Manila Standard - 2022 June 5 - Sunday

SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY. Boracay has been named as a top destination for the most sustainable stays in 2022. Hospitality Net, a global hospitality website, described Boracay as ‘the stuff Instagram dreams are made of.’ Danny Pata

Omicron BA.5 strain spreads

DOH admits its local transmission but not in community-level just yet

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HE Department of Health on Saturday confirmed the local transmission of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant in the country but said there is no established community spread yet.

In a Laging Handa briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said declaring community transmission would mean that health authorities could no longer establish a link between one case to another.

Local transmission, on the other hand, means a detected case got infected by a local source who had no history of travel overseas.

“So what we have right now is the local transmission of the subvariant but [for] the community transmission we still need to establish that through evidence,” Vergeire said.

This as the Palace released an updated list of areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2 that will remain in effect until June 15.

Metro Manila remained under Alert Level 1, which means establishments and public transport systems can accommodate full capacity.

Areas under Alert Level 2, on the other hand, allows establishments to accommodate 50 percent of indoor venue capacity.

Vergeire said initial studies suggest the BA.5 and BA.4 subvariants are “much transmissible” than the BA.2 sublineage.

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Vol. 36

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No. 109

June 5, 2022

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IN MET R MANILAO

Monkeypox global cases over 700, with 21 in US THE US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was aware of more than 700 global cases of monkeypox, including 21 in the United States, with investigations now suggesting it is spreading

inside the country.

Sixteen of the first 17 cases were among people who identify as men who have sex with men, according to a new CDC report, and 14 were thought to be travel associated.

All patients are in recovery or have recovered, and no cases have been fatal.

“There have also been some cases in the United States that we know are linked to CONTINUED ON 3A

Oil price hike looms with diesel at P6.50/l Competitiveness key to PH n By ALENA MAE S. FLORES OIL prices will likely go up by as much as P6.50 per liter effective Tuesday amid the continuing volatility in world prices driven by the

Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Unioil Petroleum Philippines said consumers can expect fuel prices to go up during the week of June 7 to 13.

“Diesel will increase by P6.30 to P6.50 per liter. Gasoline will

TRICOLOR. The National Museum Fine Arts building glows

with the colors of the Philippine flag as part of celebrations ahead of the country’s 124th Independence Day on June 12.

President-elect Bongbong Marcos is also set to take his oath as the 17th President on June 30. Norman Cruz

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increase by P2.50 to P2.70 per liter,” the company said.

Kerosene prices are also expected to go up by P5.20 per liter.

Last week, local oil firms boosted pump prices of diesel fuel by P1.20 CONTINUED ON 3A

signing regional trade pact PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. said he wants an assessment of the country’s competitiveness first before pursuing the ratification of the Regional

4A 1B 3B 4B

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40 celebrities to grace Sara’s inauguration VICE-President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio's inauguration on June 19 in Davao City will be open to the public, with at least 40 artists providing enter-

tainment capped by a music concert.

The inaugural rites, to be held at the San Pedro Square, will start at 4:30 p.m., although the gates will open for

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Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement.

“In my opinion, let’s have another look at it. We should study

Okada operator questions state-regulator’s decision NEWS | 2A

Grab offers free rides from NAIA June 15-30 NEWS | 2A

the public at least two hours earlier for a thanksgiving Mass and pre-program entertainment.

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Japanese oldest to sail solo across the Pacific WORLD | 3A

JUNE 5, 2022

PH eyes India for rice supply if ASEAN sources form cartel

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HE Philippines is looking at India, reputedly the world’s top rice exporter, as an alternative source of the staple in case rice-producing countries in Southeast Asia raised their prices and form a rice cartel, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Saturday.

DA Undersecretary Fermin Adriano, in a radio interview, said President Duterte has issued an executive order lowering the tariff on imported rice from India from 50 percent to 35 percent.

The rice import duty for countries not part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is 50 percent “If this happens, we have an alternative source (of rice).” Adriano said.

Thailand’s government has announced its plan to forge an agreement with Vietnam to boost their bargaining power and help mitigate rising production costs.

Thailand and Vietnam are deemed the world’s second and third largest rice exporters, accounting for 10 percent of global rice supply, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.

India supplies about 40 percent of the world

rice demand.

Adriano said the planned Thailand-Vietnam rice cartel would be impossible if India would not join the group.

“The rice from India is cheaper compared to Vietnam, but the problem is logistics,” Adriano said.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Tuesday warned there was a shortage in the local production of fish, pork, and rice due in part to years of neglect on the agriculture sector.

Dar said there was a scarcity in fish and pork, and rice levels were only at 92 percent.

Speaking of the low priority given to agriculture, Dar said the Philippines allotted only 1.5 percent of its budget to the sector as opposed to other countries who earmarked 3.5 percent to 6 percent of their budget for agriculture.

Okada operator rejects decision of PAGCOR THE operator of Okada Manila on Saturday questioned the decision of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to “take the side” of billionaire Kazuo Okada in a board dispute.

In a statement, Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Inc (TRLEI) and its parent companies Universal Entertainment Corporation (UEC) and Tiger Resort Asia Limited (TRAL) “vehemently denounce” the state regulator’s decision to uphold a status quo ante order issued by the Supreme Court on the dispute between Okada and TRLEI. “Considering that the matter at hand involves an intra-corporate dispute pending before the Supreme Court, PAGCOR, as a government regulatory body, is duty-bound to observe due process and comply with the issuances and directives of the Supreme Court,” the state regulator said in a statement.

TRLEI, however, disputed PAGCOR’s claim that the takeover by the former management led by Antonio Cojuangco and Dindo Espeleta was peaceful.

PAGCOR earlier said TRLEI director Hajima Tokuda was escorted outside the premises “without being bodily hurt,” adding that the incident was captured by CCTV cameras.

“PAGCOR’s President and Chief Operating Officer Mr. Alfredo Lim was quoted as saying that the takeover was peaceful and orderly — this despite the viral videos showing the complete opposite. We urge PAGCOR to adopt a neutral stance in the intra-corporate dispute and be more mindful of its mandate as a GOCC,” TRLEI said in a statement on Sunday.

REINFORCING AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. Construction workers adeptly mount steel bars as they put together an additional school building for the Manila Science High school in Padre Faura Manila, Danny Pata

Grab offers free rides from NAIA on June 15-30 GRAB Philippines is offering free airport shuttle rides for the entire second half of June in support of the government’s free ridership program.

In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) welcomed Grab’s initiative to offer free airport shuttle rides for passengers from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals 2 and 3 to any point in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The free airport shuttle will start on

June 15 until June 30, 2022, and will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The DOTr said Grab will deploy 100 units for the free airport shuttle program.

To avail of the free shuttle service, passengers must book at the Grab booths located at the arrival areas of NAIA Terminals 2 and 3.

Transportation Secretary Art Tugade thanked Grab for the project, saying the free shuttle services would boost the current Libreng Sakay Pro-

gram of the DOTr and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Grab Philippines, likewise, thanked President Duterte and Tugade for launching the Libreng Sakay Program.

“We thank President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the DOTr under the leadership of Secretary Art Tugade for launching the Libreng Sakay program, as well as other valuable projects that continue to benefit the Filipino commuters,” Grab said.

Wages up in Calabarzon, Davao n By VITO BARCELO

FALSE ALARM. Elements of the Manila Police’s Explosive Ordnance Division cordon off aportion of A. Mabini St, near the MPD Police Station 9 in Malate, Manila as they inspect a black bag inside a passenger jeepney suspected to contain a bomb. The bag however yielded nothing explosive but personal belongings of a passenger who must have inadvertently left it at the vehicle. Norman Cruz

MINIMUM wage earners in the CALABARZON will receive an additional P92 in their daily salary, while those in the Davao region will get an additional P47 based on the regional wage boards’ orders granting the pay increases in the two regions, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in CALABARZON unanimously approved a wage order, setting the new minimum pay in the non-agriculture sector to P470 in the extended metropolitan area and the cities of Antipolo and Dasmariñas; P429 in component cities and (first class) municipalities;

and P390 in the emerging growth area (second and third class municipalities) and resource-based area (fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities).

The new minimum wage rates in the agriculture sector, meanwhile, are P429 in the extended metropolitan area, in the cities of Antipolo and Dasmariñas, and component cities and (first class) municipalities; P390 in the emerging growth area (second and third class municipalities); and P350 in the resource-based area (fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities).

Also, the new minimum wage in retail and service establishments employing not more than 10 workers is set at P350 or an increase of P47 from the previous P303.

DPWH resumes weekend road works on EDSA, C5 n By JOEL E. ZURBANO THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has allowed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to resume its weekend road works along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

The DPWH-National Capital Region started the road reblocking and repair works on EDSA, Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road), and other areas in

Quezon City late Friday night.

The rehabilitation activities covered the southbound directions of EDSA-Santolan innermost lane/ bus way, from V.V. Soliven Driveway going to Rochester Street in San Juan City; and the EDSA Service Road, 2nd block of Timog Avenue intersection, 2nd block of Kamuning Road intersection, and 2nd block corner Kamuning Road in Quezon City.

Affected lanes on EDSA Quezon City northbound include the 2nd lane from sidewalk/ bus way, fronting Cubao

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Farmers Market and after Kamuning intermittent section along Aurora Boulevard.

Similar road works are being conducted on the following areas in Quezon City: Tandang Sora Avenue, from Visayas Avenue to San Miguel Road; Times Street corner West Avenue, fronting Kowloon House; Commonwealth Avenue, from Zuzuareggui Street to fronting Diliman Preparatory School, 1st lane from sidewalk; and C.P. Garcia Avenue, fronting UP Ayala TBI, 1st block from sidewalk.

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

With 3 days left, most bets have yet to file their SOCEs ONLY one out of the 10 presidential candidates in the May 9, 2022 polls has submitted his statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

According to the Comelec’s campaign finance office (CFO), as of Friday, June 3, only Sen. Panfilo Lacson has complied with the requirement under Republic Act No. 7166, otherwise known as the Synchronized Elections Act. No bets for vice-president have filed their SOCEs yet.

For those who participated in the senatorial race, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has also complied with the requirement, following Guillermo Eleazar, who was the first to file his SOCE. In the party- department, eight groups have filed their SOCEs. They were Ang Kabuhayan, Ako Bisaya, Kabalikat ng Mamamayan, Abante, Anakpawis, Ang Bumbero, Bayan Muna and A Teacher.

These groups joined the early birds-Abono, Senior Citizen, and Bisaya Gyud.

The CFO added that among the political parties, only the Unido Party has so far filed its SOCE. The law requires all candidates and treasurers of political parties to file within 30 days after the elections their full, true, and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the polls.

Comelec Resolution No. 10695 set the last day for the filing of SOCEs on June 8, 2022.

National candidates have to file their SOCEs at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila, while local candidates may file their SOCEs at the poll body’s office in their city or municipality.

Locsin: There is no journalism on social media OUTGOING Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday underscored that news were still best consumed on traditional platforms, adding “there is no journalism on social media.”

Locsin, himself a former member of the Philippine media, was commenting on reports that the incoming administration will allow bloggers access to Malacañang press, a privilege traditionally given only to conventional media practitioners.

“You guys used bloggers to do what bloggers do—when it was convenient and the targets were helpless to respond,” Locsin wrote on Twitter, responding to a separate televised interview with Vergel Santos, a trustee at the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

“There is no journalism on social media. News must be in print and on the air to make it so expensive you make sure it is the truth before running or airing it.”

In an interview on “Dateline Philippines”, Santos said of the blogger access: “A blogger decides for himself or for herself. A journalist does not.”

“A journalist, apart from being put through a rigorous training in the discipline and skills ... [their] works are put through a system of checks to ensure that the information disseminated is truthful, well contextualized and not malicious,” Vergel added.

“Bloggers don’t understand those things.”

Incoming Press Secretary Trixie Angeles-Cruz, a pro-administration blogger, this week revealed plans to prioritize accrediting bloggers for Palace events and presidential briefings.

THE WATER IS COOL AND THE VOLCANO CALM. Kids

with their bamboo raft, enjoy the cool waters of the Taal Lake, with the currently dormant Taal Volcano serving as the backdrop.

Danny Pata

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

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

NO REMEMBRANCE. A policeman stands guard in front of the Tiananmen Gate during the 33rd anniversary of the June 4, 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing. AFP

WORLD

INBRIEFS JUNE 5, 2022

A HIGH-SPEED rail driver was killed and several passengers injured after a train derailed in southwest China’s Guizhou province on Saturday, state media reported.

The train, which was en route to Guangdong province, derailed after running into debris that had fallen onto the tracks near a tunnel, official broadcaster CCTV reported.

Video footage published by multiple Chinese outlets showed severe damage to the driver’s car, which was pulverised by the impact while the rest of the train remained largely intact.

A rail conductor and seven passengers were injured and sent to hospital, CCTV said, adding that “their lives were not in danger.”

“The train driver unfortunately died,” CCTV said.

The footage in Chinese media showed confused passengers and children screaming in one of the train cars after the crash, with food and belongings strewn across the floor of the otherwise undamaged car. AFP

HK drives Tiananmen memories underground on 33rd anniversary

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ONG KONG authorities on Saturday strove to stop any public commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, with police warning gatherings could break the law as Beijing vies to remove all reminders of the events of June 4.

On that day in 1989, the government sent troops and tanks to break up peaceful protests, crushing a weeks-long wave

of demonstrations calling for political change and curbs on official corruption.

Hundreds, by some estimates more than 1,000, were killed in the crackdown.

Discussion of what happened is highly sensitive to China’s communist leadership, and is all but forbidden on the mainland.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong had been the one place in China where large-scale remembrance was still tolerated – until two years ago when Beijing imposed a national security law to snuff out dissent after huge pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Authorities warned the public on Friday that “participating in an unauthorized assembly” risked a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

They also closed large parts of Victoria Park, once the site of packed annual candlelight vigils attended by tens of thousands.

One woman told AFP she had lit a candle at home instead and placed a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue, the

original of which stood in Tiananmen Square in 1989, on her windowsill.

“For me and many Hong Kongers of my generation, June 4 was our political enlightenment,” said the 49-year-old public relations professional, who used to volunteer for the vigil’s organisers.

On Saturday, she said she would walk around the city wearing a t-shirt with June 4 numerals as a more “subtle” form of commemoration, given the legal risks.

China has gone to exhaustive lengths to erase the crackdown from collective memory, omitting it from history textbooks and scrubbing references to it from the Chinese internet and social media platforms.

On Saturday, authorities in Beijing had set up facial recognition devices at roads leading to Tiananmen Square and stopped passersby to check their identification.

The security presence in the area was noticeably bulked up, with two to three times the regular number of officers visible.

In Hong Kong too, the area around Victoria Park was heavily policed, with long lines of security vehicles parked next to it.

On Friday night, in the nearby bustling Causeway Bay shopping district, a performance artist who whittled a potato into the shape of a candle and held a lighter to it was surrounded by more than a dozen officers and taken away in a police van, an AFP reporter saw.

Police later said they had arrested a 31-year-old woman for “disorderly conduct in a public place.”

“The government is so scared of any possible assembly,” said Dorothy, a 32-year-old coach who spoke to AFP near the park on Saturday morning.

She said she had not been a regular attendee at the vigils, but that it was “a great loss for the society.”

“The most profound impact is on the younger generations as the vigil used to be a window to let them know that such an appalling incident took place in China,” she added. AFP

Queen’s jubilee goes pop with a party

MURDER OF WOMEN. A woman holds a sign reading ‘119 femicides only in 2022.

Stop.’ during the ‘Not One Less’ demonstration against feminicide outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires. Femicide or feminicide is a hate crime term, broadly defined as ‘the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female.’ AFP

FromtheFRONTPAGE OMICRON... She, however, noted there is no evidence yet the said subvariants cause more severe cases of COVID-19

The DOH had detected the BA.5 in two locals from the same household in Central Luzon, one of whom is a 39-year-old female while the other is a 51-year-old male.

Both took only domestic trips, including Bulacan for the elections and Metro Manila for work.

Vergeire said the DOF will recommend to the incoming Marcos administration to retain the COVID-19 alert level system.

“The Department of Health will be recommending the alert level system to the next administration. This is what gives us safeguards and guides so we could determine our next course of action based on the risk level of some areas in our country,” she said.

In a separate radio interview, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III likewise urged the next administration not to lift the face mask mandate even if the number of COVID-19 cases dropped to less than 200 recently.

Duque said that apart from immunizing about 70 million against COVID-19, the masking compliance of Filipinos must be retained.

“Let’s not remove it for the meantime.

It’s still premature. Let’s keep our masks on especially now that the transport sector and establishments are at full

Train driver killed in high-speed rail crash in China

capacity,” he said.

Duque said despite the various super-spreader events during the campaign period and the emergence of Omicron subvariants, the number of daily cases did not surge.

“It only means that the masking mandate and compliance of Filipinos to minimum public health standards were high,” he said.

MONKEYPOX... known cases,”

Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, told reporters on a call.

“We also have at least one case in the United States that does not have a travel link or know how they acquired their infection.”

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is related to but less severe than smallpox, causing a rash that spreads, fever, chills, and aches, among other symptoms.

Generally confined to western and central Africa, cases have been reported in Europe since May and the number of countries affected has grown since.

Canada also released new figures Friday, counting 77 confirmed cases – almost all of them detected in Quebec province, where vaccines have been delivered.

Though its new spread may be linked to particular gay festivals in

SOME 22,000 people and millions more at home were on Saturday expected at a musical celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee.

The “Platinum Party at the Palace” is the highlight of the third day of public events to mark the 96-year-old monarch’s record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

Motown legend Diana Ross is a star attraction at the event, to be held on a purpose-built 360-degree stage outside the head of state’s central London residence, Buckingham Palace.

The concert also features artists including Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and James Bond composer Hans Zimmer, in a marked shift in tone from the jubilee’s first two days.

Celebrations began on Thursday with the pomp and pageantry of the Trooping the Colour military parade to mark the sovereign’s official birthday.

Friday’s focus was a traditional Church

Europe, monkeypox is not thought to be a sexually transmitted disease, with the main risk factor being close skinto-skin contact with someone who has monkey pox sores.

A person is contagious until all the sores have scabbed and new skin is formed.

Raj Panjabi, senior director for the White House’s global health security and biodefense division, added that 1,200 vaccines and 100 treatment courses had been delivered to US states, where they were offered to close contacts of those infected.

There are currently two authorized vaccines: ACAM2000 and JYNNEOS, which were originally developed against smallpox.

Though smallpox has been eliminated, the United States retains the vaccines in a strategic national reserve in case it is deployed as a biological weapon.

OIL... but cut gasoline prices by P1.60 per liter.

Year-to-date adjustments stand at a net increase of P25.55 per liter for gasoline and P29.10 per liter for diesel.

In Vienna, the OPEC+ group earlier decided to add 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the market in July, up from the 432,000 bpd increases in recent months, and a shift from the cartel’s recent stance of sticking to a planned pace of monthly production hikes.

The announcement came after European Union leaders agreed to ban more than

of England service of thanksgiving led by senior royals—and returning Prince Harry and his wife Meghan—in the hallowed surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Saturday’s concert, which will be broadcast live by the BBC on radio, television and online from 1900 GMT, is no less grand in scale.

But as an open-air event, all eyes will be on the skies and the fickle British weather to see if the forecast downpours hold off.

The queen—the longest-reigning monarch in British history – is not expected to attend the 2.5-hour concert but will watch on television at Windsor Castle.

She made two public appearances to huge crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony on Thursday, and was then at Windsor for a beacon-lighting ceremony.

The effort, after months battling difficulties walking and standing, left her in “some discomfort,” Buckingham Palace said. AFP

two-thirds of Russian oil imports as part of a sixth package of sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.

But the action by producers did not appear to be enough to calm oil markets, with futures contracts rising more than one percent.

The jump in prices reflects “doubts the cartel members can deliver on their promises,” TD Securities’ Bart Melek said in a note.

He warned that oil prices could spike “well above” $120 a barrel in the peak summer period amid tight inventories, geopolitical risk, and uncertainty over the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

40... Supreme Court Justice Ramon

Paul Hernando will administer the Vice President-elect’s oath of office.

Duterte-Carpio's Filipiniana gown will be custom–made by Davao designer Silverio Anglacer.

Free rides will be provided for those who want to attend the event.

Organizers urged the people to observe COVID-19 protocols while at the venue.

Attendees will undergo security screening at all entry points and wearing of backpacks and jackets will not be allowed.

Drones shall be taken down, except for those issued with security clearance.

According to the organizers, a photo opportunity for the public with Duterte-Carpio will be available at Quezon Park in front of the city hall beginning at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, Davao City policemen have heightened their security measures ahead of Duterte-Carpio's inauguration as the country's 15th vice president.

"Since May 27, we have already activated

Sri Lanka, Russia in diplomatic spat over detained plane SRI Lanka’s main airport on Saturday denied the island nation’s government was behind a decision to detain an Aeroflot aircraft, after Russia lodged a diplomatic protest over the move.

The Airbus A330 was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Thursday, the same day it arrived from Moscow, after a directive from a court in the capital Colombo.

Flight SU289 was about to return to the Russian capital with 191 passengers and 13 crew aboard.

Sri Lanka’s top envoy was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on Friday to receive a “resolute protest” over the detention, Russian state news agency TASS reported. AFP

Japanese becomes oldest to sail solo across Pacific AN 83-year-old yachtsman arrived in Japan early Saturday morning after a solo, non-stop trip across the Pacific, becoming the oldest person ever to achieve the feat.

Famed ocean adventurer Kenichi Horie’s arrival in the Kii Strait off western Japan capped a two-month trip that started from a yacht harbour in San Francisco in March.

It was only the latest seagoing achievement by the Japanese octogenarian, who in 1962 voyaged from Japan to San Francisco at age 23, becoming the first person in the world to sail alone across the Pacific.

The public relations team for his most recent voyage said Horie’s Saturday return to Japan made him the world’s oldest person to pull off a solo, non-stop crossing of the largest and deepest ocean on Earth.

“I’m about to cross the finish line,” Horie wrote on his blog Friday after what he described as a three-day battle with the pushback from a current.

“I’m exhausted.”

His 1962 Pacific crossing made headlines as he embarked on the trip without a passport, essentially smuggling his way into the United States. AFP

KENICHI HORIE

the Davao Defense System. It's a tactical and operational strategy wherein Davao City has conducted heightened checkpoint in all tri-borders going to Davao City," said Davao City Police Office spokesperson Police Major Maria Teresita Gaspan at the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.

"All passengers and vehicles are subjected for inspection. We even recommended that those going out of Davao City will only be passing through the Davao City Overland [Transport] Terminal so that no similar accident will happen like what happened in Central Mindanao," Gaspan added.

COMPETITIVENESS... careful-

ly what would be the effect of RCEP. If we ratify it now, what will be the effect on our farming community, on our farmers especially?” he said.

Negotiations for RCEP were started by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations together with six of its free trade partners in 2013. India, however, eventually pulled out from the free trade deal.

RCEP’s 15-member economies, including the ten ASEAN members plus Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and South Korea, together account for 30 percent of the world’s population and of global gross domestic product (GDP).

Following the Senate’s failure to ratify the trade agreement before Congress went on sine die adjournment, RCEP’s fate is now with the incoming 19th Congress.

JUNE 5, 2022

Overseas Filipino

nurses support families T he coronavirus pandemic highlighted the important role that health workers play in keeping communities operational. As modernday heroes, nurses are on the frontlines caring for the wellbeing of citizens across the globe.

Filipino nurses in particular helped mitigate a worldwide shortage of about 5.9 million nurses. In celebration of Migrant Workers Day on June 7, WorldRemit introduces two Filipino nurses who agreed to share their stories of hope and sacrifice in the past two years.

For Karen Pros, a Filipina nurse who now lives in Texas, the greatest challenge she overcame when moving abroad was the differences in culture and the different role nurses play in the United States. .

In the Philippines, Karen often worked alongside a team of intern nurses and fellows. In the US, she works closely with a team of doctors

in the hospital with a higher volume of patients. Her work was made even more vital by the pandemic as the nurse-to-patient ratio in certain states increased from its recommended 1:1 to 1:4.

In 2009, Katrina Creer emigrated from the Philippines to New Zealand in search of new opportunities. Nursing can be tough and for Katrina, the greatest challenge has been adapting to the increased pressure her responsibilities at work have put on her family, many times having to isolate from her family while treating COVID-19 infected patients.

Now located in Melbourne, Australia, Katrina is regularly pulled outside of her day-to-day responsibilities and asked to work extended hours or take on additional shifts in hospitals across the city due to a high demand for healthcare professionals.

Despite the challenges she has faced in the field over the past two years, Katrina says the fulfillment that she gets from nursing is enough to outweigh the challenges.

“The best part of being a nurse is to be able to say that with my job, I am able to help make the world a better place. To me, nursing is a calling rather than a profession. When I get to see patients get better and families

thanking the medical team, that’s more than enough. It’s something that money can’t reciprocate or compensate for,” she said.

Katrina has also given back to her country by hosting over 30 Filipino nurses during her time in New Zealand. As one of the first Filipina nurses to migrate to New Zealand, she helped new OFWs get settled and taught them the tips and tricks of living abroad, while also accommodating them for six weeks at a time as they studied for bridging courses.

Through remittances, Karen and Katrina have given back to their country and communities. For Katrina, she is now helping her cousins finish their college degrees by sending money home for their education.

For Karen, her eldest child has been inspired by her mothers’ career and through remittances, is pursuing a future in healthcare.

Online money transfer services enable Filipino nurses to continuously care and provide for their families back home despite the distance— from paying for tuition fees and uniforms, to health expenses. With the speed of WorldRemit, Katrina was able to quickly support her father when he contracted COVID and again when Typhoon Odette devastated her

Karen Pros, a Filipino nurse living in Texas

home province of Cebu in 2021.

“Despite the physical and emotional demands of their occupation, our Filipino nurses manage to continue to provide for their loved ones.

Throughout this pandemic, OFWs have continued to be a life-force to the Philippine economy, their own

households, and the citizens in their host countries. WorldRemit provides OFWs with cost-efficient, reliable digital remittance services to bridge connections and build brighter futures for their families and many others across the world,” said WorldRemit country director Earl Melivo.

Sprout wins Filipino firm aims to be world leader in immigration services global award for HR solutions FILIPINO HR solutions and people-platform Sprout Solutions has received local and international recognition for helping businesses in the Philippines through the challenges of the pandemic.

Sprout was recognized in G2’s 2022 Best Software Awards, placing third globally on the HR Analytics list among software companies in the same space.

G2, the world’s leading B2B software and services review platform, recognized Sprout as among the market leaders and high performers in HR analytics and time and attendance categories, with the people platform receiving nearly perfect scores in quality of support and ease of use. G2 is a software marketplace used by more than 60 million software buyers annually, and the awards allow businesses to discover and review the technology solutions that they need to reach their potential.

Sprout services, which include HR and payroll, insight, InstaCash and wellness and performance+, were recognized as a game-changer in the HR sector, prompting local companies to recognize its value in transitioning to the new normal of office operations.

Sprout Solutions cofounder and CEO Patrick Gentry

FIL-GLOBAL Immigration Services Corp. which started in London in 2014 envisions to be a global leader in immigration services, internships and university placements in high-income countries.

Focusing on the university placement of the Filipino youth to study in countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, the United States, and more, the Fil-Global team of professionals is working together to strengthen its position as an industry leader.

The firm has been reference checked, reviewed, approved and certified as a first-rate agent by the ICEF, the global market leader in business-to-business networking services for the international education sector. For over 30 years, ICEF brings together educational institutions and carefully selects and certifies student recruitment agents and related service providers.

In recognition of their achievement, qualified agencies are entitled to identify themselves as having achieved ICEF Agency Status. They are awarded an official ICEF ID, consisting of a certificate and IAS badge featuring their own unique QR Code. This code links to a secure digital certificate that shows which agency it belongs to and the expiry date of the certification. Fil Global has achieved the IAS. As a result, the firm’s status has become synonymous with exceptional agent quality.

In the Philippines, it is the only immigration service firm that has an ISO certification. ISO 9001:2015 specifies that Fil Global has met all requirements for a quality management system and has demonstrated its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet enhanced customer satisfaction,

Fil-Global Immigration Services Corp. CEO Bertch Ian Namauag Ranis

including processes for improvement, as well as all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Much like the ISO certification, JASANZ, or the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand is an independent, third-party accreditation body that provides internationally recognized accreditation services. JAS-ANZ provides accreditation for programs. They do so by developing the assessment criteria certifiers and inspectors must meet to become accredited. Fil Global has garnered the Management systems certification for quality management systems (AS/NZS ISO 9001).

TÜV is short for Technischer Überwa-

chungsverein in German, which means Technical Inspection Association. These associations are independent companies that test, inspect and certify technologies, products and systems to ensure potential hazards and prevent damage.

The TÜV certification is an important recognition for Fil Global to gain trust from clients and partners across the global markets. It has put the agency at the forefront of technology, ensuring its service delivery features are inclusive, safe and relevant. The TÜV certification is routinely audited once a year or every two years to ensure that certified products, systems or solutions remain safe and good for usage.

Fil Global also garnered the Philippine Top Choice Awards for excellence given by an independent award-giving body that aims to acknowledge and reward individuals and companies, products and services that promote and recognize best business practices leading to consumer welfare and protection, product quality and consumer services.

Accreditations, certifications and awards of excellence add value to the growing and increasingly complicated market chain, in many ways, by providing a symbol of assurance that a business, an entity or organization is trustworthy.

Fil-Global has proven to lead the pack of immigration consultants in the Philippines worthy of the trust and confidence of clients and partners in the industry. It lays its sight to become a global entity respected by partner institutions and world leaders in the immigration consulting industry.

Bertch Ian Namauag Ranis, chief executive of the company, said: “We cannot sit on our laurels, we will continue to strive to be number 1 both here in the Philippines, and in other countries.”

Fil-Global has successfully sent out many students to study abroad in the past eight years, including celebrities like Maymay Entrata who is currently studying in Canada.

“One of our flagship projects is a lifetime membership to Fil-Global, whereby a member is assured of our consulting services for life. Hence, any moment our members need us even while they are already abroad, our people are always ready to respond to them regardless of the differences in time zones. Our alltime high level responsiveness is one attribute Fil-Global has that differentiates us from the rest,” Ranis said.

74,000 jobs offered on Independence Day With a growing client base that includes more than 1000 employers that are now hybrid-workplace ready, Sprout has been included in the Financial Times ranking of high-growth companies in the Asia-Pacific region, which spans 13 countries.

On the local front, Sprout was awarded 7th place in the Philippine Growth Champions 2022 for showing exceptional growth even during these unprecedented times.

Milestones Sprout is celebrating its 7th year of service in the industry, enabling companies to migrate their HR operations online, seamlessly connected for the future of work.

The suite of services offered by the company help clients and their workforce adapt to the demands of productivity in a digital ecosystem that encompasses HR functions ranging from timekeeping and payroll, HR insights from data analytics and interactive dashboards, to financial coverage for emergency needs,and career development training and assessments.

Sprout Solutions co-founder and chief executive Patrick Gentry says the growth of Sprout is a validation of its North Star—to impact the lives of Filipinos by improving business in the Philippines.

“I can’t thank our clients, partners and stakeholders enough for their support.

While we have come a long way, our journey is far from over as we strive to respond to the changing landscape of work through our holistic people platform,” he says.

By Othel V. Campos MORE than 74,000 jobs, incuding 24,000 work-from-home opportunities, will be offered to jobseekers during the week-long Virtual Career Fair on June 13 to 17.

Leading job portal JobStreet teamed up with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to reach out to Filipinos who still on job hunt, and to those who are on the lookout for better and more fulfilling jobs.

“In this career fair, we want to highlight different employment types available for our candidates as they are rethinking their ap-

proach to the concept of work. We thank DTI for trusting us to be their partner in this initiative, to provide jobs that are aligned with the applicants’ values and preferences,” said JobStreet Philippines country manager Philip Gioca.

The career fair, in celebration of the country’s Independence Day on June 12, aims to encourage job hunters to celebrate the freedom that they have in choosing a career path that fits their lifestyle and priorities.

Gioca said there are at least 4.6 million Filipinos looking for jobs, a reality brought about by the so-

called “Great Resignation” during the early part of the pandemic.

“As we are nearing the end of the pandemic, we see a new trend, the so-called ‘Great Reshuffle’ wherein more candidates are looking for what is worth living for and working for. Now, they have good dimensions looking at jobs—reassessing, re-evaluating, rethinking what is valuable to them,” Gioca said.

Based on a job analysis conducted by Jobstreet, 46 percent of the working population constitute the young—the Gen Z and millennials, most of whom are planning to move on to the next job.

JobStreet and the Department of Trade and Industry are holding a virtual career fair on June 13 to 17.

Cybersecurity skills gap in Asia reaches 1.42m FORTINET, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, released the Asia findings of the global 2022 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report.

The report reveals that the cybersecurity skills shortage continues to have multiple challenges and repercussions for organizations in Asia, including the occurrence of security breaches and subsequently loss of money. As a result, the skills gap remains a top concern for C-level executives and is increasingly becoming a board-level priority.

The report which surveyed IT and cybersecurity decision makers across countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia also suggests ways the skills gap can be addressed, such as through training and certifications to increase employees’ education.

Widespread impact Rashish Pandey, vice president of marketing According to the 2021 Cyber Workforce Report, the and communications Asia at Fortinet Asia-Pacific has the largest regional workforce gap of

1.42 million. Even though the workforce gap for Asia-Pacific decreased from the previous year, much needs to be done.

Given the increasing costs of breaches on organizations’ profits and reputation, cybersecurity is becoming more of a board level priority. Across Asia, 89 percent of organizations that have a board of directors reported that their board asks questions specifically about cybersecurity. And 79 percent of organizations have a board of directors who has recommended increases in IT and cybersecurity headcount.

Fortinet’s skills gap report demonstrated that training and certifications are critical ways organizations seek to further tackle the skills gap. The regional report revealed that 97 percent of leaders believe technology-focused certifications positively impact their role and their team, while 86 percent of leaders prefer to hire people with certifications.

W

ILL there be a rare matchup between Southeast Asia’s best, Team Sibol, and Team BTK of the United States? It could happen.

Team Sibol, in an official statement posted on its Facebook page, said it is up to the challenge posed earlier by a team BTK member.

“It has come to our attention that BTK’s Team Captain “MobaZane” has laid out several challenges to Team Sibol Pilipinas during his rant-filled streams. There has also been speculation online regarding what would happen in an MLBB match between Team Sibol Pilipinas and Team USA.” “Why don’t we find out?” the statement continued. “Team Sibol Pilipinas will be attending the realme Mobile Legends Cup (RMC) Season 6 this Sunday as a special guest.”

“If Team USA wants to face us, you know where to find us.”

Sibol’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Team won the gold in the esports competition of the recent 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam by beating Indonesia,3-1, in the finals.

The team is composed of Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna, Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario, Kyle Dominic “Dominic” Soto, Salic Alauya “Hadji” Imam, Lee Howard “Owl” Gonzales, Dexstar Louise “DEX STAR” Cruz Alaba and Russel Aaron “Eyon” Usi. Sibol fielded a total of 54 esports athletes across 10 events for titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, FIFA Online 4, Crossfire, Free Fire, League of Legends (Wild Rift, PC), and PlayersUnknownBattlegrounds (PUBG).

The team also bagged the gold in the women’s ML event and two silver medals courtesy of the League of Legends (PC) and Crossfire squads. realme ML Cup The possible exhibition match between Team PH and Team USA could be the Season 6 Grand Finals of its multi-awarded Mobile Legends Cup (RMC) happening on Sunday (June 5) put up by realme, awarded as the Philippines’ no. 1 smartphone brand for 2021.

Team BTK happens to be in the Philippines and Team Sibol is ready anytime and will be attending the event as guests.

After a series of play-offs that commenced last May 12, two (2) teams have qualified for the final round.

Team CEREBRUM PRO will go head to head with Team MONSTER ANARCHY as they battle out their Mobile Legends supremacy during the epic Grand Finals, happening at the SMX Convention Center starting at 9:30 in the morning.

The Grand Finals event will also see the attendance of well-respected esports figures like Alodia Gosiengfiao, Akosi Dogie, and Ghost Wrecker, together with fan-favorite casters Shinboo, Manjean, Wolf, Butters, Rob, Sonah, Burritto, Beebeembap, HoneyGlazee, and the debut of realme caster OSX and Chantelle.

To top it all off, Squad can also look forward to a special performance from VXON, the rising PPOP group who sang RMC Season 6’s official music track, The Beast.

As realme continues to uphold its commitment to empowering the Filipino youth, the realme Mobile Legends Cup remains one of the biggest initiatives from the brand’s #realmeSupports campaign.

The RMC Grand Finals Season 6 is co-presented

by DITO Telecommunity, official airline partner Cebu Pacific Air, official courier partner J&T Express, and official beverage partner Bean to Cup. Cath the event’s Livestream on June 5, Sunday, starting 9:30 AM on realme Philippines’ official Facebook and Youtube page.

JUNE 5, 2022

MOBILE LEGENDS:

Team PH’s Sibol vs. Team USA?

The Team Sibol athletes strike a pose during a Media Day few days before going to Vietnam for the SEA Games.

Manangking, Otoc share top honors in PPS netfest JILLIAN Manangking dominated the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions while Andrei Otoc pulled off a shock win in boys’ 12-U play as they shared MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP Pigcawayan national age-group tennis tournament in Cotabato over the weekend.

The top-seeded Manangking mastered Saschena Francisco twice, bagging the premier title with a 6-1, 6-3 romp after posting a 6-4, 6-4 triumph in the 16-U class in the Group 2 tournament wrapping up the Cotabato swing of the country’s longest-talent search put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala at the Pigcawayan courts.

Earlier, Manangking, from Pikit, Cotabato, ended Dhea Cua’s impressive run of two-title romps, foiling her, 6-0, 1-6, 10-5, in the semis of 16-U play although the Kidapawan City find still kept the 14-U trophy with a 6-0, 6-0 rout of Jannah Mamac.

Divine Collado from Libungan, likewise added the

Jillian Manangking (right) and Andrei Otoc with their trophies at the close of the PPS-PEPP three-leg sortie in Cotabato

NU clinches top seed in UAAP women’s volley NATIONAL University clinched the top seed in the UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball tournament after sweeping the University of the Philippines 25-15, 25-10, 25-15, on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

With the win, the Lady Bulldogs went up to 12-0 which both De La Salle University and the University of Santo Tomas can no longer achieve.

And what’s next for NU is making an outright finals trip —a feat it can reach if it emerges victorious in its last two assignments in Far Eastern University and UST.

The NU Lady Bullgdogs can seal an outright slot in the finals if it wins its last two assignments against Far Eastern University and UST.

“Naka-ano naman din sa players na medyo naka-bawi kami from last game na meltdown namin,” said NU head coach Karl Dimaculangan. “Mahalaga kasi sa amin at this point na patapos na yung elimination na naggagain na rin kami ng confidence for the Final Four or kung ano mang mangyari.”

Against UP, NU showed its force with Mhicaela Belen leading the way.

Belen, who tied Dzi Gervacio’s UAAP record of eight aces in a single match, finished with 16 points to go along with six excellent receptions.

Armed with an eight-point advantage, 23-15, the Lady Bulldogs advanced to match point after a net touch was called on the Fighting Maroons. Steph Bustrillo then committed an attack error that helped NU bag the win in just an hour and 26 minutes.

Sheena Toring added 11 points on eight attacks, two aces, and a block while Alyssa Solomon and Ivy Lacsina had eight points each.

Camilla Lamina tossed 17 excellent sets while Jennifer Nierva had 18 excellent digs and nine receptions.

UP, who dropped to 5-7 at the sixth spot, was led by Stephanie Bustrillo with nine points and eight digs. Jaila Atienza added five while Jewel Encarnacion had four makers.

NU will face FEU on Tuesday at 12:30 PM while UP looks to salvage its Final Four bid against Adamson University at 6:30 PM.

girls’ 12-U trophy to her collection as she turned back top seed Ayessa Gilbang, 6-4, 6-4.

Otoc earlier rallied from a set down to repel top seed Carl Eduarte, 5-7, 6-4, 11-9, and snare the crown after the local bet missed his chances in the 14-U division with a semifinal setback to Iñigo Barrios.

But Johnel Maldo foiled Barrios with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph while fellow Kabacan entry RJ Saldivar finally nailed one after a string of failed bids, thwarting Ben Flores, 6-3, 3-6, 10-5, in the boys’ 16-U finals of the tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

Butuan’s Vince Serna lived up to the hype as he trounced Kent Hornada, 6-4, 6-2, to capture the boys’ 18-U diadem in the event presented by Dunlop and backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).

UST, NU beach spikers set men’s title match UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas and National University conquered their Final Four foes to advance to the UAAP Season 84 men’s beach volleyball championship Saturday at Sands SM By The Bay. The Tiger Spikers’ Jaron Requinton and Rancel Varga bested De La Salle’s Noel Kampton and Vince Maglinao anew, 21-9, 21-10, to move closer to clinching their third straight crown.

UST also defeated their Taft counterparts on the last day of eliminations on Friday.

Unlike in their first meeting where the Bulldogs needed three sets to prevail, James Buytrago and Pol Salvador made short work of University of the Philippines’ Louis Gamban and Dan Nicolas, 21-12, 21-15.

NU clinched its first Finals berth since 2017.

Looking forward is Buytrago in facing good pal and national teammate Requinton in the big dance.

“All out na ang laro bukas,” said Buytrago. “Parehong mataas ang preparation at parehas kaming nag

national team ni Jaron. Lakas nang loob at dedication na ang makikita ng lahat bukas.

“Pagaaralin pa rin namin ang laro nila kasi alam namin di nila basta-basta ibibigay ang gold. Sila ang defending champion kaya dedepensahan nila yun. Kaya mas gagalingan pa namin at ilalaban namin kung ano mga pinaghandaan namin,” he added.

The last time the two teams met on the league’s biggest stage was in 2017, when the Bulldogs, powered by Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad, topped the Tigers duo of KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto for their fourth crown.

UST and NU, the men’s beach volleyball most successful programs with combined nine championships, go for all the marbles at 9 a.m. Sunday.

The Tigers, who lost to the Bulldogs in three sets in the season opener on May 27, have the most number of titles with six titles.

The Green Spikers and the Fighting Maroons dispute third place at 9 a.m.

Life Editor: Nickie Wang

JUNE 5, 2022

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

Love for All Pride collection

Creative director Zipeng Zhu wears a ‘love’ emblem in embroidery with colors from the ‘progress’ flag

C

LIMATE change is a topic very much in the news as people around the world experience the worsening effects of the phenomenon. Just recently, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) released the 2022 Global Assessment Report (GAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction, which emphasized the interconnection of global systems and how this makes many societies highly vulnerable to risk.

A contributing paper to the GAR analyzed several scenarios related to ecological factors and concluded that global societal collapse is possible.

Another study says that almost all nine planetary boundaries,— among them ocean acidification and freshwater use, land system change, and climate change —will be breached by 2030.

This is sobering information, but how many will actually read the reports or understand how these scenarios will affect us as individuals, as families, as

IN CELEBRATION of Global Pride 2022, London-based fashion brand COS presents Love For All. This limited-edition collection features three unique designs globally, made in collaboration with creators from the LGBTQIA+ community: performance poet, trans-visibility campaigner, and model Kai-Isaiah Jamal, artist, and creative director Zipeng Zhu, and musician and award-winning actor SOKO. The exclusive collection incorporates the personal touch of each

talent, celebrating their style and individuality. Using COS’ timeless, gender-neutral T-shirts as a canvas, Zipeng Zhu’s iconic, bold typography forms a “love” emblem in embroidery, with colors from the “progress” flag. The second T-shirt design reveals an original poem by Kai-Isaiah Jamal, whose work puts language to experiences that can be hard to express.

Captured by artist and fashion photographer Collier Schorr, the campaign also features creatives

from the LGBTQIA+ community together with their partners, families, and friends.

COS continues to champion the queer community, raising awareness of ongoing human rights issues by donating 100 percent of the collection’s profit to support charities that uphold human rights and the right to love, whoever you are. In the Philippines, COS has partnered with LoveYourself and Metro Manila Pride.

Throughout June, selected styles

‘Harvest Moon’ Poets, writers on the global climate crisis

‘Harvest Moon: Poems and Stories from the Edge of the Climate Crisis’ is an anthology stories, poems and photos from artists from across the globe communities?

This is where art steps in. Art provides a human connection and brings numbers, statistics, and scientific jargon to a level that anyone can understand. This is the value of the book Harvest Moon: Poems and Stories from the Edge of the Climate Crisis.

Through the work of writers, photographers, and artists from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America, who created 30 images and wrote over 30 poems, stories, and essays about the

climate crisis, spanning 24 countries and 11 languages, this book brings into focus the horror and desolation that is now destroying habitats and communities around the world.

South Africa’s Malebo Sephodi writes about devastating floods that wash away property, lives, minds: “The rain came. But it did not bring joy. It brought misery…The storm swept her brother away. Her mother has gone mad. There is nothing we can do for them because everyone has lost some-

thing.”

Drought, for Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu of Zimbabwe, breaks hearts and stifles the future: “That was before the sun had suddenly become unbearable and cracked the earth. Lines were drawn, deep and intersecting, creating a puzzle of the land that I had always known and loved.” The main character in her piece can no longer plant the crops she used to and that sustained her family; instead, food from far away has to be purchased at a price.

Kai-Isaiah Jamal is a performance poet, transvisibility campaigner, and model

from Pride Limited Edition will be available at COS SM Aura Premier.

Islam Juma Kapera from Tanzania bemoans human ignorance and unconcern about the environment: “They do not fear bad consequences – just look at their behavior / What they do is harmful, risking our lives. / They are relentless, causing suffering for us / What they do is useless, depleting their strength.”

There is so much power, honesty, and courage in these verses and sentences and the others that fill this beautiful book, while the images, in stark blackand-white, reveal the ravages dealt by the climate crisis.

The publisher lyrically describes Harvest Moon as an “anthology of loves and lives, of stories that thrive where borders and edges meet and where fates merge and collide like bodies of water seeking oceans and tides encountering clouds and landfall, habitats, and hives.”

Its Filipino contributors are Marjorie Evasco, Luisa A. Igloria, Dr. Joey A. Tabula, and Gawani Domogo Gaongen, who contributed a piece in Kankanaey.

The afterword was provided by noted essayist Rebecca Solnit, who has written on topics such as feminism, politics, art, and the environment. The importance of this book may be summed up in a couple of lines she wrote: “We are guided by stories, the old ones passed on, the new ones we made like rafts in a flood, the ones we told like water to pour on fire.

“Stories arose from this time, of those who did what was needed and those who stood in the way, and those who changed minds with their stories, of those new stories in which we saw a new heaven, a new earth, and a new humanity.”

In sharing the narratives of the climate crisis, we are also sharing hope and optimism that we can still turn the tide toward a better future.

Harvest Moon: Poems and Stories from the Edge of the Climate Crisis Edited by Padmapani L. Perez, Rehana Rossouw, Alexandra Walter, and Renato Redentor Constantino 2021 / 308 pages, pb, large format / P599.60 (discounted from P1,499.00) Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities and Milflores Publishing, Inc. To buy, visit: milflorespublishing.com For comments and feedback, you may reach the author on Facebook and Twitter: @DrJennyO.

Young visionaries introduce human-centered design solutions YOUNG innovators under the Industrial Design Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde presented their latest pioneering creations in NEO, a virtual exhibition on human-centered design solutions to improve the daily lives of the people and address concerns on health, safety and wellness.

With the ongoing pandemic in mind, Raphael Reodique and Gabby Paca champion the sanitization of both personal and public spaces. Reodique’s Sterilamp optimizes the functions of LED and UV lights to provide illumination and disinfect work areas. Paca makes travels safe for commuters with Aire, an air purifier specially designed for buses. It is equipped with a HEPA and copper filter system which can be mounted on ceilings.

Mary Shane Pervera and Mikaela Ysabel Reynoso hope to aid those who need immediate medication.

Pervera elevates the traditional nebulizer through ERA, a no-noise portable electronic respiratory aid for asthmatic individuals. Meanwhile, Reynoso’s ReCap provides temporary relief from headache and sensory overload brought by migraine. It is powered by the Peltier cooling technology to reduce the neurotransmission of pain.

Richard Roxas seeks to assist COVID-19 patients in their breathing with the Prone Cushion. The support padding allows one to comfortably be in a prone position, which facilitates open airways in the lungs. On the other hand, Jeremy Tacardon is driven to reduce nerve damage through Tempo Project Crutches. A one-piece aluminum designed for both physically-abled individuals and persons with disabilities (PWDs), its curved frame design enhances comfort and mobility.

To lower the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI), Ramon De La Fuente creates Oneco, an ergonomic keyboard that guarantees a pleasant typing experience despite extended hours of work.

Zap Trap by Grazel Amanda Isidro

Oneco by Ramon De La Fuenta

ReCap by Mikaela Ysabel Reynoso

PITSTOP by Gillian Buena

LeaD by Russel Barrameda

Its hinge provides an ideal typing angle and the ability to be separated into two parts.

Motivated to promote bicycle use as a sustainable alternative to public transport, Gillian Buena and Maxine Beatrice Perez prioritize the safety of cyclists. Buena’s PITSTOP is an accessible modular shed equipped with seating panels, a vending machine, a public restroom, plus automatic air compressor and repair tools. Meanwhile, Perez proposes Tandem, a multipurpose kit where cyclists can conveniently store items, especially emergency essentials.

It can be easily secured around the bike or can be worn around the body.

Russel Barrameda’s LeaD is a rapid interaction device for automobiles to let drivers communicate well and avoid potentially dangerous confrontations. It comes with an LED panel that displays messages and free voice recognition technology to avoid distractions on the road.

To address the issues on house rats, Grazel Amanda Isidro redesigns a reusable rodent trap that advocates for a clean method of catching and exterminating rodents through electric shock.

Dubbed as Zap Trap, the device features an enclosed layout to reduce direct contact with rodents.

Aleksander Wieneke and Royd Santiago present disaster preparedness solutions to assist both residents and rescuers in flood-prone areas. Wieneke’s NOAH is a multipurpose chair that transforms into an abrasion-resistant and anti-impact flotation device for rescue operations. Designed for single-story households, Santiago’s SALVAR is a roof-attached shelter that makes for a quick-deploy refuge from rising flood waters. It likewise doubles as an emergency source of light and power.

The Intellectual Property of the featured designs belongs to the College and the student-designers, as cited in the Benilde Intellectual Property Rights Policy 3.6.

BINI posing in front of the Rizal Monument during their ‘Roadtrip Adventures’

BINI supports DOT’S efforts to boost local tourism P-POP girl group BINI is traveling around the country to re-introduce some of the best spots for vacation, food trips, outdoor activities, and more in its new series BINI Roadtrip Adventures.

Through a partnership with the Department of Tourism, the digital show aims to bring out the beauty of local tourist destinations and shed light on Filipino culture as a support to the tourism sector now that travel is once again in full swing.

For its premiere episode, BINI members Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena toured around Luneta in Manila, where they saw famous historical landmarks, held a fun history quiz, and performed “Na Na Na” with surprise appearance from some of their fans called BLOOMs. “I’m really happy because thanks to BINI Roadtrip Adventures, we can finally visit places like this—famous landmarks and tourist spots in

the Philippines. I feel like we’ll also discover some unknown spots that we can introduce,” BINI Maloi said.

“That’s why we’re game to try everything and discover new things together,” BINI Gwen echoed. “We feel so blessed too because through this project we were able to discover new things together with BINI.” With its jam-packed, year-long content, the new “Made for YouTube” offering will surely delight BLOOMs as well as BINI members who all hail from different provinces in the country like Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bicol, Cebu, Bohol, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya.

Shooting the online show will also be a homecoming of sorts for some of the girls, as they will explore other exciting parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in its upcoming episodes.

BINI Roadtrip Adventures now streams on the girl band’s YouTube channel. New episodes are uploaded every Thursday at 8:00 p.m.

n Entertainment Editor: Nickie Wang

Maria Gigante is armed with experience as a host and model

email: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

JUNE 5, 2022

Kim Tiquestiques is a dark horse in the competition and is known for her exotic beauty

Standard’s Choice

Ingrid Santamaria is a skilled speaker and loves to immerse herself in other cultures

Charyzah Esparrago is a pageant favorite after being one of the top ladies in the pre-pageant activities

Paula Ortega is a veteran in pageants and is using her experience to get a leg up in the competition

Miss World Philippines 2022 Hot Picks

W

HO will be crowned Miss World Philippines 2022? That will be known at the pageant finals happening tonight at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

At the Coronation Night, outgoing Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez will crown her successor while other winners will take home the Miss Supranational Philippines 2022, Miss Eco International Philippines 2022, and Reina HispanoAmericana Filipina 2022 titles.

As an annual tradition, here’s Manila Standard’s list of strong candidates who deserve to wear the Philippines sash on the

Gwendolyne Fourniol is a FrenchFilipina who’s a favorite in the competition

Miss World stage: Ashley Subijano Montenegro, 22 She is one of this year’s frontrunners. Ashley is an international model who graduated from UC Berkeley. This former Miss Charm Philippines title holder is currently a Junior in Entrepreneurship at Endurun College.

Gwendolyne Fourniol, 21 This French-Filipina beauty is a heavy favorite. Known for her impressive

Cassandra Chan demonstrates that she has the beauty and brains to make it far in the competition

communication skills, Gwen is pursuing an Economics degree at Oxford Brooks in London in the UK. Simone Bornilla, 19 She is currently a BS Medical Biology student at De La Salle University. The morena beauty has a soft heart for elderly gays which is why she is pushing for the establishment of a care facility for aging and homeless members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Maria Gigante, 28 She is returning to the pageant stage armed with experience as a host and model.

Considered a pageant royalty, Maria is a graduate of Philosophy at the University of San Carlos.

Ingrid Santamaria, 25 Her skills as a speaker were honed as

Ashley Montenegro is an international model and was the former Miss Charm Philippines title holder

Maria Gigante returns to pageantry to represent Cebu in Miss World Philippines 2022

a corporate professional and cum laude graduate in Communications from De La Salle University. Ingrid is a sociable person who loves immersing herself in other cultures.

Alison Black, 23 This mestiza beauty is a professional ballerina and a Business graduate at the University of the Philippines. Another pageant fans favorite, Alison is expected to take home any of the titles at stake.

Paula Ortega, 26 She has Nursing and Medical Laboratory Technician degrees from the University of Barcelona. Paula is no stranger to pageants and she’s using her experience as a pageant veteran to her advantage.

Cassandra Chan, 27 She is a professional ballet dancer and a teacher. Cassandra is not just a beautiful face, she’s also one of the candidates who can showcase that she’s got something between her ears being a cum laude graduate at the University of the Philippines.

Kimberly Anne Tiquestiques, 22 If the local organization is looking for exotic beauty, statuesque Kimberly can perfectly fit the bill. This Binibining Bulacan-Pilipinas 2019 and fomer Binibining Pilipinas Candidate is one of the competition’s dark horses.

Charyzah Esparrago, 22 She is a fashion designer by profession and a magna cum laude graduate in Communication Research at UP Diliman. Charyzah’s placement will not be a big surprise being one of the top ladies during pre-pageant activities.

Eton Concepcion

Five reasons why ‘Got 2 Believe’ is a quintessential Måneskin share action-packed romantic flick for today’s audiences music video for ‘SUPERMODEL’ ROMANCE is in the air as ABS-CBN Film Restoration relives one of the most iconic Pinoy romantic flicks of the early 2000s.

In the latest installment of Sagip Pelikula Spotlight, the works and legacy of veteran filmmaker Olivia M. Lamasan will take over this month’s watchlist, starting with the digitally restored and remastered version of Star Cinema’s all-time hit Got 2 Believe.

Got 2 Believe, starring Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan, revolves around Toni (Claudine), a wedding planner and a perennial bridesmaid who’ve always wanted a fairy-tale ending with her prince charming. But, as she turns 25, she feels resigned to being a hopeless romantic, accepting that she may be single for the rest of her life. Until she crosses paths with Lorenz (Rico), a photographer who does not believe in happy endings, offering her a proposal to be her leading subject for a magazine article in exchange for setting her up with her ideal man.

After numerous attempts, Toni finally met ‘the one,’ but she is left torn as to whom to fall in love with—her dream prince charming or the

‘Got 2 Believe’ is one of the most iconic Filipino rom-com films thanks to Olive Lamasan’s talent one who made her heart skip a beat?

Got 2 Believe, now marking its 20th year since its theatrical release in 2002, remains one of the most well-received Pinoy romance flicks today, inspiring many more titles with its oneof-a-kind formula leaving audiences blushing and gushing for love.

With its restored version now streaming on KTX, here are five reasons why today’s audiences must include Got 2 Believe in their rom-com watchlist: 1. The undeniable chemistry between Claudine and Rico Before KathNiel, LizQuen, and DonBelle, there was the love team of Claudine and Rico spanning back to the late ‘90s, notably with their run as a tandem in their first project, Madrasta followed by Flames The Movie,

Dahil Mahal Na Mahal Kita plus other TV series in between.

Their chemistry then bloomed off-screen while working on different projects becoming one of showbiz’s most admired real-and-reel life couples of their generation.

Just like KathNiel, LizQuen, and the likes whose on-cam partnership blossomed into real life, Claudine and Rico’s chemistry on-screen seemed candid and very much in love with one another.

If that doesn’t make you gush over them, Claudine still considers Rico her “always and forever,” a proof of The iconic piggyback ride shot of Rico Yan (left) how their romance not only left an and Claudine Barretto impact on her but also on Pinoy references that would make you wonder cinema. how life was before.

2. Kilig worthy Got 2 Believe is a time capsule in scenes itself, bringing older audiences back Making Got 2 to the good old days, and showing Believe a mustyounger viewers how was it like to watch romance fall in love in the early days. film is its array 5. Direk Olive’s cinematic of scenes making prowess viewers swoon to Up to this date, critics revere their seats.

Got 2 Believe as one of the From their most iconic rom-com flicks in comedic scenes the country, thanks to Direk Olive together (including the Lamasan’s cinematic brilliance. one where Toni hurled Its right balance of kilig, random objects Claudine (left) and Rico’s comedy, and drama through Direk towards Lorenz, plus when he followed undeniable chemistry is a big Olive’s directing sets a standard for factor in the film’s success today’s romance titles. No wonder her in the middle of many shows emulate its formula to the street to pester her with his proposition), their accidental kiss, to effectively make viewers feel in love, as evident their iconic piggyback ride shot, the film will in more of her works, including Starting Over make you blush throughout, even if you’re not Again, Barcelona: A Love Untold, and more.

There are many more reasons why the the cheesy type. movie is a quintessential Pinoy rom-com flick 3. Perfect blend of the soundtrack Making its scenes more romantic is the today and today’s viewers can fully experience proudly OPM soundtrack used to accompany Toni and Lorenz’s amusing love story in the digitally restored and remastered version of for additional feels.

With the likes of Side A’s cover of David Got 2 Believe, now streaming online on KTX, Pomeranz’s hit “Got To Believe In Magic,” priced at P150.

Now on its eleventh year since digitally Freshmen’s “I’m Falling For You,” Tootsie Guevarra’s bop track “Na-Develop,” Jessa restoring its first title, Sagip Pelikula continues Zaragosa’s heartbreak anthem “Ikakasal Ka to remaster films from directors and writers of Na,” among many others, Toni and Lorenz’s note for today’s viewers to appreciate. These love story becomes more vivid and full of efforts have earned multiple recognitions from emotion. Indeed, making the whole movie a award-giving bodies worldwide, including the prestigious Gold Quill Award given by perfect blend for audiences of all ages. the International Association of Business 4. The nostalgia of the 2000s Making its premiere in 2002, Got 2 Believe Communicators (IABC), Gawad Pedro is undeniably a blast from the past for today’s Bucaneg from Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), and most recently the audiences.

The film showcases the best things of the Gawad PASADO sa Pagsisinop ng mga De 2000s, including the characters’ fashion sense, Kalibreng Pelikula distinction from the 23rd their old mobile phones enough to communicate Gawad PASADO organized by Pampelikulang with others non-stop, plus other pop-culture Samahan ng mga Dalubguro (PASADO).

FAST-RISING global rock group Måneskin has unveiled the highly anticipated new visual for its latest single “Supermodel.” The video release follows recent news of the band securing its second platinum record in the UK with previous hit single “Beggin.”

Filmed in London and directed by Bedroom projects (The 1975) and Ben Chappell (Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails), the cinematic visual sees the Gucci-styled band cast in their own script for blockbuster single “Supermodel.” Combining classic elements of Tarantino and Hitchcock, the band perfectly captures the song’s fierce mood and playful lyrics as a series of catastrophic events unfold.

Måneskin writes, “We wanted to pay tribute to our favorite ‘90s movies in the ‘Supermodel’ music video. We tried to capture a cinematic vibe about an enigmatic character in the track and we wanted the visual to reflect that. After we came up with the idea, we worked closely with the directors and Ben to recreate frame shots and sequences from our favorite ‘90s films. We had so much fun filming it in London, playing funny scenes that reminded us of a detective B-movie.

Bedroom comments, “The Måneskin video was a project that was inspired by the references of a mixture of ‘90s films like Run Lola Run, Reservoir Dogs, as well as, Hitchcock and a bit of 1950s Hollywood.”

“This video came about after a week of sitting around the pool in LA with the band thumbing through 90s Vogue magazines and talking about our favorite 9 0 s

movies. We tried to sneak in as many small references as we could throughout the video,” Ben Chappell adds.

Produced with pop prodigy Max Martin and his team, the band launched the single with a surprise performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. The California-soaked rock anthem is loosely based on characters they met during their time in LA. “You want to hang out with this supermodel, but you might get in trouble. It’s like cigarettes: you love them but you know they’re gonna fucking kill you.” the band described in their recent NME Big Read cover interview.

The band will kick off its world tour Loud Kids Tour on October 31 with a sold-out show on its opening night in Seattle, followed by a run of sold-out gigs across North America - including three in Canada, two in New York, Washington, San Francisco, and Atlanta before embarking on their recently expanded European leg in 2023 - playing iconic venues including London’s O2 Arena, Accor Arena in Paris and Berlin’s Mercedes Benz Arena.

With a sound that’s at once classic and thoroughly modern, Måneskin is bringing rock’n’roll back on top of the International charts, perfectly mixing it with contemporary tastes. Now cosigned by the likes of Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, Mark Ronson and more, Victoria (bass guitar), Damiano (vocals), Thomas (guitar), and Ethan (drums), started their career busking in the streets of Rome in 2015 and, in just a few years, they conquered the world by becoming one of the most popular rock acts of their generation.

At the moment the band has over 5 billion streams on all digital platforms.

With their brand new single Supermodel, M å n e s k i n continues to assert themselves as one of the most exciting rock bands of our time.

Fast-rising Italian rock ban Måneskin

JUNE 5, 2022

Millennials and their Pets

By Mariana Burgos

P

EOPLE'S love of pets has grown stronger during the pandemic, whether they adopted a new furbaby to deal with the isolation of a lockdown or they became closer to the ones they already have. Usually during the holidays, many pet owners plan to show their love for their furry children by showering them with presents and incorporating them in unusual celebrations.

Millennials have been shown to be true animal lovers, with seven out of ten having their own pets. Of the pet owners, 61 percent have a dog, while 39 percent have a cat.

Millennials regard their pets as children, and they are the generation most prone to lavish lavishly on their pets. According to a poll of almost 100 local pet owners in our own area (San Miguel, Bulacan) that I conducted, millennials are the most inclined to buy five or more gifts for their pets. Millennials, unsurprisingly, are going a little too far with expenses for their 'fur-babies'.

Gen Xers feel their pets can find camaraderie with other pets, whereas

Whisky, Yumi Burgos' cat, sleeping beside her stuffed toy dog.

Milky, the adopted dog of the author, playing with her chew toy.

Yumi Burgos and her dog, Milky.

baby boomers see their pets as extended family members. Gen Xers are more likely than previous generations to possess two pets.

Many individuals underestimate the expenses of being a pet parent. Luxury accessories and toys have remained a significant cost of pet keeping, with millennial pet owners embracing the trends in particular. Millennial cat owners spend an average of P3000 a year on their pet and some (rich kids) are willing to spend up to P20,000 if their cat becomes unwell.

Nearly 71 per cent of those pet owners say they spend between P100 and P400 on their fluffy fam members around the holidays, 23 per cent spend more than P500, and 6 per cent spend more than P1000, according to our survey. Meanwhile, 5 per cent of respondents said they don't spend any additional money on their dogs or cats.

However, keep in mind that our estimates only consider splurging, not regular pet expenses like food and grooming, or veterinary care and pet insurance. According to our interviews and surveys conducted, Gen Xers spend the most money on their dogs of any age group, while millennials spend the most money on their cats. A quarter of millennials said they buy matching clothes to correspond with their dogs.

And 13 per cent of baby boomers said they buy more gifts for their pets than for their family members.

For social media posts, 40 per cent of millennials spend money on their dogs (for instance, for props or outfits).

Twenty-one percent of Gen Xers and eight percent of baby boomers spend money on social media posts for their

dogs. According to our survey, baby boomers are the least likely to go into debt for their pets and spend less overall than other generations.

Millennials are delaying starting families longer than previous generations, and as a result, they treat their pets like children.

One thing is certain: each generation adores dogs, with all three generations preferring canine company when it comes to pet ownership.

Dogs provide a number of physical and mental health advantages, ranging from improved mood to reduced blood pressure, making them a popular pet choice. Cats, the secondmost popular pet across generations, provide similar health benefits, albeit a correlation between cat ownership and a lower incidence of heart attacks has only been discovered in cat ownership, not dog ownership.

We've already established that this audience goes above and beyond when it comes to caring for their pets, so any pet care firm that launches a blog or other kind of more personal connection should be wary of providing genuine advice, tales, and interaction. Any thinly veiled advertising will be ignored.

Millennials crave a sense of belonging. They want information and updates. Making messages seem like a discussion, even if it's only on the surface, is becoming an increasingly crucial outlet. Sure, you're trying to sell something, but what if you make it appear as if the audience is a part of a solution when they take action?

This audience is looking for authenticity and involvement. They like to be "spoken with" rather than being "talked at," therefore using social media is no longer optional. However, millennials can smell

a rat, and the 37 percent of them who own pets are even more likely to seek out "the sale," as they're less concerned with brand loyalty than ever before. This generation is more likely to return to hear what you have to say if you engage them in discussions about improved ways to help them care for their "babies." And then, you got them.

Millennials are the most educated and connected generation in history.

They go online, and it's becoming increasingly common for people of all ages to do so. Everyone's word is not taken as gospel, including veterinarians.

Perception is reality, as it is with all clients. If Millennials believe their pet dog or cat is not being properly cared for or that they are not getting value for their money, they will not hesitate to seek out another facility that meets their needs.

Millennials understand the humananimal link significantly better than previous generations, and their pets' emotional well-being is as important to them as their physical well-being.

There is no evidence (yet) that Millennials are leading the change in terms of pet care. However, evidence shows that Millennials are driving up the number of veterinarian appointments and are concerned about their animals' emotional wellbeing.

Millennials are demanding the best medical care for their pets. And that is a good thing.

About the Author: Mariana Burgos is a freelance artist. She is a solo parent for 14 years now because she is wife to a desaparacido. She and her daughter are animal lovers and are active in advocating not only human rights but the rights of animals as well.

Is oregano safe for dogs?

OREGANO can cause gastrointestinal irritation, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). It has thus put oregano in the list of food that have toxicity for dogs.

But small amounts are harmless, said Mydog.com in “Oregano for a Pet Dog? Read This First!” which was reviewed

by Doctor Stephanie Flansburg Cruz, a veterinary physician. Dr. Cruz, who has three dogs, endorsed the article.

“Oregano is a delicious addition to any dish. It also has plenty of powerful medicinal properties. Do you want to add this herb to your dog’s diet? Whether it is safe is up for debate…We acknowledge that diarrhea and even vomiting are possible, but small amounts are harmless and even healthy,” said Mydog.com

Moderate use for dogs is recommended

Oregano has a lot of uses, Mydog. com said. For one, oregano can specifically help older dogs with arthritis because of its antioxidants.

For another, oregano can enhance the taste and aroma of fish, meat, and vegetables whether they are grilled, roasted or fried.

“Whether your objective is to have a healthier hound or to simply introduce a new taste — your dog can be

included assuming you don’t get carried away!,” Mydog.com said.

Top uses

The great taste is obvious but Mydog.com said oregano can help with a sore throat, bronchitis, asthma and even the common cough.

“Respiratory, gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and heartburn and other stomach issues may also respond,” Mydog.com said.

Oregano can even work on infections including urinary tract infection (UTI) and certain heart problems, it added.

Besides treating your dog’s wounds, other applicable skin problems are: · Insect bites (including bee stings) · Psoriasis · Ringworm · Warts · Canker sores · Acne “And again, oregano is a promising supplement for reducing arthritis in dogs (sadly all-too-common),” Mydog. com said.

Uses of oregano oil

Mydog.com warned however: “The first thing you should know about giving your

dog this concentrated leaf extract: Oil of oregano is way too strong, possibly dangerous, in pure form. It must be well-diluted and, even then, you may have difficulty giving it to your dog — most animals reject the taste.”

You can mix only a small amount of weakened oil of oregano in tea (diluted in water), or simply mix it with your dog’s food.

“Once watered down, it is an antiseptic that prevents the spread of germs.

The anti-fungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties will reduce bacteria and viruses,” Mydog.com said.

“Oregano is also a topical application for skin rashes and wounds. Last but not least, oregano oil can help to keep a canine’s coat (and skin) looking healthy,” it added.

Reminder

Do not give pure oil of oregano to your dog, internally or externally (dogs might lick it).

Give only a little oregano diluted in water and then mix a small amount in the dog food.

“For treatment of wounds, as an arthritis supplement, or simply sprinkling it onto food for taste — your dog can benefit and they may even enjoy it. (But) Oregano oil is particularly potent so be especially cautious with the liquid form,” Mydog.com said.

Never use UNDILUTED oregano. Give only a small amount of oregano diluted in water to your pet for certain conditions. Always ask your vet for advice as each pet is different from another. Small amounts of diluted oregano is harmless for certain medical conditions like skin problems, says Mydog.com in an article reviewed and endorsed by a veterinarian.