Manila Standard - 2022 July 11 - Monday

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Small bakers: We’re dying

Cry for gov't aid as they reel from fierce competition, high output cost

By Othel V. Campos

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OMMUNITY bakers on Sunday asked the government to standardize bread prices—to at least P4 per piece for regular pandesal, or 100 percent of current prices—and adjust them to inflation to stop the pandesal industry from dying.

Small bakeries led by the staple for millions of Filipino Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino families—to avoid cutthroat (APP) proposed a P4 standardized competition and allow community price of regular pandesal—a daily Next page

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 145 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

INFLATION ACTION. A mobile bakery vendor prepares pandesal and attends to his buyers at Brgy. Culiat in Quezon City, but inflation is taking a big bite out of Filipinos’ wallets lately, as seen by the rising prices not only of bread but of vegetables and eggs at the Quinta Market in Manila (inset photos).

Manny Palmero and Norman Cruz

Palace: BBM doing fine; DOJ chief: I too positive PH new COVID cases reach

2,018, highest since Feb. 18

By Mervin Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo DESPITE testing positive for COVID-19, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doing fine and continues to work in isolation at his home, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Sunday.

Angeles said the President was visited Saturday afternoon by his lead physician, Dr. Samuel Zacate, who noted that the chief executive has improved, showing only mild symptoms and no fever, loss of taste, or smell.

Zacate’s physical examination showed that the President’s throat was clear of any inflammation and there was “no sign of respiratory distress or pneumonia.”

Also on Sunday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla confirmed that he also tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Thursday.

Remulla said he was experiencing very mild symptoms of COVID-19.

Following health protocols, the Justice secretary said he has placed himself under a seven-day quarantine.

A member of his staff said Remulla was working from home.

The President tested positive for COVID-19 in an antigen test Friday, July 8.

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By Rio N. Araja THE country logged 2,018 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday—the highest daily tally in almost five months or since Feb. 18, data from the Department of Health showed.

With one new death reported, active

FLASH floods caused by the southwest monsoon in Ifugao have damaged P14.6 million in rice and other high-value crops, resulting in 728 metric tons of lost production, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Sunday.

About 684 farmers were affected and

198 hectares of agricultural area were damaged, the department added.

The DA assured consumers of a stable supply of highland vegetables despite the heavy rains up north.

There, the DA will distribute assistance Next page

VIRTUAL ADDRESS. In this photo from his official Facebook account, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seen on a video wall on Friday as he addresses governors and mayors virtually while isolating himself after he tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time last week.

City won the Grand Lotto 6/55 pot of P401,186,804.80 with the numbers 02-18-49-07-19-47.

On the other hand, the Lotto 6/42 winner of P5.94 million was from Naic, Cavite, who bet on 27-18-26-13-02-03.

Lotto winnings of more than Next page

No new PNP Chief named yet, says DILG PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to choose his first Philippine National Police chief, the Department of the Interior and Local Governments said Sunday, belying reports that a new top cop has already been named.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos

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Ifugao loses P14.6m in crops from floods, but supply stable

Iloilo bettor wins P400-m Grand Lotto pot TWO more millionaires emerged over the weekend—one hitting a P400million jackpot—after guessing the right combinations in separate lotto draws on Saturday.

In an advisory Sunday, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said a lone bettor from Iloilo

cases now stood at 13,818.

Of the additional cases reported during Sunday, 838 are from Metro Manila, the DOH said.

As cases continue to climb, a lawmaker underscored the need to open vaccination sites for walk-ins.

thumbed down reports that Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, the deputy chief for administration, has been chosen as the next PNP chief.

“This is not true and the matter is being discussed,” Abalos told a state news agency.

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Malditas in AFF semifinals, rip Indonesia 4-1 THE Philippine women's national football team bounced back strong to rip Indonesia, 4-1, on Sunday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium and reach the semifinals of the Asian Football Federation Women’s Championship.

Thanks to Sarina Bolden’s hat-trick, the Filipinas sealed the win, now have 12 points from four matches in Group A, and are safely through to the Final Four of the AFF tournament.

The Malditas had qualified for the 2023 FIFA World Cup in February – the first Filipino soccer team, male or female, to reach the sports’ highest level.

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WALLED CITY ACT. Actors from the Republica Filipina Reenactment group reenact the marching and riffle demonstration and firing tactics of the Philippine Revolutionary Army inside the Walled City of Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila on Sunday. Danny Pata

Curb sale of sirens, blinkers—HPG THE Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police wants to regulate the sale of emergency vehicle sirens and blinkers—known in the vernacular as “wang-wang”—which have, over the years, become symbols of the abuse of power.

HPG Director Brig. Gen. Francisco Marbil said at present, the law only prohibits the installation of sirens and blinkers on unauthorized vehicles, but not the sale of these devices.

“I hope it will be part of the legislative Next page

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH lauds US vow on partnership F

By Rey E. Requejo

Manalo said that he appreciates the US commitment to the Philippines as an equal and sovereign partner.

Manalo made the statement after speaking with his counterpart US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last

week.

“Spoke with @SecBlinken.

Appreciate US commitment to alliance and to PH as equal and sovereign partner in promoting peace, prosperity & international law-based order in the

region,” Manila wrote on his Twitter. “@SecBlinken and I agreed to continue working together on building resilient supply chains, addressing the climate crisis, and transitioning to clean energy,” he said.

Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants more economic activities between the Philippines and the US under his administration.

"The President told me that he really would like to see more economic activities between the United States and the Philippines," Romualdez said.

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profits. We ask the government to help us continue our livelihood by extending assistance in ways that will lower our cost production,” APP acting-president Luisito Chavez said during the weekly Balitaan sa Maynila forum Sunday.

Chavez said a few of the remaining community bakers were barely surviving the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine and turned to downsize the weight of their pieces of bread, especially pandesal.

Regular pandesal currently sells at P2 to P2.50 per piece, while jumbo pandesal costs about P5.

He said that based on real value, the pricing should be P4 per piece for regular pandesal and P8 for jumbo pandesal, all things considered.

Inflation-adjusted, the price should be P5 and P10 each, respectively, he said.

The APP said regular-sized pandesal should weigh about 35 to 38 grams a piece, but the crisis compelled bakers to scrimp on

weight instead of increasing the price. It said that while pandesal sells at the same price, it is lighter at 18 grams apiece.

APP director Princess Lunar said neighborhood bakers were having a hard time adjusting their prices to inflation, as there is no uniform pricing that will ensure fair competition among bakeries nationwide.

“Traditionally, we do not easily change our pricing whenever there are fluctuations in the local and global supply of raw materials. We absorb the losses until the market corrects itself. But with this spate of events affecting us, I think it is high time the government attends to us and our needs,” she said.

Lunar said almost 20 percent of community bakers already closed shop and said this could easily go up to 50 percent.

The APP said the share of community bakers to overall pandesal producers shrank to 19 percent from 40 percent in

less than three years.

Senator Imee Marcos has encouraged the government to find new suppliers of wheat and develop the production of nonwheat flours to prevent sudden spikes in the prices of bread and noodles that are staples of the Filipino diet.

But Russia’s invasion of agricultural power Ukraine has severely disrupted the global wheat market, prompting warnings that the conflict could lead to hunger in some countries.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country’s headline inflation rate in June 2022 was at 6.1 percent — a three-year high since November 2018’s 6.1 percent and October 2018’s 6.9 percent.

The PSA said the higher inflation rate was brought about by the higher annual growth rate in the prices of food and nonalcoholic beverages which saw a rise from 4.9 percent in May 2022 to 6.0 percent in June 2022.

fewer Filipinos are not getting their recommended booster shots. The best way to address this is to make existing vaccination sites more accessible to our countrymen.

That includes opening the doors to any walk-in individuals, whichever part of the country they may be from,” Reyes added.

Barangay Health Worker party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co, for her part, lamented that until now, the Philippines

has not yet given full approval to the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

“I ask our Food and Drug Administration to expedite the process. They could also ask Moderna and Pfizer to produce vaccines designed against multiple variants and have longer-lasting effectiveness,” she said.

More than 70 million people in the Philippines have been fully vaccinated

against COVID-19. Uptake for booster shots, however, remained slow.

Despite the increase in cases and positivity rate, Metro Manila and dozens of other areas will stay under Alert Level 1 until July 15, Malacañang said.

Under Alert 1, all indoor establishments and public transport may operate at 100 percent capacity, but only for those with full vaccination status.

fully reopen the economy.

"So let us return to the idea of what we did last year and have a vaccine rollout,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino. “We will do this so we can be sure. And if the booster rollout is successful, you will see that we can lower the alert levels, and we can make masks optional.”

The President said he was convinced that if the massive vaccination drive becomes successful, the government could allow children to return to full face-toface classes and fully open the economy.

He said he wants local government units to conduct large-scale immunization drives for booster shots targeting school children so they can safely go back to school either in August or September this year.

Before testing positive, Marcos held his first Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 5. Remulla was present during the meeting.

Last week, the President also led the mass oath-taking of newly appointed officials; held a meeting with officials from the Department of Energy (DOE); and met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malacañang.

Malditas...

A howler by veteran goal-keeper Inna Palacios saw the Filipinas give up their first goal of the tournament, as Carla Bio Pattinasarany pounced on a stunning error by the Filipina No. 1 to put Indonesia ahead in the 38th minute.

But the Filipinas showed tremendous resolve and came back with renewed energy in the first half, where they put four goals into the back of the net to take the fight out of the Indonesians.

The star of the show was Sarina Bolden, who netted a hat-trick much to the delight of the 1,500-strong home crowd at the Rizal Memorial.

"You have to give credit to Indonesia," said Philippines coach Alen Stajcic after the match. "They deserved the lead at halftime. They looked hungrier, their counter-attacks were threatening."

"But for us not to play our best game, and to come back in the second half

and show our resilience is a really good quality," he added.

"It's amazing resilience from the group, and in that respect, I'm really happy."

"It's really special," Bolden said of scoring three goals on home turf. "It's not every day that you get a hat-trick at home.

I'm really proud of that, and really proud of my teammates for not giving up."

Bolden took her tally to 14 international goals for the Philippines.

She now has five in the tournament, tying her with Australia's Amy Sayer in the Golden Boot race.

The Filipinas will wrap up their Group A schedule against Thailand, in a match that will decide their seeding for the semifinal.

Thailand currently has 10 points after routing Malaysia, 4-0, at the Binan Football Stadium.

Earlier Sunday, Australia kept its hopes of making the semifinal alive after beating Singapore, 4-1, also at the Rizal Memorial.

No...

Iloilo...

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Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., deputy chief for operations, has been the officer-in-charge of the 225,000-strong police force since Gen. Dionardo Carlos retired on May 6.

Sermonia, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1989, is set to step down in January 2024 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

On the other hand, Danao, of Class of 1991, has one more year in service before he retires in August 2023.

Other possible candidates for the PNP top post are Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Area Police Command-Northern Luzon chief; Maj. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, director for operations; Maj. Gen Felipe Natividad, National Capital Regional Police Office chief; and Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., director of the Police Regional OfficeNorthern Mindanao.

Azurin and De Leon belong to PMA Class of 1989, while Natividad is a member of Class of 1990. Acorda graduated from the PMA in 1991.

P10,000 shall be subject to a 20-percent tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

The winners can claim their checks at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City upon presentation of the winning tickets and two identification cards.

The Grand Lotto – drawn every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday – also had 71 other bettors winning P100,000 for five correct numbers; 5,011 bettors getting P1,500 each for four numbers; 110,867 settling for P60 each for three numbers.

In the 6/42 draw, 84 won P24,000 each for five numbers; 3,002 got P800 each for four numbers, and 40,402 guessed three correct numbers for P20 each.

The 6/42 Lotto draw is played every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Prizes not claimed within a year shall be forfeited.

Curb...

and dome lights.

These emergency devices are allowed only on ambulances, fire trucks, and for personnel of the PNP, military, National Bureau of Investigation, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board during emergency situations.

Also allowed to use are the country’s top five officials including the President, Vice-President, Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Justice.

Marbil said violators will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 and may have their driver’s license confiscated.

OREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Sunday said that the Philippines welcomes the United States’ continuing commitment to partnership in promoting peace, prosperity, and international law-based order in Southeast Asia.

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bakers to co-exist without harming each other’s livelihood.

This comes on the heels of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers Inc. asking the government to reduce tariffs on imported ingredients for bread production to help stabilize the price of local bread.

Last month, local bread makers warned that prices of budget bread would increase by at least P2 per pack as manufacturers could not keep up with the rising cost of ingredients, especially flour.

The Philippine Baking Industry Group, which said it has experienced an increase in flour prices following a rise in demand, has also asked the Trade and Industry Department if they could raise their prices.

“We are a dying heritage. Many of us have closed during the pandemic, [and] the surviving bakeries are barely making

PH...

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“We need to open our vaccination sites for walk-ins, for everybody, regardless of the city or province they are coming from,” Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Rey Reyes said.

“Vaccine effectivity is waning because

Palace:...

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At the time, he had a mild fever, nasal stuffiness, nasal itchiness, and a mild occasional non-productive cough.

An RT-PCR test was subsequently done, confirming that he was positive for COVID-19.

This is the second time that Marcos tested positive for COVID-19.

The first was during the height of the pandemic in 2020 when hundreds of thousands of Filipinos contracted the virus.

“The President was advised to undergo home isolation for seven days in compliance with the Department of Health protocol for fully-vaccinated individuals,” Angeles said.

Angeles said home medications for the President were being continued and he is under close monitoring by Zacate until the completion of his home isolation.

During his virtual message to mayors and governors on Friday when he started his isolation, the President emphasized the importance of a booster campaign rollout to safely resume face-to-face classes and

Ifugao...

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packages to the affected farmers, including rice, corn, and assorted vegetable seeds; drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry; financial assistance under the Survival and Recovery Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

Farmers will also receive indemnity from damaged crops from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. and cash support from the Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas.

At the onset of the southwest monsoon, the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operation Center advised farmers to harvest mature crops and make use of post-harvest facilities, as well as secure seed reserves, planting materials, and other farm inputs, including feed and water for livestock.

It also recommended the relocation of animals, machinery, and equipment to higher ground, and urged the clearing of any obstruction from drainage and irrigation and rice paddies.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecast the build-up of a low-pressure area (LPA) 685 kilometers (km) Northeast of Surigao City or 690 km east of Virac, Catanduanes.

The southwest monsoon is also expected to affect the western section of the country, the weather bureau said.

Local police in Abucay, Bataan said a woman was killed after a landslide buried their house at the height of heavy rains.

Maj. Dennis Bautista Duran, Abucay police chief, identified the victim as

Roselyn dela Cruz, 27, a caretaker of a resort in Abucay.

Duran said rescuers found the body of Dela Cruz under the mud that also buried a car following the landslide at 2 a.m.

Saturday.

The victim’s father, who is residing in another house, called for help after he learned of the incident at around 7 a.m., he added.

Personnel of the Abucay Municipal Police Station, Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Metro Bataan Development Authority, and the local government unit of Abucay led by Mayor Robin Tagle helped in the search and rescue operation.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD-CAR) assured the public on Saturday that there is a sufficient supply of relief items for those affected by the flash floods that hit Banaue, Ifugao on Thursday.

In a social media post on Saturday, the DSWD-CAR said it has so far released around 1,500 family food packs amounting to P941,000.

Throughout the region, 27,121 family food packs have already been prepositioned, including over 14,000 food packs at the regional warehouse in Benguet ready for deployment.

In Ifugao alone, the DSWD-CAR said 2,608 family food packs have been prepositioned that can be released to the affected families and individuals.

The flash flood hit Banaue around 5 p.m. on July 7 and destroyed two houses and damaged 327 others in three barangays. Othel V. Campos

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agenda for this incoming Congress.

We really need to regulate [not just the use but also the sale] of blinkers and sirens [so that] enforcement agencies can control these,” he said in a radio interview.

“It’s not that there is a weakness in our enforcement. It is the law that has a problem,” he added.

Under Presidential Decree No. 96, motorists are prohibited from using emergency devices, including blinkers

"I think we are already going along that path right now. We've had quite a number of economic forums in the past, we're going to have more of that," the Filipino envoy added.

Romualdez said he also had a discussion with Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno about the matter, especially on acquiring more investments from the US. US President Joe Biden has invited President Marcos to visit Washington.

Earlier, Romualdez also said President Marcos Jr. is looking to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, where he may deliver a speech.

Japanese go to polls, Abe’s party sees win TOKYO—Japanese voters cast their ballots Sunday in an upper house election, just two days after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while on the campaign trail.

The election, which is expected to see Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party increase its majority, has been overshadowed by the murder.

But Prime Minister Fumio Kishida insisted the shock killing would not halt the democratic process, saying "we must never allow violence to suppress speech."

Abe's body arrived in Tokyo on Saturday from the western region where he was gunned down at close range a day earlier.

The assassination rattled the nation and sent shockwaves around the world, prompting an outpouring of sympathy even from nations with which the hawkish Abe had sometimes difficult relations, like China and South Korea.

The man accused of his murder, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, is in custody and has told investigators he targeted Abe because he believed the politician was linked to an unnamed organization.

Local media have described the organization as religious and said Yamagami's family had suffered financial trouble as a result of his mother's donations to the group.

He reportedly visited the western region of Okayama on Thursday, with the intent of killing Abe at a different event but backed out because participants had to submit their names and addresses.

'No bigger regret' Abe was campaigning for the LDP in the Nara region when Yamagami opened fire, and local police there on Saturday admitted "problems" with the security plan for the high-profile figure.

With little violent crime and tough gun laws, security at Japanese campaign events can be relaxed, though in the wake of Abe's murder, measures were beefed up for Kishida's remaining appearances.

Security at polling stations on Sunday remained normal, however, with 79-yearold Takao Sueki saying he was voting with an eye on international instability, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Watching the world now, I think every day about how Japan will manage with the situation," he told AFP. "This is a democratic country and I despise the use of violence to eliminate someone," he added when asked about Abe's murder.

"I strongly believe that if people have disagreements, they should dispute them with dialogue."

As of 2:00 pm (0500 GMT), voter turnout stood at 18.79 percent, slightly higher than the last upper house election three years ago.

Police have promised a "thorough investigation" into what the head of the Nara regional police called "problems with guarding and safety measures" for Abe. "I believe it is undeniable that there were problems with the guarding and safety measures for former prime minister Abe," Tomoaki Onizuka told reporters on Saturday evening.

"In all the years since I became a police officer in 1995... there is no greater remorse, no bigger regret than this," the tearful police chief added.

Election win expected for ruling LDP Abe's office told AFP that a wake will be held on Monday night, with a funeral for family and close friends only on Tuesday. Local media said both were expected to be held at Tokyo's Zojoji Temple.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Asia for meetings, will stop in Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences in person, the State Department said.

Abe was the scion of a political family and became the country's youngest postwar prime minister when he took power for the first time in 2006, aged 52.

His hawkish, nationalist views were divisive, particularly his desire to reform Japan's pacifist constitution to recognize the country's military, and he weathered a series of scandals, including allegations of cronyism.

But he was lauded by others for his economic strategy, dubbed "Abenomics" and his efforts to put Japan firmly on the world stage, including by cultivating close ties with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump.

Kishida, 64, was once described as among Abe's favored successors, and holds a solid majority in parliament along with coalition partner Komeito.

Sunday's vote is expected to cement that hold on power, leaving Kishida even better positioned to go into a "golden three years" in which he will face no further elections.

But he faces significant policy headwinds, including rising prices and energy shortages, particularly after an early summer heatwave that led to a power crunch. AFP

News

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

A PRAYER IN PRISON.

A person deprived of liberty offers a prayer before the image of a crucifix inside a chapel in Manila City on Sunday.

The Bureau of Jail Management continues to face problems in jails including congestion.

Danny Pata

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IN BRIEF Caloocan mayor leads community cleanup CALOOCAN City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan, together with the City Environmental Management Department (CEMD), led a community clean-up drive at Barangay 172 and Barangay 177 in North Caloocan and Barangay 18 in South Caloocan, in line with his directive of a clean and orderly city.\ According to CEMD Officer-incharge Ryan Castillo, the department was instructed to conduct community clean-up drives to ensure that all public areas, including roads and alleyways, are clean.

The department also conducted fogging and declogging activities to help prevent the spread of denguecarrying mosquitoes. Jun David

Valencia bats for coal use to power Mindoro plant

‘Online services should not have 12 percent tax’

By Rio N. Araja EX-BAYAN Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Sunday slammed the plan to impose a 12-percent value-added tax on Netflix, Spotify, Lazada and other providers of online services, saying that ultimately it would be the “consumers who would be carrying this additional burden.”

“We were told to stay home due to COVID but many (establishments) were closed or even taxed, such as the closure of ABS-CBN, at now there is a plan to tax Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, Google, Cloud, and other online providers,” he said.

“Also, even the claim that it is the foreign company that is being taxed is specious as it is still the consumers who will foot the bill in the end since VAT is a passon tax - it would mean higher subscription fees, service charges, and, even prices of online products.

That is why this tax is anti-consumer, “ he added.

The proposed tax is another measure that hits the poor and middle class more than the rich and big corporations, he said, adding that if the government really would want to increase its coffers, it should embark on a progressive tax system that taxes directly the rich and big corporations more rather than the poor, he said.

“For instance, a wealth tax of 1% can be levied on every million earned by an individual, family or corporation or a tax scheme to that effect. It can also vigorously go after the Philippine offshore gaming operators and have them pay their billions worth of accrued taxes,” he said.

Private schools support full face-to-face classes

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HE Coordinating Council for Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) said their members are ready to support the plan of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fully implement face-to-face classes nationwide by November of this year.

COCOPEA chair Dr. Anthony Tamayo said member-schools have been preparing for face-to-face classes for months. “In general, we are ready to comply with the directive of the President to go back to full face-to-face classes until November. In fact, as soon as the alert level went down to alert level 1 in March, we started preparing already,” said Tamayo, who is also president of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD).

He also suggested several favorable

conditions that might facilitate the return to face-to-face classes based on consultations with COCOPEA members.

“As the safety of our students, teachers, and other personnel are paramount, expediting their vaccination and stricter adherence to the minimum public health standards would help persuade parents to send their children back to school,” he said.

Furthermore, the simplifying or streamlining of procedures and requirements for schools intending to return to

face-to-face classes will greatly aid in the participation of more schools and a faster turnaround.

Tamayo also appealed that if faceto-face classes are to be mandated in September, private schools still be given the flexibility to offer hybrid or full online classes.

He also stressed that the final decision on whether the learner returns to face-to-face classes or attends hybrid or fully online classes depends on the parents.

Founded in 1961, COCOPEA is the unifying voice of private education and takes the lead in public policy development for the sector. There are some 2500 private schools around the country that comprise this umbrella organization.

AID FOR FLOOD VICTIMS.

Malabon Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, Department of Social Welfare and Development Development (DSWD) led the distribution of 3,800 family food packs affected by flood in Barangay Hulong Duhat, in Malabon City.

Andrew Rabulan

In a vlog, Marcos Jr. likens first week in office to that of his father

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. likened his first week in office to that of his father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. In a five-minute video posted on his Youtube channel, the President said “it’s like watching my father at work when he was still President.”

“That’s what I felt. It felt like I was

watching my father when he used to run meetings and oath-taking ceremonies,” he said in the vlog.

Marcos also recalled highlights of his first week in office, including meetings.

Marcos held his first Cabinet meeting last week and said among the topics discussed during the meeting were ad-

dressing skyrocketing oil prices, and strengthening food security.

He also earlier called on the private sector to aid Filipino farmers in the improvement of the agricultural sector.

Marcos also mentioned the government’s plans for COVID-19.

“Getting booster shots is important as our

Law backs Masbate ‘biotic’ area

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar said the Tugbo Natural Biotic Area (TNBA), found in the Municipality of Mobo, Masbate City, is now among the country’s Protected Areas (PAs) under Republic Act (RA) 11806.

RA 11806 declares that the said protected area will be managed within the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) and thus, should be allocated with funds consistent with its protection.

Villar, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change, along with Rep. Elisa “Olga” Kho (Masbate, 2nd District) in the Lower House, authored and pushed for the declaration of the 255-hectare TNBA as a PA. Villar noted that it is a primary water source

and home to various endemic flora and fauna, including vulnerable wild bird species.

The law states that TBNA is acknowledged a protected area “in recognition of the richness of its biological resources, both flora, and fauna, that are native and distinct to the Tugbo Watershed Forest Reserve as well as their aesthetic and ecological importance.”

For this reason, the law mandates the conservation, protection, rehabilitation, and effective administration of the TBNA, which could be made possible through cooperation among the national government, concerned local government units, non-government agencies, private entities and local communities. The law further read that “the enjoyment of the area must be consistent with the principles of biological diversity and sustainable development”.

COVID-19 cases are rising again and our students are about to return to face-to-face classes,” he said, quoted by an ABS-CBN report. “We also continue to appoint new leaders in government agencies. And of course, we are also doing courtesy calls with visitors and leaders from other countries,” he added.

With Gabriellea B. Parino

CALAPAN CITY—In the wake of unceasing and widespread power outages on this island, former Oriental Mindoro governor Rodolfo G. Valencia has urged government officials and electric cooperatives here to shift to the use of a coalfired power plant as a major source of cheap, abundant, and affordable electric power.

Mainland Mindoro, composed of the two provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, has been experiencing four to 14-hour daily power outages since 2019 which only negates the island’s tagline as the “food basket of the region (Mimaropa).”

Robert A. Evora

Angeles recycling plant turns plastic into pavers ANGELES CITY—The city government here has made possible the making of recycled brick pavers from plastics collected through the “Walang Plastikan: Plastik Palit Bigas” project, using the city’s shredding machine.

The project, which was launched

by Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. on January 2022, has already collected 720,003 kilos of plastic to date. This is also equivalent to the kilos of rice already exchanged by Angeleño households.

City Engineer Donato Dizon has shared the sample of finished recycled brick pavers via the City Information Office official Facebook page. Butch Gunio

Anti-graft court resets pre-trial of ‘pastillas’ case

By Rio N. Araja THE anti-graft court has reset the arraignment and pre-trial proceedings against Bureau of Immigration (BI) executives and employees accused of involvement in a pastillas bribery scheme to Sept. 9.

In a July 6 resolution, the Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division granted several defendants’ motions to stop the proceedings on the case filed against them.

It cited that the prosecution was “directed to resolve within 60 days from July 6, 2022, or until Sept. 4, 2022 the motions for reconsideration that were filed within the period and compliant with the requirement provided in the Office of the Ombudsman Administrative Order No. 07 dated 10 April 1990.” “[T]he arraignment and pre-trial for all accused, except Jeffrey Dale Salameda Ignacio, who to date has not filed his bail bond, scheduled on 8 July 2022 is CANCELLED and RESET to September 9, 2022 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at the SB Multi-Purpose Hall, 6/F Sandiganbayan Centennial Building,” it stated.

MANILA BAY CLEANUP. A

worker from the Manila Department of Public Services removes pieces of trash and debris at the Manila Bay dolomite beach along Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

The controversial dolomite beach was officially reopened to the public following rehabilitation to improve the water quality in the area.

(PNA photo by Rico H. Borja)

GREEN HARVEST. A farmer and his grandson work in a rice field in Baliuag, Bulacan on Sunday. Maria Tan/AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

Sen. Go refiles E-gov bill for 19th Congress

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

News Solons push e-commerce growth

By Rio N. Araja

F

OUR House members, led by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, have pushed in the 19th Congress the proposed Internet Transactions Act seeking to grow e-commerce in the Philippines by promoting an environment founded on trust among consumers and merchants online.

The proposal contained in House Bill No. 4 aims to increase the number of ecommerce participants, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth.

Apart from Romualdez, the filers of the bill are Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre, both of party-list group Tingog, and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

The full title of the bill is “An Act Providing protection to consumers and merchants engaged in Internet transactions, creating for the purpose the Electronic Commerce (E-commerce) Bureau, and appropriating funds therefor.”

The bill cited a 2019 study by Google and Temasek, which said that, in ASEAN alone, the Internet economy is ex-

periencing exponential growth as total Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in Southeast Asia has reached the $100 billion mark and is projected to reach $300 billion in 2025.

It noted that the Philippines had the lowest GMV in 2019 at $7 billion, lower than Malaysia ($11 billion), Vietnam ($12 billion), Singapore ($12 billion), Thailand ($16 billion), and Indonesia ($40 billion).

“This despite the Philippines’ estimated 76 million active Internet users and high Internet penetration rate (71 percent vis-a-vis 54 percent global average), longer spent hours daily on the Internet (10 hours vis-a-vis global average of six hours and 42 minutes), and

very high social media penetration for the population aged 13 and above (99 percent vis-a-vis 50 percent global average),” the bill’s explanatory note read.

“Philippine MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) lag behind the adoption of e-commerce because enterprises either find using digital technology platforms too difficult or are unaware of the benefits they offer,” it said.

“The Philippines also lacks policies and regulations that will facilitate online transactions and cross-border trade processes,” it added.

The authors identified a “lack of trust” between consumers and merchants as a top concern in the bid to grow the local e-commerce sector.

Salceda pushes digital economy measure anew ALBAY Rep. Joey Salceda, the House ways and means committee chairperson, has refiled the Digital Economy VAT Law or House Bill No. 372, which would close ambiguities in the value-added tax system that have allowed some digital services and goods sold over the digital space to remain outside the coverage of VAT. He said he hopes that the fiscal space from the proposal would provide fiscal space to support the digitalization of small businesses, a national broadband network, and jobs centers and training for digital freelancers.

The tax administration measure would support the fiscal program of the Marcos administration.

“The digital economy is growing rapidly, but digital economy taxation is falling flat. Imagine, in 2019, the digital economy tax collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue was at 45 billion. By 2020, it was still at around 45 billion. That’s hardly believable given the increase in digital transactions,” Salceda said.

“Just to clarify, this is not a new tax.

We pay VAT for almost all goods and services, except those specifically exempted by law. The digital economy should be subject to VAT, but we are unable to capture these revenues because of ambiguities in tax laws,” he added.

“This bill clarifies that digital services such as digital advertising, subscriptionbased services, and other online services that can be delivered through the internet as VAT-able. The measure also aims to strengthen tax compliance through simplified invoicing and registration requirements for VAT-registered nonresident DSPs,” the explanatory note read. Rio N. Araja

DOG PARK OPENS.

Celebrities (from left) Aaron Halili, Issa Pressman, and Yassi Pressman cut the ribbon during the opening of BGC Central Bark 2 built for dog lovers and their pets along BGC 7th Ave. and General Aguinaldo st. in Taguig City.

Norman Cruz

Pangasinan dads cite Lambino feats in Duterte gov’t LINGAYEN—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan unanimously passed a resolution commending Secretary Raul L. Lambino for his notable contributions that propelled the development of his home province.

Lambino served as Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon and concurrently as Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) under the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Authored by SP Member Vici M. Ventanilla and co-authored by all SP members, Provincial Resolution No. 569-2022 was passed and approved during SP’s regular session on June 27, 2022.

“The Sangguniang Panlalawigan fully acknowledges the tireless efforts of Secretary Lambino for the adoption

of a coordinated approach with national government agencies, local government units, and economic planners for the establishment of economic zones in order to realize growth and transformation in the localities,” the resolution stated.

Board Member Ventanilla explained that it is just proper to give recognition to Secretary Lambino “because he is the only Cabinet member under the Duterte administration who has concurrently held two top-level positions with distinction.”

“Aside from the numerous high-impact projects he delivered to Pangasinan, Secretary Lambino also brought pride and honor to our beloved province,” Ventanilla added.

Lambino, who hails from Mangaldan and Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, is a recipient of Gawad Parangal given by

Sec. Raul Lambino

President Duterte on June 15, 2022, in recognition of his contribution and performance as a public servant

CITING lessons from the pandemic, Sen. Bong Go refiled in the 19th Congress the E-governance bill to make government more responsive to the changing times.

The measure, he said, would institutionalize the transition of the government to e-governance in the digital age as he cited lessons the country has learned from the pandemic.

The bill also mandates the government to establish an integrated, interconnected, and interoperable information and resource-sharing and communications network spanning the entirety of the national and local government, an internal records management information system, an information database, and digital portals for the delivery of public services.

The measure likewise pushes for the digitization of paper-based and other traditional modes of workflows for a more efficient and transparent public service.

Go noted that the transition of the government to the digital age has been a long time coming.

“The government must use the information and communications technology to better serve its purpose and get closer to the people in an era where practically everything can be done online and through other digital channels,” Go said.

The senator also mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic “highlighted gaps, both foreseen and unforeseen, in the delivery of government services in the country.”

At the height of the pandemic, Go noted, long queues and physical appointments with government agencies, financial institutions, and other public offices burdened the public.

He added that major government social services and programs were also forced to shut down, limiting the public’s accessibility to public services at a time when the same was needed the most.

Ampatuan bid for jail transfer nixed by court

By Rey E. Requejo THE Court of Appeals has junked the plea of Maguindanao massacre convict and former Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan to be transferred from the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City to a medical facility for fear that he might contract COVID-19 at the national jail.

In a nine-page decision written by Associate Justice Angelene Mary W. Quimpo-Sale, the CA’s Special Division of Five affirmed the July 20, 2020 order issued by Regional Trial Court of Quezon City Branch 221 Presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes which denied Ampatuan’s motion.

The appellate court disagreed with Ampatuan’s argument that Judge Reyes committed grave abuse of discretion in denying his request to be transferred to a hospital or medical facility despite the “clear and present danger” posed by his continued stay at the NBP during the pandemic.

The petitioner told the CA that he had a stroke on three occasions before his commitment to the NBP and his having hypertension, diabetes and chronic atrial fibrillation puts him vulnerable to contracting the virus.

Ampatuan stressed that he should be allowed to stay in the hospital or medical facility until the country, in general, or the NBP, in particular, has equipped itself with the ability to mitigate or prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Alan gives up Blue Ribbon, still mulling majority seat RETURNING Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is still contemplating joining either the supermajority bloc or minority bloc in the upcoming 19th Congress but has acceded to the majority’s choice of Sen. Francis Tolentino to chair the Senate Blue Ribbon committee.

Cayetano said Sunday he fully supports Tolentino’s chairmanship of the

high-profile Blue Ribbon.

“I pray that he will do all he can to make this government truly accountable to the people,” he said.

Earlier, Cayetano said he would be glad to join the minority in case the Blue Ribbon, formally known as Senate Committee for Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, will not be given to him.

The former has been very vocal about his desire to be the chairperson of the Blue Ribbon, insisting he always wants to be a “fiscalizer.”

The post was initially offered by incoming Senate President Migz Zubiri to Tolentino, also a lawyer like Cayetano, who accepted the chairmanship. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Ebdane bats for excellence in maritime education SAN NARCISO, Zambales—Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. pledged his full support to the development of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) as the country’s premier maritime school during the graduation ceremonies for the academy’s 2022 class here on Thursday.

Ebdane, who was the guest of honor and speaker in the commencement rites, reiterated his commitment to prioritizing education to make Zambales a sustainable community, a vow he made in his inauguration as fourterm governor a week ago.

“As governor, I’d like to elevate the

level of education at the PMMA and in Zambales in general. My office is ready to provide what help is needed for the sake of our students. I believe that these youth will be the warriors of tomorrow, and on their hands lay the progress of our country,” he said.

PMMA RITES. Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. urges Philippine Merchant Marine Academy graduates to find success, come back home, and share their achievements with the community during the commencement rites for the PMMA’s Masidlayag Class of 2022 on July 7.

Opinion Inventory THIS is an unsolicited suggestion to the new president and his team --- direct an inventory of the appointive positions in government.

Which are necessary, and which are not?

Through the years, the bureaucracy has become so bloated, so top-heavy, that in truth, the number of government officials and their staff has become not just an expenditure burden, but one of the main causes of inefficiency.

Past leaders have had a penchant for creating new and more offices and agencies.

There is, for instance, a National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) the head of which has Cabinet rank.

Then there is also a Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.

Why in heaven’s name could not urban poor concerns be part of the NAPC mandate, and their officers placed under it? We could then do away with layers of over-lapping functions and save taxpayer money.

There are so many agencies and GOCC’s under the Department of Agriculture, more than 40 of them.

The president, having assumed the role of agriculture secretary in the meantime, could do well to assign a team of management experts, perhaps borrow them from the University of the Philippines, the state think-tank, to re-engineer these agencies into a lean and mean administrative machinery that can reverse the decline of our agricultural productivity.

In a previous column, I recall that there used to be four undersecretaries in the department.

There are now 11 USecs, some of them Useless. There are nine Asecs, some of whom sit on their asses in airconditioned offices doing virtually nothing.

Ditto the DENR, and mirabile dictu, even the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), with as many as eight Usecs!

President Marcos Jr. did right in reverting the once three-headed PCOO, a President Noynoy Aquino creation, into the Office of the Press Secretary as it was in his father’s time and before that.

The office of the presidential spokesperson has likewise been abolished, as the newly appointed press secretary, Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles, can do the task herself, and so far, excellently at that.

But there are so many offices under the current communications machinery of the president which may need re-structuring.

Some are over-loaded with responsibilities; some with little functions.

The previous administration has made the PCOO bureaucracy so large, operating in various locations, and putting up virtually useless offices all over the country, some of which will likely turn into white elephants.

I wonder though, why E.O. 2 retained

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Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

eight undersecretary positions, when some of these could be assigned to assistant secretaries and even directors within the OPS. I recall that then Press Secretary Rod Reyes, who served as such under both PFVR and PJEE, had only two USecs.

Through the years, we have witnessed the penchant to create more and more toppaying positions in government, using the catch-all authority vested upon the presidency by the “continuing power to re-organize.”

That continuing power was intended by the framers of the Constitution to give the chief executive discretion and leeway to create offices owing to exigencies that in the course of time occur.

More often than not, that authority has been exercised to reward political favorites, without serious study of function, responsibility and accountability, thus creating more cost-inefficiency and service-ineffectiveness.

President Corazon C. Aquino assigned then Assemblyman Luis R. Villafuerte, a management expert (once senior VP of Bancom Development Corporation under the highly respected Sixto K. Roxas) who later became governor and congressman of Camarines Sur, to submit a government reorganization plan. He did.

But implementation of the re-organization plan was spotty, whether in Pres. Aquino’s term or thereafter, with presidents advised by sub-alterns, adding more and more offices.

Of course, the president’s father was criticized for creating so many state-owned corporations (GOCCs), often functioning without proper coordination with line departments and bureaus, and up until the series of Salary Standardization Laws, with conflicting salary scales.

A team of management experts from the UP can sift grain from chaff, reviewing even the creation in 2011 of the GCG, or Governance Commission for GOCCs, a reaction to the high allowances granted by GOCC boards to themselves and high officials, which became a scandal during the PGMA administration.

And while on the subject of inventory of government positions, Pres. Marcos Jr. may also want to have a thorough review of the laws that have been enacted through the beginning of civil government in the country, as far back as Commonwealth laws that may have become irrelevant and outdated.

This should include reviewing the laws passed during the Third and Fourth Republics, as well as the presidential decrees issued by his father during the martial law era.

This is a tedious job, but experts from the UP Law Center and elsewhere in academia, utilizing IBP officers as resource persons, can surely begin to undertake the synchronization of our legal codes.

At a time when there is a clear paucity of financial resources, with so many public needs crying for prioritization, from health to food, education to transportation, it is indeed high time to review the costs of maintaining government.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with his huge electoral mandate, can start this streamlining, this re-engineering of a huge bureaucracy operating under outmoded and conflicting legislations, and make it a lasting legacy as he adds his stones for the edifice of the nation.

Through the years, the bureaucracy has become so bloated, so top-heavy, that in truth, the number of government officials and their staff has become not just an expenditure burden, but one of the main causes of inefficiency

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

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Japan ramps up aid to PH

T THE outset, we join the rest of the international community in mourning the tragic death of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

During his term, he helped strengthen bilateral ties, making Japan one of our leading trading partners and the biggest source of official development assistance (ODA) with a total of over USD14 billion in concessional loans contracted by the Philippine government in the past two decades.

Now, the Land of the Rising Sun appears ready to bring bilateral relations to new heights with its recent offer to help modernize our military through technology transfers and outright equipment donations.

The offer, according to news reports, was coursed through working group-level talks on security cooperation in Tokyo between defense officials of the two countries.

Tokyo has offered to help Manila develop its own armored vehicles, ammunition and satellites, among others, through a collaboration between Japanese and Philippine companies.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has offered to transfer technology and work with a local counterpart to manufacture parts for an entire armored vehicle.

Japan also offered to donate to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) an “overthe-horizon communication system,” a system composed of three batteries, which can cover the entire island of Luzon.

Japan has also transferred defense and technology equipment that could help the Philippines intensify patrols in the South China Sea The chief of staff of the Japan Self-Defense Air Force was also reported as having agreed to help the Philippines with air surveillance operations.

The foreign affairs and defense ministers

of the two countries met in April to expand defense cooperation amid concerns over the situation in the East and South China Seas and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The officials agreed to boost defense cooperation through defense capability and capacity building, joint exercises, reciprocal visits, and the transfer of more equipment and technology.

The two countries signed an agreement to forge closer defense ties in January 2015 and have since conducted nearly 20 joint naval drills. In 2021, they also held joint air force exercises.

Japan has also transferred defense and technology equipment that could help the Philippines intensify patrols in the South China Sea. All this suggests that Tokyo is willing to help countries in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen their military capabilities as part of a strategy to counter China’s emergence as an economic and military superpower.

For the Philippines, Japan’s offer of military assistance is welcome as we seek to achieve a credible defense posture amid its territorial and maritime dispute with China.

We do need to modernize our own armed forces given the changed geopolitical situation in this part of the world, and the sooner we do it, the better.

Focus on stable power supply ating power plants that will be sought after and therefore benefit from any windfall.

THE Supreme Court’s recent decision affirming the mandate of the Energy Regulatory Commission’s of Meralco’s request to implement a staggered collection of its rate adjustments for the month of November 2013 has been lauded by consumer groups for its cushioning impact amidst the raging high inflation now hitting hard on the economy.

Instead of an automatic pass on of generation charges allowed by existing rules, Meralco requested to spread out collection of the total P22.64 billion so as not to unduly burden its customers. A move that is sympathetic to the times.

Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines in its posted statement said, “The High Court’s decision provides a measure of stability in the power industry while being mindful of the concerns of the power-consuming public and the proposal of Meralco to defer and stagger the payments is responsive to the ongoing economic difficulties of Filipino consumers.”

The group further points out “the lack of a stable source of power supply was a problem in 2013 and continues to be a problem to this day.”

This issue was sparked by a convergence of events that started with the scheduled shut down of the Malampaya facility that drastically reduced supply to natural gas power plants powering approximately a third of Luzon’s electricity consumption. This was further worsened by unplanned outages of various generation plants that simultaneously shut down due to break downs of aging equipment.

Allegations of so called “collusion” to jack up spot market prices created a conspiracy theory that seemed believable at first but if you think of it, with a little logic, really does not make sense. A power plant shutting down will not benefit from jacked up spot market prices because they are off the grid and have no power to sell. When power supply is low and demand is high, it’s the oper-

This issue was sparked by a convergence of events that started with the scheduled shut down of the Malampaya facility that drastically reduced supply to natural gas power plants powering approximately a third of Luzon’s electricity consumption For power plants that had to shut down, it was a big loss of opportunity.

Though without clear basis, the circumstantial accusations painted a negative image of power generators and created some distrust because the public really has no understanding of the complex and highly regulated environment of the energy sector.

There is no appreciation of the huge investments, the gauntlet of regulatory permits, the years it takes to build a power plant, and the engineering and human resource challenge of building and operating an end-to-end power infrastructure so that when we flick the switch, the lights go on.

According to the SC decision, “Without question, the ERC acted within the confines of its regulatory powers and cannot therefore be said to have acted with grave abuse and discretion”—thereby rejecting the charge filed by the petitioners.

The decision support’s the regulator’s

actions as consistent to its mandate under the Electric Power Industry Reforms Act (EPIRA). Beyond ERC’s vindication, this sends a positive message on the stability of the power industry and will boost investor confidence to engage in building base load power plants we urgently need to keep up with the pace of consumer demand.

Now that there is closure on this case, regulators and the energy industry should train their focus on synergies that will result on a sustainable electricity supply surplus instead of coping with the cyclical thinning of power reserves.

Just recently, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines raised two Yellow Alerts because of the forced outage of 4 power plants and 1 plant with derated output resulting in a total of 1,274 Megawatts (MW) power supply loss.

A Yellow Alert is raised when the total reserves are less than the capacity of the largest power plant in operation which during this alert was only 236 MW. If more plants would shut down this would raise a Red Alert and will require rotating brownouts.

Disruptions in electricity services at this time when all are heavily reliant on digital services to go about daily transactions will further aggravate the precarious situations of many businesses still struggling in survival mode. Aside from the great inconvenience of power outages, just imagine how you will be affected when you can’t power up your digital devices to get online.

For enterprises of any size, power disruptions are showstoppers that are costly. For investors, unstable and expensive power are red flags that will shift their interests to countries with more attractive environments.

The economic aspirations of a robust economic upturn that will create quality jobs and a new era of growth pledged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be paced by the power capacity of the energy sector. This will need an experienced and well-qualified Energy Secretary that can muster the government and the power players to align on a sustainable strategy to close the power supply gap and lower the cost of electricity.

‘Sacred duty’: Inflation eats into Turkey’s Muslim feast WITH inflation in Turkey galloping, the sheep Gul Er buys every year for the Muslim festival of sacrifice in Istanbul looks agonizingly out of reach.

Prices have doubled or even tripled since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began an unorthodox economic experiment last year that has seen Turks’ living standards suffer.

The young mother hopes to bargain down the price on one of the skimpiestlooking animals at a livestock fair held under white tents in a conservative corner of the city before the Kurban Bayrami (Eid al-Adha in Arabic) holiday.

“It is a sacred duty,” she said of buying a sheep, which along with oxen and goats are sacrificed in the name of Allah, with the meat traditionally shared with the poor, friends and neighbors.

“But this year, prices are unaffordable,” Er said, the stench of thousands of animals mixing with the sounds of haggling in the heavy summer air, ahead of Saturday’s first full day of festivities.

Annual inflation in Turkey has officially reached 78.6 percent, although economists

and many ordinary Turks doubt government data.

Even if the official figures are to be believed, that is higher than in any other emerging market and nearly 10 times the record levels rocking the European Union, where the cost of living is unleashing political crises.

An independent survey prepared by the ENAG group—and believed by most Turks—puts the annual inflation rate at 175 percent.

Besides clouding Erdogan’s chances in next year’s election, these figures spell trouble for the merchants at the Istanbul animal fair.

Snowballing problems Turkey’s agricultural chambers union chief Semsi Bayraktar expects sales to fall by a quarter this year.

Galip Toklu, a breeder who came to the 40,000-square-meter fair from the Black Sea city of Samsun, listed the ways inflation snowballs into seemingly endless problems.

The cost of animal feed has quadrupled while the amount he pays to drive his live-

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Even if the official figures are to be believed, that is higher than in any other emerging market and nearly 10 times the record levels rocking the European Union, where the cost of living is unleashing political crises stock to Istanbul has tripled since the last Kurban Bayrami, forcing Toklu to double the price of his meat.

“Last year, I sold 500 kilos (1,100 pounds) of beef for 20,000 liras. This year, I set my prices at 45,000 liras,” he said.

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

Yet few can now afford Toklu’s beef, while selling it any cheaper could put him out of business.

“Customers are unavoidably upset,” he said, his face sullen under a wide-brimmed hat.

‘Erdonomics’ While this year’s animal fair looks huge, its 160 tents are a fraction of the 500 erected in past years.

As the fair winds down, breeder Sinas Ates looks despondent, having failed to make a single sale in two days. Livestock farming in Turkey is “finished”, he grumbled.

Just like the sacrifice of sheep, Erdogan’s economic experiment--dubbed “Erdonomics” by skeptical global markets--is also linked to his faith.

Erdogan cites Islamic proscriptions on usury to justify his refusal to raise interest rates to fight inflation.

High interest rates cause prices to rise, according to Erdogan’s logic, which contradicts accepted economic orthodoxy.

So Erdogan has pushed the central bank to set interest rates even lower. Analysts at Capital Economics in London see the pos-

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

sibility of a crash of the lira as “a major risk”.

‘Allah’s orders’ At the market, Salih Yeter has responded to the crisis by coming out to look for the perfect sheep with seven friends, who will all contribute to the purchase.

“People usually can’t afford to eat meat,” the 57-year-old said, adding that giving away meat to the poor is particularly important in times of trouble.

The price of food has soared by 93 percent in the past year, according to official data, with meat prices pushing even higher.

This is especially painful for Er, whose daughter has a metabolic condition that restricts her to a meat diet.

“I can’t even respect my daughter’s diet,” the mother whispered.

But respect for the holy holiday’s traditions is binding, said Selahattin Kose, a “hajji” (one who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca), from the eastern city of Erzurum.

“Prices have doubled, but we have to deal with it,” Kose said. “It’s Allah’s orders.” AFP

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Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

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3 Tory heavyweights seek to replace Johnson CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 221, Quezon City MERLIE D. SANTOS and GINA SANTOS DEMONTEVERDE, Petitioners, - versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-22-01927-CV For: Judicial Settlement, Appointment of Administrator, Partition of Estate

CARISSA JOY S. SICCION, Respondent. x--------------------------------------------------x ORDER In a verified Petition filed before this Court on March 1, 2022, petitioners pray for the judicial settlement of the estate of the late Spouses Arsenio & Apolonia Santos, the appointment of petitioner Merlie D. Santos as administrator, and the partition of the said estate, and in support thereof allege: 1. The petitioners, Merlie D. Santos, Gina Santos Demonteverde, and respondent. Carrisa Joy S. Siccion, are the legal and compulsory heirs of the late Spouses Arsenio & Apolonia Santos who died intestate without leaving any will nor any debt on January 14, 2011 and August 16, 2013, respectively; 2. Petitioners are legitimate children of the deceased spouses, while, the respondent is the granddaughter of the deceased spouses. Respondent’s mother, Maria Theresa Santos-Siccion is also the daughter of the deceased spouses; 3. That the address of respondent Carrisa Joy S. Siccion could not be ascertained despite the diligent efforts made by the petitioners in order to locate her; thus, the petitioners were forced to file this petition and to serve summons to the said respondent by publication pursuant to and in accordance with the applicable laws and jurisprudence; 4. That the deceased spouses left behind several properties and while the petitioners exerted their best effort in order to execute an extra-judicial settlement of the subject estate, respondent, however, could not be located and is not cooperative. Hence, the petitioners were compelled to file the instant petition; 5. That the deceased spouses, at the time of their death, left behind the following real properties registered in their name, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. RT-114026 (252348) A parcel of land (lot 15-C-1 of the subdivision plan (LRC) Psd-42203, being a portion of Lot 153-C; described on plan (LRC) Psd-35198; LRC (GLRO) Rec. No. 5975), situated in the Barrio of Talipapa, Quezon City, Island of Luzon. Bounded on the NE., points 2 to 3

by Lot 153-C-2 of the subdivision plan; on the SE., points 3 to 4 by LOT 153-B, (1086) Fls-850-B; on the SE., points 4 to 1 by Lot 153-B (LRC) Psd-35198; and on the NW., points 1 to 2 by Lot 153-I, (LRC) Psd-35198. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan, being S. 61 deg. 07’E., 128.13 m. from L.M. No. 7, Piedad Estate; thence N. 68 deg. 08’E., 12.62 m. to point 2; thence, S. 21 deg. 54’E., 19.81 m. to point 3; thence, S. 68 deg. 14’W., 12.62 m to point 4; thence N. 21 deg. 54’W., 19.73 19.79 m. to point of beginning; containing an area of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY (250) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground as follow; points 1 and 4 by old PLS., and the rest by P.S. all cyl. Conc. Mons. 15x60 cms., bearings true; decln. 0 deg. 48’E., date of the original survey, July 1-Dec. 14, 1907 and that of the subdivision survey, February 7, 1965.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. V-17268 A parcel of land (Lot 1712-A-I of the subd. plan (LRC) Psd-282997, approved as a non subd. Project, being a portion of Lot 17-12-A (LRC) Psd-12287, LRC Rec. No. 5941), situated in the Mun. of Valenzuela, Prov. of Bulacan, Island of Luzon. Bounded on the NE., points 6 to 1 by Lot 1712-B (LRC) Psd-12287 on the SE., points 1 to 2 by Lot 1712-A-2 of the subd. Plan and on the SW. points 2 to 5 by Lot 13 44 (Now) Malinta Est, and on the NW.points 5 to 6 by Lot 1388 (Now) Malinta Estate.

Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan being S. 24 deg.

17’W., 343.47 m. from L.M. No. 34 Malinta Est, thence S. 18 deg, 00’W., 29.17 m. to point 2, thence N. 82 deg.

08’W., 26.25 m. to point 3, thence N.28 deg. 25’W., 20.12 m. point 4, thence N. 28 deg. 25’W., 1.66 m. to point 5, thence N. 52 deg. 58’E., 14.00 m. to point 6, thence S. 84 deg 18’E., 34.34 m. to the point of beginning, containing an area of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground as follows: Point 4

by X on sampaloc tree (30 mm. diam) point 5 by Old stk.

Point 6 by old P.S. point 3 by Old P.L.S. and the rest by P.S. cyl. conc.mons. 15x60 cm; bearings true, date of the original survey June 24-Sept. 20, 1930 and that of the subd., Survey executed by Felipe F. Lazaro, Geod. Engr.

On July 9, 1978.

TCT NO. – 195253 - ) PR – 20043 A parcel of land (Lot 100 – J of the subdivision plan (LRC) psd-23756, being a portion of Lot 100 of Piedad Estate, LRC (GLRO) Record No. 5975), situated in the Barrio of Talipapa, Quezon City. Bounded on the SW., points 4 to 1 Lot 100-I; on the NW., points 1 to 2 Lot 100-N; on the NE., points 2 to 3 by lot 100-K, all of the subdivision plan; and on the SE., points 3 to 4 by Lot 153, piedad Estate. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan, being S. 8 deg. 48’W., 165.87 m. from L.M. No. 8, Piedad Estate; thence N. 62 deg. 39’E., 33.90 m. to point 2; thence S. 26 deg. 54’E., 30.41 m. to point 3; thence S. 65 deg. 07’W., 33.49 m. to point 4; thence N. 27 deg. 45’W., 28.97 m. to point of beginning; containing an area of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground by P.S. cyl. conc. Mons. 15x60 cms; bearing true; declination 0 deg. 48’E., date of the original survey, July 1 – December 14, 1907, and that of the subdivision survey, October 19-21, 1962.

TCT NO. 291987-R A parcel of land (Lot 1 of the subd. plan Psd-03002476, being a portion of Lot Psu-53865, L.R.C. Rec. No. ), situated in the Bo. of Sto. Tomas, Mun. of Lubao, Prov. of Pampanga. Bounded on the SE., along line 1-2

by Sapang Mayagus; along lines 2-3-4 by 6056 (Heirs of Esteban Victorio); on the SW., along lines 4-5-6 by Lot 6062; on the NW., along lines 6-7-8 by Lot 6063 (Mun. of Lubao Cemetery), all of the Lubao Cad.; on the NW., & NE., along lines 8-9-1 by Lot 2 of the subd. Plan.

Beginning at a pt. marked “1” on plan, being N.09 deg.

15’E., 696.38 m. from BLLM 2, Lubao Cad.; thence S. 85 deg. 35’N., 3.38 m. to pt. 2. thence S. 89 deg. 28’W., 276.64 m. to, pt. 3; thence S. 82 deg. 21’W., 83.01m. to pt. 4; thence N. 04 deg. 41’W., 11.16 m. to pt. 5; thence N. 04 deg. 41’W., 3.37 m. to pt. 6; thence N. 80 deg. 47’E 102.96 m. to the pt. 7; thence N. 03 deg. 55’W., 84.41 m. to pt. 8; thence N. 77 deg. 45’E., 235.20 m. to pt. 9; thence S. 14 deg. 01’E., 155.85m. to the pt. of beginning, containing an area of THIRTY THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT (33,558) Square Meters.

All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground as follows: pt. 9 by P.S. cyl.conc. mons.,; and the rest by the Old Pts. Bearings true; date of the orig. Survey Sept. 20-24, 1926 and that of the subd.

Survey July 22-23, 1989 and was approved on Aug. 30.

1989.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. N-269279 A parcel of land (Lot 101-B-2-C as shown on subdn., plan, of Psd-007404-020396-D being a portion of Lot 101-B-2, Psd-34168, LRC Record No. 5973), situated in Brgy. Of Talipapa Q. City, Metro Mnla. Is. of Luzon.

Bounded on the SW., along line 1-2 by Lot 101-B-2-B of the subdn. Plan; on the NW., along line 3-4 by Lot 101-B-2-D (Road); on the SE., along line 4-1 by Lot 101-B-2-A, both of the subdn. Plan. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan being N. 68 deg. 17’E., 21.14 m. from LM #7, Piedad Estate; thence No. 37 deg. 26’W., 21.07 m. to pt. 2; N. 35 deg. 28’E., 3.62 m. to pt. 3; S. 32 deg.

26’E., 22.22 m. to pt. 4; S. 53 deg. 55’W., 3.46 m. to pt. of beginning, containing an area of SEVENTY FIVE (75) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on plan and are marked on the ground by: PS cyl.conc.mons. 15x40 cm. bearings true; date of the original survey July 1-Dec. 14, 1907 that of the subdn. date of survey June 9, 1991 as surveyed by Engr. M.B. del Mundo and approved in Dec. 03, 1991.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. N-196667 A parcel of land (Lot 100-D-2-B of the subdn. plan (LRC) Psd-343216, approved as a non-subdivision project, being a portion of Lot 100-D-2, (LRC) Psd-29921, L.R.C. Rec. No. 5975), situated in the Bo. of Talipapa, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Island of Luzon. Bounded on the NE., points 2 to 3 by Lot 100-E (LRC) Psd-23756 on the SE., points 3 to 4 by Lot 100-N, (Road), (LRC) Psd-23756, (MRC Street); on the SW., points 4 to 1 by Lot 100-D-2-A of the subdn. plan; and on NW., points 1 to 2 by Lot 101-B-3, Psd-34163. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan; being S.9 deg. 49’W., 123.73 m. to from LM No.8, Piedad Estate; thence N. 60 deg. 25’E., 10.60 m. to point 2; thence S.27 deg. 52’E., 29.75 m. to point 3; thence S. 62 deg. 39’W., 10.60 m. to point 4; thence N. 27 deg. 52’W. 29.33 m. to the point of beginning; containing an area of THREE HUNDRED THIRTEEN (313) SQUARE METERS, more or less.

All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground as follows: points 2 & 3 by Old PS and the rest by P.S. cyl.conc.mons. 15x60 cm; bearings true, decl. 0 deg. 48’E., date of the original survey July 1-Dec.14, 1907 and that of the subdn. Survey, executed

by Marceline B. del Mundo, Geodetic Engineer, on April 10, 1988.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. RT-115451 (68488) A parcel of land (Lot 100-I of the subdivision plan (LRC) Psd-23756, being a portion of Lot 100 of Piedad Estate, LRC (GLRO) Record No. 5975), situated in the Barrio of Talipapa, Quezon City. Bounded on the SW., points 3 to 4 by Lot 100-B on the NW., points 4 to 1 by Lot 100-N; on the NE., points 1 to 2 by Lot 100-J, all of the subdivision plan; and on the SE., points 2 to 3 by Lot 153, Piedad Estate; Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan, being S. 8 deg. 48’W. 165.87 m. from LM. 8, Piedad Estate; thence S. 27 deg. 45’E., 28.97 m. to point 2; thence S. 65 deg. 07’W., 35.06 m. to point 3; thence N.29 deg. 35’W., 27m. to point 4; thence N.62 deg. 39’E., 35.90 m. to the point of beginning, containing an area of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground by P.S. cyl.conc.mons. 15x60 cm; bearings true; declination 0 deg. 48’E.,date of the original survey, July 1-December 14, 1907, and that of the subdivision Survey, October 19-21,1962.

Contenders to slug it out in fractious race REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 106 QUEZON CITY FLORENCE M. PANGANIBAN-TEVES, Petitioner, -versus-

DWIGHT V. TEVES, Respondent, x----------------------------------------------------x

ORDER OF SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION In a verified Petition for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage filed on July 20, 2020, petitioner prays that after due hearing her marriage to the respondent which was solemnized on June 10, 2000, by Rev. Dela Fuente, Minister, in Caloocan City, be declared NULL AND VOID, AB INITIO, for lack of marriage license.

Summons was issued on January 15, 2021. The Process Server’s Return dated February 4, 2021 states that respondent is living in Japan for almost three (3) years.

On June 30, 2021, petitioner filed a “Motion for Leave to Serve Summons by Publication” praying that the service of summons be effected upon the respondent by publication which was granted, per Order dated July 13, 2021 of the court.

NOW, THEREFORE, respondent DWIGHT V. TEVES, whose last known address is at 316 Dayao Street, Balut, Tondo, Manila, is hereby summoned and required to file with the Regional Trial Court, Branch 106 Quezon City, National Capital Judicial Region, Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Quezon City, his answer to the petition in the instant case within THIRTY (30) DAYS from the last date of publication of this summons. In the event of failure to do so, this court shall direct the Public Prosecutor to conduct an investigation to determine whether or not collusion exists between the parties in the filing of the instant petition; and if it is determined that there is no such collusion, the petitioner shall be allowed to present her evidence in support of the petition.

Let this Order be published once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in the “The Manila Standard”, a newspaper of national circulation, pursuant to P.D. No. 1079, at the expense of the petitioner.

Likewise, let a copy of the summons as well as a copy of the petition be deposited in the Post Office, postage pre-paid and sent by registered mail to the respondent at his last known address also at the expense of the petitioner, and for petitioner to submit to this court proof of compliance herewith.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, November 17,2021.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. RT-115452 (77965) A parcel of land (Lot 100-A of the subdivision plan (LRC) Psd-23756, being a portion of Lot 100, of Piedad Estate, LRC (GLRO) Record No. 5975), situated in the Bo. of Talipapa, Quezon City. Bounded on the NE., points 4 to 1 by Lot 101-B-1 Psd-34163; on the SE., points 1 to 2

by Lot 100-B of the subdivision plan; on the SW points 2 to 3 by Lot 97, Piedad Estate; and on the NW., points 3 to 4 by the Provincial Road. (Manila-Novaliches Road).

Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan, being S.31 deg.

11’W., 195.80m. from LM. 3, Piedad Estate; thence S. 60 deg. 25’W., 15.57m. to point 2; thence N. 44 deg. 07’W., 28.68 m. to point 3; thence N. 58 deg. 33’E., 18.40m. to point 4; thence S. 38 deg. 21’E., 28.70 m. to the point of beginning; containing an area of FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT (478) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground as follows: point 2 by PS cyl. conc.mons. 15x60 cm and the rest by old PLS stone mons., bearings true; declination 0 deg. 48’E, date of original survey, July 1- December 14, 1907, and that of the subdivision survey, October 21, 1962.

6. That the petitioners agreed to nominate as administrator of the estate petitioner Merlie D. Santos who possesses no disqualification, and that she is willing to comply with the requirements to be set by the Court for her to be the appointed administrator of the estate in accordance with law.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby set for hearing on September 5, 2022 at 9:00 am before this Court sitting at Room 608, 6/F, Hall of Justice-Annex, City Hall Complex, Quezon City, at which date, time and place all interested persons are required to appear and show cause why the petition should not be granted.

Let a copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioners’ expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City.

Likewise, let copies of this Order and Notice of Hearing fixed for the judicial settlement of the estate of the late Spouses Arsenio and Apolonia Santos and issuance of letters of administration be addressed to the known heirs and creditors of the decedents, and to any other persons believed to have an interest in the estate at their places of residence, and deposited in the post office with the postage thereon prepaid at least twenty (20) days before the hearing, if such places of residence be known, or be personally delivered on such persons at least ten (10) days before the date of hearing.

Lastly, let a copy of this Order be posted at the main entrance of the City Hall of Quezon City, the main entrance of the Hall of Justice Bldg., Quezon City, and this Court.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, March 30, 2022.

(Sgd.) CLETO R. VILLACORTA, III Acting Presiding Judge

CRV/trc OSG ACP Atty. Florante A. Zagada Florence M. Panganiban-Teves Dwight V. Teves

(MStandard - July 11 & 18, 2022)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF MANDALUYONG CITY

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. RT-114027 (338379) A parcel of land (Lot 100-K-1 of the subd. plan (LRC) Psd- 3267 58, approved as a non subd. Project, being a portion of Lot 100-K, (LRC) Psd-23756, LRC Rec. No. 5975), situated in the Bo. of Balintawak, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Island of Luzon. Bounded on the NE., points 1 to 2 by Lot 100-K-2 of the subd. Plan; on the SE., points 2 to 3 by Lot 153, Piedad Estate; on the SW., points 3 to 4 by Lot 100-J (LRC) Psd-23756; and on the NW., points 4 to 1 by Lot 100-N (LRC) Psd-23756.

Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan being S.7 deg.

40’E., 142.25 m. from LM. 8, Piedad Estate; thence S.27 deg. 39’E., 31.11 m. to point 2; thence S. 65 deg. 07’W., 16.47 m. to point 3; thence N. 26 deg. 54’W., 30.41m. to point 4; thence N. 62 deg. 39’E., 16.05 m. to the point of beginning; containing an area of FIVE HUNDRED (500) SQUARE METERS, more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked on the ground as follows: points 3 & 4 by old PS and the rest by PS cyl.conc.mons 15x60cm; bearings true; date of original survey, July 1-December 14, 1907, and that of the subd. survey, by Marceline B. del Mundo, Geodetic Engineer, on Feb. 3, 1985.

R-QZN-20-05253 CV For: Declaration of Nullity Of Marriage

Email: rtc1mdlocc@judiciary.gov.ph Hotline: 639952598147

CC: Merlie D. Santos Gina Santos Monteverde Petitioners Atty. Robert H. Samarita SAMARITA MANALOTO & SANTIAGO LAW OFFICES Counsel for Petitioners Carrisa Joy S. Siccion (thru publication) (MStandard - June 27, 2022, July 4 & 11, 2022)

Javid, also a former finance minister, and Hunt, who finished runner-up to Johnson in the last contest in 2019, were joined on the growing candidate list by current Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed to that post on Tuesday.

None of the trio are frontrunners in recent polls of Conservative party members who will ultimately choose their new leader and Johnson’s replacement, but are among the most high-profile to have launched campaigns so far.

Hours earlier, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he would run, adding yet another candidate to the typically unpredictable political contest. Shapps is an experienced lawmaker who first served in the cabinet in 2010, but not a frontrunner in the polls either.

But Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who has impressed in the role and been one of Tory members’ favorites in several recent surveys, announced he would not stand after a discussion with colleagues and family.

The likely months-long campaign, potentially pitting more than a dozen Conservative MPs and multiple factions of the ruling party against each another, is set to be formalized Monday when a committee of backbenchers will meet to agree the timetable and rules.

The early frontrunner is former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who helped kickstart the cabinet revolt that led to Johnson’s forced resignation on Thursday.

Sunak and Javid both resigned late Tuesday, triggering dozens of more junior colleagues to follow suit and forcing their ex-boss to then quit as Tory leader 36 hours later.

But Johnson, whose three-year premiership has been defined by scandal, the country’s departure from the European Union and the Covid pandemic, said he would stay on until his successor is selected.

Party members will eventually select their new leader—from a two-person shortlist whittled down in multiple rounds of voting by all 358 Tory MPs—before the Conservatives’ annual conference in early October.

Attorney general and arch-Brexiteer Suella Braverman, the relatively unknown former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, and backbench Tory MP Tom Tugendhat have also announced their candidacies. AFP

SECURITY BANK CORPORATION Mortgagee, FRE-MC22-1424 APPLICATION FOR EXTRAJUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT NO. 3135, AS AMENDED

-versus-

SPOUSES RYAN DE GUZMAN FIÑONES AND CHERRIE MARTIN FIÑONES, Mortgagor/Debtors, x--------------------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE

Upon Extra-Judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended by Act 4118 filed by SECURITY BANK CORPORATION, Mortgagee, with principal office at Security Bank Centre, 6776 Ayala Avenue, Makati City against Mortgagors/Debtors SPOUSES RYAN DE GUZMAN FIÑONES AND CHERRIE MARTIN FIÑONES with postal address at Unit 325 3/F 588 Residences, Cordillera corner Arayat Street, Barangay, Malamig, Mandaluyong City to satisfy the mortgaged indebtedness which as of May 02, 2022 amounts to ONE MILLION NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED PESOS AND 63/100 (Php 1,973,700.63), inclusive of interest, penalty and other charges, the Ex-Officio Sheriff of Mandaluyong City or his duly authorized deputy will sell at PUBLIC AUCTION to the HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH OR MANAGERS CHECK and in Philippine Currency on the 1st day of August, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter in front of the main entrance of the Hall of Justice Building, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City. The condominium unit with parking unit together with all the improvements existing thereon to wit:

BURNED IN PROTEST. This screen grab taken from an AFPTV footage on July 9, 2022 shows a man walking past the residence of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister after it was set on fire during protests in Colombo as months of frustration over an unprecedented economic crisis boiled over. AFP

CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO.

008-2016003225

Registry of Deeds for Mandaluyong City IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the unit identified and described as: RESIDENTIAL UNIT FLOOR: 3 UNIT CALLOUT: 325 UNIT AREA: 18.00 BALCONY AREA: 3.00 TOTAL AREA: 21.00 (MORE OR LESS) UNIT TYPE: 1 BEDROOM OF THE “588 RESIDENCES” CONDOMINIUM PROJECT In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 2012000249; 2012000250; 2012000251 which embraces and describes the land located at MANDALUYONG CITY with an area of (ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY TWO (1,222) Square Meter CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO.

008-2016003224

Registry of Deeds of Mandaluyong City IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the unit identified and described as: PARKING UNIT FLOOR LEVEL: BASEMENT LEVEL UNIT CALLOUT: BP-11 DESCRIPTION: COVERED PARKING AREA: 12.50 OF THE “588 RESIDENCES” CONDOMINIUM PROJECT In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 2012000249; 2012000250; 2012000251 which embraces and describes the land located at MANDALUYONG CITY with an area of (ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY TWO (1,222) Square Meter “In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on 16th day of AUGUST, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter without further notice.”

Prospective bidders or buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the said real property and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Mandaluyong City, Philippines, June 20, 2022.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

WARNING:

(Sgd.) MARTE JOY Y. MAGISTRADO Sheriff-in-charge

It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s Sale on or before the date of Auction Sale under penalty of the law.

Copy Furnished:

(Sgd.) JOCELYN A. SOLIS-REYES Presiding Judge

A

TRIO of Conservative heavyweights, including former health ministers Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, late Saturday announced their bids to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meaning eight contenders have entered the already acrimonious leadership race.

SECURITY BANK CORPORATION Security Bank Centre, 6776 Ayala Avenue, Makati City SECURITY BANK CORPORATION LARIBA PEREZ MANGROBANG MIRALLES DUMBRIQUE FULGENCIO SALAS AND REGONDOLA 4th Floor, Security Bank Centre Building 6776 Ayala Avenue, Makati City SPOUSES RYAN DE GUZMAN FIÑONES AND CHERRIE MARTIN FIÑONES Unit 325 3/F 588 Residences, Cordillera corner Arayat Street, Barangay Malamig, Mandaluyong City (MStandard-June 27, 2022, July 4 & 11, 2022)

IN BRIEF Sri Lankan leader flees home, to quit

SRI Lankan protesters refused to budge from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence on Sunday after storming his home, forcing him to flee with the navy and to announce his resignation.

The dramatic events on Saturday were the culmination of months of protests by people enraged by the South Asian island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis and the Rajapaksa clan’s incompetence and corruption.

Hundreds of thousands massed in Colombo demanding Rajapaksa take responsibility for shortages of medicines, food and fuel that have brought the once-relatively rich economy to its knees and caused misery for ordinary people.

After storming the gates of the colonial-era presidential palace, protesters lounged in its opulent rooms, somersaulting into the compound’s pool and going through Rajapaksa’s clothes.

Troops fired in the air to help Rajapaksa escape on Saturday. He then boarded a naval craft which steamed away from the island to the safety of the island’s southern waters.

From there the 73-year-old, who had clung to power even after deadly nationwide violence in May forced his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa to quit as prime minister, decided finally to throw in the towel.

“To ensure a peaceful transition, the president said he will step down on July 13,” parliamentary speaker Mahinda Abeywardana said in a televised statement.

Rajapaksa’s nearby seafront office also fell into protesters’ hands while others set fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s residence even after he too offered to resign. The premier was not there at the time.

Footage on social media showed a crowd cheering the blaze, which broke out shortly after a security detachment guarding Wickremesinghe attacked several journalists outside the home.

Security forces attempted to disperse the huge crowds that had mobbed Colombo’s administrative district earlier in the day, triggering clashes.

The main Colombo National Hospital said 105 people were brought in Saturday and that 55 remained under treatment by Sunday. The injured included seven journalists.

“One person is still in a very critical condition after a gunshot wound,” spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa told AFP. AFP

14 dead in bar shootout in S. Africa

FOURTEEN people were killed during a shootout in a bar in South Africa’s Soweto township, close to Johannesburg, police said Sunday.

“We were called in the early hours of the morning, around 12:30 am (2230 GMT),” said police lieutenant Elias Mawela after the shooting overnight Saturday and Sunday.

“When we arrived on the scene, 12 people were confirmed dead,” he said.

Mawela said 11 others were taken to hospital with wounds but two later died, raising the toll to 14.

The bar was in the Orlando district of Soweto, Johannesburg’s largest township, southwest of the city. AFP

Business IN BRIEF Stock market likely to trade sideways

SHARES prices are expected to resume sideways trading this week on risk off sentiments due to lingering concerns about a possible downturn in the global economy.

Analysts said while the Philippine Stock Exchange Index tested the 6,400-point level last week, investors were quick to cash-in on gains. This indicates that rallies are a temporary upside in an otherwise persistently down market.

Online brokerage firm UTrade Inc. said market gains were capped last week on worries over rising inflation and global economic headwinds.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno last week said the domestic economy would grow by 6.5-7.5 percent this year, lower than the earlier target of 7 percent to 8 percent.

While global commodity prices and oil prices are easing, which could help reduce inflation pressures, factors that have caused food and oil prices to go up significantly remain.

The PSEi last week rebounded 3.2 percent to close at 6,361.82 on bargain hunting, while the broader All Shares Index rose 2.1 percent to 3,410.76.

Jenniffer B. Austria

B3

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Two San Miguel units want to adjust Meralco contracts

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

WO energy units of San Miguel Corp. asked the Energy Regulatory Commission for a temporary price adjustment of their 2019 power supply agreement with Manila Electric Company following the staggering increases in fuel prices.

SMC subsidiaries South Premiere Power Corp. and San Miguel Energy Corp. filed separate appeals to adjust their respective PSAs with Meralco to recover a portion of the actual fuel cost.

Meralco head of regulatory management office Jose Ronald Valles confirmed the SMC filings with the ERC. “SMC claims it is incurring huge losses due to the continued increase of fuel prices at unprecedented levels.

SMC wants to recover actual fuel cost without any margin,” said Valles.

“We are concerned that the continued implementation of our PSAs will be affected once SMC suffers huge losses, which could force it to stop delivering power to our customers,” he said.

Meralco signed the 10-year PSAs with SPPC and SMEC in 2019.

SMEC contracts involve 330 megawatts of baseload supply from the Sual coal-fired power plant at an all-in headline rate (VAT inclusive) of P4.6314 per kilowatt-hour and computed all-in LCOE (VAT inclusive) of P4.9299 per kWh. SPPC’s contract involves 670 MW of

baseload supply from the Ilijan natural gas plant and has an all-in headline rate (VAT Inclusive) of P4.6314 per kWh and computed all-in levelized cost of electricity (VAT inclusive) of P4.93 per kWh. Both coal and natural gas power prices increased at unprecedented levels on high demand and tight supply.

“We cannot afford to lose our PSAs with SMC, which supply more than 1,200-MW baseload and mid-merit capacities. If SMC decides to terminate our PSAs, our customers will inevitably suffer. Our PSAs provide any such claim will need regulatory approval. Hence, we have elevated the matter to ERC for their evaluation and consideration,” Valles said.

Sources said the Ilijan plant experienced unexpected deration in its 1,200MW on unilateral gas restrictions from the Malampaya gas wells in northwest Palawan.

Diokno backs bill regulating plastics

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno is seeking the expanded role of local government units in the fight against climate change as he backs the passage of a bill that will either regulate or tax the consumption of single-use plastics.

In a statement over the weekend, Diokno said the bill would be among the country’s contributions to the global movement to reduce pollution and adopt more sustainable practices.

He said LGUs should play a broader role in helping reduce the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by teaming up with the national government in implementing “green” programs, such as reforestation and the rehabilitation and development of mangroves, as well as transitioning to clean and renewable energy sources.

He said LGUs should scale up efforts in adaptation in light of the increasing vulnerability of coastal communities from extreme weather events.

Another key factor is mobilizing climate finance through the “Green Force” or the Inter-Agency Task Force for Sustainable Finance formed during the Duterte administration, Diokno said.

Julito G. Rada

Strategic petroleum reserve terms OKd

THE Department of Energy has approved the terms of reference (TOR) on the engagement of a transaction advisor for the country’s proposed strategic petroleum reserve.

State-run Philippine National Oil Co. reported that the DOE approval of the TOR on June 27 was sought in compliance with certain provisions of DOE circular no. DC 2021-09-0028, entitled “Establishing the Philippine Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” issued in the last quarter of 2021.

The PNOC board approved the revised TOR on the engagement of the TA on May 16. PNOC did not say when it planned to conduct the bidding on the TA contract.

Former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the SPR would help bring the country closer to attaining energy security by reducing dependence on the importation of crude oil and finished petroleum products.

The SPR consists of large stockpiles of crude oil and petroleum products, stored in facilities located around the country― and possibly overseas—that are released during periods of local or international oil supply disruptions. Alena Mae S. Flores

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, July 8, 2022

9.50 PTS. 6,361.82

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

538,262,532 82,108 6,603,184,182.64 92 72 62

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

55.9090

Japan

Yen

0.007352

0.4110

UK

Pound

1.202400

67.2250

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127431

7.1245

Switzerland

Franc

1.026694

57.4014

Canada

Dollar

0.771069

43.1097

Singapore

Dollar

0.714031

39.9208

Australia

Dollar

0.683900

38.2362

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652801

148.3155

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266390

14.8936

Brunei

Dollar

0.711491

39.7788

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000067

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.027762

1.5521

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

15.2228

Euro

Euro

1.016500

56.8315

Korea

Won

0.000771

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.149220

8.3427

India

Rupee

0.012634

0.7064

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.225938

12.6320

New Zealand

Dollar

0.617400

34.5182

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033665

1.8822 Source: BSP

High oil prices may decrease traffic volume in expressways

By Darwin G. Amojelar

ECONOMIC MANAGERS. The Development Budget Coordination Committee, which is composed of the government’s top economic managers, reviews the government’s medium-term macroeconomic assumptions, fiscal program and growth targets for 2022 to 2028 to take into account the administration’s priorities and fiscal strategy, latest domestic developments and external pressures. Leading the briefing are (seated, from left) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Viva Communications, Wee family eye initial public offering plans

By Jenniffer B. Austria TWO more companies, Viva Communications Inc. and W Group, plan to conduct initial public offerings (IPOs), depending on market conditions.

BDO Capital and Investments Corp. president Eduardo Francisco said the two companies are monitoring market conditions to determine the right time of their maiden share offerings.

“These two IPOs are scheduled for this year. But the challenge right now is if the market reception will be there.

Will the local market be strong enough,” said Francisco.

“Everything is fluid at the moment.

Bonds are easier, especially if peso, because interest rates are going up. But for equity, sometimes even if you lower the IPO price and the IPO size, investors are still not receptive,” he added.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index is down 10.68 percent year-to-date on fears of a possible glob-

al economic recession caused by rising oil and commodity prices.

Francisco said W Group, a premier developer of boutique office buildings owned by the Wee family, is also planning to conduct an IPO through a real estate investment trust (REIT) offering.

W Group is the holding company behind properties like W CityCenter, Citi Plaza, and W Fifth Avenue, W Global City, W High Street and W Tower. Its office projects are located in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

The Wee family has expanded its portfolio of companies. It is now engaged in business in a wide range of industries, including seaweed and carrageenan, investments and real estate. Its core businesses include W Hydrocolloids Inc., Marine Resources Development Corp., Agro Commodities Export Inc., Jobs and Careers Inc. and First Marcel Properties Inc. Meanwhile Viva Communications, a film and entertainment outfit established

by Vicente del Rosario Jr., originally

planned to conduct an IPO in 2007. It shelved the plans, however, amid the global financial crisis.

Then in 2020, the company revived the IPO plan in time for the expansion of its content production. It again deferred the plan because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philippine Stock Exchange president Ramon Monzon earlier said 2022 would be a record breaking year in terms of IPOs despite the current market conditions.

Eight companies in the first half of the year conducted IPOs, namely Haus Talk Inc., Figaro Coffee Group Inc., Citicore Energy REIT Corp., Bank of Commerce, CTS Global Equity Group Inc., Raslag Corp., VistaREIT Inc. and Balai ni Fruitas Inc. The firms raised a combined P62 billion in fresh capital.

Three more companies have pending IPO applications―ORCA Cold Chain Solutions of businessman Michael Cosiquien, Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. of port tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. and gadgets retailer Upson International Inc.

THE resurgence in vehicle traffic at the north and south expressways may slow down if high fuel prices persist and COVID cases surge in the metropolis, according to the largest operator of toll road in the country.

“The June (traffic volume) exceeded our original projections. At least for the month of June, we haven’t felt the impact of the fuel price increase.

For the first half, we have already exceeded the 2019 traffic volumes,” said Christopher Lizo, chief financial officer of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

“For the first five days of July, we’ve seen a slowdown in traffic. We are just hoping that the impact is temporary.

We saw that in June,” he added.

At end-June, MPTC recorded a fiveto six-percent growth in traffic volume across its network.

MPTC, which operates the North Luzon Expressway, Manila Cavite Expressway, Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway and Cavite Laguna Expressway, recorded an average daily vehicle entries of 483,170 in 2021 from 388,820 in 2020.

Meanwhile, MPTC said the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange of CALAX is set to open in the latter part of the year.

It will extend CALAX’ operational sections from Mamplasan, Laguna, to Aguinaldo Highway in Silang, Cavite.

The 3.9-kilometer 2x2 lane CALAX subsection has reached 56 percent completion. Part of the ongoing works includes drainage and bridge constructions, excavation and roadway earthworks and installation of fence and coco net.

“The Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange will help decongest the busiest highway in the province of Cavite― the 41-kilometer Emilio Aguinaldo Highway. Motorists from Manila going to the famous tourist destinations of Silang and Tagaytay, Cavite will surely benefit from this upcoming project as it offers convenience and shorter travel time.,” said Raul Ignacio, president and general manager of MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MHI).

DOJ orders prosecutor to drop $3.7-m theft case versus Airbus aircraft dealer

WORLD BANK SUPPORT. World Bank

country director for the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei Ndiamé Diop (left) meets with Public Works Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations Emil Sadain to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation on planned developmental projects, specifically roads and bridges, water supply system, sanitation development and urban renewal in coastal communities. The World Bank expressed interest to provide funding support to infrastructure projects in Sulu aimed at reviving the status of the province of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as a main economic and trade hub not only for Mindanao but for the Philippines.

THE Department of Justice ordered a Pasay City prosecutor to withdraw a criminal case filed by CAPP Industries Inc. of businessman Christopher Pastrana against a Taiwanese aircraft dealer that repossessed a $3.7-million Airbus helicopter over alleged violations of contractual obligations.

The department, in an 11-page joint resolution handed down on June 27, asked the Pasay City state prosecutor to withdraw the complaint lodged by CAPP Industries against Ricardo Liao, Molly Tseng, Hunto Chang and Jack Pang of Taiwan-based Chailease Financial Services Co. CAPP president Christopher Pastrana also cited Robert Reguero of Philjet Aero Charter Corp. as a respondent in the qualified theft case.

“In the absence of a clear proof that

complainant-appellant is the lawful owner of the aircraft, respondents cannot be charged for qualified theft. For failure of the complainant-appellee to prove that there were misrepresentations committed by the respondents, we also cannot find probable cause for estafa,” the DOJ reso-lution said.

The decision was signed by Jus-tice assistant secretary Nicholas Felix Ty. It upheld Chailease’s argument that under its financial lease agree-ment with CAPP, Chailease was the owner-lessor of the aircraft while the CAPP was the lessee until the sale was consummated.

Chailease alleged that CAPP defaulted on some of its contractual obligations under the lease agreement, prompting Chailease to repossess the Airbus chopper “to protect its rights.”

Pi Energy signs cooperation agreement with uHoo to integrate energy and anti-indoor pollution services PI ENERGY Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp., reached a cooperation agreement with uHoo, a climate technology company, to integrate energy and anti-indoor pollution services.

Pi Energy and uHoo under the agreement will develop unified and unique solutions that will include indoor air quality monitoring products and services from uHoo, aside from low-carbon technologies and energy conservation and efficiency products from Pi Energy.

“The addition of a distinguished air quality monitoring system within our ecosystem of solutions further enhances our capability of transforming our client’s operations not only through proper use of electricity but also through maintaining a conducive environment that is safe for employees,” said Pi Energy vice president Ariel Villasenor.

Pi Energy is engaged in generating and supplying energy from renewable resources and constructing and installing re-

lated facilities for customers. It is a sister company of First Gen Corp., the country’s clean energy leader.

Meanwhile, uHoo is a global environmental health platform founded by Filipino Dustin Jefferson Onghanseng in Singapore. It delivers intelligent anti-indoor pollution innovations used by government bodies, homes and private organizations in more than 40 countries.

Its services include the uHoo virus index, which provides insights to lower the

risk of survival and spread of the coronavirus in a workplace.

“Our new partnership with Pi Energy focuses not only in reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption but also on enhancing people’s health and well-being inside homes and businesses,” said Onghanseng, who is also chief executive of uHoo. “Through the combination of uHoo and Pi Energy’s technology, we can monitor and take control, in real-time, of at least 13 different factors that affect indoor en-

vironmental quality while simultaneously optimizing energy use in the built environment,” Onghanseng said.

The indoor items or factors that uHoo products can monitor include temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, air pressure, harmful particulate matter of various sizes such as PM1, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10 and multiple types of airborne chemicals such as volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde and light and noise. Alena Mae S. Flores

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

B4

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

Fajardo redeems self in OT, lifts SMB

By Peter Atencio

San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo tries to score inside against Blackwater’s Rashawn McCarthy in a PBA Philippine Cup game won by the Beermen in overtime, 110-107.

Last PH world champion falls as Magsayo loses to Mexican

By Randy Caluag

F

ILIPINO Mark Magsayo narrowly lost to Mexican Rey Vargas on Sunday (Manila time), leaving the Philippines without a boxing world champion.

Magsayo, who bowed for the first time after winning 24 pro fights, had the World Boxing Council featherweight belt ripped from his grasp by Vargas following a split decision loss to the taller Mexican in their 12-round encounter at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas.

In a social media post, Magsayo apologized to all of his fans and supporters.

“Pasensya na po sa lahat at salamat sa lahat ng sumuporta, babalik tayo at pagsisikapan ko ulit. Salamat po,” Magsayo wrote.

There was nothing to apologize for, though, as Magsayo displayed the true heart and grit of a champion as he fought hard until the final bell.

Despite scoring a knockdown in the 10th round, Magsayo failed to get the win as two judges scored it 115-112, 115-112 for the taller Vargas, who overcame

Ravena likens new Gilas PH to ‘13 team led by Alapag, Castro THE present batch of young players in the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team bears some resemblance to another group of players that formed the heart and soul of Team Philippines nine years ago.

Veteran team member Kiefer Ravena said this as Gilas headed for Jakarta, Indonesia for the coming 2022 FIBA Asia Cup this week.

“I see a resemblance to this team to the batch in 2013 in a way that they surrendered their egos for the betterment of the team,” said Ravena on the weekly program, “ Power and Play.”

The 28-year-old Ravena talked about the composition of Gilas after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, released the roster of the team, which will be coached by Chot Reyes.

Back in 2013, the players who made up the squad would eventually bring the Philippines to a bronze-medal finish with an 80-79 triumph over China in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China.

It was a star-studded squad which had great players in their prime, like Jimmy Alapag, Jason Castro, LA Tenorio, Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Marc Pingris, Larry Fonacier and Junemar Fajardo.

“They were the stars of their college teams. Kumbaga, ibigay mo ang bola sa isa, may mangyayari, may proproduce. With the country’s name in front their jerseys, they were able to see the bigger picture,” said Ravena, who was still starting out with Gilas back then.

The elder Kiefer will be with his younger brother Thirdy in Gilas, along with the returning Bobby Ray Parks, RJ Abarrientos, SJ Belangel, William Navarro, and Carl Tamayo.

Peter Atencio

the 10th-round knockdown in winning his second world career crown. The third judge had it for Magsayo by a hairline, 114-113.

Vargas, now with 36-0 wins with 22 knockouts, was a former champion in the super bantamweight class before moving up to the higher featherweight division.

It was a back and forth action for both classy fighters, with Magsayo flashing his power punches and Vargas utilizing his huge advantage in height and reach.

The stronger Magsayo was hurting and doing damage with his power punches in the early rounds, even causing a cut over the left eye of Vargas in the 7th round.

But at this point, Magsayo’s endurance was beginning to show question marks as Vargas began to jab and at times change his tacks using lead hooks in give-and-take rounds.

Still, Magsayo remained dangerous, closing the distance a few times and once landed a heavy right hand to knock down Vargas. The Mexican stood up and quickly recovered. He also appeared to drop again in the 10th, but the referee waved it off.

After the close battle of the undefeated, the judges chose the Mexican, with Magsayo’s first loss leaving the Philippines without a current world boxing champion.

Last month, Nonito Donaire lost his hold on the WBC bantamweight title after suffering a brutal second-round

Mark Magsayo and Rey Vargas face off during the weight in. WBC photo

knockout defeat to Japanese “Monster” Noaywa Inoue at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

JUNEMAR Fajardo redeemed himself in overtime as he and Marcio Lassiter knocked down crucial free throws that allowed the San Miguel Beermen to endure a frustrating and close fight with the Blackwater Elite Bossings, winning, 110-107, on Sunday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The 6’10” Fajardo, who tallied a game-high 25 points with Jericho Cruz, scored two charities off JVee Casio with five ticks to go for the final count, handing the solo-leading Beermen their eighth triumph in nine outings.

Fajardo, who was struggling with his charity shots in final moments of regulation and got limited to one point in the fourth, had six points in the extra period.

His pair of freebies in the closing seconds sent the Beermen to their fifth straight victory.

And his big baskets with time almost expiring assured the Beermen one of two twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals, given to the top two finishers of the eliminations.

Fajardo’s baskets doomed the Bossings with their three-point cushion as they could not force a second extension period.

After Blackwater’s Rashawn McCarthy got a steal from CJ Perez, he turned the ball over on a ball-handling error, allowing the Beermen to get a chance to get some distance.

They got their needed opportunity to pull way off Marcio Lassiter’s two charities off Yousef Taha’s foul, 108-104.

McCarthy fired a team-high 22 points for the Bossings, but a threepoint attempt from him with two seconds left missed its mark.

“This team will be tougher going into the playoffs. We’re just lucky we were able to pull off a win in overtime,” said Beermen coach Leo Austria as SMB kept its momentum with the elims about to end.

Baser Amer had 17 points for the Bossings, and his trey in the final three seconds kept them close, 104-106.

Rey Suerte had 18 and Casio knocked in 15 for the Bossings, who are in fourth with their 5-2 card.

PFF thanks PSC for staging AFF Women’s Championship at RMS PHILIPPINE Football Federation general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes on Sunday thanked the Philippine Sports Commission for allowing the PFF to stage the Group A matches of the Filipinas in the 12th Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium “On behalf of PFF president Mariano Araneta Jr., the PFF would like to express our gratitude to PSC executive director and officer-in-charge Atty.

Guillermo Iroy for allowing the use of the Rizal Memorial Stadium as a main venue of the AFF Women’s Championship,” Gastanes said.

“Thanks to the collaboration and cooperation of the PSC, we are now able to bring the games of the

Filipinas closer to their hometown fans, inspiring them to do better with each performance inside this heritagerich football arena,” the PFF general secretary noted.

“The PFF and the PSC have been key partners in the promotion of the beautiful game in the country with the Rizal Memorial Stadium as the venue of the matches of our national teams, including the Azkals,” Gastanes added. “We continue to look forward to this fruitful partnership with the PSC.” “We hope that our local fans will continue to flock to the Rizal Memorial Stadium in droves and cheer for the Filipinas, hopefully, all the way to the championship match while achieving another milestone

for themselves and the Stadium Laguna. country,” he exhorted.

Both the heavy favorites Before the to prevail, the Burmese AFF Women’s take on the Laotians Championship, the at 4 p.m. while the last time the historic Vietnamese face the venue was used for Timorese in the 7 the sport was the p.m. nightcap.

2019 30th Southeast Although both Asian Games have six points, football men’s and Myanmar holds a women’s football slim lead on goal tournaments. difference over Meanwhile, Viet n a m — plu s -10 defending Vietnam and to the latter’s plus-8 Myanmar seek to chalk —so both squads need up their third straight wins to pile up more goals to formally clinch semifinal before their showdown on slots against separate foes today Wednesday to decide the in Group B action at the Binan Mariano Araneta group topnotcher.

Salem, Quiambao rule Sun Life 5150 triathlon BOHOL—Lanao del Norte’s Satar Salem banked on his speed and staying power to capture the overall crown in the Sun Life 5150 Triathlon while Andrew Remolino and Raven Alcoseba split the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint honors yesterday here in Panglao.

Bea Quiambao of The Next Step Tri also shared the spotlight by bagging the overall 5150 crown in women’s side, posting a 2:27:13 clocking to beat Moira Erediano of Go for Gold and Karen Manayon, who timed 2:36:45 and 2:39:25, respectively.

Quiambao also topped the 20-24 age category while Erediano clinched the 15-19 title.

Trailing Waldo van der Nest in the swim and bike legs, Salem saved his best for last, taking charge in the first 2.3 kms of the closing run part and sustaining his pace to the finish to claim the coveted overall honors in the event organized by the IRONMAN Group/ Sunrise Events, Inc. He timed 2:07:40 over the Olympic distance of 1.5km swim, Bea Quiambao dominates field in the distaff side to run away with the Sun Life 5150 overall honors

40km bike and 10km run with the Tri SND Barracuda mainstay also ruling the 25-29 age group division of the event graced by Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado, Panglao Mayor Edgardo Arcay and Dauis Mayor Roman Bullen.

The victory likewise primed the 26-year-old ace for next month’s IRONMAN 70.3 in Cebu, where he emerged as the top Filipino finisher in the IM Asia Pacific Championship in 2018 while competing in the 18-24 category, Van der Nest lost steam in the run stage and tumbled out of the Top 10 overall. He also settled for third with 2:20:13 clocking in his age category (30-34) topped by Jorry Ycong of Omega Tri Team, who timed 2:14:05.

Ycong also wound up fourth overall with Jonathan Pagaura of Rider Omega Triathlon team finishing runner-up in 2:08:04 and Salem’s teammate Jailani Lamana posting a 2:12:24 for third in the event marking the return of the sport after a two-year hiatus.

Go for Gold Cebu’s Remolino, meanwhile, edged teammate Matthew Hermosa in a thrilling duel to the finish in the Sunrise Sprint, which featured 750m open-water

swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run. He rallied in the last 4.6 kms to win by the slimmest of margins—one second.

Remolino topped the swim event but Hermosa wrested control at the start of the bike leg before the former regained control and held on to a shaky twosecond lead heading to the closing run stage.

Hermosa moved ahead in the 4.6km mark but Remolino never gave up and charged back in the stretch for a 1:05:06 clocking against the former’s 1:05:07 effort. Renz Corbin finished third in 1:07:15.

But Alcoseba, also from Go for Gold Cebu, dominated their side of the duel, clocking 1:13:28 to beat Nicole del Rosario (1:19:56) and Sophia Belican (1:22:16) for the overall Sunrise Sprint crown. She also went to bag the 20-24 age group diadem.

Other Sun Life 5150 age-group winners were Lorenzo Solda (male 15-19), Justice Sousa (20-24), Kristiane Lim (35-39), Jethro Ramos (40-44), Daniel Brown (45-49), Germany’s Michael Rudolph (50-54), Dutch Jelle Beekma (55-59), Britain’s Nick Cudmore (65-69), Cianyl Gonzales (female 25-29), Leyann Ramo (30-34), celebrity Bubbles Paraiso (35-39), Lourdes Ramos (40-44), Japan’s Mayu Kohno (45-49), Mylene Jarina (50-54) and Britain’s Jo Cudmore (55-59).

Team Go4less I, meanwhile, won the overall title in the 5150 relay with 2:03:29, nipping Team Tri Dnd Barracuda (2:05:38) and team Lamedaph Tri Tram (2:13:50).

TH

PHILIPPINE PORTS AUTHORITY ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

C1

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022 advertise@manilastandard.net

PPA: Connecting the Philippines as one Maritime Nation

T

IME really flies…

Fast!

This as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) celebrates its 48th Founding Anniversary today with the theme: Kaagapay sa Pag-ahon sa hamon ng Panahon.

Let us go back in memory lane as we highlight the accomplishments of the agency leading to its status as one of the most successful GovernmentOwned and Controlled Corporations as it continues to be a member of the ‘billionaires’ club in terms of dividend remittance.

While there is still a lot of work to be done, the realization of the plans and programs of the previous administration has prepared the PPA for years to come as the world recovers from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also as the PPA slowly transitions to the new administration.

THE GET GO…

In 2016, the PPA changed its mindset from top management down. This drastic paradigm shift was undertaken to implement change and improve the way PPA serves the public, the way the Authority carries out its projects, and raise the level of comfort and convenience it provides to the sea-traveling public.

From that time forward, PPA personnel slowly embraced and live the dreams and aspirations of the administration, thus, all other changes were very smoothly enforced.

This shift in outlook resulted in positive deviation across all aspects of operations of the agency and filled the first full year of the new leadership with great possibilities, anticipations, and enthusiasm.

Baybay Port

STEPPING UP THE PACE...

To continue the positive momentum, the PPA initiated another change in 2017, this time on the very symbol that represents the Authority, its Logo.

The reason behind the change is to year, PPA was even more encouraged in pursuing its plans and programs the following year.

FULL STEAM AHEAD...

Batangas Port

Cagayan de Oro Port

Calapan Port Terminal Building

integrate all aspects of port operations instead of focusing only on the core business of the agency.

Positive results were immediately seen with the Manila Ports, composed of the MICT, the South Harbor, and the North Harbor, as it jumped four notches higher in the Top 100 container ports in the world from 36th to 32nd and finished 22nd in the Top 100 container ports in Asia.

2017 was likewise the year, where the Golden Age of Infrastructure was ushered in.

With the even better performance of the agency for the

If in 2017 the PPA implemented the change to PPA Logo, the year 2018 showed the launching of the new PPA logo, signaling the rebirth of the PPA, armed with renewed enthusiasm and eagerness to dispense unparalleled public service not only to the port users but to the entire nation.

Accomplishments abound the PPA for the year 2018 starting from the APSN Green Port Awards for the Ports of Batangas and Cagayan de Oro. The Development Academy of the Philippines also recognized the PPA and PMO Misamis Oriental/CDO for fostering a Green Culture for Port Operations and Management under the Government Best Practice Recognition.

The Port Management Offices also got their respective ISO QMS, EMS, and OSH certification.

The awards were testaments to the initiatives of the PPA toward environmental protection. The Authority slowly reaped the benefits of its hard work particularly in complying with the stringent requirements on Environmental Management and Occupational Safety and Health.

Turn to C2

C2 || MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

TH

advertise@manilastandard.net

PHILIPPINE PORTS AUTHORITY ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

PPA:...

From C1

During this period, the PPA also emphasized its workforce development, both Organic and Outsourced, by implementing a bridging program to uplift the competencies of existing personnel while giving its outsourced personnel equal opportunity to dangle an entry-level position provided, they possess the required eligibility requirements.

This year, the PPA injected some P3.3 billion for its infrastructure projects in support of the BBB initiative of the National Government.

CRUISE CONTROL...

2019 was a milestone year for the PPA as it posted all-time highs in terms of shipcalls, passengers, cargo volumes, revenues, total taxes paid, and dividend remittance.

This kind of performance was due to the shift from manual to automated processes, installation of sophisticated, effective, and highly productive port equipment, compliance with the world’s best practices, and most especially the shift in the outlook of employees to public service with reliability, integrity, and accountability.

This enabled the PPA to help the Government achieve its goal of giving comfortable lives to every Filipino not only through higher dividend remittances but also through efficient, effective, and fast delivery of port services to our stakeholders and port users.

During this period, the PPA invested P4.6 billion in its port projects, the

Firetrucks

Palamigan ng Bayan

Rescue Boats

biggest expense since 2010.

2019 was also the second straight year that the PPA scored big in the annual port user satisfaction survey, particularly on the aspect of integrity. With a satisfaction rating of 4.43 or equivalent to Very Satisfactory on top of its port facilities and services rendered.

Undeniably, 2019 was a banner year for the Authority.

SPEED BUMP...

2020 was an upbeat year for PPA hoping to overshadow its performance from the preceding year until it hit a hump…

The COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, PPA wasted no time and immediately mobilized its personnel and other resources to help the Government respond properly to the health emergency initially by remitting in advance its dividend worth about P5

billion, which is 7.5% higher than the regular 50% required by law.

Despite the pandemic, PPA made sure that all ports remained open to handle the processing and delivery of cargoes, particularly essential products, to the rest of the country and to the country’s foreign trading partners while establishing the needed border controls as well as safety, security, and travel protocols to prevent any sustained COVID-19 transmission in any PPA port.

In cooperation with the private sector, led by the Lopez Group of Companies, the PPA established two COVID-19 recovery facilities, the first one in the Manila South Harbor in April 2020 and in Port Capinpin in Bataan in October of the same year. These amenities also served as quarantine facilities for on-signer and off-signer seafarers since the two ports were also declared as dedicated crew change hubs and guaranteed the movement of seafarers manning the international fleet. Eventually, several more ports under the auspices of PPA like Batangas and Davao were declared as additional crew change hubs.

PPA likewise granted Financial Assistance for the Critically Impacted Sector in line with RA No. 11494 or

South Harbor Quarantine

the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act as well as waived and/or reduced Port Fees and charges in consonance with the Hatid-Tulong Program of the Office of the President for Locally Stranded Individuals.

Several more initiatives were undertaken to show the Bayanihan spirit between and among the PPA PMOs and help not only its affected personnel but also its nearby communities.

Coron Port

Dumaguete Port

PPA was also able to complete more than 27 port projects despite the pandemicwithout any transmission or casualty due to COVID-19.

The pandemic, however, affected its volumes and revenues. Nonetheless, PPA saw an opportunity to work together with Government and improve its services given to the public.

The speed bump, it slowed down the Authority to get a 2020 vision of the future.

With all the experiences from the pandemic, the PPA was prepared more than ever to face the new normal and sustain the progress with the end goal of giving Filipinos comfortable and convenient lives.

MOVING FORWARD...

The rebound from the pandemic.

The PPA remained undeterred to move forward to deliver its contribution to the advocacies of the Government.

Recognizing the things that still needed to be done to provide seamless connectivity between and among the islands, the PPA prepared a plan to ensure that PPA

Dapitan Port

ports are ready for the transition and ready for the future when nations are expected to recover from the adverse effects of the global health emergency.

PPA was able to complete 88 port projects, which included the new Port Operations Building at the Port of Dumaguete, the seven seaport development projects in Bohol, the seaport expansion project in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the eight seaport developments in the twin provinces of the Mindoro island, and the seaport expansion and development projects in Zamboanga City PPA also revised its mission-vision statements and calibrated its core values to guide the PPA until 2030.

PPA also upped the ante by remitting at least 60% of its net income to national coffers.

Overall, the PPA exceeded expectations across all aspects of its operations. In fact, the 6-year dividend remittance or from 2016-2021 recorded by PPA overshadowed the combined dividend remittance post EDSA through 2015 and almost tripled the amount registered from 2010 through 2015.

In terms of infrastructure, the PPA completed 248 seaport development projects, which formed part of the total 586 seaport projects completed under the BuildBuild-Build program of the Duterte Administration.

In fact, at least seven seaport projects can be inaugurated by the new administration in its first 100 days in office.

This is your PPA, 48 years after!

Entertainment Young singersongwriter Paolo Sandejas

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

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BTS’ V jams to Filipino artist Paolo Sandejas’ ‘Sorry’

By Angelica Villanueva AFTER being the only Filipino artist chosen to perform at the GMA (Golden Melody Awards) in Taiwan last June 26, Paolo Sandejas has a new milestone in his music career.

The young Universal Records Philippines singersongwriter can’t believe his eyes when Kim Tae-hyung a.k.a. V of world-renowned South Korean boyband BTS included his song “Sorry” on his Drive Vlog playlist, uploaded on July 9 just in time for ARMY Day. The video, which runs for almost one hour, is the first episode of the boyband’s vlog series for their Bangtan TV YouTube channel.

From the looks of it, V really knows

PLDT Home, Google promote internet safety via kid-oriented online series FOLLOWING its partnership announcement to further strengthen efforts in educating Filipino kids and families about internet safety and digital responsibility, the Philippines’ leading home broadband and digital service provider PLDT Home and Google joined forces in creating a kidoriented video series online.

The Be Internet Awesome online series combines animation and live-action — featuring Gen Alpha whiz Sam and his trusty friend Robo-berto in fun-filled yet enlightening adventures on how to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave online. The series is based on the values of Google’s Be Internet Awesome global program and is directed

by Manny Angeles, an awardwinning director, and producer of kid-oriented and animated shows.

Available in both English and Filipino in the Philippines, Be Internet Awesome aims to teach children the fundamentals of leading a digital life which includes what kind of information to post on social media and how to deal with cyberbullying among others. This is part of the many efforts of Google to help keep people safe online.

“Our children are true digital natives. They grew up with the internet and everything the digital world has to offer. But as they broaden their horizons for discovery and learning, it also exposes them to risks and dangers,” said Jeremiah de la Cruz, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Home Group, PLDT Inc. The executive added that through this original series, PLDT Home wants to translate the teachings from Google’s Be Internet Awesome program into an entertaining and practical show that children can enjoy watching while learning

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

about online safety early on.

“PLDT Home’s partnership with Google for Be Internet Awesome aligns with our larger groupwide commitment: to strengthen customer-centricity. At PLDT, we not only find ways to simplify technology and experience for our customers, but we also strive to do business responsibly by putting their safety and well-being at the forefront of all our products and services,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, President and CEO of PLDT Inc. And Smart Communications, Inc. In 2021, PLDT also invested over P2 billion in cybersecurity and protection filtering. The country’s largest integrated telco has since been active in detecting, responding, and preventing domain and content-level access to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) within the network.

PLDT’s Child Protection Platform has blocked almost 300,000 URLs linked CSAM by the end of May and prevented more than a billion attempts to access these illegal sites from November last year to May this year.

“After launching Be Internet Awesome in 2021 in the Philippines, we are glad to have found a likeminded partner in PLDT who champions the same values when it comes to protecting kids online.

Through PLDT and more potential partners in the future, we hope to scale Be Internet Awesome and provide more families with a practical way of teaching digital safety and wellness to their children so they can become responsible, confident explorers of the online world,” said Bernadette Nacario, Country Director of Google Philippines.

The Be Internet Awesome online series premiered on the PLDT Home YouTube channel on July 8.

the song by heart as he enthusiastically jams to Paolo’s original single while driving his car.

“This is Taehyung’s drive playlist until we reach the next destination,” said the Korean Superstar while singing the lyrics of the OPM song.

“The fact that one of the biggest artists in the world knows my name and listens to my songs is insane to me,” answered Paolo in an online interview with Manila Standard.

“This is a surreal experience, and I have no words to express how honored I am that he enjoys a song I worked so hard on,” he added.

Since the vlog’s release, “Sorry” started gaining attention from ARMYs around the world and Paolo was over the moon with all the support he’s receiving in a snap of a finger.

“It’s definitely humbling.

I’m overwhelmed with all the love and support they’ve been showing me and my music.

Kim Tae-hyung of BTS includes ‘Sorry’ by Paolo Sandejas in his playlist

V and the rest of BTS are beyond lucky to have such amazing fans. I’m just happy that they were kind enough to share some of that love with me today,” he said.

Filipino ARMYs were thrilled upon learning that the song was sung by a Filipino

How Dingdong Dantes sees ‘Amazing Earth’ as platform to involve viewers in green efforts

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HILE taking As the host, Dingdong learns a lot from the show and local viewers thoroughly enjoys the experience to breathtaking pagkakaroon ng proper execution at strong political will para ma-realize ang mga destinations across the country goals na ito. Pero hindi ito nagtatapos sa and around the world and pamahalaan lamang. Malaking bahagi din sharing unique stories about ang participation nating mga mamamayan,” Dingdong said during the online nature, animals, and local heroes, presser for Amazing Earth, which Amazing Earth host Dingdong now celebrates its fourth year.

“I think, everyone has their Dantes believes that viewers own role in taking care of all also play a significant role these God-given gifts. Be it animals, the environment in making sure that future o kahit ano man, pati itong generations would still see and tinatamasa nating kalayaan, di experience the amazing wonders ba? Kailangan pangalagaan natin. And everyone our world has to offer.

The TV host and actor underscores the proactive participation of every member of the community in taking care of the environment and not just relying solely on government initiatives.

“I know that the current administration has ideas para mapalakas at mapabuti ang polisiyang ito. Pero sa aking palagay, ang susi para makamit ang mga ito ay ang ‘Amazing Earth’ host Dingdong Dantes

‘Be Internet Awesome’ teaches children the fundamentals of leading a digital life

The rise of ‘Genius Teens’ FROM a group of almost 500 teens, adults, and kids who trooped to the auditions, 21 talented teenagers were chosen by writer and producer Mario Alaman and director Paolo Bertola to star in the sci-fi movie Genius Teens.

Is this a case of teen mutants, meet teen titans, and the adorable and anguished Stranger Things teenagers? Italian filmmaker and Genius Teens director Bertola replies: “Originally, the film was created as a series with six episodes for its first season that features local and international character actors. I am happy with the enthusiastic audience response that happened during our premiere recently.”

The premiere night held in one of the cinemas at Megamall showed to the public “Chapter One: Heroes and Villains” and “Chapter Two: Dark Encounters.”

“In a nutshell, the movie version was a sci-fi, action-fantasy that tackled how humans protect the earth that we call home,” Bertola explains. “In the two

artist even the award-winning actress and singer, Lea Salonga, shared her excitement.

“Okay, Filo ARMY, you’ll get a kick out of this one. In BTS V’s vlog, head right to time stamp 25:56-ish. V starts singing to Paolo Sandejas’ “Sorry.” Paolo is a recording artist from the Philippines.

Congrats, Paolo!!! What a thrill,” shared Lea on her Twitter.

When asked what was his initial reaction, Paolo said that he was shocked seeing the tweet from the legendary singer.

“Also shock. As if V wasn’t enough. The fact that she was so excited and supportive was just crazy! Coming from a Philippine music icon, It was definitely the cherry on top,” ended the young Filipino singer.

Paolo’s song was played along with international singers such as The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Willow Smith’s “Wait A Minute,” and Justin Bieber’s “Ghost.” Read full story on manilastandard.net

chapters shown at the premiere, what was evident in them, the beautiful faces, culture, family values, the kindness, and humanity of the Filipinos, we did showcase it. Plus, how each teen character becomes a hero by discovering their ability and how they come to terms with it. I believe that it added to the awe and thrill of the audiences.”

The teen talents in Genius Teens are Ernest “Beaver” Magtalas, Bamboo Bobadilla, Arriane Butch, Princess Lucas, Kimchloie Oquendo, Kyle Espiritu, Jhassy Busran, Erica Corpuz, Ysabella Orandain, Miel Gomez, Denise Macaraeg, Sean Guyamin, Harvey Almoneda, Hyuna Ayreeka, Dasha Cura, Jil Demski, Ricky Oriarte, Alyssa Pardo, Santino Oquendo,

Scarlett Pillega, Angel Laco, Cassie Kim, and Dennah Bautista.

Jhassy shares her thoughts on being Grace/Xerox: “As a teenager, Grace has a lot of dreams for her family. She wants to give them not just a comfortable life but a good one because ang pamilya niya ay mahirap.”

She carries on: “I think her biggest power is her mind, She is determined to help her family and others as well.”

As Xerox, she has: “Telekinetic powers. She can manipulate people when she touches and then, she instructs them on what to do.”

She hopes that when the series airs, people will also give it their love and support: “We worked hard on this series.

This is a true labor of love, passion, and Filipino talent.”

“The positive response of the audiences during the premiere night made me ecstatic,” Busran declares. “The movie

should play their significant part by being responsible citizens,” he went on.

As the host and the first person to see what the program will share with the viewers, Dingdong admits that he enjoys and learns a lot from the show, which has already aired more than 200 episodes.

“Hosting the show is not just work for me, it’s a way of life ko na rin. Bumalik ako sa pagiging estudyante ng buhay,” he said.

And with a monthlong fourth anniversary special,

Dingdong guarantees more exciting shows as ‘Amazing Earth’ celebrates four years in a month long anniversary special

Dingdong guarantees that they will deliver more exciting adventures and stories to viewers every week.

“I’m very grateful dahil marami pa kaming ipapakitang kuwento, hindi lang tungkol sa mga hayop at kapaligiran kundi pati ang amazing Earth heroes na laging ipinaglalaban ang kalikasan. Marami pa kaming ibibida na mga hidden travel destination.”

Last Sunday, Glaiza de Castro joined the anniversary celebration by giving a tour of her house in picturesque Baler Province. She also showcased her Zumba skills together with the other enthusiasts in Luneta Park.

Meanwhile, emerging YouTuber and content creator Spartacus ‘Spart’ Farnacio surprised viewers with his death-defying adventure at El Fraile, an abandoned battleship in Manila Bay. On July 17, Dingdong will take the audience on an epic journey around the country and the seven continents with stories from the series ‘Epic Yellowstone: Life on the Wing.’ Joining him is Max Collins as she reminisces her island girl roots in Boracay where she became a resident for four years.

Moreover, avid fans and viewers will find out about the supernatural near-encounter between two cyclists and what they believe are the ghosts of Bataan Death March soldiers.

Amazing Earth continues its anniversary special on July 24 with actor Ruru Madrid sharing his recent nature adventure with the so-called Team Harabas in Occidental Mindoro.

The episode will also feature Dingdong as he travels to the beautiful El Nido, Palawan to witness the release of a rescued turtle or pawikan. He will also share some exclusive videos of the Dantes family’s recent vacation on the majestic island.

To complete the month-long celebration on July 31, get to know the youthful ecowarriors of Bagac, Bataan headed by Fr. Noel Nuguid. Their team conducts coastal cleanups and releases rescued turtles back to the sea.

Also, get to know more about our reigning Miss Universe Charity Pauline Amelinckx who does free diving and creates coloring books for children as part of her pro-nature advocacy.

The four-part anniversary special of Amazing Earth is under the helm of Rico Gutierrez.

is not just about teens with super powers, it also highlights how we must cherish our family and your friends. And in the series, mas marami pang aabangan at mas interesting stories.”

Bamboo gives light to Sonny/Laser: “He is a loving grandson to his lola and is kind of shy because of his disability.”

“I believe he is emotionally sensitive and because of all the tensions that he feels, it triggered something in Sonny’s body which causes his eyes to produce the beam,” imparts Bamboo about his character’s superpower.

He urges everyone to watch Genius Teens because: “Surely, the fantasy, science fiction and action elements of it makes people curious. But what makes it an endearing watch, is it celebrates our beliefs, most especially the goodness and how persevering and loving we as Filipino.”

Completing the cast are Ruben Maria Soriquez, Dionne Monsanto, Ces Aldaba, Charles Tasker, Don Gordon Bell, Andy Kunz, and Boy Laguipo, among others.

Genius Teens, produced by Utmost Creatives, streams worldwide on www. Jhassy Busran (left) and Bamboo Bobadilla two of the stars in ‘Genius Teens’ ktx.ph, on July 15.

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

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2022

Life

Cebu Pacific continues to intensify its operations and now has 77 airbuses for passenger and cargo use

Cebu Pacific ramps up operations, restores pre-pandemic systemwide capacity

By Patricia Taculao REVENGE traveling is a thing, and many people are doing it. After staying indoors for two and a half years, it’s normal for people to take every chance they can to travel to new destinations or return to their favorite locations. Now, people are looking forward to traveling and are looking out for affordable tickets and quality service.

As one of the Philippines’ leading airlines, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) always anticipates its passengers’ needs for frequent and quality flights. This year, CEB continues its mission of ramping up its operations for domestic and international flights.

The airline now flies an average of 340 flights daily, covering 34 domes-

tic and 18 international destinations, equivalent to roughly 64,000 seats. Passengers can enjoy traveling from several major hubs across the country to their select destinations across the globe.

“More than anything, this indicates our confidence in travel recovery and our commitment to serving the Philippines, to serving the Filipinos, through safe and affordable travel,” said Candice Iyog, CEB’s Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

CEB restored 100 percent of its prepandemic domestic capacity in April this year. It surpassed its December 2019 level, marking 109 percent restoration in July 2022.

Presently, CEB has 77 airbuses for passenger and cargo use as part of the company’s mission to intensify its operations. The airline also frequently

refreshes its staff to provide quality service to its passengers.

“We are pleased to see more people confidently flying again, not just within the Philippines but [even] abroad. This positive development has not only allowed us to carry more passengers but also boosted our cargo service,” said Xander Lao, Chief Commercial Officer at Cebu Pacific.

Recently, CEB also announced a special seat sale to spur domestic and international travel. The promo runs until today, July 11, offering flights for as low as P188 for a one-way base fare for domestic routes on sale. The travel period is from September 1 to January 31.

CEB also offers a simultaneous special international seat sale on the same travel period above to popular tourist destinations for as low as P499 one-way

In seventh heaven

(From left) CEB Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao, VP for Marketing and Customer Experience, Candice Iyog, and CEB Chief Financial Officer Mark Cezar

“We remain committed to offering the lowest fares across our network, and we are encouraged by past seat sale success rates, so we will continue to stimulate travel through our promo fares,” Lao added.

Although CEB’s operations are almost at their peak performance, the company’s executives continue to encourage passengers to adhere to health protocols for safer journeys. One is the mandatory wearing of face masks, and the other is getting the COVID-19 vaccine to mitigate its spread and effects.

CEB achieved a 7-star safety rating from airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance. It continues to implement a multilayered approach to safety while operating with a 100 percent fullyvaccinated crew, with 95 percent boosted to ensure every “Juan” flies safely and conveniently on Cebu Pacific.

base fare. It includes flights to South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Visit www.cebupacificair.com Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Bangkok, more information. among others.

for

No-hassle travel hacks with budget-friendly accommodation Each RedDoorz room has a comfy beds, clean rooms, and other amenities to make the stay worthwhile

The relaxing view from the author’s hotel room

The author’s room at the hotel is very spacious and has a beautiful view of the metro

B

ECAUSE of my hectic daily schedule, even now that I’m supposed to be retired, I look out for rare opportunities for me to destress. That’s why I enjoy trips to Baguio, Tagaytay, a secluded beach, or anywhere I could have peace and quiet, so I could just “commune with nature” and detach myself from the noise and chaos of our day-to-day existence.

The treatment rooms have mood lighting, mood music, and its own bathroom

for me to start feeling a sense of well- were done to me was the ultimate form being. I enjoy these scents as I know it of tranquility. I was in seventh heaven. I leads to something that will cater to both have to admit that I felt like a new person my physical and emotional health. after this full treatment! My face looked At the spa’s reception lounge, I was of- so fresh, my whole body felt so energized fered my choice of herbal tea. The bever- and, most of all, my mind was cleared of age and the relaxing aroma of the essen- the “cobwebs” of doubt and worry that tial oils hovering over me were enough our daily life always inflicts upon us. I to make me ready for a head-to-toe treat- was ready, once again, to come face-toment and, at the best value-for-money face with the mundane challenges of our at that! Since I wanted to try out every- existence! thing the new Spa offers, I decided to be It is always good to take time to fopampered with the “Ultimate Mandara cus on your wellness and honor your Experience” which comes with a signa- self-care. In my case, I indulged myself ture scrub, wrap, massage, foot spa, and with the total Spa treatment at Mandara facial.

Spa which made The treatment me discover the YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE easiest and fastest room I was in had very comfortable “At age 20, we worry about what others way to de-stress, massage beds think of us. At age 40, we don’t care detoxify and and its own bath- what they think of us. At age 60, we “chill out.” Then room. The spa discover they haven’t been thinking of I treated myself management also us at all!” – Ann Lander to a hearty meal provides you with at the hotel’s Casa your own robe, in Urban Table right case you feel more comfortable using it after the “heavenly session.” during the massage instead of draping Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA is a towel around you. The mood lighting one of the newer hotels in the metro and and the mellow music in the room make has 238 contemporary and comfortable it very conducive to relaxation. And I rooms and suites catering to various types hasten to add, the therapist attending to of guests, from business travelers to leime had magic hands. She knew exactly sure guests, and extended stays. where my tense muscles were! I didn’t The hotel is strategically located in the have to tell her anything, especially be- heart of Quezon City, fast becoming the cause I was dozing off to a very restful Information and Communication Techsleep. nology (ICT) capital of the metro, and Relaxing while all these treatments offers a range of facilities including three dining options, two outdoor swimming pools, a 24-hour fitness center, and flexible function spaces that cater to events of up to 660 persons. What gives the hotel an added boost is its being connected to the large SM City North EDSA shopping complex.

More information on The Mandara Spa at Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA may be obtained through 79441888 or 0917-157-9333

This is why when Meegee Yap, Director of Sales and Marketing of Park Inn

by Radisson North EDSA, told me about their new Mandara Spa, I decided to try it out right away. The skillful kneading of my tired muscles is another way for me to be refreshed and feel rejuvenated, ready to face the new challenges of the day.

The recent partnering of Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA with The Mandara Spa has added another dimension to the service and facilities the hotel offers its guests and patrons. These new quality spa services complement the hotel’s upbeat branding and provide a unique and feel-good experience to every guest.

Just by going inside the spa makes anyone feel refreshed and relaxed right way, with the appealing aroma of a mixture of several essential oils. A whiff of lavender, citrus, rosemary, bergamot, lemon, or eucalyptus is enough The cozy Reception Lounge of The Mandara Spa

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado @gmail.com

THE Philippine Travel Survey Report released in 2020 finds that Pinoys love to travel in pairs or groups of up to five persons and are likely to stay for two to three days. The average budget per person is at P1,000 to P2,000 a day and prefer online and digital channels for convenience and reduced contact.

Meanwhile, the Agoda Travel 2021 Survey shows that majority prioritize short and sweet trips with family and friends, like F&B benefits, early checkins and late check-outs as deals and discoverability drive the next wave of trip bookings.

Safety is a priority, and the Department of Tourism assures that there are protocols in place to protect both the travelers and the communities of the different destinations around the country.

Tips for a memorable vacay This is the best time to book that well-deserved trip, and here are some travel hacks that can make it hassle-free and budget-friendly from RedDoorz: Plan your timing. This will help you look for flight promos to island destinations such as Palawan or Boracay, or even know when there are exciting things happening in the area such as fun town fiestas that are in full swing once again. Going on off-peak seasons can also ensure that you can avoid crowds at popular attractions.

Create an itinerary. While it may be tempting to go YOLO and wing it on your trip, there is much to be said about having a solid plan before you head out. The Department of Tourism has created regional travel circuits that highlight several attractions to appeal to different types of travelers. This can be a helpful guide when checking out the things that interest you in the area, such as tours that focus on culinary, history, nature, wellness, farm, and faith-based tourism. Some basic research online can point to the famous landmarks, best restaurants, or shops to visit, to maximize your stay, or you can also look for a local guide to help you fully immerse in the travel experience.

Pack light. Having too much baggage can hamper your mobility, and

RedDoorz Garden View in Angeles has a pool where travelers can take a refreshing dip

even bring extra costs if you are flying.

Plan your OOTDs according to each activity and bring your other necessities so you can travel without worries.

Prep to shop. Retail therapy works wonders, especially when on vacation.

It’s nice to bring home snacks, pasalubong, and souvenirs to remind you of this exciting trip.

Book a relaxing stay. Accommodations matter and you can still make your stay hassle-free and budget-friendly by booking a stay at any of the over 400 RedDoorz properties located nationwide and in key cities, Manila, Batangas, Cebu, Tacloban, and Boracay.

Each RedDoorz room is fully-equipped for a comfortable stay, with standardized amenities including free wifi, clean spotless rooms, comfy beds, TV, and daily mineral water. It offers convenience coupled with a friendly guest experience that has been enjoyed by many travelers across Southeast Asia.

Book directly in the app for the best deals. RedDoorz has an easy three-step online hotel booking process. Simply select the desired Reddoorz budget hotel, choose the check-in/check-out date and the number of rooms, select the ‘Book now’ button and make the payment using various payment options.

Travelers can get up to 25 percent RedCash reward points for all online bookings through the Reddoorz website, mobile site, and Mobile App. RedCash can be used for all subsequent bookings on RedDoorz.

Check room availability and reserve your accommodations conveniently through the RedDoorz app that is available on the App Store and Google Play and earn rewards for your next stay.

You can also check out the website at https://www.reddoorz.com/en-ph/ Being the fastest growing chain of budget hotels, RedDoorz is present in the Philippines and in 100 cities across Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand. Since its inception in Indonesia in 2015, it has exponentially grown and evolved into being the largest, technology-driven hotel management and booking platform.