Manila Standard - 2022 May 15 - Sunday

P33 pay hike in NCR okayed

DOLE says workers in W. Visayas to get as high as P110 increase

Vol. 36

n

No. 88

May 15, 2022

2 SECTIONS 8 PAGES

M

18 .00

IN MET R MANILAO

INIMUM wage earners in the National Capital Region will have a P33 daily hike while those in Western Visayas (Region 6) will receive an increase of up to P110, the labor department announced on Saturday.

With the salary adjustment, Metro Manila workers in the non-agriculture sector will be receiving P570 in daily wage while those working in the agriculture sector will get P533.

The last wage order for employees in private establishments in Metro Manila was issued on November 22, 2018, granting a P25 increase in the minimum wage.

The wage adjustment was significantly lower than the wage hike petitions filed by major labor groups in NCR. The Associated Labor Unions and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines have sought a P470 increase in the National Capital Region.

The Federation of Free Workers (FFW), on the other hand, called for a P750 national minimum daily wage, saying that the current system in which sets different rates per region is discriminatory.

Eva Arcos, ALU’s national vice president for education and information, said with the current minimum wages, a family of CONTINUED ON 3A

Arroyo, Cusi, party-lists for Romualdez as Speaker n By MARICEL V. CRUZ POLITICAL bigwigs led by former President Gloria Arroyo, the leadership of the PDP-Laban and the Nacionalista Party, as well as members of the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. have endorsed House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez as Speaker of the 19th Congress.

Arroyo, chairperson emeritus of LakasCMD, said she and Romualdez “have been working together for decades in a joint effort to do our best to serve the Filipino people.”

The former president, who ran unopposed in the last elections for Pampanga's 2nd District, urged Lakas-CMD members to support Romualdez.

CONTINUED ON 3A

FLORES DE MAYO. About 40 Binibining Pilipinas candidates parade along the streets of Araneta Center in Quezon City during the traditional Santacruzan on Sunday, May 14, 2022.

Danny Pata

Obiena bags gold, breaks own record in pole vault n By RIERA U. MALLARI HANOI—Ernest John Obiena took just one initial leap to clinch the pole vault gold medal, and a second one to smash the record during the Philippines’ most productive day in the 31st Southeast Asian Games here on Saturday.

With his Southeast Asian

rivals either failing to clear the bar several times or suffering from cramps from too much exertion, Obiena nonchalantly cleared the bar at 5.4 meters to clinch the gold right on his first attempt at the drizzle-drenched My Dinh National Stadium.

It was 40 centimers better than the 5-meter leap of compatriot and eventual CONTINUED ON 3A

NEW RECORD. EJ Obiena bags the gold for the men’s pole vault competition after clearing 5.46 meters – better than his own record of 5.45 meters – during the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam on Saturday.

FULL SUPPORT. House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (2nd from right) receives a copy of the manifesto of support endorsing him as Speaker of the 19th Congress from members of the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. Also in photo are (from left) PBA party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, Tingog party-list Rep.Yedda Marie Romualdez, and TGP party-list Rep. Bong Teves.

Romualdez is also backed by PDP-Laban President Alfonso Cusi (lower left) and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (lower right).

Ver Noveno

Oil firms set to cut diesel prices next week by P3/l OIL firms are poised to implement a price roll back on Tuesday by as much as P3 per liter for diesel.

Based on its fuel price forecast for the May 17 to 23, 2022 trading week, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said diesel prices

may decrease by P2.90 to P3 per liter.

Gasoline prices, on the other hand, may go down between P0.40 to P0.60 per liter.

Domestic pump prices have been on an uptrend in 13 out of the past 17 weeks, which the Department of Energy (DOE)

has attributed to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, along with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across the globe which have boosted demand.

Dubai crude reached an average of $95.6 CONTINUED ON 3A

Biden vows long-term support to ASEAN PRESIDENT Joe Biden has promised a long-term commitment to Southeast Asia in the face of China’s growing clout as he met regional leaders for a first summit in Washington.

Biden laid out $150 million in new initiatives and announced plans for the first full US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in more than five years.

A region that “is free and open, stable and prosperous, and resilient and secure is what we’re all seeking,” Biden told ASEAN leaders Friday, a day after he kicked off the CONTINUED ON 3A

MAY 15, 2022

DOH probes source of new COVID Omicron subvariant

T

HE Department of Health said on Saturday it was too early yet to declare a local transmission of the COVID-19 omicron BA.2.12.1 subvariant in the country.

The DOH issued this observation even as it reported on Friday that 14 cases if the omicron BA.2.12.1 were detected, two of them in Metro Manila and 12 in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

“Kailangan po natin ng enough evidence para po maipakita natin at ma-analyze natin kung talagang meron na tayong local transmission,” DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a public briefing.

The two cases detected in the National Capital Region had no recent travel history outside the country, the DOH said.

“These two cases are related, sila po ay walang history of travel, kaya po atin inaalam po talaga ngayon kung ano

Belmonte orders full inquiry on QCPD jail riot

po talaga ang pinagmulan,” Vergeire said. “Although they had this travel kung saan doon po sila nagpabakuna doon sa kanilang probinsya, tapos bumalik po sila dito sa NCR.” The DOH gave assurance, however, that all the omicron BA.2.12.1 cases have been isolated, all the way back to the first patient who showed symptoms on April 22 in Palawan.

Vergeire also said that there was no surge in infectious detected in the areas where the patients were first discovered, with the country registering an average of 146 new COVID-19 infections between May 6 to May 12.

The figure is substantially low compared to the daily

average rate of 254 new cases in December last year.

The DOH spokesperson advised the public that the best protection against the more contagious omicron subvariant was adherence to public health protocols, such as wearing face masks and following social distancing rules.

She also called on the people to get their booster shots against COVID-19, adding that those who were vaccinated against the virus showed only mild symptoms even when they were infected with omicron BA.2.12.1.

“Ayaw natin i-alarma ang mga tao. Ang gusto natin patuloy tayo mag-ingat,” Vergeire said. “We are all aware that there is this variant circulating in the country dahil alam po natin na mas nakakapanghawa at saka nae-escape niya yung immunity.”

Vergeire also said the DOH was targeting 77 million or 85 percent of the Filipino populace to be administered with the COVID-19 vaccines by June 30, 2022 when President Duterte ends his term.

COMELEC PRESS BRIEFING. Commission on Elections

(Comelec) Commissioner Aimee Ferolino and spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco conduct a press briefing at the PICC Forum Tent in Pasay City to tackle post-election issues including complaints about alleged irregularities during the May 9 polls, as well as the projected special elections in some areas in Mindanao to be held on May 24. Avito Dalan

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered a full investigation of Friday afternoon’s riot between rival gangs at the Quezon City Jail that left one inmate dead and several others wounded.

Belmonte directed the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to look into the incident, saying those found to be remiss in their duties should be held accountable.

The cause of the gang war has not been determined.

Belmonte underscored the need for the BJMP to review its security protocols to avoid such incidents from happening in the future.

QCPD Station 10 commander Col. Alex Alberto stated in a report to QCPD director Gen. Remus Medina, that the scuffle between members of the Batang City Jail, Commando and Bahala na Gang took place around 3 p.m. Friday.

The BJMP personnel took 10 wounded detainees to the East Avenue Medical Center.

A MEMBER of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proposed a random manual audit of the vote-counting machines (VCMs) and secure digital (SD) cards that malfunctioned during the May 9 national and local elections.

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco on Saturday said Commissioner Marlon Casquejo was pushing for the conduct of a random audit of the problematic VCMs and SD cards.

“We initiate our own investigations and audits also to check what happened; to get the best practices; how do we improve for the next elections,” Laudiangco said in a press briefing.

The Commission and the Comelec Advisory Committee (CAC) met to discuss the issues encountered by the VCMs during the May 9 Election Day. “Again, just initially, just a summary of the things discussed with the CAC. The common issues of the VCMs are very minor, scanner that needs cleaning, having to activate the printer, flickering LCD and most of them are paper jams. Paper jams are resolved by cleaning, by repositioning the VCM, by making sure the VCM is properly placed on the receptacle,” Laudiangco said.

“All the technical issues were resolved through diagnostics and calibration. The calibration to ensure proper reading through the timing marks. The other problems are minor issues, failure to connect the connectors properly, failure to connect batteries, failure to connect the AC plugs. The other issues are procedural. Incorrect procedure to initiate...” he added.

“As to the random technical audit of SD cards, we will have a timeline. We will be able to conduct the audit after the period for filing of election protest since after proclamation under the rules those who will file election protest have 10 days to file their protest,” he said.

“So we have to give way to that 10 days if the courts will be needing the SD cards. In the event we did not receive any potential election protest we will be proceeding with random technical audit of the SD cards,” Laudiangco added.

Villafuertes win big in CamSur DILG chief welcomes Abalos as his successor elections THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday announced it welcomes former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Benjamin Abalos Jr. as the next DILG secretary.

“The DILG organization, including all of our attached agencies, welcomes the announcement that former MMDA chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos, Jr. will be nominated and appointed as the next DILG secretary,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.

“We have worked closely with

chairman Abalos during the height of the pandemic, and we have seen how he ably steered the COVID-19 pandemic response in the National Capital Region which has resulted to the downward trend of coronavirus cases and the successful roll-out of the vaccination program in Metro Manila,” he added.

Año said they are confident that as a former mayor of Mandaluyong City and MMDA chairman, Abalos would be able to provide good direction and leadership to both the interior and

local government sectors in scaling up their performance in peace and order, public safety and local governance for the benefit of the Filipino people.

“We are hopeful that chairman Abalos will continue and build on the ongoing campaign against criminality, illegal drugs, corruption and communist terrorism that we have focused on and which has reached unprecedented heights of accomplishment in the past six years,” the DILG chief said.

105 nabbed over liquor ban

FATTER PAY ENVELOPES.

Construction workers attend to their jobs under a flyover in in Kamuning, Quezon City, obviously unmindful that they will soon be bringing home fatter pay envelopes. The Department of Labor and Employment says the Wage Boards in Metro Manila and the Visayas have granted a P33-raise on the minimum wage rate in the two regions. Mike De Juan

POLICE reported on Saturday that a total of 105 alcoholics were apprehended in Metro Manila for violating the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) liquor ban imposed on May 8 and 9.

“We have arrested 105 persons who violated our liquor ban implemented at the dawn of May 8 up to the midnight of May 9,” said Lt. Col. Jenny Tecson, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) during the Laging Handa briefing.

“It was considered a violation of election laws. Complaints were filed against them,” she added.

Tecson also reported that the NCRPO had not recorded any election-related violent incident in the metropolis.

“We can say that the elections in the NCR were very peaceful because we had not recorded any election-related violent incident,” she said.

Tecson also said the so-called Black Friday protest conducted by different groups at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) was “orderly and peaceful.”

The protesters condemned the alleged lapses committed by the Comelec during the elections.

Zamboanga City sets up checkpoints vs. ASF MORE checkpoints have been set up in Zamboanga City to prevent the entry of live hogs, pork products, and by-products without the required veterinary health certificates to ward off the incursion of the African Swine Fever (ASF).

The Office of the City Veterinarian (OCVet) on Saturday said it was still waiting for the result of confirmatory tests on three blood samples that tested positive for ASF at the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) of the Department of Agriculture in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

The tests were done at RADDL General Santos City as the Ipil laboratory had no equipment to determine if the viral infec-

tion is due to ASF, hog cholera, or porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome, which all have similar signs and symptoms.

Agbayani said one of the three blood samples came from Barangay Mangusu.

Dr. Arnedo Agbayani, assistant OCVet chief, said he does not foresee a shortage of meat products in the city because a local shopping mall, which has its own ASF-free farm in Koronadal City, can meet up to 60 percent of the local demand.

Checkpoints were established in Barangay Tagasilay to monitor entry from Vitali District.

Vitali District is one of the seven veterinary districts in the city and is composed

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

Comelec eyes manual audit of defective VCMs, SD cards

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

of Barangays Tigbalabag, Taguiti, Tumitus, Vitali, Tagasilay, Mangusu, Tictapul, Limaong, Licomo, and Sibulao.

A checkpoint was also put up in Barangay Licomo, the city’s boundary on the east coast.

Zamboanga Sibugay had earlier reported ASF cases in R.T. Lim, Titay, Buug, Alicia and Ipil towns.

“In the meantime, we are taking proactive measures pending the result of the confirmatory examination,” Agbayani said in an interview.

The confirmation and declaration of ASF will be done only by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

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

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

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed three members of the influential Villafuerte political family in Camarines Sur who all won handily over their respective rivals.

The father, Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte, was reelected to his third term as the province’s second-district congressional representative, while his sons— Miguel “Migz” Luis and Vincenzo “Luigi” Renato won as 5th district representative and governor, respectively, of the province.

The younger Villafuertes triumphed over powerful political clans in the province. Miguel toppled the Alfelors, represented by Iriga City Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen; and Vincenzo who is running for the first time for an elective post, knocked out from the gubernatorial contest Rolando Andaya Jr. who used to represent Camarines Sur’s first district and had served as House Majority Floor Leader and Budget Secretary.

Andaya’s sister—Maribel Andaya Eusebio—ran in his stead as representative of the first district, but lost to Hori Horibata of PDP-Laban.

Both Miguel and Vincenzo ran under the Duterte-led PDP-Laban, while LRay ran under the banner of the National Unity Party (NUP), one of the administration’s political allies.

The latest unofficial voting results as of Wednesday showed that LRay garnered 111,743 votes as against the 30,324 votes of his rival Aba Abasola. Miguel racked up 153,852 votes as against Alfelor-Gazmen’s 101,944 votes, while Vincenzo got 492,415 votes as opposed to Andaya’s 416,43.

THE BIG CLEAN UP. Elements of the 15th Infantry Division (ID), 1302nd Reserved Army, help in the removal of election campaign paraphernalia on power lines and poles along E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave. in Quezon City. With the elections over, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered the removal and disposal of all campaign materials. Robert Oswald P. Alfiler Rolando G. Estabillo Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Jimbo Owen Gulle

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Publisher Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Violence clouds Jerusalem funeral of veteran reporter THOUSANDS of people packed Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday for the burial of veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, after Israeli police stormed the funeral procession.

Television footage showed pallbearers struggling to stop Abu Akleh’s coffin from falling to the ground as baton-wielding police officers charged towards them, grabbing Palestinian flags from mourners.

Washington said it was “deeply troubled” by the scenes, while the European Union said it was “appalled” by the “unnecessary force.”

According to the Jerusalem Red Crescent, 33 people were injured during the procession, of whom six were hospitalized.

Israeli police said they made six arrests.

A government official said mourners had thrown “rocks and glass bottles.”

In a fresh shootout in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli commando was killed near the flashpoint city of Jenin. The Islamic Jihad group said its fighters were responsible.

Abu Akleh’s death during an Israeli raid in Jenin on Wednesday has Israel and Palestine exchanging blame.

The Israeli army said an interim investigation could not determine who fired the fatal bullet, noting that stray Palestinian gunfire or Israeli sniper fire aimed at militants were both possible causes. AFP

WORLD

INBRIEFS MAY 15, 2022

ELON Musk sent mixed messages about his proposed Twitter acquisition, pressuring shares of the microblogging platform amid skepticism on whether the deal will close.

In an early morning tweet Friday, Musk said the $44 billion takeover was “temporarily on hold,” pending questions over the social media company’s estimates of the number of fake accounts or “bots.”

That sent Twitter’s stock plunging 25 percent.

Two hours later, the unpredictable Tesla chief executive added a tweet, saying “Still committed to acquisition.”

Shares recovered a bit, but traded in the red throughout Friday’s session, finishing down nearly 10 percent at $40.72.

While the reliability of user figures is an important benchmark for assessing revenues of Twitter and other social media companies, analysts generally interpreted Musk’s messages as an attempt to pull out of the deal or to try to force a lower price.

“Although we never questioned Musk’s ability to complete such a transaction from a financial perspective, we thought the biggest risk was Elon himself having a change of heart,” CFRA Research’s Angelo Zino said in an analyst’s note. AFP

MOTHER EARTH. People look at a giant globe of the world measuring seven meters in diameter – an artwork titled ‘Gaia’ by artist Luke Jerram – which is suspended and rotates from the ceiling of St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne. AFP

Ukraine could win war, defeat Russia by year-end–intel chief

T

HE war in Ukraine could reach a “breaking point”

by August and end in defeat for Russia before the end of the year, Kyiv’s head of military intelligence told the UK’s Sky News on Saturday.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, 36, told the news network that he was “optimistic” about the current trajectory of the conflict.

“The breaking point will be in the second part of August,” he said.

“Most of the active combat actions will have finished by the end of this year.

“As a result, we will renew Ukrainian power in all our territories that we have lost including Donbas and the Crimea,” he said.

Intense fighting is currently raging in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, where Russia has recently been concentrating its forces without making significant progress.

Budanov said that Ukraine knows “everything about our enemy. We know about their plans almost as they’re being made.”

The intelligence chief also made unverified claims that a coup was already under way in

Moscow to depose President Vladimir Putin, and that the Russian leader was “very sick” with cancer.

“Very difficult negotiations” were under way over the fate of the last besieged defenders in the city of Mariupol.

Europe on Friday pledged another half a billion dollars in military support for Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion that began on February 24, while Sweden and Finland’s moves towards joining NATO hit multiple obstacles.

At the end of March, after failing to take the capital Kyiv in the face of determined resistance, Russia turned its focus to eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces repulsed Russian attempts to cross a river and encircle the city of Severodonetsk, said Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the eastern Luhansk region. AFP

TEST AND TRACE. A woman takes a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 at a community center in Beijing on May 14, 2022. AFP

FromtheFRONTPAGE P33...five can only spend between P11

and P20 per meal.

But according to the Department of Labor and Employment, the salary adjustment is expected to benefit around one million minimum wage earners in private establishments in Metro Manila.

“The increase considered the restoration of the purchasing power of minimum wage earners because of the escalating prices of basic goods, commodities, and petroleum products,” the department said in a statement.

On the other hand, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Western Visayas approved a P55 to P110 wage increase for workers in the non-agriculture, industrial and commercial establishments.

The salary hike brought the daily minimum wage in the region to P450 and P420 for those employing more than 10 workers and those employing 10 or less, respectively.

The regional board likewise granted a P95 increase for workers in the agriculture sector, bringing the daily minimum wage to P410.

Around 214,836 minimum wage earners in private establishments in Western Visayas are expected to benefit from the pay rise.

It also approved a P500 increase in the monthly minimum pay rate for domestic helpers or “kasambahay,” bringing it to P4,500.

This is expected to benefit 160,795 domestic workers.

The last wage order for workers in Western Visayas took effect on November

Musk sends mixed messages on Twitter

26, 2019.

“The increase... [seeks] to bring the minimum wage rate above the 2021 first semester poverty threshold,” the Labor department added.

ARROYO,..."I will be returning to the House on June 30, 2022. I would therefore like to advise the members of the Lakas-CMD that I am throwing my support for Majority Leader Martin Romualdez to be elected as House Speaker in the next Congress. I urge all members of our party to do the same," she said.

PDP-Laban president and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, for his part, said around 65 members of the party who are incoming lawmakers have declared support for Romualdez.

The PDP-Laban, Cusi said, is confident that Romualdez, cousin of presumptive president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., can "unite and lead" Congress for the passage of significant laws and initiatives for the benefit of the Filipino people.

"His track record speaks for itself," Cusi said, describing Romualdez as "one of the most hardworking members of Congress."

"We believe that Cong. Romualdez can bring the various political parties and blocs in the House of Representatives together to continue the legacy programs of the Duterte administration as well as shepherd in Congress the vision of [presumptive president] Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for a more progressive Philippines," he added.

The Nacionalista Party acknowledged Romualdez's "outstanding performance” as Majority Floor Leader.

The party said it believes that "Romualdez will be a vital cog as the incoming Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

FOR THE DEARLY DEPARTED. A man brings a sunflower to a vigil for the victims of the Saratoga Hotel accident in Havana on May 13, 2022. The death toll from last week’s hotel explosion in Cuba has risen to 46 after a man who was in critical condition in hospital died, the public ministry said. AFP

North Korea reports 21 new ‘fever’ deaths NORTH Korea announced 21 new “fever” deaths Saturday and said more than half a million people had been sickened nationwide, two days after confirming its first cases of COVID-19.

Despite activating its “maximum emergency quarantine system” to slow the spread of disease through its unvaccinated population, North Korea is now reporting tens of thousands of new cases daily.

On Friday alone, “over 174,440 persons had fever, at least 81,430 were fully recovered and 21 died in the country,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

North Korea confirmed Thursday that the highly contagious Omicron variant had been detected in the capital Pyongyang, with leader Kim Jong Un ordering nationwide lockdowns.

It was the North’s first official admission of COVID cases and marked the failure of a two-year coronavirus blockade maintained at great economic cost since the start of the pandemic.

From late April to May 13, more than 524,440 people have fallen sick with fever, KCNA said, with 27 deaths in total.

The report did not specify whether the new cases and deaths had tested positive for COVID-19, but experts say the country will be struggling to test and diagnose on this scale.

North Korea has said only that one of the first six deaths it announced Friday had tested positive for COVID-19. AFP

Debate in Spain over ‘menstrual leave’ plan SPAIN’S plan to become the first European nation to allow women to take “menstrual leave” from work has sparked a debate that has split the country’s leftist coalition government and unions.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government is expected to include the menstrual leave as part of a draft bill on reproductive health that is set to be approved at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

“We will recognize in the law the right to leave for women who have painful periods

that will be financed by the state,” Equality Minister Irene Montero tweeted Friday.

She belongs to the far-left party Podemos, Sanchez’s junior coalition partners.

The proposed law would introduce at least three days’ sick pay each month for women who suffer from severe period pains, daily newspaper El Pais and other media which have seen the draft bill reported.

The work leave could be extended to five days for women with particularly disabling periods if they have a medical certificate,

administration fulfills its vision of unity and prosperity for the country."

In a gathering yesterday, members of the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. have committed to support Romualdez as the next House Speaker.

“We recognize the vital role played by Rep. Martin Romualdez, in his capacity as House Majority Leader for three years, in making the 18th Congress one of the most productive ever. His work ethic and proven ability as consensus builder enabled the House of Representatives to enact important pieces of legislation that shielded our economy and our people from the devastating effects of a global pandemic,” read the manifestation of support signed by the incoming party-list lawmakers.

The National Unity Party likewise earlier endorsed Romualdez for the speakership.

Romualdez ran unopposed as representative of the 1st District of Leyte in the last elections.

“As part of the majority coalition, we shall be addressing the unity agenda of the administration. So we will be passing legislation amid the pandemic, and we hope that we are already in the endemic state,” Romualdez said.

Abraham, the chief of staff of the National Security Council and a key aide during the presidential transition, as ambassador to ASEAN’s secretariat in Jakarta.

The United States has not had a Senateconfirmed ambassador to ASEAN since Barack Obama’s presidency, with Donald Trump only nominating an envoy after losing the 2020 election.

The Biden administration is hoping to demonstrate a sustained interest in Southeast Asia after months focused on repelling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden took office saying that his top foreign policy priority would be the global competition with China, which has surpassed the United States as Southeast Asia’s top trading partner and has been increasingly assertive on territorial disputes in the region.

BIDEN...two-day summit with a White House dinner of poached chicken, ravioli and vanilla ice cream.

Vice President Kamala Harris, meeting ASEAN leaders for a working lunch, said the administration “recognizes the vital strategic importance of your region.”

“As an Indo-Pacific nation, the United States will be present and continue to be engaged in Southeast Asia for generations to come,” she said.

Biden said he would nominate Yohannes

OBIENA...silver medalist Hocket delos Santos.

With the gold safely tucked in the bag, Obiena then aimed at his own SEA Games mark of 5.45 meters he set in the 2019 Philippine SEA Games. Just like in his previous leap, Obiena cleared the bar for a new SEA Games record of 5.46 meters, trouble free to the loud cheers of a handful of Filipino expats and several fellow athletes and Filipino officials on the sidelines.

“I’m relieved and happy to win the gold. I came here as a favorite and finally delivered. Mission accomplished,” said Obiena, the Asian record holder at 5.93 meters.

The 26-year-old Obiena, currently ranked no. 6 by World Athletics,

the reports said.

“There are women who cannot work and live normally because they have really painful periods,” Montero said.

Menstrual leave is currently offered only in a small number of countries including South Korea and Indonesia, none of them in Europe.

But the issue is proving controversial in Spain with some politicians and unions saying it could stigmatise women in the workplace and favour the recruitment of men. AFP

then tried to obliterate his own Asian mark by setting the bar at 5.94, but failed thrice.

“Almost there, but masyado pa maaga ‘yung volume ng training, he is not that well rested pa,” said Obiena’s father and coach Emerson.

The Philippines also struck gold in triathlon, jiu-jitsu, fencing, and gymnastics Saturday to boost its bid for a top-three finish even as host Vietnam moved out of reach.

Kim Mangrobang, at 30 still very much competitive, broke away from the pack in the bike leg of the 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run event and won her third straight SEA Games crown, while FilSpanish Fernando Tan Caseres, 26, proved to be a very able successor to compatriot John Leerams “Rambo” Chicano, topping the men’s race in 1:56.57.

OIL...per barrel from January to

March this year due to “geopolitical tension and supply concerns” triggered by the war between Russia and Ukraine according to Petron Corp.

Oil firms earlier this week announced a price hike of P5.85 per liter for kerosene and P4.20 per liter for both gasoline and diesel.

These resulted in year-to-date adjustments to stand at a net increase of P17.80 per liter for gasoline, P30.30 per liter for diesel, and P23.90 per liter for kerosene, based on data from the Department of Energy.

Liezl Pecson and Rien Lewis Pecson launch a decentralized blockchain-based Internet core or Web 3.0 known as BLOXWeb.

MAY 15, 2022

I

Filipino mother, eighth-grader son spearhead decentralized internet

NNOVATION begins at home. In November 2021, Liezl Pecson and Rien Lewis Pecson appeared together on CNN Philippines for the latter’s creation of iVote.

The blockchain-based NFT voting platform could facilitate online voting securely from anywhere in the world.

How Rien learned programming was as remarkable as iVote itself.

When government-mandated lockdowns hit in March 2020, Rien switched to homeschooling. Inspired

by Liezl, who worked in information technology, Rien immersed himself into learning programming. Within a month’s time, he was already building websites and applications, including

what would eventually become iVote, from scratch.

The mother-son duo have since embarked on another, even more daring project: a decentralized internet. Together, they spearheaded the creation of BLOXWeb—a blockchain-based internet core complete with native built-in payments and rewards, alongside the BLOX team. People can browse, create websites and launch their own projects on BLOXWeb, which is notably commissioned by the US-registered Decentralized Autonomous Organization.

BLOXWeb brings complete decentralization to the web by transforming the internet infrastructure to create a new internet that runs on distributed, peer-to-peer systems, removing reliance on a single intermediary or point of failure, like a domain registry.

Businesses can create decentralized analogs to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other digital staples on BLOXWeb—all of which would be censorship-resistant, open for everyone,

and completely open source.

Liezl believes this solution is important not only for the Philippines, but for the world.

“We need to look no further than some of the major conflicts going on overseas to see the vulnerability of our modern internet. Some states are moderating the use of their citizen’s internet in unprecedented ways.

BLOXWeb addresses these abuses by giving individuals access to a decentralized internet, and in turn, information,” said Liezl.

While Liezl takes pride in the achievement of BLOXWeb, she also wishes to raise the flag for women and youth, both groups traditionally underrepresented in global technology, including in the Philippines.

“There are so many external programs in support of STEM, but what these often ignore is a simple fact: Innovation begins at home. If you nurture a spirit of science-mindedness within your family, great solutions will come. I hope our newly elected leaders start more initiatives that help fami-

lies venture together into the world of science and technology,” said Liezl.

Blockchain According to eighth-grader Rien, BLOXWeb combines four main features scheduled for a two-phase implementation. First is a blockchain internet browser that can access current global web infrastructures (Web 1.0 and Web 2.0) and is future ready for Web 3.0 implementations.

Second is a decentralized internet core equipped with cryptographic security to run on global nodes to ensure anonymity and privacy.

The third feature is a decentralized domain registry that allows limitless domain releases and uses new domain formats. The fourth is a decentralized web hosting to build blockchain based websites initiated through a smart contract protocol.

BLOXWeb is powered by BLOX—a decentralized public chain dedicated to usher in Web 3.0.

Originally designed by developers as a systematic way to automate, facilitate and track cryptocurrency trans-

actions, smart contracts have since been adopted to manage business and institutional direction.

“Most people associate blockchain with industry innovation, but it can work even better for public service projects. I also hope that our newly elected leaders will implement blockchain as a foundational technology for the Philippines. Doing so will increase the efficiency of our processes and workflows, and as a result, improve the quality of life for every Filipino,” Rien said.

Liezl and Rien encourage other technologists, including women, youth and traditionally underrepresented groups to consider BLOX as their entry point into building with blockchain.

They point to the fact that BLOX is focused on providing a holistic platform to its users where they can have access to all elements of blockchain technology including smart contracts, DeFi, NFTs and tokens under one roof at a fraction of the cost of ETH or other smart contract services.

LandBank, gov’t agencies spark TrueProfile shares tips on how to land a healthcare job abroad hope for Antique student AFTER long hours of studying, countless exams, hospital rotations and clinical internships, healthcare graduates are finally ready to put their degree to good use and take on actual work in the hospital.

Those aiming to gain the experience overseas might need to be a little bit more patient as some healthcare regulators in other countries require a few years’ work experience in the medical field before they can land a job.

The National Health Service, the United Kingdom’s largest healthcare employer that hires a diverse range of healthcare workers worldwide, usually recommends overseas doctors to have at least two to three years of practice, post-graduate training and certain internships to work in the UK. Meanwhile, overseas nurses need to have a registered nurse license and at least one year of work experience to have a chance to be shortlisted in the NHS. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, overseas healthcare professionals require work experience in the home country to qualify. For example, registered nurses must have at least two to three years of relevant work experience. On the other

LAUA-AN, Antique--In this rural town, the future shines bright for 21-year-old college student Marvie Ann Berdin.

Only a few years away from attaining her dream of becoming a civil engineer, Marvie continues to brave through numerous hardships and financial difficulties, thanks to the support she receives from various government agencies.

Marvie has had to face life’s challenges at a young As darkness falls, college student Marvie Ann Berdin of Laua-an, Antique relies on the dim light of a gas age, with unemployed parlamp as she completes her schoolwork. ents who could barely make Photo courtesy of Marvie Ann Berdin ends meet, let alone finance the education of their eight Multi-Purpose Cooperative, an agent children. banking partner operating on behalf of But Marvie was not deterred from LandBank, which caters to their town. attending elementary school, even if it Apart from cash withdrawal from meant travelling by foot for two hours LandBank branches and ATMs, CCT and crossing a river every day. She also beneficiaries can also use the Landtook on several jobs to support her Bank CCT prepaid cards to make casheducation, including being a part-time less purchases in groceries and drughouse helper and a student assistant. stores, among others.

Augmenting their family income for daily expenses and medication for her ill father, Marvie’s mother, Maricel, regularly receives government subsidy as a beneficiary of the conditional cash transfer program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

THE demand for cut flowers and plants is expected to grow When previously, Maricel had to wait by 80 percent until 2027 across Asia, according to a report in line at the covered court in their town by international food and agribusiness bank Rabobank. for almost the entire day just to get the In the Philippines, the demand for ornamental plants is cash aid during payouts, digital innovarising at a “fast rate”, driven by the population’s increastion has now made it easier for her to ing purchasing power and the working population, who are receive the subsidy. mostly millennials, choosing to acquire more condominium Since receiving a prepaid card from units, as reported by the International Association of Horticultural Producers. The landscaping industry is also growthe Land Bank of the Philippines, Maring, following the development of urban areas in the country. icel has been heading to the nearest With the goal of addressing the growing demand LandBank Branch in San Jose, Antique for vegetable seedlings and ornamental plants, Farmto withdraw the cash subsidy conveReady GG Seedling Corp., the first and largest profesniently and safely in just a few minutes. sional seedling nursery in the Philippines, inaugurated a “Dahil hindi marunong si mama new 3,400-square-meter top vent greenhouse and three mag-withdraw sa ATM, mas pinipili niya 1,152-square-meter greenhouses in its main office in Capina mag-withdraw over-the-counter sa han, San Rafael, Bulacan on May 5, 2022.

LandBank Branch. Palagi siyang inaalaThis brings the total greenhouse space of Farm-Ready to layan ng mga staff doon,” Marvie says.

14,152 square meters.

Recently, Maricel prefers to cashFarm-Ready, a joint venture of multinational vegetable out their subsidy from the Barbaza

Overseas doctors in countries like the UAE must have a minimum of five years of professional experience from their home country, while nurses must have at least two to three.

hand, specialist roles require more extensive consulting experience.

In other countries like the United Arab Emirates, overseas healthcare professionals need more work experience. Doctors need a minimum of five years of work history, while nurses require at least two to three.

Those aiming for specialty roles need to have been in practice for at least eight years.

While this might sound discouraging for medical workers with limited work experience, one need not fret because there are many ways to gain relevant

healthcare work experience.

Volunteer Medical mission trips allow healthcare workers to put their knowledge and skills to good use, and ultimately make them better practitioners, while at the same time help the less fortunate without access to healthcare.

Entry-level positions There are medical facilities that are willing to hire new nurse graduates.

Fresh graduates may want to look into becoming a nurse for private clinics, academic institutions, residential nurses or in-home care.

Farm-Ready opens four ornamental greenhouses seed company East-West Seed Philippines Inc. and Plantise BV, is the first and largest professional seedling nursery in the country. The company was established in 2008 to help improve horticultural practices by offering year-round availability of safe, healthy, and quality vegetable and ornamental plants.

The new ornamental greenhouses have a capacity to produce around 60,000 flowers per year and are expected to boost Farm-Ready’s ornamentals production by 50 percent.

The ornamental plants that will be grown in the production area include gerberas, dianthus, vincas, petunias, sunflowers, marigolds and herbs.

“The ornamentals industry here in the Philippines is flourishing. In recent years, we have seen growing demand, especially during the pandemic, when more people became interested in growing plants at home. The government’s strong The flowers in Farm-Ready’s new greenhouses can pro- support in promoting agrotourism has also encouraged many duce around 37,000 flowers each year. The ornamental farm owners to convert their farms into agrotourism sites, and grown in the production area include vincas, gerberas, most of them are looking for ornamentals plants to beautify dianthus, petunias, sunflowers, marigolds and herbs. their farms and attract visitors,” said Ricardo Reyes, business Photo courtesy of Obey Llamas unit manager of Farm-Ready.

Philjets Aero Services Inc. general manager Reginald Arguelles

H

n By RIESRA U. MALLARI MAY 15, 2022

ANOI—Kickboxers Gina IniongAraos and Jean Claude Saclag gave the Philippine campaign in the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games a big shot in the arm by retaining their crowns at the Bac Ninh Gymnasium here.

Showing aggressiveness throughout, Iniong-Araos, 32, of Baguio City, scored a 2-1 victory over the bigger and wider Jaiteang Waraporn of Thailand to claim the gold in the women’s low kick 60kg finals.

Not to be outdone, Saclag matched the aggressiveness and savvy of another Thai, Chaleamlap Santidongsakum, to score a 2-1 win in the men’s 63.5kg low kick finals as the Pinoy kickboxers finished their stint here with a medal harvest of two gold, four silver, and two bronze medals.

Vietnam ruled kickboxing with a tally of 5-0-6, followed by Thailand with 2-4-6.

The two gold medals jacked up the Philippine tally to 5-12-11 at the end of action Friday.

The victory was especially sweet for Iniong-Araos, who showed doubters that she can still hack it after giving birth to a baby girl two years ago after ruling 55kg light kick event in the Philippine SEA Games in 2019.

“Naging challenge sa akin ang mga negative comment ng marami na kesyo sabi nila, ‘Ano ba ‘yan? Nanganak na lalaban pa, ba’t ‘di na lang alaagan ang anak?’” said Aniong-Araos, who will also see action in vovinam, a Vietnamese form of martial art.

Philippine Olympic Committee President and newly-elected Tagaytay mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, the chief of mission of the

PH kickboxers edge Thais, nail 2 golds in SEA Games

Philippine kickboxers Gina Iniong-Araos (left) and Jean Claude Saclag playfully bite their gold medals after retaining their SEA Games’ crowns at the Bac Ninh Gymnasium in Vietnam.

national team here, watched the finals.

Their presence proved to be a

big boost for Saclag, who said: “Masarap lagi ang first (gold).

Pero masarap din ang pangala-

wa, para sa bayan!”

The other Pinoy finalists -Renalyn Daquel, Gretel De Paz,

Zephania Ngaya and Claudine Veloso – settled for silver medals.

Home Credit PH supports Team Sibol in SEAG HOME Credit Philippines, the country’s leading consumer finance provider, declares its support for the bemedaled national team for esports, SIBOL, in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam from May 13 to 22, 2022.

Committed to empowering every Filipino and filling the gaps to enrich their lives, HCPH hopes this initiative will also further highlight the positive opportunities for esports in the country and encourage and hone the skills of young Filipinos in this area.

SIBOL, which debuted in 2019, dominated the SEA Games esports categories that year in Mobile Legends, DOTA 2 and Hearthstone, and secured silver and bronze in Tekken 7 for the Philippines. These achievements not only signify the rise of esports across the globe but also showcase Filipino talent and skill in the esports arena.

“Home Credit aims to help Filipinos achieve their goals in life. By taking part in SIBOL’s journey and supporting each member of the team, we hope to also encourage other Filipinos, the youth in particular, and remind them that they can reach their goals and ambitions, especially if they have the support they need,” shares HCPH Chief Marketing Officer Sheila Paul.

Jean Henri Lhuillier

Team Sibol “We are honored to take part in SIBOL’s endeavor to bring pride to our country and recognize Filipino talent in esports. Home Credit finds value in supporting a budding category in the sports area as we understand

the importance of having a dependable and reliable ally in reaching one’s goals,” says Ken Lerona, HCPH head of Public Relations.

This year’s SEA Games will have 10 esports events:

Lhuillier wishes PH tennis players luck LONG-TIME tennis patron and Unified Tennis Federation president Jean Henri Lhuillier believes it will be a successful campaign for the Philippine tennis team in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games.

“We are fielding a veteran team composed of seasoned internationalists who stand a good chance of hitting the 3-gold forecast for the squad. I join the rest of the country in wishing our team, together with the rest of our athletes in Hanoi, the best of luck,” said Lhuillier, President/ CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier that has been supporting Philippine tennis for a long time.

The fact that Cebuana Lhuillier tennis ambassadors Treat Huey, Ruben Gonzales, and Nino Alcantara are all playing for the national team, together with female tennis sensation Alex Eala, gives Lhuillier reason to be confident of the team’s chances.

“We have long been an active supporter of the sport and will continue to do so,” said Lhuillier, a many-time team captain of the PH Davis Cup team in the past.

NBA players, legends to visit PH’s NBA Store soon

n By PETER ATENCIO

SUPERSTAR players in the US National Basketball Association and legends alike will soon be visiting the Philippines and reach out to their fans.

Pat Giron, NBA Philippines’ Merchandising Manager, said this during the opening of the NBA Store in the Fashion Hall in SM Megamall on Friday.

Their presence in the newly-opened store could happen once COVID-19 travel restrictions are been lifted, giving fans a chance to have a meet-and-greet with them.

NBA legend Mugsy Bogues last visited the country in August of 2019, some six months before the

country went into lockdown because of the pandemic.

“Definitely, we are looking forward to hosting NBA players and even legends. We will bring them to the store and give them an opportunity to meet the fans,” said Giron.

The NBA opened the international store in Metro Manila, under new management by Titanomachy International, Inc. (Titan) The store offers fans official NBA merchandise from all 30 teams.

Giron said their offering now includes the red jersey worn by Fil-American cager Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets. Green was drafted by the Rockets last year.

And they could include Filipino

cager Kai Sotto once he gets drafted by a team in the NBA. “By then, we’ll talk to our merchandisers and make sure that he does get included,” added Giron.

The 250-square-meter retail space is located in the second floor of Building A and features an extensive selection of products, including jerseys, shirts, footwear, headwear, accessories, equipment, memorabilia and collectibles.

The products come from brands such as Nike, Jordan Brand, Mitchell & Ness, New Era, Funko, Panini, Wilson, and more.

The NBA Store will also carry locally designed shirts and special products from Nike, Jordan Brand, Mitchell & Ness and New Era.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, FIFA Online 4, League of Legends, League of Legends: Wild Rift men’s and women’s, CrossFire, PUBG Mobile individual and team, and Garena Free Fire.

“With overwhelming support from Home Credit, we will work hard to bring home more gold for the Philippines. Despite many challenges and with some of the games not yet as big nor supported in our country, we remain steadfast in our goals and will give it our 100 percent to be champions for the Filipino people,” says Team SIBOL President Brian Lim. The first batch of the 64-strong SIBOL team is expected to fly to Hanoi on May 9. Vietnam is considered the closest competitor to the Philippines in the esports area, but SIBOL hopes to keep the overall title again and bring honor to the country for the second time.

To learn more about the latest updates from Home Credit Philippines, visit their official website www. homecredit.ph. You may also follow them on their official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts.

Customers are encouraged to download the Home Credit App on Google Play to know more about the latest promos and see what’s new in the Marketplace.

Paliwag, Morris dominant in PPS La Carlota netfest LOUISE Paliwag and Matthew Morris racked up two victories apiece in varying fashions as they clinched the MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP national age-group tennis circuit at the Lacta tennis courts in Negros Occidental last Friday.

The top-seeded Paliwag survived Queen Villa, 1-4, 4-1, 10-6, in the semis then crushed Mitch Cruspero, 6-0, 6-0, to bag the girls’ 14-U crown in the Group 2 tournament presented

by Dunlop. She then held off Jasmine Jaran, 7-5, 6-1, to pocket the 16-U diadem.

Fellow Valencia, Negros Oriental bet Morris showed a lot of promise in his side of the battle as he survived top-seed Andrian Rodriguez tormentor Amik Serillo, 7-6 (5), 6-4, to snare the boys’ 12-U trophy. The unranked but talented 11-year-old netter then overwhelmed Rafa Callao, 6-2, 6-0, in the 14-U finals to post the only other two-title feat in the five-day ranking tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Meanwhile, action shifts to Malabon City starting Tuesday when the PPSMatthew Morris (left) and Shara Louise Paliwag are but two of the fresh faces to emerge from the country’s longestrunning talentsearch.

PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Memorial Cup Open Championship is held at the Malabon Tennis Club with some of the country’s leading and rising players expected to see action. For details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Sharing the spotlight in the La Carlota leg, which drew close to 200 entries from eight age categories, were Bacolod’s Alexander Po, local ace JufeAnn Cocoy and Cadiz City bets Jeremy Napire and Rylie Villamejor.

Po escaped with a 4-2, 2-4, 10-2 decision over Khenz Justiniani in the semis then routed Joshua Raymundo, 6-0, 6-2, while Cocoy recovered from a sloppy first-set outing to repulse Jaran, 0-6, 6-3, 10-2, as they split the titles in the premier 18-U division of the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).

Napire, on the other hand, trampled Lorenzo Candilado, 6-4, 6-0, to pocket the boys’ 16-U crow while Villamejor bagged the girls’ 12-U diadem with a 6-4, 6-2 romp over Lorraine Mamebped.

Life Editor: Nickie Wang

MAY 15, 2022

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

Song Kang forecasts fashion trends

J

UST like his character Lee Si Woo can forecast the weather, Song Kang knows what rains and what shines in the world of fashion.

The 28-year-old South Korean actor has captured spotlights and hearts as Lee Si Woo in his latest K Drama hit Forecasting Love & Weather, playing the role of a weather forecasting genius who braves the storms of a seemingly complicated love story.

Fans bid goodbye to the beloved character in the series finale which aired in April, but he isn’t done channeling Lee Si Woo just yet.

The actor stars in a new Penshoppe campaign for the brand’s newest In Color Collection - a line of classic and versatile fashion pieces that come in vibrant hues and are accentuated with polychromatic details.

In an exclusive interview with Penshoppe, Song Kang shares his forecast for the future of everyday

Song Kang sports classic and versatile fashion pieces from Penshoppe’s Color Collection

fashion, and his predictions might not be too far off the mark.

What’s your present-day fashion like, and what are some of your favorite fashion trends?

“My present-day fashion is casual. I like to wear comfortable clothes for personal time outside of my schedule, so a lot of the items in my closet are quite casual. The trending items that [catch] my attention these days include long trousers and cropped jackets.”

As a fashion enthusiast yourself, you’ve seen trends come and go, but what do you think is a trend that’s here to stay?

“I think [it would be] athletic apparel. There are a lot of people who work out these days as part of their self-care routine. Functionality is the most important element of athletic wear and compared to the past, there are a lot of clothes with various designs that can be worn in daily life. There may be changes in design and style, but since this is a trend that’s closely related to people’s lifestyles, I feel like the trend itself is here to stay.”

What fashion pieces do you think will always be in style?

“I think items such as jeans, shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts will be in constant demand no matter how much time passes. Such basic items are clothes that we own as essentials over generations. They’re simple and go well with anything, which makes them versatile.”

South Korean actor Song Kang is the new face of Penshoppe’s campaign

so quickly, but I don’t think it would be too different from what it is now. They say fashion trends come and go. Just as items from 10 years ago become fashionable again with a retro feel, as would the items we’re wearing now become fashionable again in ten years.”

Shop the Penshoppe In Color collection now What do you think casual everyday wear on penshoppe.com, Shopee, Lazada, Zalora, and would look like 10 years from now?

“It’s hard to [guess] since fashion trends change in-stores nationwide.

Six summer activities to try based on Metro Channel’s ‘Beached’ WITH the hottest season of the year officially on, you might be one of those who have already planned a beach getaway or outdoor trip to cool down and make up for the past two summers spent cooped up at home.

To add a little more excitement to your long-awaited vacation, we’ve rounded up some must-try activities based on Metro Channel’s travel show, Beached, that you can get inspiration from and, hopefully, be able to do with your friends or family.

1. Go ziplining in Biaringan, Romblon The Biaringan zipline is the only zipline in the Philippines that goes from one island to another. You’ll enjoy this zipline adventure, which has a total length of 1,350 meters to and fro, so it’s surely something to check off your bucket list in case you travel to Romblon. Not to mention the view is marvelous!

Indulge your adventurous side by going skydiving in Palawan

Experience nature up close by canyoneering in Cebu

your sights on international travel this year and have saved up enough for new escapades, why not visit Puerto Rico? Marc and guest cohost Miss Earth Puerto Rico 2018 Krystal Xamairy explore the “Island of Enchantment” on one of the most recent episodes of “Beached.”

Among the places they explored was the Piñones mangrove aboard the local invention, eFoil, a selfpropelled hydrofoil surfboard that

2. Swim with whale sharks in Sorsogon This activity is not for the faint-hearted but if you love the ocean and have always been fascinated with sea creatures, this would be a dream come true for you. This remarkable experience— which even made “Beached” co-host Rachel Peters cry—will also make you appreciate the beauty of marine life even more.

3. Experience skydiving in San Vicente, Palawan Sure, leaping off a plane thousands of feet above the ground sounds terrifying, but skydiving is definitely something that a lot of people cannot wait to check off their bucket list. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you should surely take cue from Marc and Rachel who described their respective experiences as “so fun” and “absolutely spectacular.” Get ready to shrug off those nerves and sign up for this electrifying activity.

See the picturesque landscapes of Puerto Rico on an eFoil

Ever wanted to have a stroll underwater? Then this one is for you! Unlike helmet diving, where one needs to be cautious and stay in one place, an underwater scooter or HydroBOB allows someone to go around more comfortably while submerged in the ocean.

It might be harder to enjoy for those who are claustrophobic, but the thrilling experience of being up close with marine life will surely convince those who have doubts to try this one out.

should definitely take on canyoneering, which involves traveling down creeks or streams within canyons.

As seen on an episode of “Beached,” Marc and co-host Maggie Wilson embarked on this fun adventure by climbing, jumping, sliding down, and even swinging as they made their exit into Kawasan Falls—a pristine natural wonder that will surely exceed your expectations.

6. Take a tour of the Piñones man5. Try canyoneering in Badian, Cebu grove forest in Puerto Rico on eFoil Local destinations are undoubtIf you are up for some challenging 4. Navigate Boracay’s marine life (but worth it!) outdoor adventure, you edly top-tier, but if you’re setting via an underwater scooter An underwater scooter allows beachgoers to navigate the seas in Boracay

lifts someone off the water using a remote control. This water sport is truly one for the books.

Metro Channel is available on SKYcable channel 52 (SD) and channel 174 (HD), Cignal channel 69, and GSAT channel 70.

Episode highlights of Beached are available on Metro.Style’s YouTube channel while full episodes can be seen on the Facebook page of Metro.Style.

Brand new arts, culture, and entertainment landmark unveiled in West Kowloon HONG Kong’s Right Grace Entertainment has recently inaugurated Wonderland, a year-round, large-scale outdoor performance and event space in the West Kowloon Cultural District (the District).

The project – set to bring audience brand new art, culture, and entertainment landmark – fosters the development of the district while nurturing a new generation of local talents for the arts, culture, and entertainment industry.

Right Grace Entertainment introduces the Wonderland project in the Nursery Park of the District. With a total floor area of​​ approximately 140,000 square feet, the project will bring together local and international performing arts partners and stage

a series of unique programs including pop music concerts. The group also hopes to offer local emerging artists an affordable performance venue to nurture arts, culture, and entertainment talents and to promote arts and culture to a wider audience.

Right Grace Entertainment anticipates keen demand among the public for entertainment and cultural events after the pandemic and is fully confident in launching the project in the District.

The debut show of Wondeland will be Live by the Harbour by local Cantopop band RubberBand and Hong Kong Festival Orchestra this month, followed by Harbour the Sonic crossover concerts featuring Panther Chan and ToNick later this month, too.

Wonderland is a year-round, large-scale outdoor performance and event space in the West Kowloon Cultural District Whale sharks are a common sight in Sorsogon

n Entertainment Editor: Nickie Wang

email: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

MAY 15, 2022

Moira drops comeback single inspired by KathNiel’s TV return MOST streamed Filipina artist Moira dela Torre introduces the heartwarming single “Kumpas,” her comeback into recording that also serves as the official soundtrack of the new ABS-CBN series 2 Good 2 Be True.

The song was inspired not just by the series but also by the real-life love story of lead stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.

“Hindi lang ito sa synopsis ng 2 Good To Be True nakabase but sa documentary ng KathNiel,” revealed Moira at the 2 Good 2 Be True grand media conference where she first performed the song.

“The song was really made for KathNiel and their series,” she added.

Singer-songwriter Moira Dela Torre

ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo handled the production of “Kumpas.”

Released under Star Music, the song talks about someone special being one’s ‘compass’— her guide when lost, the bright hue in shades of dullness, and her savior amid every storm.

“Kumpas” is now available on digital platforms.

Meanwhile, the series is now streaming on Netflix and iWantTFC, and will premiere on May 16 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, Jeepney TV, and TV5.

Moira’s new heartwarming single ‘Kumpas’ is also the official soundtrack of ‘2 Good 2 Be True’

Exceptionally empowered Filipino women Miss World Philippines introduces this year’s batch of official candidates

The 2022 batch of Miss World Philippines

T

HIRTY-SIX “exceptionally empowered Filipinas” as official candidates of Miss World Philippines 2022 were presented to the media at Cove Manila, Paranaque City on Thursday.

The contestants first introduced themselves in their cocktail dresses, then wowed the crowd with their pasarela or pageant walk in the swimsuit portion, and finally answered questions from the press during the Q & A. Candidate No. 20 Ashley SubijanoMontenegro of Makati City was named Miss Le Meur Body, the lone special award

Beauty, and National Costume, heading to the Coronation Night on June 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 36 candidates are Ingrid Santamaria, Alana Joaquin, Alison Black, Angel Jed Latorre, Angela presented at the end of the Teng, Anje Mae Manipol, event.

Beatriz Mclelland, Blessie The candidates will Villablanca, Carla Manuel, compete in several Cassandra Chan, Charyzah preliminary competitions, Esparrago, Erika Kristensen, including Sports Erika Vinculado, Challenge Fast Tack, Ashley Subijano-Montenegro Gwendolyne Fourniol, Head-to-Head Challenge, (left) of Makati City wins the only Ivanna Kamil Pacis, Talent, Top Model, Beach special award at the event Justine Felizarta, Kayla

Ariadne Tiongson, Kevyn Alessandrea Mateo, Kimberly Anne Tiquestiques, Kristal Marie Gante, Lady Justerinnie Santos, Loraine Joy Arpia,, Maica Martinez, Maria Gigante, Maria Nina Soriano, Mauie Long, Marinel Tungol, Natazha Vea Bautista, Patricia Dizon, Patricia Mcgee, Paula Madarieta Ortega, Samantha Gabronino, Shaina Rose Ico, Tsina Jade Chu, Simone Nadine Bornilla, and SubijanoMontenegro.

The winners will represent the Philippines at the Miss World 2022, Miss Supranational 2022, Miss Eco International 2022, and Reina Hispanoamericana 2022 international pageants. Eton Concepcion

Smart brings 'KCON 2022 Premiere' live via the GigaPlay App MOBILE services provider Smart Communications, Inc. continues to bring subscribers closer to all things K-Life by streaming KCON 2022 Premiere live on the GigaPlay app.

KCON is one of the biggest K-pop celebrations. The convention brings together artists and fans from all over the world, while simultaneously giving fans what they love most about K-Culture.

With the K-Culture’s growing influence, KCON showcases upand-coming K-Pop groups you’re familiar with and love plus some that you need to place on your radar.

This year, KCON is set to debut on the world stage as it holds onground events in Korea, Japan and USA. They have performances by BTOB, CRAVITY, HIGHLIGHT, MONSTA X, NMIXX, The Boyz, and many more.

Celebrate with the rest of the world just by hopping on GigaPlay, which exclusively aired the initial broadcast of KCON 2022 Premiere last May 7 and 8 (live from Korea), with succeeding concert legs to be streamed live today (live from Japan) and on May 21 and 22 (live from the USA).

Smart users may also stream the KCON festival absolutely free and

South Korean boy band BtoB

with no data charges under the GigaPlay free promo.

Don’t miss out on this fun-filled event! Catch your favorite idols, artists, and more through KCON 2022 Premiere by downloading the Smart GigaPlay App. Celebrate with the world and fangirl over your bias and bias wreckers non-stop.

GigaPlay is a mobile app where Smart subscribers can watch live and video-on-demand (VOD) sports, music, and entertainment shows. You can download the app for free in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

A scene from ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

Doctor Strange tops PH box office FILIPINO Marvel fans showed their unwavering support for the MCU creating new box office records A fortnight after the local theatrical release of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the film is now reported to be the Highest Grossing Film in the Philippines in 2022.

Fans of the Marvel franchise expressed their warm reception of the movie as it created new records in the Philippines: the 9th highest opening film of all time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 10th in the highest opening of all time for a Disney film, and placed 13th in terms of the highest opening weekend of all time

in the local box office.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premiered in the Philippines on May 4. It is a sequel to its first installation, Doctor Strange (2016).

The movie follows the narrative of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who connives with both old and new mystical allies – Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and Wong (Benedict Wong), among others – to unlock the secrets of the Multiverse and push its boundaries further than ever before. The film is a work of awardwinning filmmaker Sam Raimi, and produced by Kevin Feige.

‘House of the Dragon’ this August on HBO Go HBO Original drama House of the Dragon debuts same time as the U.S. on August 22 on HBO Go. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.

House of the Dragon stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.

Additional cast members include Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia

Saban, Gavin Spokes, and Savannah Steyn.

Filipinos can stream or download House of the Dragon from August 22 on HBO GO, available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV, and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.

A first look at the ‘House of the Dragon’

MAY 15, 2022

Cats and dwarves

By Desiree Carlos

A

CROSS the street, from the side of the newlyrenovated church in a posh subdivision, you will immediately notice the ruins of what used to be a two-storey elegant house in the middle of a 240-squaremeter lot. What a waste as I can imagine a beautiful garden with blue forget-me-nots and yellow roses dotting the garden near the walls, a lush calathea luthea in one corner, a mango tree with Cebu blue plant trailing up, and an avocado tree with a dragon tail plant hugging its trunk. It would be nice to see philodendrons like the reddish royal queen and the variegated burle marxii on big round pots surrounded by sellum plants. I can imagine a garden full of greens and flowers of different colors on all sides of the house. What a calming place that would be.

But no one lives there now, and no one seems to want to buy the house.

The house become more dilapidated as the years passed. The windows are broken, the main door is missing, and

Seb, a kitten rescued from the trash bin, guards the garden.

dead leaves cover the ground. Humans avoid the house. Sensitive persons get goosebumps when they pass by the place. Two male ghost hunters who recently went there to do a vlog

Val, a stray kitten who almost got hit by a vehicle along a major street during a storm in Quezon City, is Seb's assistant in guarding the garden area.

came out running scared, with one even crying and shaking.

But every now and then, we would see a cat sleeping in the garden area, or coming from the entrance where the gate used to be located.

Cats do not seem to be afraid of beings from the other side, may they be ghosts or elementals. They do see them, psychic friends said. I also have read many times in different psychic books that cats see spirits, dwarves and other beings from what we call The Other Side. I believe my psychic friends because they helped me "convince" disturbed sprits to leave this house where we now live. Where there used to be many disturbances and illnesses in this house 12 years ago, now it is a place we feel so at home and relaxed. Wala ng nanggugulo na mga espirito. (There are no more spirits who used to disturb us.)

What is more amazing about cats is that they are not afraid of spirits and elementals. But while cats see dwarves, my psychic friends told me that black and red dwarves do not like cats. Malikot kasi ang mga pusa, they said.

Black dwarves are said to be the monks of the dwarf kingdom. They like dark, quiet places and thus, they hate noise and movements. They just want to be alone.

Red dwarves, meanwhile, are said to be the warriors of the dwarf kingdom and love to drink. Yes, they love liquor.

They are often drunk, thus they prefer a place with no humans or other living beings, or only a few moving beings in a place. They do not want anyone bumping on them during festive drinking sessions, my psychic friend said.

Cats, on the other hand, keep on moving which red dwarves hate, and keep on stalking small moving beings, running after lizards , cockroaches and rats which go under the bed and other furniture, or places that black dwarves prefer as resting places.

Kung ano ang dapat tahimik na lugar upang makapag-isa ang dwendeng itim, doon sumisiksik ang mga butiki, ipis at daga na mga target ng mga pusa, a psychic friend said. (What should be a quiet place where black dwarves prefer to stay and rest are

Our cat Angel with his friends who are feral, stray cats take a nap in the afternoon.

We named the white cat Efren (for "a friend") and Tolpu because his tail looks cut or putol in Pilipino. They rest in the afternoons but roam and guard the perimeters of the property in the evening till early morning, and keep other cats and who knows what else away from the house.

places where cats find lizards, cockroaches and mice.)

That is why black dwarves do not like places with cats, many psychic friends said. That makes sense. It is logical.

Why would “monk” dwarves want to be disturbed all the time, right?

When a friend bought a house which had been abandoned for around eight (8) years, she felt a disturbing presence inside the house. “Tumatayo ang balahibo ko lalo na sa second floor. Doon sa likod, may biglang tumatakbo na maliliit, nakikita ko sa gilid ng mga mata ko,” she said. (I have goosebumps specially when I’m in the second floor.

At the back of the house, I saw small beings running. I can see them from the side of my eyes.)

She even saw some movements or someone watching her from the side of her eye. She knew then there was one old man from the era of barongs (national shirt of Filipino men made of handwoven cloth) and caritela (horsedrawn carriages). She would always catch a glimpse of the man from the side of her left eye in particular.

She also felt and saw several elementals, mostly ‘masungit’ (snobbish) black dwarves, and playful, always drunk red dwarves, again from the side of her left eye.

So she borrowed our cats. Palalaruin lang daw niya sa loob ng bahay at sa bakuran. (She would just let them play inside the house and the yard.)

But then you can not leave the cats in the garden all by themselves as they can not come back if they decide to go out of the gate because the place is still not familiar to them.

So we let the cats roam inside the house but with the screen windows and doors safely locked. A week after, the cats were allowed to roam in the garden and clothes of the caretaker was placed in strategic areas like the gate so that any cat who would stray beyond the gate can still come back. They just have to smell their way back home.

Did the cats’ presence help? Yes! They no longer heard cries of babies

which we surmise were imitations from the dwarves. The loud banging of doors from the second floor suddenly stopped. And the scratching and other sounds upstairs also stopped.

Something amazing also happened: batik syngonium plants just grew at the back of the house (no one planted them), and the baby angel plants at the side and in front of the house suddenly had flowers.

The reason for this, psychic friends told me, is that when the gloomy energies of black dwarves and the mischievous energies of red dwarves were removed because the said dwarves left the place, dahil nainis na sa mga cats (because they got irritated by the cats' presence), another kind of energy took over. The positive energy replaced the negative energy, and nurtured the earth to heal and grow new plants, and made plants healthy enough to produce flowers.

My friend was so happy her new house became more positive that she adopted the cats.

As for the old man in barong, well, he can stay, my friend said. She can co-exist with the old man as long as he will not hurt anyone in the house. But she wishes he would stop going up the stairs at three in the morning so that he will not disturb their sleep. Or if he really needs to go upstairs, that he would walk quietly.

About the author: Desiree Carlos was a writer of Frontline magazine, and a correspondent of the Daily Express and Veritas. She was also a reporter and later sub-editor of Ang Pahayagang Malaya, news editor of Manila Standard, and assistant managing director of DZRH. She was a lecturer at the College of Mass Communications in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and head of the journalism department of Kalayaan College. She is now an animal welfare advocate, founder and president of Save ALL-Save Animals of Love and Light, a SEC-registered nongovernment organization.

Pet Information: The Chinese Crested WE POST information on different kinds of dogs and cats to hopefully help you choose the kind of dog for your personality and lifestyle, understand the kind of dog or cat you want to have before getting one, and thus, help you make an informed choice.

This Sunday, we are featuring the Chinese Crested dog from the American Kennel Club.

“About the Breed

With their spotted pink skin, spiky 'crested' hairdo, furry socks and feathery tail, you can't mistake the sweet and slender Chinese Crested for any other breed. This frolicsome, ultra-affectionate companion dog is truly a breed apart.

The Chinese Crested, a lively and alert toy breed standing between 11 and 13 inches high, can be hairless or coated.

The hairless variety has smooth, soft skin and tufts of hair on the head, tail, and ankles. The coated variety, called the 'powderpuff,' is covered by a soft, silky coat. Besides the coat, there's very little difference between the powderpuff and his undressed brother. Both varieties are characterized by fine-boned elegance and graceful movement. Cresteds are as fun as they look: playful, loving, and devoted to their humans. The hairless has its advantages: there is no doggy odor, and for obvious reasons shedding isn't much of a problem. Both varieties are attentive housemates, totally in tune with their family.

for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Responsible breeders consistently screen their breeding stock for inherited eye problems that are known to occur in the Chinese Crested, including progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma, and primary lens luxation. Epilepsy occurs in the breed occasionally.

Patellar luxation (slipped stifles) affects Cresteds, as it does most small breeds.

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease has no DNA test to screen parents, but it does sometimes show up on X-ray.

Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club: Patella Evaluation Cardiac Exam Ophthalmologist Evaluation PLL DNA Test PRA-RCD3 DNA Test Grooming You might think that the hairless variation of the Chinese Crested would require almost no grooming. After all, he has no hair. However, because his skin is exposed, the hairless Crested is prone to skin irritations, allergies, and sunburn. Careful grooming, including skin treatments specifically for your dog's skin type, sunscreen, and acne lotions are necessary to maintain a What To Expect When Caring healthy pet. The Powderpuff version needs to be brushed daily to maintain For a Chinese Crested Owning a dog is not just a privilege; his fluffy coat. The Powderpuff's coat is it’s a responsibility. They depend on us different than that of most other dogs.

Afu, a Chinese crested dog, is a very sweet, easy-to-please and easyto-take-care-of dog.

Afu runs and plays under trees or in a place where there is a roof to avoid burning his skin. Since Chinese crested dogs do not have hair, do not let them out under the sun for too long as their skin might be burned.

WARNING: They can not be put in dryer boxes in vet clinics or grooming centers. And they are just dried using towels, and not blow-dried. Their skin will burn due to too much heat.

The undercoat is shorter than the lonTraining ger overlay, which is the opposite of The Chinese Crested loves to spend most haired breeds. This makes them time with his owner. This makes him a easier to brush, but the coat can mat great candidate for competitive sports quickly. such as agility, flyball, and obedience, and they make great therapy dogs. They Exercise also enjoy and do well at lure coursing.

The exercise needs of the Chinese They have a very sensitive nature and Crested can usually be satisfied with dai- must be trained with gentle patience. ly short walks with his owner and play- Harsh words and negative actions on sessions in his backyard. It is good for the your part can damage your relationship Crested to exercise outdoors, but care to the point that he will not be interested must be taken to use either sunscreen or in learning further from you. place protective clothing on him. These are tough little dogs who can be very Nutrition competitive in canine sports.

A high-quality dog food appropriate

to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior) and ideally formulated for small or toy breeds will have all the nutrients the Chinese Crested needs. Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, especially avoiding cooked bones and foods with high fat content. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet.”