DepEd to give one-time P5,000 cash aid to teachers on Aug. 22
SM, Robinsons, Puregold cut SRP on Palace’s plea
By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH) on Friday recorded two more cases of monkeypox in the Philippines, raising the total number of confirmed cases to three. DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, during a press briefing, said the two new cases are aged 34 and 29 years and both had recent travel history to countries with confirmed monkeypox cases. “The persons who have contracted
set after members, staff get
BIR taps big online sellers, monitors socmed for dataNEWS
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THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will only go after big-time online sellers despite the prodding of Senator Raffy Tulfo to run after smugglers instead of small socialmedia influencers and vendors. BIR Commissioner Lilia Guillermo said Friday the agency will only run after the big sellers, and that she has sought the help of e-commerce giants Shopee and Lazada. Though she did not give details of what makes a large online seller, Guillermo
Senate
By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy (DOE) projected a possible oil price hike next week of as much as P2 per liter for diesel due to the movement of prices in the worldMeanwhile,market. the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said airline fuel surcharges are likely to go down in September as crude prices fall.
By Rio N. Araja ANOTHER private school, Georgia International Academy in Antipolo City, Rizal on Friday announced its closure through a Zoom meeting with parents, a few days before the school year 2022-23 opens on Monday.
THE Department of Education (DepEd) will disburse a one-time cash allowance of P5,000 to all teachers during the opening of classes on Aug. 22. DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said at a press conference that the allowance was aimed at helping teachers return to school.“All teachers will get that. I think it will be downloaded to school divisions. I'll confirm but everyone will get their P5,000 cash allowance by August 22,” Poa said.
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Officials of the school, which has branches in Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo cities, promised to refund the tuition paid by parents, GMA News reported on Twitter. The reasons for the school’s closure were still unclear as of press time. This comes on the heels of the closure of Colegio de San Lorenzo in Quezon City, which announced Monday it was closing shop, to the chagrin of its students, their parents, and the faculty. On Friday, QC Mayor Joy Belmonte called the attention of Colegio de San
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By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas
By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Thursday night expressed confidence that the Philippines and the United States' close and friendly ties will remain strong under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 185 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 SATURDAY
Antipolo
CRYING ON A DRY RUN. A boy cries while his teacher fixes his face mask during a dry run at Lakan Dula Elementary School in Tondo, Manila on Friday, three days before the formal opening of school year 2022-2023 on Monday. Norman Cruz DOH reveals two more monkeypox cases detected Fuel price hikes forecast next week as US pump consumption picks up PH-US TIES TO REMAIN STRONG SOLONS ALL. The US Congressional Delegation led by Senator Edward Markey (center) and the Philippines Congressional Delegation headed by Speaker Martin Romualdez (fourth from left) pose for posterity during their friendship caucus Thursday night at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City. Ver Noveno
By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo, and Macon Ramos-Araneta T HE country’s leading supermarkets have agreed to bring down the price of sugar to as low as P70 per kilogram, Malacañang announced Friday. This came about after Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, upon the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., held a series of talks with owners of Robinsons Supermarket, SM Supermarket, and Puregold Supermarket, the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said. The OPS said the supermarket owners heeded Marcos’ appeal to lower the price of sugar to P70. “They all agreed to the suggested retail price of P70 per kilo of sugar, from a high of P90 to P110 per kilo,” it said in a statement. The government is also determining if the country’s sugar shortage was "artificial," Press Next page school 2 days before classes open lockdown COVID-19
Supermarkets sell sugar at P70/kilo
SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday declared a lockdown at the Senate building after seven senators and several employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the 19th Congress last month. Senators JV Ejercito and Nancy Binay announced yesterday they had both tested positive for the coronavirus. By Macon Ramos-Araneta
SUSPECT SHIP. These handout photos from the Bureau of Customs show the M/V Bangpakaew, which was held by authorities at the Subic port in Zambales after it was found to be loaded with 7,021 metric tons of white refined sugar, equivalent to 140,000 bags and with a total tax payment valued at P45.6 million. photos
BOC
Next page Next page Next pageNext page Next page PBBM TO VISIT 2 ASEAN NATIONS IN SEPTEMBERNEWS/A2
No date has been set yet for the visit to the US, Cruz-Angeles said. "For the visit to the US, it's still being worked out although the President said he will be going. So, we will release the details on this as they come in," she said. In July, Mr. Marcos also accepted the Chinese government's invitation to visit China.The visits next month are keeping with the tradition among Philippine presidents of choosing a Southeast Asian nation for their first foreign trips. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said Singapore was considered because it also extended an invitation for Mr. Marcos to do a state visit. The planned visit will precede Marcos' possible trip to the United States for his attendance at the United Nations' General Assembly (UNGA), Romualdez said. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is already fixing Marcos' schedule, according to Romualdez, based on his recent meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. The UNGA is the main policymaking organ of the United Nations. The decisions it makes include appointing the secretary-general, electing the nonpermanent members of the Security Council, and approving the UN budget, according to the UN website. The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December each year. Vince Lopez
From A1 Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on Friday.When asked if President Marcos would allocate the sugar output for crop year 2022 to 2023, Angeles said: “It depends on our findings. What we’re looking now is if the sugar shortage is artificial or not. Our allocation will be based on if there is a Authoritiesshortage.”are also conducting inspections in Deparo, Caloocan; Balut, Tondo and San Nicolas in Manila; Rosales, Pangasinan; San Fernando, Pampanga; Ibaan, Batangas; and in Davao.This was related to the order on the Bureau of Customs to exercise its “visitorial powers” to inspect warehouses where there are reports of hoarding. Some operations led to discovery of "questionable" documents among warehouse owners, Cruz-Angeles said, while some were able to present legitimate documents. BoC and Department of Trade and Industry teams earlier found 42,733 sacks of sugar in a warehouse in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, which is roughly 2,150 metric tons worth P215 million, and 7,021 metric tons of sugar from Thailand on a ship at the Subic port in Zambales. The MV Bangpakaew was found to be loaded with 7,021 metric tons of Thailand white refined sugar, equivalent to 140,000 bags and with total tax payment valued at P45.6 million. The Office of the Press Secretary said the BoC has submitted its report on the smuggledCruz-Angelessugar. said that heads would roll at the Customs bureau if evidence shows that any of the bureau’s port personnel are in connivance with smugglers using recycled sugar import permits.Shesaid one warehouse in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and another in San Fernando City, Pampanga, were not registered with the SRA. Mr. Marcos expressed gratitude to supermarket owners who agreed to offer cheaper sugar in their groceries and stores, amid the sudden spike in sugar prices in the market, Rodriguez said. “The President lauded the selfless response from these businessmen who are sacrificing not just their own inventory but also their projected business profits for the sake of the ordinary Filipinos at this time when the country is besieged by many problems,” Rodriguez said. “This is a classic display of the indomitable Filipino spirit of bayanihan (teamwork) and love of country,” he added. On Wednesday, Mr. Marcos said the government is negotiating with traders to bring down sugar prices in the country. Rodriguez noted that SM stores have committed to sell their inventory of washed sugar at P70 per kilo, while Robinsons Supermarket has pledged to unload 1 million kilos of sugar at P70 per kilo with one kilo per pack in Metro Manila. Puregold has also vowed to make available 2 million kilos of refined sugar at P70 per kilo, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said the latest development will give consumers access to cheaper sugar with over 3 million kilos available in the market starting next week. “The availability of P70 per kilo of sugar is good until supply lasts, according to the supermarket owners. The agreed selling price of P70 per kilo will likewise be monitored by the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry),” the OPS said. To date, Savemore Market is the fastest growing format of SM Markets, serving as the umbrella brand for SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket and Savemore and its sister company, Alfamart.Ithas over 1,500 stores composed of 206 Savemore stores, nine Savemore Express stores, 60 SM Supermarket stores, 53 SM Hypermarket stores, and 1,201RobinsonsAlfamarts.Supermarket is a division of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. and the second largest supermarket chain in the country with 274 stores nationwide. Puregold Price Club, Inc., or simply Puregold, is a chain of supermarkets that has about 280 operating stores and over 20 food service stalls nationwide. Rodriguez said the DTI will monitor participating retailers’ compliance with the agreed purchase limit of one kilo per consumer to prevent “possible household hoarding by some enterprising consumers” and ensure that all consumers will be able to avail of the low-priced sugar.Rodriguez added that there was also a pledge from Victorias Milling Company (VMC) to help traders in the food manufacturing industries by making available 45,000 sacks at 50 kilos per sack of bottler-grade sugar for soft drinks companies.“Thisis to avert a possible temporary halt in their operations that could result to the displacement of their workers,” he said.“Victorias Milling also allotted 500,000 kilos of sugar for consignment in Kadiwa stores in the populated parts of the Visayas.” VMC is an integrated raw and refined sugar firm located in Barangay XVI, Victorias City in Negros Occidental. Founded on May 7, 1919 by Don Miguel J. Ossorio, it is among the earliest modern sugar mills in the country. Mr. Marcos earlier met with members of the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers, Inc. (PCFMI) to discuss possible solutions to the country’s looming sugar shortage. The President, who also serves as chairman of the Sugar Regulatory Administration, previously bared his plan to allow food manufacturers to directly import sugar. Also on Friday, Senator JV Ejercito said he supports the President’s plan to reorganize the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and rejected proposals to abolish the agency altogether.Hesaid there was still a need for a dedicated government agency to help sugar farmers improve their productivity.SenatorRisa Hontiveros said the SRA fiasco shows the need for a revamp of the leadership structure of the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies, especially with the looming shortage of sugar and skyrocketing sugar prices. She described the leadership in the DA as “deeply problematic” amid consecutive resignations of the agency’s ranking officials over the sugar importation mess.
Fuel...
Speaker: PH-US ties to stay strong
PBBM state visits to Indonesia, Singapore in Sept.
DOH... From A1 monkeypox, including the first detected case, do not show any severe symptoms of the disease so there is no reason for panic. All we need to do is be more cautious,” Vergeire told reporters. The Health OIC declined to give the details about the patients, including their gender. According to Vergeire, the 34-year-old patient’s positive PCR result was released on August 18, while the 29-year-old patient's result was released on August 19. The 34-year-old patient is under home isolation while contact tracing is ongoing, according to Vergeire. On the other hand, the 29-year-old patient case is currently in a healthcare facility. At least 17 close contacts are being verified as contact tracing is ongoing. “We are verifying the current health and quarantine status of these close contacts. To comply with the laws on notifiable diseases and data privacy, we cannot release any other details beyond what has already been mentioned at this time,” she said. The first case of monkeypox in the country was a 31-year-old patient who had traveled to a country with a known monkeypox case. The DOH earlier said monkeypox is a virus transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal or contaminated materials. A viral infection resembling smallpox and first detected in humans in 1970, monkeypox is less dangerous and contagious than smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980. The first symptoms can include a fever, headaches, sharp muscle pains, fatigue, a rash, as well as swollen and painful lymph nodes, according to an Agence FrancePresse explainer. The World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23 declared the monkeypox outbreak, which has affected nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, according to a tally by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to be a global health emergency, the highest alarm it can sound Some 95 of cases have been transmitted through sexual activity, according to a study of 528 people in 16 countries published in the New England Journal of Medicine. With Gabriellea Parino
Newsmst.daydesk@gmail.comSATURDAY,AUGUST 20, 2022A2
Supermarkets...
DepEd... From A1 Aside from the allowance, Poa said schools nationwide would receive supplemental Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) worth P3.7 billion in total to prepare for the incoming face-to-face classes. “This is to ensure that they have the complete tools), especially for the minimum health and safety standards to be observed like alcohol. It’s not specifically to ask them to buy face masks. That's not for it. It’s really for the MOOE. We’re giving them the flexibility to buy whatever they need,” he said.
THE mother of a 15-year-old girl found dead in Bulacan after missing for days sought the help of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in giving justice to victims of violence.AGMA News report said “Perlita,” mother of victim Princess Marie Dumantay, in an interview thanked authorities for the arrest of the suspect behind her daughter’s slay. “I am appealing to President Marcos, I hope he will listen to the family of those who are missing. We urge them to use an iron fist. Us, women, and our children are being victimized. What is happening? Where is our law?” she said. She also said: “(Mr. President, I am asking because it is not only my child who was victimized. There are many others before her. What if the police will not be able to stop it? How about those who will fell victim to these? We hope this will not happen again.” “So I am calling for our lawmakers, policemen, and those in the government to use iron-fisted measures against these demons and suspects,” she added. Malacañang has yet to comment on the appeal of the victim's mother. According to the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the suspect, identified as Gaspar Maneja Jr., was arrested in Pamplona, Camarines Sur. Maneja, who also uses the name “Jose Francisco Santos,” was nabbed based on an arrest warrant for rape and violation of Republic Act 7610 or the anti-child abuseDumantay'slaw. body was found on a grassy roadside in Bustos, Bulacan, on August 12, days after she was reported missing.
Guillermo admitted it would be hard for now to hire such experts as there are no plantilla positions yet, so they will be training internally or hiring consultants.Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday said it is investigating the reported unloading of smuggled rice worth P1 billion in Iloilo City.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be embarking on state visits to Indonesia and Singapore in September, Malacañang announced on Friday. Mr. Marcos will first visit Indonesia from Sept. 4 to 6, and will proceed to Singapore from Sept. 6 to 7, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a virtual"Wepresser.don'thave additional details, but we are confirming that [his state visits] will push through," Cruz-Angeles said. A head of state embarks on a state visit upon the invitation of the leader of the hostCruz-Angelescountry. said Mr. Marcos has also accepted the invitation of United States President Joe Biden to visit Washington.
BIR... From A1 said at the sidelines of the SGV Tax Symposium in Makati City that social media has a lot of data the BIR can collect, including the number of likes and followers for an online store.
From A1 Based on the latest trading movement, DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad said diesel may go up by P2 per liter, kerosene by slightly more than P2 per liter, and gasoline by P0.50 perAbadliter. said reports of increased US fuel consumption primarily drove this despite recessionReportsfears.that the US crude stocks declined by 7.1 million barrels last week also shored up oil prices. The forecast oil price increase will end the second consecutive week of oil price rollback across all petroleum products and the seventh straight weekly oil price cut for diesel products. A GMA News report cited an industry source saying that the price per liter of diesel “may increase by P2.00 to P2.20, while gasoline prices may go up by P0.10 to P0.30 per liter.” The projected price adjustments are still subject to change depending on the results of Friday’s trading, according to the oil industry source, GMA News added. Local oil firms cut the price of diesel by P1.05 per liter, gasoline by P0.10 per liter, and kerosene by P0.45 per liter on AugustThese16.resulted in the total year-to-date adjustments at a net increase of P16.50 per liter for gasoline, P30.05 per liter for diesel, and P24.30 per liter for kerosene. CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla meanwhile said that effective Sept. 1, airline fuel prices “will go down by 26 percent, from level 12, it will go down to level 9. It may not be that high, but it's significant.” (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
The bureau will again begin to monitor those who sell online, particularly on shopping apps, and the BIR will hold a summit with Shopee and Lazada in September to discuss a possible partnership to determine the sales of sellers. She said the BIR may be able to tap into the online marketplaces' systems.
In a statement, Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said the BOC is coordinating with other government agencies and stakeholders involved in the release of the shipment. “An investigation on the four alleged smuggled rice shipments that arrived on board 20 vessels at the Port of Iloilo is ongoing. We are still awaiting the official report on the matter from the Port of Iloilo,” Ruiz said. “Coordination has been made with various public and private organizations involved in the inspection of shipments, such as the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture; Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS), the world's leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company; and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement/ASEAN Industrial Cooperation Scheme,” the BOC chief added. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Senate... From A1 Nobody will be allowed to enter the Senate building after Friday’s hearing of the Senate committee on basic education, chaired by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. "In light of recent events where several senators particularly Senators (Alan Peter) Cayetano, (Imee) Marcos, (Cynthia) Villar, (Grace) Poe, (Joel) Villanueva, (JV) Ejercito and (Nancy) Binay being COVID positive and several others exposed due to their staff members and members of the Secretariat catching the virus, I have instructed the Secretariat to conduct a thorough cleaning and disinfection of all Senate offices," Zubiri said. Due to this, the Senate President said there will be a total lockdown of the SenateFurthermore,building. all Senate employees shall work from home and need not report to the Senate on Monday, Aug. 22, he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Antipolo... From A1 Lorenzo school management to stop requiring parents to sign a waiver before getting a refund of their student's tuition and other Informedpayments.ofGeorgia’s Academy’s closure in a Viber group chat with education reporters, Department of Education spokesman Michael Poa said he was checking with the DepEd regional director for Calabarzon, to which Rizal province belongs, and the Schools Division Office of Antipolo to confirm the move.The GMA reporter who asked Poa in the chat, Mariz Umali, told the DepEd official that parents of Georgia students “were under so much stress given such short notice to look for otherTheschools.”Education Department has already launched a probe after a series of schools shut down across the country, citing financial constraints stemming from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 860 out of 14,000 private schools in the Catholic-majority country have closed their doors since the pandemic hit two years ago, according to the Department of Education as cited in a report on the Union of Catholic Asian News website. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Mom of Bulacan girl found dead cries for justice
From A1... “We extend our deep appreciation to your delegation for giving us this opportunity to fortify our engagements with the US Congress on matters beneficial to the Philippines and the United States,” Romualdez said. This was part of his remarks welcoming a visiting five-member US delegation led by Sen. Edward John Markey (DemocratMassachusetts) during the US-Philippines Congressional Delegation Friendship Caucus held at the Manila Golf and Country Club. Romualdez, who represents the first legislative district of Leyte, also expressed his and the Filipinos’ deep gratitude to the US for being one of the first respondercountries in the aftermath of the immense devastation and loss of lives caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas in November 2013. “Indeed, your presence here means a lot to us. It is an opportunity for us to further deepen and strengthen our ties of friendship and manifest our deep appreciation for the strong support and for all the assistance during our crises after Typhoon Haiyan in my district,” Romualdez said. The other members of the US delegation are Reps. Alan Lowenthal (DemocratCalifornia), John Garamendi (Democrat, California), Donald Sternoff Beyer, Jr. (Democrat, Virginia), and Aumua Amata Radewagen (Republican, American Samoa). The Speaker was joined in the fellowship and discussions by Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda, Sen. Francis Tolentino, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and Reps. Stella Quimbo of Marikina City, Teodorico Haresco of Aklan, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, and Edgar Chatto of Bohol, and by Mrs. Bernadette Barbers and former Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo. “The relationship is getting stronger despite all the crises that we faced in the international arena. I know this relationship will endure and help us here stay the course, moving forward peace, prosperity, and progress, not just in the Philippines, but in the region and of course with our partner, the United States,” Romualdez said. “Thank you for coming tonight, for allowing me to host you and meet you and engage you one-on-one, to assure you that the flame that burns in our hearts that had started a long, long time ago between the Filipino-American People will“Ourcontinue.”people spilt their blood here in the hills of Bataan and that soil fertilized that relationship, that blood of US and American soldiers. These are the ties and binds that go deep and very well rooted in our“I’dconscience.”liketo say thank you again, and welcome to the Philippines and we wish you come and visit us more often, thank you,” Romualdez said in his speech. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
“As of now, they're hesitant to share data with us, citing privacy laws. But I think there's no privacy law that's being violated," said Guillermo. The BIR will embark on digitalization efforts and has already trained some statisticians to become data scientists or cybersecurity experts, the bureau chief added.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said it will expand the distribution of PagbaBago bags containing school supplies and hygiene kits to more areas. “That’s our plan. As long as we have resources that we can distribute, especially in areas that really need school supplies and hygiene kits, we will expand the operation,” said OVP spokesman Reynold Munsayac, speaking in Filipino. The DepEd said Friday that with three days before the start of classes, only 19 percent of students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Poa said the low figure is largely due to the voluntary nature of the government's vaccination program against COVID-19. "Of course, we would like to have a 100 percent vaccination rate, but the truth of the matter is the vaccination program of the government is not mandatory," he said. On the other hand, the vaccination rate among teaching and non-teaching personnel is at 92 percent, Poa said. The DepEd earlier said it will conduct mobile vaccination in schools to increase the vaccination rate among children. Poa, however, said such an effort will still be coupled with counseling to encourage kids to get vaccinated against COVID-19."Icannot give you an exact timeline, but we are coordinating this effort with the Department of Health," he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
DevelopmenttheHealthNow,KonsultaMD,andAIDEatGlobalTowerinTaguigCityonThursday.(Inset)(Fromlefttoright)HeadofCorporateStrategyandofACHealth,RJRecio;917Ventures’ManagingDirector,VinceYamat;KonsultaMDCEOCholoTagaysay; PresidentandCEOofACHealth,PaoloBorromeo;SaludInteractivaPrincipalandCo-Founder,JorgeWoolf, poseduringtheconsolidationofthePhilippines’threemarket-leadingdigitalhealthapps. Manny Palmero
SENATOR Edward Markey and a del egation of US lawmakers visited detained former Senator Leila De Lima on Friday. A GMA News report said the eight-man delegation spent over an hour at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City, arriving around noon and leaving around 1:15 p.m. Neither De Lima’s camp nor the US delegation gave any details on the meeting as of posting time, the re port said. The visit was scheduled for Thursday, but due to a lack of court authorization, the delegation was un able to enter the detention facility, GMA News reported. Earlier, two Muntinlupa courts hearing De Lima’s drug-related cases granted her plea to let the American legislators see her in detention. The GMA News report said govern ment prosecutors did not object to the request, but the courts prohibited re cording the visit on audio or video. Earlier, US Senators Markey, Marco Rubio, Dick Durbin, Marsha Black burn, Chris Coons, and Patrick Leahy called for the immediate release of De Lima after some key witnesses recant ed some allegations against her. The former senator has been detained since February 2017 after the Depart ment of Justice (DOJ) filed three sepa rate cases against her for her alleged participation in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison during her term as Justice Secretary. She has since de nied the allegations. Rey E. Requejo DAR distributes land to more than 100 farmers in Palawan Courts allow US senators to visit De Lima
CONSOLIDATION. Ayala Corp. chair Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala speaks during the consolidation of digital health apps
‘Gov’t must re-open economy’
N ATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the country must fully reopen its economy and improve its booster uptake to lessen the number of Filipinos living in poverty. Edillon, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said the government must first “be gin the high growth of the economy” through eased pandemic measures and boosting human capital investments. “We need to fully reopen the econ omy so there’s our booster vaccination campaign. We must also ensure our health system capacity. Reopening the economy must be a matter of policy,” the official said, adding that “there should be more investments in human capital to improve the capabilities of everyone in being productive and agile so that we can overcome any crisis.” Edillon said this will also strengthen the agriculture sector’s productivity as the country faces food supply woes. “This will add to our production and this can be used by our manufacturing
By Rio N. Araja AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III has recently spearheaded the distribution of cer tificates of land ownership in a 215.5-hectare farm lot in Palawan after 14 years of waiting. Apart from the land title distribution, the Depart ment of Agrarian Reform also provided the 103 farmer-beneficiaries with various farm machinery andTheequipment.landdistribution covered the municipalites of Aborlan, Bataraza, El Nido, Brooke’s Point, Nar ra, Sofronio Española, Quezon, Roxas and Taytay. He vowed to give his best to ensure that the wel fare of the farmers are taken care of under the Mar cos Jr. “Hangadministration.inthere.We will provide you with more lands and necessary support to help you improve your economic lives,” he promised. He echoed the position of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make land distribution free. Estrella, a former Abono party-list representa tive, said the Marcos administration would bat for the passage of a law on free land distribution.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 A3News
THE church group Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) has asked the government to unfreeze its bank accounts. Members of the church-based group were re cently indicted for alleged terrorist financing, an ABS-CBN News report said. The RMP, however, has denied this and they also condemned the attempts to red-tag them, saying these actions put their members at risk, the report said. “It’s painful to think that we are being redtagged while we help other people,” Sr. Edith Es lopor of the RMP’s leadership team, quoted by the ABS-CBN News report said. “Pero hindi ibig sabihin na pag may gumagawa ng pagsisira sa misyon namin, mag-stop na tayo. Tuloy pa rin ang pagtulong sa kapwa (But just be cause someone is attacking our mission doesn’t mean we will stop. We will still continue helping our fellowmen),” she said. The organization also decried the government for filing terrorism financing charges against nuns.
Church group urges government to unfreeze bank accounts sector,” the official said in the ABSCBN News report. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) earlier said around 19.99 mil lion Filipinos were considered poor in 2021 as the country’s poverty rate jumped to 18.1 percent. The PSA also said inflation, which accelerated to 6.4 percent in July, is likely to worsen the poverty rate. Also earlier, Department of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Marcos administration aims to lower the poverty incidence to 9 percent be fore the end of Marcos’ term in 2028. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda meanwhile said President Marcos has “many fis cal options to enable rapid growth” and that “there are non-tax sources” avail able immediately to the President. “There are funds available for him to deploy, to fight inflation, take the first steps toward food security, and protect the country’s economic recovery,” Sal cedaDuringsaid. his speech at the 1st Tax Symposium of the accounting giant SGV., Salceda pointed out that “at least 180 billion in non-tax sources that are not in the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Funding or BESF can be mobilized quickly.” Maricel V. Cruz
The criteria for obtaining the license include patient rights and organizational ethics, patient care, leadership and management, human resource management, information management, safe practice and environment, performance, facilities, public access to information, and equipment and instruments. Binay said her administration is currently upgrading two health centers in barangays Pitogo and Tejeros to obtain a license to operate as primary care facilities from the DOH. “Palanan 24/7 will serve as the model for other barangay health centers in Makati to make health services more accessible to Makatizens. We are planning to upgrade other health centers soon so these can operate as primary care facilities,” the mayor Establishedsaid.in 2014, Makati’s first 24hour health center located in Palanan was meant to serve the local residents after other health centers closed by 5pm. The Palanan Health Center has a clinical laboratory and a pharmacy. It also provides dental services, maternal and child care, immunization, nutrition counseling, communicable and non-communicable disease prevention and control, reproductive health and family planning, tuberculosis prevention and control, minor surgical procedures, and elderly care. At present, Makati has 27 health centers located in different barangays. Under the Hospital Licensure Act, all hospitals and healthcare facilities are required to register and secure a license to operate from the DOH to ensure the delivery of safe and quality primary care services to Filipinos.
DPWH to keep off no-build zones
THE 10 days of leave afforded to victims of domestic violence would be grossly insufficient, if they seek redress before the court or undergo on counselling, said Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid. On that note. Lapid filed Senate Bill No. 1078 which proposes to increase the number of minimum leaves for victims of domestic violence from 10 days to 20 days. Lapid said the additional paid leaves will be needed for those who will go through legal proceedings and will go to court once a month. “The same can be said for counseling and therapy that needs to be= regular in order to be effective. Add to this the similar needs and frequency of appointments for the minor children of women who have also suffered domestic violence,” Lapid said. The Anti-Violence against Women and Children Act currently provides 10 days paid leave from work for victims of abuse to afford them an opportunity to pursue legal proceedings, relocate their residence, care for their children, or attend counseling sessions. This is because the burden that victims of domestic violence bear does not end upon emancipating themselves from their abusive partners. Victims must overcome legal, medical, social and financial hurdles in order to be fully independent and selfsufficient. Macon Ramos-Araneta Pangasinan on alert vs. possible entry of ASF
The Comelec management told the audit team that it has issued demand letters to all administrative officers nationwide last April 11, 2022, directing them to immediately submit their liquidation reports.
TRIBUTE TO A GREAT LEADER. Quezon City government o cials led by Mayor Joy Belmonte and Rep. Arjo Atayde (inset) commemorate the 144th birth anniversary of the late President Manuel L Quezon at Quezon City circle on Friday August 19 2022, a non-working special holiday in the city. Manny Palmero ‘Comelec incurs over P700m unliquidated cash advances’
FIRST AID. Members of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management O ce attend to ve injured passengers of a taxi which collided with a van at the corner of San Marcelino Street and U. N. Avenue in Manila on Friday midnight. Norman Cruz
DOH allows Makati health center to provide primary health care
Manila to protect school kids from COVID-19 Lapid eyes 20-day leave for home violence victims IN BRIEF
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SCUBA GEARS. Tourism Undersecretary Shalimar Tamano looks at deep sea diving equipment on display at the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2022 at SMX in Pasay City, spearheaded by the Department of Tourism. Danny Pata
In a memorandum, Bonoan ordered all service directors, bureau directors, project directors, regional directors, and district engineers to strictly adhere to the laws, in view of the department’s thrust to implement infrastructure projects that mitigate disaster risk. “Implementing offices are expected to be more cognizant of the existing and imminent hazards that should be deliberately considered in all the DPWH planning and construction activities,” BonoanBonoansaid.reiterated that DPWH offices should ensure that projects are not located in geo-hazard areas and no-build
CHED-UniFAST at ibaling sa mga paaralan ang sisi,” the senator narrated. In 4 days, my office has received more than 300 complaints via email from both students and institutions. CHED need only look at its comments section to see the gravity of the complaints,” Hontiveros disclosed. “I am glad that my SR (Senate Resolution) No. 128 has been referred to the Blue Ribbon Committee because we need to hear how and why for over four years they allowed their agency to proceed in this manner, so that we can come up with constructive solutions moving forward,” she added.
THE Department of Health (DOH) has given a health center in Makati City the green light to operate as a primary health careThefacility.Palanan Health Center thus became the first 24/7 health center in Metro Manila to be granted a license by the nationalMayorgovernment.Abigail Binay thanked the DOH, saying she was elated with the permit, indicating that the Palanan Health Center adheres to the standards mandated by the Universal Health Care Act.
According to Hontiveros, it was clear that the CHED-UniFAST issue is far from resolved, contrary to CHED claim that the COA report on the mess has been addressed. “To claim so totally dismisses and gaslights the students who have been following up for years to receive what is due to them, as they now struggle to re-enroll in school. “May mga scholar na ga-graduate na pero ni isang sentimo ay walang natatanggap hanggang ngayon. The fact remains that CHED-UniFAST released billions of pesos entrusted to them, unmonitored, without checking or seeing the process through. Hindi pwedeng maghugas ng kamay ang
“Primary health care facilities are essential, particularly in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, because these centers provide the most inclusive, accessible, affordable, and efficient approach to enhancing people’s health,” Binay said.
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The provincial government of Pangasinan is implementing a temporary ban on the entry of live swine and pork from the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac from August 18 to September 17 amid the threat of the African swine fever (ASF) virus. Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico III said the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) updated zoning map and zoning status listed the three provinces as having active ASF cases and under the red zone, or areas infected with ASF. “The DA Ilocos regional office recommended the crafting of executive orders and ordinances to regulate the movement of swine in the provinces,” Guico said. He also said the provincial veterinary officers have been directed to continue the order to inspect and man the quarantine checkpoints established to monitor the enforcement of the EO. “In addition, in order to ensure the safety of our constituents and our swine industry, all local chief executives are directed to strengthen biosafety, hygiene, and sanitation standards in slaughterhouses or abattoirs and public markets in their respective area of jurisdiction,” he added.
OPPOSITION Senator Risa Hontiveros has vowed to pinpoint culpability in the alleged Irregularities in the government’s UniFAST program as implemented by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).UniFAST stands for Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act, or UniFAST, also known as Republic Act No. 10687 which was signed into law on October 15 last year. UniFAST was meant to reconcile, improve, strengthen, expand, and put under one body all government-funded modalities of Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs) for tertiary education— and special purpose education assistance —in both public and private institutions. These modalities include scholarships, grants-in-aid, student loans and other specialized forms of StuFAPs formulated by the UniFAST board. “CHED remains accountable for the whole process. As long as the students have not received what is due to them, CHED cannot say they have done their job. I look forward to the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on this where we will hold those responsible to full account,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
MILF rolls out dialogues across BARMM
zones identified or certified by the Mines and GeoSciences Bureau. The standards of construction, rehabilitation, improvement or repair of all infrastructure projects in all areas and zones should be consistent with the rules determined by the DPWH, considering among others, the structural strength and climate and disaster resilience required for infrastructure projects in all areas and zones. The DPWH must also guarantee that all projects carried out within the National Integrated Protected Area System are implemented in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and “in a manner that eliminates or reduces the risk of biodiversity loss.” “Furthermore, ecosystem functions and services such as drainage, aquifer recharge, heat island effect, analysis of population dynamics which would engender the requirements of solid waste and wastewater management, and the need for softscape and vegetative cover shall be taken into consideration in all public infrastructure projects. These considerations shall be incorporated into the project Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and commitments to protect these services shall be included in the project contracts,” Bonoan said. Bonoan said a certificate of noncoverage or an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) is required prior to the commencement of government infrastructure projects covered by the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System.
By Vito Barcelo D EPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan has directed all the agency’s planning and implementing offices to comply with the laws on “no build zones and protected areas” in the implementation of infrastructure projects.
Hontiveros on warpath vs. CHED over UniFAST mess
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for alleged unliquidated cash advances amounting to P671.473 million and additional cash advances totaling P90.5 million, on top of non-liquidation of previous cash advances made by the pollInbody.its2021 audit report on the Comelec, the COA noted that the reliability of the balance of the advances account as of November 2021 totaling P505.280 million could not be ascertained because of the unliquidated cash advances. The P671.473 million cash advances was broken down into P178.695 million given to officers and employees, and P492.777 million given to special disbursing officers. “A cash advance shall be reported on and liquidated as soon as the purpose for which it was given has been served,” the state auditors said. Part of the P90.5 million cash advances despite the non-settlement of previous cash advances was given to the commissioners’ office amounting to P437,691 and regional election directors totaling P1.565 million. The audit team cited its prior years’ recommendations such as issuing letters to concerned individuals for the immediate liquidation of their outstanding cash advances, as well as instituting actions such as withholding salary for failure to liquidate cash advances.
A4 SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, mst.daydesk@gmail.commst.daydesk@gmail.com2022
By Nash Maulana COTABATO City—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leadership is doing rounds of camps for community-based dialogue-series among its field forces and sympathizers for engagingSheikhconsultation.Mubarak Tiboron Dumato, information officer of the Office of the Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said the MILF consultation was being conducted since August 14 in forums and assemblies within and outside the core territory of the BARMM. Dumato said BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim stressed that the MILF is the foundation of the organization that gave the Bangsamoro people the direction and strength during its armed struggle. “It offered the guidance we needed during the peace negotiations. It is also the organization that introduced the Bangsamoro identity to the international community and, subsequently, led the crafting of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB),” Dumato said. “Ultimately, it is the organization that has given the Bangsamoro its governance of the BARMM,” Ebrahim said in an interview. Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, BIAF-GS senior legal adviser and UBJP Deputy Secretary General, said by holding the consultation-series, the MILF leadership aims “to take first-hand from the general sentiments of our people and at the same time to inform them of the latest developments obtaining in the BARMM from what has been done so far by the MILF and its political party the UBJP.
MANILA will implement safety measures to ensure that students are protected from COVID-19 when they return to classes starting on Thirty-sevenMonday.out of 107 schools in Manila can already conduct full face-toface classes, Mayor Honey Lacuna said onMinimumFriday. health protocols such as wearing of masks and frequent hand washing will be enforced. Satellite vaccination sites will also be set up in schools, Lacuna said. “We will ask teachers if they have ample time to... ask students if they are vaccinated,” Lacuna added. “It’s also for us to encourage students to tell their parents to have them vaccinated. We observed parents are often more worried compared to their kids,” she said. Contact exercises during physical education classes will also continue, she said. “We are not prohibiting it for adults, so we cannot ban it for children,” she said. Lacuna urged the parents to refrain from waiting outside campuses to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Willie Casas
are all for suspending the No Contact Ap prehension Policy (NCAP) imple mented by several local government units (LGU) in Metro Manila and Luzon and the Metro Manila Devel opment Authority (MMDA).
The right of innocent passage is far stricter than the freedom of navigation because all vessels passing through the Strait need to secure permission from the coastal states considering that the waterway can be classified as entirely internal waters. Only a portion of the Strait can be said as international waters. In that sense, either Taiwan or China has the right to intercept foreign vessels pass ing through the waterway. The US has no right to demand from the servient countries to extend the right of way similar to their claim of innocent passage. Innocent passage is a limited right which only servient states can extend. There is no way foreign vessels can demand that portion of the passage way be internationalized. Rather, the whole waterway is an “internal water” of which only the two riparian states can guarantee the passage. The “right of way” extended to ships availing of the right of innocent passage is by virtue a necessity; that there is no way for ships to reach their destination except through that nar rowRiparianstrait. states must grant permis sion, more so if the strait has been
AFP TO THIS day, assiduous students of geopolitics could feel there is in the US a consistent ambivalence to exer cise their freedom of navigation every time their flotilla passes through Chi na’s coastlines that separate Xiamen fromTheTaiwan.basis upon which the US is claiming their freedom of navigation is pursuant to international law. This area that separates China and Taiwan is more than 12 miles. Allow ing the foreign ships to pass through the strait like the US, Japanese, UK, Australian and South Korean navies is a matter of diplomatic courtesy ex tended to countries to shorten the des tination of vessels but not to make a stopover along the passageway. This column mentioned “freedom of navigation” much that the US has been using this principle to emphasize their “freedom” to navigate any place in the world. The contested area known as the Strait of Taiwan is 98 percent closer to both China and Taiwan. In contrast, the US navy must cross the Pacific Ocean to reach the South ChinaNobodySea. talks about the great dis tance of the US from China, for that could spell out the truth as to who is the possible aggressor upon which the US regularly passes through after crossing the vastness of the Pacific Ocean to reach South China Sea. This explains why many students are confused why the US insists in calling their passage thru the Taiwan Strait as an exercise of their freedom of navigation, which, strictly speak ing, violates the sovereignty of China. The body of water that separates China and Taiwan is less than 2 kilo meters measured from their respective shorelines.Toemphasize what we mean, the US insists in calling their routine nav igation of the Taiwan Strait as in ac cordance to its “rules-based interna tional order” which they themselves formulated and insists as part of inter national law. This uncanny formulation by the US could easily make China appear as the one violating the principle, when it only asserts its right to secure its territorial integrity. Most international relations law yers reject the reason of “freedom of navigation” by the US navies to cross the Taiwan Strait, much that the strip of water that separates China from Taiwan is so narrow that there is the likelihood that passing vessels might just violate that portion considered as internal waters of China or Taiwan. Foreign vessels crossing the strait should apply instead the “principle of right of innocent passage” because their vessels passing through the Strait are by no means innocent but likely to side with Taiwan or just want to taunt China like what the US, UK and Aus tralian navies are doing by routinely crossing the Strait.
Opinion SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 A5 Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com EDITORIAL
Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor
Well-meaning people are trying to talk it out with the LGUs which have been trying to parry off shots from all angles, probably hoping all the noise will just die down and their NCAP will persist to exist sans opposition.Butifall else fails, there’s still the court to turn to. Just like what a motorist did in dealing with the city of Manila. Lawyer Juman Paa has filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the NCAP of the City of Manila. Paa was among thousands of motorists penalized by the city us ing the NCAP. But he contends the implementation smacks of a lack of due process and also questioned the exorbitant amount of the fine for his alleged traffic violations. The LGUs, including Valenzuela, Quezon City, San Juan, and Manila have different rates of penalties –which are all above the LTO’s rates – and different websites to check the records of violations. The lawyer added there is an ap parent Violation of Privacy Rights because the NCAP website will readily show the violations commit ted by motorists just by searching the database using the vehicle plate number.Ifthe LGUs will not listen to the voice of the people by voluntarily suspending their NCAP until all is sues are threshed out, it only shows their insensitivity to address prob lems.Again, NCAP should not be treated as a fund-raising platform for LGU coffers. While it will help make sure that people are following road rules, it should not violate an individual’s rights, either. It’s turning out that NCAP is be coming more of a problem than a solution. Yes, let’s put a break to this NCAP until it’s safe to put it in place under a unified scheme acceptable to all stakeholders.
Cardinal Tagle
Helmet fits: Pride of family of Dieppe raid survivor
Filipinos can only pray that Cardinal Tagle could somehow be the next Pope, indeedAfter
ManilaStandard Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors
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Suspending NCAP
The Supreme Court also earlier granted a petition from four trans port groups to suspend the program, which uses video surveillance and digital cameras to capture and pe nalize traffic violations.
Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Baldwin R. Felipe Head—Ad Solutions Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager
THE people have Transportspoken.stakeholders
The Land Transportation Office has reiterated its call to suspend the NCAP until all issues, including the infrastructure and implementing guidelines, are ironed out. The LTO has also formed a Tech nical Working Group, which will sit down and discuss with LGUs and the MMDA, to tackle issues sur rounding the No Contact Apprehen sion Policy. In Congress, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo has filed a resolution calling on three House committees to jointly investigate the NCAP im plemented by the MMDA. In House Resolution 237, Rillo cited the need to safeguard the rights and welfare of motorists against po tential abuses in the NCAP’s imple mentation, including the risk that they may be subjected to excessive and unreasonable fines and penal ties.
surviving two and a half years in a prisoner of war camp in Poland, he had to carry his sick brother on his shoulders during a death march back towards Germany as Soviet advancedtroops
CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle is rumored to be a strong bet for the Papacy, and, if chosen, would be the first Filipino and the first Asian Pope. I doubt he will make it. The papacy has always been re served for Italians. Few Popes were non-Italians.Of266Popes, 217 have been Ital ians or 82 percent; 16 were French or 6 percent; six were Germans, five were from Syria, four from Greece, three each from the Holy Land and Tunisia; two each from Croatia, Tur key, Spain, and Portugal. One each from England, the Nether lands, Argentina, and Poland. Cardinal Tagle is the titular leader of the Philippine Catholic Church (84 percent of 1,214 million Filipinos are Catholic). He has been dubbed the “Asian Francis.”
very much of the school of Pope Francis. As Niall Gooch wrote for UnHerd: “As an Ar gentinian Jesuit, the type of villain that looms large in his [Pope Francis’] men tal furniture is the aggressive and chau vinistic nationalist leader, who cements his own power with cynical attacks on foreigners and the enemy within.’ “In the Pope’s eyes, ‘a Christian country and culture is not one preoc cupied with its own integrity and its own survival, but one which makes an unshakable political imperative from the divine commands to welcome the stranger and to recognize all men as brothers.”Filipinos can only pray that Cardi nal Tagle could somehow be the next Pope, indeed. Amen. biznewsasia@gmail.com
Understanding freedom of navigation from hegemony
The US has no right to demand from the servient countries to extend the right of way similar to their claim of innocentpassageLet’s put a break to this NCAP until it’s safe to put it in place under a unified scheme acceptable to all stakeholders
internationalized through conventions like the Strait of Bosporus for ships coming from the Black Sea exiting to the Mediterranean, for vessels us ing the Suez Canal from the Mediter ranean to the Indian Ocean and vice versa, and ships passing Panama Ca nal from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and vice versa. Nonetheless, vessels exercising their right of innocent passage can not load and unload cargoes or make a port of call along the canal. This explains also why China ve hemently opposes the regular pas sage of the US navy or any naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait on its way to the Indian Ocean, Sea of Japan or to the Pacific Ocean or to regularly patrol and monitor China’s activities.Theactivities of the US navy, which in fact is a disguised form of hegemo ny extended to the South China Sea. US attempt to internationalize the Strait is an extension of the Monroe Doctrine this time to the South China Sea.Besides, in no instance has China blocked the passage of naval ships passing through the straits of Taiwan. Even if China would conduct live fire drills, it would always give ad vance notice to foreign warships pass ing the area. This courtesy extended by China has sadly been misinterpreted that either China has no political will to prevent vessels that are clearly pos turing to be anti-Chinese led by the US, Australian, and UK vessels all raising the flag of freedom of naviga tion, and even insisting that their right is an exercise of what they now call “rules-based” principle to blatantly violate China’s core principle of ter ritorial integrity. On that basis, the US can justify its imposition of trade sanction or even go to war with other countries. The unbridled dominance of the US allowed it to exercise hegemony in the South China Sea. As observed, the exercise of pow ers allowed it to declare the Monroe Doctrine, meaning that the whole of Latin America is off limits to colo nization.TheTaiwan Strait is now used by the US navy to regularly patrol. This means that no ship whatever its purpose and objective can pass through the passage way, thus converting the Taiwan Strait into its own area of responsibility. (rpkapunan@gmail.com)
Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board
The most recent reports on Tagle’s rumored impending papacy appeared Aug, 5, 2022 and Aug. 8, 2022 in the UK-based Catholic Herald, a 134-year-old publication. As rumors grow about a looming papal resignation, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (is) “fast-emerg ing as a frontrunner to succeed Pope Francis,” said the Catholic Herald on Aug. 8, Reported2022.the paper: Cardinal Tagle “is seen as representing the Church’s progressive wing, having criticized previously ‘harsh words’ against LGBT“SuchCatholics.language and the message in the UK can perhaps be set apart from Hungary’s Cardinal Erdő, another front-runner for the Papacy. “Back in 2015 – as Pope Francis was calling on Catholics to take in refu gees – the Cardinal Erdő said taking in refugees would amount to human traf ficking. Yet, the Hungarian cleric later expressed concern about tendencies to turn religions against one another, and in an interview with Valasz On Line in 2019, asked rhetorically: ‘Can a coun try, a continent, be called a Christian? I wouldn’t emphasize whiteness as a Catholic,“Cardinalthough’.”Tagleseems
Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandard.net
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By Matthieu Clavel “I AM very proud of him,” said 14-year-old Leandre Marsolais as he and his mother Genevieve — her eyes wet with tears — held the helmet worn by his great-grandfather 80 years ago during the disastrous 1942 Allied raid on Dieppe in northern France. Gerard Audet, a seven-foot (2.15 metres) giant known as “Big Red” because of his shock of red hair, was among the 6,000 mostly Canadian troops sent on the suicidal assault on the German-held port at the height of World War II on August 19, 1942. “Operation Jubilee” was a catas trophe, with one in six Allied troops killed within a few hours, and Audet, then 22, among 2,000 taken prisoner. But it was only the beginning of the nightmare for Audet and his brother, who was also captured. Death march After surviving two and a half years in a prisoner of war camp in Poland, he had to carry his sick brother on his shoulders during a death march back towards Germany as Soviet troops ad vanced.Marsolais only knew his greatgrandfather, who died in 1989, through the stories he was told. But even as a small child he was fascinated by them and the large trunk of Audet’s personal effects which his great grandfather had hidden under his bed, and which the family “never knew the contents before his death.” Then the family were contacted out of the blue in 2017 by Herve Fillu, a French collector of militaria special izing in the raid on Dieppe, who had found Audet’s helmet in the Norman dy town and was trying to authenti cateIntroducedit. by a Canadian who knew of Leandre’s interest, Fillu was able to verify the serial number during a video call. It was then that Marsolais — who has inherited his ancestor’s height — first saw the helmet, filmed in the very place where his great-grandfather first stepped on European soil. “It was very moving, I’d been pre paring for that for a long time,” he toldTheAFP.helmet and other long-hidden treasures from the raid are now on display at an exhibition called “From Dieppe to Juno” at the Canadian mu seum further up the Normandy coast at Courseulles-sur-mer, behind the beaches where Canadian troops later landed during D-Day in 1944. ‘All the suffering’ “It’s important to bring history to life through objects, (to remember) those men who were only a few years older than me who fought for a better world,” Marsolais told AFP. His mother Genevieve Audet said she was “very moved” to learn more about her grandfather’s story. “When watching war films, my granddad would sometimes tell me about a raid and how terrible it was... that the sea was red with blood, his comrades died beside him, that he felt the Germans were waiting for him but that he couldn’t hide.” But Audet told his family little more — especially about his time in captivity.“Mygranddad came back very ill with mental and physical health prob lems, depression, diabetes,” said Gen evieve, 53, a librarian originally from Montreal but now living in Ottawa. “We are aware that we are in a lull in history, but we are alarmed by what is happening nowadays with Taiwan and in Europe, to see the rise of dicta tors.”Her son shares her outlook. “When we see all the suffering en dured by the soldiers who served (in World War II), we hope there won’t be another war,” said Marsolais.
MARY ANN E. RAGANIT Acting Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-AUG. 20, 2022)
WorldSATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022A6 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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NEW YORK—Allen Weis selberg, the long-time chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, pleaded guilty on Thursday to tax fraud and agreed to testify at an upcom ing criminal trial of the for mer US president’s real estate company.The75-year-old Weissel berg, who served as CFO of the Trump Organization from 2005 to 2021, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a state ment.Weisselberg admitted his involvement in a 15-year scheme with co-defendant the Trump Organization to defraud federal, New York State and New York City tax authorities, Bragg said. Weisselberg is to serve five months in prison contingent on his testifying truthfully at the October criminal trial of the Trump Orga nization on tax fraud charges, Bragg said. Weisselberg has steadfastly refused to deliver testimony against Donald Trump personally. The 76-year-old Trump served as presi dent and owner of the Trump Organization until 2017, when he en tered the White House. But the former Trump Organization executive could face addi tional prison time if he fails to testify at the criminal trial of the real estate company. Floor, Hall of Justice Bldg. (Annex) Quezon City Hall Complex e-mail address:rtc1qzn094@judiciary.gov.ph contact nos. (02) 8-534-2811 & 0947 586 7158 JANE D. TIVOLI-DELOS SANTOS,Petitioner, -versusCIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-21-10917-CV For: Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Bigamous Marriage MANUEL D. DELOS SANTOS, x------------------------------------------------------------xRespondent,JR.,
AFP
LEADERS MEET. This handout picture taken and released by Turkish Presidential Press Service on August 18 shows Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (left), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) as they meet in Lviv, Ukraine.
MAYVILLE—The man accused of stab bing Salman Rushdie at a literary event pleaded not guilty on Thursday to at tempted murder and assault charges at a court hearing in upstate New York. Cuffed and wearing a black and white striped prison outfit, Hadi Matar, 24, was answering to a grand jury indictment after he allegedly stormed the stage at last Fri day’s event and stabbed Rushdie repeat edly in the neck and abdomen -- leaving the British author in critical condition. The judge ordered Matar remain de tained without bail. Following the attack, Rushdie was air lifted to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery. His condition remains serious, but the 75-year-old has shown signs of improve ment, and he has been taken off a ventilator. The prize-winning writer spent years under police protection after Iranian lead ers called for his killing over his portrayal of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed in his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses.” AFP NK Kim’s sis rejects Seoul de-nuke offer
Ukraine and Russia are two of the world’s biggest grain exporters, and the halt in exports has seen grain prices soar and fears of a global food shortageGuterresmount.said during the meeting with reporters that the sides hoped to intensify efforts to bolster operations at three southern ports designated to handle exports under the deal. “We will do our best to scale up our operations to face... the coming win ter,” he said. Guterres continued his visit on Fri day with a trip to Odessa, one of the ports involved, and was expected to later head to Turkey to visit the body tasked with overseeing the exports ac cord.The success of the grain deal con trasts with failed peace talks early in the war, and Zelensky on Thursday ruled out peace with Russia unless it with drew its troops from Ukraine.
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONA CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 306, QUEZON CITY rtc1qzn306@judiciary.gov.ph IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME FROM JAZMINE JAMINOLA TO JAZMINE JAMINOLA RAÑA,R-QZN-22-04792-SP JAZMINE JAMINOLA a.k.a. JAZMINE JAMINOLA RAÑA, x----------------------------------------------------xPetitioner. ORDER This is a verified petition filed by Jazmine Jaminola Raña, through counsel, praying that her name as appearing in her Certificate of Live Birth be changed from jasmine Jaminola to Jazmine Jaminola Raña. Petitioner alleges that she was born on 06 June 2003 to Eugene Pelaez Jaminola and Fred Arinas Raña III in the City of Sta. Cruz, Manila. Since at the time of her birth, her parents are not married, she was not allowed to use the surname of her father; although, the latter acknowledged her as his child when he signed the Affidavit of Acknowledgement/Affidavit of Paternity in the Certificate of Live Birth. Since her childhood, she has been using the surname of her father or the full name Jazmine Jaminola Raña. When she was already looking for college schools, she then secured a copy of her Certificate of Live Birth and she found out that her Certificate of Live Birth indicates that her full name is Jazmine Jaminola. She further alleges that in 2004, Art. 176 of the Family Code was amended by RA No. 9255, otherwise known as an Act Allowing Illegitimate Children to Use the Surname of their Father. However, when she went to the Civil Registrar of Manila to file an application for change of name, she was advised that only those who were born after the effectivity of RA No. 9255 can apply. Hence, the instant petition.
JAZMINE JAMINOLA a.k.a. JAZMINE JAMINOLA RAÑA, x----------------------------------------------------xPetitioner.
IN BRIEF
JAKARTA—RussianPresidentVladimirPutinandhisChinesecounterpartXiJinpingwillattendtheupcoming
WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, let this petition be set for hearing before this Court located at Room 703, Seventh Floor, Hall of Justice –Annex, Diliman, Quezon City on December 7, 2022, at 1:30 in the afternoon at which place and on which date and time, all interested persons must appear and file their opposition/s to the petition. Let a copy of this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines. Further, let copies of this order, together with the petition and its annexes be served upon the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the Prosecutor of Quezon City, Local Civil Registrar of Manila, and the Philippine Statistics Authority. SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines, May 20, 2022. (Sgd.) DOLLY ROSE R. BOLANTE-PRADO Presiding Judge (MStandard - Aug. 13, 20 & 27, 2022)
Putin, Xi to attend Group of 20 summit
NOTICE Notice is hereby given that HAUSLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME & STYLE OF TUSCANY NORTH ESTATE; HAUSLAND EXECUTIVE VILLAS; FIESTA COMMUNITIESOLONGAPO; NOUVEAU RESIDENCES AND MIRUS RESIDENCES, with office address at HLDC Corporate Center, 43-35 Don Bonifacio Ave., Pulung Maragul, Angeles City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic Housing Project (Mansfield Residences Extension Phase 1 A, 1 B & 1 C) with a capacity of 193 economic housing units, under Tier 1 of the 2022 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) of the CREATE Act, with project site located at Brgy. Sinura, Porac, Pampanga. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) MARY ANN E. RAGANIT Acting Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-AUG. 20, 2022) CYAN YELLOW BLACK REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONA CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 306, QUEZON CITY rtc1qzn306@judiciary.gov.ph IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME FROM JAZMINE JAMINOLA TO JAZMINE JAMINOLA RAÑA,R-QZN-22-04792-SP
GREETINGS:WHEREAS, a Petition for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage has been filed by petitioner Jane D. Tivoli-Delos Santos against Manuel D. Delos Santos, Jr.; WHEREAS, petitioner, through counsel, filed “Motion for leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication”; WHEREAS, on July 12, 2022, an Order was issued directing the service of summons be effected upon the respondent by publication at the expense of the petitioner; WHEREAS, In the Petition, the relief/s prayed for are hereby quoted as follows: “WHEREFORE, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court to render, after due trial and hearing, a judgment: (A) Declaring the marriage between the Petitioner and Respondent on 22 January 2004 as void ab initio for being bigamous marriage; (B) Authorizing the Petitioner to drop the surname ‘Delos Santos’ and resume the use of her surname ‘Tivoli’; (C) Awarding the sole and exclusive custody of minors Jana Mikaela T. Delos Santos and Joaquin Manuel T. Delos Santos to the Petitioner; (D) Changing the status of said minors to illegitimate children of the Petitioner and as such, allowing them to use her surname ‘Tivoli’; and (E) Directing the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City to annotate the dispositive portion of the Decision in this case to reflect the declaration of absolute nullity of the bigamous marriage of the parties and to issue new certificates of live birth to minors Jana Mikaela T. Delos Santos and Joaquin Manuel T. Delos Santos to reflect the change in the surname of said minor children as well as the change in their status as illegitimate children of the Petitioner. Other equitable reliefs are also prayed for.” NOW, THEREFORE, You, respondent MANUEL D. DELOS SANTOS, JR., is summoned and required to file with this court your verified Answer or any responsive pleading to the Petition of herein petitioner within thirty (30) days from the last issue of publication, serving a copy thereof upon petitioner. If you fail to file your answer within the said thirty (30) -day period, petitioner shall take action as authorized under the law and ask from the court the relief/s applied for in the said Petition. Let this Summons and copy of the Order dated July 12, 2022 be published by the petitioner at her expense once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, and likewise, to deposit copy of the same, as well as, of the Petition and its Annexes in the Quezon City Post Office/other courier, postage prepaid and by registered mail addressed to respondent’s last known address, also at the expense of the petitioner. WITNESS MY HAND SEAL of this Court, this 19th day of July, 2022 at Quezon City, Metro Manila. (Sgd.) Atty. MA. ADORACION J. BAETIONG Clerk of Court VCc: Atty. Reginald T. Beltran No. 23 Westport St, Parkridge Residential Estate Brgy. Dela Paz, Antipolo City, Rizal Manuel D. Delos Santos, Jr. No. 797 A. Pablo St, Malinta 1440 Valenzuela City, Metro Manila (MStandard - Aug. 13 & 20, 2022)
SEOUL—The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday rejected Seoul’s offer of economic assis tance in return for denuclearization steps, calling it the “height of absurdity”. The statement follows South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol this week put ting forward an “audacious” aid plan that would include food, energy, and infra structure help in return for the North aban doning its nuclear weapons programme. Analysts previously said the chanc es of Pyongyang accepting such a deal -- first floated during Yoon’s inaugural speech -- were vanishingly slim, as the North, which invests a vast chunk of its GDP into weapons programmes, has long made it clear it will not make that trade. Kim Jong Un’s sister, Yo Jong, on Friday called Yoon’s offer the “height of absurdity”, adding the entire premise that the North might willingly put its nuclear programme on the table was wrong. “To think that the plan to barter ‘eco nomic cooperation’ for our honor, (our) nukes, is the great dream, hope and plan of Yoon, we came to realize that he is re ally simple and still childish,” she said in a statement carried by the official Korea Central News Agency. AFP
SAYS INDONESIA’S WIDODO IN REPORT In Lviv, Erdogan warns of ‘another Chernobyl’ Trump exec pleads guilty to tax fraud, will testify
Group of 20 summit, the leader of host nation Indonesia said in an interview published Friday.Thepair’s attendance would set the stage for showdown talks with US President Joe Biden at a time when Washington is at odds with both ri val powers, particularly over crises in Ukraine and Taiwan. It has been unclear whether Putin and Xi would turn up to the Novem ber talks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Moscow is isolated after its invasion of Ukraine, while the Chinese leader is limiting foreign trips because of Covid-19. But President Joko Widodo, in an interview with Bloomberg, said both leaders would attend the G20 summit in “Xiperson.Jinping will come. President Putin has also told me he will come,” Widodo said, according to the report. Kremlin officials said in June that Putin had accepted Widodo’s invita tion to the summit and would attend so long as the Covid-19 pandemic al lowed him Indonesiato.currently holds the rotat ing G20 presidency, putting it at the centre of global affairs as war rages in Europe and with tensions at their highest level in years in the Taiwan Strait, where China lately conducted its largest-ever military drills. Jakarta has come under Western pressure to exclude Putin from the G20 gathering after announcing in April he had been invited. But Indonesia has maintained a neu tral position and called for a peaceful resolution to the months-long conflict in Ukraine, with Widodo visiting both Kyiv and Moscow earlier this year. Asked about Widodo’s comments, Indonesian foreign ministry spokes person Teuku Faizasyah told AFP that Russia and China “have received the invitation and said they would at tend”. AFP LVIV, Ukraine—Turkish leader Re cep Tayyip Erdogan warned Thursday of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine during his first face-to-face talks with Presi dent Volodymyr Zelensky since Rus sia’s invasion began, echoing pleas from the UN’s chief. A flare-up in fighting around Eu rope’s largest nuclear facility in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine has sparked urgent warnings from world leaders, and UN chief Antonio Guterres cautioned during talks with Erdogan that any damage to the plant would be akin to “suicide”. “We are worried. We don’t want another Chernobyl,” Erdogan said during a press conference in the east ern city of Lviv, during which he also assured the Ukrainian leader that An kara was a firm ally. “While continuing our efforts to find a solution, we remain on the side of our Ukraine friends,” Erdogan said. Guterres said he was “gravely concerned” about the situation at the plant and that it had to be demilita rized, adding: “We must tell it like it is—any potential damage to Zapor izhzhia is suicide”. Erdogan, who has major geopo litical rivalries with the Kremlin but maintains a close working relation ship with President Vladimir Putin, met with the Russian leader less than two weeks ago in the Black Sea resort of TheSochi.Turkish leader and Guterres were key brokers of a deal inked in Istanbul last month allowing for the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine after Russia’s invasion blocked essential global supplies. Ahead of the press conference with Zelensky, Ukraine’s port authority an nounced that the 25th cargo ship un der the deal had departed for Egypt carrying 33,000 tonnes of grain.
ORDER As per Return of Service of Summons dated April 22, 2022, copies of the Petition with annexes and the Summons were “unserved” upon the respondent considering that he is no longer residing at the given address, as per information given by one Miracle Dizon, new tenant. The petitioner avers in her affidavit that she exerted earnest efforts to ascertain the exact location where the respondent presently resides by asking for the needed information from his immediate relatives and common friends but despite such earnest efforts, she was not able to elicit this information from the aforesaid sources and thus, respondent’s residence address remains unknown to her. After a careful perusal of the “Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication”, supported by the Affidavit of Merit of the petitioner, this court resolves to grant the same. It appears that this is one of the instances wherein summons by publication may be allowed. Section 6, A. M. No. 02-11-10-SC (Rule on Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Void Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages in relation to Rule 14 of the Rules of Court) provides: “Sec. 6. Summons. - The service of summons shall be governed by Rule 14 of the Rules of Court and by the following rules:a) Where the respondent cannot be located at his given address or his whereabouts are unknown and cannot be ascertained by diligent inquiry, service of summons may, by leave of court, be effected upon him by publication once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines and in such place as the court may order. In addition, a copy of the summons shall be served on the respondent at his last known address by registered mail or by any other means the court may deem sufficient.
b) The summons to be published shall be contained in an order of the court with the following data: (1) title of the case; (2) docket number; (3) nature of the petition; (4) principal grounds of the petition and the reliefs prayed for; and (5) a directive for respondent to answer within thirty days from the last issue of publication.WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, let service of summons and a copy of this Order be effected upon respondent Manuel D. Delos Santos, Jr. by publication at the expense of the petitioner once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle pursuant to P. D. 1079. Respondent shall be given a period of thirty (30) days from the last issue of publication of the summons to file his answer serving a copy thereof upon the petitioner. Likewise, let copies of this Order, summons and petition be sent to respondent at his last known address by registered mail. SO QuezonORDERED.City,Metro Manila, July 12, 2022. (Sgd.) ROSLYN M. RABARA-TRIA Presiding Judge copyRMRT/lucyfurnished: SACP Arceli C. Ragsac acr.ocpqc@gmail .com Office of the Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village,Makati City Atty. Reginald T. Belban rejbeltran@yahoo.com Jane D. Tivoli-Delos Santos Lot 5, Block 5, Oval Street, Maligaya Park Subdv., Brgy. Pasong Putik, Novaliches, QC. Manuel D. Delos Santos, Jr. No. 797 A. Pablo St, Malinta 1440, Valenzuela City, Metro REPUBLICManilaOF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 94, QUEZON CITY Room 406, 4 Floor, Hall of Justice Bldg. (Annex) Quezon City Hall Complex e-mail address:rtc1qzn094@judiciary.gov.ph contact numbers: (02) 8-534-2811 / 0947-586-7158 JANE D. TIVOLI-DELOS SANTOS, Petitioner, -versusCivil case No. R-QZN-21-10917-CV For: Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Bigamous Marriage MANUEL D. DELOS SANTOS, JR., x------------------------------------------------------------------------xRespondent.
MAGENTA
ORDER This is a verified petition filed by Jazmine Jaminola Raña, through counsel, praying that her name as appearing in her Certificate of Live Birth be changed from jasmine Jaminola to Jazmine Jaminola Raña. Petitioner alleges that she was born on 06 June 2003 to Eugene Pelaez Jaminola and Fred Arinas Raña III in the City of Sta. Cruz, Manila. Since at the time of her birth, her parents are not married, she was not allowed to use the surname of her father; although, the latter acknowledged her as his child when he signed the Affidavit of Acknowledgement/Affidavit of Paternity in the Certificate of Live Birth. Since her childhood, she has been using the surname of her father or the full name Jazmine Jaminola Raña. When she was already looking for college schools, she then secured a copy of her Certificate of Live Birth and she found out that her Certificate of Live Birth indicates that her full name is Jazmine Jaminola. She further alleges that in 2004, Art. 176 of the Family Code was amended by RA No. 9255, otherwise known as an Act Allowing Illegitimate Children to Use the Surname of their Father. However, when she went to the Civil Registrar of Manila to file an application for change of name, she was advised that only those who were born after the effectivity of RA No. 9255 can apply. Hence, the instant petition. WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, let this petition be set for hearing before this Court located at Room 703, Seventh Floor, Hall of Justice –Annex, Diliman, Quezon City on December 7, 2022, at 1:30 in the afternoon at which place and on which date and time, all interested persons must appear and file their opposition/s to the petition. Let a copy of this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines. Further, let copies of this order, together with the petition and its annexes be served upon the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the Prosecutor of Quezon City, Local Civil Registrar of Manila, and the Philippine Statistics Authority. SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines, May 20, 2022. (Sgd.) DOLLY ROSE R. BOLANTE-PRADO Presiding Judge (MStandard Aug. 13, 20 & 27, 2022)
NOTICE Notice is hereby given that HAUSLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME & STYLE OF TUSCANY NORTH ESTATE; HAUSLAND EXECUTIVE VILLAS; FIESTA COMMUNITIESOLONGAPO; NOUVEAU RESIDENCES AND MIRUS RESIDENCES, with office address at HLDC Corporate Center, 43-35 Don Bonifacio Ave., Pulung Maragul, Angeles City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic Housing Project (Mansfield Residences Extension Phase 1 A, 1 B & 1 C) with a capacity of 193 economic housing units, under Tier 1 of the 2022 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) of the CREATE Act, with project site located at Brgy. Sinura, Porac, Pampanga. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.)
AFP IN GRIEF. An elderly Algerian woman reacts in front of the ruins of her home, destroyed in a wildfire in the city of el-Kala on August 18. Algerian firefighters were battling a string of blazes, fanned by drought and a blistering heatwave, that have killed at least 38 people and left destruction in their wake. AFP WeisselbergAllen
Rushdie stab suspect pleads not guilty
AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila Standard TODAY CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 94, QUEZON CITY Room 406, 4
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila Standard TODAY
THE stock market rose again Friday on select buying and prospects of a slower inflation growth after oil prices seem to have tapered down. The Philippine Stock Exchange In dex added 39.23 points, or 0.6 percent, to 6,863.86 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers beat losers, 113 to 80, with 49 issues unchanged. Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group climbed 3.3 per cent to P29.55, while Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, the big gest snack food maker, advanced 1.6 percent to P127. Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp., however, fell 2.3 percent to P1.69, while Security Bank Corp., the eighth-largest lender in terms of assets, dropped 2.1 percent to P90.50. The rest of Asian markets drifted on Friday as investors tried to assess the Federal Reserve’s plans for lifting inter est rates to fight inflation, with mixed data and differing opinions by bank of ficials providing little clarity. A two-month rally from June lows appears to have run out of steam this week, with downward pressure coming after minutes from the Fed’s most recent meeting showed it was determined to keep lifting borrowing costs until prices were brought under control. The gains have come in the face of a number of problems that have caused unease on trading floors, including Chi na-US tensions, the Ukraine war, supply chain snarls and extreme weather across much of the northern hemisphere. A statement by policymakers and comments from Fed boss Jerome Pow ell after last month’s board meeting suggested they could be considering slowing the pace of rate hikes as the economy slows. That was followed by a drop in infla tion, which lifted markets, but was fol lowed by several officials reasserting the need to continue to tighten monetary policy to get inflation down from fourdecade highs. This week’s minutes and comments from a number of Fed top brass rein forced that view, with some pouring cold water on hopes for possible rate cuts in the new year. All eyes are now on next week’s central bankers’ symposium in Jack son Hole, Wyoming, where finance chiefs and central bankers will speak, with all attention on the utterances of Powell.“Wedon’t see how the Fed can pivot when they haven’t achieved anything pretty much,” said Marco Pirondini, of Amundi US. “The market will have to become more realistic on this.” Still, Wall Street’s three main indexes edged up after Wednesday’s losses. But Asian traders moved a little more cautiously. With AFP 2022Ukraine says 25th grain ship leaves Russianunderdeal KYIV, Ukraine—Kyiv said Thurs day that a 25th cargo ship carrying grain had departed Ukraine under a deal with Russia brokered by Turkey and the UN to unblock the country’s blockaded ports. The departure comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN chief Antonio Guterres, who key to the reaching of the accord, were convening in the western Ukraine city of Lviv to meet with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky. “The cargo ship I Maria departed from the port of Chornomorsk. It is loaded with 33,000 tons of corn,” Ukraine’s ports authority said in a statement on social media, adding the ship was expected to arrive in Egypt in a few days. It said that 600,000 tons of Ukrai nian agricultural products had been shipped through a corridor agreed by Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul last month.Thegrain agreement lifted a Rus sian blockade of Ukraine’s ports and established safe corridors through the naval mines laid by Kyiv. “So far, 25 ships with Ukrainian products left the ports of Odessa, Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk for the Bosphorus strait,” the ports authority added. Earlier this week, a first UN-char tered vessel laden with grain set off from Ukraine for Africa under the deal, the ministry in charge of ship ments said. Ukraine and Russia are two of the world’s biggest grain exporters. The halt in exports saw grain prices soar and fears rise of global food short ages, particularly in poor countries already experiencing shortfalls. The first commercial ship carrying grain left on August 1. Meanwhile, Ratings agency Fitch raised Ukraine’s credit score on Thursday after the war-torn secured a two-year reprieve on its foreign debt from creditors.
AFP In this file photo taken on June 29, 2022 a group of asenjoytouristsadrinktheysiton a viewing naturalvistasicebergs,breathtakingArctictakeGreenlandflockingworldaroundtouristsnumberAGreenland.westernBay,floatingicebergsoverlookingbridgeinDiskoIlulissat,growingoffromthearetotointheisland’svastandbeauty.
MOSTVOLUMEACTIVEVALUE (PHP) 1 ALI 19,850,800 585,174,055 2 SMC 5,118,190 516,956,224 3 ICT 1,559,630 292,307,814 4 SMPH 6,672,200 253,059,030 5 SPNEC 123,077,000 206,766,190 6 CNVRG 9,862,900 195,322,014 7 SECB 2,079,200 193,050,142 8 URC 1,176,030 148,744,094 9 FILRT 22,757,100 141,748,450 10 MONDE 8,453,000 137,625,314 TOP LASTGAINERS % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 1 SFIP 1.95 0.45 30.00% 2 VVT 17.86 2.1 13.32% 3 BCB 5.5 0.49 9.78% 4 MJC 1.49 0.11 7.97% 5 APL 0.041 0.003 7.89% 6 MED 0.28 0.02 7.69% 7 MAH 0.93 0.06 6.90% 8 NIKL 6.28 0.4 6.80% 9 MARC 1.48 0.09 6.47% 10 GMAP 11.2 0.68 6.46% TOPPRICELASTLOSERS%CHANGECHANGE 1 LBC 18.62 -5.18 -21.76% 2 ATNB 0.41 -0.07 -14.58% 3 IMP 1.19 -0.15 -11.19% 4 I 0.85 -0.1 -10.53% 5 WPI 0.44 -0.05 -10.20% 6 VMC 2.43 -0.23 -8.65% 7 LFM 17.84 -1.16 -6.11% 8 TECH 2.98 -0.18 -5.70% 9 CIC 17.1 -0.86 -4.79% 10 X 0.3 -0.015 -4.76% PSEi August 19,
AFP
TOKYO, Japan—Japan’s core consumer prices for items exclud ing fresh products rose 2.4 percent on-year in July, the highest in more than seven years and marking four straight monthly gains of more than two percent, government data showed Friday. While energy prices continued to mount, the speed of the increase has slowed, according to data re leased by the internal affairs minis try, which matched market expec tations. The figure is the highest since December 2014. Prices have increased for nearly 80 percent of non-fresh food prod ucts, NLI Research Institute said, predicting that core CPI may touch 2.9 percent by October. “Until now, sharp rises in energy prices, triggered by rising crude oil costs, drove up the core CPI. But the main cause is shifting to food,” NLICentralsaid. banks worldwide are hik ing interest rates to fight soaring in flation, but the Bank of Japan sees recent price rises as temporary, so has kept its ultra-loose monetary policy in place. This has pushed the yen lower against the dollar in recent months, making imported products more expensive.“Forthe time being, a lot of price hikes can be attributed to the yen’s depreciation,” Dai-ichi Life Re search Institute said. BoJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda has said he is committed to the cur rent policy, which aims to create sustainable growth through rising corporate earnings, growing wages and sustained inflation of around two percent. AFP
Share prices climb; URC, Ayala Land top advances
Business SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 || A7 extrastory2000@gmail.com
Greenland treads softly on tourism as icebergs melt
By Camille Bas-Wohlert ILULISSAT, Denmark―As tourists flock to Greenland to take in its breath taking icebergs and natural beauty, authorities are mulling over ways to control crowds to protect the fragile en vironment, already threatened by global warming. “It’s a dream destination,” said Yves Gleyze, a veteran off-the-beaten-track French tourist in his 60s as he arrived at the airport in Ilulissat. Visitors to the third-biggest town in the Danish autonomous territory are met by a rugged, austere landscape of grey rock and sparse vegetation. But mesmerizing views of massive icebergs come into view after just a short drive.Breaking off from the Ilulissat glacier in the neighboring fjord, the majestic blocks of ice drift slowly by in Disko Bay, the occasional whale making an ap pearance. The postcard views attracted 50,000 tourists in 2021, more than 10 times the town’sMorepopulation.thanhalfmake only a short pit stop during an Arctic cruise. Numbers are expected to swell with the opening of an international airport in the next two years, a welcome boost to the island’s revenues but also a chal lenge, given the delicate―and melt ing―ecosystem. ‘Icebergs getting smaller’ In the past 40 years, the Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, according to a recent scientific study. “We can see changes every day caused by climate change: the icebergs are get
STARBUCKS SUCCESSOR. People are seen inside the newly-opened Stars Coffee cafe in Moscow on August 19, 2022. Stars Coffee, a Russian chain that came to replace the American Starbucks in Russia after its departure due to the Ukrainian conflict, opened its first restaurant in Moscow for the general public under the slogan ‘Bucks is gone, the stars have stayed.’ AFP
Turkey’s central bank stuns markets by cutting rate despite soaring inflation ISTANBUL, Turkey—Turkey’s central bank on Thursday stunned the markets by lowering its main interest rate even as inflation soared to a 24-year high and looks set to climb further. The central bank said “recession is in creasingly assessed as an inevitable risk factor” as it lowered its one-week repo auction rate to 13 percent from 14 percent. “Just insane—with inflation at 80 percent and rising,” BlueBay Asset Management economist Timothy Ash remarked in an emailed comment. “Turkey’s central bank (has) stepped up its fight against economic ortho doxy,” Jason Tuvey of Capital Econom ics added in an ironic note. “The move increases the risk of yet another currency crisis.” The Turkish lira lost one percent of its value against the dollar within moments of the Turkey’sannouncement.monetary policy decision contradicts the approach pursued by most other countries as they try to com bat the spike in consumer prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war has sent food and energy prices soaring and forced central banks to raise borrowing costs—even as eco nomic growth remains anaemic. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan subscribes to the unorthodox belief that high interest rates cause in flation rather than rein it in. He has fired three central bank gov ernors since 2019 who have tried to pursue a more conventional economic course. Turkey now has a real interest rate of negative 66.6 percent when adjusted for inflation.Thisforces businesses and ordinary people to spend as much as possible before their liras lose even more value with each Turkey’smonth.approach has propelled eco nomic growth that Erdogan hopes can help him secure a third decade in power in a general election scheduled for next June.But it has been accompanied by a sharp depreciation of the lira that has eroded living standards and pushed the financial sector to the brink of crisis. The Turkish government has adopted a series of alternative measures to com bat inflation which most economists dismiss as either insufficient or too complex and expensive to work.
Japan’s core prices rose by 2.4% in July
AFP ting smaller, the glacier is retreating,” said mayor Palle Jeremiassen. Thawing permafrost is also threatening the stability of some buildings and infra structure. With the immaculate landscape so cov eted by tourists changing, officials are determined to protect it without turning away tourists. “We want to control the arrival of tour ist ships here,” said Jeremiassen, noting the risks posed by the highly-polluting vessels.Inorder to protect the environment and community, Ilulissat should only welcome “one ship max per day, max one thousand tourists per ship,” he said. Recently, three cruise ships arrived on the same day, spewing out 6,000 visitors. Jeremiassen said the town’s infrastruc ture is not designed to accommodate such numbers, nor is it able to ensure that tour ists respect protected areas, notably in the fjord. Nearby Iceland, where the tourism in dustry has been flourishing for two de cades, is an example of how not to do things, he insisted. “We don’t want to be like Iceland. We don’t want mass tourism. We want to con trol tourism here. That’s the key we have to find.” Small fish Greenland has enjoyed self-rule since 2009 but hopes to gain full independence from Denmark one day. To do so means it would have to get by without subsidies from Copenhagen, which currently make up a third of its bud get. It has yet to find a way to stand alone financially, and for now, its main natural resource is the sea. AFP
By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest bank, said Friday the economy has enough capacity to absorb the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 50-basis-point increase in benchmark interest rate to 3.75 percent on Thursday.
By Jenniffer B. Austria MREIT Inc., the real estate investment trust company of Megaworld Corp., said Friday it expects to book P1.43 billion in rental income in the second half of the year, up 5.1 percent from P1.36 billion it posted in the first half. MREIT chief finance officer Engle bert Teh said during the recent investors’ conference conducted by the Philippine Stock Exchange rental escalations and new tenants would push rental income higher in the second half. The higher rental income would translate into second-half dividend payout of P0.49 to P0.50 per share, up from P0.49 per share in the first half. Teh said MREIT was expected to sustain 96-percent to 100-percent oc cupancy rate as office market reached “inflection point” with 26,000 square meters net take up in the first quarter, compared to 130,000 sq. m. contrac tion in the fourth quarter of 2021. Teh said MREIT was poised meet its target of 500,000 sq. m. of office leas ing portfolio by 2023 and 1 million sq. m. by “Our2030.sponsor’s [Megaworld] current inventory alone is sufficient to fuel this growth plan,” Teh said. He said Megaworld aimed to have 2 million sq. m of gross leasable area by 2030, up from 1.4 million sq. m. today. “Our office inventory is enough to sat isfy the ambitious roadmap,” Teh said. MREIT announced in April the acquisition of four prime properties worth P5.3 billion. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the Securi ties and Exchange Commission. Once completed, MREIT will ex pand its GLA by 16 percent to 325,000 sq. m. covering 18 office properties in four Megaworld townships.
to other ASEAN countries
The adjustment was the fourth time the benchmark interest rate was raised this year to tame rising inflation and brought the total rate adjustment this year to 175 basis points. An interest rate hike may reduce demand for bank loans and slow the growth momentum, according to analysts. The BSP kept the policy rate at a record low of 2 percent for the entire 2021 to support the economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even with the 50bps hike, we be lieve the economy has enough capacity to absorb this,” BPI said in a report. It confirmed the growth might slow down a bit due to higher interest rates, but “it might be worse if inflation con tinues to Oxfordrise.”Economics, a London-based think tank, said another main concern for the BSP is the currency, which re mains at a historically depressed level despite a recent small rally. The peso closed at 55.93 against the US dollar Friday, down from 55.89 on Thursday. “While the BSP has turned increas ingly hawkish since the start of the year, the interest rate differential with the US remains narrow, putting continuous downward pressure on the peso. With the US Fed tightening more aggres sively and the current account deficit remaining wide, we look for only a gradual appreciation of the peso after troughing this quarter,” Oxford Eco nomics said. “We are sticking to our call of an other 25bp hike in Q4. While Q2 GDP outcome came in weaker than the consensus, the BSP move signaled the focus is still on inflation. That said, given the negative output gap and unstable recovery, we only see one more hike in this cycle. Upside risks to this call remain, especially if the peso continues to depreciate amid higher uncertainty or a wider interest rate differential,” it said.
IN BRIEFBusinessRay
THE country’s balance of payments position yielded a deficit of $1.8 billion in July, a re versal from the $642-million surplus a year ago, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.“The BOP deficit in July 2022 reflected out flows arising mainly from the national govern ment’s foreign currency withdrawals from its deposits with the BSP to settle its foreign cur rency debt obligations and pay for its various expenditures,” the BSP said in a statement. Preliminary data also showed that the BOP deficit reached $4.9b billion in the first seven months, wider than the $1.3-billion deficit reg istered in the same period last year. The cumulative BOP deficit in the sevenmonth period reflected the widening trade in goods deficit. The gross international reserves level de clined to $99.8 billion as of end-July from $100.9 billion in June. The latest GIR level still represented a more than adequate external li quidity buffer equivalent to 8.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income, according to the BSP. Julito G. Rada Shell seeks more time to develop LNG project SHELL Energy Philippines Inc. is seeking a 20-month extension of the notice to proceed on its planned floating storage and re-gasification unit terminal in Tabangao, Batangas. The Department of Energy earlier issued a 10-month extension on SEPH’s NTP on Oct. 22, 2021. The extension would expire this month. “They [Shell] are still at the NTP stage. They are still getting permits and financial closing before applying for the PCERM [per mit to construct, construct, expand, rehabilitate and modify],” Oil Industry Management Bu reau director Rino Abad said. SEPH’s proposed P3.5 billion LNG terminal project will supply natural gas for power users with the impending depletion of the Malam paya gas field by 2024. “With its development and operation, the Shell LNG Project will be able to address the anticipated deficit in electri cal generation capacity and avoid adverse im pacts to economic growth within the region,” the company said in documents submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Alena Mae S. Flores Globe set to launch healthcare superapp GLOBE Group said Friday it completed the consolidation of three healthcare service pro viders that will pave the way for the launching of a superapp in the first quarter of 2023. The KonsultaMD superapp, a consolidation of KonsultaMD, HealthNow and AIDE, will launch in the first quarter packed with first-inthe market features on end-to-end patient care that is set to change the country’s healthcare landscape.Thisfollows the closing on Aug. 18 of the agreement among Globe Capital Venture Hold ings Inc. (917Ventures), the corporate venture builder of the Globe Group; Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc., the healthcare portfolio arm of the Ayala Group through wholly-owned sub sidiary Vigos Ventures Inc. and Salud Interac tiva S.A. DE C.V. to consolidate Global Tele health Inc. (KonsultaMD), HealthNow, Inc. (HealthNow) and APPPPS Partners Inc. The consolidation will integrate the three applications into one superapp, bringing to gether KonsultaMD’s expertise in on-demand consultations, HealthNow’s strength in medi cine delivery, storage of medical records and implementation of vaccination and other health programs and AIDE’s mastery of providing health services in the home. Darwin G. Amojelar S.
Economy can absorb rate hike—BPI BOP deficit reached $4.9b in seven months
By Othel V. Campos
THE Board of Investments said Fri day it approved the registration of a new site for virtual customer services of Amazon Operation Services Phil ippines Inc. in Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. “The approval of this project shows that we are not faltering in our efforts to advance the IT-BPM [information technology-business process manage ment] industry in the country. This is just the start of more investments be ing injected into the country’s econ omy, specifically into the IT-BPM industry. We are making it happen in the Philippines,” said Trade Under secretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo. The Pasay branch is AOSPI’s fourth, with the first three sites lo cated in Cebu City and Metro Manila. The new site is expected to generate 1,058 jobs for Filipinos, with P959.5million contribution to the economy and P616.9 million to household in come.Itis set to start operations in Sep tember and will support the IT-BPM industry in the country. The center will provide customer and vendor management services to support Amazon’s global retail business and sellers.AOSPI provides various support services such as remote technical support services, IT development, customer support, customer care services, business process outsourc ing, and back-office support, which includes but is not limited to sys tems, hardware, software and hu man resources relating to the backoffice.The company sees the Philippines as the top priority for its new proj ect and investments, owing to the high technical skills and level of English proficiency of the Filipino workforce.Operating on a work-from-home set-up, the project will expand AOS PI’s operation in the remote work place following the global work trends.The IT-BPM industry recorded $29.5 billion in revenues in 2021, up by 10.6 percent from the previous year.
on
By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Pacific is expanding its interna tional network with additional flights to top ASEAN destinations. The airline unit of the Gokongwei Group will fly daily from Manila to Bangkok starting Aug. 29, up from fivetimes-weekly. By September, flights from Manila to Bali will also increase from thrice to five times weekly. The airline also plans to restart its Manila-Brunei flights by Sept. 1, start ing with a twice weekly frequency. “We are happy to keep growing our international network as we see an in creasing demand for travel abroad, and as more destinations ease restrictions,” said CEB chief commercial officer Xan der“ItLao.isexciting and encouraging to see more Filipinos travelling confidently in and out the Philippines. That is why we make sure we consistently provide convenient and affordable flight options to enable everyJuan to travel more for less,” he Fully-vaccinatedsaid. Filipinos flying to these three destinations are required to present their proof of complete vaccina
Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor extrastory2000@gmail.combusiness@manilastandard.net A8 SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, August 19, 2022 39.236,863.86PTS. F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 Currency UnitUS DollarPeso United States Dollar 1.00000055.8560 Japan Yen TaiwanDollar0.0333781.8644NewMalaysiaRinggit0.22361412.4902IndiaRupee0.0125390.7004ChinaYuan0.1473418.2299KoreaEuroEuroUAEThailandIndonesiaRupiah0.0000670.0037BruneiDollar0.71906240.1639SaudiBahrainDinar2.653153148.1945AustraliaDollar0.69130038.6133SingaporeDollar0.72165740.3089CanadaDollar0.77267843.1587SwitzerlandFranc1.04558858.4024HongUKPound1.19320066.64740.0073600.4111KongDollar0.1274917.1211ArabiaRial0.26627614.8731Baht0.0280901.5690Dirham0.27227915.20841.00900056.3587Won0.0007540.0421ZealandDollar0.62540034.9323 Source: BSP TOTAL VOLUME 1,572,858,353 TOTAL TRADES 60,628 TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) 5,146,380,536.49 ADVANCES 113 DECLINES 80 UNCHANGED
tion as Thailand and Indonesia already eased restrictions to easily allow tour ists to enter. The airline also intends to increase flights from Cebu to Seoul from twice weekly to a daily service by Sept. 9. On Sept. 23, flights to Nagoya from Manila will be daily from five times weekly. Cebu Pacific said that by Oct. 1, the airline’s Bali flights would increase to a daily service, while flights to Hanoi and Taipei from Manila would both have one additional flight per week—from thrice to four-times-a-week for Hanoi, and twice to thrice weekly for Taipei.
BLOOMBERRY Resorts Corp. said it will develop an integrated resort and casino on a 280-hectare property in Ter nate,TheCavite.company clarified that the proj ect would not rise in Puerto Azul as earlier reported. It said the project de velopment would start after the opening of Solaire North in Quezon City. Solaire North, Bloomberry’s second inte grated resort and casino, is expected to start operations by the fourth quarter of 2023. Bloomberry director for investor re lations Jonas Isaac Ramos said in an investors’ briefing sponsored by the Philippine Stock Exchange that the company would pay a total of 7.5 bil lion for various lots comprising the 280-hectare property in Ternate. “We still start probably major con struction works after we open Solaire North next year. But that does not pre clude us from doing surveys, studies, master planning, getting environmental compliance certificate and priming our selves for major work to be done after Solaire North,” Ramos said. Ramos said the company would still finalize the capital spending plan for the CaviteRamosproperty.saidSolaire North was on track for opening in the fourth quarter of 2023. Under the plan, Solaire North will have 500 to 600 hotels rooms, 200 to 250 gaming tables and 2,000 to 3,000 slot machines. “This property is envisioned to be mass-focused space. This will be at par, if not even better than Soliare in Enter tainment City,” Ramosa said. Meanwhile, Bloomberry executive vice president and chief financial offi cer Estela Tuason-Occena said the com pany was conducting due diligence on the planned investments in two casino properties of PH Resorts Group Hold ings Inc. owned by businessman Den nis Uy. Jenniffer B. Austria
MREIT eyes rental income of P1.43b in 2nd half of 2022
BOI incentivesapprovesforAmazonsite Cebu Pacific increases flights
in
BSP Governor and Monetary Board chairman Felipe Medalla confirmed that the latest baseline inflation fore casts shifted higher for 2022, with av erage inflation projected to breach the upper end of the 2 percent to 4 percent target range at 5.4 percent. “While the forecasts for 2023 and 2024 have declined to 4.0 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively, the inflation target remains at risk over the policy horizon owing to broadening price pres sures. Elevated inflation expectations likewise highlight the risk of further second-round effects,” Medalla said. He said the upside risks also continued to dominate the inflation outlook up to 2023 on the potential impact of higher global non-oil prices, continued shortage in domestic fish supply, sharp increase in the price of sugar and pending petitions for transport fare increases.
JOLLIBEE IN TIMES SQUARE. Jollibee Foods Corp. opens its flagship store in Times Square, New York City. The new store is the brand’s fourth location in the state, following Jollibee Group’s large-scale plans of expanding its presence in the United States and Canada and establishing 500 stores in the next five to seven years. Enthusiastic fans lined up as early as 8:30 p.m. of the previous day to welcome the opening day on Aug. 18.
RETAIL CONFAB. Almost a thousand executives of the retail sector join the 28th National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo organized by the Philippine Retailers Association. PRA president Rosemarie Bosch Ong (sixth from left) leads the opening of the Stores Asia Expo 2022, the twin activity of the conference. With Ong are (front row, from left) Wilcon Depot Inc. founder and chairman emeritus William Belo, Wilcon Depot president and chief executive Lorraine Belo-Cincochan, Tom Oliver Group founder Tom Oliver, PRA chairman Paul Santos, PRA vice chair Ma. Alegria Sibal-Limjoco, Globe Business vice president Tania Gil-Padilla, SM Retail vice president Cathy Ileto, Stores Asia Expo 2022 chair Shirley Ng and NRCE 2022 overall chair Donnie Tantoco.
Bloomberry to develop resort and casino 280-hectare property Ternate, Cavite
King Tiger steals show in Sprint race Paderes lead the Luzon tankers, while another national mainstay Kyla Soquillon of Kalibo, Aklan topbills the Visayas squad.
Last year, TNT ousted SMB in the run off to the finals as it took the deciding Game 7, 97-79, in the semifinals to advance to the championship round against Magnolia. For Beermen coach Leo Austria, it will be a difficult time for them in their quest for a sixth championship. “Pipilitin namin. Pero napakahirap,” said Austria on Friday during a presentation at the Novotel in Quezon City. The Beermen will have new core of players playing a supporting role to veteran big man JuneMar Fajardo. And this group will have Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, CJ Perez, Moala TNT Tropang Giga coach Chot Reyes and San Miguel Beer mentor Leo Austria are shown with the seventeams’drumbeatingNovotelconferencethetrophychampionshipPhilippinePBACupduringpressattheManilatheirbest-of-showdown.
SENT off as the third choice, Rancho Sta. Rosa’s King Tiger (another Brigand progeny, this time out of Tiger Queen) relied on his vaunted stretch run to mow down the opposition in last Sunday’s 2022 PHILRACOM 4YO & Above Sprint at the Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite. At the start, it was top pick Mommy Caring who immediately jumped for the early lead with Asiong and Stardust behind her close enough to put pressure on the pace-setter. In fourth was Flattering You with the eventual winner nicely settled in fifth with jockey John Alvin Guce holding him back just enough to keep in pace not minding the blistering opening 600 meters of 12’ and 20’ set by Mommy Caring. But the long stretch for home at the Naic racetrack provided the much0needed real estate to give the Ruben Tupastrained chestnut four-year-old momentum in the final quarter which he did in a scorching 24’, stopping the clock at 58 seconds flat as he crossed the wire. The victory added another P900,000 to King Tiger’s earnings, while Mommy Caring, Flattering You and Stardust brought home P300,000, P150,000 and P75,000 respectively for coming in second third and fourth in that order. “Congratulations to King Tiger’s connections for winning this afternoon main event. This result shows the unpredectability of a 1000-meter race. It is not all about speed, but just having enough gas left in the tank for the most important stretch run,” Philracom Chairman Reli de Leon said.
Sports
By Peter Atencio T HERE is hunger for another title for San Miguel Beer.The Beermen last won a championship three years ago, beating Magnolia, 4-3, in their best-of-seven finals series in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
Swim 5150clearedcourseforPenong’sDavao
FINIS National Finals unwrap at Clark Center
Tautuaa, Vic Manuel, Jericho Cruz, Rodney Brondial and Simon Enciso in theAustriamix. said his core of players is learning how to be a more cohesive force under a championship setting. “Our first game in the eliminations is already in the past. This is already the finals. You can never know what will happen,” said Austria. The Beermen have won five straight Philippine Cup crowns starting in 2014, twice against Alaska and Magnolia and once against Ginebra. Facing the Tropang Giga with a finals atmosphere will be a new experience for the Beermen. For TNT, the feeling is mutual. “I think the result of the (semifinals series between San Miguel and Meralco) shows the strength of San Miguel. How powerful they are and how deep and talented they are and how well-coached this team is,” said TNT mentor Chot Reyes, whose wards will face the Beermen for all the marbles starting on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The two franchises have also clashed in the all-Filipino of the 2010-11 season, with the MVP Group of Manny Pangilinan winning over the SMC team in sixThegames.Beermen and the Tropang Giga also battled in the semifinals of Season 46, with TNT frustrating SMB, 97-79, to advance to a championship duel with Magnolia.
Chot TNTsacrificemakesofmissing2games
ORGANIZERS of the Penong’s 5150 Davao have allayed concerns over the tidal flow in the swim course, clearing the way for the staging of the 1.5 km-swim, 40 km-bike and 10 km run event over the Olympic-style layout on Sept. 4 in Tagum City. The opening swim leg, originally set to start and end at the triangular clockwise course at Hijo Resorts Davao beach, will now be a counterclockwise route starting at the Banana Beach, also at Hijo Resorts, featuring a 270-meter stretch with participants turning left to the 630-meter part of the course before heading to the final turn for the last 600 meters. They will then exit the boat ramp and enter transition at the tennis courts. “It was super low tide for the past couple of weeks in the original swim area, so we have to modify the swim course,” said Princess Galura, general manager of the organizing The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc. Twice postponed due to pandemic the past two years, the Penong’s 5150 made its way to the triathlon calendar in 2019 but concerns over the quality of water in the swim stage forced the organizers to cancel the opening leg, reducing it to a duathlon format (runbike-run). But with the swim course all cleared, it’s finally a go for the second 5150 triathlon in two months following the successful staging of Sun Life 5150“WeBohol.are just making sure that everything is okay and in conformity with international standards,” addedTheGalura.40kmbike race will start upon exiting Hijo Resorts towards the main highway and heading to Daang Maharlika to Tagum City. It is a two-loop course ending at the Lanikai Hiro Estate Resort while the closing 10k run part, also made up of two loops, will start as they exit the transition area and head south inside the Hijo Resorts property across the bridge with the finish line set at the baseball field.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022
Rudy Esperas
Members of Mindanao leg overall champion Mt. Apo Swim Team King Tiger races to victory.
THE country’s best and brightest young swimmers take centerstage as the 2022 FINIS Short Course Swim Championship National Finals unwrap Saturday at the Olympic-sized New Clark City Aquatic Center in Tarlac. Over 300 delegates from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao started to check in at the home of the national swimming team Friday morning and took a short dip before their scheduled training sessions in the afternoon, arranged by the organizing committee, headed by FINIS Philippines Managing Director Vince Garcia. “This is it. We’re now on the exciting part of the competition. After the culmination of the Mindanao leg last August 6 and 7 in Digos City, the question now is who are really the best young swimmers of the country?” asked Garcia. The best 16 young swimmers from each event after the qualifying stages in the Luzon and Visayas legs, will vie for glory in the finals of this international competitioninspired tournament, with the winners receiving elegant medals. A training package also awaits those who break a national mark. “We’re coming out with this package to really inspire our young swimmers. We’re doing this kind of training program to our swimming ambassadors like Kyla Soquillon and Jasmine Mojdeh. We’re planning to send them to the FINIS training center in the US in the future,” added Garcia. Although FINIS has been a part of swimming and aquatics competition as sponsors and partner for years, Garcia said the FINIS Swim Championship has a special place in his heart as this was a fulfilment of his dreams. “I want to inspire our young swimmers, that’s my long-time dream. Gusto kong makita silang nagko-compete sa isang torneo na parang lumalaban ka na sa international event not just sa environment, sa medalya but sa uri ng mga technical personnel,” added Garcia, referring to the professional swimming technical group, headed by swimming coach and UAAP commissioner Richard Luna. The Mindanao delegates are mostly made up of members of Mt. Apo Swim Team, which garnered the most points and were crowned overall team champion during the Mindanao leg two weekends ago at the Davao del Sur Olympic pool inside the newly constructed Governor Douglas RA Cagas Sports, Cultural and Business Complex in Matti. National junior standout and record holder Jasmine Mojdeh and noted junior swimmers from the Swimming League Philippines, who include siblings Heather and Rueben White, Yuan Part, Marcus de Cam and Niel
Beermen aching to end 3-year PBA title drought
Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor B1 COACH Chot Reyes will make the sacrifice of missing two games of the Talk N Text Tropang Giga in the 2022 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals series. Samahang Basketbol Pilipinas president Alfredo Panlilio said this six days before the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team meets the Lebanon Cedars in their scheduled games in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ fourth window. “This time, coach Chot Reyes is asked to make the sacrifice and I think we’ll accept that as an organization. It becomes two objectives that we have to go through with Chot not around,” said Panlilio. Panlilio talked about the status of Reyes during Friday’s PBA Philippine Cup pre-finals press conference at the Novotel in Cubao, QuezonReyesCity. leaves with the Team Philippines on Monday, giving them at least two days to get ready before they meet the Cedars at 2 p.m. in Beirut (7 p.m. Manila time) on Thursday next week.The Tropang Giga and the Beermen will meet in Game 1 on Sunday, with Reyes present. After that, he leaves with the rest of Gilas on Monday for Beirut. Reyes won’t be around in Game 2 on Wednesday and in Game 3 on Friday. He is expected to show up for TNT’s match with the Beermen in Game 4 on Sunday, a day before Gilas clashes with Saudi Arabia in a home game on Monday. While he’s gone, Panlilio said it will up to assistant coaches Josh Reyes, Bong Ravena, Sandy Arespacochaga and Yuri Escueta to call the shots for Tropang Giga. “Winning a PBA championship is important to us, very important. But there’s a bigger calling, and it’s for flag and country,” added Panlilio, who is also TNT’s board representative in the PBA. Reyes said Gilas is now practicing with the 7’3” Kai Sotto, who arrived in the country on Thursday evening. NBA star Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz will soon join practices by Saturday. Peter Atencio
at Lipa, LIMA Exchange, LIMA Park Hotel, LIMA Transport Hub, and rising quickly is LIMA Tower One, a PEZA-certified and BERDE-accredited green building which is the first of a planned seven-tower office park right at the heart of the CBD.
Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, recently broke ground on a new phase of commercial lots within the 30-hectare LIMA Central Business District (CBD) in Batangas. The new phase is the third and last phase of the commercial lot inventory within LIMA CBD located inside LIMA Estate. Lot sizes range from 1,800 up to 5,000 square meters, developed to suit the needs of BPO companies and traditional componentsCBDCurrentlyhotels,condominiums,offices,dormitories,schools,andhospitals.housedwithinthearevariouscommercialsuchasTheOutlets
THE Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) recently shared with new Housing Secretary Jose Acuzar what the new administration aims to achieve for the housing industry in the next six years. In a courtesy call at the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (Shown in photo), SHDA brought up the National Land Use Plan, with some balancing of the concerns of different sectors, preparation and updates at the national and local levels, all of which would help organize and speed up development by both the government and the private sector in projects throughout the country. According to SHDA Chairman George Siy, the DHSUD is the quarterback department in both the management of housing needs, and the organized urban development of the country. SHDA identified that access to land, additional affordable forms of finance, and policies on vertical development, are some of the keys for expanding production of housing. This is also in line with the adoption of a rationalized National Land Use Plan that President Marcos Jr. had mentioned in his State of the Nation Address. Trading of ideas Secretary Acuzar traded ideas with SHDA on how to unlock further access to sustainable financing for housing; on how to encourage the participation of other government and private financial institutions in housing finance. He raised the goals of addressing the housing needs of the lower segment of the population, public housing, and reversing the increasing backlog, as major priorities of this government. Innovative approaches such as rental housing, cooperative housing, and activities involving the national government, local government units, private sector, and importantly, the communities, were also discussed. Seeking greater participation in housing initiatives SHDA suggested that strengthening the incentives and addressing the price ceilings, especially for socialized housing, will enhance greater participation in housing activities that had been affected by inflation in materials, skilled labor, and raw land prices.Secretary Acuzar gave ideas of many initiatives that this government and he were exploring as programs for the next six years, and assured the DHSUD’s openness to suggestions and continuing participation for SHDA andThesestakeholders.included working handin-hand with the local government units, and the beneficiaries, in the maintenance of the housing in their jurisdiction. Beyond housing, Secretary Acuzar explored concepts in community planning that will decrease the cost of living for the buyers, enhance employment, and living standards, in dispersed areas.
Housing czar bares plans to address low cost dwelling gap
Blakes Tower was a Highly Commended awardee for Best Mega Mixed-Use Development in the 2021 Asia Property Awards (Philippines). According to Tan, the development proves to be the best solution and return strategy for businesses, looking to recover from the pandemic. Eton Properties is the real estate brand of the Lucio Tan Group. Its foreign counterpart, Eton Properties Ltd, is an established real estate brand in Hong Kong and mainland China. The company specializes in office projects, commercial centers, and mixed-use township developments, as well as, high-end and mid-income high-rise and horizontal residential developments.
A GLOBAL provider of construction management software, recently released its construction industry benchmark report ‘How We Build Now 2022 –Tracking technology in Asia Pacific Construction in The2022’.report by Procore Technologies Corp., noted that construction firms in the Philippines understand that digital transformation is required to overcome future challenges, with 26% of construction businesses already being digital-first and 56% being ‘well on the way’ in their digital transformation journey. It found that two in three (65%) Filipino construction decision makers reported an increase in their digital investments during the last 24 months. Procore also found that Filipino respondents recognize the benefits of construction technology, in particular the reduced reliance on human labour (55%), the ability to handle more projects (54%), and resource efficiency through less rework (53%). Across the Asia Pacific region, Procore’s research found that Philippines is a frontrunner on the digital maturity curve—with above average adoption rates for technologies from Internet of Things (IoT) (47%) to drones (43%), telematics/asset-tracking (42%) to big data analytics (41%).
TAKING FUN TO HIGHER HEIGHTS. At the heart of Mandaluyong sits Greenfield District, a 15-hectare urban development of Greenfield Development Corporation (GDC) that has become an emerging destination in Mandaluyong for outdoor activities that promote holistic health. Greenfield District is home to GDC’s future-ready condominium developments, the Twin Oaks Place and Zitan. Attracting considerable interest—and appetites—is the Greenfield District’s Food Truck Fest. Open from Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 4 p.m. until 12 midnight, this outdoor destination is located at the Mayflower Parking, a wide, open parking space. On Sunday afternoons, the district’s Sunset Fair is open every Sunday from 3 p.m. to 12 midnight. Set under the beautiful cabanas, relax with people closest to your heart in this outdoor picnic and banchetto-type event. The Greenfield District, by the way, makes sure that the furry pets of its residents and visitors can safely do their outdoor activities. Dogs can play and walk along the pathways and open spaces within the District, and even dine al fresco with their owners. To know more about the Greenfield District, visit www.facebook.com/greenfielddistrict Executive director, Kyle Tan
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022B2 Home/DesignJoel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com
PH construction firms lead way in technology
HOME IN CENTRAL LUZON’S INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND. All eyes are on Bataan, currently tagged as the “Industrial Heartland of Central Luzon”. With several engines of growth across the Bataan Peninsula—the Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park; the Bataan Technology Park and Subic Bay Freeport Zone; the Mt. Samat Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone; the Limay Industrial Estate and Government Arsenal; and the Freeport Area of Bataan—homebuyers and property investors are earnestly eyeing Bataan as an ideal place to settle down. Residential property developer Empresa Homes, is currently building Empresa Homes Mariveles, at Barangay Lucanin in Mariveles, Bataan. The development offers the contemporary Elena unit, a rowhouse with 22 sq. m. floor area and 36 sq. m. lot area, which has living and dining areas, a toilet and bath, and provisions for bedroom and service area. Interested property buyers and investors in Bataan can check out Empresa home models via virtual tours in the BRIA website (www.bria.com.ph).
ATBREAKSINFRACAPITALABOITIZGROUNDLIMACBD.
Eton inks new office deal project in Makati
ETON contractsignedPhilippinesPropertiesrecentlyathree-yearforleaseofa
whole floor spanning more than 1,000 sqms. of its Blakes Tower development located near the Makati CBD.“Office leasing remains a priority segment of Eton’s business, as we see a sustained demand following the country’s easing of restrictions,” said Eton Properties executive director, Kyle Tan. “We aim to provide flexible office spaces that would increase productivity of our tenants’ workforce.” Work-life integration Blakes Tower is in the mixed-use complex of Eton WestEnd Square, which caters to a variety of experiences and needs through its retail component. Blakes Tower adopts a vertical township concept with specially curated components like offices and residences in a single development, offering businesses a solution through work-life integration. At 36-storeys, Blakes Tower has 11,000 sqms. of available gross leasable office area, which can be retrofitted into hybrid cuts at varying office size requirements ranging from 1,000 sqms. and above for more functionality. It has allocated 11 floors for office spaces, and 15 floors for residential units.
Meanwhile, influencers Gino Quillamor, Arron Villaflor, Jules Aquino, Lexi Mendiola, Enzo Pineda and Dexi Diaz for Sporting Class; Ashley Gosiengfiao, Bianca Yao, Carla Lizardo, Patch Magtanong, Benedict Cua and Miggy Romulo for Promotional Class will also be back at CIS together with members of the media to continue the exciting competition of Autocross Challenge.
Honda PH marks 7m-unit motorcycle production milestone
All customers who will avail of the Periodic Maintenance Service (PMS) at Lexus Manila and any Lexus Accredited Dealership during the promo period will automatically receive a 40% Discount on Lexus Genuine (Fully-Synthetic) Engine Oil. They will also receive special discounts if they avail any or combination of the following products: 20% less on Lexus BactaKlenz Service, 20% less on UV Lamp & Air Purifier Bundle, and 10% less on UV Lamp and Air Purifier if purchased separately.ThePMS promo is available at Lexus Manila as well as in five Lexus Accredited Dealerships in its Toyota Dealerships across the country: Santa Rosa, La Union, San Fernando Pampanga, Mandaue-South, Cebu, and Davao City.
Toyota GR Vios Cup resumes at Clark Speedway
Pamper your Lexus the right way with car maintenance weekend
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Gran Turismo Cup winners will also continue racing from the screen to the tracks as they join the excitement of the Autocross Challenge as well. Races start at 9:30AM. Admission is free, just don’t forget to bring your vaccination cards and present upon entry.You can also watch the races wherever you are via Facebook livestream on Toyota Motor Philippines or TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Official Facebook Pages. Livestream starts at 9:30AM as well.The 2022 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup is organized in cooperation with Bridgestone and Petron, and is supported by Brembo, Denso, OMP, Tuason Racing, AVT, 3M, ROTA, myTOYOTA Wallet and Kinto One. Always be updated with news about Toyota. Visit our website at toyota.com.ph or follow Toyota Motor Philippines and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH on Facebook and Instagram, ToyotaMotorPH on Twitter and be part of our Viber community at Toyota PH.
A government agency came out with data recently that shows a big increase in the traffic volume with the resumption of classes this Monday. From the estimate of 390,000 vehicles that travel along the Epifanio de los Santos (EDSA) highway these days, it is expected to jump to 440,000 by Monday. This is way above the 405,000 average during the prepandemic days in 2019. Another data you might want to add is the total of 182,687 brand new vehicles that were sold locally from January to July, which is a big 18.4 percent jump from the total monthto-month compared last year. This July alone, a whopping 27,813 brand new vehicles were gobbled up by the motorists. A big chunk of them are now plying the Metro Manila area.
SOME friendly reminders from Ford Philippines, which offers a 10% discount on wiper blades and brake pads for the Ford Everest, Ford Ranger, Ford Ecosport, and Ford Territory until September 30. The rainy season is already in full swing and with that comes puddle filled roads, muddy highways, and other conditions that could alter what you usually encounter in fair weather driving. It is imperative to take the time to check your vehicle to ensure it is ready for anything the torrential rains may bring. To ensure a safe and worryfree driving experience, Ford Philippines shares these must-check car parts to ensure that your vehicle is ready if the rain starts pouring during your usual drive. Windshield Wiper Blades
Motoring
HONDA Philippines, Inc., (HPI) celebrates yet another milestone for achieving the seven-million mark in locally manufactured motorcycles. A Special TMX125 ALPHA edition, sporting a Café-Racer inspired design commemorated the 7-millionth unit produced.TheTMX125 Alpha has been made known as a business category model due to its high quality, power and affordability. But over the years, custom bike enthusiasts created a trend making this bike for solo use due to its simplicity and ease for modification. This unique ride is powered by the legendary Overhead Valve (OHV) engine, which uses a push rod to balance acceleration and control. The result is hours of easy and hassle-free riding experience on a remarkably fuel-efficient consumption at 62.5km/L, making it the perfect everyday bike. Aside from TMX125 ALPHA, HPI offers a complete range of motorcycles that dominate the streets. The collection ranges from Big Bikes to scooters, from onroad sports to off-road sports models. There are several underbone and business motorcycles as well. HPI manufactures units at its 20-hectare plant in Batangas, employing processes designed to put safe, efficient, economical, and environment-friendly technology at the service of people and the community. HPI traces its roots in 1964 when Mariwasa-Distribution, Inc. was established. An agreement between MariwasaDistribution, Inc. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan led to the formation of Mariwasa-Honda Inc. in 1973, before the company was renamed to Honda Philippines, Inc. in 1983. Despite the challenges brought about by Covid-19 pandemic, Honda Philippines, Inc. remains resilient and took the opportunity to further grow the business in this “new normal” era. HPI consistently achieves its yearly targets and maintains the no. 1 rank in terms of market share among the motorcycle manufacturers in the country. This milestone was also made possible by Honda’s strong business partners, stakeholders and most especially its valued and loyal Filipino customers.
Back to normal (traffic) NLEX-SCTEX Biyahero Road Safety
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 B3 MILO RIVERA Sub-editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Your must-check car parts list to be rainy-day ready
The condition of your vehicle’s wiper blades is crucial to driver visibility once it rains hard. Before heading out, quickly check if the wiper blades are still in good condition. If the rubber is worn out, it will be good to replace these soon. Also, wiping the wiper blades with a wet cloth prior to driving also helps ensure there are no small stones or debris in it. This also helps prevent any uneven streaks when the wipers are used.
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP)’s premier motorsports program is taking the action to the next level. After concluding the first leg with exciting races and even more exciting wins, Leg 1 champions Alain Alzona, Troy Montero and John Dizon of the Circuit Championship will be back on track to try reclaim their spots on the podium.
NLEX-SCTEX Biyahero Road Safety Caravan, one of NLEX Corporation’s road safety initiatives, secured the support of the country’s four big transport organizations of trucks and busHeldoperators.during the Manila Commercial Vehicle Show at the SMX Convention Center in July, the caravan is part of the tollway company’s commitment to provide safer expressway experience to NLEX-SCTEX motorists. The event converged all four big transport organizations of trucks and bus operators in the country for the first time, namely: Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), Inland Haulers and Truckers Association (INHTA), Haulers and Truckers Association in the Watersouth (HATAW), and Nagkakaisang Samahan ng Nangangasiwa ng Panlalawigang Bus sa Pilipinas Inc. (NSNPBPI). The NLEX-SCTEX Biyahero Road Safety Caravan underscored the importance of road safety through intensified education on proper expressway driving, rules and apprehensions and vehicle preventive maintenance. This road safety education effort highlights safe expressway driving through NLEX Usapang Driver and #NLEXPatrolBreak. The discussion zeroed in on enforcement of road rules and apprehensions within NLEXSCTEX. Participated by 226 transport members, they were treated to fun interactive activities at the NLEX booth such as driving and drunk driving simulation, as well as, Spin n Win and buzz wire. An Easytrip Pitstop kiosk was also set up for easier facilitation of Easytrip RFID transactions such as installation, checking of balances, reloading and updating of customer information.
SO, the face-to-face classes are back this Monday so expect the inevitable heavy traffic situation that is so rampant these days.
TAKING care of your car, especially during the rainy season is essential in making sure driving in a downpour keeps you and your passenger safe and sound. Lexus continues to offer its monthly Periodic Maintenance Service (PMS) promo which gives Lexus owners the chance to have their vehicles attended to by trained technicians and service personnel who use genuine parts and lubricants on your Lexus. Knowing this, Lexus invites its customers to take advantage of The Lexus Car Maintenance Weekend - happening until tomorrow, August 20, 2022.
These parts are not commonly seen by car owners, but if these gaskets are worn out, it may lead to leaking engine or gear oils and also leave an opening for water to seep through when you pass by puddles or flooded roads. This can lead to car damage. When worn out, these need to be immediately replaced. A quick visual check you can do is to see if there are any oil leaks underneath your car when parked. Mechanics check on these to ensure that gaskets are always in good working condition and will replace them as needed. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) functionality is crucial in a lot of unpredictable driving situations as it helps prevent the wheels from locking up in instant and hard braking situations–allowing the driver to steer the vehicle towards safety. If the ABS is in great condition, the vehicle is maneuverable especially in rainy situations. Ford vehicles equipped with ABS flash a warning message on the vehicle’s dashboard if it requires servicing, so always check the dashboard prior to moving the vehicle on your first drive of the day. To ensure safety and peace of mind on the road especially during challenging driving conditions, Ford Philippines is advising its customers to keep their vehicles in top condition amid the rainy season. All Ford owners are encouraged to follow their PMS schedule at their nearest dealership, where Ford technicians use Ford-approved fluids, filters, and genuine parts. Special offer for parts, battery package As part of its special promotions for the rainy season, Ford Philippines is extending a 10% discount on wiper blades and brake pads for the Ford Everest, Ford Ranger, Ford Ecosport, and Ford Territory. Covered in this promotion are brake pads and wiper blades of Ford Everest and Ranger (model year 2012 onwards) and Ford EcoSport and Territory (all model years). Customers can avail of this promo until September 30, 2022. Ford is also offering an all-in battery package that starts at P6,300, inclusive of parts and labor, for the Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Ford Ecosport, Ford Ranger and Ford Everest. All parts of eligible Ford vehicles covered by this promo automatically come with a 24-month warranty.
Tires With a car’s tires being in close contact with the road, it’s crucial that they have enough tread to maintain traction against slippery conditions. If a tire is worn out, it will be slippery and can lead to hydroplaning. Doing a quick visual inspection before driving out ensures you see the depth of tire treads. During periodic maintenance service (PMS) at Ford dealerships, service mechanics will also check on the age of your tires and will advise if they need replacement. Oil Pan Gaskets
Caravan gets backing of transport group
A long-range program is needed to resolve the burgeoning traffic problem in the metro, not just “band-aid solutions” that are being implemented as an added burden to the local motorists. The priority should be the addition of bigger roads in order to decongest most of our major thoroughfares – EDSA, C5, and C3 for example. They need to continue dismantling those obstructions – parked vehicles, businesses that crept into the side of the roads, erected house walls, and many others – in all roads that are being used for traffic and make sure that they don’t go back. With the addition of populations –people and vehicles – in the metro, there needs to be additional roads to be added. You cannot stop the people from buying vehicles since that is practically suppressing the economic recovery – more vehicle buyers, more taxes to be generated and more business for the economy. With enough enforcers on the road just manning the free flow of traffic all over, there is no need for the “no-contact apprehension.” Traffic officers need not bother to apprehend motorists left and right since they just impede the free flow of traffic. One traffic enforcer apprehending a single motorist is a big problem already for those who are at the back since they block a big chunk of the road. Imagine various enforcers apprehending motorists in many thoroughfares during the rush hour, that’s terrible since they slow down the free flow of traffic. There’s no need for a rocket scientist to resolve this traffic mess. You just need common sense.••• ASIDE from the on-and-off computer malfunctions that disrupt the many field offices of the Land Transportation Office these days, a friend called us to divulge that he also experienced and saw first-hand the deteriorating and stinking facilities of one besides the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. According to him, most of those who waited for hours when the computer reportedly conked out sweated out profusely because of the sweltering hot and humid condition at the waiting area. When he went to pee, he was aghast to see a cramped, mosquito-filled, water-less, and very smelly comfort room at the creepy second floor of the aged building. It should not be like this especially for one major government agency which is one of the most visited every day. It’s about time that the LTO should entertain the idea of transferring their field offices to major malls in the metro, which many government offices had already done. NBI and police clearances, SSS, GSIS, PagIBIG inquiries, and even passports can now be acquired in major malls where the convenience of the customers is a priority.Setting aside the multi-billion on the never-ending issue of computerization at the LTO, the comfort of the people renewing their licenses and car registrations should be taken into consideration. Setting up satellite offices inside the commercial malls could be a good idea and relatively cheap in terms of rentals for the LTO. And fixers (who are in the guise of “assistants” are still very much alive in most of the LTO field offices) can now be eliminated totally since they are a no-no inside the malls.
F OLLOWING the thrill and excitement of its first leg last July, the 2022 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup gears up for even greater thrills on its second leg happening TODAY at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) in Pampanga.
BANGKOK—Huawei launched Asia Pacific Seeds for the Future 2022 on Friday. From August 19 to 27, the program will bring together 120 outstanding students from 16 countries across the Asia Pacific region for a 9-day digital boot camp in Thailand, including 10 students from the Philippines.Theparticipants will get immersed in technologies and cross-cultural experiences, and propose technical solutions to address social problems through Tech4Good projects. Fifty-six of the 120 participants this year are women, making the 2022 cohort the most gender-balanced in the region since the program initiated. The opening ceremony was attended by both local government officials and representatives of multiple international organizations. They highlighted the important role multi-party collaboration plays in creating a solid foundation for the region’s digital talent\Secretary-Generalecosystem.
CRYPTOCUR-RENCYisone of the most known components of web3. The technology is seen as the future of finance, providing value and utility.
5. It can’t be regulated making it a huge risk Because of its pseudonymous features and decentralization, many are led to believe that Cryptocurrency can never be regulated. This belief is starting to change thanks to the efforts made by exchanges like Binance. We’re beginning to see comprehensive crypto regulatory frameworks being announced in the EU and countries such as France, Italy and Spain have started accepting registrations for companies looking to operate virtual asset related exchanges. Canada has also included cryptocurrency in its taxation laws while Switzerland has started adopting crypto as legal tender. Regulation will build more trust amongst users and will in turn help drive mass adoption of crypto. Through regulation, better integration with traditional financial institutions becomes possible, providing more accessibility for this new asset class and offering more visibility to regulators and security for its users.
vivo Y02s in Fluorite Black and Vibrant Blue kiosk) nationwide starting August 20, 2022 for only P6,499. Consumers who will purchase online are eligible to receive a FOOMEE Q4A05 as freebies! *limited stocks only. Power-packed and dependable vivo Y02s in Fluorite Black and Vibrant Blue With the vivo Y02s’s large 5,000 mAh battery, you can keep your battery anxiety at bay and enjoy many hours of browsing (and online shopping!), bingewatching your favorite Netflix Series with the fam, and more gameplay with the siblings. A single full charge allows you to stream Youtube in HD for up to 18 hours, 20 hours of music playback on Spotify, and 7 hours of resource-intensive gaming like PUBG, or Mobile Legends. The vivo Y02s also supports a C-type port and 5V/1A reverse charging, ensuring long battery life even for your other devices. For gamers and video streamers, a wide and immersive screen is necessary and the 6.51-inch HD+ Halo FullView Display with 1600*720 (HD+) resolution of the vivo Y02s is just perfect for that. The display also automatically adjusts brightness level depending on ambient light conditions and filters out harmful blue light so users can surf, stream, and play without worrying about eye strain. The device’s Multi-Turbo 5.5 and Ultra Game Modes also help deliver a smooth, lag-free performance which gamers will surely enjoy. The vivo Y02s is powered by a Mediatek Helio P35 chipset and has 3GB of RAM and 32GB memory to ensure sufficient phone storage and a smooth performance despite having many applications running in the background. Slim and stylish This newest Y-series device from vivo screams comfort and elegance. With just 8.15mm thickness and weighing just 186g, the vivo Y02s can easily fit in your pocket or small handy bag. The sophistically designed 2.5D curvature and frame of its body not only adds aesthetic touches but also makes the device more comfortable to the grip. The vivo Y02s comes in two colorways –Flourite Black and Vibrant Blue. The Flourite Black colorway gives off a classy shine and a touch of sophistication while the Vibrant Blue comes alive with a pattern of dancing waves, rejuvenating you with passion and vitality. Miss BingoPlus Lucky, Fil-Canadian Jasmine Paguio Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation
Launched on August 13 via vivo website, Lazada, Shopee and TikTok shop, the vivo Y02s will also be available through offline stores (experience stores and incident where global players like Binance helped recover 83% of stolen funds. 2. It is not good for the environment One common argument against crypto is that it is harmful to the environment. As it is a digital currency, crypto is produced through a process called ‘mining’. Computing power is used to solve cryptographic equations, which produces ‘rewards’ in the form of crypto tokens. The amount of computing power is usually said to be very high but recent developments in the industry make the technology a lot more greener. Major tokens like Ethereum (ETH) are switching over to the ‘proof of stake’ protocol which consumes significantly less power than the traditional ‘proof of work’ method. Through proof of stake, users can stake their tokens to verify transactions rather than the ‘proof of work’ method which straight up uses computing power. For those who are interested in the Ethereum merge, you should also do your own research on what the “triple-halving” event refers to. Green and sustainable crypto are also on the rise like Cardano (ADA). The crypto network’s founders initiated the Cardano Forest program, planting trees with the goal to become a climate-positive blockchain. The program has already planted 1 million trees and it continues up to this day. There are also other chains which use a proof of staked authority (POSA) consensus protocol which aims to minimize the tradeoff between decentralization, security, and scalability. The BNB chain has completed more than 3 billion transactions since inception and consumes less than 1% of the energy used by some other Proof of Work protocols.
of ASEAN, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi stressed that digital talent will be the driving force in the construction of a Digital ASEAN: “The private sector can play a pioneering role in realising this vision. In this regard, I commend Huawei Asia Pacific’s initiative: Seeds for the Future Program. This project underscores the long-term commitment of Huawei to collaborate and prepare the ASEAN youth for the changing world of work and industry’s demands. I hope that such efforts could also be extended to the other ASEAN Member States.” Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation, Dr. Yang Mee Eng said: “The growth of ASEAN Digital Economy is entirely dependent on the capability of the region’s young people to participate in it. To nurture a generation of digitally savvy and innovative problem solvers, it is pivotal for stakeholders of ASEAN to create a robust learning ecosystem that allows our youth to advance their digital skills.” Director for the ICT Industry Development Bureau of DICT in the Philippines, Emmy Lou V. Delfin delivered her message: “Thank you to Huawei for this partnership with the DICT in developing Filipino youth to become entrepreneurs through ICT. Huawei Seeds for the Future program is so timely and relevant especially for our college students. Getting the
Huawei launches biggest Asia Pacific Seeds for Future to inspire digital talents
B4 SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 Tech & Gadgetsrumallari@thestandard.com.ph
vivo Y02s: Powerful smartphone with slimmer body for only P6,499
students from 500 universities. The ‘Seeds’ have grown to a global ‘forest’.” “Digitalization is the driving force for our future. Talent is the key to digital transformation and sustainable growth. We deeply believe that the young generation will grow as the constructors of Asia Pacific when pursuing their tech-dreams.” Simon Lin added. Asia Pacific Seeds for the future 2022 is not only about knowledge learning but also about how to transform ideas into initiatives and projects that will provide a decent, quality, and happy life for all. Deputy Minister of Education of Thailand Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich agreed that “The Seeds for the Future program is important for students interested in ICT and digital technologies as it fills the gap between theory and practice. The Ministry of Education envisions a greater focus on morals and ethics, whereas education should also emphasize digital skills. This is regarded as the most significant development in the Thai education sector; boosting the quality of education, in all forms, to advance education to a global level.”
FIL-CANADIAN Jasmine Paguio finished as runner-up in the recently concluded Miss Philippines Earth beauty-with-a-cause pageant, but for the BingoPlus community of players, game developers, employees, partner brands, institutions and beneficiaries, she is their queen. The 23-year old actress and model who grew up in Canada but returned to the Philippines to seek an acting and pageantry career was chosen as Miss BingoPlus Lucky among 36 contestants at the Miss Philippines Earth Finals held August 6 in Coron, Palawan. It was her brave and game personality coupled with her sincere concern and dedication to the environment that made her stand out to BingoPlus officials as the fitting person to embody the company’s own advocacies. “She has a great personality that reflects both her outer and inner beauty. Her courage to pursue her dreams and passion by leaving the country where she grew up and taking a leap in the Philippines is admirable. Her faith and confidence in herself and her desire to share her advocacy by educating others about saving our planet is remarkable. She is a fun-loving, high-spirited person, embodying the same characteristics we seek in every person working at BingoPlus, and the same outlook shared by our partners and patrons,” said AB Leisure Exponent Inc. president Jasper Vicencio.“Wehave been taught to reduce, reuse and recycle since we were young. Although it may appear straightforward, the task of recycling and proper waste management is more intricate than it might seem. If one wrong item is recycled incorrectly, then tons of recyclable items get tossed into landfills daily. That is why I am advocating for a change in our educational system where we can properly teach the youth the importance of proper waste management and how to correctly recycle. This way we can have full confidence that correct knowledge will be passed down to future generations and we can contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle beginning at a young age,” Miss Paguio said. As Miss BingoPlus Lucky, she will take part in the brand’s corporate social responsibility projects conducted under its mother company, Leisure & Resorts World Corporation. She will also actively promote BingoPlus through various events and spread the value of entertainment and having fun while sharing the message of responsible gaming.“Miss BingoPlus Lucky will inspire our employees and show proof that you can still serve others while having fun by helping save the environment,” added Mr. Vicencio.
4. It is only used for ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes The value of tokens can quickly change depending on a lot of factors, and part of it is due to having thin liquidity on exchanges that list smaller market cap tokens. Rather than focusing on the short term gains of investing in volatile tokens, investors should do their own research and understand the utility and tokenomics behind the tokens issued. Token value is dictated by its utility and the strength of its utility which is often detailed in the whitepaper which gives additional insights into the mission of the project, the team behind it, the governance principles, the utility and economic benefits behind the usage of tokens and how the tokens will be allocated. Careful examination of whitepapers allow users to quickly spot red flags which include a disportionate amount of tokens allocated to advisors/founding team with a very short vesting period. Crypto prices also tend to be correlated to overall macroeconomics conditions and the amount of liquidity in the money markets while the other fundamental driver would be the technology behind the coins and the real-life use cases... Inflation and the ongoing global conflict prove that the currency is not completely independent from outside factors. It can however provide an economic cushion through additional liquidity and utility.
Exposing truth on cryptocurrency: Debunking myths, upholding facts
Miss LuckyBingoPlusembodiesonlinegamingplatform’sadvocacies
3. Crypto has no actual use Utility is at the heart of crypto ever since its inception. Bitcoin (BTC), which is considered to be the first cryptocurrency, was created to allow internet users to transact without little to no limitations present in traditional financial institutions. Companies like Bitpay provide services that allow merchants to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. WordPress, a popular website hosting company, also allows payment in cryptocurrency for various services. As a peer-to-peer form of digital currency, crypto users are also able to enjoy overseas transactions less to no worry of any fees or exchange rates. Crypto transactions like transfers and remittances are more direct between users. It is not limited by factors such as bank cut-off times or the sometimes dizzyingly different transfer fee rates of money couriers. Countries all over the world are also making steps in providing a regulatory framework for crypto which will help boost its utility and allow more tokens to be used as more efficient means of exchange value.
President of Huawei Asia Pacific Simon Lin reiterated Huawei’s own commitment to talent development: “The ‘seeds’ represent hope, passion, and future. As the corporate-level flagship CSR projet with the longest history, this program has been brought to nearly 140 countries and regions, reaching over 12,000 With its multitude of use cases ranging from being used as a medium of stored value to a form of investment, it is important that users fully understand the fundamentals of how crypto works.
right skills and training builds for a brighter future. Just as your tagline says - inspiring talents to shape the future.”
1. Crypto is unsafe because it’s untraceable One of crypto’s main features is its pseudo-anonymity. Accounts are turned into online addresses or “wallets” composed of a unique combination of numbers and letters. The beauty of this feature is that it makes transactions transparent. By nature, crypto transactions are viewable through what is called a public ledger. Public ledgers record all transactions effectively making them traceable. Any user can monitor or view transfers through blockchain scanners, and they can even track where their coin is going after being used for online transactions.Thislevel of transparency is even more evident with crypto exchange platforms which are required to collect information that can then be attached to digital wallets. Having this level of transparency discourages any illicit use of crypto on these platforms and allows more safeguards to be put in place protecting users and making transactions safer than ever. Companies and groups like Chainanalysis also utilize crypto’s transparency to detect illegal activities. Data collected from these methods are provided to law enforcement and have led to the arrest of major perpetrators and even the recovery of lost
VIVO officially unveils today yet again a powerful and affordable smartphone that is sure to deliver Filipinos plenty of time to enjoy uninterrupted hours of contact and entertainment with friends and loved ones. An upgrade from the vivo Y01, the vivo Y02s now comes in a very thin 8mm body– vivo’s thinnest design in this price range. But don’t let its slim body fool you because the vivo Y02s is an allaround smartphone that is feature-packed and has a huge 5,000 mAh battery capacity.
As a new wave, crypto has its share of misconceptions, oftentimes more prevalent than the facts. Together with its boom, the technology has seen its fair share of myths and rumors based mainly on users’ misunderstanding of how it works. With its multitude of use cases ranging from being used as a medium of stored value to a form of investment, it is important that users fully understand the fundamentals of how crypto works. Fortunately, just with a few clicks it’s easy to go beyond the clickbait and separate fact from fiction about this interesting new technology.
