Manila Standard - 2022 July 3 - Sunday

Vol. 36

n

No. 137

July 3, 2022

2 SECTIONS 8 PAGES

18 .00

IN MET R MANILAO

PASSING THROUGH.

A mascot wearing a dinosaur costume attracts the attention of shoppers at a mall in Cubao, Quezon City on Saturday, July 2, 2022.

Manny Marcelo

DSWD to purge ‘ayuda’ list

Tulfo to fan out informers to pinpoint unqualified beneficiaries

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OCIAL Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo will tap informers to identify persons who should be delisted from the conditional cash transfer program, otherwise known as 4Ps, as they are not eligible to receive assistance or “ayuda.”

“It’s like estafa because you are defrauding the government,” Tulfo said in an interview on Saturday.

He said he plans to implement a reward system to encourage people to report unqualified 4Ps beneficiaries.

This, he said, is aligned with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to clean up the list of beneficiaries of DSWD’s social assistance programs.

“That’s the order of President Marcos – to clean the DSWD’s list of beneficiaries,” he said.

Tulfo said thousands of Filipinos who are still waiting to be included in the 4Ps list would benefit from the purge.

He said he is also eyeing an amnesty sys-

tem to allow unqualified 4Ps beneficiaries to surrender their accounts to the DSWD to avoid facing charges.

Earlier, Marcos also underscored the need to hasten the release of the national IDs as these will facilitate the efficient distribution of ayuda.

“Things like the giving of the ayuda, all of these things that we are trying for, going to digitize the bureaucracy…Having their national ID [ensures] a good database for the government,” the President said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the IDs, either in physical form or in electronic form, will be CONTINUED ON 3A

COVID cases up on 3rd straight day THE country logged 1,302 new COVID-19 cases yesterday – the third consecutive day that the daily tally breached 1,000 cases, the Department of Health said.

Almost half of the fresh cases – 625 – were recorded in Metro Manila.

At least 13 fatalities were likewise recorded, bringing the death toll to 60,578.

But as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to appoint his Health secretary, there will be no changes in policies and in the country’s COVID-19 response.

SINGING THE BLUES AWAY.

A man plays his guitar beside a gasoline station in Quezon City amid expectations that prices of diesel and kerosene would slightly go down next week after four weeks of consecutive increases.

Manny Marcelo

BBM vetoes Bulacan freeport zone bill, citing ‘big fiscal risk’ PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vetoed a measure establishing a special economic zone and freeport adjacent to the proposed airport city in Bulacan province.

In his veto message, Marcos rejected House Bill 7575, which seeks the establishment of the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport, saying its provisions “pose substantial fiscal risks to the country.”

The President also cited the measure’s “infringement on or conflict with other agencies’ mandates and authorities.”

“At the foreground, fiscal prudence must be exercised particularly at times when resources are scarce and needs are abundant. While this administration recognizes the objective of the proposed measure to accelerate economic growth in its locality, I cannot support the bill,” he said in a letter received July 1 and addressed to the Senate President and House Speaker.

Marcos also explained that the enrolled bill “lacks coherence with existing laws, rules, and regulations,” noting that it has no CONTINUED ON 3A

Price rollback for kerosene, diesel but gas seen steady AFTER almost a month of consecutive pump price increases, Filipinos can expect rollbacks of as much as P3 per liter for diesel next week. “[It is] indicative of rollback next week due to the following major reasons: [the] China lockdown [and] effect of various interest hikes all over the world which

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depresses economic activity and, ultimately, fuel demand,” Department on Energy Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad said.

In its fuel price forecast for the July 5 to 11 trading days, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said the price per liter of diesel may be CONTINUED ON 3A

Data analysts have warned COVID-19 cases went up in all regions, with some posting a growth rate of over 200 percent amid waning immunity and the presence of new variants.

“Our current pandemic response protocols continue to be implemented.

Everything is status quo until new directives from our new President come in,” the DOH said in a statement.

“The country’s COVID-19 response actions, along with actions for all other non-COVID health matters, continue through senior DOH officials

4he standard the standard the s the standard the standard the s FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin jr. said the country “dropped the ball” on a donation of 50 million syringes from the United States “We dropped the ball again; this time offer of 50 million syringes,” he said in a post on Twitter.

“Discussed the need in Washington DC and got a response prepared to go into details with PH agencies but they refused to discuss the ball let alone catch it. First Pfizer, then Moderna. Ok, I see the pattern,” Locsin added.

In December last year, Locsin disclosed that somebody “made a mistake” that caused the country to miss out on 10 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

The scarcity of Pfizer syringes led the government to reduce its jab target from 15 million doses to 9 million doses for the

three-day “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” LOCSIN... national COVID-19 vaccination

drive that was eventually extended to five days from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

An official from the Department of Health, however, assured the country there was a sufficient supply of syringes until the end of the year as the products secured by the government through the United Nations Children’s Fund have begun to arrive.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said there was a slight delay in the delivery of the ordered syringes due to the global shortage.

At least 44 million syringes were ordered three months ago from UNICEF. In the first tranche of four million, only CONTINUED ON 3A

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Esperon, Parlade, Badoy told to answer complaint NEWS | 2A

Marcos greets mom Imelda who turns 93 NEWS | 2A

supervising specific bureaus, offices and units. We await and are ready for the announcement of the next Secretary of Health,” the department added.

According to OCTA research fellow Ranjit Rye, cases increased across all regions.

“The number one reason for this is warning immunity. Number 2 is the new variants,” Rye said.

“This is the declining compliance with minimum public health standards.

All of these have contributed to the rise CONTINUED ON 3A

Protocol chief named, Pagcor post still vacant n By VITO BARCELO PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named a career diplomat to be his protocol chief.

As chief of presidential protocol, former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Adelio Angelito Cruz will be in charge of assisting Marcos and his delegation during overseas trips as well as coordinating the visits of foreign dignitaries.

Cruz has previously served in various posts, including as consul general in Los Angeles, USA and Xiamen, China as well as chargé d’affaires in Tripoli, Libya.

He will also serve as presidential assistant for foreign trips in a concurrent capacity.

His appointment came after Marcos chose a career diplomat – the country's permanent representative to the United Nations, Enrique Manalo – to head the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, the Palace denied reports that Marcos designated former Commission on Elections Commissioner George Garcia to head the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

“I would like the public to be informed that there is no truth to the statements CONTINUED ON 3A

British monkeypox symptoms ‘different’ WORLD | 3A

JULY 3, 2022

Ombudsman finally acts on lawyers’ complaint I

T MAY be true that justice grinds ever so slowly in the Philippines.

Consider this. It took the Office of the Ombudsman two years to direct three former government officials to answer administrative charges filed against them by a lawyers’ organization.

The Ombudsman’s order, dated June 16, 2022, directed then National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., then Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, and retired Southern Luzon Command

chief Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. to file their respective counter-affidavits within 10 days from receipt of the order.

All three respondents were part of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC).

Asked for comment, Esperon on Saturday said the suit was a “typical desperate move” of communist terrorist groups (CTG) taking advantage of the institutions of the government that they seek to overthrow.”

He also said he has not read the order.

The administrative complaint was filed by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) in December 2020, seeking the dismissal of the respon-

dents from government service with the forfeiture of their benefits.

The NUPL alleged that Esperon, Badoy, and Parlade vilified the lawyers’ group by publicly accusing them as a front of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPPNPA), but “unsupported by credible, competent and admissible evidence.”

The lawyers charged the respondents with “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave abuse of authority, and grave misconduct on account of their participation and role in the formulation and implementation of the government’s policy and practice of tagging progressive organizations and their members as “communist terrorists” or “fronts” of the

CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), “which in itself constitutes serious threats to their lives, liberty and security.”

The complaint was the fifth of such cases filed against the government officials allegedly engaged in “red-tagging,” or the practice of labelling activists and progressive personalities and organizations as communist terrorists or fronts, NUPL president Edre Olalia has said.

“In this case, respondents have abused the offices they hold and have taken advantage of the positions by persecuting and espousing lies and unfounded accusations and false attributions against NUPL and its members,” the NUPL said in its 47-page complaint.

ROAD RAGE. A policemen

arrests the driver of a wayward car that barreled into another vehicle and three motorcycles along Roxas Blvd. in Parañaque City Friday night.

The bike riders suffered only minor injuries. Norman Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wished his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, continued to be in good health, have blessings, and joy as she turned 93 on yesterday.

Marcos post his birthday message for his mother on Facebook.

“I join the country in greeting our mother the happiest of birthdays! We wish you continued (good) health, blessings, and joy,” the post stated.

Mrs. Marcos’ 93rd birthday came two days after her son took over as the country’s 17th President at the historic National Museum of the Philippines complex in Manila, as she enjoyed the performances of world-renowned pianist Cecile Licad and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in Malacañang during the inaugural..

Senator Imee Marcos, the eldest child, also greeted her mother in another Facebook post.

“Today marks the 93rd birthday of Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos. Happy birthday, Madame!” the senator stated.

“Happy 93rd birthday to the one and only, former First Lady, Mrs. Imelda Romualdez Marcos!” read the Facebook post of the senator’s son, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc.

Dar lifts import ban on poultry from Belgium

Salceda asks MMDA, LTO share database on traffic violations BBM gov’t to shield the poor from inflation n By JOEL E. ZURBANO

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda has called on the Marcos economic team to focus on “solving constraints in the real economy” and to “shield the poor from largely external factors of inflation.”

Salceda’s suggestion came amid calls for faster interest rate hikes by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to address fears of spiraling inflation.

“The decision of the Central Bank on whether to increase rate should be predicated on just two things: whether the country’s inflation is caused by excess liquidity in the Philippine markets, and whether the rate hike relates to the causes of inflation in the Philippines," Salceda said.

Salceda, chair of the influential House Committee on Ways and Means, said for the time being, “the answer is largely no, so we should not self-inflict a pain that is, in all likelihood, going to be futile for addressing price concerns."

Salceda added that “year-on-year, the first quarter broad money only expanded by 7.7 percent, while GDP expanded by 8.3 percent. That means the real economy, for now at least, is still growing faster than our money printing. Money supply then, isn’t the problem with prices, as we can clearly see with the main factors: transport, fuel and energy, and food.”

“Between inflation with growth and inflation with slower growth due to an untimely or unnecessary rate hike, I would prefer inflation with growth,” Salceda said.

He called on the economic managers to instead “focus on the constraints in the real economy, and to shield the poor from the worst effects of inflation.”

IN the Philippines, a motorist can still drive despite having more than 500 traffic violations.

This problem prompted the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to sign an agreement with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to interconnect their data systems for quicker sharing of information on motorists and vehicles involved in traffic violations and apprehensions.

The agreement was signed by MMDA

chair Romando Artes and LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante on June 29.

The accord will bolster the two agencies’ law enforcement and traffic apprehension functions via more active and timely data-sharing, and will help boost road safety by swiftly identifying and weeding out drivers and vehicles involved in multiple violations and traffic incidents.

Artes said the system will make the MMDA’s traffic enforcement and apprehension systems more efficient, with real-time access to pertinent LTO records

within the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS).

The LTMS is the LTO’s own data repository and services backbone that is online and client-based, allowing access to stakeholders 24/7.

Aside from driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, and vehicle safety inspection records, the LTMS is now interconnected to allied parties like vehicle sellers, insurance companies and government agencies like the Government Service Insurance System and Bureau of Customs.

TOWARD STONGER PHILIPPINES-SOUTH KOREA PARTNERSHIP. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep.Martin Romualdez (center, holding microphone) heads a congressional delegation in a meeting with visiting South Korea parliamentarians led by National Assembly Majority Leader Kweon Seong Dong (seated beside Romualdez) at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City. Other members of the Philippine group are Representatives Maricar Zamora, David “Jay-Jay” Suarez, Geraldine Roman, Manuel “Mannix” Dalipe, Antonio “Tonypet” Albano, Ferdinand Alexander Marcos. The Korean delegation consisted of Korean Ambassador Kim Inchul, Seo Il Jun, Yang Khum Hee. Kim Sun Kyo,Bae June Young, Lee Joo Hwan, Park Hyeung Soo, and Gang Gi Hoon. Ver Noveno

Mayor Aguilar vows to boost health services LAS Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar, reelected for her third term, vowed to focus more on health services, especially in administering vaccines against COVID-19.

Aguilar made the pledge after she and her daughter Vice Mayor April Aguilar were sworn into office on Thursday, along with the new members of the city council.

The councilors who also took their oath of office before Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Elizabeth Yu-Guray were District 1 Councilors

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BBM, Imee greet mother Imelda Marcos who turns 93

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Mark Anthony Santos, John Jess Anthony Bustamante, Felimon Aguilar III, Rex Riguiera, Oscar Peña, and Florante Dela Cruz; and Councilors Henry Medina, Luis Bustamante, Ruben Ramos, Lord Linley Aguilar, Danilo Hernandez, and Emmanuel Luis Casimiro, all in District 2.

The city chief executive hopes that the vice mayor and the newly elected councilors will work harder and continue coming up with policies for the benefits and welfare of city residents.

Mayor Aguilar also promised that the

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

health services and other programs she initiated will continue, saying the local government will double its efforts to improve it.

One of the projects was the hospitalization support for residents amounting to P30,000 with the issuance of “green cards” under the city’s health program.

The cards can be used in the five accredited hospitals namely, the Las Piñas Doctors Hospital, Las Piñas Medical Hospital, Perpetual Help Medical Center-Las Piñas, Philippine General Hospital and San Juan de Dios Hospital.

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

IN his final act as Secretary of Agriculture, William Dar on Thursday lifted the import ban on poultry products from Belgium.Dar took the move after world authorities declared the European country free of bird flu.

In a memorandum order issued on June 30, 2022, Dar said that he was lifting the ban based on the final report submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)

by Belgian veterinaryauthorities, declaring Belgium free of bird flu or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

“Based on the evaluation of the Department of Agriculture, the risk of contamination from importing poultry meat, day old chicks, and semen is negligible,” Dar said.

“All import transactions of the above-stated bird species shall be in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the DA,” the memorandum stated.

The DA banned the importation of poultry products from Belgium in December 2021 after the European nation confirmed the local outbreak of HPAI.

Vico vows to weed out corruption, instill good gov’t PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto has pledged to continue weeding out corruption and institutionalizing good governance during his second three-year term.

Sotto renewed his commitment following the arrest of a city hall employee and his cohort for alleged robbery-extortion.

“In the last three years, we have started to de-normalize corruption and institutionalize good governance in our local government. A tiring and mostly thankless job, but we guarantee that in the next three years, we will push harder and do even better,” Sotto said in a Twitter post on Friday.

According to the police report, the suspects were caught in an entrapment operation while receiving the P600,000-bribe money inside a fastfood chain along Caruncho Ave. in Barangay Malinao on Friday.

They will be charged with robbery, extortion, as well as violation of Republic Acts 9485 (Anti-Red Tape Act) and 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Law).

Based on initial investigation, the complainant applied for a permit at the Office of the Building Official, but lacked some documents.

One of the suspects introduced himself as an employee of the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office and offered speedy processing of his application for building and occupancy permits and electrical installation, among others, in exchange for P600,000.

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

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

WORLD

INBRIEFS JULY 3, 2022

LABOR FORCE.

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a rally calling for improved working conditions and rights in central Seoul on July 2, 2022. AFP

COVID-19 air war being lost amid ‘fragile, armed peace’ T HE world is still not using one of its most effective weapons against COVID—properly ventilating public spaces—more than two years into the pandemic, experts warn.

At the moment there is a “fragile, armed peace” with COVID-19, said Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva.

“In the hopes of stemming the tide of the pandemic and reducing mortality, we need to reduce the level of contamination,

which the vaccine cannot do alone,” he told AFP. “We need a new phase – improving the quality of indoor air.”

COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through the air. It is carried in large droplets or fine aerosols when an infected person breathes – and even more so when they talk, sing or shout.

In a closed off or poorly ventilated room, these aerosols can remain in the air for some time, moving around the space and greatly increasing the risk of infection.

While it is generally accepted that COVID can be transmitted within two meters (6.5 feet) via both droplets and aerosols, there is still no consensus on the importance of long-distance airborne transmission indoors.

A team of researchers from the UK Health Security Agency and the University of Bristol reviewed 18 studies in sever-

al countries on airborne transmission.

In research published in the BMJ this week, they found that people can infect each other when they are more than two metres apart.

We know one thing for sure: if you open a window, or well-ventilate a space, the virus-carrying aerosols dissipate like smoke.

But experts say that nowhere near enough is being done to ventilate public and private spaces across the world.

“On the whole, this is an issue that governments have not yet taken up,” Flahault said.

He called for massively increased funding to ventilate many public spaces, starting with schools, hospitals, public transport, offices, bars and restaurants.

“Just as we knew to filter and treat drinking water” in homes at the beginning of the 1900s, “one can imagine some households will equip themselves

with air purifiers and consider opening their windows,” Flahault said.

Only a few countries have announced ventilation plans since the start of the pandemic.

In March the US government called on all building owners and operators, as well as schools and universities, to “adopt key strategies to improve indoor air quality.”

The plan, dubbed the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, is covered by previously announced COVID funding and also includes a review of existing ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems.

The European Union has not issued any binding statements on improving air quality in light of COVID. However Belgium has announced a plan to have a carbon dioxide metersitu-

ated in all places open to the public.

Having such a meter isvoluntary until the end of 2024, when it becomes mandatory. AFP

‘UK monkeypox symptoms different to prior outbreaks’ BRITISH monkeypox patients are exhibiting symptoms that differ from previous outbreaks, the first study examining UK cases said, leading researchers to call for the definition of the disease to be updated.

Until a few months ago, monkeypox had been largely confined to West and Central Africa, where new outbreaks were mostly caused by humans being infected with the virus by animals like rodents.

But since May, more than 3,400 cases have been recorded worldwide, the large majority of them in Western Europe among men who have sex with men and have no known links to the sub-Saharan African cases.

Britain detected some of the earliest new global cases and the firststudy into

FromtheFRONTPAGE DSWD... available “before the end

of the year.”

Balisacan said 92 million Filipinos are eligible to receive the national IDs but only over 10 million cards have been delivered nationwide as of April 30, 2022.

“We are ramping up the implementation of our National ID system and also the digitalization in the government and with respect to the ID system, we believe that we can substantially reduce the leakage so that we can reach more people, more deserving people from the limited resources,” Balisacan said.

COVID... in cases, not just in the National Capital Region but all over the country,” he added.

Metro Manila logged an average of 442 cases daily from June 25 to July 1, up by at least 52 percent from the 291 daily average from June 18 to 24. “[But] there’s no need to lock down, there’s no need to escalate the alert levels. There is a surge. We need to take care of ourselves….We do believe in OCTA that the peak is coming soon and that cases will decline after that peak,” Rye added.

In his inaugural speech, Marcos vowed to fix the government’s shortcomings in its pandemic response, saying there will be “no more secrets” in public health but did not elaborate.

The President cited his own bout

patients there was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Friday.

The researchers analysed 54 monkeypox patients in London, all men who have sex with men, who represented 60 percent of UK cases as of May 26.

All but two were unaware they had been in contact with someone who had monkeypox.

A quarter of the men were HIV-positive and a quarter had a sexually transmitted disease while they had monkeypox.

All patients had skin lesions, of which 94 percent were in the genital and anal areas.

These factors suggest that the virus is being transmitted during skin-to-skin contact as during sex, the study said.

AFP with COVID-19, saying he was among the first in the country who got infected with the coronavirus.

He said his administration will fix the shortcomings “out in the open.”

He also vowed that the Philippines will not be “caught unprepared, underequipped, and understaffed to fight the next pandemic.”

“To start with, we never got over the pandemic of poor, if any, free public health. The last major upgrade of our public health system exemplified by the resources poured into PGH predates the current shambles by three generations,” the new President said, referring to the Philippine General Hospital.

Marcos mentioned how medical workers seek opportunities abroad because the Philippines “cannot pay them for the same risks and workload that we have back here.”

Former Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje earlier said Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire will be among the officials who will stay in the agency under the new administration.

Vergeire, an undersecretary and a career executive service officer (CESO) II, is also the head of the National Vaccination Operations Center.

Meanwhile, the DOH said manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines to be used for children before 5 years old have not yet applied for Emergency Use Authorization before the Food and Drug Administration.

“This initiative will still have to be stringently reviewed and studied by regulatory institutions and our panel of experts before consideration for

SHELTER FROM THE STORM. Indigenous people remain at a temporaryshelter before the arrival of Tropical Storm Bonnie in Bluefields, Nicaragua. AFP

implementation,” the DOH said.

The DOH and the NVOC are currently ramping up the vaccine rollout to priority groups as well as to areas and age groups with a high number of unvaccinated individuals, and to those yet to receive their first booster.

BBM... provisions for an audit by the Commission on Audit, procedures for expropriation of lands awarded to agrarian reform beneficiaries, and a master plan for the specific boundaries of the economic zone.

He added the measure grants the proposed economic zone authority “rule-making powers relative to environmental protection that is not found in the charter of other economic zones,” as well as “blanket powers to handle technical airport operations in contravention of existing aeronautical laws.”

Marcos also noted the proposed economic zone is located “in close proximity” to the Clark Special Economic Zone, which is “against the government’s policy on creating special economic zones in strategic locations.”

He said the measure would be an additional burden to the taxpayers. It is in contrast to the government’s objective of developing a tax system with low rates and a broad tax base, Marcos said, as it “will significantly narrow our tax base with its mandated incentives applicable to registered enterprises.”

“As the system would be rendered incapable of generating a yield sufficient to sustain the country’s social and economic infrastructure, the government would be

forced to seek new sources of revenue through additional taxes or borrowings in the future. In the end, it is the taxpayers who will ultimately bear the brunt of the burden,” he said.

He also emphasized that the Corporate Income Tax and Incentive System “already allows eligible enterprises to apply for and avail of tax incentives outside economic zones by providing a favorable incentive package without the need for creating new special economic zones”.

“Subject to the review and approval of the Fiscal Incentives Review Board, tax incentives may be availed by qualified enterprises and will be enjoyed longer if investments are located in less-developed areas,” Marcos said.

HB 7575 proposes the establishment of the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority which shall manage and operate the Bulacan Ecozone.

Under the proposed measure, any foreigner who invests an amount of $200,000 either in cash or equipment in a registered enterprise shall be entitled to an investor’s visa.

Registered enterprises operating within the Bulacan Ecozone may be entitled to the existing pertinent fiscal incentives granted under Executive Order No. 226, otherwise known as the Omnibus Investments Code of 1987.

PROTOCOL... being made on social media that a certain George Erwin Garcia has been appointed Pagcor chairman. No such appointment has been made,” Press Secretary Trixie Angeles said in a statement.

Ukraine hits missile strike that killed 21 UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of engaging in state “terror” as he blamed Moscow for missile strikes on a southern resort town that left 21 dead and dozens wounded.

Missiles slammed into an apartment building and a recreation centre in the town of Sergiyvka about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the Black Sea port of Odessa, which has become a strategic flashpoint in the now more than four-month-old war.

The attacks took place a day after Moscow abandoned positions on a strategic island in a major setback to the Kremlin’s invasion.

The dead included a 12-year-old boy, Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation, adding that some 40 people have been injured and that the death toll could rise.

“I emphasize: this is an act of deliberate, purposeful Russian terror– and not some kind of mistake or an accidental missile strike,” Zelensky said.

“Three missiles hit a regular nine-storey apartment building, in which nobody was hiding any weapons, any military equipment,” he added.

“Regular people, civilians, lived there.”AFP

5 killed as strong quake rocks Iran AT LEAST five people were killed and 19 injured when a strong earthquake shook southern Iran early Saturday, the state news agency IRNA reported.

The 6.0 magnitude quake hit 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of the port city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck just a minute after a 5.7 tremor.

Hormozgan governor Mahdi Dosti said the quakes killed five people and injured 19 others, IRNA reported.

Dosti said most of the damage occurred in the village of Sayeh Khost, close to the epicenter.

One person was killed in November last year when Hormozgan province was hit by twin 6.4 and 6.3 magnitude quakes.

Situated on the edge of several tectonic plates and crossing various fault lines, Iran is an area of strong seismic activity.

Iran’s deadliest quake was a 7.4-magnitude tremor that struck in 1990, killing 40,000 people in the north of the country. AFP

Google to delete users’ location history on US abortion clinics GOOGLE announced Friday it would delete users’ location history when they visit abortion clinics, domestic violence shelters and other places where privacy is sought.

“If our systems identify that someone has visited one of these places, we will delete these entries from Location History soon after they visit,” Jen Fitzpatrick, a senior vice president at Google, wrote in a blog post. “This change will take effect in the coming weeks.”

Other places from which Google will not store location data include fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, and weight loss clinics.

The announcement comes a week after the US Supreme Court made the tectonic decision to strip American women of constitutional rights to abortion, leading a dozen states to ban or severely restrict the procedure and prompting mass protests across the country. AFP Garcia is a veteran election lawyer who represented Marcos when he filed an electoral protest against former Vice President Leni Robredo in 2016.

He was among the appointees of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the poll body who were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments.

Andrea Domingo is the current head of PAGCOR.

PRICE... slashed by P2.80 to P2.90.

Gasoline, on the other hand, may go down by up to P0.10 per liter.

Effective Tuesday, June 28, fuel firms hiked gasoline prices by P0.50 per liter and diesel by P1.65 per liter, bringing the year-to-date fuel price adjustments to stand at a net increase of P30 per liter for gasoline and P45.90 per liter for diesel.

On Friday, oil firms slashed the price of liquefied petroleum gas by as much as P0.40 per kilo or P4.40 per 11-kilo tank effective to reflect the movement in the contract price of LPG in the world market.

Before this adjustment, cooking gas was sold from P840 to P1,027 per 11-kilo tank in Metro Manila.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier has said he prefers to provide aid to the sectors affected by the continuing increase in fuel prices instead of suspending the excise tax on oil.

Marcos said decreasing the excise tax on oil products does not help those affected by the soaring prices.

He said those who are directly affected, especially the transport sector, should be given priority.

JULY 3, 2022 GIDC, The Stevia Company founder and CEO Au De Leon (second from right) and her management team

Bulacan Stevia queen wants to change beverage industry A

Bulacan-based entrepreneur wants to change the Philippine beverage sector by introducing Stevia-sweetened drinks for diabetic consumers and those with sensitive stomach.

Maura ‘Au’ De Leon, the founder and chief executive of Glorious Industrial Development Corp., is on a mission to “reduce the risk of diabetes among Filipinos and provide livelihood opportunities to our local farmers.”

GIDC, The Stevia Company is the first grower, toll manufacturer, distributor and retailer of Stevia products in the Philippines. It is the company behind Sweet & Fit and Glorious Blend products that include low-calorie, non-acidic, no sugar-added and anti-oxidant sweeteners, coffee mixes, tea and juices.

De Leon says Stevia is recognized as safe for consumption and is preferred as a healthier alternative to sugar from sugarcane. It also helps reduce the risk of diabetes.

Stevia, which belongs to the sunflower family, is originally from Paraguay. It is a natural sweetener derived from the

SariSuki’s logistics unit promises 15-minute grocery items delivery

By Othel V. Campos E-COMMERCE social enterprise SariSuki announced the creation of a dedicated logistics unit to serve the fast-growing network of retail members and consumers looking for efficient and reliable delivery of groceries and basic essentials.

Supah, a business unit of SariSuki, guarantees quality grocery items are delivered within 15 minutes, covering a range of popular snacks, condiments, beverages, fresh produce, dry and frozen goods, among others.

“Our business puts tremendous value on our customers’ time and needs. We see doing the grocery as effortless, time-saving and economical, while still making it possible to attend to other things. Thanks to our efficient ecosystem of suppliers, vendors and riders, we are able to fulfill this commitment without a delivery fee,” said SariSuki co-founder and chief executive Brian Cu. E-commerce startup Supah began operations in the Philippines,

leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant.

It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but does not cause spikes in blood sugar levels. It is also considered better than chemical-based artificial sweeteners because it does not have any aftertaste or carries potential health risks.

The company, which has offices in Bulacan and Caloocan City, ventured into Stevia farming using seedlings from Paraguay in 2004. “We were encouraged to venture into farming, because were also once farmers,” she says.

“We support our local farmers and workers because all of our products are grown and manufactured here. The market’s continued support sends their children to school and improves the quality of their lives,” says De Leon.

The Food and Drug Administration certified Sweet & Fit Stevia in 2009.

GIDC was recognized as the first Stevia company in the Philippines and became ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certified in 2017.

GIDC runs a three-hectare compound in Bocaue, Bulacan that includes a Stevia farm, production facilities, a restaurant and events venue. It is also engaged in toll manufacturing of Stevia sweeteners for various establishments and now expands its lineup of products under Glorious Blend and Sweet & Fit brands.

“Today, we are launching new products—ready for export and the local

market,” De Leon says, referring to Glorious 3in1 Premium Coffee, Glorious Iced Tea Mixes and Sweet & Fit Stevia Tea. “Glorious 3in1 Premium Coffee is very ready for export,” says De Leon.

“We are also launching Glorious Cucumber Juice, Cucumber Iced Tea and our best-seller Glorious Red Tea.” “The good thing about our products is the combination of health benefits that they provide and our advocacy to help.

They are always together. Today, we support about 30 scholars, on top of the 10 scholars who have already graduated from college.”

“We also support sick individuals by providing them capital for their businesses,” says De Leon.

De Leon says GIDC’s mission is to help diabetic consumers manage their condition, while enjoying natural products produced by the company.

“It began 19 years ago when I thought about how we can help the diabetics. I hope that it is not ambitious to say that our goal is to have every household with diabetic members use Stevia products,” she says.

“Now, we are able to make many diabetic persons smile because they enjoy our health products that include coffee, chocolate, peanut butter, juices and our latest product—Stevia tea,” she says.

“There are so many diabetic individuals in our country. Our goal is

to introduce Glorious products to the youth and inform them about healthy lifestyle, and introduce to them as early as possible the benefits of using Stevia,” says De eon.

“It is important that we inform the whole Philippines that we have Stevia products that you can trust. That is our tagline--from leaves to our products, we can honestly say that Stevia is the sweetener you can trust,” she says.

De Leon says GIDC, which has more than 200 employees and supports 30 families of farmers in Bulacan, is prepared to meet the growing demand for natural sweeteners and fill the gap in the event of tight sugar supply in the country.

“We can meet the demand for sweeteners in the country. GIDC aso continues its research and development. We are also ready for export,” she says.

“By making premium and healthy products accessible to Filipinos, GIDC, The Stevia Company is helping everyone make better choices for their health,” says De Leon.

Other Glorious products are 4-in1 Malunggay-based coffee; 5in1 Coffee Mix with Brown Rice; 7in1 Coffee Mix with Malunggay, Mangosteen, Calcium, Goto Kola and sweetened with Sweet & Fit Stevia. Glorious products are available in leading supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

Lady executive now leads EastWest

SariSuki co-founder and CEO Brian Cu (third from left), director Lance Gokongwei (second from left) and other top executives

making it the first digital rapid grocery delivery service in the country.

Unlike traditional retailers, who deliver from stores or warehouses, instant commerce companies deliver directly from smaller format dark stores that are located strategically in high density areas.

On the Supah App is an assortment of different products, from international and local brands. The list includes a rich selection of premium items across various food, beverage, household, personal care, home care, and pet care segments.

Head of quick commerce at Supah Timothy Cu said the rise of instant commerce accelerated during the pandemic. Instant commerce is a rapid service where companies promise to deliver groceries and other curated essentials in 15 minutes or less.

At Supah, deliveries are guaranteed fast, safe and secure, unlike the some online consolidators who were, at some point in time, inundated with complaints from consumers due to fake deliveries and unverified deliveries.

“The delivery updates are provided on the Supah app itself.

As of the moment, live location tracking is unavailable, but customers are updated with order milestones,” said Cu. With over a hundred riders, Supah is one of the most reliable and fastest delivery platform in the country. All riders are in-house, said Cu, adding that vertical integration is a key part of its business model.

Without any ties from third party logistics partners, Supah is free from the cumbersome, and at times, tricky deals associated with some logistics partners.

SariSuki spent over P100 million to equip Supah with the necessary support framework, said Cu. It aims to cover 5 million population in Metro Manila.

JG Summit president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said Supah offers great potential as it tries to address the consumers’ evolving needs in grocery shopping by finding the optimal balance among several critical factors like speed, assortment, value and convenience.

EASTWEST chief lending officer Jacqueline Fernandez assumed her new role as EastWest president on July 1.

Fernandez has been serving EastWest since 2006 and has been its chief lending officer since 2020. As she assumes her new role, Fernandez will turn over the stewardship of the bank’s consumer lending business to Lawrence Lee, EastWest president another veteran in the field, and her former colleague in Standard Jacqueline Fernandez Chartered Bank.

Lee will continue what Fernandez had built and established in her 16-year stewardship in consumer lending, in which she put EastWest among the top players in the space.

Lee comes to EastWest with over 30 years of experience in credit cycle, business finance, international risk and global operations across four continents: Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe.

Among his former roles are his time as the director of regional credit operations in Asia, Australia and Europe for Citi, where he had spent 15 years and pioneered various digital transformation initiatives.

He had also spent seven years as head of unsecured risk, credit cycle and finance for Standard Chartered Bank in the Philippines and Singapore, as EastWest chief lending well as previously serving in officer Lawrence Lee Barclays as the global head of collection design and a brief stint with American Express.

Lee also holds a Master of Arts degree in Applied Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific, and graduated cum laude with a degree in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

“Ms. Fernandez has taken EastWest to new heights in the consumer lending space with her effective leadership and performance, and I intend to continue that legacy in tandem with her new role as EastWest president,” said Lee. “Both our customers and our employees can rest assured that the Bank will continue to strongly focus on their goals and dreams, no matter what they may be,” Fernandez said.

Yusoph Maute

P&A Grant Thornton welcomes new partners

By Othel V. Campos P&A Grant Thornton, one of the leading audit, tax, advisory and outsourcing firms in the Philippines, announced the entry of Yusoph Maute and Edcel Costales into the firm’s audit and assurance practice area on July 1.

P&A Grant Thornton chairperson and chief executive Marivic Españo said the firm remains committed to going beyond standards by employing a proactive, forward-looking and agile approach as embodied in company’s corporate framework.

“We are proud to unveil our newest partners—Yusoph and Edcel—who both share the qualities of transformational leaders—always up to the challenge of embracing resiliency and promoting a culture of innovation within our Firm,” she said.

A certified public accountant, Maute has been in public accounting since he started his professional career with P&A in 2011.

He has extensive experience in the audit of local and multinational companies across various industries including banking and finance, gaming and leisure, power and other utilities, retail, leasing operations, stockbrokers and dealers in securities, business process outsourcing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, logistics and non-stock, non-profit organizations.

Maute regularly conducts seminars about the firm’s audit methodology and on International Financial Reporting Standards and has been part of the audit and assurance quality control team.

Before being admitted to the partnership, he was part of the firm’s risk management group and a project director of P&A for a Cause, a unit under the P&A Foundation Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of the firm. In 2018, Yu was recognized as an emerging eader at Grant Thornton International’s GT Experience Award.

Maute earned his degree in accountancy, magna cum laude, from Baliuag University in Baliuag, Bulacan. In 2019, he completed his Master in Business Administration with distinction from the Asian Institute of Management as a P&A scholar.

As part of AIM’s student exchange program, Yu completed the last term of his MBA at HEC Paris School of Management in France. Costales is a certified public accountant who joined P&A right after graduation from college in 2010. He was a lead manager of one of the sub-groups of the firm’s audit and assurance practice and was one of the senior managers in-charge of training.

Throughout his career, he has acquired extensive experience in various industries such as health care services, business process outsourcing, retail and distribution, real estate, construction, oil, m a n u f a c t u ring, television and other service-related industries.

Edcel Costales

E

LITE Rugby football is back after a long absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s gaining ground once more following a successful tournament of the elite recently at the Ayala Vermosa Sports in Imus, Cavite.

The Alabang Eagles RFC and the Clark Jets clinched the men’s and women’s overall Premiership titles after the 3rd and final leg of the 2022 PRFU Luzon Rugby Cup. “The Premiership Division was a success as it provided opportunities to showcase the talents and skills of our top players in the island of Luzon in a very competitive division,” said Acee San Juan of the Philippine Rugby Union.

“It also gave opportunities for PRFU’s High-Performance Program (HPP) to identify players for inclusion in the National Pool. We look forward to having these players selected in the Philippine Volcanoes teams set to compete in the Asian Sevens Series later this year.”

The Eagles RFC women swept both matches against the SKF Makati Mavericks. Meanwhile, Clark Jets finished with 2 wins and 1 loss to accumulate a total of 11 points to finish as the number one Men’s Premiership team.

The first Women’s Premiership match between the Eagles RFC and the SKF Makati Mavericks started off intense as expected.

The women in white and blue capitalized on a turnover opportunity which resulted in Aiumi Ono scoring the first try for the Eagles from an offload assist from fellow Cebuano, Dixie Yu. Agot Danton successfully converted the try to bring the Eagle’s lead to 7 - 0.

The Mavericks answered back with solid defensive pressure, pinned the Eagles on their own 22, and forced them to make mistakes.

Mavericks captain Rara Sales, beat 3 defenders to score a try at the wing right before the break. Half time score was 7 5 for the Eagles RFC. The Eagles RFC regrouped at the break and came out stronger in the second half. Acee San Juan scored a try from an offload assist from Kat Andrews.

Andrews also powered her way through the line to score a great solo try. The match finished at 17 - 5 for the Eagles RFC.

JULY 3, 2022

HOBBIES & COLLECTIONS

Rugby football back with a bang; Eagles RFC, Clark Jets reign supreme

Intense action fills the Premiership tournament. The Alabang Eagles RFC Women and the Clark Jets Men emerge overall winners.

TNC Pro ML, PinoyGamer make lifestyle crossover with Kroma

Limited edition V63 at Toycon PH 2022 THREE variants of limited edition V63 will be released exclusively starting July 8 at TOYCON PH 2022 slated until July 10 at Megatrade Halls, 5/F of the SM Megamall Building B in Pasig.

V63” is an official collaboration by TOYCON PH’s event partner, Quiccs, with Voltes V, a cultural icon in the Philippines and one of the Japanese animated shows in the 80s.

“And this year, our 19th year of putting on an onsite convention, Voltes V takes center stage again as part of a promise made by our event partner, Quiccs, back in 2019 to launch his trademark TEQ-63 in unmistakable Voltes V style only at TOYCON,” said the Toycon PH 2022 page in a Facebook post.

“And this year, in partnership with TOEI Co. Ltd. Telesuccess, we’re all set to finally launch it! At the heart of the Voltes V story is a tale of a family divided, of struggles suffered and surpassed, but ultimately a reunion of love.”

The V63 Collector’s Set (14″ Mega + 7″ Classic + 3.5″ Micro Edition) will be sold for P26,500 each. Only 199 sets are made available.

Then there’s the V63 Solo 7″ Classic Edition priced at P7,000 each and the V63 Solo 3.5″ Micro Edition, handpainted resin toys for P3,500 each. Only 100 pcs were made.

Meanwhile, QVIP Passes were in less than a minute. Just a few VIP Passes left.

The Toycon will be releasing mechanics to purchase the Quiccs V63 singles and sets for regular ticket holders in the coming days but again these are very limited stocks so best to always keep posted on the TOYCON social media channels for announcements.

More more information visit our webpage for our info about Toycon PH Exclusives! http://toyconph.com/toycon-ph-exclusives/.

Buy your tickets online: SM Tickets - https://www.smtickets. com/events/view/11143 Lazada - TOYCON 2022 | PH. Or Buy at the event gate on July 8-10 in SM Megatrade Hall http://toyconph.com/buy-tickets-totoycon-ph-2022/

FIERCE RIVALS The second match of the Women’s Premiership Division was also tightly fought between the two fierce rivals until the last second.

Mavericks again pressured the Eagles on their own half which resulted in penalties for them. However, a quick tap from San Juan off a Mavericks penalty allowed the Eagles to gain yards, with Ono closely behind to support.

Ono gave a quick pop off the ground to Danton, who managed to beat 4 defenders to score a breakaway try for the Eagles RFC before the halftime break.

Mavericks forwards’ Nova Tega and Sylvia Tudoc took turns in their powerful carries in the second half while backs Ysabel del Fiero, Annie Rivas, and Janin Puig continued to attack the line.

A dominant tackle from Eagles prop, Luisa Jordan, put the Mavericks players on their back foot. San Juan quickly reacted and turned over the ball to score the second try of the Eagles right at the end of the match. The final score was 10 - 0 for the Eagles.

The Eagles RFC won the 3rd leg with a combined score of 27 points to 5 points for the Mavericks. Eagles RFC center, Dixie Yu, was awarded the MVP for her efficient work on and off the ball.

Yu’s tackle breaks, line breaks, and offloads plus her solid defense contributed well to the success of the team.

With three legs as the Premiership Division Champions, the Eagles RFC was awarded the overall Women’s Premiership Division title, making them the top women’s team in the country for this Return to Play season.

The Clark Jets capitalized on their speed and great vision to run away as the overall champions of the Men’s Premiership Division of the 2022 PRFU Luzon Rugby Cup. The men from the north scored a total of 69 points throughout the day.

They posted a 31 - 19 win against Eagles RFC with tries from Koli Seiuli, Joemari Rauras, Tui Tainielu, and a double from Joshua Aragon. However, a try and conversion from Jonel Madrona weren’t enough to win their game against the SKF Makati Mavericks, 7 - 8.

Mavericks flyhalf, Reed Santos, successfully converted a penalty goal 40 meters from the posts to claim the win for his team late in the match.

The Jets bounced back and came away with a 31 - 14 win against the Manila Nomads behind tries from Aragon, Henry Larriestan, Lito Talosig, and Rex Francisco. Clark Jets Center, Tui Tainielu, was awarded the MVP for his outstanding playmaking and leadership on the field.

PHILIPPINE gaming and eSports powerhouses – TNC Pro ML and PinoyGamer – are making their pop culture and lifestyle crossover with Kroma Pub Co., the publishing arm of tradigital company KROMA Entertainment.

The partnership opens up exciting new possibilities in pursuit of one of the biggest passion points of the Filipino youth market: gaming and eSports.

A celebrated local league, TNC Pro ML is a leading Filipino Mobile Legends team in Southeast Asia. It recently finished in the top 3 of the Mobile Legends Professional League’s 9th season, beating world champions Bren eSports and Blacklist International. The group looks forward to further cementing its place in the Mobile Legends Pro Team Hall of Fame in season 10 and participating in this year’s Mobile Legends World Championships.

“TNC believes that gaming is a lifestyle. We want to provide more opportunities to aspiring young talents and create quality content that will showcase the fun, reality, and depth of gaming and eSports,” said Jim Paulo Sy, TNC Group Vice President of Operations. “On top of making gaming and TNC more relevant in the non-gaming market, Kroma Pub Co. will help us find the right partners so we can keep doing what we love and share the positive impact of gaming.”

On the other hand, PinoyGamer prides itself as the official gaming news

The three variants of V63

platform and community of the Philippines. Today, it is home to Filipino gamer interviews, video game gameplay, and live streams, where fans of Mobile Legends, Dota 2, and League of Legends can convene.

“This collaboration with TNC Pro ML and PinoyGamer opens up new possibilities and forms of content expansion for Kroma Pub Co. As gaming and eSports become part of the Filipino youth’s lifestyle, we are now set to combine their different passion points into one powerhouse segment: gaming and eSports.

We’re excited to see how we can bring tribes of fans, hobbyists, and gamers— along with their passions— together,” said Sarah Santiago, Head of Kroma Pub Co. Kroma Pub Co. was created to enable cultures, create content, spark conversations, and build communities for the youth market via digital channels Wonder.ph and FreebieMNL. It produces articles, videos, social media content, monthly covers, editorials, and intimate events for sponsored content and also caters to brand campaign requirements.

Stay updated on all things eSports by following the TNC Pro Team ML on Facebook and TikTok and PinoyGamer on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. To learn more about Kroma Pub Co. and tradigital entertainment company KROMA, visit https://www.kroma.ph.

PH Army Lady Battalions cop WNBL crown THE Philippine Army Lady Battalion clinched the 2022 Womens’ National Basketball League (WNBL) championship after defeating PSI Lady Air Defenders, 70-57, in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals series recently at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

The Lady Battalion capped its “Cinderella run” with the finals

sweep of the PSI Lady Air Defenders, the team that won the inaugural WNBL season in 2019.

It can be recalled that the Lady Battalion finished the WNBL 2022 season elimination round at fourth place with just three wins.

The Lady Battalion, the fourth-seeded team, then outlasted top-seeded Taguig Lady Generals

in their semi-finals do-or-die match two weeks ago.

Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., lauded the Lady Battalion for bringing home the 2022 WNBL championship trophy. The Army Chief called on the team to sustain its winning momentum to bring pride and honor to the organization and the country.

The victorious Army Lady Battalions whoop it up

PH takes on Australia in Asean women’s football opener AFTER an absence of over two years, big-time international football action returns to the country tomorrow, Monday, as the 12th Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship kicks off at the heritage-rich Rizal Memorial Football Stadium and two other venues.

It will be a grand homecoming for the World Cup-bound Filipinas, bronze medalists in the last 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, who will finally have the chance to play in front of hometown fans against top-ranked Australia in ushering Group A action to

cap a trio of matches tomorrow.

Aside from the Australians, the Pinay booters, who arrived last Tuesday after more than a week of training in Europe, are also bracketed in the same group with Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Comprising Group B are defending champion Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Timor Leste, whose matches start on Tuesday, in the competition organized by the Philippine Football Federation.

“We welcome our Philippine national women’s team and the other competing

countries in the 12th AFF Women’s Championship. We look forward to exciting and thrilling action from our players in the spirit of fair play sportsmanship,” said PFF president Mariano Araneta Jr. “Let us all support the Filipinas by coming over to watch and inspire them play at the Rizal Stadium in the next few days,” Araneta said in urging local fans to pack the arena.

“With the exploits of the Filipinas in the last Vietnam SEA Games football competitions still fresh in our memories, local football fans will finally be

able to cheer and root for their soccer heroines in the flesh,” noted PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes.

National team manager Jeff Cheng likewise appealed to all Filipinos to support the PH women’s squad, saying: “This might be one of the rare occasions that we will get to see our Filipinas perform in front of a hometown crowd.

Let us enjoy them while we can.”

The AFF Women’s Championship is the 12th edition of the premier regional tournament for women that was last held in 2019 Chonburi, Thailand won by Vietnam, which nipped the host squad

1-0 in the finals.

The Filipinas finished fourth in the competition after losing to Myanmar 0-3 in the match for third place and will bank on the Filipino crowd in surpassing that previous performance on their home pitch.

Tickets to the matches can be purchased online at all SM ticket outlets nationwide and online at SMTickets. com.

All of the games of the Nationals will be broadcast on cable provider Cignal TV starting tomorrow as well as One Sports and One Sports plus.

Life Editor: Nickie Wang

JULY 3, 2022

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

Lacoste x A.P.C. Interaction LACOSTE teams up with A.P.C French clothing brand created by Jean Touitou in 1987 for a collaboration.

Since 2018, Louise Trotter, Lacoste’s Artistic Director, has propelled a new wave of sophistication and modernity into the crocodile brand. Founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste, the brand showcases the crocodile, Lacoste’s nickname on the tennis court

and an emblem embroidered on his white shirts before each match.

For the interaction with A.P.C., Louise Trotter worked with Jean and Judith Touitou to design playful pieces for women and men in which the famous crocodile encircles the A.P.C. logo.

This collab resulted in essential sportswear pieces with military references dear to A.P.C. and a ‘90s touch in

terms of colors and volumes. A windbreaker in navy blue nylon, in khaki gabardine and, of course, in denim.

Loose jeans, shirts and polo shirts with blue and layette pink stripes. Roomy shirt-dresses for women. Not to mention slightly oversized polo shirts, also in a patchwork version. Completed with fleece pieces, joggers and sweatshirts that integrate different versions of the

The attendees during the TaskUs Pride March in the Philippines (2018)

DIVERSITY, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiaTaskUs also created several Employee tives have been on the rise with more and Resource Groups (ERGs) in each region. more DEI roles opening in various compaThese ERGs are voluntary, employee-led nies across different regions. organizations that exist to put forward EMEA has reported a 67 percent growth employee advocacies, take part in lobbying while the Asia-Pacific region has seen an recommendations for policy-making and uptick in conversations that revolve around company benefits, and create a safe space DEI. On the other hand, data from LinkedIn for marginalized groups inside and outside showed posts that center on diversity have TaskUs. These ERGs represent TaskUs’ increased by 77 percent and are likely to get diverse working communities such as the 125 percent more engagement.

LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, people of While these strides forward are very color, women, and army veteran employees, much welcome, LGBTQ+ employees still among others. have barriers to overcome – an example of At the employee level, HMO benefits for which is the pandemic’s negative economic LGBTQ+ employees are extended to their impacts, which they felt twice as much same-sex partners and their kids, and also compared to their straight counterparts. include coverage for HIV treatment and A study published by the Kaiser Family gender reassignment surgeries are provided Foundation reported that in the US, LGBTQ+ in the Philippines and India respectively. households experienced COVID-related TaskUs Philippines job loss at a higher rate also has all-gender than non-LGBTQ+ restrooms across all households. While, its sites, a suggestion in the Philippines, by one of its teamexisting “silent mates. biases” threaten job “These practices retention for many may go beyond the LGBTQ+ employees norm for others, since they do not but as a people-first have policies to refer company and an to if they feel that TaskUs equal opportunity they’ve been unfairly Philippines has all-gender employer, we want retrenched, without restrooms to ensure that no employee ever our employees to any proper cause. feels discriminated against even for trivial be free from the “While we’ve things such as using a bathroom. fear of being disseen progress in criminated against recognizing the rights because of their of the LGBTQ+ community, we know that gender, race, or even disabilities. This allows there is still much to do, especially in the and empowers them to utilize their energy workplace.” said Addi Dela Cruz, TaskUs and time productively.” Marfil added.

Director for Brand Strategy & Channels and “In return, when employees feel safe and Unicorns@TaskUs Co-Lead. “We still need to taken care of, they are more productive and work toward an environment that celthey bring more significant contributions to ebrates one’s authenticity and policies that the business.” promote equality.”

It’s not only the LGBTQ+ workforce that “Workplaces, no matter how big or small, benefits when companies become allies should make sure that barriers to realand nurture an inclusive culture. Straight izing one’s full potential should not exist, millennials and Gen-Z employees, who will especially for their employees who are part soon make up the majority of the workforce of minority groups such as the LGBTQ+ globally, also care deeply about inclusion. A community, women, and even Persons with strong DEI program means having a workDisabilities,” said Ana Marfil, Senior Director force attuned to the organizational culture— for Global Diversity & Inclusion at TaskUs. a culture that improves employee interaction Marfil shared that TaskUs has always with colleagues and leaders—leading to been a safe workplace for minority groups, great business, lower attrition rates, and especially the LGBTQ+ community. “Not more opportunities for innovation. all regions where TaskUs is located provide TaskUs’ policies and practices that break laws and benefits for LGBTQ+ employees. the glass ceiling are globally recognized and But this doesn’t stop Us, as an organizathey continue to be recipients of various tion, to create company policies that will accolades such as a Gold Stevie Award for safeguard the welfare of our employees,” Company of the Year (2022), Comparably’s she enthused. “Companies can create benBest Global Culture, Best Company Outlook efits, programs, and policies on top of any (2022), and Best Company for Diversity government mandates.”

(2020-2021), Silver Stevie Award for DE&I For instance, on a global scale, TaskUs’ (2021), and was an honoree in San Antonio human capital management tool encourBusiness Journal’s Diversity & Inclusion ages teammates to self-identify their SOGIE Awards (2021).

(Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and ExBy being an industry leader and a champression) and their pronouns so the People pion for DEI in the workplace, TaskUs is (HR) and DEI teams can improve and create committed to spreading a work culture that more programs to support their LGBTQ+ celebrates one’s talents, uniqueness, and employees. authenticity in the best way possible.

logo created for the occasion.

For the finishing touch, the collection includes accessories: sneakers, striped socks, denim bags as well as, amongst other items, a giant tote bag and an A.P.C. Lacoste candle whose scent evokes a stroll to the tennis courts in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.

The collection is available exclusively on lacoste.com.ph and Lacoste Greenbelt 5.

Lacoste and A.P.C’s collaboration results in essential sportswear pieces with military references

Marga Ortigas shines light on shadow in debut novel NO SHELF CONTROL

BY JENNY ORTUOSTE

W

HEN a journalist takes skills honed by decades of reporting the news and applies them to the novel, you can expect a tour-deforce of storytelling, and that’s what Marga Ortigas has done with The House on Calle Sombra: A Parable.

Ortigas is known to most as a broadcast journalist, a tough and determined reporter who has worked for GMA Network, Probe, and international outfits CNN (based in London) and Al Jazeera English. She obtained a master’s degree in literature from the University of Greenwich as a British Council Chevening scholar, and is now pursuing her love of fiction.

Her debut novel traces the fortunes and failures of three generations of a prominent Manila family. The Castillo de Montijos, descended from their patriarch Don Federico, a Spaniard, and his wife Doña Fatimah, the disowned daughter of a Muslim datû, raise their children and grandchildren in a privileged atmosphere that saps the family blood and its fate over time.

As usual in many Filipino novels, the psychic scars of politics on the country, and the outsize and unscrupulous personalities that wounded it, are reflected in some of the characters featured in ‘Sombra.’

‘The plunderer Amá’ is a former president who imposed martial rule and “[demonized] select ‘enemies of the state,’” and caused years of “illegal abductions, disappearances, and imprisonments.” Ortigas writes: “Hundreds of people gone – just like that – because they displeased Amá.”

Meanwhile, the current president,

‘The House on Calle Sombra: A Parable’ traces the fortunes and failures of three generations of a prominent Manila family #Durog Marasigan (yes, with the hashtag, as befits a leader who ascended to power by virtue of social media), is engaged in government contract shenanigans with China for a lot of money, enough to set up himself and his family for generations. His face is “gray in patches,” making him look ill. This concerns his mistress – ‘Madam’ -“We must even out your skin tone, so your health isn’t questioned again.”

These familiar themes set the stage for the action taking place in The Islands.

‘Sombra’ brings to mind the epic sweep of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books, and similarly, numerous strands of narrative are woven to create a complicated story.

To name a few of these threads, there’s the ‘rido’ (clan war) inadvertently caused

by Doña Fatimah as a young woman fleeing a rapist; Don Federico’s quest for financial security and status; the manipulations

Marga Ortigas is a journalist who applies her skills in writing news reports to her novel

of their daughter Macarena, which later lead to grief; and the follies of their unprincipled son Freddie and his drug-addled son Ricky, who fall afoul of the notorious schemer Tukô and other evildoers.

‘La familia primero: Unida y protegida’(Family first: united and protected) is the Castillo de Montijo motto, and the story revolves around the family members who negotiate their past, construct their present, and strategize their future while seeking to hold the family together.

This scene illustrates the tension between them: “Three generations of Castillos were gathered in potent silence on the matriarch’s veranda…Doña Fatimah steeled her gaze on her daughters. Neither dared speak nor look directly at her. Alma was trying not to stare at Cova’s son. Maca tried not to slap her own son in the face.

Núria was dying to pepper them all with questions. The boys tried their best not to look like chumps.” Love and trauma suffuse their interactions, and as they try for a better outcome, they have to fight the forces of their own overwhelming hubris.

‘Sombra’ is well-written and engaging. The use of forms such as broadcast news scripts and social media posts to move the story forward is interesting and breaks up the chunks of expository text and dialogue, which are peppered with words in Filipino and Spanish to delineate different characters.

Ortigas deftly guides the reader through the world she has created that mirrors our own, where ‘family first’ is also everyone’s motto and the means are justified if the end is protection and security for the clan. It’s a worthy debut that sets the stage for a sequel.

The House on Calle Sombra: A Parable

By Marga Ortigas 2021, 375 pages, tpb Penguin Books For comments and feedback, you may reach the author on Facebook and Twitter: @DrJennyO

Marga Ortigas (right, background) posing with Chinese citizens

Trending gadgets and accessories on Shopee’s Gadget Zone KEEPING up with all the trends and innovations in tech can be a challenge.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help you stay in the loop. Discover all the nifty gadgets and tech essentials, available on exclusive deals on Shopee’s Gadget Zone.

To give you more reasons to splurge on these gadgets that will make your life easier, Shopee is offering discounts on newly launched products, exclusive deals from the most sought-after electronic brands, and P66 promos on select tech accessories. Check out this list of trending gadgets that you should consider scoring:

Be one of the first to buy these newly-launched gadgets from popular brands

Does your mobile device take too long to load? Chances are, you’re due for a phone upgrade. Find a reliable daily device in the all-new infinix Note 12, with its ultra-fast processor and vibrant AMOLED display. If gaming is your top priority, then we recommend the latest Vivo T1x Gaming Phone. It has a 6.58 inch screen

and 4GB RAM to enhance gaming performance which will make wiping out enemy teams seamless and lag-free. Looking for the absolute latest smartphone to buy?

Elevate your user experience with the right accessories to fit your gadgets and your lifestyle. Grab the modern Tigernu 3-Way Convertible Bag that can store your laptop, phone, and other valuables with its multifunctional, lightweight, and fashionable design that comes in a variety of colors.

Say goodbye to long charging time with a UGREEN 20W PD Charger, equipped to fully-charge your gadget in just a few minutes. Drones have been one of the most talked-about gadgets recently. Now you can own one yourself when you buy the state-of-the-art DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone. Enjoy its 4K HDR

camera for perfect video captures and multidirection sensors to help avoid obstacles when flying in tight spaces.

Level up your living space with these must-haves for the household

Home cleaning has become hassle-free thanks to all the easy-to-operate and high-quality appliances like the Deerma DX810 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner.

Clean the nooks and crannies of each room with ease thanks to its handheld design and strong suction power. Invest in something that will help get you glammed up for any occasion such as the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete. Experiment with Shopee’s Gadget Zone offers products from mobile phones to accessories to household devices and more

its multiple features that are suitable for any hair type and style. Beat the heat while you’re doing chores with the Akari Rechargeable Clip Fan. Place this at your desk, nightstand or wherever you are for up to four hours of cool air with one full charge.

Stay on top of the trends without breaking the bank

These three gadgets help make cleaning, decorating, and making a home more comfortable

Visit https://shopee.ph/m/gadgetzone to find more trending gadgets and tech essentials that you can score.

Shopee’s Gadget Zone also offers newlylaunched items from popular brands

Not all the trending gadgets and accessories need to have a hefty price tag, just like the ODSCN 5-in-1 Cleaning Brush, This nifty gizmo can conveniently clean your keyboard and earphones and easily be stored in your bag for when you’re on-the-go. Buy this Adjustable Phone Stand at a great deal, so you can have the perfect accessory for binge-watching movies and video calls. Capture photos at any angle you want with this affordable Gorilla Pod. Mount this at hard to reach places so you can get that perfect pic to post on your social media.

n Entertainment Editor: Nickie Wang

Psalms David considers ‘Kaulayaw’ as a comfort song for himself

email: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

JULY 3, 2022

Psalms David pens self-comforting pop ballad THE Clash Season 1 alumnus Psalms David surprises his fans and listeners with the release of his third single under GMA Music titled “Kaulayaw.”

The pop ballad song was composed by the talented singer-songwriter as a comfort song for himself.

Psalms shares how happy he is to release a single he personally composed, “I feel blessed, especially, I’ll be releasing a song that I wrote.

A song close to my heart. I’m happy and grateful to be given this chance and opportunity to once again share a piece of myself with everyone.”

Besides the song being his comfort song, he also reveals the meaning behind its title, “Basically this deep Tagalog word ‘Kaulayaw’ means an intimate and constant companion which summarizes the whole song.”

Meanwhile, Psalms looks

forward to the day he’ll be releasing his first album, “Hopefully someday. It’s gonna be a dream come true if that happens.” He’s also open and anticipates collaborating with a Kapuso singer, “It’s been one of my dreams to do a collab with Zephanie. It would be a memorable experience to work with her.

“Kaulayaw” is now available on digital streaming platforms worldwide.

Five queer films stream for free on Cinema One’s YouTube channel

T

HE power of Pride stories is brighter than ever as Cinema One inspires viewers to love out loud with a variety of LGBTQ-themed movies that are available to watch for free on the cable channel’s YouTube page.

From comic relief to more profound themes like discovering one’s identity in the midst of traumatic experiences, struggling to be accepted by one’s own family, exploring a familiar feeling with an unexpected person, and more, Cinema One is shining a light on narratives that seek to open and touch the hearts of viewers.

For fans of good old Filipino comedy flick, catch Barbi For President, a 1991 amusing political satire that stars Joey De Leon in the titular role with Mark Gil, Michael De Mesa, and Tessie Tomas.

Meanwhile, Cinemalaya 2010 finalist Pink Halo-Halo, inspired by its director Joselito Altarejos’ own childhood, is also available for streaming. It depicts the story of a boy— who is seemingly discovering a preference for femininity—and how his innocence is marred by the war in Mindanao.

Cinema One Originals’ movies will also be streamed on Cinema One’s YouTube, including Benjamin Garcia II’s Philippino Story, a 2013 melodramatic film about lovers Philip and Bastian (Junjun Quintana and Mark Gil), who attempt to fight for their relationship despite many hurdles.

Also available to watch are Ara Chawdhury’s 2015 Cinema One Originals film Miss Bulalacao, about a young gay drag queen named Dodong who miraculously gets pregnant after an encounter with aliens, as well as Nash Ang’s 2014 Cinema One Originals film Seoul Mates, which centers on an unconventional romance story between a Filipina transwoman and a guarded Korean gay man.

These films stream for free on Cinema One’s YouTube channel until August 31 (Wednesday).

Cinema One is available on Cignal ch. 45, SKYcable ch. 56, and other local cable service providers.

JK values his authenticity in creating unique music

Continuous reinvention is Juan Karlos’ unique sound

‘Philippino Story’ is a melodramatic film about lovers fighting for their relationship

‘Barbi For President’ is a 1991 amusing political satire headlined by Joey De Leon

‘Seoul Mates’centers on an unconventional romance story between two queer individuals ‘Miss Bulalacao’ focuses on the life of a young gay drag queen who gets pregnant after encountering aliens

‘Pink Halo-Halo’ is inspired by the director’s childhood as he discovers his feminine side

‘The Voice Teens’ alum Jay Garche marks solo debut with ‘Hayaan Lang’ JAY Garche first introduced himself to the music industry after joining the Philippine reality singing television competition The Voice Teens Philippines in 2020. And right now, he’s finally to kick off his career as one of Universal Records Philippines’ freshest and most promising artists with this debut single called “Hayaan Lang.”

The Bacolod born and raised singer spent months of preparation honing his incredible raw talent before finally emerging this month on the local music airwaves. “Sobrang overwhelming ng lahat ng nangyari kasi parang ang bilis lang. Parang kahapon lang ako nagaudition, ngayon andito na ako,” he recalls.

Jay said that he really felt fortunate that he was able to release such a high-quality emotional ballad under UR because he personally finds this song so meaningful. According to him, the song details a perspective of a true friend that always reminds you to keep going because bad days don’t last forever.

He states: “Yung ‘Hayaan Lang’ po is mostly about parang perspective ng friend na nagbibigay po ng message na kahit may pinagdadaanan ka, hayaan mo lang ‘yung mga nangyayari kasi lilipas din ‘yun.”

He can still happily recall how the song itself touched and comforted him while recording it.

“Noong nirecord po naming ‘yung, medyo timing din po talaga dahil marami akong pinagdadaanan noong time na ‘yon. Kaya sobrang na-touch po ako tsaka na relieve habang kinakanta ko po ‘yung song kasi napakaganda po ng message at napaka meaningful,” the young singer shares.

“Hayaan Lang” is an optimistic single that’s both soulful and powerful, making Jay assert himself as one of the most promising solo artists right now.

Aside from this very special release of his debut single, Jay Garche recently had a wonderful journey towards self-improvement and he told the whole story of it by releasing a

series of vlogs on his 129,000-strong YouTube channel. A couple of months ago, he underwent Rhinoplasty and he detailed every step of the procedure and treatment in his inspiring vlogs. In case his followers are wondering if the surgery could affect his singing voice, Jay clarified it is not.

He tells: “‘Yung after Rhinoplasty, ‘yung feeling ko po dati ganun pa rin po ngayon. Exactly the same. Ang sabi po ng doctor, ‘yung function po ng nose ‘di naman po magbabago. Yung appearance lang po.”

Jay hopes that his debut as a UR recording artist along with this single will help his career take off towards a breakthrough 2 0 2 2 .

Moreover, he expressed his gratitude

Kindness in the chaos THESE days, filmmaker Daniel Kwan says, much of art is broadly struggling to confront two things: “One is this feeling of everything happening all at once—how can you put that in a story in a way that is meaningful? And the other is climate change.”

Everything Everywhere All At Once is most obviously Daniel’s attempt at trying to encapsulate the first part, but you can sense the latter lurking in the background as well. Of course, in Daniel’s language, if climate dread is an inspiration, it takes on a decidedly different look: in Jobu’s (Stephanie Hsu) evil plan, everything bagel-void threatens to swallow the multiverse and destroy us all. “This

project came out of our own anxieties about living in the modern world, and I think everyone I know is trying to capture that,” Daniel says.

The feeling was already there when they were writing it in 2016, before the Trump Era and the pandemic.

“We already felt overwhelmed. And, and as we were writing it, we were like, ‘Oh my God, what is happening? It’s getting worse—how could it possibly get worse than this?’” Daniel says.

“Everyone is trying to process that feeling, the backdrop of doom, the backdrop of chaos.”

Daniel doesn’t have a grand answer to a radical

since he feels fortunate and blessed after being part of the major record label.

“Sobrang alaga po ako ng UR kaya sobrang happy po ako and feel ko ang fortunate ko talaga. Parang ang swerte ko na napunta ako sa UR kasi ‘di ko maimagine ‘yung self ko na mapunta sa iba. And sobrang comfortable ako around sa mga tao rito. Yun naman po talaga ‘yung nagmamatter sa akin.”

Lastly, he hopes that this track becomes a beacon of hope, comfort, and healing for its listeners. “Kung need mo ng comfort, music is always there. ‘Hayaan Lang’ is always there for you.”

“Hayaan Lang” is out now on all digital streaming platforms worldwide under Universal Records.

Jay Garche cultivates his talents before debuting on the local music airwaves

new path, but Everything at the very least offers a simple hope in response to the chaos. “One of the most powerful things you can do for someone is to pay attention to them,” Daniel says.

For Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), she has to confront a multiverse on the brink of collapse—an extreme manifestation of the sensory overload that the modern world is increasingly defined by—to see the family that has always been there. “You have to go to the end of the world to find out what really matters to you: your daughter, your husband—would you make another choice?” Michelle Yeoh ponders.

Now, Filipinos can catch this one-of-a-kind film with their loved ones, especially their moms.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is now showing in over 80 cinemas in the Philippines

ALTERNATIVE rock music artist Juan Karlos Labajo was just 13 years old when he started his journey with music. His successful feat as a contender of The Voice Kids PH not just launched his career in the industry, it also gained him a huge following that saw the birth of a new musical genius.

He released his first two albums, JK (2015) and JKL (2017), under MCA Music.

These two albums were nothing short of a masterpiece, with JK even going platinum.

The hit songs in his albums, added by his fun and unique personality, have since been well-loved by fans. Monumentally, this made JK dominate the live scene as well— putting on sold-out shows as only he can.

Amidst this huge success as an artist, JK never settled. What he really wanted is to write, produce, and sing his songs the way he hears them in his head. From his initial sound, JK shifted to alt-rock and formed his own band, juan karlos. This same band would then release the classic hit "Buwan" in 2018, a song that tells of an intense romance across a melody that both grooves and serenades—a new OPM identity that Juan Karlos has brought to life.

“Inspiration comes from anywhere, comes anytime. It’s something you don’t plan. It is something that just happens.”

His spontaneous approach to creating his works made wonders with more hit songs that followed “Buwan.” “Biyak,” “Kalawakan,” and “Bless Ü” are more of his alternative indie hits that have captured the emotions of his Filipino listeners.

The balance between romance and the rough, raw emotions that comes from it is always perfectly conveyed with his lyricism, with a message that is driven home by his unique sound.

After taking an indefinite hiatus from social media since 2020, JK has once again reinvented his sound with the release of Boston—a perfect track that signaled his rebirth into the folk-rock genre.

Shot in Edsa, the song’s music video has given even more defined depth to the message of the song which is about longing for a past love. This new shade in his identity showed JK’s simple yet complex vision as an artist—one that exudes beauty from real and raw emotions.

“I’d rather keep on making songs that satisfy my cravings rather than planning out songs for hits.”

Juan Karlos believes that authenticity comes from being honest while making music. For the young artist, music is not meant to be created for the numbers. His unique sound which is loved by fans is never dictated by musical trends. For JK, his art is meant to show the importance and beauty of music from the soul of the artist. And this, he believes, is unique for everyone.

Michelle Yeoh (left) in ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’

JULY 3, 2022

Animals and their

Sixth Sense

By Mariana Burgos

H

AVE you ever seen your pet freak out about something that you can not seem to know exactly what? There are times when they seem to act strangely and you can not fathom the reason behind it and later on, either an earthquake or a super typhoon happens. There are also times when they act weirdly and then you get a chilling sensation yourself afterwards but you do not see anything around you. Well, sometimes, after the chilling sensation, you see inanimate objects move by themselves. Only then do you realize why your pet was behaving strangely.

Feeling a natural disaster before it happens

On the subject of precise earthquake prediction, experts are divided.

Animals, however, appear to be able to predict danger hours in advance.

There is proof that a variety of creatures, including fish, birds, and insects,

exhibit peculiar behavior before an earthquake. In an effort to improve seismic detectors, scientists are now looking more closely at some animals.

Animal activity patterns would need to undergo detectable behavioral changes in order to be used as a sort of early warning system for earth-

Ghost sightings by pets have been reported in different parts of the world. (This photo was taken from a Youtube video entitled, "Ghost sighting by pets--- Scary and Fascinating Stories of Animals Sensing the Unseen"; uploaded by Undiscovered Worlds, 5 June 2020.)

Dogs might see more than you do. Mango, a rescue of Save ALL- Animals of Love and Light Inc., was a very protective dog. Before he died in 2019, he would always warn caretakers of an invisible entity in the garden. He would bark at “someone” near the mango tree, either behind or beside the caretaker. His barks are angry barks, not friendly at all, like he was telling the entity to bug off or leave the caretaker alone. The caretaker will suddenly feel the air grow cold but only beside or behind him.

quakes. Moreover, the closer one is to the earthquake's epicentre, the stronger one should react if they do in fact respond to weak physical changes right before an earthquake.

In a recent study, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz/Radolfzell and the Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz fitted motion sensors to cows, sheep, and dogs in earthquake-prone regions of Northern Italy and observed their movements over a period of months. Up to 20 hours prior to an earthquake, the animals became increasingly restless, and the closer they were to the quake's core, the earlier they started acting strangely. (The Sixth Sense of Animals: An Early Warning System for Earthquakes?, Ma-Planck-Gesellschaft, 6 July 2020) Although they have a few suggestions, scientists are not entirely clear about how animals can foretell earthquakes. For instance, in earthquake zones, their fur may detect air ionization brought on by high rock pressure.

Prior to an earthquake, they might

Sometimes, a cat hisses at no one in particular, or no one a human can see. (Photo from Pixabay.com)

also be able to detect gases emitted by quartz crystals.

A bigger number of animals will need to be watched for longer periods of time and over a larger geographical area before researchers can begin to seriously explore using animal behavior as a trustworthy earthquake predictor.

The international space station's Icarus global animal observation system will be used in the following phase of the study. The German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Russian space agency Roskosmos, and the European Space Agency are working together on the scientific project Icarus, which is led by Martin Wikelski (ESA). (The Sixth Sense of Animals: An Early Warning System for Earthquakes?, MaPlanck-Gesellschaft, 6 July 2020)

Animals and their third eye

Many pet owners said their dogs or cats will bark, snarl, stare blankly, or move away from something that cannot be seen to warn them of a supernatural presence. Some responders claimed that when a spirit is close, their cat likewise exhibits flared neck fur.

A number of us have experienced having our dog bark at something we can not see or a cat stops playing and fixes its attention on nothing in a room.

Many people seem to think that pets have some kind of a third eye when it comes to the supernatural. Scientists and medical people believe otherwise.

Dogs and cats and many other animals have heightened senses compared to us humans. According to Nicole Ellis, Rover.com’s professional certified dog trainer says, "Dogs don’t have a sixth sense as much as they simply have heightened versions of all of the other five senses. Dogs can pick up on minor changes in the environment, small sounds from down the street, etc. and learn to associate

those with certain actions, which could lead to the belief that they can sense things before they happen or at least before humans do."

Ellis explains that the typical range of human hearing is between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz, which includes significantly lower frequencies than those that can be heard by dogs. Dogs can hear noises starting at 64 hertz all the way up to 44 kilohertz, which is above the human hearing range.

Ellis also claims that due to the sophisticated olfactory systems of dogs which enable them to detect scents that people would never notice, dogs are ideally equipped to detect such items. Due to the 300 million olfactory receptors in its nose as opposed to the five or six million in humans, a dog's sense of smell is 10,000–100,000 times more acute than ours. And this is why there have been cases wherein dogs have detected cancer as well as pregnancy in humans. (Jessica Booth, 5 Spooky Things Your Dog Can Sense That You Can’t, Bustle, 27 June 2019) We won't be able to determine for certain whether our pets have in fact experienced anything particularly spooky or echoes from the afterlife.

The essential thing to remember is that our pets, especially those who have been a part of our families for a very long time, are wonderful companions. They are bright, devoted, and frequently have skills that are superior to our own. They even shield us from things that seem to be intangible because they love us.

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

Functional, Healthy Dog Treats for Your Dog HIS dog had beautiful fur but it started to look damp and unhealthy. His friend’s dog started to have joint problems. They both gave supplements to their respective dogs –for joint problems and for fur concerns. But it was difficult to give too many supplements to a dog for one medical concern. Pet owners will tell you there are dogs who spit out tablets or simply refuse to be given pills.

Philipp Renner and Tim Michael decided to work together to formulate what they now call supplement treats.

Instead of giving two to three pills to their dogs for one medical issue, they give a supplement treat which contains all the supplements needed to address the medical problem.

Dr. Shiba, a holistic dog wellness

Benefits of Happy Tummy

brand founded in the United Kingdom, provides supplement treats that address concerns about the stomach, fur, and stomach. These products are called Happy Tummy, Silky Fur, and Jolly Joints supplements respectively.

The ingredients are all natural, and dogs love the treats, Renner said.

The best thing about these supplement treats, he said, is that it both prevents and cures problems in the joints, fur and stomach.

At the back of the product, there is a guide on the recommended dosage depending on the weight of the dog.

“Our mission is to upgrade and en-

rich the everyday lives of dogs, “ said Renner, Dr. Shiba’s chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder.

“The holistic dog wellness brand is focused on creating functional products tailored to every dog’s needs. The German-formulated dog snacks were co-developed and endorsed by veterinary experts as functional supplements packed into yummy treats. Dr. Shiba is able to offer a healthy and delicious alternative to probiotic supplements for dogs,” he added.

Dr. Shiba was developed with advice from veterinarians and is endorsed by veterinary experts as “functional supplements packed into yummy treats.”

Dr. Shiba also recently collaborated with Pawssion Project, a non-profit or- A blissful day for furbaby Bull and his furmom Audrey with Dr. Shiba treats. ganisation that rescues dogs in need.

Benefits of Jolly Joints

Benefits of Silky Fur

The fur of rescues Mina and Ali became healthier after being given Dr. Shiba Silky Fur treats, said Elena Cruz-Bantigue of Pawssion Project. “Mina’s coat especially grew like cotton around her face, chest, legs and tail. It wasn't the case when we rescued them,” she said. Ali’s coat is more shiny, she added.

”We have always wanted to build a brand that has unique and healthy offers for animal lovers and I feel that we have already touched a good number of dog communities in the Philippines.

Now, we want to be on a mission to influence , upgrade, and enrich lives of every dog in the country, whether they are sheltered or waiting to be adopted. My team and I have been keen on pushing forward this advocacy since day 1 and I’m happy that it is coming to life,” said Renner, “While there is an increase in the number of tortured and homeless yet adopted dogs in the Philippines, Dr. Shiba and Pawssion Project have decided to focus on the health of dogs in the country ad hope to create a community where caretakers and fur-ents are committed to providing the best supplements available,” Renner said.