Manila Standard - 2022 April 12 - Tuesday

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MS ON HOLY WEEK BREAK

In observance of the Holy Week, Manila Standard will have no print edition from Wednesday, April 13, to Easter Sunday, April 17. The Standard resumes its print run on Monday, April 18. Please visit www.manilastandard.net for the latest news and updates. Have a blessed Lenten season. — The Editors VOL. XXXVI • NO. 61 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

25 dead in wake of ‘Agaton’ Includes 22 landslide victims in Leyte, 3 fatalities in Davao

MUDDY GRAVE. A man steps over a stream of mud toward a house buried in a landslide in Baybay City, Leyte on Monday, where 22 people perished amid steady rains from

tropical storm Agaton. The Philippine Coast Guard assisted in the evacuation of residents living in low-lying areas in Hilongos, Leyte following the flooding caused by the first storm of the year. Baybay City DRRMO, PCG photos

ANDSLIDES and floods claimed the lives of 25 people in Leyte and Davao, while six persons remained missing as tropical storm “Agaton” battered Visayas and Mindanao with steady rains, disaster officials said Monday.

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At least 22 bodies were retrieved in the province, local officials said. four areas hit by landslides in Baybay In Barangay Mailhi, a total of 16 resiCity in Leyte as Agaton, which weak- dents were confirmed dead from a landened into a tropical depression, battered slide, while three more were recovered

in Barangay Kantagnos. Two were found dead in Barangay Maypatag, and another cadaver was recovered in Barangay Bunga, Baybay City police chief Colonel Jomen Collado told radio dzBB. Local police also reported that two people died in Monkayo, Davao de Oro and another perished in Cateel, Davao Oriental.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction

and Management Office (CDRRMO) said at least two people were rescued in a landslide in Barangay Bunga in Baybay, while six people were reported missing, including the son of a university president.

More than 100 families were also evacuated from seven villages due to the bad weather.

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Sotto to name officials tied to agri smuggling SENATE President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Monday he will disclose the names of high-ranking government officials linked in the smuggling of agricultural products coming from China during the 3rd Senate hearing scheduled on April 12.

“We will validate the extent of vegetable smuggling and reveal those involved at the next Senate hearing,” said Sotto, who is running for vice president in tandem with Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

Lacson said rampant smuggling “has been pestering the agricultural sector.”

During Monday’s Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel media forum moderated by veteran journalist Jullie Yap-Daza, Sotto said they have the names of those dubbed “untouchables” involved in the illegal importation of vegetables from China.

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THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday it will push to increase the number of polling precincts in Hong Kong to accommodate more voters after a “chaotic” first day

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III on Monday challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to “give the go signal” for Congress to override his veto of the Security of Tenure bill if he is serious in stopping the end-of-contract (endo) practice.

“Just give us the go signal. In that case, if the Palace will give me the go signal, as Senate President, I will ask on May 23 [for us to convene and] we will overturn the veto,” said Sotto during Monday’s Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel.

In 2016, then presidential candidate Duterte made a promise to stop “endo.”

The President, however, vetoed the

PING-TITO WITH ‘PLARIDEL.’ Presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Ping Lacson and vice presidential BET Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III stressed at the Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel media forum Monday at the Manila Hotel that the groundswell of support they have been receiving during their campaign sorties, especially in the provinces belie the low ratings they have been getting from survey polls. Senatorial candidate Dr. Dominga ‘Minguita’ Padilla joined Lacson and Sotto at the forum moderated by veteran journalist and Samahang Plaridel vice chairperson Jullie Yap-Daza (left).

Hefty price cut for kerosene but measly rollback for gas, diesel today ond time in just one week, rolled back Last April 5, oil prices were cut by changes in the world oil market as aftheir prices by as much as P3 per liter P2.30 to P2.50 per liter for gasoline, fected by the Russia-Ukraine armed GOOD news for motorists and other oil for kerosene, P1 per liter for gasoline, P1.85 per liter for diesel, and P1.65 per conflict, the oil firms said. and P0.35 per liter for diesel, effective liter for kerosene.

Seaoil Philippines, PTT Philippines, product users. at 6 a.m. today.

The price movements reflected Next page Domestic oil companies for the sec-

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Meralco sets rate hikes for next 3 months

of absentee voting for overseas Filipinos, who said the Philippine consular office there could not handle the number of people who wanted to vote.

Long queues of Filipinos who wanted to cast their vote alarmed police in Hong Kong, which has been grappling

By Alena Mae S. Flores

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Rody’s approval rating soars to 67.2% PRESIDENT Duterte remained largely popular among the people and is poised to set an unprecedented record of being the first Chief Executive to step down on a high note.

A survey by the PUBLiCUS’ PA-

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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More HK poll precincts for OFWs up

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Duterte dared to let Congress nix ‘endo’ veto

HAYAG 2022 conducted from March 30 to April 6 gave the President a 67.2-percent approval, representing a 9.3 percent improvement over his 57.9 percent mark during the third quarter of Next page

HOLIDAY EXODUS. People line up early on Holy Monday, April 11, at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) to catch bus trips to provinces, while an Interagency Council for Traffic (IACT) officer inspects the tire of a provincial passenger bus before allowing it to travel (inset). Danny Pata

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Monday disclosed that the overall rate for a typical household went up

by P0.5363 to P10.1830 per kWh this month from the P9.6467/ kWh last month.

Meralco said the adjustment was equivalent to an increase of about P107 in the total bill of a residential customer consuming a monthly average of 200 kWh.

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News

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Comelec: Exit polls not official tally

By Vito Barcelo and Joel E. Zurbano

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HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded the public that exit polls are not official tallies of votes cast in the 2022 national elections.

in public places in Metro Manila.

The Metro Manila-wide “Operation Baklas” started in Malate, Manila.

Under the Comelec advisory, the areas covered are public places in NCR, such as waiting sheds, sidewalks, street and lamp posts, electric posts and wires, traffic signages and other sign boards erected on public property, pedestrian overpasses and underpasses, flyovers and underpasses, bridges, main thoroughfares, and center islands of roads and highways.

Also covered by the operation are schools, public shrines, barangay halls, government offices, health centers, public structures and buildings or any edifice thereof, and within the premises of public transport terminals.

“This activity will be live streamed on the official Facebook page and You-

Tube channel of the Commission on Elections,” it said.

The program first drew fire when the Comelec began taking down posters on private property. It has since limited the campaign to public places.

Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office has intensified checkpoint operations and the implementation of the gun ban as the May 9 national and local elections draw near.

As of April 10, more than 900 people have been arrested in 21,520 checkpoint operations in various parts of Metro Manila.

These operations also resulted in the confiscation of 454 guns. Those confiscated include 332 short firearms, five long firearms, and 117 improvised guns, replica and “paltik” (homemade).

Poll spokesman James Jimenez issued the statement to warn the public about the exit poll tallies posted on some social media pages as the overseas absentee voting began April 10.

“An exit poll is not the official tally of votes cast…,” Jimenez said. “Remember, overseas votes will only be counted on May 9, after the close of polls.”

In an exit poll, voters leaving the polling center are asked how they voted.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia advised Filipinos not to take these

exit polls seriously.

“Don’t immediately believe exit polls. It is not submitted to the Comelec. Who commissioned that exit poll? And what are the ways to compute the results?” he said.

“The important thing to believe is the result of the elections on May 9. That is when we will count the votes. And therefore when we count those votes, those are the best exit polls,” he added.

With 26 days before Election Day, the Comelec is redoubling its efforts to remove illegal campaign materials posted

Duterte...

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Gov’t to Lenten travelers: Guard vs. COVID-19

anti-endo bill in 2019, saying the version submitted by Congress “unduly broadens the scope and definition of prohibited labor-only contracting, effectively prescribing forms of contractualization that are not particularly unfavorable to employees involved.”

Lacson said had Duterte not vetoed the measure, he would have already fulfilled his campaign promise.

“If the veto has not expired, then we can override the veto. So, if they really want it passed, let me know. And we will override the veto if we can still override it if it has not yet proscribed,” Sotto said.

A Palace source, however, said there is no proscription period for the President’s veto.

“There is no Constitutional provision that says they have to override the veto within a certain period. The President has already acted on it by vetoing the measure. The ball is now with Congress,” the source told Manila Standard.

“If they really want to override the veto, if they can muster the necessary votes, there is nothing stopping them from doing so,” added the source, requesting anonymity.

However, if the Palace would send back the measure for amendments, Sotto said Congress no longer has enough time to act on it.

“If they’re saying they want to put new provisions or if they want [a different version], then we don’t have time to do it. That is already not possible. There is no more time. Perhaps, it will already be for the next Congress,” he said.

Sotto recalled how immediately after receiving Duterte’s veto message in 2019, he wrote the Palace to ask for the amendments they want to save the measure.

“I never received an answer from that time up to now. Now, I don’t know what push this is, but it is throwing back to us what we already passed,” he said.

Last week, Duterte’s acting spokesman, Secretary Martin Andanar, said the President was calling on Congress to rectify the vetoed provisions of the Security of Tenure bill.

Employers said it will be difficult for the government to stop “endo” because many industries have come to thrive using this scheme.

Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) president Sergio Ortiz-Luiz said the President might not truly understand the consequences of ending endo since this could lead to an exodus of investments.

Meralco...

From A1 The company said higher charges from its independent power producer (IPP) and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the trading floor of electricity, triggered the generation charge increase.

The generation charge went up by P0.3987 to P5.8724/kWh from the P5.4737/kWh registered in March.

Rody’s...

From A1 2021 as indicated by the same pollster.

PUBLiCUS said Duterte’s approval rating was higher in April 2022 than at any point in 2021.

His popularity remained high as suggested by the firm’s 2021 quarterly surveys, giving him ratings ranging from a low of 57.9 percent in July 2021 to a high of 64.9 percent in March and December 2021.

The latest survey covered 1,500 respondents who said they “approve” or

DOH considers new definition of ‘fully vaccinated’

By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH) is considering the redefinition of the validity of fully inoculated individuals’ vaccination cards, the agency spokesperson said on Monday. (Casas) The DOH has also asked for amendments to the emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVID-19 vaccines so teenagers 12 to 17 could have their boosters, the agency spokesperson said.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the same process is underway for a possible fourth dose.

They were just waiting for the regulatory body to release the amendments.

Meanwhile, the government will no longer procure certain COVID-19 vaccine brands from other countries and only streamline the list of remaining vaccines that are set to be reduced to two to three brands soon, the department added.

It said less than 10 percent of the total number of COVID-19 vaccines received by the government are considered wastage due to logistical issues.

Meanwhile, 707 persons, or 12.6 percent of COVID-19 patients in hospitals, were in severe and critical condition.

In related developments, no more areas in Metro Manila are under granular lockdown, the Philippine National Police reported Monday, as cases in the region remains low.

But the National Capital Region Police Office continues to remind the public to remain vigilant as the threat of COVID-19 remains.

Also, the possible entry into the Philippines of the “Omicron XE” subvariant and the low rate of booster shot coverage of Filipinos have caused alarm among members of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP).

The private sector and some members of the vaccine expert panel have recommended that government redefine the meaning of full vaccination due to low booster shot uptake.

beginning today (Holy Tuesday) until Monday next week.

MMDA officials, along with top executives of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued the call for travelers not to lay down their guards against the coronavirus following a joint inspection at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) where they observed a high volume of province-bound passengers.

The call was significant in light of a World Health Organization (WHO) advisory urging the people to remain vigilant as the world marked the second

anniversary of the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The public needs to remain on alert as virus surges in other parts of the world might result in a new variant,” said Dr. Rajendra Prasav Yadav, acting WHO Representative to the Philippines.

MMDA chairman Romando Artes and general manager Undersecretary Frisco San Juan Jr., DOTr Undersecretary for Road Sector Mark Steven Pastor, and LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III conducted the inspection to ensure an orderly and safe travel of passengers, and the government’s health protocols against the coronavirus disease were being followed.

-- were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal number 1.

Meanwhile, at least three people died and one was reported missing in Davao region due to floods triggered by tropical storm Agaton, disaster officials said Monday.

In Davao de Oro, two people, aged 65 and 67, drowned in Compostela town while another was reported missing in Monkayo town, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said. An 83-year-old man drowned after he tried to save his livestock in Cateel town, Davao Oriental.

Davao de Oro has been placed under a state of calamity after the floods displaced over 4,600 families.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 has been hoisted over the southern portion of Masbate (Dimasalang, Palanas, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, Esperanza, Placer, Cawayan); Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northeastern portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Medellin, City of Bogo, Tabogon, Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Carmen, Danao City, Compostela, Liloan) including Camotes Island, and the eastern portion of Bohol (Getafe, Talibon, Bien Unido, Trinidad, Ubay, San Miguel, Pres. Carlos

P. Garcia, Mabini); Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands.

Strong breeze to near gale conditions will prevail in these areas, while rough to very rough seas are forecast over their seaboards.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said these conditions may be risky for most sea vessels.

Mariners of these vessels are advised to remain in port or take shelter, and those operating larger vessels are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing into the sea and, if possible, avoid navigating in these conditions.

Moderate to rough seas will also prevail over the remaining seaboards of the country that are not under any wind signal.

Moderate to heavy, with at times intense rains will be experienced over Eastern Visayas, Masbate, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, and the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands.

Light to moderate, with at times heavy rains are likely over Dinagat Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Quezon, and the rest of Bicol Region and the Visayas.

Pagasa said Agaton may further weaken by Wednesday.

PetroGazz and Cleanfuel on Monday announced their respective price cuts, while other oil companies are expected to follow shortly.

According to a Reuters report, world oil prices retreated after member nations of the International Energy Agency (IEA)

announced the release of 60 million barrels of oil over the next six months.

The Biden administration of the United States also announced it would release 180 million barrels over a sixmonth period, or one million barrels per day from strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) which caused crude prices to fall.

The ongoing lockdown in China due to increasing COVID-19 cases also impacted on world oil prices. China has

been one of the world’s biggest consumers of oil.

S&P Global Commodity Insights lowered China’s gasoline demand by 400,000 barrels per day in March, and 250,000 barrels per day in April due to renewed restrictions.

These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a net increase of P16 per liter for gasoline, P26 per liter for diesel and P24.10 per liter for kerosene.

“This month’s generation charge increase would have been significantly higher, but Meralco coordinated with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and some of its suppliers to again defer collection of portions of their generation costs to cushion the impact on the customers’ bills,” said Jose Ronald Valles, head of Meralco’s regulatory management office.

Valles said on top of the additional deferred generation charges from suppliers totaling some P945 million, ERC

also directed Meralco to defer collection of P300 million in generation costs, which further reduced this month’s generation rate by about P0.11 per kWh. All these charges would subsequently be billed on a staggered basis over the next three months, as ordered by the ERC. On top of the deferrals from March, there was another deferral of P945 million from Meralco suppliers and P300 million that Meralco would not collect from its customers this month, for a total of P1.2 billion in generation cost that

would not be collected in April, Lawrence Fernandez, Meralco head of utility economics said.

Fernandez said the P1.2 billion collection will be amortized without interest in May to July, equivalent to about P0.15/kWh each month.

Charges from Meralco’s IPPs increased by P1.4885/ kWh mainly due to the scheduled maintenance of Quezon Power plant that lasted until March 24, and the higher fuel costs of First Gas– Sta. Rita.

“This is the third hearing already and we would like to come up with a committee report as soon as possible.

Even while we campaign, we’re trying to squeeze time for this is part of our job and so that the Ombudsman can look into the matters at hand,” he said.

Sotto said they will invoke parliamentary immunity in case they are fed with the wrong names.

Lacson said they encounter issues about the agricultural sector when they visit different provinces during their campaign.

“It is a very common, pestering issue if you go out and talk to different sectors especially farmers and fisherfolk.

Agricultural smuggling is really hurting the local agricultural sector, so it is good that this is being discussed so we can bring it up to those concerned, particularly people from the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture,” Lacson said.

During the second hearing of the Committee of the Whole on March 28, the League of Associations at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post public relations officer, Agot Balonoy, said they are incurring huge losses due to rampant smuggling.

“Our regular daily order of carrots declined by up to 40 percent or equivalent to P2.5 million per day since last year. Retailers and consumers now prefer to buy smuggled carrots from China,” Balonoy said.

United Broiler Raisers Association president Elias Jose Inciong also accused the DA of being pro-importation.

The DA previously said it will file charges against big-time personalities in the government if they are found involved in the proliferation of smuggled agricultural products.

“strongly approved” his performance over the past year.

Meanwhile, 61.2 percent of the respondents also rated Duterte’s trustworthiness as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ as opposed to his marks in 2021 which ranged from a low of 50.4% in July to a high of 55.1% in January.

“President Duterte is on pace to become the first president in recent history to end his term with approval and trust ratings above 50 percent. The longevity of President Duterte’s popularity is a rarity in Philippine presidential politics,” said PUBLiCUS executive director Aureli Sinsuat.

More HK...

From A1

ally, there are five more vote-counting machines available to our post there — four additional and one on standby basis,” Garcia said.

He said he hoped to increase the number of precincts to eight or even 10 in Hong Kong.

Meantime, the packets for mail-in voting will “be received by today or tomorrow,” Garcia said.

“We still have until the 15th of April for them to return the packets of the ballots to the post,” he said.

Overseas Filipinos have 29 more days before voting closes and the period can be extended until May 9, Garcia added.

There are some 1.697 million overseas Filipino voters and the Comelec has 92 posts abroad, half of which run automated election systems with the other half conducting mail-in voting, Garcia said.

Meanwhile, Daisy Solomon, a leader of a non-government organization in Italy, presented videos and pictures at a press conference of overseas Filipino voters completing their ballots on the sidewalk of a hospital across from the Philippine Embassy.

She said the embassy there did not provide any tables and chairs to accommodate those who wanted to vote.

By Joel E. Zurbano GOVERNMENT officials on Monday urged the general public to strictly adhere to health guidelines, particularly COVID-19 safety to ward off a recurrence of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it would expand the coverage of free rides enjoyed by commuters in Metro Manila to cover the rest of the country.

On the other hand, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that the number coding, also called color coding, was suspended

25 dead...

From A1 Rescuers resumed the retrieval at the landslide site around 5 a.m. on Monday after it stopped Sunday night due to poor visibility and heavy rains brought

by Agaton.

Several incidences of flooding and minor landslides were reported in several communities in Abuyog, Leyte due to days of heavy downpour since April 7.

Adrian Paulo Tulin, a resident of Pangasugan village in Baybay City was declared missing Sunday night after swimming in a beach in Guadalupe village.

He is the son of Edgardo Tulin, president of Visayas State University in Baybay City.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, the center of Agaton, which has weakened into a tropical depression, was spotted over the coastal waters of Tanauan, Leyte with a maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center and a gustiness of up to 75 kilometers per hour. It was moving slowly northwest.

All the region’s six provinces -- Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, and Southern Leyte

Hefty...

From A1

with a surge in COVID-19 infections.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said the move to increase the number of precincts would be discussed at the poll body’s en banc meeting Tuesday.

Garcia said the Comelec-Hong Kong post had decided to use only five out of the 10 available votecounting machines.

“Our post in Hong Kong has chosen to only establish five precincts. Actu-

Sotto...

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News

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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SC clears ex-FG Mike Arroyo of graft liability T

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Supreme Court has cleared former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo of any criminal liability, in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of helicopters in 2009 worth P105 million.

In a 19-page resolution, the SC’s Special Third Division overturned its earlier ruling issued on January 27, 2020 which upheld Office of the Ombudsman’s resolution issued in 2013, which found probable cause to indict Arroyo for violation of Section 3 ( e ) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft

and Corrupt Practices Act. The anti-graft body filed information before the Sandiganbayan after finding sufficient basis that the sale of the two-owed pre-owned helicopters, purportedly owned

by Arroyo caused undue injury to the Philippine National Police and the government

in the amount of P34.6 million.

Besides Arroyo, also named respondents in the complaint were his brother Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, Manila Aerospace Products Trading Corporation (MAPTRA) president Hilario “Larry” De Vera, and officials of the PNP. “Here, a careful scrutiny of all the evidence the prosecution submitted to establish the existence of probable cause against Arroyo reveals that no evidence of the prosecution demonstrated the manner by which Arroyo connived with any public officer in the purported anomalous procurement,” the SC ruled.

“Even if the unverified statements of the prosecution’s witnesses are admitted, these

still fail to show how Arroyo connived with any public officer,” the high court said.

Court records showed that the case arose from the PNP’s purchase from MAPTRA of one fully-equipped Robinson R44 Raven II Light Police Operational Helicopter for P42,312,913.10 and two standard Robinson R44 Raven I LPOHs for P62,672,086.90, or for a total amount of P104,985,000.00 from 2009 to 2010.

An investigation conducted by the antigraft body with regard to the procurement of the said helicopters indicated that the helicopters that were subject of the procurement were not brand new contrary to the requirement of the PNP procurement.

The probe also showed that two of the three delivered Robinson Raven I LPOHs were actually pre-owned by former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

However, Arroyo denied the allegations against him, insisting that he has no connection with MAPTRA. He explained that it was Lourdes T. Arroyo, Incorporated through its president and brother, the late Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, who transacted with Archibald L. Po, owner of Lionair Inc. (Lionair) and Asian Spirit Inc. (Asian Spirit) for the advancement of money so that Po’s Lionair could acquire five helicopters from its manufacturer Robinsons Helicopter Company.

Duterte to visit NPA-liberated Maynilad boosts leak repair, pipe replacement villages in Caraga, East Visayas

By Maricel V. Cruz CLOSE to 200 barangays in Caraga and Eastern Visayas are set to receive benefits aimed at hastening the economic and social development of the localities.

This, as President Rodrigo Duterte is set to visit the two regions April 12 to personally oversee the accomplishments of the National Task Force and Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-RTF ELCAC).

NTF-ELCAC vice chairman and National Security Council Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the President will be receiving reports about the peace and

order in the region as well as update on the Barangay Development Program.

Duterte is the chairman of the NTF-ELCAC and the BDP is the flagship project of his administration.

To highlight the significance of the CARAGA Region to the NTF-ELCAC, the law enforcement agencies of the government were successful in neutralizing 978 New People’s Army regulars and seized 290 firearms.

In 2016, there were 11 Guerilla Fronts in Region XIII. Three of these were completely dismantled while two are significantly weakened, The remaining six are in the process of clearing by the security forces.

By Othel V. Campos and Rio N. Araja

WEST Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) is stepping up its leak repair and pipe replacement activities as part of the company’s measures to conserve water for the summer season of 2022.

“The repair of leaks and replacement of old pipelines are an important part of our supply augmentation measures for summer. We ask our customers to immediately report pipe leaks that they see on the streets, as this will help us to recover more water for distribution,” said Maynilad chief operating officer Randolph Estrellado.

SRA: Mandated import of sugar in 2022 is above board

By Othel V. Campos THE Sugar Regulatory Administration said Tuesday the mandated importation of sugar in 2022 was above board and the reported high price of domestic sugar was due to insufficient supply from poor production arising from climate change.

“There is no midnight deal or sweet deal, I will always do what I believe is

right for the greater good. What the detractors of importation have failed to consider is the issue on food security, in particular, the availability of supply and the issue on affordability of sugar,” SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica said Monday.

He added SRA had always based importation from historical figures and actual data while it constantly monitor and

study sugar figures.

The SRA said production of sugar was lower due to the onslaught of typhoons such as Typhoon Odette and excessive rain and reduced sunlight due to La Nina phenomenon.

Serafica noted that because of the rise in sugar prices, farmers are rushing to mill their canes while prices are up even as the sugarcanes are yet to fully mature.

Since the start of the year until March, Maynilad has repaired around 9,000 pipe leaks across its entire concession area, that resulted to the recovery of some 36 million liters per day of water for the use of its customers. This volume of recovered water is enough to meet the need of some 36,000 households.

Maynilad said most of the pipe leaks repaired this year were found in Quezon City. Muntinlupa, Manila, and Caloocan.

Maynilad is also currently rehabilitating old pipes along Maria Clara, Algeciras, Legarda and T. Mapua Streets in Manila, and in various locations in Quezon City, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque.

This practice may lead to less tonnage and lower sugar content and ending the milling season earlier compared to previous years.

The situation has led the SRA to a calculated assesment that there won’t be enough sugar to meet domestic consumption in the coming months, particularly June to August, he explained.

However, local sugar stakeholders demanded the SRA to call off the planned importation of 200,000 MT sugar citing reports of an alleged 42 percent increase in the production of refined sugar

Aside from its intensified leak repair and pipe rehabilitation program, the company is also managing pressure in the pipelines so the water supply can be maximized and more water will be made available for customers’ use, particularly during hours of peak demand.

It is also reactivating several deep wells and constructing 4 modular treatment plants that will draw water from nearby rivers and convert it to drinking water.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the West

to 353,779.10 MT, compared to the 249,515.8 MT produced in the previous year.

Meanwhile, the SRA said there are no reports of hoarding that may have triggered sugar prices to go up.

“SRA is monitoring the warehouses of registered traders and industrial users.

SRA found no hoarding,” Serafica said.

For crop year 2021-2022, the estimated raw sugar output is 1.98 million metric tons (MT), lower by 5.4 percent from the actual sugar production of 2.14 million MT in crop year 2020-2021.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Desperate moves versus runaway winner BBM

THE impending victory in the presidential race of former-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (BBM) has apparently compelled his rival candidates to make desperate moves.

Now faced with the reality of a looming defeat, BBM’s archrival Vice President Leni Robredo has taken steps to forge a united “Opposition” with 29 days till the May 9 national elections.

BBM and VP running-mate Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio have maintained their lead in all major poll surveys, garnering nearly 60 percent of voter preference for President and VP, respectively.

To boost her support, Robredo’s camp is reportedly pushing for the withdrawal of presidential aspirants Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Senator Manny Paquiao and Senator Ping Lacson.

Unfortunately for Robredo, her handlers’ proposal was reportedly flatly rejected by all the other bets who have spent millions of pesos on their campaigns.

Lacson, who was recently abandoned by his own political party in favor of Robredo, is adamant in fighting to the finish like the gallant warrior that he is.

Withdrawal means “surrender” which is not in the former national police chief’s vocabulary.

He abhorred the idea of withdrawing from the presidential race while Robredo’s handlers shamelessly proposed to junk her running-mate VP aspirant Sen. Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan in favor of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto.

It was not clear if Pangilinan buys the idea himself, being treated by the like a “bargaining chip” or sacrificial lamb.

Sotto, on the other hand, had professed unwavering loyalty to Lacson.

The Lacson-Sotto tandem was the first presidential team to declare their candidacy with the promise to rid the widespread corruption in the

government.

Despite their dismal survey ratings, Moreno and Pacquiao have reportedly vowed to pursue their presidential dream.

Even if they give in to Robredo’s gambit, there is no guarantee she will get the votes of the other candidates who would back out of the race.

Instead of putting up a united front versus BBM, they chose to engage in mudslinging, fabricating all sorts of fake news and recycling dubious issues against the Martial Law and Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.

Robredo should accept the reality that the opposition to BBM cannot be unified then and cannot be done now, as everyone wants to be the next President.

Long before they declared their presidential candidacies, the group 1Sambayan led by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio had failed to unify the so-called Opposition.

The rivals face the specter of defeat.

Unfortunately for them, a divided Opposition means Marcos rules.

They have also failed in their bid to have the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cancel BBM’s certificate of candidacy in connection with recycled tax issues against the former congressman, former senator and former Ilocos Norte governor.

Political analysts and statisticians say at this point BBM’s lead seems “insurmountable.”

Marcos’ lead is almost impossible to overtake as it is impossible to get all his rivals together as they have no common campaign messages or platform.

Though Robredo’s survey ratings have improved significantly to 25 percent, they are running out of time to catch up with BBM’s ratings at more than 50 percent in the recent Pulse Asia and Publicus surveys.

The Pinklawans must accept the painful truth of a looming administration under BBM, a likely runaway winner in the upcoming elections.

Wave of support for US mother awaiting execution

By Léa Dauple THE looming execution of a US mother-of-14 -- sentenced to death in a controversial case for the murder of her toddler daughter -- has provoked backlash from celebrities like Kim Kardashian and a growing movement that reaches well beyond US borders.

Melissa Lucio is to be put to death on April 27 for the 2007 murder of her two-year-old daughter Mariah, whose body was found at the family home covered in bruises, days after falling down stairs.

Pregnant with twins at the time, Lucio’s life had been marred by both physical and sexual assault, drug addiction and financial insecurity.

She was immediately suspected by police of having hit her daughter and questioned at length, just hours after the death.

After saying “that she hadn’t done it nearly a hundred times,” at 3:00 am she made a “completely extorted” confession, according to Sabrina Van Tassel, director of the hit documentary “The State of Texas vs. Melissa,” which came out in 2020.

“I guess I did it,” Lucio eventually told her interrogators when questioned about the presence of the bruises.

That confession was “the only thing they had against her,” said Van Tassel, convinced that “there is nothing that connects Melissa Lucio to the death of this child, there is no DNA, no witness.”

During the trial, a doctor said it was the “absolute worst” case of child abuse he had seen.

But Mariah had a physical disability which made her unsteady while walking, according to Lucio’s defense —and which could have

explained her fall.

The defense also argued that the bruises could have been caused by a blood circulation disorder.

None of Melissa’s children had accused her of being violent. As for the prosecutor, he was later sentenced to prison for corruption and extortion.

‘Miscarriage of justice’ Now the documentary has sparked widespread interest, causing a whole movement to coalesce around Lucio.

Reality star Kim Kardashian tweeted to her tens of millions of followers on Wednesday that there were “so many unresolved questions surrounding this case and the evidence that was used to convict her.”

And Lucio’s story has ignited the media in Latin America, fascinated by the tale of the first Hispanic woman to be sentenced to death in Texas -- the US state that has executed the most people in the 21st century.

In France, former presidential candidate Christiane Taubira said Lucio is probably a “victim of a miscarriage of justice.”

Even one of the jurors who sentenced her expressed his “deep regret” in an editorial published on Sunday.

Lucio is also winning support from US Republicans, traditionally defenders of capital punishment.

About 80 Texas lawmakers from both parties have demanded authorities call off the execution.

Several have been to visit her in prison. “As a conservative Republican myself who has long been a supporter of the death penalty... I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio,” said one of them, Jeff Leach.

‘A shock’ The flood has come as a “shock”

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EDITORIAL

Quack cure

F

ROM the start, we have supported the government’s view that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic must be based on science. Conversely, this also meant that we have opposed any “miracle cures” that were not grounded in science and solid— and extensive—laboratorybased research.

“Now that people can dive into the details and the data, hopefully that will steer the majority of doctors away from ivermectin towards other therapies,” Boulware said.

In the trial, the research team compared more than 1,350 people infected with the coronavirus in Brazil who received either ivermectin or a placebo as treatment.

Politics, especially when it is anchored on ignorance, must not be allowed to muddle public health policy.

Last week, The New England Journal of Medicine published the results from a large clinical trial that showed that ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug touted by politicians here and abroad as an alternative treatment for COVID-19, showed no signs of quelling the disease or reducing patients’ risk of hospitalization.

The findings pretty much rule out the drug as a treatment for COVID-19, the study’s authors wrote.

“There’s really no sign of any benefit,” Dr. David Boulware, one of the co-authors and an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota, told The New York Times.

Between March and August 2021, 679 patients received a daily dose of ivermectin over the course of three days. The researchers found that ivermectin didn’t reduce the risk that people with COVID-19 would be hospitalized or go to an emergency room within 28 days after treatment.

In addition, the researchers looked at particular groups to understand

if some patients benefited for some reason, such as taking ivermectin sooner after testing positive for COVID-19. But those who took the drug during the first three days after a positive coronavirus test ended up doing worse than those in the placebo group. The drug also didn’t help patients recover sooner.

The researchers also said they found “no important effects” of treatment with ivermectin on the number of days people spent in the hospital, the number of days hospitalized people needed mechanical ventilation, or the risk of death.

The study, the most extensive on ivermectin so far, gives lie to the false promises that some politicians made about its efficacy, absent any scientific basis for giving them. Two of them who are running for office this year, not too long ago led the distribution of the anti-parasitic drug as a COVID-19 treatment against the advice of the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration—providing us a solid argument argument that politics, especially when it is anchored on ignorance, must not be allowed to muddle public health policy.

Holy Week during elections THIS year, as it happens every three years, we celebrate Holy Week in the middle of heated election campaigns to elect national and local officials.

2022 is particularly important for the presidential and vice-presidential elections with the results on May 9 having serious consequences for the country. The Mandanas ruling, which transfers significant resources from the national to the local government unit, makes the local elections more important than usual.

Explaining the liturgy of the Paschal Triduum, Pope Francis once said that “On the evening of Holy Thursday, as we enter the Easter Triduum, we will relive the Mass known as in Coena Domini, that is, the Mass in which we commemorate the Last Supper, there, in that moment. This is the evening when Christ left his disciples the testament of his love in the Eucharist, not as a remembrance, but as a memorial, as his everlasting presence. . . Good Friday is the day of penance, fasting and prayer. Through the texts of the Sacred Scripture and the liturgical prayers, we will gather as though we were on Calvary to commemorate the redemptive Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. . . .”

Watching the graphic images of death and destruction flashed on television/ social media committed by Russian troops against innocent Ukrainian civilians, one cannot but be shocked and horrified by how far man can go to inflict pain and suffering upon his fellow human being. Yet, meditating on the suffering of Jesus on the cross, we find solace in the thought that in times of trial and tribulation, there is a caring God who will not abandon his beloved, Jesus sustains us by his grace and grants the strength to remain strong and not give in to despair and

hopelessness. Evil may reach the nadir of depravity, but the love of God is infinitely stronger than the worst kind of evil that man can do.

Reflecting on the anxiety and suffering caused by the pandemic, Pope Francis also said that people may now be asking a question about God: What does He do in the face of our

pain? Where is He when everything is going wrong? Why doesn’t He solve the problems immediately?” He went on to explain that God revealed Himself completely on the Cross, reminding the faithful not to forget that the Cross is the “chair” of God. It is not by chance that the final 30 days of this election season starts with Holy Week. Ominous as it may seem, the quiet of mga Mahal na Araw may play a significant role in the 2022 elections.

The imagery of the Stations of the Cross, the traditional pabasa ng pasyon, and the superstitions surrounding the tail end of Lent speaks volumes to the broader Filipino population. What happens during the Holy Week and what comes out of it shall definitely spillover to the remaining 3 weeks of the campaign.

Will campaigns that continue to relentlessly gather support, during this period, be viewed positively by Filipinos? Will campaigns that attack the opposing candidate during a period of repentance turn away people? Will Filipinos instead prefer to use this time to solemnly reflect on their individual and the country’s situation—of how much suffering the country has

experienced over the years?

For the partisans, all I can suggest this week is to find time to reflect and to pray. I offer these words of Pope Francis last Sunday for you to mediate on: “There, as he was being crucified, at the height of his pain, Jesus himself obeyed the most demanding of his commandments: that we love our enemies. Let us think about someone who, in our own lives, injured, offended or disappointed us; someone who made us angry, who did not understand us or who set a bad example. How often we spend time looking back on those who have wronged us. How often we think back and lick the wounds that other people, life itself and history have inflicted on us.

Today, Jesus teaches us not to remain there, but to react, to break the vicious circle of evil and sorrow.

To react to the nails in our lives with love, to the buffets of hatred with the embrace of forgiveness. As disciples of Jesus, do we follow the Master or do we follow our own desire to strike back? It is a question we should all ask: do we follow our own desire to strike back?

If we want to test whether we truly belong to Christ, let us look at how we behave toward those who have hurt us. The Lord asks us to respond not as we feel, or as everyone else does, but in the way he acts toward us. He asks us to break out of the mindset that says: “I will love you if you love me; I will be your friend if you are my friend; I will help you if you help me.”

Rather, we are to show compassion and mercy to everyone, for God sees a son or a daughter in each person.

He does not separate us into good and bad, friends and enemies. We are the ones who do this, and we make God suffer. For him, all of us are his beloved children, children whom he desires to embrace and forgive.”

But this year “has been the hardest because we got the execution date in January,” said the 32-year-old.

He is convinced that she would never have been condemned “if she had had the money.”

The case brings to light the issue of false confessions.

It is diff icult to estimate how many there may have been, but according to data from The Innocence Project, which f ights against miscar riages of justice, out of ever y four people wrongly convicted and exonerated thanks to DNA evidence, one had already confessed to the crime.

In homicide cases, that number rises to 60 percent, according to Saul Kassin, professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

And someone who, like Lucio, has experienced trauma and violence is “less resistant, more likely to comply, they have less tolerance for the stress of an interrogation,” and is therefore more likely to admit to a crime they did not commit, he said.

Lucio has exhausted her appeals -- but her team has filed a clemency petition, typically not decided until days before an execution.

Prosecutors can also withdraw the death warrant and agree to reinvestigate the case, according to the Houston Chronicle.

And if all else fails, Texas governor Greg Abbott still has the authority to delay Lucio’s death.

A strong supporter of capital punishment, he has only granted clemency once before. AFP

For the partisans, all I can suggest this week is to find time to reflect and to pray.

Her son is convinced that she would never have been condemned “if she had had the money.” for the death row inmate, her son John Lucio told AFP. When he showed her the messages from celebrities like Kardashian, “she couldn’t believe it.”

The last 15 years have been “very difficult,” said Lucio, who was a teenager at the time of the tragedy and had “to cope with it, knowing that I lost my sister and then my mother being charged for it.”

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

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

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Ukraine says 1,200 bodies recovered near Kyiv region U

KRAINE said Sunday it had found more than 1,200 bodies in the Kyiv region, the scene of atrocities allegedly committed by Russian troops, as residents in the country’s east braced – or fled – ahead of an expected massive offensive.

Heavy bombardments hammered Ukraine through the weekend, adding to mounting casualties six weeks into Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.

Shelling claimed two lives in northeast Kharkiv on Sunday morning, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said, the day after 10 civilians, including a child, died in bombings southeast of the city.

“The Russian army continues to wage war on civilians due to a lack of victories at the front,” Synegubov said on Telegram.

In Dnipro, an industrial city of around a million inhabitants, a rain of Russian missiles nearly destroyed the local airport, causing an uncertain number of casualties, local authorities said.

An AFP reporter saw black smoke in the sky above the facility, but a plane also took off later on Sunday, suggesting its runway was still functioning.

President Volodymyr Zelensky again condemned atrocities against civilians, and, after speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said they had agreed “that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.”

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said the country was examining the alleged culpability of 500 leading Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, for thousands of war crimes.

And White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan pledged the US would “work with the international community to make sure there’s accountability” for what he called “mass atrocities.”

At the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an Easter ceasefire to pave the way for peace, denouncing a war where “defenceless civilians” suffered “heinous massacres and atrocious cruelty.”

In his nightly address, Zelensky said Russian troops were about to launch “even larger operations” in the east of Ukraine.

“We are preparing for their actions.

We will respond,” he said.

Residents have been fleeing in their thousands, but Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said many were afraid to leave after a missile strike on a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk on Friday killed 57 people, according to a revised tally issued by local authorities.

“We evacuated 2,700-2,500 people per day, but now there are fewer and fewer,” Gaiday said, adding he was “sure that 20-25 percent” of the region’s population was still there.

“Sometimes we just beg [them] to come out of hiding because we know what comes next,” he said, adding Russian forces would “destroy everything in their path.” AFP

FUN EXERCISE. People twirl ribbons at a park in Beijing on April 11, 2022. AFP

Veteran HK journalist arrested for ‘sedition’ A VETERAN Hong Kong journalist was arrested by national security police on Monday for allegedly conspiring to publish “seditious materials,” a police source and local media said.

The arrest is the latest blow against the local press in Hong Kong which has seen its media freedom rating plummet as Beijing cracks down on dissent.

Allan Au, a 54-year-old reporter and journalism lecturer, was arrested in a dawn raid by Hong Kong’s national security police unit, multiple local media outlets reported.

A senior police source confirmed Au’s arrest to AFP on a charge of “conspiracy to publish seditious materials.”

Police have yet to release an official statement.

Au was a former columnist for Stand News, an online news platform that was shuttered last December after authorities froze the company’s assets using a national security law.

Two other senior employees of Stand News have already been charged with

sedition.

National security charges have also been brought against jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six former senior executives of Apple Daily.

Once Hong Kong’s most popular tabloid, Apple Daily collapsed last year when its newsroom was raided and assets were frozen under the security law.

Soon after Stand News was shut down, Au began to write “good morning” each day on his Facebook to confirm his safety.

One of the city’s most experienced local columnists, he was a Knight fellow at Stanford University in 2005 and earned a doctorate from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

In 2017 Au published a book about censorship in Hong Kong entitled “Freedom Under 20 Shades of Shadow.”

Au spent more than a decade working for RTHK, Hong Kong’s government broadcaster, running a current affairs show.

But he was axed last year after the authorities declared a shake-up that began transforming the once editorially independent broadcaster into something more resembling Chinese state media.

First penned by colonial ruler Britain in 1938, sedition was long criticized as an anti-free speech law, including by many of the pro-Beijing local newspapers now praising its use.

By the time of the 1997 handover, it had not been used for decades but remained on the books.

It was dusted off by police and prosecutors in the wake of massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Over the last two years sedition has been wielded against journalists, unionists, activists, a former pop star and ordinary citizens.

Sedition is currently separate from the sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020. AFP

Le Pen, Macron kick off run-off battle for French presidency FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Monday kicked off a final fortnight of bruising campaigning for the French presidency in a run-off that polls predict risks being tight.

With 97 percent votes counted, Macron came in first in Sunday’s first round of voting with 27.6 percent of the vote.

Le Pen was second with 23.4 percent.

As the top two finishers, they advance to a second round on April 24.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon came close to beating Le Pen for the second spot after a late surge gave him a score of just under 22 percent.

The duel between Macron and Le Pen is a re-run of the 2017 election final from which Macron emerged victorious with 66 percent. But this time polls pre-

dict a closer contest.

“Make no mistake: nothing is decided,” Macron told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters Sunday night. “The debate that we are going to have over the next fortnight will be decisive for our country and Europe.”

Macron said he would be out campaigning on Monday in northern France, while Le Pen is set to meet her campaign team before resuming her months-long grassroots efforts in small towns and rural France later in the week.

“A sad repetition,” left-leaning daily Liberation called the Macron-Le Pen duel on Monday, adding: “This time it’s really scary.”

The candidates from France’s traditional parties of government – the Socialists and the Republicans – meanwhile suffered humiliating defeats.

Polls gauging second-round voting intentions mostly point to around 53 percent for Macron and 47 percent for Le Pen. One poll, however, by the IfopFiducial group suggested Macron could have only a razor-thin win with 51 percent versus 49 percent.

As well as campaigning on the merits of their respective programs, both candidates will also scramble to woo voters of their defeated first-round rivals.

In a boost for the president, Communist Party candidate Fabien Roussel, Socialist Anne Hidalgo, Yannick Jadot of the Greens and right-wing Republicans candidate Valerie Pecresse said they would vote for him to prevent the farright leader coming to power.

Without backing Macron, Melenchon in a crucial move also told his supporters not to give a “single vote” to Le Pen.AFP

CANDLE-LIT VINEYARD. Winegrowers walk after lighting candles in the vineyards to protect them from frost around Puligny-Montrachet in France. AFP

World’s richest man Elon Musk no longer joining Twitter board—CEO ELON Musk is no longer joining the board of Twitter, the CEO of the social media company said late Sunday, in a reversal less than a week after announcing the Tesla chief would be appointed.

Musk was named to join the Twitter board after buying a major stake in the firm and becoming its largest shareholder.

“Elon has decided not to join our board,” Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted.

“Elon’s appointment to the board

was to become officially effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning he will no longer be joining the board,” Agrawal said.

“I believe this is for the best.”

Currently the world’s richest man and with more than 80 million followers on the microblogging platform, Musk last week disclosed a purchase of 73.5 million shares—or 9.2 percent— of Twitter’s common stock.

Agrawal had announced on Tuesday that Musk would be joining the board, describing him as “a passionate believ-

Elon Musk

er and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need.”

Musk himself tweeted that he was “Looking forward to working with Parag & Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months!”

In his announcement Sunday, Agrawal shared a note he sent to Twitter, which said Musk’s appointment to the board would be contingent on a background check and that he would have to act in the best interests of the company once appointed. AFP

Mexican president wins recall vote

MASKED PROTEST. A demonstrator wearing a Guy Fawkes mask takes part in a protest along with others against the economic crisis at the entrance of the president’s office in Colombo on April 10, 2022. Severe shortages of food and fuel, alongside lengthy electricity blackouts, have led to weeks of widespread anti-government demonstrations with calls for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. AFP

MEXICAN President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday easily won a divisive referendum he promoted on whether he should step down or complete his term – a vote marked by low turnout.

With an approval rating of nearly 60 percent, Lopez Obrador’s presidency had never appeared seriously at risk, and the left-wing populist was himself one of the vote’s biggest cheerleaders.

The 68-year-old president, elected in 2018 for a six-year term, won slightly more than 90 percent of votes in favor of his staying in office until 2024, according to an official initial count.

But the turnout rate was estimated to be no more than around 18 percent, well below the 40-percent level needed for

the poll to be legally binding.

That means that even if Lopez Obrador had lost, he would not have been obliged to step down.

Lopez Obrador ruled out using the result to pursue a constitutional reform allowing him to seek another term, as some critics have accused him of planning to do.

“I’m going to continue serving until the last day of my term. I’m not going to go past that because I’m a democrat and I’m not in favor of re-election,” he said in a video message.

Supporters of the referendum – the first of its kind in Mexico – said it was a way of increasing democratic accountability, giving voters the opportunity to remove the president due to loss of confidence. AFP

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Lacson: Leni camp asked me to withdraw for Robredo-Sotto tandem

SENATORIAL CANDIDATES. The Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Prosperity Movement (FPJPM) headed by national chairperson Joseph Cagsawa endorses the PDP-Laban senatorial slate and Ako OFW Partylist during a press conference in Quezon City. Also in photo are PDP Laban senatorial candidates Rey Langit and Astra Pimentel. Manny Palmero

SENATOR Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo asked him to withdraw from the 2022 presidential race and field Senator Tito Sotto to be Robredo’s running-mate and drop Senator Kiko Pangilinan.

Lacson, in a GMA News report said, the offer was made in Pampanga.

“Somebody approached me in Pampanga and the offer, proposal was, Senator, we can make Kiko back out and field Senator Sotto as running mate of Leni as long as you withdraw from the race,” Lacson, quoted in the GMA report said.

In a statement, Lacson identified the one who approached him in Pampanga as former Quezon City mayor Brigido ‘Jun’ Simon.

“He kept asking for an appointment a number of times, purportedly in relation to my campaign. I did not respond as I wasn’t sure what the agenda was, not to mention that I do not know him that well and I was busy campaigning,” he said.

Lacson said these could be the same people who approached other presidential bets Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator

PFP: 73 governors back Marcos

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said 90 percent or 73 of the 81 governors in the country have expressed commitment to fully support his candidacy.

The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas said 16 governors trooped to the BBM headquarters in Mandaluyong on Sunday night to reiterate their support for Marcos’ presidential bid.

It was the second round of meetings between Marcos and the local chief executives for the consolidation of command votes in their respective provinces.

“Chavit (Singson) said that almost 90 percent of the governors are already for Bongbong. It’s true. Right now we have a new President,” Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez declared.

He was referring to the statement of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor and League of Municipalities of the Philippines President Luis Chavit Singson who said that 90 percent of the governors are now fully supporting the BBM-Sara UniTeam.

“I don’t see any unprecedented event that can hamper the victory of Bongbong,” Suarez said.

Singson also appealed to the governors to work doubly hard to make sure that Marcos would be the first “majority president” since the multi-party system was implemented in the country.

“We are still working on the double even though we are sure of winning. We need to show that he is the f irst majority president,” Singson appealed.

The governors said that Singson’s appeal is very possible based on the results of all the respectable surveys where Marcos garnered more than 50 percent of the voters’ preference.

“Chavit’s appeal for us to make him majority president, well that would be our job. It’s easy to sell BBM,

Manny Pacquiao.

Ibarra Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, denied that their camp reached out to Lacson and other bets.

“What I can confirm and say with complete clarity is that this [effort to make Lacson and Senator Kiko withdraw] did not come from Leni-Kiko campaign team. There are no recent efforts to talk to him from our end,” Gutierrez said in a CNN Philippines interview.

“This is not coming from us. There are no active efforts to actually try to talk to other candidates and bring them in,” he said.

Lacson meanwhile said the national budget is the most important legislation that lawmakers pass every year because without it, government agencies and other state-funded projects cannot move to deliver essential public services.

Lacson gave this simple explanation when he faced local government officials in Bataan, Sunday (April 10), to discuss his Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program, which is the bedrock of his 2022 presidential campaign and future administration if he is voted into office.

it’s okay” Suarez added.

For his part, Isabela Gov. Rodito Albano said that there is no need for UniTeam to campaign in their province.

“Even if I don’t campaign for him, he is sure of us.

It looks like our vote is even higher than BBM would get in Ilocos,” Albano boasted.

Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas echoed the governor’s sentiments saying he will push for the protection of Marcos’ votes in his province.

“Of course, we will win there but we still have to push. We need to watch. We have to show that BBM is the solution. It’s really BBM that really pushes for unity. And that is what we are all looking for,” Mandanas said.

Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap, on the other hand, also assured that the majority of Boholanos will vote for Marcos.

“In Bohol, we have a new survey that was released last Friday, BBM is at 54 percent. Of course we will work on that but I don’t see any problem anymore,” Yap said.

Office of VP coordinating with LGUs to send aid to areas hit by ‘Agaton’ THE Office of the Vice President is coordinating with local government units to send assistance to areas affected by typhoon ‘Agaton.’

An ABS-CBN news report said Vice President Leni Robredo said bottles of drinking water were expected to be delivered to Baybay, Leyte. Robredo also said volunteers would also distribute relief packs in Abuyog, Leyte and Sogod, Southern Leyte in the afternoon.

“We are coordinating with LGUs to send aid to affected areas,” Robredo said.

Agaton flooded parts of the Visayas and Mindanao and has affected some 136,000 people and left around P874,000 in damage to agriculture, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Agaton weakened into a tropical depression on Monday morning, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

As of 1 p.m., the tropical cyclone was spotted over the coastal waters of

Marabut, Leyte. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 60 kph, the weather bureau said.

Vice presidential aspirant Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan meanwhile he vows to dismantle the food smuggling network deeply embedded in the different agencies of Philippine government.

In an interview with Radyo 5’s Ted Failon and DJ Chacha Monday morning, Pangilina politely rebutted, and then enumerated the stellar results of his legislative work and brief stint as food and agriculture czar during the Aquino administration.

“In one and a half years, we were able to stop the importation of highpriced rice from Vietnam and Thailand. We filed administrative cases against six regional heads of the National Food Administration, officials who were involved in pushing for not only importation, but also re-bagging and repacking of smuggled products,” he added.

Notice Notice isis hereby hereby given given toto the the public public the the the the Extra Extra Judicial Judicial Settlement Settlement ofof Estate Estate with with Waiver Waiver ofof the the Intestate Intestate Estate Estate ofofLutgarda LutgardaDelgado DelgadoSangalang Sangalang has has been been executed executed by by and and among among her her heirs, heirs, namely: namely: Milagros Milagros D. D. Sison, Sison, Ana Ana Victoria Victoria Delgado DelgadoTorroba, Torroba,and andTeresita TeresitaL.L. Goddard, Goddard, as as per per Doc. Doc. No. No. 505; 505; Page Page No. No. 102; 102; Book Book No. No. VIII; VIII; Series Series ofof 2022 2022 ofof the the Notarial Notarial Register/Book Register/Book ofof Atty.

Atty. Henson Henson M. M. Montalvo, Montalvo, Notary Notary Public Public for for and andininthe theCity CityofofMakati.

Makati.

(MS-MAR. (MS-MAR.31, 31,APR. APR.77&&12, 12,2022) 2022)

NOTICE NOTICE Notice Notice hereby hereby given given that that AYALA AYALA LAND LAND INC. INC. has has filed filed with with the the Department Department ofof Human Human Settlement Settlement and and Urban Urban Development Development for for aa Change Change ofof Ownership Ownership ofof aa Commercial Commercial Subdivision Subdivision project project from from AYALA AYALA LAND LAND INC./CEBU HOLDINGS INC./CEBU HOLDINGS INC INC toto AYALA AYALA LAND LAND INC. INC. located located atat South South Road Road Properties, Properties,Cebu CebuCity City All All papers papers relative relative thereto thereto shall shall upon upon request request and and payment payment ofof processing processing fee fee be be available available for for inspection inspection and and examination examination for for any any person person having having interest interest thereon. thereon.

Absent Absentany anylegal legalimpediment, impediment, the the above-cited above-cited project project name name isisdeemed deemedchange changeand andaanew new Certificate Certificate ofof Registration Registration and and License License toto Sell, Sell, shall shall forthwith forthwith be be issued issued after after two two weeks weeks from from the the last last day day ofof publication. publication.

Cebu CebuCity, City,March March18, 18,2022.

2022.

(SGD.) (SGD.) ATTY. ATTY. LYNDON LYNDON D. D. JUNTILLA JUNTILLA Regional RegionalDirector Director

Piolo backs Ang Probinsyano party-list MOVIE hunk Piolo Pascual swept Zamboanguenos off their feet in a visit to the Zamboanga peninsula on Friday, his first campaign show for the 2022 elections.

Pascual, who joined Number 50 Ang Probinsyano Party-List led by Rep. Alfred Delos Santos and Rep. Edward Delos Santos, in their campaign sorties in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur; Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay and Sergio Osmena, Zamboanga del Norte, blew away the locals with his good looks and his famous charismatic aura upon landing at Pagadian airport.

The actor is endorsing Ang Probinsyano, a party-list whose rural advancement advocacy he firmly believes in.

At the venue, the cheering crowds also witnessed Pascual’s singing prowess, when he rendered big hits like “Mangarap Ka” and “Hawak Kamay” so much so that at one point, a seemingly mesmerized fan in Pagadian City breached security and ran to the stage to embrace the celebrity.

“Nandito po ako ngayon para ikampanya ang boses ng mga probinsyanong tulad ko sa Kongreso, ang mga totoong nagtatrabaho po para maiangat ang kalidad ng buhay natin – ang Number 50 Ang Probinsyano Party-List (I am here to campaign for the voice of probinsyanos like me in Congress, the one which is genuinely working to raise the quality of our lives – Number 50 Ang Probinsyano PartyList),” Pascual told lively crowds and local executives who came in full force.

Cyclists support Cayetano caravan

BINAY IN SAN ANDRES MARKET. Former vice president Jejomar Binay visits the San Andres market and meets with supporters. Binay is seeking a Senate seat in the May elections.

‘Mammoth crowd’ welcomes Isko in Cebu gathering NOTICE NOTICEOF OFEXTRA-JUDICIAL EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT SETTLEMENT

IN BRIEF

A MAMMOTH crowd of 80,000 attended the “Isigaw Mo, Isko!” concert rally on Sunday as Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate Isko Moreno Domagoso continue to go directly to the people like what he did in his two-day provincial sortie in Cebu.

As early as 2pm, some 25,000 people were already assembled along the stretch of T.M. Kalaw Street at the corner of Maria Orosa where the huge stage was located for the concert of several artists and bands who volunteered their services for free.

The “Isigaw Mo, Isko!” concert rally was led by singer-musician Jimmy Bondoc, who was the main organizer of the event that saw bigname entertainers such as Luke Mijares, Aia De Leon of Imago, Shamrock, South Border, Soapdish, This Band and Nina.

Between 6 pm to 7 pm, the crowd ballooned

PINUNO VISITS CAVITE AND BATANGAS:

Senator Lito Lapid together with PINUNO Partylist first nominee Howard Guintu went around Cavite and Batangas. A recent Pulse Asia survey conducted last March 17-21 shows that the party-list garnered a 0.88 percent voter preference securing a seat in Congress.

(MS-APRIL (MS-APRIL77&12, &12,2022) 2022)

CYAN CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK

to 65,000 and peaked at 80,000 when Moreno was already on the stage talking directly to the people in his usual question-and-answer format similar to what he did in past town hall meetings in the provinces.

“How are you? We are not going to back out!

The battle continues! What are you shouting?”

Moreno shouted as the fired-up crowd began chanting his name “Isko! Isko! Isko! ” In Cebu province, back-to-back concert rallies were also held in Lapu-Lapu City on Friday where 35,000 Cebuanos trooped to the Mactan Shrine where the “Bilis Kilos Iskoncert-Rally” was held with Mocha Uson and Moreno’s actorentertainer son Joaquin Domagoso leading the list of bands and entertainers that included JBlaque, MakII, RKTeq, Ruzz Furio, Kyle Zagado, RjayBulls, Freshe Christine, Super Renan, Jeofre C and Richie Wagas. Rey E. Requejo

GROUPS of cyclists has joined the nationwide “1-4-Alan Peter Cayetano Bike Caravan” as a show of support for former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s senate comeback bid.

Bike caravans were simultaneously held Sunday morning in Quezon City, Manila, Pasay City, Mandaluyong, Santiago in Isabela, Bulacan, Olongapo in Zambales, Imus in Cavite, Calamba in Laguna, Albuquerque and Tagbilaran in Bohol, Pagadian in Zamboanga, Iligan in Lanao del Norte, and Tagum in Davao del Norte.

The nationwide caravan was organized and spearheaded by some of the biggest cycling groups across the country with hundreds of members, such as the Universal Cycling Network (UCN) in Cavite, multisports group TriZurKamesa in Pagadian, and Kasabike Iligan in Iligan.

Local officials, including mayors and barangay chairmans, also joined the bike caravan.

“We just really want to thank Sir Alan Peter Cayetano. From medical assistance, to mobile clinics, sa ambulance, pati sa infrastructure, handang tumulong si Sir Alan,” Pagadian City Councilor and Sports Committee Chairman Sam Tyra Co said.

This is the third nationwide bike caravan held in solidarity with Cayetano’s eco-friendly campaign for the May 2022 general elections.

Cayetano launched his eco-friendly campaign in February, vowing to do away with traditional motorcades to avoid pollution and gas consumption. Maricel V. Cruz

Group promises 4m votes for BBM-Sara

AN ADVOCACY group identified with the late movie icon Fernando Poe Jr., along with the Ako OFW party-list, on Monday promised to deliver four million votes among their combined membership for presidential bet Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running-mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in the May 9 polls.

At the sideline of the weekly Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan forum at B Hotel in Quezon City, Joseph Cadsawan, national president of the Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Prosperity Movement (FPJPM), said the organization alone could gather two million votes or more for the BBM-Sara tandem.

“My father (Boots), FPJPM founder, and the entire movement, backed Senator Grace Poe when she ran in the presidential race in 2016. We remain loyal to FPJ whose advocacy and platforms of governance are parallel with that of the tandem’s,” he told the Manila Standard.

He maintained that there is no more need for Marcos to attend presidential debates as he slammed vice presidential candidate Walden Bello for urging the youth voters to force Marcos and Duterte to join debates.

“We already know the capacity of Mr. Marcos. They have made up their mind not to take part in any debate,” he said.

Senatorial bet Astra Pimentel of PDP-Laban said the party-list can gather 1.9 million votes.

She, however, echoed President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that leftists have used the party-list system to infiltrate Congress, referring to them by the acronym KABAG (stomach pains in Filipino). Rio N. Araja

Business

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks fall; Cebu Pacific, BPI advance PSEi April 11, 2022

TOP GAINERS

1 FERRO 2 VVT 3 SSP

LAST PRICE CHANGE 2.73 0.63 16.74 2.6 1.11 0.07

% CHANGE 30.00% 18.39% 6.73%

4 5 6

PHES PIZZA WLCON

0.435 8.35 26.5

0.025 0.45 1.35

6.10% 5.70% 5.37%

7

MAC

5.7

0.23

4.20%

8 9 10

CEBCP APX FOOD

48.5 1.71 0.6

1.95 0.06 0.02

4.19% 3.64% 3.45%

S

TOCKS slipped in thin trading Monday as unease lingered over tightening monetary policy by the Fed and rising prices in China.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index shed 29.73 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,988.29 on a value turnover of P3.4 billion. Losers beat gainers, 102 to 75, with 55 issues unchanged.

Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group fell 1.9 percent to P34.30, while Semirara Mining and Power Corp. of the Consunji Group, the biggest coal miner, declined 1.8 percent to P30.90.

Cebu Air Inc. of the Gokongwei Group, the largest budget carrier, however, rose 2.6 percent to P48.70, while

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 1.5 percent to P100.

The rest of Asian stocks posted losses on Monday.

The drop followed a negative lead from Wall Street. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq retreated as the yield on the 10year US Treasury note climbed above 2.7 percent—a] signal markets are preparing for more tightening as the Federal Reserve battles inflation.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei closed 0.6 percent lower, while Hong Kong and

Shanghai lost more than three percent and two percent respectively.

Taipei and Seoul were also down, while Sydney and Jakarta posted slight gains.

“Stocks are soft at the Monday (Asian) open on increasing evidence the Federal Reserve will take a more committed approach to its monetary policy inflationfighting stance,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.

“However, markets have been surprisingly resilient as discussions under the surface debated whether this week’s US March CPI data will hint at the peak of the inflation cycle and help the Fed’s chance to better engineer a soft landing, however narrow that path may seem.”

The US central bank has recently tak-

Ukraine crisis, inflation risks to dominate ECB meeting

TOP LOSERS

1 CSB 2 EEI 3 CAB

LAST PRICE CHANGE 6.76 -1.59 4.41 -0.67 55 -8

% CHANGE -19.04% -13.19% -12.70%

4 5 6 7

TECHW SGI LOTO ALCO

0.61 0.9 1.67 0.56

-0.07 -0.06 -0.1 -0.03

-10.29% -6.25% -5.65% -5.08%

8

FCG

0.57

-0.03

-5.00%

9 10

CEU IRC

6.54 0.94

-0.32 -0.04

-4.66% -4.08%

MOST ACTIVE

1 BPI 2 SM

VOLUME 2,608,450 273,200

VALUE (PHP) 259,220,207 236,615,445

3 4

ALI SCC

5,796,100 5,759,900

199,901,935 175,978,065

5

SMPH

3,680,500

136,952,045

6 7 8 9

ICT MER CEB DMC

582,400 296,950 2,200,900 11,566,900

129,868,522 110,559,190 109,167,880 105,913,842

10

CNVRG

3,490,700

101,707,575

Societe Generale of France ceases Russian activities PARIS, France—French banking group Societe Generale said Monday it was ceasing activities in Russia and selling its majority stake in Rosbank, weeks after Ukraine’s leader urged French firms to leave over Moscow’s invasion of his country.

Societe Generale said in a statement that its withdrawal from Russia would cost it 3.1 billion euros ($3.4 billion).

“Societe Generale ceases its banking and insurance activities in Russia,” the firm said in a statement.

It also announced “the signing of a sale and purchase agreement to sell its entire stake in Rosbank and the Group’s Russian insurance subsidiaries” to Interros Capital, an investment firm founded by one of Russia’s richest oligarchs, Kremlin confidant Vladimir Potanin.

“With this agreement, concluded after several weeks of intensive work, the Group would exit in an effective and orderly manner from Russia, ensuring continuity for its employees and clients,” Societe Generale said.

The bank said it expects the deal to be completed in the coming weeks and that it was subject to approval from regulators.

Societe Generale shares sank by more than five percent following its announcement.

In a separate statement, Interros said that “the conditions for the deal have been approved by the government commission on control over foreign investment in the Russia Federation.”

“Interros intends to do the maximum efforts to develop Rosbank,” Potanin said in his company’s statement.

“The main objective is to maintain the stability of Rosbank, as well as create new opportunities for its clients and partners,” he said. AFP

en a hawkish tone as it embarks on an aggressive tightening path, prompting traders to fret over the prospect of higher interest rates.

“Today, the mantra for many investors is ‘Don’t fight the Fed when it is fighting inflation’,” Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, wrote in a note.

In China, factory-gate inflation was higher than expected in March, official data showed, as Russia’s war on Ukraine pushes up oil prices while a domestic COVID-19 resurgence strains food supplies and consumer costs.

The producer price index—measuring the cost of goods at the factory gate—grew 8.3 percent on-year, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures showed. With AFP

This handout photo taken and released by Indonesian tech firm GoTo on April 11, 2022 shows (from left) GoTo Group co-founder Kevin Aluwi, president Patrick Cao, group CEO Andre Soelistyo and co-founder William Tanuwijaya under a giant screen after the company’s initial public offering on the stock exchange in Jakarta. AFP

Indonesia tech giant GoTo surges on market debut JAKARATA, Indonesia—Indonesia’s biggest tech firm soared in Jakarta trade Monday after a billion-dollar IPO that was the world’s fifth-biggest this year, defying recent heavy weather for Asian tech stocks.

GoTo, the largest digital ecosystem in the archipelago nation of 270 million people, was formed by the merger of ride-hailing company Gojek and e-commerce platform Tokopedia in May 2021.

Clad in the signature black-and-green jacket of a Gojek driver, GoTo CEO Andre Soelistyo pressed the 9 am opening bell at the Jakarta stock exchange.

“Despite global market volatility, investor interest has been strong, reflecting the rapidly growing demand in Southeast Asia for our on-demand, e-commerce and financial technology services, as well as confidence in GoTo’s position as the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia,” he said in a press release.

His company’s shares jumped by up to 23 percent in the first exchanges and fluctuated around 15 percent at 388 ru-

piah during the trading session.

The company raised about $1.1 billion in its IPO that concluded last week, priced at 338 rupiah per share, representing a market value of about $28 billion, it announced Monday.

It has sold shares for $954.7 million (13.7 trillion rupiah) plus $146.3 million from treasury shares for the purpose of over-allotment.

Based on the total funds raised, GoTo’s IPO is the third-largest in Asia and fifth-largest in the world this year, it said.

The company announced last week it would distribute shares worth about $21.6 million to hundreds of thousands of its drivers.

One of the lucky drivers was Ryan Supriandi, who has been a Gojek driver for nearly seven years.

Supriandi was pleasantly surprised to receive a mobile notification saying the company had granted him 4,000 shares, worth about $90.

“I was happy and confused at the same time—what am I going to do with it?

Many drivers don’t understand shares or markets,” the 34-year-old told AFP. President Joko Widodo congratulated GoTo on its debut.

“I hope GoTo IPO will motivate Indonesian youth to give new energy for the leap of our country’s economic development,” Widodo said.

But Reza Priyambada, a stock market analyst from CSA Research Institute, said that while it was still too early to judge how GoTo would perform, investors should proceed cautiously.

“While they do claim to be the biggest marketplace in Indonesia, they are still suffering losses at the moment,” Priyambada said.

“Right now investors are still under a euphoria, but we don’t know if they really understand how GoTo works, what are their prospects and how the management is run.”

GoTo has not published profits yet.

The exchange reported that from January to July 2021 the company posted more than $556 million in net losses. AFP

FRANKFURT, Germany—European Central Bank governors meet Thursday to ponder record-high inflation and fresh economic uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine, with policymakers signaling a willingness to take action sooner rather than later.

At its last meeting in March, the ECB said it would accelerate the winding down of its bond-buying stimulus, with a view to ending the scheme in the third quarter.

An interest rate hike—the ECB’s first in over a decade—would follow “some time” after that, it said.

But since then prices have continued to spiral, with costs for energy, commodities and food surging in the wake of the war in Ukraine, adding to fears that the conflict will stunt a post-COVID recovery.

The US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have already announced their first rate hikes to combat price pressures, leaving the ECB looking out of step.

Inflation jumped to a record 7.5 percent in the euro area last month, well beyond the ECB’s two-percent target.

Although no major policy changes are expected on Thursday, ECB chief Christine Lagarde’s press conference will be scoured for clues of the bank shifting into more aggressive inflation-fighting mode.

“In our view, policymakers are likely to bring forward their plans to raise interest rates,” said Capital Economics in a client note, “as inflation continues to surprise to the upside.”

Lagarde tested positive for COVID-19 last week but is still set to chair the meeting and take part in the virtual press conference afterwards.

Central bankers use interest rate rises as a tool to tame inflation, but pulling the trigger too soon risks hurting economic growth.

The ECB’s dilemma has been complicated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions against Moscow, as the fallout from the upheaval to international trade and energy markets remains difficult to predict. AFP

Indian sari weavers toil to keep traditional sartorial style alive “All of these thriving industries got killed... through Chinese competition, and their ability to produce huge quantities at very low prices.” AFP

By Abhaya Srivastava VARANASI, India—In a dim room near the banks of India’s Ganges river, arms glide over a creaking loom as another silken fiber is guided into place with the rhythmic clack of a wooden beam.

Mohammad Sirajuddin’s cramped studio is typical of Varanasi’s dwindling community of artisans painstakingly working by hand to produce silk saris, uniquely cherished among their wearers as the epitome of traditional Indian sartorial style.

The city he calls home is revered among devout Hindus, who believe that cremation on the banks of its sacred waterway offers the chance to escape the infinite cycle of death and rebirth.

But Sirajuddin’s own reflections on mortality are centered on his craft, with competition from more cost-efficient mechanized alternatives and cheap imports from China leaving his livelihood hanging by a thread.

“If you walk around this whole neighborhood, you’ll see that this is the only house with a handloom,” the 65-year-old tells AFP. “Even this will be here only as long as I am alive. After that, nobody in this house will continue.”

Varanasi’s hand-weavers have cultivated a reputation for excellence over centuries, specializing in intricate patterns, floral designs and radiant golden brocades.

The Banarasi saris—so-called in reference to the city’s ancient name—they produce are widely sought after by Indian brides and are often passed on from one generation to the next as family heirlooms.

The elegant garments fetch handsome prices—Sirajuddin’s current work will go on sale for 30,000 rupees ($390)—

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 217 – QUEZON CITY rtc1qzn217@judiciary.gov.ph

In this photograph taken on November 20, 2021, a worker uses a hand loom to weave a traditional Banarasi silk sari at a workshop in Varanasi. Varanasi’s handweavers have cultivated a reputation for excellence over centuries, specializing in intricate patterns, floral designs, and golden brocades. AFP

but the cost of inputs and cuts taken by middlemen leave little left for weavers.

“Compared to the hard work that goes into making the sari, the profit is negligible,” Sirajuddin says.

His neighbors have all switched to electric looms for their garments, which lack the subtleties of hand-woven textiles and sell for just a third of the price but take a fraction of the time to finish.

‘Thriving industries got killed’ The fortunes of India’s textile trade— historically a cottage industry—have long been subject to sudden and devastating upheavals from abroad.

Its delicate fabrics were prized by the 18th century European elite but British colonization and England’s industrial-era factories flooded India with much cheaper

textiles, decimating the market for hand-woven garments.

Decades of socialist-inspired central planning after independence bought some reprieve by shielding local handicrafts from the international market.

But economic reforms in the early 1990s opened the country up to cheap goods just as the country’s northern neighbor was establishing itself as the globalized world’s workshop.

“Chinese yarn and fabric came in everywhere,” said author and former politician Jaya Jaitly, who has written a book on Varanasi’s woven textiles, adding that sari factories there had for years been emulating the city’s unique patterns and detail.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that said petition is hereby set for hearing on April 20, 2022 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning before this Court located at Room 604, Sixth Floor, Hall of Justice – IN RE: PETITION FOR JUDICIAL Annex, Diliman, Quezon City at which RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN place and on which date and time, DIVORCE AND DECLARATION OF any person who has been objections CAPACITY TO REMARRY UNDER to the petition may appear and file his ARTICLE 26, FAMILY CODE. opposition thereto.

CHERRY MOYA MONTESA a.k.a.

Let copy of this Fourth Order “CHERRY MONTESA HORIUCHI”, be published at the expense of the Petitioner, petitioner, once a week for three (3) -versusCIVIL CASE NO. consecutive weeks in a newspaper R-QZN-20-01620-CV of general circulation throughout the For: Judicial Recognition of Foreign Philippines. Likewise, let a copy of Divorce and Declaration of Capacity to the petition with its annexes and this Remarry Order be furnished to the Office of the NATIONAL STATISTICIAN AND Solicitor General, Office of the City CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OF Prosecutor of Quezon City, Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS City, Philippine Statistics Authority, AUTHORITY AND KOJI HORIUCHI, Quezon City and be posted in the Respondent.

Bulletin Board of the Office of the x-----------------------------------------------x Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, ORDER This is a verified petition filed by Quezon City.

Cherry Moya Montesa a.k.a. Cherry SO ORDERED. Montesa Horiuchi praying for the the Quezon City, Philippines, 28 judicial recognition of foreign judgment December 2021. of divorce obtained in Japan and (Sgd.) DOLLY ROSE R. BOLANTE-PRADO declare her as capacitated to remarry Acting Presiding Judge under Article 26, 2nd paragraph of the Cc: Family Code.

Atty. Lorenzo U. Padilla Petitioner alleges that she got married to Koji Horiuchi on February 4, 2000 in Japan; that petitioner and Koji was blessed with a daughter Mika who was born on December 12, 2000; that on February 25, 2004, at the instance and insistence of Koji, they were divorced; that the divorce was an absolute one and capacitated Koji, they were divorced; that the divorce is attested by the Divorce Certificate No. IB19-06222-20 issued for the ConsulGeneral for Japan by one Consul Matsumoto Masumi of the Japanese Consulate-General in the Philippines; that petitioner is now seeking that the foreign divorce decree obtained by Koji Horiuchi in Japan be judicially recognized.

Counsel for the petitioner No. 62 (KSP Unit) Don Benito Hernandez Avenue Pasay City, Metro Manila lupadilla5@gmail.com Office of the Solicitor General Makati City Office of the City Prosecutor Quezon City Office of the Local Civil Registrar Quezon City Philippine Statistics Authority Quezon City Koji Horiuchi 19-1 Idonocho, Yamatokoriyamashi, Nara Ken, Japan Postal Code 639-1104 (MStandard - Mar. 29, Apr. 5 & 12, 2022)

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

A8

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

GERI’s income climbs 21% to P1.3b on higher real estate sales

By Jenniffer B. Austria GLOBAL-ESTATE Resorts Inc., a unit of Megaworld Corp., said Monday net income climbed 21 percent in 2021 to P1.3 billion from P1.1 billion in 2020 on higher revenues.

GERI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange revenues reached P5 billion last year, boosted by residential sales.

It said real estate sales, which accounted for the bulk of revenues, reached P3.7 billion, up 3 percent from a year earlier. Real estate sales in the fourth quarter amounted to P1 billion, up 49 percent from the same period last year.

Reservation sales also rose 25 percent to P17.2 billion in 2021.

“For 2021, we continued to capitalize on the strong demand for properties in the provinces. Aside from the intrinsic attractiveness of owning a place that allows you to commune more closely with nature, the past couple of years also highlighted the potential of owning real estate as an investment. In fact, the underlying land values for our offerings continued to appreciate at a brisk pace in spite of the pandemic,” GERI president Monica Salomon said.

Leasing revenues fell 34 percent year-on-year to P409 million, as retail operations remained affected by the pandemic.

Revenue from hotel operations declined by 27 percent in 2021 to P146 million from P201 million in 2020 as a result of prevailing travel restrictions.

The relaxing of restrictions in the fourth quarter resulted in 231-percent increase in quarterly hotel revenue to P78 million from the preceding quarter.

“The increased economic activity in the last couple of months of the year has really been a boon for us. Furthermore, the relaxation of travel requirements will help sustain the ramp up in operations of our hotels which rely a lot on leisure and tourism-related activities,” said Salomon.

Business PXP Energy suspends oil, gas exploration plan on DOE order

By Alena Mae S. Flores

P

XP Energy Corp. said Monday it put on hold exploration activities over Service Contract 72 and SC 75 in the West Philippine Sea until all the clearances are issued by government agencies.

PXP said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it received a directive from the Department of Energy on April 6 to “put on hold all exploration activities for SC 75 and SC 72 until such time that the Security, Justice and Peace Coordinating Cluster has issued the necessary clearance to proceed.”

PXP is the operator of SC 75, while Forum Energy Limited where PXP holds a majority interest is the operator of SC 72.

PXP said this was the first time that it learned about the requirement for a clearance from the SJPCC before undertaking the work obligations that the

DOE required them to do in SC 75 and SC 72, respectively.

“Nevertheless, after PXP and Forum received the directive of the DOE to suspend exploration activities on 6 April 2022, both operators complied with this directive by suspending their respective activities,” it said.

PXP and Forum were hoping the suspension would be temporary considering that the DOE was keen on resuming exploration activities following the lifting of the force majeure on West Philippine Sea exploration on Oct. 14, 2020.

Both operators said they were closely coordinating with the DOE on the planned exploration activities and expressed willingness to resume their exploration plan immediately, but said they have not received written confirmation from the DOE by April 10. This compelled them to consider the suspension of work issued by the DOE to be “indefinite and a force majeure event that will entitle them to be excused from the performance of their respective obligations and to the extension of the exploration period under SC 75 and SC 72.”

“To date, PXP and Forum have not received advice from the DOE that they can resume their exploration activities. Thus, they have been constrained to stand by their force majeure declarations and to terminate with immediate effect all the supply and services agreements they have put in place to carry out the work obligations imposed by the DOE, to mitigate losses arising from what now appears could be an indefinite suspension of exploration activities,” PXP said.

PXP holds 50-percent interest in SC 75, while Forum Energy Limited where PXP holds a direct and indirect interest of 79.13 percent, has a 70-percent participating interest in SC 72 in northwest Palawan.

The DOE previously welcomed the start of PXP’s oil exploration program in its service contract as it is seen to help support the country’s energy security.

“As you know we have lifted the unilateral moratorium exploration in WPS and we had issued service contracts for the exploration. I’m happy that SC 72 they’re going to start their exploration and in fact they are already acquiring the vessel,” Energy Secretary Afonso Cusi said earlier.

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Monday proper land valuation is the “right way” to impose wealth tax on the rich.

Dominguez in a statement pushed for reforms in the property valuation system that would allow local government units collect the right amount of taxes by regularly updating the schedule of market values in assessing real estate assets.

He said unlike the wealth tax on movable assets that could only lead to capital flight and tax avoidance, properly taxing land ensures that the government gets to collect taxes from the rich because land cannot be hidden nor spirited away.

PAG-IBIG ON WHEELS. Top executives of Pag-IBIG Fund hold a send-off for their mobile branch called Lingkod Pag-IBIG On Wheels. The mobile branches will bring Pag-IBIG services closer to more members and serve as a quick-deploy assistance vehicle to calamity-stricken areas when necessary. Pag-IBIG Fund board chairman and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario (third from left) and Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive Acmad Rizaldy Moti lead the send-off ceremony, along with other members of the Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees and officials at the DHSUD grounds in Quezon City.

“The current valuation for real property tax purposes of land is outdated and very low as compared to real market value. The market value of prime commercial areas in Ayala Ave. within the vicinity of San Lorenzo in Makati City, is only about P40,000 per square meter, based on the city’s SMV, when in fact, the real market value ranges from P400,000 to P900,000 per sq. m. So we are losing tens of billions of pesos because that kind of wealth is not being taxed correctly,” Dominguez said.

He said a check by the Department of Finance on land values located in Barangays San Lorenzo and Bel-Air in Makati showed the current SMV for real property

tax imposed by LGUs in these areas was only P40,000 per sq. m., as opposed to the high-end zonal value of P940,000 per sq. m. used by the Bureau of Internal Revenue to compute estate donor’s and capital gains taxes, which are national taxes.

Estimating the total taxable commercial land area of Ayala Ave. in Barangay San Lorenzo, covering the vicinity from Salcedo St. to Makati Ave. at 52,640 sq. m. yields an assessed total value of P842.24 million based on the current SMV, which means that the collectible total real property tax, including the additional levy for special education fund, at a maximum combined tax rate of 3 percent, will amount to only P25.27 million, he said.

He said for both commercial areas, the total RPT would only amount to a relatively paltry P50.27 million based on the current SMV set by the Makati local government. Using similar computations for Barangay Bel-Air with an estimated land area of 52,080 sq. m. translates into an assessed value of P833.28 million, with a total RPT of only P25 million, he said.

He said if the more current zonal values were used to compute the RPT—as what the BIR set—the assessed value for the sample commercial land area in Ayala Ave. within the vicinity of Barangay San Lorenzo would be P19.79 billion, while it would be P19.58 billion for Barangay Bel-Air, he said.

PTT teams up with US investment company to widen coverage to 7m homes nationwide

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Telegraph and Telephone Corp. signed a strategic partnership with US-based investment firm Continental Advisory Services LLC/Urban Logistic Advisory Services Inc. to expand its coverage nationwide.

“Partnering with CAS/ULAS comes at a crucial time as PT&T seeks to sustain its growth momentum, having experienced a streak of non-stop growth quarter by quarter from 2017 and through the pandemic,” PT&T president and chief executive James Velasquez said.

“We are confident this development will place PT&T on a stronger track towards our goal of becoming the partner of choice for broadband connectivity and cutting-edge digital transformation solutions in the markets we serve,” he said.

The move sets the stage for PT&T to upgrade its network infrastructure and expand coverage in high-growth and underserved service areas in adjacent regions of National Capital Region and its reach to key cities around the country.

Monday, April 11, 2022

-29.73 PTS. 6,988.29

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

882,340,918 48,369

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES

3,362,736,962.76 75 102

UNCHANGED

55

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.5280

Japan

Yen

0.008050

0.4148

UK

Pound

1.303500

67.1667

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127569

6.5734

Switzerland

Franc

1.072386

55.2579

Canada

Dollar

0.795672

40.9994

Singapore

Dollar

0.734160

37.8298

Australia

Dollar

0.746100

38.4450

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652872

136.6972

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

13.7400

Brunei

Dollar

0.731475

37.6914

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029780

1.5345

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.0304

Euro

Euro

1.091100

56.2222

Korea

Won

0.000814

0.0419

China

Yuan

0.157124

8.0963

India

Rupee

0.013169

0.6786

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236967

12.2104

New Zealand

Dollar

0.685100

35.3018

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034601

1.7829 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

AC Energy secures P13.7-b bank loan

AC ENERGY Corp., Ayala Group’s energy arm, signed a P13.7-billion omnibus loan and security agreement with Bank of Philippine Islands and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.for wholly-owned subsidiary South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp.

The loan facility is intended to refinance SLTEC’s outstanding P9.8-billion loan facility, fund the partial redemption of capital in SLTEC held by ACEN and finance other transaction-related expenses.

The transaction is the first step towards the company’s 244-megawatt coal plant’s transition to cleaner technology by 2040, or 15 years earlier than the end of its technical life under an energy transition mechanism financing.

ACEN will use the proceeds of the equity redemption to reinvest in renewable energy projects. Together with the Ayala group, ACEN announced its commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in November 2021.

The goal is supported by key milestones that will bring ACEN generation output to 100-percent renewable energy by 2025.

Alena Mae S. Flores

BCDA entices Taiwan firms to Poro Point

Dominguez: Proper land valuation is ‘right way’ to impose wealth tax

By Julito G. Rada

PSE INDEX CLOSING

The partnership will expand PT&T’s footprint 10 times over the next two years, translating to 7 million homes and businesses passed, providing more competitive Internet and IT services in an area where close to 40 percent of the population is based.

It also signals PT&T’s renewed confidence and vigor to rebound as a major telecom and ICT player in the Philippines.

As a strategic partner, CAS/ULAS will also share technical expertise to PT&T in the areas of integrated engineering and outsourced logistics services, given the extensive network of leading US-based technology accelerators in its fold.

PT&T has a network reach of 22,800 fiber kilometers in high-growth areas and covering almost 40 percent of the total Philippine population.

PT&T holds a 25-year franchise which allows the company to establish, maintain and operate both wired and wireless telecommunications systems for domestic and international communication in the country.

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority is luring Taiwanese investors affected by the pandemic to invest in Poro Point Freeport Zone in La Union, which is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities suitable for high technology operations.

“Poro Point Freeport and Special Economic Zone is actually the nearest property to Taiwan.

In fact, it’s just a stone’s throw away from Taiwan and Xiamen, with Poro Point having an airport, a seaport and tourism and recreation/ gaming complex, making it ideal for Taiwan locators,” BCDA executive vice president and chief operating officer Aileen Anunciacion Zosa said.

Zosa, in a recent webinar on the relocation considerations of Taiwanese investors, laid out the critical infrastructure projects that make Poro Point an ideal location for Taiwan investors.

Poro Point is home to the San Fernando International Seaport, which has three-pier structures that accommodate all vessel types and the upgraded 40.5-hectare San Fernando Airport, which is positioned as a choice of destination for aviation training. Othel V. Campos

Ukraine war to have little effect on PH banks

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Monday the war between Russia and Ukraine would have an insignificant impact to the domestic banking system given the limited economic and business links between the Philippines and the two Eastern European countries.

Diokno said in a message to reporters solid macroeconomic fundamentals would enable the economy to ride out any potential risks coming from the external front. “The economic fallout from the Russia-Ukraine on the Philippine economy is limited for three reasons: first, the country’s geographic distance from the conflict area; second, the country’s limited economic and business links with both Russia and Ukraine; and third, its strong macroeconomic fundamentals,” Diokno said.

He said the Philippines’ direct trade links with both countries were negligible. Data showed that exports to Russia only amounted to $120 million or 0.2 percent of the Philippines’ total exports in 2021, while exports to Ukraine amounted to a measly $5 million.

Julito G. Rada

PAGCOR’S DIVIDEND.

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. turns over P6 billion in cash dividends to the National Treasury, bringing to P48.94 billion its total remittances for dividend years 2016 to 2021. Attending the turnover ceremony are Bureau of the Treasury officer-incharge director Kenneth Ian Francisco, Deputy Treasurer Ed Mariño, PAGCOR vice president for finance group Recto Baltazar Jr. and assistant vice president for fund management Lolita Gonzales.

Vape Bill to empower gov’t to crack down on substandard e-cigs THE Vape Bill, which awaits the approval of the President, will empower the Department of Trade and Industry to order a recall or confiscation of non-compliant vape products sold online and in physical stores, according to an industry group.

The Federation of Philippine Industries, the voice of local businesses, called for the signing of the Vape Bill into law to ensure that the trade of cigarette alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are regulated and monitored by the DTI.

FPI chairman and anti-illicit trade champion Jesus Arranza said in a recent letter to President Rodrigo Duterte that “by ensuring that only DTI-registered and Bureau of Internal Revenue-compliant products are allowed to be sold, advertised or distributed through lawful means—illicit trade of these products as well as their unintended use are minimized, if not totally eradicated.”

“The DTI has always been a capable and dependable agency in enforcing regulations that protect the consumers and

our local small and medium enterprises,” Arranza said on a separate statement.

Arranza said that while he respects the opinion of some groups to get the involvement of the Food and Drug Administration in regulating vape and HTPs, “sadly their track record on enforcement is not reassuring, especially for consumers.”

Arranza said with the enactment of the Vape Bill, it would curb the proliferation of illicit and substandard devices that sometimes lead to serious accidents with unsuspecting consumers.

Scheffler overcomes fears to win the Masters AUGUSTA — Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, was crying and stressed out hours before Sunday’s final round of the Masters, feeling overwhelmed and convinced he wasn’t ready to win the green jacket.

The 25-year-old American, the poster of keeping calm and carrying on while upon the course, shook off his anxiety to win his first major title on Sunday at Augusta National.

But it didn’t happen until Scheffler listened to his wife Meredith, examined his issues, collected himself and trusted in his shotmaking skills.

“I cried like a baby this morning,” Scheffler said. “I was so stressed out. I didn’t know what to do. I was sitting there telling Meredith, ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this. I’m not ready, I don’t feel like I’m ready for this kind of stuff,’ and I just felt overwhelmed.”

Meredith fixed him breakfast and he relaxed. She gave him verbal nutrition for his confidence as well.

“She told me, ‘Who are you to say that you’re not ready?’”

Scheffler said. “And so what we talked about is that God is in control and that the Lord is leading me and if today is my time, it’s my time. And if I shot 82 today, somehow I was going to use it for His glory. Gosh, it was a long morning.”

Scheffler said he relaxed when he arrived at Augusta National and felt on his game after chipped 26 yards at the first hole to set up a three-foot par putt.

“I calmed down when I got to the course. Right when I got to the training room,” he said. “Pretty much after parring the first hole I was settled in. I felt good.”

Scheffler, who won his first US PGA title only eight weeks ago and took his fourth on Sunday, said he had never endured such angst before a final round, especially carrying a three-stroke advantage into the last round of the event he most dreamed about winning since boyhood.

“I think because it’s the Masters,” he said. “I dreamed of having a chance to play in this golf tournament. I teared up the first time I got my invitation in the mail. I love this golf course.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

Scottie Scheffler celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP

Tolentino: Cambodia lists 39 sports in 2023 SEAG

C

AMBODIA will be putting on a showcase as a firsttime host of the Southeast Asian Games in 2023 with 39 sports already on its competition program.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said that Cambodia has shown its readiness to host next year’s Games during a SEA Games Federation meeting held over the weekend in Siam Reap, a resort town that’s the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat. “Cambodia is ready to host and they

promised an excellent edition of the games,” said Tolentino, who was joined in the meeting by POC Deputy Secretary General Bones Floro, triathlon head Tom Carrasco, volleyball chief and POC broadcast committee chair Ramon “Tats” Suzara, soft tennis’s Capt. Bob Moran and bowling legend Bong Coo representing women’s in sports.

Cambodia scheduled the 32nd edition of the SEA Games from May 5 to 16—a year after Vietnam hosts this year’s Games— with the capital Phnom Penh as main hub.

Tolentino said that centerpiece athletics and aquatics top the sports program as Category I sports with the marathon for men and women starting and finishing at Angkor Wat as well as the road and mountain bike of cycling.

The other sports under Category II are badminton, basketball (5x5 and 3x3), box-

ing, billiards, cycling (road and MTB), canoeing, rowing, Ok Chaktrong, Asean and Xiangxi), dancesports, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics (aerobic and artistic), hockey (including indoor), judo, karate, muay, petanque, sailing, sepaktakraw (including chinlone), soft tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, traditional boat race, triathlon (including duathlon and aquathlon), volleyball, wrestling and weightlifting.

Grouped in Category III are arnis, bodybuilding, esports, jiu jitsu, jet ski, kickboxing, kun vocator, vovinam and martial arts Korea.

Under consideration, according to Tolentino, are water polo, cricket, shooting, wushu, floorball and obstacle sports.

With Cambodia as host in 2023, all Asean member nations—except for Timor Leste—have already hosted the biennial multi-sport games.

2 PH athletes shatter OCR world marks

Mark Julius Rodelas and Kaizen Dela Serna display their Guiness World Records plaques.

MARK Julius Rodelas and Kaizen Dela Serna shattered the World Obstacle World Records and set the Guiness World Records for the Male and Female OCR 100 categories (12 Obstacles in a 100 meter course) on Sunday at Arcovia City, Pasig City.

Rodelas and Dela Serna are both members of the Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation National Team recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission. They bested the field with 27.12 and 39.42 seconds, respectively, breaking the previous records of 29.92 and 49.70.

Justin Patterson an adjudicator from the Guiness World Records declared the results official during the awards ceremony

at the Arcovia City.

“I am officially here to see the World Records. As you know after several attempts, today will break the current world record for the fastest 100meter Obstacle Course Race competition in for both male and female categories,” said Patterson after reviewing all the relevant data and evidence.

Completing the podium for the Philippine OCR100M Open are first runner-up Przemyslaw Janczuk in 28.11 seconds and second runner-up Jakub Zawitowski at 30.87.

Janczuk is the current European OCR100M record holder.

Joining Dela Serna in the podium in the female division are Precious Cabuya

at 40.01 and Milky Mae Tejares at 44.68s.

Cabuya is also a member of the Ninja National Team of POSF, while 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Tejares is part of the female coaching team.

The two-day event started with an elimination round on Saturday, joined by 18 athletes from all around the Philippines.

A total of 50 age-groupers also competed consisting of athletes as young as 17 to as old as 56 year old competitors.

The young athletes from Palawan State University and the island of Boracay also impressed during the event.

The first day ended with 12 para athletes consisting of amputees and visually impaired individuals, who have shown that obstacles have no limits.

Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub offers state-of-the-art facilities A NEW day is always a perfect opportunity to take up new hobbies and start a new goal.

With sports and healthy living emphasized now more than ever, it is paramount to have an environment that nourishes wellness. In line with this, Ayala Land reopened its sports facility located in Vermosa, the company’s estate in the South. Athletes and wellness enthusiasts seeking to enrich their health are welcome to experience the training needed to lead an active and well-rounded life.

Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub (AVSH) provides access to state-of-the-art technology and equipment for national athletes and people leaning towards achieving a healthier lifestyle. It is also a premier training ground for athletes, including the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association athletes who are gearing to bag medals at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games to be held at Hanoi, Vietnam in May and Triathletes.

Training at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub is located within Ayala Land’s sprawling 750-hectare estate in Imus, Cavite that brings together residential, retail, and office spaces– the Vermosa Estate. AVSH highlights an ac-

B1

The sprawling Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub

tive lifestyle by offering athletes a number of sports facilities and wellness amenities including the nine-lane 400-meter track and field oval, football field, Olympic-size lap pool, sports science laboratory, and green open spaces. Athletes can also stop by the Mini Store, which is located at the reception area of the AVSH for refreshments and other basic needs. To complement the athletes and its visitors’ active lifestyles, Vermosa also sports bike lanes, jogging paths, and a 3.2km bike trail with routes for beginners and intermediate bikers.

With its state-of-the-art features, AVSH was chosen as the home of PATAFA athletes as they prepare for international competitions, including the upcoming 2022 SEA Games.

Triathlete Gene Heart Quiambao recognizes the vital need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to improve her skills and abilities as an athlete. “Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub makes this possible by providing us with the best and [most] well-maintained facilities, not to mention the preparedness and safety procedures they hold on to ensure the safety of the community during this time of [the] pan-

demic,” she shares.

Long jump medalist Khay Santos shares how she likes the environment in Vermosa, being away from the bustling city. “Maayos ‘yung training ko dito kasi at the same time, nakaka-unwind ka kasi [maayos] ‘yung environment,” Santos says.

“Itong Vermosa ang pinakaunang nagkaroon ng nine lanes na track oval dito sa Pilipinas. So very helpful siya. Malawak ‘yung [training] area, wala masyadong mga distractions like sa previous na tine-trainingan namin. Napaka malaking tulong sa amin lalong lalo na kapag nagha-hard workout kami.

Solong-solo namin ‘yung [track] oval, exclusive for the PATAFA,” shares Mark Diones, member of the Philippine National Team.

Leading an active lifestyle with AVSH At Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub, Ayala Land Inc. brings together opportunities for exploring the outdoors and promoting an active lifestyle by aiding individuals on their own road to wellness. Currently, the PATAFA athletes enjoy a conducive environment infused with standardized facilities and activities that constantly foster their well-being in preparation for the upcoming SEA Games.

Abraham Tolentino

Eala takes 2nd pro tennis title Alex Eala

FILIPINA tennis sensation and Globe ambassador Alex Eala captured her second pro title after winning the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W25 Chiang Rai with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Thai netter Luksika Kumkhum on Sunday at the Chiang Rai Sports Center in Thailand.

This title is Eala’s second pro crown and comes a little over a year after she captured her first one at the W15 Manacor in Spain.

Kumkhum put Eala on her heels early, breaking the Filipina’s serve in the match’s very first game. However, Eala was not fazed and broke her opponent’s serve in the next game to tie it at 1-1.

Later in the set, Kumkhum had the inside track on breaking Eala’s serve as she led 40-15 with the game tied at 4-4. But Eala was relentless, staving off the double break point to eventually take the game and the lead, 5-4. Eala pounced on Kumkhum in the next game to take the set, 6-4.

The second set was all Eala’s as she zoomed off to a 4-1 lead and never let up to defeat Kumkhum, who was once ranked no. 66 in the world.

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Sports

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

Malixi sustains win run, tops Phoenix golf meet

R

IANNE Malixi drilled in a pressure-packed three-footer for par on the third playoff hole and claimed the AJGA Thunderbird Junior AllStar crown in Phoenix, Arizona Sunday as Scarlett Schremmer wilted under pressure and missed her bid from closer range.

Malixi blew the chance of winning it in regulation with a three-putt miscue on the 54th hole for a 70 but flashed steely resolve as the duel dragged on. She matched Schremmer’s birdie and par on their return stints on Nos. 10 and 11 then took the hotly-disputed crown as the latter, who closed out with a 69 to force a tie at 207, flubbed a match-extending putt from twoand-a-half feet.

“It’s a great warm-up for me for next

week’s AJGA event,” said the 15-year-old Malixi, who humbled the pros back home twice and dominated the SEA Games qualifying the last four months.

It was the ICTSI-backed shotmaker’s second AJGA title following her wire- Rianne Malixi annexed her second AJGA to-wire triumph in the Se Ri Pak Desert title following her wire-to-wire triumph in the Se Ri Pak Desert Junior last year.

Junior last year with her latest exploit in Arizona. sure to fire her up all the more in the Ping Nikki Oh actually made it a three-playHeather Farr Classic unfolding Thursday er duel after she closed out with a 71 but at the Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, also

the two-day leader missed a birdie-putt on the first playoff hole and bowed out of the title race in the circuit for junior players seeking to earn college golf scholarships.

On their second trip to the par-5 No. 10, Malixi reached it in two and twoputted for birdie while Schremmer made it in three but buried her birdie putt. The duo then matched pars on the par-3 11th.

They both overshot the par-4 No. 12 with Malixi chipping to within three feet and Schremmer poised to send the duel to another hole after rolling her third shot closer to the cup but missed.

Malixi battled back from as many as four strokes despite a 69 after 18 holes as Oh opened with a 65 spiked a rare double-eagle feat but the former threatened to within one with a 68 Saturday.

Appmasters eye 2nd straight PBA 3x3 crown CAN they do it again?

The Limitless Appmasters gun for a back-to-back leg title to end their PBA 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo Second Conference campaign as the standalone tournament resumes Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The national team quartet of Jorey Napoles, Reymar Caduyac, Marvin Hayes, and Brandon Rosser will try to repeat becoming the first team to win consecutive leg titles, in the same manner they did at the end of the maiden conference last December when they swept the Leg 5 and 6 championships.

Limitless clinched the previous leg crown by beating rival TNT Tropang Giga, 22-19, two weeks ago also at the Big Dome.

In all, the Appmasters are seeking their third stage title this conference after similarly ruling Leg 3 also at the expense of TNT. They’ve been on a roll lately, making the finals of the last three legs where their only loss came against the Meralco Bolts.

“We looked at it as a reminder that we’re not invincible,” said coach Willie Wilson, alluding to his team’s 17-14 setback to the Bolts for the Leg 4 championship.

“It was a reminder that you got to play every game like it’s your last. And if you don’t, that’s what can happen.”

But the 3x3 team of the Phoenix franchise is definitely under the radar of the rest of the 12 teams going into the sixth and final leg of the half-court meet that offers P100,000 to the winner.

TNT is bringing back Samboy De Leon to complement the trio of Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, and Chris Javier, while Platinum Karaoke tapped big man Yutien Andrada to take the spot of the injured Chris De Chavez and join JR Alabanza, Ryan Monteclaro, and Raphael Banal in the active roster.

Limitless leads Pool A together with Meralco, Sista, NorthPort, and Barangay Ginebra, TNT is bracketed with Pioneer Pro Tibay, San Miguel, and Terrafirma 3x3 in Pool B, while Pool C will have Platinum Karaoke, Purefoods, Master Sardines, and CAVITEX.

THE Philippine Basketball Association has teamed up with Fiber Kinetics, a leading company that deals in sports equipment and flooring system. The formal signing of agreement was made by PBA commissioner Willie Marcial (center); Jo Francisco, Marketing Head, PBA Properties, Inc. (left); Ian Navarroza, Fiber Kinetics Business Unit Head; PBA consultant Jacque Ruby (right) and Engr. Efren Navarroza, president Philippine Fiber Tech Industries, Inc. at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City recently.

THE multi-awarded Basketball Eff iciency and Scientif ic Center, the countr y’s f irst sports clinicians, will hold its f irst-ever in-person clinics since the health-related lockdowns were f irst imposed in March 2021.

Basketball and volleyball clinics will start on April 18 at the Masambong basketball and Tennis Courts, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City, and at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati.

The sessions for Preparatory and Level 1 basketball and volleyball will be held Mondays and Thursdays at both venues.

Starting April 20, Wednesday and Saturday sessions for preparatory and level 1 basketball will also be held at the International Christian Academy, Extra Ext., Fourth Estate Subdivision, Sucat, Paranaque City.

Best Center president Monica Jorge said interested parents and students can call 3411-6260 or. 8371-9724. or email: bestcentersports.inquiry@gmail.com for more details.

Most parts of the country have been placed under Alert Level 1, allowing for in-person classes with the strict observance of the health protocols to address the spread of COVID-19.

PH Smart/MVP Poomsae jins off to world tourney THE Smart/MVP Sports Foundation National Poomsae Team is set to compete in the 2022 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships slated April 21 to 24 in Goyang, South Korea.

After a series of hard training and se-

lection processes, team officials approved the participation of the 16 athletes and three officials, composed of Delegation Head Igor Mella and coaches Dustin Jacob Mella and Rani Ann Ortega.

The team members are (Rodolfo

Reyes, Jr., Darius Venerable, Kobe Macario, Rani Ann Ortega (coach), Joaquin Dominic Tuzon, Raphael Enrico Mella, Jeordan Dominguez, Patrick King Perez.

Also with the team are Angelica Joyce Laxa, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, Aidaine

Krishia Luxa, Maria Nicole Anne Labayne, Rinna Babanto, Jocel Lyn Ninobla, Janna Dominique Oliva, and Ian Matthew Corton.

The team’s participation is also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Members of the PH taekwondo team

Promises HOW the NBA teams were built and designed at the start of the season, the tweaks and upgrades (or downgrades) as the season progressed, the goals and the expectations that were set — all of these felt like a promise to the fans.

Always has been. Always will.

As to what was promised exactly — that one varies. Some teams promised a legitimate title run, while other teams promised fans a better season than the last. Some teams promised the prospect of rebuilding while other teams promised fans they’ll get better chances at the rookie draft. Some teams made the promise of having more players of value to use now or to trade later to pursue a marquee name fitting the role

BEST CENTER resumes clinics

of a superstar. Some teams promised better coaching staff and better rotation of players, while some teams promised to recruit better players so that their superstar does not end up fighting for the team’s survival almost single-handedly, doomed to lose however gallant (albeit futile) the effort.

Teams made promises, and so did individual players.

One man promised that age wouldn’t matter, but it did because with old age comes injuries. With old age comes diminished athleticism, which matters a lot in a sport that is won by a team with players who can always run, and run the fastest, can always jump, and jump the highest, and stay healthy after repeated exposure to the gruelling demands of playing high tempo offense and defense. And with old age comes a less pliable, inflexible attitude. It is hard to bring everyone to buy into a system when each one is already set in his own way of doing and perceiving things.

Another man promised to stay with the team, but his promise to his fans, like before, was trumped by his promise to himself that he will always put himself in a position to be able to inch closer and closer to a championship because every year he exits with empty hands, he returns the following year heavier, slower, more tired, less motivated, more vulnerable to being outplayed by younger players many have not yet even peaked, year after year becoming faster, stronger, more determined, with skills and instincts sharper than before, used to prey on distracted players more focused on chasing a championship (and haunted every day by this lingering failure) than continuing to improve his basketball on a personal, professional level.

Winning the championship is the crowning glory of the tournament, but promises not as lofty as winning the Larry O’Brien trophy are just as valuable, treasured by fans if the promise is true and if the promise has been fulfilled.

The NBA is a fickle world, filled with fickle-minded front office personnel, fickle-minded agents, and fickle-minded players. As such, the promises teams and players made — overt or implied — should be taken with a grain of salt. One thing history can prove is that many promises in the NBA did not survive tough times.

And what good is a promise that can’t stand and outlast difficult circumstances?

That said, teams and players should commit to a promise when things are difficult. Make a promise when in the middle of a long, hard grind, in the midst of fighting an uphill battle.

And to fans, do not hold on to promises made during a press conference. Do not believe promises on Twitter (a tweet can be deleted, but a screenshot will linger, and the Internet never forgets). Do not believe promises uttered half-heartedly, promises borne of the teams’ or players’ communication protocol with the media, promises made out of contractual obligation. Consider promises made before the war began as nothing more than an optimistic setting

of goals because only those that teams and players take with them to the finish line or to the grave are the only real promises.

These are the only promises that matter.

I write about promises because around this time, NBA fans are already screaming reckoning (some fans started weeks, even months, earlier), up in arms because of perceived betrayal by teams and superstars, to whom they have entrusted their loyalty, fervor, and devotion.

If we are given a penny for every promise broken by an NBA player or an NBA team, we’d be rich by now.

Rich (or, realistically, just adequately recompensed), but greatly disappointed.

Who wants to be a fan of professional sports that has abandoned the honor of promise? Enough with the premise “professional sports is a business” because, in truth, business thrives when people involved in it keep their promises, stay faithful to their promises, and most important of all, mean the promises they made from the time they made them until the promises are fulfilled.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

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Bela Padilla reunites with Zanjoe Marudo in romance drama ‘366’ B

Vilma Santos (right) and Ronaldo Valdez in a scene from the 1981 movie ‘Karma’

Sagip Pelikula honors Vilma Santos in latest ‘Spotlight’ series ABS-CBN Film Restoration pays tribute to the Star for All Seasons, Vilma Santos, in the latest edition of “Sagip Pelikula Spotlight” on KTX.ph, featuring her digitally restored film Karma this April.

Apart from Karma, audiences can watch more of Vilma’s memorable and award-winning performances in Haplos, Tag-ulan sa Tag-araw, Langis at Tubig, and In My Life all featuring a special one-on-one interview with Vilma herself, now available on KTX. “Sagip Pelikula Spotlight” is an online commemorative event organized by ABS-CBN Film Restoration that honors prominent and notable figures in Philippine cinema by showing digitally restored films for today’s audiences to enjoy.

The latest installment of “Sagip Pelikula Spotlight” celebrates the legacy of Vilma, an icon in Philippine cinema with a career that spans six decades, 200+ films from 70+ directors, and whose filmography includes Sister Stella L., T-Bird at Ako, Anak, Dekada ‘70, among many others.

Vilma expressed gratitude to Sagip Pelikula for not only restoring classic films for today’s generation of viewers, but also highlighting the artistry of every Filipino filmmaker throughout history.

Kicking off the Spotlight series on Vilma is the 1981 classic Karma directed by Danny Zialcita.

The movie depicts the supernatural relationship between Sara (Vilma) and Eric (Ronaldo Valdez) as reincarnations of old illicit lovers Guada and Enrico, which first began in an uneventful encounter on the eve of Sara’s marriage.

Both entangled in their disarrayed marriages, Sara and Eric cross fates anew and seem to follow the same path Guada and Enrico left off before their tragic deaths at the hands of Guada’s envious husband, Limbo. But in whose spouse does the spirit of Limbo rest?

Also starring in Zialcita’s masterpiece are veteran actors Tommy Abuel, Chanda Romero, Aurora Salve, Suzanne Gonzalez, Martha Sevilla, Odette Khan, Virginia Montes, Bella Flores, Etang Ditcher, Vic Silayan, Fred Montilla, Renato Robles, Ruel Vernal, Augusto Victa, Butz Aquino, Dante Rivero, Leila Hermosa, and Christopher de Leon.

Tickets are now available at https://bit.ly/ KarmaOnKTX for only P150.

ABS-CBN Film Restoration celebrated its tenth year of restoring and remastering films from directors and writers of note for today’s viewers to appreciate through its Sagip Pelikula initiative.

‘Sonic’ sequel booms atop the tills

A scene from ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’

PARAMOUNT’S action-adventure film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 took in an estimated $71 million in North America this weekend, a welcome sign for Hollywood that families are returning to in-person viewing, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

“This is an outstanding opening,” particularly for a sequel to a video-based movie, said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

The original Sonic film, based on the popular Sega game involving a lightning-fast hedgehog, scored a $58 million opening in early 2020 at a time when Covid-19 was only beginning to register as a threat.

The latest hybrid production includes Jim Carrey in a live-action role, while Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Idris Elba (Knuckles), and Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Tails) voice animated characters.

Last weekend’s box office leader, Sony’s vampire flick Morbius, placed a very distant second this weekend, taking in $10.2 million, a steep drop from last weekend’s $39.1 million. Jared Leto stars as a Nobel Prize-winner turned bloodsucker in an adaptation from Marvel comics.

In third was another Paramount film, action romance The Lost City, at $9.2 million. Sandra Bullock plays a romance novelist kidnapped by a twisted tycoon (Daniel Radcliffe) who wants her to help him find a buried artifact on a remote, volcano-prone island.

Fourth spot went to a new Universal release, actionadventure Ambulance, at $8.7 million. Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II star as adoptive siblings who steal an ambulance to escape after a bank heist.

And in fifth was dark superhero film The Batman from Warner Bros., taking in $6.5 million in its sixth week out. Robert Pattinson plays the caped crime fighter. AFP

ELA Padilla and Zanjoe Marudo were once linked romantically when they did the Kapamilya soap Dear Heart some five years ago but they didn’t end up in a relationship.

Last year, Zanjoe accepted the offer to be Bela’s leading man in the movie 366, which also serves as the actress’s directorial debut. It’s clear that he isn’t affected by their past issue.

“First of all, I liked the script which she also wrote,” he stated. “It was our first time to work together on a film and I didn’t pass up the opportunity. It wasn’t right to refuse the project just because you have a past issue. Personally, I didn’t feel anything when the role was offered to me. In fact, I was very excited to discuss the story and my character with Bela.”

The Broken Marriage Vow actor has only good words for his leading lady and director at the same time.

“Bela knows what to do even if it’s her maiden directorial job. She has a firm stance. She also did well as the lead actress. It’s amazing to watch her!”

Zanjoe is in awe of how Bela ran the set.

“On the set, you won’t hear people screaming.

Everything’s calm and peaceful. It felt good to be part of a group of artists who are Elisse Joson (left) and McCoy de Leon

‘Jose and Maria’s Bonggang Villa’ is the highly-anticipated comeback of the Kapuso royal couple Dingdong Dantes (left) and Marian Rivera

intelligent and creative. I am really proud to be part of Bela’s first project as a director.

“She’s easy to work and deal with. She knows what she wants and needs. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s really nice that she has a firm stance in making movies.”

Zanjoe Marudo (left) is Bela Padilla’s leading man in ‘366,’ Asked if he also wants which is also Bela’s directorial debut to dabble into directing potboilers someday, the happy!” appealing actor said: According to the good-looking lad, his partner “If ever I decide to plunge into directing in the future, first, I must possess Bela’s bravery. I should hasn’t exhibited any changes in her attitude from have the courage to start. You should be fearless. the time that she was still single until now that they That’s what I saw in Bela. You must overcome have a baby.

“For one, Elisse wants the best for her family. the fear that people might not like your offering.

“But at this point, I want to focus on doing She wants everyone to be happy and wants to projects that are edgy, those that I haven’t share her time with all of them. She doesn’t want that there’s someone who’s left behind. It’s the done yet in the past!” same Elisse that I see as my girlfriend then and ••• In the virtual media con for their as a mother now. She’s so perfect as a mom to our Viva movie titled, Habangbuhay, daughter Felize and I’m so grateful for that!”

Many ask when they would tie the knot.

McCoy de Leon averred that his “Actually, it’s a perennial question being thrown relationship with partner Elisse Joson at us by our relatives and friends. We don’t want is for keeps.

“Yes, like the title of our film, it’s to be put under pressure. We know in ourselves really for life. I thank the Lord for the when that time will come. For now, we just want to many blessings He showered me with explore each other more. It’s exciting to discover at this point: I have work. I have new things about each other. We just don’t want to a happy family so I’m so much rush things,” ended McCoy.

Xian Lim (left) and Glaiza de Castro star in the romance comedy series ‘False Positive’

Real-life couple Gabbi Garcia (left) and Khalil Ramos star in the mystery-romance series ‘Love You Stranger’

(From left) ‘Apoy sa Langit’ stars Leanne Valentin, Zoren Legaspi, Maricel Laxa, and Mikee Quintos

Kylie Padilla (center) teams up with Rayver Cruz (left) and Jak Roberto in the originalTV series ‘Bolera’

GMA launches ‘Love Together this Summer’ campaign THE country’s leading network has recently unveiled its summer campaign that features funfilled activities under the sun that can be enjoyed more as shown by the stars of the upcoming GMA shows and specials this April and May. On April 9 and 10, Julie Anne San Jose made an explosive return in the third and final leg of the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards’ finalist Limitless, A Musical Trilogy. After the first two legs in Mindanao and Visayas, the last installment of this extraordinary musical experience was set against the backdrop of beautiful Luzon in Limitless Part 3: Rise.

Every Sunday beginning April 24, Sparkle love team Sofia Pablo and Allen Ansay are set to brighten up your afternoons with Raya Sirena. The show tells the story of Raya (Sofia), who continues her journey of self-discovery both as a human and

mermaid, and the importance of love for friends and family.

Premiering on Afternoon Prime on April 25 is Raising Mamay, the heartwarming drama on the reversal of roles between a mother and her child. A teenage daughter, portrayed by Shayne Sava, takes care of her scornful mother, played by Aiai Delas Alas, who was stricken with brain regression after being shot in the head.

Romance-comedy False Positive is set to air on May 2 on GMA Telebabad. Bannered by Xian Lim and Glaiza de Castro, the series showcases a neglected wife who malevolently wishes in front of a magical fountain, resulting in the husband developing a fetus in his tummy.

Also airing on May 2 is Apoy sa Langit, a compelling series that showcases an unusual story of betrayal and family affairs. The drama is headlined by Maricel Laxa, who continues to return to the small screen coming from her stellar performance in Mano Po Legacy. She is also joined by Zoren Legaspi, Mikee Quintos, with showbiz newcomer Leanne Valentin who is set to play a challenging role.

As the country votes for its next set of leaders, GMA Network is all set to deliver the most comprehensive election coverage across all platforms through Eleksyon 2022: The GMA News and Public Affairs’ Election Coverage on May 9 and 10. It is led by GMA News pillars Mel GMA News Pillars (clockwise) Mel Tiangco, Jessica Tiangco, Mike Enriquez, Vicky Soho, Mike Enriquez, Arnold Clavio, Vickie Morales, and Howie Severino leads ‘Eleksyon 2022: The GMA News and Morales, Arnold Clavio, Howie Severino, and Jessica Soho.

Public Affairs’ Election Coverage’

And on May 14, catch the highly-anticipated TV comeback of Kapuso royal couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera-Dantes in Jose and Maria’s Bonggang Villa. The weekly sitcom is about the most hospitable couple you’d ever meet who will start a garden bed and breakfast business.

Meanwhile, Love You Stranger is likewise set to air soon on primetime. Top-billed by real-life couple Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos, the mystery romance series revolves around a film designer searching for the truth behind a shadow monster from folklore feared by her reclusive mother and the charming young director whose next movie is about the same shadow creature.

Concluding the program offerings for this summer is Kapuso actress Kylie Padilla making her TV comeback with the original series Bolera on May 30. She breathes life to a billiards prodigy who aims to prove herself worthy of the maledominated sport and her struggles along the way.

Joining her are Rayver Cruz and Jak Roberto.

The music video for GMA Network’s newest summer campaign was accompanied by the song “Love Together this Summer” performed by Thea Astley and Anthony Rosaldo with lyrics by Jann Fayel Lopez and arranged

by Natasha L. Correos.

‘Raya Sirena’ stars Sofia Pablo (right) and Allen Ansay

TV5 hits record-high ratings from PBA Finals

The crowd during the PBA Finals

THE PBA is making history with record-breaking audience shares on TV5 and in the growing crowd attendance catching the live games at the Araneta Coliseum.

More viewers are tuning in to TV5 to catch the

heated Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs. Meralco Bolts best-of-seven clash in this year’s PBA Governor’s Cup Finals. The live airing of Game 1 on April 6 scored an audience share of 5.5 percent AMR for TV5, reaching over 5.8 million urban audiences throughout the game’s two-hour and 20-minute run, making it the PBA’s highest highest-rated game this year.

TV5’s viewership rating also reached as high as 8.3 percent AMR at 8:15 p.m. towards the end of Game 1’s live telecast.

With Araneta Coliseum’s gate attendance reaching 12,475, Wednesday’s game also registered as TV5’s largest weekday primetime (6:00 to 10:00 p.m.) audience in over four years, also boosting viewership for the network’s airing of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, which benefited from the high

viewership of PBA as the teleserye hit a two-month high rating of 5.4 percent on TV5.

The PBA telecast also scored far higher compared to other programs in its time slot, namely: 24 Oras on GTV Channel and TV Patrol on A2Z. “TV5’s rating for the past month has been hitting beyond the 2.0 percent mark, and it is testament not just to the PBA fervor sweeping across the nation but also to the audience appreciation of the quality content the network offers to its viewers,” said Cignal and TV5 President and CEO Robert P. Galang.

The PBA Governor’s Cup Finals games are telecast live on TV5 and One Sports (Channel 41 on free TV, Channel 6 on Cignal TV, and Channel 59 on Sky Cable) every Wednesday and Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday at 6:45 p.m.

Life

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

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

Stylish summer look that’s uniquely Filipino WHETHER you are planning a summer trip to the beach, having a staycation, or simply spending summertime in the city, all roads lead to Kultura for fashion that is stylish, fun, and yes, uniquely Filipino.

Add a touch of the exotic and the elegant to your summer wardrobe with cool

caftans and tunics as well as pretty summer dresses. There are also ethnic-inspired sarongs and ruffle skirts worn with halter tops that make stylish statements.

Accessorize with Kultura’s statement bracelets and neckpieces to complete your look. There are also beautifully textured unique handmade totes and hats perfect for fun in the sun and beyond.

Get summer ready with a halter top with For men, there are linen tops pearl straps worn with a floral sarong and tropical print shirts that will and a wide-brimmed hat

keep them cool and casual during sizzling summer days.

Find everything you need for a stylish summer at Kultura. Don’t miss Kultura’s weekly special offers on summer must-haves.

The Summer Collection is available at Kultura Stores.

You can also shop through their website www.kulturafilipino. com or call to deliver 09175174096/09676093407. Kultura ships here and abroad.

Freia at Pico De Loro Cove comes with membership to Pico de Loro Beach & Country Club, which provides the best of land- and seabased recreational facilities and access to Pico Beach’s 1.5 kilometers of pristine white sand

Brew refreshing summer beverages to beat the heat JUST in time for the balmy season, food and beverage expert Gio Racelis, CGSP has prepared refreshing and rejuvenating summer brews that utilize local ingredients.

As temperatures increase, the body loses more water. Since quenching thirst with beverages helps keep the body cool, hydration is of utmost importance to combat heat. While water is the most important drink, easy blends such as the Mojitrus and Tropical Heat are more exciting options.

Mojitrus is made of ginger, loaded with antioxidants that fight off chronic diseases, high blood pressure, heart and lung disease, as well as basil, which improves blood flow by allowing muscles and blood vessels to relax.

Tropical Heat is comprised of pineapple and mango, rich in antioxidants to fight inflammation, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.

Racelis, formerly the Assistant Food and Beverage Manager of Discovery Suites Manila, handles food and beverage classes at this alma mater, the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (SHRIM) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Mojitrus Ingredients 5 g minced ginger 5 g basil leaves 2 lemon slices 3 sliced calamansi 1 can Sprite 1 tsp brown sugar Procedure Place minced ginger, lemon, calamansi, basil leaves, and brown sugar in a mixing glass. Muddle them to get extract from herbs and citrus. Place them on a glass with ice. Top it up with sprite.

Tropical Heat Ingredients 10 g pineapple 1 ripe mango 15 ml cream 15 ml simple syrup

Tropical Heat is rich in antioxidants to fight chronic illnesses

Mojitrus improves blood flow by allowing muscles and blood vessels to relax

Demand for beach homes fuels market for Hamilo Coast properties

T

HE demand for seaside residential properties continues to be on an upward trajectory since the second quarter of 2021.

Hamilo Coast, a premiere, sustainable community in Nasugbu, Batangas, experienced a huge upsurge in its residential properties. Developed by Costa Del Hamilo, Inc. of SM Prime, Hamilo Coast boasts a luxury experience due to its invigorating landscapes, exclusive white sand beach and country club, and desirable accommodations just 90 minutes away from Metro Manila.

In a report by online real estate marketplace Lamudi, the province of Batangas had the largest increase in popularity for beach homes, with a 143 percent increase in 2020, compared to the same period the year prior.

Another review by Leechiu Properties Consultants Inc. has also stated that exclusive communities in Batangas have boomed from 20 to 46 percent compared to its 2019 values and confirmed the trend in the luxury property market.

As of recent, there have been high spikes in home sales at Hamilo Coast, as people desire a relaxed, stress-free environment, and many wish to work closer to nature amid the remote work-

By Tet Defensor

Procedure Place all ingredient onto a blender with ice. Transfer into a glass for serving.

Your summer getaway calls for a cool and casual tropical print shirt

from-home setups pushed by the ongoing continuing pandemic.

This home-bound phase is not a mere fad, as business experts predict this to continue going forward. Thus, the pentup demand for beach homes manifested in property seekers, as most relocated to a home worthy of a staycation.

This trend has likewise permeated to investors. Those with capital have purchased properties as they bank on excellent return on investments which will appreciate through the years.

Another plus is an accessible vacation spot whenever they need a quick getaway.

The current prime target for relocating homeowners and investors is Freia at Pico De Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast’s luxury, mid-rise condominium development.

Its main draws are waking up mornings and soaking in the sceneries of the West Philippine Sea, the Pico lagoon, Mount Pico, and 1.5 kilometers of pristine white sand of Pico Beach. Each unit comes with membership to Pico de Loro Beach & Country Club, which provides the best of land and sea-based recreational facilities.

The condominium units in Freia boast of living areas planned to maximize prime sea and mountain views, spacious balconies, snug living and cozy bedrooms, well-appointed bathrooms, a contemporary fitted-out kitchen with and returned to Porac.

Pruds attributes the success of Mekeni to his father’s commitment to serve. He added that his parents never accepted any job promotion, despite the pay increase,

The condominium units in Freia at Pico De Loro Cove boast living areas planned to maximize prime sea and mountain-views

essential appliances allowing faster move-in. Freia Unit Owners will also have exclusive access to the building’s resort-quality amenities, including a pool, lounge deck, function rooms, and gardens.

Freia at Pico De Loro Cove, is another exclusive seaside development of Costa Del Hamilo, Inc., a duly recognized company under SM Prime.

Freia is built with a credible lineup of project teams. Its circle of external partners and consultants includes Budji+Royal for its contemporary

tropical-inspired design of the grand lobby and common area interiors, internationally-renowned Broadway Malyan and G&F Partners for building architecture, and Crearis for landscape design.

Hamilo Coast also engaged Greenmist Property Management Corp., an extremely capable Property Management team with years of experience under its belt, to take care of the development’s safety and security on a 24-7 basis and to ensure that the properties are properly maintained.

For Mekeni, it’s all about family

FROM a backyard enterprise to a globallyrecognized food processing plant, Mekeni’s products are now available in Asian supermarkets worldwide.

But for the people behind the brand, success goes beyond quality food. In fact, it’s all about family.

From a company that started with 40 Mekeni President Pruds employees in 1986, the company now Garcia has been at the helm of employs a total of 1300 people. the family business for several Without the values instilled by their years. His parents Felix and parents, Mekeni would have easily closed Medicia Garcia started the shop during the pandemic. “Companies company in 1986. From bigger than ours, have stopped operations. backyard poultry and piggery, But then, we are in business because of the the couple was able to put up community. Eto yung maganda hindi kami a home-based chicharron and bibitiw. My obligation is not only for our tocino enterprise.

The Mekeni Marketplace, also known as the Timplang family, but for the families of our people.”

“My parents were public Atin Marketplace, offers fresh meats and other family For Pruds, the pandemic was an school teachers, their salary favorites to consumers opportunity to grow the business and to was only P200 a month. I was selling eggs in the market until I was in because that would mean moving to help others. He noticed a growing number another place. “My parents wanted to stay of food stalls, vendors, and small business high school,” Pruds shares. owners selling all kinds of food during the Hard work and determination fueled the in Porac.”

Having gone through several challenges lockdown. The company decided to release growth of Mekeni. In time, all five sons Bayani, a street food finished college. Pruds was working in while running the company, he line for entrepreneurs.

Saudi Arabia for several years when Mount viewed the current pandemic Its product range Pinatubo erupted. He received a letter from as an opportunity to stay strong includes Filipino his father asking him to come home, join and help the community. After snack favorites such as the company, and help their neighbors in Pinatubo, the company faced siomai, siopao, squid lahar-covered Porac. His father wanted to foot and mouth health crisis balls, fish balls, chicken expand the company so they can offer jobs that affected meat processing balls, and kikiam. plants, this was followed by and help the community recover.

“I told my team, “I only planned to stay in Saudi Arabia the Asian crisis in ‘97 and the let’s give them quality for three years, but I stayed longer because financial crisis in 2008. products that they can “We survived all that. We do the salary was good. The letter from my be proud of. Let’s help father had such strong words, he said why not aim to be among those giant them in the kitchen, serve another country, why not serve the companies. Our mission is to let’s teach them food community that helped you?” Pruds recalls. help our community,” Pruds As an obedient son, he packed his bags says.

Mekeni president Pruds Garcia handling, so they can

grow their business. We are not just helping them put food on the table, if they are successful they can send their children to school and become entrepreneurs.”

The pandemic also inspired Pruds to ease the homesickness of OFWs “I was also an OFW and it can be very lonely. A lot of them cannot go home because of the pandemic. Let’s bringing our products to them para mabawasan ang pangungulila. At least they have something to talk about with their families. We need to inspire our OFWs because most of them save so that can start their own business. We need entrepreneurs now so that people can have jobs.”

Mekeni Kikiam and Fish Balls are available in all 17 branches of Island Pacific Supermarket across California and Nevada. They are also planning to bring their flagship products like tocino, glutenfree chicken longanisa, and hotdog to the US. Before the US, Mekeni has been supplying its products in Dubai, Bahrain, Brunei, Australia, Canada, and UK. Mekeni is also the first Filipino food company allowed by the Japanese government to export products to the country.

Mekeni is now a global brand, but for Pruds, his brothers, and their over a thousand employees, it will always symbolize the family tradition of serving their community.