T
Administrator Serafica latest to quit, board member Valderrama awaits fate
SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez has been forging tighter coordination with Malacañang and the Senate to prevent even a single presi dential veto of bills to be approved by the 19th Congress, leaders of the House of Representa tives said Monday. House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, and House Assistant Majority Leader and Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party-list Rep. Margarita
HREE out of the four officials who signed the unauthorized sugar importation order without the approval of President Marcos have resigned.
Next page Next page Next page Next page 3 SRA execs out, 1 hangs on MlaStandardtwitter.com/ ManilaStandardPHfacebook.com/ manilastandard.net Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net VOL. XXXVI • NO. 183 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com NEWS / A2 ‘MARCOS
By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta
THE US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has tagged the Philippines as among three countries under the high risk category for COVID-19. In a travel health notice posted Tues day, the CDC grouped the country with Nepal and Russia in its Level 3 group. “Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before traveling to the Philippines,” the CDC said. “If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, avoid travel to the Philippines.”
QC school shuts down, cites financial issue due to pandemic WHO needs help: New label for monkeypox STIGMATIZING NAME. A sign announcing monkeypox vaccina tion is set up in Tropical Park by Miami-Dade County and Nomi Health in Florida.
AFP Next page Next page Next page
By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo and Othel V. Campos
By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo
The CDC warned travelers that those even “up to date” with coronavirus jabs might still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19. Anyone 2 years or older should prop erly wear a well-fitting mask in indoor public spaces, it said. “If you have a weakened immune sys tem or are at increased risk for severe
Level 3 includes countries with more than 100 COVID-19 new cases over the past 28 days per 100,000 population.
CONGRESS will investigate the much-criticized No Contact Appre hension Program (NCAP) even if the Supreme Court grants a petition from four transport groups to suspend the program, which uses video surveil lance and digital cameras to capture and penalize traffic violations. On Tuesday, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo filed a resolution calling on three House committees to jointly investigate the NCAP implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Congress looks into NCAP use to raise revenue
On Tuesday, Sugar Regulatory Ad ministration (SRA) administrator Her menegildo Serafica joined SRA board member Roland Beltran and Agricul ture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebas tian, who resigned over the order to im port 300,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar, which the Palace described as “illegal.” Serafica’s resignation leaves Neg rense sugar leader Aurelio Gerardo Val derrama Jr. as the only remaining SRA board member. In a press conference held at the Ne gros Residences, Valderrama, the acting board member representing the plant ers, said he has sent a letter to Marcos on Monday explaining what happened regarding the Sugar Order (SO) No. 4 and also for the President to decide whether he should stay in his post. “At the end of the letter, it says ‘If you feel I need to resign and I have lost your trust and confidence,’ you can just tell me anytime. It was the President him self who appointed me here. I leave the decision to him,” he said. Valderrama, who was appointed as SRA board member only on Aug. 6, said he was the last one to sign the resolution. “Ensuring that everything was in order, I signed SO4. After Atty. Beltran and Ad ministrator Serafica signed the order, it was submitted to Usec Sebastian for appropriate action. Usec Sebastian then signed it for and on behalf of the SRA chairman, President TO VISIT INDONESIA OR SG FIRST BEFORE US’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is looking at getting conces sions from traders to bring down pric es of sugar as well as allowing food manufacturers to do direct importa tion with the approval of the Sugar Regulatory“Hopefully,Administration.wecangetsome conces sions with the traders so that at least the pricing will be reasonable. The concern is the supply right now. I’ll make sure that there is sufficient supply in the country so that you can operate at full capacity,” he said. He had a meeting last Monday even ing at the Malacañang Palace with the members of the Philippine Chamber of By Willie Casas, Rey E. Requejo, Joel E. Zurbano and Rio N. Araja
BBM eyes sugar price cut, direct company import US tags PH as ‘high-risk’ for COVID along with Nepal, Russia
By Rio N. Araja COLEGIO De San Lorenzo, a private Catholic school in Quezon City founded in 1987, an nounced Monday it will permanently stop its operations after more than 30 years – sparking confusion and outrage from students, parents, faculty, and its workers alike. In a letter to students and parents dated Au gust 15, the school’s Board of Trustees said they were closing the school “due to finan cial instability and lack of financial viabil ity brought about by the ongoing (COVID-19) pandemic and exacerbated by consistently low enrollment turnout over the past years.” The move was voluntary without prior no tification, both the Department of Education By Maricel V. Cruz
Speaker resolute on zero bill veto, moves along with Palace, Senate
WHAT A HEADACHE! Parents and students wait outside the campus of the Colegio De San Lorenzo in Quezon City to get their records and credentials after the school made a sudden announce ment Monday evening that it will stop operations permanently due to financial issues. Manny Palmero
RESIGNED FATE UP TO BBM
Leocadio Sebastian Hermenegildo SeraficaRoland Beltran Aurelio Valderrama Jr.
THE World Health Organization, which is looking to rename monk eypox, called Tuesday for help from the public in coming up with a less stigmatizing designation for the fastspreading disease. The UN health agency has for weeks voiced concern about the name of the disease that emerged onto the global stage in May. Experts warn the name can be stigma tizing to the primates it was named after, but who play little role in its spread, and to the African continent that the animals are often associated with. Recently in Brazil, for instance, there have been reported cases of people attacking monkeys over dis ease fears.
Food Manufacturers Inc. Marcos even emphasized the poten tial of direct importation of local food manufacturers with the approval of the SRA as part of “emergency measures” to address the sugar shortage. Marcos also said that although there is a need for the Philippines to increase production of sugar in the future, the current processing concerns of local food producers must also be addressed. The President noted the problem was becoming “worrisome” and said the government is doing what it can to pro tect the jobs of sugar industry workers. He also added that his administration is studying several measures that can be taken to immediately increase the sup ply of sugar in the country. Marcos said the country might only import a total of 150,000 MT of sugar which is half of the proposed 300,000 metric tons which was approved ille gally by the SRA board.
Meanwhile, the country’s top soft drinks makers confirmed reports of a refined sugar shortage. Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, and ARC Refreshments Corporation said the industry is facing a shortage of premium refined sugar or bottlers’ grade sugar. “We confirm our industry is facing a shortage of premium refined sugar – a key ingredient in many of our products. We are working closely with other stakehold ers of the industry and the government to address the situation,” the group said. Food processors have asked the gov ernment to allow industrial and com mercial institutions to buy from the government’s planned 150,000 importa tion volume at prevailing world market prices or at least 10 percent premium from the global price.
“We are closely coordinating with Malacañang and the Senate so that we can avoid the vetoing of a measure, which is a waste of time and resources. Under the leadership of Speaker Martin, we are working with our counterparts to ensure the smooth passage of impor tant bills,” Dalipe told the Ugnayan sa Batasan Majority News Forum.
This is good news and will serve to benefit a lot of sectors, including us. But what we are concerned about is that the government may sell the imported sugar at the prevailing local price here which is really expensive,” he said. If not, he added, the government should just allow food processors to import their own requirement, a call raised in early January 2022, when the price of sugar started creeping up from an average of P50 to P57 per kilogram until early May. The Department of Trade and In dustry (DTI) noted that processors preferred buying local sugar instead of importing the product to help improve the industry and increase collaboration between suppliers and users. The DTI said processors would im mediately buy local sugar if suppliers sold their product at the same price lev els as those of imports, and vowed to pay the right tariff if allowed to import. Also on Tuesday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri decried the alleged millions of pesos in kickbacks that he said unscrupulous officials of the SRA received for approving importation.
Philippine Food Processors and Ex porters Organization, Inc. (Philfoodex) president Ruben See said his members are looking forward to working out, with the government, mutual concerns on sugar supply and pricing. “We hope the importation goes well.
Marcos Jr. I did not know this (was not in order), nor could have questioned that act, knowing that Usec Sebastian was the chair man’s authorized alternate,” he said. “I, as a member of the Sugar Board, place myself at the disposal of the Presi dent, knowing I served with integrity and hoping that the truth will prevail above all else, in the interest of our stakeholders,” Valderrama added. Serafica’s resignation was confirmed by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles in a statement on Tuesday. She said his and Beltran’s resignations were accept edAimmediately.copyofthe letters sent to the two officials was released by the Office of the Press Secretary. Last week, Agriculture chief of staff and Undersecretary for Operations Le ocadio Sebastian tendered his resigna tion to Marcos, who also sits as head of the Department of Agriculture and chairman of the SRA Board, following the sugar importation fiasco. “I sincerely offer my apologies, your Excellency, for having approved Sugar Order No. 4 on your behalf, and through the authority, you had vested upon me. It has become clear that the same was not in keeping with your administra tion’s desired direction for the sugar in dustry,” Sebasian said in his letter. Malacañang earlier said the issuance of SO 4 was “illegal and unauthorized,” as it was rejected by the President, con sidering the administration’s thrust to fulfill a “balancing act” of securing af fordable and adequate supply for con sumers and helping local producers. In a statement, Serafica confirmed that his resignation had been accepted. “Today, I am officially leaving my post with a light heart and clear conscience knowing that I performed the functions of my office consistent with, or within the bounds of the law,” he said. “Before I was asked to become part of SRA, I was a simple farmer. After this, I will go back to my first love, farming. I never thought of becoming a public serv ant but I became one. It was a long and taxing job but definitely meaningful and I thank those who gave me this once in a lifetime opportunity to serve the sugar cane industry and the Filipino people.” From From From A1 From A1 By Darwin G. Amojelar and Joel Zurbano AIRFARES are expected to drop next month mostly due to lower jet fuel prices, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB)CABsaid.executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the price of jet fuel is now averaging at P46.73 per liter, which cor responds to Level 9 of the passenger and cargo fuel surcharge matrix in Septem ber – lower than August’s Level 12. Under Level 9 of the new passenger fuel surcharge matrix, airlines are al lowed to collect fuel surcharges of P287 to P839 for domestic flights and P947.39 to P7,044.27 for international flights. For the cargo fuel surcharge under Level 9 , airlines are allowed to charge P1.47 to P4.31 per kilogram for do mestic flights and P4.87 to P36.21 per kg for international flights. “Airlines wishing to impose or col lect fuel surcharge must file their ap plication with CAB on or before the effectivity period, with fuel surcharge rates not exceeding the above-stated level,” Arcilla said. The CAB said airline fuel surcharge is an optional fee, imposed and col lected by airlines to recover fuel costs and stem losses caused by upward spikes in fuel cost. “We welcome this positive develop ment and we will carry out the corre sponding adjustments in our fuel sur charges. The new fuel surcharge rate will be applicable to tickets that will be purchased in September,” Cielo Villaluna, spokesperson of Philippine Airlines said.
However, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body will abide by the law should Congress approve the postponement measure. While the Comelec would be ready whether the polls would be conducted this year, in 2023, or in 2024, Garcia said the additional P5 billion would in clude the expenses for registering the returning and new voters, as well as increase the poll watchers’ honorarium. “If we are going to postpone the elec tions and increase the honorarium of poll workers, on the assumption that Congress will be kind enough to increase the hono rarium, plus the expenses for the continu ing registration, we need an additional P5 billion,” he Party-listsaid.Reps. France Castro of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan voted against the postponement. They said the voters of the baran gays and those who registered for the SK elections will be disenfranchised because they will be deprived of the chance to choose their leaders. Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. moved to vote for the postponement of the elections to the first Monday of December 2023. The committee, chaired by Mt. Province Rep. Maximo Dalog, also ap proved Barzaga’s motion that the term of office of those who will win the De cember 4, 2023 elections will start at noon on January 1, 2024. They would have a three-year term. Dalog’s committee also approved the holdover provision wherein incumbent Barangay and SK officials shall remain in office until their successors assume office unless they are removed or suspended.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may visit Indonesia or Singapore for his first overseas trip, Philippine Ambassa dor to the US Jose Romualdez said in a radio interview. He said this was in keeping with the tradition of choosing any Southeast Asian nation for the first presidential foreign trip. A separate report by Vera Files quot ing a diplomatic source said Indonesia will be Marcos’ debut in the interna tional scene, likely on Sept. 5. “Based on his proposed visits, he will likely visit Indonesia first. The President is looking at his schedule as to where he will go but definitely it will be before he goes to New York,” Romualdez said. Singapore, he said is being consid ered because it also extended its invita tion for Marcos to do a state visit. “DFA is just planning the appropriate time for him to be able to visit these two ASEAN countries,” Romualdez added but did not give a timeline. Marcos will then go to New York to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Marcos is scheduled to address the UNGA on Sept. 20.
During the hearing of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, at least 12 members voted in favor of the measure. This was even after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) told the group that postponing the village and youth council elections for at least a year will cost the government P5 billion, on top of the P8 billion allocated for the local polls.
(DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Tuesday. CDSL has elementary, high school, and college departments. CHED chairman Prospero de Vera III told lawmakers on Tuesday the com mission will loom into the “very abrupt” closure of Colegio de San Lorenzo, spe cifically if there were “possible viola tions” on the part of the school. “I have instructed our executive di rector and CHED-NCR to sit down with the school immediately to look into pos sible violations. Because under existing CHED rules as of last year, you need to inform the Commission 60 days before you close or suspend programs,” he said. “They accepted already tuition fees and then arbitrarily decided they will not open. So there is a certain element of maybe deceit, because as far as the commission is concerned, once you ac cept tuition fees, that is already a con tractual agreement between you and the student that you will provide education in exchange for the fees that are paid,” De Vera added. This was after students have already paid their tuition and other expenses, including payments for uniforms and books. The school’s present popula tion or past enrollment figures could not be determined at press time, as CDSL apparently shut down its offi cial website. disease, even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, talk with your clinician about your risk, and consider delaying travel to the Philip pines,” the CDC said. Level 4, previously the highest risk category, is now “reserved for special circumstances, such as rapidly esca lating case trajectory or extremely high case counts, emergence of a new variant of concern, and health care in frastructure collapse,” the CDC said. The Philippines has logged over 1,000 additional cases of the highly transmissible Omicron subvariants BA.5 and BA.4, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. The DOH said it found 1,011 addi tional cases of the Omicron BA.5 and 19 more cases of the BA.4, latest fig ures from DOH show. Of the new BA.5 cases, some 907 have recovered, while 53 are under going isolation, and the status of 49 patients is being verified. Two have died from the Omicron subvariant, the DOH data Meanwhile,show.15 patients of the BA.4 cases have recovered, three are in quar antine and one died from the disease. DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosa rio Vergeire said the government has allotted a budget for the procurement of modified COVID-19 vaccines that target the Omicron variant and the original form of the virus. “We have reserved some budget for us to procure this kind of next genera tion vaccines if and when lumabas na siya para sa entire population,” Ver geire said in a press briefing. In the past week, the Philippines tal lied 28,008 fresh coronavirus infections. From Aug. 1 to 7, the country re corded an average of 4,001 infections per day, up 3 percent compared to the previous week. To date, some 72.1 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COV ID-19. Of the tally, more than 17 mil lion have received their additional jab while 1.8 million have received their second booster shots. In other developments: * The Supreme Court has ordered all trial courts nationwide in areas un der COVID-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2 or higher to keep a workforce of at least 80 percent on Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Aug. 31. In a circular issued by Court Adminis trator Raul B. Villanueva with the ap proval of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, the Court gave trial court judges the discretion to require a 100 percent workforce on-site. The judges will also determine who will work physically and who will work from home. In the National Capital Region (NCR), office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The SC circular also allowed flag-raising and lowering ceremonies, jail visitation, and night court. “Human monkeypox was given its name before current best practices in naming diseases,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters in Geneva. “We really want to find a name that is not stigmatizing,” she added, saying the consul tation is now open to everyone through a dedicated website: https://icd.who.int/dev11. Monkeypox received its name because the virus was originally identified in mon keys kept for research in Denmark in 1958, but the disease is found in a number of ani mals, and most frequently in rodents. The disease was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Re public of Congo, with the spread among humans since then mainly limited to certain West and Central African coun tries where it is endemic. But in May, cases of the disease, which causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, began spreading rapidly around the world, mainly among men who have sex with men. Worldwide, over 31,000 cases have been confirmed since the start of the year, and 12 people have died, accord ing to the WHO, which has designated the outbreak a global health emergency. While the virus can jump from ani mals to humans, WHO experts insist the recent global spread is due to closecontact transmission between humans. The UN health agency announced last week that a group of experts it had convened had already agreed on new names for monkeypox virus variants, or clades. AFP “Our sense is, in their haste to deploy the NCAP to build revenue from traffic fines, cities are haphazardly rolling out the technology at the expense of mo torists,” Rillo, vice-chairperson of the House committee on Metro Manila de velopment, said in a statement. “We are also worried that motorists may be wrongfully burdened – not by the cost of violating traffic laws, rules and regulations – but by the cost of the tech nologies used in the NCAP,” Rillo said. In House Resolution 237, Rillo cited the need to safeguard the rights and welfare of motorists against potential abuses in the NCAP’s implementation, including the risk that they may be subjected to exces sive and unreasonable fines and penalties. Rillo said he expects the House inquiry to proceed even if the Supreme Court is sues an injunction against the NCAP. The other two committees that will take part in the investigation are the trans portation and local government panels. Four transport groups, in a petition, earlier asked the Supreme Court to re strain and declare as unconstitutional the policy that employs video surveil lance and digital cameras to capture and penalize traffic violations. “The House inquiry will identify and resolve all the issues surrounding the NCAP,” Rillo said.
Newsmst.daydesk@gmail.comWEDNESDAY,AUGUST 17, 2022A2 By Maricel V. Cruz and Vito Barcelo A COMMITTEE in the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the proposal to move the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to Dec. 5, 2023, which were supposed to be held on the same day this year.
Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, one of the authors of the proposal, welcomed the commit tee’s decision to postpone the elections. He said the savings to be generated from the postponement should be used for COVID-19 pandemic response and financial aid to the poor. Garcia said Comelec aimed to regis ter 29,088,496 voters for the barangay and SK polls but was only able to regis ter 24,457,363.
A1 3 SRA...
A1 QC...
Rillo’s resolution also pressed for the NCAP’s temporary suspension amid widespread complaints from motorists. The MMDA and the cities of Manila, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Quezon City and Valenzuela operate the NCAP. San Juan City has also signed an agree ment to run the NCAP starting this month. The transport groups did not get imme diate relief from the Supreme Court after the 15-member bench held in abeyance its resolution of their plea to issue a tempo rary restraining order on the NCAP. SC Public Information Office head Brian Keith Hosaka confirmed the peti tion of four transport groups -- Kilusan sa Pagbabago ng Industriya ng Trans portasyon Inc. (KAPIT), Pangkalaha tang Sanggunianng Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association Nationwide (PasangMasda), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philip pines (ALTODAP), and Alliance of Con cerned Transport Organization (ACTO) – was tackled by the justices during their regular en banc session on Tuesday.
House panel OKs delaying brgy. polls
Ignacia Nograles vowed to ensure the smooth and swift approval of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s legislative agen da and other pro-people measures. Two months into his administration, Marcos vetoed five bills, while allow ing 41 to lapse into law. The vetoed laws include the establish ment of the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone; the charter of the Of fice of the Government Corporate Coun sel; the grant of a franchise to the Davao Light and Power Company; the Philippine Transportation Safety Board Act; and Ex empting from Income Taxation the Hono raria, Allowance, and Other Financial Benefits of Persons Rendering Services During an Election Period. Dalipe said the closer coordination would smoothen the process and guaran tee better linkages, synergy, and coordi nation to fast-track, facilitate, and harmo nize the passage of vital measures.
BBM... From A1 US... From A1 Congress...
WHO... From A1 Speaker...
Airfares to drop next month amid lower jet fuel prices, says CAB
Marcos to visit Indonesia or Singapore first envoy
By Patricia Taculao WITHschoolupcomingthe season, Foundation,SM together with Maxeon Solar Technologies made a significant step to integrate green technology in public schools and theirwillofthat21-solarNowbilltheirwattsschoolBeforeSt.,BagongSchoolLemerySinagPioneeringschoolstocollaborationProgram.theircommunitiesgoodenvironmentalspreadingrassrootsunderSinagSchoolsTheenvironmentalgoodintendschangehowpublicconsumeenergy.undertheSchoolsProgramisPilotElementary(LPES)inBrgy.Sikat,AtienzaLemery,Batangas.thepandemic,theconsumes6,500ofenergy,withaverageelectricityatP14,000permonth.equippedwithapanelsystemproduces6510watt-penergy,thesaidschoolnowbeabletocutoperationalcosts.
Maxeon Fab4 General Manager Glenn Everett inspects the solar panel installation at Lemery Pilot Elementary School
SM Foundation, Maxeon Solar Technologies empower public schools to go green
ProgramMaxeon volunteers inspect all systems before the energization
Aside from the two-story school building donated by SM Prime through SM Foundation, Lemery Pilot Elementary School recently received a 21-solar panel system. Through its education information campaign component dubbed as Sinag Ed, SMFI and Maxeon also open the door to critical thinking and discussions about renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and electricity generation. Aside from the solar panels, SMFI also turned over eight desktop computers, 200 bags with school supplies, and more than 160 pcs brand new kinder and elementary books Coinciding with SMFI’s goal of providing conducive learning environment for Filipino learners in grassroot communities, the Sinag School Program also serves as an in-house renewable energy laboratory for students —enhancing the students’ understanding of energy management and the need to transition to cleaner energy alternatives with lower environmental impacts.Byincorporating the use of solar panels in schools, SM Foundation and Maxeon Solar Technologies provide Filipino learners with an opportunity to take an active and leadership role in spreading the culture of environmental stewardship and conservation.
SM Foundation and Maxeon Solar Technologies partner for Sinag Schools
Over 2m students to get free LRT rides till Nov. 5, 2022
By Rio N. Araja
E-sabong operators say 3.2m displacedworkersbyban
THE Makati City government on Tuesday announced it has started distributing free anti-dengue kits to some 47,212 public elementary students as part of the city’s campaign to prevent dengue, especially during the rainy season.Mayor Abigail Binay said each kit contains a 250-ml mosquito repellent lotion and a wrist band with four cit ronella capsules that last up to three months.Binay said all public elementary school students from Kinder to Grade 6, including learners in the Special Ed ucation (SpEd) curriculum, will get the healthDatakits.from the Department of Edu cation-Makati showed that there are 6,765 Kinder students, 6,765 Grade 1 students, 6,634 Grade 2 students, 6,556 Grade 3 students, 6,871 Grade 4 stu dents, 6,891 Grade 5 students, 6,142 Grade 6 students, and 588 SPED learn ers.“The city has continuously put a premium on enhancing the learning experience of students in our public schools. We want them to look neat and smart and feel confident when they go to school. At the same time, we aim to keep them well-protected from the el ements and seasonal diseases,” Binay said.She said the city has been distribut ing free school supplies and uniforms to public school students since 1995 under Project FREE (Free Relevant and Excellent Education). In the past six years, her administration has added rubber shoes, socks, rain gear, wellness kits, and newly-designed uniforms and school bags to the list of freebies. The mayor also said the city contin ues to conduct clean-up drives, preven tive misting operations, and health edu cation seminars in barangays to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. The Makati City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) has recorded 334 dengue cases from January 1 to AugustBinay15.urged her constituents to im plement the “4S” strategy in their hous es, campuses, and offices to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. SOME major players in the online cock fighting or e-sabong business which has been banned by the government are still hurting out for lost incomes even as they expressed regrets over alleged economic displacement of an estimated 3.2 million Filipino workers affected by the prohibition. “Aside from the employees of li censed eSabong operators, many agri cultural and blue-collar workers from business like commercial farm and backyard breeders, game fowl buyers, feeds producers and veterinary services were also adversely affected by the ban which was imposed about two months ago,” they said. The sources pointed out that micro and small enterprises such as sari-sari stores that used to benefit during cockfighting derbies have likewise experienced drastic cuts in their meager incomes. “Online betting stalls that hired work ers during the popularity of the game have found themselves unemployed since May,” they said. Elvira Tan, who used to operate an eSabong shop on Quirino Ave. in Quezon City, said she was constrained to let go of her eight employees in the aftermath of her lost business. “Yung mga tauhan ko. Walo sila. La hat tinanggal ko na kasi ano pa ibabayad ko sa kanila,” Tan said. “Wala, hikahos talaga sila. Kung makikita nyo lang halos hindi na sila kumakain, kukurutin talaga puso nyo. Naawa ako kasi wala naman sila ginawang masama o nilabag na batas tapos sila ngayon nagdudusa,” Tan said in an interview. At its peak, the eSabong industry reportedly generated P650 million per month in revenue for the state-run Phil ippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).
JUST A DRILL. Grade 2 pupils of the Quirino Elementary School in Anonas, Quezon City line up toward their classroom during a dry-run in preparation for the school opening on Monday, August 22. Manny Palmero
CELEBRATING INDIAN INDEPENDENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday said it there would be no extension of the enroll ment period in public schools as it reported over 21.2 million enrollees so far for the coming school year. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) activat ed its security plan to ensure the safe reopening of classes next week for school year 2022-2023.
DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said the deadline for enrollment in public schools is still on Aug. 22, also the first day of classes. “For now, we have not talked about giving an extension for the enrollment period,” Poa said in a press briefing on national television. As of Tuesday morning, a total of 21,272,820 learners have enrolled in basic education for school year 20222023, according to the DepEd data.
DepEd: No extension enrolment
The figure is still around seven mil lion short of the DepEd’s target of 28.6 million students, 18.7 million of whom are enrolled in public schools while 2.4 million are in private schools. Some 71,900 students will be attending state and local universities and colleges of fering basic Calabarzoneducation.ledtheregions with the most enrollees at three million, fol lowed by Central Luzon with 2.3 mil lion, and the National Capital Region with 2.2 million, the DepEd figures showed.Other regions that logged over one million enrollees included Bicol, West ern Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region. Poa said enrollment was a “major concern” among those who reached out to the DepEd’s Public Assistance Com mand Center which was launched on Monday. “Most of the concerns on enrollment are about the procedure in transferring from private to public schools, so we just inform our callers about what they should do and the procedures in trans ferring,” Poa said. In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Ro dolfo Azurin Jr. said under the opera tional guidelines of the “Ligtas BalikEskwela SY 2022-2023”, the police will intensify law enforcement schools, transportation hubs, and other places of convergence to protect the students, the guardians and the teachers from crime incidents such as physical assaults, rob bery, and theft. “The influx of individuals during inperson classes is also expected, thus, PNP COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) patrollers will also be deployed to en sure that the minimum public health standards (MPHS) such as observing physical distance, proper and frequent hand-washing, and wearing face masks shall remain implemented, especially in places or regions with high-risk clas sifications,” Azurin said. He said all unit commanders are di rected to coordinate and participate in meetings with school authorities, as well as with parents and teachers’ as sociations (PTA) to carry out public safety services, such as drug abuse pre vention, information drives, and other necessary anti-criminality programs.
Dennis Abrina
200 poor families in NCR to get livelihood aid from PCUP
of Aug. 22
AT least 200 urban poor families stand to benefit from the Presidential Com mission for the Urban Poor’s (PCUP) sustainable livelihood program. The PCUP has come up with a list of potential beneficiaries from nine target cities in the National Capital Region to receive various livelihood development packages with the com pletion of community-basedthe capacity building initiative tagged or the sustainable live lihood program. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would vali date the authenticity of those in the list belonging in the marginalized sector considered the poorest of the poor.
THE Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has predicted that more than two million students are expected to benefit from the Libreng Sakay Pro gram that will run from August 22 to November 5, Meanwhile,2022.the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P1.4 billion in additional funds to support the extend ed grant of free rides at the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) Carousel Busway.LRTA administrator Hernando Ca brera said an estimated 2.2 million students will benefit from the free ride program since LRT-2 (Antipolo-Recto) runs along a corridor with 80 schools including Universities and colleges. A typical average ridership of LRT2 before the pandemic was 90,000 to 100,000 per day. The “Libreng Sakay Program”, which aims to ease the burden of Fili pino families amid the rising costs of fuel and essential commodities and the COVID-19 pandemic, was recom mended by Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista to Presi dent Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the second Cabinet meeting. “We have prepared a system to en sure the safe, smooth, and efficient implementation of the program in compliance with the directive of the Department of Transportation” Ca breraThesaid.program will cater to students enrolled in nursery/kindergarten, el ementary/primary, high schools, tech nical-vocational, and college students daily from Mondays to Saturday.
Caloocan mayor wants seniors’ roster upgraded from manual to digital THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) is eyeing the South Korean-made KF-21 “Boramae”, currently undergoing de velopment and flight testing, as one of the possible contenders for its P61-bil lion multi-role fighter (MRF) project. PAF spokesman Col. Maynard Mariano disclosed this when asked if the KF-21, whose airframe is de scribed as “stealthier than any fourthgeneration fighter” was being consid ered for the MRF project. “It is a possibility given that the MRF (project) has not been funded yet. The KF-21 can be a contender for the MRF (project),” he said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency.Mariano said the PAF was closely monitoring the developments of the KF-21 whose prototype had its first flight last July 19. “The PAF is monitoring this, we cannot close our options when there are new systems that may be able to compete with other systems and which may fit into our requirement for defense. In this day and age, the pro totyping stage for any system can be done faster due to the available tech nology, and we might see it fielded soon,” Mariano said. The PAF’s MRF project requires at least 12 units of fourth-generation fighters capable of integrating with existing radar systems and has a range of at least 250 nautical miles. Mariano also expects the KF-21 to become a viable combat aircraft like the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50PHs, which the PAF has around 12 in service. “Just like when we got the FA-50s, there were a lot of negative comments against it, but we proved to the crit ics that the system can be made com bat ready and was actually proven in combat (in the Battle for Marawi),” he THEadded.Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) migrates from having a manual to digital database, under direct instructions from Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan to provide a more efficient dis tribution of benefits and overall better ser vice to senior citizens. At present, a total of 66,034 senior citi zens have registered in OSCA’s online da tabase, representing 39.54 percent of the city’s total census of 167,000 previouslyregisteredAccordingseniors.toOSCA officer-in-charge Marilyn De Jesus, the digitalization ini tiative aims to update and cleanse the ex isting database which is being used since 2014.Malapitan emphasized the need to fo cus on programs for senior citizens, giv ing them more advantages aside from their mandated benefits. He encouraged senior citizens to be proactive and register to receive their ben efits with ease. “Tulad po ng lagi nating sinasabi, ma halaga para sa atin ang mga senior citi zens at dapat pong maramdaman nila ito sa mga programa ng pamahalaan. Kaya naman hinihikayat ko po kayo, mga lolo at lola, magparehistro po kayo para mas ma bilis niyong matanggap ang inyong mga benepisyo,” he said. The said registration can be accessed through this link: bit.ly/CaloocanSenior. OSCA also partnered with all 188 Baran gays of the city to speed up the process and assist senior citizens during the regis tration. Jun David
Under the program, training and ca pacity-building seminars would teach the qualified beneficiaries on how to pool their resources and would allow them to establish a cooperative. PCUP has put in place a flow chart to ensure that after the program’s com pletion, the cooperative to be created would be strengthened through provi sions and financial sourcing, network ing and marketing in a bid to ensure progressive development of the urban poor toward sustainable livelihood. The success of the program would lead to more opportunities for the marginalized sectors as a lending pro gram would also be institutionalized under the DSWD’s Enhance Partner ship Against Hunger and Poverty ini tiative.
INTENSIVE TRAINING. Twenty-six personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Northeastern Mindanao, once again undergo Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) Training in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte.
Makati gives away anti-dengue kits
Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran leads Indian students taking up Medicine at the University of Perpetual Help in Las Piñas City in celebrating the 75th anniversary of their country’s independence. Some 800 coeds taking medicine courses enjoyed the day donning their national costumes and joined the traditional presenta tions in cooperation with the university’s administrations.
Air Force eyes Sokor fighter jets for P61-b planes upgrade program
NewsWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.comA4
For the long term, Duterte’s biggest achieve ments were three: 1) containing the worst pan demic in a century; 2) Build, Build, Build where his administration spent P4 trillion to modernize the economy and raised infra spending to 4.9 percent of GDP, and 3) doing business became easier and better. He reduced red tape, reduced corruption; gave tax breaks for businesses, big and small.
Book-banning, red-tagging: Classic dick moves
The Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) said it “condemns all forms of red-tagging, banning of books, and censor ship.”Itadded “branding books as subversive vio lates our freedoms to think and express, first as human beings, and second as citizens of this democratic country protected by its Constitu tion.”BDAP called the action “highly disturbing” as it “stems from a government body tasked to de velop our national language and other Philippine languages,” and took a poke at the disharmony within the agency, saying, “The KWF should AS PRESIDENT, Rodrigo “Digong” Roa Duterte was among the most popular leaders of all time. That includes dictators and despots un der whose reigns surveys can be calibrated. Tatay Digong had an 87 percent approval rat ing and 4 percent disapproval. The approval rat ing is the highest in the world. His disapproval is the lowest – in the world, per surveys. In 2022, Duterte’s 87 percent approval was much higher than many of the most admired world leaders, like the 77 percent of Narenda Modi (India), 71 percent of Lee Hsien Loo (Singapore,) 68 percent of Joko Widodo (Indo nesia), 63 percent of Andres Obrador (Mexico), 62 percent of Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Malaysia), 54 percent of Merlo Draghi (Italy), 51 percent of Anthony Albanese (Australia), 45 percent of Olaf Scholtz (Germany), 42 percent of Fumio Kishida (Japan), 40 percent of Joe Biden (USA), 38 percent of Justin Trudeau (Canada), and the 33 percent of the unlamented Boris Johnson of UK. This is data compiled by Bobi Tiglao. In April 2022, an SWS poll showed Duterte had 65 percent net satisfaction rating, beating all his post-1986 predecessors BS Aquino III (+27 percent), Gloria Arroyo (-17 percent), Joseph Estrada (-7 percent), Fidel Ramos (+19 percent), and Corazon Aquino (+7 percent). Rough and cursing all the time, even on prime time TV, Duterte achieved peace and order by ordering the massacre of drug lords and drug recidivists (over 6,000 died) and going hammer and tongs against communist guerillas and Mus lim separatists and terrorists. He sought to break up the entrenched oli garchies and monopolies, demolish media bar ons and their lying machines, and collect huge amounts from large corporate tax evaders. Bold in foreign policy, he veered away from US stranglehold and pivoted to China for its tour ists, loans, aid, and projects (many of which Bei jing did not deliver). He never went to Washington DC for a state visit but got back the three Balangiga bells that symbolized the biggest defeat by the US Army in a single battle overseas, 75 years before Amer ica’s Vietnam debacle. As he ended his presidency, however, Duterte agreed to the return of US troops in the Philip pines, a smart move given China’s recent bel ligerence in the West Philippine Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who also heads the Department of Agricul ture, has admitted in his weekly vlog these three are: sustainable livelihood for farmers, food security, and afford able food for all – so that the next gen erations will be encouraged to sustain thisTheindustry.64-year-old leader, whose experi ence as governor of his home province of Ilocos Norte which brought agricul ture close to his heart, said he would also want the country to attain food self-suf ficiency by prioritizing local production over food importation, and as much as possible not relying on other countries. And third, his holy grail is he wants food to be affordable for all Filipinos amid rising food prices and impending shortages, and that there will be no more hungry Filipinos. He was correct, or nearly correct, that that is the dream of every Filipino –from Batanes down to Tawi Tawi. He correctly pointed out that the prob lems faced by the agriculture sector af fect not just farmers and fisherfolk but every Filipino family who had suffered heavily during the pandemic which started in mid March 2020 – infecting and killing hundreds of thousands while forcing several stages of lock downs in the metropolis and in the countryside.
PATHETICALLY disquieting that, while we have a chief magistrate charmed by three “dreams” for the agriculture sector of this country of 114 million people, there are portentous nightmares right on the front yard of his vision, his pie in the sky as it were.
The MCC, a group of writers and academics, also condemned the “red-tagging insinuations against the late National Artist for Literature Bi envenido Lumbera and the esteemed scholar Al ice Guillermo. Such vicious branding curtails the free expression of the Filipino writer, disgraces the professional work of the Filipino scholar, and denies the Filipino people’s right to information.”
He signed the most revolutionary pieces of pro-business legislation, like the Ease of Doing Business Act, CREATE (the largest business in come tax reduction in history), FIST (Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act, a major re sponse to the financial crisis), Bayanihan I to III, TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclu sion (personal income taxes reduced for 99 per cent of taxpayers, lowered the tax on inheritance to just 6 percent, expanded the VAT base, taxed sugary beverages, and raised taxes on petroleum products and autos), the Retail Trade Liberaliza tion, Public Service Act, and the Foreign Invest mentForAct.his part, Duterte’s finance secretary, Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez claims three major Duterte achievements on the economic front: Tax re forms, infrastructure investments or Build, Build, Build; and the law mandating the return of coco levy funds to farmers. BBB, Sonny claims, created 6.5 million jobs. It reduced poverty because it created jobs and made logistics, doing business, and creating value chain much easier. TRAIN reduced the personal income taxes for 99 percent of taxpayers. CREATE Law pro vided tax relief to businesses with the 10 percent reduction in the corporate income tax (CIT) rates of micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as 5 percent reduction on CIT for bigger corpora tions.“Through TRAIN, the government has basi cally given out a 14th-month pay every year to wage earners,” Dominguez reckons. Duterte increased taxes on sin products three times, the only president to do so. Higher excise taxes on “sin” products – cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapor products and alcoholic beverages-funded the Universal Health Care program. TRAIN and other enacted packages of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program raised P575.8 billion in added revenues from 2018 to 2021.“This has resulted to (sic) high credit ratings for the country, which not only brought down borrowing costs and allowed bond issuances with very tight spreads, but also benefited private borrowers through low interest rates,” Domin guez points out. Other reforms: Ease of Doing Business Act and the Philippine Identification System Act; amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Public Service Act and the Foreign Invest ments Act; establishment of the Overseas Fili pino Bank; and accelerated digitalization of the bureaus of Internal Revenue and Customs. “Through bold tax reforms and better tax ad ministration, we were able to raise our revenue effort to a two-decade high, and our debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio to a historic low,” Duterte’s finance chief, says. The Rice Tariffication law lowered prices for rice and the inflation rate, prices by liberalizing imports of the Dominguezstaple.explains: “Rice is no longer a ma jor inflation contributor and palay (unmilled rice) farmers benefit directly from the law by provid ing them at least P10 billion each year for mecha nization, high-quality seeds, access to credit and training.“The next administration will inherit many hard-won reforms. They will assume the office with the basic groundwork for rapid and inclu sive growth already in place. President Duterte’s final legacy is a confident and hopeful Filipino people earnestly looking to a future of sustained progress.”Meanwhile, the enactment of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund law fulfilled a Duterte promise. The coco fund is more than P100Investorsbillion.were aware of the Duterte reforms. They voted with their feet. Foreign investments hit $10 billion per year in 2020 and 2021. Duterte promised little, but delivered the most, among all presidents. biznewsasia@gmail.com
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Our cement industry needs urgent gov’t support
WE DISCUSSED this issue recently and it bears repeating at this point since the new adminis tration has pledged to accelerate infrastructure projects to sustain the momentum of economic rebound in the next six years. We refer to the important role played by the cement and steel industries in realizing the gov ernment’s vision of building more and better roads and bridges, airports and ports, and mass transport facilities such as railways in support of economic development goals. But there’s a real threat that casts a long shad ow on the government’s ambitious infrastructure development program: the dumping of cement into the country from Vietnam that could lead to serious financial losses or even the shutdown of local cement manufacturers, unless government takes stern measures. The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) is understandably con cerned over the dumping of cheap cement into theDomesticcountry. capacity now stands at approxi mately 47 million tons. This capacity significant ly exceeds domestic demand and assures stability of local cement supply. But dumped cement from Vietnam threatens the capability of local cement manufacturers to generate thousands of jobs for Filipinos and con tribute significantly to over-all economic devel opment.Toaddress threats to the continued existence of the local cement industry, cement manufactur ers have filed for trade remedies, specifically an anti-dumping case against certain Vietnamese manufacturers and traders, and a petition for the extension of safeguard measures. What they want is for government to promote a level playing field, which ultimately will ben efit our country, through job creation, higher tax collection, more local and foreign investments, non-dependence on imports, not to mention the preservation of the country’s dollar reserves. At issue here is this: Should global free trade be allowed to flourish unrestrained by remedies such as anti-dumping measures? A former top official of the World Bank doesn’t think so: “The most appealing option is to get rid of anti-dumping laws and to put noth ing in their place. Then all of the evils of such policy – its power politics, its bad economics, and its corrupted law – would be eliminated.” In fact, anti-dumping laws are essential to the continued growth of domestic industries. It is true that those who fail to learn from his tory are condemned to repeat it, as we’ve learned from wise counsel. In the late 1800s, for instance, Britain ac counted for more than the world’s manufacturing output than any other country. Its domestic industries had the lowest produc tion costs, most advanced manufacturing capa bilities, and the dominant position of its shipping and banking industries in world commerce. But the British government decided against imposing tariffs on dumped imports from other economic powers during that period, led by the United States and Germany. On the contrary, both the U.S. and Germany imposed tariffs on dumped imports to support their domestic industries; this allowed them to foster an environment of higher and continued levels of capital investments to improve produc tion technologies which in the end lowered costs, increased output and efficiencies, and enhanced the overall global competitiveness of their locally manufactured goods in both domestic and for eignBymarkets.ignoring the pervasive dumping of goods into its shores, Britain’s industrial base, notably in iron, coal, and textile, among others, suffered irreparable damage. The country was also unable to generate capi tal to adequately invest in new, upcoming indus tries such as electrical products, specialty steel, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Thus, it missed out on the so-called “Second Industrial Revolution” that other capitalist coun tries were able to successfully take part in to pro pel phenomenal economic growth. The Philippines should learn lessons from all this and heed the call for protection from dump ing sounded by local cement manufacturers. Our Constitution provides that “the State shall pursue a trade policy that serves the general welfare and utilizes all forms and arrangements of exchange on the basis of equality and reciprocity.” Moreover, it directs the government to “promote the preferential use of Filipino labor, domestic ma terials and locally produced goods, and adopt mea sures that help make them competitive.” We don’t have to look far to guide us in mak ing the right choices in crafting our economic policies. It’s all there in our fundamental law. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
RED-tagging has reared its ugly head again, with the latest instance that of a certain former govern ment official and some media personalities tak ing up their hatchet to some books published by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF). This latest incident of red-tagging and a subse quent memo by a couple of KWF commission ers pulling out the books are widely regarded by some cultural, education, and writers’ groups as a dickThemove.officious ex-official said on a media plat form that five books, three of them published by the KWF, were “subversive” documents. The former official, who is facing a number of red-tagging complaints, said on the media group’s platform that they would “demand that they recall it.” The media people on the same show eagerly agreed, and also red-tagged the KWF chairman and those involved with approv ing and releasing the books. This criticism must have been what prompted two commissioners of the 11-member KWF Board to release, on Aug. 9, a list of so-called “subversive” and “anti-government” books that it wants banned from books and libraries, refer ring to the Anti-Terrorism Act (Republic Act 11479) and its provision against inciting to com mitTheterrorism.decision to release this memorandum is also going down in history as an equally con temptible and ill-conceived action. KWF Chairman Arthur Casanova said the works in question passed the proper review pro cess.“All the books underwent the usual scrutiny that all publications of the KWF must pass, in cluding receiving the imprimatur of the other two full-time commissioners [the ones who released the memo]. I did not railroad nor force any pub lication,” he said. He added that calling books “subversive” is “dangerous” as this impinges on academic free dom and freedom of expression. Various cultural, academic, and book groups –said by one news source to number around 30 –released statements denouncing the KWF memo for promoting censorship. Among them was the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) that gives out the annual National Book Awards, which decried the “false accusation of subversion and anti-government action” against the five books mentioned in the KWF memo.
Dominguez explains: Duterte’s final legacy is a confident and hopeful Filipino people lookingearnestlytoafuture of sustained progress be a stalwart of the very freedoms that allow lan guage and critical thinking to flourish. We expect level-headed thought and deliberation and not in ternal petty power struggles.” Meanwhile 12 of the winners of the Makata ng Taon award handed out by the KWF also ex pressed their dismay over the agency’s internal problems and the branding of the KWF books as “subversive” by a couple of commissioners. The poets also stated their concern that the Anti-Terror Law was used to censor the books, because this puts the authors in danger. They also called for the resignation of all the agency’s com missioners “upang ibangon ang natitirang dangal ngCensoringKomisyon.”and banning books is a move al ways associated with fascism and authoritarian ism, based on the desire to control and monitor the thoughts and behavior of others. Nazi Germany and Italy instituted book-burn ing. The Vatican has its Index Librorum Prohibi torum. Conservative America is currently going after books on gender and race that are interpreted as going against fundamentalist Christian stan dards.There are no benefits to banning books, least of all to any government. It only makes any administration that promotes it look extremely stupid, ignorant, and cruel. And with human nature being what it is, any thing suppressed will be all the more attractive and arouse curiosity, which causes censorship to ultimately backfire. It’s a classic shoot-themselves-in-the-foot tac tic that history has shown never works. The same goes for red-tagging, which National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos has advised against, call ing it “just mere labeling, which is a lazy way of thinking.”I’llgive the last word to lawyer Ted Te, former Supreme Court spokesperson, who wrote on social media: “When your first resort is to cen sor thought, you already know how weak your counter-argument is. When you are so afraid of ideas that your first instinct is to ban books, then you really have a lot to be afraid of.”
FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO Senator Marcos is on course, absent any potent persuasion that there is indeed a shortage of white onions while inventories during the planting and harvesting seasons are missing
Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board
Admittedly, the economy depends on healthy and strong workers, with Preasi
Dreams beside nightmares
MEMBER Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine NewspapersPPI can be accessed at: manilastandard.net
Duterte’s legacy
Dumped cement from jobsgeneratemanufacturersofthreatensVietnamthecapabilitylocalcementtothousandsofforFilipinosand contribute significantly to over-all
The President correctly said the do mestic economy, against rising global uncertainty and inflationary pressures, has a baseline forecast for growth to slow from 6.1 percent last year to 3.2 percent in 2022, 0.4 percentage point lower than in the April 2022 outlook.
dent Marcos pointing up that more than any medicine and vitamins, “the nutri tious and affordable food is the one that should not be missing from the dining table of every home.”
Alongside his dreams, he directed the Department of Trade and Industry to provide cheaper fertilizers for farm ers, with the government looking for “non-traditional” sources of fertilizer to help ensure that affordable fertilizers are available in the market. Then like a bolt out of the blue came the knifelike reports on the illegal im portation of white onions into the coun try, as if chasing the unsavory unlawful resolution approving the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar. The disclosure by presidential sibling Senator Imee Marcos was done after the Bureau of Customs seized the P36 million worth of onions in Misamis Ori ental, declared as “spring roll patti” and “plainSenatorchurros.”Marcos is on course, absent any potent persuasion that there is in deed a shortage of white onions while inventories during the planting and har vesting seasons are missing. At present the retail price of 1 kilo white onions in Manila sells for P270400, according to one report from the Department of Agriculture which had been urged by President Marcos to de cide whether there is really a shortage of white onions in the country. Let’s awake and not nod off.
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Opinion WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 A5 Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com EDITORIAL
The generals had “repeatedly disregarded calls by ASEAN leaders for concrete and inclusive dialogue for national reconciliation,” Malaysia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. Last month the junta stoked renewed international condemnation when it executed Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former lawmaker from Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, for offences under anti-terrorism laws. In response, the UN Security Council—including junta allies Russia and China—issued a rare condemnation of the junta. Singaporean sociologist Heyzer was appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last year, replacing Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener. Schraner Burgener had called for the UN to take “very strong measures” against the military and had been the target of regular broadsides in Myanmar’s state-backed media. AFP
AFP
WITNESS THE HON. LILY ANN M. PADAEN Presiding Judge of this Court, this 27th day of June 2022. (Sgd.) NOLI A. ERMITANIO Court Legal Researcher II Officer-in-Charge Copy furnished: Office of the Solicitor General Counsel for the Republic of the Philippines 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City ACP Vanessa Juvy O. Balita Public Prosecutor DOJ Building, Quezon City Hall Compound Brgy. Central, Diliman 1100, Quezon City Atty. Marlon R. Dulnuan Counsel for Petitioner 11 Don Juan Street, Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City Joane O. Paguio Petitioner NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ESTATE OF THE LATE BENJAMIN C. RESURRECCION MANILA.PANERPUBLICBEFORE4;PAGEASSETTLEDEXTRAJUDICIALLYWASBYHEIRSPERDOC.NO.361;74;BOOKNO.SERIESOF2022NOTARYATTY.JOELE.OFCITYOF(MS-AUG.10,1724,2022)
The Seventh Fleet is based in Japan and is a core part of Washington’s navy presence in theDuringPacific.this month’s drills Chinese state media reported that some of the ballistic missiles fired by the People’s Liberation Army followed a trajectory directly over Taiwan’s capital Taipei, a new escalation that Beijing stopped short of confirming.
THE UN’s new special envoy for Myanmar began her first trip to the country Tuesday, a day after a junta court sentenced ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to six more years in jail for corruption. Noeleen Heyzer “will focus on addressing the deteriorating situation and immediate concerns as well as other priority areas of her mandate,” according to a UN statement issued late Monday. It did not give details on who she would meet among the junta’s top leadership or whether she would seek to meet Suu Kyi. On Monday Suu Kyi received another prison term in a secretive junta court, taking her total jail time to 17 years. A statement from the junta confirmed Heyzer’s trip would begin on Tuesday but did not provide furtherHeyzerdetails.isexpected to hold meetings in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, according to a diplomatic source who did not give further details. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis led by the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc have made little headway, with the generals refusing to engage with opponents.
2. Respondent DENNIS JOSE ANGELO R. PAGUIO (“DENNIS” for short) is male, Filipino, forty-eight (48) years old and married to petitioner. He is a businessman and owner of GFQ Auto-repair Shop and Detailing Specialist with office address at No. 70 Lourdes proper Ext., Queen of Peace Road, Baguio City. 3. JOANE and DENNIS got married on 16 September 2005 at the Hall of Justice in Marikina City. They have a daughter, GABRIELLE HOPE OCCIDENTAL PAGUlO, x x x. 10. During their cohabitation, JOANE observed the following trait on the part of DENNIS: selfish-indulgence/ hedonism, grandiosity and superiority strivings, excessive need for admiration and infidelity, lack of empathy and remorse, interpersonal abusiveness, and indifference towards the needs of spouse and child. xxx 14. JOANE, then consulted a lawyer about her marriage. The lawyer then referred her to a clinical psychologist, who conducted a battery of tests and interviews on JOANE. 15. After an assiduous analysis of JOANE’s case, the clinical psychologist concluded that DENNIS suffered from NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER WITH ANTI-SOCIAL PERSONALITY FEATURES. 16. The clinical psychologist found that the marriage contracted by the JOANE and DENNIS was non-existent because DENNIS since the time of the celebration
‘China’s missile fire over Taiwan must be contested’
CONTROVERSIALENTRY.
New envoy makes 1st visit to Myanmar
SEA OF YELLOW. People walk in a eld of sun owers at a seaside park in Tokyo on August 16, 2022. AFP posts that have missiles on them, large runways, hangers, radars, listening posts.” China’s communist party has never run Taiwan but it regards the island as its territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if Sabrenecessary.rattlingtowards Taiwan have become more pronounced under Chinese President Xi Jinping. The United States and other western allies have increased “freedom of navigation” crossings by naval vessels of both the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea to reinforce the concept that those seas are international waterways, sparking anger from Beijing. China said it conducted new military drills on Monday as a delegation of US lawmakers visitedStateTaipei.media ran footage and pictures of Taiwan’s Penghu islands purportedly taken from Chinese jets flying a short distance from the archipelago. But Taiwan denied that Chinese jets came close to Penghu.
A UN-chartered vessel laden with grain set off from Ukraine for Africa on Tuesday following a deal to relieve a global food crisis, the ministry in charge of shipments said. The MV Brave Commander departed from the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi and will sail to Djibouti “for delivery to Ethiopia,” the infrastructure ministry said on Telegram. The ship is loaded with 23,000 tons of wheat. It is the first ship chartered by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to leave Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February. The government has said it is hoping there will be two or three similar shipments soon.
China’s research and survey vessel, the Yuan Wang 5, arrives at Hambantota port on August 16, 2022. The Chinese research vessel entered Sri Lanka’s Chinese-run southern port of Hambantota despite concerns from India and the US about its activities. AFP
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila Standard TODAY CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
LEGAL AFFIDAVITNOTICEOFSELF-ADJUDICATION
Notice is hereby given that the legal heir of the late SEVERINO MAGNO GARCIA (the “Decedent”), who died intestate on April 7, 2022at Metro Manila, has executed an AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION. The sole heir, being of legal age, hereby adjudicate unto herself the properties left by the decedent. As per Doc No. 468; Page No. 94; Book No. IV; Series of 2022 as notarized by Atty. Ernesto O. Pua. (MS-AUG. 10, 17 24, 2022)
Australian PM accuses Morrison of ‘trashing’ democracy Manila Standard TODAY MS-AUG. 3,10,& 17, 2022) Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region Family Court Branch 13 Quezon City, Metro Manila JOANE O. PAGUIO, Petitioner, -versus - Civil Case R-QZN-21-10067-CVNo. For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage under Art. 36 of the Family Code DENNIS JOSE ANGELO R. PAGUIO x------------------------------------------------xRespondent. (bySUMMONSpublication)
WorldWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022A6 mst.daydesk@ gmail.com
To: Dennis Jose Angelo R. Paguio No. 70 Lourdes Proper Ext., Queen of Peace Road, Baguio City GREETINGS: WHEREAS, a petition for declaration of nullity of marriage under Article 36 of the Family Code has been commenced by petitioner Joane O. Paguio against respondent Dennis Jose Angelo R. Paguio; WHEREAS, on 16 December 2021, this Court found the petition and its attachments compliant with A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC or the Rule on Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages, and ordered the issuance of summons upon respondent Dennis Jose Angelo R. Paguio whose given address is at No. 70 Lourdes Proper Ext, Queen of Peace Road, Baguio City; WHEREAS, on 23 June 2022, petitioner filed a (Rule on Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages, which prayed that summons be served upon respondent through publication, after his authorized representative, who had been authorized for the said purposes, failed to serve summons and a copy of the petition to respondent at his last known address at No. 70 Lourdes Proper Ext., Queen of Peace Raod, Baguio City as respondent could not be found therein.
UN ship leaves Ukraine to bring grain to Africa
NOW THEREFORE, YOU, respondent DENNIS JOSE ANGELO R. PAGUIO, ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED within THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS from the last issue of publication to ANSWER the petition and to copy furnish the petitioner with a copy of your Answer at No. 695 Tandang Sora Avenue, Old Balara, Quezon City, or her counsel Atty. Marlon R. Dulnuan at 11 Don Juan Street, Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City. You are reminded of IBPOCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated March 12, 2002 to observe restraint in filing a motion to dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the Answer. If you fail to Answer within the time fixed, the Court shall order the Public Prosecutor to investigate whether collusion exists, in accordance with Section 8(3) of the Rule on Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Void Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages. The Respondent in an action for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage must strictly observe the above-prescribed period to file Answer. WHEREFORE let this summons be published once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be selected by raffle pursuant to P.D. 1079 at the expense of the petitioner. Likewise, let a copy of the summons be sent by registered mail to the respondent at his known address. also at the expense of petitioner and to submit to this Court proof of compliance therewith.
CHINA’S recent decision to fire missiles over Taiwan is a “gorilla in the room” that has to be contested, a top US military commander said Tuesday.
LIZ Cheney’s dogged pursuit of Donald Trump over last year’s riot at the US Capitol has cemented her status as the sole Republican to gamble her career as she breaks ranks with her party in the fight for US democracy. And it is looking like a near-certain losing bet for the 56-year-old congresswoman – for now, at least – as she is set to relinquish her seat representing Wyoming in the House of Representatives to a Trump-endorsed conspiracy theorist. A daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney – and once seen as the taxcutting, gun-loving, God-fearing, smallgovernment apotheosis of American conservatism – Liz Cheney has become a pariah in her own party. Her refusal to accept Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election put her on a collision course with modern Republicans, who booted her out of the leadership and have disowned her at home in the “Cowboy State.” Cheney was one of just 10 Republicans in the House to vote to impeach the former president for inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Yet Washington-watchers are speculating that her widely expected defeat to Harriet Hageman in Tuesday’s Wyoming Republican primary will mark a beginning rather than an end. Cheney hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a tilt at the presidency in 2024, either by taking on Trump in the race for the Republican nomination or by running as an independent.AFP AUSTRALIA’S Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday that his predecessor secretly seized control of five ministerial posts, labelling it an “unprecedented trashing of our democracy.”Albanesesaid Scott Morrison had appointed himself to more ministries than initially thought, and promised further investigation. From March 2020 until he was swept from power in May elections, Morrison appointed himself to oversee the departments of health, finance, home affairs, treasury and resources, Albanese said. The prime minister said he had asked the country’s Solicitor-General to advise him on whether Morrison’s actions, which he called a “shadow government,” were legal. “It is completely extraordinary that these appointments were kept secret by the Morrison Government from the Australian people,” he Morrisonsaid.on Tuesday said his actions were necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that they were made during a “very unprecedented time.” Some ministers of the former government have said they were not told that Morrison appointed himself to their portfolios – including then finance minister Mathias Cormann, now secretary-general of the OECD. In the wake of the revelations, Karen Andrews, who was Home Affairs Minister in the Morrison government, called for the ex-PM to resign from parliament. The political firestorm has drawn scrutiny of the Morrison government’s handling of the pandemic, and his decision to block a controversial offshore gas project after making himself resources minister. Morrison’s conservative coalition lost power in May’s election, ending nearly a decade of center-right rule. AFP
Ukraine and Russia are two of the world’s biggest grain exporters. Kyiv and Moscow agreed a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey last month to unblock Black Sea grain deliveries after Russia’s invasion. The agreement lifted a Russian blockade of Ukraine’s ports and established safe corridors through the naval mines laid by Kyiv. The first commercial ship carrying grain left on August 1. The WFP says a record 345 million people in 82 countries face acute food insecurity and up to 50 million people in 45 countries are on the brink of famine and risk being tipped over the edge without humanitarian support. “We are definitely planning other ships to leave the ports of Ukraine, to help people around the world,” Marianne Ward, WFP deputy country director in Ukraine, told journalists earlier while the ship was being loaded at the weekend. “This should just be the first of many humanitarian ships to leave the ports,” she said.
WHEREAS, in the petition, the relief/s prayed for is hereby quoted as follows: “WHEREFORE, premises considered, petitioner JOANE O. PAGUIO most respectfully prays of this Honorable Court that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered declaring the marriage between petitioner JOANE O. PAGUIO and respondent DENNIS JOSE ANGELO R. PAGUIO a complete nullity ab initio under Article 36 of the Family Code of the Philippines and that Petitioner be given custody of her child, GABRIELLE HOPE OCCIDENTAL PAGUIO.
Cheney Republicansanti-Trumpleads
WHEREAS, the Petition states, to wit: “I Petitioner JOANE O. PAGUIO (“JOANE” for short) is female, Filipino, forty-three (43) years old and married to respondent. She is a manager in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry, and has been a resident of No. 695 Tandang Sora Avenue, Old Balara, Quezon City for three (3) decades now.
AFP
Thomas compared the threats against Taiwan to the South China Sea where Beijing spent years constructing military bases and facilities on a series of contested atolls, while denying it was doing just that. “If you don’t challenge it... all of a sudden it can become just like the islands in the South China Sea (that) have now become military outposts,” he said. “They now are full functioning military out-
Beijing has carried out huge air and sea drills this month around Taiwan in a furious reaction to visits by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation. Those exercises included firing multiple ballistic missiles into waters off Taiwan—some of the world’s busiest shipping routes—and it was the first time China has taken such a step since the“It’smid-1990s.veryimportant that we contest this type of thing. I know that the gorilla in the room is launching missiles over Taiwan,” Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas told reporters in Singapore. “If we just allow that to happen, and we don’t contest that, that’ll be the next norm,” he added. “It’s irresponsible to launch missiles over Taiwan into international waters, where the shipping lanes, where free shipping operates.”
17. The foregoing events, among others, have compelled JOANE to file the instant Petition. Indubitably, there is a clear failure on the part of DENNIS to comply with the essential obligations of loving, respecting, caring, and providing support to JOANE and HOPE, among others. xxxx 22. In view of the psychological disorder of DENNIS to comply with the essential obligations of marriage, of which psychological incapacity has been clinically found to be incurable and existing prior to or before the celebration of marriage, there is a compelling necessity to declare the marriage a complete nullity under Article 36 of the New Family code. 23. JOANE and DENNIS do not have properties which may be subject to a property settlement. Neither do they have a pre-nuptial agreement. The property of the parties were governed by absolute community of property.
SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano said he has no misgiving that he will act on calls to probe the alleged “pricey but outdated” P2.4 billion laptops purchased by the government. Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Sen. Francis Tolentino has remained mum on the issue. Cayetano however said he believes that Tolentino is very capable to handle the investigation. “I have full faith in Tolentino,” said Cayetano, who has once aspired to head the said committee. However, Cayetano also acknowledged that each (Senate committee) chair has his own rules and his style. “I don’t want to pre-empt him. But he can hear this first (laptop controversy), said the former House Speaker, adding that this is a “very good first case” to take for the “Why?BRC.”Because it’s simple. If there are anomalies, we can hold someone accountable to show the public we will not let this pass. But if we do not probe it, other corrupt officials will have the courage to commit the same erroneous acts,” he said. He divulged being baffled about the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) becoming a “favorite” to make purchases even for government agencies like the Department of Health (DOH) and now the Department of Education (DepEd). “Before the head of the PS-DBM (Christopher Lloyd Lao), I was watching the Pharmally hearings. During the time of the late President Aquino, PS-DBM was winning awards. They were very good, but the purpose of PS-DBM was to make biddings for small municipalities, hospitals, etc.,” Cayetano said, adding that the PS-DBM also consolidates biddings for the procurement. “But I don’t know why everything was passed to CayetanoPS-DBM.”wantsto know in the investigation who issued the order and what happened. “There are more questions to answer,” he added. He maintained that former President Rodrigo Duterte, under whose administration the laptop purchase was made—has no links in the procurement.Inhisexperience, Cayetano said Duterte does not get himself involved. Macon Ramos-Aranera PH taps SMDC on housing for Abra areas hit by earthquake
Cayetano supports probe on alleged overpriced laptops “Like our peers in the sugar sector, we welcome the President’s action against the flood of imported products,” said Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) executive director Cirilo Pestano. He cited the uproar caused by the proliferation of imported carrots and other vegetables and the issue of sugar importation. Pestano said the President had shown wisdom in taking the position that a careful balance must be attained between protecting consumers against rising prices of basic commodities and ensuring the viability of local industries. “We hope that the Marcos administration would extend this policy to other local industries that are facing equal serious threats from the influx of imports,” he added. CeMAP had previously sought the assistance of the Tariff Commission (TC) to impose anti-dumping duties against Type 1 and Type 1P cement imports from Vietnam, and to extend the safeguard measures slapped against cement imports in 2019, bound to expire on October 2022.
PINUNO party-list Rep. Howard Guintu on Tuesday expressed frustration over road-widening projects along major streets in Metro Manila that he said were useless because of electrical posts left in the middle of the newly-built lanes. “While we appreciate the roadwidening projects meant to improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila, there are some projects that have been poorly implemented, including one in the Sto. Domingo area in Quezon City that recently became viral on social media,” Guintu said as he sought a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation into the matter. “The road-widening projects are useless electrical posts left in the middle of the newly-built lanes. So rather than having five passable lanes for our motorists, the improper placement of these electrical posts make the outermost lane completely and utterly useless,” he added. To address these concerns, Guintu filed House Resolution 215, urging the House Committees on Energy and Public Works to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the status of the relocation of electric posts in the middle of roads. Maricel V. Cruz Tulfo assails BuCor exec over ‘ukay-ukay’ SENATOR Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday assailed the Bureau of Customs (BuCor) and questioned its official if he’s “blind” over the proliferation nationwide of “ukay-ukay” which is prohibited by law. During the Senate ways and means committee organizational meeting chaired by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Tulfo questioned why large shipments of ukay-ukay (used clothes) slipped by the BuCor. He said the agency should also conduct follow-up operations to run after those involvement in this illegal operation. “And why are we allowing the sale of used clothes which can be seen in all corners of the country?” he asked. Responding to Tulfo’s queries, Customs Deputy Commissioner Edward James Buco said they have actually been implementing measures against smuggling. “As we intensify our efforts against smuggling, the smugglers also become more innovative,” Buco said. But Tulfo said “ukay-ukay has been there for years” and can be seen on street corners, especially in Divisoria and Baclaran. According to Buco, they are continuously watching ukay-ukay which resulted in the apprehension of people involved in this activity and the filing of charges. Tulfo said it is time to revisit the law against ukay-ukay as many are not aware that it is prohibited by law, also in consonance with the policy of the Department of Health. However, Sen. Pia Cayetano said ukay-ukay provides a sustainable and comprehensive outlet for our people. Macon Ramos-Araneta
By Macon Ramos-Araneta DEPARTMENT of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjanin Diokno yesterday assured lawmakers that the Philippines will not be like Sri Lanka. The Philippines has seen an elevated inflation rate along with the other countries in world. Sri Lanka is facing a massive debt crisis and is said to be hurling toward bankruptcy.Diokno,in a Senate Way and Means Organizational meeting chaired by Senator Win Garchalian, told senators the Philippines is prepared to address geopolitical risks and shifting economic landscapes.Theother challenges confronting the country and whole world, he said, are the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the unpredictable political economy. Senate Finance Committee chairperson Senator Sonny Angara questioned Diokno and other economic managers if the Philippines will not be another Sri Lanka. But Diokno is confident that the country is on track to achieving revenue and tax effort targets. He noted that the January to June 2022 revenues posted a double-digit growth of 15.9 percent compared to the same period in the same period last year. Diokno also cited the annual revenue collections which exceeded the DBCCapproved emerging target by 4.8 percent. With the CREATE Law, he also said investment confidence has continuously improved.Butto accelerate recovery, Diokno said they have proposed the following: Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform, imposition of VAT on digital goods and services, an excise tax on single-use plastic bags, passive income and financial intermediary taxation and rationalization of the mining fiscal regime. He said the medium-term fiscal framework will promote sustainable long-term growth and solid fiscal management. “We will work as one in building a robust economy for a faster, greener, and more inclusive growth that benefits all Filipinos,” he added. OWN EQUIPMENT. Public school teachers use their laptops in compiling the lists of enrolled pupils from Sen. Benigno Aquino in Baseco Compound Manila. Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte has ordered a thorough investigation into the purchase of overpriced used and outdated laptops for teachers in 2021 by the Department of Education. Danny Pata
RIZAL’S MASTERPIECES. A visitor views the original manuscript El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal in an exhibit of historical and valuable materials at the National Library of the Philippines in Manila on Tuesday. Also on exhibit are the original Noli Me Tangere and some other Rizal works. Danny Pata
By Rio N. Araja
By Othel V. Campos
Villafuerte urges BBM team to raise pensions for seniors
COURTESY CALL. Facebook head of Public Policy Philippines Clare Amador pays a courtesy call to Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Speaker’s O ce in the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno
CeMAP’s data indicate that as of 2021 around 91 percent of cement imports were fromTheVietnam.petitioners also underscored that imports volume grew even if local demand for cement never outpaced domestic supply despite work stoppage caused by the Withpandemic.theUkraine-Russia war fanning record-high prices of fuel and energy—which account for around 70 percent of the cost of cement cash production cost—the petitioners stressed that the local industry needs effective and more permanent protection from unfair trade practices involving imports to survive and stay competitive.
BBM vows to protect cement firms
The share of imports to domestic production in terms of volume increased steadily from zero in 2013 to 5.3 million metric tons (MT) in 2019, increasing further to 6.88 million MT in 2021. On the other hand, the percentage in the share of imports to domestic production rose from zero in 2013 to 26.09 percent in 2019, rising further to 38.42 percent in 2021.
The Tariff Commission has concluded its hearings on CeMAP’s twin petitions and is expected to come out with a ruling soon.
HOUSING czar Jose Rizalino Acuzar has tapped the SM Development Corp. for a public-private partnership on the resettlement projects in the earthquake-stricken AbraTheprovince.Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), along with the National Housing Authority, PagIBIG Fund’s Home Development Mutual Fund, and Tayum local government in Abra jointly signed a memorandum of understanding with the private developer. Another MOU was signed with the local government of Bucay also in Abra targeting quake-affected families as among the beneficiaries. “Our plan of developing resettlement sites is already in place. In fact, I came here with officials from the SM Development Corporation as one of our partners in constructing resettlement sites here in Abra,” Acuzar said. The housing chief inked the partnership with SMDC to explore options for the affected residents with shelter and permanent housing assistance through the developer’s incentivized compliance to the balanced housing development program, including rental subsidy, purchase of land as relocation site, and land development. He earlier initiated preliminary talks with some of the biggest developers in the country to fast-track recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the quakeaffected areas, particularly in terms of safe and sustainable housing programs. In Bucay town, the NHA’s ongoing resettlement project is seen to be one of the sites for permanent housing of affected families with planned additional development and improvement. Acuzar asked the LGU in the area to study potential subsidized housing projects for its constituents with assistance from the national government.
Diokno assures PH will not be like Sri Lanka amid di iculties
Solon slams Metro Manila road projects
News A7WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, mst.daydesk@gmail.com2022
The group told the Tariff Commission that despite the safeguard measures, the volume of imports increased at dumped prices. Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. said in one of the public hearings that despite constant innovation and operational improvements they made, increasing imports caused sustained injury to the company.Meanwhile, Holcim Philippines, Inc. noted that the volume of imported cement continues to increase and at lower prices at the retail level notwithstanding increases in the prices of fuel and energy.
By Maricel V. Cruz CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Tuesday called on the Economic Cabinet Cluster to exert its best effort to raise the amount needed to enable the increase to P1,000 of the monthly pension given to indigent senior citizens. An estimated four million indigent senior citizens now receive a pension of P500 a month.Villafuerte said the funds should not only be for a one-year grant of the pension increase but should be sustained for the next years. “We are appealing to the DOF and DBM to apply their optimum effort in rummaging for funds in the national government’s available appropriations for the remainder of 2022 or to realign accessible outlays in the national budget to fund the increase in the monthly pension of over 4 million senior citizens from P500 to the adjusted amount of P1,000 as set by RA 11916,” Villafuerte said. Villafuerte made the appeal after Republic Act 11916—which he was a coauthor—lapsed into law last July 30. The law provides the monthly pension of qualified senior citizens under the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program of the government will become P1,000 from P500. Villafuerte appealed to members of the House of Representatives and Senate to “make sure that the Marcos administration has the wherewithal to bankroll this pension hike for indigent Filipino seniors in the coming year by making it a point to tuck in the sufficient amount for this purpose in the proposed GAA for 2023, in support of the social welfare agenda of the President.”
CEMENT manufacturers said they support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s move against flooding the domestic market with imported commodities that may hurt local manufacturers of like products.
Editor; Randy
Shown here are (from left) Dr. Adrian Laurel, president and COO, Athletic Events and Sports Management Group of the Philippines (ACES); Philip Ella Juico, Chairman and CEO of ACES; Vicente Gregorio, president and CEO, Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc.; George Concepcion, General Manager, SPAVI and CHED Sports Development head Ana Yango. Danny Pata meet in July, along with the top 2 finishers in the Cluster 2 meet (Central Luzon and MIMAROPA) in the third week of February in Angeles City.
Brodeth scores double win in PPS Mandaue A8
Juico and officials of the league talked about the two conferences during Tuesday’s launch at the Shakey’s ASEANA, along Diosdado Macapagal Ave. in Pasay City. The invitationals will gather a total of 20 teams from a pool of 20 winning teams in the regional meets. Dr. Ian Laurel, SSL CEO and president, said the league is aware that most of the participants are from collegiate teams and are student-athletes.Inviewofthis, the league is communicating with school authorities to allow their student-athletes to join, mindful that their schedules for training and games will not affect their academics. In first week of February, Laoag City will host the Cluster 1 matches and will involve 12 teams from the Ilocos region, plus nine others from the Cordillera Autonomous Region. The top 2 finishers will go to the national SEAG HONORSFEDERATIONLYDIADE VEGA. Just how indelible Lydia de Vega’s footprints are in the region is shown in this photo of a video tribute for the late Asian Sprint Queen shared by Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino during the Southeast Asian Games Federation meeting on Tuesday at the National Olympic Committee of Thailand Building in Bangkok. The SEAGF is meeting on Cambodia’s rst-time hosting of the SEA Games’ 32nd edition set from May 5 to 16, 2023.
Cluster 3 competitions involving CALABARZON and the Bicol region will commence in the first week of March in Batangas City. Peter Atencio Kimi Brodeth (left) extends her run in Mandaue City with a two-title feat as she shares the MVP honors with McLeen Gomera.
Caluag, Assistant Editor WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022
By Maricel Cruz
HouseresolutionadoptshonoringDeVega
Riera U. Mallari, M. City mayor John Dalipe on Monday turned over a check worth P700,000 to lady weightlifter Rose Jean Ramos for winning two golds and a silver medal in the WWF IWF World Youth Championships held in Mexico last June. Her coach, Allen Diaz, also received cash incentives worth P350,000. Zamboanga City is one of the few Local Government Units in the country that provide incentives for their athletes who win in international competitions. Under the city’s Ordinance 565, a gold medal is worth P250,000, silver is P200,000 and bronze is P150,000. Zamboanga City has become more active in producing sports heroes, especially weightlifters, following the silver-medal finish by its very own Hidilyn Diaz in the Rio Olympics in 2016. Diaz went on to win the country’s first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, prompting the city to become more aggressive in supporting its weightlifters. Dalipe reiterated his support for Zamboangueno athletes and the sports development program initiated by the City Sports Division, under Dr. Cecil
YEARLONG activities and two conferences will mark the beginning of the Shakey’s Super League, a program designed to promote the development of amateur volleyball at the grassroots level, across 18 regions in the country. A pre-season collegiate tournament will kick off the SSL’s first conference, with 18 teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association joining from September to November. The second conference follows and will have a series of 10 cluster competitions that will last from February until June, 2023. The cluster meets will culminate in the SSL National Invitationals in July 2023. “This pre-season is just one of two conferences. This one, we call, ‘sama-sama lahat’. Celebrating volleyball, celebrating the sport and celebrating Shakey’s social responsibility,” said SSL chairman and CEO Philip Ella Juico.
THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation drew the commitment of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines on the national team program the thrust of which is to establish a wide pool of young potential players for major international competitions. The commitment was forged in a PNVF-UAAP board meeting on Tuesday morning at Adamson University, host of the UAAP’s 85th season. “Yes, the UAAP is very supportive of the national team program,” said Adamson University athletic director Fr. Aldrin Suan, also the president of UAAP Season 85. “The PNVF is thankful for the commitment of support from the UAAP,” said PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, who was accompanied in the meeting by his secretary general, Don Caringal. “With this, we have a secured future for the national team.” The commitment borders on the UAAP aligning its volleyball schedule with the International Volleyball Federation’s program of world calendar and the league lending its players to the national team. The national team to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games campaign, how-
Speaker Martin G. Romualdez Zamboanga City mayor John Dalipe (2nd from left) and city o cials, with weightlifter Rose Jean Ramos and her coach Allen Diaz (City Government of Zamboanga FB) Atilano, citing its benefits to the youth sector in the city. Atilano said the documents granting incentives to other winners in Tashkent, Uzbekistan are being worked out, including Ramos herself, her younger sister Rosegie, Angeline Colonia, and Rosalinda Faustino. The fabulous four accounted for 12 of the Philippines’ 15 gold-medal haul in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Uzbekistan held last July 15 to 25. Their coaches Allen Jayfruz Diaz and Gregorio Colonia will also be givenTheincentives.city’sincentives are outside of the cash bonuses the Philippine Sports Commission is giving national athletes, who excel on the global stage.
Zamboanga athlete, coach get P1.5m bonus from city
By Randy Caluag I N terms of financial support and incentives, Zamboanga City could be the best place to live for aspiring national athletes.
UAAP Season 85 President Fr. Aldrin Suan (seated, center) and PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara (seated, second from left) with UAAP board members and o cials (standing, from left) Sergio Lim and Nilo Ocampo of NU, Em Fernandez of Ateneo, Mark Molina of FEU, Rod Roque of UE, UAAP Season 85 Secretary Treasurer Fr. Andrew Bayal also of Adamson, Nonong Calanog of La Salle, Kiko Diaz of UP, Executive Director Rebo Saguisag, Edwin Reyes, also of La Salle; and (seated, from left) Lady Gudmalin of the UAAP Secretariat. Seated at right is PNVF Secretary General Don Caringal. ever, won’t have UAAP players because of its proximity to the end of the UAAP volleyball season. The Cambodia games are set May 5 to 16, 2023, the same period when the UAAP is about to conclude its season. “The Vietnam and Cambodia SEA Games were scheduled in May, not the traditional SEA Games schedule of November up to December because of the offshoot of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Suzara said. “But come 2023, the SEA Games return to its traditional schedule and the UAAP players would be free for the national team by then.” The FIVB’s world calendar starts in May and ends in October of each year for the socalled national team window. Also present in the PNVF-UAAP meeting were National University’s Sergio Lim and Nilo Ocampo, Ateneo’s Em Fernandez, Far Eastern University’s Mark Molina, University of the East’s Rod Roque, UAAP Season 85 Secretary Treasurer Fr. Andrew Bayal also of Adamson University, De La Salle’s Nonong Calanog and Edwin Reyes, University of the Philippines’ Dean Francisco “Kiko” Diaz, University of Santo Tomas’s Gigi Kamus and UAAP Executive Director Rebo Saguisag.
THE House of Representatives on Monday adopted a resolution conveying its condolences to the family of the “Sprint Queen of Asia” Ms. Lydia De Vega-Mercado and paying homage to her contributions to the country as a world-class athlete. House Resolution (HR) 231 is principally authored by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. MarcelinoLibanan,TingogParty-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, senior Deputy Majority Leade r and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre. The adoption was in consolidation of related HRs 214, 216, 217, 218, 219, and 228. “Ms. Lydia De Vega-Mercado not only brought honor, pride and unparalleled distinction to our beloved country, but inspired so many more athletes to follow suit and follow their dreams. Ms. De Vega has virtually put our country on the map by being, at one time, the ‘fastest woman in Asia,” Speaker Romualdez said. “Her legacy will live on in the hearts of millions of Filipinos who will remember her name and her legacy as one of the best and brightest shining stars of Philippine sports,” the Speaker added. The resolution will be presented to the family of Ms. De Vega, who passed away at the age of 57 last August 10. “Resolved by the House of Representatives, to convey its profound condolences to the family of Lydia De VegaMercado, sprint queen of Asia and one of the greatest Filipino athletes of all time,” the resolution read. “It is indeed with great sorrow that the country lost a word-class athlete with the untimely passing of Lydia de Vega-Mercado, but herlegacy lives on and she will always be remembered as one of the greatest Filipino sports icons who brought great honor and pride to the country,” it added. She was born on December 26, 1964 in Meycauayan, Bulacan to parents Mary De Vega and Francisco “Tatang” De Vega, who was her running coach and a great influence in shaping her sports career. She was married to Paul Mercado and left behind three children.
KIMI Brodeth achieved what she had failed to do the last time out, nailing two titles, including a reversal over Tiffany Nocos in the girls’ premier division of the PPS-PEPP Mandaue City national age-group tennis tournament in Cebu last Monday.TheOrmoc City lass actually faced another drubbing from Nocos but pulled off an escape in the second set then wore down the top Lapu-Lapu City bet in the decider to snatch the 18-and-under crown, 3-6, 7-6(4), 10-6, at the New Mandaue Tennis Club’s clay courts. She earlier overpowered Jana Diaz, 6-3, 6-0, in the 16-U finals to emerge the lone double winner in the Group 2 tournament which served as the second of a four-leg Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Pera Padala junior circuit swing in Cebu. Brodeth, 16, also ruled her category in Lapu-Lapu City last week but suffered a 6-1, 6-3 defeat to Nocos in the 18-U finals. But the former loaded up in their rematch, dropping just two games on her way to the finals while Nocos had to go through a wringer before subduing Judy Ann Padilla, 4-5(0), 4-1, 10-7, in the semis. Brodeth, meanwhile, goes for another double as she headlines the PPS-PEPP City of Naga leg beginning today (Wednesday, Aug. 17) with Consolacion, Laray to host the last leg on Aug. 25-31. For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
Sports
PNVF draws UAAP’s commitment to national team program Volleyball at grassroots gets boost
BETTER TRANSPORTATION. Leaders of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by president George Barcelon (fourth from left) pay a courtesy visit to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista (fifth from left) to present PCCI’s strategic agenda on infrastructure, transport and logistics. The PCCI expressed support to the department’s programs and appreciation to Bautista for the DOTr’s commitment to be more prudent on proposals to raise transport logistics-related fees.
Business Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor extrastory2000@gmail.combusiness@manilastandard.netWEDNESDAY,AUGUST17,2022 B1 Vista 11%incomeLand’sclimbedinfirsthalf ABS-CBN cuts loss to P1.46b; GMA registers P4-b net profit Gov’t to revise BOT rules to boost infra investments PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, August 16, 2022 112.806,850.64PTS. F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022 Currency Unit US Dollar Peso United States Dollar 1.000000 55.8430 Japan Yen 0.007504 0.4190 UK Pound 1.206000 67.3467 Hong Kong Dollar 0.127587 7.1248 Switzerland Franc 1.056859 59.0182 Canada Dollar 0.775314 43.2959 Singapore Dollar 0.725216 40.4982 Australia Dollar 0.702100 39.2074 Bahrain Dinar 2.652942 148.1482 Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266326 14.8724 Brunei Dollar 0.722596 40.3519 Indonesia Rupiah 0.000068 0.0038 Thailand Baht 0.028153 1.5721 UAE Dirham 0.272279 15.2049 Euro Euro 1.016300 56.7532 Korea Won 0.000762 0.0426 China Yuan 0.147591 8.2419 India Rupee 0.012574 0.7022 Malaysia Ringgit New Zealand Dollar 0.636400 35.5385 Taiwan Dollar 0.033353 1.8625 Source: BSP 967,127,116 TOTAL TRADES 90,049 TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) 8,894,282,509.66 UNCHANGED 35 By Julito G. Rada THEtheplansgovernmenttoamendimplementing rules and regulations of the Tuesday.Benjaminprojects,investorsandtheTransferBuild-Operate-LawtoimproveinvestmentclimateattractmoreprivateininfrastructureFinanceSecretaryDioknosaid“Weareplanningto,infact,amendsomeoftheprovisionsintheimplementingrulesandregulations[of]thepublic-privatepartnershiptoreallyattracttheprivatesectortoparticipateinour‘Build,Build,Build’program,”saidDioknoinaninterview.Dioknodidnotspecifywhichprovi sions in the IRR of the BOT Law would beTheamended.government recently revised the IRR of Republic Act No. 6957, or the law authorizing the financing, construc tion, operation and maintenance of in frastructure projects by the private sec tor, as amended by RA 7718. The revised guidelines recognize the indispensable role of the private sector as the main engine for national growth and development and pro vide the most appropriate incentives to mobilize private resources for the purpose of implementing infrastruc ture or development projects normally undertaken by the government, which includes the construction, financing, operations and maintenance of such projects.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his first State-of-the-Nation Address that infrastructure development would remain a top priority of the government to drive employment, agriculture, tour ism and economic growth.
By Darwin G. Amojelar ABS-CBN Corp. said Tuesday net loss narrowed to P1.46 billion in the first half from P3.39 billion a year ago, as advertising revenues rose dur ing the election period. Rival GMA Network Inc., mean while, posted a profit of P4.01 billion in the same period, on the back of higher political and traditional adver tisingABS-CBNrevenues.said consolidated reve nues grew 16.2 in the first six months to P9.5 billion from P8.15 billion last year. Advertising revenues went up 47.3 percent to P3.2 billion, attribut able to both political placements and growth in regular advertising as the company continued to expand cover age through Consumerpartnerships.salesincreased 4.5 per cent to P6.19 billion mainly from the licensing and syndication of the com pany’s films and programs library . GMA, on the other hand, reported a net income of P4.01 billion from January to June, up by 10 percent from P3.66 billion in the same period lastConsolidatedyear. revenues reached P11.94 billion, higher by 13 percent than P10.57 billion last year. “The influx of political advocacies and advertisements for this year’s na tional and local elections during most part of the first semester propelled GMA’s top line to reach yet another milestone,” the network said. GMA Network said core channel GMA-7 lead other revenue platforms and grabbed the lion’s share of total revenue“Incrementalpie. sales from electionrelated load was instrumental in at taining this feat as the network was the most widely viewed free-to-air broadcast media with the most ex tensive reach nationwide,” GMA said.It said the sale of merchandise, mainly the set-top box and dongle, raked in P181 million in the first half. By Jenniffer B. Austria VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc., the prop erty unit of real estate tycoon Manuel Villar Jr., said Tuesday net income grew 11 percent in the first semester to P4.3 billion from P3.84 billion in the same period last year despite lower revenues. Vista Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-half consolidated revenues slipped 4.3 percent to P15.42 billion from P16.12 billion a year ago. “We remain optimistic with the in dustry for the rest of the year, espe cially with an economic backdrop that I consider on a rebound given strong GDP growth numbers so far and is forecasted at 7 percent to 9 percent growth for 2022,” Villar said. “We have also seen sustained growth in overseas Filipino remittance which is projected to grow 4 percent this year. De mand from OF remained strong which is a factor in the 8-percent growth in our reservation sales of P32 billion for first half of 2022,” Villar said. Real estate revenues reached P9 bil lion from January to June, while leas ing income totaled P4.9 billion on a 35-percent growth from a year earlier. Vista Land opened Vistamall Davao in June, after two years of no new mall open ings. The new mall has 21,000 square me ters of gross floor area and houses worldclass retail concepts of the group. The group had over 1.6 million sq. m. of GFA of investment properties consisting of 32 malls, 69 commercial centers and seven office buildings as of end-June. Vista Land launched five residential projects with total sales value of P11 billion in the first half. These included three Vista Estate projects: Aspen in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan; Vid arte in Antipolo, Rizal; and Stanza in Tanza, Cavite.
BEIJING, China—Chinese lithium hub Sichuan province will ration electricity supply to factories until Saturday, state media reported, as a heatwave sends power demands soaring and dries up reservoirs.Temperatures in the province—home to nearly 84 million people—have hovered above 40-42 degrees Celsius (104-108 degrees Fahrenheit) since last week, according to data from China’s Meteorological Administration, increas ing the demand for air conditioning. The region relies on dams to generate 80 percent of its electricity, but rivers in the area have dried up this summer, Bei jing’s Water Resources Ministry said. The province in China’s southwest produces half the nation’s lithium, used in batteries for electric vehicles, and its hydropower projects provide electricity to industrial hubs along the country’s eastButcoast.thelocal government has decided to prioritize residential power supply, ordering industrial users in 19 out of 21 cities in the province to suspend produc tion until Saturday, according to a notice issuedSeveralSunday.companies including alumi num producer Henan Zhongfu Indus trial and fertilizer producers Sichuan Meifeng Chemical Industry said in stock exchange statements they were suspending production. A plant operated by Taiwanese giant and Apple supplier Foxconn in the prov ince has also suspended production, Tai pei’s Central News Agency reported. Some companies will be permitted to operate at a limited capacity, depending on their production needs. “Sources estimate at least 1,200 tons of lithium output will be cut due to the opera tions disruptions in these five days,” Su san Zou, an analyst at Rystad Energy, told AFP, adding the cost of lithium carbonate had jumped since Monday. A summer of extreme weather in Chi na has seen multiple major cities record their hottest days ever. China’s national observatory reis sued a red alert for high temperatures on Monday, state media reported, as the mercury soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) across swathes of the country. AFP
Stock market advances to over three-month high MOSTVOLUMEACTIVEVALUE (PHP) 1 EMI 58,820,700 1,116,762,796 2 ALI 27,120,900 812,782,340 3 SM 615,320 538,892,815 4 BDO 3,993,150 496,414,624 5 SMPH 11,616,200 442,947,150 6 SECB 4,539,160 412,826,018 7 AC 398,610 303,468,140 8 ICT 1,620,260 301,794,311 9 SCC 6,402,300 279,218,545 10 CNVRG 11,823,500 226,749,426 TOP LASTGAINERS % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 1 KPH 9.4 3.08 48.73% 2 CAB 49.95 6.5 14.96% 3 LAND 0.91 0.11 13.75% 4 GEO 0.194 0.022 12.79% 5 MB 0.385 0.025 6.94% 6 MJC 1.49 0.09 6.43% 7 MRC 0.197 0.011 5.91% 8 BKR 1.8 0.1 5.88% 9 SECB 92 5 5.75% 10 AREIT 39.5 2.1 5.61% TOPPRICELASTLOSERS%CHANGECHANGE 1 KPHB 8.4 -2.2 -20.75% 2 LSC 0.475 -0.08 -13.64% 3 ECP 3.52 -0.37 -9.51% 4 HOME 4.92 -0.41 -7.69% 5 ORE 0.73 -0.06 -7.59% 6 SFI 0.087 -0.007 -7.45% 7 IPO 6.5 -0.5 -7.14% 8 MG 0.117 -0.009 -7.14% 9 SOC 0.57 -0.04 -6.56% 10 ABSP 12 -0.8 -6.25% PSEi August 16, 2022
By Tangi Quemener
ASHTON KEYNES, United King dom—At the end of a dusty track in southwest England where the River Thames usually first emerges from the ground, there is currently scant sign of any moisture at all. The driest start to a year in decades has shifted the source of this emblematic English river several miles downstream, leaving scorched earth and the occasion al puddle where water once flowed. It is a striking illustration of the parched conditions afflicting swathes of England, which have prompted a growing number of regional water restrictions and fears that an official drought will soon be declared. “We haven’t found the Thames yet,” confided Michael Sanders, 62, on holi day with his wife in the area known as the official source of the river. The couple were planning to walk some of the Thames Path that stretches along its entire winding course—once they can find the waterway’s new start ing“It’spoint.completely dried up,” the IT worker from northern England told AFP in the village of Ashton Keynes, a few miles from the source, noting it had been replaced by “the odd puddle, the odd muddy bit.”. “So hopefully downstream we’ll find the Thames, but at the moment it’s gone.” The river begins from a under ground spring in this picturesque re gion at the foot of the Cotswolds hills, not far from Wales, before meandering for 215 miles (350 kilometers) to the NorthAlongSea.the way it helps supply fresh water to millions of homes, including GT Capital earned P8.3b in six months
CONGLOMERATE GT Capital Holdings Inc. said Tuesday net income increased 24 percent in the first six months to P8.3 bil lion from P6.7 billion a year ago, boosted by higher contribution from banking and property businesses. GT Capital said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-half core net income rose 39 percent to P8.1 billion from P5.8 billion in the previous year. Revenues grew 32 percent in the first six months to P112.8 billion from P85.7 billion in the same period last year on higher au tomotive sales and equity in net income of associates and joint ventures. GT Capital president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said the company was expect ed to sustain its recovery in the second half, given the gradual return to normalcy, greater mobility and resurgent consumption. “Furthermore, we have recently entered into key strategic partnerships in our prop erty business that will ensure a healthy pipe line of projects for many years to come,” Bautista said. Jenniffer B. Austria EastWest’s profit declines to P1.5b
LONDON, United Kingdom—The City of London financial district, one of the world’s leading business hubs, has lost one in seven of its bars and restaurants since the pandemic, ac cording to research published Monday. The City’s loss of pubs, bars, restau rants and other licensed premises since March 2020 is steeper than across the entire British capital, where there has been a 10-percent decline, the study by CGA and AlixPartners found. The pandemic-fueled switch to more working from home and other flexible work arrangements is blamed for the trend, with some London residential areas registering far fewer closures as remote workers utilize premises there. “In these areas, people who previ ously commuted into central London instead worked at home... and increas ingly used their local pubs, bars and restaurants rather than traveling fur ther afield,” the research noted. It found that the number of such clo sures in the City—which is known as the Square Mile, due to its size—were higher than in the business districts of other major UK cities, such as Man chester or Edinburgh. “The City of London’s hospitality market was hit harder than most citycenters by COVID-19, with lockdowns and restrictions limiting commuting and tourism initially,” Karl Chessell, CGA’s director for hospitality opera tors and food, said. “However, shifts in working pat terns are going to be permanent for many, and this has led to a sustained impact on the centre of the capital.” Chessell added that it was “not all doom and gloom, with other parts of London proving more resilient.” A recent study by Advanced Work place Associates (AWA) found average attendance in offices is just 26 percent, with peaks in the middle of the week of no more than a third of employees. “Hybrid working appears to be here to stay,” it concluded.
China factories ration power supplies due to heatwave London has lost 1 in 7 pubs and bars since 2022 In scorched England, source of River Thames dries up THE stock market surged Tuesday on falling crude prices, fanning hopes that inflation rates across the globe could begin to come down. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index advanced 112.80 points, or 1.7 percent, to over three-month high of 6,850.64 on a value turnover of P8.9 billion. Gain ers beat losers, 111 to 91, with 35 issues unchanged.SecurityBank Corp., the eighth-big gest lender in terms of assets, jumped 5.8 percent to P92, while BDO Unibank Inc. of the Sy Group, the largest bank, climbed 4.5 percent to P125.40. Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. rose 4.9 percent to P19.40, while major property develop er Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group gained 3.8 percent at P30.20. Empera dor Inc. of business tycoon Andrew Tan, the biggest liquor producer, advanced 3.2 percent to P19.56 Meanwhile, oil prices extended losses Tuesday after below-par US and Chi nese data reinforced recession expecta tions, while equities were mixed as trad ers debate whether the data will allow central banks to temper their interest rateButhikes.while Asia built on Wall Street’s upbeat performance in the morning, some markets were unable to maintain momentum.Shanghai edged up with Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Jakarta, Bangkok and Wellington, while Tokyo and Taipei were barely moved. Hong Kong sank more than one percent and Singapore was also down. Wall Street provided a strong lead as tech firms were supported by bets that the Federal Reserve will not lift borrow ing costs by 75 basis points for a third straight meeting next month. Both main crude contracts dropped again, having lost around three percent the day before, as demand expectations are lowered in light of a string of soft economic indicators in major econo mies.Signs that Iran is moving towards a nuclear deal added to the downward pressure on prices, with an agreement seen as allowing the country to restart oil sales into the world market. Analysts said Tehran could provide 2.5 million barrels a day, giving a much needed shot in the arm to supplies, which have been hammered by sanc tions on Russia in response to its inva sion of Ukraine. With AFP
JAPAN EXPANSION. People stroll in an underground shopping mall in Tokyo on August 15, 2022. Japan’s economy expanded 0.5 percent in the three months to June, official data showed on August 15, after the government lifted COVID-19 curbs on businesses. AFP
AFP Carol Hill (rear center) stops to look at the dried river bed of the Infant River Thames, in Ashton Keynes, on August 8, 2022. The source of the Thames has dried up and has shifted more than 5 miles downstream from Thames Head near Cirencester in Gloucestershire.
EASTWEST Banking Corp. said Tuesday net income declined by 61 percent in the first half to P1.5 billion from P3.8 billion a year ago on lower fixed-income trading revenues.Thebank said in a statement this trans lated into a return on equity of 5.2 percent. EastWest said it booked a net income of P1 billion in the second quarter, almost dou ble the P507.6-million net profit in the first quarter on higher loans and fixed-income securities portfolio. “Given current trends and Q2 results, for 2022, we now expect total revenues, ex cluding trading, at P26 billion from the P25 billion guidance in Q1. However, with the uncertain trading income, we still expect net income at around P4.0 billion,” EastWest president Jackie Fernandez said. “By the fourth quarter, EW quarterly income, ex-trading, should have recovered pre-pandemic levels and trend towards P1.25 billion, or P5.0 billion on an annual ized basis,” Fernandez said. Core revenues, which exclude the vola tile trading income, were 5 percent lower at P12.7 billion than P13.4 billion a year ear lier. Julito G. SMCRadaGlobal hikes capex to P133.67b SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., the power arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., increased its long-term capital ex penditure budget to P133.668 billion from P125SMCbillion.Global Power said in a disclosure to Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. Tues day the company authorized the amount for capital“Theprojects.group’s material commitments for capital expenditure projects involve the construction of power plants, mostly utilizing high-efficiency low emission technologies, LNG [liquefied petroleum gas] and BESS [battery energy storage systems] in line with the group’s expan sion projects and acquisition of fixed as sets needed for normal operations of the business,” the company said. It said the funds would come from avail able cash and proceeds from outstanding long-term loans and issued senior perpetual capital securities. SMC Global Power suffered a net loss of P1.88 billion in the first half, a turnaround from a net income of P12.219 billion in the same period last year. Alena Mae S. Flores
IN BRIEF BusinessWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022B2 extrastory2000@gmail.com
AFP those in the British capital London. ‘So arid’ Following months of minimal rain fall, including the driest July in England since the 1930s, the country’s famously lush countryside has gone from shades of green to yellow. “It was like walking across the savan nah in Africa, because it’s so arid and so dry,” exclaimed David Gibbons. The 60-year-old retiree has been walking the length of the Thames Path in the opposite direction from Sand ers—from estuary to source—with his wife and friends. As the group reached their final desti nation, in a rural area of narrow country roads dotted with stone-built houses, Gibbons recounted the range of wildlife they had encountered on their journey. The Thames, which becomes a navi gable strategic and industrial artery as it passes through London and its immedi ate surroundings, is typically far more idyllic upstream and a haven for bird watching and boating. However, as they neared the source, things changed. “In this last two or three days, (there’s been) no wildlife, because there’s no water,” Gibbons said. “I think water stopped probably 10 miles away from here; there’s one or two puddles,” he added from pictur esque Ashton Keynes. Andrew Jack, a 47-year-old local government worker who lives about nine miles (15 kilometers) from the vil lage, said locals had “never seen it as dry and as empty as this.” The river usually run alongside its main street, which boasts pretty houses with flower-filled gardens and several small stone footbridges over the water. But the riverbed there is currently parched and cracked, the only visible wildlife some wasps hovering over it, recalling images of some southern Af rican rivers during the sub-continent’s dry season. ‘Something’s changed’ There will be no imminent respite for England’s thirsty landscape. The country’s meteorological office on Tuesday issued an amber heat warn ing for much of southern England and eastern Wales between Thursday and Sunday, with temperatures set to reach the mid-30s degrees Celsius. It comes weeks after a previous heat wave broke Britain’s all-time temperature record and breached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time. Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that carbon emissions from hu mans burning fossil fuels are heating the planet, raising the risk and severity of droughts, heatwaves, and other such extreme weather events. AFP
Prime Video original movie series, The Summer I Turn Pretty, where a girl finds herself caught between two brothers. Meanwhile, Dahlia gets little screentime, but her parents try to give her none, except when boarding a plane when they need to keep their daughter occupied in the meantime. The actress proves that watching content online is crucial in anyone’s life since it provides entertainment and inspiration. Now, Filipinos have the option to watch Anne’s favorite shows and more with Amazon Prime Video. Anne serves as the face of Prime Video as the streaming platform caters to its Filipino audience. For the actress, Filipinos love storytelling no matter the genre since they use it to escape their problems and find something enjoyable. She shared that audiences also love documentaries, which her husband specializes in. “Prime Video sees us and wants us to get access to a variety of top-tier digital content, as well as feeding our endless appetite for telling stories,” she said.
Entertainment WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 B3 E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com
How Anne Curtis spends quality time with family
R&B singer R. Kelly (center) with his team as they return to court R. Kelly back in court to face further sex crimes charges GMA Network named top contributor for QC’s kids learning program GMA Network was recognized as one of the Top Contributors to Quezon City’s recyclables trading for kids’ learning program, “QC BasuHero: Basura Mo, Para sa Pagaaral Ko” in the recent ceremonies held at the QCX Business Hall Ang Probinsyano’ sets record for online viewership
SNAPSHOT
AnnespendsCurtisher free time binge watching shows on Prime Video Anne (fifth from right) with the Prime Video team Anne (right) with PrimepartytheBolzicoNicoatlaunchofVideo
American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish revels in the warm welcome from her Filipino fans Billie Eilish during her Manila concert Pinoy fans are ecstatic while watching Billie perform live She engaged thousands of concertgoers who trooped to the venue despite heavy rains.Following the opening number, Eilish performed her song “I Didn’t Change My Number,” which talks about a woman who completely lost interest in her lover. Eilish proved herself as a refined vocalist with the performance of “NDA,” and “Therefore I Am.” She performed her hits in succession bringing a plethora of new and old catalogs including “My Strange Addiction,”
Billie Eilish plays riveting set to a sold-out Manila concert
Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant
Coco Martin (right) and Julia Montes as Cardo and Mara in ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’
DISGRACED R&B singer R. Kelly, who is serving a 30-year sentence for sex offenses, is back in court this week facing further charges. Jury selection began on Monday in the latest case, which is being tried in the 55-year-old’s hometown of Kelly,Chicago.whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in New York in September of recruiting teenagers and women for sex. The “I Believe I Can Fly” artist was found guilty of eight charges of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering. In the Chicago case, Kelly and two ex-associates are accused of rigging the singer’s 2008 child pornography trial in which the jury delivered a verdict of not guilty. A minor victim, who has not been identified, declined to testify in the 2008 trial because of alleged threats and bribes, but is expected to take the witness stand this time. Kelly, a three-time Grammy Award-winner, is charged with obstruction of justice, producing child pornography, and illegal sexual activity with a minor. Also facing charges are Kelly’s former manager, Derrel McDavid, and an ex-employee, Milton “June” Brown. The trial is expected to last around fourAsweeks.juryselection began, Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean filed a motion asking that anyone who watched a documentary called “Surviving R. Kelly” be disqualified from service. Judge Harry Leinenweber denied the motion and proceeded to jury selection. Kelly’s conviction in New York was widely seen as a milestone for the #MeToo movement: It was the first major sex abuse trial where the majority of accusers were Black women. It was also the first time Kelly faced criminal consequences for the abuse he for decades was rumored to have inflicted on women and children. Core to the state’s case was Kelly’s relationship with the late singer Aaliyah, which began when she was around 13 years old. Kelly wrote and produced her first album Age Ain’t Nothin’ But A Number before illegally marrying her when she was just 15 because he feared he had impregnated her. AFP
By Patricia Taculao S INGER , model, actress, wife, and mother are only some of the titles Filipina celebrity Anne Curtis possesses. After her two-year hiatus in the entertainment industry, Anne is slowly returning toInshowbiz.May,Anne reunited with It’s Showtime family by resuming her stint as the show’s cohost. She now appears twice a week on the well-loved program. The following daughter Dahlia has been growing up and becoming active in her classes. “She has her social life. She can independently play. Her Papa is also going to the office now. There’s a kind of normalcy slowly coming back,” AnneAlthoughsaid. Anne is slowly returning to showbiz, she still finds time to relax and do the things she loves. Among them is binge-watching shows. Being a first-time mother, Anne is hands-on with Dahlia. But once she goes down for her nap, Anne takes time to bond with her husband, Erwan Heusaff, by watching a variety of series on Prime Video.One of the shows she enjoys watching is the well-loved The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel “It’s super funny, and it has a strong female lead. The amazing outfits and wardrobe are all nice. When watching the series, as an actress, it makes me super inspired to do a period,” she.said.She describes it as “a different take on superheroes, which is rather dark fantasy.” Still, she loves the show’s storytelling and cinematography. Anne has some catching up with as its second season is now available on Prime Video. She shared that she saw Erwan watching the series by himself. Upon asking if he was rewatching, Anne discovered about the second season and has promised to view it when She also plansbinge-towatchthe
‘FPJ’s
dancingCrown,”“Lovely,”“idontwannabeyouanymore,”“YouShouldSeeMeinaand“BillieBossaNova.”Shemovedacrossthestageandpleasingthecrowdwith “Goldwing,” “Oxytoxin,” “Ilomilo” and “Your Power.” She later expressed her gratitude for the presence of the thousands of local fans who, despite wearing masks, were able to send their loud cheers across the arena.“Thank you for being so good to me. I love you so much. I only have two more songs to [perform]. I just wanted to show you my love. It’s so crazy to be on the side of the world. I adore you and I appreciate you and I hope that you had fun tonight because I did. You mean the world to me,” she said before asking the audience to do a big hug leading to her performance of “Bad Guy” and “Happier Than Ever.”
AFTER making a mark on pop culture as the longestrunning action-drama series in the Philippines, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano concluded with an action-packed and emotion-filled finale that glued viewers to see the fate of the iconic hero cop Cardo Dalisay, played by Coco Martin The nearly two-hour finale hit a new all-time high record of 536,543 live concurrent views on Kapamilya Online Live on YouTube and garnered multiple trending topics on Twitter in the Philippines such as AgilaAngelMontes,Martin,#FPJsAngProbinsyano,#FPJAP7MissionAccomplished,CocoSusanRoces,Cardo,JuliaLolaFlora,Onyok,JohnArcilla,Aquino,Agila,andHipolito.TheepisodesawCardo’sTaskForcebeinggivenahero’sburialafterthey sacrificed their lives to save President Oscar (Rowell Santiago) and finally eliminated terrorist leaders Renato (John Arcilla) and Lucio (Raymond Bagatsing). Cardo was the only one who survived the bloodbath, along with President Oscar, who awarded the police cop with a medal of bravery. Viewers also turned emotional with the moving tribute to the late Susan Roces who portrayed Lola Flora, as Cardo grieved with his family by his side. The episode also signified new beginningsCardo returned to the province and was reunited with Mara (Julia Montes), while Oscar tied the knot with his first love Aurora (Sharon Cuneta). Coco led the powerhouse cast in thanking the entire FPJAP time and their loyal viewers for their unwavering support throughout the show’s nearly seven-year run. To give back to their supporters, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano started its “Pasasalamat Tour” last August 14 at Vista Mall Taguig, where thousands of fans gathered to see members of the cast. The thanksgiving tour is also set to visit Bulacan (August 19), Cebu (August 20), and Iloilo (August 21), as well as the United States this coming September. By Nickie Wang WITH her brother Finneas by her side, American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish performed “The 30th,” a brand-new track that she hasn’t sung live since its release. The emotional number was introduced by the 20-year-old artist as something very personal. “It’s out but we’ve never done it live before. Manila, please bear with me, it’s a very hard song to sing so I’m going to try my best. This song is dedicated to my dear, dear friend,” Eilish told the screaming crowd at the jampacked Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, August 13. The guitar song track is about an incident that happened on November 30, which was “the most indescribable thing to have to witness and experience,” she said in an interview. It talks about the aftermath of a car accident that involved someone dear to theThesinger.show was part of Eilish’s world tour for her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever , released in May last year. The singer-songwriter’s first visit to the country was originally planned for 2020. She was supposed to include Manila as a pitstop for her Where Do We Go? World Tour that got canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her signature athleisure outfit – an oversized shirt, a pair of bike shorts, and running shoes – Eilish opened her show with crowd-pleaser “bury a friend” sending the entire MoA Arena into a rabid frenzy. She emerged from backstage amid the beaming lights running up and down the stage. Throughout the night, she conducted the crowd and made them follow her every move with her only ground rule: “Don’t be an asshole and have fun.”
GMA Network was recognized as one of the Top Contributors to Quezon City’s recyclables trading for kids’ learning program, “QC BasuHero: Basura Mo, Para sa Pag-aaral Ko” in the recent ceremonies held at the QCX Business Hall. Through the initiative of the QC Department of Sanitation & Cleanup Works’ Task Force on Solid Waste Management, the project promotes recycling and recovery of the environment, and at the same time helps support beneficiary students affected by the pandemic. As a Partner Establishment, GMA was able to contribute a significant amount of recyclable waste as well as old furniture and e-waste such as old computers and equipment. The recyclable trading activity started last year. GMA was also part of the turnover of tablets to the beneficiary students of the project, which was held during the awarding ceremonies.
Life B4 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022
view1980strimming,dressesdatingfrom1952totheearlywillbeonatTheLobbyuntilAugust27.Artist
Mark Lewis Higgins
Photo by Cyrus Panganiban
Hinabing Buhay: Living Traditions of Weaving and Embroidery is one of the many exciting cultural projects at SM Megamall.
Art, without a soul or a moral compass, is just a canvas with paints, or a series of movements without any meaning, or another film used for propaganda or personal gains. While there is nothing wrong with money as a driving force to create something, as time passes, this eats away the creative soul until none is left and the heart becomes hollow. I’ve talked to some filmmakers I know about why they engage in creating indie films when commercial films are more viable and can make them earn more. One filmmaker said that commercial films put food on the table, but indie films are food for the soul. Another filmmaker shared that he makes films because he has a story to tell because he wants to give a voice to those who couldn’t speak for themselves. The phrase “magkuwento ng makabuluhan” struck me the most when I was listening to his interview with a media friend. That phrase can be applied to any aspect of life. As a writer, I don’t just write because I can. I write because I need to tell a story. Holding a pen comes with responsibilities – to tell the truth, educate, touch hearts, to engage people in a conversation. Writing reviews, for instance, can make or break someone else’s dream. There is a thin line between being critical and being downright Now, that the Cinemalaya fever has gone down a notch (though there are more exciting things to watch out for this year), I think I have some to celebrate the Filipino creative soul at the MaArte at The Pen, the fundraising bazaar happening from August 19 to 21, at The Peninsula Manila. If I remember correctly, I was able to visit this unique bazaar in 2017, the first time it was held at the prestigious hotel in Makati. By then, it had evolved from a simple bazaar to raise funds for the National Museum to a veritable display of craftsmanship. MaArte started in 2009 as a side event for HABI: 2nd ASEAN Traditional Textiles Symposium, an international conference focusing on the traditional textiles industry. The conference’s Market Encounter, where delegates could appreciate and acquire Philippine textiles and jewelry, grew into the bazaar we know today. After several iterations, it has been rebranded as MaArte at The Pen Like any live events, MaArte has been greatly affected by the pandemic. But here we are, after MaArte is finally back on-site at The Spearheaded by the Philippine Art Events Inc., the same group behind the Art Fair Philippines and Art in the Park, the 2022 edition brings back previous participants who offer a varied array of thoughtfully-made merchandise, as well as new participants who will present different elements. There will be approximately 90 participants, featuring traditional Filipino crafts and designs, contemporary fashion, fabulous furniture pieces, and unique Celebratingaccessories.thegenius of the newly-conferred National Artist Salvacion Lim Higgins, there will be a special exhibit featuring a vignette of ensembles by the National Artists. Featuring native textiles such as , embroidery,cutwork and raffia
PRIMA ballerina Margot Fonteyn once said, “Great artists are people who find a way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.”
Blaan tribesmen from Sarangani showcase their products at The Podium during the exhibit
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Mark Lewis Higgins the late designer’s son, curates this special exhibit.Another component of the bazaar is the PHxMaArte, a section on contemporary fashion, bringing contemporary Philippine fashion to the forefront. Working with the PHx Fashion Group, this section highlights the works of upcoming Filipino designers known for their unconventional lines and global mindsets. These include BAGASÁO, NeilFelipp, and Kelvin Morales, labels coming off stints at Tokyo Fashion Week. Jude Macasinag flies in Manifesto, recently presented for his bachelor’s graduation collection at the Institut Francais de la Mode in Paris. The PHx Fashion Group also worked with fashion schools SoFA Design Institute, iAcademy, and DLSU-CSB Fashion Design Department to feature three graduates as part of the PHxMaArte selection.Thereis also a lecture series, called MaArte Talks, which runs at 2:00 p.m. daily from August 19 to 21 at the hotel’s Salon de Ning. Topics are A Teapot’s Journey: A Brief History by Sheryl Ebon-Martinez; Philippine Design and Craft Today by Nazareno/ Lichauco, which is about insights, experiences, and practices regarding today’s Philippine contemporary craft and design landscape; and lastly, Paris & Manila: A Tale Of Two Cities: The Golden Age of Haute Couture on the Opposite Sides of the World, where designer Mark Lewis Higgins discusses the twilight of World War II, and the decade of 1947 to 1957, as a backdrop to two parallel stories and careers that were happening in two capital cities – Paris and Manila. Proceeds will benefit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, whose mission is to raise funds and awareness for the National Museum of the Philippines and its network. For more information and updates, follow the MaArte Fair on Instagram @maartefair and JANOS Delacruz’s Pagibig at Lumbay is a collection of artworks that tackles a journey of adoration and unrequited love between an artist and his muse amidst the reality of a pandemic. Although Delacruz’s icons do not revolve around a particular key image or subject, each artwork is intended to be viewed as a chapter illustration of an unwritten novel (a selfcontained short story in an ongoing narrative). The public is invited to explore the machination and inner musings of the artist as he travails from one diatribe to another. The paintings, sculptures, drawings, and fine print in the exhibition are used as vehicles to capture the frantic search for both meaning and creation. Our eyes are invited to matriculate the etched linear and spiral patterns as if we’re looking at striations of exposed musculature under a microscope. The viewer is asked to participate and self-reflect on each artwork to create their own truth and find their own narrative in each panel. Delacruz’s drawings are an assemblage of random lines and patterns. An unfiltered brainstorm of a surreal idea from an incomplete dream to a fully rendered work on paper. As he transforms his work from one medium to another, the artworks will also evolve (affected by limitations or advantages of the material but also the temperament of the creator). Although most of the artworks are rendered in black and white in this art exhibition. Delacruz has always been fascinated by the art of printmaking and considers printmaking as his first love. Inspired by illustrated medieval manuscripts, the artist left the impurities in the plate and hand colored his etching fine prints. By doing so, he hopes to capture “individuality in the face of uniformity”. In his sculpture entitled Kuya Daks (Big Brother) – daks is an LGBT lingo coming from the Ilonggo word dako which means big – the artist tells the story of a man in his most fragile state – removing the “smiling mask” that he showcases in society. The artwork is a commentary on hiding your beliefs and true self as we try to conform to social pressure, norms, and biases. It represents the reawakening of unique thought and the removal of the shackles of docility. To be able to love freely and to create without limitations. Curated by Ian Belleza , Pag-ibig at Lumbay was on view at Art Lounge Manila: Podium from August 2 to 16.
WOVEN wonders and accessories from South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Ilocos Norte, Sarangani, and Cordillera were recently showcased at the Hinabing Buhay: Living Traditions of Weaving and Embroidery at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall. The exhibit also had a later run at the Podium, where shoppers had the rare opportunity to view and purchase exquisite fabrics.Ajoint project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Likhaan Resource Center, and SM Megamall, the exhibit curated by socialist realist painter Edgar “Egai” T. Fernandez, highlights traditional artists, their works, materials, and the process of creating the crafts that give emphasis on the legacy, experiences, and ingenious knowledge of traditional artists. Commissioner Dr. Emmanuel Franco Calairo of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines graced the event launch along with NHCP’s OIC Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo, OIC Deputy Executive Director for Administration Rosario V. Sapitan, Chief of Historic Sites & Education Division Gina C. Batuhan and Chief of Materials, Research & Conservation Division Lie Zar Montilla. They were welcomed by SM Megamall Mall Manager Brian So The launch, which also featured weaving demonstrations, showcased the Filipino’s amazing talent with a performance by the Kamerchor Manila, who won the top Grand Prix prize in the recently concluded Queen of the Adriatic Sea International Festival and Competition in Italy, and spoken poetry by actor, RR Cagalingan Three dance groups then took center stage with a contemporary dance performance from Tanghalang Bagong Sibol, folk dances from Marikina Dance Guild, and a hip-hop moves from FCPC Baliktanaw. Moreover, Adelaida Ahaddas, a Yakan from Basilan Province, conducted a weaving demo during the launch.
Living traditions of weaving and embroidery
This girl from the Blaan Tribe in Sarangani Province finishes a handwoven bag during the exhibit Focus: Creative souls and hearts
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A statement earring by Caro Wilson An artistically-designed clutch by Neil Felipp
