Manila Standard - 2022 May 3 - Tuesday

INC endorses BBM, Sara

Church bloc-voting potential 2 million votes to pad support Tulfo, Legarda lead Pulse poll T on Senate bets

By Jimbo Gulle and Joyce Pañares

HE Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) is endorsing the tandem of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for president and Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio for vice president in the May 9 elections, multiple sources said Tuesday.

The INC leadership is expected to announce this officially with just six days left before Election Day. With around 2 million voting members, INC churchgoers are expected to follow the church leaders’ choice of candidates when they vote.

Marcos and Duterte-Carpio are currently leading the presidential and vice presidential races, respectively, based on the Pulse Asia, Laylo Research and PUBLiCUS surveys conducted in April (see related story below — Editors).

Previously, the Facebook group UniTeam BBM-Sara shared a YouTube video claiming the INC had already endorsed Marcos and Duterte.

The video posted by Robin Sweet Showbiz on April 11 was viewed 110,223 times, but the endorsement was not officially denied by the homegrown sect. INC’s official website also has not posted any political endorsement.

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VOL. XXXVI • NO. 77 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Marcos-Duterte tandem still on top of Pulse Asia...

By Rey E. Requejo

Presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos

SIX days before the May 9 elections, survey frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. remains on top of the field of presidential candidates, according to the latest Pulse Asia preferential survey released on Monday.

The results of the survey conducted last April 16 to 21 showed Marcos’ rating was unchanged at 56% from the poll conducted on March 17 to 21.

Marcos’s rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, took the second spot with 23%, down 1% from the previous survey.

His running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, also maintained the top spot in the vice-presidential race with a 55-percent rating.

This was down by 1 point from the March survey but 37 points higher than her closest rival, Senate President

Vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte-Carpio

BROADCAST journalist Raffy Tulfo and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda were the most preferred senatorial candidates in Pulse Asia’s April survey – 50.4 percent and 49.4 percent respectively – conducted in April, according to results released Monday.

They were followed by actor Robin Padilla with 42.9 percent, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano with 42.3 percent, Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero with 38.6 percent, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian with 37 percent.

In another survey done by PUBLiCUS Asia from April 19 to 21, Escudero was the top pick with 46.8 percent, Next page

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...Also in PUBLiCUS April survey

in NCR, UniTeam duo dominates PRE-ELECTION surveys frontrun- to Election Day. ner former Senator Ferdinand “BongThe survey had a ±3 percent margin bong” Marcos Jr. has maintained his of error. lead over nine opponents in the recent The 64-year-old Marcos, who has survey of PUBLiCUS in the National been campaigning on the slogan that Capital Region – only eight days away Next page

Another witness recants claim vs. jailed De Lima

Filipino-Muslim community observes Eid’l Fitr

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

By Vito Barcelo A KEY witness in the drug case against Senator Leila de Lima on Monday retracted his testimony and accused former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of coercing him to testify against her.

Rafael Ragos, former deputy director for intelligence at the National Bureau of Investigation ( NBI), signed a sworn statement Saturday disavowing his earlier claim that he personally delivered P5 million to Ronnie Dayan, De Lima’s bodyguard at the time, at her residence in Parañaque City in November and December 2012.

De Lima was Justice secretary at that time and the drug money was supposedly for the 2013 elections—even though she did not run in that year.

“I now hereby declare and make known to the whole world that there is no truth whatsoever to any of these affidavits or House and court Next page

EID’L FITR. Members of the Muslim community offer prayers at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila in celebration of the end of the holy month of Ramadan early Monday morning. Norman Cruz

PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte joined the Filipino-Muslim community in celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan and giving thanks to the Almighty for sustaining and blessing them during the month-long fasting.

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, I join the entire Filipino-Muslim community in celebrating Eid’l Fitr,” Duterte said in his message.

Duterte added: “May this even inspire you to remain models not only of the Islamic faith, but also of goodwill and compassion for all of humanity,” as he wished for the “blessed and meaningful celebration” of the end of Ramadan.

“In this festive conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan, our Muslim brothers and sisters are given the chance to revel in the enlightenment and connection that they have received from Allah.”

“We have been sustained greatly by Next page

6 children, 2 adults die in fire inside UP campus

WARM WELCOME. Former Vice President and senatorial candidate Jejomar Binay pays a

courtesy call on Davao City mayor and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio at the Davao City Hall.

EIGHT people died, including six children, when a fire ripped through a poor community in Quezon City on Monday and destroyed 80 houses, a fire official said.

Another three people were injured in the blaze which started around 5:00 am on the second floor of a house in a crowded, informal settlement inside the sprawling campus of the University of the Philippines.

It took nearly two hours to extinguish the inferno, Senior Fire Officer Greg Bichayda told AFP. An investigation into the cause was under way.

The victims were trapped inside their homes as “the fire spread quickly,” Bichayda said.

Their ages are not yet known, but he said six were minors.

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AFTER THE BLAZE. Funeral personnel carry a cadaver that was recovered after a fire

broke out at a residential area at Brgy. UP Campus in Quezon City on Monday, May 2, 2022.

Manny Palmero

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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022

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COVID close contacts told: Stay at home

By Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo

H

EALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday advised close contacts of a person who tested positive for COVID-19 to stay at home and refrain from going out during the May 9 elections.

who already tested positive for COVID-19 will be able to come out of their homes or isolation facilities. If that’s the case, we can’t do anything but allow them to vote,” Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said in a Balitanghali interview.

Duque said such matters will still be discussed with the Comelec for “finetuning” considering that it is the first time for the country to conduct an election during a pandemic.

The Comelec said on Monday that voters will not be made to present a COVID-19 vaccination card or a negative RT-PCR test result.

In a statement, the Comelec said registered voters who may show symptoms of COVID-19 on May 9 can still vote at isolation polling precincts.

Garcia said registered voters need to bring their face masks and alcohol.

Wearing of face shields is not required in polling precincts.

The temperature of voters will be checked at the entrance of the school or poll precinct and if they exhibit symptoms or a high temperature, they will be directed to vote in an isolated polling precinct, he said.

He also advised voters to immediately go home after voting and no longer loiter around the polling place or schools as there are still risks of COVID-19 infections.

He said the poll body will still implement health protocol restrictions to avoid the spread of the virus.

The Department of Health (DOH) said Monday that there are six regions in the country that showed a positive growth rate in infections in the last one to two weeks.

Duque, when asked in a Super Radyo dzBB interview if family members of a person who is a COVID-19 positive can still go out and vote on Election Day, said, “No. If someone is isolated, they should stay where they are because that is included in our Disease Notifiable Act of 2021 or Republic Act Number 11332.”

“If you are sick or you are isolated, you have to stay indoors. You can’t go out and spread the virus. That is not correct from a public health point of view,” Duque said in Filipino.

Duque said even family members of a COVID-19 positive should be assumed to have contracted the virus already since they live together and the Omicron variant is more transmissible compared to the Delta variant.

However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that COVID-19 positives and even those who have COVID-19 symptoms on Election Day will be allowed to vote in isolation polling precincts.

“There is also a possibility that those

Another...

From A1

Rody warns next admin: Brace for spiraling oil prices

testimonies, or any other statement made in the media or other investigatory proceedings, including the Senate and the DOJ, on the delivery of monies to Secretary Leila De Lima or Ronnie Dayan in whatever amount,” he said.

In his testimony, Ragos said the money came from a convicted drug lord, Peter Co, and another Bilibid inmate, Hans Tan, had told him it was De Lima’s cut in the proceeds from the drug trade.

In his sworn statement Saturday, Ragos said none of this happened.

“Hans Tan never called to order me to deliver any money to Ronnie Dayan and Secretary De Lima that came from Peter Co as their share in the illegal drug trade. Even if he did that, I will never follow the orders of a mere Bilibid inmate, knowing it to be illegal,” he said.

“There was never any money delivered to my quarters. Even if there was, I would have immediately conducted an investigation and filed a case against the responsible individuals, instead of following the instructions of an unknown caller or Hans Tan to deliver a package like an ordinary messenger,” he said.

He added that De Lima was “incapable of doing anything illegal.”

“As far as I know and based on my professional relationship with Secretary de Lima, she is incapable of doing anything illegal, much less engage in the illegal drug trade or accept money from Bilibid inmates,” his statement read.

Ragos said it was Aguirre who forced him to testify against De Lima during a meeting at a hotel-casino in Parañaque in September 2016, a week before the House inquiry on the alleged illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.

“During said meeting, then Secretary Aguirre interrogated and coerced me to admit something that did not happen. He escorted me to another room...and they showed me a statement,” Ragos said.

Aguirre then told him to execute an affidavit to corroborate the testimony of his aide at the time, Jovencio Ablen Jr. He said Public Attorney’s Office lawyer Rigel Salvador then drafted the affidavit implicating De Lima.

Ragos said he was coerced into giving false testimony at the House of Representatives under the threat of being detained for the same crime, which he said he did not commit.

Ragos was initially included among the accused in one of Delima’s three cases.

“In order to be dropped from the Information in Criminal Case No. 17165 as a co-accused of Secretary De Lima and Ronnie Dayan, I was forced to cooperate with Secretary Aguirre and the DOJ public prosecutors by agreeing to deliver all these false testimonies and sign false affidavits against Secretary De Lima and Ronnie Dayan. I was thus made a witness against Secretary De Lima and Ronnie Dayan and set free,” he said.

...Also...

From A1 stresses unity, got a preferential rating of 52.2 percent in the poll held from April 25 to 28.

The 57-year-old Vice President Leni Robredo was in second place with 27.9 percent. Her rating increased by 3.6 percent, the pollster said.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, 47, was in third place with 7.3 percent; followed by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, 73, with 4 percent; Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacqquiao, 43,

stop... Every day, the prices will increase and increase and increase until we can have a stable situation until all the countries including the Philippines will recover,” he said.

Duterte said the Russia-Ukraine war risked becoming one of “attrition” in which each side would seek to wear down the other.

He raised concerns that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine would escalate to nuclear war.

“When it escalates into a nuclear war, we won’t have anything to talk about.

Everything is over,” he said.

Duterte also appealed to transport groups holding protests over fuel price hikes to thoroughly understand the factors driving up oil prices.

“Every time that you complain and

go into a demonstration, just make sure that you realize and understand the importance of oil and how it would affect all nations,” he said.

Malacañang said the Philippines joined the rest of the world in praying for an “early and peaceful” resolution to the conflict between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the country’s oil firms cut pump prices by as much as P1.15 per liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

“Petron will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. on May 3: P0.65 per liter of gasoline; P1.15 per liter for diesel and 1.15 per liter for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron Corp., the country’s biggest oil firm, said in its advisory.

seek the endorsement of the INC, which has been known to deliver the votes of its millions of members.

Candidates also seek the blessings of other religious organizations such as El Shaddai of Bro. Mike Velarde and Jesus Is Lord of televangelist-turned-congressman Bro. Eddie Villanueva.

Last month, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church, the spiritual adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte, gave his endorsement to the Marcos-Duterte tandem.

Historically, the INC backed Bongbong’s father, former President Ferdi-

nand E. Marcos Sr., during the 1965, 1969, 1981 and 1986 elections.

Since its establishment in 1914, the INC has been active in the political scene, particularly during the elections.

Based on several articles published

by INC’s Pasugo, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and other media outlets, the religious group has proved time and again, that its bloc vote could deliver victories for most if not all of its chosen candidates.

INC has reportedly endorsed the candidacies of former Philippine presidents since President Manuel Quezon’s time.

Vicente Sotto III, who remained at second place with 18 percent.

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan stayed at third place with 16 percent, up just one point over the last month. Dr. Willie Ong is at fourth place with 3 percent, followed

by Manny Lopez with 1 percent, overtaking Rep. Lito Atienza at fifth place.

The latest Pulse Asia Survey was conducted among 2,400 respondents — all registered voters aging 18 years old and above — using face-to-face interviews. The margin of error is at ±2%.

According to Pulse Asia, the respondents were asked: “If the coming May 2022 elections were held today, whom would you vote for as president of the Philippines?”

In a statement, Marcos’ spokesman, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, welcomed Marcos’ lead in the presidential survey.

“Seven days to go before election day, the trajectory and the numbers of presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos and vice-presidential leader Sara Duterte are showing no signs of slowing down,” Rodriguez said.

“The message and call for unity have reverberated all over the land among a great majority of Filipinos who responded by continuously embracing the tandem of BBM-SARA,” he added.

Rodriguez emphasized that the most important survey would be on Election Day. “We call upon our countrymen to be

vigilant and let us make sure that the true and genuine will of the people shall be heard, be counted and prevail,” he said.

Among other presidential bets, Senator Manny Pacquiao took over third place from Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso. From 6% in the March survey, Pacquiao’s rating increased to 7% while Moreno’s dropped from 8% to 4%.

Senator Panfilo Lacson’s rating was unchanged at 2%. He was followed in the Pulse Asia poll by Ernie Abella (1%), Faisal Mangondato (1%), Leody de Guzman, (0.3%), Norberto Gonzales (0.1%), and Jose Montemayor Jr. (0.1%).

The camp of Marcos expressed confidence of victory on May 9 but vowed not to be complacent.

“We are optimistic. We are confident, but we are never complacent and that is always our guarded optimism!” Rodriguez said in an interview with broadcaster Anthony Taberna, as he called on millions of their supporters to remain calm but vigilant and ensure their votes are counted.

“Of course, when you embark on a big undertaking as huge as this, you have to have a positive mindset. Similarly, our campaign is positive campaigning. Now, we’re down into the last stretch of the campaign, are we confident? We have to be, otherwise, we do not have any business continuing with our campaign if we are not confident or optimistic of our chances come May 9,” Rodriguez said.

For Robredo’s camp, her numbers remain “encouraging” despite her slight drop, her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez

said in a statement.

“Her numbers remain encouraging, even if the survey does not yet capture the series of massive rallies from midApril onwards, including the recordbreaking 400k+ Pasay rally on April 23,” he said.

“The latest Pulse Asia survey... confirms Vice President Leni Robredo’s upward trajectory and momentum,” Gutierrez added.

He noted that Robredo’s supporters are continuing “intensified efforts” of house-to-house and person-to-person campaigns, which he hopes will translate into votes next Monday.

“This has truly become a people’s campaign, a grassroots movement of Filipinos from all walks of life and from all over the Philippines,” he said.

Rodriguez added there are lots of information and misinformation flying around these few days leading to elections, and he urged Marcos supporters to be very circumspect and wary when processing and verifying anything that comes their way.

He also urged the public to trust the electoral process and the institution, particularly the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that will mainly be responsible for conducting the political exercise.

“In fact, we have to support them. We have to strengthen them. Do we trust Smartmatic? well, it’s a tough question you’ve asked . . . As long as we have a sad experience in 2016. So, that is what we need to watch but that is what we believe in the government,” said Rodriguez.

with 1.4 percent; labor leader Leodegario “Leody” De Guzman, 62, with 0.9 percent; former Palace spokesperson Ernesto Abella, 73, with 0.6 percent; and former Defense chief Norberto Gonzales, 75, with 0.3 percent.

The survey firm said 4.6 percent of the respondents were undecided, while 0.4 percent said they were not supporting any presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, 43, also kept her lead in the vice presidential race with 55.1 percent, followed by Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, 58, with 19.4 percent. Both candidates garnered around 4 percent ad-

ditional support from respondents.

Statistically tied at third place were Dr. Willie Ong, 58, with 9.6 percent and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd, 73, with 9.3 percent. They were followed by Buhay Party-list Rep, Jose “Lito” Atienza, 80, and former Akbayan Party-list Rep. Walden Bello, 76, with 0.9 and 0.8 percent respectively.

In the same survey, Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, broadcaster Raffy Tulfo, and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda led in the NCR survey for senatorial candidates. They got the support of at least 40 percent of respondents.

By Alena Mae S. Flores OUTGOING President Rodrigo Duterte has warned the new administration, which will begin its Constitutionally mandated six-year term on June 30, will bear the brunt of increasing oil prices caused by the now three-monthold Russia-Ukraine war.

The 77-year-old Duterte, in his speech in Clark, Pampanga Sunday, warned his successor to brace up for the possibility that escalating tensions between the two countries could cause skyrocketing oil prices.

“We are really going to suffer, that’s why I am thankful to God that my term is about to end. I just want him to speed up the days because the person who comes next would be pitiful. It won’t

INC...

From A1 Marcos Jr’s spokesman and chief of staff Vic Rodriguez denied last month that the endorsement has been made.

The UniTeam on February had their proclamation rally at the INC-owned Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

In 2016, the INC endorsed the candidacies of President Rodrigo Duterte and Bongbong Marcos, who was then running for the vice presidency.

Presidential candidates traditionally

Marcos-...

From A1

Filipino-...

From A1 our faith in the past years when our nation faced the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Let us therefore be truly grateful for the constant guidance and provision we have received all throughout this whole ordeal,” he added.

The President said that he hopes that the spirits of the Filipino Muslims are “truly refreshed” while their strength are “fully renewed.”

Eid’l Fitr, also known as Hari Raya Puasa, marks the end of Ramadan, the

Comelec assures public: No more hours-long glitch

By Vito Barcelo THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said it can guarantee there will be no repeat this year of the hours-long glitch that marred the 2019 midterm elections, even as the poll body grappled with the fallout from the cancellation of the final presidential and vice presidential debates.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said the officials responsible for authorizing a P15.3 million payout to the poll body’s debate partner, Impact Hub Manila, despite assurances that no public funds would be spent on the debate, would stay on their jobs while the deal was being investigated.

“Nothing has changed in the Comelec. He is still the face of the Comelec, the official spokesperson,” Garcia said of Director James Jimenez, one of two poll officials who approved the payout.

The other was Comelec Education and Information Director Frances Aguindadao Arabe. Both executives are being investigated for possible criminal liability for an alleged “disadvantageous deal” with Impact Hub Manila, the private company that organized the presidential and vice presidential debates.

In an interview with ANC’s Headstart, Garcia said the seven-hour glitch in the 2019 midterm elections was caused by a bottleneck in data coming from several precincts.

He said the Comelec was able to determine that the transparency servers had been swamped by too much incoming data, a problem that has since been corrected.

The official canvass of the presidential and vice-presidential race will begin on May 23 when Congress resumes its session, Garcia said.

Tulfo,...

From A1 followed by Cayetano at 42.6 percent and Gatchalian at 40.5 percent.

In the Pulse Asia Research survey, other senatorial aspirants who have a statistical chance of winning in the May 9 polls include Senator Miguel Zubiri with 37 percent, former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar with 35.9 percent, former senator JV Ejercito with 34.3 percent, former Vice President Jejomar Binay with 32.5 percent, Senator Risa Hontiveros with 32.3 percent, and former senator Jinggoy Estrada with 32.3 percent.

Trailing them were former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista with 26.6 percent, Senator Joel Villanueva with 26.5 percent, former Information and Communications Technology secretary Gregorio Honasan II with 22.4 percent, Senator Richard Gordon with 19.3 percent, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV with 19 percent, and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque with 17.9 percent.

The Pulse Asia survey was taken using face-to-face interviews of 2,400 respondents aged 18 and above who are registered voters and are likely to vote in the May 2022 elections.

It was conducted from April 16 to 21, 2022 and has a ±2 percent error margin at a 95 percent confidence level, according to Pulse Asia.

6Fromchildren,...

A1 “The houses consist of light materials. When the fire broke out, people were shocked,” Bichayda said.

“Our station was just nearby but they weren’t able to call us immediately.”

More than 13 million people live in the densely populated capital, with tens of thousands in overcrowded slums where fires are common. AFP month when Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset.

At the same time, Duterte has declared May 3 as a regular holiday for the observance of Eid’l Fitr.

Duterte signed Proclamation 1356 on Sunday but was released by the Palace only Monday.

Meanwhile, leaders of the House of Representatives greeted the Muslim community on the celebration of the Eid’l Fitr.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez also called for unity and peace among all sectors of society.

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A3

Danao gets dual role as acting police DCO

A

MINOR change takes place in the Philippine National Police (PNP) hierarchy as an offshoot of the retirement on Monday of its deputy chief of operations (DCO).

Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, head of the PNP directorial staff, takes over in acting capacity as deputy chief of operations vice Lt. Gen. Ferdinand

PNP Gen. Dionardo Carlos on May 8.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said Danao’s dual role in the PNP would still need the approval of President Duterte.

Ano explained that Danao, being Divina who has reached the manda- the most senior police officer, may tory retirement age of 56. assume the DCO post “by the operaDivina bows out of service just six tion of the law.’’ days before the retirement of chief He stressed the importance of fill-

ing up the vacancy, saying that the DCO head is also the commander of the National Task Force (NTF) for the May 9 local and national elections.

Año said Carlos’ tenure as PNP chief may only be extended in times of war or national emergency declared by Congress.

“Those are the guidelines and of course the legal office of Malaca-

ñang will assess if there is any violation of the law, but the election may be considered as a special emergency situation. So it depends on how it will be treated and what is the appreciation of President Duterte on the matter,’’ Año said.

Año has forwarded to Malacanang the names of two nominees to the top PNP post after Carlos stepped down.

Fiscal discipline, investments fuel economic growth—economist A PROMINENT economist said only an improved and innovative public sector will bridge the gap and reduce inequality for inclusive growth.

Dr. Charlotte Justine Diokno-Sicat, research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and president of the Philippine Economic Society (PES), underscored this in her paper “Promoting an Investment-Driven Economy Through Good Governance.”

Sicat said the reform would involve fiscal consolidation and strategic investments in physical and human capital.

Sicat’s paper was launched during a virtual town hall discussion held March 31, organized by think-tank Stratbase ADR Institute.

She said there should be no policy reversals nor any major institutional disruptions that would affect revenue raising or spending capacity of the national government.

“There is a need for prudent and strategic spending to pump prime the economy to outgrow debt, given that the public debt ratio has increased from 39.6 percent in 2019 to 60.5 percent in 2021,” she said.

According to Sicat, policy makers would still be managing the now-endemic COVID-19 while trying to sustain the 5.3 percent economic recovery of 2021 from the economic contraction of 9.5 percent in 2020.”

“Government should continue to invest in both human capital and infrastructure but strategically so because of the need for fiscal consolidation,” she stated.

The strategic capital investments will encourage private sector participation at all levels, she added. “The largest fiscal multipliers are in infrastructure which, in the short-term, increases income but longterm encourages more business investments and tourism. The 2022 allocation for infrastructure and capital outlays is 5.7 percent of GDP, far from the 6.7 percent in 2017 but higher than 2021. These prioritizations should be continued to jumpstart the economy.”

“There is a need for institutional innovations which cut across the public sector such as investments in data and information systems and harnessing digitalization,” Sicat said.

“The lack of capabilities and access to ICT instruments cause a digital divide, which is a gap between socio-demographics with access to ICT. E-government solutions will lead to social exclusion if these issues remain unaddressed. Harnessing digitalization requires a wholeof-society approach and provides a major role for the private sector contribute to/ participate in to sustain economic recovery,” she noted.

COMELEC GUN BAN. Armando Mallorca of the Commission on Elections and Pasay City chief of police Cesar Goblin Paday-os apply masking tapes on the service firearms of security personnel of local politicians to ensure the conduct of orderly and peaceful elections on May 9.

Job fairs chalk up 2,000 workers hired, 7,000 in waitlist

By Vito Barcelo MORE than 2,000 jobseekers were hired on the spot, while 7,000 others were considered as nearhires during the nationwide Trabaho Negosyo Kabuhayan Job and Business Fairs in observance of Labor Day. Meanwhile, Sen. Joel Villanueva said a “postpandemic Filipino workforce” was emerging in the country coming from the past two years, and that government policies should catch up in addressing their concerns.

Labor secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday said the day job fairs was one of the government’s efforts toward employment recovery.

At least 1,076 employers participated in the events, and offered a total of 153,397 local and overseas jobs. It was the first-ever nationwide onsite job fair since the onset of the pandemic.

About19,730 applicants trooped to the various job fair sites, of which 2,262 were hired on the spot, mostly for the positions of production operator, cashier, sales associate, and sales clerk.

Moreover, 7,907 applicants were scheduled for further interviews. They may be eventually hired, depending on the outcome of their interview and compliance with the pre-employment requirements of the hiring company.

Meanwhile, 463 applicants were referred to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for skills training, while 507 were referred to the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns for livelihood training/assistance, and 348 others were referred to the Department of Trade and Industry for business inquiries and concerns.

246 airport projects completed under Duterte admin—CAAP THE government has completed more than 200 airport projects under the administration of President Duterte, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said on Monday.

CAAP cited a report from Transportation assistant secretary for the aviation and airports sector Jaime Alberto Melo stating that 246 airport projects have been completed from 2016 to 2022, The government has also completed the improvement and upgrading several airports nationwide, the report stated.

Among the notable projects were the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA), New Clark International Air-

port (CIA), and the Bicol International Airport (BIA).

The CAAP also cited the increase in the number of night-rated airports and the installation of additional 13 Communications, Navigation Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems, ensuring a 100 percent coverage of the country’s airspace.

On Monday, the new passenger terminal building of Clark International Airport (CRK) was officially opened. The state-ofthe-art facility was envisioned to be Asia’s next premier gateway.

The design capacity of the 110,000-sqm new terminal building can handle a total of eight million passengers every year. Joel Zurbano

PCG SPEEDBOATS. Philippine Coast Guard chief Admiral Artemio Abu and other PCG officials inspect the speed boats that will be deployed to various places in Metro Manila to help safeguard the integrity and credibility of the May 9 national and local elections. Danny Pata

QC allots P500/mo. aid for one year to ‘most vulnerable’ constituents THE Quezon City government is giving out P500 a month to qualified indigent senior citizens, solo parents and persons with disabilities in the city as financial assistance for one year.

The dole-out was embodied in City Ordinance No. SP-3115, S-2022 meant to help alleviate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the “most

vulnerable sectors of society,” as well as the price increases of basic goods.

The measure covers indigent senior citizens, solo parents and PWDs who were not already benefiting from any other regular government financial assistance, such as social pension and cash transfer program.

Only one beneficiary per household

can avail of the financial aid to be given following the approval of the implementing rules and regulations.

Prospective beneficiaries may submit their application to the Office for the Senior Citizens Affairs, Persons with Disability Office, or with the Social Services and Development Department for indigent solo parents.

After 12 months, these offices will conduct a re-evaluation to determine if beneficiaries remain eligible for the program.

A separate ordinance grants P500 weekly unemployment assistance to displaced workers for a maximum of eight weeks per year, to augment their meager resources Rio N. Araja

Sen. Villar cites significance of eggs, abaca trade laws SENATOR Cynthia Villar welcomed President Duterte’s enactment of two laws recognizing the growth of the abaca and egg industries in the country.

Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. (RA) 1170 declaring the province of Catanduanes as the abaca capital of the Philippines, as well as RA 11707 making the municipality of San Jose in Batangas as the egg basket of the country.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, was author of the two measures which she vigorously pushed in the Senate.

With RA 1170 now a law, Villar believed it would spur the growth of the abaca industry. She noted the Philippines has long been known to be the leading producer of abaca.

“Catanduanes is the highest producer with 31.72 percent contribution in the country’s abaca production in 2020, 33.74 percent in 2019 and 33.37 percent in 2018,” Villar said.

She said Catanduanes accounted for more than 80 percent of Bicol regions’ production, with at least 21,500 hectares of land dedicated to abaca.

She emphasized that the Philippines dominated the global abaca trade as the country supplies about 87.5 percent of the world’s abaca fiber requirements, with Ecuador and Costa Rica, sharing the remaining 12.5 percent as of 2016.

The new law on abaca provides that “the state recognizes the importance of the abaca industry and its development as a driver of rural development not only because of its singular potential as a raw material that can increase the country’s export earnings tremendously and put the name of the country in the map of the world for producing the biggest volume of abaca fiber but for having provided livelihood to many small farmers in the countryside.”

Watch out for human traffickers, illegal recruiters—BI

MUSLIM MURAL. A group of Filipino Muslim youngsters poses before a mural at the Manila City Hall underpass after attending a prayer celebrating the Eid’l Fitr at the Kartilya ng Katipunan shrine. Danny Pata

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente warned anew the aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) not to fall prey to trafficking and illegal recruitment schemes.

According to Morente, human trafficking remained a “real threat” to Filipinos as illegal recruiters continue to prey on vulnerable citizens.

“Human trafficking is considered as modern day slavery. It is real, and it has hit many Filipino families. These recruiters would make their victims agree to unacceptable working conditions, promising a better life by working abroad illegally. Many victims end up overworked, underpaid and sometimes not

even paid at all,” Morente stressed.

Working illegally abroad, Morente said, also adds to the vulnerability of the victim to abuse.

In 2021, the BI foiled a total of 688 attempts of human trafficking and illegal recruitment in the country’s international ports. In the same year, the BI stopped the departure of 13,680 passengers with improper documentation.

Victims would often be given fake documents or be trained to provide fake statements to work illegally abroad, or to depart for countries imposing travel bans.

The warning, Morente said, was aimed at raising awareness on the dangers of human

trafficking and illegal recruitment.

Morente underscored the BI’s role as part of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

“We remind ourselves of our duty as the last line of defense in protecting our kababayan from unscrupulous recruiters,” Morente said.

He said that the agency will remain committed in their fight against trafficking, and cited the country’s retention of its Tier 1 status in the United States Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Index.

A Tier 1 status in the TIP index shows that the country demonstrates appreciable progress each year in combating trafficking. Vito Barcelo

Akbayan will support Leni-Kiko tandem in coming May 9 elections

By Rio N. Araja THE Akbayan party-list has reiterated its support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo as well as of her running-mate Senator Francis Pangilinan and their team’s seven senatorial aspirants.

Apart from reelectionist Senator Risa Hontiveros, Akbayan is also backing Senator Leila de Lima, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, former representative Teddy Baguilat, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, trade union leader Sonny Matula and lawyer Alex Lacson in the May 9 national polls.

The group claims it is composed of 100,000 democratic socialists, progressives, reform advocates, and sectoral and mass movement leaders.

It identified three major considerations behind its endorsement -- loyalty to Robredo and Pangilinan, individual capacity, and integrity.

“First, the senatorial candidates have supported the presidential and vice-presidential campaigns of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan from the very begin-

ning. They did not waver. They did not flirt with other presidential candidates and hedge their bets,” the party list said.

“This is more than a show of loyalty.

It demonstrates a deep commitment to a vision of governance anchored on shared democratic values and principles. It is the path of integrity over political expediency and unprincipled compromise,” it added.

“They also continue to safeguard the nation’s coffers from plunderers and push back against modern authoritarianism. Their body of work is on full display. We can be assured that with these people in the Senate, they will continue to defend the people and fight for progressive change,” it said.

“If we are to truly craft a new democratic vision for the nation, we firmly believe that these values must remain paramount. They will ensure that indebtedness to the old ways of traditional and patronage politics are cast aside, and that conditions for people-centered governance can truly take root,” the group said.

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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022

News

PREPARING FOR MAY. A crew from Meralco energizes the newly-constructed building of San Joaquin Elementary School in Pasig City, which will be used as a polling center in the upcoming May 9 elections. The project aims to provide power to more than 3,000 polling, canvassing centers, and other election sites.

Ping vows to break vicious cycle of ‘vengeance’ among politicians

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

RESIDENTIAL candidate Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson said breaking the vicious cycle of vengeance between politicians and the electorate will be the underlying theme of his ‘miting de avance’ to wrap up his national campaign later this week.

Lacson said he and his campaign team are still finalizing the details of their two final assemblies, which they plan to hold in Cavite and one city in Metro Manila.

At this stage of the election season, the presidential bet to said he hopes he was able to connect with the enlightened voters.

“That’s why we’re focusing on dialogues- we’re focusing on issues, on

Binay wants to include college students in govt health program

By Joel E. Zurbano UNITED Nationalist Alliance party senatorial candidate Jejomar Binay on Monday said if elected, he will push for additional funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

(PhilHealth) to accommodate college students participating in faceto-face classes but do not have the means to pay for medical insurance.

“Our college students can hope that PhilHealth will have additional funding to accommodate them, especially those who will join face-toface classes,” Binay said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has allowed schools to operate in full capacity in areas under Alert Level 1.

However, the task force set several conditions on returning students, such as getting medical insurance and being fully vaccinated.

Binay said that there are students who cannot afford to pay the P300 premium as a direct contributor of PhilHealth.

“Many students are not direct contributors of PhilHleath, especially those from poor families, working students, and those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic,” the former vice president said.

While students under the age of 21 can be enrolled as their parents’ dependents, Binay said the subsidized PhlHealth enrollment will cover those who are older.

“They are the ones who need fundings because not everyone has the ability to get private health insurance,” he said.

Binay also appealed to other government agencies to fast-track students’ applications for indigency.

“Students with no visible means of income can apply as an indigent, which is an indirect member of PhilHealth,” he said.

“Now we are asking the agencies to expedite the issuance of the required certifications so that the student can immediately participate in face-to-face classes,” he added.

platforms. And whatever happens, at least, that is the legacy we can leave behind). We tried our best to change that culture of revenge between the voter and the voted,” he said.

Lacson also noted he and his running-mate Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III had been in public service long enough to recognize that elections had become nothing but a celebration of revenge between opposing

forces who should be working together.

“Because this has become a cycle of revenge already. When are we gonna stop? It is our country that suffers. This is not an exaggeration because we’ve been in public service for so long and we’ve observed so many elections.

That always happens, they are just fooling each other. We want to break that.,” said Lacson.

Sotto, for his part, mentioned they will keep discussing their campaign platforms anchored on their flagship Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program.

They believe this is what the country needs to effectively address its most pressing problems.

The vice-presidential candidate added he is hoping voters would remember him and Lacson as two of their duly

elected public officials, who also risked getting infected during the height of the pandemic to enact important laws for the benefit of our embattled frontline workers and citizens.

As this developed, Lacson remains hopeful he will be granted an opportunity to steer the nation towards a new and better direction, on behalf of the tireless volunteers who are working hard to push for his advocacies.

Lacson also acknowledged the efforts of volunteers who were sincerely campaigning for their team since Day One. Lacson said they are banking on the continuing support of 500,000 organic volunteers nationwide, who are focused on reaching out to the voters that are often ignored or rarely visited by other candidates.

Sara says MNLF support of UniTeam ‘essential’

By Maricel V. Cruz LAKAS Christian Muslim Democrates vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Monday expressed gratitude to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) for supporting her candidacy as well as the candidacy of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as president in the May 9 elections.

In a statement, Duterte said: “MNLF’s support is essential to our cause of bringing about meaningful and lasting peace and development in Mindanao and the rest of the country.”

The lady mayor said Datu Albakil Jikiri, National Vice Chairman for Military Affairs of MNLF, made the announcement recently in Zamboanga City.

“As the national government’s partner in peacebuilding in Mindanao over the years, MNLF’s support to the UniTeam will serve as a solid foundation in our pursuit of continued peace and development and equality of rights and opportunities for our Moro brothers and sisters,” she said.

As a Mindanaoan, Duterte stressed “I will always protect and support the interest of Mindanao and its people — knowing the role of Mindanao in the growth of the entire country.”

Meanwhile, Duterte thanked the lawmakers who crafted the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) law, saying that the resulting agency would be of great benefit to Dabawenyos, if not the entire population of Mindanao.

Her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, recently signed into law Republic Act (RA) 11708 or “An Act Creating Metropolitan Davao Development Authority.”

In an interview Monday over Net 25’s Sa Ganang Mamamayan, the lady mayor also gave special mention to Sen. Francis Tolentino, who incidentally was co-hosting the Net 25 program.

The MDDA cover Davao City and the nearby cities of Panabo, Tagum, and Samal in Davao del Norte; Digos in Davao del Sur; Mati in Davao Oriental; and the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Hagonoy, Padada, Malalag and Sulop in Davao del Sur; Carmen in Davao del Norte; Maco in Davao de Oro; and Malita and Sta. Maria in Davao Occidental.

More celebrities show support for Isko in May

By Rey E. Requejo WITH the May 9 elections just around the corner, the growing list of celebrities and social media influencers endorsing the presidential bid of Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso have become more vocal in calling on the electorate to vote for the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer, saying he is the right man to lead the Philippines towards a better future.

These include social media influencer Bryan Cristobal, better known as Banat By; musician Jimmy Bondoc; singer-songwriter Quest; Jay Manalo; and Billy Joe Crawford.

Other celebrities such as Lou Veloso, Rez Cortes, Mikee Quintos, Aljur Abrenica, Pio Balbuena, Charlie Fry, singer-comedian-host KitKat, actress and StarStuck finalist Diva Montelaba, and social media influencer KimShy Moves, among others, have also expressed full support for Moreno’s presidential bid.

Cristobal, who was once a big basher of Moreno and was initially close to the camp of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said he is now urging people to vote for Moreno because his leadership, vision, and many accomplishments in Manila speaks to the character of the man needed to lead the country.

“We have really seen the change in Manila. Very humble mom. Yorme’s character is very different from other candidates. When it comes to voting, tell your relative, we are there with the real public servant. That is Yorme, there is no one else. We can see that in Manila,” he said.

Bondoc, who also admitted to have switched to Mayor Isko, said a lot of deep thinking and long prayers made him realize that Moreno is the mostworthy candidate to be the next President of the Republic.

Rody ‘unsure’ if son will win reelection bid

REACHING OUT. Supporters of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso eagerly reach Moreno’s hand in support of his presidential candidacy in the 2022 election. Domagoso held a campaign sortie and grand rally in Lingayen, Pangasinan on Saturday.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday night admitted he is unsure if his son, Davao City (1st District) Rep. Paolo Duterte, will be elected to another three-year term.

The younger Duterte will be up against three independent candidates -- Maria Victoria Maglana, who brands herself as a peace and development advocate, businessman Jamal Ranon Kanan, and Jovanie Mantawel.

“Iyong congressman ko na anak, si Paolo, ewan ko kung manalo ngayon depende sa… eh talaga akong naniniwala ako ng destiny (My congressman son, Paolo, I don’t know if he will be reelected, it depends…I really believe in destiny),” Duterte said in a speech during a campaign event in Taguig City.

Duterte recalled how he himself did not expect to win the presidential elections in 2016.

“Hindi ko talaga alam noong nanalo ako bakit ako naging Presidente. Hindi ko

masyado... Ano talaga ‘yan, gulong ng palad. Pero kaya lang sabi nga ni ano (I really don’t know why I became President. It’s the wheel of fate. But), you know there is always a time for everything,” he added.

He hopes his children who are running in this year’s polls would provide Filipinos with a better life if elected.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is running for vice president while Sebastian Duterte is eyeing to succeed his sister.

“I hope that ‘yung mga anak ko, si Inday (Sara) at itong isang congressman sana, kung hindi na ako makatulong sa inyo, kung medyo tatanda na talaga ako, I hope na ‘yung mga anak ko sila na lang ang makatulong sa inyo lalo na ‘yung mga tao sa Taguig kagaya ninyo (I hope that my children, Inday and the other congressman…If I can no longer help you, if I am too old, I hope my children will be able to help you especially, you people of Taguig),” he said.

Solon wants higher penalties for vote-buying A CONGRESSIONAL leader on Monday sought stronger penalties against syndicated vote-buying and “cyber-vote buying” during elections.

Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas cited a need to amend Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 or the Omnibus Election Code, which punishes vote-buying and conspiracy to bribe voters.

“These provisions are over 30 years old. Sadly, those who seek to undermine the people’s right to vote have devised newer, more nefarious schemes that employ syndicated operations and modern technology,” he said in a statement.

“If we were to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and protect the peo-

ple’s right to suffrage, then the law must evolve,” he added.

Vargas said at present, the law punishes vote-buying with imprisonment of one to six years, “a punishment that does not reflect the importance of the right to suffrage, nor ascribe full value to our democratic ideals grounded on the electorate’s free and informed choice.”

“Indeed, 37 years have passed and the law on vote-buying remains static; unchanged, despite the dynamism of the electoral process that has since evolved from manual counting to electronic and automated elections,” he said in his explanatory note. Maricel V. Cruz

PINUNO’S ENDORSEMENT. Senator Lito Lapid formally endorsed his personal bets during a grand rally in Masantol, Pampanga on Sunday. Lapid, who served as Pampanga governor for nine years, asked his fellow Cabalens to support PINUNO Partylist led by first nominee Howard Guintu and Masantol Mayoralty candidate Homer Guintu.

Opinion Moonlighting as goons IT WAS reassuring to hear President Duterte order the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ensure a peaceful and orderly conduct of the upcoming May 9 elections.

The 220,000-strong PNP must support the Comelec to guarantee that the whole exercise will be honest, clean and fair in order to be successful and credible.

In the first place, PNP personnel should be apolitical or neutral, just like how the AFP troops conduct themselves during elections.

Some cops are said to be acting as hired guns for unscrupulous politicians.

Unfortunately, there are disturbing reports that some police units are engaging in partisan politics, favoring some candidates in exchange for hefty bribes.

Reports have it that policemen are moonlighting as goons or hired guns for some unscrupulous politicians or warlords in various regions.

In one instance, the chief of police in a local government unit (LGU) in Bulacan Province reportedly prohibited a mayoral candidate from holding a campaign rally for the reason that he is not a member or allied with an influential sect in the locality.

In a similar scenario, another mayoral candidate in Iloilo Province has been barred from holding his political rally because he is identified as a political nemesis of the incumbent local chief executive.

The mayoral candidates’ complaints have

reached the office of the PNP Chief General Dionardo Carlos and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Eduardo Año but there was no feedback as to the officials’ action nor response.

Meanwhile, fear gripped the constituents of Pilar town, Abra, after the bodyguard of reelectionist Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono was killed in a “shootout” with policemen after driving through a checkpoint without stopping.

Disono is running for reelection in tandem with incumbent Mayor Mario Somera.

The killing turned out to be an ambush, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after establishing that the group of Disono did not fire a single bullet.

There was no provocation on the part of Disono’s convoy.

There was no legitimate Comelec/PNP checkpoint as some of the assailants were in civilian clothes, the footage clearly shows.

The NBI filed murder charges against at least 12 policemen, including officials of the PNP Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) director, Abra provincial director and the Pilar town police chief.

According to the NBI, closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that the police mobile involved clearly did not sustain any damage from a gunshot as alleged by policemen.

CCTV showed that the gunshot that broke the windshield of the said police car appeared only after the vehicle left and returned to the crime scene, the NBI said.

The townspeople are terrified; they fear that they can be the next target of rogue policemen serving as “private army” of local political warlords or traditional politicians (trapos), making this year’s elections just like any other in the past for them.

Walang pa ring pagbabago.

A Camp Crame insider said the PNP is focused on its anti-illegal gambling drive rather than complying with the President’s order to ensure a peaceful, orderly, honest, clean, and fair elections.

I sure hope that means PNP being focused on stopping illegal gambling instead of goons for trapos.

The Lipa phenomenon (Part 2)

THIS is a continuation of my column on the Lipa phenomenon of 1948. Part 1 was about the rebuilding of the Lipa Monastery which was destroyed by the Japanese and completely restored through the efforts of six Carmelite nuns out of donations and contributions. I also wrote about Teresa “Teresing” Castillo, who at the age of 16 entered the monastery, with her two brothers trying to force her out because she escaped from the family who refused to let her go.

Taking from the book written by Rene C. De Jesus, Teresing underwent a lot of torment from demonic sources who tried very hard to make her return home.

I also wrote about the rose petals that showered the convent, which made thousands of pilgrim Marian devotees, particularly devotees of the Lady Mediatrix of All Grace, visit regularly the phenomenon of Lipa. I was one of them when my Sodality Club of the Ateneo de Manila in 1958, composed of Ateneo college students who were also devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, undertook a pilgrimage to Lipa to see the miraculous shower of rose petals which had the imprint of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin. I saw the rose petals strewn all over the garden of the monastery. I tried, as did my companions, to get hold of the petals, but we were prohibited by the nuns.

The Lipa phenomenon created mass hysteria and encouraged daily pilgrimages to Lipa so much so that soon enough a commission was formed to investigate the phenomenon. The result of the investigation created much controversy that soon enough the Archbishop of Lipa Alfredo Versoza and his Auxiliary Bishop Alfredo Obviar were dismissed without any reason at all. Even the investigation of the phenomenon was haphazard and sloppy which created discontent among Marian devotees, parry those who venerate the Lady Mediatrix of All Grace.

Even Teresing Castillo was dismissed as a postulate from the Carmelite monastery. She never married, but in her twilight years got Alzheimer’s Disease and it erased from her memory all that transpired in the monastery.

If she were alive today, she would be as old as I am at almost 95 years.

The verdict of the commission was rather strange to have reached the unanimous decision and conclusion in such a hurry and hereby officially decreed that the admitted evidence and testimonies excluded any supernatural intervention in the reported extraordinary happenings – including the shower of petals on the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa.

No extraordinary happenings including the showers of rose petals with images of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary? Members of the commission must have been blind or so pressured by some people that they excluded extraordinary happenings? In any case, the end result of that commission verdict was the dismissal of the Archbishop and Auxiliary Archbishop of Lipa. Archbishop Alfredo Versoza and Auxiliary Archbishop Alfredo Obviar.

They lived in poverty after their dismissal. But they have since been introduced into sainthood.

The commission totally disregarded the many miracles attributed to the rose petals with the imprints of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. But, all these did not stop the veneration of the image of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace in that Carmelite convent and the many pilgrimages to Lipa, Batangas.

It is for this reason why my wife and I believe that an inquiry into the Lipa phenomenon should be made further and the truth be told. I believe that adage that for those who believe, no explanation is necessary, but for those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

As for me and my wife, we remain Marian devotees. We have gone twice on Marian pilgrimages to France, Portugal and Akita, Japan, and we believe. We saw the uncorrupted remains of Saint Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the remains of Saint Bernadette Soubirous of the Miracle of Lourdes, and in fact too a bath in the miraculous spring of Lourdes, the uncorrupted remains of Saint Margaret Mary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Paray-le-Monial; that gave the well known First Friday devotion. We also went to Fatima, Portugal.

Teresing, having seen the apparition of the Blessed Virgin, may well be called a visionary as all those who claimed to have had similar apparitions in the past are.

It is for all these reasons I believe there is a need for an investigation anew by the Cathoic Bishops Conference of the Philippines into the Lipa phenomenon. It is a coincidence that Cardinal Luis AntonioTagle is now in Rome to help the church take further inquiries of the Lipa phenomenon, in fairness to all concerned.

The message of the Lady Mediatrix of All Grace to Teresing was very clear !

Message of Our Lady of Lipa ( given to Teresita Castillo): “ Once again, I repeat to my beloved Philippines that I am the Mother of love and tenderness. I come here to save souls. I love the Filipinos because in all the countries throughout the world, you come to me when you suffer, and ask for my help.

Most of you love me and have a great devotion to me, your Mother. You recognize me as the Mother of Jesus. You defend this truth openly without fear of being ridiculed by other sects who attack me greatly. So it is to you that I come to ask for prayers; do

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EDITORIAL

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Why the truth matters

ODAY’S commemoration of World Press Freedom Day coincides with the final days of the campaign for the 2022 national and local elections. Each occasion builds upon and reinforces the other, with freedom as the underlying theme.

Many aspects of the life of the press have been expounded on in recent years. Safety on the job, the lack of decent working conditions, government censorship and an active campaign by people who discredit the profession and its practitioners—these are only some of the problems that have confronted journalists for many years.

In the context of the Philippine elections, it would be good to zero in on freedom beyond what we are allowed, and not allowed, to do.

The common notion is that freedom is absent when one cannot say, or write, what one wants. There are restrictions in movement and expression. The consequences for insisting on expressing oneself could be dangerous, even fatal.

This remains true for countries that still try to suppress the spread of information.

We shudder to imagine this scenario.

But increasingly, we are learning every day that freedom is also attacked when we are deprived of the capacity to engage in discourse and to make basic democratic decisions based on the truth.

There are so many distractions and posturing as disinformation is deliberately unleashed to sow confusion and hatred, undermine our critical thinking facility, and simply make us think and speak—and vote—a certain way.

The unimpeded spread of unchecked claims strikes at the core of democracy, because people should make decisions only on

the basis of information that they have.

If we allow spin doctors and propagandists to mess with the integrity of the information that is meant to inform and guide us, what then happens to the quality of our decisions? If we go along with the systematic attacks on journalists’ credibility – saying we are biased just because we dare question and criticize – who else would bring the discipline of verification, and the practice of holding power to account, to the chaotic marketplace of ideas?

Filipinos will only be truly free if the decision that we will make on Monday—and eventually their outcome and repercussions for our nation—is a product of a careful consideration of verifiable facts produced by legitimate sources.

Any other basis would fail us, and our nation.

We shudder to imagine a scenario where prevaricators—they who do not have the slightest regard for truth and honesty—lord over our land, insisting that the press is nothing but their propaganda arm.

Status of Joel Reyes cases IN THE latest legal twist in the 11-year-old murder case of Gerry Ortega, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asked the Supreme Court to “order the immediate rearrest and detention” of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes, the accused mastermind in the murder.

Earlier this month, the OSG, in a 62page comment, asked to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the High Court on March 23 against the arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court in Puerto Princesa City Branch 52 against Reyes.

The OSG also urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Reyes’ petition for review on certiorari, which sought to junk the November 2019 amended decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) Special Former 11th Division that revived the murder case against him.

Gerry Ortega was shot and killed with a single bullet to the back of the head while he was shopping at a thrift store in Puerto Princesa City, just after his radio show on January 24, 2011 at 10:30 in the morning.

The shooter, Marlon Recamata, a construction worker from Pagbilao, Quezon province, was captured after a brief chase by local firemen who happened to pass by during the incident. Recamata pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 7, 2013, by Judge Angelo R. Arizala, presiding judge of RTC Puerto Princesa City Branch 52.

After Ortega’s murder, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima created a special panel of prosecutors to conduct such a preliminary investigation on February 7, 2011.

On June 8, 2011, the First Panel dismissed the complaint against Reyes because of insufficient evidence. Reyes invoked the principle of “res inter alios acta”and claimed that middleman Rodolfo Edrad’s confession was “binding” only to himself and cannot be

This is the message of our Lady. little sacrifices and receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist frequently. It is you that I ask to say the Family Rosary daily. I wish to remind you that the recitation of the rosary is not only a devotion which will bring you closer to my son, but it also serves as an occasion to offer the sacrifice of driving away distractions while saying it. The enemy of God is always there where my children pray to me. This country was created by God for something great.”

Archbishop Alfredo Versoza and Auxiliary Bishop Alfredo Obviar were staunch and unrelenting believers of the Lipa phenomenon and were consequently dismissed by the commission , but later were being pushed for sainthood.

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

used to implicate him.

After the First Panel’s decision, Justice Secretary De Lima, formed a new panel of prosecutors in “the interest of service and due process” to review the First Panel’s recommendation and assess the additional evidence submitted to it.

On October 3, 2011, Reyes sought a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals in an attempt to block the re-investigation. In his petition, Reyes argued that the parties were already afforded due process and that the evidence to be addressed by the reinvestigation was neither new nor material to the case.

I believe in the Supreme Court and the judicial process.

On March 12, 2012, the Second Panel reversed the First Panel’s resolution and found probable cause to charge Reyes, and his brother Mario, with murder. Two weeks later, Judge Angelo R. Arizala, presiding judge of RTC Puerto Princesa City Branch 52, issued arrest warrants against the Reyes brothers. After being fugitives for a while, the brothers were subsequently arrested.

On March 19, 2013 the Court of Appeals rendered the Department of Justice Order No. 710 that created the Second Panel “null and void” and reinstated the First Panel’s Resolution that dismissed Reyes. Justice Leila de Lima appealed this decision at the Supreme Court.

While released pending this appeal, Reyes was returned to custody for a different case in relation to the conviction by the Sandiganbayan for graft and corruption for giving unwarranted benefit to a mining firm, which was granted small-scale mining perThrough the efforts of Archbishop Mariano Gaviola and Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, it is the prayer of the faithful that the 1948 phenomenon and events in Lipa be given due recognition by the Holy Father, the Pope.

In 2008, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, as the Archbishop of Lipa, decreed that the phenomenon of Lipa merit belief in its supernatural happenings and thus is worthy of devotion and veneration of the Lady Mediatrix of All Grace and the Carmel Monastery be opened to the faithful. Thus, the faithful continue pilgrimages to Lipa and the veneration of the Lady Mediatrix of All Grace.

By the way, I would like to correct my previous write-up. The Carmel Monastery was destroyed and completely in ruins by the Japanese, not by the Americans. The occupying Japanese forces went to Lipa and massacred 25,000 men, women and children. The Carmelite nuns sought shelter in a seminary. It thus took years of educated and committed work by six nuns to reconstruct the Carmel monastery

mits despite exceeding the allowable extraction limit.

On December 20, 2019, a new composition of justices of the Court of Appeals reversed the 2018 decision and ordered the Palawan court to resume its trial. More than two years after this decision, the case was sent back on Judge Angelo Arizala’s sala at the lower court in Palawan, where the hearings and trials are expected to resume.

On July 14, 2021, Judge Angelo Arizala of Branch 52 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Palawan issued a fresh arrest warrant for Reyes. The Supreme Court has issued a Temporary Restraining Order on the execution of this warrant pending resolution of a motion for reconsideration filed by Reyes.

While I cannot comment on the substance of the two cases pending against Joel Reyes, it would be useful to state clearly that these are pending cases and they will proceed to resolution regardless of the results of the elections next week.

On the first case, the Ortega murder, the Supreme Court will have to decide the motion for reconsideration that Reyes has filed on the reinstatement by the Court of Appeals of the charges filed against him. The Office of the Solicitor General has opposed that motion and has asked for the lifting of the TRO so that the Ortega murder trial is resumed and completed. As noted, it has asked for his re-arrest and the lifting of the TRO against the arrest warrant.

On the second case, the graft and corruption case, where perpetual disqualification for public office has been meted on Reyes, the Court will have to affirm the conviction.

In both cases, no final decision of the Supreme Court has been issued. I believe in the Supreme Court and the judicial process. I truly subscribe to the famous words of Martin Luther King: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Website: tonylavina.com deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

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through donations and contributions.

On 14 July 2014, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu, had written the Philippine bishops that on October 17, 1949, Mary Mediatrix of All Grace told Teresita Castillo: “ Pray hard, for China’s dream is to invade the world. The Philippines is one of its favorites. Money is the evil force that will lead the people of the world to destruction.” How true, Santa Banana!

Cardinal Tagle is now in the Vatican occupying a very sensitive and important position.

He can surely help the Lipa phenomenon be elevated to Rome and a commission be created again to have a new inquiry on the Lipa phenomenon, which had supernatural happenings and stories of devotion, faith, sacrifice and love. The title Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace means to say that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the co-redemptrix of her son Jesus Christ. For those who believe, no explanation is necessary, but for those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

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

B2

World

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Islamic State ‘Beatle’ Kotey gets life in jail from US court WASHINGTON—Alexanda Kotey, part of the Islamic State kidnap-andmurder cell known as the “Beatles,” was sentenced to life in prison Friday, with relatives of victims addressing him and another member directly in the US court.

Kotey, a 38-year-old former British national, pleaded guilty in September, admitting his role in the deaths of four American hostages in Syria as well as the kidnapping and torture of other journalists and relief workers.

He was captured along with another former “Beatle,” El Shafee Elsheikh, by a Kurdish militia in Syria in January 2018 and handed over to US forces in Iraq before being flown to the United States in 2020 to face trial.

Elsheikh was found guilty of all charges earlier this month and will be sentenced on August 19.

Both men on Friday appeared in the court in Alexandria, near Washington,

where the relatives of their victims were given an opportunity to speak.

“You abducted, tortured, and even participated in the murder of good and innocent people and now you have to live with that for the rest of your lives,” Bethany Haines, daughter of one of the victims, told the men.

“You both have lost,” added the young British woman, whose father David Haines, a relief worker, was beheaded by the third “Beatle,” Mohammed Emwazi, who was killed in a 2015 drone strike.

The nickname was given to the hostage-takers—who grew up and were radicalized in London—by their captives because of their British accents.

Active in Syria from 2012 to 2015, the “Beatles” are accused of abducting at least 27 other journalists and relief workers from the United States, Britain, Europe, New Zealand, Russia and Japan. AFP

EASTER REMEMBRANCE. Valentyna, 78, puts on a desk light at her home on Remembrance Day, which marks a week after the Orthodox Easter, in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, on May 1 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP

OVER 100 MOVED FROM MARIUPOL STEEL PLANT

Ukraine resumes civilian evacuations

K

YIV—Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate more civilians from Mariupol on Monday, after dozens were finally brought to safety following weeks trapped under heavy fire in the strategic port city’s Azovstal steel complex.

The plant has endured a Russian blockade since Moscow’s invasion on February 24, with stories of the harsh conditions in besieged Mariupol horrifying the world as a war which has seen thousands killed and millions displaced entered its third month.

The UN said Sunday that a “safe passage operation” was taking place at the

Azovstal steel plant. According to Kyiv, roughly 100 civilians have been evacuated from the besieged plant, while the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was “currently participating” in the operation.

Russia’s defense ministry gave a lower figure of 80 civilians, adding: “Those who wished to leave for areas con-

Afghanistan leader hails ‘security’ in rare appearance to mark Eid KANDAHAR—Afghanistan’s supreme leader appeared publicly for only the second time in six years on Sunday, telling worshippers celebrating Eid al-Fitr the Taliban had achieved freedom and security since seizing power last year.

Speaking just two days after a bomb ripped through a mosque in Kabul, an atmosphere of heightened security surrounded the man introduced as Hibatullah Akhundzada, the chief of the Taliban.

“Congratulations on victory, freedom and success,” he told thousands of worshippers at the Eidgah mosque in the southern city of Kandahar, the hardline Islamist group’s de facto power centre.

“Congratulations on this security and for the Islamic system.”

While the number of bombings across Afghanistan has dropped since Kabul fell to the Taliban last August, attacks soared over the final two weeks of the fasting month of Ramadan, which ended Saturday for Afghans.

Dozens of civilians have been killed in the primarily sectarian attacks— some claimed by the Islamic State group—targeting members of the Shiite and Sufi Muslim communities.

Friday’s bombing of a Sunni mosque in the capital killed at least 10 people.

Akhundzada delivered his brief address from one of the front rows of worshippers in Kandahar without turning to face the crowd, according to social media posts.

Taliban officials did not allow journalists to approach him, while two helicopters hovered over the mosque for the whole of the two-hour event.

Dozens of Taliban fighters were deployed where Akhundzada and other Taliban leaders were sitting, and they stopped worshippers from taking their pictures on cellphones.

An AFP correspondent who reported from the mosque confirmed that the voice said to be Akhundzada’s came from the front rows of worshippers. AFP

trolled by the Kyiv regime were handed over to UN and ICRC (Red Cross) representatives”.

In his regular daily address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the successful operation and said more evacuations were expected Monday.

“Today, we finally managed to start the evacuation of people from Azovstal,” Zelensky said in a video address, adding that they were due to arrive in Ukrainecontrolled Zaporizhzhia on Monday.

“For the first time, there were two days of real ceasefire on this territory.

More than a hundred civilians have already been evacuated -- women and children first of all,” he added.

The head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration later said the evacuation would begin at 7:00 am local time (0400 GMT).

One Russian news report put the number of civilians still in the plant at more than 500.

Moscow’s defense ministry earlier confirmed that civilians were leaving, releasing a video that showed cars and buses travelling in the dark marked with a “Z”, the letter used by the Russian forces in the conflict.

Those forces continued their push into eastern Ukraine on Sunday, killing eight civilians in rocket attacks in Donetsk and Kharkiv, the regions’ governors said. AFP

Mid-term test for embattled UK PM Johnson

LONDON—Voters go to the polls in Britain on Thursday, in a mid-term test for the Conservative government that could determine beleaguered Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s future.

The local election results will be seen as a barometer of support for Johnson’s Conservatives nationally, as well as an indicator of whether the opposition Labour party poses a serious threat.

Johnson, 57, won a landslide general election victory in December 2019 on a promise to break years of political deadlock and deliver Brexit -- the country’s divisive departure from the European Union.

But his position has looked increasingly fragile, because of damaging claims about lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street and an inflationary surge that is squeezing voters’ incomes.

A police investigation last month saw him become the first British prime minister to be fined for breaking the law while in office.

Irate Tory MPs, mindful of public outrage at double standards and denials, had looked set to force a noconfidence vote in his leadership in January.

But Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, during which Johnson has shown hawkish support for President RAMADAN’S END. Armed police secure the area as Muslims pray during Eid alVolodymyr Zelensky, took the heat Fitr which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Makassar on May 2. AFP out of any mutiny.

Cost of living A drubbing for Johnson’s Tories on Thursday, though, could revive calls for him to go, to bed in a new leader ing to Copenhagen to join the prime sponsible must be held accountable. I for the next general election, which is ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, am confident that there is broad agreedue by 2024.

Sweden, and Norway at a two-day In- ment between our countries on this,” the “Partygate”, however, has not newspaper quoted Scholz as saying in dia-Nordic Summit from May 3. proved the key issue for voters.

He will then make a brief stopover in an interview.

“What’s going to get folks a lot is Scholz plans to invite Modi as a speFrance to see President Emmanuel Mathe cost of living: food is going up, cron to “share assessments on various cial guest to a Group of Seven (G7) energy is going up,” said one voter, regional and global issues and will take leaders’ summit next month as part of an who gave his name only as Bob, in stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation”, effort to forge a broader alliance against CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Dudley, central England. the Indian statement said.

Russia, Bloomberg News reported Sun“What he (Johnson) did was bad, Germany’s Scholz was quoted by the day. with partygate, they were more or Indian Express daily on Monday as sayQuoting unnamed sources, the report less laughing at you,” the 76-year-old ing the “attack on Ukraine by Russia is said Scholz was concerned over Modi’s retired factory worker told AFP. on the top of the agenda” in the discus- refusal to condemn Russia and India’s “But they should focus on cost of sions with Modi. increased fossil fuel imports from there living.”

AFP “The brutality of the Russian attack and was undecided on the invite until is shocking and appalling. Those re- weeks ago. AFP

Refusal to condemn Russia hangs over premier Modi’s Europe visit NEW DELHI—Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to Europe on Monday with New Delhi’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine set to be a key talking point in meetings with regional leaders.

India, which imports much of its military hardware from Russia, has long Manila

Standard

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

FOURT JUDICIAL REGION TODAY BRANCH 138- ANTIPOLO CITY (RIZAL PROVINCIAL JAIL COMPOUND

IN RE: PETITION FOR CORRECTION OF ENTRIES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH AYRA GARILAO MABULAC Petitioner/s -versus-

SP. PROC. CASE NO. 22-3404

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OFFICE OF TAYTAY , RIZAL, PHILIPPINE STATISTIC AUTHORITY (PSA) MA. CHRISTINE TEVES GARILAO, ROMMEL CEBREROS MABULAC and all persons who have may claims and interest, Respondent/s x------------------------------------------------------------------------x

walked a diplomatic tightrope between the West and Moscow, and has called only for an immediate end to hostilities.

“My visit to Europe comes at a time when the region faces many challenges and choices,” Modi said in a statement released before his departure for Germany, Denmark, and France.

The premier intended to “strengthen the spirit of cooperation” with European partners “who are important companions in India’s quest for peace and prosperity”, the statement added.

Modi was due to hold talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Monday before head-

ORDER Filed with the Court is a verified petition for correction of entries in the certificate of live birth of the petitioner represented by her counsel, praying that due notice, publication and hearing, judgment be rendered , to wit: 1.) GRANTING the instant petition for correction of entries in the certificate of live birth filed by herein petitioner; and ORDERING and DIRECTING the Local Civil Registrar of Taytay, Rizal and the Philippine Statistic Authority to correct the erroneous entries in the Certificate of Live Birth of the petitioner to wit; a.) ITEM NO. 3, denominated as “DATE OF BIRTH” from “21 (Day) June (Month) 1999 (Year) to “21 (Day) June (Month) 1996 (Year)”.

Finding the instant petition to be sufficient in form and in substance, the same is hereby set for hearing on MAY 26, 2022 at 8:30 in the morning at Regional Trial Court, Branch 138, Ynares , Building Rizal Provincial Jail Compound, Cabrera Road, Kaytikling. Brgy. Dolores, Taytay, Rizal, at which date, place and hour aforesaid, any interested person may appear and show cause, if they have any, why the said petition should not be granted.

Pursuant to Section 4 of Rule 108, the petitioner is hereby ordered to publish the instant Order once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the province.

Let therefore copies of this order, petition and its annexes be funished the Office of the Solicitor General, at 134 AmorsoIo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, the Civil Registrar General, of the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office), and the Local Civil Registry of Taytay, Rizal.

SO ORDERED. Taytay, Rizal, Antipolo City, March 11, 2022.

REY R. LOR Presiding Judge OffIce of the Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

Philippine Statistics Authority East Avenue, Quezon City

Local Civil Registrar of Taytay, RizaI Taytay Municipal HaIl, Don Hilario Street Taytay, Rizal

Ma. Christine Teves Garilao Rommel Cebrerros Mabulac Blk 1, Lot 9, Tanzaville, Phase 4, Touch of Glory Prayer Mountain. Brgy.

San San Jose, Antlpolo City

Ayra Garilao Mabulac No.3 Verbena St., Cainta Greenpark, Brgy. Isidro, Cainta, Rizal Atty. Jocelyn R. Sales-Masangkay Public Attorney’s Office 2nd Floor, Lores Country Plaza, M.L. Quezon Ext, Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City

(MS-ARPIL 26, MAY 3, 7 10, 2022)

UN chief urges juntas to return civilian rule in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali DAKAR—UN chief Antonio Guterres called Sunday for the military juntas in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali to hand power back to civilians as soon as possible and reminded the world to deliver on “climate emergency” promises.

Speaking after meeting Senegalese President Macky Sall in Dakar, he said they had agreed on the need to keep talking to the de facto authorities in all three countries so as to get a swift return to “constitutional order”.

All three countries, struggling with a jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region, have recently experi-

enced military coups: Mali in August 2020 and May 2021; Guinea in September 2021; and Burkina Faso in January 2022.

Sall is the current chair of the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has suspended all three countries from its membership.

ECOWAS imposed heavy sanctions against Mali in January after the regime there rejected a rapid return to civilian rule.

It has threatened similar sanctions against Guinea and Burkina Faso if they fail to enable a swift transition to civilian rule within a “reasonable” timeframe. AFP

PROUD MARCH. This picture taken on May 1 and released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 2 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greeting students and working youths during the military parade to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA) in Pyongyang. AFP

Business

B3

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks end virtually flat; Converge drops S TOP GAINERS PSEi May 2, 2022

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

IPO PBC

7.98 17

1.27 1.46

18.93% 9.40%

3 4 5

OPM IRC ANI

0.012 0.94 4.84

0.001 0.05 0.25

9.09% 5.62% 5.45%

6 7

2GO BCB

7.38 7.3

0.38 0.33

5.43% 4.73%

8

NRCP

0.71

0.03

4.41%

9 10

RFM PIZZA

4.39 8.1

0.17 0.3

4.03% 3.85%

TOCKS closed virtually flat Monday on thin trading and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s expected interest rate hike this week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 10.17 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,721.08 on a value turnover of P3.6 billion. Losers beat gainers, 99 to 60, with 67 issues unchanged.

Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. fell 5.2 percent to P27.30, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, declined 2 percent to P50.05.

AC Energy Corp. of the Ayala Group, however, climbed 2.5 percent to P7.40, while Jollibee Foods Corp., the larg-

est fast-food chain, rose 2.3 percent to P220.

The rest of Asian markets fell in holiday-thinned trade Monday following another tech-led rout on Wall Street.

Adding to the dour mood was data showing Chinese manufacturing activity shrank last month at its fastest pace since the start of the pandemic owing to COVID-19 lockdowns in the country’s biggest cities.

The government’s refusal to shift from its zero-COVID policy and strict containment measures is fanning fears

about the world’s number two economy and key driver of global growth.

Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai and Wellington all fell.

Sydney also retreated, though Qantas rose more than two percent after saying it would launch the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight between Sydney and London by the end of 2025.

Trading floors around the world have been buffeted for months by a perfect storm of crises including China’s lockdowns, surging inflation, Fed plans to hike rates, elevated oil prices and the war in Ukraine.

All eyes are on the US central bank’s policy meeting this week, which is expected to see it hike borrowing costs by half a point—the most since 2000—and

follow it with several more increases before the end of the year.

And now some analysts are predicting it could even announce a three-quarterpoint increase at some point as it battles more than 40-year-high inflation.

However, with some commentators warning rates could go as high as three percent, there are also worries the Fed could be too heavy-handed and tip the US economy into recession.

Fed boss Jerome Powell “could cement the view that 50 (basis points) is the new 25, but more worrying for stock pickers, there are lots of QE to unwind,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes, referring to the quantitative easing bond-buying programme used by the Fed to keep rates low. With AFP

EU seeking phase-out of Russian oil

TOP LOSERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

MED LAND

0.295 0.82

-0.03 -0.08

-9.23% -8.89%

3

ECP

4.01

-0.39

-8.86%

4

MG

0.125

-0.01

-7.41%

5

VLL

2.4

-0.18

-6.98%

6 7

CNVRG TECHW

27.3 0.56

-1.5 -0.03

-5.21% -5.08%

8

BRN

0.84

-0.04

-4.55%

9

SSP

1.1

-0.05

-4.35%

10

ALLHC

4.29

-0.19

-4.24%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME

VALUE (PHP)

1

ALI

8,375,000

268,436,815

2 3

MBT BDO

4,633,400 1,291,820

233,422,694 165,515,277

4

SMPH

4,028,100

140,467,215

5

URC

1,225,710

128,471,165

6 7 8

CNVRG ACEN TEL

4,265,200 15,341,900 56,125

118,315,360 112,959,658 104,412,160

9

JFC

468,060

101,360,268

10

GLO

44,165

100,426,650

An Airbus A350-1000 aircraft is seen inside a hangar at Sydney international airport on May 2, 2022, to mark a major fleet announcement by Australian airline Qantas. Qantas announced on May 2 it will launch the world’s first non-stop commercial flights from Sydney to London and New York by the end of 2025, finally conquering the “tyranny of distance.” AFP

Qantas set to launch longest non-stop commercial flight SYDNEY, Australia—Qantas announced on Monday it will launch the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight, with passengers set to spend 19 hours in the air traveling from Sydney to London by the end of 2025.

After five years of planning, the airline said it was ordering 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to operate the “Project Sunrise” flights to cities including London and New York.

Non-stop flights will start from Sydney by the end of 2025, it said, with long-haul trips later planned to include Melbourne.

“New types of aircraft make new things possible,” said Qantas chairman

Alan Joyce, according to a statement.

“The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia,” he said.

“It’s the final frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance.”

Qantas operated research flights for the long-haul route in 2019, including a trial London-Sydney trek of 17,800 kilometers (11,030 miles), which took 19 hours and 19 minutes.

A trial New York-Sydney flight in the same year covered 16,200 kilometers (10,200 miles) and took a little over 19 hours.

Singapore Airlines currently operates the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight from Singapore to

New York, covering 16,700 kilometers (10,400 miles) in a little under 19 hours.

Qantas already operates a 14,498-kilometer Perth-London trip that takes 17 hours.

“As you’d expect, the cabin is being specially designed for maximum comfort for long-haul flying,” Joyce said.

Qantas said the new A350 aircraft would be configured for 238 passengers with first-class suites offering a separate bed, recliner chair and wardrobe.

It promised spacier economy sections and a “wellbeing zone” designed for “movement, stretching and hydration.” AFP

In Scandinavia, wooden buildings reach new heights

By Viken Kantarci SKELLEFTEA, Sweden—A sandycolored tower glints in the sunlight and dominates the skyline of the Swedish town of Skelleftea as Scandinavia harnesses its wood resources to lead a global trend towards erecting ecofriendly high-rises.

The Sara Cultural Center is one of the world’s tallest timber buildings, made primarily from spruce and towering 75 meters (246 feet) over rows of snow-dusted houses and surrounding forest.

The 20-story timber structure, which houses a hotel, a library, an exhibition hall and theatre stages, opened at the end of 2021 in the northern town of 35,000 people.

Forests cover much of Sweden’s northern regions, most of it spruce, and building timber homes is a longstanding tradition.

Swedish architects now want to spearhead a revolution and steer the industry towards more sustainable construction methods as large wooden buildings sprout up in Sweden and neighboring Nordic nations thanks to advancing industry techniques.

“The pillars together with the beams, the interaction with the steel and wood, that is what carries the 20 storys of the hotel,” Therese Kreisel, a Skelleftea urban planning official, tells AFP during a tour of the cultural center.

Even the lift shafts are made entirely of wood. “There is no plaster, no seal, no isolation on the wood,” she says, adding that this “is unique when it comes to a 20-story building.”

Building materials go green The main advantage of working with wood is that it is more environmentally friendly, proponents say.

Cement—used to make concrete— and steel, two of the most common construction materials, are among the most polluting industries because they emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide,

BRUSSELS, Belgium—The EU will propose a phased out ban on Russian oil imports as part of a fresh round of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, sources said on Sunday.

The European Commission, which draws up sanctions for the bloc, is currently preparing a text that could be put to the 27 member states as early as Wednesday, diplomats said.

Several diplomats said the ban on oil was made possible after a U-turn

by Germany, which had said the measure would do too much harm to its economy.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia was intensifying its attacks in Ukraine, making new sanctions “absolutely essential.”

“We must use our economic and financial abilities to make Russia pay the price for what it’s doing,” he said.

The commission will propose introducing the ban over six to eight months to give countries time to diversify their supply, the sources said.

The ban requires unanimous backing and could yet be derailed, with Hungary expected to mount strong opposition as it is dependent on Russian oil and close to the Kremlin.

Other countries are worried that a ban on oil would increase prices at the pump when consumer prices are already sharply on the rise because of the war.

“We must be very attentive to market reactions,” one official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“There are solutions and we will get there in the end, but we must act with great care.”

Even though Russia exports twothirds of its oil to the EU, the United States has expressed doubts about an outright ban. AFP

Manila

Standard

TODAY

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING To All Stockholders: Please be advised that the annual meeting of stockholders of BRIGHT KINDLE RESOURCES & INVESTMENTS, INC. (the “Corporation”) will be held virtually on 26 May 2022 (Thursday) at 2:00 p.m. Due to Covid-19, there will be no physical venue for the meeting. The meeting will be held via remote communication at https://conveneagm.com/ph/bkr/ with the Chairman of the meeting presiding from Makati City.

The Agenda of the meeting is as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

The Sara culture house, one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings with its 20 floors, is pictured on February 22, 2022, in Skelleftea, in Vasterbotten county, north-eastern Sweden. In Sweden, a new generation of wooden buildings pushes the boundaries of tradition. AFP

a major greenhouse gas.

But wood emits little CO2 during its production and retains the carbon absorbed by the tree even when it is cut and used in a building structure.

It is also lighter in weight, requiring less of a foundation.

According to the UN’s IPCC climate panel, wood as a construction material can be up to 30 times less carbon intensive than concrete, and hundreds or even thousands times less than steel.

Global efforts to cut emissions have sparked an upswing in interest for timber structures, according to Jessica Becker, the coordinator of Trastad (City of Wood), an organization lobbying for more timber construction.

Skelleftea’s tower “showcases that is it possible to build this high and complex in timber,” says Robert Schmitz, one of the project’s two architects.

“When you have this as a backdrop for discussions, you can always say, ‘We did this, so how can you say it’s not possible?’”

Only an 85-meter tower recently erected in Brumunddal in neighboring Norway and an 84-meter structure in Vienna are taller than the

Sara Cultural Center.

A building under construction in the US city of Milwaukee and due to be completed soon is expected to clinch the title of the world’s tallest, at a little more than 86 meters.

‘Stacked like Lego’ Building the cultural center in spruce was “much more challenging” but “has also opened doors to really think in new ways,” explains Schmitz’s co-architect Oskar Norelius.

For example, the hotel rooms were made as pre-fabricated modules that were then “stacked like Lego pieces on site,” he says.

The building has won several wood architecture prizes.

Anders Berensson, another Stockholm architect whose material of choice is wood, says timber has many advantages.

“If you missed something in the cutting you just take the knife and the saw and sort of adjust it on site. So it’s both high tech and low tech at the same time,” he says.

In Stockholm, an apartment complex made of wood, called Cederhusen and featuring distinctive yellow and red cedar shingles on the facade, is in the final stages of completion. AFP

6.

7.

8.

9.

Call to Order Proof of Notice and Certification of Quorum Approval of Minutes of Previous Stockholders’ Meeting Approval of the Management Report and Audited Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2021 Ratification of All Acts of the Board of Directors and Management Election of Directors Appointment of the Independent External Auditor Other Matters Adjournment

For purposes of the meeting, stockholders of record as of April 26, 2022 are entitled to receive notice and to vote at the said meeting.

Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should pre-register at https://conveneagm.com/ph/bkr/ on or before May 16, 2022. Please refer to the Requirements and Procedure for Participation and Voting at the 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (attached to the Definitive Information Statement) for detailed information on participation by remote communication and voting in absentia (electronic voting) or by proxy*’ Pursuant to SEC’s Notice dated April 20, 2020, a copy of the Notice of the meeting, Definitive Information Statement, minutes of the previous meeting of the stockholders, and other documents related to the meeting may be accessed through the Company’s website: https://brightkindle.com/.

For any question about the conduct of the virtual meeting, you may refer to the Frequently Asked Questions at https:// conveneagm.com/ph/bkr/ or email mdc.bkr@gmail.com.

Makati City, 03 May 2022.

MAILA LOURDES G. DE CASTRO Corporate Secretary * All proxies which have been previously submitted shall remain valid unless revoked.

(MS-MAY 3 & 4, 2022)

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

B4

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022

PBCom’s profit climbed by 34.6% to reach a record P1.57b last year

By Julito G. Rada PHILIPPINE Bank of Communications said Monday it posted a record net income of P1.57 billion in 2021, up 34.6 percent year-on-year, on the back of improved performance of core businesses and normalized provision for credit losses.

PBCom said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the 2021 net profit was the highest since the entry of the Lucio Co Group in 2014. The figure translated into a return on equity of 11.78 percent in 2021, up from 9.79 percent in 2020, while return on assets improved to 1.49 percent from 1.15 percent.

PBCom president and chief executive Patricia May Siy said the bank’s focus on core businesses such as corporate lending and generation of lowcost deposits led to a steady income despite market uncertainties.

“We likewise believe that we have our non-performing loans under control as shown by reduced requirements for provisioning,” she said.

Net interest income went up by 8.1 percent to P4.24 billion. Loans and receivables showed healthy growth, expanding by 10.2 percent to P63.5 billion and higher than the industry growth of 4.9 percent.

Deposit volume grew by 3.8 percent, led by a 30-percent or P12-billion growth in low-interest bearing deposit base.

The increase in low-cost deposits, which now represent 60.4 percent of the deposit mix, helped cushion the impact of a low-interest rate environment with net interest margin at 4.83 percent, an improvement of 20 basis points from 2020.

Non-interest income showed a decline largely due to trading and rental income.

Total assets reached P109.23 billion in 2021, an increase of P7.99 billion or 7.9 percent, while capital strengthened

by P1.65 billion to P14.18 billion.

The bank said common equity tier 1 and capital adequacy ratios were at 15.58 percent and 18.18 percent, respectively, in excess of the required regulatory ratios.

Business San Miguel unit eyes P215-b long-term power investments

By Alena Mas S. Flores

S

MC Global Power Holdings Corp., a unit of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., is looking at capital expenditures of about P215 billion for longterm investment projects.

“Amount authorized but not yet disbursed for capital projects is approximately P214,795 million [P214.795 billion] as of Dec. 31, 2021,” SMC Global said in a disclosure to Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. Monday.

The company said its commitments for capital expenditure projects were approved in prior years and the current year, but these projects were ongoing and were not yet completed as of endDecember.

It said the projects involved the construction of power plants, mostly utilizing high-efficiency low emis-

sion technologies, liquefied natural gas and battery energy storage system in line with its expansion projects and acquisition of fixed assets needed for normal operations of the business.

“The said projects will be carried forward to the next quarter until their completion. The funds to be used for these projects will come from available cash and proceeds from outstanding longterm loans and issued SPCS [senior perpetual capital securities],” it said.

SMC Global said it continued to review and implement the necessary changes to its operations, business processes and capital expenditure plans given the global and local economic factors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SMC Global Power, together with its subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, is one of the largest power companies in the country.

It controls 4,714 megawatts of combined capacity as of end-December coming from a diversified power portfo-

lio, including natural gas, coal, renewable energy such as hydropower and recently BESS. Based on the total installed generating capacities reported in the Energy Regulatory Commission Resolution on Grid Market Share Limitation, the company estimated that its combined installed capacity comprised about 20 percent of the national grid, 27 percent of the Luzon grid and 8 percent of the Mindanao grid as of end-2021.

SMC Global Power recorded a net income of P16 billion in 2021, down by 15 percent from P18.9 billion in 2020 even as net sales rose 16 percent to P133.7 billion from P115 billion.

The company plans to construct a 300-megawatt liquefied natural gas combined-cycle power plant in Negros Occidental and another 600- MW LNG facility at Keppel Cebu Shipyard in Cebu to provide baseload power to the Visayas grid.

SMC Global Power expects to spend about $1 billion to build the LNG project in Cebu.

TOP INVESTMENT BANKER. Eduardo

ANOTHER US information technology company plans to set up business processing operations and create 2,000 jobs in the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry said Monday.

The DTI met with New York-based Mphasis Corp., which unveiled its intention to join the growing BPO market in the Philippines.

“Our country is increasing its capacity to become a global player in IT-enabled services through the provision of analytical and AI skills development, competitive enabling environment, and cost

efficiencies. This, thereby, ensures that investors can profitably serve international and fast-growing regional markets,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

Mphasis chief executive Nitin Rakesh said company plans to set up an IT-BPO hub that could offer up to 2,000 IT call center jobs. Mphasis said most of its clients from the banking and insurance space suggested the Philippines for its BPM expansion outside the US. The US firm is reputedly a client-centric organization, willing to accommodate clients’ wishes such as setting-up operations in the Philippines.

The company provides IT services

Monday, May 2, 2022

-10.17 PTS. 6,721.08

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

795,481,880 45,220

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES

3,606,056,788.05 60 99

UNCHANGED

67

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

52.3350

Japan

Yen

0.007699

0.4029

UK

Pound

1.258400

65.8584

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127444

6.6698

Switzerland

Franc

1.028278

53.8149

Canada

Dollar

0.778150

40.7245

Singapore

Dollar

0.723170

37.8471

Australia

Dollar

0.706700

36.9851

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

138.8307

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266617

13.9534

Brunei

Dollar

0.720565

37.7108

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029231

1.5298

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.2501

Euro

Euro

1.054900

55.2082

Korea

Won

0.000792

0.0414

China

Yuan

0.150932

7.8990

India

Rupee

0.013068

0.6839

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.229779

12.0255

New Zealand

Dollar

0.646400

33.8293

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033960

1.7773 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

Semirara eyes higher coal production in 2022

INTEGRATED energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corp. is looking at slightly higher coal production this year to 15 million metric tons from 14.3 million MT in 2021, a top executive said.

“Overall, we expect stable output from the coal segment given the controlled water level at Molave NB7. Our goal is to produce up to 15 million metric tons. This should allow us to sell around 15 million metric tons of coal,” SMPC president Cristina Gotianun said during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting.

She said that at an annual coal production rate of 13 million to 16 million metric tons, “the company has enough coal reserves until the expiration of its coal operating contract in 2027.”

Gotianun said that in the power segment, SMPC sees continued headwinds and tailwinds related to Unit 2 of SEM-Calaca Power Corp., election-related activities, higher fuel prices and full reopening of the economy.

Unit 2 of Sem-Calaca broke down in December 2020 after only seven months of use.

It resumed operations in September 2021 at a derated capacity. Alena Mae S. Flores

MPT South names new general manager

Francisco, the president of BDO Capital & Investment Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of BDO Unibank Inc., is awarded by the Hong Kong-based publication Alpha Southeast Asia with an achievement award for his contribution to the local capital market during the 15th Annual Best Deal & Solution Awards 2021. Francisco is the first Filipino recipient and only the third awardee in 15 years. He succeeds Dato’ Lee Kok Kwan, former deputy chief executive officer of CIMB Group and Seohan Soo, former CEO of AmInvestment Bank BHD. Alpha Southeast Asia cited Francisco’s noteworthy career that has already spanned for decades. During the 10-year period between the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global credit crisis in 2008, BDO Capital helped raise $22 billion in equity offerings and debt issues for both government and private institutions.

MPT South Management Corp. on Monday announced the appointment of a new president and general manager as the company accelerates its digital transformation.

The company said it appointed Raul Ignacio as president and general manager effective April 18, in place of Roberto Bontia.

“Ignacio has extensive years of experience and expertise in our organization with a tenure that started with NLEX Corp. and has led our company’s initial venture into the mobility space by heading MPT Mobility since 2020,” MPT South said.

Bontia was designated as chief transformation officer to head on a full-time capacity the business transformation office of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

As one of the most senior executives of the organization, Bontia will ensure the effective implementation of group-wide transformation projects.

MPT South operates the Manila-Cavite Expressway and Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

Darwin G. Amojelar

SMIC launches 2nd integrated report

American IT company plans to put up BPO hub with 2,000 jobs in PH

By Othel V. Campos

PSE INDEX CLOSING

to banking and finance, healthcare, telecommunication, logistics and other high-tech industries.

It employs around 40,000 employees across the globe such as IT-BPO facilities in India, Mexico, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Germany and the UK. Mphasis is a subsidiary of the New York -based financial giant Blackstone Group.

Lopez said that despite the challenges, the IT-BPM sector did not lay off workers during the pandemic. He said that human resources would not be an issue with the country’s 49 million workforce.

He said joining the workforce annu-

ally are 800,000 university and college graduates, with 30 percent coming from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the DTI has a standing MOU with the Commission on Higher Education and could also link Mphasis with various education institutions for curriculum customization and talent development.

He said another resource that they could tap is the returning overseas Filipino workers who have an advantage in terms of experience with their new knowledge and skills acquired from their respective countries.

SM INVESTMENTS Corp. released its Integrated Report for 2021 in line with the group’s annual stockholder’s meeting on April 27, 2022.

With this year’s theme of ‘Together, We Recover,’ SM Investments further communicated the value of sustainable business practices across its portfolio as it features stories on innovation and community support amid the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report covers the period Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021 and discloses the company’s performance and actions on how it affects the commercial, social and environmental context within the area in which it operates.

“Through this report, we highlight the huge impact SM’s businesses and our wide ecosystem had last year – in financial performance, vaccination rollout, economic recovery, disaster response and resilience and in addressing climate change,” SM Investments consultant for investor relations and sustainability Timothy Daniels.

SM expressed optimism on the rebound of the economy and the gradual reopening of the Philippines under the ‘new normal.’ “We continued to build on our collective resilience to the pandemic and to address national needs.

We also sought to improve our transparent reporting and areas of advocacy,” Daniels said.

AirAsia PH booked 233% increase in passenger volume in first quarter

By Darwin G. Amojelar AIRASIA Philippines said Monday passenger volume jumped 233 percent in the first quarter from a year ago despite the presence of Omicron variant cases in the country.

The Philippine unit of Malaysia’s AirAsia said it flew 560,849 passengers from January to March, up from 168,527 passengers it served in the same period in 2021.

The load factor also reached its highest quarterly performance outcome in 2021 at 85 percent, jumping by 21 percentage points year-on-year.

AirAsia Philippines said it continued to record the highest quarterly load factor at 86 percent, which rose by 12 percentage points year-on-year, uninterrupted by the steep rise of Omicron variant cases in the Philippines during the quarter.

Similarly, ASK (available seat kilometers) and the number of flights flown rocketed 203 percent and 186 percent year-on-year, with the support of the huge summer demand following the government’s confirmation of further relaxed travel protocols.

AirAsia Philippines increased its flight frequencies by 28 percent during the summer travel season.

“While we are all looking forward to enjoying the various destinations in the country with affordable flights, AirAsia will never stop reminding our guests to observe established health and safety protocols as prescribed by the IAT,” said AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan.

“We join the government in its call for every Filipino to take booster shots against COVID-19 whenever possible so that we all get to travel safely and hassle-free,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism said it expects a boost in tourist arrivals for the rest of the year as Clark International Airport opened its new passenger terminal Monday.

Clark International Airport’s new world-class passenger terminal building will serve both domestic and international flights.

Two of South Korea’s largest low-cost airlines were among the new air carriers added to the list of airlines that would be operating direct flights from Clark.

CLARK TERMINAL. Cebu Pacific is the first local carrier to land at the newly-built Clark International Airport Terminal 2 on May 2, with passengers on flight 5J 156 from Cebu as the first CEB fliers to use the new passenger terminal. Flight 5J 156 took off from Mactan Cebu International Airport at 5 a.m. and landed at Clark International Airport at 6:33 a.m. A water cannon salute greeted the CEB aircraft upon arrival.

Megaworld raises capital spending for 2 Bacolod projects to P45b

By Jenniffer B. Austria MEGAWORLD Corp. said Monday it will raise its capital spending for two estate projects in Bacolod City to P45 billion from the initial program of P35 billion.

The company is developing the 50-hectare Northill Gateway on the boundaries of Talisay City and Bacolod City and the 35-hectare The Upper East near the Bacolod Government Center.

Megaworld is adding more invest-

ments, especially for The Upper East, as it accelerates construction activities in the area.

“We are adding P10-billion more to our investment for The Upper East as we see great potential and opportunities for this new township, which is now fast rising to be Bacolod’s first modern central business district,” said Megaword Visayas vice president for sales and marketing Jennifer Palmares-Fong.

The company completed the construction of the 12-story One Regis, its

first residential condominium project, which is due for turnover this year.

It recently topped off the second tower, the 14-story Two Regis, which is set to be completed next year while two more condominium towers are in the construction pipeline.

The company has 1,000 units in inventory in The Upper East.

Palmares-Fong said the company also began the construction of its first office tower in The Upper East. It will also begin construction of the commercial developments in the township.

Sports

Warriors edge Grizzlies; Bucks beat Celtics in NBA playoffs WA S H I N G T O N — R e s e r v e guard Jordan Poole had 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to power Golden State over Memphis 117-116 in an NBA playoff series opener Sunday despite the ejection of Draymond Green.

Klay Thompson sank the decisive 3-pointer with 36.6 seconds remaining and the Warriors denied Grizzlies playmaker Ja Morant twice in the final seconds.

“Big win for us to start the series, get home court advantage,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “And get greedy in the second game.”

The Western Conference second round best-of-seven matchup will continue Tuesday at Memphis.

In Sunday’s Eastern Conference opener, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a triple double with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the defending champion Bucks won 101-89 at Boston.

At Memphis, Curry added 24 points for Golden State while Andrew Wiggins had 17 and Thompson 15.

Morant had 34 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Jaren Jackson had 33 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis.

The Warriors were delivered a major setback when forward Green, a star defender in Golden State’s title runs in 2015, 2017 and 2018, was ejected in the second quarter for a flagrant-2 foul, striking Brandon Clarke in the face and pulling him down by the jersey.

“This is a huge game to win, especially with him going out early,” Poole said. “We were able to fill in for the energy he has.”

The Warriors responded with a strong third-quarter start.

“We were determined,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We knew that was a tough break that didn’t go our way. We were shocked by the decision. We went on a run in the third quarter to get the lead. That established we weren’t going anywhere.”

Poole scored a playoff career high in 38 minutes off the bench, hitting 12-of-20 from the floor and 5-of-10 from 3-point range.

AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2022

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Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies during Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. AF

PH athletics’ squad suffers blow with injuries to Knott, Guermalis

By Peter Atencio

D

OUBLE golf medallist Kristina Knott and the Guermali brothers will be missing the 2021 Hanoi SEA Games next month.

The 26-year-old Knott, holder of the Philippine national record for the women’s 200 meters, has withdrawn from her plans to join the national athletics team in the May 12 to 23 meet because of a foot injury.

A third medical examination this week revealed that she has plantar fasciitis on one foot, thereby affecting her ability to walk.

Said Guermali, a Fil-Moroccan, said he is

suffering from the same injury, adding he won’t be coming for the 1,500-meter run.

On the other hand, his brother Yacine needs to finish his studies and will not be available for the 5,000-meter run.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association chief Philip Ella Juico said their presence would have boosted the Philippines’ bid to improve on its third-place finish in the biennial meet.

“I’m on crutches at the moment. And in two weeks, I would know if I will be ready,” said Knott, who said she will be getting ready for the Asian Games instead.

Knott now trains under Joey Scott, a prominent sprinter with personal bests of 10.51 seconds in the 100-meter and 21.74 seconds in the 200-meter races.

Said was supposed to help the Philippines get a gold in the middle distance,

with his personal best time of 3:54:26 in the 1,500--achieved in a Portland meet on May 16, 2016 -- better than the existing SEA Games of 4:06:53.

Yacine, who studies at Gonzaga University, could surpass the SEAG 5,000-meter mark of 14:31:15, which is inferior to his personal best of 14:02.64 set on April 19, 2019 at Palo Alto, California.

This development leaves marathon queen Christine Hallasgo and pole vaulter Obiena as among the Philippine athletes, who have a great chance of winning medals.

The others are sprinter Eric Cray (400 meter hurdles), Aries Toledo (decathlon), Janry Ubas (decathlon), Melvin Calano (javelin throw), Clinton Bautista (100-meter hurdles), Natalie Uy (pole vault), William Morrison (shotput) and Sarah Dequinan (heptathlon).

PH jins capture 5 medals in world tourney THE SMART/MVP Sports Foundation National Poomsae Taekwondo Team captured five medals, led by the gold medal performance of Ernesto Guzman, Jr. in the Individual Male -50 class in the recently concluded 2022 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Goyang, South Korea.

The pair of Justin Kobe Macario and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo finished second in Freestyle Mixed Pair +17, while the tandem of Ian Matthew Corton and Maria Nicole Anne Labayne showed grit and grace in the Mixed Pair -17 for the team’s second silver as the Filipino jins proved to be a force to reckon with in the world

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

stage.

The tournament was participated in by 64 countries, including powerhouse Chinese Taipei, Germany, France, USA, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Thailand, Indonesia, Poland, Vietnam, Venezuela, Singapore, Denmark, Switzerland, Qatar, and host South Korea.

Darius Venerable and Rodolfo Reyes, Jr. clinched the bronze medal in the Freestyle Individual Male +17 and Individual Male -30, respectively.

The team is supported by the Philippine Taekwondo Association and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Shown here are members of the team (standing from left) Darius Venerable (bronze), Ian Matthew Corton (silver), Justin Kobe Macario (silver), Raphael Enrico Mella, Ernesto Guzman, Jr. (gold), Igor Mella (team manager), Rani Ann Ortega (head coach) Dustin Jacob Mella (asst. coach), Joaquin Dominic Tuzon, Rodolfo Reyes, Jr. (bronze), Patrick King Perez, and Jeordan Dominguez, (kneeling from left) Angelica Joyce Gaw, Aidaine Krishia Laxa, Rinna Babanto, Maria Nicole Anne Labayne (silver), Juvenile Faye Crisostomo (silver), Jocel Lyn Ninobla and Janna Dominique Oliva.

Malixi ends in joint 5th at Georgia golf

Rianne Malixi

RIANNE Malixi ended up joint fifth in the Rome Junior Classic, slowing down at the backside for a one-under 70 even as local bet Sarah Im held off Thai Thanana Kotchasanmanee to win by one with another bogey-free 69 at the Coosa Country Club in Georgia Sunday.

The young Filipina star rebounded from an opening hole bogey with three birdies in the next eight holes but missed a couple of chances at the backside before dropping a stroke on the par-3 17th for a 34-36 card and a 54-hole total of 212.

She finished eight shots behind Im, who hit two birdies on each side for a 35-34 for a 10-under 203 output as Kotchasanmanee missed forcing a playoff with flubbed birdie opportunities before finally hitting one on the 18th for a 68 and 204.

Alice Zhao and Lydia Swan tied for third at 209 after a 68 and 71, respectively, while Reagan Southerland matched par 71 to share fifth place with the ICTSI-backed Malixi.

The SEA Games-bound shotmaker forged a threeway tie for the first lead at 67 but shaky putting stymied her charge in the second round that saw her bogey three of her last four holes on lip-outs to bow out of the title chase with a 75.

She nailed her second American Junior Golf Asso-

ciation crown in the Thunderbird All Star in Phoenix, Arizona three weeks ago but blew a four-stroke lead in the final round and finished joint second in the PING Heather Classic the following week in Mesa, also in Arizona.

After the SEAG, the Se Ri Pak Desert Classic winner last year heads back to the US to vie in another AJGA event, the Under Armour/Albane Valenzuela Girls Invitational on May 26-29 at the Longbow Golf Club where she will try to deal with an unfinished business.

The 15-year-old wonder heads back to Manila this week to re-join national teammates Lois Kaye Go and Mafy Singson in their final buildup for the SEA Games slated May 13-18 at the Heron Lake Golf and Resort in Vhin Phuc.

Go is coming off a rousing win in the Asian Junior Masters in Phuket, Thailand, ruling the girls’ Class A division to complement fellow SEAG mainstay Jet Hernandez’s domination of the boys’ competitions.

Shinichi Suzuki also nipped Lapassapon HerasGomez in a playoff to clinch the Class B crown while teaming up with Hernandez and recent national stroke play champion and SEAG team member Kristoffer Arevalo to win the team championship.

Kristina Knott

Monteverde, UP Maroons trust Rivero to save the day AT CRUNCH time, it’s always Ricci Rivero, who you call to save the day.

Just like on Sunday evening when the 23-year-old Rivero shot two free throws to give the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons the winning baskets that led to a historic 84-83 victory over defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Rivero’s baskets changed the course of the 84th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament and he believes that it was the grace of God which made it possible for UP to pull off the upset.

With the Maroons’ win, the Blue Eagles were denied an outright finals’ slot with their first loss in 39 matches since 2018.

Had the Blue Eagles completed a 14game sweep of their elimination round, Ateneo would have gained the first finals’ seat, while a stepladder semifinals and playoff for the second championship slot would have taken place.

For coach Goldwin Monteverde, he had complete trust in Rivero’s playmaking, saying he will be able to help the Maroons at the last minute of the contest.

“I’ve always believed in Ricci ever since magkasama kami, and ‘yung trust ko sa kanya talagang malaki and I think he knows it. The team also trusts him sa mga ganoong situation, and I know he could do things for the team. Nandoon ‘yung tapang and confidence,” said Monteverde.

And for the first time in the 28-year history of the Final Four, the Blue Eagles will seek a finals slot together with UP, La Salle, and Far Eastern University. Peter Atencio

C2

Sports

TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2022

Nadal: Wimby ban on Russian, Belarusian tennis players unfair M

ADRID—Rafael Nadal deemed Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from taking part in the Championships as “unfair”, the Spanish tennis legend told reporters in Madrid on Sunday.

The 21-time major winner believes the All England Club chose “the most drastic option”, and hopes the tours can find a way to interfere with the ban.

Wimbledon has been heavily criticised by both the ATP and WTA as well as players like Nadal’s great rival Novak Djokovic for implementing the ban due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus is considered an ally of Russia’s and permitted Russian troops to invade Ukraine from across its border.

The ban rules out a swathe of talented players, including men’s world number two Daniil Medvedev and last year’s women’s semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

“It’s unfair for my Russian colleagues,” said Nadal. “In that sense it’s not their fault what’s happening in this moment with the war.

“I’m sorry for them. I wish it was not this way, but at the end of the day we know that this is what we have.”

Nadal, who is returning to competitive play at the Madrid Masters after a six-week hiatus due to a rib injury, said it may fall upon him and his fellow players to take a stand.

“As a fellow player, what can I say? I feel sorry for them,” said the 35-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion.

“I wish this was not the case.

“Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks and let’s see if we as players need to take a stand. There is something wrong.”

Nadal criticised Wimbledon for going beyond their remit.

“When a government orders something, you need to follow the rules,” he said.

“In this case, the government issued a recommendation and Wimbledon decided to impose the most drastic option without being forced to do so.”

The Grand Slams are independent of

the ATP and WTA but the tours grant them ranking points, which could be withheld if an agreement is not reached on the matter.

“We know that Slams are outside the ATP, but as ATP we grant them the most points of all events,” said Nadal.

“They are the most important. The 2,000 points, whenever we go to the Grand Slams, they are really important and we have to go to those tournaments.

“So we will have to see the measures that we take, and it’s very unfair thing for them, for sure.”

Ban ‘just not right’ Meanwhile, world number one Djokovic said he has not been in contact with anyone from the ATP Tour but understands that discussions are underway to explore the different ways Wimbledon’s decision can be countered. AFP

PSA Forum to tackle boxing, rowing in SEA Games

Ed Picson

THE 31st Southeast Asian Games and a little bit of the UAAP side will be tackled in Tuesday’s virtual session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

Philippine Rowing Association president Patrick Gregorio joins Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines counterpart Ed Picson and secretary general Marcus Jarwin Manalo as special guests to talk about their respective federation’s campaign in the May 12-23 biennial showcase in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Gregorio will also discuss a bit the upset pulled off last Sunday by University of the Philippines against undefeated Ateneo De Manila that forged a Final Four in Season 84 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

The sports official is one of the major boosters of the Fighting Maroons’ title campaign this season.

The session starts at 10:00 a.m.

The weekly public sports program is presented by San Miguel Corporation (SMC), MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Unilever, Amelie Hotel Manila, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The session is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis the same day at 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares the livestreaming over its Facebook page.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin during their 2021 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament singles match at the Caja Magica in Madrid. Nadal is to return to competitive action at next week’s Madrid Open, a month out from the French Open which the Spanish legend has won 13 times, announced the player. AFP

Alex edges top-ranked Ko for Palos Verdes title AMERICAN Marina Alex claimed a long-awaited second LPGA tour title on Sunday, firing six birdies in a five-under par 66 to win the Palos Verdes Championship by one stroke over world number one Ko Jinyoung.

The 31-year-old American, who won her only other tour title at the 2018 Portland Classic, shook off an early bogey to build a 10-under par total of 274.

She powered past overnight leader Hannah Green and New Zealand’s third-ranked Lydia Ko, who started the day one back, erasing a threeshot deficit on the way to victory, and admitted she hadn’t been sure she would see the winner’s circle again.

“It’s amazing that the hard work has paid off,” Alex said. “I wasn’t sure if this would ever happen again, if I’m being perfectly honest.

“There’s so many amazing young players out there.”

Alex noted the struggles that the Covid pandemic imposed on everyone. Her return was hindered by an injury that sidelined her for seven months.

“It’s just been a really tough rebuild back,” she said.

Nevertheless, she was able to stay patient on the challenging Palos Verdes course south of Los Angeles and take her opportunities when they came.

After a bogey at the third hole, she birdied the fifth, seventh and eighth to make the turn two-under. She drained long birdie putts at the 11th and 12th to find herself tied for the lead.

Her long eagle attempt at the parfive 16th didn’t drop, but she made the two-footer coming back, her last birdie of the day moving her into the solo lead at 10-under.

Pars at the last two holes were enough to preserve the lead as Australia’s Green made her fourth bogey of the day at the 17th on the way to a one-over 72 and a share of fifth on 277.

3 potential matches for ONE Amazon Prime Video Debut WITH ONE Championship announcing a multi-year broadcast deal with streaming giant Amazon Prime Video in North America, fans are anxiously waiting to see what the first card on the platform will look like.

Luckily for them, there are some interesting potential main-eventers.

With The Home of Martial Arts ready to embark on it’s new journey in the West, we look at some of the most interesting clashes that could headline its debut on Prime Video.

1. Joshua Pacio vs. Jarred Brooks Joshua Pacio has been one of the most dominant World Champions in the organization, having been involved in the strawweight World Title picture for a long time.

Getting him on the first Prime card against an already established name in the west in Jarred Brooks would quickly warm him up to fans in the U.S. and Canada.

2. Angela Lee vs. Ham Seo Hee Speaking of dominant World Champions, Angela Lee is another one who deserves to get more face time in the West.

“Unstoppable” has truly lived up to her nickname. She’s never experienced a loss in the atomweight division, where she’s been reigning as the queen since winning the strap against Mei Yamaguchi in 2016.

And right now, there’s no better challenger for Lee than Ham Seo Hee, who probably booked a World Title showdown with her by beating Denice Zamboanga in their rematch at ONE X. 3. Demetrious Johnson vs. Adriano Moraes II When Adriano Moraes knocked out Demetrious Johnson to defend his ONE Flyweight World Title last year, it left a lot of fans in the U.S. in disbelief.

The thing about Johnson and Moraes, however, is that they cleared out the entire division. The American beat a lot of top contenders in the Grand Prix and the Brazilian did the same thing in his World Title run.

Sometime down the line the two top f lyweights may meet again. And if ever they run it back, it only makes sense for the bout to unfold on Prime Video.

GYMNASTICS’ CHAMP. Jan Mckayla S. Cariquitan (center) won the Individual All-Around Championship (Level 2, Below-9-years-old Category) in the recently concluded 2022 Club Gymnastica Friendship Meet Gymnastics Competition held at The City Club of Alphaland Suites, Makati. Cariquitan also won four gold medals from the floor, bars, vault and beam aexercises. She has trained under the tutelage of TMC Gymnastics, spearheaded by coaches Bayani Gonzales (left) and Liann Gonzales (right). The event was sponsored by MILO.

Second-ranked Rahm hangs on to win Mexico Open

World no. 2 Jon Rahm

MEXICO CITY—World no. 2 Jon Rahm battled to a two-under par 69 on Sunday to pull off a one-shot victory in the US PGA Tour Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta.

Rahm held or shared the lead after every round, but it was far from easy for the Spaniard, who had to salvage a par at the parfive finishing hole to finish on 17-under 267 -- a stroke in front of Brandon Wu, Tony Finau and Kurt Kitayama.

Wu and Finau charged up the leaderboard with outstanding eight-under par 63s while Kitayama, playing alongside Rahm in the final group, closed with a 68 to join the group on 268.

“Pretty stressful weekend all the way to the end,” Rahm said after sealing his sev-

enth US PGA Tour title -- his first since his maiden major victory at the US Open at Torrey Pines last year.

After back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh Rahm bogeyed the 10th, missing a six-foot putt to save par.

He missed a 10-foot birdie attempt at the par-five 12th and both Wu and Finau were in the clubhouse at 16-under before Rahm drained a testing 11-foot birdie to reach 17-under at the 14th.

Rahm rapped in a par-saving five-footer at the 15th and parred the 16th. He looked in control with a tee shot to 11 feet at the par-three 17th, but his birdie attempt came up short.

And he was in dense rough off on a steep bank above a fairway bunker at the 18th, where he eventually two-putted from the fringe 23 feet from the cup to seal the win.

“I did not think that having a par-five

where a fade tee shot was required I’d be stressing this much,” Rahm said. “But I got it done at the end and I think all the stress earlier in the round helped me on those last two putts.”

Rahm acknowledged that compared to the first two rounds his play on the weekend “wasn’t great.”

“But I stayed aggressive,” he said. “I had faith in every part of my game and it showed.”

‘Awesome’ Wu Wu, 25, notched his best career round with an eight-under effort that featured an eagle and six birdies.

“I played awesome today,” said Wu, who picked up four strokes in three holes with a nine-foot birdie at the fifth, a 14-foot eagle at the sixth and a birdie at the seventh, where he drove the green and two-putted.

He added birdies at the 10th, 13th, 14th

and 16th to grab a share of the lead on 16-under, although he couldn’t take advantage of the par-five 18th.

Wu was barely in the clubhouse when Finau rolled in a six-foot birdie at the 18th to join him on 16-under with a 63 of his own.

Finau rolled in a 56-foot eagle putt from off the green at the 14th to highlight a round that also featured six birdies.

Finau said some post-Masters adjustments had paid off in his iron play.

“I hit so many greens, I gave myself so many looks, I knew if I could just roll some in that maybe I could pull something today and I was able to do that,” he said.

Kitayama was tied for first at 16-under after his fourth birdie of the day at the 12th.

He bogeyed the 14th, but gained a share of second with a birdie at the last, where he, too was in the rough off the tee. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022

Josef Elizalde goes all out in new sexy thriller AFTER headlining Lawrence Fajardo’s X Deal 2, former Pinoy Big Brother housemate is starring in yet another steamy film produced

by Vivamax. Entitled Doblado, the film starts streaming on the entertainment platform beginning May 6.

Directed by GB Sampedro who helmed chart-topping KAKA, Crush Kong Curly, at Kinsenas, Katapusan, the sexy thriller follows the story of Jaira (Denise Esteban), a college student in her early 20s – young, beautiful, and easy on the eyes.

Despite her prim and proper looks, Jaira has a well-kept secret: she’s a student by day but a high-class prostitute by night.

As a high-class prostitute, her

services only cater to VIP clients from a private website. Through this, she’ll meet Ronan (Josef), a man who will change her game, for as she promises to detach from her clients, she’ll find herself falling for this man.

And their relationship will open doors to complicated and even lifethreatening situations.

“Portraying sexy roles is part of my job as an actor. Doblado is not just a sexy film. Like what our director said, it’s an art, and it’s still considered acting,” Josef said during the film’s virtual press conference.

The 31-year-old actor admitted that despite being comfortable doing intimate scenes, he would still have hesitations disrobing behind the cameras.

‘Doblado’ stars Denise Esteban (left) and Josef Elizalde

“Whenever I act, it’s not Josef who’s there, it’s my character. You just need to set aside your personal life. So ‘pag sumalang ka sa eksena, hindi mo kailangang isipin kung confident ka ba sa katawan mo or what not. It’s more about you portraying your character.”

“The fact that I accepted the role, that already is the biggest challenge for me. I just always bear in mind that I can’t disappoint our director,” carried on.

Joining Josef in the cast of Doblado are Mark Anthony Fernandez, Stefani Raz, Kier Legaspi, Johnny Revilla, Carlene Aguilar, Mickey Ferriols, Gian Arroyo, Gwen Garci, and Lander Vera-Perez.

Nickie Wang

Heating up afternoon prime viewing

Silver crooner Yohan Castro F I R S T impressions count.

Yes, they matter, especially if you want to make an indelible mark in Philippine Tinsel Town.

Y o h a n Castro, the man of twenty-five summers, armed with his boyish looks, a winsome smile, and genteel manner, is the silver crooner on the rise who passes the first impression test, with flying colors.

The former special education teacher is a proud “offspring” of Euterpe, the Greek muse of music, with 11 years of experience as a professional singer.

The former Protégé contender shares what sets him apart: “I think it is my being a teacher.

You know, even if the calling to be a full-time singer is that strong, finishing a college degree is most important to me. Not just because it will be a fallback, but because I owe it to my parents.

I wanted to give them that proud moment na naitaguyod nila ang anak nila.”

“I understand that some artists chose to have their singing careers as a priority, and whatever their reasons are, they are definitely valid,” Castro carries on. “Sa akin lang, mas gusto ko munang makatapos talaga before I face another challenge and explore the opportunities that showbiz offers.”

Ballads are the types of songs he interprets with the most. Ronnie Liang, Gino Padilla, Erik Santos, and Martin Nievera are his favorite balladeers. Broadway and musical theater anthems also fascinate him. Inspirational songs, he digs a lot.

“When I see the people smiling when I do a song,” he says alluding to the best experience he gets out of performing. “You know, I have been blessed to receive comments that my manner of singing tells the story of the song that I perform and that I sing with my heart filled with emotions.”

Castro considers collaborating with other artists the most challenging part of being a singer.

“It takes a lot of preparation, time, and effort.

The song choice is crucial. And sometimes, moods and feelings get in the way. Behavioral problems are normal and they cannot be avoided.

But because of my background as an educator, having taught kids with special needs, patience is truly one of my biggest virtues.”

He looks forward to singing an original song, something that most singers always dream about.

“It’s a bonus to hear people sing and support it, and make it as one of their favorites. That becoming a reality, for me is more than wonderful.

Right now, I am in the process of planning an album that will contain songs that will always be in the hearts and memories of many people.”

Apart from singing, acting is also one part of the showbiz industry that Castro wishes to do. He lists y o u n g actresses Barbie Forteza and Kathryn Bernardo as his dream onscreen partners.

Yohan Castro

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ESTERDAY, a new afternoon soap premiered featuring Maricel Laxa as a widow and a loving mother who won’t let anyone get in the way of her second chance at love. Playing the role, the seasoned actress said it’s been a learning process for her being guided by the show’s director and working with “an amazing cast.”

Maricel Laxa

“It’s a stretch for me siyempre, it’s been a while pero I’m enjoying myself and for me, it’s a brand new experience na masterclass kasi it’s my first time to really work on a teleserye with Direk Laurice [Guillen] so, I’m really absorbing everything I can, I’m writing things down, I’m doing extra homework and I’m making myself really available to learn, to go to the next level and have fun most of all,” shares Maricel on grabbing the opportunity to do this TV project.

Entitled Apoy sa Langit, the series is an epic tale of how even a second chance at love comes with its own hurdles; a marriage that is tested for ‘better or for worse, in secrets and in wealth, till death do they part’.

The story follows the story of a widowed jewelry designer and her only daughter getting a second chance at a complete family, life takes a surprising twist when an “estranged daughter” turns out to be her new husband’s secret mistress.

Playing an important role is accomplished actor and TV director Zoren Legaspi as Cesar Monastreal, Gemma’s charming and endearing new husband.

He reveals working extra hard for this series since he doesn’t want to disappoint his director, “You know this project, hindi siya biro. If you’re working with Direk Laurice, you got to be a thinking actor and that’s the only

Mariz Ricketts (left) and Mikee Quintos

way you’re going to appreciate her…It’s really a special role for me that’s why I’m excited to work every day dahil gustung-gusto ko yung character ni Cesar.”

Mikee Quintos is also ready to showcase her versatility in drama as Ning Hidalgo, Gemma’s unica hija who is sweet, smart, and as artistic as her mother. As a child, she witnessed the murder of her father. And this time, she will witness how her mom’s new husband cheats on her.

“Yung challenge po here sa lahat ng ginawa kong characters, si Ning yung may pinakamabigat na dinadala sa loob. I can say na mas mabigat pa sa dala ni Myla sa Onanay kasi ito may trauma and nahihirapan siyang i-handle yun na kino-consume na siya nang trauma niya at nahihirapan na siyang mabuhay ng normal. Pinakahirap akong i-express yung galit and because of Ning, natututunan ko kung paano i-express yung galit in different ways and with great help from Direk Laurice din, she’s very straight to the point with what she wants and that helped me a lot sa mga eksena,” says Mikee as she takes her acting a notch higher in portraying her character.

Also joining in the soap is Lianne Valentin in her most daring role as Stella Fernandez, a bold and beautiful young woman who falls in love with Cesar.

She reveals how different and challenging her role is in the series and how she works her way into channeling Stella, “It’s a very challenging role for me. I just know na it’s sexy, daring, and mature role pero mas na-realize ko habang tumatagal na yung role ni Stella, there’s more to it dahil maraming shift and emotions.”

Joining them is a powerhouse cast of some of the country’s most respected artists in film and television: Mariz Ricketts, Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Dave Bornea, Coleen Paz, Celine Fajardo, Patricia Ismael, and Mio Maranan.

The creative team behind the series is composed of Creative Director Aloy Adlawan; Creative Head Richard Dode Cruz; Concept Creator Liberty Trinidad-Villaroman; Head Writer J-mee Katanyag; Episode Writers Brylle Tabora, Liberty T r i n i d a d - Vi l l a r o m a n ; Brainstormers Cynthia Paz, Akeem del Rosario, and Carlo Ventura.

Apoy sa Langit airs Monday to Saturday, after Eat Bulaga on GMA Afternoon Prime.

Zoren Legaspi (left) and Lianne Valentin

Celebrities show support for pro-life advocacies BUHAY Party List boosted its campaign with the support of various celebrities who went all out in their video endorsements. With only a few days left in the campaign, these personal endorsements will hopefully push Buhay into the top 10 among party lists come May 9.

Among the celebrities who are endorsing Buhay are Janice De Belen, Miriam Quiambao, Dianne Medina, Nicole Donesa, Jeffrey Santos, Maxine Medina, Arny Ross, Jan Marini, DJ

Jai Ho, Inah de Belen. And celebrity athletes, Melissa Gohing, and Peter June Simon.

“It came as a welcome opportunity as we started with Dianne Medina, who is a servant in their parish, who did a video endorsement for us. Then many of her friends in showbiz gave us their support, after that,” said Chi Valedepeñas, wife of Buhay’s first nominee, Von Valdepeñas.

Chi Valdepeñas is a celebrity in her own right, as an anchor and TV host.

Given the strict pro-life and pro-God

advocacies of Buhay, Valdepeñas said that getting showbiz celebrity endorsers for them was a hard task. Still, when they came, they not only fit the Buhay stance but also represented different sectors.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the culture of life advocacy, Buhay Party List ensures that they have been doing their work in society on issues like waging war against poverty, promoting livelihood; working against climate change and recovery; sustainable water use; giving the public value for

their money; and exposure to forced sterilization and risks of implantation.

Founded by Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza, who is known for his staunch pro-life stance, Buhay Party List works closely with various groups to deliver more effective public services for Filipinos. Among them are Home for the Angels, Kababihan ng Maynila, Lito Atienza Cultural Arts Foundation, and Mahal ko si Lolo, Mahal ko si Lolo.

In terms of law-making excellence, the party-list also includes front runners in regulating laws related to their advocacies such as Fighting and Saying No to Pork Barrel; Moving for the Repeal of RH Law, Advocating Good Governance and Rule of Law; Helping the Poor, PWDs, Senior Citizens and Other Sectors; Promoting Culture and Sports; and Environmental Protection.

Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan to reunite for ‘Neighbours’ finale POPSTAR Kylie Minogue and actor Jason Donovan will return to Australian soap opera Neighbours for its finale after an absence of more than 30 years, the soon-to-be axed show’s creators said Sunday.

The Australian stars both launched their careers on the long-running program, which announced in March that it will cease production next month after nearly 37 years on small screens.

The show struggled to find a new home in Britain — where it has enjoyed a cult following for decades — after current broadcaster Channel 5 said it would not continue to carry it.

Before global stardom beckoned, Minogue and Donovan won popularity as an on-screen couple in the soap in the late 1980s and were secretly a real-life item at the same time, although their romance did not last.

“We are thrilled that Jason and Kylie have come home to play a very special part in our series finale,” the soap’s executive producer Jason Herbison said on Twitter.

“Scott and Charlene are the ultimate Neighbours couple and it would not feel right to end the show without them,” he added, referring to the names of their on-screen characters.

Melbourne-based Neighbours, which also launched the careers of Margot Robbie and Russell Crowe, announced nearly two months ago that it would end production.

A generation of Brits grew up watching characters such as Minogue’s Charlene Robinson and her onscreen beau Scott Robinson, played

by Donovan, as well as an ensemble cast that over the years included Guy Pearce, Natalie Imbruglia, and Liam Hemsworth.

The pair had already prompted speculation about a possible return after posting images on Instagram of what appeared to be a

Neighbours script.

Minogue teamed up with Donovan for 1988 duet “Especially For You,” which sold more than a million copies in Britain alone and topped the charts across Europe and Australasia.

The duo reunited on stage in 2012 — for the first time in over two decades — when they sang the 1988 smash hit at a show in Minogue (left) and Donovan both launched their careers on the long-running program London. APF

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

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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022

Life

Mike’s Mess is made with fresh cream, strawberries, and passion fruit in a crunchy merengue

Meraki’s filet mignon is served with herb butter, olive tapenade, grated cured egg yolk, and peppercorn sauce

A toast to good health and elevated cuisine EATING healthy doesn’t have to be bland or boring. That’s the mantra of the people behind Sante and Meraki who swear that good food and healthy eats are not mutually exclusive.

Sante and Meraki are the newest brands under the Visum Ventures Group, currently one of the country’s fastest-growing players in the Food and Beverage industry.

Creating waves among food-loving, discerning diners, they’re located in one charming space that shares an open kitchen. You can order from either one or both, whichever strikes your fancy.

Sante means health in French, often used as a toast to wellness. Add the chic ambiance and topnotch service to the equation and guests can expect a delightful dining experience.

From the cozy space, tasteful interiors, and refreshingly healthy food, the menu can easily take guests from brunch to cocktails.

A few of their healthy breakfast options

include their whimsical Signature Mini Croissant Cereal that has homemade mini croissants, fresh strawberries, and edible flowers, served with T2 Tea-infused Very Berry milk.

Not to be missed is their Mushroom & Truffle Sourdough made with fresh mushroom, drizzled with truffle oil, and topped with fresh parsley on toasted sourdough.

Their delectable tapas selection has their Tuna and Avocado Tartare with fresh tuna and avocado drizzled with sesame oil, topped with microgreens. The crowd favorite Squash Blossoms is a delightful starter of squash flowers with goat cheese, served on a bed of Napoletana sauce and topped with microgreens.

The menu reveals interesting signature dishes, such as the delicately light Pumpkin Risotto, topped with goat cheese and balsamic glaze; Chicken Marsala, a moist chicken breast with cream and Marsala wine, adding depth and contrast, topped with fresh mush-

rooms. Then there’s the Beef Pot Pie, a dish sure to bring comfort. Sante elevates this humble, traditional dish and made it more savory using a well-balanced combination of beef, potatoes, carrots, and red wine in a puff pastry.

A fitting end to a meal is the choice of desserts: Mike’s Mess, Mike Hilton’s (Visum Ventures Group’s founder, and CEO) take on the Eton Mess, which has fresh cream, strawberries, and passion fruit in a crunchy merengue. The Mango Crème Brulee Cheesecake is delightfully light and airy, not the usual dense cheesecake that can be found on most dessert menus in Manila. The T2 Tea Mangoes & Cream tea-infused cheesecake has macadamia and almond dacquoise crumbs that are gluten-free to boot.

Meraki, on the other hand, is a modern Greek word used to describe doing something with passion, soul, and creativity, offers this experience through its elevated cuisine.

Looking to have a leisurely brunch? Their Smashed Avocado has halloumi cheese, poached eggs, and toasted sourdough.

The flavors are diverse, from subtle to robust, healthy to hearty. For instance, the quintessential, Beef Moussaka. One of the most recognizable Greek dishes, it is made hearty and flavorful with layers of beef, eggplant, and potato and topped with a decadent sauce.

Meraki also has the Salmon Tzatziki, fresh salmon lightly pan-seared, served with crunchy asparagus and fresh thyme.

Their Lemon Chicken is pan-seared chicken on a bed of potatoes, oregano, lemon, and fresh thyme. For meat lovers, the Filet Mignon is served with herb butter, olive tapenade, grated cured egg yolk, and pepper-

corn sauce.

The Chocolate Lava Cake is a chocoholic’s dream come true, served with almond dacquoise, vanilla bean ice cream, and dehydrated strawberry.

And for those looking for healthy drinks, their freshly-squeezed juices have refreshing variants – from the crowd-favorite orange juice, to their special Immune Booster that has green apple, cucumber, celery, kale, lemon, and ginger, and their Tropical Sunrise with watermelon, pineapple, passionfruit, and orange.

Sante and Meraki are located at MOA Square, Seashell Lane, Mall of Asia Complex.

Painting ZamBaSulTa in a new light through food Palm Grill celebrates fifth year of bringing authentic Southern Mindanao cuisine to the metro

The lobby of Nüwa Manila

Nüwa Manila receives Five Stars in Forbes Travel Guide NÜWA at City of Dreams Manila achieves two Five Stars in the 2022 Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) Awards for the hotel and its spa for the fifth and third consecutive years, respectively since 2018.

Lawrence Ho, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco, said, “The accolades testify to our relentless dedication to service quality and contribution to pushing boundaries, especially during such a challenging time for the industry – continuing to provide memorable and world-class services for guests with a collective total of 97 Stars across our global portfolio. We thank our team for their unwavering dedication – for their exceptional role in facilitating Melco’s sustained status as the leading integrated resort operator in Asia.”

“Travel has come back strongly, and the resilient hospitality industry is creatively rallying to accommodate the increased occupancy demand for most regions,” said Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “While the

Nüwa Manila’s Spa Suite

industry faces some lingering issues, the 2022 award winners proved ready for those challenges and more, demonstrating the best that luxury hospitality has to offer.”

Nüwa Manila’s recognition contributes to the collective total of 97 Stars achieved by Melco Resorts & Entertainment (Melco)’s portfolio of integrated resort properties in Macau and Manila, continuing Melco’s leadership position among integrated resort operators in Asia.

Geoff Andres, City of Dreams Manila Property President stated, “Nüwa Manila and Nüwa Spa being recognized with the coveted FTG Five-star rating reflects our consistent commitment to provide five-star service amid the challenges posed by changing times. We are proud of our colleagues who continue to constantly provide our guests with the luxury and signature experiences the Melco brand has been known for.”

FTG created the original Five-Star rating system, and is the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, and spas.

The world-renowned authority in genuine Five-Star service, FTG also recognized City of Dreams Manila’s two other hotels: Hyatt Regency Manila and Nobu Hotel Manila with a FourStar award for five years running.

By Patricia Taculao

G

OOD food, more often than not, brings people closer together. The use of flavorful ingredients and spices, partnered with the proper cooking technique, creates well-loved dishes that transcend time and space. Food also defines a culture and makes it stand out from others.

There’s no shortage of hearty dishes in the Philippines, as each region in the country specializes in a particular food that emphasizes their tradition. While all Filipinos are familiar with staples, like adobo, kare-kare, menudo, and sisig, there’s more to Filipino cuisine than what’s popularized by major food chains or restaurants.

If you travel south to Mindanao and explore the regions of Zamboanga, Basila, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (ZamBaSulTa), you’ll be surprised at the variety of delicious and hearty food that the locals thoroughly enjoy.

Unfortunately, not many people know about these recipes as they tend to focus on the known dishes from Luzon and Visayas.

Jose Miguel Cabel Moreno, a restaurateur who was born in Jolo, Sulu, and raised in Zamboanga, was exposed to these heart-warming and filling dishes as they were a constant presence in his childhood home. He fondly recalls the smell of various spices and roasted coconut, a staple ingredient in Sulu cuisine.

H e wanted to bring the flavor and experience of ZamBaSulTa cuisine to people in the metro, especially those who have yet to try the cuisine. Intent on raising the flag of his hometown’s cuisine and its neighboring provinces, he opened a restaurant called Palm Grill on the corner of Tomas Morato and Scout Castor in Quezon City.

“A lot of people asked me why I established the restaurant in Metro Manila and not in Zamboanga. Worst, most of them doubted me for offering delicacies and cuisines unknown to many. My answer has always been simple: because I’m proud of

A special tray of mouthwatering Belachan manok with a dishes called Dulang shrimp paste served on the side

Tiyula Itum and Pianggang Manok

Deep-fried pampano topped with sambal the culture I grew up in,” Moreno said during the fifth anniversary and relaunch of Palm Grill.

In 2020, however, he faced the challenge of the pandemic, which threatened the restaurant’s existence. But with the help of friends and family, plus Moreno’s dedication to achieving his initial goal, the restaurant survived.

Now, Palm Grill celebrates five years of championing Southern Mindanaoan cuisine to people in the metro.

Guests can enjoy an array of dishes that feature coconut. There’s the dulang—a special tray served during royal banquets and special occasions. It symbolizes a feast of flavors and the abundance of the Tausug culinary history.

Pianggang manok (green chicken) is also a menu option. It’s cooked in a blend of seven Asian spices, burnt coconut, and cooked in coconut milk before being grilled to perfection.

Another ZamBaSulTa cuisine favorite available in Palm Grill is the tiyula itum, a black beef soup of the Tausugs. Its black color comes from burnt coconut meat, which gives its distinct color and flavor profile.

Moreno hopes that the food he serves, which is his family’s interpretation of ZamBaSulTa specialties, will change the negative perception of Southern Mindanao and highlight the region’s rich history and culture that the locals appreciate until today.

Your one-stop-shop for summer must-haves AFTER two years, suddenly it feels like summer again. And it’s a great time to enjoy the beach and great outdoors, as well as the city streets with family and friends again.

It’s also a great time to shop for breezy, summerready styles for brighter days at The SM Store.

Whether you are headed for a pool party or enjoying time with the family at the mall, the warmer months are an excellent opportunity to look and feel great.

Here are some exciting summer must-haves from The SM Store.

Keep fit and fab – and fashionable - with athleisure outfits from SM Woman’s Active Department, which are made from polyester-spandex blend, stretched, and with a regular fit for all body types. A water bottle by your side from the Women’s Accessories Department will keep you cool and hydrated.

If you’re headed for the beach, make a splash with Coco Cabana’s swimwear and rash guards at the Women’s Wear Department. There are also board shorts for surfing, swimming, and chillin’ under the sun at Coco

Republic in the Men’s Department. Also, go for brighter colors and bold prints like tie-dye tees at Tee Culture at The SM Store.

Walk the summer streets with cool and comfy sandals from Parisian Women and sneakers and rubber shoes from the Men’s Shoes Department. Don’t be afraid to express your accessories like crossbody bags from Parisian Women and the Men’s Accessories Department Hatchet Backpacks from Jansen.

Kids, too can have a lot of summer fashion fun with Swim Printed Rashguards for boys and girls, Printed Shirts and Shorts from Just tees, and Fashionable and printed Maxi dresses for girls from Little Miss. They also offer comfy and stylish shoes, slip-ons, and casual footwear which are a great outfit for kids this summer in Sugar Kids and Tough Kids. All are available at The SM Store’s Kids Department.

Shop now, add to cart: www.shopsm.com or order now from The SM Store Personal Shopper at thesmstore.com/PS or Facebook Messenger bit.ly/TSSOrder and get it as early as the same day.

Stay hydrated and on track throughout the day with this colorful Motivational Water Bottle Surf, swim, and chill with these boardshorts from Coco Republic

Walk-in style and comfort with these Parisian Woman Toe-band tonal Bia Flat Sandals with adjustable straps

Travel light and with ease with Jansport’s Hatchet backpack