Manila Standard - 2022 August 4 - Thursday

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CHINA WARPLANES ENTER TAIWAN AIRSPACE, AIRLINES WARNED Palace tiptoes on Pelosi issue, Beijing raises One China policy

By Vince Lopez THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are “closely monitoring” the visit of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan following concerns it could severely escalate tensions

TAIPEI—Taiwan’s defense ministry announced late Wednesday that 27 Chinese warplanes had entered the island’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

The incursions happened as Taiwan hosted US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a day, with a furious China gearing

up for military exercises dangerously close to the island’s shores in retaliation for the visit.

Over the last two years, Beijing has ramped up military incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ – which is not the same as the island’s territorial airspace, but in-

cludes a far greater area.

Taiwan said 16 Su-30s and 6 J-11s had crossed the so-called “median line” of the Taiwan Strait – an unofficial boundary in the narrow waterway, which separates the island from the mainland and Next page

with China.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles made this remark Wednesday after Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian reminded the Philippines to adhere to the One-China policy amid Pelosi’s visit to what Beijing calls its Next page

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 170 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

12.2m families feel poor—SWS

Up from 10.3m households in April poll DTI to enforce seniors, PWD N discount online

By Vito Barcelo and Julito G.Rada

EARLY half of Filipino families felt poor in the last months of the Duterte administration, the latest Social Weather Survey (SWS) survey showed.

The survey, conducted from June 26 to 29--the last week of the Duterte administration -- showed that 48 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as poor, up from 43 percent in a similar poll conducted in April.

SWS said the June figure translated to about 12.2 million families, up from 10.3 million in April.

The survey company said the five-

TENSED WATERS.

Map released

by Chinese state media shows the areas where China plans to conduct its military drills, some of which are inside what Taiwan insists are its territorial waters.

Following the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left), who met with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei Wednesday, China’s military said the live-fire drills will begin today (Thursday). AFP

point increase in the nationwide selfrated poor was due to increases in the Visayas (from 48 percent to 64 percent) and Metro Manila (from 32 percent to 41 percent). Self-rated poverty was also up, though only slightly, in Mindanao (from 60 percent to 62 percent) and the balance of Luzon (35 percent to 36 percent).

The survey was done through faceto-face interviews with 1,500 adults aged 18 and above sampled nationwide.

THE Department of Trade and Industry has warned establishments to honor the 20 percent discount on medicines and 5 percent special discount on basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPC) for senior citizens and persons with disabilities when they purchase through online, telephone or mobile transactions.

“We want to make sure our seniors and PWDs are able to avail. If they

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Team tasked to look into funding of LGUs for greater autonomy

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he has formed a team headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into funding problems that are holding back

greater autonomy for local governments.

Speaking during a gathering of the League of Cities of the Philippines in Malacañang, Marcos said he already had extensive discussions with Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas and the Next page

FEELING THE PINCH. A couple plays with their pet dog on their wooden cart along España Boulevard in Manila on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. At least 48 percent of Filipino families felt poor in the last months of the Duterte administration, a Social Weather Stations survey showed. Danny Pata

VP rolls out ‘Libreng Sakay’ project in 4 key areas Marcos names Dimayuga to MMDA,

FREE RIDE. Vice President and Education Secretary Sara DuterteCarpio is joined by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and LTFRB chairperson Cheloy-Garafil in launching the OVP ‘Libreng Sakay’ program at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) on Wednesday. Avito Dalan

THE Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Wednesday launched its “Libreng Sakay” or free ride program for four key cities across the country, which will use five buses lent by the private sector to VP Sara Duterte-Carpio when she was still running for office in the May 9 elections.

The OVP’s Libreng Sakay Program intends to supplement the Department of Transportation’s similarly named program for the EDSA Busway Carousel, which offers free rides to commuters until the end of the year, on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s orders last month.

“These were buses that were lent to us during the campaign and after the campaign, after election day, these buses were on standby, not doing anything and were always parked,” DuterteCarpio explained during the launching ceremony at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).

She said two buses will be used in Metro Manila, one in Davao City, one in Cebu, and one in Bacolod, as the program aims to provide relief to Filipinos dependent on public transportation to Next page

Zacate to FDA, new legal executives

By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

tes, an appointee of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Marcos also appointed his personal PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Carlo Dimayuga III as acting physician, Dr. Samuel Zacate, as direcchairman of the Metropolitan Manila tor-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and seven others as Development Authority (MMDA).

Next page He will replace lawyer Romando Ar-

Ex-Pres. Ramos to get state funeral Aug. 9 THE late President Fidel Ramos will be given a state funeral with full military honors on August 9, the Palace said yesterday.

“The state funeral is a right of the family of a deceased president. So yes, he will be accorded a state funeral Next page

GMA FILES BILL VS. TURNCOATS NEWS / A2

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News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

GMA files anti-turncoatism bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

F

ORMER President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has filed a bill prohibiting political butterflies, or politicians who switch political parties before, during or after elections.

The measure filed by Arroyo, representative of Pampanga’s second district, also imposed stiffer penalties for violators.

“Our history tells us that political parties in the Philippines are normally used only as political vehicles to win an election. Hence, most political aspirants change political parties for convenience, rather than because of conviction,” Ar-

royo said in the bill’s explanatory note.

She said switching political parties “only shows the lack of ideological commitment to the members of a party because they choose parties based on the rise and fall of the tide of opportunity.”

Arroyo said “turncoatism should never be encouraged nor tolerated since it only distorts the concept of word of

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“breakaway province.”

“Our military and our DFA are closely monitoring the situation as they would in any other similar circumstance,” Cruz-Angeles said in a Palace press briefing.

She refused to give any more comments, saying that reacting to issues on international relations would have to be “studied.”

“On matters of international relations, reactions are studied. We don’t make knee-jerk reactions because they could adversely affect international relations,” she added.

Cruz-Angeles said “loose words” that might affect international relations were “very difficult to rebuild.”

On Tuesday, Huang expressed China’s opposition to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

“There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Huang said.

He stressed that the One-China principle is “the political foundation of the diplomatic relations between China and 181 countries in the world, including the US.” Huang also hoped the Philippines would “strictly abide by the one-China principle and handle all Taiwanrelated issues with prudence to ensure sound and steady development of China-Philippines relations.”

On Tuesday, the DFA said it has not received any request from the United States to grant Pelosi clearance to use the Philippines as a transit point for her trip to Taiwan.

The statement came after reports circulated online that Pelosi would be taking off from Clark en route to Taiwan.

“The DFA has not received any request from the US government or their Embassy in Manila for Speaker Pelosi to transit and/ or visit the Philippines as part of her current swing of visits to the region,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza told reporters.

For officials like Pelosi, Daza said a request would be coursed through the DFA, which will then coordinate with other relevant offices.

“For example, if it is for landing then it will be with the airport among others,” she said.

The US and the Philippines adopt the One-China policy, recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the sole Chinese government.

“The Philippines continues to adhere to the One-China policy. It, however, has strong commercial and cultural ties with Taiwan. The Philippines has a Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei just as Taiwan has its TECO in Manila,” Daza said.

China has repeatedly warned the US that Pelosi pushing through with the trip would “seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

During the same survey period, 34 percent of families considered themselves as “food-poor,” 40 percent rating themselves as “borderline food-poor,” and 26 percent as “not food-poor.”

Earlier, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of P4.1 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help 4 million poor Filipinos cope with the impact of rising prices.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said this was the second tranche of the government’s TCT (targeted cash transfer) program, aimed at helping poor Filipinos cope with rising inflation.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the release of the subsidies would cushion the impact of rising prices on the most vulnerable families.

“The timely release of the fund is crucial in the government’s efforts to help the poor cope with the continuous rise in commodity prices due to external shocks

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p.m., Munsayac added.

He said the OVP aims to accommodate more routes, including Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, should they get additional buses from the private sector.

The buses will likewise stay with the OVP for the next six years, thus the “Libreng Sakay” program is seen to last that long, with Munsayac saying their office will try to expand the offering to more commuters.

He said the OVP only pays for the cost of fuel and maintenance of the buses, while the private firms that lent the vehicles pay for the drivers’ salaries.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and DOTr are not shouldering any cost for the program.

“The LTFRB or DOTr has no obligation to pay because the OVP lent these buses to them, which were also lent to us, so the government will not pay anything for it,” Munsayac said

go to work, school, and other places.

“It will support the national government’s program, and at the same time, it is hoped that this meager contribution would translate to daily savings for our public transport riding kababayans,” the VP said.

She added that after she assumed office, the buses were lent to the OVP but were mostly put on standby unless there were transportation requests made by different groups.

The Vice President’s free-ride program would also last for six years as the private sector has lent it to Duterte-Carpio’s office for that long, her spokesman Reynold Munsayac said.

The two buses that will be used in Metro Manila will ply Edsa from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 10

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From A1 straddles vital shipping lanes.

Chinese jets also crossed over the socalled “median line” during two highlevel visits by US officials in 2020 during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Nevertheless, that is still a relatively rare occurrence.

Earlier in the day, China warned airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying in areas around the island state where it is conducting military exercises in response to Pelosi’s visit to -- and departure on Wednesday evening from -- the island.

Taiwan is talking to Japan and the Philippines about alternate air-traffic routes, ETtoday reported, citing Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister of Transportation and Communications. Taiwan’s Maritime Port Bureau also warned ships to avoid the area where drills will take place, Wang was reported as saying.

Local branches of China’s maritime safety administration also issued multiple warnings for ships traversing certain territories, citing the military exercises and firing practice, according to government statements as reported by Bloomberg.

An official notice sent late on Tuesday designated six areas of airspace as “danger zones,” according to carriers who received the message and Jang Chang Seog, a Korean transport ministry official. Flights will be restricted from 12 p.m. on Aug. 4 (Thursday) to 12 p.m. Aug. 7 (Sunday).

Although much attention has been on the US House Speaker’s visit to Taiwan – as the highest-ranking American politician to visit the island state in 25 years -- the real potential for a military showdown comes now that she has left.

China’s military has said it will conduct a series of live-fire drills beginning

honor and dignity of a leader.”

The bill recommends that political turncoats shall be deemed to have forfeited their elective office if they change their political party affiliation one year before or after any elections.

It also prescribes the penalty of disqualification from running for any elective position in the next succeeding election immediately after the act of changing political party affiliation.

Arroyo said her bill, once enacted, will prevent the system of ward politics and political chameleons.

She proposes in her bill that the political chameleon shall also be dis-

qualified from being appointed or from holding any position in any public or government office for three years after the expiration of the current term.

The proposal also prohibits turncoats from assuming any executive or administrative position in the new political party. It requires turncoats to refund any and all amounts received from the one’s former political party plus a 25 percent surcharge.

“It is imperative that the political party system should be strengthened if we want to develop, achieve political development and democratization,” said Arroyo, who is currently on medical and wellness leave abroad.

and other factors,” Balisacan said.

He said the cash transfer program is an important intervention to protect the purchasing power of the poor, which is among the priorities of the Marcos administration’s 8-point socioeconomic agenda.

NEDA is tasked to flesh out the eightpoint agenda in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which NEDA committed to deliver by the end of the year.

“Our near-term goal as envisioned in our 8-point Agenda is to safeguard Filipinos against the most pressing issues today, which are rising inflation and the lingering socioeconomic scarring caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

The P4.1-billion budget allotment is part of the second tranche requirements for implementing the TCT Program. It will benefit over 4 million beneficiaries, who mostly belong to the poorest 50 percent of the country’s population.

Under the guidelines of the TCT Program, the DSWD will facilitate the distribution of cash grants amounting to P3,000, or P500 per month for six months.

The rate of inflation in June 2022

stood at 6.1 percent, bringing the firsthalf average to 4.4 percent, which is over the target range of 2 to 4 percent for the year.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said last week inflation in July likely accelerated to as high as 6.4 percent, on higher prices of food, transport fares and a weaker peso.

The government said it sees a more urgent need to focus on poverty reduction efforts following the results of the latest SWS survey.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles cited the promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25 to bring down the poverty rate to 9 percent by 2028.

Cruz-Angeles said the SWS survey results will push the government to work harder to lift more Filipinos out of poverty.

She added that Marcos, who is also concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture, will see to it that efforts to push for agricultural and economic development will lead to higher job creation and growth.

on Thursday, with a post on Chinese state media offering coordinates for five swaths of seas surrounding Taiwan, three of which overlap with areas that Taiwan says are a part of its territorial waters.

The drills, assuming they go forward, would mark a direct challenge to what Taiwan defines as its coastline.

They would also strike at the heart of a decades-long disagreement in which China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-ruled island with its own democratically elected government and military.

Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday despite a series of increasingly stark threats from Beijing, which views the island as its territory and had said it would consider the visit a major provocation.

China responded swiftly, announcing what it said were “necessary and just” military drills in the seas just off Taiwan’s coast—some of the world’s busiest waterways.

“In the current struggle surrounding Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, the United States are the provocateurs, China is the victim,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said.

But Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen said the island of 23 million would not be cowed.

“Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down.

We will... continue to hold the line of defense for democracy,” Tsai said at an event with Pelosi in Taipei.

She also thanked the 82-year-old US lawmaker for “taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment”.

China tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.

But at the event with Tsai, Pelosi, second in line to the US presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris, said: “Today, our delegation... came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon

our commitment to Taiwan.”

She added her group had come “in friendship to Taiwan” and “in peace to the region.”

Before leaving Taiwan, Pelosi also met with several dissidents who have previously been in the crosshairs of China’s wrath -- including Tiananmen protest student leader Wu’er Kaixi.

“We are in high agreement that Taiwan is in the frontline (of democracy),” Wu’er said.

“Both the United States and Taiwan governments need to... conduct more in defending human rights.”

Pelosi’s delegation left Taiwan on Wednesday evening headed to South Korea, her next stop in an Asia tour. She will head to Japan after.

The administration of President Joe Biden – a Democrat like Pelosi -- said in the run-up to the visit that US policy towards Taiwan remained unchanged.

This means support for its government while diplomatically recognizing Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.

While the White House is understood to be opposed to Pelosi’s Taiwan stop, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she was entitled to go where she pleased.

Beijing summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns over Pelosi’s visit, while the Chinese military declared it was on “high alert” and would “launch a series of targeted military actions in response” to the visit.

The drills will include “long-range live ammunition shooting” in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China and straddles vital shipping lanes.

The zone of Chinese exercises will be within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of Taiwan’s shoreline at some points, according to coordinates released by the Chinese military. AFP

DTI...

From A1 have concerns over establishments who do not observe these benefits, they can alert us so we can act on it,” DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said.

Castelo said if an establishment becomes the subject of a third complaint,

Marcos...

From A1 legal advisers and heads of executive offices, Malcanang said.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced Zacate’s appointment in a Palace press briefing.

Zacate is a known public health advocate with years of expertise in medi-

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From A1 late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on the devolution of national government functions to local governments when he was a senator.

The original concept, he said, was to use the additional internal revenue allotment (IRA) for the 4th, 5th, and 6th class provinces or local government units (LGUs) and provide assistance to provinces that operate hospitals but don’t have funds.

The remainder of the IRA would be given according to the provisions of the Local Government Code that varies depending on the LGUs, he said.

However, there were difficulties in applying the ruling to some cities, and the local chief executives were given the discretion on how to apportion the money, the President said.

“But we are still continuing to look at it [to determine] what belongs to the local government and what does not belong to the local government,” he said.

He also said some functions that have devolved to local governments were not being performed because of a lack of funds, personnel or training.

One example is the land use plan, he said, in which several LGUs face difficulty because of the lack of money and qualified personnel. He said this is work the national government could do.

Marcos said another contentious issue is the repair of school buildings.

He said Vice President Sara Duterte, who is concurrent Education secretary, said the Department of Education has some funds for the repairs, but not enough.

“So I said why don’t we give the materials or funding to the LGU?” he said.

“These things have to be worked out and funding sources must also be identified.”

The President suggested, however, that the national government could provide additional allocation to the local governments that are mandated by law to conduct school building repairs.

The Mandanas-Garcia ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018 gives LGUs a just share of all national taxes collected and not only those from the Bureau of Internal Revenue effective 2022.

LGUs get their internal revenue allotment (IRA) from 40 percent of national internal revenue taxes collected by the BIR. With the SC ruling, LGUs are projected to increase the IRA by 27.61 percent.

At the same event, Marcos encouraged LGUs to be open to public-private partnership (PPP) as a mode of financing their projects.

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From A1 with full military honors,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had declared a 10-day period of national mourning for Ramos, the country’s 12th president, who passed away Sunday at the age of 94.

Cruz-Angeles, however, said there is “no confirmation” yet whether or not Marcos will attend the wake at the Heritage Park in Taguig.

Ramos was the second cousin of Marcos’ father, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Ramos graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1950, and earned a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1951.

He is also remembered as the founder of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) and the Philippine Army’s Special Forces Regiment.

Ramos briefly served as a special envoy to China during the first year of the Duterte administration in 2016.

Popularly known as “FVR,” he was born in Lingayen, Pangasinan on March 18, 1928.

a case shall automatically be filed before the Office of the Prosecutor without the need of mediation, and without prejudice to the right of the local government unit to revoke its license or permit.

Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 01, entitled “Guidelines on the Provision of the Mandatory Statutory Benefits and Privileges of the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities

on their Purchases through Online (ecommerce) and Phone Call/SMS,” was released on May 6.

It was signed by the Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the National Commission of Senior Citizens, and the National Council on Disability Affairs.

cine and medical consultancy in other government units and offices, including the Public Attorney’s Office and the Presidential Security Group Hospital (2009-2022).

Before his appointment, Zacate was a diplomate of the Philippine Society for Venereology and a fellow of the International College of Surgeons.

Angeles also announced that lawyer Joseph Sagandoy has taken his oath as

deputy presidential legal counsel of the President. Also taking their oath of office were lawyers Marforth Fua, Rogel Gathalian, Hubert Dominic Guevara James Jayson Jorvina, and Edwardson Ong as assistant presidential legal counsels.

Sagandoy received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines in 1997 and his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the same university in 1992.

News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

Makati, Korea ink accord on electric buses

By Joel E. Zurbano

I

N 2025, if plans don’t miscarry, electricity-powered passenger buses will be plying the streets of Makati City.

The Makati City government on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to bankroll the acquisition of electric buses under a project dubbed “smart public transport system.”

“Apart from the Makati subway, this new public transport system is in line with our efforts to transform Makati into a smart city. We need to upgrade our systems because smart transportation is more

convenient, safe, and cost-effective for both the city and the commuters than traditional frameworks,” Makati Mayor Abigail Binay said.

Binay said the envisioned public transport system will provide commuters with an affordable means of transportation. She also said the project will mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions since the eco-friendly buses are powered by electricity.

The mayor signed the accord KOICA country director Kim Eunsub, deputy country director Yoo Jiyoung, KOICA, and KOICA program manager.Francis Afable, The project involves the development of a public transportation master plan, establishment of a public transport information and communications technology (ICT) system, pilot operation of electric vehicle (EV) bus service, establishment of an EV bus depot, and capacity building of officials and personnel.

Mayor Binay said t KOICA will provide $13 million for the smart public transport system, including the design and construction of an EV bus depot, control tower, and

EV buses; and management of the automatic fare collection system, fleet management system, and mobile passenger information system.

For its part, he city government will provide the lots for the construction of the EV bus depot and parking area, oversee the implementation of the project, and allocate funds for the operation of the project, including the cost of proper storage, utilities for operation, and maintenance of ICT system and the EV buses.

Binay said the construction of the EV bus depot, the control center, the ICT system, and other facilities will start during the first quarter of 2023, and scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2025.

WALIS TINGTING AND THE BIG CLEANUP.

Parents armed with walis tingting troop to the San Antonio Elementary School in Barangay Katipunan, Quezon City being eyed as the target of a massive cleanup drive in preparation for the school’s opening this coming Aug. 22.

Teachers, barangay workers, street sweepers and other stakeholders gamely joined the event.

Manny Palmero

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QC stays top tax collector among cities nationwide

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City has been cited as nation’s top revenue collector in 2021 and was elevated to the Hall of Fame.

“Our QCitizens have seen significant improvements in the way they transact with the city. In various ways, they have expressed their satisfaction with the quality of programs and services that were made available to them,” city treasurer Ed Villanueva said.

“They trust that their hard-earned money would translate into efficient public services for all,” he added.

Villanueva credited Mayor Joy Belmonte’s strong commitment to good governance, deemed the most important driver of the city’s success in terms of tax collection.

In a memorandum released by the Department of Finance-Bureau of Local Government Finance, the city was hailed anew as the nation’s topperformer in terms of local revenue generation, chalking up P22.9 billion in collected taxes last year.

The city government was also named a hall of famer under the special category “Local Revenue Generation Hall of Fame” after it consistently topped tax collection among all cities nationwide from 2018 to 2020.

Its revenues came from real property tax, business tax and other taxes, such as amusement, transfer and contractors.

“We are honored to share this milestone with every QCitizen.

Because of your continued trust and support to our administration, we have been able to increase our annual local revenues by more than P10 billion since we assumed office,” Belmonte said.

About P5b to P13b in unused COVID Neophyte Pinoy filmmaker bags ‘Best Director’ awards vaccines wasting away—Hontiveros

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Risa Hontiveros is seeking an investigation into alleged wastage of enormous volumes of COVID-19 vaccines estimated at about P5 billion to P13 billion.

The opposition senator filed a resolution calling for the inquiry, saying this large-scale wastage of vital medicine should never be tolerated.

Hontiveros filed the measure amid reports of unused and expired COVID-19 vaccines amounting to multiple billions of pesos, described as way beyond the estimated figures of inevitable vaccine wastage.

According to various reports, from April to July, it was possible that some four million to 27 million of unused and expired doses COVID vaccines were garbage bound.

“Of course, we know many vaccines

have not been used due to various reasons.

There’s really a margin of error,” Hontiveros admitted.

Her resolution also stated that it was imperative for the government to strive for less COVID-19 vaccine wastage, to accurately and transparently report vaccine wastage, identify drivers of wastage, and implement effective interventions to reduce it.

The Department of Health (DOH) was targeting 11 million to 23 million vaccinated Filipinos for the booster shots within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.

“Huwag sana nating sayangin ang tiwala at pagtatiyaga ng ating mga kababayan na makiisa sa national vaccination drive. Kailangang maturukan ang ating mga kababayang nais maprotektahan ang kanilang mga sarili laban sa COVID-19.”

Hontiveros stressed.

THIS Filipino film director may be a neophyte in filmmaking, but right now, he is no longer unaccustomed to receiving industry awards.

In fact, movie director Jeremiah P. Palma has just bagged the “Best Director” award for his entry titled UMBRA in the Roshani International Film Festival in Aurangabad, India.

Palma’s indie film UMBRA bested more than a thousand entries from all over world.

The film fest was spearheaded by India’s Film Education and Welfare Foundation, in India, using the media platform as a tool to connect audiences across various cities, countries, and continents.

It was the festival’s third year, and Palma, director -in - charge of the Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas, Inc. (KSMBPI) film division, decided to join it last July 24.

UMBRA also copped the Best Director award for PALMA at the Venus International Film Festival held last July 3.

(Front row) Datu Blah Sinsuat Mayor Marshall I. Sinsuat (second from left), Vice Mayor Raida T. Sinsuat (leftmost) and LANDBANK North Cotabato Lending Center (NCOLC) Head Assistant Vice President Rosa Maria C. Cabanial (third from left) lead the signing of a P90-million loan agreement to improve the municipality’s market linkages (Note: proper health protocols were observed).

LANDBANK assists Maguindanao coastal town to build market linkages

PAPER CHASE. People from all walks of life show up daily at the National Statistics Office such as this one in Quezon City to secure their respective certificates of birth, marriage, and even death for departed loved ones which are now deemed permanently valid, courtesy of an approved bill which has just lapsed into law. Manny Palmero

Palace insists: No bill vetoing spree with BBM MALACAÑANG on Wednesday denied that a so-called “bill vetoing-spree” was taking place under the Marcos administration.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles clarified that so far, only five measures were vetoed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “The President did not have a veto spree.

Forty-one bills lapsed into law and only five were vetoed, which are not included in the 41.

So it’s not a spree,” Angeles said.

Among the vetoed bills was the proposed law exempted from taxation the cash benefits granted to government employees, particularly the public school teachers who served as poll workers.

“We are not removing the benefits of government employees who will be rendering post-service. The veto of the President is

a matter of good housekeeping. Are we not reforming our tax system,” Angeles argued.

She added that the President was only finetuning the country’s laws, especially those giving tax exemptions, for the government’s tax reforms.

“Marcos is only removing tax exemptions given to various groups,” Angeles said.

“With all of the benefits given, the system is muddled. We don’t know who should benefit from tax exemptions and if they deserve it,” Angeles noted.

Marcos also vetoed the proposed laws on the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone; the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel Charter, the Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. franchise; and The Philippine Transportation Safety Board Act. Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

DATU BLAH T. SINSUAT, Maguindanao—The Municipal Government of Datu Blah T. Sinsuat (DBS) has partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) for the construction of access roads that will aid in the convenient and timely transport of goods to and from the town.

The second class municipality inked a P90-million loan agreement with LANDBANK on 9 February 2022 to purchase various heavy equipment, meant to enhance the town’s delivery of general basic services and fast-track the implementation of strategic farmto-market road projects.

“LANDBANK fully supports initiatives that promote the growth and development of local agricultural producers. We are one with local government partners in providing more convenient access to local markets and other government services, in line with building stronger and more

resilient local economies,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

The P90-million LANDBANK loan will finance the construction of additional road networks in the municipality, designed to reduce the transportation costs of farmers and fishers for their produce, which will result to higher incomes.

The road projects will allow fishers from the remote coastal barangays to supply fish to Cotabato City, Maguindanao Province, several bordering towns in Lanao del Norte, as well as the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. To date, five (5) out of the 13 barangays of Datu Blah T. Sinsuat have no established roads and are accessible only by boat.

The additional roads will benefit a total of 4,946 farmers; 2,701 fishers; and 389 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) residing in the area.

“With LANDBANK’s assurance of financial and technical support to our priority projects for small farmers and fishers, we are optimistic that the Datu Blah T. Sinsuat Municipality will reach its goal of becoming the fishing capital of Central Mindanao in the future,” said Datu Blah T. Sinsuat Mayor Marshall I. Sinsuat.

The Municipality also anticipates that the new roads will encourage the influx of investors and potential tourists to stimulate more economic activity, significantly improving the locality’s trading system and tourism industry, and creating more job opportunities.

LANDBANK continues to extend necessary credit assistance to local government units (LGUs) to spur recovery and inclusive economic development in the countryside. As of end-May 2022, LANDBANK has extended P79.23 billion in outstanding loans to LGUs nationwide.

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News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sandro Marcos warns vs. scam using his name

By Maricel V. Cruz

LEGAL TEAM. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the swearing-in of new officers of the Office of the Presidential Legal Counsel.

IN BRIEF Gov’t extends aid to 289 OFWs from Kuwait THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) welcomed home and extended assistance to 289 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Kuwait, including those who have been stranded for several months, Secretary Susan Ople said.

The OFWs arrived aboard Philippine Airlines yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International airport (NAIA).

The OFWs were repatriated with the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the DMW through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

“Out of the more than 200 OFWs assisted by the DMW, around 141 were brought to quarantine facilities due to incomplete vaccination records while 7 of them require medical assistance due to various health conditions,” Ople said.

Norma, one of the OFWs who has been working in Kuwait since 1986, conveyed her gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait for enabling her to come home after spending several months in Kuwait’s deportation facility. Norma’s employer abandoned her last December. After 35 years of working as a cleaner, Norma said she is coming home penniless.

Vito Barcelo

‘1M houses needed per year to meet PH backlog’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATOR Francis Escudero on Wednesday said the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) should build at least one million housing units annually in the next six years to narrow down the housing backlog.

He said this would also provide more affordable homes to the Filipino people. Escudero issued the statement as he welcomed the appointment of longtime builder and property developer Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar as secretary of DHSUD by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. last week.

Based on DHSUD data, the national housing backlog stood at 2.017 million units at the end of 2016, the year former President Roderigo Duterte assumed office. It currently stands at

6.796 million units. It is projected to balloon to 11.759 million units by 2028, an increase of 4.962 million units over the next six years.

“The DHSUD estimates the shelter demand to grow by 827,000 units a year. This means building 2,277 homes every day over the next six years just to meet future demand, without denting the huge 6.796-million-unit backlog prior to 2023. Building at least one million units a year should be the fighting target under newly-appointed Hous-

ing Secretary Acuzar,” Escudero said.

Escudero however, stressed the one million target will only happen if the government will pour in more resources into its mass housing projects and make it on top of its priority list in line with the President’s vision to provide affordable and decent shelter for Filipinos.

“Housing remains in the basement of government spending. This year, for example, shelter retained its cellardwelling status in the national budget, receiving a microscopic 1/6th of 1%, or P5 billion—the amount property moguls allot for constructing one highrise,” Escudero said.

Meanwhile, a bill has been filed at the House of Representatives that grants rental subsidy to informal settler families (ISFs) to help them cope with the rising cost of basic commodities.

Main runway at NAIA closed due to repairs AIRPORT and aviation authorities on Wednesday ordered the closure of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) main runway to give way for the emergency repair works of its pavement to ensure the safety of aircraft and passengers.

“Notice is hereby served to all Airline Operators at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that Runway 06/24 will be closed to flight operations from 0130H - 0620H, 03 August 2022 for emergency pavement repairs. Extension of closure is due too the required curing time of the asphalt overlay. NOTAM (notice to airmen) to follow,” said Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Cesar Chiong in his advisory Tuesday.

The closure of NAIA 06/24 main runway resulted in the delayed arrival to Manila of seven international flights, while another flight was diverted to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Joel E. Zurbano

Lawmakers file Good Samaritan bill in Congress

By Maricel V. Cruz

Skyway 3 construction ongoing at Tomas Claudio THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced that a portion of Tomas Claudio Street in Manila will be closed to vehicular traffic to give way to the Skyway Stage 3 construction activities beginning Friday (Aug. 5) until to Nov. 30 In its advisory, the MMDA urged motorists to take alternate routes.

Those coming from Valenzuela Street in Sta. Mesa going to Quirino Avenue or Beata Street, Pandacan are advised to take Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, turn left at Lacson Avenue (formerly Nagtahan), straight ahead to Quirino Avenue or turn left at Jesus Street to point of their destination.

Vehicles from Osmeña Highway going to Valenzuela Street, Sta. Mesa, on the other hand, may go straight ahead to Quirino Avenue to Mabini Bridge and to the bridge down ramp turn right at Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, turn right at Valenzuela Street to destination Joel E. Zurbano

ILOCOS Rep. Sandro Marcos on Wednesday warned the public, particularly those who want to meet him, to be on the lookout for scammers who use his name to collect money from those who want to meet him personally.

Sando, the son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said he received reports that a group using the name “Sandro Marcos Unofficial Facebook page” is organizing a fund-raising event.

In a Facebook post, Marcos denied any involvement in a fund-raising event being organized by the administrator of the social media page.

Marcos said that it was not the first time that this happened.

In his post, Marcos said that on March 6, 2022, “Sandro Marcos unofficial claimed to have organized a ‘meet and greet’ event with me, charging P4,500 per person for transportation, hotel, ID, and t-shirt. On even date, we denied any involvement of the said event.”

“Please know that I would never approve of anyone charging fees, much more an exorbitant amount for a meet and greet,” Marcos said.

He added that that recently received reports that a fundraising event is again set to be organized using his name.

The young Marcos said: “This is to reiterate that Sandro Marcos Unofficial Facebook page is not in any way affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or officially connected to me or anyone from my team.

“I appreciate all your support, but it will all go to waste if my name will be tainted by irresponsible and unscrupulous individuals or groups.

Let us be mindful of our actions and ensure that solicitations of any kind from unauthorized groups are not entertained.”

HOUSE VISIT. House Speaker Martin Romualdez welcomes Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Dr. J.Prospero De Vera to the House of Representatives. De Vera, who was re-appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paid a courtesy call to Romualdez. Ver Noveno

Tulfo eyeing measures to address power outages

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Raffy Tulfo yesterday said he would prioritize energy-related measures to lessen the burden on Filipino consumers due to high electricity costs and power outages in far-flung areas.

During the first committee brief-

ing, Tulfo vowed to hold accountable public officials and other private personalities involved in anomalies in the generation, transmission, and distribution of energy.

“I came to know the many problems facing consumers, especially the poor,” he said. He also cited frequent brownouts in Palawan, Bataan, at Davao.

To properly address other energyrelated issues, Tulfo said he is ready to set meetings and hear the proposals of experts and stakeholders.

“We can invite stakeholders that can give us guidance and inputs, as well as tell us why several problems keep on happening and how we can solve them,” he stressed.

REPS. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre of party-list group Tingog have filed a bill that seeks to protect good Samaritans in emergency situations.

“This will seeks to support individuals who sought to assist during times of emergencies by protecting them from legal liability if their aid was useful and appropriate to the situation’s de-escalation,” the two said in filing House Bill (HB) 1949.

The measure’s proposed short title is “Good Samaritan Act of 2022.”

The House has referred the measure to the Committee on People’s Participation.

“With the present number of people within the country, there are bound to be situations where civilian assistance will not only be valuable but necessary to ensuring safety of the populace,” they said.

According to them, there would also be situations “where civilians will have the desire to provide aid to legal channels yet fear the negative repercussions of their actions.”

They said the approval of the proposed law “will provide an avenue where both the concerns of civilians and government parties can be put to rest, encouraging the populace to aid in the protection of the nation.”

HB No. 1949 defines a “good Samaritan” as “an individual performing volunteer services who does not receive compensation to reasonably assist a person in an emergency.”

Villar says rice tariff law ‘working well’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar yesterday questioned calls to review the Rice Tarification Law (RTL), which liberalized the importation of rice.

Villar, the chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, is the principal author of Republic Act 11203.

Several sectors earlier sought to repeal the law for failing to serve its purpose.

But Villar insisted that the RTL is working well, especially the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

Reacting to tirades that it failed to lower the price of rice, Villar said the cost of

producing palay in the Philippines is now pegged at P11.50 from P12.00 per kilo.

The PhilRice studies showed that producing palay in Vietnam costs P6.22 and P8.86 in Thailand.

She also attributed the increase in the cost of rice to the high price of fertilizers.

Villar said this is the reason why she has been promoting the use of kitchen and garden wastes as organic fertilizers.

“You can solve (the high cost of fertilizers) by giving composting machine,” also said Villar as she related that majority of wastes in her hometown in Las Pinas are being turned into organic fertilizers and recycled into hard and sturdy school chairs,

PROTEST AGAINST THE VETO. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)

stage a protest action on Aug. 3 to call for leaders of Congress to override the veto of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the bill giving tax exemption on the honoraria and allowances of election workers. Manny Palmero

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and the

Members of the House of Representatives grieve the demise of

HONORABLE FIDEL VALDEZ RAMOS President of the Republic of the Philippines (1992-1998) Secretary of National Defense (1988-1991) Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (1986-1988) Chief of the Philippine Constabulary (1972-1986)

on 31 July 2022 at the age of 94.

His remains lie in state at the Heritage Memorial Park, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Inurnment will be on Tuesday, 09 August 2022, 10:00 a.m. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Condolences to his beloved wife, Amelita and children, Angelita, Carolina, Cristina and Gloria.

We request the pious readers to pray for the eternal repose of his soul.

A6

Opinion

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

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

Para bellum

THIS columnist extends profound condolences to the family and legion of admirers and friends of the late President Fidel Valdez Ramos, in my book one of the best presidents the nation has had the fortune of having.

The Chinese “ghost month” began on the 29th of July, two days after the strong Ilocos earthquake, and FVR peacefully left this mortal world and his beloved country on Sunday, the news of his passing coming out right after I had submitted my article for Monday.

When my initial candidate for president, then Chief Justice Marcelo B. Fernan, decided to go for the vice-presidency instead, he asked me to make a choice between FVR and then Speaker Ramon V. Mitra.

I advised him to go for Mitra, and thus did I become the spokesperson for the ill-fated MitraFernan tandem.

Still, despite his very slim 23.58 percent victory, FVR immediately began to reach out to his rivals, earnestly sought to unify the country, and during the 1995 mid-term elections, he coalesced his ruling Lakas with the LDP of the Mitra-Fernan tandem, prevailing upon the two to run for the Senate.

I helped my good friend Celing Fernan midway through the campaign period, at the height of the Flor Contemplacion incident.

Fernan made it, but Tata Monching failed to win a seat in the Senate.

The whole world is now watching what China and Xi will do next. And accordingly, how the US of A would react Through the six years of his presidency, FVR steered the country towards peace and stability, deregulated the financial and telecommunications sectors, among others, and led the economy to greater heights.

In 1997, he was the final speaker in the Mindanao Business Conference jointly sponsored by the country’s major chambers of commerce.

As Butuan City was the host, and I was a vice president of the local chapter of the PCCI, I also became the program director.

At the end of FVR’s speech, I asked the audience, pillars of the business and political communities of Mindanao, to give the man whom I described as one “who had done more for Mindanao than most of his predecessors in office” a standing ovation.

PFVR was most appreciative, and that started a friendship which has lasted through the years, and he was among the first to congratulate me, sending his latest autographed books, when President Duterte appointed me to be Chairman and Resident Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan on June 30, 2016.

PFVR and the late Sen. Letty Ramos Shahani were staunch advocates of stronger relations with Taiwan, a legacy from their father, who was the last Philippine ambassador, and first MECO resident representative to Taiwan.

Taiwanese officials describe FVR as their BFF (“best friend forever”) in the Philippines, and rightly so.

Today, the MECO office in Neihu, Taipei, will open a book of condolence in memory of a Filipino patriot, statesman, gentleman-officer, and leader with few equals.

Hail and farewell, President Fidel Valdez Ramos! *** Today is also a most precarious day for the island nation and its 23 million inhabitants.

At a quarter before eleven last night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Air Force plane landed at Songshan airport in the heart of Taipei, a military facility also used for domestic and regional flights to Japan, at the start of a short but most controversial visit, the first in 25 years by America’s number three top leader.

She was met by Joseph Wu, for the last six years, Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the newly-designated head of the Asian Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.

From Songshan, Pelosi and her delegation of five other congressmen went on a heavily-secured motorcade to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei’s Xinyi District, where she was welcomed through an electronic billboard in Taipei’s iconic 101 Tower beside the hotel.

As we write this column, she is in a huddle with Pres. Tsai Ing-wen, and will leave after lunch at the Taipei Guest House, proceeding to Japan and South Korea, after one-day visits each to Singapore and Malaysia.

Speaker Pelosi prefaced her Taiwan visit with a statement describing the moment as “America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy…as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”

That was quite provocative, rubbing it in, as Beijing had repeatedly dissuaded her and the US government from proceeding with her visit.

Xi Ji-ping himself warned Joe Biden in a zoom face-off last week about “serious consequences” should the visit push through.

In a succeeding interview, Biden mumbled something about the US military being against the Pelosi visit.

But his national security spokesman John Kirby stated that since the US is a representative democracy with separation of powers enshrined in its fundamental law, Pelosi could go wherever she pleased.

Such pusillanimous tip-toeing is not acceptable to China, least of all to Xi, who will face the party congress in October, where repeatedly through the years he has vowed “unification” with Taiwan, not ruling out force if necessary.

Didn’t they say Xi is a dictator, and China’s Communist-run government is an autocracy?

What would convince China to believe that the Democrat Biden cannot prevail over the Democrat Pelosi?

In the Oriental ethic, most of all China and even Japan, “face” is most important.

They can lose money, which while high in their pantheon of values, can be recovered, but they will not abide a loss of face.

Thus it was that live military drills in the Taiwan Strait, supposedly to commemorate the

95th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army, were heightened yesterday and even today, along the narrow strait dividing the island from the mainland, in the East China Sea and mid-Pacific which straddles Japan’s Okinawa, and in our very close Balintang Channel, which the Chinese call Bashi.

PRC jets flew closest to Taiwan’s air perimeter.

Batanes is a mere 276 kilometers south of Pingtung in southernmost Taiwan, while Fujian province in the mainland is a mere 161 kilometers away.

In fact, Taiwan’s Kinmen (Quemoy) is a mere 28.2 kilometers from Xiamen (Amoy), shorter than the distance between Cavite and Corregidor, let alone Manila and the once-fortress island, which is 49.5 kilometers across Manila Bay. The whole world is now watching what China and Xi will do next. And accordingly, how the US of A would react.

“Si vis pacem, para bellum,”, the Roman military writer Flavius Vegetius Renatus famously stated. If you want peace, prepare for war.

These are the days when our region and the whole world are watching nervously, if China’s para bellum can escalate further, or if Biden and Pelosi’s “dedication” to “strategic ambiguity” and the preservation of the status quo will work out peace in our time.

For sure, China will escalate economic pressure on Taiwan.

In 2020, they banned the export of sweet “Formosa” pineapples, one of their biggest food imports from Taiwan.

This was followed by another major Taiwan export to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou -- live groupers or lapu-lapu.

Now, more than 100 food exporters, even purveyors of pastries, biscuits, snacks, including those of I-Mei, Taiwan’s largest bakery and confectioner, which employs mostly Filipino migrant workers, have been banned from China.

But the Chinese economy is also quite dependent on Taiwan’s semi-conductor industry, the world’s largest, which supplies almost every product from computers to cellphones to automotive to household appliances of every kind.

Since Trump, America has been coaxing TSMC, the world’s largest, to transfer facilities to Wisconsin and Arizona, but things are not as hunky-dory for the Taiwanese firm, because of labor unions and other American not-toobusiness-friendly restrictions.

(TSMC was considering to put up a huge facility beside Ramon Ang’s Bulacan airport, but that’s another story).

This economic interdependence between the mainland and it’s claimed province is a major factor in keeping the peace and postponing XiJinping’s desideratum of unification.

As for the US of A, facing imminent economic recession months away from crucial mid-term elections, would provoking war be the solution to economic woes?

They have had a long history of such, and so has their major European ally, Germany, in the dark days of the Third Reich, or Japan in the Pacific theater after economic sanctions.

Biden has struck political gold in the recent precision killing of Osama bin Laden’s successor Al Zawahiri in Afghanistan, just as, together with NATO, it is still struck in the quicksand that is Ukraine versus Russia.

We are all in tenterhooks as we watch these military and geo-political developments in the region where we are the most proximate.

In the lunar calendar’s ghost month, the ghosts came marching in quick succession, and early.

Everyman

By Melandrew T. Velasco

“WE FILIPIONOS have always found it easier to die for our country than live for it. In times of peace and civil order, we seem to fritter away in bickering. We split so easily into fractions, each intent on its petty agenda. We play at intrigue: each pursuing his or her self interest, although doing so may be self defeating.”

Thus wrote former President Fidel Valdez Ramos as part of his foreword in the landmark book “Twilight Glory: A Tribute to Filipino Heroes and Veterans” published in August 2020 by Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc (MTVI) and the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV).

Prophetic it may seem were the former Chief Executive’s words of wisdom, Twilight Glory would go down as my last book collaboration with FVR who joined our Creator last Sunday, July 31, at the ripe age of 94.

For over 20 years since my first book on the Ramos family published in November 2000 in time for the birth centennial of FVR’s father, Ambassador Narciso R. Ramos, I have authored and co-published 15 landmark books on FVR’s family members and his foundation.

Not all are privileged to work with a former Philippine president.

I’ve had the blessing of serving alongside FVR whose love for our country and heart for good governance always ring a bell until he breathed his last.

FVR or Steady Eddie, as he was fondly called by his peers and constituents, was better known not just for his thumbs-up sign, “Kaya Natin Ito” slogan, his ears or his tobacco but also for his push-ups and crunches and the programs of his administration especially with Philippines 2000.

Before COVID 19 came into being in early 2020, FVR, even at a ripe age of 92 still reported to his RPDEV office in Makati almost daily but stopped playing golf in 2021 upon doctor’s advice.

Even in his nonagenarian years, he never failed to carry on what he had started.

Always a good soldier, FVR always liked to say that he would rather die serving his country with his boots on than sit idly to enjoy his retirement.

Thus, I remember him continuing to inspire and to stimulate, stir and enthuse, define and redefine, challenge and defy the odds.

In hindsight, even 24 years after he finished his term as President, FVR or Eddie, the private citizen, refused to be “tired even while retired.”

He continued to be “a reformer despite being a former President,” and delighted by an “ex” but never considered him to be an excess and not yet expired.

Other former chiefs of state write their memoirs and then fade into the sunset. FVR was an exception.

In fact, he had written more than 30 books while in retirement and, through keynote speeches, roundtable discussions, university convocations, etc., kept reminding his successors and other leaders of the urgent things what’s needed to be done for our country and people to achieve a better future.

My relationship with FVR can be described as a wonderful journey that transcended beyond the books we have done together.

As stated earlier, since 2000, FVR had commissioned

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Coping with disasters

WEEK after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Abra and other areas in Luzon, it’s only now that we are getting a clearer picture of the devastation it caused.

The strong earthquake has once again renewed calls for the establishment of a separate department to address the problem of disasters and reduce their adverse effects on lives and property

As of end-July, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that the temblor left 10 dead, 320 injured and 228,238 individuals or 62,024 families displaced in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The NDRRMC also estimated the cost of damage to infrastructure and property at P1.2 billion – and counting.

The strong earthquake has once again renewed calls for the establishment of a separate department to address the problem of disasters and reduce their adverse effects on lives and property.

As we know, it is the NDRRMC that now overseas the government’s disaster response efforts. It is a multi-sectoral, multi-organizational structure consisting of more than 40 people from almost all departments, including, would you believe, the Foreign Affairs Secretary!

As a council, the NDRRMC decides only on policies, and leaves the actual work to the Office of Civil Defense under the Department of National Defense.

This underscores once again the urgent need for Congress to fast-track the passage of a bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience, which will be the primary agency responsible for disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, recovery and rehabilitation.

Once the DDR is up and running, it can facilitate the creation of permanent evacuation centers and the formulation of disaster management plans at the local

But wait. Not everyone agrees that a separate department is needed to respond to disasters.

Some are saying what is needed is to strengthen the NDRRMC and not create another layer in the already bloated bureaucracy, especially at this time when the economy has yet to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. They have a point there.

In any event, we know that the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

We lie in the path of destructive typhoons from the Pacific Ocean that cause flooding and landslides that lead to loss of lives and property.

We are also part of the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ consisting of active volcanoes that can cause massive destruction once they erupt.

We likewise know that here in our country there are geographic faults that trigger earthquakes and cause death and destruction in our communities.

And we have our fair share every year of manmade disasters, such as fires that exact a heavy toll on lives and property and even on the economy as a whole, and armed conflict in some parts of the country that lead to displacement of people from their homes.

The sad reality is that developing countries such as the Philippines are the most vulnerable to the adverse impact of natural disasters.

In other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the annual economic loss due to natural disasters is around 0.6 percent to 0.7 percent of the country’s GDP. Natural disasters exact a heavy toll on the Philippine economy annually, amounting to as much as P130 billion in damages, according to the Department of Finance, equivalent to about 1.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, by DOF estimates.

The higher we try to climb up the economic ladder, we find ourselves falling every time a disaster strikes.

This should not be our ineluctable fate at all, if only we are fully prepared to cope with natural disasters, whether it is a full-fledged department or another agency with clear responsibilities to protect lives and property from both natural and man-made catastrophes.

levels to meet the ideal goal of zero-casualty in times of disaster.

The creation of the DDR would ensure a more efficient, coordinated, and complete system of disaster management – from risk assessment to emergency response right down to reintegration assistance and rehabilitation.

The proposed department would take on the powers and functions of the Office of Civil Defense, the Climate Change Office of the Climate Change Commission, the Geo-Hazard Assessment and Engineering Geology Section of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and other agencies now performing disaster response and management functions. That is how it should be.

There are in fact at least 12 bills proposing the creation of the DDR, but not one of these has been passed by Congress.

Remembering FVR JUDGING from the tributes that the passing of FVR has been generating not only locally but internationally, he is finally cementing his legacy that he most certainly deserves.

When I got the news of his passing, a lot of fond memories flooded my mind.

This was because I once served as his military aide during his record breaking tenure as Chief of the Philippine Constabulary. This included my being called upon to do some chores for him up to the end of his Presidency.

When I first got into the military as a 21-year-old 2nd Lieutenant, FVR was already a towering figure in our Armed Forces.

He was the first Filipino postwar graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1950 and the founder of the Philippine Army Special Forces.

His exploits during the Korean and Vietnam Wars were also then well known.

To top it all, he was one of the youngest officers to be promoted to General rank at 43 years of age.

He was the kind of officer that every young AFP officer would like to be.

Becoming his senior military aide and being closely associated with him for a long time, however, never entered my mind but, nonetheless, it was an honor and experience which I will cherish for the remainder of my life.

The country by now knows all about FVR’s extraordinary work habits.

He worked more than 16 hours a day and brought with him to Malacanang the military practice of completed staff work which seemed to have challenged many civilian bureaucrats together with his frequent marginal notes written in bold red ink.

Less known to the public perhaps was how he was as a private person, superior and human being.

Was he so different from his official persona?

Firstly, he was an officer and a gentleman in every sense of the word.

In the office, everything was formal and businesslike as it should be.

After office hours, however, it was entirely different.

He would become quite informal and would talk like an equal even to underlings.

One of the things that he enjoyed doing was for us to

sometimes drive to the Army-Navy Club around Luneta during summer to swim and have cheeseburger for lunch while in the pool.

Cheeseburger was the standard lunch during my entire tour with him. promotion was not promoted which apparently forced him to take early retirement.

Since FVR liked to travel around the country, we spent long hours in vintage Air Force planes like the C-47s and the Vietnam Huey helicopters traveling around the country.

It was in one of these trips that I found out how cool a customer FVR was under pressure.

In one of our return trips from Mindanao and about to land in Villamor Air Base, the pilot had to suddenly abort the landing due to heavy rain and very poor visibility.

The pilot apparently almost hit a structure. While everyone was so agitated, FVR did not even bother to wake up from his nap until we landed.

When I asked him how he could remain calm with what happened, he simply smiled and was totally nonchalant about the whole episode.

When I related the incident to Mrs. Ming Ramos afterwards, I learned that as a young officer, he also crashlanded in a small plane in Laguna during the Hukbalahap Campaign in the 1950s.

Another incident that has stayed with me all these years was when a Manila policeman saluted FVR with a huge diamond ring on his ring finger that left him shaking his head.

Still another was when I was made to return a Rolex gold watch sent as a birthday present by a Provincial Governor who was reputed to be a smuggler.

It is unfortunate that in the last three years of his life, he was unable to interact with his friends, golf buddies, political allies and those with whom he served with in the military due to the pandemic.

But he lived a long, fruitful and fulfilled life.

No one among our recent Presidents has served the country as long as he did.

He journeyed on, content that he did his country proud and the nation owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

My sincere condolences to his family especially to Mrs. Ming Ramos who lost her beloved steady Eddie.

Another thing that I learned about FVR was he hated husbands who physically abuse their wives It was during such times when I would ask him questions like why he did not simply join the US Army when he graduated from West Point considering that he reported to that school prior to Philippine independence.

His answer was “I did not relish the idea of having to ride at the back of a bus.” This was obviously in reference to the overt racism in the US during those times.

I also remember asking him why he stayed and persevered in the military considering that, with his qualifications, he could have gotten into a much higher paying job.

He said that although that thought crossed his mind, he never really seriously considered leaving the service.

Although he did not use the word love of the service and country, I understood his reasons to be exactly that.

Another thing that I learned about him was he hated husbands who physically abuse their wives.

I once referred to him about a wife of a senior officer who complained about her abusive husband.

Once we verified the veracity of the complaint, FVR saw to it that the officer concerned who was due for

Rest easy now, Mr. President

me to write on the biographies of his loved ones: “Enduring Legacy,” on his father Foreign Secretary Narciso Ramos; “ In A Class of Her Own,” on his mother Angela Valdez Ramos; “Mommy: The Pillar of Social Work” on his mother-in-law Josefa Jara Martinez; “Simply Ming,” on First Lady Amelita “Ming” M. Ramos; “Uncle Sim” on Simeon Marcos Valdez; and, “Colors of Light” on his artist, poetess and ambassador’s spouse auntie Lucia Mangapit Valdez.

Among the best book projects we worked on and produced together are: Silver Linings, a story on the 25 Years of the 1986 Revolution, RPDEV @ 15: Our Continuing Voyage for Enduring Peace and Sustainable Development and the first volume, Teamwork for Enduring Peace and Sustainable Development chronicling ten years of the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV), a non-profit, non-political, non-partisan nongovernment organization where he served as chair.

Our last book together as co-publishers was co-authored with PVAO Administrator Gen. Nesty Carolina and Gen. Pol Bataoil, former Congressional Chairman for Veterans Affairs and now Lingayen mayor.

Twilight Glory was supposed to be presented on his 92nd birthday celebration on March 22, 2020 at Fairmont Hotel but had to be cancelled due to COVID 19 and lockdown in Metro Manila.

Looking back, it is not only a singular honor and privilege writing and publishing books.

All these years, I always consider it is a gift and a blessing from the Almighty and from FVR himself who always served as a constant guide, inspiration, editor and prime mover of said book projects.

The past 21 years and the several book teams formed have been a great journey of rediscovering FVR and RPDEV. With his passing to the great beyond, we have members of a team that now form part of a select group called Fidelistas, ardent students and admirers of Fidel V. Ramos.

Working with him has allowed the various book teams, notably the millennials, to experience some of FVR’s core values and best practices such as CSW (Complete Staff Work), CSD (Caring, Sharing and Daring), and UST (Unity, Solidarity and Teamwork) – all advocated by FVR. There’s no denying that FVR also became my loving mentor and my second father having earlier lost my own when he succumbed to cancer in 1994.

Just like a disciplinarian father, there were times when FVR scolded me especially when coming in late for our appointed meetings; reprimanded me when I was not up to his high and excellent standards; and, he patted my back in times of appreciation and satisfaction on good works done.

During regular visits to his office, he personally saw to it that my team was served with his “coffee royale” laced with virgin coconut oil because, according to him, it works well for the health and vitality.

We all had to agree.

After coffee, he treated us either with a glass of red wine or his special “FVR cocktail drink” invariably laced with soda, rum, cognac, whiskey or brandy while watching some documentaries or FVR taped interviews showcasing his milestone presidency and continuing work as senior statesman.

As for his many sorties overseas wherein I was privileged to join, I witnessed how he continued to be admired, respected and adulated as former President and

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

head of state.

But there’s one unforgettable experience I had with him that showed the stuff he was really made of.

I remember one incident in June 2013 when we staged the Pilipinas Roadshow with my co-book authors former DILG Secretary Rafael M. Alunan III and Gen. Reynaldo V. Velasco featuring our book “Silver Linings: 25 Years of the 1986 People Power Revolution,” and “Tagaligtas: A Documentary on the Special Action Force” (long before the Mamasapano massacre) in eight key cities in the United States to promote Filipino values and instill patriotism to the Fil-Ams in time for the Independence Day celebration.

In spite of the debilitating pain on his back and leg when he injured himself in San Diego, California while doing his usual crunch with some Fil-Ams, FVR, very well beyond his years, withstood the pain and committed to continue the 8-city tour to Atlanta, Georgia, Washington D.C., Virginia, New Jersey and New York without any complaints or grievance.

Beyond the pain, the show must go on.

Such a kindred and brave soul in FVR and he taught the Pilipinas Roadshow Team a lesson or two on pain management, mind over matter, professionalism and honoring one’s commitment.

Through the years that I’d known him, the many young and not so old writers involved in the book projects had seen the other human side of FVR – comical, witty and a tad bit serious when needed.

I still recall the usual drill when he shook the hands of one lady writer and FVR feigned sickness to the lady writer’s great concern. Obviously, he was just joking.

Such funny incidents and lighter moments would make most of them wonder how, at his age, he still continued to work and contribute to nation building with his wealth of ideas, wisdom and experience.

Unfortunately, for the many national leaders who came after him both in the executive and legislative, they didn’t seem to take the golden opportunity of tapping his vast reservoir of wisdom and experience, particularly in the areas of good governance and global diplomacy.

With his passing, I believe that FVR is one of the greatest Philippine Presidents this country ever had, being a historian and eyewitness to Philippine history over the last 50 years.

Having served as 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, FVR is best remembered for promoting the principles of people empowerment, a culture of excellence, and global competitiveness, focusing on programs to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

This is evident in the 229 structural/reform laws enacted by the 9th and 10th Congress during his term, achieved principally by building unity, solidarity and teamwork among government and civil society leaders.

As a soldier who served for 42 years, including stints in Korea, Vietnam and in the counter-insurgency campaign, FVR retired as a 4-star General and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. He served as Defense Secretary from 1988 to 1991.

As President thereafter, he is better known as a peace builder with the forging of the peace agreements with the rebel-soldiers in 1995 and with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996.

The former President, in public service since beginning

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

Having served as 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, FVR is best remembered for promoting the principles of people empowerment, a culture of excellence, and global competitiveness, focusing on programs to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos his career as a cadet in the US Military Academy in 1946, continued to practice his distinct brand of public service through the non-government RPDEV Foundation which he and key members of his former Presidential family organized only months after they left office.

His legacy of public service before, during and after his six-year presidency is unmatched: West Point honor graduate, Korea and Vietnam War veteran, AFP Vice Chief of Staff, PC-INP Chief, EDSA 1 hero, AFP Chief, Defense Secretary, Philippine President, RPDEV and Boao Forum Chairman, EDSA 2 hero and Senior Statesman.

Not that he is gone, I can only recall the best times I have had with him. Incidentally, Pilipinas Kong Mahal is his all time favorite patriotic song.

Truly, Fidel V. Ramos has left an endearing legacy to our nation.

With the books that we have done over the last 20 years, I now comfort myself for being the torchbearer in bringing his indelible imprints on patriotism that celebrate a milestone of life, love, learning for his people and service to our beloved Philippines.

Rest easy now FVR. Thank you Mr. President for your service to our country and our people.

To honor your legacy, we will always carry on your favorite battle cry: KAYA NATIN ITO! (Velasco is a book author with at least 15 titles to his credit, including “Silver Linings” featuring heroes in the Edsa Revolution of 1986)

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

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Opinion Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

World

Pelosi Taiwan visit seen to dominate ASEAN meet

S

OUTHEAST Asian foreign ministers will seek ways to help quell the diplomatic storm over Taiwan at regional talks Wednesday, after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived on the island, enraging Beijing.

Pelosi’s dramatic late-night flight to Taipei, defying threats of reprisals by China, looks set to dominate the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, which had been expected to tackle the bloody crisis in Myanmar.

Attention will focus instead on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart Antony Blinken—both flying into the Cambodian capital for regional security talks with ASEAN on Thursday and Friday.

ASEAN spokesman Kung Phoak, Cambo-

dia’s deputy foreign minister, said the meeting would seek to calm the waters.

He told reporters that ministers would try to find ways the bloc could help “so that the situation in Taiwan will be stable, that won’t lead to a conflict and won’t escalate the political heat between all concerned parties.”

Late Tuesday, China vowed there would be “targeted military actions” in response to Pelosi’s visiting the self-ruled island Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The 10-member bloc is split between countries with close ties to China, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and others that are more wary of Beijing and its growing international assertiveness.

But no ASEAN country formally recognizes Taiwan and it is not clear what the bloc might do to ease the crisis between the two superpowers.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, opening the meeting as chair of ASEAN, con-

demned Myanmar for executing four prisoners last month in defiance of widespread international pleas for clemency.

Myanmar was plunged into violent turmoil when the military seized power last year, ousting Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.

The death toll from the subsequent junta crackdown has passed 2,100, according to local monitors.

ASEAN, long derided as a toothless talking shop that gives political cover to repressive regimes, has spearheaded thus far fruitless efforts to restore peace and voiced anger at the hangings.

Hun Sen said the bloc was “disappointed and disturbed” by the executions and warned that further use of capital punishment would mean a “rethink” of the five-point peace plan agreed to last year with Myanmar.

The plan calls for an immediate end to violence and dialogue between the junta and coup opponents. AFP

Alina Kabaeva

US hits Putin ‘girlfriend,’ more oligarchs with fresh sanctions

THE United States blacklisted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s purported girlfriend and the tycoon owner of the second-largest estate in London Tuesday in the latest round of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

Also hit with US business bans were several other oligarchs believed to be close to Putin, four officials Russia has named to administer occupied territories in Ukraine, and around two dozen high technology institutes and companies, including key state-backed electronics entities.

The US Treasury announced sanctions on Putin associate and billionaire Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev, who owns the Witanhurst estate, the second-largest estate in London after Buckingham Palace.

Guryev is the founder and former deputy chairman of PhosAgro, a major supplier to global fertilizer markets.

He and his son were hit with financial sanctions, which ban US businesses – including banks with US branches – from transactions with them, and freeze their assets under US jurisdictions.

The Treasury also blacklisted Guryev’s Caribbean-based 81-meter (267 feet) yacht Alfa Nero, which puts it at risk of seizure. AFP

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE. This long exposure zoomed picture shows dancers performing in front of Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen (center, bottom) during the opening ceremony of the 55th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh, on August 3, 2022. AFP

87 women hospitalized in gas leak AT LEAST 87 women have been hospitalized after a gas leak at an apparel manufacturing plant in India, local media reports said Wednesday.

The workers complained of nausea and vomiting at a plant in the Atchutapuram district of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night.

No deaths had been reported and the situation was under control on Wednesday, broadcaster India Today said.

The hospitalisations follow a similar accident in June when around 200 women fell unconscious after a gas leak in the same area, broadcaster NDTV reported.

In 2020, at least five people were killed

and hundreds were hospitalized after a gas leak at a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam, an industrial port city in the same state.

In 1984, India witnessed one of its worst industrial disasters in history when gas leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, a city in central India.

Around 3,500 people living around the plant operated by Union Carbide died in the days that followed the leak. People continue to suffer the effects of it to this day.

Children are still born disfigured, with webbed feet and hands, and stunted growth because of the gas that affected their mothers. AFP

3 killed, six wounded in China kindergarten knife attack—police

RARE WHITE. This handout photo released on August 3, 2022 by Myanmar’s Military Information Team shows a newborn baby white elephant walking on the ground at Taungup township in Rakhine state. The rare white elephant was born in July 2022 and weighs about 80 kilograms and stands roughly 70 cm tall.AFP

Hacking fears delay Conservative Party’s leadership election in UK VOTING in Britain’s Conservative party leadership election has been delayed after government cyber experts raised concerns over potential hacking of members’ ballots.

The delay might benefit Rishi Sunak, who trails in polls of Tory members against Liz Truss in the race to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and is hoping to claw back ground in a campaigning blitz.

A letter from party headquarters to members, revealed by the Spectator magazine late Tuesday, said ballots due to go out this week would arrive by Au-

gust 11 at the latest.

“This is because we have taken some time to add some additional security to our ballot process which has delayed us slightly,” the letter said.

It said the party has ditched a hybrid system, in which members could vote first by post but later change their mind and vote online using a special security code.

Instead, only the first vote cast— whether by mail or online—will count.

The deadline for voting remains September 2, with the result due to be announced three days later. AFP

THREE people were killed and six others wounded in a knife attack Wednesday at a kindergarten in south east China’s Jiangxi province.

A “gangster wearing a cap and mask” stormed the private kindergarten in Anfu county at about 10:00 am local time (0200 GMT), police said in a statement published on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. The 48-year-old suspect is still at large, they added.

“Public security organs are making every effort to hunt down the suspect,” the police statement said.

In a video of the scene shared by state-run Beijing Daily, a police officer can be seen carrying a tiny child in his arms to an ambulance.

The ages of the victims have not been announced.

Mass violent crime is rare in China, which strictly prohibits citizens from owning firearms, but there has been a spate of mass stabbings in recent years.

And fatal knife attacks specifically targeting kindergarten and school students have occurred nationwide, carried out by people reportedly wishing to wreak revenge on society.

Last April, two children were killed and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China.

More recently, four people were wounded in a stabbing at a major Shanghai hospital last month before the knife-wielding attacker was shot and subdued by the police.

Six people were also killed and 14 wounded after a man stabbed passersby on a pedestrian shopping street in the eastern Chinese city of Anqing in June last year. AFP

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022 ||

Manila

Standard

A7

mst.daydesk@gmail.com TODAYREPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (CA), for confirmation, the ad interim appointments of the following officials: Commission on Elections (COMELEC) 1. MR. GEORGE ERWIN M. GARCIA

CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, for a term expiring on 02 February 2029, vice Saidamen N. Pangarungan

Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) 2. MR. NESAURO HERNANDEZ FIRME

MEMBER, REPRESENTING THE ACADEME, JUDICIAL AND BAR COUNCIL, SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES, for a term expiring on 09 July 2026, vice Noel G. Tijam

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) 3. MR. JOSE RIZALINO LARION ACUZAR SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) (In Lineal List) 1. GABRIEL C. VIRAY III 2. DONN ANTHONY L. MIRAFLOR 3. JOANNIS LEONARDI B. DIMAANO 4. RAMON J. GUIANG 5. JOSE RANDOLF M. SINOCRUZ 6. EUGENIO C. BOQUIO 7. CARLO V. LAGASCA 8 STEPHEN V. AGTOTO 9. JOSE DEMAR A. PAULY 10. VICENTE M. RONATAY 11. JOVENCIO F. GONZALES 12. GIOVANNI T. FRANZA ` 13. DENNIS G. ESTRELLA 14. FRANCIS MARLON S. WONG 15. LLEWILLYN S. BANAAG 16. NORWIN JOSEPH D. PASAMONTE 17. PROCESO S. REBANCOS 18. ROMEO JEROME M. DIRILO 19. VICENTE MARK ANTHONY P. BLANCO III 20. SOCRATES M. DAZA 21. ROCKY J. BINAG 22. ROMMEL P. ROLDAN 23. ACMAD U. OMAR JR. 24. RANDY F. FAJILAGUTAN 25. FATIMA CLAIRE S. NAVARRO 26. VINCENT B. INCOGNITO 27. DOROTEO JOSE M. JALANDONI 28. ARNOLD C. BARCELON 29. WELMER C. BASE 30. NOLI S. IBAÑEZ 31. RONALD A. MANGAHAS 32. THOMAS RYAN A. SEGUIN 33. PETER GEORGE R. GELICAME 34. LAWRENCE A. NALDOZA 35. CAESAR A. LUBATON 36. THORSTEN AJELLO P. BAUTISTA 37. MARLON T. HARDILLO 38. GARRY L. ATIENZA 39. CAESAR ALMER E. CANDELARIA 40. NERIO C. ZABALA 41. RYAN C. CELINO 42. FARA KRISHNA A. CANDELARIA 43. JOSE ALLAN P. MENDOZA 44. MARITA RHODORA C. PENEQUITO 45. PHAVEENA R. AGUINALDO 46. LEONOR M. BERNABE 47. MAILYN T. PANGANIBAN 48. DIONIDO C. NAPALANG 49. DOMINGO A. CHUA JR. 50. NANETTE C. PROVIDO 51. ROGEL AL-RAHIM L. LINZAG 52. EREO JULIUS A. RAMIREZ 53. JUAN NEPOMUCENO V. ANGLO JR. 54. RHOMAR C. CANONIZADO 55. ERIC ANTHONY L. CAMACHO 56. HARVENIO OMAR E. VELENA VI 57. AMADOR M. RAGOTERO JR. 58. CHRISTOPHER M. CIUBAL 59. TIM KENNETH R. BANSIG 60. JOEL R. CABAÑERO 61. AUDILON S. MILAN 62. HARLEY B. FLORES 63. LEO C. BALANLAY 64. JENALYNE B. BALAORO 65. RACHEL P. SERVITO 66. MAY E. ARGAMOSA 67. MARBETH D. AVELINO 68. JANICE N. BATISLA-ONG 69. MARIA CRISTINA V. VILLARIAS 70. ELAINE E. NIVERA 71. AMI T. FADEROGAO 72. MARISSA ARLENE A. MARTINEZ 73. ROMMEL B. BOGÑALBAL 74. ELVIRA R. GONZALEZ 75 DOMINGO M. TULEN 76. LUIDEGAR C. CASIS 77. ALFREDERICK A. ALBA 78. PRIMO E. TAVARES 79. ANTHONY B. SIBAYAN 80. ARNEL I. ULAY 81. ROMEO C. MARAÑA III 82. ALFREDO C. DEL ROSARIO 83. ALEXANDER B. OGOY 84. JASPER EDWARD D. OBAR 85. TERTULIANO L. PINGGAL JR. 86. JOSE T. TANIEGRA 87. GEOFFREY M. CARANDANG 88. PRIMO C. DAQUIOAG JR. 89. ROMMEL M. PEREÑA 90. ROBERTO C. GO JR. 91. RANDY L. PAGUNURAN 92. GERALD L. MONFORT 93 JOHN P. ANDRADA 94. ALEXANDER M. ARBOLADO 95. WILFREDO B. MANALANG III 96. MARIA VICTORIA I. BLANCAFLOR 97. RODRIGO A. MARIÑAS JR. 98. CRISANTO GAMIER PRADO 99. ALDRIN F. OREJUDOS 100. NAPOLEON G. AGONCILLO JR. 101. CHRISTINE MARIE P. BAYAONA 102. MICHAEL R. LEMI 103. GIOVANI C. BERMUDO 104. CARLO A. FERRER 105. ROMMEL R. CABANAYAN 106. MANUEL S. VALDEZ IV 107. RAYMUNDO D. ROSARIO 108. DIOMEDES P. BALINO 109. EDUARDO P. CASTILLO 110. EGBERTO O. DACOSCOS 111. JOSE P. NAVARRO JR. 112. NIDA V. CUARESMA 113. BERNARD ZILDO S. FERNANDEZ 114. JEFFREY A. VILLAROSA 115. ARTURO L. PALMA JR. 116. EUGENE F. LAGUE 117. ACHILLES A. DELA CRUZ 118. LEON L. ONGGAO JR. 119. RAY C. TIONGSON 120. ALAN G. ESPELA 121. JULIUS C. LIBRADA 122. ARWIN A. PAYOT 123. OLIVER C. ALVIOR 124. EDRALIN L. POBLETE 125. ROBERTO Q. BEATISULA JR. 126. RONALD ALEX G. ASUNCION 127. JUVENAL MARK T. TAYAMEN 128.ULYSIS V. LAUDE 129.ALLAN PETER D. RUDIO 130.ROMMIL R. ABAYON 131.BENEDICTO J. DE VERA 132.ALLAN J. TABUDLO 133.ESTRELLITO P. ROMERO JR. 134.HERBERT D. DILAG 135.MELCHOR J. P. PELOBELLO 136.CALIXTO D. CADANO JR. 137.ELMER A. OAMIL 138.LIZA B. BATISTIL 139. JUDITH B. LOAYON 140. VEDASTO A. CABALES JR. 141. GREG P. DIESTO 142. GERRY HERVIAS JUELE 143. DATULUNA D. DILANGALEN JR. 144. JEZREEL J. DIAGMEL 145. RONNIE M. REGONDOLA 146. MADELYN D. DE GUZMAN 147. LOURDES L. GUEVARRA 148. JOSELITO C. MUNAR 149. ALFREDO G. ANTONIO JR. 150. MARVIN D. SUFICIENCIA 151. RUMEL D. FLOJO 152. GREGORIO M. BUGARIN 153. LEE M. SARPAMONES 154. MAYNARD P. MARIANO 155. NOMAR B. ALINSANGAN 156.JERRY C. PANEDA 157. JASON M. SALDUA 158. NOEL A. ABELLO 159. EMMANUEL J. HERMOSILLA 160. WILFREDO C. MARTIN JR. 161. RALPH C. DE MESA 162. RENATO N. NARAG 163. RICHARD R. ESMERALDA 164. FRANCIS RAYMUND MARTIN B. YULO 165. STEVE C. SOLON 166. ARTHUR P. TUGADE

to the rank of MAJOR GENERAL to the rank of REAR ADMIRAL to the rank of MAJOR GENERAL to the rank of MAJOR GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of COMMODORE to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of COMMODORE to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, PROF to the rank of COLONEL, PROF to the rank of COLONEL, DS to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MC to the rank of COLONEL, MAC to the rank of COLONEL, MAC to the rank of COLONEL, MAC to the rank of COLONEL, MAC to the rank of COLONEL, MAC to the rank of COLONEL, VC to the rank of COLONEL, DS to the rank of COLONEL, DS to the rank of COLONEL, JAGS to the rank of COLONEL, JAGS to the rank of COLONEL, JAGS to the rank of COLONEL, JAGS to the rank of COLONEL, CHS to the rank of COLONEL, CHS to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of COLONEL, NC to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of COLONEL, PN(M) to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of COLONEL, PN(M) to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of CAPTAIN, PN to the rank of COLONEL, PN(M) to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PAF to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PA to the rank of COLONEL, PN(M) (RES) to the rank of COLONEL, PN(M) (RES) to the rank of COLONEL, PAF (RES)

The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions to the above ad interim appointments in seven (7) copies to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 8834-2713, 8831-1824, 8831-0527, 8832-9830, 88342706 and 8551-1989.

2 August 2022.

HECTOR A. VILLACORTA Secretary

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

A8

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

PHILEX SRO LISTING. Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. chairman Jose Pardo (second row, third from left) and Philex Mining Corp. chairman Manuel Pangilinan (second row, second from left) lead the bell ringing ceremony to mark the listing of PX stock rights shares on Aug. 3. The company will use the P2.65 billion raised from the SRO to pay for mine development, construction of mill plant and support facilities, and a storage tailings facility on the Silangan project in Surigao del Norte.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, August 3, 2022 67.78 PTS. 6,430.08

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

325,860,770 53,044 3,831,401,629.65

ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

75 100 41

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

55.3930

Japan

Yen

0.007509

0.4159

UK

Pound

1.216500

67.3856

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127392

7.0566

Switzerland

Franc

1.044277

57.8456

Canada

Dollar

0.776940

43.0370

Singapore

Dollar

0.723223

40.0615

Australia

Dollar

0.691900

38.3264

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

146.9349

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266184

14.7447

Brunei

Dollar

0.720617

39.9171

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000067

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.027609

1.5293

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

15.0824

Euro

Euro

1.016700

56.3181

Korea

Won

0.000761

0.0422

China

Yuan

0.148148

8.2064

India

Rupee

0.012725

0.7049

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.224568

12.4395

New Zealand

Dollar

0.625000

34.6206

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033374

1.8487 Source: BSP

Metro Pacific sees ‘22 earnings reaching pre-pandemic level INFRASTRUCTURE conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

(MPIC) expects its full year core net income to “approach” the 2019 prepandemic level of slightly above P15 billion despite the current economic headwinds.

MPIC president and chairman Manuel Pangilinan said in a press briefing Wednesday core net income in 2022 would be better than the previous year’s level of P12.3 billion as core businesses were showing positive results at the start of the second half of the year.

“The major companies under the MPIC group are doing increasingly well in the second half, starting in July and the first three days of August,” said Pangilinan.

“We believe the full year would definitely be better than last year and I would hope that 2022 full year would at least approach what we accomplished in 2019 pre-pandemic which was slightly above P15 billion for income,” he added.

MPIC reported that core net income in the first half of the year hit P7.5 billion, up 24 percent from ₱6 billion year-on-year.

First-half reported net income attributable to the parent company, however, fell nine percent to P9 billion from a year ago that included a gain from the sale of Global Business Power and Don Muang Tollways.

Power accounted for ₱5.9 billion or 60 percent of net operating income, followed by toll roads, which contributed ₱2.5 billion, and water which accounted for ₱1.4 billion.

Other businesses, mainly real estate, hospitals, fuel storage, and light rail, incurred a net loss of ₱35 million.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan said MPIC remains keen on acquisitions, particularly in the areas of agriculture, tourism and logistics.

MPIC in June reported the acquisition of a controlling stake in premium ice cream maker Carmen’s Best Group from the Magsaysay family.

MPIC last month acquired an additional 22.542 million shares in unit Manila Electric Co., equivalent to about 2 percent of Meralco’s issued and outstanding capital stock at P344 apiece, or a total of P7.754 billion.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

PAL bounces back, records profit for 2 straight quarters

By Darwin G. Amojelar

P

HILIPPINE Airlines Inc. said Wednesday it sustained profitability for two consecutive quarters, the first time since 2016, amid the recovery of the air travel industry and despite the lingering pandemic.

PAL said it registered P4.2 billion in net income in the first half, a turnaround from the net loss of P16.55 billion it incurred in the same period last year.

The country’s flag carrier said it was the first positive first and second quarter financial results since 2016.

PAL generated P58.1 billion in revenues, representing a 258-percent growth in passenger revenues and a 31 –percent increase in cargo revenues in the sixmonth period from a year ago. The airline recorded P18 billion in revenues in

the first half of 2021.

Operating expenses reached P51.5 billion in the first half, which included P19.9 billion in fuel expenses, reflecting the impact of significantly higher fuel prices afflicting the aviation industry worldwide.

“We view the positive operating results for first half 2022 as a demonstration of the loyal support of our PAL customers, for which we are deeply grateful, and a validation of the efforts of our shareholders, management and personnel to rebuild our international and domestic network amidst the strengthening recovery of air travel,” PAL president and chief operating officer Capt. Stanley Ng said.

“We acknowledge tough challenges ahead, as various regions grapple with rising inflation, higher energy costs and economic uncertainties. So we will continue to be fiscally prudent as we mobilize our talents and resources to grow responsibly, in a way that helps boost tourism, supports overseas Filipinos and offers the best value to travelers and

cargo shippers,” he said.

PAL, which received $505 million in fresh capital from its shareholder family, continues to restore more flights and routes with the easing of travel restrictions in the Philippines and other countries and the resulting comeback of business and leisure travel.

Ahead of other airlines, PAL invested in rebuilding its international network between the Philippines and North America, Australia and the Middle East, along with many parts of Asia.

This provided a lifeline for overseas Filipinos around the world, while helping to preserve the flow of trade and facilitate the revival of tourist travel that supports jobs and business activity in communities throughout the Philippines.

PAL, which has an extensive domestic network linked to gateways in Manila, Cebu and Davao, is the only airline operating nonstop flights from the Philippines to the US and Canada, along with the largest network of flights from Manila to multiple cities in the Middle East, Japan and Australia.

Semirara’s gains jumped 311% to P25.8b in 1st half

FCF COMMUNITY SERVICE. FCF Minerals Corp. deploys its emergency response team to help the community of Barangay Runruno in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya province in unclogging canals to prevent mosquito infestation that causes dengue cases in the barangay.

SEC gives assistance to US regulator to close down crypto investment scam THE United States Securities and Exchange Commission charged the founders and promoters of the alleged fraudulent pyramid scheme operated

by Forsage, following an investigation conducted with the assistance of the local SEC. The US SEC said in a statement it charged 11 individuals for their roles in creating and promoting Forsage, which allegedly raised more than $300 million from millions of retail investors worldwide, including the Philippines.

The Philippine SEC said it provided assistance to its US counterpart in the conduct of the investigation of the fraudulent investment-taking activities of Forsage by sharing information in the course of its own investigation.

It said it issued a cease-and-desist order against Forsage in September 2020 for its alleged illegal solicitation of investments through a crowdfunding platform, supposedly based on the Ethereum blockchain technology.

The US SEC also charged the four founders of Forsage and three USbased promoters found to be endorsing the investment scam on its website and social media platforms and members of Forsage’s promotional group called Crypto-Crusaders—the largest promotional group for the scheme that operated in the United States from at least five different states.

The founders Vladimir Okhotnikov, Jane Doe a/k/a Lola Ferrari, Mikhail Sergeev and Sergey Maslakov, launched Forsage.io in January 2020. The website allowed millions of retail investors to enter into transactions via smart contracts that operated on the Ethereum, Tron and Binance blockchains.

The US SEC said Forsage allegedly operated as a pyramid scheme, where investors earned profits by recruiting others, for more than two years. Forsage also used assets from new investors to pay earlier investors in a typical Ponzi structure, it said. Jenniffer B. Austria

SEMIRARA Mining and Power Corp. of the Consunji Group said Wednesday net income jumped 311 percent in the first six months to P25.8 billion from P6.3 billion in the same period last year on the back of record coal prices.

It is the company’s highest net income for any given semester, driven by all-time high coal selling prices and increased spot electricity sales volume at elevated prices.

Coal and SEM-Calaca Power Corp.’s contributions soared 364 percent and 299 percent, respectively, while that of Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. rose 7 percent in the first half.

About 85 percent of the group’s net income came from coal, followed

by SCPC at 11 percent and SLPGC at 4 percent.

SCPC and SLPGC generated baseload power for the Luzon-Visayas grid. Both supply electricity through bilateral contract quantity and the wholesale electricity spot market.

SMPC posted P10.8-billion profit in the second quarter, up 171 percent from P4 billion a year ago. The company’s best-ever second quarter performance was attributable to higher selling prices for coal and spot electricity.

“As expected, we had a weaker performance quarter over quarter because of the China lockdowns but compared to last year, we did very well,” said SMPC president and chief operating officer Maria Cristina Gotianun.

“We maintain our view that the second semester will be anemic because of market volatility and unfavorable weather conditions,” she said.

Contributions from the coal segment grew 195 percent in the second quarter to P9 billion from P3 billion, while SCPC accounted for P1 billion, up 81 percent from P581 million.

Alena Mae S. Flores

SM Investments raised 6-month net income by 27% to P25.5b

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. registered a net income of P25.5 billion in the first six months of the year, up 27 percent from P20.1 billion in the same period last year, on the strong performance of its core banking, property and retail businesses.

Consolidated revenues rose 23 percent to P238.5 billion in the first half from P193.5 billion year-on-year.

“Our financial performance was led by strong consumer spending across all categories and formats of our retail business and the return of crowds in malls. Despite rising inflation, we are encouraged to see shoppers’ robust spending in the first half. This is a bright spot in the Philippines and in the region amid global headwinds,” said SMIC president and chief executive Frederic C. DyBuncio in a disclosure to the stock exchange, Banks accounted for 48 percent of the total net income, followed by property at 26 percent, retail at 20 percent and portfolio investments at six percent.

The conglomerate’s retail business booked a net income of P7 billion in the first half of the year, a 91-percent increase from P3.6 billion in the previous period, as easing mobility restrictions boosted sales.

SM Retail reported revenues of P163.7 billion, higher by 18 percent from P138.2 billion in the same period last year.

“This consumer-driven momentum brings more optimism moving forward as we keep innovating on our retail offerings to ensure an excellent shopping experience for the Filipino consumer,” said DyBuncio.

IN BRIEF

LandBank’s net profit surges 94% to P20.3b LAND Bank of the Philippines said Wednesday net income in the first half jumped 94 percent to P20.3 billion from P10.3 billion a year ago, alongside double-digit increases in assets and deposits.

Bank president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo attributed the bank’s substantial expansion in net income to prudent management of the cost of funds as well as sustained interest income from loans and investments.

“LandBank’s robust financial performance will continue to drive its intensified assistance to key industries, especially the agriculture sector, in support of the country’s continuing recovery,” Borromeo said in a statement.

“We will also build on this growth momentum to further our efforts to rebuild local communities, advance financial inclusion, and support the national government’s development agenda,” she said.

Total assets in the first half rose 11.8 percent year on year to P2.8 trillion, further solidifying its ranking as the second-largest bank in the country. The higher assets were propelled by deposits of P2.5 trillion, up 10.1 percent year-on-year. Julito G. Rada

Samat LNG planning to build gas terminal SAMAT LNG Corp. has applied for a notice with the Department of Energy (DOE) to proceed with its planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Mariveles Bataan, the country’s first small-scale LNG facility.

“We have a new applicant for approval of (the energy secretary), which is Samat Energy,” said DOE Director for Oil Industry Management Bureau Rino Abad.

The notice to proceed is a requirement of the department’s Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Regulation.

It is a step that allows a proponent to acquire of permits or clearance from other government agencies and complete the financial closing related to the proposed downstream natural gas facilities.

Samat LNG was established in 2020 to develop, own and operate LNG import terminals, along with the receiving, storage, distribution and wholesale marketing of LNG to industrial and commercial customers. Alena Mae S. Flores

PSE okays SPNEC’s stock rights offering THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) approved the P3.3-billion stock rights offering of Solar Power Nueva Ecija Corp.

(SPNEC).

SPNEC, according to the terms approved by the PSE, will offer 1.875 billion common shares to eligible shareholders at a price of between P1.50 and P1.76 apiece.

The offering period will start on August 30, 2022 and end on September 5, 2022.

SPNEC plans to use the proceeds from the fund raising activity to finance project development, including securing land and off-take agreements, in support of the company’s goal of building 10 gigawatts of solar projects by 2025.

SPNEC’s parent firm Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc and an affiliate, which collectively own a 70.46-percent stake in SPNEC, will not participate in the mandatory first and second round of the offering to provide maximum availability of rights shares to minority eligible shareholders. Jenniffer B. Austria

Sports

Asusano bags shotput gold for PH at Para Games SURAKARTA—After a rush of eight golds overnight, Filipino paraathletes struggled Wednesday, mustering a lone gold courtesy of thrower Cendy Asusano in the women’s shot put F54 in the morning action of the 11th ASEAN Para Games at the Manahan Stadium here.

Disqualified in the discus throw last Tuesday due to a loose strap on the throwing chair, Asusano came back strong and won the gold with a new personal best of 5.65 meters on her fourth try, surpassing her old mark of 5.50 meters in the 2017 Malaysian edition of the sportsfest.

It was the Pasig-based athlete’s second mint out of three events after handily winning the javelin throw in opening day of action of the 11-nation showcase for the best para-athletes in the region.

“Nabawi ko po ‘yung DQ (disqualification) ko kahapon ng Martes. Kinalimutan ko po para hindi ma-stress.

Praise God at nanalo naman po,” added Asusano, who had swept all of her three events in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur five years ago.

Over at the Jatadiri Sports Complex in Semarang, swimmers Roland Sabido and Arnel Aba added silver and bronze medals, respectively, to the country’s collection in the stint backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Sabido was second in the men’s 100-meter backstroke S9 event in one minute, 15.820 seconds, while Aba bagged the bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter butterfly stroke S9 event in 1:23.40.

But the PH swimmers hope to recover from their anemic showing today with 2017 Malaysian ASEAN Para Games gold medalist Gary Bejino, veteran Ernie Gawilan and Angel Otom expected to vie for gold Thursday.

Contributing bronze medals in athletics were King James Reyes and Andy Avellana in the men’s 1,500-meter T46 race and Men’s High Jump T42/T63 event, respectively.

Table tennis likewise delivered a bronze through the Class 10 mixed doubles tandem of Pablo Catalan Jr. and Minnie Cadag, who took a 6-11, 8-11, 4-11 loss to Indonesia’s Komet Akbar and Aminah in the semifinals.

Overnight, judo also gave the country its first medal in the sport courtesy of Deterson Onas in the men’s J1-60 kg class.

PH men’s team rises to share of 8th in Olympiad THE Philippines relied on the heroics of Grandmaster Mark Paragua as it shocked Sweden, 2.5-1.5, in the fifth round Tuesday night to barge into the top 10 of the 44th World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.

With the match tied at 1.5 points apiece following draws by GMs John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo and International Master Paulo Bersamina on boards two to four, Paragua fought his way from an almost equal position and squeezed out a 69-move draw with Erik Blomqvist on top board to snatch the upset win against the 31st-ranked Swedes.

The Filipinos, who are backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, thus leapfrogged straight to an 18-country tie at eighth spot with eight match points to show where they are the lowest-ranked country, being seeded only 52nd out of 182 men’s teams in this 11-round, 12day event.

India 2 and Armenia share lead with perfect 10 points while a Wesley So-led United States, Uzbekistan, India 1, Cuba and Iran were a point off the pace at third to seventh spots.

The country hopes to sustain its impressive showing as it shoots for another mammoth triumph versus 22nd seed Israel, which absorbed a 2.5-1.5 defeat to So and the Americans, in the sixth round at press time.

The Filipinas, for their part, came close to likewise pulling off a shock victory against the 17th-ranked Dutch, but WGM Janelle Mae Frayna fell against top board player Eline Roebers in a 2.5-1.5 defeat.

WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego won her duel with FIDE Master Machteld Van Foreest on board three, while WGM candidate Kylen Joy Mordido split the point with WIM Rosa Ratsma on board four.

WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda was the other casualty as she fell to veteran GM Peng Zhaoqin on second board.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

B1

Mikey Williams of TNT scores with a jumper in a PBA Philippine Cup semifinal game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday. The Tropang Giga drew first blood against the Magnolia Chicken Timplados following a 108-96 win.

Pogoy, Khobuntin star as TNT draws 1st blood in PBA semis

By Peter Atencio

M

IKEY Williams slowed down in the final period but RR Pogoy and Glenn Khobuntin took over as TNT Tropang Giga pulled off a 108-96 swamping of the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots to take a 1-0 lead in the 2022 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup semifinals Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Williams struck with 26 points, but was scoreless in the fourth period, with Magnolia’s Rome de la Rosa holding him down.

But it didn’t matter.

Pogoy and Khobuntin had 23 and 18 points and took care of business as they carried the offensive brunt for Williams with their timely hits in the last period,

keeping Tropang Giga out of trouble.

Pogoy and Khobuntin combined for 11 points in the last 12 minutes for TNT, which will shoot for a 2-0 lead on Friday in Game 2.

The 6’2” Pogoy, who can switch positions from a shooting guard to a small forward, used his versatility to the hilt as

the Tropang Giga established a 17-point spread, 105-88, with his driving shot in the remaining 3:07.

Khobuntin unloaded a trey with 1:08 left to increase TNT’s edge to 18, 108-90.

“Since Day 1, we kinda jelled pretty well. These are the guys I looked up to when I need questions answered,” said Williams as he leaned on Pogoy and Khobuntin for baskets that he could not take in the last period.

Calvin Abueva banged in 18 points for Magnolia, which will seek to bounce back in Game 2.

Williams and Kelly Williams led the way in the first period using a 12-3 run, with Jayson Castro making seven of 12 points during their initial attack.

Castro’s layup in the final 32 ticks propelled TNT to a 28-19 spread.

Williams banged in 12 points in the second canto, with his floater and triple

giving TNT a 17-point edge, 54-37.

Pogoy shot nine points, while Williams had eight in the third, while Castro’s layup with 47 seconds left gave TNT its biggest edge, 84-60.

“I’m blessed to have players who can play multiple roles. I think we were flexible today. We built our team’s rotation for flexibility and agility,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

The Scores: TNT 108 - M. Williams 26, Pogoy 23, Khobuntin 18, Castro 12, Montalbo 8, Erram 6, K.Williams 4, Marcelo 4, Tungcab 3, Rosario 2, Ganuelas-Rosser 2, Alejandro 0, Cruz 0.

Magnolia 96 - Sangalang 14, Abueva 18, Jalalon 14, Dionisio 14, Laput 12, Lee 9, Barroca 7, Dela Rosa 5, Wong 2, Reavis 1, Zaldivar 0, Corpuz 0.

Quarters: 28-19, 54-37, 86-66, 108-96

Obiena back in action at Diamond League Ernest John Obiena

ITALY-BASED Ernest “EJ” John Obiena has erased doubts on how far he can go.

But the 26-year-old Obiena believes that he can go further after taking on the world’s best and claiming the bronze medal two weeks ago in the men’s pole vault action in the 2022 World Athletics Championships at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

On Saturday, the 6’2” Obiena will be back in action in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, which is the ninth leg of the Diamond League at the Stadion Śląski in Chorzow, Poland.

“It (bronze medal) solidifies what I already knew, that I’m capable of competing with the best in the world. Fact is, a lot of things happened this year and I did not know if I was going to be able to compete and if I can represent the Philippines,” said Obiena.

Now ranked no. 3 in the world, Obiena will once again face Swedish wonder Armand “Mondo”

Duplantis and American Chris Nilsen and seek podium finishes in their presence.

In Oregon, Duplantis ruled the competition in the absence of two-time champion Sam Kendricks of the United States and made 6.21 meters in two tries for a new world record and the gold.

The Tondo, Manila-born Obiena has cleared 5.94 meters on his second try in the said tournament, allowing him to surpass his highest leap of 5.93 meters he set last year in the 2021 Golden Rooftop Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria.

This time, Obiena will once again seek to clear 6.0 meters, a height which he missed in Oregon.

Obiena said there are many obstacles and situations, which almost derailed his progress this year and this included his liquidation issues, knee injury and his bout with COVID-19.

“They may be blessings in disguise. But my approach to them is to just move forward,” added Obiena. Peter Atencio

Hidilyn’s nutrition coach launches children’s books to nurture Olympic dreams THE woman who decides what Hidilyn Diaz eats and drinks, enabling her to perform at an Olympic gold medalwinning level is spreading the importance of proper nutrition – especially to kids who want to nurture their own sports dreams.

Elite performance nutrition coach Jeaneth Aro has launched a series of story books that aim to reach children at the household level, while also giving parents a guide and the chance to not just bond with their kids, but also learn with them about health and nutrition.

The first book in her collection, “Ang Natatagong Lakas ni Bulas Gatas” is about how milk has helped a young aspiring basketball player achieve his goals.

“I want to give back to our community by helping Jeaneth Aro is shown during her book launching. She is with the grassroots athletes, by Hidilyn Diaz, Julius Naranjo and Eumir Marcial giving them the opportunity to achieve their potential pagdating sa sports,” said nabibigay ng Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Aro, a former University of sports at yung Marcial, as well as former world boxing the Philippines taekwondo c h a r a c t e r champion Mark Magsayo, and TNT athlete and now a Registered development Tropang Giga basketball team, among Nutritionist-Dietician, during the na naibibigay others. launch of her 37-page children’s ng sports sa lahat,” Diaz, just days after tying the knot with book she co-authored with eldest added the renowned coach, head coach Julius Naranjo, took time to son Alex. who takes care of the nutritional needs attend the book launch and congratulated “Alam naman natin ang pag-asa na of Diaz and fellow Olympic medalists Aro on her first book in the series.

“Dapat nagsisimula sa pagkabata ang nutrition, tamang pag-kain. Buti na lang may ganito tayong libro,” Diaz said. “Napaka-importante nito sa pagiging atleta, pagiging simpleng tao.

Para mapahaba natin ang buhay natin at kaming mga atleta, para makapagperform kami ng maayos at mapahaba din yung performance namin as an athlete.”

Aro makes sure to include one 220-milliliter glass of milk in the daily meal plan of Diaz, who, after her vacation, is preparing for the World Championships in December as qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics where she is looking for an encore to her historic Tokyo Olympics conquest.

“Every day may milk ako,” Diaz said. “Kailangan ko yan sa katawan ko, sa muscles ko, sa bones ko. Siyempre nagbubuhat ako, kailangan malakas ako.

May tamang nutrisyon ang kinakain ko at mayroon ‘yun sa gatas.”

Coach Jeaneth is pledging a percentage from the total sales of the book to fund a Milk Feeding Program for Young Athletes in partnership with the MVP Sports Foundation, under their Community Sports and Youth Development Program.

B2

Sports

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

Malixi one shot behind leader at Illinois golf RIANNE Malixi charged back from as many as five shots down with a closing birdie-binge, finishing with a seven-under 65 to pull within one off Julia Misemer of the US at the start of the Junior PGA Championships in Palos Park, Illinois Tuesday.

Malixi, gearing up for next week’s US Women’s Amateur at Chamber’s Bay in Washington, produced one big shot after another coming out of the turn at the Cog Hill Golf and Country Club’s Ravines layout, birdying Nos. 10 and 11 then stringing three-straight from No. 16 to spike a stirring 34-31 card.

Misemer led the assault at the par72 course in mild conditions with a 64, anchoring her strong start on a frontside run of six birdies, including three straight from No. 1. Three more birdies in the first five holes at the back put her at nine-under but she failed to get up-and-down at the par-4 15th and missed a couple of chances in the last three holes and settled for an eight-under start.

But Malixi rallied from way back to put herself in strong contention for one the US most prestigious junior championships, complementing her impressive round with superb putting while pouncing on Misemer’s late mishap and matching the American’s blistering start with her own version of a splendid finish.

Yuka Saso won this event in Hartford, Connecticut in 2019, rallying from behind to beat American Jenson Castle, who went on to win the 2021 US Women’s Amateur crown.

The ICTSI-backed Malixi, coming off a semifinal setback in the Women’s Western Amateur Match Play in Northfield, also in Illinois, two weeks ago, tied for fifth in last year’s edition of the annual event won by Anna Davis, also of the US, at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.

But her strong windup put her in the early mix of things although she needed to shrug off a shaky start of two bogeys against a birdie in the first five holes to get her bid going.

She hit back-to-back birdies from No. 6 and cashed in on the par-5 ninth to make the turn at 34, still four strokes behind Misemer, who birdied the first three holes, gained another stroke on No. 5 then picked up two more on Nos. 7 and 9 for a solid 30.

Misemer actually stretched her lead to five with birdies on Nos. 11, 13 and 14 against Malixi’s feats on Nos. 10 and 11 but the latter gained on the former’s rare miscue on No. 15 and on her scorching windup.

Ritualo to coach Greenies in NCAA

By Peter Atencio

FIBA MASCOT. Shown here are (from left) FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Executive Director David Crocker, Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Olivia ‘Bong’ Coo and FBWC 2923 Event Director (Philippines) Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios, with JIP, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Mascot. (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023)

Norman: Tiger rejected $700m-$800m LIV offer N EW YORK—Tiger Woods turned down an offer of about $700-800 million to take part in the Saudifunded LIV Golf series, the rebel circuit’s chief Greg Norman said.

Fifteen-time major champion Woods has always made clear his opposition to the series which is threatening to tear golf apart and triggered accusations of Saudi “sportswashing”.

Speaking in an interview on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, LIV chief executive Norman was asked if it was true that the American golf legend was offered “700, 800, a billion dollars” to join the breakaway circuit.

“That number was out there before I became CEO so that number’s been out there, yes,” Norman, a former world number one who is the public face of

Tiger Woods

LIV Golf, said in the interview at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the third LIV Golf Invitational was held last weekend.

“And look, Tiger is a needle-mover, right? So of course you are going to look at the best of the best.

“They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO, so yes, that number is somewhere in that neighbourhood.”

The 46-year-old Woods has consistently declared his loyalty to the PGA Tour and said he has no intention of following the

likes of other major winners, such as Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson in jumping ship to the upstart LIV. “I disagree with it,” Woods said ahead of the British Open in St Andrews last month when asked about his fellow professionals who have been tempted to join the hugely lucrative but deeply controversial circuit.

“I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position,” Woods said.

“And who knows what’s going to happen in the near future with world-ranking points, the criteria for entering major championships?

“Some of these players may not ever get a chance to play in major championships.

That is a possibility. We don’t know that for sure yet.”

The LIV series, spearheaded by Norman and bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, offers record prize money of $25 million per 54-hole event with shotgun starts and no cut. AFP

FLORENDO “Renren” Ritualo Jr. is getting ready to handle the La Salle Greenhills Greenies this month.

The retired Philippine Basketball Association standout said the lessons he learned, while playing under the guidance of the Pumaren brothers, Franz and Dindo, will help the new Greenies be in contention for their second junior cage plum.

The Greenies won their f irst National Collegiate Athletic Association junior cage title back in Season 93, f ive years ago, under coach Marvin Bienvenida.

They took runner-up honors to the Malayan High School Red Robins in 2018 and lost to the San Beda Red Cubs in the Final Four the following year.

“I’m just taking care of a few things. I will be taking care of this team this August,” said the 43-year-old Ritualo in an interview with the Manila Standard.

Ritualo will be coaching a squad for the first time.

Since retiring in 2014 following a four-year stint with Shopinas, Ritualo came aboard as assistant coach to Franz Pumaren when he handled the Adamson Falcons from 2015 to 2022.

Coaching a team wasn’t an immediate plan for Ritualo.

But he said yes when the opportunity came.

“To be honest, this wasn’t the plan. I wanted to serve La Salle, but not immediately get a head-coaching job. Pero nagkataon lang (that he got an offer),” said Ritualo, who added that playing for the Green Archers from 1997 to 2001 under Franz Pumaren gave him some insights on handling teams and players.

And it was his time with his former coach that he was able to get some knowledge with the Falcons as an assistant coach.

Red Bull crowns winner of Dance Your Style PH THE Filipino dancing community saw an incredible display of moves and passion with every battle between the country’s best dancers last July 23rd at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheatre during the National Finals of Red Bull Dance Your Style.

Out of the Top 16 dancers, Mickey Yatar came out on top and will represent the Philippines at the World Finals.

Living up to the hype, each and every one of the 16 competitors left it all on the dance floor during the National Finals. In the end, Mickey Yatar and Carlos “Taz” Naval Jr. were the two dancers left standing. Following two intense rounds of pure skill and adaptability, Yatar won the hearts of the crowd and was crowned the champion and the repMoi Yamoyam, founder/coach of The Swim Academy (TSA)

resentative of the Philippines.

“Top of my head is consulting the Top 16 (RB DYS Finalists). They all have great ideas because some of them are my teachers and closest friends. I want to consult and gather more tips from them for my preparation,” said Yatar.

He then expressed the intent of training more physically and dove into the importance of the body’s adaptation to new environments, such as South Africa’s climate, in order to improve his overall performance.

Yatar is set to go head-to-head with the best dancers from all around the world at the culmination of Red Bull Dance Your Style at the World Finals in Johannesburg, South Africa, sometime in December 2022.

“Just start. Just start without comparing yourself. That’s the first thing.

And then the second thing is to take it slowly. Take your time and enjoy kasi marami kayo matutunan. Find people whom you can trust and will help you be open for feedback.” added Yatar in regard to inspiring the next generation of Filipinos who wants to kickstart a career in dancing.

For more updates and news about the upcoming Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals, visit the official event website, https://www.redbull. com/danceyourstyleph, and the following social media pages: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redbulldance | Instagram: @redbullph and @ redbulldance

Mickey Yatar shows off his moves.

TSA swimmers excel in Super Series Aquathlon

By Camille Anne M. Arcilla THE Swim Academy (TSA) Philippines came through at the Super Series-Super Aquathlon event last July 31 at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub. The aquathlon is the first of the three-part series, with Super Duathlon and Super Triathlon in line next.

Sixteen participants from TSA joined in— six for Super Aquathlon (350-meter and 3-kilometer run) and 10 for All Stars (700-meter swim and 6-kilometer run). TSA placed in top spots with six podium finishers in their respective age groups.

The Super Series aims to inspire people Gail Madrilejos wins her age category to begin their multisport journey by offering Endurance Lab PH, said that of the three disprogressively designed series of pocket events.

“We are grateful to have participated in this ciplines in multisport, swimming is the most event and hopefully, this would be the first of many difficult to learn without the coach.

“Swim helps more on the run than run helps for this year and we are looking forward to that,” more on the swim. I strongly recommend swimCoach Moi Yamoyam of The Swim Academy said. ming not just for running but to all other sports,” Start with swim Yamoyam, who is also the co-founder for he said.

He also added that there’s a difference between competitive swimming and multisport.

“They are particularly the same but the difference is the mileage you need to complete on a weekly basis and the strokes that you need to learn,” Yamoyam said.

As a coach, he follows the total immersion approach. His students would have to do the they would follow and they could start with that.

“Any exercise you do, you start by understanding the mechanics how it is done, you isolate a certain movement then put it all together then that’s going to be the whole movement itself,” he said.

For those who are interested to enrol in Yamoyam’s class, you can message him at the Swim Academy PH’s Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/SwimAcademyPH), Endurance Lab PH’s Facebook page (https://www. facebook.com/endurancelabph), or e-mail at askswimacademy@gmail.com.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

B3

Seasoned directors to grace Korean Film Fest at SM Cinemas Lee Woo Jung is a promising independent film director. Her recent film, ‘Snowball,’ is included in the lineup of films for this year’s festival

Korean film director Hong Wonchan will grace the 2022 Korean Film Festival’s Opening Night at SM Aura Premiere

T

HE 2022 Korean Film Festival is back at SM Cinemas from August 11 to 14. A total of seven films released in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic will be screened in five SM Cinemas in Metro Manila at SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM City North EDSA, SM City Grand Central, and SM Southmall.

All screenings are for free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

A joint project of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, and SM Cinema, this year’s festival unreels at SM Aura Premier on August 10 with no less than Hong Wonchan, director of the festival’s opening film Deliver Us From Evil. He will be joined by another Korean director Lee Woojung whose recent film, Snowball, is also included in the lineup of films for this year’s festival.

Deliver Us From Evil is an action/ crime/drama film that follows the story of an assassin who goes to Thailand in order to solve a

‘Miracle: Letters to the President’

by Lee Jang-Hoon

‘The Day I Died: Unclosed Case’ by Park Jiwan

‘Snowball’ by Lee Woo Jung

‘Perhaps Love’ by Jo Eun-Ji

kidnapping case linked to him, and finds himself chased by a man whose sibling he killed.

The film, directed by Hong Wonchan has attracted almost 4.36 million Korean

ANOTHER school year is fast approaching, and students from all over the Philippines are preparing for their return. Although the government and private institutions have developed new learning systems that allow students to learn in school or in their homes, some Filipinos still struggle with the resources to receive a quality education.

The World Bank found that only 26.9 percent of Filipino students had broadband internet access, while distance schooling only covered 20 percent of children in the country.

Even with access to online learning, children ages 12 and below have trouble focusing on on-screen World Vision lessons.

Yet World Ambassador Vision, a global Jasmine CurtisC h r i s t i a n Smith talks about h u m a n i t a r i a n the difficulties organization, aims faced by students to bridge the gap due to the between Filipinos pandemic in underserved communities and their right to receive an education. It sounds like a tall order for one organization and its donors, but World Vision has a plan with its Back-To-School 2022 campaign, and all it takes is P1,000.

P1,000 may seem like a meager amount to others, but for World Vision, it’s enough to provide two school children with the school supplies they need for the entire school year.

Since 2020, the Back-To-School Program has donated nearly 88,000 learning kits and 36,000 learning modules to vulnerable communities in the Philippines. By supporting this campaign and donating P1,000, individuals can help more vulnerable children get the assistance they need to start the school year with joy and hope in their hearts.

“Our hope is that by providing students with what they need for the school year, they will be able to feel more confident and

hopeful in working towards their dreams,” said Rommel Fuerte, National Director for World Vision Philippines.

World Vision advocate Scarlet Snow Belo is happy to be a part of the campaign because she knows how fun it is for children like her to enjoy going to school and learning new things.

“School is such a great place to be. I have so much fun playing with my classmates, writing, and learning many interesting facts. I’m also happy for the other children like me who can experience this joy and excitement with the World Vision help of World Vision, Advocate Scarlet kind-hearted donors, Snow Belo shares her and sponsors,” she experience going said. to school and how To further show grateful she is to be her solidarity with part of the Back-Tochildren in the School program country, Scarlet pledged a sizeable amount of her money to provide more than ten children with World Vision’s BackTo-School kits.

World Vision’s B a c k - To - S c h o o l 2022 campaign aims to help the most vulnerable children continue schooling despite the pandemic and other calamities plaguing the country.

Aside from the learning kits, which contain learning modules for remote communities, World Vision also offers financial aid to marginalized families in the country.

Jasmine Curtis-Smith, a World Vision ambassador, recognizes the challenges students and parents have faced in the new learning setup during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These times have been difficult for parents, with the struggles of working from home. Imagine how difficult it must be for students and children as well—to not have social interactions with their [fellow] classmates,” she said.

She hopes that with the contribution of more sponsors and donors, more Filipino students can have a better experience in school and pursue their education.

Escape from Mogadishu by Ryu Seung-Wan

moviegoers in the midst of the pandemic in 2020. His debut film, Office, has been invited to 68th Cannes Film Festival’s midnight screening in 2015.

Snowball, a youth drama film by Lee

Celebs help empower students as they return to school

By Patricia Taculao

‘The Novelist’s Film’ by Hong Sang-Soo

‘Deliver Us From Evil’ by Hong Wonchan

The 2022 Korean Film Festival will feature seven films released during the pandemic

Woo Jung, narrates how Kang-yi runs away from home with her friends only to find a strange side of themselves while the balance of their friendship also tips in a weird way.

Director Lee Woo Jung is a promising independent film director who started her career as an actress after studying theater and film at the university. She directed her first independent short film Neither to Die nor to Leave in 2012 and has begun to get more attention through her recent film Snowball.

Other festival must-sees include the action-drama film Escape from Mogadishu by Ryu Seung-Wan, drama films Miracle: Letters to the President by Lee Jang-Hoon and The Novelist’s Film

by Hong Sang-Soo, the drama-mystery film The Day I Died: Unclosed Case by Park Jiwan, and comedy-romance film Perhaps Love by Jo Eun-Ji. The film festival which is also in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Korean Film Council, Korean Tourism Organization (KTO) Manila Office, aims to help moviegoers build new experiences, create bonds, and discover new goals.

Interested moviegoers may visit KCC’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, @KCCPhil to reserve slots for the opening ceremony on August 10 at SM Aura Premier Cinema 2 and for the Talk with the Filmmakers on August 11, 1:30 p.m. at the FDCP Cinematheque Centre Manila.

The Korean Film Festival is one of the many exciting cross-cultural events at SM Cinema.

Mutya ng Pilipinas is back

PAGEANT CONCEPT ETON CONCEPCION THE 52nd edition of Mutya ng Pilipinas (MNP) returns after it was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The search for forty official MNP candidates, here and abroad, is now open and the titles Mutya ng Pilipinas 2022, Mutya ng Pilipinas Overseas Communities, and Top Model of the World are at stake.

President of the Mutya ng Pilipinas Organization Cory Quirino

The MNP 2022 queen will aim to redefine the meaning of women empowerment by embracing a more proactive role in highlighting the theme of “Sustainability & Inclusivity,” through responsible citizenship, respecting individuality, and upholding social responsibility.

“This is an opportune time for beauty pageants to become a relevant platform to uplift and support the future of Philippine women by extolling the virtues of and embracing the potential of the Filipina,” said Cory Quirino, president of MNP Organization.

“I totally support this new and dynamic direction of Mutya ng Pilipinas,” said Fred Yuson, chairman of MNP. MNP also announced that due to the proximity of Miss Tourism International 2022 next month, where the Mutya winner is competing, a separate Mutya representative will be appointed the soonest time. Klyza Castro, April May Short, Tyra Rae Goldman, and Cyrille Payumo, who won Miss Tourism International in 2019, were the last winners of MNP. Coronation Night of MNP 2022 is set late this year.

*** Miss Philippines Earth 2022 partners with Connext The 20 finalists of Miss Philippines Earth 2022 competed during preliminary judging for Beauty of Face and Poise, presented by Connext, in partnership with Carousel Productions, Inc., held at Viridian in Greenhills on July 27.

Connext, a leading life and non-life insurance agency in the Philippines, helps preserve Mother Earth through an effort in reducing the paper waste materials coming from printed insurance policies, and thereby, creating a more sustainable solution to an age-old untenable insurance practice – producing paperless insurance policies called “Eco-Policy.”

“We are glad to have Connext as partner in promoting our cause through creating innovative and sustainable insurance

Three Miss Earth Philippines candidates receive the Darling of the Press Award

special award.

Meanwhile, at the press presentation and pre-judging for Fitness and Form, of the 20 finalists of MPE 2022, held at Okada Manila on July 28, Jennifer De Asis of Mandaluyong City, a 25-yearold, Marketing and Advertising graduate from De La Salle University Dasmariñas and niece of former beauty queen Yedda Marie Romualdez, was voted Darling of the Press (Gold). Jenny Ramp of Santa Ignacia, Tarlac, a 19-year-old Psychology student won Silver, while Justiene Ortega of Manila, a 28-yearold Marketing graduate from San Beda, won the Bronze. *** Yul Servo promise of service with compassion and commitment Fresh from being sworn in as the 20th elected Vice Mayor of Manila John Marvin Nieto addressed the opening of the 12th City Council of Manila inaugural session with running mate Mayor-elect Honey Grace Lacuna.

Known by his screen name Yul Servo, the 45-year-old actor-turned-politician promised to provide service with compassion and commitment. Following in the footsteps of former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Nieto, who grew up in Binondo, served as Councilor and then Manila 3rd District representative.

After graduating from the Philippine College of Criminology, Nieto passed up becoming a policeman and instead, accepted the late director Maryo J. de los Reyes’ offer to become an actor. He was most memorable as Nora Aunor’s costar in de los Reyes’ Naglalayag, which swept the awards during the 2004 Manila film Festival including best actor and best actress.

Jasmine Paguio bags the Miss BingoPlus special

practices” said Peachy Veneracion, vice-president for Marketing of Carousel Productions.

At the conclusion of the pre-judging competition, Jasmine Paguio of Filipino Community Toronto, Canada, was named the winner of the Miss BingoPlus

Incumbent Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo

Tap dancing for adults at Sunshine Place

Danny Vinculado teaches tap dancing classes for adults at the Sunshine Place

SUNSHINE Place collaborates once more with Danny Vinculado as it opens tap dancing classes this time for adults every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

The tap dancing class is an eight-session course but it is also open to interested individuals who want to avail of a per session schedule. Adults and seniors who want to learn how to tap dance are invited to sign up.

Tap dance is a type of dance that relies on the sounds and rhythms made using the dancer’s heel and toe taps. Of its many variations, Sunshine Place offers the basics of dance footwork through a mix of modern, classical,

rhythmic, and Broadway song sequences.

Aside from developing the students’ social skills, tap dancing also improves the muscles, mind, and memory.

Vinculado, who will facilitate the class, has been working with Sunshine Place for more than five years on developing elderlyage-appropriate dances only available at Sunshine Place. Among these is Yeba-Indak, a unique healthy exercise program featuring OPM music and folk dance steps, and chair dancing, seated dancing for elderly with hip, waist, and leg medical concerns. His expertise covers jazz, folk, and contemporary dances.

He has stints as a TV commercial and theater plays choreographic director and is currently a dance facilitator at GMA’s Artist Center, and jazz instructor/choreographer at Arts in the City.

To enroll and further inquiries please contact Sunshine Place at (0917) 515-5656 or email:online.sunshineplace@gmail.com.

Follow Sunshine Place: Website: http:// www.sunshineplaceph.com/; Facebook @SunshinePlace56Jupiter; Instagram @sunshineplaceph; or YouTube:Sunshine Place: Senior Recreation Center.

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

B4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022

Life

Latest beauty trends, innovations, and solutions AS the world reemerges from the challenges of the pandemic, it is time to face brighter days ahead with full confidence.

Prepare for those face-to-face meetings, Instagrammable travels, and catch-up sessions with friends by having glowing and youthful skin with the help of safe, trusted, and proven beauty science.

The latest trends in aesthetics point to a natural-looking and subtle ‘glow-up’ as they call it on social media. This year, it is all about looking relaxed and rejuvenated as people start to reenter a more social phase in their lives.

Global-renowned company Merz Aesthetics, which is best known as the makers of Ultherapy and other aesthetics products like Easy Adapt dermal fillers and Pure anti-wrinkle injections, discusses the latest beauty trends, innovations, and solutions in aesthetic medicine with local experts to help more Filipinos to transition to the new normal of 2022 through the ‘Confidently U’ campaign.

Merz Aesthetics Philippines General Manager Jorge Libanan says that the campaign is brought by the reinvigorated demand for self-care and enhancements, with more Filipinos looking for ways to look and feel their best as they begin to face the world anew. “We partnered with top aesthetics doctors to talk about trusted treatments that are meant to enhance —not change—one’s beauty, and help more Filipinos know more about how to grow their confidence with the best in aesthetics and skin care technology.”

Dermatologist Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas, MD discussed new bespoke skin solutions for different skin needs using Easy Adapt dermal

fillers and Pure anti-wrinkle injections, to address the evolving skin needs of patients, especially after the pandemic restriction have been lifted. “I think skincare has become a trend, especially in the last three to five years as more people are becoming aware of the importance of loving the skin. This is evident in the amount of skincare products available out there and in my practice, I now have patients coming to me for consult just because they want me to help them formulate a skincare routine.”

She adds that people are now transitioning to preventive treatments with patients seeking dermatological interventions early on rather than having to deal with the signs of skin aging once they’ve formed. “Another thing is that many come to enhance their features, rather than wanting to look like someone else, my patients want to look and be the best version of themselves.” Online personality Merz Aethetics Philippines GM Jorge Libanan and the Merz Aethetics Philippines team Kathy Hererra shared her beauty journey. “My eye bags were starting to make me look older neck, chin, and brow, and improves lines different authenticity touch points like the than my age, so I consulted with Dr. Robredo- and wrinkles on the upper chest. With machine emblem, authenticity seal, clinic Vitas. I was also curious about Ultherapy® and three treatment tips of varying depths, one certificate of authenticity, and patient cerI asked her how it can help me.” It was through can specifically target the essential layers tificate of authenticity.

The 2022 authenticity certificates were their discussions that she tried out Ultherapy of the skin to achieve superior, naturaland she says that she is happy with the results. looking results that improve over time,” symbolically awarded by Libanan and Sales says Philippine Dermatological Society Director Ludovico Perez, Jr. to accredited Real matters The Ultherapy treatment uses microfo- Fellow Dr. Jonathan Yu. “With the ability partner clinics in an event held in Peninsula cused ultrasound imaging to deliver the to see in real-time, your treatment provider Manila, Makati City last June 23. The event precise amount of energy needed at the can maximize the value of each shot deliv- also featured a workshop on marketing via online short-format videos held by digital proper depth to ensure the best treatment ered while ensuring safety.”

To ensure safe Ultherapy procedures, marketing expert Gian Reyes, in order to outcomes when it comes to lifting and tightening the skin. Dr. Jonathan Nevin Merz Aesthetic Philippines has likewise help more Filipinos discover the benefits of Yu, MD says the Ultherapy treatment re- taken proactive and stringent measures an authentic Ultherapy treatment. This is in mains the Gold Standard in non-surgical to counteract the counterfeit treatments line with the regional-led Ultherapy authenlifting and skin tightening. “It is U.S. that fraudulently use the Ultherapy brand ticity campaign entitled #RealMattersToMe, FDA-cleared, non-invasive procedure name. It ensures that patients are led to the which aims to call out fake providers, highwith real-time visualization that lifts the authentic Ultherapy centers by sharing the light the risks and dangers of getting fake

Chaye CabalRevilla, Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation with Generali President and CEO Rey Centeno at the contract signing in MPIC’s new headquarters in Rockwell Business Center.

PH’s fastest-growing health app enters back-to-back partnerships with insurance giants FURTHER boosting its strength as an insurance from Generali worth P20,000. integrated healthcare platform, Metro The fully loaded plan also includes free ePacific Investments Corporation’s mWell prescription, medical certificate, or doctor PH teams up with two of the country’s referral. Booking fee is waived for mWell’s leading insurance companies, PhilCare best-value deal. Healthsavers Plan may also and Generali, allowing app users to pur- be sent as a gift to friends and loved ones, chase their products on the app. allowing app users to share the gift of good Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Chief Finance, health. With the partnerships, mWell users Risk and Sustainability Officer of Metro can easily purchase Generali and PhilCare Pacific Investments Corporation said products on the e-shop. the partnership is a testament to mWell’s As part of the MPIC Group, mWell is commitment to respond to the healthcare committed to work towards the achieveneeds of every Filpino, “We are honored ment of the UN’s Sustainable Developto work with two key players in the insur- ment Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good ance market. Aside from providing 24/7 Health and Well-being. It also supports online doctor consultation via the mWell the MVP Group’s Gabay Kalusugan adapp, this partnership will allow us to offer vocacy focusing on quality and affordthe assistance and life protection needed able healthcare. On National mWellness by mWell users and their families.”

MPIC President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manny V. Pangilinan recognizes the importance of strategic partnerships in bringing healthcare closer to Filipinos nationwide via MPIC group’s digital platform.

He says, “mWell is committed to provide online healthcare solutions through a wide network mWell leaders with PhilCare executives of medical experts and services. Users may consult with doctors Day, August 27 and 28, mWell will proonline, select health and wellness programs, vide free online doctor consultation via and conveniently access healthcare prod- the mWell app. ucts, empowering them to be in control of Download the mWell PH app from the their health with just one app.”

Apple App Store or Google Play Store. mWell launches another first—only Follow mWell on Facebook and mwellph P399 for 2 doctor check-ups and accident on Instagram for more updates. insurance with mWell Healthsavers Plan mWell is the health technology platThe new and improved mWell Healthsav- form developed by Metro Pacific Health ers Plan, which offers two check-ups for Tech Corporation that offers telemedicine, only P399, now comes with free accident health and wellness programs, e-commerce, among others, in an integrated, tech-based healthcare digital ecosystem.

Metro Pacific Health Tech Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, the leading infrastructure investment company in the Philippines with investments in various infrastructure assets including mWell team with Generali representatives healthcare.

Merz Aethetics Philippines GM Jorge Libanan, dermatologists Dr. Gaile Robredo-VITAS, and Dr. Jonathan Nevin Yu

treatments, and ultimately prove why only genuine and authentic Ultherapy can help you be Confidently U this 2022.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to beauty and to help Filipinos tailor-fit their aesthetic needs, has also featured its first patient loyalty app called the MASJ Myself App. The app features information about leading beauty treatments and their benefits.

For a truly personalized touch, the Face The Journey Beauty Filter shows the effect of different types of enhancing treatments under the Merz Aesthetics Serendipity Journey (MASJ), such as the MASJ Enchanting Eyes which refreshes eyes for a desired natural look; MASJ Perfect V that redefines your cheek contour and chin projection; MASJ Flawless Angles for a contoured jawline and lifted chin; MASJ Luscious Lips for fuller and kissable softer lips; and MASJ Alluring Smile that lifts mouth corners for a happier and positive outlook.

The app which is available on the App Store and on Google Play allows users to book an appointment at any of the 16 participating aesthetics centers and earn rewards points for each appointment and referral.

For more information about Merz Aesthetics Philippines, Ultherapy treatments and to locate accredited clinic providers, visit www. realmattersasia.com.

This local skincare brand nourishes skin without hurting your wallet

I

F YOU have been keeping tabs on anything skincare-related, then you have probably heard about a revolutionary ingredient for skincare that has been making waves for the past years or so.

And since this ingredient has been trending online, this can also mean that it’s been proven to be effective and works for different skin types. I’ll be the first to tell you that I am no expert when it comes to skincare, so, my best advice is to ask your dermatologist before trying something new especially if you are dealing with a skin issue like an allergy or a type of acne. Or try the good ‘ol skinpatch test first.

The ingredient I am speaking of is Niacinamide, a word that, as said earlier, has been trending in the skincare world. Niacinamide is basically a form of Vitamin B3, a powerful ingredient that is known to help minimize pore appearance, improve skin texture and hydration, regulate oil, protect the skin against sun damage, reduce fine lines, dry out pimples, and treat hyperpigmentation. This ingredient is typically found in premium skincare products; however, some brands have been making it available to a wider market range.

In comes this new local brand called Bravo Expert Skincare, which caters to that gap in the market —the segment composed of those who are looking for skincare products with this ingredient that’s proven to be safe and effective yet does not come at a hefty price tag. Founded by skincare enthusiast and digital entrepreneur Jasper Salceda,, Bravo is an emerging local brand that aims to democratize skincare, making it accessible to all—regardless of skin type, purchasing power, age, and gender. Bravo’s Niacinamide Series consists of a soap, a serum, and an intimate-area scrub-and-gel combo for full-body skin therapy. These products were made to be gentle on the skin, using local ingredients known to be skin-friendly.

“We spent a lot of time developing these products to make sure they’re the precise formula, have the consistency, and gentleness that’s needed for all skin types. We don’t want our customers to experience adverse reactions to the products, so we stayed away from ingredients that have the potential to cause itch and irritation. At the same time, we wanted the products to be effective, so we carefully studied and tested each to get the right balance,” said Salceda.

Retailing at only P189, the Bravo Niacinamide Soap for face and body is infused with glutathione to maximize its effects of clearing the skin of blemishes and spots, as well as to prevent further sun damage. It has calamansi extract and real calamansi bits to gently wash away the dullness caused by dead skin cells.

The Bravo 10 percent Niacinamide Se-

JOB WELL DONE

BY JOBA BOTANA

rum, on the other hand, is a potent solution that minimizes the appearance of pores while also hydrating the skin without making it oily. Infused with alpha arbutin, which is a potent yet safe skin-brightening agent along with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this serum is made to combat

exposure. Bravo addresses this by coming out with a scrub-and-gel duo, working together to deep-clean the pigmented areas while providing protection against irritation.

The Bravo Niacinamide Whitening Scrub, which retails at P299 for a 200-g jar, is blended with exfoliating beads to gently resurface new skin, glutathione to boost skin lightening, collagen to improve the skin texture, and tea tree extracts to calm the skin and counteract the scrubbing. Meanwhile, the 100-g Bravo Niacinamide Whitening Gel, which costs Php359, protects the exfoliated skin even further with the healing, soothing and hydrating properties of allantoin and aloe vera extract. On its own, the gel also makes for an effective skin-calming product for sun overexposure.

What’s also good about Bravo products is that they all come in mild, neutral scents —not over-powering, and are friendly to those

Local brand Bravo Expert Skincare caters to those who are looking for skincare products with Niacinamide ingredient yet does not come at a hefty price tag. Bravo’s Niacinamide Series consists of a soap, a serum, and an intimate-area scrub-and-gel combo that were made to be gentle on the skin.

skin discoloration. This product also contains hyaluronic acid and promotes skin elasticity, as well as suppleness. A 15-ml bottle sells for only P349.

“Here’s a tip: you can incorporate this serum into your makeup routine, using it as a primer,” Salceda adds.

The other two products are focused on achieving an even skin tone on other parts of the body. Designed to target dark problem areas, such as the inner thighs, underarms, elbows, and knees, Bravo’s scrub-andgel duo is also gentle enough to be used on the face.

These products can be used for the parts of the body with the highest concentration of

melanin, which are usually caused by the build-up of dead skin cells, overproduction of melanin, friction, and increased sun

who are sensitive to strong scents.

“We are not a whitening brand. The goal of our products is not to change the color of one’s skin,” quips Salceda. “Rather, they were specifically concocted to fight and prevent hyperpigmentation of different body parts for an even skin tone and texture all throughout.”

Bravo’s Niacinamide Series is now available at https://shopee.ph/bravoskinph. Find Bravo Expert Skincare on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok with the handle @bravoskinph.

For feedback, you may email the author at joba.botana@gmail.com.

Digital entrepreneur and skincare enthusiast Jasper Salceda founded the local brand Bravo Skincare Expert