Manila Standard - 2022 May 14 - Saturday

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HISTORIC VICTORY

#UPFIGHT! The UP Fighting Maroons

UP takes down Ateneo, 72-69, in Game 3 for the UAAP crown

clinched its first title in 36 years on Friday, beating Ateneo De Manila University, 72-69, in Game 3 of the men's basketball finals.

By Peter Atencio JOEL Cagulangan raised his fists in great joy as soon as he unleashed the winning triple with a second left as members of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons strutted around the court, celebrating like crazy as they fulfilled their drought-ending dreams on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Fighting Maroons hit the right note on defense in the final minutes and got two big baskets from the 5’9” Cagulangan as they prevailed over the “fourpeat-seeking” Ateneo Blue Eagles, 72-69, in overtime in Game 3 of the 84th University Athletic Association of the Philip-

pines men’s basketball finals.

Big man and Finals’ MVP Malick Diouf sank 17 points and took charge under the glass with nine rebounds, his big effort leading the Maroons to their first cage plum in 36 years.

Cagulangan finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two triples for UP. "Sobrang sarap, wala akong masabi.

Champion na kami. Sobrang sarap talaga," said Cagulangan, a native of Butuan.

CJ Cansino, who missed the first two games of the finals due to a foot injury, had 14 points.

It was a great feat for UP coach Goldwin Monteverde as the Maroons finished Next page

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 87 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Russia, Australia laud Marcos win

Join US and China in expressing stronger bilateral cooperation with PH under BBM

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

USSIAN President Vladimir Putin and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have joined other world leaders in congratulating Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on winning the May 9 presidential elections.

R AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

"I expect that your activity as head of state will help further promote the constructive cooperation between Russia and the Philippines in various spheres," Putin said in his telegram to Marcos.

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Abalos named as incoming DILG chief

By Rey E. Requejo and Alena Mae Flores FORMER Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos has accepted the offer of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bong-

bong” Marcos Jr. to serve as secretary of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the incoming administration.

Marcos spokesman and chief-of-staff Vic Rodriguez made the announcement during a press conference at the Marcos campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong

on Friday.

Abalos served as Marcos' campaign manager in the recently concluded elections.

Rodriguez said Abalos is also a member of the transition team formed by Marcos in preparation for his takeover as Next page chief executive.

GOLD! Carlos Yulo bags the gold medal in the men's all-around event in gymnastics at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi Friday.

Yulo earns gold in gymnastics, PH’s 3rd in 31st SEAG in Vietnam

By Riera U. Mallari HANOI—World champion Carlos Yulo put a stop to the Philippines’ horror show on Friday the 13th with a gold in the men’s individual all-around event of the gymnastics’ competition in the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games here.

Yulo, the reigning world gymnastics’ vault champion, bucked a slip and a penalty in the pommel horse to garner 85.150 points in six apparatuses as he bagged the individual all-around crown, frustrating

hometown bets Le Thanh Tung (84.050) and Dinh Phuong Thanh (82.450), who settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.

The 22-year-old Olympian gave the Philippines’ its third gold here after the victory of Mary Francine Padios in pencak silat last Wednesday and the win of Jackielou Escarpe in kurash’s men’s 73 kgs after beating Thailand’s Apicha Boonrangsee on Friday at the Hoai Duc Stadium in Vietnam.

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More lawmakers support Romualdez for speakership Sara calls on supporters, winners:

By Maricel V. Cruz

Rep. Martin Romualdez as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives A LAWMAKER from the Bicol region in the incoming 19th Congress next expressed Friday his full support for month.

Majority Leader and Leyte First District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said

DOH detects 14 Omicron variants in NCR, Palawan

By Willie Casas THE Philippines detected a total of 14 cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Palawan, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Friday.

During a media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire Next page

Romualdez was in the best position to shepherd the House into passing soon enough new legislation that would help realize the plans and programs of the Next page

Senate prexy race starts to stir

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WHILE the final winners in the senatorial race have yet to be proclaimed, a number of names are already being floated for Senate president, a post now held by losing vice presidential candidate Senator Vicente Sotto III. Outgoing Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Loren Legarda, who ranked No. 2 in the recently concluded senatorial race, is most qualified to become the next Senate president.

Legarda, who chaired the finance committee when she was last in the Senate, has not yet expressed an interest in the top post, however.

Reelectionist Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, on the other hand, has said he will seek the Senate presidency in the 19th Congress.

Running fourth in the ongoing partial and unofficial tally, Gatchalian will be on his second six-year term.

He said the biggest factor in winning the Senate presidency is the support of Next page

Work for unity and reconciliation

By Maricel V. Cruz PRESUMPTIVE Vice President and outgoing Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio of Davao City has urged candidates, their followers, and Filipinos in general, to now put politics and the divisiveness of Monday’s elections behind them.

Duterte-Carpio, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago chairperson, renewed Friday UniTeam’s appeal for unity, saying those people elected to be their leaders should start focusing on serving them all - whether supporters or opponents.

Based on the unofficial election results, Duterte-Carpio and her UniTeam running mate, former Sen. Ferdi-

nand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., are on the way to winning by a landslide.

She urged her supporters -- and indirectly, all winners in the May 9 elections -- to take the initiative to offer a hand of reconciliation to losers and their followers for the sake of unity.

They should be magnanimous in victory, she said.

She thanked the more than 31 million Filipinos, including overseas workers, who voted for her and Marcos, and thanked as well their campaign staff and support groups, saying their victory was also theirs.

The incoming Vice President urged their supporters to keep faith with them and to maintain their support especially when she and Marcos would Next page

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News

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Comelec to proclaim winning senators, party-list by May 15

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Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang be transmitted within the same day.

Balita, Garcia said the canvassing might “If that happens, perhaps not later than be finished by Friday as the remaining 52 Sunday we can proclaim (the) winning Certificates of Canvass were expected to senators and even party-list congress-

men,” he said.

Garcia said 121 of the 173 COCs had been canvassed.

Based on the law, a party-list group that gets at least 2 percent of the total number of votes cast in the elections will be entitled to at least one seat in the House of Representatives.

Those who exceed the 2 percent threshold will be entitled to additional seats proportionate to the number of votes cast, but the total number of seats for each

winning party-list group cannot exceed three.

Also, those who do not meet the 2 percent requirement may still be able to secure a seat in the House because the party-list law requires that 20 percent of House members come from the party-list ranks.

For the 2022 elections, there will be 316 seats in the House; 253 of these are district representatives, and 63 are partylist representatives.

His running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, is also poised to be elected as the country’s next vice president, as her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, steps down from office on June 30.

Meanwhile, investors would like to see continuity in policies that aim to liberalize the Philippines in terms of foreign capital, British Chamber of Commerce Philippines Executive Director Chris Nelson said Tuesday.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) already issued separate statements on Tuesday in support of Marcos.

"Let's give the incoming administration time to draw up and share their plans in making our country more progressive. Let's stay positive," PCCI President George Barcelon said in a statement.

"As business chambers, we hope to continue to work closely with government officials at all levels throughout the country for the recovery from the pandemic and to maintain high levels of GDP growth, infrastructure development, job creation, and FDI inflows best achieved by continuing the governance and policies of the current and previous administrations," a portion of the JFC statement read.

The JFC is made up of chambers from the United States, Australia-New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, Inc. (PAMURI), with a combined trade and investment value of over $100 billion in the Philippines.

The Duterte administration has passed

legislation that would make the country more attractive to foreign investors, including the amendments to the Foreign Investment Act, the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Public Service Act. “The important thing is the reflection of what they see in terms of continuity, what’s going to happen moving forward,” Nelson said.

“Clearly, what we want as the British Chamber of Commerce is the next administration to continue with some of those liberalization policies,” he added.

Nelson said there are low-hanging fruits that could further entice foreign capital to come in.

The list includes further streamlining of the implementing rules of the ease of doing business law, continued investments in the digital space as well as investments in education to expand the local talent base, he said.

Barcelon also underscored the internal and external risks that Marcos' incoming economic managers need to address immediately once the cluster is formed.

"The president-elect (Marcos Jr.) will be faced with the same financial challenges due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and lately the geopolitical storm in Ukraine similar to other countries [particularly in relation to] debt and inflation issues," the PCCI chief added.

Outgoing Secretary Fortunato dela Peña of the Department of Science and Technology on Friday said he is hoping for the continuity of the agency’s programs and projects, especially on efforts to address climate change, under the Marcos administration.

At the weekly Diretsahang Pananaw forum in Quezon City, the DOST chief

noted that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea has created a transition team to identify key activities to implement the transition of services from the Duterte administration.

“I am not a part of the transition team of Secretary Medialdea, but we will have a transition within the DOST… whoever the next secretary will be,” he told the Manila Standard.

Dela Pena said he is pushing for the regional equity of resources, citing “regions play a major role in science and technology.” He believes there would be a continuity of programs and projects after his exit from the DOST in July.

“We have good coordinators in each and every department as well as the one that tackles the issue of climate change,” he told reporters. “It is a whole of government, a whole nation approach.”

On Wednesday, Marcos highlighted the critical role of economic managers in the next few years as the country emerged from the pandemic.

"The economic managers are going to be critical for the next several years because of the pandemic and economic crisis, so that is something that we are looking at very carefully," the presumptive President said.

The presumptive 17th President of the Philippines also added that competence, willingness to work, and not one's political color would be the top considerations in selecting the next crop of officials that would comprise his cabinet.

"I continue to be guided by… competence and willingness to work with the next administration, so we have removed… immediately what their political leanings have been," he explained.

the members of the transition team that will hand over the reins to the incoming Marcos administration.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who will lead the turnover team, said President Rodrigo Duterte issued Administrative Order 47 for the creation of the Presidential Transition Committee (PTC).

With Medialdea as chairman, its members include Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Budget Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority chief Karl Kendrick Chua.

“The PTC will oversee the implementation of the transition activities of the en-

tire government and see to it that delivery of services to the public remains unhampered,” Medialdea said.

Earlier this week, Marcos announced that presumptive vice president Sara Duterte will be the secretary of the Department of Education under his administration.

Rodriguez also denied the existence of a list of alleged officials of the Marcos administration that was being spread on social media, saying there are only two confirmed incoming Cabinet members.

"Those who spread on social media, there's no truth to that apparent list. There is no list,” Rodriguez said.

He said the people sought to be members of Marcos's Cabinet must be able to

serve the public, love the country, respect the Constitution, and not be involved in overthrowing the government.

"We're in the process of searching and looking up for possible nominees for different Cabinet positions. I don't think anyone should expect that it can be announced in one sitting because as you know the vetting process takes time.... It's not a one way thing, it has to be accepted and it has to be offered," Rodriguez said.

Earlier, Duterte accepted the Education post.

"Our country needs a future generation of patriotic Filipinos that advocate peace and discipline in their respective communities,” she said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

horse, rings, and floor exercise on Sunday and Monday.

“It’s not a bad first day at all,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton, who expects Yulo to win at least four gold medals.

“We are expecting more, so much more," added Carrion, who kept an eagle eye on the manual scoring of the judges in lieu of computerized scoring.

But it was a dreadful sight on other fronts.

Over at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium, Filipino 3x3 bets suffered shocking defeats and needed to do better Saturday to sustain their hopes of retaining the men’s and women’s crowns in the event initially held in 2019 in the Philippines SEA Games.

The Gilas men’s squad beat of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Marvin Hayes, Jorey Napoles and Raymar Caduyac beat Cambodia 19-7 and Thailand 21-16 but sputtered against Indonesia and dropped a 13-15 decision. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

UP...

This is UP's third title in the league, winning their first title all the way back to the second season of the league and following it up 47 years later during season 49.

Defense on Season 84 MVP Angelo Kouame appeared shaky as he was always finding a way to get past Diuof, but Cagulangan proved to be UP’s lethal weapon in the final minutes.

The Blue Eagles, who were denied a four-peat, held the lead for the last time off Gian Mamuyac’s three, 69-64, with 1:47.

With Diouf missing his shot in the next play from up close, Cagulangan got a pass from him and hit a triple, which allowed UP to come close, 6769, in the last 1:12.

After Blue Eagle SJ Belangel bungled an attempt, a well-defended Cagulangan fed the ball to Diouf, who connected with a dunk in the 39.7 second mark, to tie the match, 69-all.

Cagulangan’s chance to win the game for UP with his trey came after Ateneo’s Dave Ildefonso bungled an attempt with 20 ticks to go.

Congress Senate," Gatchalian said.

Other names that have been floated are Senator Cynthia Villar, returning senator Francis Escudero, and re-electionist Senator Miguel Zubiri.

Incumbent Senator Ronald Dela Rosa recently voiced his preference for Villar.

"She is the most senior and number one in terms of showing good leadership,” he said during a television interview.

Actor Robin Padilla; returning Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, and JV Ejercito; broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo, former Public Works secretary Mark Villar; and reelectionists Joel Villanueva and Risa Hontiveros are the others in the top 12 of the unofficial tally. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Sara...

INNING 12 senators and party-list members of the House of Representatives in the May 9 general elections may be proclaimed not later than May 15, Commission on Elections Commissioner George Garcia said Friday.

Russia,...

From A1

Morrison expressed hope the Philippines and Australia would continue to enjoy strong bilateral relations under the incoming administration.

“I congratulate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on being elected President of the Philippines at the national elections on 9 May,” the Aussie PM said on his Twitter page.

“Following the 75th anniversary of Australia-Philippines relations last year, we look forward to continuing to advance our long-standing friendship,” Morrison added.

The two leaders joined United States President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with ambassadors and political leaders from various countries, in lauding the former senator and expressing their intention to work with the incoming administration starting July 1.

The Israeli government also congratulated the presumptive president after he dominated the unofficial poll results with a 16-million-vote lead over Vice President Leni Robredo.

“Israel will continue to work closely with the incoming administration of the Philippines to strengthen the friendly historic ties of our nations and to deepen the existing partnerships in agriculture, food security, water, tourism, innovation & technology, defense, among others,” it said.

Marcos is on the cusp of winning the May 9 polls after garnering over 31 million votes in the partial, unofficial tally of the latest election returns from the Commission on Elections Transparency Server.

Abalos...

From A1

“The campaign executive committee will serve as the transition team and for the names of the transition team, it is to be led by yours truly,” Rodriguez said.

“And I have with me, Congressman Anton Lagdameo, Chairman Benhur Abalos, former congresswoman Naida Angping, and South Cotabato Gov. Jun Tamayo,” he added.

“These are the names that I am at liberty to reveal at the moment, but this is the composition of our transition team,” Rodriguez added.

The government on Thursday named

Yulo...

From A1

Yulo also led the artistic gymnastics’ team that included Juancho Miguel Besana, John Matthew Vergara, Jann Gwynn Timbang and Justine Ace de Leon to the silver.

Aside from the three gold medals, the Philippines also amassed seven silver and nine bronze medals to rank fifth, giving up fourth to Thailand (3-5-11).

Vietnam started to pull away from the field with 20 gold, 11 silver and 15 bronze medals, followed by Malaysia (11-5-8) and Indonesia (5-8-1). Singapore and Myanmar also have two gold medals each.

Still to be concluded at press time is kickboxing, where six Filipinos are assured of at least silver medals.

“All I was thinking was how to perform well and I think we did well,” said Yulo, who advanced to the finals of the vault, where he is the reigning world champion, high bar, parallel bar, pommel

Senate...

From A1

his colleagues who have different ideas and priorities.

"I have talked to some of our colleagues about that and of course, since I am a reelectionist and I have been in the Senate for the last six years, I've also some good plans for the institution," he said during an interview with a news channel.

He denied reports that the 19th Congress has already chosen the next Senate President.

“Of course the new senators should be proclaimed first and they should occupy the seats first to form the new 19th

From A1

their best-of-three finals series at 2-1, which is quite an achievement in his first year as a collegiate coach.

Monteverde is the second coach to steer UP to a crown since Joe Lipa first did it in 1986.

"I feel very happy right now," said the soft-spoken first-year head coach of the Fighting Maroons Goldwin Monteverde.

"I want to thank the UP community. I also want to thank the Lord God for this championship."

Hugs and kisses greeted Monteverde moments after Cagulangan, a recruit from NCAA junior champion La Salle Greenhills, unleashed the second of his two treys in the extension period from the left corner with 1.6 seconds remaining for the final count.

"He (Cagulangan) knows that the entire team really trusts him. At that given moment, he knew the situation, we never had any doubt about him and he did it,” said Monteverde.

From A1

be proclaimed by earliest this month and begin to carry out their mandate and deliver on their campaign promises.

Duterte-Carpio also promised to introduce reforms in the Department of Education (DepEd), whose stewardship Marcos has offered to her.

Addressing her fellow winners, “Let us humble ourselves because we are the winner. We are the ‘Sana all’, we are the Sara All,” she said during her online thanksgiving aired on her Facebook Page Friday.

She added: “We have to be magnanimous because we are only 31.5 million.

We need them for us to be a 100 percent nation with no division.”

Likewise, she urged Filipinos to dismiss the colors that have become the hallmark of the country’s politics.

“These colors have become the face of hotly-contested supporters. And since the campaign and elections are over, it’s time to forget the colors of disunity,” she said.

She described her victory as a testament to cooperation and unity among the Filipinos.

“Today, I ask and look forward to your continued support for me as your Vice President because I have a great responsibility to the Filipinos and our beloved country,” she said.

Hermit, martyr and journalist among new Catholic saints A FRENCHMAN murdered in the desert, a Dutch priest killed in a Nazi concentration camp and an Indian lay convert are among 10 new saints being created by Pope Francis on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of people from around the world are expected in St Peter's Square in the Vatican for the canonization mass, presided over by the 85-year-old pontiff.

Under the rules of the Catholic Church, all 10 have already been beatified, or named "blessed," but had to then be attributed a miracle to take the final step to sainthood.

Most founded religious orders, but the new saints include Charles de Foucauld, a French soldier and explorer.

He became a Catholic priest and lived among Trappist monks in Syria, in Palestine, and finally among the Tuaregs in the Algerian desert.

He was murdered by bandits on December 1, 1916, but his works outlasted him and he became one of France's most celebrated men of faith.

Vatican theologians attributed to de Foucauld the cure of a cancer sufferer in 1984, and he was beatified by pope Benedict XVI in 2005. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Faithful urged to pray Rosary for lasting peace

A CATHOLIC parish priest in Metro Manila has called on parishioners to pray the Rosary daily for the world to attain lasting peace.

Fr. Carlos Reyes, parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima parish in Mandaluyong City, made the appeal on the 105th anniversary of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary in the Portuguese town of Fatima in Belgium where Catholics are told she appeared to three girls and told them the “Three Secrets.”

The “Three Secrets of Fátima” are a series of apocalyptic visions and prophecies purportedly given to three young Portuguese shepherds, Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, by a Marian apparition, which started on May 13, 1917.

“We are in troubled times and there is a need for us to pray the Holy Rosary daily for the intercession of the Blessed Mother to end the global pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the world to have a lasting peace,” Fr. Reyes said. Ben Cal

DOH...

From A1

said two cases were detected in the NCR while 12 were detected in Puerto Princesa City, of which 11 are foreigners.

Vergeire said the two cases in the NCR have received their booster shots and experienced mild symptoms.

She said they are now tagged as recovered after completing home isolation.

They had a total of 39 close contacts who are currently asymptomatic.

“We are determining their vaccination and quarantine status,” Vergeire said.

The Philippines in April detected its first case of Omicron BA.2.12 — a Finnish traveler — in Baguio City. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

More...

From A1

country’s next president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to sustain the economy’s growth, create jobs, improve the education system, stabilize prices and continue the country’s infrastructure modernization.

“Congressman Martin Romualdez is a consensus builder. The fact that he remained the Majority Leader even with the change in leadership in the House proves this. He listens and values the opinions of his peers, whether from the majority or the minority. He has the ability to transcend the political divide to mobilize the House into action and pass the bills necessary to support BBM's development agenda,” Villafuerte said.

Romualdez’s term as House Majority Leader has also given him the institutional memory and wisdom to lead the House in the 19th Congress, Villafuerte added.

“Martin is hard-working and gets things done quickly as shown by his stint as majority leader when the House was able to pass at record speed the two Bayanihan laws. As majority leader, Martin helped accelerate the passage of President Duterte’s investor-friendly measures, such as the CREATE (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises) law, and the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Public Service Act and the Foreign Investments Act,” Villafuerte said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

News

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

SPD agents nab ASG man wanted for kidnapping

JAIL RIOT.

Inmates of the Quezon City Jail stage a mid-afternoon riot marked by a rain of stones, bottles, and whatever hard objects they can lay their hands on, as armed prison guards try to quell the disturbance.

Mike De Juan

By Joel E. Zurbano SOUTHERN Police District (SPD) operatives have arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) another suspected member of Abu Sayyaf Group wanted for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a Jehovah’s Witness devotee in 2002 amid the so-called Lamitan siege.

SPD director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg identified the suspect as Omar Bin Harun, alias Airola, 52, a security guard and resident of Barangay Kasanyangan, Zamboanga City.

The SPD received information that one alias Airola-Adjustable was scheduled to arrive at the NAIA Terminal 2 around 5 p.m. Tuesday from Malaysia via Philippine Airlines flight. The suspect was using a Malaysian passport under the name of Omar Bin Harun.

Armed with an arrest warrant, the SPD men with help from personnel of Bureau of Immigration, Aviation Security Group and the NAIA Airport Police apprehended the suspect upon his arrival.

Immigration officials said the suspect used the Malaysian passport in an attempt to conceal his identity. They said Omar Bin Harun, also known as Ariola-Adjustable, is listed in the Terrorism Screening Center (TSC) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation “thus the service of warrant of arrest has been delayed, needing the lifting of exclusion from the Office of the Commissioner BID (Bureau of Immigration and Deportation).”

The standing warrant of arrest against Harun was issued by Judge Toribio Ilao Jr. of Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 266 on Nov. 5, 2009 for kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom. No bail was recommended for Harun’s temporary liberty.

A victim positively identified the suspect as one of her abductors in August 2002.

DTI sets new SRPs for basic goods

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has updated the Suggested Retail Prices (SRP) for basic necessities and prime commodities for 218 stock keeping units (SKUs) within the jurisdiction of the agency.

In a bulletin published on Tuesday, the DTI approved a minimum increase for 82 basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) in its latest SRP list, while 136 SKUs or 62 percent of 218 SKUs were unchanged from the January 27, 2022 SRP Bulletin prices.

“The Department carefully evaluates the requests for price adjustments from the manufacturers of BNPCs under the

DTI’s jurisdiction. It is imperative that the DTI and the industry collaborate to ensure the consumers of high-quality products at affordable prices,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

Products within minimal price hikes included bread, canned fish, potable water in bottles and containers, processed milk, locally manufactured instant noodles, coffee, salt, laundry soap,

detergent, candles, flour, processed and canned pork, processed and canned beef, vinegar, fish sauce (patis), soy sauce, toilet soap, and batteries.

The new set of SRPs also included additional SKUs such as Bareta Bar White (360g) and Bareta Bar FabCon (360g).

The DTI maintained that 71 out 82 SKUs have increased their SRPs by 8 to 10 percent only, still below the global price movement of raw materials.

The DTI explained that the prices of major raw materials like Tamban (for canned fish products), mechanically deboned meat (MDM) for processed meat products, buttermilk for processed milk, and palm oil for toiletries and instant noodles increased by 0.56 percent

to 32.14 percent. This has not yet taken into account the massive increase in fuel prices that went up by 28.84 percent.

“Despite the adjustments in several basic and prime goods, the DTI assured the public that all increases in the SRPs were kept to a minimum level to provide consumers with reasonably-priced goods amidst the pandemic,” Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said.

The DTI adjusts the SRP list from time to time to continuously guide consumers and retailers in their purchase and sale of basic and prime goods.

The public may also refer to the most recent SRP list of BNPCs before going to the supermarkets and grocery stores. The price guide is accessible via the DTI website.

Port of Subic destroys P95m smuggled goods

Justice Bernabe retires from SC, turns 70 today

By Rey E. Requejo SUPREME Court Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe retires today as she turns 70, the mandatory retirement age for members of the judiciary.

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has submitted to President Duterte a list of six appellate court justices as nominees to the seat to be vacated by Bernabe.

Bernabe steps down after serving the judiciary for more than 25 years as trial court judge, appellate court justice, and SC magistrate. She was promoted to the 15-member bench on Sept. 16, 2011 after her seven-year stint as Court of Appeals justice.

The JBC, which screens and evaluates the nominees and applicants for various positions in the judiciary, submitted to the President its shortlist of nominees, namely: CA Associate Justice Ramon Alcala Cruz and Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Abracia Econg, and CA Associate Justices Ronaldo Roberto Baquizal Martin, Fernanda Lampas Peralta, and Maria Filomena Dumandan Singh.

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KEEP THEM COMING. Certificates of Canvass (COCs) for the presidential and vice presidential races continue to arrive at the Senate from the provinces, as well as from abroad. The Senate will eventually transmit the documents to the House of Representatives for the official canvassing of the votes.

Honest CAAP cop returns P200k to passenger CIVIL Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director general Capt.

Jim Sydiongco on Friday commended a police officer assigned in Tacloban Airport who returned a bag full of money to the owner.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Julie Antor of the Police - Aviation Security Unit found the bag containing P200,000 cash and other personal items left by passenger Roderick Codog at the arrival area on May 7.

“The event was an admirable act and

was the result of coordination and good working environment that promotes honesty. I believe both the PNP Aviation Security Group and the CAAP will continue to work towards making our airports a safe and trustworthy space,” Sydiongco said.

Sydiongco recently met with new Police Aviation Security chief Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon where they discussed the continued cooperation of the two agencies.

The CAAP also commended recently an employee, also for honesty after

she turned over to the management of Laguindingan Airport a bag containing 500 Saudi Riyal roughly estimated at P280,000.

The CAAP employee identified as Merraflor Simbre was on duty when she found the bag at the restroom of the airport’s passenger terminal building.

“Despite the hardships brought about by the pandemic, there are people like Ms. Simbre who remain honest and trustworthy in their field of work,” the CAAP stated. Joel Zurbano

THE Port of Subic has destroyed smuggled cigarettes and overstaying containers of assorted household goods and personal effects worth more than P95 million.

The shipments were destroyed through shredding, crushing, and dumping in an accredited facility operated by Greenleaf 88 Non-hazardous Waste Disposal in Pampanga.

The condemned shipment of cigarettes that were seized last year was consigned to Goldlink Int’l Subic Inc. Last month, the Subic port also condemned assorted brands of counterfeit cigarettes with a market value of P38 million.

The destroyed 1x40’ container shipment of cigarettes was consigned to Subic Red Dragon.

The condemnation was conducted in an accredited facility located at Marilao, Bulacan owned by Malia 7 Waste Collection Services through incineration to ensure 100 percent destruction of the counterfeit goods.

Subic District collector Maritess Martin has assured the public that the Port will remain vigilant in protecting the country’s borders against the proliferation of illicit goods.

Aside from health and safety concerns to the public, the condemnation process is part of the Bureau of Customs’ efforts to enhance trade facilitation by decongesting warehouses to ensure adequate facilities for arriving shipments. Joel Zurbano

BI nabs American wanted in US for child abuse

IMMIGRATION agents have arrested an American national wanted in the United States for alleged child abuse.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the suspected pedophile as Bradley John Moore, 49, who was reportedly facing aggravated sexual assault of a child, three counts of indecency, and having sexual con-

tact with a child in McKinney, Texas.

Moore was arrested Thursday, in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte by operatives of the Immigration’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU).

Morente issued the mission order to FSU men after receiving information on the suspect’s criminal case from US authorities in Manila.

“We will send him back to the US immediately for him to face his crimes, after which he will be placed in our blacklist and banned from reentering the country,” Morente said.

The Immigration chief described Moore as an undesirable alien “whose continued presence here poses a serious threat to Filipino children.” Joel Zurbano

Winning Rizal solon vows to hit the ground running JOB WELL DONE. Manila Standard photographer Danny Pata receives an award from Coast Guard Commandant Commodore Armando Balilo in appreciation of his “valuable support” to the PCG Public Affairs for his initiatives and significant role in providing general public vital information about the agency’s programs and other endeavors.

THE first congressman of the newlyformed 4th District of Rizal province has vowed to hit the ground running even as he expressed gratitude to the people of Rodriguez (formerly Montalban) for the “overwhelming mandate to serve” given to him during the recently concluded elections.

“Taos-pusong pasasalamat sa Montalban sa mandatong mapaglingkuran kayo. Asahan po ninyo na sa lubos ng aking makakaya ay gagantihan ko ang inyong tiwala ng maganda’t tapat na serbisyo, (My sincere gratitude to the people of Montalban for the mandate to serve you. To the best of my

ability, I will reward your trust with good and honest service),” Rep. Fidel Nograles said.

Nograles, currently the representative of the province’s 2nd District, won the congressional race for the 4th District by a landslide, winning by over 60,000 votes over his rivals. Maricel V. Cruz

A4

News

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

Concepcion: Marcos win presents chance for growth PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion believes that the overwhelming mandate given to Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during the last elections presents a greater chance for inclusive growth for the Philippines.

“The record 31 million votes, malaking bagay ‘yan. We have not seen that in an extremely long time,” said the Go Negosyo founder during the Laging Handa Public Briefing last May 13. “It was definitely a clean and honest election. Walang gulo, and the results matched the various surveys,” he said. “From my point of view, the underprivileged have been heard. Ang daming bumoto; maybe because they see na malaki ang pag-asa under him,” he said.

Concepcion said that he had advised the incoming president that growth must be inclusive. “Kailangang ibuhos ang suporta sa MSMEs para maging mas inclusive ang economy natin,” Concepcion said.

“Most businesses here are MSMEs—99.5 percent—nd they provide more than half of the jobs in this country,” he said. Helping these small enterprises, he said, will be important considering several challenges that

BLACK FRIDAY SELFIE. A nun takes a selfie with policemen on the background during the Black Friday protests at the CCP grounds.

The group is protesting the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the May 9 national and local elections. Danny Pata

Comelec to probe defective VCMs T HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will begin this weekend the investigation of the more than 900 vote-counting machines (VCMs) that encountered issues during the May 9 polls.

According to Commissioner George Garcia, the Comelec Steering Committee headed by Commissioner Marlon Casquejo will meet on Saturday with the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) and the Project Management Office (PMO) to discuss the matter.

He said the holding of the meeting is in response to the call of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to investigate why the VCMs did not function during the elections.

Earlier, Duterte urged the Comelec to

look into hundreds of VCMs that malfunctioned during the polls so as not to cast doubts on the integrity of the election results.

Meanwhile, Comelec acting spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco refused to further comment on the call of the chief executive to abolish the Party-list system.

According to the poll body official, the decision to scrap the party-list system is not the decision of the Commission but Congress.

“For as long as there is that law providing for the party-list system, we will comply with that,” the Comelec official added.

On Thursday, Duterte urged his would-be successor to scrap the partylist system.

On the other hand, poll watchdog Kontra Daya said it would be better to just amend the law.

Former Speaker and Taguig City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano meanwhile called on the next administration to invest in digital infrastructure to make the country’s automated voting system more efficient and less prone to bog-downs.

Cayetano said improvements in the country’s fiber network, undersea communication cables and cell site density should be made part of a 5-year post-

pandemic recovery plan to make the Philippines more “future-proof.”

These improvements will take much of the hassle off of automated elections, he said, as every election has seen thousands of vote-counting machines experiencing problems in transmitting results properly due to inadequate data coverage in many parts of the country.

He also said the polling body should consider getting more vote-counting machines to account for population increase since the first automated elections in 2010.

Cayetano pointed out that while automation has made vote counting in the Philippines faster, more needs to be done to reassure the public about the trustworthiness of the system in the long term.

With Maricel V. Cruz

Comelec: Special elections for 2k Pinoys in Shanghai THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday assured that the close to 2,000 Filipinos registered voters in Shanghai, China will be able to exercise their right of suffrage even as the winning candidates in national positions have been proclaimed.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, said they are inclined to hold a special poll in the host country because they do not want any voter to be disenfranchised.

“For Shanghai, we would be setting a special election there. Just remember it’s always the goal of the Comelec not to disenfranchise any voter,” he said in a press conference.

“Definitely, we would proceed with the Shanghai special elections. We cannot allow voters to be disenfranchised, it’s their right to vote,” he added.

He noted that even if the poll body has proclaimed the winning candidates and their votes will no longer affect the rankings, the voters have to be allowed to vote.

“It’s their right to vote, we cannot take that away,” Laudiangco said.

He added that they will hold the special polls for the 1,991 registered overseas voters in the host nation as soon as the lockdown due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is lifted.

“We must first know when will the reason for postponement be removed. In this case, the lockdown in China needs to be lifted first,” the Comelec official said.

At the same time, he noted that the suspension of elections in Shanghai has caused delays in the transmission of poll results from Hong Kong (HK), Macau, and the rest of mainland China.

FOR ENTERTAINMENT. A puppeteer entertains volunteers who are waiting for their turn to encode votes at the PPCRV monitoring center inside the University of Sto. Tomas on Friday during the continuation of the quick count activities for the May 9 elections. Danny Pata

Pimentel mulls move to join opposition in Senate

By Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III remains unsure if he would stay with the Majority Bloc or join the Minority Bloc in the incoming 19th Congress in the Senate.

Pimentel said there are some considerations that he needs to look into before coming out with a decision.

According to Pimentel, he will still undergo an inward reflection and discussion with his colleagues.”

He will also consider the overall composition of the majority and its plans.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who sought re-election under the Leni-Kiko Team, would be the only opposition senator in the coming Congress.

Two of her colleagues who ran last May 9, Sen. Leila De Lima, also a reelectionist , and former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV failed to win.

Two oppositions in the current composition

of the Senate are Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and De Lima. Drilon will end his term on June 30.

Pimentel divulged he is still tor n between staying in the majority or joining the Hontiveros.

“The minority’s role is to check the majority—follow the rules, give time to opposing views, allow improvement to legislation, etc.

It is really not to oppose the admin, although that seems to be the prevalent impression,” explained Pimentel.

Earlier, Pimentel strongly opposed the PDPCusi faction endorsement of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. He has maintained that Marcos is the embodiment of everything PDP-Laban fought against.

“His endorsement is also the gravest contradiction of the history, struggle, aspirations, principles, and objectives of the true PDP LABAN,” Pimentel said.

await the new administration.

Necessary capital expenditures and pandemic spending pushed national debt to Php12.68-trillion. The debt-to-GDP ratio now stands at 63.5 percent, nearing the highest levels since 2005. A looming stagflation, brought about by rising commodity prices due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis can also dampen growth. “Kapag masyadong mahal na ang mga bilihin, hihina ang pagbili, at hihina din ang benta.

That’s when stagflation happens,” he said.

Concepcion said that the incoming administration must assure foreign investors of a competent and transparent government. “Kung makita ang gobyerno ay maganda, mahusay at transparent, mas maraming papasok na foreign investors,” he said. Duterte’s economic team, he said, has already laid the groundwork for the ease of entry for foreign investors.

He also said that the incoming administration must take care not to lose the momentum that has been built up in the country’s fight against COVID-19. “We cannot afford to have heightened alert levels, “ he said. “We already saw how our GDP grew by 8.3 percent this first quarter when we opened the economy,” he said.

Lacson, Sotto set to resume normal lives AFTER losing the presidential and vice-presidential races, Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III seem well on their way to resume their normal lives.

In posts on Facebook, Lacson’s son, Panfilo “Pampi” Jr., posted a video of his father smiling and clad in a shirt, jeans, and sandals harvesting root crops.

Lacson, 73, who is among the first candidates to acknowledge the insurmountable lead of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the presidential race last Monday, told newsmen that he looks forward to going back to his family and civilian life as he plans to go back to vegetable farming in his home province of Cavite.

Lacson said he plans to resume his exercise routine and eating more healthily.

“Either I go to Malacañang or I go home. If I go home, I want to regain my vanity. Napabayaan natin pati exercise. Tapos hindi makakain because of the campaign dahil takot kang kumain ng marami (I even failed to exercise. I couldn’t eat well because of the campaign. I did not want to eat much),” he said.

Meanwhile, Sotto’s Facebook page shows him playing golf. Sotto, 73, stopped playing golf when he became Senate president.

“I am going to work in lowering my (golf game) handicap. Currently, it’s hovering between 9 and 10. It used to be 3 to 5,” Sotto said of his handicap.

A handicap is the number of strokes given to a player’s score in a particular golf game to acknowledge the player’s skill in meeting the allowed number of strokes per hole.

CHR commends BJMP on voting for persons in jail

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Human Rights on Friday lauded the Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for the peaceful and orderly exercise of voting rights of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) during the May 9 polls.

Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said a total of 1,732 PDLs voted for a president, vice president, senators, and party-list in their special polling precincts – akin to absentee voting by overseas Filipino workers.

“CHR recognizes the immense effort of BuCor and BJMP to uphold and secure the

safe electoral participation of incarcerated individuals awaiting the final resolution of their cases. The Commission also notes the agencies’ rigorous coordination with the Commission on Elections for reaching remote confinement facilities and conducting orientations with PDLs on election rules and the voting process,” she noted.

PDLs were provided with access to radio and television to ensure their informed individual decisions, while medical personnel, equipped with personal protective equipment, were also present in the special polling precincts to maintain adherence to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

“The Commission believes that providing PDLs the full respect of their rights, such as the right to suffrage, helps us fashion their effective rehabilitation and reintegration back to society,” De Guia said.

Their voting rights affirmed their inclusion in the country’s democracy.

“Casting their ballot not only brings them hope, but also gives them a sense of social responsibility,” De Guia said.

“CHR remains hopeful of the continued collective work of government and civil society to advocate the rights of the most disadvantaged in the country,” she added.

Market vendor is new mayor of Dolores town ‘THANK YOU’ CARAVAN.

Manila Mayorelect Honey Lacuna and incoming Vice-Mayor Yul Servo hold a caravan to gratitude to supporters in Manila on Friday.

Danny Pata

TACLOBAN CITY. For a market vendor to win against a physician in the mayoralty race in Dolores, Eastern Samar is like the biblical account of David and Goliath.

For Rodrigo Rivera, 62, his chances of winning the election were very slim without machinery, budget, and support from current village officials.

“I asked for help and thanked God. I thanked Him for granting my prayers. This victory is for the people, to provide the services that the people need, a service from the government available to everyone,” Rivera, speaking in

Waray, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a phone interview Thursday night.

Since May 11, his Facebook account has been filled with posts about being grateful as he vowed to give genuine public service.

Rivera earned 11,508 votes, beating the 10,946 votes garnered by physician Zaldy Carpeso of the ruling PDP-Laban party.

His rival is the brother of outgoing Mayor Shonny Niño Carpeso, who ran unopposed for the vice mayoralty post.

Rivera, who just completed two years in high school, was an inde-

pendent candidate with no vice mayor and town councilor on his team of volunteers and supporters, mostly family members and relatives.

Now that he is the mayor-elect, his team is preparing plans on how to address the problem of the town once he assumes the post on June 30.

Among these concerns are clogged drainage, dark streets, lack of classrooms, poor access to health services, and poor water system.

Although victorious, Rivera must face the reality that the members of the municipal council are all allies of the defeated candidate.

Opinion Collective grief

IF THE partial and unofficial election results are true, where is the jubilation from the more than 30 million Filipinos who voted Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. into the presidency?

Where are the street parties of his supporters? So far, what we only see are parties of Marcos with his family and close friends in an ultra-expensive hotel drinking what appeared to be ultra-expensive wine. In a tweet, @joeytrenas77 asked how true is it that Marcos and company was seen partying in Solaire where the Uniteam booked 90 rooms, two villas, one tent and a huge conference room Friday to Sunday following the elections on May 9.

Allegedly, Kim Wong, the businessman implicated in the Bank of Bangladesh scandal, booked and paid for the hotel. The tweet came complete with pictures and someone mischievous zoomed in on the wine bottle on the table. It was Opus One, California Red Wine costing around P50,900.00 a pop.

Needless to say, only the super-rich can afford this luxury.

Meanwhile, it seems that even before Marcos’ win becomes official, red-tagging is already heightened.

The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons tweeted that several student-athletes were stopped by the police on their way back to the campus simply because of their affiliation with UP as an institution.

In a statement, the group “…condemns the police’s actions that threatened and traumatized our iskolar ng bayan…”

Many are heartbroken, frustrated, and angry.

Similarly, Leni volunteer youth groups in Isabela and Pasacao, Camarines Sur have reported that they were being harassed by uniformed men. The Pasacao group said that they were being profiled and “interviewed” while the Isabela group reported that their Leni-Robredo headquarters was being frequented by, and at times, surrounded by uniformed men. In both cases, the young people felt threatened and scared.

Very recently, the Adarna House Publishing House, popular because of the quality and progressive contents of its children’s books has been red-tagged by no less than the Director-General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Alex Paul Monteagudo. He accused the publishing company of “radicalizing children against the government.”

The news that Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. plans to appoint his running-mate and daughter of outgoing strongman Rodrigo Duterte as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) is a huge warning sign. People take this to mean that the duo is out to further revise Philippine history, this time, through the formal educational system.

It is no secret that a big factor that catapulted Marcos into this probable victory is the decades of initiative to change people’s perception of the Martial Law era from one of abuse, corruption, and killing into the socalled “golden era” of the Philippines. These they did primarily through social media.

Now, they seem to want to do this through schools.

How dreadful it will be if one day, our young people will become ignorant of how much our country and people suffered under the Marcos and Duterte regimes! We should

NORTH Korea confirmed its first COVID-19 death on Friday, saying fever was spreading “explosively” nationwide and tens of thousands of people were being isolated after falling sick.

But with one of the most poorly equipped health services in the world, and an entirely unvaccinated population, experts say the country will struggle to manage a major outbreak.

Here’s what we know: North Korea’s is officially one of the worst healthcare systems in the world, ranked 193 out of 195 countries in a 2021 Johns Hopkins University survey.

According to the authorities, healthcare is free for all but rights groups say North Koreans have long had to pay for essential medical services — usually in cigarettes or alcohol.

“Refugees consistently describe chronically under-resourced hospitals,” Sokeel Park of Liberty in North Korea said.

do all we can so this does not happen for that will be the day when we lose our Filipino spirit.

The published unofficial results of the recent elections are very hard to believe. The country with the slowest internet in Asia became the world’s fastest to transmit “election results.” In just a few hours after the closing of polls (when thousands of voters were still waiting to be able to vote), “results” came pouring in like water released from a dam. In no time at all, Marcos Jr. was touted as having won with an unbelievable margin over the incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo.

During the campaign period, there have been numerous reports supported by pictures and videos of illegal acts committed

by Marcos allies and supporters. They were shown distributing cash to people in various places. Government vehicles were also used for the campaign.

On election day itself, almost 2,000 votecounting machines malfunctioned and thousands of voters were forced to wait the entire day, some throughout the night, to be able to vote. Many others chose to leave their polling places and allowed their ballots to be handled by other people. There were videos showing policemen tearing ballots with votes for Robredo and her candidates. Some people were shown shading a big number of ballots. In some areas, uniformed personnel stayed in the actual precincts were voting was going on and intimidated voters – a clear violation of election rules. There were areas where violence occurred and machines and ballots were destroyed.

There were reports saying that Leni Robredo received zero votes from 595 precincts. This, truly is unbelievable.

Obviously, there was massive cheating and voter disenfranchisement. Even with evidence, some in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) said that it will be very hard to prove cheating. This is not surprising coming from the poll body whose entire leadership was appointed by Rodrigo Duterte.

Robredo’s campaign was very largely volunteer-driven. Filipinos young and old from across economic classes invested money, talent, time, and many other resources.

There was an outpouring of love and respect not only to Robredo and her slate but to other Filipinos as well. It was truly a people’s campaign fueled by volunteerism and goodwill – a first in the history of Philippine politics.

Her people’s rallies, almost purely volunteer-organized and coordinated, were unprecedented culminating in an estimated one million Filipinos attending her Miting de Avance in Makati. All these because Robredo inspired hope. After six years of Duterte’s impunity, there was hope for a better Philippines, or so people thought.

No wonder, people are grieving. Many are heartbroken, frustrated, and angry. Not a few have said that they will now refuse to help government even in times of calamities.

The official counting of votes is proceeding ever so slowly and this is not helping any.

Robredo has not conceded and people do not want her to.

Robredo herself is the epitome of equanimity. People are angry and bitter, but not her. Until this time, her composure is inspiring. While there is collective grief and frustration, she tells people that she understands and requests her supporters to be still, as she is not abandoning the work for a better Philippines.

If the unofficial results are indeed true and we cannot see Marcos supporters happily celebrating because of reasons unknown to us, there is reason to collectively grieve. We lost a golden opportunity in the presidency of a Leni Robredo, FOR NOW. After grieving and if the results are unchanged, we buckle up to work. There will be other elections (or so we hope). @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Patients’ families have to buy medicine and other supplies through the black market, he said, and doctors are forced to make a living with off-the-books treatments.

“Doctors’ income is certainly not low by the North Korean standards, but even with that, it is difficult to buy a kilogram of rice,” researcher Choi Jung-hun told AFP. Intensive care units and sophisticated diagnostic kits are “extremely scarce” and only available in Pyongyang, said Choi, a defector who worked as a doctor in the North.

There are no ICU-equipped hospitals in rural areas or smaller towns, where the majority of the country’s 25 million people live.

Are people healthy?

North Korea has long struggled to feed itself and state media said last year the country was facing a “food crisis”, with a UN expert warning vulnerable populations risked starvation.

“Most North Koreans are chronically malnourished,” said Lina Yoon, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

After two years under a Covid blockade that

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EDITORIAL

North Korea’s COVID healthcare: What do we know?

By Claire Lee

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

Breather

T

HE past few months and especially the past few weeks and days have been difficult.

Not only the candidates themselves but the people became caught up in a campaign that has turned personal for many. The season became noisy, exhausting, frustrating.

The election-induced roller coaster of emotions took a toll on Filipinos. Some family relationships and friendships became strained. Social media became a source of animosity.

Now that we are inching closer to the final results, it would do us some good to take a breather.

A lot was at stake in the elections.

The threat of COVID-19 may have

We rest, and then resume our duties as responsible citizens. abated but it is still here. Should a surge happen again, we wonder if we

would have learned from the last time, or if we have to grapple with the crisis all over again.

No doubt many things in our country are in dire need of repair. There are enormous challenges in the economy, in education, in the healthcare sector, in the bureaucracy.

The elections were a tough time but the succeeding weeks and months will be all the more punishing. The public must remain vigilant, but we also need, first and foremost, to care for our physical and mental well-being.

We should take a break if we must, in our exhaustion, jubilation or sorrow.

And then we must resume our duties as responsible citizens by watching what happens in the new administration, and holding officials accountable for their actions--or inaction.

Sara as Education secretary THE first act of our presumptive president, Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in appointing presumptive vice president Sara Duterte as secretary of the Department of Education is most appropriate and timely. The problem is not so much that it lack of funds to sustain its functions but that the Department of Education was used by the previous administration as principal vehicle to rewrite our history and used it to exact vengeance, perpetuate injustice, extreme social and economic inequality, and malign our people of their heroism.

Today, the department suffers not from lack of funds but for a misguided sense of what it aims to accomplish. In fact, the department continues to enjoy the biggest chunk in government allocation, second only to the Department of the Defense. Rather, the department continues to suffer from what we call problem of budget misallocation, in rewriting our history at the expense of people we should rightly honor, and in doing the function of shaping our foreign policy, and by the continued domination and control of people who should uphold the constitutional separation of the Church and the State.

Sara Duterte Carpio exactly fits the position entrusted her. It is not that she knows the nitty-gritty of the department, but that she has the political will not to succumb to the persuasive pressure of people committed to mold the thinking of our younger generation, and mitigate the slanderous attacks on the institutions that provide them with their inalienable right to education. Second, for Sara to take the most arduous task of cleansing the Department of Education and Culture of subversive who wrongly takes their right to academic freedom to discredit and destroy the institution that opens to them the door for a brighter future.

There is that great task in the assignment that awaits her. There is deep trust in her capability to carry on her assignment without incurring the ire of the people. From what I heard, although Sara is a devout Catholic, which some say was influenced by her mother, she is far from being a bigot and hypocritical but a strict observer of secularism, a path in our philosophical that should have been observed since the ascendancy of the discredited selfrighteous government.

Her role is to principally cleanse our educational system from the fitters of an alien ideology, from people who espouse hatred, advocate violence, divisiveness, nihilism and even terrorism, on the belief that they can do no wrong in the name of religion. State university has become the hotbed to promote terrorism, anarchism and misplaced communism all

has sealed the borders, “there are barely any medicines left”, she added.

Very little is known about the health of the population but the World Health Organization said in 2018 that non-communicable diseases like diabetes account for 84 percent of deaths in North Korea.

The general public now wants to know what happened.

Such pre-existing conditions are a major risk factor in Covid-19 survival.

Defector turned researcher Ahn Chan-il said poor health, especially widespread malnutrition, made North Korea uniquely vulnerable to Covid-19.

Did they prepare?

North Korea closed the borders two years ago, shutting down trade, suspending inbound flights and reportedly issuing shoot-to-kill or-

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

in the name of academic freedom. Presumptive vice president Sara Duterte possesses the audacity to enforce what is judicious, and many are wrong to assume that the contest to win the hearts and minds of our people is in the countryside. The contest begins right inside the classrooms lorded over by communist cadres and obscurantist clerics in cahoots with agents of that bankrupt and dying empire.

Duterte-Carpio should be honored by her appointment to that position. She is not only tasked to rebuild our nation but to rectify the serious errors to distort our history. Her task is to ensure that the second Philippine revolution will finally bloom.

The presumptive vice president is a good fit.

Historically, the position of secretary of education has always been reserved to clergy or to anybody who represents the interest of the Church. During the time of Corazon Aquino, who snatched our democracy people call “political swindle,” the position was completely set aside to give way to religious laities who run and operate elitist colleges and universities. They lorded it over by exempting all forms of taxes, including gifts and donations form NGOs. If the position of secretary of defense, finance and governor of the Bangko Sentral is chosen on the basis of whether the person is acceptable to the US. A gargantuan task awaits the secretary of education. Her duty today is not only to rewrite our history but most importantly to cleanse the misconceptions spoon feed to our people that virtually tells us who we are; that we are corrupt and will do no good for our country.

The even tried to dictate whom to honor as our heroes, and always they represent the compromising view. People appointed by the previous administration zeroed in by revising our history thinking not only of our past but also our values as freedom loving people, our patriotism and independence.

To make sure our people read and interpret their version of history as injected into their minds, they wasted no time rewriting our history such that they committed errors in both facts and grammar that many of our teachers and professors on the subject are confused about.

But the greatest error they committed is to allude that the former president was responsible for the assassination of former senator Begnino Aquino Aquino. It was during the era

ders for anyone illegally crossing from China.

Pyongyang claims its draconian policies kept the virus at bay — but it did not use the time to conduct a vaccination drive.

The impoverished country rejected an offer for three million doses of a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine last year, suggesting they should be given to “countries in greater need”.

It also turned down the AstraZeneca vaccine through the WHO’s Covax scheme, apparently due to concerns over side-effects, a South Korean think tank said.

The WHO says North Korea and Eritrea are the only countries in the world not to have begun Covid-19 vaccination campaigns.

Are they equipped?

State media said this week that North Korea had used “strict gene arrangement analysis” to diagnose Covid patients, but experts say the country has extremely limited testing capacity.

Researchers have said it also lacks quarantine facilities with negative air pressure systems, and cold-storage systems needed to distribute mRNA vaccines.

North Korea’s broken health system would likely struggle to help anyone suffering vaccine side-effects -- which may be why they rejected

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

of the yellow regime that they consummately “politicized” our history to suit their agenda of perpetuating themselves in power. The irony about this tragedy is that those who write our history almost instantly attribute the killing of Aquino to the former president when they none even inferentially pointed the blame on him.

They did not even bother to summon the person who wanted to shed light about his personal knowledge of the assassination for fear it would expose personalities who in fact were suspected as responsible.

The secretary of education will be doing a job alien to her post – that of redirecting our foreign policy as originally conceived by Ferdinand Marcos. This now has become the job of the secretary of education. The opposition at the outset tried to dismantle that political bridge erected by the former president. It was supposed to be the start of the second revolution which many believed was nipped in the bud by the decision of the Americans to colonized us instead of grant us our independence.

Fortunately, the election of President Duterte caught them by surprise. His views continue to reflect our longing for glory, and his anticlericalism haunts the communists because of their close collaboration with them.

To refresh the minds of our people, it was Marcos who established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. What Duterte did was to simply reaffirm that friendship established by Marcos. Marcos in fact lit the wick for his ouster by the Americans who from then on considered his policy a danger to their security structure for Asia and the Pacific.

Before that, there were already signs that the policy of the former president was veering to depart from his predecessors as when he sought to reduce the number of US military bases, the hectarage they use, and most grueling the rental for their use which was an extended for a period of 25 years to expire by 1991.

Marcos also incurred the ire of the “sugar barons” who depended their wealth to bribe corrupt politicians and the feudalistic clerics to perpetuate social inequality by his decision to allow the US-Philippine parity rights agreement to expire on 1974; opened the windows by establishing diplomatic relations with the then Soviet Union and other neutral countries culminating in the country’s joining of the Group of 77 held in Kenya.

These are but a few of the tasks that essentially belong to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Since the previous regime took much effort to distort and revise our history, this now becomes the task of the Department of Education to rectify the systematic and serious distortion of our past. (rpkapunan@gmail.com)

vaccine donations, experts said.

Malnutrition is believed to affect the quality of an individual’s immune response to vaccination — meaning the country might need major food aid, not just medicine, for a successful inoculation campaign.

Can the world help?

China, South Korea and the WHO all immediately offered support, with Seoul’s new government ready to send vaccines.

But the regime of Kim Jong Un, which testfired three banned ballistic missiles hours after announcing the first Covid cases, does not appear to want international aid.

They soon may have no choice, however, experts said.

State media said “fever” was first detected in late April and by May 12 North Korea was recording 18,000 new cases a day -- indicating a massive outbreak.

By announcing the details publicly in English-language media, the regime is “telegraphing needs”, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.

It sends an “indirect message that the North may request vaccine aid from the United States or international organisations in the future”, Yang told AFP. AFP

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

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Biden welcomes ASEAN leaders W with energy, maritime pledges

ASHINGTON —President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed Southeast Asian leaders to Washington with promises to support clean energy and maritime security, hoping to showcase a US commitment as China makes wide inroads.

IN BRIEF Stalled Iran nuclear talks ‘reopened’—EU

WANGELS, Germany—Stalled negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme have been unblocked after fresh talks in Tehran, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Friday, adding that he believed a final deal was within reach.

Borrell said a mission by EU envoy Enrique Mora this week to help revive the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers had gone “better than expected”.

“The negotiations had stalled and now they have been reopened,” Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of a G7 meeting in Germany.

“There is a perspective of reaching a final agreement.”

Mora held two days of meetings with Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Bagheri in Tehran this week.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, meanwhile met Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday to push for progress.

The 2015 deal gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that it could not develop a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has always denied wanting to do.

Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the agreement was left on life support in 2018 by then-US president Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to withdraw and impose punishing sanctions.

This prompted Iran to begin rolling back its own commitments.

The departure of Trump from office has restarted bids to revive the accord, with Mora playing a key role during a year of on-off talks in Vienna.

Among the main sticking points in the negotiations has been Tehran’s demand for the US to remove Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from a designated list of terrorist groups.

Borrell said “these disagreements on what to do about the Revolutionary Guards” had hampered progress in the talks for two months. AFP

UK set to axe 1 in 5, 91,000 civil servants

LONDON—Tens of thousands of UK civil servants are set to lose their jobs under new cost-cutting measures planned by the government, senior minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said Friday.

Rees-Mogg did not deny media reports that 91,000 Whitehall jobs were to go when asked by Sky News, saying: “I know it sounds eye-catching, but it’s just getting back to the civil service that we had in 2016.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Daily Mail that “we have got to cut the cost of government to reduce the cost of living”, adding that it had become “swollen” during the pandemic.

He told the paper that 91,000 jobs needed to be cut -- 20 percent of the entire civil service -- to save around £3.5 billion ($4.3 billion, 4.1 billion euros) a year.

The government is struggling to balance the books, having spent huge sums during the pandemic, and as it battles spiraling inflation that is holding back economic recovery and putting further pressure on public finances.

Rees-Mogg, the minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency, has in recent weeks taken aim at civil servants still working from home despite the lifting of all coronavirus restrictions.

He was criticized for leaving signed notes on empty desks at government departments, reading: “Sorry you were out. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.”

Rees-Mogg said the civil service had expanded in recent years to deal with the UK’s departure from the European Union and the pandemic, and “now we’re trying to get back to normal.”

“Up to 38,000 people a year leave the civil service, so the simplest way to do it is to have a freeze on recruitment,” he added.

“You have to ensure that people are being used as efficiently as possible to do the roles that are necessary.” AFP

CAPSIZED. This handout image released by the US Coast Guard Seventh District shows Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Puerto Rico Police units respond to a capsized illegal voyage north of Desecheo Island on May 12. - At least 11 people have died after their boat, carrying an unknown number of people, overturned off the coast of Puerto Rico. Responding units rescued 31 survivors, 11 females and 20 males, said the Coast Guard in a tweet. AFP

Russian war crimes allegations mount in Ukraine KYIV—Russia faced mounting accusations of war crimes in Ukraine Friday including forcing thousands of people into interrogation camps, as the number of refugees reported to have fled the conflict surpassed six million.

The Russian invasion has also led to a seismic policy change by Finland, whose leaders said Thursday the previously neutral nation must apply to join NATO “without delay” -- triggering a blunt warning of retaliation from the Kremlin.

Throughout the 11-week conflict, Russian forces have been accused of committing atrocities -- including the killing of unarmed civilians, torture, and rape.

CNN and the BBC on Thursday re-

leased what they said was security camera footage showing Russian soldiers with assault rifles shooting two Ukrainian civilians in the back.

The two men appeared unarmed -the footage showed the soldiers frisking them before allowing them to walk away at a business premises on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.

One man died on the spot, the other shortly after, according to the outlets.

The killings took place on March 16 and are being investigated as a war crime, CNN said. AFP has not independently verified the footage.

Separately, investigators and witnesses interviewed by AFP Thursday accused Russian forces of shelling a residential home in an eastern Ukrainian

village from a tank, killing three civilians.

The incident took place on March 27 in the village of Stepanki outside Kharkiv, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said on Telegram.

Local resident Denys, 40, said he saw the barrel of the tank turn towards him.

“Someone said: let’s go hide inside the house,” Denys said.

“I entered last and as soon as I entered, the tank fired. Everything collapsed, I couldn’t see anything.”

The UN Human Rights Council voted 33-2 on Thursday to investigate alleged atrocities by Russian troops in Ukraine.

Ukrainian prosecutors say they have received reports of more than 10,000 alleged crimes. AFP

Top leaders from eight of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) flew to Washington for the two-day summit, which opened with a closed-door White House dinner of thyme poached chicken and vanilla ice cream.

The Biden administration, which took office describing China as the top international challenger, is eager to prove it is still prioritizing Asia despite months of intense focus on repelling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The White House announced some $150 million in new initiatives -- a modest sum compared with a $40 billion package for Ukraine and with the billions pumped into the region by China, which has also flexed its muscle in the dispute-rife South China Sea. But the United States said it was working with its private sector and it plans to unveil a broader package, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, when Biden travels next week to Tokyo and Seoul.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, welcoming ASEAN leaders to lunch earlier in the day, drew a link as she encouraged Southeast Asia to stand firm against Russia’s invasion.

“If left unchecked, we leave the door open to additional aggression, including maritime issues and other issues in the South China Sea,” she said.

‘Candor’ over rights Pelosi called the summit “another manifestation of America’s commitment to be a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia.”

In a contrast to China’s hands-off approach, Pelosi said she believed in “candor” and urged the Southeast Asian leaders to respect human rights, voicing particular concern about LGBTQ people.

“Let me be clear: when we hear about torture of LGBTQ people, that is unacceptable to the American people—and continues to be an obstacle to the full respect in our relationship,” she said. AFP

Tensions high ahead of Al Jazeera journalist’s funeral in Jerusalem JERUSALEM—Israel bolstered security in Jerusalem ahead of the funeral on Friday of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, two days after she was killed during an Israeli army raid.

Israel and the Palestinians have traded blame over the fatal shooting of the 51-year-old Palestinian-American during clashes in the Jenin refugee camp.

The body of Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian born in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, has been transferred to the holy city from the occupied West Bank.

Her coffin began its journey to the drumbeat of a marching band, as crowds chanted slogans demanding an end to Palestinian security cooperation with Israel.

Thousands of mourners are expected to attend the funeral at a church in Jerusalem’s Old City in the afternoon, an Israeli police spokeswoman told AFP.

Roads would be closed along the route of the procession, the spokeswoman said, with extra forces deployed to Jerusalem to “ensure the funeral takes place safely and without violence that could endanger participants or others”.

In a sign of Abu Akleh’s prominence, she was given what was described as a full state memorial on Thursday at Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s compound in Ramallah.

Thousands lined the route as her coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was driven through the West Bank city, where a street is to be renamed in her honor.

Many held flowers, wreaths, and pictures of the journalist, who has been widely hailed for her bravery and professionalism.

“Her voice entered every home, and her loss is a wound in our hearts,” said mourner Hadil Hamdan. AFP

PROCESSION. A statue of Our Lady Fatima is carried during the candlelight

procession at the Shrine of Fatima, central Portugal, on May 12. Thousands of pilgrims converged on the Fatima Sanctuary to celebrate the anniversary of Fatima’s miracle when three shepherd children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in May 1917. AFP

Was North Korea’s military parade a COVID superspreader event?

SEOUL—It was supposed to be a triumphant celebration of North Korea’s martial prowess, but a huge military parade to celebrate the army’s founding could inadvertently have spread COVID-19 nationwide, experts say.

North Korea on Friday confirmed its first ever coronavirus death, a day after the reclusive re-

gime admitted to Omicron cases, saying tens of thousands of people were isolating after a fever “explosively spread nationwide from late April”.

North Korea staged a massive military parade in Pyongyang on April 25 to celebrate the founding anniversary of the army.

GAS PROTEST. People sit on empty Liquified Gas Cylinders (LPG) as they block a road to protest against shortage of fuel and cooking gas in Colombo on May 13. Sri Lankans have suffered months of severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine -- as well as long power cuts -- after the country burnt through foreign currency reserves needed to pay for vital imports. AFP

Footage of the event on state television showed thousands of people— unmasked and not socially distanced —packed into Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung square to watch ranks of soldiers goose-step past and applaud as huge missiles were driven by.

The current COVID-19 outbreak is “closely linked to the April 25 parade,” Hong Min, a researcher at the Seoulbased Korea Institute for National Unification told AFP. “More than 20,000 people were preparing for the parade for two months prior to the event and stayed on in the capital for photo ops with Kim Jong Un,” he said.

Kim’s regime only appears to have “realized the gravity” of the situation belatedly and carried out COVID-19 testing after parade participants returned to their districts.

“Holding a military parade attended by a large crowd, when Omicron was raging in neighbouring China, shows Pyongyang was overconfident in their capabilities to fight and prevent the virus,” said Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute. AFP

Business

B3

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Toshiba says it’s in talks with ten investors

PSEi May 13, 2022

TOP GAINERS

1 ABG

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 4.1 0.5 13.89%

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

WEB ARA BC MONDE PHR CNVRG SMPH TCB2C

3.55 1.64 7.3 14.36 1.42 27.75 35.1 55

0.3 0.1 0.41 0.76 0.07 1.25 1.55 2.2

9.23% 6.49% 5.95% 5.59% 5.19% 4.72% 4.62% 4.17%

10

BCB

7.29

0.29

4.14%

TOP LOSERS

1 I

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 0.79 -0.1 -11.24%

2 3 4

DIZ ECP ATNB

4.7 3.52 0.42

-0.56 -0.38 -0.045

-10.65% -9.74% -9.68%

5 6 7 8 9 10

UPM GMAP FGEN SLF DITO ION

0.006 10.04 20.65 2300 4.89 0.6

-0.0006 -0.98 -1.85 -194 -0.41 -0.05

-9.09% -8.89% -8.22% -7.78% -7.74% -7.69%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME

VALUE (PHP)

1 2 3 4 5 6

MONDE SMPH ALI CNVRG AC TEL

80,913,600 32,114,400 40,280,100 35,347,200 904,870 265,840

1,148,346,984 1,133,452,930 1,128,974,000 997,598,250 599,057,340 515,025,520

7 8 9 10

BDO SM ACEN ICT

3,653,410 483,880 56,221,400 1,574,670

462,465,434 390,231,090 360,074,976 326,173,788

RAMPANT INFLATION. Aerial view of Plaza de Mayo square where members of social organizations and leftist groups gather to demand the government for urgent actions against a rampant inflation, in Buenos Aires on May 12, 2022. The cost of living in Argentina registered a 6-percent increase in April and accumulated so far this year a rise of 23.1 percent, one of the highest rates in the world and which the government attributed in part to the war in Ukraine. AFP

Market sinks to 9-month low; Ayala stocks tumble T HE stock market extended its slump Friday, with the benchmark index slumping to a 9-month low on heavy foreign and local selling.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 153.13 points, or 2.3 percent, to 6,379.17 on a value turnover of P10.8 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 126 to 68, with 41 issues unchanged.

Ayala Group issues led decliners, with flagship company Ayala Corp. dropping 6.1 percent to P651. Unit Ayala Land Inc. tumbled 5.7 percent to P27.50, while sister firm AC Energy Corp. fell 5.6 percent to P6.23.

Noodles maker Monde Nissin Corp., however, rose 5.6 percent to P14.36.

The rest of Asian equities were mostly up Friday following a tumultuous trading period on Wall Street, but analysts said the outlook remained bleak as inflation, the Ukraine war and Chinese lockdowns weigh on sentiment.

World markets have been volatile for much of 2022, with investors fretting about supply chain snarls due to China’s COVID curbs and as Europe weighs cutting out Russian oil over Moscow’s invasion.

The Federal Reserve last week announced its largest rate hike since 2000 to slow surging inflation and signaled that similar increases were likely in the coming months—a possibility that sent stocks on a rollercoaster.

But after Fed chief Jerome Powell on Thursday said the United States was not actively considering a steeper 75-basis-point move, markets experienced a bounce in Asia.

“Asia-Pacific equities are staging a relief rally today after Wall Street stabilized late in the session as Jerome Powell calmed nerves over potential 0.75 percent rate hikes,” said Jeffrey Halley of OANDA. However, he warned that the positive showing should be taken with a grain of salt.

“Nothing has materially changed in

the world from yesterday, and if anything, Russia/Europe risks are increasing,” he said.

“The rally today looks more like a technical rebound after a torrid week than a structural turn in sentiment.”

After a bruising day on Wall Street— with the Dow falling for the sixth straight session—Asian equities opened higher Friday. Japan closed with a two percent bump.

“Such intraday volatility and sentiment flip-flopping is indicative of nervous investors and in itself, a bearish signal,” said Lewis Grant of Federated Hermes Limited.

“As long as the war continues and macro pressures persist, it is likely that both energy names and value stocks will remain relative safe-havens for fully-invested, long-only equity investors.”

Cryptocurrencies also saw great volatility this week. Bitcoin on Thursday tumbled below $27,000—its lowest level since late 2020—but by Friday its value was holding steady above $30,000. With AFP

Mass tourism returns to Barcelona—so does debate

By Rosa Sulleiro BARCELONA, Spain—Visitors are once again jamming the narrow streets of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter as global travel bounces back from the pandemic, reviving tensions over mass tourism in the Spanish port city.

Hotel occupancy in the city rose in April, which included the Easter long weekend, to nearly 85 percent, close to its pre-pandemic levels, according to the Barcelona Hotel Guild.

“There are more and more cruise ships, more and more tourism, more and more massification,” said Marti Cuso, a high school biology teacher who has long campaigned against mass tourism invading the city center.

“This has been a shock after two years of pandemic,” said Cuso, 32, who had hoped the city would use the pandemic pause to change its tourism model.

Cuso, who grew up in the Gothic quarter, said he enjoyed the calm that descended on the neighborhood, which is normally flooded with tour groups visiting its mediaeval buildings.

After receiving a record of nearly 12 million visitors at its hotels and tourist apartments in 2019, arrivals plunged by 76.8 percent in 2020, mirroring declines across Europe.

“People reclaimed the squares, children played in the streets again,” said Cuso.

The pandemic also showed the dangers of having an “economic monoculture based on tourism,” he said.

“The majority of residents who worked in tourism found themselves out of work overnight,” said Cuso.

Tourist arrivals in Barcelona had risen steadily before the pandemic and the tourism sector accounted for around 15 percent of the economy of Spain’s second-largest city before the health crisis.

‘Control the damage’ The boom in tourism sparked a backlash, with regular protests,

TOKYO, Japan—Troubled conglomerate Toshiba said Friday it has been approached by 10 potential investors as it weighs going private, a move that would be highly unusual in corporate Japan.

The engineering giant was once a symbol of the country’s industrial prowess, producing everything from rice cookers to laptops and nuclear plants.

But more recently it has faced scandals, financial woes and resignations, while management and shareholders have clashed over buyout and spin-off proposals.

Despite the challenges, its earnings are growing, and on Friday Toshiba said annual net profit leapt 70 percent on-year, continuing a recovery from the painful lows of the 2010s.

Shareholders in March shunned a plan to split the company into two, stirring internal turmoil after a shock takeover offer from private equity fund CVC Capital Partners was dropped.

Toshiba said Friday it has been holding confidential, non-binding discussions with 10 “potential partners” who want to suggest “strategic alternatives” for its future.

That could include privatization “to enhance the company’s corporate value,” the company said in a statement.

Potential investors must express interest this month, and Toshiba said it will announce the total number of interested parties before its next annual general meeting, which will be held by the end of June.

The situation is being closely watched in business circles for clues on what the future may hold for other huge, diversified conglomerates in Japan and elsewhere.

Any move by a foreign equity fund to take Toshiba private would likely face regulatory hurdles, because the company handles sensitive sectors such as nuclear power generation and defense equipment.

Annual net profit in the year to March jumped 70.8 percent to 194.7 billion yen ($1.5 billion) on “increased sales in all business segments, and increased operating income mainly from semiconductors and energy,” Toshiba said. AFP

Toyota posts record full-year net profit TOKYO, Japan—Toyota on Wednesday posted a record fullyear net profit helped by strong sales and a cheaper yen, but issued cautious forecasts as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine disrupt supply chains.

The Japanese auto giant, which kept its crown as the world’s top-selling carmaker in 2021, reported a net profit of 2.85 trillion yen ($22 billion), up 26.9 percent from the previous year.

But for the current year to March 2023, it said it expects to post an annual net profit of 2.26 trillion yen ($17.3 billion), citing ongoing uncertainties.

Toyota said its robust results were due in part to beneficial foreign exchange rates, with a cheaper yen helping inflate profits from sales abroad.

It also cited cost reduction efforts and stronger sales helped by marketing efforts.

In the year to March 2022, operating profit surged 36.3 percent year-on-year to three trillion yen, as sales increased 15.3 percent to 31.4 trillion yen—also a record.

Toyota’s strong sales came despite the firm being forced to repeatedly adjust production targets because of supply chain issues ranging from the semiconductor shortage to pandemic-linked factory closures. AFP Manila

Standard NICKEL ASIA CORPORATION People walk through the famous La Boqueria market in Barcelona, on May 11, 2022. Visitors are once again jamming the narrow streets of Barcelona’s narrow Gothic quarter as global travel bounces back from the pandemic, reviving concerns over mass tourism in the Spanish port city. AFP

including one in 2017 where vigilantes slashed the tires of an open-top tourist bus and spray-painted its windshields.

Barcelona residents identified tourism as the city’s main problem in a poll carried out that year by city hall.

“We must change the model to reconcile the two worlds. We can’t have the tourists’ city on one side and the city of locals on the other,” Francesc Munoz, who heads an Observatory studying Urbanisation at Barcelona’s Autonomous University, told AFP. With terraces once again full of tourists drinking sangria, Barcelona’s leftist city hall said recently it plans fresh measures to tame the sector.

Access to the busiest squares could be restricted, and the circulation of tourist buses more tightly regulated.

Barcelona city hall has already cracked down on illegal listings on online rental firms like Airbnb and banned tour groups from entering the historic La Boqueria market during peak shopping times.

“Tourism is an important economic, social and cultural asset for Barcelona,” said Xavier Marce, the city councillor in charge of tourism.

“We need to optimize the benefits and control the damage. This is the debate

which all European cities are having,” he added.

‘Find a balance’ Marce rejected the argument that the city did not use the two-year slump in arrivals due to the pandemic to change the city’s tourism model.

“Two years have not been lost. It is very difficult to solve the problems of tourism when there is no tourism,” he said.

Tour guide Eva Marti, 51, said she understands the concerns of residents, but believes formulas must be found to maintain an activity which provides a living to many locals.

“During this 13 years I have worked as a guide, it is harder and harder to show tourists around,” she said in a reference to measures such as rules limiting the size of tour groups to 15 people in some areas.

“We have to find a balance,” she added at a sun-drenched esplanade in the Gothic quarter before taking a tour group back to their cruise ship in Barcelona’s port.

Cuso, the anti-mass tourism campaigner, agreed with her.

“We are not asking for zero tourism.

There will always be tourism, but we have to have a diversified city, where tourism coexists with other types of economic activity,” he said. AFP

TODAY Notice of Annual General Meeting of Stockholders

TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS: Please be informed that the Annual General Meeting of the stockholders of NICKEL ASIA CORPORATION will be held online on Friday, 03 June 2022, 10:00 a.m. and will be presided at the Company’s principal office address at the 28th Floor, NAC Tower, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila (the “Annual General Meeting” or “AGM”). The order of business thereat will be as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Call to Order Proof of required notice of the meeting Certification of quorum Reading and approval of the Minutes of the 4 June 2021 annual general meeting of stockholders Presentation of Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021 and action thereon Ratification and approval of the acts of the Board of Directors and Executive Officers during the year 2021 Appointment of independent auditors Election of directors, including independent directors Other matters Adjournment

Stockholders of record at the close of business on 24 March 2022 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this year’s AGM. Shareholders may only participate via remote communication. To register, certificated stockholders who will attend the Meeting should send a scanned copy of one (1) valid government identification card (ID) to NIKL-ASM2022@ nickelasia.com. Indirect shareholders should send scanned copies of their broker’s certification and one (1) valid ID to NIKL-ASM2022@nickelasia. com. Deadline for registration is on 23 May 2022, at 12NN. The Company is not soliciting proxies. Should you be unable to attend the meeting, you can nevertheless be represented and vote at the AGM by submitting a proxy by email to NIKL-ASM2022@nickelasia.com, or by sending a physical copy to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at the Company’s principal address at 28th Floor, NAC Tower, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila. The deadline for submission of proxies is on 23 May 2022.

Sgd. BARBARA ANNE C. MIGALLOS Corporate Secretary MS-MAY 13 & 14, 2022

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

B4

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

Business

IN BRIEF

Bloomberry swung to profit in 1st quarter CASINO operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. said Friday first-quarter income reached P679.4 million, a reversal from the P780.8-million net loss it incurred in the same period last year amid easing mobility restrictions.

Bloomberry said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated net revenues went up by 30 percent to P7.2 billion on higher revenues from mass gaming segment.

Gross gaming revenues at Solaire Resorts & Casino rose 30 percent year-on-year to P8.9 billion.

“For the first time in eight quarters, we recorded positive net earnings on growth driven by our domestic mass gaming segment. Business and pandemic conditions permitting, we look to sustain the recovery for the rest of the year,” Bloomberry chairman and chief executive Enrique Razon Jr. said.

“If travel constraints among Asian jurisdictions continue to ease, then we may see operations at Solaire ramp up further in the coming quarters.

However, should COVID-19 cases surge anew, Bloomberry remains equipped to handle a return to tighter restrictions,” Razon said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

INAEC opens new hangar in El Nido

GOLD SOURCING. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas signs a purchase agreement with OceanaGold Philippines Inc., which operates a mine in the Nueva Vizcaya-Quirino area under a financial or technical assistance agreement with the government. Under the agreement, OGPI will offer for purchase not less than 25 percent of its annual ore production at fair market prices. It forms part of the BSP’s efforts to promote livelihood, productivity and sustainable gold production by expanding BSP’s gold sourcing beyond small-scale mining to include large-scale miners. Displaying the documents of the agreement are (from left) Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno, OGPI president and general manager Joan Adaci-Cattiling and acting Environment Secretary Jim Sampulna.

Vehicle sales jumped by 41% in April

By Othel V. Campos

V

EHICLE sales jumped by 40.9 percent in April to 24,149 units from 17,843 units in the same month last year despite the soaring petroleum prices, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Association of the Philippines said in a joint report Friday.

CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the April sales performance reflected the containment of the pandemic, “underpinned by the improved consumer demand for big-ticket items compared with last year.”

“This has enabled the industry to achieve a double-digit growth of nearly 41 percent, albeit lower by 15.3 percent on a month-on-month basis,” he said.

The two industry groups reported combined sales of 29,685 units in March, up by 43.4 percent from the previous year and the highest since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Data showed that passenger car sales in April went up 12.4 percent to 6,259 units from 5,570 units a year ago, while commercial vehicle sales surged 53.9

percent to 18,890 units from 1,273 units as most local buyers continued to prefer larger and taller vehicles for family or commercial use.

CAMPI said that on a month-onmonth basis, sales dropped across all segments by 5.52 percent for passenger cars from 6,625 units and by 18.1 percent for the commercial vehicles from 23,060 units.

Total sales in the first four months also grew by 13.3 percent to 99,903 units from 88,155 units in the same months in 2021.

Passenger car sales in the four-month period slowed down by 10.4 percent to 24,582 units from 26,425 units a year earlier while commercial vehicle sales climbed by 24 percent to 75,321 units from 60,730 units.

The top performing car firms from January to April were Toyota Mo-

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Udenna confirms partnership talks on sale of assets

Friday, May 13, 2022

-153.13PTS. 6,379.17

TOTAL VOLUME

135,865

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES

10,766,553,077.79 68

DECLINES

126

UNCHANGED

41

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022

SECURITY BANK ANNIVERSARY. A group of Security Bank employees

run together to develop and embrace an active lifestyle amid the pandemic as part of Security Bank Corp.’s 70th anniversary festivities. Security Bank employees, along with those of partners MUFG Manila, the Bank of Ayudhya, Bank Danamon and VietinBank, challenged themselves to run more than 70 kilometers to support Security Bank’s mission to provide educational opportunities for Filipinos. The event also celebrated the five-year partnership anniversary of Security Bank and MUFG.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

52.3860

Japan

Yen

0.007787

0.4079

UK

Pound

1.219900

63.9057

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127390

6.6735

Switzerland

Franc

0.996711

52.2137

Canada

Dollar

0.766401

40.1487

Singapore

Dollar

0.716281

37.5231

Australia

Dollar

0.685300

35.9001

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653153

138.9881

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266603

13.9663

Brunei

Dollar

0.713725

37.3892

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028798

1.5086

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.2640

Euro

Euro

1.038300

54.3924

Korea

Won

0.000775

0.0406

China

Yuan

0.147336

7.7183

India

Rupee

0.012915

0.6766

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.227687

11.9276

New Zealand

Dollar

0.623000

32.6365

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033532

1.7566 Source: BSP

Banking, telecom and real estate lifted Ayala’s Q1 profit to P7.8b

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said Friday net income rose 45 percent in the first quarter to P7.8 billion from a year ago, on the back of a double-digit growth from banking, property and telecommunications businesses.

Ayala said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter revenues climbed 9.6 percent to P65.97 billion from P60.18 billion in the same period last year.

“While the surge in infections at the start of the year delayed the expected full reopening of economic activity, the de-escalation of mobility restrictions in March are starting to be felt

in our cyclical businesses in real estate and banking,” Ayala president and chief executive Fernando Zobel de Ayala said.

“This encouraging development enables us to continue pursuing our investment programs and deploying capital into various growth initiatives in the Ayala group,” he said.

Ayala Land Inc. and Bank of the Philippine Islands saw double-digit earnings growth in the period on improved mobility.

Ayala Land’s net income increased 14 percent to P3.2 billion in the first quarter, while BPI posted a profit of P8 billion, up 60 percent from a year ago on higher

ATRAM backs firms aligned with UN SDGs ATRAM, the leading independent asset and wealth manager in the Philippines, joins a call to build a better and more inclusive world inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. It has taken the advocacy with the launch of the ATRAM Philippine Sustainable Development and Growth Fund last year as the first fund in the market that has a portfolio of firms that are selected based on sustainability and social responsibility in their business models.

Evidence suggests that sustainable investing can be financially attractive—as demonstrated by the ATRAM Philippine Sustainable Development and Growth Fund in its first year.

True to the company’s call to investors to #TakeOnTomorrow, ATRAM recognizes the efforts of many publicly listed companies in integrating sustainability into their operations and strategies.

ATRAM introduces the ATRAM Sustainable Investing Champions. ATRAM celebrates these outstanding Philippine companies for their initiatives to create a positive impact on sustainability, especially by integrating it in their core operations and overall strategy.

PNB’s net income grew 57% to P2.81b in 1st three months

996,410,218

TOTAL TRADES

F oreign E xchange R ate

By Alena Mae S. Flores UDENNA Corp., controlled by businessman Dennis Uy, confirmed on Friday possible partnerships for its assets amid strong investor interest as the country returns to post-pandemic recovery.

Udenna president Martin Escalona said the company remained open to exploring different opportunities in its normal course of business.

“With the strong post-pandemic recovery of the Philippines as evidenced by the better-than-expected GDP growth rate in the first quarter of this year, we have seen the return of investor confidence, and accordingly there has been renewed interest in discussing several partnerships and strategic alliance opportunities with the Group,” Escalona said.

He issued the statement in reaction to the report of Reuters that Uy was considering the sale of his business endeavors, including the stake in the Malampaya deep water to gas project.

Udenna’s UC38 LLC business is a 45-percent stakeholder in the Malampaya project, which supplies five power plants in Luzon with a combined capacity of 3,200 megawatts.

Udenna wanted to acquire the 45-percent stake of the Shell Group in the Malampaya gas project, but it failed to get the consent of joint venture partner PNOC Exploration Corp., which represents the government’s interest in the project.

“The group’s investment philosophy has always been and remains to be to maximize shareholder value through strong partnerships with strategic investors and maintain core assets that provide maximum synergies with the other companies within the Udenna Group,” Escalona said.

Escalona did not provide additional details when asked about specific assets and the timeline of the possible partnerships.

Aeropark Development Philippines Inc., a special purpose entity owned by funds managed by CarVal Investors, said it invested in West Aeropark, a five-building development with a combined gross floor area of 142,000 square meters previously owned by Udenna Land’s Global Gateway Development Corp. in Clark Global City, Pampanga for an undisclosed amount.

tors Philippines which accounted for 50.99-percent market share, followed

by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 13.28 percent; and Nissan Philippines Inc. with 7.59 percent.

Completing the top five players were Suzuki Philippines Inc. with 6.3-percent market share and Ford Motor Company Phils. Inc. with 6.03 percent.

Gutierrez said the government’s growth forecast would shape the industry’s growth path.

“The government’s economic growth target of 7 to 9 percent this year, driven by the overall improvement in employment and domestic demand will play a critical role in the economy and the industry’s recovery alike,” Gutierrez said.

The country’s gross domestic product grew by 8.3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

INAEC Aviation Corp. of the Lopez Group on Friday inaugurated its second aircraft hangar in El Nido, Palawan to provide helicopter transport services to oil and gas producers.

INAEC Hangar E2 will serve as the new base for the helicopter operations servicing the Malampaya project as operator SPEX moves to transfer operations from Puerto Princesa to El Nido.

The company invested P45 million in the new hangar.

“This to us is more than just a structure. This represents a true milestone for INAEC. It is symbolic of a continuing and evolving partnership whose end objective is to keep the lights on in the Philippines,” INAEC president Jay Lopez said.

“We are mindful of the fact that we live in a truly volatile and fast-changing world. Thus, we remain grateful for our present achievements and successes, including this new El Nido hangar,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar

net interest income, lower loan loss provisions and normalized tax expenses.

Globe Telecoms Inc. also delivered strong first-quarter results following the partial sale of its data center business.

Net income surged 86 percent to P13.7 billion.

The higher earnings from these three core businesses cushioned the lower net income from power generation and water utility businesses.

AC Energy’s net income declined 68 percent to P405 million in the first quarter on higher costs of purchased power amid elevated spot market prices after the preventive maintenance outage of a power plant.

By Julito G. Rada PHILIPPINE National Bank, one of the largest lenders led by tobacco and airline tycoon Lucio Tan, posted a 57-percent increase in first-quarter net income to P2.81 billion from P1.79 billion a year ago on improved net interest income and net reversals of credit provisions.

PNB president and chief executive Wick Veloso said in a statement Friday the first-quarter performance was a good indicator that the profit-making potential of PNB’s businesses continued to improve as the overall economy rebounded.

“We support the incoming leadership and will channel our efforts to help support our customers and support the rebounding economy,” Veloso said.

Net interest income stood rose 3 percent to P8.5 billion, on higher yields on loans, alongside reduced interest costs on deposits. Net interest margin increased to 3.4 percent from 3.2 percent in the same quarter in 2021.

Gross loans closed at P583.9 billion, down by 7 percent from the level last year, as the bank continued to refocus on borrowers under financially-resilient industries. Deposit liabilities expanded by 3 percent year-on-year to P869.9 billion coming from the build-up of current and savings accounts.

PNB recognized net reversals of credit provisions of P394 million to consider the improvement in the credit status of borrowers of the bank who were gradually recovering from the pandemic. This was a turnaround from the prior year when the PNB wascontinuing to build its loan loss reserves to cover non-performing accounts.

Net service fees and commission income slightly declined 3 percent, on lower underwriting fees as the prior year saw the resumption of various capital market transactions and the economy reopened beginning in the first leg of 2021.

PAL returned to profit as passenger and cargo revenues grew strongly in first quarter

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Airlines Inc. said Friday it returned to profitability in the first quarter on the back of higher passenger and cargo revenues.

The country’s flag carrier posted a net income of P1.2 billion from January to March, rebounding from a P8.5-billion net loss it incurred in the same period last year.

The last time that PAL registered positive first-quarter results was in 2016.

PAL generated P24 billion in revenues from a 201-percent growth in passenger

revenues and a 72-percent increase in cargo revenues in the first quarter.

The uptick in revenues reflected a stronger recovery in travel volumes as borders reopened in the Philippines and other key markets in Asia, Australia and North America. The cargo sector also sustained its strong performance.

PAL incurred operating expenses of P22.3 billion, up by 50 percent from the same period last year.

The company attributed the higher expenses to the significant rise in fuel prices along with the increase in the number of op-

erated flights.

“We welcome the financial turnaround demonstrated by the positive operating results for the first quarter of 2022,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng. “Just the same, we must not lose sight of the considerable headwinds we continue to face, brought about by rising fuel prices, the economic fallout from geopolitical events such as the conflict in Ukraine, and the incomplete recovery in travel markets, as certain Asian regions have yet to fully open

their borders. To protect the gains we’ve made so far, we must be resolute in exercising fiscal discipline and faithfully carrying out our restructuring initiatives,” Ng said.

PAL reported a comprehensive income of $1.22 billion in 2021, which reflected the impact of a successful Chapter 11 financial restructuring process that involved a series of breakthrough agreements with major aircraft creditors, bank creditors, original equipment manufacturers and vendors that demonstrated stakeholders’ confidence in the long-term prospects of PAL.

Sports

Gilas men’s, women’s 3x3 teams sputter in SEA Games HANOI—After completing a big comeback against Thailand, the Gilas Pilipinas men’s squad suddenly sputtered and got scuttled by Indonesia 13-15 on Friday in the 3x3 basketball event of the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games here.

Like the men’s squad, the Gilas Pilipinas women’s squad also found a roadblock in its title-retention bid, none other than the Vietnamese team powered by the Truong sisters who played NCAA Division I ball at Gonzaga University.

With Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong draining crucial two-pointers, the host team battled back from a 6-10 deficit and pulled the rug from under the Filipinas, scoring a stunning 21-18 win to the delight of the full-house crowd.

Still in shock, the foursome of Janine Pontejos, Afril Bernardino, Clare Castro and Angelica Surada found Thailand a tough nut to crack in their third and last match for the day, dropping a 14-21 decision for a 1-2 mark.

Starting the day with an easy 19-7 win over Cambodia, the quartet of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Marvin Hayes, Jorey Napoles and Raymar Caduyac needed to dig deep to score a 21-16 win over a battling Thai side.

The Thais surged ahead 12-7 but blinked when the Filipinos battled back, being limited to four points the rest of the way. Ganuelas-Rosser clinched the victory for Gilas with a driving lay-up.

Indonesia seemed to be an easy customer, having lost to Singapore 15-12 and Vietnam 10-22 earlier.

But after taking a 10-9 lead, Gilas got outscored 5-1 and stared at an 11-14 deficit.

After Indonesia took a 15-13 lead with one second left, Ganuelas-Rosser missed a potential game-tying twopointer, leaving the Filipinos with a 2-1 card for the day.

Action resumes Saturday with the Gilas Pilipinas men taking on Singapore at 9:40 a.m. (10:40 a.m. Philippine time), Malaysia at 12:20 p.m. (1:20 p.m. Philippine time), and Vietnam at 2 p.m. (3 p.m.

Philippine time).

The women’s squad goes up against Singapore at 9:40 a.m. (10:40 a.m. Philippine time), Indonesia at 11:20 a.m. (12:20 p.m. Philippine time), and Malaysia at 1 p.m. (2 p.m.

Philippine time).

Both Pinoy teams need to finish in the top four of their divisions to advance to the knockout semifinals.

The finals will be held later in the day, with the Filipinos bidding to retain the gold medals they won in 2019 during the initial staging of 3x3 play.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

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Jackielou Escarpe (top, second from left) wins the country’s second gold medal, this time in Kurash’s men’s 73 kgs after beating Thailand’s Apicha Boonrangsee (top left) on Friday in the 31st Southeast Asian Games at the Hoai Duc Stadium in Vietnam. Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (left) awards the medal to Escarpe.

Obiena, Richardsons lead charge of PH athletics’ squad Saturday H

By Riera U. Mallari

ANOI—A well-equipped and fully prepared Philippine athletics’ team begins its shot for glory on Saturday, led by Asia’s top pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena and sprinters Kayla and Kyla Richardson in the 31st Southeast Asian Games at the My Dinh National Stadium here.

Kyla Richardson

The Filipinos expect to be in contention for the golds today in the pole vault and javelin, where Obiena and Melvin Calano are the defending champions, respectively; the 200 meters, where the Richardsons are entered as a substitute to injured Olympian Kristina Knott; and possibly, the medley relays, too.

“The chances of the entire Philippine team looks good, the prospect is also good, very positive ang feeling ng buong team,” said coach and athletics’ team spokesperson Joeffrey Chua. “It is because we are prepared, we started our preparation last October non-stop. October, November then we completed our first competition

last December sa Baguio.”

“Then, we had one international meet last month in Singapore, so all in all five good competitions just to prepare for the SEA Games, so very sharp na ‘yung mga kilos nila, ‘yung skills nila above expectations na,” added Chua.

Leading the charge of the team is Obiena, who is obviously a cut above the rest in the pole vault competition here, after a 5.45-meter leap during the 2019 Philippine SEA Games. Since that gold-medal feat, Obiena has literally improved by leaps and bounds with a personal best and an Asian record of 5.93, achieved during the17th International

Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria last September.

But the 26-year-old Olympian isn’t about to be complacent.

“Everybody’s gonna be subjected to the same situation, pare parehas naman kaming tatalon dito sa hangin, salubong, tagilid, sa likod, pare parehas naman ‘yan, so it’s all the same. Just here to do my job, try to win that medal. Bring it back home and hopefully bring some glory back to the country,” said Obiena.

“I lost a lot of time (preparing), but I’m ready to give my all. The Thai guys are preparing and are competitive as well, they’re ready. This is the biggest competition for them this season. We’ll see what I can do,” added Obiena.

Even his father/coach Emerson agrees.

“Taga Thailand, nag-bronze sa Asian games, maganda din po ang labanan,” said the elder Obiena, referring to Patsapong Amsam-Ang, the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games bronze medalist, who upset Obiena for a podium finish.

With Peter Atencio

Lone opposition to Russian boxing chief disqualified Filipino ISTANBUL, Turkey—The beleaguered International Boxing Association, the international federation for amateur boxing, plunged deeper into trouble as Boris van der Vorst, the lone opponent to the controversial Russian president of the association, was disqualified from the elections scheduled for Friday here.

The IBA Interim Nomination Unit, formed only this year, disqualified Van der Vorst and four other candidates for the IBA Board of Directors one day before elections at the Wow Convention Center in this ancient city.

The reasons given were “ participation in another international boxing organization, prohibited collaboration between candidates and electoral campaigning outside the electoral period”.

The decision came after the IBA Disciplinary Committee declared the five candidates “Not Guilty” of the same charges only a day before.

However, the Nomination Unit said it makes its decisions “independent of the IBA Disciplinary Committee, since the Nomination Unit pronounces itself only on the eligibility of candidates and not on disciplinary matters”.

This leaves incumbent president Russian Umar Kremlev, 39, as the lone candidate for the top position.

IBA has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee for various concerns, including governance, financial transparency and integrity issues in its tournaments. The boxing tournament in the Tokyo Olympics was organized and run by the IOC Task

Force as a result.

The IOC has scrapped boxing from the Olympic program in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympiad pending resolution of the various issues raised by the Olympic body.

Van der Vorst and company are appealing the decision with the Court of Arbitration in Sport based in Switzerland.

ABAP president Ed Picson, who arrived for the IBA Congress Thursday afternoon said “I am shocked at this development. While I still have to find out what exactly is the problem, I think the timing is suspect and very unfortunate”.

Meanwhile, van der Vorst has quoted the IOC as saying “ we are closely monitoring the developments in IBA”.

Ikeda snaps spell, tops field by 3 shots LIPA City, Batangas—Chihiro Ikeda got back at Chanelle Avaricio in big fashion, bagging the ICTSI Mount Malarayat Ladies Challenge crown by three strokes on a brilliant eagle-spiked frontside charge for a second straight 72 at Mount Malarayat’s composite course here yesterday.

Not even a backside slide could thwart Ikeda’s drive for a first Ladies Philippine Golf Tour championship in three years as she built enough cushion – eight – with her explosive 33 at the turn and Avaricio ran out of holes in her frantic bid to turn things around at the back after a horrible 38.

Avaricio, winner of the last two LPGT events at Hallow Ridge and Caliraya, cut the deficit to half with a birdie on No. 13 coupled with Ikeda’s double bogey on the 10th and a bogey on the 13th as play resumed after a 30-minute delay due to threat of lightning.

She pounced on another Ikeda miscue on No. 14 at resumption to pull within three but the latter birdied the 15th and went up by four again. They matched pars in the next two holes then Avaricio birdied the last to match Ikeda’s closing even-par card as the latter clinched the victory on a 215 total in a triumph

that more than made up for her one-stroke setback to Avaricio at Caliraya last month.

“It’s nice and I’m happy to win again. It’s been a long wait but the wrist injury has hampered my campaign after winning at Midlands in 2019 although I felt better in the last few tournaments,” said Ikeda after annexing the victory worth P116,250 that came after amateur Rianne Malixi upstaged Princess Superal in a shootout and won by one at Luisita, and Avaricio edged Superal in sudden death at Hallow Ridge.

Ikeda did contend in a number of tournaments in the succeeding LPGT events but never really had the chance to get a clear shot at another title, either stumbling with poor starts or fading with shaky finishes.

Avaricio wound up with a 218, her bid for a rare three-peat hampered by a wobbly frontside 38, while first round leader Harmie Constantino also birdied the last to save a 73 for third at 221 in this fourth leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and put up by ICTSI. “I wasn’t rattled even if I had a shaky start at the back since it was my fault. I didn’t feel any pressure at all,” said Ikeda,

whose campaign is backed by Manila Southwoods and Global Technologies, referring to her double-bogey mishap on the 10th and miscues on Nos. 13 and 14.

Those came after the former SEA Games gold medalist bounced back strong from a bogey on No. 1 with a birdie-par-eagle-birdie roll from No. 5 to virtually put the outcome beyond recall.

Sunshine Baraquiel exploded at the finish, birdying the last three holes to cap a fiery four-birdie windup from No. 13 for a tournamentbest 68 as the Midlands leg winner last year jumped from 10th to salvage a share of fourth at 222 with Gretchen Villacencio, who carded a 74, and Mariano, who faded with a 77 after pulling to within two off Ikeda after 36 holes and moving to with one after No. 1.

Martina Miñoza and Lesley Icoy likewise earned their LPGT cards in contrasting fashions with the former pooling a 224 after a 72 for seventh and the latter needing to birdie the last hole to salvage an 81 for 12th place at 237.

Chihiro Ikeda holds her trophy

triathletes eye sweep TUAN CHAU, Vietnam—Andrew Kim Remolino and women’s defending champion Kim Mangrobang will seek glory on Saturday in the triathlon race of the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games at the Sunset Bay here.

Remolino, 22, Cebu’s top triathlete, is out to improve on his silver medal finish in the Philippine SEA Games three years ago at the Subic Bay Freeport, where compatriot John Leerams “Rambo” Chicano reigned supreme.

Giving him a hand in the men’s 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run event is Fil-Spanish Fernando Tan Caseres, 26.

“Our goal is to help each other and the priority is to retain the gold and silver medal. It doesn’t matter if I settle for silver again as long as the Philippines keeps the gold,” said the six-year national team mainstay, who clocked 1:55:03 to Chicano’s 1:53:26 in the last biennial meet.

“There are a lot of newcomers here, so hopefully we can still make it. But we’ll do our best, of course,” he added.

Mangrobang, who triumphed the last time out in two hours and two minutes, will be joined by Raven Faith Alcoseba in the women’s race.

Triathlon coach George Vilog expressed confidence his wards will be up to the task, saying: “It’s going to be the same finish – 1 and 2 or gold and silver. Our triathletes and duathletes are in good condition so I believe we can still retain the title.”

Chicano will race this time in the duathlon event on Sunday in the company of Raymund Torio in the men’s category while Mangrobang will do double duty for the country, competing in the women’s class along with Alex Ganzon.

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SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Home/Design Tower with a view

AmiSa Private Residences launched in Cebu

M GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE. RLC Residences SVP John Richard Sotelo points out the interior features in a pop-up unit of the AmiSa D Tower. With him are Business development and design head Stephanie Anne Go and marketing head and chief integration officer Karen Cesario.

A TOUCH OF EUROPE. Brittany Corporation, the luxury residential arm of the homebuilder Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc., recently unveiled Bernese, the first tower of its newest Swiss-inspired condominium project, the Alpine Villas.

Located within the 100-hectare mixed-use Crosswinds Tagaytay, Alpine Villas consists of mid-rise towers in the style of Swiss chalets and European-inspired cafes and restaurants. Its first tower, Bernese, is a 6-storey condominium project that offers a total of 83 units with a mix of Studio with balcony and one-bedroom with balcony.

Alpine Villas offers well-designed, spaceefficient vertical residences, equipped with 24/7 safety protocols including a CCTV system in all common areas, Wi-Fi, and building systems. Concierge, receptionist, and security personnel will address the needs of the unit owners and tenants. Alpine Villas will also have its own fitness gym and clubhouse with function room. At the unveiling of Alpine Villas’ first tower, Bernese were (left to right): Brittany Corporation’s chief cccountant Marilyn Oblena; operations head Earl Millanes; administrative head Mia Marasigan and marketing head Joshua Cabungan

ALSONS DEV, ALABEL LGU BUILD P30-M BYPASS ROAD. Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev), together with the municipal government of Alabel, led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an 877.5-meter bypass road valued at P30 million. The road will connect Libertad Road in Barangay Maribulan, Alabel to the SaranganiDavao del Sur Coastal Road. A major part of the road was donated by the Alcantara Family, founder and owner of a diversified conglomerate which includes Alsons Dev, a real estate developer in Davao City, and Alsons Aquaculture Corporation, the Philippine’s largest processor and exporter of processed seafood products based in Sarangani.

At the groundbreaking were (from left to right): Alabel Mayor Vic Paul Salarda; Alsons development director Miguel A. Dominguez, and councilor Hermie Galzote.

RIDGEWOOD TOWERS PREMIER TOPPED OFF. Boutique developer C-5 Mansions

ACTAN, CEBU­—RLC Residences, the residential division of real estate company Robinsons Land Corporation, recently launched the AmiSa Tower D, the newest addition to its resortinspired property in Mactan, Cebu – the AmiSa Private Residences.

“If you have dreamed of owning a luxurious vacation home—one that features an unobstructed seascape view, and supports a 360 resort-like lifestyle, then it’s about time to invest in the newest tower of AmiSa Private Residences,” declared RLC Residences SVP John Richard Sotelo, The 16-storey tower, with multiple studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom flat-type units, was opened for preselling over the weekend to Philippine residents, as well as foreign investors.

Life with a view Located at Punta Engaño in Mactan, AmiSa D offers a view of the Magellan Bay, the Olango Island, and the Hilutungan Channel. The tower is also home to the development’s Sky Lounge located on the rooftop area, a place where people can unwind with the refreshing 360-view of the sea.

AmiSa homeowners also get to enjoy resort-like facilities, property management services, and hotel perks.

Development Corporation recently topped off its Ridgewood Towers project near Bonifacio Global City. The project’s 31-story edifice is now structurally complete. Finishing works have already started on the lower floors, and turnover to unit owners is expected within the first half of 2023. Ridgewood Towers Premier offers 1-bedroom, 1-bedroom with balcony, and 2-bedroom with balcony units. The project is located right across the Korean and British embassies along the main C-5 Road. Senior executives from C-5 Mansions, architectural firm ASYA Design, construction manager Jose Aliling and C-5 Mansions’ hotel partner, Novel Residential Concepts Inc., were on hand to mark the occasion at the project’s roof deck. The latter company will operate Ridgewood Premier Hotel on the 15th-19th floors of the mixed-use property. From left to right: C-5 Mansions Development Corp. President Herbert Tan (fourth from left); and Chief Operating Officer Alfonso Keh Jr. (fifth from left); Jose Aliling & Associates’ Romy Dela Torre; Asya Design’s Erickson Reyes; C-5 Mansions Corp. Secretary Milagros Blancas; Novel Residential Concepts Inc. President Roberto Alvarez Jr.’ C-5 Mansions Treasurer Arlene Keh; and Director Daisy Chua.

The tower boasts a 24-hour concierge service and multiple leisure and fitness amenities such as swimming pools, sun loungers, a clubhouse, a grill area, a private theater, a jogging trail, and a private gym.

Units at AmiSa Tower D consist of smart home features like a smart lock, smart lights, and an audio/video intercom. AmiSa D units are also fitted with fiber-optic technology, to provide guests and residents a fast and reliable internet connection necessary for work and personal use.

Raise, live, connect Home upgrades such as a work-fromhome nook, a pantry drawer, a walkin closet provision on select units, a glass shower enclosure, and a washer/ dryer provision, are also included in the development.

“We did not cut any corners,” Sotelo pointed out. “We wanted to make sure that AmiSa Tower D stays true to RLC Residences’ brand promise to ‘Raise, Live, Connect.’

STAYING IN THE GAME. Horizon Land Property Development Corp., a subsidiary of real estate developer Federal Land, Inc.,recently held the ceremonial opening event for its residential development in the heart of Marikina—Siena Towers. Horizon Land aims to provide well-built spaces with good investment potential in key cities around Metro Manila. Located along Sumulong Highway in Marikina City, Siena Towers a residential development that is a modern take on the town of Siena, Italy. At the event were Federal Land executives along with representatives from Siena Towers’ board of directors (from left to right): Richard Vidal, head of association management and post construction Services; John Eduard Bautista, head of property operations and GM for Federal property management corporation (FPMC); John Frederick Cabato, general manager of Horizon Land; Dinah Hernandez, board of director for Siena Towers; Maria Margarita Saenz-Resurreccion, head of sales; Jennifer Rosales, board of director for Siena Towers; Richard Naval, head of external construction management; Hans Garcia, head of quality control department; and Ramon Concepcion, head of FPMC operations.

Tech & Gadgets

#ScanToPay at SM Cyberzone and be 1 of 50 winners of P10k Maya credits

Rewards await at SM Cyberzone Gadget Craze IF you’ve been eyeing that mobile phone for months or saving up for a custom gaming rig, or new laptop, now’s the time to make that purchase. SM Cyberzone and Maya have partnered up to make every QR purchase using the Maya app more rewarding!

Fifty lucky winners will receive P10,000 worth of Maya credits each just by using the QR payment function of the Maya app to pay for their gadgets at this year’s SM Cyberzone Gadget Craze. Shoppers will get one raffle entry for every Php 500 spent at any of the participating stores until May 31, 2022.

That’s not all, accumulated Maya QR transactions worth P3,000 entitles you to receive a P100 cashback voucher during the promo period. To claim your cashback, simply tap the vouchers page in the Maya app. The cashback will be sent to qualified users after their valid QR transaction, or up to 14 business days after the promo period.

The raffle draw will be held on June 10, 2022 and the winners will be announced on June 17, 2022 at Maya and SM Cyberzone’s official social media pages.

Don't forget to bring your family and friends, and make sure to continue to observe #SafeMallingAtSM when you shop at SM Cyberzone!

For the full promo mechanics, just go to http://mayaph.co/gamefest2022promos. You can also visit www.smcyberzone.com or like and follow @smcyberzone on all social media platforms.

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

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A look back on what makes Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+ epic

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HE Galaxy S22 Series was released early this year to bring content creation to the next level. Despite the several smartphones released since then, the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ continue to be the golden standard of smartphone innovation with their epic features.

The Power of Dynamic Cameras

Cameras are a key feature when it comes to content creation. It’s what brings memories to life. But a struggle for creators is capturing epic content in low light. The Galaxy S22 Series will surely excite everyone with its unique Nightography features that bring lowlight photography to life. This makes escaping to the city, stargazing, and photoshoots at possible and more epic even after dark.

The Galaxy S22 and S22+ break the rules of design with eco-friendly power made from sustainable plastic, wrapped in a sleek design.

Made to Power through the Day

Every gadget-savvy’s dream is to have a smartphone that can keep up with their daily usage. With the Galaxy S22 and S22+, their activities can be sustained without interruption. This is made possible by the first-ever 4nm processor and advanced AI and ML processing that help users power through their epic activities every day— from smoother filming, faster editing, and the ability to do more in a day than ever before, the Galaxy S22 and S22+ have got creators covered.

The Galaxy S22 and S22+ not only breaks the rules of power, it also breaks the rules of time with an incredible battery that charges fast and lasts.

Just a 10-minute charge with its 45W Super-Fast Charger lets you record over an hour of video so you can capture take after take for your reels, until you get it just right.

Sustainably Conscious Design

With so much power, users might expect a bulky, inefficient device. But the Galaxy S22 and S22+ breaks the rules of design with eco-friendly power made from sustainable plastic, wrapped in a sleek design.

These devices are made out of 20% recycled ocean-bound plastic. The most epic device is taking conscious steps towards helping the environment while still providing a highquality gadget for its patrons. Plus, it offers a bold statement that matches every personality type, whether it’s the fun-looking Pink Gold or Green or the elegant Phantom White or Phantom Black. It also utilizes a clean and sleek look from the symmetrical polished frame to the finishing touches of the monochromatic camera.

The Galaxy S22 and S22+ are the perfect partners for every creator who loves to play, transform, and capture their daily epic activities. The new Galaxy S22 Se-

ries is now available in stores with a starting price of P45,990 SRP (128GB) for the Galaxy S22, while the Galaxy S22+ starts at P56,990 SRP (128GB).

Customers can now take home the Galaxy S22 or S22+ for as low as PHP 1,916.25/mo at 0% interest for up to 24 months via Samsung Authorized Stores Nationwide. Citibank card holders can get up to 36 months installment at 0% interest for as low as P1,277.50/mo.

On the other hand, PNB card holders can get their first installment month for FREE and pay 0% interest for up to 24 months in select Samsung Experience stores and Abenson Stores.

Trade-in an old smartphone for the Galaxy S22 or S22+ to get tokens worth up to P6,000 in participating Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Stores.

Customers can also trade-in their devices via Globe and Smart to receive discounts worth up to P6,000.

For more information about the Galaxy S22 Series, visit samsung.com/ph.

Safe Samsung Shopping

Health and safety protocols are strictly implemented and followed in Samsung Experience Stores to keep consumers and employees safe. Adhering to the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Samsung has implemented the mandatory use of face masks, and performs frequent sanitation in all stores.

Samsung Experience Stores also has unique QR health declaration codes to promote a safe and contactless contact tracing process. Product demonstrations are done side-by-side instead of faceto-face while keeping the required safe distance of one (1) meter to make sure everyone is socially distanced.

To find the nearest Samsung Experience Store, visit samsung.com/ph/samsung-experience-store/locations.

Red-hot deals, offers at Acer The 'weight' is over: Razer unveils Viper V2 PRO Summertime Madness Promo HAVE your best summer yet with the red-hot deals in the Acer Summer Campaign Promo dubbed "Summertime Madness."

This is your chance to get the Acer gadget you’ve been eyeing! Get up to P17,000 off on Acer consumer and gaming desktops, up to P8,400 off on Acer gaming notebooks, up to P1,350 off on Acer projectors and up to P2,550 off the award-winning acerpure products from April 26 – May 22, 2022!

Enjoy up to 30% off on acerpure’s trio of minimalist, aesthetically pleasing, and powerful air circulators and purifiers that will always keep the air in your house clean and fresh. The acerpure cozy F1 Circulator has the 3D Airflow Technology that projects air up to 15 meters away covering over 108 sqm and a 12- touch activated speed setting.

T h e a c e r-

Aspire Vero

pure pro P2 Purifier has a 4-in-1 HEPA Filter and offers high quality air circulation, while the award-winning acerpure cool C2 Circulator + Purifier has a 4-in-1 HEPA Filter for four-layer protection and offers high purification performance at low energy cost.

If you’re a gamer looking for a good deal on the Acer Nitro Gaming and Predator Gaming desktops, this is the best time to get them. The Nitro 50 provides players with a choice of the latest Intel or AMD processors, both powerful enough to play games and edit videos of game play. The Nitro N50-610 and Nitro N50-620 are desktops for lag-free gaming and seamless video editing. Meanwhile, the Predator Orion PO5610 and the Predator Orion PO3-630 are both well-built and compact PCs that provide superb gaming performance.

Different models of the Aspire AIO, Aspire SFF Desktop, and Aspire Tower Desktop are also included in the promo.

For gaming notebooks, the following Nitro 5 AMD and Nitro 5 Intel models are on sale: Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R2N, Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R77J, Acer Nitro 5 AN51545-R5RJ, Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-5620, Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-53SB, Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-90SF and Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-535Z.

RAZER™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, announces the Viper V2 Pro, an ultra-lightweight wireless competitive gaming mouse packed to the brim with their exclusive cutting-edge technologies and designed hand-in-hand with esports pros’ feedback. More than 20% lighter than the Viper Ultimate, the Viper V2 Pro sets the new standard for the competition with next-generation switches, better battery life and the all-new Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor, resulting in a pure-performance mouse that has already achieved legendary esports status.

Faster. Lighter. Deadlier.

"We carefully considered each gram of the Viper V2 Pro to ensure that, in exchange for a lower weight, it wasn’t at the cost of other features,” said Chris Mitchell, Head of Razer’s PC Gaming Division.

“We are not content with simply cutting down on weight here. Both esports professionals and the greater mouse community played a significant role in the development of the Viper V2 Pro, addressing their comments, whether they are about switch and sensor improvements or something as simple as optimizing the protrusion of the side buttons.”

“I think this mouse was built for me,” said Jimmy "Marved" Nguyen, a professional VALORANT player for OpTic Gaming. “The shape and weight

Coming in at only 58g, the new Razer Viper V2 Pro gaming mouse enters the esports scene with improved Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 and a new Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor.

are perfect in my hand and it feels like a natural extension of my body. It’s unlike anything else.”

While using a prototype of the new Viper iteration, Marved has recently set the record of most kills during the 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour

(VCT) with 35 kills, as well as being voted MVP of the Grand Finals. OpTic Gaming took the #1 spot of the tournament, making the next generation of the Viper a part of VALORANT history even before the product’s debut.

Peak Performance at your Fingertips Razer’s new Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor is also being revealed as part of the Viper V2 Pro, and achieves a complete resolution accuracy of 99.8%. This powerful new sensor is equipped with AI functionality such as Smart Tracking, Motion Sync and Asymmetric Cut-off for the ultimate performance at the highest levels of play. The Asymmetric Cut-off feature has been enhanced to support up to 26 granular levels of height adjustment compared to 3 in the previous version.

This wider array of customization enables users to set a lift-off and landing distance that is tuned to their playstyle.

With a more tactile feel and an even longer click lifespan, the Viper V2 Pro features the new Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 for absolutely zero double-clicking issues and no debounce delay. These new switches are rated for a click lifecycle of up to 90 million clicks, increasing the value proposition over 25% from the previous generation switch’s lifespan.

Lenovo EdVision Summit pushes for change to fully realize modern classroom THE EdVision Summit that gathers leaders in the education technology industry, such as Lenovo and its partner Microsoft, along with members of the academe in the region to discuss best practices for the modern classroom, was successfully held on March 24th. Twentyfour speakers from seven markets, including the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the United States, joined the Summit and expressed their thoughts on the future of education. It was attended by over 1,200 educators and stakeholders in the region with almost 700 coming from the Philippines.

This year’s Lenovo EdVision Summit focuses on the need for change in the quickly-evolving educational landscape, calling on educators and technology leaders to improve learning pedagogies and technologies based on the evolving reality of the classroom and the workplace.

“Evolving approaches to teaching and learning are critical to ensuring that our students are ready for the rapidly changing world they will graduate into,” said Delia DeCourcy, Senior Global Education Solutions Manager, Lenovo United States.

Following the plenary discussion by DeCourcy, there were five panel discussions and two workshop sessions for educators to fully immerse themselves and understand the learnings shared by EdTech leaders and members of the academic community.

Beyond providing smart devices for educational use, learning pedagogies and education solutions need to evolve alongside the changing classroom and the eventual work environment that students will later join.

Launched in 2020, the Lenovo EdVision program was launched to hone the digital literacy and skills among students and provide resources

and support to teachers to enable them to build their skills and capabilities in digital teaching.

The program offers distance learning solutions with technology such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Education, for schools and industry partners to promote digital transformation of education.

The program was recently updated to provide a more seamless hybrid classroom experience that offers the next level Lenovo Smart Education solutions. Hybrid learning is not just about taking classes online. Students need powerful, innovative technologies that empower them to learn more effectively, collaborate better, without compromising on security. With a focus on M365 platform, the updated iteration of the program delivers students a more engaging learning experience. It also builds a community for educators to exchange their insights and strategies to navigate hybrid classrooms.

Motoring

MILO RIVERA Sub-editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022

NLEX toll hike in full effect

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LEX Corporation has started implementing new toll rates for NLEX as of last May 12. The Toll Regulatory Board gave NLEX the go signal to increase its toll by P2.00 in the open system and P0.34 per kilometer in the closed system.

The adjustments, which followed regulatory procedures and underwent thorough review, were part of the approved periodic adjustments of NLEX due in 2016 and the completion of the new Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) in 2021.

Under the new toll fee matrix, motorists traveling anywhere within the open system will pay an additional ₱2.00 for Class 1 vehicles (regular cars and SUVs), ₱6.00 for Class 2 vehicles (buses and small trucks), and ₱8.00 for Class 3 vehicles.

The open system is from Balintawak, Caloocan City to Marilao, Bulacan, while the closed system covers the

portion between Bocaue, Bulacan and Sta. Ines, Mabalacat City, and Pampanga (including Subic-Tipo).

Those traveling the NLEX endto-end between Metro Manila and Mabalacat City will pay an additional ₱27.00 for Class 1, ₱69.00 for Class 2 and ₱82.00 for Class 3 vehicles.

To help cushion the impact of the toll increase, public utility jeepneys (PUJs) under the NLEX Passada and Tsuper Card discount and rebate program will continue to enjoy the old rates. Provincial buses will also be covered by a graduated rebate scheme for a period of three months.

The tollway company spent P6.9

billion to complete several major projects and enhancements at NLEX-SCTEX since 2015 that improved the region’s landscape, increased accessibility, enhanced safety and provided travel convenience to motorists.

To name a few, these include the expansion of San Fernando Interchange; the new toll lanes in Marilao, Bocaue, Tipo, Balintawak, Meycauayan, and Mindanao; the pavement upgrade at NLEX; the new exits in Meycauayan and Valenzuela and entry in Balagtas; the rehabilitation of bridges in Bigaa, Bocaue, and Meycauayan; and the improvement of drainages in Balintawak, Valenzuela, and Meycauayan; retrofitting of San Simon and Sta. Rita bridges.

In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, the tollway company has not wavered on its commitment to provide quality service to its motorists and has continued to undertake high impact projects that will benefit the economy.

Nissan PH reveals revamped lineup for remainder of ‘22 UNDER its newly-appointed President, Juan Manuel Hoyos, Nissan Philippines seeks to grow and deepen its position as the third bestselling carmaker in the Philippines by revealing many plans for the remainder of 2022.

Hoyos remarked at his swearingin ceremony as the new President of Nissan Philippines that he intends to maintain the brand’s strong momentum in the local automotive industry by expanding the brand’s vehicle lineup - among others.

Plans to introduce six new and/or refurbished face-lifted models in the coming months have been announced

by Hoyos. Although details to these particular models were spared, eagerness indicates that Nissan will have a powerful lineup before the year ends. - with these certain models being shortlisted, in speculation, as the instigators to further boost their catalog in due time.

Hoyos will be in charge of directing the company’s strategy to achieve product innovation and business advancements locally.

He aims at boosting the brand’s competitiveness and keeps delivering great aftersales support to its consumers strengthening the Nissan brand in the country.

After three revolutionary years under Atsushi Najima’s leadership, Hoyos takes over the reins, with the

Nissan Kicks E-Power

former effectively managing a difficult two years caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Get the Ford Everest, Ford Ranger this May FORD Philippines is offering great deals for the Ford Everest and Ford Ranger this month.

Leading the pack of deals is a new financing offer for the Ford Everest, which is now available at a low monthly of P19,111 for the Everest Sport 4x2 AT. Customers who are getting a Ford Ranger can avail of the P98,000 all-in low down payment for the 2.2L XLS 4x2 MT variant. Meanwhile, those looking to own a Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 MT can avail of a 0% interest for up to 36 months. This same offer is also available in the Ranger 2.2L XLS 4x2 MT. Free service offers are also up for grabs this month. Customers purchasing the 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 AT or MT variant can avail of free 3-year scheduled service plan (SSP).

Ford SSP is a prepaid plan that covers the maintenance of Ford vehicles, including parts and labor. It is performed by Ford-trained technicians using genuine Ford parts.

“With our wide array of deals, we continue to enhance the overall purchase and ownership experience for our customers. This month, they can continue to enjoy exciting offers such as all-in low downpayment and 0% interest financing plans, as well as low monthly fees and free service packages for our top-selling vehicles,” shares Mike Breen, managing director, Ford Philippines.

All deals are available until May 31, 2022. To know more about the latest offers, visit www.ford.com.ph/shopping/latestoffer/ or any Ford dealership nearest you.

Face-lifted Nissan Urvan

RECOGNIZING EXEMPLARY PH MOTORING JOURNALISM:

The New Pathfinder

The New X-Trail

The Nissan Ariya

The New Nissan Z

The Henry Ford Awards, the country’s lone awards program that recognizes excellence in automotive journalism, is holding its 21st edition this coming May 23 at the Blue Leaf Events Pavilion in Taguig.

The HFA has become an institution in the automotive industry and has honored over 150 motoring journalists over the last two decades. On its 21st year, HFA will once again honor motoring journalists and editorial teams who have demonstrated excellence, utmost professionalism, and social responsibility in their field of work.