Manila Standard - 2022 August 8 - Monday

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

‘F2F classes to boost recovery’ BBM: Biz, parents to benefit most with kids’ return to in-person schools

P

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said a successful resumption of face-to-face classes later this month will boost economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses around schools revive and parents get to go back to work while their children are in school.

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 173 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

In his weekly vlog uploaded Saturday, Marcos enjoined local government units (LGUs) to be more aggressive in their

COVID-19 vaccination and booster drives to ensure the safety of everyone, especially students, once Academic Year Next page

PH bet Camelle Mercado gains Miss United Continents crown CAMELLE Mercado won the Miss United Continents beauty pageant crown on Saturday in Portoviejo, Ecuador (Sunday in Manila), the second for the Philippines.

The local organization of Miss United Continents congratulated Mercado for her feat, posting on its official social media page: “CONGRATULATIONS!!!

NEW BEAUTY QUEEN.

Camelle Mercado beams in a close-up shot and on stage as she bested 24 candidates in the Miss United Continents competition to take home the Philippines’ second title in the event, after Jeslyn Santos won in 2016.

Next page

Marcos sets policy for police in visit to Camp Crame PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will make his first official visit to Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police, on Monday for the 121st Police Service Anniversary.

The 227,000-strong police force is expected to receive orders and policy guidance from Marcos.

The event will commemorate the founding of the former Philippine Constabulary, the country’s first insular police force, on Aug. 8, 1901.

As commander-in-chief, Marcos will present awards and citations to outstanding PNP units and personnel.

He will be assisted by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., the newly installed PNP chief.

Azurin is the 28th PNP chief and the first under Marcos. He will serve until April 24, 2023, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

He said the anniversary will highlight the PNP's peace and security framework.

“As we celebrate this auspicious day, we also honor and pay tribute to our fallen police officers, our unsung heroes, whose legacy, exceptional dedication to duty, selfless service, and unconditional love and sacrifices for our country and countrymen are forever etched in the colorful history of the PNP," Azurin said in a statement.

Next page

DOH revises daily booster jab goal to 400k to hit 23.8m mark

By Willie Casas THE government must now administer more than 400,000 jabs daily to reach its target of giving COVID-19 booster shots to 23.8 million people by Oct. 8, which marks the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.

At the same time, Department of Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told Dr. Samuel Zacate, newly

appointed chief of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to streamline processes in his agency and to explore with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers the possible registration of their products for use in the Philippines, if the state of calamity is lifted.

At a press briefing, Vergeire said the government has so far fallen short of the daily targets of its booster campaign dubbed “PinasLakas.”

Next page

Warships play cat-and-mouse as China ends Taiwan exercises CHINA'S largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan were drawing to a close yesterday following a controversial visit last week to the self-ruled island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Ahead of the scheduled conclusion of the drills, at least 10 warships each from China and Taiwan played high-seas "cat and mouse" on Sunday, sailing at close

quarters in the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi – the second in the line of succession to the US presidency – ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defense.

Su Tseng-chang, Taiwan's premier, Next page

PRICEY ISLAND. Foreign and local tourists wait for a commercial boat to take them to the famous sandbar on Virgin Island near Panglao Island in Bohol on Sunday. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has ordered an investigation into the alleged overpricing of seafood by local vendors, saying it is a matter that her department takes seriously. Danny Pata

HEAD HEAD. Residents visit TRACE (Taguig Registry for Access and Citizen Engagement) kiosks in Brgy. North Signal in Taguig City on Wednesday to have their Trace QR Code and vaccination status printed and laminated for free. The document is a vital requirement for vaccinated individuals to go out of the city. Danny Pata

Pinoy nurses in US are ‘angels,’ Blinken tells President

By Rey E. Requejo

“There are not so many angels in the world. But if there are angels in the US STATE Secretary Antony Blinken United States, among the angels are the hailed Filipino nurses in his country for Filipino nurses who are caring in so many their work ethic, describing them as “an- ways all throughout our country for our gels” in the United States. fellow Americans,” Blinken said during

his courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday.

Blinken, who left Manila for South Africa on Saturday night, was joined by US Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson, Next page

With charisma, openness, FVR was ‘Darling of the Press’

By Ben Cal

devoted public servant for nearly half a FVR, his initials, or “Steady Eddie” by century easily made him a “Darling of the his peers in the military and police beTHE late President Fidel V. Ramos’ cha- Press.” cause of his calmness in handling difficult risma and openness to the media as a Next page Ramos, who was popularly called

ADMIRING A PRESIDENT. A mother carries her baby while looking at artwork of the late President Fidel V. Ramos at the Galleria de los Presidente de la Republica Filipina along Santa Lucia Street inside the Walled City of Intramuros on Sunday (see more related photos on A4). Danny Pata

ROMUALDEZ: HOUSE READY FOR BUSINESS

‘DRAMA-FREE’ PEZA A MUST—SALCEDA

VELASCO PUSHES PARKING MEASURE

NEWS / A4

NEWS / A3

NEWS / A4

A2

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

53k still camping after Abra quake

O

NDRRMC said some 53,338 indi- half a million people across three reviduals, most of them staying outside gions in Luzon. evacuation centers, have not yet reAt least 20 evacuation centers returned to their homes since the July main open, catering to 1,310 people.

27 earthquake that affected more than In the quake’s aftermath, some

34,699 houses were partially damaged, while 628 others were destroyed.

Damage to infrastructure was placed at around P1.593 billion while damage to agriculture was estimated at P55.9 million, the NDRRMC said.

The agency said some 1,519 infrastructures were damaged across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region.

The death toll remained at 11, while the number of injured individuals increased to 567.

A total of 29 cities and municipali-

ties also declared a state of calamity due to the recent earthquake.

NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said due to the Abra earthquake, simulation exercises may be conducted anew.

“Our President had said that all the lessons we learned in the Abra earthquake will be included in all our preparations for future emergencies. It's possible that the government will conduct large simulation exercises again for that kind of a major emergency,” Timbal said in a radio interview.

booster doses.

Marcos admitted this is still far from the government’s target of administering at least 23 million COVID-19 booster shots within his first 100 days in office (see related story on A1 – Editors).

“We will not get tired of asking our LGUs to be more aggressive in this campaign,” he said in Filipino.

He acknowledged that getting more Filipinos to get their COVID-19 jabs and booster shots is not easy, but it is crucial to reopening more sectors.

“It might not be that simple, but if our preparation is done right, I am sure this will be successful,” he added.

“If this becomes successful, it won’t only mean the resumption of classes but also the resumption of business, livelihood, and economic development. This would be a huge help to our efforts to re-

open the economy,” he said.

Marcos reminded industries to continue enforcing minimum public health standards to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases.

“A lot of industries will take part and benefit from this step, so we need to make sure that everyone is ready,” he added.

Marcos visited a vaccination site in Pasig on Aug. 1 to observe and encourage more people to receive primary and booster shots.

“We have no other defense against this other than the vaccine. Let's not wait for the cases to increase and to become difficult for us to go to work, to leave our homes,” he said.

In an interview with ABS-CBN TeleRadyo on Sunday, Basas said a DepEd lawyer had the legal opinion that there was no law that entitles teachers to have a two-

month break, as his group is proposing.

But Basas said they will be filing a rejoinder with the department on Monday, as a final attempt to convince Duterte.

Among other things, the teachers want to get free laptops and internet connectivity, saying these are among their essential needs to deliver their lessons to learners when in-person classes start.

Basas said under Republic Act No. 11480 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2020, the opening of the school year may be deferred to another date beyond August during a national emergency.

Since the Philippines will remain under a state of calamity due to the COVID-19 pandemic only until September, Basas said their appeal for an extension of a break is still valid.

He also said it would be dangerous for the DepEd to ignore teachers' rights.

VER 53,000 people remain displaced nearly two weeks after a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Abra, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday.

‘F2F...

From A1

2022-2023 starts Aug. 22.

But a group of teachers called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to extend the current school break to give educators more time to prepare for the opening of face-to-face classes.

Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) national chairman Benjo Basas said they met with Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrent secretary of the Department of Education, who ruled out postponing the start of classes but asked them to document their request anyway.

Marcos, in his video address, said some 15.9 million Filipinos have received their first COVID-19 booster shots while over 1.2 million have received their second

Marcos...

From A1

“We are here to manifest the nation's enduring gratefulness and carry on the ideals they cherished.”

In a radio interview also on Sunday, Azurin said he wants all policemen to actively engage barangay (village) officials in strengthening peace and order at the community level.

He said the engagement will include planning and implementation of peace and order strategies as village officials are in the better position to determine the courses of action that are appropriate for their constituents.

“Basically, our focus is always on crime prevention and the crime solution so we need to organize the community and mobilize them

Pinoy...

From A1

Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Director of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff Salman Ahmed, Spokesperson Ned Price, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Thomas Sullivan, and Political Counselor Brett Blackshaw.

Blinken stressed that Filipino nurses have demonstrated “profoundly touching” compassion, something his own family has experienced.

“And I have to tell you, I have felt that in my own family with different experiences in the past. And that, on a most human level, is profoundly touching,” Blinken told Marcos.

For his part, Marcos said the dedication of Filipino healthcare workers around

With...

From A1

national security matters, died on July 31 at a ripe old age of 94.

Journalists who had covered FVR when he was still in active military service, in the defense department, and later as the 12th President of the Republic of the Philippines, visited his wake at the Heritage Chapel in Taguig City last Friday where they paid tribute to his many accomplishments to nation building.

Former members of the Malacanang Press Corps and Defense Press Corps cited FVR’s unrivaled openness to media – holding a weekly press conference and answering all questions thrown at him, and politely declining to respond, with a smile, if the query would compromise national security.

During his six-year term as President, members of the Malacanang Press Corps, including this writer, were provided one

PH...

From A1

MISS UNITED CONTINENTS 2022 CAMELLE MERCADO. We're so proud of you!!! Mabuhay Pilipinas!”

Before this, Mercado was more famously known for tripping on stage in the evening gown competition of the 2019 Miss World Philippines pageant.

“At that moment I felt embarrassed and discouraged. But while standing up from that fall, I had become stronger. I will

so that we can work together to ensure the peace and order in our country,” Azurin said.

Village officials, Azurin said, have wide information networks about who among their constituents are involved in illegal activities.

Azurin said the strengthening of good working relationships should be expanded to include other sectors of the society, including the religious and the academe.

“Policemen know their job and what we want is for the police, the barangay officials, and other stakeholders to work together as far as progress and development are concerned,” he added. “We need to build a good relationship with the community for them to trust the police.”

During his stint as Ilocos Region director, Azurin said he went down to the barangay level and asked for help.

He also vowed to stop the patronage

the world “is a value that we should be very proud of.”

“We are so terribly proud of our healthcare workers, the doctors, and nurses, the Filipinos who have been working in the United States and the way they performed in the face of COVID,” he said.

“We were here watching them and saying again that we Filipinos are playing a global role in combating this pandemic,” he added.

Blinken also said Washington is proud to be Manila’s partner in diverse global issues, including efforts to fight COVID-19 and the need to address climate change.

“We have been proud to be your partner in working on that and protecting all our people. Whether it’s climate and the need to deal with that existential challenge or whether it’s the impact of all these new technologies on the lives of our people,” Blinken said.

Fokker plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) for out-of-town trips.

A known workaholic, FVR also allowed ambush interviews. He made the media feel relaxed with his jokes and called the reporters by their first names.

After he bowed out from government service in 1998, FVR continued his service to the country by writing a column in the Manila Bulletin and made suggestions on dealing with national issues.

The public viewing of the urn containing FVR’s ashes will continue from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. today (Monday), at Chapels 2 to 4 at the Heritage Park in Taguig City.

Visitors are advised to observe the minimum public health standards—including wearing a face mask and maintaining social distancing.

Ramos will be accorded a state funeral with full military honors on August 9 at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. always stand tall and continue what I have started,” she said at the Ecuador event.

“Fast forward today, I am spreading my wings again and this time our country, Filipinas, is carved across my heart,” Mercado added.

The Filipina said the pageant was lifechanging for her as she beat out Ivanova Velez from the host country, who finished first runner-up.

They were followed by Karen Ortiz from Colombia, Lis Arbelaes from Venezuela, Gretha Matiauda from Paraguay, and Ayram Ortiz from Mexico.

system in the promotion of officers through a five-year recruitment, promotion, and retirement plan.

“This will give the leadership a glimpse of the financial requirement necessary when requesting for the annual budget for personnel services,” he said. “Then we must continue to ensure that our personnel due for compulsory retirement shall receive all their entitled benefits on the day or year they retire.”

Another program that Azurin will pursue is going after rogue policemen.

“To further cleanse our ranks of misfits and undesirables, we need to level up our counterintelligence,” said Azurin.

“Hence, to further strengthen our internal cleansing program, all commanders must exercise their respective disciplinary authority, otherwise they shall be replaced with a more competent commander.”

DOH...

From A1

The DOH had earlier said the government needed to vaccinate 397,334 individuals daily for 60 days to achieve the target, but it has fallen short of this goal since the campaign started.

“For us to achieve 23 million by Oct, 8, it should have been 397,000 plus per day. But we only achieved 384,000 boosters from the day we launched the campaign until now, and we've only boosted 17,000 senior citizens daily,” she said in Filipino.

“So, for now we have adjusted our targets. For our senior citizens, so that we will reach 1 million plus by Oct. 8, we need to vaccinate 20,774 senior citizens per day until the end of Oct. 8. And we need to give 443,892 first booster shots per day until Oct. 8,” she said.

The DOH OIC said a total of 15,468 vaccination sites have been created for the “PinasLakas” cam-

Warships...

From A1

said China is "barbarously using military action" to disturb peace in the Taiwan Strait.

"We call on the Chinese government not to go around wielding its military power, showing its muscles everywhere and jeopardizing the peace of the region," he told reporters Sunday.

Taiwan said its shore-based antiship missiles and Patriot surface-toair-missiles were on standby.

Beijing deployed fighter jets, warships, and ballistic missiles around Taiwan in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade and ultimate invasion of the island.

Those exercises were set to end Sunday, though Beijing has announced fresh drills in the Yellow Sea – located between China and the Korean peninsula – to take place until August 15.

Taiwan's transport ministry said six of the seven "temporary danger zones" China warned airlines to avoid ceased to be in effect as of noon on Sunday, signaling a drawdown of the drills.

It said the seventh zone, in waters east of Taiwan, would remain in effect until 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) local time on Monday.

"Relevant flights and sailings can gradually resume," the ministry said in

NIA: Magat Dam releases water amid heavy rains

By Rio N. Araja MAGAT Dam in Isabela released water on Sunday due to heavy rains in Luzon.

A spillway gate was opened at 2 p.m. to release 200 cubic meters or about a thousand drums of water every second.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as dam manager said the allowable amount of water released was safe.

This developed as the southwest monsoon or "habagat" will continue to affect Central Luzon, southern Luzon, the Visayas, and the western section of Mindanao, the state weather bureau said.

As of Sunday, Magat Dam's water level was at 188 meters, just 2 meters short of its 190-meter spilling level.

The management advised residents living on the riverside to take extra measures to ensure their safety, such as avoiding fishing and other activities near the river.

On Saturday, Bustos Dam in Bulacan released excess water amid continuous rains in the area. It released 226 cubic meters of water per second.

Bustos Dam's spilling level is at 17.20 meters.

Due to rains, the water elevation rose to 17.40 meters above sea level.

In a radio interview, Azurin said the PNP would continue to uphold the protection of human life in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Azurin told radio dzBB there should be a comprehensive study on the root cause of the country's drug problem.

“We should not be satisfied with just seizing several kilos of drugs and that someone died in our drug operation,” he said in Filipino.

“While we do our jobs, we also try to preserve human life because killing is not the solution,” he added.

The government under the previous administration had come under heavy fire for its bloody war on drugs that had taken thousands of lives.

Azurin also said that the problems of terrorism and rebellion must be addressed by thorough and intense intelligence work.

paign as of Aug. 4.

Vergeire said there were 5,484 mobile vaccination sites created—2,814 vaccination sites in schools, 1,458 in workplaces, 529 in places of worship, 335 vaccination sites in the different markets across the country, and 281 in transport terminals.

She added that there were also vaccination sites set up in hospitals, health care centers, and malls.

More than 71.8 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Aug. 5, she said.

Over 9.7 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 along with more than 4.2 million children aged 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated in preparation for face-toface classes, she said.

Vergeire said that if the state of calamity is lifted, manufacturers would need to have a certificate of product registration from the FDA so that their vaccines can continue to be used in the Philippines.

She also said the FDA must become a statement.

Taipei said some routes were still being affected in the seventh area, and authorities would continue to monitor ship movements there.

Earlier on Sunday, Beijing conducted "practical joint exercises in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan Island as planned," the Chinese military's Eastern Command said.

The drills were focused "on testing the joint firepower on the ground and long-range air strike capabilities," it added.

Taipei's defense ministry also confirmed that China had dispatched "planes, vessels and drones" around the Taiwan Strait, "simulating attacks on Taiwan's main island and on ships in our waters."

Beijing also sent drones over Taiwan's outlying islands, it added.

In response, the democratic island said it mobilized a "joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system to closely monitor the enemy situation" as well as sending planes and vessels.

To show how close China's forces have been getting to Taiwan's shores, Beijing's military released a video of an air force pilot filming the island's coastline and mountains from his cockpit.

And the Eastern Command of the Chinese army shared a photo it said was taken of a warship patrolling seas

more efficient and speed up their evaluation of products for use in the country.

The DOH recorded 4,621 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the total caseload to 3,803,955.

Active cases also increased to 37,805 to 37,344 from Saturday.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in the country has reached 60,807 after the DOH reported 18 new deaths.

Total recoveries are at 3,705,343.

The National Capital Region registered 15,140 new cases in the past two weeks, followed by Calabarzon with 10,005, Central Luzon with 4,960, Western Visayas with 2,709, and Central Visayas with 2,117.

The country's bed occupancy rate stood at 29.2 percent on Friday, as the number of beds occupied was 8,388, while 20,371 were vacant, the DOH also said.

Some 71 million people have been fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, of whom 16.2 million have received their booster shots. near Taiwan with the island's shoreline visible in the background.

The drills have also seen Beijing fire ballistic missiles over Taiwan's capital, according to Chinese state media.

Taipei has remained defiant throughout China's saber-rattling, insisting it will not be cowed by its "evil neighbor."

Experts have warned the drills reveal an increasingly emboldened Chinese military capable of carrying out a grueling blockade of the self-ruled island as well as obstructing US forces from coming to its aid.

"In some areas, the PLA might even surpass US capabilities," Grant Newsham, a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and former US Navy officer, told AFP, referring to China's military by its official name.

"If the battle is confined to the area right around Taiwan, today's Chinese navy is a dangerous opponent – and if the Americans and Japanese do not intervene for some reason, things would be difficult for Taiwan."

The scale and intensity of China's drills – as well as Beijing's withdrawal from key talks on climate and defense – have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies.

The United Nations has also urged the two superpowers to continue to work together. AFP

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

‘Land developers, telcos must unite to build digital communities’

‘Drama-free’ PEZA is key, says Salceda

By Rio N. Araja ALBAY Rep. Joey Salceda, House committee on taxation chairperson, appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday to appoint the Philippine Economic Zone Authority head that can improve investor confidence in the country and could fight smuggling.

“Drama-free is key,” Salceda said.

He said the President must nominate a PEZA director general “as soon as he can find a suitable appointee,” adding “the leadership question over PEZA threatens our ability to maximize the favorable conditions for exports.”

Salceda was referring to the competing claims to the post between Duterteera PEZA director general Charito Plaza and officer-in-charge deputy director general Tereso Panga.

“Only PBBM can decisively end the confusion through an appointment. The PEZA law is very clear that the director general is appointed by the President,” the Albay lawmaker said.

A PEZA director general is critical in the fight against smuggling, Salceda added.

“With a weak peso, the best thing we can do, economically, is to focus on exports and dollar-earning industries and services. The leadership issue in PEZA will make investors think our investment regime is overly politicized and therefore risky,” he explained.

“That means, we are surely getting the bad parts of a weak currency, such as high import prices, but we are handicapped from taking advantage of the better parts, such as higher exports-to-peso value and more competitive export pricing,” Salceda noted.

The lawmaker said he is especially concerned that “if the dispute extends until budget hearings in Congress, the institution will suffer.”

A3

CONVERSION. Principal Wilfredo Nillo (second from right) and his staff inspect the COVID-19 isolation tent inside the Pedro Gomez Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila, which is set to be dismantled ahead of the resumption of face-to-face classes this month. Nillo says all air conditioners and appliances used in the facility are still functioning and will be donated to the school by the Department of Health-Manila. Danny Pata

Group: Let jeep owners transfer their ownership T HE Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its sectoral offices should allow public utility jeepney owners and operators to transfer the ownership of units they no longer own amid the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), one of the country’s biggest jeepney groups said Sunday.

In a radio interview, Ricardo “Boy” Rebaño, president of the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), welcomed the enforcement of NCAP in several cities in Metro Manila as it

disciplines the motorists on traffic rules and regulations.

However, Rebano said the DOTr, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) should consider reopening the transfer of ownership of public utility vehicles to their new operators so they will be the ones held accountable for any violations.

“What’s more painful here is that we don’t have a transfer of ownership. The former owner who has no responsibility is being fined. Authorities should look at it, reopen it, and give the new operators a chance to transfer to them the ownership so that the former operators will not be bothered anymore,” he told Super Radyo dzBB. “I hope the DOTr, LTFRB, and especially the LTO will give these drivers and operators an opportunity to reopen the transfer of their units so that the ones who will be penalized and be held accountable are the new operators,” he

added.

The non-contact apprehensions at the local government level allows authorities to apprehend motorists who are violating simple moving violations such as beating the red light, crossing the pedestrian lane, and using the wrong lane while turning, Bong Nebrija, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Task Force Special Operations Chief, said.

Nebrija hoped that more LGUs aside from Quezon City, Manila, Valenzuela City, and Parañaque City would implement the NCAP to deter motorists from committing traffic violations.

Meanwhile, Rebaño welcomed the expected big-time fuel price rollback next week, saying it will be a big help for FEJODAP’s drivers and operators.

They still hope fuel prices will go further down to P50 per liter.

“We’re thankful that the petroleum products continue to decrease,” Rebaño said.

AN ADVOCACY group is urging real estate developers to partner with telecommunication companies so they could ensure fast and reliable internet service to their homeowners and tenants.

Lawyer Tim Abejo, co-convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, said many developers still refuse to allow cell sites and restrict access to fiber cable installations, resulting in spotty and slow internet connections among residents.

“A stable internet connection is no longer a nice-to-have feature but a basic utility, just like electricity and water. In the world we live in today, communities must be digitally ready, and this is one thing that developers must guarantee,” he said.

“The pandemic-induced lockdowns made us see how indispensable the internet is to our professional and even personal lives. It is not only workplaces that need to be fully digital.

Communities also have to be digitally enabled.”

The Sustainable Development Goals, a set of global targets established by the United Nations, emphasize the role of infrastructure and innovation in driving economic growth and development (SDG 9), and highlight the importance of building sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).

The Department of Information and Communications Technology has committed to support legislation setting standards for telco integration in the design of residential property.

In the new 19th Congress, Senator Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares refiled Senate Bill 329—the Better Internet Act—requiring service providers to establish minimum standards for connection, reception, pricing and billing.

A4

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

IN BRIEF SSS seen benefitting from revitalized mining

People line up to give their last respects to the former president on Sunday, August 7, the first day of the two-day public viewing schedule. Inurnment and state funeral will be held on Tuesday, August 9 at the Libingan ng mga Bayani also in Taguig City. Norman Cruz

THE state-run Social Security System (SSS) is bound to be among the topmost beneficiaries of the country’s revitalized mining sector, a senior member of Congress said on Sunday.

“The SSS has a substantial equity investment in one of the largest new mining ventures in the country,” Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr said.

Campos was referring to publicly listed Philex Mining Corp.’s $224 million Silangan copper-gold project, which is targeted to commence commercial operations by early 2025.

DAR Capiz strengthens campaign vs. hunger

LAST RESPECTS. Former First Lady Ming Ramos walks inside the wake of former President Fidel V. Ramos at the Heritage Park in Taguig City. Revoli Cortez

Velasco says ‘no garage’ bill needed in metro

By Gabriellea Parino and Lee Gabriel Seril MARINDUQUE Representative Lord Allan Velasco said traffic congestion in the metro can be resolved with the implementation of a stricter “No Garage, No Registration” legislation.

With heavy traffic prevalent in 12 areas in Metro Manila, the former House speaker pushed for the implementation of House Bill No. 31 or the “No Garage, No Registration” act.

“For every car buyer, there’s a certain responsibility they have to have - a certain parking space without trying not to be any hardship to any of his neighbors.

When you try to buy a car, you have to have a certain parking area for that and that is what we want to try to push for,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday.

Velasco’s proposal, if passed, would require motorists to submit an affidavit to prove that they have a permanent garage or parking space before purchasing a new car as a prerequisite for registration, but he clarified in the interview that leasing in a public parking space may also be used as proof.

The bill gives the Land Transportation Office (LTO) the mandate to verify the authenticity of the information in the document submitted by the registrant, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units would also be involved in the implementation.

Metro Manila, Angeles, Bacolod, Baguio, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Naga, and Olongapo are the key metropolitan areas listed in the measure.

“I believe that traffic is a very perennial problem and if we solve the congestion, then it’s going to open up a lot, especially for our commuters, it will ease up their travels,” Velasco said.

Senators together with former President Joseph Estrada mimic the so-called FVR jump at the wake of the late president.

Senators led by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri presented to the Ramos Family Senate Resolution No. 5 expressing the profound sympathy and sincere condolences of the Senate on the death of Ramos. One of the most remembered images during the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution was that of then Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice Chief-of-Staff Ramos jumping for joy Revoli Cortez

After assigning key posts, Congress ready to work

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE House of Representatives under Speaker Martin Romualdez has started to work now that nearly all House committees have already been constituted with respective chairpersons and members.

Romualdez from Leyte’s District 1 said he expects the chamber to get busier in the 19th Congress now that most of the lawmakers know their roles.

Romualdez is the president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party.

Once constituted, House committees can hold hearings on filed House bills and other measures, which is among the initial steps in the legislative process.

During the House plenary sessions

from July 25 to July 27 and from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3, 2,877 measures were referred to various The busiest committee in the next few weeks is the committee on appropriations, the main panel that scrutinizes the proposed national budget.

The precursor of the budget, called the National Expenditure Program, is expected to be submitted by Malacañang to the House of Representatives on the third week of August.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte meanwhile appealed to the Department of Finance and Department of Budget and Management to exert their “optimum effort” in looking for enough funds to enable the Marcos administration to carry out fully beginning this year a new amendatory law doubling to P1,000 the monthly social pension of more than four million indigent elderly Filipinos.

He urged fellow lawmakers to allocate a sufficient year-long amount for the targeted cash transfer in next year’s General Appropriations Act to ensure the sustainability of the subsidy increase in 2023 as provided for in the new measure that lapsed into law, Republic Act 11916.

CASUAL or contractual employees who have rendered at least five years in government service will have a chance to become regular employees if Senate Bill 234 filed by Sen. Robinhood Padilla is passed into law.

These employees, Padilla said, can avail

Solon files bill creating Manila Bay council NAVOTAS representative Toby Tiangco filed a bill for the creation of a Manila Bay Management Council (MBMC).

House Bill No. 2926 stated that the council shall supervise, manage, and control the Manila Bay and formulate a unified policy for the Manila Bay’s protection, preservation, and progress.

“The Supreme Court mandamus on Manila Bay caused local governments to administer and conserve the waters within their jurisdiction.

However, this led to the implementation of varied and inconsistent policies that affect our fisherfolk,” Tiangco lamented. Jun David

Police arrest 15 armed men in land grabbing

OBSTACLE COURSE. Participants make their way past ring obstacles during the New Pentathlon Discipline Test Event II in Pasig on Sunday. AFP

Padilla bill proposes regularization for casual workers in government

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Department of Agrarian Reform in Capiz has strengthened its campaign against hunger and poverty through the launch of the enhanced partnership against hunger and poverty program (EPAHPP) to benefit the agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Lea Ubierna, chief agrarian reform program officer, said P300,000 was allocated for support facilities and equipment, while P100,000 would be for the capacity development services, such as the conduct of project technology and other related training.

“The essential goal of the EPAHPP is to strategically reduce hunger in the community while helping the farmer-beneficiaries elevate their living. Through the program, we would help our farmers increase their farm productivity and income through various provisions of support services like technology training, farm machinery and equipment to address the problem of poverty and food security,’’ she said. Rio N. Araja

of the corresponding benefits given to government workers. Padilla’s proposed measure grants civil service eligibility under certain conditions to government employees appointed under casual or contractual service in the career service.

“It is high time that we grant eligibility to our committed casual or contractual employees of the government in

order to open opportunities for higher salaried positions, boost their morale and keep them motivated, and enhance their productivity to the benefit of the public,” Padilla said.

“For the longest time, the government has gained notoriety for denying its employees opportunities to be regularized,” he added.

Citing data from the Civil Service Commission, he noted some 660,390 out of 2.4 million government employees in 2017 (27 percent) were under “job order” or “contract of service” status.

“Most of our casual or contractual government employees cannot seek regular employment because they are not civil service eligible,” Padilla lamented.

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—At least 15 armed men were arrested after they allegedly attempted to seize private land and disarmed security guards manning the property in Rodriquez, Rizal on Thursday morning.

Police however immediately released the suspects. A complainant, Ramon Entico, who is also the caretaker of the property, is questioning the action of the authorities.

Those arrested were identified as Jessie Patiño; John Mark Patiño, Norman Cadiog; Rafael Cruz; Bonifacio Rosario; Jose Birao; Rolly Binag; Ronnie Vendiola; Antonio Bocboc Jr; Lucky Visitation; Ronaldo Davillo; Arlie Aguirre; Narciso Ygot Jr.; Dao Ming Zhe Acoriba, and Jessie Marlou Patiño, all security guards.

Lt. Col. Marcelino Pipo Jr., Rodriquez Police chief, said they are preparing to file charges of trespassing, intimidation, threat, and land grabbing against the suspects before the sala of the Prosecutor’s Office. Felino Santos

DOTr urged to hasten toll project

By Rio N. Araja SEVERAL lawmakers, led by House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos of Ilocos Norte and Valenzuela City Rep. Eric Martinez on Sunday urged the Department of Transportation and its attached agencies to fasttrack the implementation of Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the government toll interoperability project.

Marcos, along with Martinez, Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio, Parañaque City Rep. Edwin Olivarez, Cavite Rep. Ramon Revilla III and Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan, filed House Resolution No. 159.

Martinez lamented that the toll interoperability project has been long overdue, saying further delay of its implementation is causing great incon-

venience to the public, especially to those traveling in various toll expressways.

“Since 2017, the DOTR has been pushing for this project and had the good window of opportunity to roll it out smoothly when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country. As part of the measures to prevent the spread of the virus, cashless or no contact transactions were required for all vehicles passing through toll expressways,” he said.

“Under the cashless toll collection scheme, which is actually the Phase 1 of the said project, motorists need to have their vehicles installed with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sticker, that has sufficient preloaded amount so that every time they use the tollways, the necessary payment upon their exit will be electronically deducted,” he added.

HONEST LIVING. A man works on the lettering of sign board routes for passenger jeepneys to earn his living on the sidewalk along P. Tuazon Avenue Cubao Quezon City.

Manny Marcelo

Opinion Swan song hastens the inevitable IT WAS Nancy Pelosi’s moment at the world stage. At 82, it was to be her political swan song.

Her native California has seen droves moving out to Texas, Arizona, Oregon and other states because life has been getting more and more unbearable, with high state taxes and stratospheric real property costs and rentals.

The homeless litter the streets of her native San Francisco, such that many now shun its fabled downtown attractions, from Union Square to Chinatown to Pier 39.

But she is Speaker of the House of Representatives, number three in the order of succession because under their political system, the vice-president automatically sits as president of the Senate, a most sensible set-up. That position gives her not just power, but awesome panache as well.

To be fair, her advocacies have always been wary of the bellowing dragon west of tiny Taiwan; her liberal democracy sentiments always demonstrate a rejection of authoritarian politics.

a congratulatory call from Tsai, which Beijing saw as an affront to its One-China principle. Then the economic sanctions.

The world heaved a sigh of relief when Biden trumped the Donald in November of 2020.

But subsequent events proved otherwise, with the pandemic creating chaos in the world economy, and now the invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s Vladimir Putin exacerbating the crisis.

Against this backdrop, Nancy Pelosi chose to tweak the dragon’s tail.

I will no longer describe Beijing’s reaction in this article which our readers have seen on traditional and social media reports. Short of armed conflict, Beijing has given the world a view of what it can do, a simulation of war over the Taiwan Strait.

The US and Japan protested Beijing’s live-fire drills and missiles, but that is as far as they can do for the moment. Meanwhile, the entire world, most of all the Indo-Pacific region and our very own ASEAN, are worried at Beijing’s next moves.

It is clear that China’s slow asphyxiation of Taiwan’s economy, by banning certain aspects of their two-way trade, will further escalate.

The reality now is that the interdependence between the economies of the mainland and Taiwan has become a function not of good sense, but of the politics of losing face.

In the end, Pelosi’s tribute to the altar of democracy in her Taiwan visit, and Biden’s inability to stop her from such bravado has merely stepped up Beijing’s resolve and shortened the “strategic ambiguity” of the situation.

There are three major political events in the near horizon: Taiwan’s election in November where Tsai’s term expires; the mid-term elections in the US of A where, as things stand, the balance of congressional power tilts against Biden and Pelosi’s Democratic Party; and China’s Communist Party Congress where Xi expects to get an unprecedented third term.

Meanwhile, the whole world is held in suspense. Taiwan, the innocent victim of these political power plays most of all. *** Not an insignificant postscript is the effect of these events on the fate of 160,000 Filipinos living and working in Taiwan.

(These are the rounded-up numbers as of the first quarter of 2021, before I resigned as MECO head.)

Earlier on, we started talks with civil defense officials of Taiwan, along with the resident representatives of Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, which also have migrant workers in the island, about how our compatriots can be sheltered in case of hostilities.

The other side was a bit reluctant to engage, assuring us that such was not about to happen. The events of the past week have made the contingency plans a matter of urgency.

Can Taiwan house 23.9 million Taiwanese in their underground shelters, in addition to some 800,000 foreigners residing there?

How long will the hostilities last? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

And military tactics tell us that the first obvious targets will be the major ports and airports and all other military installations.

Our de-facto embassy in Taiwan has a contingency plan for Filipinos, but this is contingent on many variables, the most worrying of all being how to evacuate our compatriots when these ports and airports have been rendered inutile.

For now, let us all pray and hope for the best.

China, by hook or by crook, will annex what it considers a ‘renegade province’ in due time. And it keeps pushing that envelope towards its goal But she was warned about including Taiwan in her Asian swing, not only by the “military” as her president mumbled, but by soft diplomatic ministrations from other Asian leaders.

And of course, by a bellicose China who saw the symbolic meaning of her visit as belligerence on the part of an America with whom its relations have soured in the last six years.

The victim here is Taiwan. Pelosi’s swan song has just hastened the inevitable.

China, by hook or by crook, will annex what it considers a “renegade province” in due time. And it keeps pushing that envelope towards its goal.

Xi Jinping has declared this goal before communist China’s party congress, and has anchored his continuing leadership on the unification of its recalcitrant parts with the mainland.

His predecessor achieved the hand-over from Britain of leased Hong Kong; previous to which, Portugal surrendered Macau.

The hand-over was premised on an agreement to honor Hong Kong’s legal and political system for at least 50 years, under a “one-country, two systems” approach.

Xi made short shrift of that promise in 2019, and despite worldwide condemnation, the erstwhile crown colony has yielded to his control, its “two systems” shattered.

High-handedness in Hong Kong increased the decibels of resistance in Taiwan.

In 2018, the pro-unification Kuomintang won significantly in the mid-term elections, and the pro-independence DPP of President Tsai Ing-wen was in danger of losing the national elections of 2020 to a strident Kuomintang.

Taiwan’s electorate was shocked with the Hong Kong experience, and instead of being cowed, they became angry.

The protests and the strong-handed tactics of the PRC in Hong Kong reversed the fortunes of the Kuomintang and gave Tsai a resounding re-election. This riled Beijing further.

To be sure, the animosity between the two super-power rivals started earlier. The first instance was when Donald Trump accepted

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

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

EDITORIAL

D

Who do Pinoys trust the most?

ID the previous administration’s decision to forge increasingly stronger ties with China from 2016 onwards result in a corresponding increase in trust and confidence among Filipinos towards our nextdoor neighbor?

Apparently not.

That is, if we’re to set great store by survey results showing that Filipinos trust countries such as the United States, Australia and Japan the most, and China and Russia the least.

In other words, even if the previous administration kept Washington at arm’s length because the latter criticized its brutal war on drugs in no uncertain terms, while at the same time praising Beijing for showing support for our economic development initiatives and donating vaccines to help us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos nonetheless take a positive view of the United States and its close allies, and still distrust Beijing.

The Pulse Asia survey results released late last month showed that 31 percent of respondents indicated a “great deal of trust” in the US, while 58 percent gave it a “fair amount of trust.” This gave the US a total trust rating of 89 percent.

On the other hand, the survey also showed that some 36 percent of Filipinos said the Philippines should extend “not too much trust” in China, and another 31 percent who said that there should be “no trust at all.”

China’s low trust rating among Filipinos appears to be the inevitable result of the territorial and maritime dispute in the South China Sea, and recent news reports of bullying by Chinese Coast Guard vessels turning away Filipino fishermen from parts of our 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea This means China had a distrust rating of 67 percent, the survey showed.

Russia, meanwhile, had a distrust rating of 62 percent. After its invasion of Ukraine, its trust rating would certainly have plunged among Filipinos.

The 2022 Pulse Asia survey validates the results of a similar survey it conducted in 2019.

That survey showed that six of 10 Filipinos, or 60 percent are distrustful of China, while eight of 10, or 80 percent, trust the United States.

The percentage of the respondents who trusted the United States rose to 84 percent, from 79 percent in March 2017. Fifty-four percent of the respondents also distrusted Russia, down from 56 percent in March 2017.

China’s low trust rating among Filipinos appears to be the inevitable result of the territorial and maritime dispute in the South China Sea, and recent news reports of bullying by Chinese Coast Guard vessels turning away Filipino fishermen from parts of our 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

UNKNOWN to fellow Ukrainians when he was named commander-in-chief last year, General Valeriy Zaluzhny has emerged as an icon of resistance against the Russian invasion.

The powerfully built 49-year-old’s birthday last month brought plaudits from across the country, with Ukrainians taking to social media to congratulate their military leader.

Children are even using his name in their games and the Ukrainian edition of Vogue magazine carried an article about him, calling him “a legendary figure.”

“Thanks to commander in chief Zaluzhny, our confidence in ourselves and in our victory has returned,” Volodymyr Omelian, a former transport minister, wrote on Facebook.

Ukrainians have credited Zaluzhny with disrupting Russia’s initial plan to capture Kyiv quickly after launching its offensive on February 24.

The fierce resistance of Ukrainian troops under Zaluzhny’s leadership forced Moscow to focus its attacks in the east and south of the country.

TIME magazine this year named Zaluzhny one of the 100 most influential people in the world, along with Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelensky.

Although Zaluzhny has given no media interviews since the start of the war, local media have dubbed him Ukraine’s “iron general.”

Zaluzhny “has emerged as the military mind his country needed,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley was quoted as saying in the profile, which said the general’s actions “will be remembered by history.”

New military elite Even though he has not given any interviews since the start of the war, the Ukrainian press is filled with enthusiastic accounts of his leadership.

Russia’s plans for a “Blitzkrieg, a change of power and of Ukraine’s geopolitical orientation have been ruined”, Zaluzhny wrote on Facebook two weeks after the start of the invasion.

“No matter how difficult it is for us, (this war) will certainly not bring shame on us,” he wrote.

Anatoly Oktysiuk, an analyst from Ukraine’s Democracy House, a think tank, said Zaluzhny is “competent and does not have the old Soviet mentality” once typical among Ukraine’s top brass.

“He is a patriot, he is not corrupt and has been well trained, including in the West,” he said.

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandard.net

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

On the other hand, the Philippines and the United States both acknowledge their “special relationship” rooted on longstanding historical and cultural ties dating back to the turn of the 20th century, despite “irritants” along the way.

Besides, the long lines applying for immigrant visas to the US tell us that many Filipinos want to partake of the so-called “American Dream” amid dire economic prospects at home.

The visit last week of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for meetings with President Marcos Jr. and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo underscores the strengthening of US-Philippines relations, particularly on economic cooperation and climate change response.

We see the new administration striving to maintain cordial relations with both Washington and Beijing in the next six years amid their increasingly discordant views on key issues.

What’s important is to uphold the national interest at all times, and avoid situations that will be seen as favoring one against the other, even if most Filipinos clearly trust the US the most at this point.

Building digital ready communities and workplaces MOST residential and commercial building developments were designed and built in a pre-digital era.

This was when written correspondence had to be inputted on paper with a typewriter, folded neatly on a properly addressed envelope, and brought to the post office where enough postage stamps were bought, stuck on the right upper corner of the mailing envelope then dropped in the mail box where it went thru a process of sorting, dispatching, transport, and finally delivered by a mailman to the recipient’s mailbox.

Delivery of this “snail mail” as we now call it would take days and even weeks if the recipient was overseas.

A faster but more expensive option was via telegram which used analogue radio and telephone networks to send short messages and only takes a day. A sender had to pay a rate multiplied by the number of words of the message.

Phone calls was purely via analogue voice calls made thru a network of wired telephone lines. Installing a phone in one’s home was expensive if you’re fortunate to even get one.

Since telcos started making cellphones, and broadband internet services more accessible, private enterprises became the first adaptors of these new digital technologies in boosting productivity of their operations.

Compared to other economies, Philippine adoption digital technologies was slow but

Now we are in a new normal where the speed of digital transformation of our ecosystems will determine the pace of recovery from the deep economic scars of the pandemic when the pandemic hit, everyone had no choice but to go digital to survive.

Now we are in a new normal where the speed of digital transformation of our ecosystems will determine the pace of recovery from the deep economic scars of the pandemic.

Critical is the integration of digital connectivity into our homes and workplaces.

However, many real estate developers are slow in adopting to this new digital mindset to the disadvantage of their homeowners or tenants who could not access or at best have intermittent and slow internet connections because telcos or ISPs who could have readily provided quality broadband services

‘Iron general’ Zaluzhny: A new Ukrainian icon

By Ania Tsoukanova

A5

The fierce resistance of Ukrainian troops under Zaluzhny’s leadership forced Moscow to focus its attacks in the east and south of the country Zaluzhny was born on July 8, 1973 at a Soviet military base in Novograd-Volynsky in northwest Ukraine.

His career is typical for an officer with 24 years in the military under his belt.

When Russia-backed separatists began seizing territory in eastern Ukraine in 2014, he helped lead operations to fight back.

Named head of the military’s northern command in 2019, he was promoted to commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces in July 2021 by Zelensky.

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

Political jealousy?

The general prioritized reforms in the army to meet the standards of the NATO military alliance which Ukraine wants to join despite Russia’s opposition.

A few months later, he warned about “the threat of a major aggression” by Moscow in a rare interview.

“We have to prepare for it,” said Zaluzhny, a father of two daughters including one serving in the military.

Underlining his role as a member of a younger generation of officers with combat experience against the separatists, he called on Ukraine’s military command to “use all means” to “preserve the life and health” of soldiers.

His popularity has, according to some media reports, sparked jealousy from Zelensky’s entourage even though Zaluzhny has never signaled any political ambition and his public pronouncements are very rare.

In July, Zelensky for the first time criticized a decision taken by the army, which had announced restrictions on the movement of reservists between different parts of the country.

But he immediately softened the impact of his words, saying it was “a detail, nothing at all”.

“There is no misunderstanding between me and army command,” Zelensky said. AFP

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

are not allowed to install the cell sites and fiber cables in these gated communities or residential buildings.

In a published statement by consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines co-convenor Atty Tim Abejo urged real estate developers to partner with telecommunication companies so they could ensure fast and reliable internet service to their homeowners and tenants.

“Telco space for network infrastructure in housing developments, be they buildings or subdivisions, should be a standard facility integrated by developers and imposed by government to align with a nationwide broadband strategy.”

The Department of Information and Communications Technology for its part will push for legislation to set the standards for the integration of last mile digital infrastructure to all residential and commercial properties.

Senate Bill 329 – The Better Internet Act – requiring service providers to establish minimum standards for connection, reception, pricing and billing has been refiled

by Senator Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares.

Having fast and reliable broadband services at home and at work should be considered as a standard utility that real estate developers should integrate in their new projects.

During the Regional Insights and Strategies for Enterprises (RISE) webinar of Globe on “Building a Digitally-Connected Future in Real Estate Today,” the importance of planning to build digitally ready buildings and communities was emphasized to avoid expensive retrofitting that older, and aging copper wired buildings must now undergo.

Working with telcos from the planning to the development phase of the properties will ensure future proof projects that are upgradable to fast evolving technologies.

According to The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9), “Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development.”

It says that essential to sustainable development is technological progress which is key for long term solutions to address environmental challenges, in providing new jobs, energy efficiency, sustainable industries, scientific research and innovation.

SDG 9 underlines the indispensability of digital technologies and therefore recognizes the right of every individual to access to these digital tools.

There are apps to enable the online fulfillment of almost every business transaction at speed of light so to speak.

The pace of innovation is exponentially accelerating but gaps in our readiness in terms of digital infrastructure, skill sets, obsolete policies, and governance issues are formidable challenges that will need an unprecedented level of synergy in vision and collaborative fusion of expertise and resources of private and private enterprises.

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

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Opinion Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

retroactively took effect as of October 30, 2018.11

Standard

Republic of the Philippines TODAY ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION WESTERN MINDANAO CORPORATION,

No Objection from NGCP During Actual Performance of the Joint Upgrade Project.

POWER Petitioner,

-versus-

ERC CASE NO. 2022-001 DR

NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent. x-------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 22 June 2022, Western Mindanao Power Corporation (WMPC) filed a Petition dated 28 March 2022, for dispute resolution against the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), in connection with the claim of WMPC against NGCP for full reimbursement of the costs of advancing the purchase and installation of equipment classified as transmission assets in the upgrading of WMPC’s Remote Terminal Unit and electrical protection system.

The pertinent portions of the said Petition are hereunder quoted, as follows: Nature of the Petition This is a Petition for Dispute Resolution (the “Petition”) under Section 43(u) of Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (“EPIRA”),1 in connection with Chapter 2, Section GM 2.5.1.1 of the 2016 Philippine Grid Code (“2016 PGC”),2 in connection with the claim of WMPC against the respondent National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (“NGCP”) for full reimbursement of the costs of advancing the purchase and installation of equipment classified as transmission assets in the upgrading of WMPC’s Remote Terminal Unit (“RTU”) and electrical protection system (hereinafter referred to as the “Joint Upgrade Project”). In this Petition, WMPC seeks a judgment directing NGCP to pay WMPC of the full reimbursement of the Joint Upgrade Project for a total amount of PhP20,864,984.11 which consists of (1) the amount of PhP7,958,411.54, representing the approved estimated equivalent cost, as admitted by NGCP, and (2) the amount of PhP12,796,572.57, representing the balance of WMPC’s full reimbursement claim for the actual cost of the Joint Upgrade Project.

for such data. Any agreement in this sense shall be reflected in the Connection Agreement or Amended Connection Agreement.

13. From 2017 to 2019, when WMPC received the appropriate billing statements from FCI, WMPC duly paid the billed amounts to FCI, amounting to a total of PhP28,236,607.13, and USD$575,460.04 and filed the appropriate expanded withholding tax for such payments.12

14. It should be noted that WMPC did not receive any objection from NGCP before FCI was contracted for the supply of the equipment and labor for the Joint Upgrade Project, or even during FCI’s actual performance of its work, which had been done with NGCP’s full knowledge and consent, to implement the Joint Upgrade Project.

Completion of the Joint Upgrade Project, WMPC’s Demand for Payment, and NGCP’s NonPayment.

15. With the work on the Joint Upgrade Project completed, WMPC sent its Billing Letter to NGCP on April 10, 2019, where WMPC initially requested the reimbursement of the VAT-inclusive amount of PhP46,447,074.00, with all supporting documents attached.13 However, even after WMPC’s additional attempts to collect its reimbursement claim, NGCP refused to pay.

16. After WMPC’s first attempt to bill NGCP in April 2019 and the ensuing meetings between the parties, NGCP made its first written response to WMPC on March 2021, where it expressed its position that NGCP’s obligation to reimburse WMPC is “limited only to the cost of the RTU/ gateway and firewall interfaced with the WMPC’s Distributed Control System,” and that its “stand is to exclude the cost of the Input/ Output (I/O) peripheral for reimbursement as it falls under plant’s responsibility.”14 NGCP’s Acknowledgement to Pay WMPC at amount based on NGCP’s Benchmark Cost instead of Actual Cost incurred.

17. Subsequently, WMPC renewed its attempt to collect from NGCP its reimbursement claim from the Joint Upgrade Project, in the amount of PhP20,864,984.11. However, NGCP countered that, based on the estimated equivalent cost is only in the amount of PhP7,562,911.54.15 The differing positions by WMPC and NGCP is summarized below:

xxx GCR 4.7.2.3 The Transmission Network Provider shall also provide, if applicable, other related Equipment such as transducers, cables, modems, telecommunication Equipment etc. necessary for interconnection with the SCADA System of the Grid. (emphases supplied)

27. As applied in this case, the obligation of NGCP to reimburse WMPC for the costs it advanced in connection with the RTU and the Fiber Optic Terminal Equipment (i.e., the “Contested Equipment”) is thus clear and cannot be denied nor obfuscated. The provisions of the 2016 PGC clearly state that the RTU and other related equipment, in this case the Fiber Optic Terminal Equipment, must be provided by NGCP, as the Transmission Network Provider.

28. Thus, upon WMPC’s submission of the proof of billing and payment of the cost of purchase and installation of the Contested Equipment, which WMPC submitted completely and in due course, the obligation of NGCP to reimburse WMPC for the same had become due and demandable.

29. Thus, NGCP’s refusal to pay for the full amount of the cost of the purchase and installation of the Contested Equipment amounts to a dereliction of its clear mandate under the Philippine Grid Code, as the Transmission Network Provider, to install (1) the RTU and (2) any equipment necessary for interconnection to the SCADA System of the Grid. Accordingly, on this ground alone, the Honorable Commission, having been granted “the responsibility of enforcing the Philippine Grid Code,”22 has the authority to direct NGCP’s compliance by ordering NGCP to pay the full reimbursement claim to WMPC. II.

30. When WMPC inquired from NGCP the legal basis behind its requirement for the undertaking the Joint Upgrade Project, it listed, among others, the equipment intended for NGCP’s substation and the arrangement for its purchase, for which “WMPC will advance the purchase of these equipment for convenience, as requested by NGCP during the [CDO meetings] but this will be charged back to the NGCP account as agreed,” and adding that WMPC is “[h]oping for [NGCP’s] affirmative action in this regard.”23 31. In its Reply Letter to WMPC dated March 29, 2017 (the “Reply Letter”),24 after responding to WMPC’s inquiry as to the legal basis of NGCP requiring the upgrading of WMPC’s electrical protection system at the latter’s plant, NGCP expressed its agreement and confirmed the arrangement between the parties as follows:

The Parties 1.

2.

Further, may we note that the Transmission Assets to be installed and advanced by WMPC is subject to reimbursement by NGCP. (emphasis and underscoring supplied)

WMPC is a corporation duly organized and existing under Philippine laws, with its principal office address at 4th Floor League One (formerly Alphaland) Southgate Tower, 2258 Don Chino Roces Avenue Extension corner EDSA, Makati City, where it may be served with the notices, orders, and other processes of this Honorable Commission.

32. Accordingly, in its Rejoinder Letter to NGCP dated September 14, 2017,25 WMPC expressed its confirmation as to the agreed arrangement, as follows: After series of meetings and discussions between WMPC and NGCPMindanao since 2015 until this month, WMPC has already agreed to purchase of the new equipment required by NGCP according to its protection philosophy and other requirement. We also agreed to advance the purchase of the equipment under the scope of NGCP provided it will refund the same after the presentation of official receipt from the suppliers or contractors. (emphasis and underscoring supplied)

NGCP is a corporation duly organized and existing under Philippine laws, with its principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City, where it may be served with the notices, orders, and processes of this Honorable Commission.

Statement of Facts

33. From the correspondence between the parties, it is clear that NGCP, through its Reply Letter, has unequivocally and unreservedly confirmed the arrangement between the parties regarding the equipment that will be purchased and installed in NGCP’s substation for the Joint Upgrade Project: (1) that WMPC shall advance the cost of such purchase and installation, and (2) that NGCP shall reimburse WMPC for the same.

NGCP and WMPC identified the need for the Joint Upgrade Project 3.

4.

WMPC is the owner and operator of a 112-MW Bunker CFired Diesel Power Plant located in Sitio Malasugat, Brgy. Sangali, Zamboanga City (the “Plant” or “WMPC Plant”). The Plant is connected to the Grid through a transmission line to the NGCP Sangali Substation.

WMPC and NGCP revisited and discussed the current configuration of Remote Terminal Unit (“RTU”) in the WMPC Plant. In particular, NGCP raised the need to upgrade or replace the RTU setup since real-time generation data, such as basic generator load per unit (in MW), reactive power (in MVAR), and the breaker status, cannot be gleaned from the existing RTU. Three potential solutions were discussed and considered by the parties, as follows: (a) configure a Programmable Logic Controller or PLC; (b) NGCP to install a new RTU and hardwire the current setup, which will also require WMPC’s purchase of energy meters; and (c) free one existing RTU in the Zamboanga Substation.3

18. In addition, WMPC reiterated the following points in support of its position for full reimbursement: 18.1. The equipment subject of WMPC’s reimbursement and maintained by NGCP as the Transmission Network Provider (“TNP”) under the 2016 PGC; 18.2. NGCP bound itself to reimburse the costs incurred by WMPC on behalf of NGCP without any qualification or condition; and

Contractual Agreement between NGCP and WMPC to undertake the Joint Upgrade Project.

5.

The parties agreed that NGCP will install a new RTU. In addition to NGCP’s installation of the RTU, NGCP also brought up the need, this time on the part of WMPC, for new energy meters, and new differential line protections for the differential line, over line, and transformer. NGCP committed to provide the matching protection specifications.4

6.

Before the aforementioned discussions and decisions were implemented, WMPC included two (2) lists of the initially proposed equipment for purchase and installation, each for WMPC and NGCP’s respective accounts, and then requested “for [NGCP’s] affirmative action” regarding the arrangement that “WMPC will advance the purchase of these equipment for convenience as requested by NGCP... but will be charged back to the NGCP account as agreed.”5

Parties agreed that WMPC will install the transmission assets on behalf of NGCP subject to reimbursement.

7.

On March 29, 2017, NGCP agreed that WMPC will install the transmission assets on behalf of NGCP for the Joint Upgrade Project, particularly, as follows: Further, may we note that the Transmission Assets to be installed and advanced by WMPC is subject to reimbursement by NGCP.6 (emphasis and underscoring supplied)

8.

9.

Before agreeing with the purchase and installation of the transmission assets on behalf of NGCP, WMPC requested from NGCP to provide for the legal basis of the Joint Upgrade Project.

NGCP addressed WMPC’s request to provide the legal basis by stating that the basis for undertaking the Joint Upgrade Project is the 2016 PGC.

10. Accordingly, WMPC expressed its agreement “to advance the purchase of the equipment under the scope of NGCP, provided [NGCP] will refund same,” and submitted a consolidated list of equipment needed to be acquired and installed, and indicated for whose account each equipment shall be charged, as follows: 7

18.3. Upon and during the course of the installation of the equipment, which installation was made with NGCP’s full knowledge and consent, there was no objection raised by NGCP regarding the specifications of such equipment, nor any concerns voiced about the price of the same, and instead NGCP proceeded to utilize the installed equipment upon completion of the Joint Upgrade Project and continues to benefit from such use.16 19. NGCP subsequently reconsidered a portion of WMPC’s reimbursement claim, thereby increasing its Estimated Equivalent Cost from PhP7,562,911.54 to PhP7,958,411.54. NGCP also acknowledged and committed to submit to its management for approval the proposal of WMPC to initially accept the NGCP validated cost of PhP7,958,411.54, with the remaining balance of PhP12,796,572.57 to be included in the filing of NGCP’s asset base capital cost recovery during the next regulatory period with ERC. However, NGCP reiterated its position that its estimated equivalent cost was based on “the recent purchases

by NGCP through bidding and applied for to ERC.”17

36. A contract is the “meeting of the minds between two persons whereby one binds himself, with respect to the other, to give something or to render some service,”27 and is recognized as one of the five sources of obligations.28 A contract is created between the parties when the following three (3) requisites are present: (1) consent, (2) object, and (3) the cause.29 37. Applying these fundamental rules on contracts, the factual circumstances fully support the finding that NGCP bound itself by contract to fully reimburse WMPC, as the three (3) requisites were all present: 37.1. Consent between the parties was perfected with the congruence of (a) WMPC’s offer, manifested in the Letter to NGCP dated November 17, 2016 with its request for “affirmative action” from NGCP regarding the arrangement that “WMPC will advance the purchase of these equipment for convenience, as requested by NGCP... but this will be charged back to the NGCP account as agreed,” and (b) NGCP’s acceptance, expressed through NGCP’s Reply Letter to WMPC dated March 29, 2017, confirming that “the Transmission Assets to be installed and advanced by WMPC is subject to reimbursement by NGCP.” For the avoidance of doubt, this was further confirmed by WMPC in its Rejoinder Letter to NGCP dated September 14, 2017, where it stated that it “agreed to advance the purchase of the equipment under the scope of NGCP provided it will refund the same.”

Furthermore, this consent is later manifested through the lack of any objection or questioning from NGCP at the time before FCI was contracted for the Joint Upgrade Project and during the time FCI was performing the contracted scope of work for the Joint Upgrade Project.

21. Thus, NGCP sent its Approval Letter via email, confirming that the Estimated Equivalent Cost amounts to PhP7,958,411.54, and approved the same for reimbursement in favor of WMPC. Accordingly, NGCP requested WMPC’s submission of certain documents for the processing of the same.19 Upon WMPC’s request, NGCP sent the Revised Approval Letter via email, to reflect WMPC’s proper signatory, which stated:

37.2. The object between the parties was the reciprocal obligation wherein WMPC will advance the costs for NGCP, which, in turn, shall be subsequently reimbursed by NGCP in favor of WMPC. 37.3. The cause between the parties was their reciprocal obligations: NGCP sought to have WMPC advance the costs for the equipment, and WMPC agreed to do so in light of NGCP’s commitment to reimburse WMPC for such advances made.30

The result of NGCP validation, based on WMPC submission of pertinent documents, reflected the Estimated Equivalent Cost amounting to Pesos Seven Million Nine Hundred Fifty-Eight Thousand Four Hundred Eleven and 54/100 (PHP7,958,411.54).20

WMPC’s Demand for full reimbursement.

24. Thus, WMPC now seeks for NGCP to be directed by this Honorable Commission to pay WMPC of the full reimbursement of the Joint Upgrade Project for a total amount of PhP20,864,984.11 which consists of (1) the amount of PhP7,958,411.54, representing the approved estimated equivalent cost, as admitted by NGCP, and (2) the amount of PhP12,796,572.57, representing the balance of WMPC’s full reimbursement claim for the actual cost of the Joint Upgrade Project.

25. Hence, the instant Petition for Dispute Resolution.

Grounds for the Petition I NGCP, AS THE TRANSMISSION NETWORK PROVIDER, IS CLEARLY RESPONSIBLE UNDER THE PHILIPPINE GRID CODE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE RTU AND ITS RELATED EQUIPMENT II NGCP HAS RECOGNIZED ITS RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE PHILIPPINE GRID CODE, AND HAS EXPRESSLY BOUND ITSELF

BY CONTRACT TO REIMBURSE WMPC III WMPC HAS FULFILLED ITS CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS TO NGCP AND IS CLAIMING REIMBURSEMENT BASED ON ACTUAL COSTS, SUPPORTED BY DOCUMENTARY PROOF IV WMPC’S CLAIM IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY CONSIDERATIONS OF EQUITY: PROHIBITION AGAINST UNJUST ENRICHMENT AND ESTOPPEL Discussion I.

12. FCI proceeded to perform and complete its contracted scope of work, from 2017 to 2018. Consequently, WMPC issued a Certificate of Completion and/or Provisional Acceptance, which

35. At this point, when WMPC learned of NGCP’s confirmation that “the Transmission Assets to be installed and advanced by WMPC is subject to reimbursement by NGCP” from NGCP’s Reply Letter to NGCP in response to WMPC’s request for “affirmative action in this regard” from WMPC’s Letter to NGCP, a bilateral and reciprocal obligation between the parties had been formed based on contract, wherein WMPC obliged itself advance the costs of the purchase and installation of the equipment for NGCP’s account (which includes the Contested Equipment) in reciprocity for NGCP’s obligation to fully reimburse WMPC, without any qualification or condition.

20. Accordingly, WMPC acknowledged NGCP’s reconsideration of a portion of its initially approved estimated equivalent cost, and expressed its intention to proceed with the proposal for NGCP to make the initial payment of PhP7,958,411.54, with the payment of the balance of PhP12,796,572.57 to follow, and committed to submit any supporting documents that NGCP may need to implement the proposal.18

23. However, as of date, WMPC has yet to receive the payment of the approved amount of PhP7,958,411.54, or any other payment from NGCP.

11. WMPC, in light of NGCP’s acknowledgement,8 proceeded with the procurement process for the purchase of the equipment and the provision of labor needed to install the same, and accordingly, requested quotes from multiple accredited suppliers. However, almost all accredited suppliers declined, having “no capability” to deliver on the specifications. WMPC only received a quotation from single supplier: Ferrowelds Construction, Inc. (“FCI”).9 Thus, WMPC proceeded to engage FCI’s services for the supply of labor and materials for the Joint Upgrade Project.10

34. The sentence in the Reply Letter, “Further, may we note that the Transmission Assets to be installed and advanced by WMPC is subject to reimbursement by NGCP,”26 is of clear meaning and import, and allows no other interpretation—that NGCP has accepted the obligation to reimburse WMPC for the costs it had advanced on equipment that are classified as Transmission Assets. (emphasis and italics supplied)

WMPC’s Acknowledgement to receive from NGCP the amount of PhP7,958,411.54 as initial payment subject to full payment of the balance.

22. In accordance with the NGCP’s request for the documents to process the payment, WMPC submitted the required documents, with a clarification that the acceptance of the initial payment of PhP7,958,411.54 was without prejudice to WMPC’s right to recover from NGCP the balance of PhP12,796,572.57 from its full claim of PhP20,864,984.11.21 (emphases and italics supplied)

Implementation of the Joint Upgrade Project.

NGCP has recognized its responsibility under the Philippine Grid Code and has expressly bound itself by contract to fully reimburse WMPC.

The Philippine Grid Code clearly provides for NGCP’s responsibility as the Transmission Network Provider to install the RTU and its related equipment.

26. The provisions of Chapter 4 – Grid Connection Requirements of the 2016 PGC clearly state the responsibility of NGCP as the Transmission Network Provider when it comes to the establishment of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (“SCADA”) System for Monitoring and Control: GCR 4.7.2. SCADA System for Monitoring and Control GCR 4.7.2.1 The Transmission Network Provider shall provide, at a location agreed with the User, a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) for interconnection with the System Operator’s Control Center, to serve as telemetry Equipment for monitoring real-time information and controlling the Equipment at the User System. The Transmission Network Provider may agree with the User alternative methods for data collection and transmission

38. The lack of a written agreement to document this arrangement does not preclude the fact that the contract between WMPC and NGCP has been created. In this regard, Article 1315 of the Civil Code is instructive, as it provides that “[c]ontracts are perfected by mere consent,” and “[f]rom that moment, the parties are bound.”

39. Since a contract has been perfected between WMPC and NGCP, and WMPC has performed its part of the reciprocal obligation between the parties by advancing the costs of the equipment for NGCP’s account, then NGCP’s part of the reciprocal obligation, to reimburse WMPC for such costs advanced had become due and demandable. Thus, WMPC proceeded to demand performance of NGCP’s part of the reciprocal obligation by its first attempt to bill NGCP when it sent the Billing Letter to NGCP in April 2019. This timely demand for performance by WMPC is supported under the last paragraph of Article 1169 of the Civil Code which provides that “[i]n reciprocal obligations, neither party incurs in delay if the other does not comply or is not ready to comply in a proper manner with what is incumbent upon him. From the moment one of the parties fulfills his obligation, delay by the other begins.” (emphasis supplied) 40. Proceeding also from the contractual nature of the reciprocal obligation between the parties, NGCP cannot revise or amend the terms of its perfected contract with WMPC, by subsequent additions of qualifications and condition to its obligation to simply reimburse WMPC. In this regard, the first paragraph of Article 1370 of the Civil Code is instructive: “If the terms of a contract are clear and leave no doubt upon the intention of the contracting parties, the literal meaning of its stipulations shall control.” Applying the same, NGCP must be taken at its word—that WMPC’s advance payment of the costs is simply “subject to reimbursement by NGCP.” (emphasis supplied) III.

WMPC has fulfilled its contractual obligations to NGCP, and is entitled to full reimbursement based on actual costs, as supported by complete documentation.

41. WMPC’s claim for payment of the approved estimated cost is based on NGCP’s approval of its estimated equivalent cost, while its claim for full reimbursement of the balance is based on the actual costs incurred from (a) the purchase of the equipment required for the Joint Upgrade Project, and (b) the labor needed for the installation of such equipment.

42. The actual costs incurred for the whole project was itemized in WMPC’s Billing Letter to NGCP wherein NGCP was initially billed for a VAT-inclusive amount of PhP46,447,074.00, representing 73% of the total project cost of PhP63,286,243.67.

43. In its second billing to NGCP, the claimed amount for reimbursement was finalized in the amount of PhP20,864,984.11, after determining the equipment that should properly pertain to NGCP’s account, following the provisions of the 2016 PGC. Out of this total claim of PhP20,864,984.11, NGCP took the position that its liability was only limited to PhP7,958,411.54, which it subsequently approved for payment to WMPC, and which, as of date, WMPC has not received the actual payment for the same.

44. From the outset, WMPC has duly provided NGCP with complete documentary proof of such actual costs incurred for the Joint Upgrade Project. When WMPC sent its Billing Letter to NGCP for its first attempt to bill NGCP in April 2019, it included a line-item Debit Memorandum, the corresponding Purchase Orders, Sales Invoices, and Billing Statements, which all disclose and describe each particular equipment purchased and related expense made for the Joint Upgrade Project.

45. Subsequently, WMPC also submitted to NGCP the proof of its payment of the total actual costs incurred, which were the Official

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World Thai club owner nabbed over fire

THAI police have detained the owner of a nightclub in connection with a fire at the venue that killed 15 people, officers confirmed Sunday.

The blaze erupted around 1:00 a.m. (1800 GMT Thursday) at the Mountain B nightspot in Chonburi province’s Sattahip district, roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok.

On Saturday the death toll rose to 15, with most of the victims found crowded by the club’s entrance and in the bathroom, their bodies severely burned, according to the rescue service.

A senior police officer in Chonburi province confirmed Sunday that club owner Pongsiri Panprasng had turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued.

“He remains under detention and police will seek the court’s authorization Monday to detain him while we are investigating,” he told AFP. The 27-year-old will face several charges, the police officer said, including causing death through recklessness and operating a pub without a license.

Causing death through recklessness carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and up to 200,000 baht ($5,000) in fines.

Flammable acoustic foam on the walls of the club accelerated the blaze and it took firefighters more than three hours to bring it under control, the rescue service said Friday. AFP

IN BRIEF Gaza death toll: 29, including 6 children

THE death toll from violence in Gaza has risen to 29, including six children, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said Sunday, correcting a previous statement.

Earlier the ministry had put the number of people killed at 32, but a further ministry statement brought the number down to 29, including six children and four women.

The health ministry also said that 253 people in Gaza had been wounded since the hostilities with Israel broke out on Friday.

The violence is the worst in Gaza since a war last year that devastated the impoverished territory home to some 2.3 million Palestinians and forced countless Israelis to seek shelter from rockets.

Israel has said it was necessary to launch a “preemptive” operation against Islamic Jihad, as the group had been planning an imminent attack following days of tensions along the border with Gaza.

Islamic Jihad is aligned with Hamas but often acts independently. Both are blacklisted as terrorist organizations by much of the West.

Hamas has fought four wars with Israel since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, including the conflict last May. AFP

Austrian scientists race to reveal melting glaciers’ secret ‘archive’

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022 ||

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US warns Pacific isles vs. ‘coercive’ regimes A

TOP US diplomat warned Pacific Islands of a new struggle against violent power-hungry regimes Sunday, as she visited the Solomon Islands to mark the 80th anniversary of World War II’s Battle of Guadalcanal.

With China’s military carrying out war drills around Taiwan and Russia bombarding Ukraine, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman hit out at a new crop of world leaders reviving “bankrupt” ideas about the use of force.

Attending a dawn memorial service in the Solomon Islands, Sherman said

“some around the world” had forgotten the cost of war, or were ignoring the lessons of the past.

She hit out at “leaders who believe that coercion, pressure, and violence are tools to be used with impunity,” without citing any leader by name.

Sherman is leading a US delegation to the Solomon Islands to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal.

The brutal seven-month land, sea and air fight between Allied and Japanese forces killed tens of thousands of troops —most Japanese—and was a turning point in the war.

Painting the situation today as carrying faint echoes of the fight against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in the 1930-40s, the State Department number two urged the region to push back.

“We remember how bankrupt, how empty, such views were then, and re-

main today,” she said.

“Today we are once again engaged in a different kind of struggle—a struggle that will go on for some time to come.”

Sherman’s trip comes as the United States scrambles to rebuild diplomatic relations in a region where China is growing stronger and democratic alliances have faltered.

Nowhere is America’s waning regional influence more evident than in the Solomon Islands itself.

The government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare recently signed a secretive security pact with Beijing, has moved to curb press freedoms, and suggested delaying elections.

Sherman, again without naming names, told her hosts “it is up to us to decide if we want to continue having societies where people are free to speak their minds.” AFP

JUMPING from rock to rock to rock ing colder periods, or when warmer over a creek formed off Austria’s Jam- conditions caused it to melt. tal glacier, scientist Andrea Fischer But now the glaciers are melting rapworries that precious scientific data will idly—including the one in the remote be irreversibly lost as the snow and ice and narrow Jamtal valley, not far from melt faster than ever. where tourists found the stunningly “I couldn’t have imagined that it preserved 5,300-year-old mummy of would ever melt as dramatically as Oetzi, the Iceman, in the 1990s. this summer... Our ‘archive’ is melting Temperatures in Europe’s highest away,” says the glaciologist. mountains have risen by nearly two deFischer—vice director of the Insti- grees Celsius in the past 120 years—altute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Re- most double the global average, accordsearch at the Austrian Academy of Sci- ing to the International Commission for ences—has spent more than 20 years the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA). surveying Jamtal and four other Alpine The Alps’ roughly 4,000 glaciers glaciers across Austria’s highest peaks have since become one of the starkest for the oldest areas of ice. signs of global warming.

For scientists looking to reconstruct the The Jamtal glacier has been losing Earth’s climate in the distant past, such about one meter (three feet) from its surice formations are a unique time capsule face annually, but this year it has already stretching back thousands of years. lost more than a meter, Fischer says.

The glaciers contain an invaluable trea“And we’ve got at least two months sure trove of data—as they grew, the ice of summer left... where the glacier is encapsulated twigs and leaves, which can entirely exposed to the sun,” she warns.

Snow usually protects most of the glanow be carbon-dated, Fischer explains.

And based on the age of such mate- cial ice from the sun until September, but rial and the depth where it was found, the little snow that fell last winter had already melted by early July. AFP scientists can infer when iceYELLOW grew dur-BLACK CYAN MAGENTA Receipts with their corresponding Billing Statements and BIR Form 2307, for both the Philippine Peso and US Dollar portions, as follows:31

DAMAGED REFLECTION. The image

of a Palestinian man is reflected against a damaged mirror as he sits amid the rubble of his home, destroyed during Israeli air strikes on Gaza City, on August 7, 2022. AFP

Manila

b.

NGCP is also silence from commitment to without any conditions.

Standard

estopped by its reneging on its reimburse WMPC qualifications or

TODAY

52. It should also be emphasized that even before the Joint Upgrade Project was implemented and until its completion, NGCP had failed to apprise WMPC of any concerns or questions it may have had regarding the equipment. It was only after WMPC had appropriately billed NGCP for the costs it had advanced on behalf of NGCP in the Joint Upgrade Project that NGCP suddenly claimed to have reservations regarding the equipment subject of the reimbursement. Specifically, NGCP’s Letter to WMPC dated March 15, 202133 was the first time that NGCP formally expressed in writing any concern regarding its obligation to reimburse WMPC, which was almost a full two (2) years from the time when WMPC sent its Billing Letter to NGCP dated April 10, 201934 to NGCP.

Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled virtual hearing, via electronic mail (e-mail) at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation.

Moreover, all persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@ erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following:

53. In Pasion v. Melegrito,35 the Supreme Court explained how one may be estopped by his/her silence. The Supreme Court ruled: The principles of equitable estoppel, sometimes called estoppel in pais, are made part of our law by Art. 1432 of the Civil Code. Coming under this class is estoppel by silence, which obtains here and as to which it has been held that: . . . an estoppel may arise from silence as well as from words. ‘Estoppel by silence’ arises where a person, who by force of circumstances is under a duty to another to speak, refrains from doing so and thereby leads the other to believe in the existence of a state of facts in reliance on which he acts to his prejudice. Silence may support an estoppel whether the failure to speak is intentional or negligent.

46. Having substantiated its full reimbursement claim with the necessary documentary proof, it is only proper that NGCP reimburses WMPC for its full reimbursement claim, in the amount of PhP20,864,984.11, as the liability for this amount properly pertains to NGCP’s account, as provided under the 2016 PGC. IV.

Even as WMPC’s claim for reimbursement is clearly warranted under the facts and the law, considerations of equity warrant further the payment of WMPC’s full reimbursement claim by NGCP.

47. As shown in the discussion of the applicable facts and law above, WMPC is already entitled to the full reimbursement of its claim against NGCP. In addition, there are also equitable considerations that squarely find application in this case, which similarly warrant the full satisfaction of WMPC’s full reimbursement claim. a.

NGCP should not be allowed to unjustly enrich itself at WMPC’s expense.

48. It cannot be denied that NGCP had already accepted and benefitted from the equipment advanced and installed by NGCP pursuant to the Joint Upgrade Project. Consequently, if NGCP is allowed to reimburse WMPC only for a fraction of the latter’s actual costs advanced for the Joint Upgrade Project, which WMPC has even yet to receive, then NGCP shall be unjustly enriched or benefitted at WMPC’s expense.

49. In Osmena-Jalandoni v. Encomienda,32 the Supreme Court explained: Unjust enrichment exists when a person unfairly retains a benefit to the loss of another, or when a person retains money or property of another against the fundamental principles of justice, equity, and good conscience. There is unjust enrichment under Article 22 of the Civil Code when (1) a person is unjustly benefited, and (2) such benefit is derived at the expense of or with damages to another. (emphases and underscoring supplied) 50. The elements for unjust enrichment clearly exist in this case.

First, NGCP is effectively enjoying a discount on actual cost of the purchase and installation of the Contested Equipment, which use and benefits NGCP now enjoys, and continues to enjoy, despite binding itself to the obligation to fully reimburse WMPC, which NGCP has committed to do with any conditions or reservations.

51. Secondly, If WMPC will be reimbursed by NGCP for (a) only a fraction of its actual costs, or (b) worse, not be reimbursed at all, then WMPC shall, in both cases, absorb a multimillion-peso loss, to WMPC’s severe detriment. Accordingly, it is clear that this situation unjustly enriches NGCP, at the expense of WMPC, which, as ruled by the Supreme Court in Osmena-Jalandoni, cannot and should not be countenanced.

1)

The petitioner’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address;

2)

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file through e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@ erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following:

xxx This doctrine rests on the principle that if one maintains silence, when in conscience he ought to speak, equity will debar him from speaking when in conscience he ought to remain silent. He who remains silent when he ought to speak cannot be heard to speak when he should be silent.36

WMPC’s actual costs incurred for the Joint Upgrade Project, which it had paid as shown above, includes the costs advanced for the Contested Equipment that pertains to NGCP’s account, as provided under the Philippine Grid Code, and should accordingly be reimbursed in full by NGCP.

A7

54. Applying the doctrine of Pasion in this case, the fact is that NGCP, despite having been afforded numerous opportunities to inform WMPC of any concerns, or qualifications and conditions it wished to incorporate in the arrangement for WMPC to advance the costs in consideration of NGCP’s obligation to reimburse, remained silent, and this silence must now be upheld and must bind NGCP. 55. WMPC relied on NGCP with utmost good faith when NGCP unequivocally and unreservedly committed to reimburse WMPC for the costs it will advance on NGCP’s behalf for the Joint Upgrade Project, and relied in good faith as well on NGCP’s silence regarding any concern or objection during the time the Joint Upgrade Project, from the time it was conceptualized until its completion. In light of this good faith, WMPC advanced the costs of the purchase and installation of all the equipment for NGCP’s account, as approved by NGCP itself, including the Contested Equipment, expecting that it will be duly reimbursed in full by NGCP.

1)

The name, mailing address, and e-mail address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3)

The grounds relied upon.

Any of the persons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs may access the copy of the Petition on the Commission’s official website at www.erc.gov.ph.

Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled initial virtual hearing by providing the Commission, through legal. virtualhearings@erc.ph, with their respective e-mail addresses and indicating therein the case number of the instant Petition. The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearing.

56. Allowing NGCP to impugn its own silence now, despite its numerous opportunities to communicate with WMPC previously, will effectively operate as a fraud upon WMPC, which the Supreme Court in Pasion did not allow. Accordingly, NGCP should be considered estopped by its silence, and be directed to fulfill its obligation to satisfy WMPC’s full reimbursement claim.

WITNESS, the Honorable Commissioners CATHERINE P. MACEDA, FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL, and MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 20th day of July 2022 in Pasig City.

57. In view of the foregoing, WMPC respectfully prays for this Honorable Commission to direct NGCP to pay the full reimbursement claim of WMPC in connection with Joint Upgrade Project, in the amount of PhP20,864,984.11 which consists of (1) the amount of PhP7,958,411.54, representing the approved estimated equivalent cost, as admitted by NGCP, and (2) the amount of PhP12,796,572.57, representing the balance of WMPC’s full reimbursement claim for the actual cost of the Joint Upgrade Project.

FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION:

ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN Commissioner

PRAYER WHEREFORE,, Petitioner Western Mindanao Power Corporation respectfully prays for this Honorable Commission to DIRECT Respondent National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to: to pay WMPC of the full reimbursement of the Joint Upgrade Project for a total amount of PhP20,864,984.11, which consists of (1) the amount of PhP7,958,411.54, representing the approved estimated equivalent cost, as admitted by NGCP, and (2) the amount of PhP12,796,572.57, representing the balance of WMPC’s full reimbursement claim for the actual cost of the Joint Upgrade Project.

Other just and equitable reliefs are likewise prayed for.

1

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The Commission hereby sets the Petition for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence on the following dates and online platform for the conduct thereof, pursuant to Resolution No. 09, Series 0f 202037 dated 24 September 2020 and Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021 dated 17 December 2020 (ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure):38

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

EPIRA, Section 43(u). The ERC shall have the original and exclusive jurisdiction over all cases contesting rates, fees, fines and penalties imposed by the ERC in the exercise of the abovementioned powers, functions and responsibilities and over all cases involving disputes between and among participants or players in the energy sector. (emphases supplied) 2016 PGC, Chapter 2, Section GM 2.5.1.1. Any party who has evidence that any other party has violated or is violating provisions of the Philippine Grid Code, may file a verified complaint with the ERC who shall initiate an enforcement process or may direct the GMC to initiate the enforcement process. ERC may likewise direct the GMC to commence the enforcement process even if no complaint has been filed upon information on possible violations to the Philippine Grid Code. (emphasis supplied).

A copy of the Minutes of the November 20, 2015 Meeting, which contains these discussions, is attached as Annex “A.” A copy of the Minutes of the December 1, 2015 Meeting, which contains these discussions, is attached as Annex “B.” A copy of the Letter to NGCP dated November 17, 2016, which contains the requests and the two (2) lists of equipment, is attached as Annex “C.” A copy of the Reply Letter to WMPC dated March 29, 2017 is attached as Annex “D.” A copy of the Rejoinder Letter to NGCP dated September 14, 2017 is attached as Annex “E.” A copy of Reply Email to WMPC dated September 14, 2017 is attached as Annex “F.” A copy of the WMPC Bid Waiver Form dated May 24, 2017, outlining the rationale for selecting FCI, is attached as Annex “G.” Accordingly, WMPC and FCI executed their Supply Agreement dated November 27, 2017, a copy of which is attached as Annex “H.” A copy of the Certificate of Completion and/or Provisional Acceptance dated January 4, 2019 is attached as Annex “I.” The copies of the corresponding Billing Statements, Official Receipts and BIR Form 2307 are attached as Annexes “J” to “J-6.” One set of corresponding Billing Statement, Official Receipt, and BIR Form 2307 is attached as one annex under the Annex “J” series.

A copy of the Billing Letter to NGCP dated April 10, 2019 is attached as Annex “K.” A copy of the Letter to WMPC dated March 15, 2021 is attached as Annex “L.” A copy of the Letter Request for Reimbursement to NGCP dated June 29, 2021 is attached as Annex “M.” Id. A copy of the Reply Letter to Reimbursement Request of WMPC dated August 9, 2021 is attached as Annex “N.” A copy of the Rejoinder Letter for Reimbursement to NGCP dated September 7, 2021 is attached as Annex “O.” A copy of the Approval Letter dated September 22, 2021 is attached as Annex “P.” A copy of the Revised Approval Letter dated October 13, 2021 is attached as Annex “Q.” A copy of the Transmittal Letter to NGCP dated February 11, 2022 is attached as Annex “R.” 2016 PGC, Chapter 1, Section GC 1.3.1.1. The Act assigns to the ERC the responsibility of enforcing the Philippine Grid Code.

See again Annex “C.” See again Annex “D.” See Annex “E.” See again Annex “D.” Civil Code of the Philippines (“Civil Code”), Article 1305.

Civil Code, Article 1157.

Civil Code, Article 1318.

Civil Code, Article 1350 provides: Article 1350. In onerous contracts, the cause is understood to be, for each contracting party, the prestation or promise of a thing or service by the other; in remuneratory ones, the service or benefit which is remunerated; and in contracts of pure beneficence, the mere liberality of the benefactor.

See Annexes “J” to “J-6.”

G.R. No. 205578, March 1, 2017.

See Annex “L.” See Annex “K.” G.R. No., 166558. March 28, 2007.

Id., citing Philippine Bank of Communications v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 106858, September 5, 1997.

Entitled: A Resolution Adopting the Guidelines Governing Electronic Applications, Filings and Virtual Hearings Before the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Entitled: A Resolution Adopting the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

(MS-AUGUST 8, 2022)

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

A8

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

Business

Market upbeat, awaits Q2 GDP results results on Aug. 9.

Analysts said the recent slew of positive second-quarter corporate earnings HE stock market report may give investors hope that GDP will remain strong despite rising will likely trade inflation rate and the weakening of the higher this week in peso against the dollar. anticipation of strong gross Online stock brokerage 2TradeAsia. com said quarterly corporate earnings domestic product figures report are shaping up to be in line with that are being backed up expectations despite cost pressures.

It noted that banks reported double-digit by positive second-quarter growths in consumer loans while property corporate earnings. developers registered positive mall revThe Philippine Statistics Authority is enues and same-store-sales growth.

“As the index seemingly moves from set to release the second quarter GDP

By Jenniffer B. Austria

T

JELICA R. ENRIQUEZ

Green LiGht FILIPINOS, in general, are happy people. We smile at strangers, warmly greet our guests and even take pictures during a calamity. A core testament to our happygo-lucky disposition is using one of the most common Filipino phrases, “bahala na,” or come what may.

We are optimistic in any given situation. It is no surprise that the Philippines ranked the second happiest country in Southeast Asia and placed 60th worldwide in the World Happiness Report. But recent studies on Filipino employees exhibit a stark contrast to our cheerful nature.

Gallup reported that Filipino workers are the most stressed workers in Southeast Asia. In another study by Microsoft, Filipinos are the most overworked employees. Prevalent literature suggests that as happiness increases, perceived stress decreases. This dichotomy between happiness and work stress raises the question if Filipinos are happy.

Scholars consider happiness as psychological well-being, which includes

strength to strength, be reminded that there are timing differentials to macroevents, earnings and asset prices; while this makes market diligence blurry, this opens opportunities to trade oversold but high-quality securities. Aim for hopeful–but informed-farsightedness,” said 2TradeAsia.com.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week gained 1.4 percent to close at 6,405.50 as investors weighed the recent wave of corporate earnings results. The broader All Shares Index advanced 1 percent to 3,432.06.

Sectoral indices ended mixed. Industrial rose 3.6 percent, holding firms

climbed 2.3 percent and property added 0.9 percent.

The financials index dropped by 0.8 percent, while services and mining and oil both declined 0.03 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers for the week by P747 million, while the average daily value traded improved to P7.2 billion from the previous week’s average of P6.9 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Universal Robina Corp., which rose 10.4 percent to P122.60; Eagle Cement Corp., which surged 10 percent to P14.32; and ABS-CBN Corp., which climbed 9.7 percent to P10.20. With AFP

Happiness, stress and Filipino employees positive emotions and life satisfaction. For psychologist Therese Castillo, the Filipinos’ sense of happiness can be attributed to our ability to cope.

Filipinos have developed inherent coping skills due to a lack of privilege. In a country where millions live under the poverty line and experience more natural disasters than any other nation, Filipinos deal with adversities with limited resources. We use our sense of humor, sing and literally dance our troubles away.

Dr. Castillo added that happiness is related to the quality of life and wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened stress and drove many Filipinos to isolation and poor health. This prompted Philippine employers to implement mental health and well-being programs. They also introduce flexible work arrangements in response to the ever-shifting environment.

My organization offers various wellbeing services. It reinforced these services during the onset of the pandemic, providing tele-counselling, tele-psychology, referral and consultation services. It also invited employees to attend virtual well-

ness seminars and kamustahan or dialogue sessions. It emailed mental health tips. We also observed flexible work arrangements.

Although I find these services helpful, I ask myself if such programs are adequate to promote the overall well-being of employees. Do employees feel less stressed after attending wellness webinars? Do they feel more engaged after availing of these services? Do they learn better coping strategies? Do they feel happy?

Gallup advocates for a holistic well-being approach. Aside from providing wellness programs, companies are recommended to capture the employees’ social, financial, career and community well-being. This seems a tall order, particularly for companies with limited means. Nevertheless, this is an opportunity for the company leaders to offer holistic positive well-being.

Companies should also examine how well-being affects employee performance. A data-driven evaluation allows company leaders to identify which wellness programs are truly effective. It helps them to assess their current initiatives and make improvements.

Most importantly, company leaders should champion employee care. Research indicates that when employees feel that their organization cares about their well-being, this translates into high positive emotions. If the company leaders actively listen to their employees and give the necessary support, employees will become more engaged.

Organizations should not be complacent. We should not rely on the so-called Filipino resilience. As we continue to learn about living in a post-pandemic environment, we must provide the necessary support to our employees. Only then can we improve our quality of life, feel content and achieve genuine happiness.

Jelica R. Enriquez is a faculty member of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. She is a DBA student at the RVR-College of Business, De La Salle University. She can be reached at jelica_r_enriquez@dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU its faculty, and its administrators.

China eases strict COVID border rules BEIJING, China—China on Sunday shortened its suspension period for inbound international flights carrying COVID-positive passengers, signaling that Beijing could soon ease its strict border controls.

Incoming flights carrying five positive COVID-19 cases, or four percent of the total passengers, will now face a reduced one-week suspension, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) said in a statement.

Previously, if a plane brought in five infected passengers, all flights operated by the responsible airline along the same route were suspended for two weeks.

Flights logging an eight percent passengers positivity rate will be barred for two weeks, CAAC said.

The so-called circuit breaker mechanism has led to travel chaos, with flights into China being cancelled abruptly without the ability to rebook for weeks.

China is the only major economy still holding fast to a zero- COVID strategy with snap lockdowns and long quarantines.

The country’s borders have also remained largely closed since early 2020, halting international tourism.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students and workers abroad have been left stranded and complained about paying exorbitant prices to buy tickets back home, with the limited number of flights entering the country routinely suspended.

Meanwhile, China’s exports rose unexpectedly in July despite weakening global demand but imports remained low as lingering COVID controls kept consumers jittery, official data showed Sunday.

In July, exports rose 18 percent onyear, up from 17.9 percent the month before, according to customs data.

This was well above the 14.6-percent growth expected by economists polled by Bloomberg News.

Imports grew 2.3 percent, compared to a dismal one percent in June.

But it was below the four percent growth predicted by analysts, who had expected easing COVID-19 restrictions to boost domestic consumption. AFP

Business IN BRIEF

Solar Philippines offers battery storage power

SOLAR Philippines Batangas Baseload Corp. has offered Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to supply up to 200 megawatts of base-load power from its 1,800-MW of solar and 1,800-MW-hour battery storage plants in Nasugbu, Tuy and Balayan, Batangas province.

The company received an original proponent status for the offer, which will be subjected to a competitive selection process from other bidders.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to show that solar with batteries can deliver cost-competitive base-load. We thank Meralco for leading the market in the adoption of renewable energy and look forward to see this project realized for the benefit of consumers,” said Solar Philippines founder Leandro Leviste.

Solar’s project would be the world’s first-gigawatt-scale solar-battery base-load station. The company said it would be unlike other solar-battery projects designed to operate for around 12 hours a day (including others being developed by Solar Philippines), and unlike smaller projects operating in off-grid areas.

The project can operate on a 24/7 basis and at a much larger scale, replacing the need for a 200-MW coal power plant.

Alena Mae S. Flores

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, August 5, 2022

-77.61 PTS.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

C

ONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. said over the weekend the P740-billion New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan is on track for completion.

“The airport [construction] is in full blast. We will complete that on time, and it will be delivered with two runways immediately,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang. SMC is developing the airport through San Miguel Aerocity Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., the infrastructure arm of SMC. SMC signed a concession agreement

with the government, represented by the Department of Transportation, to develop, construct, operate and maintain the NMIA in September 2019.

This was followed by the enactment of Republic Act 11506, granting a legislative franchise to SMAI for a domestic and international airport in the municipality of Bulakan that took effect on Jan. 15, 2021.

Under the concession agreement, SMC aims complete the airport by 2027. SMC plans to deliver at least two runways by 2026.

The world-class airport will be developed in phases, with an initial capacity of 35 million passengers annually and a target of 100 million passengers annually, once fully completed.

The project will rise on over 2,500-hectare property in Bulakan, Bulacan, including various components such as airfield

IPOPHL lauds solons for passing PCID bill

INTELLECTUAL Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) over the weekend expressed its appreciation to lawmakers for passing the the Philippine Creative Industries Development (PCID) Bill into law.

“Since the initiative to develop this measure began, IPOPHL has been in full support of and cooperation with Congress and the Senate to see this legislative measure come to fruition,” said IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba.

The PCID law mandates the creation of a long-term plan to promote and develop creative industries. It aims to spur efforts to sustain excellence in Filipinos’ creative endeavors through the protection of their intellectual property rights, among many other ways of support.

To deliver on these mandates, the law created the 19-member PCID Council, of which IPOPHL is part of as an ex-officio member.

The PCID Law will provide IPOPHL its much-needed boost in raising IP awareness across the creative economy and allowing sectors to protect their IP, especially their copyright and related rights.

Othel V. Campos

B1

facilities, terminal building, airport and airline support facilities, access roads, parking facilities, utilities, and airport city and other ancillary facilities.

SMC’s international gateway project in Bulacan is seen to resolve the worsening airport and traffic congestion in Metro Manila and boost the Philippine economy.

It is projected to generate trillions of dollars in economic activity and job opportunities. The estimated annual impact on the economy would amount to nearly P900 billion.

Ang said the airport would be powered by renewable energy, specifically solar and battery energy storage systems as part of SMC’s efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources sustainably.

SMC also plans to build a 200-MW solar farm to help power the electricity needs of the airport.

ROMUALDEZ SUPPORT. House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez assures the country’s business sector that the House of Representatives will consult the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country’s largest business organization, when crafting laws related to trade and commerce. Romualdez (third from right) receives a token of appreciation from PCCI officials led by (from left) chairman William Co, honorary chair Ma. Alegria Sibal Limjoco, president George Barcelon, honorary chair and treasurer Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr. and vice president for regional affairs Nina Mangio at the PCCI general membership meeting on Aug. 4 at Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City.

Ayala Land sees tempered residential demand in the next 12 months

By Jenniffer B. Austria PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. expects residential cancellations to increase by 10 percent to 12 percent from the pre-COVID level in 2019 amid the challenging macroeconomic environment.

ALI president and chief executive Bernard Vincent Dy said in a recent analysts’ briefing he expected tempered demand on residential projects in the next six to 12 months, or until the global uncertainties were resolved.

“My expectation over the next six to 12 months, we will continue to see tempered demand for residential, until we see some of these macro issues and

global uncertainties resolved, higher inflation, geo-political tension and supply chain issues. All of these issues will affect global growth, could affect our domestic growth and therefore will have impact on residential demand,” said Dy. ALI said most of the cancellations would be in the middle income market and would involve vertical developments.

Dy said the level of cancellations was not yet alarming at this point.

“Back out rates, in general, have been manageable so far. What I would expect as economy gets better, then I hope that situation holds,” Dy said.

The company said given the tempered demand for residential projects, it would launch P80 billion worth of residential

86,232 12,712,260,041.90

ADVANCES DECLINES

66 108

UNCHANGED

49

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2022

Cebu Pacific deploys larger A320neo jet

CEBU Pacific has deployed a bigger aircraft for its Tacloban, Dumaguete and Butuan flights to meet higher demand brought about by relaxed restrictions and pent-up desire to travel.

“We recently added more seats using our new A320neo as we see increasing demand.

This upgrade will accommodate more passengers and carry more cargo,” said Cebu Pacific chief commercial officer Xander Lao. “We are the airline that serves these three destinations the most, which encourages trade and tourism in the Visayas and Mindanao,” he added.

The A320NEO—an environmentally friendly aircraft with less fuel emission and reduced noise—features 188 seats equipped with USB ports that allow passengers to charge their mobile devices inflight.

Cebu Pacific currently flies up to six times daily between Manila and Tacloban.

For the Cebu-Tacloban route, the airline flies twice daily every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and three times daily every Monday and Friday.

Darwin G. Amojelar

712,868,039

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

F oreign e xchange r ate

Bulacan airport construction goes full blast to meet target

By Alena Mae S. Flores

6,405.50

TOTAL VOLUME

projects this year, lower than earlier estimate of P100 billion.

ALI launched P35 billion worth of projects in first half and plans to start another P45 billion worth of projects in the second half.

“The difference really is coming from high-end vertical project that we would like to book build first to see see if we will proceed with the launch. The project is ready, but we want make sure that we will have a robust take-up,” ALI said.

ALI said last week residential revenues fell 9 percent to P27.4 billion in the first half from a year ago, on stretched payment terms arising from the challenges of the pandemic.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

55.7120

Japan

Yen

0.007519

0.4189

UK

Pound

1.216000

67.7458

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127393

7.0973

Switzerland

Franc

1.047120

58.3371

Canada

Dollar

0.777182

43.2984

Singapore

Dollar

0.726691

40.4854

Australia

Dollar

0.696500

38.8034

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

147.7811

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266241

14.8328

Brunei

Dollar

0.724061

40.3389

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000067

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.027801

1.5488

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

15.1692

Euro

Euro

1.024700

57.0881

Korea

Won

0.000768

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.148181

8.2555

India

Rupee

0.012634

0.7039

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.224417

12.5027

New Zealand

Dollar

0.629400

35.0651

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033395

1.8605 Source: BSP

Foreign reserves fell to 2-year low of $98.8b in July

By Julito G. Rada THE country’s gross international reserves fell to a two-year low of $98.8 billion in July from $100.9 billion in June, pulled down by the government’s foreign debt payments and decreased value of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ gold holdings.

Data showed the level was the lowest foreign reserves held by the BSP since July 2020 when the amount reached $98.6 billion.

The Bangko Sentral said in a statement the latest reserves level still represented a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 8.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

It was also about 6.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.5 times based on residual maturity.

“The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level reflected mainly the national government’s foreign currency withdrawals from its deposits with the BSP to settle its foreign currency debt obligations and pay for its various expenditures, and downward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market,” the BSP said.

Net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the BSP’s reserve assets and reserve liabilities, decreased by $2 billion to $98.8 billion as of end-July from $100.8 billion in June.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said that since the start of 2022, GIR lost $9.967 billion or 9.2 percent from $108.8 billion as of December 2021.

“The decline in the GIR somewhat correlated with the weaker peso in recent months,” Ricafort said.

He said the peso already corrected to the strongest in about a month at 55.20 against the dollar on Friday, easing from the record low of 56.45 on July 12 and 14, 2022 that matched the record lows posted in 2004 and 2005.

“Nevertheless, GIR is still equivalent to 8.3 months of imports or still way above the minimum international threshold of 3 to 4 months, thereby could still provide greater cushion on the peso exchange rate vs. any speculative attacks,” Ricafort said.

San Miguel Food and Beverage begins building 12 poultry plants costing $1.2b

LANDBANK ASSISTANCE. The Integrated Barangays of Numancia Multi-Purpose Cooperative, with support from Land Bank of the Philippines, continues to expand lending operations and membership to help small farmers from Aklan and neighboring provinces. From a barangay-based cooperative with only 23 members and P2,500.00 as starting capital in 2003, IBON MPC transformed into a region-based development cooperative servicing the financial needs of over 7,200 farmer-members from Western Visayas. IBON MPC first availed of a P1-million rediscounting loan from LandBank in 2006 and negotiated a renewed loan line of P60 million in 2021.

SAN Miguel Corp. unit San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. started the construction of 12 mega poultry plants around the country to produce 960 million birds annually.

SMC president Ramon Ang said each poultry plant would require $100 million in investments, or a total of $1.2 billion.

“It should be available in two years.

So 2024 of June, that will be finished and operational,” he said.

Ang said the facilities were expected to produce “big birds” that weigh around 2 1/2 kilograms each.

“The variety available today, we call that big size. We produce that because there is demand for that type of bird for chicken nuggets and other processed

food,” he said.

San Miguel will put up the poultry plants in Davao del Sur; Sariaya, Quezon; Pagbilao, Quezon; Lucanin, Bataan; San Fabian, Pangasinan; Balayan, Batangas; Bulan, Sorsogon; San Ildefonso, Bulacan; Leganes, Iloilo; Malabuyoc, Cebu; Pagadian, Zamboanga; and Badoc, Ilocos Norte.

San Miguel expects the whole supply chain for the 12 facilities to generate one million jobs in plantations, feed mills and poultry processing plants.

“We have already started that... The target is to be up and running 24 months from today,” Ang said.

SMFB posted an 8-percent increase in consolidated net income to P18.8 billion in the first half. Alena Mae S. Flores

PROPERTY developer Westchester Realty Corp. said over the weekend it earmarked P300 million for the refurbishing and renovation of facilities and amenities of GA Tower 2 as it paves the way for the condominium project’s redevelopment.

WRC president and chief executive Nico Valencia said the re-development forms part of its commitment to deliver to homebuyers fully-refurbished amenities, including the general repainting of the entire GA Tower 2.

“Following our successful re-launch of

[GA Tower] early last month, the market is very much upbeat as we’re able to sell more than 120 units in the span of less than a month.

And in this regard, we intend to go full blast in pouring-in additional capital expenditures so we can deliver what we have promised to our buyers ahead of schedule” Valencia said.

He said the company’s goal for the GA Tower project is to provide “affordable luxury” coupled with convenience as the condominium project boasts of its location and complete amenities for condominium

dwellers in Metro Manila.

Locatedalong EDSA and beside BoniMRT Station, GA Tower boasts not only of its strategic location but also its amenities and affordable pricing made available for Pag-IBIG home borrowers.

WRC acquired and took over the re-development and disposal of multi-billion worth of housing inventory from Pag-IBIG Fund.

“The market’s positive response has been very inspiring, to say the least. This can be attributed to the project’s most affordable

pricing scheme that we have prepared particularly for qualified Pag-IBIG Fund member-borrowers. It’s location and amenities provide homebuyers the opportunity to own condominium units right at the center of everything,” Valencia said.

Westchester offers the lowest and most affordable condominium units ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms at an average price of P2.8 to 3.4 million. With a minimum down payment of 10 percent, home-buyers can start owning their dream condo.

GA Tower

Westchester Realty upbeat, earmarks P300m to refurbish and renovate GA Tower 2 in Mandaluyong

B2

Sports

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

Castro trey gives TNT 93-92 win, 2-1 lead

By Peter Atencio

J

AYSON Castro scored a triple with 2.4 seconds left as the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Giga pulled through with a 93-92 triumph over the Magnolia Timplados Hotshots and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals Sunday evening at the Araneta Coliseum.

Castro, who had 16 points, struck after the Hotshots led for the last time off Mark Barroca’s layup with 11 ticks left.

The win allowed the Tropang Giga to recover from an 88-92 setback they suffered from the Hotshots in Game 2.

JP Erram powered the Tropang Giga

with 22 points and 8 rebounds.

“We just kept our poise and we kept telling our players to stay in the game and stay in what we do and just wait for opportunities. I think that helped us in the end,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

Mikey Williams drilled in 15 points, but his miss in the final minute allowed Barroca CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK to grab possession in the return play, tie the match for the last time at 90-all in the REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT remaining 54 seconds with his layup, beNATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION fore giving the Hotshots the lead at 92-90 BRANCH 94, QUEZON CITY in the last 9.8 seconds.

Room 406, 4th Floor, Hall of Justice Bldg.,(Annex) e-mail address: rtc1qzn094@judiciary.gov.ph With time winding down and no more Contact Nos. (02) 8 534-2811 / 0947-5867158 timeouts left for the Tropang Giga, CasNOMER GABRIEL A. CABRERA, tro dribbled the length of the court, ran Petitioner, around two picks, before sinking a step- versus CIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-21-10387-CV For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage back three-pointer that gave TNT the win MARIA KATRINA R. DAMAYO, as Magnolia could no longer set up a play Respondent. in the final 2.4 seconds. x---------------------------------------------------------x ORDER Magnolia drew 18 and 17 points, Before this court is a Motion to Allow by petitioner through counsel on June 30, 2022. respectively, from Calvin Abueva Petitioner prays in the said Motion that summons be served by and Ian Sangalang. publication upon the respondent considering that as per Sheriff’s RR Pogoy’s three-point play off Return of Summons May 5, 2022, Summons together with a copy of the Petition and its annexes were returned unserved “for the Abueva’s sixth and last foul gave reason that there was no one in the respondent’s residence” and TNT an 85-82 lead. that “the respondent was not around for she is currently living and working in Italy xxx”.

But despite Abueva’s absence, The same ground was reiterated by petitioner in his Affidavit Magnolia stood its ground and got attached thereto. He likewise avers in the said affidavit that he the lead back off Sangalang’s putback does not know the current address of the respondent abroad for they have not been communicating for the last few years and and hook shot, to go with Paul Lee’s that their common friends also do not know of her exact address two charities, 88-85. except that she is in Italy.

After a careful perusal of the Motion to Allow Substituted Service and the Affidavit of the petitioner, this court resolves to grant the same. It appears that this is one of the instances wherein summons by publication may be allowed. Section 6, A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC (Rule on Declaration of Absolute Nullity of void Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages in relation to Rule 14 of the Rules of Court) provides: “Sec. 6. Summons. - The service of summons shall be governed

by Rule 14 of the Rules of Court and by the following rules: (a) Where the respondent cannot be located at his given address or his whereabouts are unknown and cannot be ascertained by diligent inquiry, service of summons may, by leave of court, be effected upon him by publication once a week for two consecutive weeks In a newspaper of general circulation In the Philippines and In such place as the court may order. In addition, a copy of the summons shall be served on the respondent at his last known address by registered mall or by any other means the court may deem sufficient. (b) The summons to be published shall be contained in an order of the court with the following data: (1) title of the case; (2) docket number; (3) nature of the petition; (4) principal grounds of the petition and the reliefs prayed for; and (5) a directive for respondent to answer within thirty days from the last issue of publication.

WHEREFORE, In view of the foregoing, let service of summons and a copy of this Order be effected upon respondent MARIA KATRINA R. DAMAYO by publication at the expense of the petitioner once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle pursuant to P. D. 1079. Respondent shall be given a period of thirty (30) calendar days from the last issue of publication of the summons to file her answer serving a copy thereof upon the petitioner.

Jayson Castro scores the game-winning triple with 2.4 seconds left as TNT squeaked past Magnolia, 93-92, on Sunday in a Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Obiena nails bronze at Diamond League FILIPINO star Ernest John Obiena kept his composure and some of the momentum he gained from his great performance in the World Championships as he claimed his second straight bronze medal on Saturday in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, the ninth leg of the Diamond League at the Stadion Śląski in Chorzow, Poland.

The 26-year-old Obiena rose to a height of 5.73 meters on his second attempt to once again finish behind pole vault superstar Armand Mondo Duplantis, who broke another meet record with a successful jump of 6.10 meters for the gold.

This may not be his best jump, but Obiena said before the competition said that he still has the momentum to carry on after earning the bronze medal three weeks ago in the 2022 World Athletics Championships at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

At that time, Duplantis, also ruled the competition and made 6.21 meters in two tries for a new world re-

cord and the gold.

This time, Norwegian Guttorsmen settled for the silver after reaching 5.73 in one go.

“There’s this thing called sustained momentum. You need to feel the competition, be inside the competition, and the moment you kinda spaced out, it’s very difficult to get back in,” said Obiena.

Obiena is 21 centimeters off his record-breaking 5.94 meters on his second try in Oregon.

But his father Emerson, who is observing his son’s performance, said EJ is getting comfortable and showing composure at the heights he is now trying master.

“Nandu’n na iyung composure niya,” said the elder Obiena.

The Formia, Italy-based Obiena made efforts to clear 5.83 meters. But he could not do so in three tries.

Polish bet Piotr Lisek took fourth place at 5.63 meters.

Peter Atencio

Likewise, let copies of this Order, summons and petition be sent to respondent at her last known address by registered mall.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Metro Manila, July 8, 2022.

(Sgd.) ROSLYN M. RABARA-TRIA Presiding Judge

RMRT/feps copy furnished: ACP Arcell C. Ragsac acr.ocpqc@gmall.com

Office of the Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City Atty. Maria Perlita C. Pinza (counsel for Petitioner) 57-B Iriga St., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City pericabrera.sclaw@gmall.com Nomer Gabriel A. Cabrera 101 Block 7, Pook Palaris, Brgy. UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City Maria Katrina R. Damayo Brgy. Ayao-Iyao, Lemery, Batangas

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 94, QUEZON CITY Room 406, 4th Floor, Hall of Justice Bldg. (Annex) Quezon City Hall Complex e-mail address: rtc1gzn094@judidary.gov.ph contact numbers: (02) 8-534-2811 / 0947-586-7158 NOMER GABRIEL A. CABRERA, Petitioner, -versus-

Civil Case No. R-QZN-21-10381-CV For: Nullity of Marriage under Articles 35 (2) and 36 of the Family Code MARIA KATRINA R. DAMAYO, Respondent. x----------------------------------------------------x

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO: MARIA KATRINA R. DAMAYO Brgy. Ayao-iyao, Lemery, Batangas GREETINGS: WHEREAS, a Petition for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage has been filed by petitioner Nomer Gabriel A. Cabrera against Maria Katrina R. Damayo; WHEREAS, petitioner, through counsel, filed “Motion to Allow Substituted Service”; WHEREAS, on July 8, 2022, an Order was issued directing the service of summons be effected upon the respondent by publication at the expense of the petitioner; WHEREAS, in the Petition, the relief/s prayed for are hereby quoted as follows: “WHEREFORE, it is most respectfully prayed that this Honorable Court, after due proceedings, after due notice and hearing, render Judgment as follows,: 1. After DUE NOTICE AND HEARING, DECLARING that the parties marriage on March 11, 2011 be declared as VOID AB INITIO under Article 35 (2), as this was solemnized by a person not legally authorized to perform marriages; and 2. FURTHER DECREEING that by reason of the both parties’ psychological incapacity, that the marriage contracted by the parties NOMER GABRIEL A. CABRERA and MARIA KATHRINA R. DAMAYO, on March 11, 2011 as well as its civil effects, If any, are VOID AB INITIO, pursuant to Article 36 of the Family Code, as amended.

Other equitable reliefs just and equitable are likewise prayed for.” (emphasis supplied) NOW, THEREFORE, You, respondent MARIA KATRINA R. DAMAYO, is summoned and required to file with this court your verified Answer or any responsive pleading to the Petition of herein petitioner within thirty (30) days from the last issue of publication, serving a copy thereof upon petitioner. If you fail to file your answer within the said thirty (30) day period, petitioner shall take action as authorized under the law and ask from the court the relief/s applied for in the said Petition.

Let this Summons and copy of the Order dated July 8, 2022 be published by the petitioner at his expense once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, and likewise, to deposit copy of the same, as well as, of the Petition and its Annexes in the Quezon City Post Office/other courier, postage prepaid and by registered mail addressed to respondent’s last known address, also at the expense of the petitioner.

WITNESS MY HAND SEAL of this Court, this 19th day of July, 2022 at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

(Sgd.) Atty. MA. ADORACION J. BAETIONG Clerk of Court V

Cc: Atty. Maria Perlita C. Pinza 57-B Iriga St., Sta. Mesa Heights Quezon City

Maria Katrina R. Damayo Brgy. Ayao-iyao, Lemery, Batangas

(MStandard-Aug. 8 & 15, 2022)

GOLF CHAMP. Ricar Candinato (center) holds his trophy and cash prize worth P100,000 as he poses with amateur Zeus Sara, who helped key their title run in the first Sambalilo Golf Pro-Am tournament at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club in Cavinti, Laguna over the weekend. At left is Vice Mayor Milbert Oliveros.

PVL champ to represent PH in Asian volley tourney THE champion of the ongoing Premier Volleyball League Invitational Cup will represent the country in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup for Women that starts in two weeks at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation decided on Sunday morning to field the PVL Invitational champion, instead of a 14-member young national team that had 12 players from the National University varsity squad.

The PNVF, through its president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, officially informed NU president Dr. Carlos Ermita Jr. of the development in an email sent on Sunday.

“We are now writing to inform your good office , though with much regret, that we shall be releasing the NU student-athletes and coaches from the National Training Program, effective today [Sunday], 7 August 2022,” the PNVF said in its letter to Ermita.

“We have been compelled to make this difficult yet important decision due to the recent turn of events within the team’s training schedule and corresponding availability. We feel that the said student-athletes and coaches, alongside the team manager Engineer Bing Diet, may not be able to commit to perform at their best level given a number of restrictions and conditions that hinder the continuous conduct of training and overall program,” the PNVF said.

Benedicto takes IRONMAN 70.3 crown; Santiago shines CEBU – August Benedicto pulled off a big August Sunday coup, cutting loose in the last loop of the closing run leg to beat Aussie Mark Jansen and capture the overall championship in the Megaworld IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu here.

The veteran campaigner, who placed 15th in the last pro IM 70.3 race here in 2019 while dominating the Asian Elite twice before the pandemic, rallied from as far back as 40th after the opening swim leg then kicked his way back into contention with a strong finish in the highlight bike event, a 3-loop race against time at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

He moved to fourth heading to the deciding run and rode on the momentum, driving past Lanao del Norte’s Satur Salem, Jonathan Pascua and Jansen in the 12.8km mark and storming to victory in 4:29:16 over the 1.9 km swim, 90km bike and 21k run racecourse in the country’s newest triathlon hub.

He had times of 35:17 (swim), 2:57:21 (bike) and 1:29:43 (run) in overcast skies.

“Sa last loop nang kumalas ako, mga last 7 kms. Marami kami sa bike kasi naunahan nila ako sa swim.

Nilampasan ko lahat. Mga 15 siguro ang nauna sa akin (swim),” said Benedicto, who also ran away with the 35-39 category diadem in the event which drew close to 2,000 triathletes from 46 countries.

“I thank God for giving me the strength and to all the Cebuanos for their support,” added Benedicto, who drew inspiration from the cheers of the crowd that lined up the roads. “Kahit na groge at laspag na, but hearing their cheers, na-energized ako.”

Meanwhile, Ines Santiago bucked the odds, including the effects of menstrual cycle, as she reigned in the distaff side of the event, which staked 12 age-group titles, nailing the overall crown, along with 40-44 trophy in 5:23:14.

August Benedicto: From 15 last year to champion

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

B3 MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

Stars descend on BGC for the glitzy GMA Thanksgiving Gala Sanya Lopez

Dinah Sabal Ventura is the recipient of the Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Manunulat at Patnugot sa Pamamahayag sa Pelikula at Telebisyon

Cristine Reyes takes home the Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Pinakamahusay na Aktres sa kanyang Henerasyon

ARIAS ALWIN IGNACIO

(From left) John Lloyd Cruz, GMA FVP for Program Management Department Joey Abacan, Alden Richards, and SAVP for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara

(From left) Manila Standard Entertainment Editor Nickie Wang, GMA VP for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier Cruz, and Manila Times Entertainment Editor Tessa Mauricio-Arriola

T

HE brightest stars aligned and gathered together for the firstever GMA Thanksgiving Gala in celebration of the network’s 72nd anniversary on July 30.

It was an evening of fun and excitement as various Kapuso stars and personalities graced the event at the grand ballroom of ShangriLa The Fort in Bonifacio Global City together with GMA executives, industry partners, politicians, beauty queens, and other special guests.

The attendees made spectacular and show-stopping red carpet entrances in their stunning gowns and tuxedo suits, following the Old Hollywood glam theme.

Leading the celebration were GMA Network’s President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., EVP and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, and GMA Network Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes.

Making the event truly special was the tribute for GMA Chairman and CEO Attorney Felipe L. Gozon for leading the global triumph of GMA7 through the years.

Another highlight of the party was the fundraising for the benefit of the GMA Kapuso Foundation. Through the help of the sponsors, part of the GMA Thanksgiving Gala proceeds will be donated to the victims of the recent earthquake in Abra and the school development project at Magallanes Elementary School in Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte.

And, of course, the star-studded get-together also acknowledged those who shined the most and were a cut above the rest.

Showbiz royalties Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera were named the Couple of the Night.

Alden Richards received the Male Sparkle Star of the Night award, and Sanya Lopez was recognized as the Female Sparkle Star of the Night.

Bianca Umali bagged two trophies: Beautederm Scene Stealer Award and Belo Beauty of the Night.

On the other hand, Marco Gumabao and Rhian Ramos received the Frontrow Male and Female Icon awards.

Fashion and style icon Heart Evangelista took home the Glamorous Star of the Night award.

Mavy Legaspi and Kylie Alcantara were hailed Sparkle Love Team of the Night. Miguel Tanfelix and Sofia Pablo were honored with the TikTok Crowd Favorite Male and Female awards, respectively.

Meanwhile, Kapuso fans and netizens tuned in to this exceptional gathering of stars via live streaming on GMA Network’s Facebook page and YouTube account, and Sparkle’s

Bea Alonzo (right) and Dominic Roque

Billy Crawford (left) and Coleen Garcia

Heart Evangelista (left) and Senator Chiz Escudero

Bianca Umali

(From left) Congressman Sandro Marcos, GMA Network Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Attorney Annette Gozon-Valdes, AVP for Talent Management, and Anja Gozon Abrogar

GMA Network Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Attorney Annette GozonValdes

Xian Lim is the Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Aktor at Direktor awardee

Solid gold

THE mere mention of gold conjures images of Olympic champions finishing first in the highly competitive arena of sports. Gold is the color of the highly coveted Oscars statuette which heralds the fiercest and most fabulous in acting, creative and technical awards in Hollywood. Gold brings happy memories from the Generation X demographics as it is an iconic ditty from the British power pop group Spandau Ballet Ballet. Apart from these, gold often signifies excellence and integrity.

These illustrations of the value of gold are the reasons why four years ago, Gintong Parangal was born.

Now under the stewardship of Professor Jonathan Velustra Sta. Ana, he explains: “Gold has always been the measurement or standard used to proclaim the best. Our group, which is predominantly composed of academicians, artists, and cultural workers, lawyers, private individuals believe that these men and women who we are honoring, their lives are aspirational and inspirational.”

“This is our manner of telling them that they are doing great and we hope that they continue to excel and be living symbols of hope, discipline, love for their craft, hard work, and professionalism,” Sta. Ana added.

The awardees this year, specifically in the entertainment industry sector are: Ricky Davao, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Pinakamahusay na Aktor at Direktor; Rey Valera, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Pinakamahusay na Mang-Aawit at Alagad ng Musikang Filipino; Jose Estrella, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Direktor sa Sining ng Teatro; Dr. Ricardo G. Abad, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Manunulat sa Sining ng Teatro; Liza Macuja Elizalde, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Tagapagtaguyod ng Pagsayaw Ballet; Gelli De Belen, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Pinakamahusay na Aktres; Dindo Arroyo, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Beteranong Aktor; Camille Prats, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Host sa Telebisyon; Aljur Abrenica, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Pinakamahusay na Aktor sa kanyang Henerasyo; Jayda

Avanzado, Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Mang-Aawit sa kanyang Henerasyon; Dinah Sabal Ventura, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Manunulat at Patnugot sa Pamamahayag sa Pelikula at Telebisyon; Cristine Reyes, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Pinakamahusay na Aktres sa kanyang Henerasyon; and Xian Lim, Natatanging Gintong Parangal bilang Mahusay na Aktor at Direktor.

MPJ Entertainment Director Perry Escaño assisted Prof. Sta. Ana in choosing the awardees.

During its recent press conference, Ricky Davao, first-time award winners Dion Ignacio and Dindo Arroyo, and entertainment and lifestyle editor Dinah Ventura were present to welcome the good news.

“After 32 years, sa wakas! Thank you for this award. Eto lang talaga yung tumawag sa akin, and then sinabi sa akin, ‘Dindo, bibigyan ka ng award.’ And then sabi ko, ‘Wow, pinansin na rin kami.’ Kaya thank you very much for this award,” Arroyo said said of the recognition.

Likewise, Ignacio’s surprise to the win, was under stable: “Hindi ako makapagsalita, basta ‘yun, naoverwhelm lang po ako dahil kahit nasa ilalim napansin, ‘yung effort, parang, napansin po ‘yung effort ko, bilang artista, supporting, nakakapagpaangat, mas napapansin po ‘yung nasa taas.

Overwhelmed ako rito sa award na ito.”

Seasoned and award-winning actor and director Davao retorted: “Winning an accolade from Gintong Parangal feels great because it means that, hey, may nakapansin na as actors, we must be doing something good in our craft, At the same time, happy pressure kasi we all know that if you have a gold as a stamp of approval, it means excellent.

So dapat mas maging juidicious sa pagpili ng roles at talagang dapat palagiang fully committed to the character assigned to me or to all of us na maswerte na nakapasa sa criteria nila.”

Gintong Parangal is a nationwide search. The awardees are not just from Metro Manila but also from the provinces and distant regions.

The Gintong Parangal Awards Night happens on August 13 at the Grand Ballroom of Okada Manila.

ABS-CBN programs, personalities bag top honors at Golden Laurel 2022 TOP media company and content producer ABS-CBN took home 16 awards including top honors for Kapamilya Channel as Digital Media Network of the Year and ABS-CBN News as Best TV/Digital News Platform at The Golden Laurel 2022: The Batangas Province Media Awards organized by the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas.

TV Patrol was also named Best TV/ Digital News Platform with anchor Bernadette Sembrano clinching the Female News Anchor of the Year award.

Artists Jodi Sta. Maria (Best Drama Actress for The Broken Marriage Vow), Joshua Garcia (Best Drama Actor for The Broken Marriage Vow), Angel Locsin (Most Inspiring Social Media with Social Cause Category), and Kathryn Bernardo (Most Inspiring Social Media Personality Lifestyle/ Entertainment Category) were also winners at The Golden Laurel 2022.

The company’s entertainment shows

bagged awards as well including It’s Showtime (Best Variety Show and Best Variety Show Hosts), Magandang Buhay (Best Celebrity Talk Show), Maalaala Mo Kaya (Best Drama Anthology Program), and The Broken Marriage Vow (Best Drama Series).

Sembrano, along with co-host Edric Calma of “Lingkod Kapamilya sa TeleRadyo,” were also hailed as Best Public Service Program Hosts with their program winning the Best Public Service Program title.

ABS-CBN’s Metro magazine was also chosen by the Batangas academic community as the Best Print/Digital Lifestyle Magazine.

Winners of The Golden Laurel 2022 were determined based on the votes of students, employees, and partner schools in the Batangas province. The awarding ceremony was held on August 4 at the Freedom Hall of the SHL Building, Lyceum of the Philippines UniversityBatangas, Capitol Site, Batangas City.

(From left) GMA President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit Jr., GMA EVP and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, and Sparkle GMA Artist Center Consultant Johnny Manahan

TikTok account last Saturday.

The hashtag #GMAGalaNight garnered 200 million unique views on TikTok as of today, August 2. The hashtag was introduced last Thursday (July 28) to keep a thread of the preparations and latest happenings

about the grand event.

It was truly a memorable night not only for the celebrities and guests but also for the fans who have always been loyal and supportive of GMA7. Images from Teddy Pelaez and GMA Corporate Communications

The Golden Laurel 2022 honors ABS-CBN’s Kapamilya Channel as the Digital Media Network of the Year

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

B4

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

Life

Gateway Mall 2, the much-awaited expansion of the multi-awarded Gateway Mall, is targeted for a soft launch in December 2022.

Exciting things to explore soon at the Araneta City T

HE Araneta Group is set to complete the Gateway Square complex with the launch of its final two components: the Gateway Mall 2 and the ibis Styles Hotel.

Gateway Mall 2, the much-awaited expansion of the multi-awarded Gateway Mall, is targeted for a soft launch in December 2022. This P5-billion development covers 190,000 square meters over eleven levels of additional choices for shopping, dining, entertainment, and leisure in Araneta City.

“Gateway Mall 2 promises to be like no other mall in the world. This is the latest in our ongoing efforts to keep providing more memorable firsts in the City of Firsts,” Lorna Fabian, VP for Leasing of the Araneta Group, said.

Meanwhile, ibis Styles Hotel, the first hotel under the ibis Styles brand in the Philippines, is expected to open in early 2023.

Situated adjacent to the Gateway Mall 2, the P2-billion hotel will be operated by the international hospitality brand AccorHotels, the same company that manages Novotel Manila Araneta City.

Gateway Mall 2 and ibis Styles Hotel complete the 400,000 square-meter mixeduse Gateway Square superblock which already includes the Gateway Mall, Gateway Office, Gateway Tower, Novotel Manila,

the iconic Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the Parking Garage South Building.

Breadth and depth, creative and trendy

lic can access the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum through doorways located inside the new establishment. This makes Gateway Mall 2 the only mall in the country that is directly connected to an indoor arena. ibis Styles Hotel, the modern, creative, and trendy member of the Ibis brand family, will have almost 300 guest rooms and six function rooms for meetings and conferences. Its roof deck will feature an overhanging swimming pool and a bar that overlook the Metro Manila skyline and the stunning Manila Bay sunset.

Revitalized Gateway Square

With these new developments, Araneta City’s Gateway Square is expected to provide more opportunities for a break from the routine. The superblock will have a total of 18 cinemas with VIP lounges, over 3,000 parking spaces, and convenient link to attractions such as the air-conditioned indoor floating garden The Oasis, the open-air Topiary Park, and the arts sanctuary Gateway Gallery.

In all, the Gateway Square will soon boast of a bustling complex with two shopping malls, two office towers, two hotels, a parking building, and a coliseum right at the very heart of Metro Manila.

“These new properties revitalize the integrated Gateway Square – a development that offers opportunities for an experience you can personalize yourself in a thoroughly modern and contemporary environment,” Fabian said.

The ibis Styles Hotel, the first hotel under Gateway Mall 2 enhances Araneta City’s the ibis Styles brand in the Philippines, is breadth and depth of choices in fashion and acexpected to open in early 2023. cessories, recreation and entertainment, health & wellness, and gadgets and gaming from local and international brands in over 500 outlets. It also expands the choices for quick bites, family fare, traditional comfort food, concept restaurants, regional cuisine, and bars and lounges to over 100 dining options.

Other mall features include a 500-seat iconic church on the roof deck, sensory and culinary gardens, a 3,700 square-meter supermarket, and a 700 square-meter Atrium for various activities and events – all in one establishment that interconnects the MRT and LRT stations and straddles the Big Dome, Gateway offices, the Novotel and ibis Styles hotels, Gateway shopping, and parking facilities.

Also, once Gateway Mall 2 opens, the pub- Among the mall features is the sensory and culinary gardens, adorning the interiors of the mall with abundant greens.

A taste of refined lifestyle Champions of sustainability LEAVE it to the multi-awarded Conrad Manila to come up with a noteworthy event that raises awareness of our countrymen on certain important issues. The hotel recently proclaimed six outstanding citizens as “Champions of Sustainability” for their commitment to driving the social, environmental, and commercial welfare of various communities in the country.

The hotel’s gracious General Manager, Linda Pecoraro, who has, on many occasions, displayed her dedication to banner the Philippines on the global stage, says all six awardees continue to inspire others and have embarked on various sustainable endeavors toward a purposeful future.

Conrad Manila’s Champions of Sustainability are Hon. Lucy Torres-Gomez, Mayor of Ormoc City, for her filing of House Bill 7229 seeking to integrate and establish pertinent policies and regulations to ensure sustainability in our Tourism Industry. She also spearheaded the protection and restoration of the Banaue Rice Terraces and the 6200: Mission Impossible Project of Leyte IV. She is committed to pursuing her advocacies in sustainable tourism, infrastructure development, and energizing communities to be self-sustainable through livelihood programs.

Joanne Rae Ramirez, General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of People Asia founded the People of the Year Awards, Men Who Matter Awards, Women of Style, and Substance Awards which have an outstanding impact on industry leaders to steer sustainable economic growth in their respective fields. She has a genuine passion for re-inventing and re-aligning lives for the betterment of sustainable communities and has supported and contributed to the development and promotion of sustainable tourism in the country.

The Founder of Community Pantry PH, Ana Patricia Non, is an entrepreneur who started the Community Pantry craze at the height of the pandemic.

Her original Maginhawa Community Pantry, set up on a bamboo cart, sparked a nationwide movement.

Representatives of Conrad Manila showcasing the sustainable products from their partners.

It inspired many of our countrymen to put up their own community pantries and share everything sustainable that can help the underprivileged.

The Managing Trustee of Masungi Georeserve, Ann Dumaliang, is a conservationist and geo-tourism advocate working in the mountains of our country. Masungi, a 450-hectare land, was damaged and depleted of its resources because of quarrying and deforestation. Ann and her sister Billie fought it out in protecting the land against illegal quarries and loggers. Today, Masungi is a model for privately driven conservation, sustainable reforestation, and it educates the community while doing wonders for the local economy.

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and a good cook. The problem is---the law allows only one wife.

The debonair Illac Diaz, Founder and Executive Director of Liter of Light Foundation, advocates for sustainable energy while providing lighting solutions to communities suffering from energy poverty. Mr. Diaz’s Liter of Light has helped make the world brighter for 382,000 Filipinos and 690,000 people from other countries. It has shown that a new business model is possible, where ecology goes hand in hand with economy.

Contemporary Artist and Designer Leeroy New is a multi-awarded sculptor, street artist, and practitioner of “applied sculpture” for the environment. He makes elaborate masterpieces from everyday waste materials by cutting, twisting, and tying them together, each of which always evoking a sense of movement or migration.

He explores the culture, history, and mythology of his heritage to underscore the palpable impacts

of the climate crisis.

Aside from the hotel’s GM Pecoraro, Commercial Director Michael Albaña and Director of Operations Yoges Veerasamy, the Department of Tourism-NCR Director Sharlene Batin, who represented Secretary Christina Frasco, helped in giving out the awards.

SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation President Elizabeth Sy and Executive Vice-President Peggy Angeles joined the event via Zoom.

Personally, I am convinced that Conrad Manila also deserves its own Champion of Sustainability award. Aside from having made an impressive impact in the country’s tourism arena, the hotel is one of the Ten Best Eco-Conscious Hiltons Around The World. This is part of the international chain’s environmental, social and governance strategy to drive responsible travel and tourism globally. Furthermore, the multi-use LEED Gold certified structure controls water usage with its dual-flushing and low-flow plumbing mechanism, and the guest rooms have occupancy sensors that control lighting and cooling functions. What better qualifications can a sustainable entity have than these?

Calling DOT-NCR Director Batin…one more awardee here, to complete the list!

This landmark event of Conrad Manila coincided with the official unveiling of its innovative and attractive Mid-Autumn Prosperity handcrafted bags, which were given to all six awardees. The brainchild of the Conrad Manila team together with Filipina artisan Reese FernandezRuiz of Rags2Riches, the Lunar Prosperity bags are available in two signature colors—Coral and periwinkle. Each is packed with the hotel’s signature mooncakes specially prepared by Chef Eng Yew Khor and his team, of China Blue by Jereme Leung.

More information on Conrad Manila’s events and mooncake offerings is available through (632) 88339999 or conradmanila@conradhotels.com For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Celebrating mid-autumn joy with an elegant range of mooncakes

HILTON Manila welcomes the Mid-Autumn festival with a Lunar Reunion mooncake box, featuring an indulgent array of traditional baked varieties of classic and modern flavors.

A celebration of craftsmanship and a festive centerpiece, this year’s mooncake box design pays homage to the auspicious full moon. With this unity and wholeness in mind, this year’s box features its circular shape front and center, embossed in striking gold. Within, four individual cake boxes make up a full circle to represent the harmonious coming together of family members.

John Lucas, General Manager of Hilton Manila says, “Mid-autumn festival is a splendid time where families come together to reunite under the full moon. Let’s

take this time to appreciate the time spent with our loved ones as we savor the sweet delicacies the season has to offer.”

Make it a gift to behold with our medley of traditional baked mooncake flavors, including the classics – Red Bean with Single Yolk, Lotus with Single Yolk, Mixed Nuts, White Lotus with Double Yolk, and Red Lotus with Black Sesame and Double Yolk. Prices start at P1,888 nett for Lunar Reunion Package (Box of Two).

Hilton Manila welcomes the Mid-Autumn festival with a Lunar Reunion mooncake box, featuring an indulgent array of traditional baked varieties of classic and modern flavors.

For inquiries and reservations, please call +63 917 826 6442, send an email to MNLPH_F&Binquiries@hilton.com or visit https://www.hiltonmanila.com. Follow @hiltonmanila on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.

WHAT makes a good cup of coffee mem- Touch at home, I can create third-wave speorable? For some, it might be the taste cialty coffee at home with ease!”

The same goes for or the rush of energy that Camille Anglo, who claims they enjoy. Others, howthat coffee makes or breaks ever, may talk about the her mood for the day. The memories, the inspirafood enthusiast and surfer tion, and other sentimental even shared that she openly things that they get from tells her husband, Chef JP their favorite sip of joe.

Anglo, how coffee makes Whatever your answer is her a better version of heras a coffee lover, one thing self. “I love you more than remains true: coffee is more coffee, but not before cofthan just a necessary part of fee,” she claims in an Insour lifestyle. It is a lifestyle tagram post. “I am a much itself—one that inspires and better person with coffee connects with other aspects and I’m so glad none of you of ourselves. have to know me before I’ve This is something that had my cup in the mornBreville Philippines has aling.” ways stood up for as one of Even food whiz Chef the most passionate ambasFrancis Lim, the brains sadors of third-wave speand the talent behind the cialty coffee in the country. iconic Tipple and Slaw Bar A premium home lifestyle Happy Ongpauco and Restaurant, attests to brand, Breville has always how easy the Breville Babeen set on sparking everyrista Touch makes his life to one’s love for the drink by be as a coffee lover when he bringing it closer to where showed how he can create they are. With products his favorite drink with the that let all caffeine enjoysame ease that he cooks his ers craft their special cups breakfast eggs. “All it takes in their own homes, the is one touch to satisfy your brand unlocks a creativity senses with cafe-quality and sense of inspiration coffee at the comfort of our for everyone who wants to homes or workplace!” create deep, personalized Mark, Happy, Camille, connections with their faand Chef Francis’ testimovorite drink. nials cover what Breville The brand also does this Philippines considers most through initiatives that eximportant—which is to creplore the other creative avate a coffee experience that enues that coffee can tap, can mold seamlessly with such as music for example. the lifestyles of its users In probably one of its most Camille Anglo through ease of use and good distinct campaigns, the design. The Breville Barista brand held its MusiCaffeinTouch is a model that is parated sessions which featured ticularly designed to fulfill several personalities who this, with its superior feashared their favorite tunes tures that give everyone the while telling stories about chance to craft cafe-quality their sources of inspiration third-wave coffee in their over a cup of coffee. Mark own kitchens. With precise Tanseco of Let’s Eat Pare espresso extraction, easy perfectly shows the type of machine operation, a builtbliss one can get from both in grinder, and a customizcoffee and music when he able touchscreen that lets its gave everyone a peek at how user adjust their recipes to he uses his Breville Philiptheir preferred milk texture, pines Barista® Touch while coffee strength, and temlistening to the beloved clasperature, the brand brings the sic “Mrs. Robinson” by Sipremium experience of craftmon and Garfunkel. ing good coffee right into the Seasoned restaurateur hands of its enjoyers.

Happy Ongpauco-Tiu is To top it all off, Breville another good inspiration. A Philippines also launched busy businesswoman with its Brave and Beautiful several catering services, Chef Francis Lim campaign where they rerestaurants, and boutique leased a limited edition bed and breakfast under her black model of the Barista belt, Happy is someone who knows good taste, both in her coffee and Express. With its classy design that can lifestyle. “My favorite me time of the day fit in the most sophisticated-looking cofis coffee time. I love black coffee early in fee nooks, the brand has pushed forward a the morning to perk me up and Iced Cof- product that fulfills both functionality and fee Ala Mode during late afternoons to end aesthetics – two very important factors that my busy day. Now that I have the Barista the most loyal coffee lovers appreciate.