Manila Standard - 2022 June 29 - Wednesday

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China VP Wang to represent Xi in inaugural rite

By Rey E. Requejo, Francisco Tuyay, and Mervin Vince Lopez VOL. XXXVI • NO. 134 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CHINESE Vice President Wang Qishan will attend the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday at the National Museum grounds, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Chinese News Agency said Wang will serve as the “special representative” of Chinese President Xi Jinping during Marcos’ oath-taking. No further details about Wang’s attendance were provided.

The Chinese announcement comes a day after the United States announced that the husband of US Vice President Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff, will represent President Joe Biden and lead the American delegation to the inauguration.

Apart from Emhoff and Wang, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will attend the rites on behalf of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Other senior foreign dignitaries are expected to confirm their attendance as well.

The inauguration of Marcos Jr. on June 30 will be solemn and simple, one of the organizers said Tuesday.

BUILDUP BEGINS.

With the road leading to the National Museum already closed off (left side of photo), traffic gets congested at the famous Lagusnilad in front of Manila City Hall on Tuesday in preparation for the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 30.

Norman Cruz

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Last DQ case vs. BBM junked

High Court ruling clears way for Marcos inauguration on Thursday

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court on Tuesday voted 13-0 to dismiss the petition filed by martial law victims seeking to disqualify President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. because he was convicted for failing to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes from 1982 to 1985.

President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The vote cleared the way for his becoming the country’s 17th President on June 30.

The Court’s Public Information Office chief and spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said the decision was reached

during yesterday’s regular en banc session of the 15-member bench, two days before Marcos’s inauguration at the National Museum grounds in Manila.

“The Court held that in the exercise of its power to decide the present controversy led them to no other conclusion but that respondent Marcos Jr. is qualified to run for and be elected to public office,” the SC said, in a decision written by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda.

The Court said Marcos’s certificate of candidacy, which was valid and in accord with the pertinent law, was “rightfully upheld” by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Hosaka confirmed that Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo will administer the oath of office of the newly-elected President.

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NCR under Alert Level 1 ‘til July 15; cases still going up

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas METRO Manila will remain under Alert Level 1 from July 1 to 15, despite the rise of COVID-19 cases, the Palace said Tuesday.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) issued the new alert level even after the Department of Health (DOH) predicted that new cases would

go up to 4,600 daily in the National Capital Region by mid-July due to increase mobility and declining compliance with minimum public health standards.

Andanar said that the IATF also approved the new alert level classifications elsewhere in the country.

He said the IATF revised the matrices to be used for the Alert Level System, removing the two-week growth rate in Next page

RESTORED CHURCH.

Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas (5th from left, 2nd row, and inset) joins a group from the Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation Inc. at the newly restored facade of the La Loma Cemetery Chapel in Caloocan City on Monday. The Diocese of Kalookan partnered with Escuela Taller to save the structure of the church, which was declared a National Cultural Treasure. Joey O. Razon

NICA chief: Senate agri smuggling list not from us

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo THE names of 22 suspected smugglers of agricultural goods and their protectors mentioned in the report of the Senate Committee of the Whole were not from the National Intelligence Coordi-

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comment on the Senate report released Monday night.

Two senators had criticized the NICA for the “rawness” of the information on the alleged players in agricultural smuggling.

“We do have our own list, but it is different from the one that was published Next page

P85m in smuggled poultry from China blocked

By Joel E. Zurbano GOVERNMENT agents assigned at the Manila North Harbor have seized P85 million worth of frozen poultry products illegally imported from China.

Customs Deputy Commissioner for

Intelligence Raniel Ramiro said the consignee, Jeroce Consumer Goods Trading, and its broker, Gilber Gucilatar Lopez, will face smuggling cases and other appropriate charges for the five shipments that arrived on June 15.

The importers will be charged with

violation of Sections 117 (regulated importation and exportation) and 1400 (misdeclaration) in relation to Section 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), among others.

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Rody signs law that clamps down on suspected human traffickers

Thieves take toilet valves from 8 airport restrooms NOW this is a real “Flush Report.”

Authorities are investigating the series of thefts happening at the public restrooms of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which reportedly caused discomfort to passengers, especially foreign air travelers.

Manila International Airport Authority officials said the thefts of toilet flush valves from public comfort rooms in NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 4 happened between April and June 2022.

nation Agency (NICA), its director said on Tuesday.

“The list did not come from NICA. In fact, [if you will look at the] committee of the whole report, there was no mention that it came from NICA,” agency director Edsel Batalla said in a text message to GMA News when asked for

By Vito Barcelo

WHERE’D IT GO? In this screen grab from a News 5 television report, a restroom at

the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is missing its stainless-steel flush valve, with each one costing from P4,000 to P6,200, airport officials said.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law mandating government agencies to investigate and conduct intelligence gathering and surveillance on suspected human traffickers within 10 days after filing a case against them.

Malacanang said the new measure is provided for under the Expanded AntiTrafficking in Persons Act signed by Duterte last June 23.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) renewed its warning against

trafficking syndicates who prey on children, women, and overseas workers bound to Middle East and Gulf regions.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente aired the reminder following recent foreign news involving Indian women who were illegally trafficked and rescued from inhumane conditions in Kuwait.

He said the incident only proves that trafficking remains a global issue that must be addressed.

Under the new law, concerned government agencies can conduct the probe Next page

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News

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH to keep fixing BRP Sierra Madre C

HINA cannot stop the Philippines from fixing parts of the BRP Sierra Madre, the dilapidated Philippine Navy ship at the Ayungin Shoal in the Kalayaan Group of Islands, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday.

they will take hold of it. Ambassador Huang and I had a talk when we were water-cannoned. I was told, ‘Your people cannot do that. You are trying to reinforce Sierra Madre.’ They don’t want us to repair Sierra Madre such that it will stay there permanently,” he told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Ayungin Shoal, known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal -- and to China as Ren’ai Jiao -- is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, located 128 nautical miles from Rizal, Palawan. It is among the nine features in the Kalayaan Island Group being occupied by the Philippines.

Lorenzana pointed out the BRP Sierra Madre has not been decommissioned yet.

“That is a commissioned ship. We

have been resupplying that detachment for the past 20 years. Our personnel need to repair the living quarters, so you cannot prevent us from repairing that,” he said.

“We will improve the quarters of our troops. We will maintain the ship because it hasn’t been decommissioned yet. It is still part of the PH Navy,” he added.

Lorenzana assured that missions to resupply troops aboard the Sierra Madre will continue.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed over 300 diplomatic protests against China for their interference in legitimate activities of the Philippine government and for their “illegal” activities within Manila’s 200-mile EEZ.

The petition filed Fr. Christian Buenafe, Fides Lim, Ma. Edeliza Hernandez, Celia Lagman Sevilla, Roland Vibal, and Josephine Lascano sough to set aside the Jan. 17, 2022 and May 10, 2022 resolutions of the Commission on Elections, which dismissed for lack of merit the petition they filed against Marcos, for the denial or cancellation of his certificate of candidacy for the position of President, and denying their motion for partial reconsideration, respectively.

A similar petition filed by martial law survivors led by Satur Ocampo and Bonifacio Ilagan, which was consolidated with the Buenafe et al petition, was also dismissed.

The petition was anchored on Mar-

cos’s alleged failure to file income tax returns from 1982 to 1985 while he was a public official in Ilocos Norte.

The petitioners argued that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion when it gave weight to Marcos’s material representation that he is eligible for the position of President and that he has not been convicted of a crime punished with the penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office.

Associate Justices Henri Jean Paul B. Inting and Associate Justice Antonio Kho, Jr. did not take part in the deliberations.

Justice Inting said his sibling Socorro B. Inting is the incumbent Commission on Elections commissioner while Justice Kho Jr. is a former Comelec commissioner.

by the committee,” Batalla added.

He said Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco was not on NICA’s list of suspected smugglers.

“Per NICA data, [he has no] involvement in smuggling or even as protector,” Batalla said, adding that what NICA had was information on cases the Navotas local government had filed against smugglers.

In reaction, outgoing Senate President Vicente Sotto III warned the NICA director about his latest claim.

“Be careful. I have witnesses and signed logs of their visit sa Senate through [Office of Sergeant-at-Arms].

Tell him,” Sotto told GMA News.

This developed as Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and one of his subordinates on Tuesday denied they were involved in agricultural smuggling.

“I vehemently deny the accusations against me on my alleged involvement in agricultural smuggling based on a supposed validated list,” said Guerrero in a statement.

The BOC chief also said law enforcement agencies such as the NICA, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police denied the release or submission of any intelligence report from their respective agencies that would implicate any Customs official in any smuggling activity.

The Customs chief – a former Army general himself -- said the Senate report

also contains the numerous accomplishments of the agency in its campaign against agricultural smuggling, and the adoption of the executive recommendations, which he directed.

“Among these recommendations we implemented are the strengthened interagency collaboration and data exchange of relevant information and document such as the Inward Foreign Manifest, among others,” Guerrero said.

“We also allowed DA representatives to take part in the non-intrusive inspection of containers to ensure full transparency in the examination of agricultural products. The BOC also offered DA to deputize its personnel for enforcement operations.”

However, Malacanang on Tuesday urged the Senate to file charges against Guerrero – appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the post in 2018 -- and several agriculture officials and local officials, acting Presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said in a statement.

Andanar said these persons “were purportedly involved in the illegal importation of agricultural products in the country.”

The Senate report said the amount of smuggled agri-fishery commodities from 2019 to 2022 was estimated at P667.5 million.

“We are one with the Senate in fighting corruption in the bureaucracy,” Andanar said.

He said filing charges before the Ombudsman would also allow those accused to defend themselves.

“File the necessary charges before the Office of the Ombudsman so officials

and persons mentioned in the Senate report could be afforded due process, face their accusers, and have their day in court,” the spokesman added.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service director Jeoffrey Tacio also slammed the accusation that he was involved in smuggling or in any wrongdoing in the Bureau of Customs.

“I strongly take exception to my inclusion in the list of alleged protectors of unscrupulous personalities involved in the smuggling of agricultural products mentioned in the Senate Committee Report,” said Tacio.

The Senate report of the Committee of the Whole identified Guerrero, Tacio, and 20 other personalities as alleged protectors and smugglers of agricultural products.

The 63-page report mentioned not only BOC officials but also executives of the Department of Agriculture and several mayors.

The report linked 22 persons to the alleged smuggling operations based on an intelligence report received by Senate President Vicente Sotto III on May 17, 2022, containing a “validated list” of persons supposedly involved in illegally importing agricultural products into the country.

However, Senator-elect Robin Padilla said those involved in the multimillionpeso smuggling cases flagged by the Committee of the Whole should resign.

He stressed that “delicadeza” should prevail, and that those implicated in the smuggling should voluntarily quit their position.

“You should step down. This should

MIAA chief information officer Connie Bungag said the Airport Authority has already identified one possible suspect, believed to be in cahoots with other individuals who are still subject of continuing surveillance operations.

“The identity of the possible suspect matched CCTV footages and the description given by building attendants who brought the latest incident to the attention

of MIAA authorities,” said Bungag.

“Once evidence is established, the MIAA shall file the necessary criminal complaint with the Pasay Prosecutors Office,” she added.

In 2019, the MIAA management formed a special team to go after members of the so-called Salisi Gang and other criminal elements operating at the airport.

The Authority came up with the

measure to protect air travelers, especially overseas Filipino workers, from being victimized by the criminals.

The management adopted the “roving buddy” system in going after the gang members. It hired and deployed undercover agents to four terminals to monitor and look after thieves, con men and petty criminals who victimize unsuspecting passengers.

“The shipments undergone 100 percent examination and found to contain frozen chicken thigh, frozen chicken breast, frozen chicken skinless breast, frozen chicken peeled breast, and frozen pork rectum with estimated value of P85 million,” said Ramiro.

On Monday, officials of the Manila International Container Port - Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (MICP-CIIS) witnessed the complete examination of the five 40foot containers and found them to have misdeclared goods, a clear case of technical smuggling.

The Alert Order was issued upon the request of the Customs Intelligence Group (IG) and MICP-CIIS. “Upon receiving information and validation since previous shipments were already seized with said violation, a request was immediately requested to MICP district collector for issuance of Alert Order or 100 percent physical examination,” CIIS Director Jeoffrey Tacio said.

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and Samar (Western Samar) Region IX - City of Isabela, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay Region X - Lanao Del Norte Region XI - Davao De Oro, Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, and Davao Occidental Region XII - Cotabato (North Cotabato), General Santos City (Dadiangas), Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat Caraga - Dinagat Islands and Surigao Del Norte Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao - Basilan, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and TawiTawi Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country’s observance of public health standards has gone down by 21 percent as COVID-19 infections continue to rise.

Vergeire said, based on new projections, the National Capital Region’s (NCR) COVID-19 cases may go up to as high as 4,600 per day by the middle of July, due to the declining compliance with health protocols and the increased mobility of people.

“Currently, our decline in the compliance with health protocols is at 21 percent. If this happens, we are seeing that by the middle of July, our daily cases in the NCR may increase from 3,800 to 4,600,” she said in Filipino in a radio interview.

The whole country may see the cases escalate up to 5,300 per day during the same period based on the same factors, Vergeire said.

The COVID-19 positivity rate in the NCR climbed to 5.9 percent on June 25 from 3.9 percent on June 18, the independent OCTA Research Group said Monday.

Chinese Coast Guard vessels had “shadowed” or closely followed two Filipino boats carrying supplies for the Sierra Madre during the Philippine military’s rotation and resupply mission last week, Lorenzana noted. The Chinese vessels also issued radio challenges to the Philippine side.

Meanwhile, the Defense secretary, who steps down in two days, on Monday signed a P30-billion contract with Korean shipbuilding company Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for six offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the

Philippine Navy.

Lorenzana signed the deal with HHI vice chairman and president Sam Hyun Ka at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The patrol boats are 94.4 meters long and 14.3 meters wide, with a displacement of 2,400 tons, a maximum speed of 22 knots, a cruising speed of 15 knots, and a range of 5,500 nautical miles.

Lorenzana said he had already talked to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian regarding a similar incident in the past.

“That’s part of Chinese tactic. Slowly,

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Last DQ...

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In a statement, Franz Imperial, who is one of the heads of the preparation committee, said that except for some minor details that are still being finalized, the program is all set.

“The program we have prepared is very solemn and simple. It would be very traditional because as BBM said in his vlog, ‘we will not deviate from tradition,’” Imperial said, using the initials by which Marcos is called.

The inauguration of the President of the Republic of the Philippines is a ceremonial event marking the start of a sixyear term for a new chief executive.

The 1987 Constitution mandates the presidential inauguration to occur on June 30, with the President-elect taking his oath of office at exactly noon.

Imperial said the inauguration, to be held at the National Museum, will start with actress Toni Gonzaga singing the National Anthem.

He added details for the ecumenical invocation that will follow are still being finalized.

There will also be a 30-minute military-civil parade, after which the inauguration song “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” will be performed by Cris Villonco and the Young Voices of the Philippines choir, he said.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo will administer the oath of office.

Imperial said Marcos will not be using a teleprompter for his inaugural speech.

Over the years, various traditions have arisen that have expanded the inauguration from a simple oath-taking ceremony to a day-long event, including parades, speeches, and balls.

Since 1992, the ceremony traditionally begins with the president-elect fetching the incumbent in Malacanang Palace on the morning of June 30.

At the Palace’s State Entrance, the president-elect will wait for the incumbent to descend the grand staircase.

Upon meeting at the foot of the staircase, the president-elect would greet the incumbent. Then both would travel to the Quirino Grandstand aboard any of the presidential cars.

Following protocol, the outgoing president takes the back right-hand seat of the vehicle, while the presidentelect is seated behind the chauffeur.

Earlier, Marcos through his lawyer Estelito Mendoza sought the dismissal of the petition on the grounds that the Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Marcos asserted that it is only the Presidential Electoral Tribunal that has jurisdiction to inquire into his eligibility.

Marcos said the petition must be dismissed for lack of merit since he did not commit any material misrepresentation in his COC, contrary to the claim of the petitioners, that would warrant his disqualification from seeking the presidency.

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From A1 Two incidents happened at the women’s restrooms in Terminal 1, while six flush valves were stolen in Terminal 2.

A stainless toilet flush valve costs from P4,000 to P6,200 each, airport officials said.

Rody...

From A1 based on the statements, reports, reports, or affidavits executed by human trafficking victims, migrant workers, or their families, internet intermediaries, and other persons who have personal knowledge or information about possible violations of the law, including the private sector.

The new law also said that a law enforcement official may, upon a written order from the Regional Trial Court, track, intercept, view, monitor, listen to, and record involving at least one person charged with, suspected or reasonably believed to have committed violations under the AntiTrafficking Law. The suspects may have done so with the use of any mode, form, kind, or type

Duterte updates EO on Negative Investment list

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of electronic or intercepting devices, any communications, information or messages, including procurement of content data transmitted by means of a computer system, or with the use of any other suitable ways and means.

However, a court order will not be required when the victim is a child and the offense involves the use of computer systems and digital platforms.

“The non-requirement of a court order allows the law enforcement officer acting as an undercover to intercept communication with a person reasonably believed to have committed, is committing, or about to commit any of the violations described under the Act. This is provided that notwithstanding the procedure in this provision, a law enforcement officer “will not be precluded from obtaining a warrant to intercept computer data under the rule on cybercrime warrants,” the law said.

determining case-risk classification, and using instead the average daily attack rates and current thresholds.

Under Alert Level 1, travel is allowed without regard to age and comorbidities.

Under Alert Level 2 from July 1 to 15 are: Cordillera Administrative Region Benguet and Ifugao Region IV-A - Quezon Province Region IV-B - Occidental Mindoro and Palawan Region V - Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Masbate Region VI - Antique and Negros Occidental Region VII - Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental Region VIII - Leyte, Northern Samar,

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) updating a list of industries restricted from foreign investment and reserved for Filipinos.

EO No. 175, signed on Monday, was issued as part of the requirements under Republic Act No. 7042 or the Foreign Investments Act of 1991, which mandates the formulation of a Regular Foreign Investment Negative List.

“There is a need to formulate the Twelfth Regular Foreign Investment Negative List, replacing the Eleventh Regular Foreign Investment Negative List, to reflect changes to List A and List B, pursuant to existing laws, consistent with the policy to ease restrictions on foreign participation in certain investment areas or activities,” the EO read.

List A may be amended at any time to reflect changes instituted in specific laws while List B will only be made at least once every two years.

List A enumerates areas where foreign ownership is limited by mandate of the Constitution and specific laws, while List B enumerates areas where foreign ownership is limited for reasons of security, defense, risk to health and morals. and protection of small and medium-scale enterprises.

Areas and activities where no foreign equity is allowed under List A are mass media except recording and internet business; practice of professions except in cases specifically allowed by the law; retail trade enterprises with paid-up capital of less than P25 million; Cooperatives except investments of former natural-born citizens of the Philippines; organization and operation of private detective, watchmen or security guards agencies; small-scale mining; Utilization of marine resources in archipelagic waters, territorial sea and exclusive economic zone, as well as small-scale utilization of natural resources in rivers, lakes, bays, and lagoons; ownership, operation, and management of cockpits; Manufacture, repair, stockpiling and/or distribution of nuclear weapons; manufacture, repair, stockpiling, and/or distribution of biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, and anti-personnel mines; and manufacture or firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.

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News Salceda urges Labor, Migrant depts to lift ban on OFW

By Maricel V. Cruz ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Tuesday appealed to incoming Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople to lift deployment bans for health care workers and other in-demand OFW jobs “to help mitigate the impacts of currency depreciation and to create jobs for Filipinos.”

“When the peso is cheap, the easiest logical choice is to earn more foreign currency. There is no easier way to do that, in our case, than to allow OFWs to work wherever they wish. Labor mobility is a human right, after all. And in this case, it’s good economics, too,” Salceda, chair of the House committee on ways and means, said.

Salceda stressed the deployment ceiling of 6,500 for Filipino healthcare workers. Last November 2021, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has temporarily suspended the processing and deployment of healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly nurses, as the annual deployment cap of 6,500 has been reached.

“When you think about it, the policy is hideous. Imagine forcing health care workers to stay at home and just suck it up if they have complaints about low pay here. If the point is to keep them during a health emergency, the best way is to pay them right. Besides, if you don’t pay them enough, they won’t work for our hospitals. They’ll just stay at home. So, as a policy, it’s set for failure.”

This March, the POEA also announced that they are mulling a 7,500 deployment cap this year.

“I appeal to Secretary Laguesma, who has been my friend since the Estrada administration, and to Secretary Ople. Just lift the deployment bans. It’s contrary to sound social policy. It’s also bad economic policy.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH updates testing for COVID U

NVACCINATED employees required to do onsite work in areas under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 classification will no longer be required to undergo real-time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, Malacañang announced Tuesday.

Acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said this comes after the InterAgency Task Force (IATF) updated testing requirements for unvaccinated eligible employees.

Based on updated testing requirements, establishments and employers must require eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site work to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in areas where there are sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

However, for on-site work purposes,

those who remain unvaccinated will be required to undergo RT-PCR tests once every two weeks or weekly antigen tests.

The testing requirements will be reinstated in areas under Alert Level 2 classification or higher.

Exempted from this testing requirement are employees with recent COVID-19 infection within 90 days and those with alternative working arrangements that do not require on-site reporting.

Meanwhile, employees in the public sector, including local government units, may cover the costs of the RT-PCR or

antigen tests to be administered, subject to the availability of funds, civil service, accounting, and auditing rules and regulations.

Metro Manila will remain under Alert Level 1 status until July 15.

The Philippines logged a total of 4,634 new Covid-19 cases from June 20 to June 26, which is 53 percent higher than the cases reported the previous week, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The Philippines meanwhile will receive at least 17 million more doses of coronavirus vaccines from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility after the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF), bared the COVAX commitment Monday night when he welcomed 299,520 doses of Pfizer jabs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 with United States Embassy Manila Chargé d’Affaires

Fouad (L) and Fiasco pose with their mural e titled “Up To The Sky” (top) in the business district of Taguig, suburban Manila on June 28, 2022, as part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Ted Aljibe/AFP

SOLANE, one of the country’s biggest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) players have seized over P406,510 worth of counterfeit and illegally refilled LPG tanks from 14 raids in different areas in the first half.

The raid operations are part of So-

MURAL LAUNCHING. French ambassador to the Philippines Michele Boccoz speaks during the launch of a mural by French artist Ceet Fouad and Filipino counterpart Egg Fiasco in Taguig, as part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Ted Aljibe/AFP

lane’s efforts to prevent fire-related incidents in the Philippines by intercepting malicious sources of fake and substandard LPG products amid the proliferation of cheaper yet unsafe alternatives due to the rising cost of fuel and oil.

In addition to capturing 146 counterfeit and illegal LPG tanks in the first

three months of the year, Solane seized 37 tanks worth P84,400 during three raids in Camarines Sur and Albay in April.

Solane confiscated 32 tanks and marked money in two separate raid operations In the municipalities of Goa and Pili, Camarines Sur. Meanwhile, in a raid in Tabaco City

Albay, Solane seized five LPG tanks, marked money, and one six-wheeler truck van.

Solane earlier this year conducted 11 raids in several areas in Metro Manila, Camarines Norte, Cagayan, Sorsogon and Quirino. In 2021, it captured 1,486 tanks from sources, amounting to ₱4,012,200.

Villar lauds humanitarian efforts of Filipino socio-civic group in PH

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar congratulated all members of the prestigious Fraternal Order of Eagles (Philippine Eagles) for their humanitarian services to the Filipino people during the past several years.

“These acts of selflessness and unity have inspired so many of our countrymen to also do their part in the noble task of nation-building,” Villar said.

The senator was the Guest Speaker during the organization’s 43rd Founding Anniversary Celebration and 42nd National Assembly of the organization.

But unlike other similar cause-oriented socio-civic organizations, Vil-

Heather Variava.

The jabs were donated by the US government through COVAX and was the final vaccine delivery under the Duterte administration.

The Philippines received a total of 245,382,600 doses under Duterte’s watch, with 35.6 million doses donated by the US government out of the 74.2 million from COVAX. The Philippines has so far administered 153,280,975 Covid-19 doses – 70,358,616 Filipinos fully vaccinated and 14,861,027 with first booster shots.

Galvez hopes the Marcos administration will build on the US-Philippine partnership, especially in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Variava said the partnership to fight Covid-19 will continue as she encouraged getting booster shots as well to strengthen immunity against the virus. With Vito Barcelo

IN BRIEF Inday Sara plans lunch meetings with former VPs VICE President-elect Sara Duterte is planning to have “fellowship lunch” meetings with former vice presidents.

Duterte’s spokesperson, Attorney Reynold Munsayac, said Duterte has “no scheduled meeting with outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo before June 30.”

Munsayac said the fellowship lunch with former vice presidents would be an avenue to discuss their allotted security from the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) and the planned Vice President’s museum, GMA News reported.

The report said The VPSPG was activated to guarantee the safety and security of the vice president’s family, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Duterte earlier said the activation of the VPSPG was commendable “as it will resolve the matter of continuity in security for all vice presidents of the Philippines.”

LPG company Solane seizes illegal tanks worth P406K in raids

By Alena Mae S. Flores

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lar stressed this organization is island borne, or authentically Pinoy.

“In a country like the Philippines where the poverty incidence has risen to 26 million or just below 25% of the population (23.7%PSA) as of January 2022, civic consciousness and participation in our community affairs, respect for law and order under the democratic processes is important,” said Villar.

Saying that they are one with the group, Villar related that in 1995, their family put up the Villar Social Institute on Poverty Alleviation and Governance or VILLAR SIPAG to support projects to help our less fortunate countrymen break free from the clutches of poverty.

KIDS AND COPS. Children fly a kite along Orosa Street in Manila as a group of Manila Police conduct a barricade on Tuesday in preparation for the inauguration of incoming president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday. Danny Pata

Risk management in DAR annual audit

By Rio N. Araja

FIRE IN PASIG. Firefighters look at a warehouse that was engulfed by fire in Brgy. Dela Paz, Pasig City near the boundary of Cainta, Rizal. The fire reached the third alarm as authorities try to determine the cause of the fire. Manny Palmero

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will include risk management in its annual audit plan, citing its Internal Audit Division (IAD) is already organizing its audit activities.

Acting Secretary David Erro said they are conducting a three-day seminar workshop on the integration of risk assessment in strategic and operations planning from June 27 until June 30.

Lawyer Edwin Mendame Jr., IAD director, said that in the past strategic and operations planning processes of DAR, risks were not taken into account.

This, he said, has led to the selection of mistaken strategies or the absence of a strategy important to the achievement of the DAR’s identified objectives, he noted.

“It was during the 2021 year-end assessment that the IAD emphasized the need to identify, assess and manage the risks that go with the implementation of the program,” he added.

The risk management process is a critical part of providing sound governance that can assist in identifying the key controls related to the agency’s significant activities.

“The implementation of key controls is one common method to manage risks.

The Internal Auditors assess these key controls and provide assurance on the management of the significant risks,” Mendame said.

The activity was conceptualized in coordination with the planning service as a prelude to the proposed strategic planning activity to be spearheaded in the third quarter of 2022.

AFP says NPA rebel killed in Zamboanga encounter ZAMBOANGA CITY – A rebel was killed after troops launched an operation against the remnants of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRP) in the Zamboanga Peninsula, the military said Tuesday.

Brigadier Gen. Leonel Nicolas, the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade commander, said the clash around 9 a.m. Monday in Barangay Dipawak, Dumingag town, Zamboanga del Sur, resulted in the death of Nilo Runat Tambula Jr. Nicola said Tambula was a member of the defunct NPA Guerilla Front Big Beautiful Country (BBC) under the WMRPC. Soldiers from the Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion recovered an M16 rifle, assorted war materials, and personal belongings. No soldier was hurt during the 20-minute clash, according to Nicolas.

“The brigade will not cease in pursuing every remaining member of the WMRPC to ensure sustainable peace is achieved while supporting inclusive developmental programs of the government,” Nicolas said.

On June 14, the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict recommended the declaration of the region as insurgency-free after the successful dismantling of the NPA-BBC, the last remaining front operating in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Mayor Lazatin to give awards to top students in Angeles ANGELES CITY – Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. is set to award Medals of Excellence to top-performing students in elementary and high school in both private and public schools here, for the second year of his term.

“This is in pursuit of elevating educational projects and recognizing outstanding students both in academic and extracurricular activities in the city, and continuing the legacy of my father, the late former Angeles City Mayor and Pampanga 1st District Representative Carmelo Lazatin,” Lazatin said.

“It is important that we recognize outstanding students who are top performers in both academics and extra-curricular because it serves as motivation for them and everyone else to continue valuing education,” he added.

The Angeles City Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (ACEDIPO), headed by Irish Bonus-Llego, will send the endorsement letters to the city’s 45 private schools and 58 public schools for students who are qualified to receive the Medal of Excellence. The deadline of submission for the list of qualified students per school is on July 15, 2021. Butch Gunio

Bill granting solo parents additional perks and benefits lapses into law

By Vito Barcelo A BILL granting additional benefits including subsidies, discounts and value-added tax (VAT) exemptions for solo parents has lapsed into law without the signature of President Duterte.

By virtue of Republic Act No. 11861, the measure became a law last June 4, with the President not having enacted it.

The new law redefines “solo parents” to include spouses or any family member of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are in the low/ semi-skilled category and are away from the Philippines for 12 months succeeding months or one year.

Elderly grandparents who are the sole guardians of minors can also have the same privileges as solo parents.

In addition to leave privileges under existing laws, any solo parent working in the government or private sector is entitled to a seven-day paid parental leave every year, which are forfeitable and not cumulative, according to the new law.

RA 11861 mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with other

Ex-Speaker Velasco vows to continue honest, kind service

By Maricel V. Cruz OUTGOING Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has vowed to continue his brand of honest and compassionate public service which, he said was also the attribute of his long-time friend and ally, incoming Vice President Sara Duterte--driven by “love for God, country and family.”

Velasco made the statement as he took his oath of office Sunday as reelected representative of Marinduque’s lone district for the incoming 19th Congress.

The 44-year-old solon also urged the youth to “believe in themselves and to challenge themselves to achieve more for their families, communities and the country.”

Velasco will be serving his third consecutive term following his reelection in the May 9, 2022 polls.

As an unopposed candidate, he needed only at least one vote to win and yet he obtained more than 100,000 votes—the most of any local candidate in the province.

In October 2020, Velasco assumed the speakership in the middle of a raging global pandemic. Undaunted, he was able to lead the “bigger house of Congress” in producing desperately needed legislation aimed at mitigating the impacts of COVID-19.

Despite seemingly insurmountable challenges, the House—under Velasco’s competent stewardship—has remained steadfast and resolute on the enactment of laws to uplift the plight of suffering Filipinos from the devastation brought about by the unprecedented public health crisis.

Velasco’s supporters said his style of youthful, focused, consultative and inclusive leadership unified the legislative chamber in passing vital legislation, such as the 2021 and 2022 national budgets, National COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act, Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, to name a few.

Velasco prioritized the health and safety of House members and employees in order to keep the legislative mill running so that the chamber could continue to pass critical emergency pandemic response measures.

agencies, to develop a “comprehensive package” of social protection services for solo parents and their families including livelihood opportunities, legal advice and assistance, counseling services, parent effectiveness services, and stress debriefing, among others, regardless of financial status.

The DSWD, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) must also establish and maintain a “centralized database” of all solo parents who have been issued solo parent identification cards (SPIC) or booklets.

The law entitles a solo parent to a monthly cash subsidy of P1,000 per person who is earning a minimum wage and below, to be allocated by the concerned city or municipal government.

It also provides a solo parent who is earning less than P250,000 annually with a 10 percent discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on baby’s milk, food, micronutrient supplements, and sanitary diapers purchased, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplements purchased from the birth of the child or children until six years of age.

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News

HOUSE LEADER GRACES SCHOOL FAIR. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep Martin Romualdez is escorted by

Commission On Higher Education (CHED) chair Prospero De Vera during a visit to the ongoing SUC Fair 2022 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, showcasing quality products produced by students of universities and colleges across the country. Ver Noveno

Analysts: Rody unlikely to face raps over drug war after his term expires

P

RESIDENT Duterte often incited violence and ordered police to shoot dead suspects in a drug war that has killed thousands, but analysts say he is unlikely to face charges after he steps down Thursday.

Meanwhile, opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima welcomed the decision of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to request the latter to lift the suspension on the preliminary investigation on the killings and other alleged rights abuses under the Duterte administration.

Duterte’s signature policy to rid the country of drugs has been widely condemned and sparked an international probe into a possible crime against humanity.

But the 77-year-old Chief Executive

is still hugely popular among many in the Philippines who support his quickfix solutions to crime, and he remains a potent political force.

Last month’s election results reinforced Duterte’s bulwark against potential prosecution after he leaves office, analysts said.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr., won the presidency after striking a powerful alliance with Duterte’s daughter, Sara, who was elected vice president.

Marcos has backed Duterte’s drug war and signaled his government will not cooperate with the International

Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the killings.

“The election basically decided that there would not be a serious investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s role in the drug war for the next six years,” said Greg Wyatt, director for business intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy.

A self-professed killer, Duterte told officers to fatally shoot narcotics suspects if their lives were at risk.

He defended the crackdown, saying it had saved families and prevented the Philippines from turning into a “narcopolitics state”.

Government data show more than 6,200 people have died in police antidrug operations since Duterte was swept to power in 2016.

Rights groups say Duterte created a climate of impunity and estimate that

Gatchalian recommends fine-tuning of K to 3 modules on Math, Reading

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

OATH-TAKING. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora pays his respects to Senator Imee Marcos who attended his oath-taking in a ceremony held at the Filoil Flying V Centre in the city. Manny Palmero

WITH the incoming administration poised to review the K to 12 program education program, Senator Win Gatchalian suggested to fine-tune the K to 3 curriculum to make it more focused on literacy and numeracy.

Gatchalian, who is expected to retain chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture in the 19th Congress, said large-scale international assessments showed that the country’s learners are struggling in the critical learning areas of Math and Reading.

“This will have negative and longterm consequences on their future and the country as a whole, Gatchalian said.

The senator also cited the observation of experts who flagged the K to 12 curriculum, saying it is too overcrowded and needed decongesting.

Because the students were required to learn too many competencies, he said the overload affected their ability to master basic competencies.

To address learning loss because of the COVID-19 school closures, Gatchal-

Guanzon lodges P8-M complaint against NYC chief Cardema FORMER Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has filed an administrative complaint against National Youth Commission chief Ronald Cardema for allegedly maligning her through the social media.

In her 19-page complaint, Guan-

zon wanted Cardema to indemnify her P8 million in damages for supposed violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or Republic Act 6713.

Guanzon charged that Cardema repeatedly “unjustly” attacked her on Fa-

Solon wants free rides extended to yearend A LAWMAKER on Tuesday urged incoming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to consider continuing the Libreng Sakay (Free Ride) transport program to help ease the economic woes of commuters reeling from the impact of spiraling fuel prices.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte noted that jeepneys, transport network vehicle services (TNVS), and buses have already petitioned the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for fare increases, which, when approved, could prove even more burdensome for commuters.

The Libreng Sakay program of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) under the Duterte administration is scheduled to end

tens of thousands have been killed by police, hitmen and vigilantes, even without proof they were involved in drugs.

Only three policemen have been convicted for slaying a drug suspect.

Under pressure from the UN Human Rights Council and the ICC, the government has examined around 300 cases of drug operations that led to deaths.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told AFP in October that a review of 52 cases had cast doubt on the officers’ common claim of self-defence.

Charges have been filed in five cases.

Lawyers representing families of victims have vowed to take legal action against Duterte in the Philippines after June 30.

But they admit the odds are stacked against them. AFP

simultaneously with President Duterte’s last day in office on June 30.

“I hope that the new administration of BBM would be able to find ways of continuing to fund the Libreng Sakay program even at least until the end of the year. With transport costs now eating up a large share of the overall inflation rate in Metro Manila alone, the Libreng Sakay would prove to be a big help in cushioning the impact of the fuel price shock on the commuting public,” Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte pointed out that in May, inflation accelerated to 4.9 percent, owing largely to the increase of the transport index at 14.6 percent, while the food and non-alcoholic beverage index grew 4.9 percent.

cebook posts. Cardema claimed Comelec employees were afraid of Guanzon, and that she hindered the proclamation of winning P3PWD party-list nominees.

Moreover, he said, Guanzon was suffering from karma for denying his bid to sit as representative of the Duterte

Youth party-list in the House of Representatives.

Cardema also said he was not afraid of Guanzon’s wrath, adding she could never sit in Congress, and accused her of conspiracy with other P3PWD partylist nominees so she herself could sit as a party-list representative. Rio N. Araja

GETTING TO KNOW THE SENATE: Neophyte

Senator-elect Robinhood Padilla on Tuesday attends an orientation for newly-elected senators at the Senate where the chamber’s secretariat officials, headed by Sec. Myra Marie Villarica, gave a briefing on the services of their office.

Padilla, dubbed as the “Bad Boy” of Philippine cinema before becoming a politician, earlier attended another orientation on plenary procedures and committee processes.

ian proposed learning recovery programs that are intensive on reading and numeracy.

In Senate Bill No. 2355 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, filed during the recently concluded 18th Congress, Gatchalian’s proposed learning recovery program covers the most essential learning competencies under Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10 and Science for Grades 3 to 10.

He said reading will also be prioritized to develop critical and analytical thinking skills of learners.

“Literacy and numeracy competencies will be given focus for Kindergarten learners to build on their foundational competencies.”

According to the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019, only 19 percent of Grade 4 learners in the Philippines met the minimum benchmark level required in Math.

Goma thanks Leyte voters for sending him to Congress

ORMOC CITY—Actor-turned-politician Richard Gomez on Tuesday thanked his supporters for electing him, after two failed attempts, as the fourth district representative of Leyte.

Gomez, the outgoing mayor of Ormoc City, became emotional as he recalled his more than two decades of struggle to win a congressional seat.

“This was a 21-year journey. In 2001, I ran as representative of Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga and garnered enough votes, but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified our party-list. In 2010, I participated in the congressional elections, but again I was disqualified

by Comelec,” Gomez recalled.

According to the Comelec, Gomez failed to establish residency in Ormoc City in 2010.

His wife, Lucy Torres-Gomez, took his place and won.

In 2013, he ran for mayor of Ormoc but lost. In 2016, he ran again and won, and was reelected in May 2019.

In this year’s elections, Richard, who served as mayor of Ormoc for six years, earned 148,941 votes in the congressional race against former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal who garnered 117,912 votes.

“I am very glad that I won. I will work hard and do my best to bring progress that will make a difference in the lives of the people,” Richard told local officials and supporters during their oath-taking at the Ormoc Superdome.

Opinion Economic recovery hinges on strong domestic cement industry

LOCAL cement manufacturers are up in arms against what they insist has been the unabated dumping of cement imports from Vietnam, causing them material injury.

Cement is a critical input in the national government’s infrastructure development program, including the provision of decent homes made of strong materials for Filipino families.

A viable and robust local manufacturing industry that’s capable of meeting the country’s needs is therefore of utmost importance.

But local cement manufacturers fear if the dumping of cement from Vietnam continues they could be forced to cut down production or even close shop due to the unfair competition.

The cement manufacturers recently presented their case before the Tariff Commission, pleading for fair competition as they struggle to survive amid the unrelenting rise in the volume of cement imports, mainly from Vietnam.

They said that, as of 2021, Vietnam accounted for 91 percent of cement imports to the country in terms of volume and value, growing to about 61 percent in 2017 from almost nil in 2013.

The increase in cement imports from Vietnam grew faster than the year-onyear growth of the Philippine market.

Cement imports grew from 2.486 million metric tons (MMT) in 2017 to 5.396 MMT in 2020 and 6.466 MMT in 2021, according to data submitted by Cement Manufacturer’s Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) to the Commission.

The local cement manufacturers are asking the Tariff Commission to impose definitive anti-dumping measures against two types of cement imported from Vietnam.

It is not only member-companies of CeMAP but also non-members who are supporting the petition for the imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty against cement imports from Vietnam.

The industry has put in place safeguard measures since 2019 to limit the volume of imports while Philippine manufacturers implement their respective adjustment plans, as well as investments in capacity and capability upgrades amid fierce global competition.

Most of the adjustment plan projects have been substantially accomplished while others are underway after being temporarily derailed by the COVID-

pandemic and adversely affected by rising coal and energy costs triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February this year.

With the influx of imports remaining unchecked and the initial safeguard measure set to expire in October this year, local manufacturers sought an extension, apart from asking for more stringent anti-dumping sanctions on certain types of imported cement.

A healthy and competitive cement manufacturing industry in the country, currently with at least 10 domestic players, enhances the Philippines’ economic growth Local manufacturers have committed to completing their respective adjustment projects although prevailing conditions make this task even more challenging, unless support is granted by the Tariff Commission with the trade remedies sought.

In return, a healthy and competitive cement manufacturing industry in the country, currently with at least 10 domestic players, enhances the Philippines’ economic growth.

Fortifying the industry means consumers will benefit from a secure and stable source of local cement, unhindered by variables of world demand and not dependent for supply on availability of excess capacity of exporting countries.

Data show that local cement prices have been stable the past 3 to 5 years and growing at a much slower pace than all construction commodities in the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) and also way below energy cost increases.

This validates the claim of local manufacturers that they have been absorbing a lot of the cost factor increases to keep prices affordable for cement consumers.

It is important to note that inflationary price increases of cement have no substantial impact in overall construction costs.

According to a study by BKAsiaPacific (Philippines) Inc., for instance, cement cost accounts for only less than 5 percent of total costs for a typical 2-story housing unit with basic finishes.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com) Full version on www.manilastandard.net

The Reuters 2022 Digital News report

THE Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) recently released its Digital News Report for the year, and it became controversial as one of its metrics for the Philippines supposedly portrayed media outfit Rappler as the country’s least trusted news brand.

Netizens, particularly supporters of the incoming administration, mocked the online news platform, which outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte practically banned from Malacañang Palace, but the RISJ swiftly issued an advisory explaining the report.

Their headline was direct and unequivocal: “The research of the Reuters Institute shouldn’t be abused to attack Rappler.” The subhead was equally straightforward: “Claiming that our work shows Rappler is the least trusted news outlet in the Philippines is “false and misleading,” writes our Director.”

In the 2022 Digital News Report for the Philippines, metrics were presented along with a commentary from an expert on Philippine news, University of the Philippines journalism professor

Yvonne T. Chua.

What drew the japes of some netizens was a metric on ‘Brand trust scores’ that showed Rappler, which is identified with the opposition, at the bottom of a list of news organizations with a trust rating of 45 percent, ‘don’t trust,’ 32 percent, and ‘neither,’ 23 percent.

This, despite the paragraph preceding the metric stating explicitly that while overall trust in news increased, trust in brands decreased, but Rappler was an exception to the latter trend:

Unfortunately, it seems many netizens lack reading comprehension, or didn’t even bother to read the report and the small print “Overall trust in news rose as Filipinos turned to media amid a surge of COVID-19 cases around the time the survey was conducted. However, trust in brands slid, with the exception of DZBB, Teleradyo, Rappler, and the tabloid Abante.

Independent outlets respected for their reporting on those in positions of power are often actively distrusted by supporters of

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EDITORIAL

BBM expected to define his vision

F

INALLY, after 90 days of political dirty tricks, the Philippines can exhale.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., known by the initials BBM, will be inaugurated tomorrow as the 17th president of the Philippines, following a 90-day campaign characterized by a daily jab of character assassination against the 64-year-old who just ignored the jibes by his political opponents and their supporters.

The nightmare of a 2016 electoral defeat following questions of fraud finally came to an end when nearly 32 million qualified voters stamped their go-ahead to the only son of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and when Chief Justice Gesmundo will administer the presidential oath.

Eleven days earlier, in the southeastern coastal city of Davao, BBM’s vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio was sworn in mid afternoon before Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando.

Tomorrow the Philippines, from Batanes down to Tawi Tawi, will listen to “Bongbong” Marcos underline once more his campaign call on his countrymen to unite for the sake of the nation and its 110 million population.

He is expected to give flesh to his vision of a country that has been battered by a deadly health pandemic, a devastated economy, joblessness and problems in many sectors affecting the security of the country, not the least the agriculture sector/

Tomorrow the Philippines will listen to ‘Bongbong’ Marcos underline once more his campaign call on his countrymen to unite for the sake of the nation and its 110 million population But he is determined to bring his goal to fruition: unity among the Filipinos who have been polarized in the run up to the May 9 polls never before seen in the post-war political rallies of this country.

Marcos’ message of unity is certain to resonate among Filipinos who put their trust in BBM, who called on his countrymen “sama-sama tayong babangon muli” in the rallies they attended north and south of the capital.

And the people listened to the man who never raised a jab against those

who called him names and indulged in unceasing character assassination.

Tomorrow he takes his oath to swear or affirm that he will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill his duties as President, preserve and defend the Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man and consecrate himself to the service of the Nation.

The message of unity has been the rock of the UniTeam’s campaign platform – ignoring the relentless vilification lobbed against Marcos.

Nearly 1,000 meters away, leftists and other critics of the President are scheduled to gather at the Liwasang Bonifacio to air their grievances – they always do in every administration turnover – but will be reasonably checked by 15,200 police deployed to secure the perimeter of the National Museum, the inaugural site.

As part of the security cover, the military also imposed a no-fly zone in the air space above the inaugural site to ensure no untoward incident could disrupt the transfer of power from President Rodrigo Duterte to BBM. As Marcos said during the campaign, there should be no distinction of colors – used to identify political parties and personalities during the election – as the Philippines integrate together for progress and unity.

Tomorrow, there will only be the country’s tricolors.

Vic Rodriguez HE SAYS says he cannot say no to the President. He probably should at times say no to the chief executive of the land.

That is what makes close and trusted presidential advisers effective, especially when the boss’s better angels are taking a coffee break.

Lawyer Vic Rodriguez is the most senior Cabinet member. He is the first among equals, a primus inter pares among the best and the brightest men and women in the President’s official family.

He is the Little President. He signs executive orders and presidential papers “by the authority of the President.”

The Executive Secretary directly assists the President in managing government affairs and runs the operations of the executive office. It is a big office.

The previous ES had nine undersecretaries and as many assistant secretaries.

The office is tasked to perform various other duties upon the discretion of the President or as stated by law. The office routinely receives as many as 5,000 letters a day, for the attention of the President.

While the votes were still being tallied by the National Board of Canvassers, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. named Rodriguez as his Executive Secretary.

Previously, the dapper and perennially prim and proper with a calm demeanor Vic had served as BBM’s chief of staff and spokesman during the grueling campaign for the presidency.

He had also been BBM’s lawyer since the time the latter ran for vice president in 2016. the politicians in question.”

The metric’s caption was also accompanied by this direct disclaimer: “Only the above brands were included in the survey so should not be treated as a list of the most trusted brands.”

Unfortunately, it seems many netizens lack reading comprehension, or didn’t even bother to read the report and the small print.

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, RISJ director and political communication professor at the University of Oxford, wrote after the bashing, “Our work is being abused by those who claim it finds that Rappler is the least trusted (or most distrusted)

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

Rodriguez “has accepted the challenge and new task given to him.”

“It is an honor working with him, whom I have known for a very long time and I believe will serve the country efficiently and with unquestioned devotion,” he said.

“Sa sambayanang Pilipino, maglilingkod po ako ng buong husay, walang pag-iimbot at ng buong katapatan,” Rodriguez said in a statement. (“To the Filipino people, I will serve to the best of my ability, selflessly, and faithfully.”)

The Executive Secretary is the Little President. He signs executive orders and presidential papers ‘by the authority of the President’ Rodriguez is a managing lawyer at Rodriguez & Partners Law Firm and president of Quezon City Trial Lawyers League. He served as Deputy General Counsel of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

He also dabbled in LGU politics. At 19, he became the country’s youngest barangay chairman, of Barangay Sacred Heart, bounded by Morato St., Timog and EDSA in Quezon City.

It was notorious as a honkytonk district with sleazy places like Metallica, Iwahig, Thunderdome, Hype, Club Giorgio and Chico’s.

As village chief, Vic was tough. He led a crusade and padlocked the places

news organization in the Philippines.

“This is a false and misleading claim, as will be clear to anyone who has actually read the Digital News Report 2022.

As we explicitly write in every country profile, the trust scores in every country ‘should not be treated as a list of the most trusted brands.’”

Nielsen also decried how information can be used against journalists who are doing their job of check-and-balance in society: “When some do it anyway, our work – like other work, whether by journalists, academics or others – can be abused and weaponized as part of prominent politicians’ attacks on inde-

of vice and misplaced virtue.

Timog and Morato are now gentrified, booming fine dining places – for families and bachelors making a marriage proposal.

Says ES Rodriguez in a Manila Times interview: “The objective has been and always will be the faithful execution and performance of the mandate of the Office of the Executive Secretary. The plans would always be dependent on the policy of the President,” he said.

The focus, he says, is “to foster unity, harmony and coordination in all the agencies of the government for the Filipinos to benefit from after having come from the most recent divisive democratic activity of the country – the national elections.”

He adds: “We have been promoting unity since the proclamation by choosing competent and willing leaders to lead the different agencies in the Executive Department regardless of political color and affiliation.

“It is our goal to continuously adapt measures that will ensure coordination amongst government agencies with interrelated or correlated functions.”

Post-pandemic, Rodriguez sees the need to give reviving the economy “high priority and focus.”

Urgently, the policy directive is to implement ease of doing business and suitable cost-effective measures in the government projects and programs, including streamlining the bureaucracy.

Ah, Philippine bureaucracy. Even Hercules himself would balk at trying to streamline it.

Not Vic Rodriguez. He was not named Victor for nothing. biznewsasia@gmail.com

pendent news media, or as props in often orchestrated and coordinated campaigns by their supporters and by friendly influencers targeting individual journalists or outlets that seek to hold power to account.”

The RISJ, established in 2006, is a research center and think tank based at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford.

Their annual report reveals insights about the previous year’s digital news consumption.

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Russian missile strike kills 18 in Ukraine mall K YIV—A Russian missile strike on a crowded mall in central Ukraine killed at least 18 people in what Group of Seven leaders branded “a war crime” at a meeting in Germany where they looked to step up sanctions on Moscow.

The leaders vowed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and those responsible would be held to account for Monday’s strike in the city of Kremenchuk, carried out during the shopping mall’s busiest hours.

“Indiscriminate attacks on innocent ci-

vilians constitute a war crime,” they said in a statement condemning the “abominable attack.”

Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians, with President Volodymyr Zelensky calling it “one of the most brazen terrorist acts in European history” in

his evening broadcast posted on Telegram.

“A peaceful town, an ordinary shopping center -- women, children ordinary civilians inside,” said Zelensky, who earlier shared a video of the mall engulfed in flames with dozens of rescuers and a fire truck outside.

Dmytro Lunin, governor of the Poltava region where Kremenchuk is located, said Tuesday that 18 people were killed in the attack.

Fifty-nine were wounded, according to emergency services chief Sergiy Kruk.

“All response groups are working in intense mode,” Kruk said. “The work will

go on around the clock.”

In a separate attack Monday, Russian rockets killed at least eight civilians as they were out collecting water in the eastern city of Lysychansk, said Lugansk region governor Sergiy Gaiday.

Lysychansk has become the focus of heavy Russian attacks following the fall of its twin city, Severodonetsk.

“Our defenders are holding the line, but the Russians are turning the city into rubble... the infrastructure is completely destroyed,” Gaiday said on Telegram.

After failing to capture Kyiv following their February invasion, Russian troops

have focused on seizing a swathe of eastern Ukraine and have been gaining ground.

A strike in Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, killed four people and wounded 19 others, including four children, authorities said.

‘Cruelty, barbarism’ British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking from the G7 gathering in the Bavarian Alps, said the Kremenchuk attack demonstrated Putin’s “depths of cruelty and barbarism.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the world was “horrified”, while UN chief Antonio Guterres’s office condemned the strike as “totally deplorable”.

46 migrants found dead in truck in Texas

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that PAVI GREEN RENEWABLE ENERGY, INC., is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOl) as Renewable Energy Developer of Solar Energy Resources (50.104MWdc / 40.400MWac PAVI Green Naga Solar Power Plant Project) in Barangay Carolina, Naga, Camarines Sur, to avail of the incentives under R.A. No. 9513, otherwise known as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) RAQUEL B. ECHAGUE Director Resource-based Imdustries Service

(MS-JUNE 29, 2022)

LEVELED. This handout picture taken and released by the Ukraine’s State Emergency Service on June 27 shows rescuers working in a mall hit by a Russian missile strike in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. AFP

‘Probe African deaths at Spain-Morocco border’ NAIROBI—The African Union Commission chief has voiced shock at the “violent and degrading” treatment of African migrants trying to cross from Morocco into Spain after 23 people died, and called for an investigation into the incident.

About 2,000 migrants stormed the heavily fortified border between the Moroccan region of Nador and the Spanish enclave of Melilla on Friday.

At least 23 migrants died and 140 police officers were wounded in the ensuing violence, according to Moroccan authorities. It was the heaviest toll in years from such attempts to cross the frontier at Melilla.

“I express my deep shock and concern at the violent and degrading treatment of African migrants attempting to cross an international border from Morocco into Spain,” AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said in a statement on Twitter late Sunday.

“I call for an immediate investigation into the matter and remind all countries of their obligations under international law to treat all migrants with dignity

and to prioritise their safety and human rights, while refraining from the use of excessive force.”

Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Kimani, said a UN Security Council meeting would be held behind closed doors to discuss the violence African migrants face in Melilla. According to diplomats, the session, originally planned for Monday, was postponed to Wednesday.

Kenya, Gabon and Ghana—the African non-permanent members of the Security Council—called for the meeting, Kimani added.

“Migrants are Migrants: whether from Africa or Europe, they do not deserve to be brutalised in this way,” he wrote on Twitter.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, UN chief Antonio Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “We very much deplore this tragic incident and the loss of life.”

‘Tragic symbol’ Spain on Monday thanked Morocco for its “collaboration” in the defence of Spanish borders and once again blamed

“international mafias that traffic human beings” for the incident.

But calls for a probe have increased, with around 50 migrant rights groups calling the Melilla deaths “the tragic symbol of European policies to externalise the European Union’s borders”.

“The death of these young Africans... alerts us to the deadly nature of the security cooperation on migration between Morocco and Spain,” they added.

Spain’s rights ombudsman said it accepted a complaint from several nongovernmental groups on the incident and has requested information from the relevant administrative bodies.

Moroccan justice will prosecute 65 migrants, mostly Sudanese, who took part in the attempt to force their way into the Spanish enclave, a defence lawyer in Rabat said Monday.

The prosecutor’s office in Nador, which borders Melilla, has charged 37 migrants with “illegal entry into Morocco”, “violence against law enforcement officers”, “armed gathering” and “refusal to comply”, their lawyer Khalid Ameza told AFP. AFP

SAN ANTONIO—At least 46 migrants were found dead Monday in and around a truck that was abandoned on the roadside on the outskirts of the Texas city of San Antonio.

The grim discovery was one of the worst disasters involving migrants in the United States in recent years -- and came five years after a similar deadly incident in the same central Texas city, a few hours from the Mexican border.

“At this time we have processed approximately 46 bodies that have been triaged and tagged and declared deceased,” San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told reporters.

He said that 16 people had been transported to hospital alive and conscious -- 12 adults and four children.

There were no initial details on the age or nationality of the deceased.

“The patients that we saw were hot to the touch, they were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion, no signs of water in the vehicle, it was a refrigerated tractor-trailer but there was no visible working A/C unit on that rig,” Hood said.

Officials said three people were in custody over the incident.

“Tonight we are dealing with a horrific human tragedy,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told a press conference.

“So I would urge you all to think compassionately and pray for the deceased, the ailing, the families,” he said.

“And we hope that those responsible for putting these people in such inhumane conditions are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

San Antonio, which lies about 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the border, is a major transit route for people smugglers.

It has also been gripped by a record-breaking recent heat wave, and temperatures in the area hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.5 degrees Celsius) on Monday. AFP

UN conference sees blitz of pledges to protect ailing oceans LISBON—A major UN conference on how to restore the faltering health of global oceans kicked off in Lisbon this week with a flurry of promises to expand marine protected areas, ban deep-sea mining, and combat illegal fishing.

UN chief Antonio Guterres set the

tone Monday for the five-day meet by warning that the world’s oceans are in deep crisis.

“Today we face what I would call an ocean emergency,” he told thousands of policymakers, experts and advocates, detailing how seas have

been hammered by climate change and pollution.

“The ocean is not a rubbish dump. It is not a source on infinite plunder. It is a fragile system on which we all depend.”

Surangel Whipps, Jr., president of the Pacific island state of Palau, asked world leaders to join a moratorium on extracting rare Earth metals from the ocean floor.

“Deep sea mining compromises the integrity of our ocean habitat and should be discouraged to the greatest extent possible,” he said, flanked by Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

Indigenous leader Debbie Ngawera-Packer, a member of New Zealand’s parliament, told conference participants she had submitted a bill calling for such a moratorium in her country’s waters.

Companies seeking to mine so-called polymetallic nodules containing manganese, cobalt and nickel say they are a greener source of min-

erals needed to build electric vehicle batteries.

Scientists counter that seabed ecosystems at depth are fragile, and could take decades or longer to heal once disrupted.

“Mining, wherever it occurs, is well known to have environmental costs,” said former US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) chief scientist Sylvia Earle.

‘No-take’ zones “On the land at least we can monitor, see and fix problems, and minimise the damage. Six thousand metres (20,000 feet) beneath the surface, who’s watching?”

A so-called high ambition coalition, meanwhile—backing a proposal to set aside 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean surface by 2030 as protected areas—grew to 100 nations, UK minister of state Zac Goldsmith announced in a side event. AFP

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given to the public that DEVELOPERS GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. (Shangri-La Finest Chinese Cuisine) with business address at No.4 Times Street West Triangle, Quezon City was declared closed effective after the close of business hours on 30 September 2021, as per Board Resolution executed by its Board of Directors led by President and CEO Ramon A. Syhunliong in Quezon City; subscribed and sworn before Notary Public Atty. Raul V. Macatangay on January 10, 2022 under Notarial Registry Doc No. 161 Page 34; Book 69; series of 2022.

This notice is being published for whatever legal purpose/s that it may serve.

(MS-JUNE 15, 22 & 29, 2022)

DISTRESSED SEAS. Ocean Rebellion activists hold banners reading ‘As the sea dies we die’ and ‘No more fish in the sea’ as they stage a protest in Terreiro do Paco in Lisbon on June 27 before the UN Ocean Conference opening. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business Non-payment

by Russia an event of default, says Moody’s PARIS, France—Moody’s ratings agency has confirmed that Russia defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time in a century, after bond holders did not receive $100 million in interest payments.

The historic default follows a series of unprecedented Western sanctions that have increasingly isolated Russia from the global financial system following its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia lost the last avenue to service its foreign-currency loans after the United States removed an exemption last month that allowed US investors to receive Moscow’s payments.

“On 27 June, holders of Russia’s sovereign debt had not received coupon payments on two eurobonds worth $100 million by the time the 30-calendar-day grace period expired, which we consider an event of default under our definition,” Moody’s said.

Moscow said Monday there were “no grounds to call this situation a default” as the payments did not reach creditors due to the “the actions of third parties.”

The Russian authorities insist they have the funds to honor the country’s debt, calling the predicament a “farce” and accusing the West of pushing an “artificial” default.

Moody’s warned that more defaults “are likely.”

Moody’s released an “issuer comment” instead of a formal default declaration, as sanctions bar credit ratings agencies from covering Russia’s sovereign debt.

The sanctions have included freezing the Russian government’s stockpile of $300 billion in foreign currency reserves held abroad, making it more complicated for Moscow to settle its foreign debts.

After the United States closed the last payment loophole last month, Russia said it would pay debt in rubles that could be converted into foreign currency, using a Russian financial institution as a paying agent.

But Moody’s said it “would likely treat payments in rubles as a default for bonds that do not allow for such redenomination in the contractual terms.” AFP

B3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks climb; Converge, Globe lead market rally T HE stock market rallied Tuesday along with most of the Asia after China slashed the quarantine time for visitors, fueling hope for a boost to the embattled economy.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index surged 106.59 points, or 1.7 percent, to 6,345.41 on a value turnover of P7.4 billion. Gainers beat losers, 121 to 70, with 47 issues unchanged.

Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. jumped 10.8 percent P21.70, while Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, the largest snack food maker, rose 4.9 percent to P106.50.

Globe Telecom Inc. of the Ayala Group, the second-biggest telecommunications firm, advanced 5.6 percent to P2,280, while sister unit AC Energy Corp. climbed 4.5 percent to P8.14 Most Asian markets reversed early losses Tuesday and oil continued its recent rally.

China’s move came as Beijing and Shanghai appeared to have contained a COVID outbreak that had forced officials to impose lockdowns which compounded global supply chain snarls.

Authorities said inbound travelers would now only have to quarantine for 10 days, instead of the three weeks that had been in place during the pandemic.

The news provided a much-needed boost to shares, which had mostly been down on renewed concerns about central bank interest rate hikes and soaring inflation.

On Monday the central People’s Bank of China pledged to provide support to the world’s number two economy.

The gains extended a rally enjoyed last week on bets that a possible recession next year could allow finance chiefs to ease up on their monetary tightening campaign.

“This relaxation sends the signal that the economy comes first,” Li Changmin, at Snowball Wealth, said. “It is a sign of the importance of the economy at this point.”

After spending the morning in the red,

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul and Wellington turned higher, while there were also gains in Sydney and Bangkok. Mumbai, Taipei and Jakarta slipped while Singapore was flat.

London, Paris and Frankfurt were all up as traders digest comments from European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde, who said it would go “as far as necessary” to bring inflation back down to its two percent goal.

However, Huang Yanzhong of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations warned: “It’s not surprising that China has managed to return to socalled zero, after all the huge effort it’s made.

“But that doesn’t mean it can claim a thorough and durable victory because it didn’t eradicate the virus,” he said. “Unless they thoroughly fence off Beijing and Shanghai, the virus could sneak in anytime.”

Still, while the inflation and rate situation remains a worry, compounded by the war in Ukraine, some commentators remain relatively upbeat as the second half of the year approaches. With AFP

PSEi June 28, 2022

TOP GAINERS

1 LMG

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 3.6 0.6 20.00%

2

LBC

21.85

2.83

14.88%

3 4

MWIDE CNVRG

3.63 21.7

0.46 2.12

14.51% 10.83%

5 6

VVT OPM

15.98 0.011

1.48 0.001

10.21% 10.00%

7 8

OV VITA

0.0091 0.6

0.0008 0.05

9.64% 9.09%

9 10

PXP BHI

5.28 0.086

0.43 0.006

8.87% 7.50%

TOP LOSERS

1 LSC 2 VMC

LAST PRICE CHANGE 0.65 -0.09 2.5 -0.29

% CHANGE -12.16% -10.39%

3 4

PAL ATNB

5.4 0.42

-0.47 -0.03

-8.01% -6.67%

5 6

T X

0.72 0.295

-0.05 -0.02

-6.49% -6.35%

7 8 9

KPH APVI DD

7.5 13 8.17

-0.5 -0.56 -0.31

-6.25% -4.13% -3.66%

10

MWP2B

96

-3.5

-3.52%

MOST ACTIVE

Manila

Standard

TODAY

G-7 SUMMIT. G7-leaders, Leaders and Outreach guests set up before a group picture on June 27, 2022 at Elmau Castle, southern Germany, where the German Chancellor hosts a summit of the Group of Seven rich nations (G7). During the summit running from June 26 to 28, 2022, G7-leaders are to discuss their united front against Russia and troubling weakness in the world economy. AFP

1 CNVRG

VOLUME 33,426,800

VALUE (PHP) 710,175,965

2 3

BDO URC

5,144,710 4,571,230

595,053,742 483,037,959

4

ALI

17,321,700

467,614,290

5 6

SMPH TEL

6,435,300 125,420

238,188,680 222,937,200

7 8

AC GLO

342,400 93,855

216,894,575 209,989,130

9

ACEN

25,830,700

206,625,488

10

BPI

2,364,450

203,530,805

Vietnam halts scuba diving off popular island to protect coral HANOI, Vietnam―Vietnam has banned swimming and scuba diving at a popular central tourist spot in an attempt to revive its damaged coral reef, officials said Monday.

The communist nation boasts more than 3,200 kilometers of coastline with crystal clear waters, vibrant sea life and sandy beaches that are a huge tourism draw.

Coral reefs across Southeast Asia have been badly hit by global warming, with scientists warning their degradation could have devastating environmental and economic knock-on effects.

Recent photos taken off Hon Mun island―about 14 kilometers from the city of Nha Trang and popular with divers thanks to its diverse ecosystem―showed the reef bleached and damaged.

“The Nha Trang bay management authority decided to halt swimming and scuba diving activities in areas around Hon Mun island,” officials said.

In a statement they said the ban was to “evaluate the condition of sensitive area so that an appropriate plan to enact the sea conservation area” could be made.

Effective from Monday, the ban would last “until further notice,” they added.

Around 60 percent of the coastal bed in the area was covered by living coral in 2020, according to state media, but more recent findings showed that had shrunk to less than 50 percent.

Previously local authorities blamed the

This photo taken on June 3, 2022 shows fish next to corals off Hon Mun island in Vietnam’s Nha Trang Bay. AFP

shrinking ecosystem on climate change, noting that powerful storms in 2019 and 2021 had damaged the coral.

They also blamed illegal fishing, dredging, construction of industrial parks and waste disposal.

Divers expressed anger over the decision to close the waters.

“Swimming and diving activities were the least influence on the coral reefs, compared to other activities,” diver Nguyen Son, from Ho Chi Minh City, told AFP. “The ecosystem (around Hon Mun) should have recovered after two years of pandemic,” said diver Trinh Ngoc Sang.

“Without proper management, the fishing vessels came in and destroyed the sea bed,” he told AFP, recalling the sight of rubbish and dead coral during a recent dive.

“It would take dozens of years for the coral reefs to be restored, so they want to close it throughout?”

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that 4.5 million people in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region could be affected by damaged coral reefs.

The reefs support about 25 percent of marine biodiversity.

Vietnam’s decision follows a similar move in Thailand, which restricted access to Maya Bay―immortalized in the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Beach”―to give the local ecosystem a chance to recover. AFP

NOTICE AND AGENDA OF THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of GLOBAL-ESTATE RESORTS, INC. (the “Company”) will be held on 22 July 2022 at 9:00 a.m. to be conducted virtually, through the link https://geri.com.ph/asm2022/ that can be accessed through the Company’s website, with the following agenda: I. II. III. IV. V. VI.

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the previous Annual Stockholders’ Meeting Annual Report of Management Appointment of External Auditor Ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors, Board Committees and Corporate Officers adopted during the preceding year VII. Election of Directors VIII. Other matters IX. Adjournment Stockholders of record as of 22 June 2022 will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

Pursuant to Article V, Section 2 of the Company’s Amended By-Laws and Sections 23 and 57 of the Revised Corporation Code and to conform with the government’s regulation on social distancing and prohibition on mass gatherings, the Company decided to hold the Annual Meeting via remote communication, and allow the stockholders to cast their votes by remote communication or in absentia, or by proxy.

To participate in the Annual Meeting, stockholders must register from 9:00 AM of 07 July 2022 until 5:00 PM of 15 July 2022. The procedure for participation via remote communication and in absentia is contained in the Information Statement.

Stockholders who wish to appoint proxies may submit proxy instruments until 5:00 pm of 14 July 2022 to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at 9th Floor, Eastwood Global Plaza, Palm Tree Avenue, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City or by e-mail at corpsecretary@ global-estate.ph. Validation of proxies shall be held on 15 July 2022. A sample proxy form will be enclosed in the Information Statement for your convenience.

The Information Statement and other pertinent documents and information on the Annual Meeting are available through the Company’s website. For any clarifications, please contact the Office of the Corporate Secretary via email at corpsecretary@global-estate.ph.

Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 07 June 2022.

MARIA CARLA T. UYKIM Corporate Secretary (MS-JUNE 29 & 30, 2022)

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022

IN BRIEF Toyota PH reduces production delays TOYOTA Motor Philippines is trying to ramp up production following a global shortage of automotive parts that affected the output of major vehicle production hubs.

TMP first vice president for marketing Sherwin Chua Lim said the supply restriction on parts was not as bad as the impact on some selected completely built-up units.

“Nevertheless, all production plants are closely working with suppliers to minimize effects,” Lim said, adding that the supply parts shortage did not affect production of the Vios.

Company data showed, however, that the average monthly sales of the Vios dropped to 2,550 units in the first five months from 2,900 units monthly average in 2021. Cumulative sales of the Vios from July 2018 to May 2022 reached 119,336 units.

Under the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program, TMP is bound by contract to produce 200,000 units of the Vios. The program was extended by two years following the global pandemic. Othel V. Campos

Sustainalytics updates BDO’s accreditation BDO Unibank Inc. said Tuesday it received an updated accreditation on its Sustainable Finance Framework from the New Yorkbased Sustainalytics relative to the expansion of the framework’s eligible categories to include blue projects aligned with market standards.

This follows the bank’s issuance of its maiden $100-million Blue Bond through an investment from the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group.

Sustainalytics, a leading independent environmental, social and governance research and ratings provider, said, “BDO is adequately positioned to issue sustainability bonds and that the framework is robust, transparent and in alignment with the four core components of the Green Bond Principles [2021], Social Bond Principles [2021], Green Loan Principles [2021] and the ASEAN Sustainability Bond Standards [2018].”

The expanded Sustainable Finance Framework includes eligible blue categories such as sustainable water and waste water management and offshore renewable energy. These are in addition to green categories that include renewable energy, green buildings, clean transportation, as well as social categories that include employment generation and food security.

Business Court dismisses anti-dummy complaint against Megawide

By Darwin G. Amojelar

A

REGIONAL trial court in LapuLapu City, Cebu dismissed the anti-dummy case against the executives of infrastructure company Megawide Construction Corp.

The company said Tuesday it received an order dated June 14 from the Regional Trial Court of Lapu-Lapu City, Branch 68, dismissing the criminal case against the directors and officers of Megawide in their capacity as directors of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. for the alleged violation of the AntiDummy Law. The court dropped the complaint against Megawide president and chief executive Edgar Saavedra, vice president Jez Dela Cruz, executive director Louie Ferrer and director Oliver Tan. “The omnibus order explained,

among others, that the dismissal of the case was necessitated by the enactment of Republic Act. No. 11659 signed into law last 21 March 2022, which clearly excluded airport operations and maintenance from the definition of a public utility; thereby removing the applicability of the nationality restriction to GMCAC in operating the Mactan-Cebu International Airport,” Megawide said.

RA 11569, or the amended Public Service Act, excludes telecommunications, domestic shipping, railways and subways, airlines, expressways and tollways and airports from the definition of a public utility. This effectively removes the 40-percent foreign ownership cap for public utilities under the Constitution.

“Furthermore, the omnibus order stated that RA No. 11659 applies to the Megawide respondents due to the retroactive effect of laws favorable to the accused,” the company said.

Megawide said it always complied with all applicable laws, rules and regulations covering the concession agreement for MCIA, and the government’s public-private partnership program, as

Coverge ICT expands fiber network in Bicol CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. said Tuesday it expanded its fiber connectivity in the Bicol region, aiming to nearly double its port deployment to over 400,000 fiber ports by year-end.

“In line with our strategy to ‘go deep’ in existing markets, we are rolling out nearly 200,000 fiber ports in the Bicol region this year. We want to maximize our first mover Manila advantage as a fiber broadband provider in TODAY Bicol and expanding to the different provinces,” said Converge chief operations officer Jesus Romero.

The port deployment target is spread among the four provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay and Sorsogon.

Converge set ambitious targets for fiber penetration in Region V, aiming to cover more than half of addressable households for the entire Bicol region. “These coverage targets mean there will be high availability of fiber service in key markets like the cities of Legazpi and Naga, as well as in unserved and underserved areas, like the municipalities of Gubat in Sorsogon and Lupi in Camarines Norte,” Romero said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Standard

the project was officially awarded to the Megawide-GMR consortium in 2014.

The GMR-Megawide Consortium emerged as the highest bidder after offering to undertake the project for P14.4 billion.

One of the Aquino administration’s PPP projects, the Mactan airport venture involves the construction of a worldclass international passenger terminal building, with a capacity of about 8 million passengers per year; renovation and expansion of the terminal; installation of all the required equipment; and the operation of both new and existing facilities.

Megawide incurred a net loss of P279.89 million in the first quarter on P4.16-billion consolidated revenues.

The company said the construction segment delivered P3.79-billion revenues in the first three months, up by 11 percent from P3.42 billion a year ago. Revenues from airport operations, together with airport merchandising activities, amounted to P238.93 million in the three-month period, up from P115.08 million a year earlier.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, June 28, 2022

106.59 PTS. 6,345.41

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

847,092,029 76,992

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

7,457,862,825.29

ADVANCES

121

DECLINES UNCHANGED

70 47

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

54.9820

Japan

Yen

0.007383

0.4059

UK

Pound

1.227000

67.4629

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127436

7.0067

Switzerland

Franc

1.045806

57.5005

Canada

Dollar

0.776578

42.6978

Singapore

Dollar

0.721709

39.6810

Australia

Dollar

0.692200

38.0585

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652942

145.8641

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266439

14.6493

Brunei

Dollar

0.719114

39.5383

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028285

1.5552

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

14.9704

Euro

Euro

1.058600

58.2039

Korea

Won

0.000778

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.149388

8.2137

India

Rupee

0.012752

0.7011

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.227144

12.4888

New Zealand

Dollar

0.630500

34.6662

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033772

1.8569 Source: BSP

Maynilad taps Israel expertise to recycle water for potable use

By Othel V. Campos

WEST zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. said Tuesday it plans to tap used water as an alternative raw water supply source for drinking.

The water company said in a briefing the initiative would benchmark the Philippines with Namibia in Southern Africa and Singapore in Asia as the first water company in the Philippines to produce drinkable reused water.

The company will utilize one of its new modular treatment plants CEB-FIGARO to convert treated used water into TIEUP. Cebu Pacific potable supply called “new water.” teams up with Figaro Group to serve an upscale These plants utilize a treatment techblend of specialty coffee nology from Israel—a known global for Cebu Pacific inleader in water innovation. flight passengers. The It said the used water from housepartnership promotes holds collected through its conproudly homegrown veyance system will pass through Filipino brands that aim a sewage treatment plant where it to show to the world the will undergo a series of treatment high-quality products that processes to become “treated used local companies produce. water.”

Leading the partnership agreement are (from left) The company said this meets the Figaro chief operating ambient water and general effluent officer Mike Barret, standards of 2021 set by the Departbusiness development ment of Environment and Natural manager Ma. Victoria Reyes Resources. and chief executive Divina The “treated used water” disGracia Cabuloy, Cebu charged by the STP will pass through Pacific catering and sales a ModTP where it will be further inflight and performance purified. The ModTP’s multi-stage officer Mary Anne Laurel, inflight catering and sales treatment process includes pressurdirector JB Bueno and ized media filtration, ultrafiltration, inflight catering operations reverse osmosis and chlorine disinmanager Jeson Porras. fection.

Maynilad said the output from this is called new water—a CYAN MAGENTAprocess YELLOW BLACK supply that meets the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water, inclusive prosperity.” which is among the more stringent Bautista said the digital bank apdrinking water standards in the proach allows UnionBank to create a world. digital bank from scratch, providing an It said for the initial implemenenvironment where new technologies tation, Maynilad would produce can be developed using the best techaround 10 million liters per day of nology available. new water through a ModTP that Dizon said in the briefing that about a million customers of UnionBank will source “treated used water” were linked to its digital banking platfrom the company’s STP in Paraforms. ñaque City.

Dizon said, “we will not stop there” The used treated water will be fed on expectations the number of custominto the distribution system where it ers linked to its digital banking platwill blend with the standard drinkforms would double to 2 million by ing water produced by Maynilad’s end-2022.

La Mesa Treatment Plants.

UnionBank launching digital lending subsidiary next month

By Julito G. Rada UNION Bank of the Philippines, one of the largest lenders in terms of assets, will launch its digital bank subsidiary UnionDigital next month, a top executive said Tuesday.

UnionBank financial technology group head Erika Dizon said in an online briefing Union Digital Bank will open in July, a year after securing a license to operate from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“This July 2022, it [UnionDigital] is going to hit the ground running... We are hoping the digital bank to be a big

contributor in our bottomline,” Dizon said.

The BSP on July 15, 2021 approved the application of Union Bank for an authority to establish a digital bank.

The digital bank was incorporated as Union Digital Bank, making UnionBank the first publicly-listed Philippine bank to be granted a digital banking license by the BSP. UnionBank president and chief executive Edwin Bautista earlier said the digital bank would be the principal vehicle for UnionBank, “to service and support the lower end of the market— the unbanked. This is our vehicle for

ARBOR DAY. NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING TO:

ALL STOCKHOLDERS

Notice is hereby given that CONCEPCION INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION (formerly Concepcion Airconditioning Corporation) (the “Corporation”) will conduct its Annual Stockholders’ Meeting virtually via Zoom (https://us02web. zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 868 3809 1736) on July 20, 2022 at 10:30 a.m., at which meeting the following matters shall be taken up: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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9.

10.

Call to Order; Certification of Existence of Quorum; Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders held on July 14, 2021; Report of the Chairman; Approval of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2021; Election of Directors; Appointment of External Auditors Ratification of All Actions taken by the Board and Management; Other Matters; and Adjournment.

Manila Water Company Inc., along with government agencies, nongovernment organizations and private sector groups, leads the observation of the Arbor Day. Quezon City 5th District Rep. Alfred Vargas plants a tree sapling with her daughter Aryanna Cassandra Vargas at the La Mesa Nature Reserve in Quezon City.

The record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the said meeting is fixed at the close of business hours on June 20, 2022.

To ensure the health and well-being of our stockholders during this COVID-19 pandemic, stockholders may only attend the meeting by remote communication and/or vote in absentia or through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. Stockholders who wish to participate by remote communication or vote in absentia or by proxy should notify the Corporate Secretary by email to cic.secretary@romulo.com from June 29, 2022 to July 8, 2022.

Successful registrants will receive an electronic invitation via email with a complete guide on how to join the meeting. For any registration concerns, please get in touch with the Corporation through cic.secretary@romulo. com.

All stockholders who wish to vote through a proxy or in absentia shall submit the duly signed proxies or ballots, as the case may be, to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at the 21st Floor, Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City and/or by email to cic.secretary@romulo.com not later than July 8, 2022. The proxies and ballots submitted shall be validated on July 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. We are not soliciting proxies.

The Information Statement which contains a brief explanation of each item on the agenda and procedures for attending the meeting via remote communication and for casting votes in absentia, Management Report, and Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 in SEC Form 17-A are posted on the Corporation’s website at https://cic.ph/investor-relations/#annual-stockholders and PSE EDGE. The meeting shall be recorded in audio and video format and copies thereof shall be retained by the Corporation.

(SGD) JAYSON L. FERNANDEZ Corporate Secretary (MS-JUNE 28 & 29, 2022)

Solar PH vows to meet supply commitments under GEAP

By Alena Mae S. Flores SOLAR Philippines said Tuesday it is working to deliver its commitments under the Green Energy Auction Program and other power supply agreements that will support its 10 gigawatts of projects under development.

It issued the statement after the Department of Energy released the results of the GEAP, showing that Solar Philippines won 70 percent of the auction’s renewable energy capacity (1,380 MW

of 1967 MW) and 91 percent of all solar capacity (1,350 MW of 1,490 MW).

“We were fortunate to have been at the right place at the right time, developing these projects since 2016.

Now we have contracted this capacity, we look forward to working with other companies and stakeholders to deliver these projects and help achieve our country’s targets for renewable energy,” said Solar Philippines founder Leandro Leviste.

The company’s 10-GW power

projects are expected to start operations from 2025 to 2026.

Solar Philippines said it was securing the contracts on the projects, including those in the recently concluded GEAP. “When we began talking about 10 GW, many were in disbelief because the total installed solar capacity of the Philippines last year was just over 1.1 GW. But we hope that having contracts for the majority of 10 GW has now made this plausible,” Leviste said.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022

PH Cup champ bracketed with Fubon Braves, Anyang, Ryukyu

NBA great Metta World Peace graces the EASL drawing of lots Tuesday as he joins (from left) PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, EASL CEO Matt Beyer, KBL commissioner Kim Hee Ok, and B. League chairman Shinji Shimada. Rudy Esperas

Ramirez ready to stay on as PSC chairman if asked

By Peter Atencio

T

WO days before his tenure expires, there’s no sign that Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez will be allowed to leave his post yet.

The PSC chief said he has not forwarded his curriculum vitae to the next administration, believing that it is time for him to go.

But Ramirez said he will be ready to stay on if incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his executive secretary Vic Rodriguez entrust him with another six-year term of office.

“Kung sakaling maninilbihan ulit sa bagong president at sa bayan, tatang-

gapin ko ulit. Lalakasan natin at aayusin ang pagpapatakbo ng Philippine sports,” said Ramirez in a recent radio interview.

Ramirez and the four commissioners of the PSC have already said their goodbyes to the agency’s employees on Monday.

But they have received no word yet anyone of them will be replaced from their posts as of Tuesday.

Ramirez leaves behind a great legacy of having supported the efforts to end

the Philippines’ almost 100-year goldmedal drought in the Olympics with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s victory in Tokyo last year, along with the country’s overall championship in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

The PSC also attributes the great performances of Filipino athletes in the international stage, with the support the chairman got from his commissioners, basketball legend Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxey, Celia Kiram and Arnold Agustin.

A strong grassroots’ program, according to Ramirez, is also among the contributions of the PSC to Philippine sports in the last six years.

“It’s not perfect. Pero after 32 years, naging maganda ang takbo ng PSC. Maraming nagbago, especially sa policy PSC chairman William Ramirez with his making,” added Ramirez.

Presidential Medal of Merit

PVL launches Invitational Conference THE Premier Volleyball League on Tuesday launched its Invitational Conference in elaborate PSA Forum rites at the Century Park Hotel with seven teams all loaded up for another spirited battle for volley supremacy not just among themselves but also against two crack foreign squads stirring up play in the semis.

Creamline gears up for back-to-back championships after foiling Petro Gazz in the recent Open Conference but the Angels, along with the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, the Cignal HD Spikers, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, the Army Black Mamba Troopers and the PLDT High Speed Hitters have toughened during the break in time for Invitationals firing off July 9 at the Fil-Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

A bit of nostalgia also marked the PVL second conference launch at the Badjao room of the posh Sheraton Hotel, which used to be the venue of the weekly sports forum for decades, particularly when the organizing Sports Vision revived the

Choco Mucho’s Jem Ferrer, Chie Saet of Petro Gazz, Jovelyn Gonzaga of Army Black Mamba, Cignal HD’s Rachel Ann Daquis, Mika Reyes of PLDT and Chery Tiggo’s Dindin Santiago-Manabat are all primed-up for another fierce battle as they grace the PVL Invitational Conference launch at the PSA Forum at Century Park’s Badjao Room.

once dormant sport in 2004.

But the upcoming conference won’t be about memories but a fierce, feisty clash of power, style and cohesion with all teams setting out to leave a lasting mark in the country’s first-ever pro women’s volley league.

The Philippine Sportswriters Association, composed of the editors and writers of the country’s leading broadsheets and tabloids, has also been a top supporter of the league since Day One and continues to be so, hosting each of its conference launch while playing a big role in the development of the sport.

“We hope to sustain the momentum we gained in the Open Conference,” said Sports Vision president Ricky Palou during the forum also graced by Cignal TV Channels and TV Content Marketing manager Paulo Fernandez. “For the Invitationals, we are spicing up things with the adding of two foreign teams. We are looking forward to another memorable season with them that, hopefully, our fans will enjoy.”

The PVL success also saw college volleyball thrive and become a huge hit, drawing record crowds the last decade or so while ensuring the steady flow of talents that has kept the league and the sport humming and buzzing through the years.

Rizal, Bataan prevail in thrillers; OKbet-MPBL goes to Batangas RESURGENT Rizal foiled Bacoor’s final assault while Bataan climbed out of a deep pit to stun Caloocan in a pair of thrillers on Monday in the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season presented by Xtreme at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Rizal Golden Coolers banked on Keanu Caballero and Jolo Mendoza in the homestretch to prevail over the Bacoor City Strikers, 81-77, and tally their third straight victory after dropping their first two games in the 22-team, 2-division tournament.

Trailing the majority of the way, the Bataan Risers silenced the Caloocan Excellence in the final 1 minute and 56 seconds and won by a whisker, 66-65, behind the efforts of Ronjay Lastimosa and Kristoffer Torrado.

Lastimosa scored 8 points, while Torrado added 2 plus a crucial steal to lift Bataan’s record to 2-1 in the single

round-robin elimination round.

Caloocan, which surged ahead, 65-56, with less than 2 minutes left on back-to-back triples by Damian Lasco, followed by another triple by Ryusei Koga, skidded to 1-3.

Lastimosa and Torrado, who hails from Caloocan, posted 12 points each and got support from Ernesto Bondoc with 11.

Lasco finished with a gamehigh 23 points, but no other Caloocan player was able to contribute in twin digits.

Rizal took a 72-62 spread on a jumper by Mendoza with 5:14 to go, but Bacoor countered with a 9-point cluster, capped by 5 straight points from Mark Mantuano to threaten at 71-72.

Caballero, however, drilled a triple and a jumper sandwiching a lay-up

by Brandrey Bienes against a triple by Mark Pangilinan to give Rizal a 79-74 cushion with 1:22 to go.

Mantuan canned a triple to tow

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Bacoor within 77-79, but Mendoza sealed Rizal’s win with 2 charities, time down to 11 seconds.

Jordan Rios also played a pivotal role for Rizal Coach Jonathan Banal with game-highs 18 points and 12 rebounds, followed by Mendoza with 17 points.

Edgar Charcos added 11 points while Caballero ended up with 9 points, 9 assists and 4 steals.

Bacoor got 17 points from Mantuano and 15 from Pangilinan.

The MPBL goes to the Batangas City Coliseum on Tuesday with a triplebill featuring the 9 p.m. encounter between the Batangas City Embassy Chill and the Mindoro Tamaraws.

Batangas is gunning for a 6th straight victory and the solo lead in the tournament against Mindoro (1-5).

Other games pit Bacolod (4-1) against Laguna (1-3) at 5 p.m. and Quezon City (0-2) against Makati (1- Keanu Caballero delivered in the clutch for the Rizal 5) at 7 p.m.

Golden Coolers.

THE champion of the PBA Philippine Cup is bracketed with the newly-crowned PLeague+ champ Taipei Fubon Braves in the inaugural homeand-away season of the East Asia Super League in October.

The two teams landed in Group A together with Korean Basketball League runner-up Anyang KGC and Japan B. League counterpart Ryukyu Golden Kings during the official drawing of lots held Tuesday at Shangri-La The Fort.

Group B meanwhile, is composed of KBL champion Seoul SK Knights, Japan B. League title holder Utsonomiya Brex, Bay Area Dragons representing Greater China, and the runner up of the Philippine Cup. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial attended the hour-long event along with KBL commissioner Kim Hee Ok, B. League chairman Shinji Shimada, and Francesco Berre, the strength and conditioning coach of the Dragons.

NBA great Metta World Peace graced the affair as special guest, being one of the EASL ambassadors.

EASL CEO and co-founder Matt Beyer presided over the drawing of lots.

“Come Oct. 12 the dream is over, everything becomes a reality,” said Beyer, the brainchild behind the formation of an Asian tournament featuring the champions of the different leagues around the region.

“Mabigat ang laban sa EASL,” admitted Marcial, noting that all teams competing are champion in their right to be reinforced by two imports.

Members of the PBA Board were also around led by Alfrancis Chua of Barangay Ginebra, vice-chairman Bobby Rosales of Terrafirma, Eric Arejola of NorthPort, and Blackwater governor Siliman Sy along with team owner Dioceldo Sy. Several PBA coaches and players showed up along with their counterparts from both the KBL and B. League.

Tournament format will have the eight teams being divided into two groups of four, and will play a homeand-away games within its group or a total of six matches per team.

The top two teams in each group will advance to the semis, and two surviving clubs clash for the championship and the $1 million prize money.

Pampanga clinches 3rd straight NBL crown THE Pampanga Delta captured a third straight National Basketball League-Pilipinas title, bagging the 2022 President’s Cup with an 86-83 victory over Bulacan DF Republicans last Sunday at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center.

MJ Garcia had 24 points, six rebounds and six assists, as Justine Baltazar had 20 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and four blocks on his way to winning the Finals MVP for the Pampanga governor Dennis Pineda-coached squad.

Pampanga swept the series, 2-0, following its 101-91 win in Game 1 at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium.

Mark Tamayo had 10 points and drained back-to-back threes that put the Delta up, 83-80, overhauling a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit, 74-65, in Game 2.

It was another title for the Delta, who previously won the 2020 President’s Cup and 2021 Chairman’s Cup. Marlon Monte had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Earnest Reyes added 15 points but missed a potential overtime-sending three as Bulacan settled for the runner-up in its second conference in the league.

Prior to tipoff, Bulacan’s Joseph Celso took the Top Performer award of the conference for his consistent play throughout the campaign of the Republicans.

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Sports

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022

Irving will opt into NBA deal, stay with Nets NEW YORK—Brooklyn star guard Kyrie Irving says he will opt into a $37 million player contract option for next season to remain with the NBA Nets, The Athletic reported Monday.

The report comes two days before a deadline for the 30-year-old American to decide about fulfilling his four-year commitment to the Nets and star big man Kevin Durant.

“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall,” Irving told The Athletic.

The report said Irving is skipping possible opt-in and trade moves to remain with Brooklyn and Durant, with hopes of finally producing an NBA title contender.

Irving has played only 103 games for the Nets over the past three seasons due to a variety of injuries and issues, including not being vaccinated for Covid-19 and prevented from playing in home games by New York safety regulations.

Even with two superstars, the Nets have been a disappointment, going 44-38 last season and being swept by Boston in the first round of the playoffs. Brooklyn lost to eventual champion Milwaukee in the second round last year.

Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game over 29 contests for the Nets last season.

Over three seasons with Brooklyn, Irving has averaged 27.1 points and 6.0 assists.

The Nets traded star guard James Harden to Philadelphia late last season for Australian star Ben Simmons and if he returns at top form after back surgery it could help boost Brooklyn next season.

Durant was wanting to see about Irving’s future plans before firming up his own long-term intentions.

The Nets have not gone past the second round of the NBA playoffs since losing the 2003 NBA Finals to San Antonio, when the Nets were based in New Jersey. AFP

Kyrie Irving

Mexico’s Ortiz latest to join LIV Golf

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates beating South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo after their men’s singles tennis match on the first day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. AFP

Djokovic nails 80th Wimby win as Alcaraz fights back

L

ONDON—Novak Djokovic became the first player to win 80 matches at all four Grand Slams as he made a successful start to his Wimbledon title defence on Monday while teenage star Carlos Alcaraz battled over five sets to make the second round.

Six-time champion and top seed Djokovic saw off South Korea’s Kwon Soo-woo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

But 20-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was made to work after falling a break down in the opening two sets against his 81st-ranked opponent.

“Now we have got to 80 wins, let’s get to 100,” said Djokovic.

Djokovic, 35, is attempting to win a fourth successive Wimbledon title and join a select group.

In the Open era, only Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer have managed such a streak at the All England Club.

Next up for Djokovic is Thanasi Kokkanikis. “Novak is kind of a brick wall,” said the Australian.

Alcaraz, a potential quarter-final opponent for Djokovic, came back from two sets to one down to defeat Germany’s JanLennard Struff.

The 19-year-old fired 30 aces and 73 winners in a dazzling display of shotmaking to win 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

know how many more chances I’ll get to play on Centre Court,” said the 35-year-old.

Around two hours of play was lost on Monday due to rain—and 10 matches cancelled—but that did not faze new women’s world number two Ons Jabeur.

The Tunisian, a quarter-finalist in 2021, eased past Swedish qualifier Mirjam Bjorklund 6-1, 6-3 in just 54 minutes under the Court One roof.

World number three Anett Kontaveit began her bid to reach the second week for the first time with a 7-5, 6-1 win against Bernarda Pera of the United States.

US Open champion Emma Raducanu beat Alison van Uytvanck 6-4, 6-4, much to the delight of a partisan home crowd on Centre Court.

The 10th seed became the first British female player to win a Grand Slam singles crown since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977 when she triumphed in New York last year.

‘Special feeling’ “It’s an incredibly special feeling to be back at Wimbledon,” said the British number one, who reached the fourth round last year.

Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins was the day’s biggest casualty as the seventh-seeded American was knocked out by Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic. AFP

“Last year, I played five sets in the first round here as well so this shows how much I like grass,” joked Alcaraz.

-‘Lunch or siesta’ Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina knocked out 2021 semi-finalist Hubert Hurkacz courtesy of the tournament’s first final-set 10-point tiebreak.

World number 37 Davidovich Fokina triumphed over the seventh-seeded Pole 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8) in a match interrupted twice by rain.

“When the rain came at 5-5 in the third set, I didn’t know whether to have lunch or take a siesta,” admitted 2017 junior champion Davidovich Fokina, who needed five match points to seal the win.

Two-time Andy Murray also made it through, coming from a set down to see off Australia’s James Duckworth, who hasn’t registered a single win in 2022.

Murray won 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

“I’m getting on a bit now so don’t

WASH I NGTON — Mex ico’s Carlos Ortiz joined American Matthew Wolff and Spanish amateur Eugenio Chacarra as the latest players to sign with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, the competition announced on Monday.

Reports had named 77thranked Wolff and Chacarra, the world amateur number two, as joining LIV Golf while 119thranked Ortiz signed on after a PGA career that saw him win the 2020 Houston Open.

All three were among 36 players named on Monday to the 48-player field for LIV Golf’s second 54-hole event, to be staged on Thursday through to Saturday at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon.

The first US event for the rebel series includes the LIV Golf debut for 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer.

Chacarra, 22, will make his professional debut in Oregon.

“Our impressive roster of LIV golfers continues to grow with incredible young talent and international stars,” LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman said.

“LIV Golf is providing new opportunities for the best players in the world to compete and our field in Portland reflects that. We can’t wait to kick off our first US event with these incredible golfers.”

The controversial series has landed eight golfers ranked among the world’s top 50 with such US stars as Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.

LIV events feature the richest purses in golf history at $25 million with the unique series including shot gun starts plus team and individual formats. AFP

FIVB president Graca praises POC, volleyball body THE president of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) heaped praises for the national federation for its excellent hosting of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) for its strength in successfully settling issues regarding the sport’s national association.

With the picturesque Taal Volcano as backdrop from the Knights Templar Hotel view deck in Tagaytay City, FIVB President Ary da Silva Graca thanked POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino for his professional handling of the rift that forced the world governing body to “suspend” Philippine volleyball for almost one Olympic cycle while recognizing a provisional national sports association.

“Thank you very much [again] Mr. President [Tolentino] … not only for the

extraordinary lunch, but you helped us solve the problems here in the Philippines,” Graca told Tolentino during his entourage’s lunch visit on Monday in Tagaytay City where he was treated to a sumptuous lunch of chicken and pork adobo, sinigang na bangus, ensaladang talong and crispy pata.

“You are very strong,” added Graca, who was accompanied by his elegant wife, Marina, and FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo.

“It’s an honor,” said Tolentino, who led the POC’s supervision of untangling the leadership crisis in the volleyball federation in February last year when Ramon “Tats” Suzara assumed the presidency of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation in an electoral exercise ordered by the FIVB. The PNVF’s successful hosting of two weeks of the VNL that fea-

tured 16 of the top men and women teams in the world didn’t escape Graca’s attention.

“It’s a 10,” Graca told key PNVF and local organizing committee personnel during a congratulatory meeting on Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The noon after, the former Brazilian national team player repeated his praise of Suzara.

“An excellent job that you have done,” Graca told Suzara. “You can compare it [hosting] to Brazil, Poland and Turkey and Italy. You were all completely prepared even without your team playing.”

“This is absolutely something new … the Philippine people are very responsive people and they love the sport,” he said. “This is a very big responsibility for your Olympic committee president [Tolentino] to see all sports prosper, not only volleyball.”

International Volleyball Federation President Ary da Silva Graca congratulates Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Ramon “Tats” Suzara (third from left). Also in photo are FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo (left) and Graca’s wife Marina.

YGG PH jumpstarts Roadtrip to connect with local gaming communities

Shown here during the awarding ceremonies are (from left) YGG Media & Community Marketing Manager John Sedano, XLD Finance CEO Ian Estrada, Jan Karlo Gascon a.k.a.

Dubukid, BlockchainSpace Business Development Manager Carlos Melotindos, Fancy Birds Country Manager Nicole Osano.

IN celebration of gaming culture and communities, Filipino-led Yield Guild Games (YGG) brought a personal experience to play-to-earn enthusiasts while strengthening its local community through its newest project dubbed YGG Roadtrip.

“The YGG Roadtrip is one of our many efforts to ensure support for the community while expanding our impact beyond the metaverse,” YGG Pilipinas Country Manager Luis Buenaventura said. “We are working closely with local community leaders, service providers, and key players in the metaverse to foster and sustain valuable relationships starting with this road trip.”

In partnership with BlockchainSpace, Fancy Birds, XLD Finance and with the help of the official venue sponsor SM City Baguio, official me-

dia partner YGG Alerts and official tournament sponsor Sky Mavis, YGG further solidified its social impact and footprint in physical environments through the YGG Roadtrip, a roadshow where YGG visits key areas where play-to-earn gaming thrives, meet up with local communities, and prepare exciting activities for them.

The kick-off event had four main segments for attendees— a play-toearn community Tournament, a Meet & Greet with the guild’s key figures, an Experience Zone where registered attendees could try out various NFT games and visit booths to accomplish tasks as part of the Expo Quest, and a Literacy Session where partners and guild leaders shared their knowledge and learnings with the community.

The program ran for about eight hours and was graced by YGG man-

agers Kookoo and Spraky who shared their respective play-to-earn quests, and some members of the YGG All Stars Vittorio Miguel “VMG” Gonzales, Enrico Jerome “Boarknock” Tollongco, and Gerald Rivera “Jobols” Domingo and Een Mercado. Special prizes were given to the participants such as the Pilipinas Roadtrip swag bag which includes a tote bag, shirt, and cap, as well as merch from Roadtrip partners and sponsors.

“Fostering meaningful relationships takes transcending digital boundaries.

We believe that this roadtrip will create mutually beneficial local partnerships,” Buenaventura quipped. The City of Pines is only YGG Roadtrip’s first stopover as it was just the commencement of their journey towards the first-ever P2E Summit in 2023 led

by YGG.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022

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Piolo and Lovi like you’ve never seen them before Piolo Pascual (left) and Lovi Poe portray their characters in ‘Flower of Evil’ efficiently, leaving a realistic impression on viewers

The cast and creative team of the local adaptation of ‘Flower of Evil’

P

IOLO Pascual and Lovi Poe’s indepth portrayal of their characters in the local adaptation of Flower of Evil leaves a realistic impression on the viewers. No wonder, both actors were specifically chosen to work on this project because of its artistic requirement.

Seeing the first two episodes of the Philippine version of the 2020 Korean suspense drama (the series premiered first on Viu on June 23 and 24, and on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z on June 25 and 26) gives audience a glimpse of the lead stars’ acting prowess, their palpable onscreen chemistry, and the local production team’s ability to create

Piolo Pascual as Jacob

Lovi Poe as Iris

quality content – it further solidifies ABS-CBN’s position as the country’s powerhouse source of world-class dramas.

Flower of Evil is a Viu original adaptation that follows the seemingly

perfect life of husband and wife - Jacob and Iris (Piolo and Lovi), together with their young daughter Luna (Sienna Stevens). Jacob is a metal craftsman who owns and operates his own workshop, while Iris is a well-respected

police detective.

Unknown to Iris, Jacob is hiding his dark, scandalous past from her. All these years, Jacob has been living a double life after he successfully changed his identity from Daniel Villareal to Jacob del Rosario.

Daniel was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, has been wanted by the police for murder, and he is also the only son of Abel (Gardo Versoza), a known serial killer who committed suicide.

Their lives will slowly crumble when Iris’ team is assigned to investigate a murder crime, which is hauntingly similar to the crimes of Abel. Because of this, a 17-year-old unsolved murder case is reopened and Iris exhausts all efforts to do research on Daniel.

As she slowly uncovers clues that could link Jacob to Daniel, Iris will discover that her husband might be more dangerous than she thinks he is.

As the plot thickens, the series will leave questions like: Will Iris’ love for

Jacob prevail over her duty as a police detective? What other secrets is Jacob hiding from his family?

“We kept the very spine of the story for the K-Drama fans. We also decided to keep the iconic scenes to pay homage to the original version. We added Filipino flavors in the sense that, since the actors are Filipinos, the sensibility of the drama is very Pinoy. We injected a few Filipino elements that make the series more relatable to local audience,” said Darnel Villaflor, who shares the director’s chair with Richard Arellano, said of the series.

Flower of Evil is Piolo and Lovi’s first team-up, and also Lovi’s first drama series as a Kapamilya. The cast is also comprised of JC de Vera, Agot Isidro, Denise Laurel, Joem Bascon, Epy Quizon, Rita Avila, Jett Pangan, Pinky Amador, Joross Gamboa, Joko Diaz, and Edu Manzano.

“After seeing the first two episodes, my level of excitement shot up. That was just the tip of the iceberg. It’s just the build-up of the entire series,” Lovi shared during the celebrity screening of the drama.

In a separate interview, Piolo said he got inspired by Lovi’s dedication to her craft especially since she’s already done a few iconic projects and yet she still gives more than what’s expected of her.

“Her energy affects everyone on set that’s why I’m grateful that she’s my co-star in this drama. It was easy for us to build chemistry because she knows what she’s doing,” Piolo said.

Flower of Evil is the first Viu original adaptation drama series from the Philippines to stream simultaneously in 16 markets - Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, and South Africa - 48 hours before its TV broadcast.

GMA Regional TV brings back in-person events Malta (center) with her best friends at the café they work at

Netizens react to ‘Ang Babae Sa Likod Ng Face Mask’ developing plot PUREGOLD Channel’s romcom series Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask has already garnered thousands of views online with fans excitedly commenting on Malta and Sieg’s unfolding romance.

The previous episode shows an anxious Malta having disturbing dreams about bearing her face to Sieg. It does not help any that Malta’s very real fears are aggravated by issues springing from her cash-strapped mother Madam Baby’s failure to pay for their bills.

Meanwhile, viewers learn about Sieg’s past, his failed relationship with another girl, and how a dispute over business issues caused the breakup. The episode ends with Sieg seeing Malta’s profile on social media and sending her a friend request.

It’s clear that the kilig over Malta and Sieg’s strong chemistry is off the charts. Viewers are thrilled: “Ganda naman ng episode na to, may chemistry talaga sila,” Sheann Caracas gushed. “Ganda ng episode na to, kakilig,” chimed in Angel Elep. Maria Fe Nakajima even wrote, “Kakilig naman kapag ganyang kakisig at ka pogi. Jusko ang pogiiiiii. Bagay naman sila ni Herlene, more episodes naman please!️” Josephine Casillan was just one of many fans that commented, “Can’t wait for Episode 3!” which will show Malta accepting Sieg’s friend request so they can carry on.

Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask airs every Saturday, 7:00 p.m. on the official YouTube Puregold Channel.

Sieg spends the end of the previous episode searching for Malta on social media

GOOD news to Kapuso in the regions as GMA Regional TV brings back its series of in-person events featuring some of the country’s biggest stars beginning this month.

As a special treat to loyal Kapuso viewers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, GMA Regional TV is once again mounted several events starting off with back-to-back events on June 25 and 26 in Mindanao courtesy of ‘Bolera’ and ‘First Lady.’

Kapuso in Zamboanga City had a fabulous weekend as Kylie Padilla bannered the Kapuso Fans Day on June 25 at KCC Mall de Zamboanga. The Bolera lead actress saw in person her fans and shared an intimate afternoon with them via a meet and greet with special guest, Gardo Versoza.

Before First Lady airs its finale week, Rocco Nacino and Maxine Medina flew to Davao City for a Kapuso Mall Show at Ayala Abreeza Mall in Davao City on June 26. On behalf of the First Lady cast, Rocco and Maxine personally thanked the Kapusong Dabawenyos for the warm support their show continues to get.

Meanwhile, Shaira Diaz and Arra San Agustin of the upcoming adventure series Lolong headlined the Kapuso Fiesta in

Tacloban City on June 28 in celebration of the Sangyaw Festival.

Spreading love in General Santos City on July 16 are Love You Stranger lead stars Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos.

The real-life Kapuso couple will banner the Kapuso Mall Show in KCC Mall of GenSan at 5:00 p.m..

“We are delighted to announce that GMA Regional TV’s events are back after more than two years of hiatus due to the global pandemic. As we begin to navigate the ‘new normal,’ GMA Network continues to give back to its loyal Kapuso viewers across the Philippines and one of our ways to do this is to bring back our events with Kapuso artists. We would like to thank Bolera, First Lady, Lolong, and Love You Stranger for participating in these initiatives. This is only the beginning so expect more events from GMA Regional TV in the coming days,” said First Vice President and Head for GMA Regional TV and Synergy Oliver Victor B. Amoroso.

In the primetime series Bolera, Kylie’s character, Joni, challenges the norms of society as she tries to conquer the male-dominated world of billiards. Joining Kylie in the series are Rayver Cruz and Jak Roberto.

Down to its last week, First Lady continues to be the viewers’ top choice

GMA Network Chairman & CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon (center) with (from left) Amoroso, Atty. Gozon-Valdes, incoming Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, and Congressman Duke Frasco

in primetime block. The sequel to the Philippines’ No. 1 show for 2021, First Lady features the swoon-worthy pairing of award-winning actor Gabby Concepcion as President Glenn Acosta and brilliant Kapuso actress Sanya Lopez as First Lady Melody Acosta.

Set to air on July 4 after 24 Oras, Lolong is headlined by Ruru Madrid.

The network’s biggest adventure series this year tells the exciting tale of a man’s extraordinary friendship with a giant

crocodile. Shaira and Arra play the roles of Elsie and Bella, respectively.

Another GMA Telebabad series that is captivating viewers, Love You Stranger merges mystery and romance with folklore and filmmaking. Here, LJ (Gabbi) and Ben (Khalil) try to unravel the mystery surrounding the legend of a shadow creature. Since its pilot airing last June 6, the series continues to pique the interest of viewers with its enthralling storyline and cinematography.

Do you want to be the next big content creator?

Five tips and tricks to succeed on YouTube

expectation of what viewers will be in for, further enticing them to click on your video no matter where they see it.

2. Upload consistently Arguably, the best way to maintain traffic to your videos is to train your audience to expect a routine of your content uploads, so that they can build anticipation on a specific day of the week or time of the day.

“Build consistency and a routine for your viewers so that they know when to come back to your channel,” says Andrea. This is an easy way to sustain their interest over time. “It’s good to upload frequently, but consistency is better than frequency.”

3. Create a series Other than the Homepage, another important source of traffic on YouTube are suggested videos that appear on the sidebar of a video that’s currently playing, enticing the viewer to keep watching.

One way to take advantage of this feature is to create a series of shorter videos, so that the viewer will always be watching your videos. This is because the suggested videos feature tends to offer videos from the same creator. As long as you have a lot of content on your channel, both the suggested videos and the ‘up next’ feature will likely play more of your content as the viewer keeps watching.

4. End with a call-to-action to watch more One simple way you can continue to direct traffic to your

Speakers at the NextUp Philippines Webinar Series teach attendees how to become successful content creators IF YOU want to be a successful YouTube content creator, you must understand how the video streaming platform works.

This is what aspiring content creators and vloggers learned in the recently concluded NextUp Philippines Webinar Series, a collaboration between Smart Communications Inc. and YouTube.

The three-part event–hosted by content creator and talent manager Jako De Leon – gathered speakers composed of YouTube experts, NextUp program alumni, and industry luminaries to impart lessons and tips on community engagement, brand collaboration, content optimization, and production to budding Filipino content creators.

Among the speakers who helped content creators maximize YouTube was Andrea Romualdez, Strategic Partner Manager from YouTube’s Creator and Artist Development team, who shared these five helpful tips: 1. Think like a new viewer YouTube’s homepage—a top source of traffic to videos— ranks videos by performance and personalization. This means good content can easily be presented to users coming to the homepage, and your video can be among those.

“Make the thumbnail clear and easy to read on desktop and mobile, and have a consistent title and thumbnail style,” says Andrea. Showing the video’s topic sets a clear

content is to end your videos with a call to action to watch more from your channel.

A call-to-action is a quick and easy reminder for the viewer that there is more content on your channel, especially if it’s of the same or similar topic as the video they’re currently watching. It’s a bit of a subconscious sign for them to actually keep going because there’s more to discover.

5. Use playlists and end screens This extra step can go a long way, especially if you have a lot of content—take the time to fully use YouTube’s extra features to direct your viewers to your videos and keep them watching.

Create playlists of similar videos to ensure that your viewers watch as much of your content as possible, especially if there’s something to learn thoroughly.

For your individual videos, utilize the end screen feature to present more videos that you think the viewer should watch. It can also be other videos of a similar topic, or a new video you’re trying to promote—it’s all up to you, and giving them options will go a long way to retaining their interest.

The NextUp Philippines Webinar Series is a collaboration between Smart and YouTube to provide growth opportunities for Filipinos to discover and cultivate their passions.

Smart subscribers can stream and upload their favorite video content on YouTube powered by the country’s fastest 5G mobile network, according to Ookla®, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence.

Life

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

C4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2022

A 15th-century bowl on display at the National Museum

French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz

‘Bayan Bayanan’ Director Anton Juan

Pinto Art Museum owner Dr. Joven Cuanang

French connection

Commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations

By Patricia Taculao IN 1947, the Philippines and France signed the Treaty of Amity in Paris and established diplomatic relations between the two countries. Since then, the French-Philippine alliance has deepened through their initiatives to uphold international laws for an open Indo-Pacific area, combat climate change, and extensive cultural exchanges between the nations.

This year, France and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, committing themselves to strengthen and expand their partnership in many areas, including politics and economics.

According to French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz, when she met up with the office of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, they realized that 75 years of the diplomatic partnership was impossible to condense and celebrate in one day, June 26. Eventually, they extended the celebrations to six months, from June to December.

“This year-long celebration is an opportunity for all Filipinos to experience the friendship between our two countries in all aspects.

There is so much more to discover and learn from each other as we grow as a community,” Boccoz said during a media conference.

One of the many things that the French and Filipinos share is a love for culture and arts. The celebrations officially started on June 26 with the inauguration of the exhibition “Diamond in the Rough” at the Pinto Art Museum.

The exhibit, curated by Sandra Palomar, features pieces by French artists who lived in the Philippines and Filipinos who lived in France. The exhibit is

open to the public until August 7.

Meanwhile, one of the most relevant events in the celebration occurred last June 23 in France.

After a decade of waiting, the bust of the Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal was finally unveiled in the 9th arrondissement. Rizal spent many years in Paris to learn about its politics, culture, and arts, heavily shaping him into the illustrious scholar Filipinos know today.

Within June, other events include the “Up to the Sky” exhibit and the “Tara, Allez!” Fête de la Musique music festival in the Philippines.

By July, Filipinos can expect a classical music concert and a play titled Bayan Bayanan: Texts from Home at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). The celebration continues at the CCP in August as the much-awaited Cinemalaya Film Festival will happen from August 5 to 14. The CCP will also host the musical Mula sa Buwan, a Filipino musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s French classic Cyrano de Bergerac.

In the following months, there are a plethora of cultural events between France and the Philippines, including Wordello Night of Poetry, art exhibitions, the French and Filipino Film Festival, and the QCinema, among others. All the events will feature participants from both France and the Philippines to show how well the countries work together in championing culture and arts from their perspectives.

As France and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of friendship this 2022, the two nations are also in the works to develop new partnership projects that further demonstrate their mutual trust. It’s something worth looking forward to in the next 75 years or more.

(From left) French Embassy Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs Marc Piton, DFA Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Rosario Lemque, Michèle Boccoz, Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairperson Liza Diño, and Alliance française de Manille Director Xavier Leroux

The National Museum leads several excavations in Manila, Batangas, Cebu, Negros, Palawan, and Butuan to find several ceramics

Of palayok, burnay, and tapayan G

ROWING up, summer vacation meant spending time at my grandmother’s house in Pangasinan. There, I would play with my cousins, not minding the sweltering heat as we crossed some karayan (river) and taltalon (ricefields).

Afternoons were spent running and catching dragonflies. And when we got so thirsty, we would go to the back kitchen and drink water from the tapayan, the earthen water jar. It’s amazing how the water inside the jar remains cold no matter how the temperature was.

Earthenwares were common back then. We would cook on a clay stove, with someone continuously fanning or feeding the flames with more wood.

After cooking, the embers would be used to boil water for bathing and washing.

We did have palayok, earthen pots, which were often used in cooking. It is said that cooking over burning of wood and in palayok adds a unique flavor to the food.

Since refrigerators were a luxury back then, I remember the old folks storing meat buried in salt and placing them inside burnay. They would also use these earthenwares to ferment sugarcane juice, which turned into sukang Iloko (vinegar) and eventually basi (local wine). Clay jars were also used to store bagoong and other raw ingredients. It was believed that food tasted better when they were stored in burnay.

The ceramic heritage of the Philippines has always been interesting to me. Far more than just storage and vessels, these stonewares, ceramics, and what have you tell the interesting stories and reflect the social reality in a certain period, as well as its connection to a specific culture.

While they are often seen as containers for food and liquid, their functions transcend beyond cooking and storing. In some cultures, they are used for rituals.

They become witnesses to bountiful harvest. Some use jars for burial, as they are believed to be a good vessel of the soul to the spirit world.

These objects, particularly ceramics and porcelain, are also seen as symbols of power and wealth. Urban collectors often search and buy intricately-designed vases and jars as ornaments.

Pottery has always been embedded in our culture. History has it that ceramics were widely exported by Chinese traders all over the world as early as the 7th century.

In fact, the earliest ceramic wares recovered in the country dated 9th century. Through an archaeological survey led by Dr. Henry Otley Beyer, various ceramic finds were uncovered in Palawan, Quezon, Bicol, Samar, and Leyte in 1947.

Since the 1950s, the National Museum has led several excavations in Manila, Batangas, Cebu, Negros, Palawan, and Butuan, where they found several ceramics. The discovery and recovery of shipwrecks such as the San Diego in Fortune Island in Batangas and Griffin in the Sulu Sea yielded thousands of

Chinese wares.

In the 1960s, Dr. Robert B. Fox, who was the then chief of the Anthropology Division (now Ethnology Division), initiated the ethnographic ceramics collection in the museum.

“When it comes to ethnographic stoneware, we know that this is something that links us with the rest of Asia. We are yet to really flesh out the story of how our ethnographic stoneware really represents the Pan-Asian heritage with the Philippines as a core part of it,” said National Museum director-general Jeremy Barns.

With this challenge, the National Museum partnered with the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation to establish the Elizabeth Y. Gokongwei Ethnographic Stoneware Resource Center.

Located on the fifth floor of the museum’s East Wing, the resource

The East Wing of the National Museum houses over 1,000 jars, plates, and bowls from the National Ethnographic Collection

The partnership between the National Museum and Gokongwei Brothers Foundation encourages more students, educators, and researchers to engage in documenting ceramic traditions

center houses over 1,000 jars, plates, and bowls from the National Ethnographic Collection, including 73 Ilokano stoneware pieces, which are part of the long-term lease of the Ilocos Historical and Cultural Foundation Collection to the NMP. The various objects in the collection have been dated from the 15th to the 20th century, and came from the different ethnolinguistic groups in the country, including Bontok, Ifugao, Ibaloy, Ilokano, Gad’dang, and Pangasinense communities in northern Luzon; Tagalog, Pala’wan, and Tagbanua communities in central and southern Luzon; and Maguindanao, Maranao, and Tausug communities in southwestern Mindanao.

Through this project, the NMP and the GBFI wish to provide an open research facility that will encourage more

students, educators, and researchers to engage in documenting ceramic traditions in the country and gain a better understanding of the breadth and depth of these collections concerning Filipino culture and identity.

“This project adds to the quality of custodianship that we have of our precious natural patrimony. [It] adds to the quality of service we could provide to the public, especially to researchers who will flesh out our appreciation of our heritage,” said Barns.

Researchers can access the catalog of the collections and examine selected objects with the supervision of the NMP collections managers. Those who wish to access the catalog and examine the collection may send a letter of request at inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph or nationalmuseumph@yahoo.com.

Museum visitors, meanwhile, can view the EYG Resource Center collection from outside of the hallway through its glass panels and observe how they are documented, maintained, and processed for exhibition, publication, and other educational programs.

This will foster a better understanding of the nature and roles of museums, which is not only limited to exhibitions or repository space but as actively engaged in the process of preservation and promotion of cultural objects along with their stories.

“Far more than being vessels, these objects tell the story of their connection to their maker and the culture they constitute. By highlighting material culture, we hope to offer a new avenue for exploring our past to fully understand the diversity of our heritage,” said NMP deputy director Jorell M. Legaspi.

To maximize the reach and impact of the EYG Resource Center, sustained efforts are being implemented including special tours, provision of digital reference materials for teachers, and other new ways of learning about the collection, such as the 360° VR exhibit.

There is also an accompanying book entitled “From Kiln to Kin: The Philippine Ceramic Heritage,” which will feature the full catalog of collections found inside the resource center. It will extensively discuss the ceramic history of the Philippines and its significance in our ethnolinguistic traditions and culture.

“As a staunch advocate of holistic education, the Foundation takes to heart its duty to protect our heritage, enrich our culture, and pass this on to the next generation. There, we are grateful to the NMP for bringing to the GBF and making it possible for us to contribute to the valuable field of cultural preservation,” said GBF general manager Lisa Y. Gokongwei-Cheng.

Learning our history and culture would definitely inculcate a stronger sense of identity, belongingness, and communal connection among our people. I hope more and more Filipinos, especially the young ones, would get to visit the resource center and the museum.

Rediscover the art of history paintings in an online talk

Museum curator and published writer Gari Apolonio

HISTORY Paintings: Uso Pa Ba?, an online lecture that aims to reintroduce the overlooked craft and discipline of history painting, and reiterate its role, especially in the postmodern times, is set via Zoom today, June 29, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The webinar is headlined by museum curator and published writer Gari Apolonio. He will guide the viewers through the rich history of the genre, its development, and how it is produced and seen in the contemporary period.

He will likewise tackle the movement in relation to art appreciation and identity formation. He will provide an in-depth discussion about the landmark exhibit Siningsaysay: Philippine History in Art, currently installed at the Gateway Gallery, of which he is a full-time curator.

He also had various art projects during his stint at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Now Gallery and Auctions and collaborations with other advocacy organizations.

He authored the artist biography

book Dreamscapes: The Art of Perfecto Mercado.

History Paintings: Uso Pa Ba? is free and open to the public as part of the Design Foundation of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s online education programs.

Interested participants may register through this link: https:// d o c s . g o o g l e . c o m / f o r m s / d / e / 1 FA I p Q L S f s A f N N W 6 Ti f 4 Q P W 5 R I Y X e p K 26wCgUcJW8UXlMRN5Jo7ogxGA/ viewform

‘History Paintings: Uso Pa Ba?’ is an online lecture that reintroduces the craft and discipline of history painting