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BBM clears last DQ hurdle Comelec junks remaining disqualification petition for lack of merit

By Rey E. Requejo, Vito Barcelo, and Macon Ramos-Araneta

RE-ELECTION surveys frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s presidential bid got boosted Wednesday after the Commission on Elections dismissed the fourth and last petition seeking to disqualify the former senator’s candidacy in the May 9 national polls.

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VOL. XXXVI • NO. 70 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

With this positive development, the 64-year-old Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer cleared another hurdle and can proceed with his campaign schedules as the elections draw near—with all cases seeking to derail his presidential bid now dismissed at the division level.

The Comelec First Division, consisting of Commissioners Socorro Inting, Aimee Ferolino, and Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, voted unanimously to junk the petition, filed by Ilocano nga Pudno (True Ilocano), to disqualify Marcos from the presidential race for lack of merit.

The petition was filed on December 7, 2021 by the group, which claimed to be from Ilocos Region, and represented by Cadiz, Negros Occidental-born former Comelec Commissioner

’Voters less likely to shift choice of bets by this time’

By Joel E. Zurbano WITH less than three weeks to go before the May 9 elections, there is a low possibility of voters switching preference at this point, the chief data scientist of PUBLiCUS Asia said.

“People are set, people have preferences and people have personalities,” said Dr. David Yap Jr. during Wednesday’s roundtable discussion hosted by the Philippine Press Institute.

“You just don’t come up to them and alter their entire opinions. These are things that you have to consider,” Yap said.

For Dr. Ronald Holmes, president of Pulse Asia Research Inc., there is a possibility that the numbers in the survey results may still change before election day.

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CONFETTI SHOWER. Presidential

candidate Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. basks in a shower of confetti after the UniTeam campaign rally in Cebu City on Tuesday night. He had more reason to celebrate yesterday after the Comelec dismissed the last petition seeking to bar him from the May 9 elections. Ver Noveno

Rody to voters: Bring ’kodigo’, Study: Poll-linked violence may build up replace old-timers in Senate

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte urged voters to consider preparing a list of their preferred candidates on May 9, saying it would be tricky to remember all their names.

During the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Caloocan City Tuesday evening, Duterte admitted he has been guilty of forgetting to bring a list of his preferred

political bets when he voted in previous elections.

“It would be good to bring a list of candidates you support, whether for a national or local slate,” he said.

“A lot of people think that it’s bad to bring a list with you. It’s not. It’s all right to copy because you cannot remember when you are already there,” the President added.

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Gov’t adviser sees PH losing P40b with expiring vaccines

By Othel V. Campos and Willie Casas AN ECONOMIC advisor to the government on Wednesday said expiring COVID-19 vaccines would result in a loss of P40 billion for the country and urged citizens to get their booster shots to fend off a possible surge in new infections.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneur-

ship Joey Concepcion also said the next government may not be keen on procuring more vaccines once the 27 million doses expire by the end of July.

“There could also be a situation when vaccines may not be available when and if we need them,” he added.

The country has 80 million doses at present, 27 million of which will expire Next page in June and July.

POLL-RELATED violence builds up significantly about 100 days before the polls open and reaches its peak on Election Day, a study by the Ateneo School of Government shows with 20 days left before the May 9 polls.

The study by the Ateneo Policy Center, which released it Wednesday, examined incidences of poll-related violence from three elections, in 2013, 2016 and 2019, using online media reports. It warned that the country may experience a surge in such incidents again this year, given the highly contested nature of these elections.

This developed as the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the shooting incident that injured five people during the visit of presidential candidate Leody De Guzman to Bukidnon province on Tuesday was “isolated” and that it was “premature” to tag it as election-related.

“We are still gathering enough evidence and determining the circumstances surrounding the incident,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba said in a statement.

Labor leader De Guzman, who returned home to Manila yesterday, said on his Twitter account that while he was

By Willie Casas

NEWS / A2 CHOOSE YOUR BOOSTER. Zenaida Villanueva, 67, a health worker of Brgy. 183 in Pasay City, shows arriving passengers signs of the brands of free COVID-19 vaccine booster shots offered by their village on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City. Norman Araga

Presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman arrives to a throng of newsmen at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Wednesday following a shooting incident at an event he attended in Quezon, Bukidnon the previous day. Norman Cruz

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Health protocols breached during holiday—DOH

DOH: COVID PATIENTS CAN'T LEAVE TO VOTE

BACK IN MANILA.

THE public breached the minimum health standards during the Holy Week, the Department of Health (DOH) has said, underlining that videos surfaced on social media showing overcrowded beaches and venues where people can be seen partying without masks.

Health Undersecretary Mario Rosario Vergeire said: “There seemed to be breaches in minimum health standards...This is where the virus gets a chance to be transmitted.”

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Agaton death toll now at 172, agri losses P2.3b, affected people 2m

By Othel V. Campos DEATHS reported due to Tropical Depression “Agaton” rose to 178, disaster officials said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture said damage and losses amounting to P2.3 billion affected 54,013 farmers and fishers, with a production loss of 70.064 metric tons and 25,632 hectares of agricultural lands.

Affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, and fisheries. Damage has also been incurred in agricultural infrastructure.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 156 of the fatalities were reported from Eastern Visayas, 17

were from Western Visayas, three were from Davao, and two were from Central Visayas.

The NDRRMC said 111 people were reported missing while eight were injured due to Agaton.

Of the reported deaths, however, only 18 have so far been confirmed, the agency said.

The storm affected more than 2 million people or 600,062 families in 2,427 barangays in Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro.

Of these, 109,721 people or 29,978 families were seeking shelter in 450 evacuation centers.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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‘COVID patients can’t leave to vote’ Vergeire said the Commission on Elections can set alternative ways so COVID-19 patients can vote.

“I don't think that it would be possible that they will go out of the hospital to vote.

They are supposed to be isolated and being managed in the facility,” Vergeire said during a roundtable discussion on how to

COVID-proof the 2022 elections.

“So, I guess Comelec can provide alternative mechanisms or processes for them so that they will be able to cast their vote as well,” she added.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, however, said there is no alternative means of voting for COVID-19 patients.

"Comelec never suggested that COVID positive patients be allowed to break quarantine. What we said is that a person suspected of being positive would not be prevented from voting," Jimenez said in a text message to Manila Standard.

"There is no alternative means of voting for COVID positive patients, just as there are no such means for other hospitalized patients or persons with other communicable diseases," Jimenez added.

As of Tuesday, DOH data showed active infections have dropped to 18,815.

Lawyer Leylann Manuel, Comelec Employees Union - Nueva Ecija Chapter president, said the poll body will only allow people with COVID-19 symptoms to

BBM..

Salandanan, Crisanto Ducusin Palabay, Mario Flores Ben, Danilo Austria Consumido, Gil Fernando Derilo, Raoul Hafalla Tividad, Nida Mallare Gatchalian and Nomer Calulot Kuan.

While the decisions were appealed before the Court of Appeals, the petitioners said the appellate court affirmed the judgment of “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” on four convictions.

As rendered by the QC RTC, petitioners said Marcos’ conviction on four tax cases “carries the penalty of three years imprisonment and a payment of P30,000.

However, the CA imposed the payment of fine but omitted the imprisonment mandated by law.

“Thus, notwithstanding the CA’s omission of the penalty of imprisonment in its Decision, herein Petitioners firmly state that the correct penalty of fine and imprisonment as prescribed by the [National Internal Revenue Code] of 19776 on a person’s ‘failure to make a return’ should be considered for purposes of determining the qualification of Respondent to run for President under existing laws.”

According to the decision signed by Commissioners Inting, Ferolino and Neri, “As it now stands, (Marcos) possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under the 1987 Constitution and relevant laws.”

"If failure to file income tax return is considered alone, it would appear that it is not inherently wrong. This is supported by the fact that the filing of income tax return is only an obligation created by the law and the omission to do so is only considered as wrong because the law penalizes it," the decision read.

The division also disagreed with the petitioners that Marcos was convicted of a crime that carried a penalty of more than 18 months for which he should be disqualified from running for and holding any public office.

It said the petitioners cited "inapplicable law," and that the poll body had no power to amend or modify the decision that the Court of Appeals ruled on Marcos.

"It is evident that Respondent paid his income tax through the withholding system, albeit not in full. Even if his tax liability was not paid in full, the same was not done willfully by Respondent since, as the CA explained, it is the government's obligation to withhold the income tax of Respondent and the latter had the right to rely on the computation of the taxes withheld," the ruling said.

"Regardless of the fact that the non-filing of income tax return was done repeatedly by Respondent, there is still no tax evasion to speak of as no tax was actually unintentionally evaded," it added.

The Comelec division also clarified that in Marcos' case, the filing of income tax return is only for record purposes and not for the payment of his tax liabilities.

"He may have been neglectful in performing this obligation, it however does not reflect moral depravity," it said.

Marcos' spokesman lawyer Vic Rodriguez, reacting to the Comelec division development, said: "As advocated, elections are settled through the ballots on election day—not through the abuse of our judicial processes like the filing of nuisance petitions for disqualification."

Marcos' running mate, Davao City

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, declined to comment on the decision.

Rodriguez added: “It is now time for every peace-loving Filipino to work for a clean, honest, credible and fair elections, and allow the people to speak, their voices and votes genuinely counted.”

Reacting to the latest development: —Independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson cited the presumption of regularity on the part of the poll body, saying "Although we don't want to agree, the presumption of regularity is always in our mind, "he said.

—For his part, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson of Vice President Leni Robredo, shrugged off the decision, saying the latest ruling would not affect Robredo's campaign since “From the start, the focus of VP Leni and the whole campaign is to win this election. Nothing changed here.”

—PROMDI standard bearer Sen. Manny Pacquiao said the Comelec rejection was expected, adding: “We never thought that he will be disqualified. But the fight will go on and much better with Marcos around.”

—House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said that while the ruling was "no longer surprising," it was "disastrous."

"The ball is now on the Comelec en banc to review and reconsider such a disastrous decision. The full commission should also look into the reported 'political interferences' that delayed the release of the First Division's decision as this may cast a serious doubt on the independence of the commission in the very crucial May elections," Zarate said.

may transpire from now until May 9. We don’t know whether those are events that would shift or reinforce the voting preferences,” he added.

Dr. Guido David, fellow of OCTA Research, said based strictly on what the surveys are showing, there is already a significant lead of the frontrunner in the presidential race.

“But reality can sometimes bring surprises. What we are saying is just go out

and vote who your candidate is based on platform and personal belief, and we’ll see what happens on May 9,” said David.

“These studies we do – academic studies—are mainly used to estimate what the preferences are and we’re not trying to make predictions,” he added.

Yap, amid accusations that surveys are “polluted,” said it is up to the people to interpret their results.

“I would like to disagree with the notion that statisticians are soothsayers or fortune tellers. When you consider statistical predictions, even the most advanced method of predictions, are subject to criticism. For the very simple reason that those predictions are based on specific sets of assumptions, the moment that these assumptions are tweaked, those predictions will no longer hold,” he said.

has been directed to the struggles of the Manobo-Pulangiyon and other IP (indigenous peoples).]

“Hindi man takot ang mga naghahari-harian sa isang labor leader na gaya ko pero ang klaro ay mas malaki pa sa akin ang ating laban at doon dapat sila matakot - sa kapangyarihan ng nagkakaisang masa. Tuloy ang ating laban!” he added.

[The ruling elite may not be afraid of a labor leader like me, but what’s clear is that this fight is bigger than me, and they should be scared of that—of the power of the united masses. Our fight continues!]

Meanwhile, the Ateneo study said researchers had to use publicly available media reports because there was no publicly available data from govern-

ment institutions.

“The PNP, the agency tasked with collating and reporting on election related violence, has not disclosed to the general public incident level data on electionrelated violence in those election years, hence, the need for this independent dataset to measure the gravity of this phenomenon in the country,” the study said.

As of June 2021, the study counted 351 incidents of election-related violence from 2012-2019. Most—or 195—of the recorded incidents were lethal or resulted in at least one death.

The study said 77 percent or 63 out of 81 provinces were reported to have at least one election-related violent incident during that period.

Among the hotspots for election-relat-

ed violence were Malabon City, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Batangas, Quezon, Masbate, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, Abra, La Union, and Isabela.

The study found that most of the incidents targeted incumbent public officials seeking re-election. They were followed by ordinary citizens or known supporters of candidates. Other targets were armed groups, civil society, and foreign nationals.

The study found a build-up of violent incidents targeting public officials just days before the election. On election day, however, ordinary citizens were targeted the most. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

(HTAC) regarding the fourth jab.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for second booster shots for senior citizens, the immunocompromised, and frontline health workers.

The DOH said the second booster dose will be given at least four months after the administration of the first booster.

Data from the Health Department revealed that at least 67 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, 1.5 million children immunized, and 9.1 million minors inoculated.

However, more than 36 million have yet to receive booster shots.

Health experts have said it is important for eligible adults to get a COVID-19 booster shot before the May elections to prevent a possible surge in cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in the Philippines earlier warned that if the country’s vaccination rate does not improve and compliance with minimum health protocols is relaxed, active COVID cases next month could reach 300,000.

Health...

She cited India as an example where hundreds of thousands had gathered during a religious activity last year prior to the Delta variant surge.

Stricter enforcement of protocols is also needed, Vergeire said, citing Boracay, the capacity of which exceeded during the holidays.

"It’s a matter of enforcing also. If only we'll just follow protocols, we don't need to be restrictive. Secondly, we enforce, and we closely monitor,” she said.

The DOH earlier released a forecast that the Philippines might tally 500,000 active COVID-19 cases by mid-May should the public remain lax about minimum health protocols.

The forecast is not "cast in stone," said Vergeire.

"During these past weeks we have observed that there's complacency in terms of avoiding crowds, physical distancing requirements," Vergeire said.

"The virus is still here. Although cases continue to decline, there are many new variants or sub-lineages. We just down want the cases to rise again. We don't want restrictions to return,” she said.

There are 14 areas under Alert Level 1 tha one-week growth rate but the increase in cases is insignificant as of now, Vergeire said.

These areas could be found in the Ilocos region, Cordilleras, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Eastern Visayas, Davao region, and Caraga, she added.

But the rise in COVID-19 cases in 14 areas may only be an uptick and does not indicate yet that another surge is forthcoming, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Wednesday.

It is important for the public to get vaccinated and get booster shots as immunity against the coronavirus wanes over time, Vergeire reiterated.

Those who traveled during the Holy Week are urged to observe themselves for COVID-19 symptoms for 5 to 7 days, the DOH spokesperson said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

What is not good, Duterte said, is to keep on voting for the same candidates who have not delivered anything, citing the case of some old-timers in the Senate.

“Many senators have not been doing anything for a long time. From time to time, they would talk when there is an issue. That is what I dislike about senators now. Those old-timers – replace them,” he said.

He reminded voters to select political bets who have the heart to serve, noting that many candidates tend to forget about the nation and people once elected.

“Some only have ambition and win but do nothing for the six or three years they are elected. There are many of them… I will not pick corrupt candidates or candidates who have a bad attitude or are arrogant. All of them are really subdued and humble,” Duterte added.

In related developments: • The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was verifying claims of an alleged plot to sabotage the May 9 elections, which some presidential aspirants floated over the weekend.

• Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated the President’s call for fair and peaceful national and local elections next month, to ensure that the results reflect the genuine will of the Filipino people.

• The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday night started deploying ballots that will be used in the national and local elections.

• Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday said the government will not allow COVID-19 patients to go out of isolation facilities and cast their votes at polling precincts during the elections. With Willie Casas

Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.

Damage to agriculture reached P257 million in Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and Bangsamoro.

The NDRRMC also said P6.95 million worth of damage in infrastructure was reported in Western Visayas, Central

Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro.

The storm caused 462 flooding incidents, 98 landslides, six flash floods, and three maritime incidents. At least 58 roads and eight bridges were still impassable.

Seventy-six cities and municipalities experienced power interruption, of which

12 have been restored. Three areas also experienced water supply interruptions.

Eighteen cities and municipalities declared a state of calamity, including Sara, Lemery, Passi, Pototan, and Batad in Iloilo, Cateel in Davao Oriental, Trento in Agusan del Sur, and the entire province of Davao de Oro. The DA said it has secured at least

P662.5 million in assistance to affected farmers and fisherfolk in the wake of the damage caused by Agaton in regions in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa assured the public that regional responses are in place, including the distribution of seedlings and indemnification.

By Willie Casas

C

OVID-19 patients will not be allowed to leave isolation facilities to cast their ballots on May 9, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday.

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Christian Monsod, appointed to the poll body by then-President Corazon Aquino from 1991 to 1995.

In its 29-page ruling, the First Division members said they "are not convinced" that the failure to file income tax returns is a crime involving moral turpitude, referring to a Supreme Court ruling.

The First Division also stated that moral turpitude indicated something immoral in and of itself, regardless of whether or not it was penalized by law, and Marcos' inability to file taxes was not "inherently wrong."

When asked for comment on the issue during his campaign sortie in Occidental Mindoro, Marcos said, "It's a good development and we're happy that it happened before the upcoming elections."

Since the start of the campaign, Marcos and his running mate Inday Sara Duterte have consistently topped all the major pre-election surveys for the scheduled elections.

Despite maintaining a massive survey lead against their respective rivals, the UniTeam duo have consistently remained humble, choosing to focus on their call for unity as the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bongbong, the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos (1965-1986), is on the historic line of becoming the country's first majority president elected in a multiparty political setup.

The last petition to disqualify the younger Marcos was filed by Margarita

‘Voters...

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“There is a possibility of change. You cannot rule out change because there are certain events that transpire that we cannot, in any way, predict that may eventually change people’s voting decision,” Holmes said.

“It’s hard to predict. Certain events

Study:...

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safe, he could not erase from his mind the leaders and communities that welcomed him in Bukidnon amid the shooting, adding their “shared experience” would last them a lifetime.

“Binabalaan ko ang mga naghahariharian sa kanilang pag-abuso, ngayon na mayroong nang pambansang atensyon sa laban ng Manobo-Pulangiyon at iba pang IP struggles,” he said, referring to his meeting with locals in Quezon, Bukidnon over alleged land-grabbing issues in the area.

[I am warning the ruling class of their abuses now that national attention

Gov’t..

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Concepcion said the public must be on the lookout for a possible surge in the second half if the uptake of booster shots does not rise above the current 13.7 percent.

He also renewed the call for mobility restrictions for those who do not have booster shots, giving them until July 2022 to comply with the required third dose.

As of last tally, some 12,477,480 Filipinos or 13.86 percent have already received booster shots while fully vaccinated individuals have reached 66,652,616 or 74.05 percent.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the rollout of second booster shots for the elderly and the immunocompromised is expected to start in a week or two.

In a briefing, DOH spokesperson and Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency was still waiting for the final recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council

Agaton...

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The storm damaged 11,279 houses—10,519 partially and 760 totally — in Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao,

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go to voting precincts but not those with positive COVID-19 test results.

“Our stand is if one is positive for COVID-19, it would be against the law if the patient goes out and roams around. That is prohibited,” he said.

The Comelec earlier said it is eyeing to set up isolation polling places for voters who will exhibit COVID-19 symptoms on May 9.

Comelec Commissioner Aimee Torrefranca-Neri said this is among the measures that the poll body is considering to ensure the conduct of the elections will be safe for voters amid the pandemic. (See full story online at manilastandard. net)

UK court formally OKs extraditing Assange to US LONDON—A British court on Wednesday issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face trial over the publication of secret files relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The decision now rests with Interior Minister Priti Patel, although Assange may still appeal within 14 days of any decision to approve the extradition.

The ruling Wednesday by a magistrate in central London brings the long-running legal saga in the UK courts closer to a conclusion.

But Assange's lawyers have until May 18 to make representations to Patel and could potentially launch further appeals on other points in the case.

"No appeal to the High Court has yet been filed by him in respect of the other important issues he raised previously," his lawyers Birnberg Peirce Solicitors said in a statement last month.

"That separate process of appeal has, of course, yet to be initiated."

The case has become a cause celebre for media freedom, with Assange's supporters accusing Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

’Facebook move to bar Esperon post offensive’ A SPOKESPERSON of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) scored Facebook and its fact-checkers for their "imprudence and audacity" to issue a warning to National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. for a post urging Filipinos to unite to end insurgency.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, also NTF-ELCAC spokesperson, described the move as "alarming if not dangerous."

He said the social media giant and its third-party fact-checkers Rappler and Vera Files are "overly focused" on calling out and restricting accounts of government officials while turning a blind eye to others.

"The imprudence of FB to warn Secretary Esperon on a national security issue is unthinkable and downright offensive as the social media platform has taken on the role of Big Brother with the power to censure the social media posts of the NSA himself on matters of national security," Malaya said in a statement Wednesday.

Esperon's Facebook post on April 14 partly read: "In ending insurgency, the Filipinos must unite against armed struggle and against organizations, aboveground and underground, that support the New People's Army, including Communist Party (CPP) members who have infiltrated the Congress through the partylist system." (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Rody...

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News

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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Romualdezes thank Rody for tertiary hospital

By Maricel V. Cruz

WTTC PRESSER. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat fields questions from the media during a press conference in conjunction with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 21st Global Summit at the Mariotte Hotel with Julia Simpson, president and chief executive officer of WTTC in attendance. Danny Pata

‘PH tourism grows despite COVID’ N

OTWITHSTANDING the crippling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines’ travel and tourism industry managed to register a significant growth 20.5 percent last year as opposed to the previous year’s 80 percent decline.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the domestic tourism and travel sector’s contribution to the national economy climbed 129.5 percent year on year, hitting the $41 billion mark.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s latest Economic Impact Report revealed last year the Philippine’s Travel & Tourism contribution to the nation’s economy climbed 129.5.% year on year,

to reach US$ 41 billion.

Following an 80% decline, this impressive rise saw it ranked as the world’s fourth fastest growing economy during 2021.

Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism WTTC, made this report at the opening of the three-day Global Travel and Tourism Summit in being held in Manila.

Simpson unwrapped the WTTC’s

Economic Impact Report (EIR) which showed that in 2021, the local travel and tourism sector accounted for 7.8 million job in 2021, representing a 20.5 percent increase over the previous year, compared to the global growth of only 6.7 percent.

Over 1,000 local and foreign delegates, among them chief executive officers, business leaders, government ministers, travel experts and international media were taking part in the summit.

Before the pandemic, the Philippines’ travel and tourism industry contributed 22.5 percent (estimated at $92.6 billion) of the gross domestic product (GDP).

However, due to damaging travel

restrictions amidst the pandemic, the 2020 figure plunged to $17.8 billion representing 80.7 percent decline, translated to 4.8 percent share to the GDP. The EIR showed that there was a remarkable improvement in 2021 at $ 41billion, representing a 10.4 percent share of the nation’s total economy, signaling that recovery of the sector was well underway.

The latest EIR also predicted that the Philippines’ travel and tourism contribution to GDP would grow by 6.7 percent over the next decade, exceeding the expected c overall economy average growth rate of 5.6 percent.

LEYTE Rep. Martin Romualdez and his wife, Tingog party list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, on Wednesday hailed President Duterte’s enactment of a new law providing for the setting up of a tertiary hospital in Calbayog City, Samar.

Duterte signed the Republic Act (RA) 11703 into law on April 16, providing for the creation of the first ever tertiary hospital in Calbayog under the control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).

The Romualdez couple were the principal sponsors of the measure.

“We thank President Duterte for acknowledging the pressing needs of our kababayans in Samar. Tingog has always, and continues to advocate for measures that will improve our health system and make healthcare accessible for all,” said Mrs. Yedda Romualdez, chairperson of the House Committee on Welfare of Children.

“With the passage of this law, we hope that patients and their families will no longer have to travel four to five hours from Northern Samar, three to four hours from Eastern Samar, and two to three hours from Samar just to get to the nearest government tertiary hospital located in Tacloban (Leyte). With these three provinces already having one of the highest poverty incidences in the country, the availability of accessible and affordable hospital care is one of its most pressing needs,” she added.

“As one of the principal authors of this measure, we earlier called on its swift passage for the benefit of our fellow Filipinos in Samar especially that we are still in a pandemic. We are confident that with the passage of this law and the allocation of funds for the hospital, the medical needs of Samarnons and residents of nearby provinces will be better served,” Majority Leader Romualdez said.

Binay eyes out-of-school youths back to school or with new jobs SENATORIAL candidate and former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday vowed to establish more learning programs and job opportunities for out-of-school youths.

Binay made the pledge after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) came up with a report showing the number of out-of-school youths in the Philippines increased during the pandemic, from 16.9 percent in January 2020 to 25.5 percent in April 2020.

While the report found out that the pandemic disproportionately impacted education, employment, and livelihood opportunities for out-of-school youth, it identified opportunities to address the problem through collaboration among government, non-=government organizations, businesses, and the academe.

A study showed that among the most common reasons youngsters do not attend school were marriage or family matters, lack of personal interest, and high cost of education or financial concerns.

Around 50 percent of out-of-school youths belong to families whose income fall within the bottom 30 percent of the population based on their per capita income.

Binay earlier proposed the creation of a National Skills Education Council (NSEC) that would match the skills of students with the needs of industries and employers.

Part of the program would be partnerships between schools and private firms where students can get hands-on training and where the courses are set to meet the needs of the company. Joel E. Zurbano

SUMMER GIGIL ROLLOUT. Tiktok superstar AC Bonifacio leads the launch of “summer gigil campaign” held inside the Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The launch highlights a surprise flashmob and AC dance number with the Grab drivers. Norman Cruz

Drilon defends SIM Card law as constitutional SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday defended the constitutionality of the vetoed SIM Card Registration bill.

Drilon maintained that the measure contained no constitutional infirmity, specifically the provision that merely mandates the use of the holder’s real name and registered SIM card in creating social media accounts.

“I am confident that the provision that we worked hard for in order to prevent trolls, fraudsters, scammers and online bullies from hiding behind fake names is constitutional and can withstand judi-

cial scrutiny,” Drilon said.

“The measure is constitutional. The bill does not in any way limit speech. It does not curtail one’s ability to post on social media,” he stressed.

“This is not designed to suppress any particular message,” Drilon said.

The bill only requires the use of the holder’s real name and registered SIM card in creating social media accounts.

“Even a freshman law student can tell that the provision would not violate any constitutional right. They should review their Constitution,” the senator said.

“Is it a prior restraint on free speech?

No, it is not. You can still post anytime, anywhere and whatever you want to post. Does it even regulate the time, place or manner of posting? It definitely does not,” he added: Drilon emphasized that the bill also contained numerous safeguards to ensure privacy.

Section 9 of the bill provides for the confidentiality clause which mandates that “any information obtained in the registration process described under this Act cannot be disclosed to any person.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

Leptospirosis kills 4 in Davao due to storms causing flooding—DOH THE Department of Health (DOH) in Davao region has logged four deaths due to leptospirosis this year.

Based on the DOH data, four people died of leptospirosis infection in the region from January 1 to April 2, 2022.

Davao del Norte reported two deaths, while Davao City and Davao Occidental had one each.

According to the DOH, this year’s death toll was higher compared to the same period last year which registered only one death.

However, leptospirosis cases decreased from 35 in January to April 2021 to 25 in the same period this year.

DOH Davao assistant regional director Dr. Gerona Manatad said the high incidence of deaths was attributed to the weather disturbance and tropical cyclones that caused flooding in the Davao region.

Leptospirosis is caused by the entry of leptospira bacteria through wounds when in contact with flood waters, vegetation, and moist soil contaminated with urine of infected animals, especially rats. Willie Casas

CAAP commends janitress for returning P280,000 THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has commended a janitress for honesty after she turned over to the management of Laguindingan Airport a bag containing 40 pieces of 500 Saudi Riyal equivalent to about P280,000.

The CAAP employee identified as Merraflor Simbre was on duty

when she found the item at the restroom of the airport’s Passenger Terminal Building Area.

“Ms. Simbre, a facility cleaner in CAAP - Laguindingan Airport, displayed an admirable act of honesty and integrity by returning the lost item to Ms. Evangeline Maghanoy, a domestic helper from Riyadh, Saudi

Arabia, who arrived via Philippine Airlines OWWA flight two days ago, April 17,” CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said.

“Expecting nothing in return, Ms. Simbre showcased CAAP’s core values of integrity and honesty in the course of their service to the public,” he added. Joel E Zurbano

Housing dept. holds first homeowners’ summit DRUMMING UP SUPPORT AND WOOING VOTES. Senator Lito Lapid and Pinuno party list nominee Howard Guintu barnstorms the Ilocos region with a motorcade that made the round of the provinces of La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte.

IN a bid to further maximize efforts toward nation-building, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has opened its first-ever homeowners associations (HOAs) summit at its central office in Quezon City.

The three-day summit, organized

by the Department’s Homeowners Association and Community Development Bureau headed by officer in charge, director Lorina Rigor, was aimed at creating a national confederation for homeowners associations, share best practices in organizing a regional confederation and

bolster capacity-building among HOA personnel.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario highlighted the instrumental role of homeowners’ associations in promoting a community-driven environment geared toward nation-building.

Rio N. Araja

A4

Leni-Kiko ticket changes colors, not just all pink

News

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE. Lakas-

CMD/HNP vice presidential Candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte delivers an inspirational message to the members and officers of the Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines during an induction ceremony at the Auditorium of Batangas Provincial Capitol Grounds in Batangas City. Ver Noveno

Tingog Party List Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez lauded Wednesday President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into a law a crucial measure that creates the Samar Island Medical Center in Calbayog City, the first tertiary hospital in the third largest island of the country. Ver Noveno

Consult locals on Boracay bill, Lacson says

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENTIAL candidate Panfilo Lacson said turning the tourist-haven island of Boracay into a governmentowned and -controlled corporation must be a collective decision not only by public officials, but the local residents.

Lacson was sought for his comment on House Bill No. 9286 that would create the Boracay Island Development Authority (BIDA), which lawmakers from the House of Representatives already approved.

“Whatever it takes to improve our opportunities for tourism, I’ll go for it. But, as I said, we don’t have to do it somewhat indiscriminately or in a whimsical manner. We need to carefully study the matter and with full consultation with the people surrounding the area,” Lacson said.

Earlier, Lacson indicated support for the BIDA bill. He upheld this position during his visit to Kalibo, Aklan because he believes “it is a good concept.”

Lacson, however, underscored that while he is generally affirmative of the proposed legislation, any executive action that would be made under his leadership about it must be backed by science and data-driven with due respect to environmental concerns.

On his trip to Western Visayas this week, Lacson also raised anew his proposal to develop tourism estates in the most beautiful destinations across the country, this time including the picturesque islands of Gigantes in Iloilo and Boracay in Aklan.

Leviste: Sara can ‘strengthen’ PH health care

By Maricel V. Cruz BATANGAS Vice Governor Mark Leviste on Wednesday said Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte can do so much in strengthening the country’s health care system if elected vice president.

Speaking during the meet and greet with members and officers of the Association of Nursing Service Administration of the Philippines at the Provincial Capitol Grounds here, Leviste said he takes pride in Duterte’s legacy concerning healthcare during her term as Davao City mayor.

Duterte said she wanted to do nothing else during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but serve on the frontlines.

“It was so frustrating for me as a healthcare - (my) background, (I am an) allied medical professional, it was so frustrating for me (that I am not in the frontlines),” Duterte told reporters in an ambush interview after meeting with the province’s health workers from the Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines (ANSAP) at the Provincial Capitol Auditorium here.

In her speech, Duterte revealed that she was a respiratory therapy graduate whose heart is with the healthcare workers.

PDP exec says BBM-Sara will win in May elections

F

ROM the looks of it, the tandem of BBM-Sara will win the elections on May 9, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban) secretary general and Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag said on Tuesday.

The announcement of Matibag was anchored mainly on the overwhelming support of its more than 100,000 members and candidates nationwide and the unquestionable results of trusted surveys of the PDP-Laban’s front-running presidential candidate former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

“Our more than 6,000 candidates, mostly incumbent governors, mayors and congressmen, are hard at work campaigning for the victory of BBMSara and the entire PDP Laban slate.

That will make the difference in this elections,” Matibag said.

As the campaign slowly waned to just more than two weeks, the tandem’s number increased and their closest pursuers are scrambling down hitting them and the other candidates to somewhat bolster their stock, Matibag said.

However, the PDP Laban remains unperturbed saying they opted to choose Marcos as the party’s presidential candidate because they see in him the resolve to continue what President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has started.

Matibag said it is important the next president of the country will continue the legacy of Duterte.

In Occidental Mindoro, Governor Eduardo Gadiano has committed to deliver a big win for Marcos Jr. during his visit to the province on Wednesday.

Gadiano shared that one of the reasons why he opted to support Marcos was his ability to focus on his tasks of delivering to the people

his message of unity and reconciliation without being affected by the dirt and criticisms being thrown his way by his detractors.

Marcos is set to campaign in Oriental Mindoro and Mindoro Occidental be-

fore joining Duterte in Batangas later this afternoon.

The UniTeam candidates have been revisiting provinces separately so they could cover more ground in the remaining days of the election campaign.

Marcos, Jr. meanwhile vowed to bring back the Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services (BLISS) project to address the mounting housing backlog in the country.

With Rey E. Requejo

A GIFT FOR VICO. Former Vice President and senatorial bet Jejomar Binay visits Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto at the Pasig City Hall on Tuesday. Binay, who is running for senator under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), gave Sotto a copy of his biography “Dignity and Compassion: The Life Story of Jejomar C. Binay.” (See related story on A3)

THE new campaign logo of Vice President Leni Robredo is not all pink anymore, but all colors, said senatorial ticket campaign manager Erin Tanada.

“You are welcome regardless of your color if you are for the country’s growth under an honest government,” Tanada said.

The Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan ticket made the statement following the launch of a new campaign logo that “brings together citizens from all walks of life.”

He said the message of the LeniKiko campaign team is just simple: “We welcome all colors.”

Meanwhile, the Robredo camp believes the rise of her survey results would “carry her forward to a victory” as the country’s next president.

Ibarra Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, said they are “very confident” of her winning in the May 9 polls.

“One thing that I want to emphasize is, surveys are a snapshot. They are not an indication of inevitability. If anything, the sequence of snapshots we have seen over the past few weeks indicates that the VP’s numbers are going up, the momentum is with her and we are very very confident going into the last 19 days until election will carry her forward to a victory on May 9,” he told an ANC interview.

In the latest Pulse Asia survey from March 17 to 21, Robredo’s voter preference rose by 9 percentage points, narrowing the gap between her and ex-senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Gutierrez said they have remained unfazed by the endorsement of One Cebu party of Marcos’ presidential bid.

“We’re not too concerned. And the reason for that is we never really factored in — as part of our general strategy from the beginning — endorsements coming from local officials,” he said.

Macon Araneta and Rio Araja

Isko volunteers intensify efforts in poll campaign VOLUNTEER groups intensified their campaigning for Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso as they remain focused on the primary objective of helping Moreno become the next President of the Republic.

Team Isko’s youth volunteers are leading the grassroots-type of campaign with the “Bus ni Isko” caravan braving the storm and rough waters during their trip to Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte last week, affirming the “no retreat, no surrender” attitude of their presidential candidate.

Ces Bayan of the group Ama ni Isko, Team Leader of the Visayas-Mindanao leg of “Bus ni Isko” described their trip to Dapitan City via RoRo as “challenging” because of the bad weather.

Bayan said the youth volunteers of the 47-year-old presidential bet remain dedicated and committed to continuing and finishing the electoral campaign “come hell or high water.”

Moreno meanwhile challenged Vice President Leni Robredo to deny the statement of her spokesperson that no unification talks transpired between the vice president and other presidential bets, including the Manila city mayor. With Rey E. Requejo

Christian-Muslim group reaffirms support for Bongbong-Sara

THE Christian-Muslim Democratic Coalition (CMDC) reaffirmed its commitment to support and campaign for former Senator Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos, Jr. as President and Mayor Inday Sara Duterte for Vice President in an Interfaith Assembly held at the International House of Prayer, Amvel Business Park, Paranaque City.

The CMDC was launched earlier to support BBM-SARA Uniteam by El Shaddai Servant

Leader Bro Mike Velarde, Prof Punduma Sani, vice chair for Military Affairs of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Former Makati Vice Mayor Bobby Brillante, chair of People’s National Council for Federalism, National Interfaith Council of the Philippines (NICOPHIL) chairperson Bishop Ruben Lambojon and Mailed Molina, chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA).

“Our ultimate objective is to provide people support to the new Marcos-Duterte administration to ensure smooth transition of power, help institute the change promised during the campaign, pursue charter change to Federalism to empower local government units and provide equal opportunity in government service and in business to afford economic justice for all Filipinos,” Brillante, who is the CMDC spokesperson, said.

‘No programs for senior citizens’

CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM COALITION. The Christian-Muslim Democratic Coalition

(CMDC) was launched earlier to support BBM-SARA Uniteam. Officials led El Shaddai Servant Leader Bro Mike Velarde, Prof Punduma Sani, vice chair for Military Affairs of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Former Makati Vice Mayor Bobby Brillante, chair of People’s National Council for Federalism, National Interfaith Council of the Philippines (NICOPHIL) chairperson Bishop Ruben Lambojon and Mailed Molina, chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA), along with other members, pose for a photo.

THE United Senior Citizens Party-list said with barely a month to go before millions of Filipinos decide on the fate of the presidential candidates, the electorate has yet to hear their programs for senior citizens.

Unfortunately, the long and dragging campaign period that is about to end soon has not revealed a clear plan for the senior citizens, the party-list said.

At the same time, not too many organizations and civil societies are quite interested in championing the cause of the elderly.

“They may have forgotten our senior citizens. We understand that the next leader of the country will be dealing with pressing concerns of he country but we are hoping that they will include the affairs of our el-

ders,” Roleo Ignacio, one of the lead nominees of United Senior Citizens Party-list, said in an interview recently.

Economists predict that the country’s population will fall under the “aging” category few years from now and this is something that should be taken into consideration by the next administration as this will have a big impact in the county’s stability, Ignacio said.

With the impending growth in numbers of aging Filipino or the senior citizens, United Senior Citizens Party-list believes that it’s high time the government enhances its programs for the seniors that will ensure their safety, protection, welfare, and economics.

Opinion Disregarding surveys, silent majority will choose Leni

THERE are several ways of categorizing a country’s voting population during the electoral campaign season. The categorization can be done on the basis of regional attachment: the voters of Region A can be categorized as being the bailiwick of one candidate and the voters of Region B can be regarded as loyal to the candidate who hails from their region. In this country’s elections the Solid North is said to be the prize of an Ilocano candidate and Cebuano-speaking voters are said to comprise a Solid South.

Or, the categorization of the Philippine electorate can be done on the basis of annual income, with voters belonging to the highest-income classes, Classes A and B, treated as one voting bloc. Voters in Class C – the closest thing to a Philippine middle class – is regarded as a separate class. The voters in Classes D and E are said to make up the third income-related bloc.

Or, the categorization of this country’s electorate can be done on the basis of age, with the older element of the Philippines’ voting population – Filipinos 35 years old and above – believed to be more set in their ways and inclined to be conservative in their thinking on most matters, including politics.

Voters below 35 years old – some of the millennials and members of Generation Z – are considered more flexible and less rigid in their attitudes toward life’s many important issues. How the youthful half of the 63 million-strong electorate will exercise their right of suffrage is undoubtedly one of the key determinants of the outcome of this year’s election.

There is still another way in which the categorization of the 2022 Philippine electorate can be done. It can be done on the basis of either the amount of attendant noise or its opposite the silence.

The 2022 presidential election is unlike any other presidential election since 1946 in that this year’s electoral season is so completely dominated – overwhelmed is probably the more accurate word – by voteropinion surveys, Such surveys have always

been a feature of every presidential election since the Roxas-versus-Osmeña contest, but they were always presented to Filipino voters as aids to making a reasoned choice for president. The 2022 voter-opinion surveys, on the other hand, seek to present the voters with a virtual fait accompli. The surveys have assigned to the resulting frontrunner majorities so unprecedentedly large that it has been practically Game Over for the survey’s No. 2 contestant.

They have taken note of all the lies, all the illegalities, the prevarications and the false claims made by the unworthy presidential candidates.

This is a mind-conditioning effort of such scope and persistence this country’s political history has never seen. Filipino voters have been asked – tricked is the better word – to believe that the 30-point lead of the surveys’ front-runner can no longer be overcome and that the front-runner is as good as elected.

Throughout the current electoral season, all the noise has been made by the supporters and sympathizers of the presidential candidate who has consistently topped the voter-opinion surveys by incredibly large margins. No noise whatsoever has emanated from these voters who, at the voting machines on May 9, will effectively decide who is fit to lead this country during the next six years. Collectively, those voters are called the silent majority.

As their collective name suggests, this country’s silent majority has been silently observing all the goings-on in the political arena since October 21, when the political season began. They have taken note of all the lies, all the illegalities, the prevarications and the false claims made by the unworthy presidential candidates.

The silent majority will shortly become silent no longer. On May 9, the members of that enormous bloc of votes will disregard all voter-opinion surveys and choose the candidate they consider the most fit to be the next president of the Philippines.

That candidate is Vice President Leni Robredo.

In Venezuela’s military, it is worse to be gay than corrupt

By Margioni Bermudez JOSE, an army captain, deserted after years of pressure. Rafael, a lieutenant, was prosecuted and expelled Both had clean records with Venezuela’s armed forces, but being gay brought them persecution, discrimination and humiliation before they left.

Venezuela’s military justice code states that “unnatural acts” can be punished by three years in prison and a dishonorable discharge, which makes it impossible to serve in the military and be openly gay.

Even despite recent reforms and parliamentary petitions by activists, the controversial clause remains.

“It is worse to be gay than corrupt,” said Jose, 36, a former National Guard captain who did not want his real name used.

“There are members of the military that are corrupt, thieves, drug traffickers, under investigation who are punished and then carry on working as if nothing happened,” said Jose.

He says he was under so much pressure that “my hair fell out.”

Venezuela’s armed forces have been accused many times in recent years of violating human rights when repressing anti-government protests, which the high command denies.

The “first question they ask you in the entry interview is: what is your sexual orientation, homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual?

If you don’t reply that you are heterosexual, you’re discarded. That’s the first filter,” said Rafael, the former army lieutenant.

‘Disgusted by poofs’ Jose’s nightmare began in 2017 when the military decided to investigate “a large

group” to determine who was gay.

Jose was unmarried and without children, two conditions needed for promotion.

Many gay members of the military get married to save their careers, but Jose refused and maintained a secret relationship with a man.

He spent “the worst four days of my life” in detention, he said through tears.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” he was aggressively asked over and again.

“The last day of the investigation, they made me take a polygraph test. They locked me in a room, connected me to machines, practically naked... and they asked me the most intimate questions.”

“How are we going to keep a poof here,” they kept telling him, using a derogatory term for a gay man, while trying to force him to sign a confession that he was gay.

“As they didn’t have any firm evidence... they dedicated themselves to humiliating me.”

He was never again allowed to command troops.

Instead, Jose was kept in a hangar, where he was only allowed to work a few hours a day.

“The commander of this unit told me he was disgusted by poofs, that he didn’t want me anywhere near him.”

In the end, he was put in charge of the unit’s Twitter account.

“I was so disappointed that I decided to leave,” said Jose, who now lives in exile in Spain.

Body cavity search For Rafael, 37, it was a casual encounter that cost him his career.

A fellow member of the military had tried to kill him following an intimate encounter

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EDITORIAL

The backbone of a jellyfish

T

HE government has ordered all oil exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea to be suspended, demonstrating once again that this administration has the backbone of a jellyfish when it comes to standing up to China.

The order came a month after President Rodrigo Duterte said in a public address that the Philippines had no choice but to abide by a supposed joint exploration deal with Beijing to avoid conflict, and that someone “from China” had reminded him of this upon learning of other companies’ planned activities in the area.

Duterte added that the same person also warned him that Beijing would send soldiers to the West Philippine Sea should he deploy the military there.

The DOE order effectively stopped “all exploration activities” for Service Contracts 72 and 75—two sites off Palawan province earlier identified by the government as possible areas of joint energy exploration with Beijing—pending a go-signal from the Security, Justice and Peace Coordinat-

ing Cluster (SJPCC) which cited “the political, diplomatic and national security implications of any activity in the West Philippine Sea.”

Who will stand up for our country?

In response to the suspension, PXP Energy Corp. and its subsidiary Forum Energy Ltd., which had been hired by the government to conduct exploration activities off Palawan, declared a force majeure, saying the order prevented them from performing their obligations.

Jay Batongbacal, the director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea, said it is clear China is bent

on preventing any petroleum exploration and development by the Philippines within its own waters.

Other petroleum companies that see the government folding to Chinese threats may be discouraged from investing in future oil exploration in the Philippines. With no new indigenous sources of petroleum, the country would have to rely on imported liquefied natural gas to sustain power plants supplied by the depleting Malampaya gas field, a move that could drive up energy prices, Batongbacal added.

To be fair, China is an equal opportunity oppressor, and has sought to bully and harass other countries in the region as well to stop them from exploring for oil and gas in their own territory.

It may be instructive to learn, however, that not everyone in this region buys into Beijing’s “what’s yours is mine” policy. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have pushed through with their exploration activities despite threats from China.

We hope the next president will stand up for the country. Too much kowtowing is bad for the back—and our economy, too.

The homestretch points shift must be giving the Robredo camp a big boost. There were no significant changes for the other presidential bets. Each and every one of them however, are as confident as ever that the surveys do not tell the whole story and that in the end, one of them will end up as the victor.

In a joint press conference last Easter Sunday, Mayor Isko Moreno surprised everyone by demanding for the withdrawal of VP Robredo instead of going after the frontrunner. They should just redouble their efforts because their principal enemy now is time. Going after each other will just distract their campaign efforts. Will they have enough time to overtake BBM, especially the camp of Leni Robredo who appears to be the only one gaining substantially based on the March survey?

There have been other surveys that followed the March survey but with due respect to these surveys, I find some of the results incompatible and contrary to past historical survey data. One is saying that BBM supporters come from all classes but mostly from the ABC classes constituting roughly about half of those surveyed. But based on other reliable sources, it is the Robredo camp where the ABC classes predominate. This is least validated from what we have seen in the multitude of people attending the many Robredo political campaign rallies in the past month.

In a way, the many surveys and trolls appearing on social media are only adding to the confusion. This is one reason why some

quarters are advocating that the Comelec put some control on political surveys like putting time limits to their publications. For instance, there should be a ban on political surveys being made public a month before election day so as not to put any undue influence on the voting public. Another survey that appeared is saying that most voters have made up their minds which implies that the election is all but over except for the proclamation. But we know that based on past elections, there will always be a sizable segment of the voting public who remain undecided until election day. As the great Yogi Berra would like to say, it’s not over until it’s over.

What we are simply witnessing is how much impact social media has on the landscape of presidential campaigning. We just have to hope that the public which gets the bulk of their news from social media will be discerning enough to be able to figure out what is true and what is not for the sake of the country. Otherwise, we will be spending the next six years trying to figure out or justify what we did wrong in this May 9 presidential election.

One difference of this campaign from the past is that certain candidates skipped the political debates which are so crucial in making choices on whom to vote. This never happened before. Debates allow the voting public to hear not only what a candidate wants them to hear like in ordinary political rallies. During debates, candidates are forced to clarify their positions on some important and controversial issues. Unfortunately, in this presidential campaign, the voting public was deprived of that opportunity. Hopefully, in spite of all the trolls and falsities on social media, the election results will be what the people wanted and not the Smartmatic counting machines.

after a night of heavy drinking.

The hard way included a body cavity He was told to resign to avoid “humilia- search without his consent. tion.”

He was given two choices by the military prosecutor: resign or “we will have to continue the case and you will be jailed for two Even in Latin to three years.”

American countries Defiant, Rafael chose to go to trial.

However, he was sacked over a disciplinwhere it is not illegal ary issue, and the trial was never held since to be gay in the armed he was no longer a member of the armed forces. forces, homosexuality A former military official told AFP that is rarely tolerated. administrative sackings were a common tactic to avoid a trial.

“They try to cover up the investigations so “You are being investigated for being gay. they don’t have to say they were kicked out There cannot be any homosexuals in the for being homosexuals,” said the former ofarmed forces,” Rafael was told. ficial on condition of anonymity.

“It is up to you whether it is done Rafael was so devastated that he contemthe easy way or the hard way,” he was plated suicide but now hopes to take his case warned. to the Supreme Court, although he is under

no illusions that he might win.

Kelvi Zambrano, a lawyer from the Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy NGO, says that change will only come if the “unnatural acts” article in the military code is declared unconstitutional.

That would take legal reform or a Supreme Court decision, as happened in Colombia and Peru.

However, even in Latin American countries where it is not illegal to be gay in the armed forces, homosexuality is rarely tolerated.

For Rafael, though, it was not just the military refusing to accept him for who he is.

“My mother doesn’t accept me, she will die without accepting that I’m gay,” he said.

“She’s one of those people that says, ‘I would prefer a criminal son than a poof.’”

AFP

WITH the time of reckoning fast approaching, all the presidential candidates are now throwing everything they’ve got in the hope that they will win the most coveted prize of all – the presidency.

So, who will it be? There is BBM with his promise of a great future for the country.

VP Robredo’s battle cry is that with her at the helm, the democratic institutions of the land will be safe, protected and nurtured.

There will also be a level playing field for all. With Mayor Isko Moreno, the country’s WPS interests will be protected no matter what it takes. Senator Manny Pacquiao’s major thrust is the poor and those who have less in life. Senator Ping Lacson’s major asset is competent leadership, experience and his promise for an incorruptible government bureaucracy.

In the most recent survey conducted last March, there was a significant change with BBM going down by six points and VP Robredo gaining nine points or a total shift of 15 points. But considering that BBM’s lead is still huge, it will still take a monumental effort from the Robredo campaign to overturn the significant lead of BBM at least according to that survey. What this survey is telling us, however, is that VP Robredo is gaining momentum which cannot be ignored. Even the BBM camp is also not taking anything for granted and is still campaigning feverishly.

Nonetheless, the fifteen-percentage

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

Their biggest enemy is time.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Jimbo Owen Gulle

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

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IN BRIEF

World

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Shanghai eases COVID lockdown SHANGHAI further eased its grueling, weekslong COVID-19 lockdown on Wednesday despite a mounting official death toll and tens of thousands of daily cases.

China’s largest city is ambling towards reopening as businesses and residents grow increasingly desperate over closures and food shortages.

Faced with the country’s worst virus outbreak in two years, Shanghai has confined most of its 25 million people to their homes since last month, doubling down on the Communist Party’s unrelenting zero-Covid approach.

But the surge, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, has thwarted official efforts today,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna to avert a pandemic rebound, with more than Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.

400,000 infections reported since March.

“We have managed to get a preliminary City authorities confirmed seven COVID-19 agreement on a humanitarian corridor for women, deaths and more than 18,000 mostly CYANCYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKBLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK asymptomatic new casesYELLOW on Wednesday, while CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK MAGENTA children and elderly persons,” she said. also announcing 4 million more people had been Vereshchuk told civilians to gather at 2:00 released from the strictest version of lockdown. p.m. (1100 GMT) for the evacuations heading Some factories have resumed operations to the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia. and a total of 12 million residents previously barred from leaving their homes have in But she warned that “with regard to the very the past few days been given permission to difficult security situation, changes may occur venture outdoors. AFP

145 leave Mariupol as Moscow agrees to humanitarian corridor

M

ORE than 140 civilians and five Ukrainian troops have been evacuated from the besieged port city of Mariupol, separatists said, as Moscow intensified its offensive in the east.

Manila

Manila Manila Manila ORIENTALMINDORO MINDOROELECTRIC ELECTRICCOOPERATIVE, COOPERATIVE,INC INC ORIENTAL Standard Standard Standard Standard (ORMECO) TODAY (ORMECO) TODAY TODAY

TODAY

Brgy.Sta. Sta.Isabel, Isabel,Calapan CalapanCity, City,Oriental OrientalMindoro Mindoro Brgy.

043.288.7801/ /288.7802 288.7802/ /288.7803 288.7803 Fax FaxNo. No.043.288.7804 043.288.7804 • • E-mail: E-mail:ormeco_coop@yahoo.com ormeco_coop@yahoo.com • • Website: Website:www.ormeco-inc.com www.ormeco-inc.com 043.288.7801

INVITATIONTO TOBID BID INVITATION INVITATION TO BID INVITATION TO BID

ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ORMECO, (ORMECO, INC.), through ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. INC.), through ORIENTALMINDORO MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.(ORMECO, (ORMECO, INC.),through through itsBIDS BIDS AND ORIENTAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. INC.), its its BIDSAND AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), hereby intends toapply apply the sumHundred ofAND Three its BIDS AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), hereby intends to the sum of Three AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), herebyintends intends apply thesum sum Thirty-Eight Million Three Hundred AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), hereby totoapply the ofofThirty-Eight Million Three Million Nine Hundred Nine Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-Twoand 80/100Pesos Sixty-Six Thousand SixHundred Hundred Ninety-Nineand and 0/100 PesosOnly Only (₱38,366,699.00)funded fundedby by5% 5% Million Nine Hundred Nine Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-Twoand 80/100Pesos Sixty-Six Thousand Six Ninety-Nine 0/100 Pesos (₱38,366,699.00) Reinvestment fund and Six Million Three Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Eight Hundred Forty-Five Reinvestment fund and Six Million Three Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Eight Hundred Forty-Five Only (₱3,909,382.80)funded by General Fundinclusive of all applicable taxes and Only (₱3,909,382.80)funded by General Fundinclusive of all applicable taxes and and20/100 20/100 Pesos Only(₱6,325,845.20) (₱6,325,845.20) funded byGeneral GeneralFund Fundinclusive inclusive all applicabletaxes taxes and and Only funded by ofofall applicable and fees, beingPesos theApproved Approved Budgetfor for theContract Contract (ABC), forthe the procurement, supply, fees, being the Budget the (ABC), for procurement, supply, fees,being beingthe theApproved ApprovedBudget Budgetfor forthe theContract Contract(ABC), (ABC),for forthe theprocurement, procurement,supply, supply,and anddelivery delivery fees, and deliveryof ofmaterials/supplies/equipment. materials/supplies/equipment. and delivery materials/supplies/equipment. ofofmaterials/supplies/equipment.

ORMECO, INC. INC. nownow callscalls for the thefor submission Letterof Intent by byof theIntentbyinterested interested bidders bidders ORMECO, now calls for submission ofof aa Letter Intent interested 1.1.1. ORMECO, ORMECO, INC. the submission submission Letter 1.

INC. now calls for the ofofof Letter ofthe Intentbyinterested thru email email atat ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com.

The list list the ORMECO, ORMECO, INC. Eligibility Eligibility thru ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com.

The ofof the INC. bidders thruemail email at ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com.The listof ofthe theORMECO, ORMECO, bidders thru ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com.The list Requirements may at be viewed atat www.ormeco-inc.com, www.ormeco-inc.com, https://web.facebook.com/ https://web.facebook.com/ Requirements may be viewed INC. Eligibility Requirements Requirements may be bethrough viewed at www.ormeco-inc.com,https:// www.ormeco-inc.com,https:// INC. Eligibility may viewed at OrmecoOGMOfficial, andcan canbe berequested requested through email ormeco_coop@yahoo.com,or orcall call OrmecoOGMOfficial, and email ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, thecontact contactnumbers numberslisted listedabove. above.An Anamount amountofoftwo twoand hundred fifty pesos (₱250.00) 250.00) required web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial, and may bepesos requested through email the hundred fifty (₱ isisrequired web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial, may be requested through email asAccreditation AccreditationFee; Fee; as ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, including the the numbers numbers listed listed above. above. An An amount amount of of ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, including two hundred fifty pesos (₱ 250.00) isrequired required asAccreditation AccreditationFee; Fee; hundred fifty pesos 250.00) is ORMECO, INC. now invites(₱ suppliers forthe the following: as 2.2. two ORMECO, INC. now invites suppliers for following: COSTOF OFBID BID COST 2. ORMECO, ORMECO,INC. INC.now nowinvites invitessuppliers suppliersfor forthe thefollowing: following: ABC 2.

ABC DOCUMENTS FUNDING DOCUMENTS FUNDING LOT ITEMDESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION QUANTITY (INCLUSIVE LOT ITEM QUANTITY (INCLUSIVE (NONSOURCE (NONSOURCE COST OF BID BID OFVAT) VAT)COST OF ABC OF REFUNDABLE) ABC REFUNDABLE) DOCUMENTS FUNDING DOCUMENTS FUNDING LOT ITEM DESCRIPTION (INCLUSIVE OF LOT ITEM DESCRIPTION (INCLUSIVE OF Meter,KWH, KWH,11Phase, Phase,Class Class (NONSOURCE Meter, (NONSOURCE VAT) ₱1,300,000.00 VAT) I-A 240V,10(60)A, 10(60)A,Bottom Bottom 1,000pcs pcs ₱1,300,000.00 ₱5,000.00 I-A 1,1,240V, 1,000 ₱5,000.00 REFUNDABLE) REFUNDABLE) Connected,Electronic Electronic Connected, SupplyofofSecurity SecurityAgency Agency ₱3,202,432.80 ₱5,000.00 I I Supply ₱3,202,432.80 ₱5,000.00 Bolt,Double Arming,5/8 x Bolt,Double Arming,5/8 xClass Meter, KWH,11Phase, Phase,Class Meter, KWH, 16”,with nut and washer I-B 100,2W, 2W, 240V, Form1S, 1S, 8,757pcs pcs ₱17,514,000.00 ₱25,000.00 16”,with nut and washer I-B 100, 240V, Form 8,757 ₱17,514,000.00 ₱25,000.00 Socket Type,Electronic Electronic Socket Type, (200pcs.), Eyenut,5/8 ––(200pcs.), Eyenut,5/8 dia.––(300pcs.), (300pcs.),Machine Machine dia.

Base Socket CL-100, Socket bolt,5/8 xMeter, 16”Base with nutCL-100, & 44 bolt,5/8 xMeter, 16” with nut & I-C 8,757pcs pcs ₱3,940,650.00 ₱5,000.00 I-C 8,757 ₱3,940,650.00 ₱5,000.00 100Amp., Amp.,600V, 600V,1”1”Hub Hub 100 washer–Jaws, –Jaws, (100pcs.), Crosswasher (100pcs.), CrossGeneralFund Fund Meter,KWH, KWH, 15-1/2 Phase,Class Class arm,steel,4-1/2 x x General Meter, 15-1/2 Phase, arm,steel,4-1/2 x x ₱706,950.00 1,000.00 IIII 10ft.,0.3mm ₱706,950.00 ₱₱1,000.00 200,2W, 2W, 240V,Form Form1S, 1S, 200, 240V, 10ft.,0.3mm thickness,hot thickness,hot Socket Type, Electronic; 250 pcs; Socket Type, Electronic; 250 pcs; I-Dgalvanized ₱1,050,000.00 ₱5,000.00 dip galvanized (50pcs.), I-D ₱1,050,000.00 ₱5,000.00 dip ––Socket (50pcs.), Meter,Base Base Socket CL-200,44 250pcs pcs Meter, CL-200, 250 Cross-arm,steel,4-1/2 5-1/2 Cross-arm,steel,4-1/2 xx5-1/2 Jaw(Rectangular/Panel (Rectangular/Panel Type, Jaw Type, x 8 ft.,0.3mm thickness,hot 200A, 600V) x 8 ft.,0.3mm thickness,hot 200A, 600V) dipgalvanized galvanized (50pcs.), dip ––(50pcs.), Meter,KWH, KWH, Phase, Meter, 33Phase, Insulator,suspension,15,000 Insulator,suspension,15,000 Electronic, Form48A, 48A,120/480V, 120/480V, Electronic, Form lbs.,10”–Electronic, –Electronic, (375pcs.)

Energy,KVARH, KVARH, lbs.,10” (375pcs.)

Energy,

“Five servicemen of Ukraine’s armed forces laid down their arms and voluntarily left the territory of the Azovstal plant,” separatist authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said in a post on the messaging app Telegram on Wednesday.

In a separate post late Tuesday, separatists said that more than 140 people had also been evacuated from the devastated city, which provides a crucial land bridge between Russian-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine and the Kremlin-annexed Crimea peninsula.

The Kremlin’s forces are fighting to oust the remaining Ukrainian troops from their last holdout in the vast Azovstal iron and steel plant in Mariupol.

Moscow said that Russian forces had opened a humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian troops who agreed to lay down their arms to leave Mariupol.

Ukraine said it had agreed with Russian forces to open a safe route Wednesday for civilians to flee the besieged port city of Mariupol.

“Taking into account a catastrophic humanitarian situation in Mariupol, we’ll be concentrating our efforts in this direction

during the corridor.”

Evacuations from Ukraine’s under-fire frontline areas had been suspended for the past three days as Kyiv said no agreement could be reached as Russia stepped up its attacks.

Coastal Mariupol is a key target of Russia’s devastating attack on Ukraine and widespread shelling has laid waste to swathes of the city.

Moscow has issued a series of ultimatums to Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to lay down their arms and surrender.

Ukraine says that around 300,000 people have managed to escape the fighting across the country through humanitarian corridors opened since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. AFP

Conductor, Duplex, #6 AWG

Conductor, Duplex, #6 AWG For Additional Additional infoDuplex, please be guided guided inin the the following: following: (please (please refer refer to to Online Online For info please 6/1;Conductor, Conductor, Duplex, 6/1; #4#4 be Biddingprocedures) procedures) AWG6/1; 6/1;Conductor, Conductor,Duplex, Duplex, 120,000 Bidding AWG 120,000 mtrs;1,000 1,000 mtrs;

Copperwire wire8mm²; 8mm²;Service Servicedocuments grip mtrs;500 500 Copper grip mtrs; a. Payment Payment of bidding shallbe bedeposited depositedto toBAC BACbank bankaccount account(to (to a. of bidding documents shall deadend; end; mtrs; dead mtrs; beemailed emailed by BACsecretariat). secretariat). be BAC Connector,by Compression, box;6,000 6,000 Connector, Compression, 11box; IIII

ACSRRun RunToTo0606- -#4, #4, #6#6- -#4#4ACSR

pcs; pcs;

₱5,780,260.00 ₱5,780,260.00

₱10,000.00 ₱10,000.00

(YPC); bidders 24,000pcs; pcs; b. Prospective Prospective biddersmust mustsubmit submit tothe theBAC BACvia viaemail emailthe thescanned scannedcopy copyof of (YPC); 24,000 b. to Connector, Compression, YHOslip 8,000pcs; pcs; Connector, Compression, YHO 8,000 validated bank deposit slip//screenshot screenshot ofsuccessful successfulelectronic electronicfund fundtransfer transfer validated bank deposit of 150, Run #3 #1/0 Tap #6 #2; 1,000 pcs; 150, Run #3 #1/0 Tap #6 #2; 1,000 pcs; asproof proof ofpayment. payment. as of 5% 5% Electrical tape big; Nut, Eye, 1,000 pcs; Electrical tape big; Nut, Eye, 5/8”,Conventional, Conventional,Hot HotDip Dip 5/8”,

1,000 pcs; 100pcs pcs 100

Reinvestment Reinvestment

Fund Fund Scanned copy of of Bidding Bidding Documents Documents will will be be sent sent by by the the BAC BAC secretariat secretariat Galvanized; c.c. Scanned copy Galvanized; Clamp, Hotline,#2#2#4/0ACSR ACSR Hotline, #4/0 uponClamp, validation that thepayments paymentsare arecredited creditedto tothe thecoop’s coop’sbank bankaccount. account. upon validation that the Transformer,Pole PoleType, Type,CSP, CSP, Transformer,

d. ID ID number number or link link of the the Online/Virtual Online/Virtual conference conference will will be be provided provided by

by BAC BAC KVA,Cu-Cu Cu-Cu Winding; d. or of 1515KVA, Winding; Transformer,Pole PoleType, Type,CSP, CSP, units; Transformer, 1313units; secretariat secretariat IIIIII

KVA,Cu-Cu Cu-CuWinding; Winding; 2525KVA, Transformer, Pole Type,

units; 88units; 6 units

₱2,501,800.00 ₱2,501,800.00

₱5,000.00 ₱5,000.00

Transformer, Polewill Type, be conducted 6 units 4. Online Online Bidding Bidding through open open competitive competitive bidding bidding 4. will be Conventional,Amorphous, Amorphous, 37.5 conducted through Conventional, 37.5 procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” “pass/fail” criterion criterion as as specified specified inin the the NEA NEA procedures using non-discretionary KVA, Cu-Cu-Winding Winding KVA, Cu-CuMemorandum NO. NO. 2017-019: 2017-019: Revised Revised Procurement Guidelines and Simplified Memorandum 900pcs; pcs; Procurement Guidelines and Simplified 900 Bidding Procedures Procedures for for Electric Electric Cooperatives, Cooperatives, IRR-RA 10531 10531 (2017); (2017); All All video video Bidding IRR-RA 900pcs; pcs; 900 conferencesshall shallbe berecorded recordedinin900 CD/DVD forreference referenceand andother otherpurposes. purposes. conferences CD/DVD for 900 pcs; pcs; 870pcs; pcs; 870

500 pcs; 5. The Theschedule scheduleof ofbidding biddingactivities activities500 asfollows: follows: 5. isispcs; as FuseLink Link(Solid (SolidButton ButtonHead) Head) 500pcs; pcs; Fuse 500 LinkFuse, Fuse,Universal, Universal,Button Button 1,025pcs; pcs; Link 1,025 ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE Head,Type TypeK,K,2A; 2A;3A; 3A;4A; 4A;5A; 5A; 1,025pcs; pcs; ₱2,346,949.00 ₱5,000.00 IVIV Head, 1,025 ₱2,346,949.00 ₱5,000.00 Releaseof ofInvitation Invitation to Bid 4December 2021 (Saturday) Release Bid 4December 6A;8A; 8A;10A; 10A;to 12A; 15A;20A; 20A; 1,0252021 pcs; (Saturday) 6A; 12A; 15A; 1,025 pcs; 30A; 40A; 50A; 80A; 100A 741 pcs; 40A; 50A; 80A; 100A 741 pcs; Submissionof of30A; Letter Submission Letter 300pcs; pcs; 300 ofIntent Intentthru thruemail email// 5-11December 2021OfficeHours,at OfficeHours,atORMECO, ORMECO,INC. INC. of 5-11December 300pcs; pcs; 2021 300 Availabilityof ofBidding Bidding Office(ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com) (ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com) Availability Office 200pcs; pcs; 200 100 pcs; Documents 100 pcs; Documents pcs 5050pcs 9:00am amfor for 9:00 LotII Bracket, Mounting for Fuse Online/VirtualBracket, Pre-Bid 13December2021 2021(Monday) (Monday)at at Lot Mounting for Fuse Online/Virtual Pre-Bid 13December Cut-Out & Arrester; Cut-Out & Arrester; Conference ORMECO, INC. Board Room 1:00pm pmfor for Conference Fuse Cut-out & ArresterORMECO,160INC. Board Room 1:00 pcs; Fuse Cut-out & Arrester 160 pcs; LotIIII Lot Combination,15KV, 15KV,Class Class100; 100; 200pcs; pcs; Combination, 200 Deadline of Bid Fuse Cut-out & Arrester 95 pcs; 9:00am amfor for Deadline of Bid Fuse Cut-out & Arrester 95 pcs; 9:00 Combination,15KV, 15KV,Class Class200; 200; 100pcs; pcs; Combination, 100 Submission(ormeco.bac. (ormeco.bac.

LotII Submission Lot 27December 2021(Monday) (Monday)at at 27December 2021 Fuseholder holderclass class100; 100;Lightning Lightning 100pcs; pcs; Fuse 100 official@gmail.com), ₱2,834,040.00 ₱5,000.00 official@gmail.com), VV ₱2,834,040.00 ₱5,000.00 Arrester,10-12 10-12KV, KV,Polymer; Polymer; 1,000 mtrs; Board ORMECO, INC. BoardRoom Room Arrester, 1,000 mtrs; INC. 1:00pm pmfor for 1:00 Openingand andEvaluation Evaluation of ORMECO, Opening of CopperWire Wire#8; #8;Copper Copper 1,067mtrs; mtrs; Copper 1,067 LotIIII Lot Bids(Online/Virtual) (Online/Virtual) Wire#14; #14; 100pcs; pcs; Bids Wire 100 Rod,Ground GroundSteel, Steel,Galvanized, Galvanized, 200pcs; pcs; Rod, 200 Post-Qualification 28December 2021 Post-Qualification 28December 2021 5/8”XX10’, 10’,Hot HotDip DipGalvanized; Galvanized; 300pcs pcs 5/8” 300 Approvalthrough through Board Approval Board Clip, Ground Wire; Clip, Ground Wire; Resolutionand and Issuance Board Meetingfor forthe theMonth Monthof ofDecember December2021 2021 Clamp, Hotline,#2#2-#4/0 #4/0Board ACSR Meeting Resolution Issuance Clamp, Hotline, ACSR ofNotice Noticeof ofAward Award of ThermalPaper Paper Thermal Signingof ofContract Contract AfterIssuance Issuance ofNotice Noticeof ofAward Award Signing After of [80mmx36mmx14mm,Coreless, Coreless, 69,120rolls; rolls; [80mmx36mmx14mm, 69,120 GSM58];Teller’s Teller’sReceipt Receipt 1,440bxs; bxs; during GSM58]; 1,440 DeliverySchedule Schedule Tobe beannounced announced duringthe thePre-Bid Pre-BidConference Conference Delivery To VIVI

[120mmxx165mm]; 165mm];Continuous Continuous [120mm

210bxs; bxs; 210

₱6,325,845.20 ₱6,325,845.20

₱10,000.00 ₱10,000.00

GeneralFund Fund General

form 11x9½have ½have ply];Continuous Continuous 500 bxs; form 11x9 [1[1ply]; bxs; 6. Only Only those those who bought the the500 Bidding Documents shall shall be be allowed allowed to to attend attend 6. who bought Bidding Documents form11x9 11x9during ply];Continuous Continuous 213bxs bxs form ½½[2[2ply]; 213 or participate participate the Online/Virtual Pre-Bidding Conference, Conference, where where their their or during the Online/Virtual Pre-Bidding form 11x14 7/8 Single ply form 11x14 7/8 Single ply presenceisisMANDATORY; MANDATORY; presence DuetotoCOVID-19, COVID-19,inincompliance compliancewith withthe theCommunity CommunityQuarantine Quarantine(CQ), (CQ),Online/Virtual Online/VirtualBidding Bidding 3.3. Due

Conferences willbe beconducted. conducted.

Stable internet connection required allprospective prospective bidders Conferences will be internet isisrequired all bidders 7. All All bids shall shall be opened Stable and read read inconnection the presence presence oftoto Bidders or their their duly 7. bids opened and in the of Bidders or duly during the the conferences. conferences. BAC BAC shall shall not not be be liable liable inin any any unexpected unexpected disruption disruption due due toto poor/ poor/ during authorized representatives.

Allloss bids shall beaccompanied accompanied by scanned copy of authorized representatives.

All bids shall be by aascanned copy unstable signal signal which may may cause cause connection and inability inability ofof Bidders Bidders engross withof unstable which loss ofof connection and toto engross with validated bank deposit deposit slip slip or or screenshot screenshot of of successful successful electronic electronic fund fund transfer transfer validated bank theconferences. conferences. the representingpayment paymentof ofbid bidbond bondequivalent equivalentto to2% 2%of ofABC. ABC. representing ForAdditional Additionalinfo infoplease pleasebe beguided guidedininthe thefollowing: following:(please (pleaserefer refertotoOnline OnlineBidding Biddingprocedures) procedures) For Paymentofofbidding biddingdocuments documentsshall shallbe bedeposited depositedtotoBAC BACbank bankaccount account(to (tobe beemailed emailed a.a. Payment

8. The The winning winning bidder shall shall issue issue Performance Performance Securityin Securityin the the form form of of Cash, Cash, 8. bidder byBAC BACsecretariat). secretariat). by Cashier’s Check, Manager’s Check, issued by aemail Universal orCommercial Commercial Bank, Prospective bidders must submit submit the BACby viaaemail the scanned scanned copy ofof validated validated Cashier’s Check, Manager’s Check, issued Universal or Bank, b.b. Prospective bidders must toto the BAC via the copy bankdeposit deposit slip screenshot successful electronic fund transferas asproof proofofofpayment. payment. bank / /screenshot ofofthe successful electronic fund transfer equivalent tofive fiveslip percent (5%)of the Contract Price; and equivalent to percent (5%)of Contract Price; and Scannedcopy copyofofBidding BiddingDocuments Documentswill willbe besent sentby bythe theBAC BACsecretariat secretariatupon uponvalidation validation c.c. Scanned that the payments are credited to the coop’s bank account.

that the payments are credited to the coop’s bank account.

9. ORMECO, ORMECO, INC. reserves theright rightto toconference acceptor orwill reject anybids, bids, declare failureof of 9.

INC. the accept reject any declare failure IDnumber number orreserves linkofofthe theOnline/Virtual Online/Virtual conference will beprovided provided byBAC BAC secretariat d.d. ID or link be by secretariat biddingand andnot notto toaward awardthe thecontract contractwithout withoutthereby therebyincurring incurringany anyliability liabilityto tothe the bidding Online Bidding Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nonaffected bidder or bidders.

ORMECO, INC. also has no responsibility whatsoever 4.4. affected Online will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nonbidder or bidders. ORMECO, INC. also has no responsibility whatsoever discretionary “pass/fail” criterionas as specified theNEA NEA Memorandum NO.in 2017-019: Revised discretionary “pass/fail” criterion specified ininany the Memorandum NO. 2017-019: Revised to compensate orindemnify indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in thepreparation preparation to compensate or bidders for expenses incurred the Procurement Guidelines Guidelines and and Simplified Simplified Bidding Bidding Procedures Procedures for for Electric Electric Cooperatives, Cooperatives, IRRIRRProcurement of their bids. of their bids.

RA10531 10531(2017); (2017);All Allvideo videoconferences conferencesshall shallbe berecorded recordedininCD/DVD CD/DVDfor forreference referenceand andother other RA purposes. purposes.

Certifiedby: by: Certified

Notedby: by: Noted

Theschedule scheduleofofbidding biddingactivities activitiesisisas asfollows: follows: 5.5. The ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE SCHEDULE

(SGD)LINA LINAC. C.YUMANG YUMANG (SGD)ATTY. ATTY.NORBERTO NORBERTOM. M.MENDOZA MENDOZA (SGD) (SGD) 21April April2022 2022(Thursday) (Thursday) 21 HeadOf OfProcuring ProcuringEntity Entity(HOPE) (HOPE) Head Submission Letter Intentthru thruemail email April2022 2022Office OfficeHours, Hours,atatORMECO, ORMECO,INC. INC.Office Office(ormeco.bac. (ormeco.bac.

Awards Committee (BAC)2222toto2828April Submission ofofLetter ofofIntent Awards Committee (BAC) ReleaseChairperson InvitationtotoBid Bid Bids and Release ofofInvitation Chairperson Bids and AvailabilityofofBidding BiddingDocuments Documents / /Availability

official@gmail.com) official@gmail.com)

9:00am amfor forLot LotI-A I-A 9:00 10:30am amfor forLot LotI-B, I-B, 10:30 I-C&&I-D I-D I-C

29April April2022 2022(Friday) (Friday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, 29 INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

1:00pm pmfor forLot LotI-E I-E 1:00 2:00pm pmfor forLot LotIIII 2:00

Online/VirtualPre-Bid Pre-BidConference Conference Online/Virtual

3:30pm pmfor forLot LotIIIIII 3:30 1:00pm pmfor forLot LotIVIV 1:00 02May May2022 2022(Monday) (Monday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, 02 INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

2:00pm pmfor forLot LotVV 2:00 3:30pm pmfor forLot LotVIVI 3:30 9:00am amfor forLot LotI-A I-A 9:00

16May May2022 2022(Monday) (Monday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, 16 INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

DeadlineofofBid BidSubmission Submission(ormeco. (ormeco.

Deadline bac.official@gmail.com), bac.official@gmail.com), Openingand andEvaluation EvaluationofofBids Bids Opening (Online/Virtual) (Online/Virtual)

1:00pm pmfor forLot LotI-B I-B 1:00 9:00am amfor forLot LotI-C I-C 9:00

17May May2022 2022(Tuesday) (Tuesday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, 17 INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

1:00pm pmfor forLot LotI-D I-D 1:00 3:30pm pmfor forLot LotI-E I-E 3:30 9:00am amfor forLot LotIIII 9:00

18May May2022 2022(Wednesday) (Wednesday)atat 18 ORMECO,INC. INC.Board BoardRoom Room ORMECO,

1:00pm pmfor forLot LotIIIIII 1:00 3:30pm pmfor forLot LotIVIV 3:30 9:00am amfor forLot LotVV 9:00

19May May2022 2022(Thursday) (Thursday)atatORMECO, ORMECO, 19 INC.Board BoardRoom Room INC.

1:00pm pmfor forLot LotVIVI 1:00

Post-Qualification Post-Qualification

20- -27 27May May2022 2022 20

Approvalthrough throughBoard BoardResolution Resolutionand and Approval IssuanceofofNotice NoticeofofAward Award Issuance

BoardMeeting Meetingfor forthe theMonth MonthofofJune June2022 2022 Board

SigningofofContract Contract Signing

AfterIssuance IssuanceofofNotice NoticeofofAward Award After

DeliverySchedule Schedule Delivery

beannounced announcedduring duringthe thePre-Bid Pre-BidConference Conference ToTobe

6.6.

Onlythose thosewho whohave havebought boughtthe theBidding BiddingDocuments Documentsshall shallbe beallowed allowedtotoattend attendor orparticipate participate Only duringthe theOnline/Virtual Online/VirtualPre-Bidding Pre-BiddingConference, Conference,where wheretheir theirpresence presenceisisMANDATORY; MANDATORY; during

7.7.

All bids bids shall shall be be opened opened and and read read inin the the presence presence ofof Bidders Bidders or or their their duly duly authorized authorized All representatives.All Allbids bidsshall shallbe beaccompanied accompaniedby byaascanned scannedcopy copyofofaavalidated validatedbank bankdeposit deposit representatives. slipor orscreenshot screenshotofofaasuccessful successfulelectronic electronicfund fundtransfer transferrepresenting representingpayment paymentofofbid bidbond bond slip equivalent to 2% of ABC. equivalent to 2% of ABC.

8.8.

Thewinning winningbidder biddershall shallissue issuePerformance PerformanceSecurity Securityininthe theform formofofCash, Cash,Cashier’s Cashier’sCheck, Check, The Manager’sCheck, Check,issued issuedby byaaUniversal Universalor orCommercial CommercialBank, Bank,equivalent equivalenttotofive fivepercent percent(5%) (5%) Manager’s of the Contract Price; and of the Contract Price; and

9.9.

ORMECO,INC. INC.reserves reservesthe theright righttotoaccept acceptor orreject rejectany anybids, bids,declare declareaafailure failureofofbidding, bidding, ORMECO, andnot nottotoaward awardthe thecontract contractwithout withoutthereby therebyincurring incurringany anyliability liabilitytotothe theaffected affectedbidder bidderor or and bidders.

ORMECO, INC. also has no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders. ORMECO, INC. also has no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify biddersfor forany anyexpenses expensesincurred incurredininthe thepreparation preparationofoftheir theirbids. bids. bidders Certifiedby: by: Certified SGD SGD ENGR.HUMPHREY HUMPHREYA. A.DOLOR DOLOR ENGR. Chairperson, Chairperson, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)

Notedby: by: Noted SGD SGD REGINOM. M.QUING, QUING,JR. JR. REGINO HeadofofProcuring ProcuringEntity Entity(HOPE) (HOPE) Head (MS-APR.21, 21,2022) 2022) (MS-APR.

HUNDREDS of Rohingya migrants from Myanmar escaped a detention center in Malaysia on Wednesday after a riot broke out, with six killed on a highway as they fled, authorities said.

Many Rohingya arrive in Malaysia by boat after enduring harrowing, months-long sea journeys. Those who are caught are often sent to detention centers, which rights groups say are typically overcrowded and filthy.

A total of 528 people from the Muslim minority group fled a center in northern Kedah state at 4:30 a.m. (2030 GMT Tuesday), said Khairul Dzaimee Daud, the country’s immigration chief.

Many were recaptured quickly, but 176 were still at large as of Wednesday afternoon, according to police.

After the riot erupted, the migrants broke through a door and barriers at the center, with the 23 guards on duty unable to bring the situation under control. AFP

DJ gets 40 months in HK jail for sedition

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Rohingya migrants escape detention

SAVING LIVES. A doctor holds-up latex gloved hands covered in blood while standing outside an operating theatre during an operation on the leg of a wounded Ukrainian soldier at a military hospital in Zaporizhzhia. AFP

A PRO-DEMOCRACY Hong Kong radio DJ was jailed for 40 months on Wednesday for “seditious speech” under a British colonialera law authorities have embraced as China flattens dissent in the city.

Tam Tak-chi, 49, is among a growing number of activists charged with sedition, a previously little-used law that prosecutors have dusted off in the wake of massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The DJ’s sentencing was aggravated because his seditious speech continued after China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, Judge Stanley Chan said Wednesday while announcing the punishment.

“Live long, mother, wait for me,” Tam shouted afterwards as he was taken away from the court.

Better known by his moniker “Fast Beat,” Tam hosted a popular online talk show that backed democracy and was highly critical of the government, often using colorful language. AFP

Taiwan TV apologizes over false Chinese war blunder A TAIWANESE television station apologized Wednesday for “causing public panic” after erroneously running a series of alerts saying China had launched attacks on the island.

Taiwan’s 23 million people live under constant threat of an invasion by China, which views the selfruled democratic island as part of its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary.

Taipei-based Chinese Television System (CTS) sparked alarm after running several news alerts on its screen including “New Taipei City hit by Communist army’s guided missiles” and “Vessels exploded, facilities and ships damaged in Taipei port.”

Other alerts featured read “Communist China’s frequent war preparations, the President issued emergency order” and “War could break out, New Taipei City opens joint emergency command and control center.”

CTS attributed the blunder to staff who mistakenly put out content from disaster prevention drills that the station was commissioned to produce for New Taipei City’s fire department.

“CTS offers its sincere apology that this serious flaw has caused panic among the public and trouble to relevant units,” the company said in a statement.

The false war alerts hit a nerve at a time of heightened fears in Taiwan raised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concerns China might similarly one day follow through on threats to annex its smaller neighbor.

CTS said it ran corrections and apologies on multiple channels, adding that it will “severely punish” those responsible after initiating an internal probe.

“Don’t panic,” read a message posted on its official Facebook page, with a photo of a clarification alert saying: “CTS mistakenly ran war and disaster prevention message, no need for the public to panic.” AFP

PAPAL SECURITY. Pope Francis is escorted by his bodyguards as he arrives in the popemobile car on April 20, 2022 for the weekly general audience at St. Peter’s square in The Vatican. AFP

New Indian ‘sex start-ups’ challenge old taboos with adult toys, cheeky ads THE couple behind a new start-up using adult toys and cheeky adverts to challenge long-held taboos say they want to take the “shame, guilt and fear” out of sex in India.

Despite its heritage as the land of the Kama Sutra, open discussions around sexuality and intimacy are often regarded as obscene in the largely conservative country.

MyMuse, founded by Anushka and Sahil Gupta, are tackling this with tongue-in-cheek marketing and creative euphemisms, which they say make the products seem less intimidating and encourage first-time buyers.

“Diwali is coming and so should you! And as always, we’re urging you to save the fireworks for the bedroom,” exclaimed one such advertisement on Facebook before one of India’s biggest religious holidays, and its customary pyrotechnics, last year.

“There’s this shame, guilt and fear associated with buying something that should be used in your intimate areas, and that’s the first thing we

wanted to turn around,” Anushka says.

MyMuse is one of a growing number of businesses riding a wave of sexual liberation amongst urban young professionals, already navigating global trends on Instagram and comfortable with dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge.

Investors too are betting on this untapped market in the vast country of 1.4 billion: India’s nascent sex toys sector was valued at $91 million by TechSci Research in 2020, and predicted to grow 16 percent annually.

The Guptas began shipping out discreetly packaged vibrators – “massagers” in MyMuse’s genteel parlance – candles, and lubricants from a spare bedroom in their home during last year’s COVID-19 lockdowns.

Benefitting from capital pouring into Indian tech start-ups during the pandemic, the firm received seed funding from venture capitalist firms.

They have made more than a dozen hires and now ship to nearly 200 cities nationwide.

Using a targeted social media campaign, they say they are trying to reframe the conversation around sex away from often “sleazy” portrayals in Bollywood movies. AFP

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Stock market rallies; Ayala Land leads gainers

S

TOCKS soared Wednesday after oil prices briefly sank following a downgraded IMF global growth forecast for 2022.

MAROONED. Stranded tourists wait in the village of Machu Picchu, in Peru’s Cusco region, on April 19, 2022, as the train service to and from the Machu Picchu Inca citadel has been suspended due to a strike. The train service to the archaeological sanctuary of Machu Picchu, the largest tourist attraction in Peru, was suspended on April 18, 2022, due to blockades of the railway as union organizations in the Cusco region hold a 48-hour strike, the railway company reported. AFP

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 104.78 points, or 1.5 percent, to 7,142.42 on a value turnover of P4.8 billion. Gainers beat losers, 98 to 78, with 54 issues unchanged.

Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group rose 4.7 percent to P35.60, while International Container Terminal Services Inc. of tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., the biggest port operator, advanced 2.8 percent to P231.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group climbed 2.6 percent to P38.20, while sister unit BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, increased 2.1 percent to P132.50.

The rest of Asian markets were marginally higher on Wednesday while oil began recovering after a downgraded IMF global growth forecast for 2022 had sent crude prices plunging.

The International Monetary Fund slashed its outlook by 0.8 percentage points, largely over inflationary crises linked to the Ukraine war and the coronavirus pandemic—prompting a five percent dive in oil prices on Tuesday.

“The economic effects of the war are spreading far and wide—like seismic waves that emanate from the epicenter of an earthquake,” IMF chief economist PierreOlivier Gourinchas said in a report.

Oil prices began to recover Wednesday, however, and Asian stocks also mostly rose following a positive lead from Wall Street, where US stocks rallied on the back

of promising housing-starts data and solid corporate earnings.

Both main contracts climbed but crude has suffered major shocks this year, from the war in Ukraine to the raging coronavirus outbreak in China where the economy has been battered by anti-COVID restrictions.

Tens of millions are still barred from leaving home in economic center Shanghai and tech hub Shenzhen, where a COVID-19 outbreak has broken down supply lines and shuttered businesses.

“China continues to stay wedded to deleveraging parts of the economy while attempting to add stimulus in a targeted sector manner,” said Jeffrey Haley, senior market analyst at Oanda.

“However, the Shanghai lockdown and fears its COVID-zero policy will crimp growth this year continue to weigh on markets that clearly want more of the usual cast-of-thousands stimulus measures from years past.”

The Shanghai Composite Index was the biggest loser among major Asian markets, dropping 1.35 percent at the close.

Hong Kong—which plummeted on Tuesday over concerns about Beijing’s ongoing tech-sector crackdown—was marginally lower in afternoon trade.

Tokyo gained 0.86 percent, buoyed by a cheaper yen.

Jakarta, Sydney, and Taipei all inched upward while Seoul was flat.

Despite the rally on Wall Street, there are concerns about the impact of the earnings report from Netflix showing a drop in subscriptions in the first quarter of the year.

This was the first such drop for Netflix in a decade and hammered the streaming giant’s shares, which dropped by a quarter of their value in after-market trading.

With AFP

IMF asks cash-strapped Sri Lanka to ‘restructure’ foreign debt before finalization of bailout program COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—The Interna- would encourage foreign currency intional Monetary Fund said on Wednes- flows.

On Monday, President Gotabaya Rajday that it has asked cash-strapped Sri Lanka to “restructure” its huge foreign apaksa conceded that Sri Lanka should debt before a bailout program could be have gone to the IMF “much earlier.”

The country is short of dollars to fifinalized as anti-government protests esnance even the important essentials, calated across the island.

Sri Lanka opened talks with the IMF including food, fuel and medicines. in Washington this week after announc- Widespread shortages have sparked naing its first ever default on external bor- tionwide protests that turned violent on Tuesday. rowings.

One man was shot dead and 29 othThe South Asia country is in the grip of its worst economic crisis since inde- ers were wounded in clashes in a central pendence in 1948 and has been rocked town, while tens of thousands continued by a wave of protests over food and fuel demonstrations outside the president’s office in Colombo demanding his resigshortages.

“When the IMF determines that a coun- nation. AFP try’s debt is not sustainable, the country needs to take steps to restore debt sustainability prior to IMF lending,” the Fund’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders country director MaDear Stockholder: Stockholder: sahiro Nozaki said in Dear You are are cordially cordially invited invited to to attend attend the the Annual Annual Meeting Meeting of of the the Stockholders Stockholders of of You a statement.

Medco Holdings, Holdings, Inc. Inc. (the (the “Corporation”) “Corporation”) which which will will be be held held on on 13 13 May May 2022, 2022, Friday, Friday, Medco at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting will be held and conducted virtually online at www. at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting will be held and conducted virtually online at www.

“Approval of an medco.com.ph/asm by by remote remote communication communication and and voting voting will will be be in in absentia. absentia. The The medco.com.ph/asm IMF-supported pro- agenda agenda for for the the meeting meeting is is as as follows: follows: gram for Sri Lanka I.I. Call to to Order; Order; Call Certification of of Notices Notices and and Quorum; Quorum; Certification would require ad- II.II. III. Approval of of the the minutes minutes of of the the annual annual meeting meeting of of stockholders stockholders held held on on 14 14 III. Approval equate assurances May 2021; 2021; May IV. Approval of of the the Annual Annual Report Report and and the the Audited Audited Financial Financial Statements Statements as as of of Approval that debt sustainabil- IV. December 31, 31, 2021; 2021; December Approval and and Ratification Ratification of of the the acts, acts, contracts, contracts, investments investments and and resolutions resolutions ity will be restored.” V.V. Approval of the the Board Board and and management management of of the the Corporation Corporation since since the the last last annual annual of meeting on on 14 14 May May 2021; 2021; meeting The IMF said talks VI. Election of of the the members members of of the the Board Board of of Directors Directors for for the the year year 2022.

2022. The The VI. Election with Sri Lanka were procedure for for the the nomination nomination and and election election of of directors directors is is set set forth forth in in Item Item 55 of of procedure the Information Information Statement; Statement; the still at an “early VII. VII. Re-appointment of of Punongbayan Punongbayan and and Araullo, Araullo, the the Philippine Philippine representative representative Re-appointment of Grant Grant Thornton Thornton International, International, as as external external auditors auditors of of the the Corporation Corporation for for of stage,” but it was the year year 2022; 2022; and and the “very concerned” VIII. VIII. Other Other matters. matters. about the economic For the the purpose purpose of of the the meeting, meeting, only only stockholders stockholders of of record record as as of of 19 19 April April For 2022 are are entitled entitled to to attend attend and and vote vote in in the the said said meeting. meeting. To To ensure ensure the the safety safety and and situation and the 2022 welfare of of our our stockholders stockholders and and other other stakeholders stakeholders and and as as aa precaution precaution against against the the welfare COVID-19 risk, risk, the the Corporation’s Corporation’s Board Board of of Directors Directors has has approved approved on on 31 31 March March 2022 2022 hardships suffered COVID-19 in accordance accordance with with SEC SEC rules rules aa virtual virtual stockholders’ stockholders’ meeting meeting for for 2022.

2022. The The meeting meeting in by people, especially will will be be held held online online by by remote remote communication communication and and voting voting will will be be in in absentia. absentia. The The specific procedures procedures for for participating participating in in the the meeting meeting through through remote remote communication communication the poor and vulner- specific and voting in absentia are set forth below. and voting in absentia are set forth below. able.

Stockholders who who intend intend to to attend attend and and participate participate in in the the virtual virtual meeting meeting in in Stockholders Earlier this year, person person or or through through proxy proxy shall shall first first submit submit on on or or before before 28 28 April April 2022 2022 via via email email to MEDSHMeeting@medco.com.ph MEDSHMeeting@medco.com.ph the the scanned scanned copy copy of of their their Letter Letter of of Intent Intent to to the IMF warned Sri to attend and and participate participate via via proxy proxy or or by by remote remote communication communication and and aa copy copy of of the the attend stockholder’s valid government-issued ID showing photo and personal details.

Once stockholder’s valid government-issued ID showing photo and personal details.

Once Lanka’s approxi- validated, validated, aa registered registered stockholder stockholder will will receive receive via via email email the the proxy proxy form form and and voting voting ballot. Stockholders Stockholders must must submit submit on on or or before before 5:00 5:00 p.m. p.m. on on 22 May May 2022 2022 via via email email to to mately $51-billion ballot.

MEDSHMeeting@medco.com.ph their their duly duly accomplished accomplished proxy proxy form form and/or and/or voting voting MEDSHMeeting@medco.com.ph foreign debt was un- ballot. ballot. Validation Validation of of proxies proxies shall shall be be on on 44 May May 2022 2022 at at 5:00 5:00 p.m. p.m. at at the the office office of of the the Corporation. Only Only stockholders stockholders who who have have notified notified the the Corporation Corporation of of their their intention intention Corporation. sustainable. to participate participate in in the the virtual virtual meeting meeting and and have have registered registered themselves themselves or or their their proxies, proxies, to will be be included included in in the the determination determination of of aa quorum. quorum. We We are are not not soliciting soliciting your your proxy. proxy. All All Colombo’s exist- will agenda items items indicated indicated in in the the Notice Notice of of the the Meeting Meeting will will be be set set out out in in the the voting voting ballot ballot agenda ing debt also means and and the the stockholder stockholder may may vote vote as as follows: follows: the country cannot a.a. For For all all items, items, except except for for Election Election of of Directors, Directors, the the stockholder stockholder has has the the option option to to vote: For, For, Against, Against, or or Abstain.

Abstain. The The vote vote is is considered considered cast cast for for all all the the stockholder’s stockholder’s apply for emergency vote: shares. shares.

For the the Election Election of of Directors, Directors, aa stockholder stockholder entitled entitled to to vote: vote: (i) (i) may may vote vote such such financing, the IMF b.b. For number of of shares shares owned owned by by itit for for as as many many persons persons as as there there are are Directors Directors to to be be number said. elected; or or (ii) (ii) may may cumulate cumulate said said shares shares and and give give one one candidate candidate as as many many votes votes as as elected; the number of Directors to be elected multiplied by the number of their shares; or (iii) the number of Directors to be elected multiplied by the number of their shares; or (iii) Sources in the may may distribute distribute them them on on the the same same principle principle among among as as many many candidates candidates as as may may be be seen fit. fit. country’s finance seen c. The The Corporation’s Corporation’s stock stock transfer transfer agent agent and and Office Office of of the the Corporate Corporate Secretary Secretary will will c. ministry have made tabulate tabulate all all votes votes received received and and will will validate validate the the results. results. d. Except Except for for the the Election Election of of Directors, Directors, all all the the items items in in the the Agenda Agenda for for the the approval approval it clear that debt re- d. by the the stockholders stockholders will will need need the the affirmative affirmative vote vote of of stockholders stockholders representing representing at at by least a majority of the issued and outstanding voting stock present at the meeting. least a majority of the issued and outstanding voting stock present at the meeting. structuring will re- For For the the Election Election of of Directors, Directors, the the top top seven seven (7) (7) nominees nominees with with the the most most number number of of votes are are elected. elected. quire creditors to ac- votes cept a “haircut”—a Registered stockholders stockholders will will receive receive the the meeting meeting link link and and password password to to log log on on Registered to the the meeting meeting two two (2) (2) days days before before the the stockholders’ stockholders’ meeting. meeting. We We encourage encourage all all reduction in the val- to registered stockholders stockholders to to log log onto onto the the meeting meeting link link 45 45 minutes minutes before before the the meeting meeting registered starts, to to avoid avoid any any technical technical difficulty. difficulty. The The meeting meeting will will start start promptly promptly at at 10:00 10:00 a.m. a.m. ue of their assets— starts, on 13 13 May May 2022.

2022. The The meeting meeting shall shall be be recorded recorded in in audio audio and and video video format format and and on or agree to longer copies copies shall shall be be posted posted by by the the Company Company in in its its website. website. The The procedures procedures for for voting voting and participation in the meeting through remote communication are also discussed and participation in the meeting through remote communication are also discussed repayment periods. further in in the the Information Information Statement Statement which which shall shall be be made made available available to to the the public public further not later later than than 21 21 April April 2022 2022 through through PSE PSE Edge Edge and and the the Corporation’s Corporation’s website website at at Nearly two weeks not www.medco.com.ph/asm. For For any any questions questions or or inquiries, inquiries, including including request request for for www.medco.com.ph/asm. assistance in in the the registration registration process, process, please please contact contact our our Office Office of of the the Corporate Corporate ago, the government assistance Secretary through through MEDSHMeeting@medco.com.ph.

MEDSHMeeting@medco.com.ph. nearly doubled key Secretary Medco Holdings, Holdings, Inc. Inc. interest rates and al- Medco By: By: (Signed) lowed the currency (Signed) PAULINE C. C. TAN TAN PAULINE to depreciate faster, Assistant Assistant Corporate Corporate Secretary Secretary Makati City, City, Philippines, Philippines, 55 April April 2022 2022 Makati hoping the move (MS-APR. 21 21 && 22, 22, 2022) 2022) (MS-APR.

CIRCULAR NO. 1144 Series of 2022 OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR Subject

:

Updated Manual of Regulations for Banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions as of 31 December 2020

The Monetary Board, in its Resolution No. 455 dated 31 March 2022, approved the following amendments to the Manual of Regulations for Banks (MORB) and Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions (MORNBFI) that were updated as of 31 December 2020.

Section 1. Sections 217 and 246 of the MORB and Section 205-Q of the MORNBFI are hereby amended to add a footnote reference to Memorandum No. M-2020-001 dated 30 January 2020 on the clarification on the prohibition of related entities from holding an issuing bank’s/QB’s Long-Term Negotiable Certificate of Time Deposit (LTNCTD), and shall now read, as follows: Sec. 217 CERTIFICATES OF TIME DEPOSIT xxx

Long-term negotiable certificates of time deposit. xxx a.

xxx

xxx h. Prohibition on holdings of LTNCTDs.11 The issuing bank, xxx. xxx ______ ______ ______ ______ 11 For further further clarification clarification on on the the prohibition prohibition of of related related entities entities from from holding holding an an issuing issuing bank’s bank’s LTNCTDs LTNCTDs please please see see Memorandum Memorandum No. No. For M-2020-001 dated 30 January 2020.

M-2020-001 M-2020-001 dated dated 30 30 January January 2020.

2020.

M-2020-001 dated 30 January 2020.

Sec. 246/205-Q ISSUANCE OF BONDS AND COMMERCIAL PAPERS xxx

Prohibition on Issuing Banks and Their Related Entities.11 The issuing bank, xxx. xxx ______ ______ 11 For further further clarification clarification on on the the prohibition prohibition of of related related entities entities from from holding holding an an issuing issuing bank’s/QB’s bank’s/QB’s listed/traded listed/traded bonds bonds or or commercial commercial For papers please please see see Memorandum Memorandum No. No. M-2020-001 M-2020-001 dated dated 30 30 January January 2020.

2020. papers papers please please see see Memorandum Memorandum No. No. M-2020-001 M-2020-001 dated dated 30 30 January January 2020.

2020. papers

Section 2. Section 1151/1142-Q of the MORB/MORNBFI are hereby amended to add a footnote reference to some of BSP memoranda issued in 2020 covering regulatory relief measures for banks/NBFIs affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and shall now read, as follows: Sec. 1151/1142-Q REGULATORY RELIEF POLICY xxx

Objectives

a.

xxx d.

Regulatory relief package 11

xxx

________ ________ 11 The Bangko Bangko Sentral Sentral deployed deployed targeted targeted and and time-bound time-bound Coronavirus Coronavirus Disease Disease 2019 2019 (COVID-19) (COVID-19) regulatory regulatory relief relief packages packages that that The facilitated the the uninterrupted uninterrupted flow flow of of financial financial services services in in the the country country through through the the issuance issuance of of various various memorandum, memorandum, such such as:(a) as:(a) facilitated M-2020-008 ((Regulatory Regulatory Relief Relief for for BSFIs BSFIs Affected Affected by by the the COVID-19 COVID-19)) dated dated 14 14 March March 2020 2020 as as amended amended by

by M-2020-032 M-2020-032 dated dated 27 27 April April M-2020-008 Additional Operational Operational 2020, M-2020-075 M-2020-075 dated dated 27 27 September September 2020 2020 and and M-2020-087 M-2020-087 dated dated 22 December December 2020; 2020; (b) (b) M-2020-011 M-2020-011 ((Additional 2020, Relief for for BSFIs BSFIs Affected Affected by

by Measures Measures to to Manage Manage the the COVID-19 COVID-19 Situation Situation and and its its Health Health and and Safety Safety Risk Risk)) dated dated 19 19 March March 2020, 2020, as as Relief amended by

by M-2020-025 M-2020-025 dated dated 13 13 April April 2020, 2020, M-2020-049 M-2020-049 dated dated 99 June June 2020, 2020, M-2020-057 M-2020-057 dated dated 21 21 July July 2020, 2020, M-2020-63 M-2020-63 dated dated amended August 2020 2020 and and M-2020-075 M-2020-075 dated dated 27 27 September September 2020; 2020; (c) (c) M-2020-015 M-2020-015 ((Relief Relief Measure Measure on on Customer Customer Identification Identification to to Manage Manage 77 August the COVID COVID 19 19 Situation Situation)) dated dated 30 30 March March 2020, 2020, as as amended amended by

by M-2020-057 M-2020-057 dated dated 21 21 July July 2020; 2020; (d) (d) M-2020-020 M-2020-020 ((Reduction Reduction in in the the the Minimum Liquidity Liquidity Ratio Ratio in in response response to to COVID-19 COVID-19)) dated dated 77 April April 2020, 2020, as as amended amended by

by M-2020-085 M-2020-085 dated dated 11 December December 2020; 2020; (e) (e) Minimum M-2020-022 ((Reclassification Reclassification of of Debt Debt Securities Securities Measured Measured at at Fair Fair Value Value to to the the Amortized Amortized Cost Cost Category Category)) dated dated 8 8 April April 2020; 2020; (f) (f) M-2020-022 Relaxation in in the the Credit Credit Risk Risk Weight Weight for for Loans Loans to to MSMEs MSMEs under under the the BSP‘s BSP‘s Risk-Based Risk-Based Capital Capital Adequacy Adequacy Frameworks) Frameworks) M-2020-034 ((Relaxation M-2020-034 dated 28 28 April April 2020; 2020; (g) (g) M-2020-039 M-2020-039 ((Utilization Utilization of of Basel Basel III III Capital Capital and and Liquidity Liquidity Buffers Buffers)dated )dated 44 May May 2020; 2020; and(h) and(h) M-2020-050 M-2020-050 dated Regulatory Relief through Temporary Relaxation of the Maximum Borrowing Limit of Pawnshops )dated 15 June 2020 ((((Regulatory RegulatoryRelief Reliefthrough throughTemporary TemporaryRelaxation Relaxationof ofthe theMaximum MaximumBorrowing BorrowingLimit Limitof ofPawnshops Pawnshops)dated )dated15 15June June2020 2020 Regulatory Relief through Temporary Relaxation of the Maximum Borrowing Limit of Pawnshops )dated 15 June 2020

Section 3. The Sections/Subsections/Appendices of certain Circulars issued prior to the new formatting conventions of the MORB/MORNBFI are renumbered accordingly to align with the said new standard, as shown in Annex A. This Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) calendar days following its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

FOR THE MONETARY BOARD:

12 April 2022

Note: Note:

(Sgd) BENJAMIN E. DIOKNO Governor

This circular circular along along with with its its annexes annexes can can be be accessed accessed at at the the BSP BSP website: website: https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Regulations/Issuances/2022/1144.pdf https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Regulations/Issuances/2022/1144.pdf This

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Net oil import bill soared by 88% to $11.15b last year

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE net oil import bill of the Philippines surged 88 percent last year to $11.146 billion from $5.93 billion in 2020 as demand and world oil prices recovered from the pandemic.

Data from the Department of Energy showed that last year’s net import bill also surpassed the pre-pandemic level of $11.075 billion.

Net import oil volume increased to 22,204 million liters in 2021, topping the pre-pandemic level of 16,026 million liters in 2019 and 15,137.2 million liters in 2020.

Cost of crude imports last year reached $2.258 billion, up from $1.47 billion in 2020 but lower than $4.04 billion in 2019.

The lower cost of crude imports could be attributed to the decision of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. to close down its Batangas refinery and shift to imports.

This leaves Petron Corp. as the country’s lone refinery in Bataan with a capacity of 180,000 barrels per day.

Petron earlier said crude averaged nearly $70 per barrel in 2021, or 64 percent higher than $42 a barrel in 2020.

This represented Dubai crude’s highest annual average in the past three years.

The price further escalated in the first quarter of 2022.

Meanwhile, imports of petroleum products reached 18,684 million liters in 2021, up from 16,384 million liters in 2020 and 17,883 million liters in 2019.

Petroleum export earnings reached $580 million last year, slightly higher than $439.4 million in 2020 but lower compared to $763.6 million in 2019.

Export volume declined to 1,210 million liters from 1,659 million liters in 2020 and 2,014.5 million in 2019.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. said it retained its ranking as the thirdbiggest oil player in the country. It cited the recent market data of DOE where the company garnered 7.5 percent of the market in terms of combined fuel and liquefied petroleum gas shares.

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Business taxpayers increase 5% to 4.6m

PH travel, tourism sectors seen to expand 6.7% yearly

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Philippine travel and tourism sectors will post an average annual growth of 6.7 percent over the next 10 years, exceeding the expected gross domestic product growth rate of 5.6 percent, the World Travel and Tourism Council said Wednesday.

WTTC president and chief executive Julia Simpson said at the opening of the WTTC Annual Global Summit in Manila that employment in the sector would grow by an average of 3 percent each year over the next decade, generating 2.9 million

new jobs and accounting for 21.5 percent of employment in the Philippines.

“Today we gather in Manila for the first Travel & Tourism in-person event in the region since the COVID-19 pandemic. This is very significant as it signals the recovery for what was the fastest growing travel and tourism region in 2019,” Simpson said.

The travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the economy climbed 129.5 percent in 2021 to reach $41 billion from a year ago.

The sector supported 7.8 million jobs in the Philippines last year, representing an impressive 20.5-percent rise in 2020.

The summit was attended by over 1,000 delegates, beyond the expectation of organizers given the restrictions that remained in some countries. These included 30 government ministerial delegations from the US, India, Japan, South Africa and the EU and almost 200 international media from around the world.

Simpson said the WTTC was expecting to have positive discussions among members to identify actions and increase align-

ment to support the sector’s recovery and move beyond to a safer, more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.

She said the WTTC would also release the 2021 Economic Impact Report which highlights where the travel and tourism sector was in terms of its recovery and what the future holds for the sector over the next decade.

“In addition, I am also delighted to announce the launch of ‘Destination 2030’, in collaboration with JLL, a new major report which addresses destination’s readiness for travel and tourism growth,” Simpson said.

The report addresses the destinations’ preparedness while providing attainable solutions to promote sustainable growth in tourism activity.

The group will also launch another sustainability initiative for the global hospitality industry and a groundbreaking report to help the sector’s stakeholders understand how cyber resilience is shaping the travel and tourism sector and plan for a safer and more robust future.

FNI eyes 12.7% rise in nickel ore shipments GLOBAL Ferronickel Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it plans to ship 5.5 million wet metric tons of nickel ore this year, up 12.7 percent from 4.88 million WMT shipped in 2021.

FNI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned unit Platinum Group Metals Corp. started to ship to customers in China with 53,700 WMT of low-grade nickel ore bound for Guangdong Century Tsingshan Nickel Industry Co. Ltd. “We are upbeat that our mining operations at PGMC have been running seamlessly from the get-go. Weather permitting, we might be able to exceed this year’s target of 5.5 WMT consisting of 60 percent low-grade ore and 40 percent medium-grade ore,” said FNI president Dante Bravo.

PGMC has a general nickel ore supply contract with GCTNICL and Baosteel Resources International Co. Ltd. for 20 and 30 shipments, respectively.

“We remain bullish as demand from China continues to be strong, and nickel prices have been rising in recent years. And with current global events adversely affecting oil prices, there is a greater appreciation for electric vehicles, which use nickel for their rechargeable batteries,” said Bravo. Jenniffer B. Austria

Globe’s 5G service to cover travelers

GT CAPITAL MILESTONE. The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. hosts a bell ringing ceremony for GT Capital Holdings Inc. to

mark the company’s tenth year as a publicly-listed company. GTCAP chairman Arthur Ty receives the plaque of recognition for GT Capital’s 10th listing anniversary from PSE chairman Jose Pardo. GTCAP had its stock market debut on April 20, 2012 when it raised P21.57 billion from the sale of primary and secondary shares during its initial public offering.

CIRCULAR NO. 1143 Series of 2022 OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Subject :

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue on Wednesday registered a 5.1-percent increase in the number of registered business taxpayers to 4.63 million in 2021 from 4.41 million registered businesses in 2020.

BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay reported the increase despite the pandemic and attributed it to the heightened implementation of the agency’s digitalization transformation programs.

This was complemented by BIR’s growing workforce of young and skilled professionals under the Duterte administration which enabled the agency to steadily improve its collection performance and broaden the taxpayer base in 2021, he said.

Data showed that since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, the BIR’s collection steadily grew from P1.58 trillion in 2016 to P1.78 trillion in 2017 and P1.96 trillion in 2018. The highest so far was in the prepandemic year of 2019, when collections amounted to P2.19 trillion, before dipping to P1.96 trillion at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and climbing back to P2.08 trillion in 2021. Alena Mae S. Flores

Updated Manual of Regulations for Banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions as of 31 December 2019

The Monetary Board, in its Resolution No. 455 dated 31 March 2022, approved the following amendments to the Manual of Regulations for Banks (MORB) and Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions (MORNBFI) that were updated as of 31 December 2019.

Section 1. The provisions of Sec. 8 of Circular No. 1031 dated 7 February 2019 on

Processing and Licensing Fees that are applicable to NBFIs, including the Non Stock

Savings and Loans Associations (NSSLAs) are hereby added in Section 111-S of the MORNBFI after the provisions on Type of License of Permissible Activities.

Section 2. Section 324-S of the MORNBFI is hereby amended to align with the provisions of Section 15 (Limitations on lending authority) Item b, paragraph 2 of Republic Act No. 8367 (Revised Non-Stock Savings and Loan Association Act of 1997), and shall now read, as follows: 324-S SANCTIONS The office of any trustee or officer of an NSSLA who violates the provisions of these rules on accommodations granted to trustee and officers shall immediately become vacant and said trustees or officers shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one (1) year nor more than ten (10) years and by a fine of not less than P5,000 nor more than P50,000 pursuant to Section 15 of R.A. No. 8367.

Section 3. The Sections/Subsections/Appendices of certain Circulars issued prior to the new formatting conventions of the MORB/MORNBFI are renumbered accordingly to align with the said new standard, as shown in Annex A. This Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) calendar days following its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

FOR THE MONETARY BOARD:

(Sgd) BENJAMIN E. DIOKNO Governor 12 April 2022 Note: This circular along with its annexes can be accessed at the BSP website: https://www.bsp.gov.ph/ Regulations/Issuances/2022/1143.pdf

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Wednesday visitors from 39 countries can now enjoy its 5G mobile services when they arrive in the country.

Countries where Globe has inbound roaming partnerships include Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, US and Vietnam.

Globe said through its network upgrade and expansion, it enables tourists to experience 5G in major Philippine destinations. Its 5G network now covers 93 percent of the National Capital Region.

The service is also available in Rizal, Bulacan, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, and Quezon in Luzon; Aklan, Cebu, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental in Visayas; and Bukidnon, Davao Del Sur, Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato and Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao.

Darwin G. Amojelar

BCDA and Pilipinas Shell extend lease contract on Taguig City lot by 20 years STATE-RUN Bases Conversion and Development Authority said Wednesday it extended by another 20 years the lease contract with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. over a 7,497-square-meter property along Circumferential Road 5 in Taguig City.

BCDA officer-in-charge president and chief executive Aristotle Batuhan and Pilipinas Shell general manager Randolph Del Valle signed the contract renewal on March 31.

“More than 20 years have passed since BCDA and Pilipinas Shell first entered into a public-private partnership for the lease of this property. We consider this as a successful partnership, allowing BCDA and the government to generate additional revenues for the Filipino people year after year,” Batuhan said.

“Achieving this again through the renewal contract is imperative. It will enable the government to beef up its coffers, no matter how modest, at a time when Filipinos are still reeling from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the conflict in Ukraine,” he said.

The lease involves the utilization of a 7,497 sq. m. lot along C-5 including structures with a gross floor area of 750 sq. m.

Pilipinas Shell committed to invest P80 million to P100 million for the improvement and redevelopment of the mobility station on the site and the inclusion of value-added services.

“C5 is a very important thoroughfare that connects people from the north and south, and we want to make the journey better and hassle-free for everyone. Our mobility stations are strategically located to make sure that we cater to every community. This C5 location is ideal because we can serve the various surrounding communities not only with fuels, but with other relevant products and services,” Del Valle said.

“Our investments are geared for the community. Shell aims to power progress of the Philippines, and in this case, we are powering progress for people from Metro Manila, Taguig and around the country,” he said.

Othel V. Campos

Citicore Energy REIT’s income jumps to P226m CITICORE Energy REIT Corp., the country’s first energy REIT, reported a net income of P226 million in 2021, or more than double the previous year’s P104 million as the energy sector remained resilient despite the pandemic.

CREIT said energy firms showed a strong performance brought about by the sustained high demand for electricity as a result of remote work arrangements and work-from-home set-up.

The company reported audited gross revenues of P352 million last year, 95 percent of which was attributed to the sale of electricity from the Clark Solar Plant and the balance from land lease revenues coming from Citicore Solar Tarlac 1 and 2, which covered November and December.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and appreciation rose 24 percent to P282 million, translating into an EBITDA margin of 80 percent.

CREIT said this power revenue stream, however, would no longer apply to its financials starting 2022 as the service con-

tract for Clark Solar Plant, as approved by the Department of Energy, was transferred to Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. effective Dec. 25, 2021 as part of CREIT’s REIT formation transaction.

“Beginning January 2022, instead of electricity sales, CREIT’s revenues will primarily consist of a more guaranteed, stable lease revenues with upside coming from variable lease revenues,” said CREIT president and chief executive Oliver Tan. “As a result, CREIT is well positioned to deliver a recurring lease income stream, translating to higher distributable income and dividends to our shareholders moving forward,” said Tan. CREIT tapped the capital markets through its initial public offering on Feb. 22, closing at P2.84 per share from an IPO offer price of P2.55 per share.

CREIT went beyond the existing commercial property REITs in the market and offered the first energy-themed REIT. Alena Mae S. Flores

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Avaricio wrests control despite 74

Chanelle Avaricio is 18 holes away from a third championship.

Casimero out as Sultan, Butler clash for WBO bantam crown

By Randy Caluag

T

HE World Boxing Organization on Wednesday ordered Paul Butler of the United Kingdom to face Jonas Sultan of the Philippines instead of champion John Reil Casimero for the World Boxing Organization interim bantamweight crown on April 22 (Saturday Philippine time) in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.

The WBO’s order came a few hours after WBO bantamweight titleholder Casimero, also of the Philippines, was declared “not fit to fight” by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC), denying the Filipino the permission to defend his WBO bantamweight title he won more than two years ago.

With Casimero out of the picture, the WBO granted the request of the fight’s promoter, Harrison Whitman of Probellum, to sanction a championship bout between Butler and the “first available World Bantamweight contender”, who is Sultan.

Curiously, Sultan (14 wins, 4 losses),

who once defeated Casimero in a non-title fight in 2017 and is currently at no. 4, is in town as a standby opponent.

The Cebuano pug has won four of his last five fights, including a 10-round decision win over previously unbeaten compatriot Carlos Caballo last Oct. 20 in New York.

Butler (33-2, 15 KOs), who previously held the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title, has won seven fights since losing to Mexican Emmanuel Rodriguez in May, 2018 for the vacant IBF bantamweight title.

Casimero was scheduled to face Butler, the mandatory challenger on the origi-

Smoke from nearby fire forces reset of PBA game

By Peter Atencio THICK smoke has lingered on inside the Araneta Coliseum hours after firefighters put out a fire from a nearby construction site near the Big Dome in Cubao, Quezon City at close to noon on Wednesday.

This forced the Philippine Basketball Association to reset Game 6 of the Governors’ Cup best-of-seven finals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Commissioner Willie Marcial said the court has become unplayable because of the fumes.

Game 6 between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings and the Meralco Bolts is now slated for Friday at 6 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“It was fire out at the Coliseum. But the conditions are not playable. There is still thick smoke (at courtside),” said Marcial following an ocular inspection of the venue after the fire.

The small fire was quickly extinguished by firetrucks and personnel sent by the Quezon City Bureau of Fire Protection shortly after lunch time.

The haze from the fire also interrupted the ongoing grand finals of the PBA 3x3 Second Conference, as it reached courtside and the spectator stands of the Big Dome.

This prompted authorities to evacuate the area and later call off Game 6 of the finals following an ocular inspection by PBA, Araneta Coliseum and BFP officials.

The Gin Kings are holding on to a 3-2 lead in their best-of-series with the Bolts, who will instead try to send the contest into a do-or-die Game 7.

“They only have three wins. (If) we win this game, we tie the series so that’s what we’re focused on right now,” said Bolts’ coach Norman Black.

The Gin Kings lead the series at 3-2 following their 115-110 Easter Sunday triumph.

nal card at the Echo Arena, but this has been ruled out after the BBBoC found an infraction by the Filipino in its strict medical policy.

In a formal letter to the WBO, the BBBoC said they found out that Casimero “has made use of the sauna in close proximity” to the scheduled fight.

“As you are aware, this is against BBBoC’s medical guidelines and therefore we can’t permit him to compete in the proposed contest on Friday,” said Robert Smith, general secretary of the BBBoC. Using a sauna is one of the most often used methods to reduce weight, but reducing too much excess weight nearing fight day puts the boxer’s

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health in immense danger.

In a swift response, the WBO immediately issued a ‘Show Cause’ order to Casimero and his team within 48 hours why it should not be stripped of the title he has already failed to defend for the next two years and four months since winning the crown from his November 2019 third-round knockout of Zolani Tete in Birmingham, England.

L u i s Batista Salas of the WBO Championship Committee approved the ButlerSultan bout.

In just a few hours, the fight poster also ch a nge d f r o m Casimero-Butler to Sultan-Butler fight for the WBO interim bantamweight title

CAVINTI, Laguna—Chanelle Avaricio surged ahead despite a 74, pouncing on Marvi Monsalve’s frontside meltdown and Chihiro Ikeda’s backside stumble to move closer to completing a back-toback title romp on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Not even a three-bogey, one-birdie round in another challenging day at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club could stymie’s Avaricio’s charge to the top of the ICTSI Caliraya Championship at 145 after 36 holes as Monsalve shot herself in the foot with a horrible 85 on a frontside 43 after a lead-grabbing 69 Tuesday and Ikeda blew a threeunder card and the lead after 11 holes with a double bogey on the 13th and a bogey on the next for a 73.

But Ikeda lay just a stroke off Avaricio at 146, which Daniella Uy matched with a gutsy 72, setting the stage for a three-way battle for top honors in the P750,000 championship.

Harmie Constantino made a 75 for fourth at 151 but stood six shots off Avaricio, who humbled Princess Superal in sudden death to snare the ICTSI Hallow Ridge crown two weeks ago.

Now, the comely former Alabama State U mainstay, who nailed her breakthrough win at Riviera-Couples last November, is 18 holes away from a third championship.

“I didn’t play as good as yesterday (Tuesday). I struggled with my second shots,” said Avaricio, who hit just one green at the back but flashed superb short game to rescue a number of pars and grab the lead.

She said she needs to keep the ball in play in the final 18 holes, adding: “Hopefully, my putts will go in.”

Ikeda went on an attack mode after seizing control on No. 11 but overshot the next green and into the hazard for double bogey then three-putted the next to reel back.

But the 2019 playoff winner over Pauline del Rosario at Midlands remained confident of her chances, saying: “Just play steady because it’s a tough course,” said the former SEA Games individual champion.

Uy also stressed the need to keep the ball in play as the former Junior World champion bids to score a follow-up to her first win at RivieraLanger last year.

Lions foil Altas mutiny, near Final 4 SAN BEDA withstood a late University of Perpetual System Dalta uprising to fashion out a 78-71 victory and moved closer to a Final Four berth in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the La Salle Greenhills Gym. The Altas capped a 8-0 run with a Lean Martel’s undergoal stab to inch closer to 67-74, with 1:47 remaining.

Peter Alfaro then delivered the dagger for the Red Lions, scoring a lay-up off a Yukien Andrada’s

assist for a nine-point buffer at the 1:24 mark.

“We are happy we got this win. We have been preparing really hard for Perpetual,” said coach Boyet Fernandez after San Beda improved to 6-0.

James Kwekuteye finished with 18 points and two steals, while Andrada chipped in 15 points and four rebounds for the Lions.

A victory over Mapua on Saturday will give San Beda an outright Final Four berth, and Fernandez is looking

forward to one of this season’s most anticipated match-ups.

On a two-game winning streak, the Cardinals sit in third place with a 5-2 record.

“Sa totoo lang, isa sa mga strong teams ko ang Mapua. They have been shooting well in the three-point area.

We will see what we can do against Mapua,” said Fernandez.

“For now we will enjoy this win.

We will be ready for them, for sure,” he added.

The Altas lost for the fifth time in seven games in eighth spot.

Teams ranked from third to sixth after the single-round eliminations will make it to the play-in round to determine the two other semifinalists.

Kim Aurin had 16 points in a reserve role while Jielo Razon added 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals for Perpetual, which trailed by as much as 17 points in the second half.

Rates catches Gialon with 2nd straight 68

Joenard Rates

CAVINTI, Laguna -- Joenard Rates stayed hot in sun and rain then sun again and endured the blustery conditions to match his opening solid 68 and catch an equally steady Zaniebiy Gialon halfway through the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship here yesterday.

Staying out of trouble on a course where dangers practically lurk in every corner, Rates shot a couple of birdies on each side of the Caliraya Springs Golf Club and shot himself into a share of the lead at 136 and closer to another crack at a Philippine Golf Tour title.

“I’m happy to be in contention going to moving day,” said Rates. “This round is super good.

I hit some good drives and avoided troubles.”

Gialon also put in a bogey-free 69 as the duo continued to flash top form on an Arnold Palmer-designed course spruced up to championship condition for its initial hosting of a PGT event.

“I had a good up-and-down game, especially at the back, and finished with a solid round,” said Gialon, who has never tasted vic-

tory since dominating the field in the ICTSI Calatagan in 2017.

Dutch Guido Van der Valk scorched the frontside on his way out with a fiery 31 to likewise churn out a four-under card. But he stood four strokes off the joint leaders at 140 in a tie with Mondilla.

“I didn’t hit very well at the frontside (backnine) but at the back, I started to hit it very good,” said Van der Valk, also out to snap a long title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. “The roughs are tough, you got to hit the fairways.”

Mondilla, the 2019 Philippine Open champion at The Country Club who prevailed in a five-player playoff at Pradera Verde in 2020 before the pandemic halted play in all sports, yielded to Gialon for the second straight day with a twobirdie, one bogey round.

But he remained in the hunt and upbeat of his chances for another title shot after losng to Miguel Tabuena at ICTSI Luisita Championship last month.

A slew of aces also turned in under-par rounds under erratic weather conditions with former Masters ti-

tlist Jerson Balasabas and multi-titled Tony Lascuna pooling 141s after a 68 and 70, respectively.

Rupert Zaragosa also produced an unblemished 69 to join Albin Engino, who carded a 71, at 142 but the rest failed to wage a strong charge that would put them in the hunt heading to the last 36 holes of the P2 million championship put up by ICTSI. Dino Villanueva also shot a 68 and former national champion Lloyd Go fired a 70 but they remained 8 shots behind at 144 in a tie with Enrico Gallardo, who matched par 72, and Reymon Jaraula, Jhonnel Ababa, Ira Alido and Rufino Bayron, who all fumbled with 73s.

But a shootout looms between Rates and Gialon, both hardly noticed when they came into the event but now hogged the spotlight with two brilliant rounds they hope to sustain tothe finish.

“I’ll just stick to my game plan -- hit the fairways and make more putts,” said Rates.

“I need to stay focused. Marami kasing pwedeng pagkamalian dito,” said Gialon.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Sports

Standard

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TODAY THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Butler’s 45 points carry Heat past Hawks W Friday in Atlanta.

In other contests Tuesday, Memphis ripped Minnesota 12496 to level their series 1-1 and New Orleans was at Phoenix.

Atlanta’s Trae Young, kept to a season-low eight points Sunday in an opening loss, had 18 by halftime on his way to 25 points but also committed 10 turnovers.

Butler scored five points to lead an 11-0 Miami run that gave the Heat a 75-62 edge in the third quarter.

Atlanta pulled within 87-76 after three quarters, then made a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to trim Miami’s lead to 94-90 as Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 of his 29 points off the bench in the fourth quarter.

Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer

ASHINGTON -- Jimmy Butler scored a career playoff high 45 points, and the Miami Heat held off Atlanta 115-105 on Tuesday, seizing a 2-0 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series.

The Hawks had pulled within 104-101 in the final minutes before Butler answered with a slam dunk, a 3-pointer and a layup to give coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad a 10-point lead and seal Atlanta’s fate.

“Coach told me to go out there and be a killer, score as many points as possible, so that’s what I did,” Butler said.

Butler made 15-of-25 shots from the floor, 4-of-7 from 3-point

range, and sank 11-of-12 free throws while also contributing five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

“Just staying aggressive, taking what the defense gives me,” Butler said. “My teammates want me to play like that. I felt like I’m in a groove. I’m comfortable. My guys are always looking for me.”

Eastern Conference top seed Miami took command of the bestof-seven series, which continues

COMMISSION ON AUDIT

5.0

Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City

:

All Heads of National Government Agencies; Heads of Finance/ Comptrollership/Financial Management Services; Chief Accountants/Heads of Accounting Units; Budget Officers/Heads of Budget Units, Heads of Government Corporations maintaining Special Account in the General Fund; Assistant Commissioners, Directors, and Auditors of the Commission on Audit (COA); and All Others Concerned

SUBJECT

:

Conversion of Accounts from Volume III-The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2015) of the Government Accounting Manual for National Government Agencies under COA Circular No. 2015-007 dated October 22, 2015 to Volume III- Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2019) prescribed under COA Circular No. 2020-001 dated January 8, 2020, Revised Description of Accounts, Additional Account, Modified Account Titles, and Guidelines in the implementation thereof

REVISED DESCRIPTION OF ACCOUNTS 5.1 To address the cases on the receipt of settlement of disallowances/ charges by the agency, and in cases that the amount is fully settled but the Notice of Settlement of Suspension/Disallowance/ Charge (NSSDC) from the auditor concerned is not yet issued, the description of the account “Trust Liabilities-Disallowances/ Charges” is revised as follows:

No. : 2022-002 Date: January 24, 2022

TO

1.0

Account Title Account Code Normal Balance Description

PURPOSES

Account Title Account Code Normal Balance Description

This Circular is issued to: a. provide guidelines and procedures on the conversion of Volume III-The RCA (Updated 2015) of the Government Accounting Manual (GAM) for NGAs under COA Circular No. 2015-007 dated October 22, 2015 to Volume III-RCA (Updated 2019) prescribed in COA Circular No. 2020-001 dated January 8, 2020; and

6.0

COVERAGE

PROCEDURES

ON

THE

3.1 All NGAs and GCs maintaining SAGF, shall make the conversion of accounts based on the Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Financial Performance, Statement of Cash Flows and Statement of Changes in Net Assets/ Equity as at and for the year ended December 31, 2019 using the accounts prescribed under COA Circular No. 2020-001, Volume III-RCA (Updated 2019) starting January 1, 2020. The date of conversion shall be included in the Notes to Financial Statements (FS).

3.2 The Chief Accountants/Heads of Accounting Units shall be guided by the Matrix on the Conversion of Accounts, attached herein as Annex A.

7.0

sota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and went to the locker room.

Morant returned in the fourth quarter and just missed a triple double, and then warned the Grizzlies had their groove back. AFP

3.4 All NGAs, and GCs maintaining SAGF, with existing computerized accounting system other than the electronic New Government Accounting System (eNGAS) shall convert/map their account codes to the equivalent accounts in the RCA for NGAs (Updated 2019), and in the revised accounts prescribed herein.

3.5 The Government Accountancy Sector (GAS), COA, shall update the eNGAS and electronic Budget System incorporating the revisions prescribed in Volume III-RCA (Updated 2019) of the GAM for NGAs, and in the revised accounts prescribed herein.

The conversion of accounts shall be done in coordination with the Accounting Systems Development and Other Services Office (ASDOSO), GAS, COA.

8.0

9.0

whose story has existed since 1987 from Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished, to Ys IX: X: Monstrum Nox which was published in 2019. Its well-established world, interesting NPC interactions, anime aesthetics, and voice-over are sure to win an RPG player’s heart here in the Philippines.” said Rica Cacnio, Operations Lead for VNG Philippines.

Mark your calendars and get ready for an epic JRPG game as pre-registration starts on April 15 to May 3, to be followed by an alpha test on April 21 to 26.

To welcome the pre-launch period, VNG is running a Pre-registration Event, “Make a Wish”, where you can win a top of the line smart phone, gaming gear and all sorts of in-game items that will give you a head start when the game launches on May 6, 2022. What are you waiting for?

Head on to our page and sign up for Ys 6 Mobile - The Ark of Napishtim and “Make a Wish”.

To join the pre-registration “Make a Wish” event, CLICK HERE: https://event.vng.games/ ys6ph/pre-register

RESPONSIBILITY

SAVING CLAUSE Any clarification or request for assistance on the implementation of this Circular or cases not covered in this Circular shall be referred to this Commission through the GAS, for appropriate action.

10.

REPEALING CLAUSE All issuances or any part thereof inconsistent with this Circular are deemed repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

11.0 TRANSITORY PROVISION Accounts that have not been converted due to issues which are not yet settled as of conversion date shall be converted to the most appropriate account in the RCA (Updated 2019), and in the revised accounts prescribed herein until a supplemental circular or clarification is issued.

For agencies which did not convert their accounts as of the reporting period of December 31, 2020, they shall convert the GL accounts presented in the comparative FSs in accordance with the accounts prescribed under the RCA (Updated 2019). Thereafter, the agency shall analyze and convert their accounts following the guidelines stated in this Circular.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

12.0 EFFECTIVITY This Circular takes effect after 15 days from publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

4.2 Copies of the JEV on the conversion of accounts and other supporting documents shall be furnished to the COA auditor concerned, and GAS, COA, separately.

Quezon City, Philippines.

4.3 To align with the UACS, all the SL accounts embedded in the description of some accounts in the RCA (Updated 2015) are deleted. The agencies/entities concerned shall be responsible for creating the appropriate SL accounts needed for financial reporting/other purposes.

4.5 The budgetary accounts for Capital Outlay added in the List of Accounts, Chapter 2 of Volume III-RCA (Updated 2019) of the GAM for NGAs are for budget purposes only, hence, not included

Ys is a classic Action RPG that has existed since 1987 on PC DOS. This game which has existed for over 30 years, tells the story of Adol Christin and Dogi in their various thrilling adventures. The story continues so that it presents a unique conflict that is difficult to find in other RPGs. As a result, the Ys series has loyal fans who always look forward to the latest adventures from Adol and Dogi.

Ys 6 Mobile game is a JRPG masterpiece with it’s well written story, stunning graphics, magnificent music, and various unique features such as Class, Pet, Soul Card, Marriage System, and NPC interaction. You could say this game will be the best 2022 Android and iOS anime game in the Philippines.

“We are very happy to introduce a well-known JRPG in Japan to the Filipino gamers who have been waiting for a storydriven RPG game. Filipino RPG players will have a great time exploring this series of Ys,” Said JT Briones, Product Lead for YS6 Mobile VNG Philippines.

“Ys is a legendary IP game

MODIFIED ACCOUNT TITLES

The Chief Accountants/Heads of Accounting Units, and Budget Officers/Heads of Budget Units, of NGAs, and GCs maintaining SAGF, shall be responsible for the proper conversion of the accounts and the separate submission of the copy of the JEV, and the FSs and Reports to the COA auditor concerned and GAS, COA

3.7 Any clarification or request for assistance shall be directed to ASDOSO, GAS, COA.

4.4 The updated sub-object codes for financial reporting purposes as provided/ published in the UACS website based on the recommendations of the responsible oversight agencies (COA, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance and the Bureau of the Treasury), shall be automatically adopted by the agencies concerned.

VNG prepares cool action RPGs for Filipino gamers

7.2 For consistency, the acronyms of the account titles for “Due to NGAs” “Due to GOCCs” and “Due to LGUs” are spelled out.

3.6 For FS presentation, the classification of accounts prescribed under COA Circular No. 2020-001 and in this Circular may be modified according to agency’s intention or nature of accounts, as the case may be, in accordance with relevant IPSASs. Those agencies using eNGAS shall coordinate with ASDOSO, GAS, COA for any modification on the classification of accounts

4.1 A Journal Entry Voucher (JEV) to record the conversion of accounts and the transfer of balances shall be prepared as illustrated in Annex B.

Development in Progress-Copyrights 10898040 Debit This account is debited to recognize the costs incurred for copyright during the development stage. This account is credited upon completion and transfer to the copyright account, and when the asset is impaired.

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat looks to pass the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 1, Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. AFP

7.1 The account title “Deferred Discount on Treasury Bills and Bonds” was modified to “Deferred Discount on Treasury Bills,” and its description was revised accordingly. The account “Discount on Bonds Payable” is used for treasury bonds, thus modified.

3.3 The Chief Accountants/Heads of Accounting Units shall ensure that careful analysis of the General Ledger (GL) and Subsidiary Ledger (SL) accounts is properly made to ensure that the accounts are converted to the appropriate GL/SL accounts.

4.0

ADDITIONAL ACCOUNT

Account Title Account Code Normal Balance Description

This Circular covers all funds of NGAs including State Universities and Colleges, and Government Corporations (GCs) maintaining Special Account in the General Fund (SAGF).

GENERAL GUIDELINES AND CONVERSION OF ACCOUNTS

Scholarship Grants/Expenses 50202020 Debit This account is debited to recognize the costs of scholarships granted by the government to individuals in the pursuit of further learning, study or research. It includes tuition fees and other school fees, stipend, uniforms, books, transportation, and other allowances for related expenses directly received by the scholars/grantees, as authorized. This account is credited, at year end, to close to the Revenue and Expense Summary account, and/or adjustments.

6.1 The account title “Development in Progress-Copyrights” including the account code and description, was added to recognize the costs of obtaining an exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film or record literary, artistic or musical materials, during the development period.

b. provide additional account, and modified account titles and description of some accounts, to facilitate proper recognition of financial transactions in the books of accounts and preclude misuse of accounts.

3.0

Trust Liabilities-Disallowances/Charges 20401080 Credit This account is credited upon partial or full settlement of disallowances/charges in audit due from public/private individuals/entities.

This also includes settlement of liabilities by persons liable pending finality of decision.

This account is debited upon receipt of Notice of Settlement of Suspension/ Disallowance/Charge (NSSDC) and Notice of Finality of Decision (NFD) from the auditor concerned.

5.2 To provide clear description and include the specific subsidy to the student/ scholar of the government that is being catered by several NGAs, the account “Scholarship Grants/Expenses” is revised as follows:

Under COA Circular No. 2020-001 dated January 8, 2020, this Commission recognized the need to update the 2015 Revised Chart of Accounts (RCA) for National Government Agencies (NGAs) in view of the: (i) adoption of new International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs);1 (ii) issuance by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) of the 2017 Edition of the Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting Pronouncements (HIPSAP); (iii) requests and recommendations of some NGAs and COA auditors; and (iv) needed alignment with the Unified Accounts Code Structure (UACS) to facilitate the recognition of pertinent financial transactions in the books of accounts of the NGAs.

2.0

what happened.”

The 22-year-old guard scored 11 points in the third quarter, when Memphis pulled away, but suffered a left leg injury taking a hard hit off a screen by Minne-

in the matrix of conversion.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

CIRCULAR

to pull the Hawks within three points to set the stage for Butler’s decisive run.

“We still find a way to stay in front of guys, contest threes, not give away leads,” Butler said.

Ja rules for Memphis At Memphis, Ja Morant led the host Grizzlies with 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds as the Western Conference second seeds bounced back from an opening upset to knot the series, which resumes Thursday at Minnesota.

“It was my fault. I put guys in tough situations last game,” Morant said. “My job was to come out and correct that and that’s what I did.

“No point to be mad about game one. There’s a lot of basketball to be played. You see

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner Note: The Annexes of this Circular can be accessed in the COA Website at https://www.coa.gov.ph.

1.

Formerly known as Philippine Public Sector Accounting Standards renamed as International Public Sector Accounting Standards under COA Circular No. 2021-004 dated July 21, 2021.

SM Supermalls partners with MPL-PH for Season 9 playoffs LEADING shopping mall operator SM Supermalls has joined the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League —Philippines as one of its esports partners to provide fans an immersive viewing experience through select SM cinemas nationwide. This is the first-ever mobile esports event streamed through SM Cinema.

The retail giant will broadcast the Season 9 Playoffs in its SM cinemas from April 28 until the finals on May 1. Ticket sells for only P170.00 per day, including free ee popcorn and MLBB freebies. Fans can purchase tickets from SM Cinema’s official website, SM Cinema app, or the SM Cinema ticket booths.

Participating SM Cinemas are SM City San Lazaro, SM City Manila, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Taytay, SM City Masinag, SM City BF Parañaque, SM City Sucat and SM City Bicutan.

“We are thrilled to join MOONTON Games to provide our customers and fans a viewing experience like no other. This is our way to help bring together MPL-PH fans and gamers alike as we further witness the strength of the Philippines in mobile gaming,” said Joaquin L. San Agustin, Senior Vice President for Marketing, SM Supermalls “MOONTON Games is honored to welcome SM Supermalls as one of our partners in bringing the best viewing experience for our fans. We hope our fans can enjoy watching the action-packed MPLPH Season 9 playoffs and championship on a much bigger screen with friends and fellow gamers, as we slowly but surely and safely transition our online tournaments to offline events,” said Lee Viloria, Esports Business Development Head, MPL Philippines.

Smart Communications, Inc., the official telco partner of the MPL-PH Season 9, will also be the internet provider for the screening of the playoffs to championships. It is a wholly-owned wireless communications and digital services subsidiary of PLDT, Inc., the Philippines’ largest and only integrated telco company.

(MS-APR. 21, 2022)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Entertainment AJ Raval

Cindy Miranda

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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This generation’s sexiest stars gather in edgy series ‘Iskandalo’ VIVAMAX has been gaining a reputation as home to the sexiest movies and series made for streaming. Thus, the announcement that Cindy Miranda (Adan, House Tour, Reroute) and AJ Raval (Death of a Girlfriend, Taya, Hugas) headlining Iskandalo just made the platform’s subscribers feel excited even more.

Streaming now on Vivamax, Iskandalo is a 10-part series directed by Roman Perez, Jr. (Taya, House Tour, Hugas,

Siklo).

Adding more heat to the scandal are new screen darling Ayanna Misola (Pornstar 2; Kinsenas, Katapusan), Angela Morena (X-Deal 2) and newcomer Andrea Garcia. Even former FHM cover girl Jamilla Obispo unleashes her own brand of sexiness in this edgy new series.

Iskandalo begins with the death of a popular young celebrity who was recently involved in a viral sex scandal.

It’s a classic whodunit story

where a woman cop is determined to solve the crime that will blow up to even more scandalous proportions as it will involve treachery among influential people.

Fans of Vivamax’s maximum crushes are in for the most satisfying binge-watch experience as they have all of ten weeks to be with their fantasies. AJ Raval is on fire in Iskandalo, cementing her reputation as this generation’s pinup girl.

Ayanna Misola was a revelation

in Kinsenas, Katapusan and her irresistible innocent-outsidenaughty-inside appeal will have her fans glued to the series.

Newcomers Angela Morena and Andrea Garcia will not be left behind—they will provide a different level of hotness in the series.

“Iskandalo aims to set standards on what a new kind of Pinoy series should be,” Perez asserts as the leading voice behind this gritty, edgy urban visual storytelling.

New kid on the local streaming block Attorney Aldwin F. Alegre (center) with stars (from left) Juan Carlos Galano, Shido Rozas, Yana Fuentes, and Teejay Marquez

L

Attorney Melanie Honey Quiño (second from right) and Attorney Aldwin F. Alegre (rightmost) and their Korean partners

OCKDOWN and quarantine measures enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a surge in online streaming as we find more Filipinos seeking out entertainment on services like Netflix, Vivamax, ktx.ph, and the like.

And by the looks of it, even if the pandemic recedes, streaming is not going anywhere, media consumers would still want to watch their favorite TV shows, series, and movies in the convenience of their homes.

Recognizing the demand for online and streaming content, A&Q Entertainment has announced a groundbreaking link with South Korea’s Sun Mobile Commerce (SBT). The two companies signed an agreement on April 6 at their newly opened headquarters in Quezon City. Atty. Aldwin F. Alegre, CEO and President of A&Q Entertainment and Prime Stream, met with Seo Byungyul, head of the Philippine corporation of SBT, along with key personalities, sealed the deal of launching a new OTT (Over-the-Top) media service called AQ Prime.

This marks another step forward for A&Q as it aims to be the most recognized brand in handling Filipino entertainment in the Philippines and beyond.

“We really see a high demand for local entertainment so we’re not here to compete but be just one of the players.

Filipino entertainment consumers need to have more options,” Atty. Melanie

Honey Quiño, AQ Prime’s Chief Operating Officer, told Manila Standard Entertainment in an interview.

She added that AQ Prime has gained collaborative advantage to become more competitive in the business of online streaming.

“This partnership is more than just an investment partnership,” Atty.

Quiño explained. “It is a collaborative relationship—an agreement to get together and explore streams of opportunities. Our companies shared common goals and visions and we wanted to provide people here and abroad a broad range of entertainment and informative shows.”

A&Q Films Production is the company behind the successful 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Nelia, top-billed by Winwyn Marquez and Raymond Bagatsing.

For its latest venture into the online world, ‘AQ Prime’ is more than geared to operate the entertainment and media streaming platform and online distribution of movies, live events, as well as series, news, sports, and online entertainment shows through free-towatch titles apart from its premium

Where to watch Miss Universe PH coronation live and for free?

A NEW queen will be hailed as the official bet of the country to the prestigious Miss Universe on April 30 as Miss Universe Philippines 2022 streams live and for free starting 7:00 p.m. via iWantTFC and ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube Channel.

Filipinos all over the world will get to see Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez pass her crown on this special night through ABS-CBN, as the official digital streaming partner of the pageant.

Take part in a uniquely beautiful historic event in Philippine pageantry with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, and Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Tebow, who will serve as the coronation night’s hosts.

Catch the 32 delegates as they flaunt their sexy physiques, parade their evening gowns, and give their best answers at the MOA Arena while

exciting performances will also be delivered by Bamboo, Francisco Martin, and Sam Concepcion.

But before the coronation night, the girls will still showcase their talents and wits in the preliminary activities on April 27, 6:00 p.m. at The Cove Manila.

Viewers can watch the highlights of the activities on t h e different ABSC B N digital platforms.

Beatrice Luigi Gomez

contents under affordable subscriptions.

“The newly launched OTT service in the Philippines is AQ Prime, which competes with world-class OTT services such as Netflix, Disney Plus, and Apple TV, and plans to provide unique services by organizing movies and TV programs that are unique to the Philippines,” wrote News Korea, an online news publication in Korea.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Filipino actors, film directors, and broadcasting officials.

AQ Prime has completed principal photography for four full-length

(From left) Attorneys Aldwin F. Alegre and Melanie Honey Quiño with Teejay Marquez, Devon Seron, and one of their Korean partners

feature films: Huling Lamay, a horror film directed by Joven Tan, starring Marlo Mortel, Buboy Villar, and Lou Veloso; Z Love a horror-romancedrama helmed by Jojo Nadela, and led by Devon Seron, Kristof Garcia, Marcus Madrigal, and Rob Sy; as well as the Boys’ Love (BL)-themed films Sosyal Medya, with Brenda Mage, DJ Onse, Kristof Garcia, and Mark Aaron Hernandez, under director Greg Colasito; and Bingwit, featuring Krista Miller, Drei Arias, Conan King, and directed by Neal “Buboy” Tan. Other titles will be revealed at the grand launch of AQ Prime on June 4. For this investment, SBT targets investing $2 million in the future along with the initial investment as it continually discovers contents to air on AQ Prime.

The stars of A&Q prime upcoming films with Attorney Melanie Honey Quiño (fifth from left) and Attorney Aldwin F. Alegre (third from right)

“Through SBT’s OTT investment in the Philippines, we want to create a synergistic effect that can be linked to Philippine culture. And our goal is to help make it easier to use OTT services,” said SBT CEO Lee Kwangrok, who will join the rest of the team on the upcoming launch.

This statement is seconded by Atty.

Alegre as he believes in the power of OTT. “We want to bring Korean culture to the Philippines’ wide landscape of entertainment industry. Moreover, our mission is to also put Filipino entertainment in everyone’s media.”

The soon-to-be-launched app is expected to be released initially in the Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Canada, United Arab Emirates, and in the United States.

About A&Q Entertainment and Prime Stream Inc. AQ Prime is a streaming company that offers legacy and upcoming movies to Filipino audiences in and out of the Philippines.

The company will be operating on a paid subscriber basis focusing to target the whole of Philippines and Filipinos living overseas – as an initial target and eventually focusing on other subscribers to expand its subscriber base.

The production of original content is one of the major thrusts of the company. This will not be restricted to movies, but also open to other content that will add value to the product offering including payper-view live shows, such as concerts, pageants, sports events, plays, and more.

TV5’s election campaign calls for responsible voting IN LINE with TV5’s advocacy to inform, educate, and encourage voters to make responsible and guided decisions in the upcoming elections, the network has expanded its comprehensive and in-depth “Bilang Pilipino 2022” election campaign to include the #BotantengFrontliner call Members of the Comelec and the presidential aspirants to action. #BotantengFrontliner Anchored on the current News5 tagline reflects the courage and bravery of “Ngayong halalan, lahat dapat nasa Filipino voters – just as front liners frontline,” the campaign encourages leave the comfort of their homes to Filipinos to take a more proactive and help the country survive the pandemic, thoughtful approach in defining the voters walk to polling centers to help direction and future of the country. With the Philippines move toward a better this, #BotantengFrontliner embodies future. the Filipino voter’s commitment to TV5 has initiated this advocacy be “Mapanuri, mapagmatyag, at may campaign to encourage viewers to paninidigan sa kaniyang boto.” become well-informed, responsible, The #BotantengFrontliner campaign and conscientious voters. rolls out in a series of activities,

including the “Anong Klaseng Botante Sila?” and “Anong Klaseng Botante Ka?” phases – the first one points Botanteng Fronliners to the Bilang Pilipino 2022 website to access important facts and information (Know Your Candidates 101), while the second one features News5’s distinguished roster of news anchors who will define every aspect of a Botanteng Frontliner.

Last but not least is the “Paghahanda Series” where the network will give voters helpful tips and guides to surviving the election season and breeze through the voting process on election day.

In the upcoming elections, everyone is expected to be critical and responsible voters who make informed decisions for the good of the country – everything a #BotantengFronliner should be.

New Jollibee ad captures unique experience of dining out in new normal JOLLIBEE and its creative agency Publicis JimenezBasic (PJB) capture the unique experience of dining out in the new normal and the newfound joy that comes with spending time again with family and friends in the fast food chain’s latest safety video.

Titled Salamat sa Joy ng Muling Pagsasama, the new video shows everyday circumstances—including the little inconveniences—in a new and positive perspective. Whether it’s the lead girl basking happily under the sun, or a family enjoying their time inside their car during rush hour - we see all the characters in the film smiling widely at the chance to enjoy bonding moments again with friends and loved ones at

Jollibee which has always been one of their favorite go-to places. After two years of changing restrictions, ordinary moments that have taken a backseat like these have only become more special and appreciated.

And this gratefulness is also seen in the faces of Jollibee’s store manager and crew, as the fully vaccinated store teams are eager to welcome customers back and provide a safe and alaga dining experience.

“As COVID-19 protocols are easing up, more Filipinos have become more confident and willing to eat out together with their families and friends once again. We want to assure them that Jollibee shares their joy and that our

stores are safe venues to rekindle the joy of eating out with their loved ones,” said Arline Adeva, Jollibee Philippines Assistant Vice President and Head of Brand PR, Engagement, and Digital Marketing.

To strengthen the message of newfound joy and appreciation that the brand hopes to convey, the video’s soundtrack used a rendition of “Salamat” by The Dawn. The iconic song’s lyrics were altered a bit to fit the Jollibee brand and reflect Filipinos’ gratitude for “saya ng muling pagsasama.”

Apart from the seemingly ordinary but sweet scenes of friends and family dining together, Director Adrian Calumpang

also highlighted Jollibee’s safety measures like the fully vaccinated store teams, checking of vaccination cards for indoor dining, physical distancing, wearing of proper PPEs, and The video showcases how family and friends can once again enjoy general upkeep and dining in safely at their favorite place, Jollibee sanitation of the store. while sustaining their sincere message “It’s wonderful that Jollibee cares of joy,” shared Calumpang. about their customers’ safety and wellWatch Jollibee’s newest safety ad being and it shows in how they regularly on the official Jollibee Facebook page communicate this in their materials and on Jollibee Philippines YouTube throughout these extraordinary times, all channel.

Life

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

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

JOB WELL DONE

BY JOBA BOTANA

“P

AHINGA sa bawat pahina.”

As I write this, tropical depression Agaton has been making its presence known for days now and is forecasted to intensify into a tropical storm in the next 24 hours. According to The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the center of Agaton is in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. I am currently in my hometown in Tacloban City, so we’re pretty much affected by the tropical depression. It’s been raining almost non-stop for days since I arrived more than a week ago.

I came here with the intention to visit my family, and to take a bit of rest. It turned out to be a very important visit, one that has required me to stay a bit longer to grieve along with my family for the passing of our beloved father.

The ‘rest’ will come a bit later.

Indeed, the weather these days calls for some rest. I’m writing this at a place called Deskanso Cafe. ‘Deskanso’ means rest in Waray, our dialect.

A while ago, I attended a Zoom event aptly dubbed as “Pahin(g)a: Paghilom Gamit ang Himig at Pagsulat,” an online gathering that calls for us to rest our weary mind through quick breathers, word spotlight, and mindful activities.

Organized by e-commerce Looking for Juan (LFJ) and co-presented by nananadal Public Relations & Events Management, along with its partners who are advocates of healing, wellness,

Each undated page has quick breathers, word spotlights, and mindful activities

Pahin(g)a: Journaling as a form of rest Psychologist Meg Yarcia and sound healer Tonette Asprer (inset) promote journaling as a technique to find rest amidst strong emotions and thoughts and mindfulness, the event encourages people to slow down through journaling, not only to help us get through the pandemic but also to aid us in whatever it is that we are dealing with in life that we needed to take a break from.

At the event, psychologist Meg Yarcia talked about what it truly means to rest and how important it is to our wellbeing.

“In a society that glorifies being busy all the time, we must realize that getting enough rest is just as important as working hard. Taking a rest does not mean giving up. It means renewing our

Pahin(g)a monthly dividers feature artworks

by Filipina artists, Ivan Reverente and Kyla dela Torre

strength so we can face another day.

Getting rest is a form of self-care, which is something we must prioritize,” she shares.

“Getting rest is also a resistance against the notion of working too much.

It means recognizing that our human strength can only take so much, and that we need to recharge,” emphasized Yarcia who is known for sharing her musings and thoughts on mental health and well-being on Facebook and Instagram via her page “Dear Meg.” For the creatives, taking a break can re-stimulate fresh ideas.

Pahin(g)a Journal in nine calming colors wrapped in vegan leather

Seven ways to reduce anxiety through imagination IMAGINATION can cause or indo they look like? What gifts do crease anxiety – the feeling of worry, they offer to help you with your challenges? unease or nervousness in anticipation 3. Imagine a color of future events. Fortunately, it can Think of a color that you love also be utilized in calming negative and de-stresses you. Now envisthought patterns and reclaiming inner peace. age that you are surrounded by A study spearheaded by Marianne it. Breathe in and out deeply while immersing in it.

Cumella Reddan and her colleagues 4. Consider body movement from the University of Colorado What is that dance or moveBoulder Department of Psychology ment that relaxes you? Imagine and Neuroscience discovered that and explore the different modeliberate imagination is equally eftions and experience which one fective as reality to stimulate, regulate works best to decrease your and inhibit the brain. anxiety.

On the other hand, Integrative and 5. Tap into music Holistic Medicine physician Chris Play the protective song or Gilbert, M.D., Ph.D., who specialtempo that you love. Use your izes in the combination of Western voice or any accessible musical and Eastern Medicine and is known Determine which instrument to explore the differfor treating chronic illnesses, anxiety dance or movement Unleash your ent rhythms. and depression through pioneering emotions through art 6. Try drawing or painting methods, has noted down creative relaxes you Draw that beautiful place techniques that can be used by both ton. Breathe in slowly to the count of three, adults and children in lowering their anxi- the balloon expands. Breathe out slowly you would love to be in. Include the eties. and the balloon deflates. Within three to imaginary person or fantastic animals Together, the Benilde Well-Being ten breaths, you will likely find yourself and wizards who wish to protect you.

Center (BWC) of the De La Salle- calmer.

Paint it with the colors that you love. If College of Saint Benilde, through the Once relaxed, visualize a beautiful unable to draw, you may utilize colors to observations of Reddan and finding Dr. place that you would love to be in. It may symbolize them.

Gilbert, have collectively provided re- be somewhere you have been in the past 7. Envision your fantasy scenario. minders and released guidelines on how or a spot you wish to visit. What sounds If anything were possible, what would to use the imagination for a healthier and can you hear? What can you smell? Bask you wish to happen? Imagine the details of happier life: in this scene and you will be amazed by your fantasy scenario as if it were happen1. Start with the “balloon breath” how fast you calm down. ing right now. Take the time to bathe in it. and then imagine a beautiful place 2. Visualize a protective animal, per- Visualizing makes the impossible possible Imagine a balloon inside your abdomen son, or wizard in your brain and it will help reclaim your a couple of inches below your belly butYou may envision more than one. What peace.

Start with the ‘balloon breath’ then imagine a beautiful place

Think of your favorite color to de-stress

Visualize a protective animal, person, or wizard

Music, for many, is also an effective way to reduce anxiety

“When we rest, we replenish lost energy, avoid over-stimulation, improve blood circulation, express better, as well as foster deeper connection with people and the environment,” she adds.

Journaling is just one way of getting rest and that is what I do. I jot down my stream of consciousness or reflections.

At times, I write letters to myself. I find writing therapeutic. Plus it’s a safe way to unload a burden you cannot yet share with anyone else. If you are not much into writing, you can try sketching, or list-making, mood diary or whatever it is that suits you. Others turn to music, communing with nature, painting, yoga, and meditation among other forms of taking a break from the usual busy day.

As for me, it has always been taking long walks and journaling.

Online store Looking for Juan launched the Pahin(g)a journal in January 2021 as a tool to help us through the pandemic. Each undated page of Pahin(g)a has various sections designed to rest the mind.

“The Pahin(g)a journal encourages users to slow down. Our hope is that through this journal we can prioritize self-care to strengthen ourselves so we can extend more to others,” explained LFJ Chief Executive Officer, Larissa Chavez.

As part of the online event, certified sound healer and co-founder of V432 wellness, Tonette Asprer took over

with her soothing music.

“Sound is such a powerful yet gentle tool that allows us to pause, rest, and heal effortlessly and gracefully. Focusing and listening to music intended for healing and rest will definitely entrain you to its intentional vibrations of relaxation and ease,” she said.

Looking for Juan was created in 2019 with social responsibility at its core. It aims to promote public appreciation for Philippine arts and culture, as well as champion children’s literacy. Every purchase from www.lookingforjuan. com contributes to book donations to children in disadvantaged communities, in support of the One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children campaign of Looking for Juan’s non-profit partner, the Center of Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (CANVAS).

Check out or shop for Looking for Juan products at www.lookingforjuan.com.

Talking about feelings can be very hard. Words, at times, don’t come with ease. And not everyone has the gift of gab. But certainly, we all need to rest. So whatever it is that floats your boat when it comes to getting rest — be it getting a long and uninterrupted sleep; going to the spa or retreat; turning to arts; and what have you – go do it.

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

Asian skincare trends that should be on your beauty radar IN THE past few years, Asia has been considered as a beauty innovator, offering beauty enthusiasts all over the world with fresh new ways to tackle their skin concerns. This year is no different. Whether you’re a beauty junkie or someone who wants to shake up their skincare routine, here are three Asian beauty trends that can help you achieve that healthy, glowing skin.

Mochi skin. The Japanese refer to nice skin as mochi-hada, or rice-cake skin, a reference to the ultra-soft and plump Japanese dessert. So, mochi skin essentially means having a complexion as supple and smooth as these popular treats.

Achieving mochi skin is tied up with the Japanese skincare philosophy of nourishing – thorough gentle cleansing, and multiple hydrating and moisturizing layers.

One of the products they use to get that mochilike bounciness and smoothness is a face lotion.

There’s no specific equivalent to face lotions but you can consider them as something like skin conditioners, applied after cleansing. Considered a vital step to mochi-hada, face lotions soften the skin, hydrate, and even perform a few extras. Since hydration (technically adding water to the skin, and not to be confused with moisturizing, which is adding oils) is key, face lotions are usually full of water-pushing humectants like hyaluronic acid or aloe.

A go-to face lotion brand in Japan is Hada Labo, which sells out a bottle every five seconds. Its key ingredient is hyaluronic acid that’s known for retaining water in the skin. The Goku Jyun Hydrating Lotion, Japan’s #1 face lotion and Hada Labo’s star product, is infused with four types of hyaluronic acid to fully hydrate skin from the surface to inner skin layers, locking moisture in. There’s also the Goku Jyun Hydrating Light Lotion which is great for oily or combination skin with its light, non-greasy texture. Both are formulated with Japan’s High-

Performance Penetrating and Deep Moisturizing Technology to get that soft, smooth, and supple skin—just like mochi.

KonMari-ing the vanity. World-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo’s philosophy of only keeping things that spark joy has reached beauty shelves. More and more beauty enthusiasts are now subscribing to skinimalism, paring their skincare regimen down to the most basic products that their skin needs or opting for multifunctional ones. This approach to beauty discourages piling the skin up with product after product that can aggravate skin concerns or lead to new ones.

Hada Labo believes in the same beauty philosophy with its Perfect X Simple skin care range formulated to bring beauty back to the basics. For a complete and effective yet fuss-free skincare routine, the Goku Jyun Hydrating Lotion is usually paired up with the Goku Jyun Hydrating Face Wash, an ultrafine foam that gently washes away impurities without drying or irritating the skin, and the Goku Jyun Hydrating Light Cream, a light watery moisturizer that’s meant to lock, replenish, and store moisture deep in skin.

Gel textures. Here’s a friendly reminder: overloading the skin with thick products can clog pores and cause breakouts, especially to those with oily and acne-prone skin. That’s why skincare products in lightweight gel textures are gaining traction, as they moisturize the skin without all the unnecessary grease. Hada Labo’s skincare line offers the Goku Jyun Hydrating Water Gel that’s formulated to quickly absorb into the skin and leave it with a velvety soft finish, thanks to its non-greasy and ultra-lightweight water in gel texture.

Let Asia’s beauty experts guide you with new ways of caring for your skin. Start a new skincare goal with Hada Labo, now available at Watsons online and stores, at the official Mentholatum store on Lazada and Shopee, and at Zalora.