raw nerve because it started a very animated conversation. He said that for the first time, those working in the Robredo campaign are beginning to truly believe that the election will be a lot closer and that VP Robredo has a very realistic chance of winning.

One reason for their optimism is apparently due to the tracking that Google has been doing that shows VP Leni Robredo winning over BBM in all the regions except Region 1. This winning all the regions with the exception of the Ilocos Region may be a stretch. What the Google tracking tool is telling us, at best, is that the contest is tightening in the last few weeks of the campaign. Besides, the non-supporters almost certainly do not believe this because many believe that BBM is already the sure winner due to all surveys saying so including the latest of March 15.

Google however, is not new to political trending. It has been doing this for some time not only here but in other countries as well. For instance, it predicted the victory of President Duterte in 2016 as well as the election of former President Donald Trump of the United States. The February 22 to March 5 trending shows a Leni victory – contradicting all published polling surveys. I do not know the exact Ultimately, we need to ensure that the Comelec is capable and competent to conduct safe and credible elections. As citizens, we are entitled to the holding of free, orderly, honest, peaceful, fair, and transparent elections.

I call on the national government to extend its assistance to the com-

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

methodology that Google is using but if this tracking is accurate, this will remind us of what happened in the 2016 presidential elections. In 2016, for the most part of the campaign, it was Senator Grace Poe who was leading until about nine to eight weeks before the election when President Duterte started to surge in the polls.

It was a very quick turnaround which was never explained satisfactorily by political analysts. It seems that the people simply decided to shift their votes to President Duterte. Could this be happening to Leni Robredo? The crowds in her recent rallies are indeed surprising and could be an indication of this so-called surge.

Most of all, my friend said, she is honest.

The last one in Cagayan for instance was also huge considering that it is part of BBM’s solid north. In addition, there are many local politicians this late endorsing VP Robredo which is not a sign of someone who will lose. From what I was reliably told about that rally in Bacolod, the local government unit did not initially agree for the rally to be held at the city Plaza but the residents and supporters apparently insisted until the city government finally relented.

The exuberance and enthusiasm of the recent Robredo rally crowds have also been very contagious.

That is perhaps the reason why Leni’s campaign team is now feeling optimistic about their chances.

It has to be said, however, that this Google tracking is only for BBM and Leni Robredo and does not include the other candidates.

My friend could not explain why the other candidates are not included in the Google tracking.

•••

mission as much as it is needed. I ask the executive department as well as the local governments to give the necessary support to Comelec to ensure that the election will be held in the most organized way possible.

With a well-prepared poll body, we can be assured of smooth and secure elections on May 9.

We often hear that Leni Robredo is a weak leader perhaps because of her gender and might also be due to the way President Duterte has treated her. We have heard the President say more than once that VP Robredo is not qualified to become president. In all this time, she has been completely ignored and never given a position long enough for her to prove her worth.

But from what I have learned, she has one outstanding trait that we need in a leader. This is the fact that when she takes a position on an issue, she would stand by that decision and will unlikely reverse her stand. She also believes that once someone works for her, she expects that person to be committed and be counted upon. As my friend insisted, she is so unlike other politicians who believe that everything is negotiable.

Most of all, as my friend again emphasized, Leni Robredo is honest.

But with the time remaining, can the Robredo campaign maintain its momentum and win? This presidential election is so critical, considering the perilous times we are in. It is not only all about our many local problems. There is also a war going on that has the potential of spreading, not to mention what will happen if China decides at some future date to enforce its claim over Taiwan by force.

The challenges that await the winner, whoever it turns out to be, are enormous.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net)

Lies and hypocrisy

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

North Korea monster missile explodes after launch: South NORTH Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile that exploded mid-air shortly after launch, Seoul said Wednesday, with analysts warning it was likely a failed test of Pyongyang’s so-called “monster missile.”

The launch – North Korea’s tenth suspected weapons test this year – comes after the United States said the nuclear-armed country was preparing to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) “at full range” for the first time since 2017.

Despite biting international sanctions over its weapons programmes, Pyongyang conducted seven missile tests in January and twice launched components of what it claimed was a “reconnaissance satellite.”

South Korea and the US said last week those tests were actually of a new ICBM system that has never been launched before – likely the Hwasong-17, dubbed a “monster missile” by analysts after it was first unveiled at a parade in October 2020.

The suspected ballistic missile “seems to have exploded in midair shortly after launch,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP. The launch was from the Sunan area in Pyongyang around 09:30 am (1230 GMT), they said – the same site as the February 27 and March 5 “satellite” tests.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has long coveted an ICBM that can carry multiple warheads, and the US said last week the recent tests marked a “serious escalation” of the country’s weapons programs.

But the specialist NK News site reported that the Wednesday launch ended in “catastrophic failure” with a red-tinged ball of smoke zigzagging across the sky as debris fell near the capital.

The US military this week said it had “enhanced” missile defense systems in South Korea.

North Korea has carried out three ICBM tests – the last in November 2017 of a Hwasong-15 – deemed powerful enough to reach Washington and the rest of the continental United States.

But the country has been observing a self-imposed moratorium on testing longrange and nuclear weapons since leader Manila Kim Jong Un embarked on a flurry of Standard high-level diplomacy in 2018.

TODAY Negotiations with Donald Trump, US president at the time, collapsed a year later and since then Kim has doubled down on his plans to modernise his military while ignoring US offers of talks. AFP NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION The public is hereby notified that SOVEREIGN VENTURES INCORPORATED, a corporation organized and existing under Philippine laws, with registered address at Room 1504 Horizon Condominium, Meralco Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines, will be DISSOLVED through shortening of its corporate term in accordance with Section 136 of the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines. The corporation’s dissolution will automatically take effect on the day following the last day of its shortened corporate term as stated in the corporation’s amended articles of incorporation, without the need for the issuance by the Securities and Exchange Commission of a certificate of dissolution

(MS-MAR. 10/17/24, 2022)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 217, QUEZON CITY MARSIAN INDUSTRIAL SALES AND SUPPLY CORPORATION, duly represented by LUIS BENEDICTO N. ONG, Plaintiff, -vsCIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-19-07023-CV AGA & SONS CONSTRUCTION & DEVLOPMENT CORPORATION, Defendant, x----------------------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE WHEREAS, by virtue ofthe Writ of Execution dated November 4,2020, issued by the HON. DOLLY ROSE R. BOLANTEPRADO, Acting Presiding Judge of this Court, in the aboveentitled case, which plaintiff has recovered in our Court against defendant for the recovery of the Philippine Currency per plaintiff’s counsel computed amount of claims, in the amount of the sum of SIX HUNDRED FORTY ONE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED SIXTY SIX PESOS and SIXTY SEVEN 67/100 CENTAVOS(Php641,666.67) plus interests until fully paid, of which real property [ building or improvements only] is being levied before the Assessor’s Office, Pasig City and said property is located and more particularly described as follows, to wit: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.....................TAX DECLARATION NUMBER E-022-13050, containing an area of total:180.70 sq. m ...... Located at Eusebio Ave., San Miguel, Pasig City .......

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Registered for Taxation purposes in the name of AGA & SONS CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENTCORPORATION. NOW THEREFORE, by virtue of the said Writ of Execution and in accordance with the provision of the Rules of Court, the undersigned Sheriff, hereby gives notice to all interested parties and to the public in general, that on April 21,2022 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter at the main entrance ofthe Hall of Justice Bldg.

Annex, City Hall Compound, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, the undersigned will SELL at public auction to the highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the above-described personal property [ building only], in order to satisfy the writ of execution together with all the expenses for the execution and sale.

This Notice of Sheriff’s Sale will be published in a newspaper of general circulation accredited in the office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City, once a week for three consecutive weeks. The first publication to take place at least twenty [20] days before the date of auction sale.

Likewise, three [3] copies of this notice shall be posted in three [3] public places where the property is located. Also, copies of the-same will be posted in the bulletin board of the City Hall of Quezon City, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City, and this Court.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjOined to investigate for themselves the Tax Declaration of said property, and the encumbrances if any.

Please be guided accordingly.

Quezon City for Pasig City, February 21, 2022.

(Sgd.) REYNALDO B. MADOLARIA Sheriff IV Copy Furnished: All Concerned parties.

(MStandard - Mar. 17, 24 & 31, 2022)

IN BRIEF Sokor hits record 400,000 daily cases

COVID FATALITIES. Workers move the bodies of deceased people from a truck into a refrigerated container at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary in Hong Kong on March 16, 2022, amid the city’s worst-ever COVID-19 outbreak that has seen overflowing hospitals and morgues and a frantic expansion of the city’s spartan quarantine camp system. AFP

US steps up Ukraine aid amid pressure vs. Russia T HE United States is set to unveil a fresh round of security assistance to Ukraine Wednesday, a White House official said, as Western leaders faced mounting pressure to stop Russia’s bombardment of civilians and peace talks made halting progress.

The official said President Joe Biden will on Wednesday unveil another $800 million worth of military aid, expected to include more of the anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles that have helped slow Russia’s threeweek-old invasion to a crawl.

The package will bring “the total (aid) announced in the last week alone to $1 billion,” said the official.

The move will coincide with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s landmark virtual address to the US Congress – when he is expected to intensify pleas for NATO allies to intervene directly to stop Russian attacks.

In a late-night video message, Zelensky urged his beleaguered compatriots to fight on against Russia’s vastly larger military, even as he suggested the conflict would end in a negotiated settlement.

“All wars end with an agreement,” he said, pointing to a “difficult” but “important” ongoing round of talks between representatives from Kyiv and Moscow.

“Meetings continue,” he added.

“As I am told, positions during the talks now sound more realistic. But we still need time, so the decisions are made in the interest of Ukraine.”

Fake heiress Anna Sorokin remains in custody in the US FAKE heiress Anna “Delvey” Sorokin remains in custody in the United States, US immigration authorities said on Tuesday, despite reports she was about to be deported to Germany.

Sorokin, who was jailed in 2019 for scamming hundreds of thousands of dollars from hotels, banks and friends and who inspired a hit series on Netflix, “remains in ICE custody pending removal,” the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said.

US media had reported on Monday that Sorokin, who carried out her scams under the assumed name of “Anna Delvey,” was about to be extradited to Germany on a Frankfurt-bound flight.

Her lawyer Manny Arora, who did not respond to requests for comment from AFP, confirmed to the British tabloid The Daily Mail that he had filed an emergency appeal late Monday to stop a deportation order dated February 17, and valid for 30 days, and to postpone it for another month.

He also confirmed a report by the New York Post on Monday, that Sorokin had left the ICE detention center in Goshen, north of New York City – where she has been detained for a year – to board the flight to Frankfurt.

But a spokesman for the police at Frankfurt airport said Sorokin had not arrived there as of Tuesday afternoon, and US immigration authorities said she had never left her detention facility.

Amid all the confusion, Sorokin was

due to appear Wednesday on the Spotify podcast “Call Her Daddy,” which focuses on sex and relationships. Spotify said the interview had been pre-recorded by host Alexandra Cooper from Sorokin’s detention facility.

In the podcast, Sorokin denied she was a fraudster, saying “I’m like a performer,” according to The Daily Mail.

The 31-year-old Russian-German citizen managed in 2016 and 2017 to deceive New York’s elites by posing as a wealthy heiress, when in fact she was the daughter of a truck driver originally from the suburbs of Moscow.

Sorokin was sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison but was released in February 2021 for good behavior, only to be arrested again the next month for overstaying her visa.

Capable of weaving skillful lies with extraordinary aplomb, the young woman posed as a German heiress with a fortune of $60 million, allowing her to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in loans from several banks.

Between November 2016 and August 2017, she traveled for free by private jet and lived on credit in Manhattan hotels, without ever paying a cent, according to New York prosecutors, who estimated her frauds totaled to around $275,000.

Sorokin, who first arrived in New York in 2013, had even tried to obtain a $22 million loan to launch a select club in Manhattan. AFP

SOUTH Korea reported more than 400,000 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, a new record, as the country continues to ease restrictions despite the Omicron-fueled wave of infections.

Health authorities said 400,741 cases were recorded, the country’s highest daily figure since the pandemic began two years ago.

The latest spike in cases is the “last biggest challenge” facing the country, Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, told a press briefing.

The government had anticipated caseloads in this ballpark, he said, adding that they believed they were nearing the peak of the Omicron wave.

“If we overcome this crisis we will step closer to returning to normalcy,” he added.

South Korea leads the world in newly reported cases in the last seven days, according to WHO data, with 2,358,878 cases, followed by Vietnam with 1,795,380.

The vast majority of South Korea’s eligible population has been vaccinated and boosted, and despite the record number of infections in the country of 52 million people, death rates remain very low. AFP

China ups bed spaces amid Omicron spread CHINA has moved to free up hospital beds

Recent days have seen an uptick as officials on Wednesday reported thouin Russian strikes on civilian tarsands of new cases from an Omicron-led gets, including in Kyiv and the becoronavirus outbreak that has put millions sieged port city of Mariupol where under lockdown and raised fears for the there is a critical lack of food, water health system. and medicine.

The country recorded 3,290 new COSome 20,000 residents of the VID-19 cases on Wednesday, including 11 southern city have been allowed severe cases. to leave, but exhausted, shivering The total was down on Tuesday’s count evacuees speak of harrowing escape of more than 5,000, but the highly transmisjourneys and rotting corpses littersible variant is posing the sternest challenge ing the streets. yet to China’s ‘zero-COVID’ strategy to One of them, Mykola, who asked contain the pandemic. not to give his full name, drove China, where the first virus case emerged his wife and two young children in Wuhan in late 2019, has not officially rethrough a minefield to escape and to ported any COVID-related deaths for more avoid Russian checkpoints. than a year.

“This is the first time I have been Under strict COVID-19 protocols, the able to breathe in weeks,” he said. country previously sent all patients with any The conflict has already sent symptoms to specialist hospitals. more than three million UkrainiBut a steep jump in cases, which has led MAGENTA YELLOW ans fleeing across the border, andCYAN to the 17.5 million residents ofBLACK the southern a peaceful resolution still seems tech hub of Shenzhen being locked down beyond reach. AFP and restrictions imposed on Shanghai and

UN promotes bicycle use vs. climate change THE 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday supporting bicycles as a tool for combatting climate change.

The resolution, proposed by Turkmenistan, was passed unanimously and like all General Assembly resolutions is non-binding.

It calls on member states to “integrate the bicycle into public transportation, in urban and rural settings in developing and developed countries.”

Increasing cycling through improved road safety and the promotion of bike-riding will help achieve “sustainable development, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” according to the resolution.

More specifically, the resolution encourages member states to “give special attention to cycling in crosscutting development strategies, including bicycle sharing services,” as well as when possible in “international, regional, national and subnational development policies and programs.” AFP

FAILED TEST. People

watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test at a railway station in Seoul on March 16, 2022, after Pyongyang fired an ‘unidentified projectile’ but appeared to have immediately failed according to Seoul’s military. AFP

other cities, has driven concerns over looming bed shortages.

The National Health Commission late Tuesday said patients with mild COVID cases could isolate at a central quarantine facility to ease pressure on hospitals. AFP

Quarantine lifted for int’l travelers: Vietnam VIETNAM announced an end to quarantine for international travellers on Wednesday, as it seeks to restart its tourism industry after two years of strict Covid-19 restrictions.

The only virus requirement for visitors will be a negative Covid test, the country’s ministry of health said in a statement.

The communist state’s tourism sector was worth up to $32 billion a year before the pandemic, but it ground to a standstill during the pandemic as the government restricted travel.

Virus curbs have slowly been eased in recent months, with visitors trickling back in since November to play golf at resorts, under a bubble arrangement.

Vietnam also announced the resumption of 15 days’ visa-free travel for citizens from 13 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Britain, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus.

The country, which has a population of 97 million, is still reporting nearly 200,000 new Covid cases a day as the Omicron variant sweeps through.

But the health ministry says the situation “remains under control” with hospitalisation and death rates staying low. AFP

Guatemala shelves abortion, LGBT law GUATEMALA’S conservative-dominated parliament on Tuesday shelved a controversial law that ramped up prison sentences for women who choose to have an abortion and banned gay marriage, just days after passing it.

President Alejandro Giammattei last week called for the law to be abandoned after it was passed by his allies in Congress, saying he would veto it if it came to his desk because it violates the constitution and international agreements signed by the country.

According to a statement published by the parliament, the bill was shelved following a lawmakers’ meeting.

The so-called Life and Family Protection Law would have punished women who had “induced their own abortion or given their consent to another person to carry it out” with 10 years behind bars – more than three times the current sentence of three years.

AFP

Business PSEi March 16, 2022

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2 3 4 5

T FCG V ROCK PHR

0.88 0.58 0.77 1.46 1.02

0.11 0.06 0.07 0.13 0.09

14.29% 11.54% 10.00% 9.77% 9.68%

6 7 8 9 10

LCB OPM ANS FGEN IPO

0.172 0.012 8.9 26.75 7.23

0.015 0.001 0.7 2.1 0.54

9.55% 9.09% 8.54% 8.52% 8.07%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2 3 4 5

PA ABG SOC RLT ROX

2.51 4.21 0.57 0.215 1.21

-0.48 -0.49 -0.05 -0.018 -0.09

-16.05% -10.43% -8.06% -7.73% -6.92%

6 7 8 9 10

ATNB DIZ LFM NI MRC

0.56 5.15 21 0.95 0.255

-0.04 -0.34 -1.2 -0.04 -0.01

-6.67% -6.19% -5.41% -4.04% -3.77%

B3

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks end flat; SM Prime and Metrobank lead losers

S

TOCKS closed virtually unchanged Wednesday, with investors wary over proposals to suspend the excise tax on fuel that could set back economic recovery from the pandemic.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 6.53 points, or 0.09 percent, to 7,026.45 on a value turnover of P7.8 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 119 to 59, with 55 issues unchanged.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has rejected proposals to suspend the excise tax on fuel to reduce the impact of higher oil prices on consumers, saying they will only end up subsidizing the expenses of affluent families more than those of low-income households.

Fiber broadband provider Converge

ICT Solutions Inc. rose 7.7 percent to P23.70, but SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group fell 2.7 percent to P37.95.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. of the Ty Group, the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, declined 1.4 percent to P52.25, while JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group slipped 1.3 percent to P58.

The rest of Asian equities rallied Wednesday after their recent rout, with Hong Kong leading the way after Chinese authorities pledged to provide support and stability to the country’s troubled markets.

Traders were piling back into regional stocks to snap up bargains in the wake of a sell-off fueled by concerns about the war in Ukraine, the US Federal Reserve’s plans to start hiking interest rates and COVID outbreaks in China that threaten its growth outlook.

Shanghai’s Composite Index joined in the rally, putting on more than three percent.

The rest of Asia also enjoyed a much-

needed bright day. Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok and Mumbai were all up more than one percent. Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were also well up.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was at the forefront, with an eye-watering spike of more than nine percent that came after a report by the official Xinhua news agency saying China will keep the stock market stable and support overseas share listings.

The report, which cited a meeting chaired by Vice Premier Liu He, came after a series of pieces in state media looking to boost sentiment.

“China’s state economic policy apparatus is taking significant coordinated steps to support risk sentiment,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.

“These include State Council support for overseas listings, engaging with the US on (New York-listed stocks), and perhaps most importantly, suggesting that regulation of its big tech firms will end soon. With AFP

MOST ACTIVE 1

SMPH

VOLUME 18,645,300

VALUE (PHP) 708,146,780

2 3 4

ALI ICT BDO

12,266,500 1,949,740 3,130,040

436,184,840 426,104,104 402,243,122

5 6 7 8

SM TEL BPI CNVRG

443,920 230,110 3,890,000 13,474,700

396,036,375 394,951,035 369,808,055 313,754,105

9 10

MBT JGS

5,680,560 4,590,360

296,974,620 266,601,082

IMPOUNDED. This photograph taken on March 15, 2022 shows the 85-meter long, St Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged yacht 'Valerie,' moored in the port of Barcelona. The yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch was impounded in the Spanish port of Barcelona, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the yacht seized is named Valerie, which it linked to Rostec defense firm chief Sergei Chemezov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. AFP

Fed poised to increase interest rates to curb inflation WASHINGTON, United States—US central bankers on Wednesday are poised to take the first step to raise borrowing costs in a bid to cap rising inflation before it surges out of control.

The Federal Reserve will have to walk a tightrope to ensure its efforts don’t derail the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine introduces new uncertainty in an economy battered by supply chain snarls and labor shortages.

“There is no good answer to that in any economics textbook,” David Wilcox, a former senior Fed advisor, told AFP, stressing that communication from the central bank about its willingness to act will be key in pulling off its balancing act.

The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee is due to announce its rate decision at 1800 GMT, when its two-day meeting concludes.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said he favors increasing the benchmark

interest rate by 0.25 percentage points from zero, where it has been since March 2020.

It would be the first in a series of hikes, which would pull back on the stimulus rushed into place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Fed chief has expressed confidence that inflation will retreat in the coming months as supply chain issues and shortages are resolved in the world’s largest economy.

But China’s latest lockdowns of several cities, affecting tens of millions of people and closing off a key supplier to American tech giant Apple, shows the pandemic and its disruptions are not over.

Policymakers are better equipped to handle inflation that is too high rather than too low, as was the case in the decade following the 2008 global financial crisis, during which inflation and employment were slow to recover.

However, with the annual consumer

price index growing 7.9 percent in February, its fastest pace in four decades, the central bank faces intense criticism that it missed the inflation danger, and has moved too slowly in response to rising prices for cars, housing and food.

And the war in Ukraine together with Western sanctions on Russia have sent oil prices surging, although they retreated Tuesday closing below $100 a barrel for the first time in three weeks.

“The Federal Reserve’s delays in raising interest rates and its continued misreading of inflation, monetary and fiscal policies are now complicated by the negative supply shock imposed

by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Mickey Levy of Berenberg Capital Markets.

“Even without the surge in oil and commodity prices, the Fed is wrong on every count,” Levy wrote in a column in The Wall Street Journal, saying the central bank “must begin to raise rates.” AFP

Shenzhen lockdown unnerves investors BEIJING, China—Its factories tool the world with mobile phones, while some of China’s best tech brains go there to churn out apps and games— but Shenzhen is now in lockdown as the coronavirus inflicts economic pain on the country and rattles markets.

Residents in the city of 17.5 million—sometimes dubbed China’s answer to Silicon Valley—have been ordered not to leave unless necessary and public transport has been halted as the country battles its worst virus outbreak in two years.

Most firms have been told to switch to working from home, which is impossible for many factories whose disruption is fueling unease over supply chains and services. But how significant is Shenzhen to China’s economy?

Home to Chinese tech giants including Huawei and Tencent, Shenzhen ranks third among Chinese cities in economic output meaning any prolonged closure will be felt sharply.

“It is a manufacturing hub and also a tech center for China,” Hong Hao, of financial services firm Bocom International, told AFP. Already, major Apple supplier Foxconn has suspended operations in Shenzhen while other tech manufacturers such as Netac Technology also halted some production.

Mechanical and electronic products make up 80 percent of exports from the southern powerhouse, which neighbors Hong Kong.

“This is a very significant lockdown and I think the full impact is yet to be revealed,” Hong added.

Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist of Pinpoint Asset Management, said consumption would be “hurt quickly and severely” in a lockdown, followed by production and investment.

“It’s a ripple effect,” Hong of Bocom said, noting that other parts of China which depend on Shenzhen’s output could be hit.

“They would be working less efficiently than before.”

At least six companies on Apple’s supplier list are based in Shenzhen, where other producers such as electricvehicle firm BYD are also based.

But some businesses deemed essential remain open. AFP

European Union freezes champagne, luxury car, apparel exports to Russia BRUSSELS, Belgium—The EU on Tuesday banned exports of champagne, high-end cars, fashion apparel, expensive electronics and sports gear to Russia as part of a new round of sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

The 29-page list of now-prohibited luxury items was published in the European Union’s Official Journal, which announces legal decisions by the 27-nation bloc, giving detail to broad sanctions outlines announced last week by EU leaders.

The published EU sanctions package adds 15 individuals—including oligarchs Roman Abramovich and German Khan, as well as people deemed “propagandists” for Russia—and nine key companies in Russia’s aviation, military, shipbuilding and machine-building sectors.

Also banned were investments in and assistance to Russia’s energy sector and imports from Russia of finished steel.

Credit rating agencies were also barred from evaluating Russian institutions

and companies.

The ban on luxury exports from the EU to Russia was an effort “trying to target the elite, the oligarchs” in Russia, an EU official told journalists on condition of not being identified.

He said that total EU luxury sales to Russia were worth 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) per year—less than five percent of the value of global exports from the bloc—but cautioned that thresholds applied, so not all of that would dry up.

“We only want to target those products that will be luxury goods... so that we do not hit the ordinary Russian that wants to purchase home appliances or other cars which are of less value,” another EU official said.

Thus the export ban would apply to cars worth over 50,000 euros, electronic items such as home appliances worth over 750 euros, cameras and sound recording equipment over 1,000 euros and musical instruments over 1,500 euros. AFP

Uncertainty for Russian tourists in Turkey hotspot as war rages

By Fulya Ozerkan ANTALYA, Turkey—With its shimmering azure waters, secluded coves and golden sands, Turkey’s Mediterranean coast is a destination beloved by Russian tourists, nearly five million of whom visited last year.

But many visitors currently on holiday in the area now fear they will be unable to return home because of extensive Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Restrictions on card payments and flight operations have also raised fears of a slump in Russian tourism to Turkey, a key source of revenues for Ankara.

Holidaymaker Margarita Sabatnikaya, 31, says her vacation plans have been thrown into doubt and that she fears being stranded.

“We have come here for a holiday with our children. It’s unclear when we’ll return to Russia, by which plane,” she said.

Sabatnikaya said that she wanted to continue her holiday but her bank cards had stopped working.

“It’s unclear how to stay here and how to survive,” she said.

While flag carrier Turkish Airlines says

flights to and from Russia will “continue for the moment,” no frills carrier Pegasus has suspended its services leaving its customers desperate to rebook elsewhere.

Dozens of Western countries have banned Russian planes from their airspace while some carriers operating flights to Russia have had their insurance policies cancelled.

Some Turkish holiday operators have cited the impact of Western sanctions when canceling the plans of their Russian clients.

US card giants MasterCard and Visa have suspended their Russian operations, although Russian cardholders in Turkey are able access to their funds through Russia’s homegrown payments system Mir. “We heard the company that brought us here stopped flights but I am not sure,” said Russian tourist Anton Gavrilov, 34.

“Of course I had a little bit of cash but if I’d like to pay with my card I don’t know if it will be possible for me,” he added having swapped the icy Moscow winter for Turkey’s sun-kissed Mediterranean coast.

‘Very serious’ The damage wrought on Turkey’s crucial travel industry will depend on how

Anastasia Zanolotnaya, 27, diving instructor who has been living in Antalya for four years poses on March 12, 2022 in Antalya.

Many in Turkey fear the losses risk being catastrophic in the short term and create logistical nightmares for operators. AFP

long sanctions on Russia are enforced for, industry experts say.

But there is a chance that Russians fleeing their homeland could offset some of the losses, they say.

“We foresee that the impact of this crisis on Antalya tourism will be very serious,” Anna Yigit, deputy general manager of an Antalya resort hotel, told AFP.

“We are prepared for it, we have antibodies!”

Around 4.5 million Russian and two million Ukrainian tourists descended on Turkey last year.

The government was hoping for a post-COVID rebound this year, with a target of almost $35 billion (38 billion euros) in total tourism revenues, back

at pre-pandemic levels.

“Russians were among number one arrivals for Turkey before the pandemic, maybe this year Turkey was on course for 10-15 million Russian tourists,” said Washington Institute fellow Soner Cagaptay.

All this “will be lost if the sanctions are so severe that the Russian middle class won’t be able to afford travel to Turkey,” he said.

Turkey has weathered a drought of Russian tourists before when, in the first half of 2016, Ankara shot down a Russian warplane over Syria.

In this conflict Turkey has sought to avoid antagonizing the Kremlin despite Kyiv using Turkish drones in the battlefield.

‘Don’t know what to do’ Holidaymaker Gavrilov said he fears this holiday will be his last as sanctions have caused the ruble to reach all-time lows against the dollar.

“It will be really hard to afford a trip for family,” he said.

Hoteliers in Turkey’s resorts have been left guessing how many Russian guests will pull out of their bookings, although there has not yet been a wave of cancellations. AFP

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

B4

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, March 16, 2022 6.53 PTS. 7,026.45

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

1,320,560,853 101,004 7,755,767,408.00

ADVANCES

119

DECLINES

59

UNCHANGED

55

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

52.4020

Japan

Yen

0.008453

0.4430

UK

Pound

1.304100

68.3374

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127755

6.6946

Switzerland

Franc

1.062361

55.6698

Canada

Dollar

0.783331

41.0481

Singapore

Dollar

0.732332

38.3757

Australia

Dollar

0.719500

37.7032

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

139.0084

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266553

13.9679

Brunei

Dollar

0.729661

38.2357

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.029842

1.5638

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.2684

Euro

Euro

1.095100

57.3854

Korea

Won

0.000805

0.0422

China

Yuan

0.156993

8.2267

India

Rupee

0.013087

0.6858

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237812

12.4618

New Zealand

Dollar

0.676900

35.4709

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034986

1.8333 Source: BSP

ATI bares over P5b in capital spending to modernize ports

Business

January remittances grew 2.5% to $2.67b—BSP data

By Julito G. Rada

M

ONEY sent home by Filipinos working overseas grew 2.5 percent in January to $2.668 billion from $2.603 billion a year ago, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

The January figure, however, was lower than the record $2.987 billion received in December 2021.

The BSP in a statement attributed the expansion of cash remittances to the increase in receipts from land-based and sea-based workers, which rose 2.9 percent to $2.103 billion from $2.044 billion, and 1.2 percent to $565 million from $558 million, respectively.

“The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Japan and Singapore contributed largely to the increase in remittances in January 2022,” the BSP said.

The US remained the largest source of remittances, accounting for 41.2 percent of the total in January, followed by Singapore, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United

Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Taiwan, Qatar and Malaysia.

The combined remittances from these top 10 countries accounted for 79.6 percent of the total.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also grew 2.5 percent to $2.966 billion in January from $2.895 billion a year ago.

“The increase in personal remittances in January was due to remittances sent by land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more, which grew by 2.9 percent to $2.283 billion from $2.219 billion in the same month last year, and sea- and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year, which increased by 1.2 percent to $617 million from $609 million a year

ago,” the BSP said.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said cash remittances in January seasonally slowed down after posting a record high of $2.987 billion in December.

Ricafort said remittances were “also offset by the weaker peso exchange rate in recent months that could have somewhat reduced remittances sent to pay for the same amount of spending/ expenses in pesos in the country.”

“Furthermore, improved global economic recovery prospects somewhat mitigated by some soft patch in January 2022 after the spike in new COVID-19 cases during the holiday gatherings in some host countries that led to some restrictions,” he said.

Ricafort said the Russia-Ukraine war since Feb. 24 was expected to slow down global economic recovery prospects after the increase in the prices of oil and other commodities that could lead to higher inflation and could effectively slow down economic business activities in some host countries.

By Darwin G. Amojelar ASIAN Terminals Inc. said Wednesday it will spend more than P5 billion in capital expenditures this year on the upgrade of major port gateways for a smarter and faster Philippine supply chain.

The port operator said the planned investment in 2022 would support ports and logistics infrastructure projects across key sites in Manila, Batangas and Laguna. It said the acquisition of more modern and eco-friendly equipment was in step with its growth strategy and investment commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority.

It said part of the investment program is the expansion of yard and berth facilities in Manila South Harbor to handle growing container volumes and bigger ships deployed by freight carriers.

This would result in quicker and safer terminal turn-around-time for port users and move ATI closer to increasing the international trade gateway’s annual throughput capacity from 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units to nearly 2 million TEUs by 2024.

ATI said that in line with government’s “Build, Build, Build” flagship program, it is also upgrading the Batangas Passenger Terminal as it transforms the key maritime asset into the biggest, best and busiest interisland transport hub in the country.

Phase 1 of the BPT expansion will be operational by the second quarter in time for the summer peak season.

Upon completion in 2023, the new BPT will resemble the fast-craft terminals in Hong Kong and Macau, featuring fully air-conditioned boarding lounges, food and entertainment kiosks and other modern amenities, including facilities for differently abled passengers.

“As a trade enabler, we are very bullish of our infrastructure projects which would enable us to deliver faster, safer, and market-responsive services to our customers and further contribute to the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery,” ATI executive director William Khoury said.

ATI said revenues rose 1.8 percent in 2021 to P11.16 billion from P10.96 billion in 2020 on the back of higher container volumes.

Manila Water Company Inc. is spending P13.7 billion on the construction of new facilities and networks to expand service coverage, rehabilitation and improvement on existing assets and facilities for both water and wastewater, compliance projects relating to biological nutrient removal for wastewater facilities, and the implementation of interim water source projects.

PNB income rose 12 times to P31.7b on swap deals PHILIPPINE National Bank said Wednesday consolidated net income amounted to P31.7 billion in 2021, or 12 times higher than the bottom line in 2020, on the back of gains from the properties-for-share swap with PNB Holdings Corp.

Income from core banking operations amounted to P40.1 billion in 2021, up 2 percent year-on-year despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“PNB continued to be profitable and was able to provide non-stop banking services to customers and the general public during the pandemic,” said PNB president and chief executive Jose Arnulfo Veloso.

“We continued to play our part in helping customers and employees by building safer banking processes and services amidst the continuing pandemic situation,” he said.

Net service fees and commissions grew 43 percent, driven by higher loan-related and deposit-related transactions and significant bancassurance and underwriting deals completed last year. This was supplemented by the upward traction on fees from the increasing use of the Bank’s digital platform.

Net interest income was stable at P34.8 billion in 2021, and managed to maintain a net interest margin of 3.2 percent. The bank’s loan portfolio grew 1 percent to P607.0 billion as of end-2021, while total deposits increased year-onyear by P4.6 billion, closing at P894.9 billion as of end-2021.

Core operating income was complemented by a P33.4-billion gain from the properties-for-share swap completed during the year with PNB Holdings. This is part of a series of transactions which aim to monetize the value of the bank’s low-earnings assets.

IN BRIEF HSBC provides support to Pagudpud wind farm

NEW BPI HEADQUARTERS. Bank of the Philippine Islands breaks ground on the new AAA-grade headquarters to be built at a cost of P13.6 billion at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati City, the site of the previous BPI building.

Leading the ceremony are (from left) BPI executive vice president and chief operating officer Ramon Jocson, executive vice president and head of corporate banking Juan Carlos Syquia, Ayala Corp. director Cezar Consing, BPI president and chief executive Jose Teodoro Limcaoco, Ayala Corp. and BPI chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay-Campos, Ayala Corp. president and chief executive and Ayala Land Inc. chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, ALI president and chief executive Bernard Vincent Dy, ALI vice president and AyalaLand Offices head Carol Mills and Makati Development Corp. president Dante Abando.

Manila Water spent record P13.7b in 2021 to upgrade franchise area

By Othel V. Campos MANILA Water Company Inc., a unit of the Ayala Group, said Wednesday capital expenditures hit a record P13.7 billion in 2021, 28 percent higher than 2020’s capex of P10.7 billion.

The water utility said in a statement the investment, the highest since its privatization in 1997, was instrumental in upgrading operations and optimizing services to East Zone clients.

“It is imperative for us to focus our capital spending to meet both our water supply and sewerage service obligations.

Despite the challenges, we continue to serve more than 7 million people in the East Zone with safe and reliable water supply, covering over 1.3 million households and with more than 5,000 kilometers of network pipelines,” said Manila Water president and chief executive JV Emmanuel de Dios.

Major components of the investment are the construction of new facilities and networks to expand service coverage, rehabilitation and improvement on existing assets and facilities for both water and wastewater, compliance projects relating to biological nutrient removal for wastewater facilities and the implementation of interim water source projects.

The water firm said the intervening water sources are critical to ensuring water availability in the coming peak demand months in summer, while major new water sources are still being built by the government.

It said the completed sources included deep wells with total capacity of over 100 million liters per day.

Among the major water projects funded by the investment were the East Bay Water Supply System Project, which will utilize Laguna Lake as source; the Calawis Water Supply System Project which will

Bank of Commerce raises IT spending to speed up growth

By Jenniffer B. Austria BANK of Commerce, an affiliate of San Miguel Corp., is increasing investments in information technology and digital infrastructure to accelerate growth post-pandemic.

The bank said in a statement the investments would enable it to optimize operations and further improve customer experience across multiple channels.

“The banking sector is essential to our country’s post-pandemic recovery, and we want Bank of Commerce to play a more significant role in San Miguel’s overall efforts to help boost our economy,” San Miguel president and chief executive Ramon Ang said.

“Upgrading its IT and digital infrastructure is key to meeting the challenges of banking in the new normal and serving the needs of retail customers, SMEs and corporate clients. We believe in the bank’s strong potential, that’s why we are investing to upgrade and enhance its capabilities to serve more clients,” Ang said.

Bank of Commerce also invested in improving digital capabilities through enhanced mobile banking and web platform that was made more secure and convenient through biometrics and a suite of new features.

The bank completed systems upgrade of key services including treasury, trust banking and anti-money laundering.

“We are committed to embracing new technologies to strengthen our core functions and governance, unleash capabilities to integrate our services, realize operational efficiencies and reduce transaction costs. Ultimately, this will redound to providing an exceptional customer experience in the new normal,” BoC president and chief executive Michelangelo Aguilar said.

HSBC Philippines issued its first sustainable commercial letter of credit to support the completion of AC Energy Corp.’s 160-megawatt Pagudpud wind farm under the special purpose vehicle Bayog Wind Power Corp.

The bank said in a statement its trade facilities would help ensure unhampered progress in the completion of the Pagudpud wind project, providing timely access to credit to secure the plant’s primary components.

“HSBC is widely known in the market for its innovative products and sustainable financing solutions. We are very pleased to be playing a part in the growth of the Philippines’ emerging renewable energy sector,” said Trish Ramos, head of HSBC Philippines global trade and receivables finance.

Once operational by the first quarter of 2023, the 32-turbine, 160-MW onshore wind power development in Ilocos Norte will contribute to the government’s goal to reach a more sustainable energy mix, with at least 50 percent renewable sources by 2040. Alena Mae S. Flores

Lack of cold storage bugs onion industry RED onions producers are incurring up to P6 billion in post-harvest losses because of the lack of cold storage facilities and reliable logistics, according to a study released by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.

The estimated volume of post-harvest losses for red onion reached 48,891 metric tons, or nearly P1.96 billion, while post-harvest losses for the cold-stored onion chain was at 63.9 percent, with estimated volume and value lost at 69,333 MT and nearly P4.01 billion, respectively.

Based on the study “Analysis of Fruit and Vegetable Value Chains in the Philippines” postharvest losses along the value chains of onion, tomato and mango, three of the most important crops in the country, reached alarming levels, specifically for onions.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the study also revealed that postharvest loss of freshly harvested onions from the farm in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija to the final market in Divisoria, Manila was 45.06 percent. Othel V. Campos

Asticom launches shared services center THE Asticom Group of Companies, a shared services provider under the Globe Group, launched the Asti Shared Services Center to enhance business operations efficiency and hasten client service delivery.

AstiSSC expedites the execution of crucial business services across different Asticom subsidiaries to keep pace with the group’s aggressive growth. By accelerating the delivery of services to Asticom’s clientele, AstiSSC helps the group create a better value proposition for its customers.

“Launching AstiSSC is our response to the exponential growth we’re experiencing at Asticom. It ensures that we remain on top of the business needs of our clients and that we deliver the right solutions timely and efficiently,” said Asticom president and chief executive Mharicar Castillo-Reyes.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

PLDT throws full support behind High Speed Hitters

PLDT High Speed Hitters meet PLDT execs ahead of 2022 PVL Open Conference

Final 4 Ronda stages to test riders’ character, endurance

By Peter Atencio

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ARLAC CITY— The grittier stages are coming up and the character and endurance of the 90 remaining riders are about to be tested.

The riders will be headed to higher altitudes this time around and their resolve to continue will be known, starting in Stage 7 of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas on Thursday at the Tarlac Provincial capital.

This time, participants will head eastward into Baler, the birthplace of surfing in the country.

Ronda leaders Ronald Oranza and the Philippine NavyStandard Insurance have been through the same situation before as they brace for what the final four stages offer in terms of challenges.

Coach Ronald Gorrantes said they have gone through a time in Ronda when they have lost the overall lead before.

This time, they will make sure that they will stay in the thick of the fight until the end.

“Hindi na mauulit iyung ganu’ng situation sa susunod na laban. For now, dedepensa kami. Pero nandu’n pa rin iyung atake,” said Gorrantes.

A well-rested Oranza will go further than what he went through in Stage 6, when he and his teammates try to extend their good fortunes in another long ride,

Ronald Oranza

a 174.5-km journey from Tarlac City and into the Baler, Aurora municipal hall.

“Doon kami palaging nagba-bike. Alam namin

iyung akyatin. Talagang mahirap. Kailangan all out talaga,” said the 29-year-old Oranza after recovering from his ordeal on Tuesday in Stage 6, a shorter stage at 148.3 km.

Oranza made sure that he won’t be collapsing and cramping up again after doing light workouts, spin training and drinking hydration salts, with some bananas at the team’s hotel.

His Navy teammates will be there for him as they seek to protect whatever advantages that they have gained in the last two stages.

One of the biggest obstacles facing the Navymen and their rivals will be a 628-meter uphill route in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, located at the border of Aurora province.

There’s also the 55.1-km downhill route that riders will tackle after as they make the dash into Baler.

Stage 8 on Friday will take riders to a higher path northward, through a 174.8-km uphill route from Baler to Echague, Isabela, while Stage 9 is 187.6 kms and will go even higher from Santiago City, Isabela and into elevated backroads leading to Baguio City.

“Hindi dapat magpabaya. Hindi pa alam kung ano ang mangyayari,” added Oranza, with an aggregate time of 18 hours, 46 minutes and four seconds ahead of Excellent Noodles’ Jan Paul Morales (18:46:46) and Go For Gold’s Jonel Carcueva (18:49:01) in the overall individual standings.

Rebisco eyes rise of PH volleyball in world arena THE beach volleyball men’s and women’s squads left for Brisbane Tuesday night while the men’s volleyball team will be off to Qatar on March 20 as part of their preparation for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May. The women’s team is scheduled to train in Brazil in April.

All national teams will train for two weeks in world-class environments in top-notch volleyball countries.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and national team patron Rebisco arranged a fit-

ting send-off for the squads—16 men in indoor volleyball plus six men and six women in beach volleyball±via a well-attended virtual press conference Tuesday morning.

“This foreign training is of paramount importance, because it gives us a lot of exposure,” PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara told the media. “Foreign training helps our national teams improve.”

Noric Ng, Business Unit Head of Rebisco, reiterated Rebisco’s commitment to supporting the PNVF’s national team program. He said he believes the

teams will do well not only in the SEA Games in Vietnam in May, but also in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September.

“Rebisco has been and will always be firmly committed to the sport and to the improvement of all our teams,” he said. “We love the sport with a passion. That is why we support it at all levels—from training coaches and referees in the grassroots, to giving young people a chance to get better at the game in high school competitions, to supporting collegiate teams and participating in the

professional league.”

Supporting the national teams since 2017, Ng said Rebisco’s desire to help the national volleyball program is so that Filipino athletes can be competitive in international competitions. “It is a sacred duty,” Ng said. “We do it for national pride.”

“Rebisco’s goal is to help the PNVF grow the sport and make volleyball an expression of the Filipino soul, locally and internationally. Our dream is that one day we can finish at the podium in a competition of nations,” Ng concluded.

Zamboanga vows to finish off Ham in ONE X rematch NUMBER-TWO ranked atomweight contender Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga is confident that she’ll get the job done the second time she meets #3-ranked “Arale Chan” Ham Seo Hee at ONE X on Saturday, March 26.

The Filipina absorbed a controversial split-decision loss to the highly touted South Korean in their initial encounter at ONE: EMPOWER last September in the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix quarterfinals.

It was one of the most debated decisions of 2021, as many felt that the Marrok Force representative deserved the victory over Ham. One thing that can’t be disputed is how close the fight was. However, Zamboanga is confident that it won’t be the same this time around.

“Honestly, before fighting Ham Seo Hee, I was scared in the sense that she was the most experienced fighter among us all. I was a little intimidated having had to face such a dangerous opponent in the first round of the tournament,” Zamboanga admitted.

“But after sharing the Circle with her, I realized that she wasn’t all that people made her out to be.

There wasn’t really a huge difference in our fighting skills, and I could handle her.

“In this coming rematch, there are no more nerves, and there is no more fear. I would say that’s all gone and you will see the best of Denice Zamboanga.”

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While she believes she should have won the first match, the 25-year-old admitted that she could’ve done things differently in their first encounter to avoid the disappointing outcome.

“I would have focused on the finish from the very start. After reviewing the fight many times, I see that I could have actually finished her in the first round. I already felt her power and I knew I could handle it,” she said.

“I also knew I could finish her. I experienced what she had to offer, and I wasn’t impressed. I don’t exactly know why I was reluctant to. I just need to be more assertive next time.”

Now, having spent 15 minutes inside the Circle with “Arale Chan,” Zamboanga plans to extinguish her opponent before the judges even get a say.

“This time I’m going to finish her for sure,” Zamboanga said.

“I’m going to take her down and submit her. Her biggest weakness is on the ground. I took her down whenever I wanted, and she couldn’t handle herself on the mat. I Denice Zamboanga can finish her there.”

PLDT, the Philippines’ largest fully integrated network company, is giving its full support to the PLDT High Speed Hitters as they prepare for the 2022 Premier Volleyball League Open Conference.

Sports patron and PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. president and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT and Smart Head of Sports Jude Turcuato, and PLDT Consumer Home Business Advisor Jeremiah De La Cruz met with the athletes and staff led by its multi-titled head coach George Pascua at the company’s headquarters in Makati.

“As a huge supporter of sports, it is our dream to have volleyball athletes to represent us in the Olympics. We want to help develop the nation’s volleyball scene, starting with our team.

We also hope that they are proud to carry PLDT’s name when they hit the court,” said Panlilio.

When he asked Pascua about the outlook for the team, the veteran coach confidently answered, “Sa potential sir ng players, champion.”

Turning to the rest of the group in the boardroom, Panlilio said, “Champion daw, agree?” To which team captain Rhea Dimaculangan quipped, “Trust the process po,” earning a round of lighthearted laughs and banter in the room.

“We are excited to play, to see the arena, and to witness the fruits of our training,” Dimaculangan said. “We are super grateful for the opportunity to play for PLDT.” The High Speed Hitters has welcomed new players and instilled a new system to boost the capability of the squad. “We had our training camp where we really bonded over TikTok, movies, or even when we monitored our tune up games and other activities,” reigning PVL Best Libero Kath Arado shared.

“Personally, I can say that we have a great team, especially inside the court. I don’t want to spoil anything, but we’re really looking forward to a great season,” middle blocker Mika Reyes added.

“We are thankful for the support given by PLDT, especially the company’s leaders. We want to meet the expectation of the company and the fans. Our goal, especially as their coach, is to bag the championship,” Pascua said.

Pros brace for new PH Golf Tour, ladies’ season THE country’s touring pros gird up for a fresh season in new normal with a busy calendar lined up for both the Philippine Golf Tour and the Ladies PGT starting with the ICTSI Luisita Championship on March 22 at the fabled Tarlac layout.

Notwithstanding the long layoff, with the men’s side being out of action for a year, the fact that the circuit will finally resume with a full schedule is enough to energize the touring pros, eager and thrilled to hit the fairways again in pursuit not only of golfing honors but also of livelihood sustainability.

With the lowering of Covid alert levels in the country, both circuits are now back in the spotlight although strict protocols will be enforced to ensure the health and safety of all players along with the event and course personnel.

The PGT held its last tournament last March 2021 with Miguel Tabuena winning at Eagle Ridge while top amateur Rianne Malixi upstaged the country’s leading pros in the last LPGT leg at Midlands last December.

Fierce action is expected right in the kickoff leg at the challenging Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed course slated March 22-25 for the PGT with the LPGT scheduled in the first three days.

Meanwhile, the women’s tour will feature 10 tournaments over the country’s championship courses, including two new host venues, while the PGT will have five tournaments, all slated in the same week of their counterparts.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

Morissette, Christian, Erik headline ‘Threelogy’ concert in US

(From left): Christian Bautista, Morissette Amon, and Erik Santos

By Nickie Wang AFTER the successful staging of Bamboo and Arnel Pineda’s First Light, the first live concert tour in the United States bannered by Filipino music artists, Spotlight Media Entertainment is gearing up for another

big-ticket event featuring OPM singers Morissette Amon, Christian Bautista, and Erik Santos.

Entitled Threelogy, the live show will be held at the City National Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim, California on April 1.

“This concert will feature cover

and original OPM songs popularized by these artists.

So, I’m sure Filipinos in the US will enjoy our show,” said concert producer Pen De Leon Manahan of Spotlight Media during a virtual press conference with the entertainment media over the weekend.

Manahan also announced that concertgoers who bought tickets to Mad About Love, a concert that Morisette and Sam Concepcion were supposed to headline in March but was canceled, will be able to use them at Threelogy show.

“Morissette’s team failed to secure

Jeric Gonzales reaches new career milestone

By Patricia Taculao LAST year, Star Awards for Music named Jeric Gonzales Male Acoustic Artist of the Year for his single “Taksil” under GMA Music. This year, he released another single titled “Hihintayin Kita,” adding to his achievements as an artist.

Written by award-winning director Louie Ignacio, “Hihintayin Kita” is a song about waiting for a loved one, hoping they will return someday.

Jeric explained that his new single tackles unconditional love and “how time will make way for you to find it and finally have it.”

“My first love was music. Pumasok ako sa showbiz and ‘yon talaga ‘yong talent ko. Sumunod nalang ‘yong acting and then naging endorser ako. Malaking part talaga sa akin ‘yong music and then, now, ‘yong acting, nacha-challenge talaga ako,” Jeric said during an online mediacon.

He added that he still has a lot he wants to learn and do more in his career. Jeric expressed that he’s mature enough to take on more daring roles where he shows more skin, an opportunity he took upon shooting the music video for his new single.

According to Jeric, they shot the music video for “Hihintayin Kita” on the captivating island of Boracay, under the helm of Ignacio. He bared his skin for scenes where he walked along the beach and swam in the sea.

“Hihintayin Kita” is now available on digital platforms worldwide and will launch on GMA’s All-Out Sundays on March 20.

Besides m a k i n g music, Jeric is also a Kapuso leading Kapuso actor and singer Jeric Gonzales

man who starred in various television series and movies like Magkaagaw, Kambal, Karibal, and Dementia. And since Jeric is on the path to trying new experiences and exploring new avenues to broaden his career, he’s also set to star in an upcoming Filipino film.

“Hihintayin Kita” is the theme song for Broken Blooms, starring Jeric, Therese Malvar, and Royce Cabrera, the only Filipino film selected in the 41st Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal.

“I feel super blessed, and I am so thankful to Bentria Productions, producer Engr. Benjie Austria, our great director Direk Louie Ignacio, creative producer Ferdy Lapuz, our line producer Dennis Evangelista, all the cast, and the whole team,” Jeric said.

Broken Blooms is a drama movie also directed by Ignacio, but Jeric teases that viewers can expect more from him.

“May mga scenes na dapat n’yong abangan kasi first time ko lang ginawa sa pelikula.

Hindi n’yo pa ‘to nakikita before and sana panooring n’yo para makita n’yo,” the Kapuso star shared.

When it comes to working with Ignacio, Jeric has nothing but praise for the awardwinning director, saying that Ignacio inspires those around him to maintain a good work ethic while bringing out the best in them.

“I have been dreaming of this for a very long time, to have a film that will be in a prestigious international film festival, and I hope that the talents of the Filipinos in the film industry will be recognized more in the international scene,” the Kapuso leading man said.

Search for next online singing sensation launched

ABS-CBN’s online talent competition, Bida Star, begins its search for the next online singing sensation in Bida Star Singer with mainstay hosts Karina Bautista and Aljon Mendoza, who will be joined by Pinoy Big Brother Kumunity Season 10 housemate Anji Salvacion.

Anji believes that her experience as a former Idol Philippines contestant will help her impart lessons to aspiring singers.

“I experienced the same thing as they do. I’m grateful to be able to host a singing contest since this is where I started,” she said.

It is the first singing edition for Bida Star wherein aspiring singers will showcase their talent in exciting challenges like “The Cover,” a live singing showdown in front of their judges, “Online Gig,” wherein the contestants take over Star Hunt’s kumu account, and a “Bida Star Bagsakan.”

“I’m excited to see how the contestants will give a new flavor to the songs that a lot of people have performed before,” shared Karina. “I’m excited about what new things will they offer to the Kapamilyas.

We are all unique, so I expect to see it.”

a visa for everyone in their team so the concert was canceled. I decided to get the show from the producer of Mad About Love and replaced it with Threelogy. And since Morissette is still part of the show, we decided to let the ticket holders of the canceled concert use their tickets in the upcoming show,” Manahan explained.

“I felt sad that Mad About Love didn’t push through but we’re happy that we’re offering something bigger,” the concert producer added.

Asked if she’s willing to produce concerts featuring up-and-coming OPM artists, Manahan said that her company produces shows based on the feedback they get from the Filipino community.

“You can’t just stage a concert for artists that you personally like. There should be a clamor from the people who will watch the show. At the end of the day, producing concerts is still a business,” she said.

But if Manahan would personally produce a concert featuring a new artist, she wants to have rising OPM singer Gigi de Lana headline the show.

“I always watch her performances on YouTube and I’m quite impressed.

But in the meantime, I’d like to focus on Morissette, Christian, and Erik who are equally impressive, too,” Manahan ended.

For tickets, call (949) 413 7006 or log on to Ticketmaster.com

Nadine Lustre makes ‘shocking’ comeback in Yam Laranas’ ‘Greed’ ‘Greed’ is Nadine’s first film since her attempt to terminate her contract with Viva in 2020

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ULTIMEDIA media star Nadine Lustre is making everyone’s head turn in Vivamax’s suspense thriller co-starring Diego Loyzaga and directed by Yam Laranas.

Greed, which premiered on March 16 on Vivamax Plus, and on April 8 on Vivamax, revolves around “everyone’s desire to secure a better future and a life free from the worries of tomorrow.”

“These are some of the things that most of us work hard for our whole lives. We sacrifice and bet everything for it, we stay hungry, motivated, and sometimes, if necessary, we tend to have a need for greed,” Nadine, whose last screen outing was in the movie Indak (2019), said of the project.

Set in a remote village, a young couple finally has the chance to free themselves from the hardships of life and start anew as they win the biggest prize in the lottery. Not wanting anyone to know about this great news, the couple decides to keep it a secret until they have moved to a different town. But a former neighbor learns about their dumb luck and tries to steal it from them. What follows after is a nightmare of a hunt fueled by dark intentions and selfishness.

“You’re going to see a different Nadine in this film and it’s far removed from the previous films I’ve done. I’m really happy because that’s what I really wanted, to be able to always share something new with my audience,” Nadine shared in response to Viva’s description of the movie saying it’s dark, eerie, and shocking.

Greed is Nadine’s first film since she attempted to terminate her contract with Viva in 2020. The move sparked a legal dispute, which was already resolved late last year, with Nadine honoring her contractual obligations while still retaining her rights over her “branding and image” until her contract expires in 2029.

For his part, Aljon shared how the online talent search has helped him hone his hosting skills. He shared, “I learned how to listen to the guest than focusing on the suggested questions. I learned that communication and connection are key to hosting.”

The contestants are in for an exciting journey with their judges, which include ABS-CBN singing coach Anna Graham, head of It’s Showtime and Polaris Reily Santiago, and a weekly celebrity guest judge from Polaris. The Bida Star winner will win an ABS-CBN management and recording contract, a special trophy, and a Nadine Lustre in ‘Greed’ cash prize of P50,000.

Filipino citizens aged 18 years old and above, who have a talent for singing, can audition to become the next Bida Star Singer until March 18 (Friday) by visiting NO mask can ever hide smiles as Molina, Cristine Reyes, and Aga forms.abs-cbn/ Masked Singer Pilipinas reveals its Muhlach are coming back for bidastarsinger for new season this month following season 2. Beloved comedian Bayani more information and fill out the audition a highly successful first season in Agbayani also joins the already form.

2020. stellar roster of judges—upping the

‘Bida Star Singer’ mainstay hosts Karina Bautista (left) and Aljon Mendoza

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‘Greed,’ starring Nadine Lustre, revolves around everyone’s desire to secure a better future

Viewers can expect to see a different side of Nadine in the film

Top-rating ‘Masked Singer Pilipinas’ unmasks second season

This news comes as a welcome delight to its loyal viewers who have made the first season of the show their ‘new normal’ Saturday family bonding habit. Despite the pandemic, the parents and their kids enjoyed concert-level song numbers from immensely admired and well-respected local singers.

Family members also bested each other as they joined in on guessing who the performer was right in the comfort of their homes.

“We are expecting that viewers across the country will join in the fun of our show,” host Billy Crawford said.

Judges Matteo Guidicelli, Kim

fun factor that the audiences will love in every episode.

More masked singers are joining to get the viewers guessing. Sixteen mystery voices—that’s four singers more than last season’s twelve— are going on the Masked Singer Pilipinas stage in their visually stunning costumes, as they dish out jaw-dropping performances.

Anticipation is indeed set to a new time high, as succinctly put by the season slogan “Mask marami, mask masaya ang hulaan!”

Masked Singer Pilipinas season 2 premieres on March 19 at 6:00 p.m. on TV5. The show is a collaboration between TV5, Viva, and Cignal.

(Clockwise) Aga Muhlach, Billy Crawford, Bayani Agbayani, Kim Molina, and Matteo Guidicelli

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

An extra hour of sleep helps sleep-deprived individuals eat fewer calories per day

JOB WELL DONE

BY JOBA BOTANA

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OSING weight isn’t suitable for everyone, and it doesn’t always mean better health. It has always been about maintaining a healthy relationship with your body and forming lifelong healthy and sustainable habits.

For those who have been advised by their doctor [the need] to shed off pounds, a good night’s sleep may just help you in your weight loss journey.

Couple this with appropriate diet and exercise, and you’re slowly on your way to better health. Your goal then should be making this your new lifestyle.

The Sleep Foundation, a website licensed by the National Sleep Foundation in the USA that aims to be the go-to source for trustworthy sleep information, has been publishing extensive articles based on sleep science, as well as comprehensive reviews of different sleep. In one of its articles, Sleep Foundation stressed the importance of get-

Sleeping more aids weight loss, study shows ting adequate and quality sleep as an integral part of a healthy weight loss plan.

Research has shown that losing sleep while dieting can reduce the amount of weight loss and even encourage overeating. In addition, studies have suggested that poor quality of sleep can lead to metabolic disorders, weight gain, and an increased risk of obesity and other chronic heart conditions.

We often hear, and in fact, experts in this field recommend an eight-hour un-

A good night’s sleep can help in a person’s weight loss journey

interrupted sleep each night. Generally, seven to nine hours of sleep for adults each night is ideal. I usually get six to seven hours of sleep, however, I don’t feel guilty for an extra hour or two of sleep, especially on days I need it the most.

Another study suggests that an extra hour of sleep every night could help sleep-deprived overweight individuals eat fewer calories per day without even trying. In this new study published last February 7 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, participants (who were asked to not restrict calories) were unaware that calorie intake was being measured for the trial.

The analysis, done through urine samples, translated to nearly nine pounds of weight loss over a year. This study, according to the researchers, is significant for people in weight loss programs.

There are also other studies that connect sleep with eating patterns. Experts said that adequate sleep helps people stick to a healthy diet—in terms of quantity and quality of calories consumed.

Often, we think that appetite is simply a matter of our grumbling stomach, seemingly asking for food. However, it’s actually controlled by neurotransmitters, which act as chemical messengers allowing nerve cells to communicate to one another. In this sense, the phrase

“it’s all in the head” can apply here.

Lack of sleep can affect the body’s regulation of these neurotransmitters. It may tell you that you are hungry and you need to eat even if your body actually has enough nutrients stored, and thus, there is a tendency for you to eat more. A lot of studies have also shown that sleep deprivation usually leads to metabolic dysregulation or alterations in glucose utilization and storage, insulin sensitivity, and/or lipid metabolism. In fact, poor sleep is associated with stress, blood sugar intolerance, which is a precursor to diabetes, and insulin resistance.

If you usually experience a hard time getting a shuteye, here are some research-based tips from the Sleep Foundation to improve the quality of your sleep as you try to lose weight: Follow a regular sleep schedule.

Catching up on sleep after days of late nights can cause disruptions in your metabolism as well as appetite, which can lead to you adding more calorie intake.

Make your room an ideal place to sleep in. Or sleep in a dark room, and avoid exposure to light while sleeping. Use heavy or blackout curtains and turn off your TV and bedside lamp. Avoid using your mobile phone when it is your sleeping time.

Avoid eating right before bedtime.

One, it does not feel good to sleep with a

heavy tummy. Two, eating late reduces the success of weight loss attempts.

Reduce stress. Identify the causes of your stress, and address them accordingly. If it is too much work, then you might want to find suitable ways that work for you on how you can reduce stress from work. Numerous studies show that chronic stress leads to poor sleep and weight gain in several ways, including stress-eating to cope with negative emotions.

Try to sleep early. If you are a night owl, you may have the tendency to consume more calories and be at a higher risk for weight gain. If you can, try to fix your schedule to allow for an earlier bedtime.

Essentially, if you are trying to lose weight and want to stay on the healthy side, make sure that you always get enough sleep. Good sleep is also important when you are exercising. Not having enough sleep results in having less energy for physical activities, and feeling tired makes exercising less safe, especially if you are lifting weights.

Healthy and balanced meals, enough sleep and rest, as well as right exercises are the key to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

For comments and feedback, you may reach the author at joba.botana@gmail.com.

Going beyond

natural health supplements Alice Dixson reaffirms commitment to making natural, healthy choices Summer is here and many of us are already preparing their bodies for a day at the beach Exercise every part of your body to promote overall physical balance

Work your way to a healthy beach-ready body

By Patricia Taculao WITH summer officially upon us, Filipinos are slowly starting to prepare for their time on the beach. Among the items on our to-do lists, along with planning the perfect summer getaway with our loved ones, is making sure that our bodies are ready for their time under the sun.

For the past two years, most of us became homebodies because of the lockdown protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And aside from having a lot of time on our hands, some of us gained weight for several reasons. Nothing wrong with that since our bodies change according to our lifestyles, hormones, and more.

Still, we all want to look our best when we spend time on the beach.

The first thing we need to remember before going on the journey to achieve our ideal beach body is that dedicating ourselves to a specific diet or exercise regimen takes time and effort from us.

While there are several quick get fit diets and supplements, the best results come from diet and exercise, and it’s not always instant.

Getting our bodies ready for summer doesn’t mean we have to compromise our overall physical health. After all, the ideal body we can flaunt this summer is a healthy one that glows and

thrives under the summer sun.

Avoid skipping meals because these are not the answer to weight loss. Instead, it promotes an unhealthy relationship with food. Since dieting helps in getting our dream body for the summer, try consuming natural food rather than processed ones, like those that come in packets, because they are generally low in nutrition and high in unwanted calories such as fat and sugar.

Examples of food that are suitable to consume for a weight loss diet are lean meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat carbs, to name a few.

Staying hydrated also has several benefits for our bodies to help them stay

healthy. For starters, water flushes out toxins and curbs hunger, which is why doctors and nutritionists advise us to drink water when we wake up, before meals, and several other times throughout the day.

Water also prevents bloating by aiding our metabolic system by promoting efficient functions.

If you’re looking for a more curated experience when preparing your body for the summer, explore various fitness apps available online or consult with personal fitness trainers on how to best achieve your body goals one step at a time.

Once you’ve begun training, remember to do everything balanced and moderated. Avoid over-training your muscles in your abdomen, chest, and arms because these can cause postural imbalances. Work on every part of your body, including your legs, glutes, and more, to promote a well-toned body all around.

Although we want to look good this summer, our health should still be our top priority. But most importantly, we should also learn to love and celebrate our bodies no matter their shape or size. And this summer is an appropriate time to flaunt our bodies while basking in the sun, sea, and sand.

Drinking water promotes healthy metabolic functions that reduce bloating

IN THESE times, self-love, specifically caring for one’s health has been key to surviving and thriving. Food supplements, such as vitamins and herbal products, have become the new musthaves in people’s daily nutrition.

Screen star Alice Dixson, WellGreens’ brand ambassador last year, reaffirms her commitment to loving oneself through healthy choices by going beyond her comfort zone.

Known to live a healthy lifestyle, Dixson is not one to go easy on her routine, and with it she makes sure to incorporate preventive food supplements into her diet.

“I started living a healthier lifestyle as part of self-love so I can pursue more of my passions. At my age, I need to keep myself going by complementing my already healthy choices with food supplements that go beyond their natural goodness,” the actress says.

“WellGreens Sinta which is certified organic and premium, continues to be my choice since it helps keep my blood sugar in check,” she adds.

WellGreens, Pascual Laboratories Inc.’s premium and certified organic natural food supplement brand advocates self-love this pandemic by encouraging people to go beyond natural with healthier choices via its 2022 campaign “Go Beyond Natural!

Choose Premium and Certified Organic​.” Its

ingredients are mostly derived from one of the largest organic-certified farms in the Philippines, Leonie Agri Corp. (LAC).

With EU-based certifying organization Control Union’s stamp of approval, the farm has both EU and USDA organic certifications. Aside from these, LAC is also certified for Good Agricultural Practices by the Department of Agriculture.

WellGreens products, which include Sinta, Lagundi – Cuban Oregano, Malunggay, Mangosteen-Malunggay, and Ampalaya are harvested, processed, and manufactured through a stringent 13-step process.

Sinta or Andrographis Paniculata is known in folklore as an herb that benefits type 2 diabetes -- the variant caused by lifestyle choices. Clinical studies attest to this and Sinta’s many health benefits – aside from helping reduce blood sugar, it also relieves upper respiratory tract infections.

Moreover, it has anti-inf lammatory properties that can help manage certain inflammatory conditions.

WellGreens is available in all Mercury Drug branches nationwide and in PascualLab’s flagship Lazada and Shopee Stores.

As WellGreens’ brand ambassador, Alice Dixson goes beyond her comfort zone to make natural, healthy choices